Prediction of gastrointestinal cancers in the ONCONUT cohort study: comparison between logistic regression and artificial neural network.

Background: Artificial neural networks (ANNs) and logistic regression (LR) are the models of chosen in many medical data classification tasks. Several published articles were based on summarizing the differences and similarities of these models from a technical point of view and critically assessing the quality of the models. The aim of this study was to compare ANN and LR the statistical techniques to predict gastrointestinal cancer in an elderly cohort in Southern Italy (ONCONUT study).

One Health Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Seropositivity among Pets in Households with Confirmed Human COVID-19 Cases-Utah and Wisconsin, 2020.

Approximately 67% of U.S. households have pets.

A review of guidelines for evaluating a minor modification to a validated assay.

Any modification to a validated assay must be evaluated in terms of the impact on the assay's performance characteristics and whether the assay remains fit for the intended purpose. The comparison is referred to as a 'method comparison', 'method comparability', 'method change', or 'comparative validation'. This review presents recommendations and examples of studies found in the current literature as a means of assessing minor modifications.

First Reported Cases of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Companion Animals - New York, March-April 2020.

On April 22, CDC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported cases of two domestic cats with confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Blockade of Oncogenic NOTCH1 with the SERCA Inhibitor CAD204520 in T Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

The identification of SERCA (sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase) as a target for modulating gain-of-function NOTCH1 mutations in Notch-dependent cancers has spurred the development of this compound class for cancer therapeutics. Despite the innate toxicity challenge associated with SERCA inhibition, we identified CAD204520, a small molecule with better drug-like properties and reduced off-target Ca toxicity compared with the SERCA inhibitor thapsigargin. In this work, we describe the properties and complex structure of CAD204520 and show that CAD204520 preferentially targets mutated over wild-type NOTCH1 proteins in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Effectiveness of Tai Chi on Balance Improvement in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Balance impairments are a relevant problem in patients with diabetes, and interventions to manage this issue represent a public health need. This study reviewed the literature about the effectiveness of Tai Chi on balance improvement in patients with type 2 diabetes. Springerlink, MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were screened.

Parental Perception of Children's Weight Status: Love Overpasses Scientific Evidence! A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Introduction: Age, gender, body mass index percentiles and the adherence to Mediterranean diet were investigated as potential predictor factors in this assessment.

Aim: To assess the parental perception of children's weight status.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was carried out during a corporate wellness program (Ferrari Formula Benessere) implemented by Ferrari S.

Tendinopathy: Pathophysiology, Therapeutic Options, and Role of Nutraceutics. A Narrative Literature Review.

Tendinopathies are very common in general population and a huge number of tendon-related procedures take place annually worldwide, with significant socio-economic repercussions. Numerous treatment options are commonly used for tendon disorders. Besides pharmacological and physical therapy, nutrition could represent an additional tool for preventing and treating this complex pathology that deserve a multidisciplinary approach.

Understanding the nature of psychiatric comorbidity in migraine: a systematic review focused on interactions and treatment implications.

Background: Migraine is a highly prevalent and disabling neurological disorder which is commonly linked with a broad range of psychiatric comorbidities, especially among subjects with migraine with aura or chronic migraine. Defining the exact nature of the association between migraine and psychiatric disorders and bringing out the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the comorbidity with psychiatric conditions are relevant issues in the clinical practice.

Methods: A systematic review of the most relevant studies about migraine and psychiatric comorbidity was performed using "PubMed", "Scopus", and "ScienceDirect" electronic databases from 1 January 1998 to 15 July 2018.

Improving precision of second-trimester biometry.

Objective: To utilise image score-based criteria for second-trimester fetal biometry as an educational tool to improve biometry quality.

Methods: Five sonographers regularly performing obstetric ultrasound examinations were recruited for this study. Biometry images were collected from fifteen second-trimester examinations for each sonographer prior to participating in a biometry education session, and another set of biometry images were collected from fifteen second-trimester examinations following the education session.

Effectiveness of a digital platform for sharing knowledge on headache management: a two-year experience.

It is crucial that all headache specialists receive adequate training. Considering the unsatisfactory results obtained with standard updating courses and the growing need for continuing professional education, a digital platform was developed as a training tool. The platform has been active since 1 October 2014.

Street Viewer: An Autonomous Vision Based Traffic Tracking System.

The development of intelligent transportation systems requires the availability of both accurate traffic information in real time and a cost-effective solution. In this paper, we describe Street Viewer, a system capable of analyzing the traffic behavior in different scenarios from images taken with an off-the-shelf optical camera. Street Viewer operates in real time on embedded hardware architectures with limited computational resources.

Exercise Improves Host Response to Influenza Viral Infection in Obese and Non-Obese Mice through Different Mechanisms.

Obesity has been associated with greater severity of influenza virus infection and impaired host defense. Exercise may confer health benefits even when weight loss is not achieved, but it has not been determined if regular exercise improves immune defense against influenza A virus (IAV) in the obese condition. In this study, diet-induced obese mice and lean control mice exercised for eight weeks followed by influenza viral infection.

The immuno-regulatory impact of orally-administered Hypericum perforatum extract on Balb/C mice inoculated with H1n1 influenza A virus.

Hypericumperforatum (H. perforatum) ethanol extract has been found to inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced production of inflammatory mediators and cytokines in cultured macrophages. Therefore, it may be able to protect the host from excessive inflammation during viral infection.

How much are biosimilars used in southern Italy?: a retrospective analysis of epoetin utilization in the local health unit of Messina in the years 2010-2011.

Background: Epoetins are one of the three biologics for which biosimilars are available in Italy. So far, there is a lack of Italian national/regional longitudinal data about epoetin use.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prescribing pattern of epoetins (reference products and biosimilars) in a Local Health Unit (LHU) of Southern Italy in recent years.

Evaluation of two sets of immunohistochemical and Western blot confirmatory methods in the detection of typical and atypical BSE cases.

Background: Three distinct forms of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), defined as classical (C-), low (L-) or high (H-) type, have been detected through ongoing active and passive surveillance systems for the disease.The aim of the present study was to compare the ability of two sets of immunohistochemical (IHC) and Western blot (WB) BSE confirmatory protocols to detect C- and atypical (L- and H-type) BSE forms.Obex samples from cases of United States and Italian C-type BSE, a U.

Detection of PrP(Sc) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue by Western blot differentiates classical scrapie, Nor98 scrapie, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Transmissible, spongiform encephalopathies including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and scrapie are fatal neurodegenerative disorders associated with the presence of an infectious abnormal isoform of normal mammalian proteins called prions. Identification of the prion protein associated with scrapie (PrP(Sc)) in the central nervous system is typically based upon immunoassays including immunohistochemistry (IHC) using formalin-fixed tissues or Western blot (WB) assays using fresh and/or frozen, non-formalin-fixed tissues. Each assay can discriminate between BSE, classical scrapie, and a previously reported strain of scrapie recently identified in the United States named Nor98 scrapie.

Chronic exercise reduces illness severity, decreases viral load, and results in greater anti-inflammatory effects than acute exercise during influenza infection.

Background: It is assumed that moderate exercise may improve resistance to infection and reduce inflammation, but there are limited data to support this assumption in an infection model.

Methods: BALB/cJ mice were assigned to the following groups: no exercise (NON-EX), 1 session of acute exercise (A-EX), or chronic exercise for approximately 3.5 months (C-EX).

Nor98 scrapie identified in the United States.

A distinct strain of scrapie identified in sheep of Norway in 1998 has since been identified in numerous countries throughout Europe. The disease is known as Nor98 or Nor98-like scrapie, among other names. Distinctions between classic scrapie and Nor98 scrapie are made based on histopathology and immunodiagnostic results.

Characterization of an influenza A virus isolated from pigs during an outbreak of respiratory disease in swine and people during a county fair in the United States.

In August 2007, pigs and people became clinically affected by an influenza-like illness during attendance at an Ohio county fair. Influenza A virus was identified from pigs and people, and the virus isolates were characterized as swine H1N1 similar to swine viruses currently circulating in the U.S.

Sensitivity and specificity of posterior corneal elevation measured by Pentacam in discriminating keratoconus/subclinical keratoconus.

Purpose: To estimate the sensitivity and specificity of posterior elevation in discriminating keratoconus and subclinical keratoconus from normal corneas.

Design: Prospective case-control study.

Participants: Seventy-five patients with keratoconus, 25 with subclinical keratoconus, and 64 refractive surgery candidates with normal corneas.

Anti-prion activity generated by a novel vaccine formulation.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of domestic and wild cervids in North America. To address possible prevention regimens for CWD, we have used a mouse model system and the Rocky Mountain Laboratory (RML) mouse-adapted scrapie prion strain to screen efficacy of potential vaccine candidates. Three peptides derived from the primary amino acid sequence of the prion protein were conjugated to blue carrier protein (BCP) and formulated in an adjuvant containing M.

Evaluation of hemagglutinin subtype 1 swine influenza viruses from the United States.

Swine influenza viruses (SIV) of the hemagglutinin subtype 1 (H1) isolated from the United States (U.S.) have not been well-characterized in the natural host.