Commercial Panels Research Articles

PD18-10 GERMLINE TESTING IN RENAL CELL CARCINOMA: CAN ENRICHMENT FEATURES HELP PREDICT GERMLINE ALTERATIONS?

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 May 2022PD18-10 GERMLINE TESTING IN RENAL CELL CARCINOMA: CAN ENRICHMENT FEATURES HELP PREDICT GERMLINE ALTERATIONS? Alexis Rompre-Brodeur, Nikhil Gopal, Jeunice Owens-Walton, Bradley Webster, Michael Daneshvar, Christopher Ricketts, Cathy Vocke, Laura Schmidt, Beth Ryan, W. Marston Linehan, and Mark W. Ball Alexis Rompre-BrodeurAlexis Rompre-Brodeur More articles by this author , Nikhil GopalNikhil Gopal More articles by this author , Jeunice Owens-WaltonJeunice Owens-Walton More articles by this author , Bradley WebsterBradley Webster More articles by this author , Michael DaneshvarMichael Daneshvar More articles by this author , Christopher RickettsChristopher Ricketts More articles by this author , Cathy VockeCathy Vocke More articles by this author , Laura SchmidtLaura Schmidt More articles by this author , Beth RyanBeth Ryan More articles by this author , W. Marston LinehanW. Marston Linehan More articles by this author , and Mark W. BallMark W. Ball More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002556.10AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) resulting from a germline alteration accounts for 5-8% of RCC cases. Patients can present enrichment features that may help predict germline alterations, including early onset (EO) defined as age of diagnosis ≤46, bilateral multifocal (BMF), or familial history of renal cancer (FRC). Current recommendations for germline testing suffer from lack of high-quality evidence. We sought to characterize the frequency of germline alterations in these potentially enriched populations. METHODS: Patients treated at our institution from 2016-2021 tested with commercial germline panels for hereditary RCC genes were analyzed. Patients with personal or family history of hereditary RCC syndrome and patients with no history of a solid kidney tumor were excluded. Comparative statistical analysis, multivariate logistic regression and odd ratios (OR) were used to determine which group had the highest frequency of germline alterations. RESULTS: Over the study period, 249 eligible patients underwent RCC germline testing. Of these, 221 had at least one potential enrichment features, including 110 with EO, 145 BMF and 64 FRC. Panel results were positive in 37(14.9%) patients, negative in 171(68.7%), or presented a variant of uncertain significance (VUS) in 41(16.5%). Additional enrichment features increased the proportion of positive results; patients with no features had positive results in 7.1% of cases, 1 feature 11.9%, 2 features 19.7% and 3 features 36.4%. Each additional enrichment feature increased the odds of identifying a germline alteration by OR=2.12 (95%CI:1.28-3.62, p=0.04). In a multivariate logistic regression model, individual enrichment features had the following OR for germline alterations: FRC OR=2.92 (95%CI:1.35-6.31) p=0.006; BMF OR=1.68 p=0.199; EO OR=1.82 p=0.118. Simultaneous occurrence of EO+FRC was associated with an OR=2.89 (95%CI:1.03-7.65) p=0.036. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with early onset, bilateral multifocal or familial history of renal cancer are enriched populations with more frequent germline alterations than patients without one of these features. The odds of a germline alteration doubles with each additional enrichment feature. These findings support germline panel testing in these enriched populations. Source of Funding: Intramural Research Program, NCI, NIH © 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 207Issue Supplement 5May 2022Page: e347 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Alexis Rompre-Brodeur More articles by this author Nikhil Gopal More articles by this author Jeunice Owens-Walton More articles by this author Bradley Webster More articles by this author Michael Daneshvar More articles by this author Christopher Ricketts More articles by this author Cathy Vocke More articles by this author Laura Schmidt More articles by this author Beth Ryan More articles by this author W. Marston Linehan More articles by this author Mark W. Ball More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF DownloadLoading ...

Serodominance Profile in a Dust Mite Complex Region

Background/Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the molecular sensitization profile of mite allergy in an area with a high environmental exposure of house dust mites (HDM) and storage mites. Methods: Skin prick tests were performed with standardized extracts (DIATER, Madrid, Spain). A specific commercial molecular panel (MADx) for Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt), Dermatophagoides farinae (Dfar), Lepidoglyphus destructor (Ldt), Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Tput), and Blomia tropicalis (Blot) was correlated with clinical parameters in Galician (northwestern of Spain) HDM allergic patients. Results: Fifty patients (60% female) met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All of the patient’s present rhinitis (50), 28% (14) rhinitis and asthma, and 18% (9) atopic dermatitis (AD). Hundred patients had a positive prick test for Dpt, followed by Dfar (92%), Ldt and Tput (74%), and Blot (68%). More than 50% recognized specific IgE for Der p 1, Der p 2, reaching 86% in the case of Der p 23. No statistically significant differences in IgE levels were found between patients with/without asthma and those with mild or moderate-severe rhinitis. Der p 7 was higher among rhinitis patients (p value 0.05). AD relative risk (RR) was increased in patients sensitized to Der f 2, Der p 2, and Der p 23. Der p 10 decreases the risk to have AD (RR 0.80). Conclusion: The evaluation of IgE results in a comprehensive panel of allergens allows differentiation of serological reactivity profiles with their clinical expression, to perform an optimal management. Improvements in component resolved diagnosis and more research on the clinical relevance of mite allergens are needed to achieve a genuine diagnosis leading to specific immunotherapy.

A systematic review and functional bioinformatics analysis of genes associated with Crohn\u2019s disease identify more than 120 related genes

BackgroundCrohn’s disease is one of the two categories of inflammatory bowel diseases that affect the gastrointestinal tract. The heritability estimate has been reported to be 0.75. Several genes linked to Crohn’s disease risk have been identified using a plethora of strategies such as linkage-based studies, candidate gene association studies, and lately through genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Nevertheless, to our knowledge, a compendium of all the genes that have been associated with CD is lacking.MethodsWe conducted functional analyses of a gene set generated from a systematic review where genes potentially related to CD found in the literature were analyzed and classified depending on the genetic evidence reported and putative biological function. For this, we retrieved and analyzed 2496 abstracts comprising 1067 human genes plus 22 publications regarding 133 genes from GWAS Catalog. Then, each gene was curated and categorized according to the type of evidence associated with Crohn’s disease.ResultsWe identified 126 genes associated with Crohn’s disease risk by specific experiments. Additionally, 71 genes were recognized associated through GWAS alone, 18 to treatment response, 41 to disease complications, and 81 to related diseases. Bioinformatic analysis of the 126 genes supports their importance in Crohn’s disease and highlights genes associated with specific aspects such as symptoms, drugs, and comorbidities. Importantly, most genes were not included in commercial genetic panels suggesting that Crohn’s disease is genetically underdiagnosed.ConclusionsWe identified a total of 126 genes from PubMed and 71 from GWAS that showed evidence of association to diagnosis, 18 to treatment response, and 41 to disease complications in Crohn’s disease. This prioritized gene catalog can be explored at http://victortrevino.bioinformatics.mx/CrohnDisease.

Panel Informativity Optimizer: An R Package to Improve Cancer Next-Generation Sequencing Panel Informativity

Mutation detection by next-generation sequencing is routinely used for cancer diagnosis. Selecting an optimal set of genes for a given cancer is not trivial as it has to optimize informativity (ie, the number of patients with at least one mutation in the panel), while minimizing panel length to reduce sequencing costs and increase sensitivity. We propose herein Panel Informativity Optimizer (PIO), an open-source software developed as an R package with a user-friendly graphical interface to help optimize cancer next-generation sequencing panel informativity. Using patient-level mutational data from either private data sets or preloaded data set of 91 independent cohorts from 31 different cancer types, PIO selects an optimal set of genomic intervals to maximize informativity and panel size in a given cancer type. Different options are offered, such as the definition of genomic intervals at the gene or exon level and the use of optimization strategy at the patient or patient per kilobase level. PIO can also propose an optimal set of genomic intervals to increase informativity of custom panels. A panel tester function is also available for panel benchmarking. Using public databases, as well as data from real-life settings, we demonstrate that PIO allows panel size reduction of up to 1000 kb, and accurately predicts the performance of custom or commercial panels.

Thermal Management of Photovoltaics Using Porous Nanochannels

The photoelectric conversion efficiency of a solar cell is dependent on its temperature. When the solar radiation is incident on the photovoltaics (PV) panel, a large portion of it is absorbed by the underlying material which increases its internal energy leading to the generation of heat. An overheated PV panel results in a decline in its performance which calls for an efficient cooling mechanism that can offer an optimum output of the electrical power. In the present numerical work, thermal management with a porous nanochannels device capable to dissipate high heat flux is employed to regulate the temperature of a commercial PV panel by integrating the device on the back face of the panel. The spatial and temporal variation of the PV surface temperature is obtained by solving the energy balance equation numerically. By evaluating the steady-state PV surface temperature with and without thermal management, the extent of cooling and the resulting enhancement in the electrical power output is studied in detail. The nanochannels device is found to reduce the PV surface temperature significantly with an average cooling of 31.5 oC. Additionally, the enhancement in the electrical power output by ~33% and the reduction in the response time to 1/8th highlight the potential of using porous nanochannels as a thermal management device. Furthermore, the numerical method is used to develop a universal curve which can predict the extent of PV cooling for any generic thermal management device.

Association of plasma apolipoproteins and levels of inflammation-related factors with different stages of Alzheimer’s disease: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveBlood-based biomarkers for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are a ‘Holy Grail’ of AD research. Growing evidence shows that levels of apolipoproteins and various inflammation-related factors are altered...

Comprehensive Evaluation of Machine Learning Models and Gene Expression Signatures for Prostate Cancer Prognosis Using Large Population Cohorts.

This systematic evaluation of 15 machine learning algorithms and 30 published gene expression signatures for the prognosis of prostate cancer will assist clinical decision-making.

What Do Older Canadians Think They Need to Walk Well?

To identify older Canadians' perception of the importance of expert-generated elements of walking quality, and the contributors to and consequences of perceived walking quality. Cross-sectional survey of 649 adults was conducted through a commercial participant panel, Hosted in Canada Surveys. Of the 649 respondents, 75% were between 65 and 74 years old (25% ≥75) and 49% were women. The most important elements were foot, ankle, hip, and knee mobility with little difference in ranks across walking perception (Fr χ12=5.0, p >0.05). People who were older by a decade were more likely to report poorer walking (POR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.0, 1.7), as were women compared to men, and people who used a walking aid compared to none. Lung disease showed the highest association with a perception of not walking well (POR: 7.2; 95% CI: 3.7, 14.2). The odds of being willing to pay more for a technology to improve walking were always greater for those with a lower perception of their walking quality. People who perceived their walking quality as poor were more likely to report poorer health and were willing to pay more for a technology to improve walking. This supports the opportunity of leveraging wearable technologies to improve walking.

Exploring the Feasibility of Utilizing Limited Gene Panel Circulating Tumor DNA Clearance as a Biomarker in Patients With Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

IntroductionCirculating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing may identify patients at high risk for recurrence following chemoradiation (CRT) for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). We evaluated the feasibility of ctDNA testing on a readily available commercial fixed-gene panel to predict outcomes in patients with LA-NSCLC.MethodsPlasma of 43 patients was collected at CRT initiation (pre-CRT), completion (post-CRT1), quarterly follow up for 12 months (post-CRT2, 3, 4, 5 respectively) after CRT, and at disease progression. ctDNA analysis was performed using InVisionFirst®-Lung to detect mutations in 36 cancer-related genes. ctDNA clearance was defined as absence of pre-CRT variants at post-CRT1. Patients without detectable pre-CRT variants or no post-CRT1 samples were excluded.ResultsTwenty eight of 43 patients (65%) had detectable variants pre-CRT. Nineteen of 43 patients (44%) had detectable pre-CRT variants and post-CRT1 samples and were included in analysis. Median age at diagnosis was 65 years (43-82), and most patients had stage IIIB disease (10/19, 53%). Two patients died from non-cancer related causes before post-CRT2 and were excluded from further analysis. All three patients who did not clear ctDNA had tumor relapse with a median time to relapse of 74 days (30-238), while 50% (7/14) of those who cleared ctDNA have remained disease free. Progression free survival was longer in patients who cleared ctDNA compared to those who did not (median 567 vs 74 d, p = 0.01).ConclusionsAlthough it is feasible to use ctDNA testing on a limited gene panel to identify patients with LA-NSCLC who are at high risk for disease recurrence following CRT, further studies will be necessary to optimize these assays before they can be used to inform clinical care in patients with lung cancer.

Home cultivation across Canadian provinces after cannabis legalization

AimsLittle research exists on home cultivation in Canada after non-medical cannabis legalization in 2018. The aims of the study were to: (1) estimate the percentage of home cultivation before and after legalization; (2) estimate the quantity and expenditure of cannabis plants; and (3) examine the association between provincial policies and home cultivation after legalization. MethodsRepeat cross-sectional survey data come from Canadian respondents in the International Cannabis Policy Study in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Respondents aged 16–65 were recruited through online commercial panels. Home cultivation rates were estimated among all respondents in 2019 and 2020 (n = 26,304) and among a sub-sample of past 12-month cannabis consumers in 2018–2020 (n = 12,493). Weighted multivariable logistic regression models examined the association between home cultivation and provincial policies among all respondents, 2019–2020. ResultsCannabis consumers in 2019 (7.9%; AOR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.07,2.01) and 2020 (8.8%; AOR = 1.62, 95 %CI: 1.18,2.23) had higher odds of reporting home cultivation in the past 12 months than pre-legalization (5.8%). Post-legalization, past 12-month home cultivation was lower in Quebec and Manitoba, the two provinces that prohibited home cultivation (3.2%), than in provinces where home cultivation was permitted (6.8%; AOR = 0.48, 95 %CI: 0.39, 0.59). The median number of plants grown across all provinces was between 3.1 and 3.5 in all years. ConclusionsAlmost one in ten Canadian cannabis consumers reported home cultivation of cannabis in 2020, with modest increases following legalization and most growing within the non-medical limit of four plants. Home cultivation was less common in provinces where home cultivation was prohibited.

The Research and Development Survey (RANDS) during COVID-19.

The National Center for Health Statistics' (NCHS) Research and Development Survey (RANDS) is a series of commercial panel surveys collected for methodological research purposes. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NCHS expanded the use of RANDS to rapidly monitor aspects of the public health emergency. The RANDS during COVID-19 survey was designed to include COVID-19 related health outcome and cognitive probe questions. Rounds 1 and 2 were fielded June 9-July 6, 2020 and August 3-20, 2020 using the AmeriSpeak® Panel. Existing and new approaches were used to: 1) evaluate question interpretation and performance to improve future COVID-19 data collections and 2) to produce a set of experimental estimates for public release using weights which were calibrated to NCHS' National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to adjust for potential bias in the panel. Through the expansion of the RANDS platform and ongoing methodological research, NCHS reported timely information about COVID-19 in the United States and demonstrated the use of recruited panels for reporting national health statistics. This report describes the use of RANDS for reporting on the pandemic and the associated methodological survey design decisions including the adaptation of question evaluation approaches and calibration of panel weights.

Development of Pec Based Electrical Load Schedule Software

This paper presents the development of PEC-based electrical load schedule software for residential electrical services design. All the sources that will be used for the computation and data will be based on PEC. The testing of the project will be carried out in accordance with PEC as well as other approved codes. Calculating tools to help you understand the process of accurately sizing a commercial electrical panel based on proposed loads. To emphasize, accurate load sizing is best performed by an electrical engineer, which is reviewed by the building department in your jurisdiction. The software was developed using Visual Basic (VB. net) programming language. Vb.net, or Visual Basic, is a development of the BASIC programming language. It is intended to be used in conjunction with an Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Prior to the development of IDEs, programming languages like BASIC relied significantly on the DOS command-line. A load schedule for different operating scenarios will show when peak consumption occurs and provide an opportunity to find out if all the high loads must operate at this time. It serves as a valuable calculation tool for electrical engineers, students, and technicians by providing a faster, easier, and more accurate means of carrying out some basic calculations, such as determination of the size of wire; conduit sizes; circuit breaker ratings; the main feeder size of wires; main circuit breaker ratings; voltage drop; and riser diagram using Philippine Electrical Code Tables. The results of these calculations help the designer to make vital decisions such as cable sizing and nominal ratings of protective devices required by each circuit and by the entire installation, in line with appropriate standards and regulations.

EP083: Chromosomal microarray analysis as a supplement to exome sequencing in pediatric patients with suspected inborn errors of immunity

Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) include over 400 inherited disorders of the immune system with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. Many of these disorders are due to single-gene variants that result in the impairment of normal immune function. Identifying the underlying genetic etiology of IEI can help indicate prognosis and direct treatment. We completed exome sequencing (ES) and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) for pediatric patients with suspected IEI as part of a larger study. Here we describe the molecular diagnostic contribution of CMA as a supplement to ES. ES and CMA customized for exonic coverage of immune system genes were performed for 332 unrelated probands under the age of 18 referred to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Centralized Sequencing Program for clinical research evaluation for suspected IEI. Analysis included primary findings related to immunological phenotypes, secondary findings recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, and select incidental findings which may not have been suspected clinically, but for which genetic evidence strongly supports pathogenicity. Potentially relevant variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing or other appropriate method under CLIA conditions before reporting results. Of the 332 total CMAs performed, 204 (61.4%) returned normal results. Another 109/332 (32.8) CMAs detected abnormal results that were considered to be unrelated to the proband’s condition for a variety of reasons: 54 (49.5%) were variants with “unclear” clinical significance, 30 (27.5%) identified variants in non-disease-associated regions, 19 (17.4%) were findings of carrier status only, and 6 (5.5%) were deemed unrelated for other reasons. Ultimately, 19/332 CMAs (5.7%) contained abnormal findings apparently related to the proband’s condition, which were reported as molecular diagnoses. Of the 332 probands, approximately half (n = 169) did not receive a molecular diagnosis from either ES or CMA. Of the 163 (49.1%) patients who received a molecular diagnosis, 144 (88.3%) received a molecular diagnosis from ES alone, while 15 (9.2%) received a molecular diagnosis from CMA alone. Four (2.5%) received molecular diagnoses from both ES and CMA. The primary genes and genomic regions implicated in the 19 total patients who received diagnoses from CMA are listed in Table 1. Of the 19 total patients who received a diagnosis from CMA, nine had at least one parent also sent for CMA. Parental CMA confirmed inheritance of CMA findings for seven patients. Both parents’ CMA results were normal for two patients, indicating that the copy number variants arose de novo in the probands. Ten (52.6%) of the 19 patients who received CMA diagnoses had variants in at least one gene not currently listed by the International Union of Immunological Sciences as the cause of an IEI. There were no significant differences observed between the individuals who received diagnoses from ES and the individuals who received diagnoses from CMA in sex (two-tailed p-value = 0.1729) or age (t-value = 1.0815; two-sided p-value = 0.2812). Though the majority of molecular diagnoses were made by ES alone (88%), more than one-in-ten (11.7%) patients received diagnoses from CMA. CMA can significantly increase the chance of molecular diagnosis, including variants that were undetected by ES. Moreover, several of the CNVs detected contribute to a non-immune phenotype, and so would not typically appear on a commercial gene panel for immune disorders. CMA also identified variants that arose de novo. Additionally, a third of all CMAs returned abnormal results, some of which could potentially be of value as genomic knowledge increases.Table 1Genes/regions implicated for patients who received molecular diagnoses from CMAPatientESCMA1LRBA9p gain216p11.2 gain317q12 gain, SMAD34ARID25CLN36CMT1A region7CTLA48GNAO1CYBB, OTC9CYBB, XK10DCLRE1C11DNAH512IRAK3DOCK813DOCK8DOCK814DOCK815DOCK8, KANK116FAS17FAS18IRF2BP219PIK3CD Open table in a new tab

Perceived access to cannabis and ease of purchasing cannabis in retail stores in Canada immediately before and one year after legalization

ABSTRACT Background: Canada legalized non-medical cannabis in October 2018. Little research has examined the change in perceived access to cannabis after legalization in Canada, including the perceived ease of purchasing cannabis in a legal market. Objectives: To: 1) describe changes in perceived ease of access to cannabis before and one year after legalization; 2) examine associations between perceived ease of cannabis access and cannabis use; and 3) examine associations between perceived ease of purchasing from cannabis stores and cannabis use. Methods: Repeat cross-sectional data come from Canadian respondents aged 16–65 (50% male) in August-October 2018 (n = 10,057) and September-October 2019 (n = 15,256). Respondents were recruited through commercial online panels. Multivariable logistic regression models examined correlates of perceived proximity to retail stores, ease of access, and ease of purchasing from retail stores. Results: Canadians who do not consume cannabis were more likely to report “easy” access to cannabis in 2019 than in 2018 (55% vs. 42%; AOR = 1.80:1.66,1.96). All cannabis consumer groups were more likely to report living 15 minutes or less from a retail store in 2019 than 2018, but the association was strongest among non-consumers in 2019 vs 2018 (AOR = 2.01:183,2.21 vs. AOR = 1.33:1.03,1.73 for daily consumers). Non-daily and daily cannabis consumers were more likely to report it was easy to purchase from an illegal (AOR ranged 1.58–2.22) or legal (AOR ranged 1.31–1.39) store than non-consumers in 2019. Conclusion: Most cannabis consumers and non-consumers perceived access to cannabis as ‘easy’ before legalization and the percentage increased one year after legalization.

An Investigation of the Properties of Expanded Polystyrene Concrete with Fibers Based on an Orthogonal Experimental Design.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) concrete is commonly used as the core material of commercial sandwich panels (CSPs). It is environmentally friendly and lightweight but has poor strength. Adding fibers can improve the microstructure of EPS concrete and reduce the weakening effect of EPS beads on the mechanical properties of concrete. An orthogonal experimental design (OED) was used in this paper to analyze the influence of length and content of polypropylene fiber (PF), glass fiber (GF), and carbon fiber (CF) on the physical and mechanical properties and micromorphology of EPS concrete. Among them, CFs have the most apparent impact on concrete and produce the most significant improvements in all properties. According to the requirements of the flexural performance of CSPs, the splitting tensile strength was taken as the optimization index, and the predicted optimal combination (OC) of EPS concrete with fibers was selected. The variations in the material properties, mechanical properties, and microstructure with age were analyzed. The results show that with increasing age, the dry density, compressive strength, and splitting tensile strength of concrete are markedly improved relative to those of the CSP core material and the control case (CC), and even the degree of hydration is improved.

Cannabis and Mental Health: Adverse Outcomes and Self-Reported Impact of Cannabis Use by Mental Health Status

Background: Cannabis can induce negative outcomes among consumers with mental health conditions. This study examined medical help-seeking behavior, patterns of adverse effects, and perceived impacts of cannabis among consumers with and without mental health conditions. Methods: Data came from the International Cannabis Policy Study, via online surveys conducted in 2018. Respondents included 6,413 past 12-month cannabis consumers aged 16–65, recruited from commercial panels in Canada and the US. Regression models examined differences in adverse health effects and perceived impact of cannabis among those with and without self-reported past 12-month experience of anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, psychosis. Results: Overall, 7% of past 12-month consumers reported seeking medical help for adverse effects of cannabis, including panic, dizziness, nausea. Help-seeking was greater for those with psychosis (13.8%: AOR = 1.78; 1.11–2.87), depression (8.9%: AOR = 1.57; 1.28–1.93), and bipolar disorder (10.1%: AOR = 1.53; 1.44–2.74). Additionally, 54.1% reported using cannabis to manage symptoms of mental health, with higher rates among those with bipolar (90.8%) and PTSD (90.7%). Consumers reporting >1 condition were more likely to perceive positive impacts on friendships, physical/mental health, family life, work, studies, quality of life (all p < .001). Consumers with psychosis were most likely to perceive negative effects across categories. Conclusion: For conditions with substantial evidence suggesting cannabis is harmful, greater help-seeking behaviors and self-perceived negative effects were observed. Consumers with mental health conditions generally perceive cannabis to have a positive impact on their lives. The relationship between cannabis and mental health is disorder specific and may include a combination of perceived benefits and harms.

Novel Photovoltaic Empirical Mathematical Model Based on Function Representation of Captured Figures from Commercial Panels Datasheet

Photovoltaic (PV) technology is gaining much interest as a clean, sustainable, noise-free source of energy. However, the non-linear behavior of PV modules and their dependency on varying environmental conditions require thorough study and analysis. Many PV modeling techniques have been introduced in the literature, yet they exhibit several complexity levels for parameter extraction and constants estimation for PV power forecast. Comparatively, a simple, accurate, fast, and user friendly PV modeling technique is proposed in this paper featuring the least computational time and effort. Based on function representation of PV curves’ available in PV datasheets, an empirical mathematical equation is derived. The proposed formula is considered a generic tool capable of modeling any PV device under various weather conditions without either parameter estimation nor power prediction. The proposed model is validated using experimental data of commercial PV panels’ manufacturers under various environmental conditions for different power levels. The obtained results verified the effectiveness of the proposed PV model.

Antireflective, photocatalytic, and superhydrophilic coating prepared by facile sparking process for photovoltaic panels

Soiling of photovoltaic modules and the reflection of incident light from the solar panel glass reduces the efficiency and performance of solar panels; therefore, the glass should be improved to have antifouling properties. In this work, commercial solar panels were coated with sparked titanium films, and the antireflective, super-hydrophilic, and photocatalytic properties of the films were investigated. The reflectance, photocatalytic properties, and degradation of the organic pollutant methylene blue were determined using UV–Vis spectroscopy. The wetting properties were studied by measuring the water contact angle using an optical tensiometer. The outdoor power of the spark-discharged-titanium coated and uncoated PV panels was measured for 10 months at Chiang Mai, Thailand. It was found that conditions such as cloudiness, rainfall, and muddy stains significantly influenced the power difference (ΔP) between the coated and uncoated PV panels. The increase in ΔP was due to the improved dust removal from the super-hydrophilic surface of the coated panels. On a cloudy day, ΔP reached its highest value of 14.22%, which was anticipated to improve the anti-reflection property of the coated glass. The average ΔP was 6.62% over the entire experimental period.

Good performance of the criteria of American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics/Association for Molecular Pathology in prediction of pathogenicity of genetic variants causing thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections

BackgroundThe identification of pathogenic variant in patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections (TAAD) was previously found to be a significant indicator pointing to earlier need for surgical intervention. In order to evaluate available methods for classifying identified genetic variants we have compared the event-free survival in a cohort of TAAD patients classified as genotype-positive versus genotype-negative by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG-AMP) criteria or by ClinVar database.MethodsWe analyzed previously unreported cohort of 132 patients tested in the routine clinical setting for genetic variants in a custom panel of 30 genes associated with TAAD or the TruSight Cardio commercial panel of 174 genes associated with cardiac disease. The identified variants were classified using VarSome platform. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were constructed to compare the event-free survival between probands defined as ‘genotype-positive’ and ‘genotype-negative’ using different classifications in order to compare their performance.ResultsOut of 107 rare variants found, 12 were classified as pathogenic/likely pathogenic by ClinVar, 38 were predicted to be pathogenic/likely pathogenic by ACMG. Variant pathogenicity as assessed by ACMG criteria was a strong predictor of event free survival (event free survival at 50 years 83% vs. 50%, for genotype positive patients vs. reference, respectively, p = 0.00096). The performance of ACMG criteria was similar to that of ClinVar (event free survival at 50 years 87% vs. 50%, for genotype positive patients vs. reference, respectively p = 0.023) but independent from it as shown by analysing variants with no ClinVar record (event free survival at 50 years 80% vs. 50%, p = 0.0039). Variants classified as VUS by ACMG criteria or ClinVar did not affect event-free survival. TAAD specific custom gene panel performed similar to the larger universal cardiac panel.ConclusionsIn our cohort of unrelated TAAD patients ACMG classification tool available at VarSome was useful in assessing pathogenicity of novel genetic variants. Gene panel containing the established genes associated with the highest risk of hereditary TAAD (ACTA1, COL3A1, FBN1, MYH11, SMAD3, TGFB2, TGFBR1, TGFBR2, MYLK) was sufficient to identify prevailing majority of variants most likely to be causative of the disease.

PERKEMBANGAN RISET DAN PRODUK KOMERSIAL SISTEM PEMBERSIH PANEL SURYA

The cleanliness of the solar panels is one of the factors that affect the energyproduction of a solar power plant. Solar panel cleaning is a solution to keep solar panels cleanso that energy production can be optimal. This article reviews research developments andcommercial products for solar panel cleaning, with the result showing various applicabletechniques and commercial products for solar panel cleaning purposes. There are two distincttechniques used in solar panel cleaning, manual and automatic. The manual cleaning method isa method that conducts any action to operate the system manually by humans. The automaticcleaning method is a method that is controlled directly by the system without the need forhuman interference. Commercial solar panel cleaning products include telescopic polesequipped with brushes and water pumps, a robot that is permanently attached to the solar panelsupport construction equipped with dry clean and water clean methods, a robot with portablesystems using long roller brushes, a convenient robot which has a remote vacuum cleanersystem, to a mobile cleaning system using a robotic arm.