AI Index Research Articles

Automatic quantification of pressure waveform damping during cardiac catheterisation using artificial intelligence

Abstract Background Undetected abnormalities in the aortic pressure waveform caused by damping of the signal can lead to complications during coronary angiography. Most commonly caused by over engagement of the catheter into the coronary ostium, the severity of pressure damping can be visually quatified by experience operators: it starts with the loss of the dicrotic notch, progresses to varying degrees of waveform "ventricularisation" and finally reaches a severe form with loss of the typical coronary waveform. The clinical consequences of undetected pressure damping are proportional to its severity, and include underestimation of stenosis severity during physiological assessment, vessel injury and, catastrophically, ventricular fibrillation. An automated approach to quantify pressure damping severity would improve patient safety by eliminating the need for constant operator attention during the procedure. Purpose To develop an index to automatically quantify the degree of pressure waveform damping using artificial intelligence. Methods 761 aortic pressure recordings obtained during pressure wire assessments and ranging from normal to severely damped, were manually processed into 1561 shorter recordings of 6-8 beats each. Recordings were then randomly allocated into separate training and validation datasets in a 70:30 ratio. The training and validation datasets were labelled by two separate groups of experts: 5 labelled the training dataset and 4 labelled the validation dataset. All experts were practicing interventional cardiologists who had undertaken doctoral and post-doctoral research in coronary physiology. 14490 individual expert discriminations were used to train the neural network. A purpose-built platform was used to label pressure waveforms. A neural network was trained using the training dataset. The validation dataset was then assessed by the neural network. The score output was transformed into an index which ranged from 0 (normal waveform) to 1 (severely damped). The correlation between expert consensus and the AI derived index was compared using Spearman’s Rho and numerical agreement assessed with Bland and Altman analysis. Results The AI derived index was able to continuously discriminate progressive degrees of pressure damping and demonstrated excellent correlation with the expert consensus score (Spearman’s rho 0.89) and numerical agreement on Bland and Altman analysis (bias +0.05 and limits of agreement ±0.21). Individual expert’s scores showed a range of agreement with the expert consensus score (Spearman’s rho 0.75-0.94, mean 0.86). The AI index agreed with expert consensus more closely than each expert agreed with each other. Conclusion An AI derived index can provide an automated, real-time and operator-independent quantification of the degree of aortic pressure waveform damping, improving precision of physiological assessment and potentially increasing patient safety during coronary angiography.

Relationship between Milk Yield and Reproductive Parameters on Three Hungarian Dairy Farms.

It is postulated that there is negative correlation between milk yield and reproductive performance. However, some studies definitely doubt this causality. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between milk production and fertility on three dairy farms. The production parameter was the milk yield (in kg), and fertility was expressed by the number of inseminations per conception (AI index), as well as by the length of the service period (in days). A total of 13 012 lactations from cows with their first three lactations completed were analysed. The number of inseminations was significantly correlated with the milk yield and with the studied farm (p < 0.0001), but its correlation with the lactation number was not significant (p = 0.9477). A similar relationship was found after evaluating the length of the service period. A multiplicative model showed that a 2000 kg milk increase extended the service period by 9% and increased the AI index by 13%. Thereafter, using quartiles of the cows, the service period of the highest-producing group rose by 41.5 days, and the AI index by almost 1, compared to the lowest quartile. Our results indicate a definitive decline in reproductive indicators parallel to an increase in milk production but did not prove an inevitable correlation.

Dependence of annual asymmetry in &lt;i&gt;NmF2&lt;/i&gt; on local time

Based on the global empirical model of the F2 layer critical frequency median (Satellite and Digisonde Data Model of the F2 layer, SDMF2), an analysis was made of the properties of diurnal variations in the annual asymmetry in the concentration of the F2 layer maximum NmF2 at different values of the solar activity index F. The AI index, which characterizes the relative difference in NmF2 averaged over all longitudes and latitudes between January and July at a given local time, was used as a parameter of this asymmetry. It was found that the diurnal variations of the AI index are dominated by a semidiurnal mode with maxima in the daytime and at night. The daytime maximum of the AI index is almost independent of the level of solar activity. The nighttime AI maximum decreases with increasing solar activity. For low solar activity, the daytime and nighttime AI maxima almost coincide in amplitude when AI = 16—17%. The difference in the solar radio flux between January and July due to the ellipticity of the Earth’s orbit relative to the Sun makes a significant contribution to the AI index at all hours of the day. On average, it is 3—4% and can reach 5% with low solar activity at night. The difference in the AI index for low and high activity according to the IRI model (with URSI and, especially, CCIR coefficients) is overestimated relative to the SDMF2 model at almost all hours of the day, apparently due to the limited number of experimental data when obtaining the CCIR and URSI coefficients especially over the oceans

Measuring the extreme linkages and time-frequency co-movements among artificial intelligence and clean energy indices

This is the first study analyzing the volatility connectedness and time-frequency interdependence between AI index and clean energy index. Specifically, we use the QVAR frequency connectedness, Wavelet Local Multiple Correlations (WLMC) and Granger causality quantile methods to check the risk spillovers and multivariate time and frequency relationships among the eight clean energy indexes and the AI index. This is over the period from December 18, 2017 to April 4, 2023. Our results show: (1) NASDAQ OMX Geothermal Index is the strongest net sender of short- and long-term shocks in the system during extreme upside market conditions. In downturn conditions, the S&P Global Clean Energy Index is the largest net shock sender. The AI Index exports shocks at all frequencies. In addition, market connectedness among markets is stronger under extreme market conditions. (2) We find that the AI Index predominantly exhibited positive co-movements with clean energy indices, primarily concentrated within the long-term frequency domain. However, they displayed robust cooperative dynamics across all frequency domains within the context of multivariate wavelet interconnections. (3) The quantile granger causality analysis revealed that below the extreme bullish threshold (0.95), the NASDAQ CTA Artificial Intelligence & Robotics index could predict changes in the risk associated with all clean energy indices. However, under extremely bullish quantile conditions, the NASDAQ CTA Artificial Intelligence & Robotics index statistically exhibited Granger causality only with respect to the NASDAQ OMX Renewable Energy Index, NASDAQ OMX Geothermal Index, and WilderHill Clean Energy Index.

Speed of Catch-Up and Convergence of the Artificial Intelligence Divide: AI Investment, Robotic, Start-Ups, and Patents

ABSTRACT With the recent acceleration in AI adoption and significant investments being made by many countries, the concern regarding the AI divide is becoming increasingly prevalent. We attempt to determine whether countries that have fallen behind in AI development can catch up to those leading the charge over time. Specifically, this study examines the dynamics of the AI divide on AI investments, robotics, AI start-ups, and AI patents in 34–57 countries, analyzing the data sets from Stanford AI Index Report, World Robotics Report, and the OECD Statistics website. We have used the methods of the relative AI divide (RAID) and absolute AI divide (AAID) for the two categories of income and adoption levels. Also, we have tested both γ convergence for the AI divide and σ convergence for the divide over time. We find that for all four AI categories, the relative AI divide between the leading and lagging countries has narrowed rapidly and the divide between the high- and middle-income subgroups has also narrowed at a slower pace. In terms of the micro convergence analysis of the AI divides for individual countries within the respective income and adoption subgroups, a change in the active ranking among countries was evident in nearly all of the subgroups. This study contributes to the literature by presenting not only the absolute AI divide but also the relative AI divide clarifying the changing trends systematically.

Технологические инновации и применение искусственного интеллекта в развитии мирохозяйственных процессов: опыт стран БРИКС

The aim of the study is to analyze technological innovation in the field of artificial intelligence in the global economy with a focus on the experience of the BRICS countries. In the course of the study, the authors set the following objectives: to assess the impact of AI implementation on the economic and social growth of these countries; the positions of the BRICS countries in the world rankings in the field of artificial intelligence (Global AI Index and Stanford AI Index); and the participation of the BRICS countries in the application of generative AI. The results of the study have allowed to assess the impact of technological innovation and application of artificial intelligence on the economic and social growth of the BRICS countries as positive, especially on China, which has realized significant progress in the field of artificial intelligence over the past 10 years, as well as on India’s breakthrough over the past 2 years in the use of generative AI. China, based on sound long-term strategic planning and large financial injections, is already breaking into a leading position in the world 5 years after adopting the fundamental “Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan” in 2017. In 2021, Chinese researchers ranked first in the world in terms of cited publications in Q1 peer-reviewed scientific journals (top 25 % of journals). Chinese tech giants are recording a sharp rise in AI publications in 2022, outpacing university researchers on the index. Since 2021, India has significantly increased its position in the leading AI ratings and is becoming a world leader in the application of generative AI. The analysis of the level of development of AI technologies in the BRICS countries conducted within the framework of this article shows that, having all the necessary resources for the successful implementation of AI technologies, in the near future the BRICS countries are planning to apply AI technologies on a larger scale in medicine, education, finance and agriculture, which will significantly improve the economic performance of the state.

Seasonal changes in the fatty acid profile of Cystoseira crinita Duby, 1830, distributed on the Sinop Peninsula Coast of the Black Sea

This study aimed to determine the fatty acids profile and seasonal change in Cystoseira crinita Duby, 1830 from the Sinop Peninsula coasts. The fatty acids profile was analyzed by GC/MS and their seasonal variation was studied. Along the sampling, it was possible to identify 37 different fatty acids in C. crinita, from C4 to C22. It was determined that palmitic acid was the most abundant fatty acid in all seasons, and further, the season which provided the highest contents of SFA, PUFA, and MUFA was winter. As a matter of fact, in our study, it was determined that the highest PUFA values ranged from 40.63% in winter to 32.23% in summer. It has been determined that the MUFA value varies between 25.88% in winter and 30.79% in summer, and the SFA value varies between 33.50% in winter and 35.98% in summer. In this study, the PUFA/SFA ratio of C. crinita was determined to change between 1.01% - 1.21% from winter to summer. In addition, the total -6/-3 PUFA ratio was found to be greater than 1 and ranged from 1.61 (winter) to 2.07 (summer). The atherogenicity and thrombogenicity index and h/H ratio were calculated from the fatty acid profiles of C. crinata, and the AI index was determined to change from 0.71 (winter) to 0.74 (autumn), TI index was 0.44 winter) to 0.58 (in summer). The h/H ratio of 1.71 (summer) to 2.00 (winter) was calculated. These results of our study showed that the seasons have a significant effect on the fatty acid profile and the fatty acids in C. crinita may have important contributions to human nutrition. For this reasons, it is thought that it is extremely important to reveal the nutritional content of different seaweed species that spread in the seas of Turkey and to observe the seasonal changes in their contents.

Impact of various extraction methods on fatty acid profile, physicochemical properties, and nutritional quality index of Pangus fish oil.

Marine fish are high in essential omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for human health. This study evaluated the effects of four extraction methods (soxhlet extraction, SE; wet rendering, WR; acid silage, AS; microwave-assisted extraction, MAE) on the oil yield, physicochemical properties, fatty acid profile, and nutritional quality index (NQI) of pangus fish oil. The oil yield ranged from 13.50% to 21.80%, with MAE having the highest yield. Furthermore, MAE oil has the lowest free fatty acid (0.70%), peroxides (2.08 Meq/kg), and saponification (287.27 mg/g KOH) value. There were no significant differences (p > .05) in the refractive index and melting point of oils among extraction techniques. A total of 25 fatty acids were identified. However, the maximum PUFA, MUFA, and SFA recovery was observed in the SE (19.15 mg/100 g), MAE (7.99 mg/100 g), and AS (17.33 mg/100 g), respectively. In terms of NQI, SE had higher PUFA/SFA, HH, and LA/ALA ratios, while AS had higher EPA + DHA, n-3/n-6, AI, TI, and FLQ indices. Furthermore, the MAE approach yielded better ratios of n-3/n-6 and HPI index, whereas the WR method yielded a higher AI index. Therefore, MAE would be the most efficient method for extracting pangus fish oil by considering both technical feasibility and quality indices including extraction yield, best physical properties, oxidative stability, and fatty acid contents.

Closed reduction and plaster immobilization: an alternative solution for patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip who failed Pavlik harness treatment.

The current study aims to investigate the clinical efficacy of closed reduction and cast immobilization for patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) who failed Pavlik harness treatment. Patients with DDH who underwent cast immobilization under general anaesthesia after the failure of the Pavlik harness or Tübingen brace treatment between January 2015 and December 2020 were retrospectively recruited. General information, including Graf classification of initial diagnosis, initial treatment, age of cast immobilization, IHDI classification, AI index, avascular necrosis (AVN), and residual dysplasia, was collected. The incidence of AVN and late acetabular dysplasia (LACD) was also estimated. Moreover, factors related to AVN and LACD were investigated by multiple logistic regression analysis. Thirty-four patients (47 hips) were finally included in the current study. Of these patients, 31 hips (66.0%) were successfully treated with closed reduction and cast immobilization. Open reduction was successfully performed in 16 hips (34.0%). Till the latest follow-up, LACD and AVN were found in 13 (27.7%) and 10 (21.3%) hips, respectively. In the open reduction group, type III and IV of the IHDI classification and type IV of the Ultrasound Graf classification were significantly higher when compared with the closed reduction group. Multiple logistic regression showed that failure of closed reduction was related to the initial types of the Ultrasound Graf and IHDI classifications. Although the success rate of closed reduction after early harness failure in DDH is only 66%, we still advocate closed reduction as a first-line treatment for children who have failed sling treatment. Even if closed reduction fails, open reduction can still achieve acceptable results.

Impact of the Election Formula Change on the Structure of Competition in Local Legislatures: Lessons from Poland

The aim of the article is to illustrate the political consequences of changes in the electoral system for elections to municipal councils in Poland introduced in 2018. For the purposes of the article, the following hypothesis is formulated: the changes in the electoral formula for elections to municipal councils with more than 20,000 inhabitants (excluding CCS), introduced under the 2018 amendment to the electoral law, alters the structure of political competition. The changes include: decreasing the advantage of the victorious election committee over its main rival (CI index), decreasing the number of relevant participants in the struggle for power (ENP index), broadening the extent to which the distribution of seats reflects the preferences of voters (PI index), and decreasing the ‘ownership’ of the most powerful electoral committee (AI index).

Phase transformation-driven persulfate activation by coupled Fe/N–biochar for bisphenol a degradation: Pyrolysis temperature-dependent catalytic mechanisms and effect of water matrix components

Fe–N co-doped biochar is recently an emerging carbocatalyst for persulfate activation in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO). However, the involved catalytic mechanisms remain controversial and distinct effects of coexisting water components are still not very clear. Herein, we reported a novel N-doped biochar-coupled crystallized Fe phases composite (Fe@N-BC800) as efficient and low-cost peroxydisulfate (PDS) activators to degrade bisphenol A (BPA), and the underlying influencing mechanism of coexisting inorganic anions (IA) and humic constituent. Due to the formation of graphitized nanosheets with high defects (AI index>0.5, ID/IG = 1.02), Fe@N-BC800 exhibited 2.039, 5.536, 8.646, and 23.154-fold higher PDS catalytic activity than that of Fe@N-BC600, Fe@N-BC400, N-BC, BC. Unlike radical pathway driven by carbonyl group and pyrrolic N of low/mid-temperature Fe@N–BCs. The defective graphitized nanosheets and Fe-Nx acted separately as electron transfer and radical pathway active sites of Fe@N-BC800, where π-π sorption assisted with pyrrolic N and pore-filling facilitated BPA degradation. The strong inhibitory effects of PO43− and NO2− were ascribed to competitive adsorption of phosphate (61.11 mg g−1) and nitrate (23.99 mg g−1) on Fe@N-BC800 via electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bonding. In contrast, HA competed for the pyrrolic-N site and hindered electron delivery. Moreover, BPA oxidation pathways initiated by secondary free radicals were proposed. The study facilitates a thorough understanding of the intrinsic properties of designed biochar and contributes new insights into the fate of degradation byproducts formed from ISCO treatment of micropollutants.

Isolation, Computational Characterization and Structure Prediction of Chitinase Gene-Bbchit of Beauveria bassiana

Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus that is used as a biopesticide for the control of many insect pests in agriculturally important crops. B. bassiana produces many extracellular hydrolytic enzymes that degrade the insect cuticle. Among them, the fungal exochitinase mainly assists in the infection by degrading the chitin present in the insect cuticle. To characterize the exochitinase from B. bassiana, the chitinase gene (Bbchit) of 1050bp was amplified from the genomic DNA through PCR using gene-specific primers. This chitinase gene was cloned into the pJET1.2 cloning vector, confirmed through sequencing. The sequence (GI; OP114061) has been deposited in the NCBI database and used for bioinformatics analysis. The various Physico-chemical properties of chitinase protein such as pI, EC, AI, GRAVY and instability index were predicted using primary structure analysis. Using MEGA11 software, the translated chitinase protein- Bbchit showed that it closely resembles with the QJE37897.1 (chitinase Chit37). Primary and secondary structure analysis helps to characterize the functionality of chitinase protein (Bbchit). The 3D structure of B. bassiana was predicted using Robetta, an abinitio prediction method and confirmed through in-silico using the SAVESv6.0 (PROCHECK) server. The isolated exochitinase gene from B. bassiana has been characterized for use as a bio-control agent for the control of insect pests in crop plants.

Association of hyperuricemia with apolipoprotein AI and atherogenic index of plasma in healthy Chinese people: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) is a predictor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), while hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for a variety of CVD. Apolipoprotein AI has been found to be a protective factor for CVD. However, the role of APO AI in the association between plasma uric acid and AIP among healthy Chinese people needs to be further explored.AimsTo evaluate the relationship between blood uric acid and AIP level in healthy Chinese people. To evaluate the relationship between blood uric acid and Apolipoprotein AI in healthy Chinese people.MethodA total of 3501 normal and healthy subjects who had physical examinations were divided into the hyperuricemia (HUA) group and the normouricemia (NUA) group.ResultThe AIP of HUA group was significantly higher than that of NUA group [0.17±0.30 vs. −0.08±0.29]. Apo AI (1.33 ± 0.21 vs. 1.47 ± 0.26 g/l) and HDL-c (1.12 ± 0.27 vs. 1.36 ± 0.33 mmol/l) were significantly lower in the HUA group than in the NUA group. LDL-C (2.81 ± 0.77 vs. 2.69 ± 0.73 mmol/l), Apo B (0.96 ± 0.20 vs. 0.89 ± 0.20 g/l), FBG (5.48 ± 0.48 vs. 5.36 ± 0.48 mmol/l) and HOMA-IR [2.75 (1.92–3.91) vs. 2.18 (1.50–3.12)] was significantly higher in HAU group than the NUA group. Increases in plasma UA were associated with increases in AIP (β = 0.307, p < 0.01) and decreases in Apo AI (β = − 0.236, p < 0.01).ConclusionHyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for high AIP level. Inhibition of Apolipoprotein AI may be one of the mechanisms of UA which is involved in the progression of cardiovascular disease.

Evolution of Ecological Patterns of Poyang Lake Wetland Landscape over the Last One Hundred Years Based on Historical Topographic Maps and Landsat Images

Ecological pattern evolution of Poyang Lake wetland, the largest freshwater lake in China, is critical for regional ecological protection and sustainable development of migratory bird habitats; however, this information is still not fully explored. In this study, we quantitatively reconstructed the spatial distribution and landscape ecological pattern of Poyang Lake wetlands in three periods in the past 100 years based on the military topographic map in the 1930s and the Landsat satellite remote sensing image data in 1979 and 2021. Further, use the Fragstats software to analyze the ecological pattern index of wetland reconstruction results. The results show that the wetland area in the Poyang Lake region has experienced a continuous reduction process over the past 100 years, and it decreased from 3857 km2 in the 1930s to 3673 km2 in the 1970s, and then to 3624 km2 in the 2020s. The current wetland area has decreased by about 6.04% compared with the 1930s. The general trend of changes in the spatial pattern of Poyang Lake wetlands is that the surface water decreases and the open land increases. Nevertheless, the trend has certain spatial differences as a large area of wetlands disappeared in the southwest and west of Poyang Lake and the areas with enlarged wetland density values mainly appeared in the northeastern and northern parts of the study area. The NP (number of patches) in the wetlands of Poyang Lake over the past 100 years showed a downward trend during the 1930s–1970s, and an increasing trend during the 1970s–2010s. Due to the increases of constructed wetlands, the number and density of patches also increased, and PD (patch density) reached a maximum value of 0.142 in 2020s. The LPI (largest patch index) has shown a gradual downward trend in the past 100 years. Compared with the 1930s, the wetlands in 2020s dropped by about 26.64%, and the wetlands further showed a trend of fragmentation. The AI index, which indicates the concentration of wetland patches, reached the maximum value in 2020s, but the LSI (landscape shape index) showed a downward trend in general, indicating that the shape of wetland patches has been simplified over the past 100 years. The research results can provide basic data and decision-making basis for Poyang Lake wetland protection, construction of migratory bird reserve and regional sustainable development.

Electroencephalogram Signatures of Agitation Induced by Sevoflurane and Its Association With Genetic Polymorphisms

Background: Volatile anesthetic-induced agitation, also called paradoxical excitation, is not uncommon during anesthesia induction. Clinically, patients with agitation may lead to self-injury or disrupt the operative position, increasing the incidence of perioperative adverse events. The study was designed to investigate clinical features of sevoflurane-induced agitation and examined whether any gene polymorphisms can potentially be used to predict agitation.Methods: One hundred seventy-six patients underwent anesthesia induction with sevoflurane were included in this study. Frontal electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyography (EMG), and hemodynamics were recorded continuously during anesthesia induction. DNA samples were genotyped using the Illumina Infinium Asian Screening Array and the SNaPshot technology. Genetic association was analyzed by genome-wide association study. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the role of variables in the prediction of agitation.Results: Twenty-five (14.2%) patients experienced agitation. The depth of anesthesia index (Ai index) (p < 0.001), EMG (p < 0.001), heart rate (HR) (p < 0.001), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (p < 0.001) rapidly increased during the agitation. EEG exhibited a shift toward high frequencies with spikes during agitation. The fast waves (alpha and beta) were more pronounced and the slow rhythms (delta) were less prominent during the occurrence of agitation. Moreover, three SNPs in the methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) gene were correlated to the susceptibility to agitation (p < 5.0 × 10−6). Carrying rs1801394 A > G (odds ratio 3.50, 95% CI 1.43–9.45) and/or rs2307116 G > A (3.31, 1.36–8.95) predicted a higher risk of agitation.Discussion: This study suggests that the agitation/paradoxical excitation induced by sevoflurane is characterized as increases in Ai index, EMG, HR and MAP, and the high frequency with spikes in EEG. Moreover, our results provide preliminary evidence for MTRR genetic polymorphisms, involving folate metabolism function, may be related to the susceptibility to agitation.Clinical Trial Number and Registry URL: ChiCTR1900026218; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=40655.

A longitudinal study for the prediction of the mature acetabular morphology using childhood magnetic resonance imaging

BackgroundAlthough acetabular dysplasia is a common etiology of osteoarthritis of the hip regardless of the history of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), whether or not corrective surgeries are beneficial for the childhood asymptomatic acetabular dysplasia remains controversial due to a lack of evidence. We conducted a longitudinal study to compare the cartilaginous morphology on childhood magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the mature hip morphology of the same patient and to assess the predictive indicators for future acetabular dysplasia. MethodsA total of 92 unaffected hips (47 unilateral DDH and 45 unilateral Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease) were reviewed for X-ray and MRI findings on childhood (mean age: 6.0 years) and X-ray findings from a skeletally mature age with a mean follow-up period of 15.1 years. The following parameters were measured and compared: the immature-acetabular index (AI) and center edge angle (CE) on immature X-ray; the cartilage- and bone- AI, CE, Sharp and acetabular head index (AHI) on childhood MRI; and the mature-acetabular roof obliquity (ARO), CE, Sharp and AHI on skeletally mature X-ray. The prognostic factors on childhood MRI for acetabular dysplasia, defined by a CE of <20° on skeletally mature X-ray were also assessed. ResultsPositive correlations were shown between the cartilage-AI and mature-ARO (7.6°/6.3°; r = 0.44), the cartilage-CE and mature-CE (27.8°/28.0°; r = 0.62), the cartilage-Sharp and mature-Sharp (44.4°/41.8°; r = 0.52) and the cartilage-AHI and mature-AHI (78.7%/80.3%; r = 0.46). A multivariate analysis indicated cartilage-CE to be an independent predictor for acetabular dysplasia with a cut-off value of 22°. Children with a cartilage-CE <22° developed more frequently acetabular dysplasia compared to the others (52.4% vs. 1.4%). ConclusionsChildhood MRI findings are useful for the prediction of acetabular dysplasia without a DDH history. Children with a cartilage-CE ≥23° are likely to achieve a non-dysplastic hip without the need for surgical intervention.

Increased atherogenic lipoprotein profile in children with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been shown to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In adults, histologic severity of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is associated with a more atherogenic profile. To assess cardiovascular disease risk by lipoprotein profile in children with NAFLD and compare to histologic assessment of severity. Nuclear magnetic resonance lipoprotein profile including lipoprotein particle sizes, apolipoproteins and the lipoprotein insulin resistance (LP-IR) index was measured in serum samples collected from 76 children at the time of a clinically indicated liver biopsy for NAFLD. Liver histology was scored using the NASH Clinical Research Network criteria and grouped into NASH or non-NASH. Children with NASH had higher apolipoprotein B to apolipoprotein AI, ApoB/ApoAI (0.56 [IQR, 0.45-0.70] vs 0.66 [IQR, 0.56-0.79], P = .02) and higher LP-IR index (61 ± 21.9 vs 68 ± 17.3, P = .05) compared to children with non-NASH. Severity of hepatocyte ballooning was associated with higher ApoB/ApoAI ratios (P = .01), while high-density lipoprotein size was inversely associated with hepatic fat accumulation (P = .04). While dyslipidaemia is common among children with NAFLD, this data suggests severity of the histologic features is closely associated with severity of cardiometabolic risk. Further studies are needed to understand the role of treatment of NASH in children to prevent future cardiometabolic disease.

U. diffracta extract mitigates high fat diet and VD3-induced atherosclerosis and biochemical changes in the serum liver and aorta of rats

Background and aimsUsnea diff ;racta Vain. (U. diffracta) belonging to the Usnea genus, is widely used as a folk medicine for the treatment of ulcer, abdominal pain, diarrhea, malaria and so on. However, the antiatherogenic effect of U. diffracta has not yet been reported. This study aims to investigate the antiatherogenic effects of the ethanol extract of U. diffracta and its mechanism. MethodA high fat diet and VD3 were used to establish the atherosclerotic rat model, with 0.004 g/kg/d of simvastatin as a positive control, fed with 0.7, 1.4, and 2.8 g/kg/d of Usnea ethanol extract for 21 days. The blood, liver, and aorta samples from each rat were collected after the last administration. Pharmacodynamic effects were evaluated. The inflammation related factors, the gene expressions of Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5), myeloid differentiating factor 88 (MyD88), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) were detected. Results and conclusionsCompared with the model group, simvastatin and ethanol extract of U. diffracta can significantly reduce the serum levels of triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), Ca2+, AST, ALT, the liver contents of total cholesterol (TC), TG, AI and liver index, as well as significantly increase the contents of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) both in serum and liver (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05). The serum level of ox-LDL can be significantly reduced by simvastatin, low and medium U. diffracta ethanol extract doses (p < 0.01). In addition, simvastatin and low dosage of U. diffracta ethanol extract can significantly reduce the liver content of LDL-C (p < 0.01). U. diffracta ethanol extract shows a positive antiatherogenic effect. Furthermore, the mechanism may be related to promoting the expression of serum IL-10 and inhibition of TLR5/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Prevalence of Anti-JC Virus (JCV) Antibodies in the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Population in Cyprus: A Retrospective Study.

Background and Purpose Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a debilitating disease of the central nervous system caused by the ubiquitous polyomavirus JC (JCV) in immunocompromised hosts. In recent years, a new subpopulation of patients at risk for PML has emerged, due to the growing use of immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive therapies in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The anti-JCV antibody index is used as a stratification tool in assessing the risk of developing PML. The objective of this study was to retrospectively describe the prevalence of anti-JCV antibodies in the MS population in Cyprus. Methods We retrospectively collected the demographics of 214 MS patients in Cyprus who were screened for anti-JCV antibodies using the STRATIFY JCV™ assay between September 2011 and June 2018. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the effect of demographic variables on seropositivity, and bivariate tests were used to assess the association between demographic characteristics and JCV AI index. Results A total of 214 MS patients in Cyprus were tested. Overall anti-JCV antibody prevalence was 45.8% (95% confidence interval 37.2%–55.8%). We could not establish a significant association between seropositivity and increasing age or sex. In the subgroup analysis of natalizumab-treated patients, the annual seroconversion rate was 4.5%. Conclusions Overall seroprevalence of anti-JCV antibodies in MS patients in Cyprus using the STRATIFY JCV assay was lower than the worldwide reported mean. Although previously reported, in our study, the anti-JCV antibody seropositivity was not associated with increasing age or sex.

Causal relationship between biodiversity of insect population and agro-management in organic and conventional apple orchard

Organic management of fruit orchards may increase biodiversity and therefore contributes to achieving an ecologically balanced and productive agroecosystem. In 2013–2015, using a standard methodology for field monitoring, our study investigated and described dynamics of selected insect indicator taxa in the soil, on orchard surface and apple trees in an organic apple orchard and a reference conventional orchard in the region of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Aiming to determine the impact of agro-management on biodiversity, our study revealed statistically significant correlations between biodiversity (i.e., as indices of the diversity of Shannon (entropy) and Simpson (1-D)) and agro-management practices (i.e., as an agricultural intensification index (AI index)). We found that density and diversity of insect indicator taxa were high in organic soil and in the conventional soil, which was attributed to above-the-norms rainfall in 2014 and 2015 and agro-management practices such as mulching and organic fertilization. The cubic regression models showed positive correlations between the AI index and biodiversity indices of indicator taxa in organic soil (R 2 = 0.489 to 0.497) and on orchard surface (grassed inter-rows) (R 2 = 0.399 to 0.419). On organic trees, changes in population dynamics of beneficial insect taxa followed the changes of pest insect taxa and were related to food availability and climate conditions. Here, the best-fit linear regression models signified that ecological intensification through organic practices here expressed as high-AI index leads to a high diversity (i.e., high indices of Shannon and Simpson) of key beneficial insect taxa such as Coccinellidae, Chrysopidae, and Cantharidae which keeps the pest population below economic threshold levels. Farmers, therefore, should target practices leading to higher density and diversity of beneficial added by measures such as pheromone mating-disruption dispensers and selective bio-pesticides. Our study presents an example of how can biodiversity be assessed in such complex agro-ecological system as orchards are. However, we suggest re-designing the AI index to reflect important factors such as agroecological conditions (e.g., variable climate, soil fertility) and agro-management practices (e.g., time of mowing, irrigation regime, and type of pesticides and their application).