Effect of Contrast Level and Image Format on a Deep Learning Algorithm for the Detection of Pneumothorax with Chest Radiography

Journal of Digital Imaging - Under the black-box nature in the deep learning model, it is uncertain how the change in contrast level and format affects the performance. We aimed to investigate the...     

Association of nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms (−786T>C, 4a4b, 894G>T) with primary ovarian insufficiency in Korean women

ObjectivesThe aim of our study was to investigate whether the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene polymorphisms ?786T>C, 4a4b, and 894G>T that affect nitric oxide (NO) generation confer a risk for primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) in Korean women.Study designWe genotyped 136 POI patients and 236 controls among Korean women for the three single nucleotide polymorphism sites with PCR-RFLP analysis. Differences in the eNOS ?786T>C (rs2070744), 4a4b (rs61722009), and 894G>T (rs1799983) genotype frequencies between patients and controls were compared, and odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were determined as a measure of the strength of the association between the genotypes and POI.ResultsThe POI patients had significantly decreased frequencies of the eNOS 894GT and ?786TT/894GT genotypes (P = 0.025 and 0.027, respectively). However, the significant association between these eNOS polymorphisms and POI disappeared after adjustment for multiple comparisons (adjusted P = 0.075 and 0.081, respectively). The eNOS ?786T/894G haplotype is more frequent in patients than controls (P = 0.030), whereas the ?786T/894T haplotype was less frequent in patients (P = 0.031). The associations between ?786/894 haplotypes and POI were confirmed by permutation tests. We did not find associations between the eNOS ?786T>C or 4a4b polymorphisms and POI.ConclusionsOur data suggest that the eNOS ?786T/894T haplotype is associated with a decreased POI risk, and we postulate that the eNOS ?786T/894T haplotype may confer less risk on POI occurrence by reducing pathologically increased NO generation by eNOS in POI. Further study is warranted to elucidate the effect of the eNOS 894G>T polymorphism and POI occurrence.     

Virus-like particle vaccine protects against H3N2 canine influenza virus in dog

In the present study, virus-like particles (VLPs) were evaluated as a candidate veterinary vaccine against canine influenza virus (CIV) subtype H3N2. Specific pathogen-free (SPF) beagle dogs received a single injection of a VLP vaccine containing hemagglutinin (HA) and M1 protein of CIV H3N2 (H3 HA VLP). The vaccine was tested at 3 different doses with an adjuvant and 1 dose without an adjuvant. To evaluate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the H3 HA VLP vaccine, we performed hemagglutination inhibition tests to determine serological immune responses and conducted challenge studies using SPF beagle dogs. The addition of Montanide ISA 25 adjuvant significantly increased the immunogenicity of the H3 HA VLP vaccine. The experimental infection study showed that a single dose of H3 HA VLP vaccine induced protection against wild-type virus challenge in dogs. These results provide support for continued development of the VLP as an animal vaccine against influenza virus.