Antinuclear antibodies and progression of quantitative interstitial lung changes: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)-Lung Study.

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are often found in ILD; whether ANA is associated with radiographic progression of quantitive interstital lung changes is unknown. We performed longitudinal analyses of adults in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis using linear mixed effects models with random intercept and slope to evaluate whether baseline ANA was associated with change in the amount of lung with high attenuation areas on CT (HAAs, percentage of imaged lung with -600 to -250 HU). In 6,638 subjects with 17,293 CT scans over 18 years, 741 (11%) were ANA positive.

ROBUST QUANTIFICATION OF PERCENT EMPHYSEMA ON CT VIA DOMAIN ATTENTION: THE MULTI-ETHNIC STUDY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS (MESA) LUNG STUDY.

Robust quantification of pulmonary emphysema on computed tomography (CT) remains challenging for large-scale research studies that involve scans from different scanner types and for translation to clinical scans. Although the domain shifts in different CT scanners are subtle compared to shifts existing in other modalities (e.g.

Smoking-Related Disease Impact in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Comprehensive Assessment Using Global Burden of Disease Data.

Background: Smoking remains a significant risk factor for numerous health issues, including lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and respiratory infections. This study investigates the burden of tobacco-related diseases in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Methods: Utilizing the GBD data, we examined the risk of smoking and second-hand smoke exposure and their related causes of death and disability in the 22 MENA countries.

Learning induces unique transcriptional landscapes in the auditory cortex.

Learning can induce neurophysiological plasticity in the auditory cortex at multiple timescales. Lasting changes to auditory cortical function that persist over days, weeks, or even a lifetime, require learning to induce gene expression. Indeed, transcription is the molecular determinant for long-term memories to form with a lasting impact on sound-related behavior.

MULTI-VIEW CNN FOR TOTAL LUNG VOLUME INFERENCE ON CARDIAC COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY.

Total lung volume (TLV) at full inspiration is a parameter of significant interest in pulmonary physiology but requires computed tomography (CT) scanning of the full axial extent of the lung. There is a growing interest to infer TLV from cardiac CT scans, which are much more widely available in epidemiologic studies. In this study, we present an original approach to train a multi-view convolutional neural network (CNN) model to infer TLV from cardiac CT scans, which visualize about 2/3rd of the lung volume.

Safety and efficacy of multipotent adult progenitor cells in acute respiratory distress syndrome (MUST-ARDS): a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1/2 trial.

Purpose: Bone marrow-derived, allogeneic, multipotent adult progenitor cells demonstrated safety and efficacy in preclinical models of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Methods: This phase 1/2 trial evaluated the safety and tolerability of intravenous multipotent adult progenitor cells in patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS in 12 UK and USA centres. Cohorts 1 and 2 were open-label, evaluating acute safety in three subjects receiving 300 or 900 million cells, respectively.

Lack of CFTR alters the ferret pancreatic ductal epithelial secretome and cellular proteome: Implications for exocrine/endocrine signaling.

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) related diabetes is the most common comorbidity for CF patients and associated with islet dysfunction. Exocrine pancreas remodeling in CF alters the microenvironment in which islets reside. Since CFTR is mainly expressed in pancreatic ductal epithelium, we hypothesized altered CF ductal secretions could impact islet function through paracrine signals.

Dissolved phosphate concentrations in Iowa shallow groundwater.

Regional groundwater phosphorus (P) concentrations are rarely reported, and it is important to develop a better understanding of background concentrations in shallow groundwater to help develop strategies to mitigate environmental risks. In this study, results collected from 17 different Iowa-based studies conducted from 2006 to 2019 and a total of 210 discrete locations of water table dissolved phosphate (DPO ) measurements are summarized (a) to assess the occurrence, range, and statistical distribution of groundwater DPO concentrations in Iowa and (b) to evaluate statewide patterns of DPO concentrations related to land use or land cover and landscape position. The DPO concentrations ranged from 0.

CONTEXTUALIZING NATURALISTIC DRIVING DATA IN A RURAL STATE AMONG DRIVERS WITH AND WITHOUT OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA.

In naturalistic studies, Global Positioning System (GPS) data and date/time stamps can link driver exposure to specific environments (e.g., road types, speed limits, night driving, etc.

Machine learning in a graph framework for subcortical segmentation.

Automated and reliable segmentation of subcortical structures from human brain magnetic resonance images is of great importance for volumetric and shape analyses in quantitative neuroimaging studies. However, poor boundary contrast and variable shape of these structures make the automated segmentation a tough task. We propose a 3D graph-based machine learning method, called LOGISMOS-RF, to segment the caudate and the putamen from brain MRI scans in a robust and accurate way.

Evaluation of aerosol optical depth and aerosol models from VIIRS retrieval algorithms over North China Plain.

The first Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) was launched on Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite in late 2011. Similar to the Moderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), VIIRS observes top-of-atmosphere spectral reflectance and is potentially suitable for retrieval of the aerosol optical depth (AOD). The VIIRS Environmental Data Record data (VIIRS_EDR) is produced operationally by NOAA, and is based on the MODIS atmospheric correction algorithm.

Choleretic Activity of Turmeric and its Active Ingredients.

Turmeric, a rhizome of Curcumin longa L. is widely used as both a spice and an herbal medicine. The traditional use of turmeric in gastroenterology is mainly based on its choleretic activity.

LINKING GPS DATA TO GIS DATABASES IN NATURALISTIC STUDIES: EXAMPLES FROM DRIVERS WITH OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA.

In naturalistic studies, it is vital to give appropriate context when analyzing driving behaviors. Such contextualization can help address the hypotheses that explore a) how drivers perform within specific types of environment (e.g.

LOGISMOS-B for Primates: Primate Cortical Surface Reconstruction and Thickness Measurement.

Cortical thickness and surface area are important morphological measures with implications for many psychiatric and neurological conditions. Automated segmentation and reconstruction of the cortical surface from 3D MRI scans is challenging due to the variable anatomy of the cortex and its highly complex geometry. While many methods exist for this task in the context of the human brain, these methods are typically not readily applicable to the primate brain.

Resonant waveguide grating for monitoring biomolecular interactions.

Label-free detection technologies have been widely used to characterize biomolecular interactions without having to label the target molecules. These technologies exhibit considerable potential in facilitating assay development and enabling new integrated readouts. When combined with high-throughput capability, label-free detection may be applied to small molecule screens for drug candidates.

Calcium-dependent energetics of calmodulin domain interactions with regulatory regions of the Ryanodine Receptor Type 1 (RyR1).

Calmodulin (CaM) allosterically regulates the homo-tetrameric human Ryanodine Receptor Type 1 (hRyR1): apo CaM activates the channel, while (Ca(2+))4-CaM inhibits it. CaM-binding RyR1 residues 1975-1999 and 3614-3643 were proposed to allow CaM to bridge adjacent RyR1 subunits. Fluorescence anisotropy titrations monitored the binding of CaM and its domains to peptides encompassing hRyR(11975-1999) or hRyR1(3614-3643).

Sox2 modulates Lef-1 expression during airway submucosal gland development.

Tracheobronchial submucosal glands (SMGs) are derived from one or more multipotent glandular stem cells that coalesce to form a placode in surface airway epithelium (SAE). Wnt/β-catenin-dependent induction of lymphoid enhancer factor (Lef-1) gene expression during placode formation is an early event required for SMG morphogenesis. We discovered that Sox2 expression is repressed as Lef-1 is induced within airway SMG placodes.

NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL PREDICTORS OF SAFETY IN URBAN LEFT-TURN SCENARIOS.

Left turns at urban intersections can be dangerous, especially when views are obstructed or pedestrians are present. Impairments in driver vision, motor, and cognition functions may further increase left-turn risk. We examined this problem in a simulated environment that included left-turn scenarios to study the driving behaviors of 28 drivers, ages 37 to 88 years, six of whom had "Useful Field of View" (UFOV) impairments.

EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON NATURALISTIC DRIVING IN OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA.

Reduced visibility and other environmental factors can impair driver ability to respond to roadway hazards. We examined the effects of reduced visibility on naturalistic driving in 66 drivers, including 45 at-risk drivers with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and 21 controls. We analyzed three months of electronic data using "black box" recorder technology and assessed the extent to which driver speed, longitudinal acceleration, and lateral acceleration metrics depend on ambient visibility from web-based environmental data archives.

Coding of repetitive transients by auditory cortex on posterolateral superior temporal gyrus in humans: an intracranial electrophysiology study.

Evidence regarding the functional subdivisions of human auditory cortex has been slow to converge on a definite model. In part, this reflects inadequacies of current understanding of how the cortex represents temporal information in acoustic signals. To address this, we investigated spatiotemporal properties of auditory responses in human posterolateral superior temporal (PLST) gyrus to acoustic click-train stimuli using intracranial recordings from neurosurgical patients.

A regulated NH2-terminal Sgk1 variant with enhanced function is expressed in the collecting duct.

Sgk1 is a relatively unstable kinase that regulates epithelial Na(+) transport in the distal nephron of the kidney. We identified a 5' variant alternate transcript of human Sgk1 (Sgk1_v3) that is expressed in the connecting tubule and collecting duct, is regulated by aldosterone and insulin, and is predicted to encode an NH(2)-terminal variant Sgk1 isoform, Sgk1_i3. Sgk1_i3 contains a polybasic motif, KKR, in its NH(2) terminus that regulates ubiquitination and stability of the expressed protein in HEK293 cells.

Evaluation of the Bruker Biotyper and Vitek MS matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry systems for identification of nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli isolated from cultures from cystic fibrosis patients.

The Bruker Biotyper and Vitek MS matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) instruments were evaluated for the identification of nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli (NFGNB) by a blinded comparison to conventional biochemical or molecular methods. Two hundred NFGNB that were recovered from cultures from cystic fibrosis patients in the University of Iowa Health Care (UIHC) Microbiology Laboratory between 1 January 2006 and 31 October 2010 were sent to Mayo Clinic for analysis with the Bruker Biotyper (software version 3.0) and to bioMérieux for testing with Vitek MS (SARAMIS database version 3.

Identification of adeno-associated viral vectors suitable for intestinal gene delivery and modulation of experimental colitis.

Effective gene transfer with sustained gene expression is an important adjunct to the study of intestinal inflammation and future therapy in inflammatory bowel disease. Recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are ideal for gene transfer and long-term transgene expression. The purpose of our study was to identify optimal AAV pseudotypes for transduction of the epithelium in the small intestine and colon, which could be used for studies in experimental colitis.

Protecting against vascular disease in brain.

Endothelial cells exert an enormous influence on blood vessels throughout the circulation, but their impact is particularly pronounced in the brain. New concepts have emerged recently regarding the role of this cell type and mechanisms that contribute to endothelial dysfunction and vascular disease. Activation of the renin-angiotensin system plays a prominent role in producing these abnormalities.