Consistency of convolutional neural networks in dermoscopic melanoma recognition: A prospective real-world study about the pitfalls of augmented intelligence

BACKGROUND

Deep-learning convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have outperformed even experienced dermatologists in dermoscopic melanoma detection under controlled conditions. It remains unexplored how real-world dermoscopic image transformations affect CNN robustness.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the consistency of melanoma risk assessment by two commercially available CNNs to help formulate recommendations for current clinical use.

METHODS

A comparative cohort study was conducted from January to July 2022 at the Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Basel. Five dermoscopic images of 116 different lesions on the torso of 66 patients were captured consecutively by the same operator without deliberate rotation. Classification was performed by two CNNs (CNN-1/CNN-2). Lesions were divided into four subgroups based on their initial risk scoring and clinical dignity assessment. Reliability was assessed by variation and intraclass correlation coefficients. Excisions were performed for melanoma suspicion or two consecutively elevated CNN risk scores, and benign lesions were confirmed by expert consensus (n = 3).

RESULTS

117 repeated image series of 116 melanocytic lesions (2 melanomas, 16 dysplastic naevi, 29 naevi, 1 solar lentigo, 1 suspicious and 67 benign) were classified. CNN-1 demonstrated superior measurement repeatability for clinically benign lesions with an initial malignant risk score (mean variation coefficient (mvc): CNN-1: 49.5(±34.3)%; CNN-2: 71.4(±22.5)%; p = 0.03), while CNN-2 outperformed for clinically benign lesions with benign scoring (mvc: CNN-1: 49.7(±22.7)%; CNN-2: 23.8(±29.3)%; p = 0.002). Both systems exhibited lowest score consistency for lesions with an initial malignant risk score and benign assessment. In this context, averaging three initial risk scores achieved highest sensitivity of dignity assessment (CNN-1: 94%; CNN-2: 89%). Intraclass correlation coefficients indicated 'moderate'-to-'good' reliability for both systems (CNN-1: 0.80, 95% CI:0.71-0.87, p < 0.001; CNN-2: 0.67, 95% CI:0.55-0.77, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Potential user-induced image changes can significantly influence CNN classification. For clinical application, we recommend using the average of three initial risk scores. Furthermore, we advocate for CNN robustness optimization by cross-validation with repeated image sets.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04605822).

[Five case reports on granulosa cell tumors in cattle with practical information on diagnosis and possible progression]

INTRODUCTION

Five cases of ovarian tumors (granulosa cell tumors) in cattle are presented from the patient load of the Vetsuisse University of Zurich and Bern. The aim of this work was to demonstrate the variable development of the illness and to indicate diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities to the practicing veterinarians. Case 1 shows bilateral appearance and the development of malignancy and metastases. The main symptoms in case 2 were the development of the mammary gland in a juvenile animal and the behavior modification due to a hormonal imbalance. The cases 3, 4 and 5 underwent surgery, case 4 restarted reproductive activity resulting in five subsequent pregnancies. The initial presumption is a result of a gynecological including ultrasonographic examination and can be verified by the analysis of Müllerian Inhibiting Hormone in serum. The decision to perform surgery should be done rapidly, as normal fertility can be achieved if the tumor is located unilaterally. Tumor growth and potential malignancy can provoke fatal health issues and also make it impossible to use meat of these animals for consumption.

Comparison of linear and non-linear decision boundaries to detect feedlot bloat using intensive data collection systems on Angus × Hereford steers

Ruminal tympany (bloat) has long been an issue for large and small livestock operations. Though improvements in feedlot management practices have reduced its occurrence, it is still highly prevalent and is known to detrimentally affect animal performance, welfare, and in many instances, lead to animal death. Current decision support systems and diet formulation software omit the inclusion of bloat prediction based on animal performance. Here, we aim to predict bloat incidence in implanted and non-implanted feedlot steers from performance data comparing linear (LDB) and non-linear decision boundaries. Eighteen crossbred Angus × Hereford steers: BW (491.13 ± 25.78 kg) and age (12 ± 1 mo) were randomly distributed into implanted and non-implanted treatments. All animals were randomly assigned to one of two pens fit with automated monitoring systems for BW, freshwater intake, and water intake behavior: water intake event visit, no water intake event visit (NWIE), and time spent drinking. DM intake (DMI) was individually recorded from all animals through the Calan Gate system for 135 d (30 d adaptation, 105 d experimental diet). Incidences of bloat were recorded as bloat instances regardless of severity to ensure that early onset detection of bloat was recorded and properly identified in predictive models. Logistic regression with a binomial distribution and a logit link function was utilized to predict the incidences of bloat through LDB. Feature selection and penalization of coefficients were explored through L1 (sum of absolute values) and L2 (sum of squares) penalization to avoid overfitting of models. Additional NLDB and a non-parametric LDB are examined for prediction. Accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity were high for the models reported. No significant differences were observed between LDB and NLDB, with the highest specificity (predicting bloat) value of 0.820 for stepwise feature selection algorithms, and a value of 0.832 for the artificial neural network. Highest accuracy was 0.829 for ridge regression, and 0.847 for the random forest with hyperparameter tuning. DM intake, BW, and NWIE were the three most important variables for the prediction of feedlot bloat showing clear drops in DMI and BW and increases in NWIE when animals bloated. The lack of difference in predictive performance between LDB and NLDB highlights the often-overlooked concept that machine learning algorithms are not always the only/best modeling technique. Additionally, the models reported herein carry acceptable predictive performance for inclusion into management decisions that reduce bloat incidences in feedlot cattle.

EPA Consensus Project Paper: Accuracy of Photogrammetry Devices, Intraoral Scanners, and Conventional Techniques for the Full-Arch Implant Impressions: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate and compare the accuracy of digital impression techniques and conventional methods for full-arch implant impressions.

METHODS

An electronic literature search in the databases Medline (Pubmed), Web of Science, and Embase was performed to identify in vitro and in vivo publications (between 2016 and 2022) directly comparing digital and conventional abutment-level impression techniques. All selected articles passed through the data extraction procedure according to defined parameters in inclusion and exclusion criteria. Measurements on linear, angular and/or surface deviations were performed in all selected articles.

RESULTS

Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were selected for this systematic review. 3 articles were clinical studies and 6 studies were in vitro. Accuracy difference mean values of the trueness up to 162+/-77μm between digital and conventional techniques were reported in the clinical studies and up to 43μm in laboratory studies. Methodological heterogeneity was observed in both, in vivo and in vitro studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraoral scanning and photogrammetric method showed comparable accuracy for registering implant positions in the full-arch edentulous cases. A tolerable implant prosthesis misfit threshold and objective misfit assessment criteria (for linear and angular deviations) should be verified in clinical studies.

A fast and convenient sample preparation method for the analysis of cannabinoids in oral fluid

Cannabis is the world's most used illegal drug. The main psychoactive component is ∆-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). To aid identification of cannabis-impaired individuals, a simple but effective workflow for reliable quantification of THC and its metabolites in oral fluid samples collected with the Greiner Bio-One Saliva Collection System is presented. Sampling involves rinsing the oral cavity with an extraction solution containing a citrate buffer stimulating salivary flow. Sample processing targeted the cannabinoid fraction interacting with proteins and other insoluble constituents that can be separated by centrifugation. Approximately 50% of the total cannabinoid amount included in oral fluid were recovered from the obtained pellet by extraction with acetonitrile. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used for cannabinoid quantification. Fitness of the developed workflow for application in forensic and clinical cannabis testing was demonstrated by assessing multiple performance parameters, including selectivity, linearity, limits of quantification (LOQs), accuracy, precision, matrix effects, extraction recoveries, process efficiencies, and stability. Furthermore, sensitivity and specificity of the developed oral fluid-based cannabis test was demonstrated by analysing 195 samples collected either from opioid addicts or persons suspected of driving under the influence of drugs. The accuracy of identifying a person with presence of THC in blood was found to be 97.9%.

Increasing pressure on US men for income in order to find a spouse

In contemporary societies, social status - especially income - is one of the most important determinants of ever marrying among men. Using U.S. census data, we estimated the importance of income for ever marrying among men and women, analyzing birth cohorts from 1890 to 1973. We examined individuals between the ages of 45 and 55, a total of 3.5 million men and 3.6 million women. We find that for men, the importance of income in predicting ever being married increased steadily over time. Income predicted only 2.5% of the variance in ever marrying for those born in 1890-1910, but about 20% for the 1973 cohort. For women, the opposite is true: the higher a woman's income among those born between 1890 and 1910, the lower her odds of ever being married, explaining 6% of the variance, whereas today a woman's income no longer plays a role in ever being married. Thus, our results provide evidence that income may represent a very recent selection pressure on men in the US, a pressure that has become increasingly stronger over time in the 20th and early 21st centuries.

Facial attractiveness is only weakly linked to genome-wide heterozygosity

Introduction

It has been frequently suggested that overall genomic heterozygosity and, particularly, heterozygosity of loci on the so-called major histocompatibility complex (MHC), which is responsible for the recognition of foreign substances/ pathogens and the recognition of self and non-self, is associated with better health and better resistance to infections and parasites. It has further been speculated that such a potentially beneficial heterozygosity can be detected through body odor and facial attractiveness.

Methods

On the basis of genome wide SNP data (713,014 SNPs) of participants from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we therefore investigated whether homozygosity either on the MHC (measured as inbreeding coefficient) or genome-wide (measured as runs of homozygosity and inbreeding coefficient) is associated with rated facial attractiveness.

Results

Although we found that the genome-wide average length of homozygous segments and the genome-wide inbreeding coefficient are significantly negatively associated with some measures of facial attractiveness, if corrected for multiple testing, any significant association was no longer formally significant after correction. In addition, the variance in facial attractiveness explained by the genome wide homozygosity is very low (<0.15%). We did not find any significant association between the inbreeding coefficient on the MHC and facial attractiveness.

Discussion

We only find a weak association of genome- wide heterozygosity and facial attractiveness.

Rapid quantification of cannabidiol from oils by direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry

This work is the first to describe the use of Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS) for the rapid quantification of cannabidiol (CBD) in CBD oils. For this study, self-prepared samples spiked with CBD in hemp seed oil as well as commercial CBD oils from the Austrian market with different CBD contents were analyzed. CBD concentrations were between 5 and 30% (m/m) for the spiked samples as well as between 5 and 15% (m/m) for the real samples. The performance of quantification by means of DART-MS was assessed against a validated liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method. The correlation of the quantification results of both methods was high with a correlation factor greater than 0.98 and a maximum bias of 9.8%. Furthermore, the relative standard deviation values of the DART-MS measurments were below the tolerable limit of 12%. These results demonstrate that quantification of CBD by DART-MS is reliable and hence suitable as a rapid and cost-effective alternative method for quality control of CBD content in CBD oils.

Physiological stretching induces a differential extracellular matrix gene expression response in acetabular labrum cells

The acetabular labrum is a fibrocartilaginous ring surrounding the acetabulum and is important for hip stability and contact pressure dissipation through a sealing function. Injury of the labrum may contribute to hip-joint degeneration and development of secondary osteoarthritis. Understanding how extracellular matrix (ECM) production and remodelling is regulated is of key importance for successful tissue restoration. The present study hypothesised that physiological stretching enhanced the metabolic activity and altered the ECM gene expression in labrum cells. Primary bovine labrum cells were physiologically stretched for up to 5 d. 24 h after the last stretch cycle, changes in metabolic activity were measured using the PrestoBlue™ HS Cell Viability Reagent and ECM gene expression was examined using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction method. Targets of interest were further investigated using immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Metabolic activity was not affected by the stretching (0.9746 ± 0.0614, p > 0.05). Physiological stretching upregulated decorin (DCN) (1.8548 ± 0.4883, p = 0.002) as well as proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) (1.7714 ± 0.6600, p = 0.029) and downregulated biglycan (BGN) (0.7018 + 0.1567, p = 0.008), cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) (0.5747 ± 0.2650, p = 0.029), fibronectin (FN1) (0.5832 ± 0.0996, p < 0.001) and spondin 1 (SPON1) (0.6282 ± 0.3624, p = 0.044) gene expression. No difference in PRG4 and DCN abundance or release could be measured. The here identified mechanosensitive targets are known to play relevant roles in tissue organisation. Therefore, physiological stretching might play a role in labrum tissue homeostasis and regeneration.

P03.07.A MRI signature in preoperative imaging predicts mesenchymal stem cell features and radioresistance in primary glioblastoma stem cell cultures

Background

Recently, a molecular signature describing the mesenchymal / proneural features of primary stem-cell-enriched glioblastoma cultures was identified correlating with invasiveness, radiation sensitivity and patient-outcome. However, generating and characterizing primary cultures is time-consuming and this might hamper translation into clinical concepts. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of standard preoperative MR imaging (T1ce and T2FLAIR sequences) to predict the molecular signature and thus enable the development of clinical treatment concepts based on the molecular properties of the individual tumors.

Material and Methods

For 16 patients, for whom primary stem cell enriched cultures had been characterized for their mesenchymal / proneural signature and radiation sensitivity, tumor volume (hyperintense volume in T1ce), necrosis (hypointense volume inside the tumor volume) and edema (hyperintense volume in T2FLAIR) were contoured for volumetric analysis. Volume parameters were used to calculate ratios (edema/tumor and necrosis/tumor) and a MRI signature, which was then correlated with molecular parameters and patient outcome stratified by MGMT promoter methylation.

Results

As expected, the prognosis of patients with MGMT-promoter-methylated tumors was better (n.s.) compared to those with unmethylated MGMT promoters. Neither molecular nor imaging data were significantly different between these subgroups. In the subgroup of patients with unmethylated MGMT promoter, volumetric imaging parameters correlated with the molecular signature and cellular radiation sensitivity of the stem cell enriched cultures. This association was much weaker in the subgroup with methylated MGMT promoter.

Conclusion

In the subgroup of patients with unmethylated MGMT promoter, volumetric parameters on preoperative standard MR imaging might hint at the molecular properties of the respective tumor and its radiation sensitivity. This might be a clinically applicable method to stratify treatment according to molecular stem cell subtype without tissue culture and molecular analysis.

Marriage in the Melting Pot: An Evolutionary Approach to European Ancestry, Homogamy, and Fertility in the United States

To understand marriage patterns, homogamy, and fertility of women of European ancestry in the United States from an evolutionary perspective, we investigated if a prevalence of ancestral homogamy exists, the factors influencing a female preference for an ancestral homogamous vs. heterogamous marriage, and if ancestral homogamous vs. heterogamous marriages have an impact on fertility. Furthermore, we aim to determine the heritability of homogamous vs. heterogamous marriage behavior. We used the census data of 369,121 women in the United States married only once and aged between 46 and 60 years, provided by IPUMS USA (https://usa.ipums.org/usa/). We used linear mixed models to determine the association between the probability of a homogamous vs. heterogamous marriage and the individual fertility of women. We aimed to estimate the heritability (genetics and parental environment) of marriage behavior using a linear mixed model. We found that ancestral heterogamous marriages are more frequent compared to homogamous marriages, but only if all ancestry groups are included. If ancestry is aggregated, homogamous marriages are more frequent compared to heterogamous marriages. Most of the variance (up to 27%) in inter-ancestry marriage and fertility (up to 12%) is explained by ancestry per se, followed by the ratio of individuals of a certain ancestral background in a county (∼6%), indicating a frequency depending selection into marriage: the more individuals of a certain ancestry live in a county, the lower is the tendency to marry someone of a different ancestral background. Furthermore, we found that about 12% (depending to some extent on the clustering) of the marriage behavior is heritable. Being in a homogamous marriage and the income of the spouse are both significantly positively associated with the number of children women have and the probability that women have at least one child, albeit explaining only a very low proportion of the overall variance. The most important factor (in terms of variance explained) for being in an ancestral homogamous vs. heterogamous marriage, for the number of children, and for childlessness is the ancestry of the women. Most children are born to women of Irish, French, and Norwegian ancestry (Irish X̄: 3.24, French X̄: 3.21, and Norwegian X̄: 3.18), the lowest number of children is to women of Latvian, Rumanian, and Russian ancestry (Latvian X̄: 2.26, Rumanian X̄: 2.19, and Russian X̄: 2.35). Albeit, we are not able to distinguish the genetic and social heritability on the basis of our data, only a small heritability for in-group vs. out-group marriage behavior is indicated (∼12% of variance explained).

Rapid differentiation and quality control of tobacco products using Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry and Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

This work is the first to describe the use of Direct Analysis in Real Time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) for the rapid and cost-effective quality control of cigars. Multivariate analyses (PCA and LDA) on mass spectra led to highly efficient models for the discrimination of tobacco products. In addition to the geographic origin of the cigars, different pretreatments of the tobacco leaves could also be determined. Cross-validations of the models yielded prediction accuracies up to 92.18%. All results were compared using LC-MS as reference method. Multivariate analyses of chromatograms also yielded powerful models with correctness scores up to 88.1%. However, the models generated with LC-MS were neither able to determine the geographic origin of the tobacco leaves nor different pretreatments. In addition to qualitative analysis, the nicotine content of tobacco leaves was also determined via both methods. While precise quantification was not possible with DART-MS, a correlation coefficient of >0.96 was achieved in direct comparison with LC-MS, which allows semi-quantitative statements about the nicotine content without any problems.

Triangle Singularity as the Origin of the a_{1}(1420)

The COMPASS Collaboration experiment recently discovered a new isovector resonancelike signal with axial-vector quantum numbers, the a_{1}(1420), decaying to f_{0}(980)π. With a mass too close to and a width smaller than the axial-vector ground state a_{1}(1260), it was immediately interpreted as a new light exotic meson, similar to the X, Y, Z states in the hidden-charm sector. We show that a resonancelike signal fully matching the experimental data is produced by the decay of the a_{1}(1260) resonance into K^{*}(→Kπ)K[over ¯] and subsequent rescattering through a triangle singularity into the coupled f_{0}(980)π channel. The amplitude for this process is calculated using a new approach based on dispersion relations. The triangle-singularity model is fitted to the partial-wave data of the COMPASS experiment. Despite having fewer parameters, this fit shows a slightly better quality than the one using a resonance hypothesis and thus eliminates the need for an additional resonance in order to describe the data. We thereby demonstrate for the first time in the light-meson sector that a resonancelike structure in the experimental data can be described by rescattering through a triangle singularity, providing evidence for a genuine three-body effect.

Comparison of novel approaches for expedited pathogen identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing against routine blood culture diagnostics

Blood stream infections pose a major challenge for clinicians as the immediate application of an appropriate antibiotic treatment is the vital factor to safe the patients' lives. This preliminary study compares three different systems promising fast pathogen identification and susceptibility testing in comparison to conventional blood culture (BC): (i) the rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing protocol according to EUCAST in combination with the Sepsityper^® kit (sRAST), (ii) the direct inoculation method on the VITEK^®2 system (dVIT) and (iii) testing with the Accelerate Pheno^® system (AccPh). All methods were assessed in terms of accuracy, time to result and usability. Twenty‐three BC samples obtained from patients suffering from proven sepsis were analysed in detail. Pathogen identification was successful in 95·6, 91·3 and 91·3% in sRAST, dVIT and AccPh, respectively. Categorical agreement in antimicrobial susceptibility testing was 89·5, 96 and 96·6%, respectively. Time to result from sample entry to reporting ranged from an average of 4·6 h for sRAST and 6·9 h for AccPh to 10·6 h for dVIT. These results imply a significant shortening of reporting times at considerably high agreement rates for these new diagnostic approaches.

[Establishment of key indicators and limit values for assessment of claw health of cattle in Switzerland]

INTRODUCTION

Herd medicine is a field of buiatrics characterized by regular and systematic visits by the veterinarian to improve the health and performance of the animals, the quality of animal products and finally the satisfaction of the farm staff. Internationally established key indicators, such as age at first calving, heat recognition rate or the percentage of cows with clinical mastitis per month (%),26 have been available for a long time in the areas of fertility and udder health. These key indicators help veterinarians to recognize and define health problems at herd level at an early stage and to work out measures for their improvement. Such key indicators are currently lacking in the field of claw health, hence making standardized identification of problem farms considerably more difficult. Considering the permanent negative influence of claw health problems on fertility, performance and overall animal welfare, it becomes clear how valuable claw health indicators will be in the future. The aim of this study was, therefore, to develop both primary and secondary indicators of claw health and to define corresponding limit values for Switzerland. Based on a literature search, several primary and secondary indicators were developed (1˚K: Herd problem Yes/No, 2˚K: Classification of the problem). These were discussed in an expert panel consisting of practicing veterinarians, staff of the Swiss bovine herd health service and university professors with regard to their possible practical implementation and relevance. Finally, 3 primary and 10 secondary indicators were judged to be suitable to assess a herd with regard to claw health. The primary key indicators were: proportion of cows leaving the herd due to a claw problem, proportion of lame cows of a herd, and proportion of cattle with at least one claw disease. The corresponding provisional limit values (exceeding the value = problem) for Switzerland were worked out by means of surveys among farmers, hoof trimmers, veterinary students and veterinarians. In addition, recommendations from the literature and current prevalence studies were used to adapt the defined limit values to the situation on Swiss farms. In the coming years, the claw health project «Gesunde Klauen - das Fundament für die Zukunft» will collect current prevalence values of claw diseases, and the limit values will then be adjusted and specified accordingly.

Ethnic Identity and Genome Wide Runs of Homozygosity

It is long known that inbreeding increases the detrimental effects of recessive sequence variants in "Runs of Homozygosity" (ROHs). However, although the phenotypic association of ROH has been investigated for a variety of traits, the statistical power of the results often remains limited as a sufficiently high number of cases are available for only a restricted number of traits. In the present study, we aim to analyze the association of runs of homozygosity with the trait "in-group ethnic favoritism". This analysis assumes that if ethnic identity is important for an individual, that individual may tend to marry more frequently within their own group and therefore ROH are expected to increase. We hypothesize that an attitude preferring one's own ethnic group may be associated with a stronger tendency of inbreeding and, as a result, with more and longer ROHs. Accordingly, we investigated the association between the attitude to someone's own ethnicity and ROH, using the Wisconsin Longitudinal data (WLS, total N ~ 9000) as discovery data set and the Brisbane Twin data as replication data set (N ~ 8000). We find that both the number as well as the total length of homozygous segments are significantly positively associated with "in-group ethnic favoritism", independent of the method used for ROH calculation.

Monitoring drug consumption in Innsbruck during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown by wastewater analysis

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has developed into a serious pandemic with millions of cases diagnosed worldwide. To fight COVID-19 pandemic, over 100 countries instituted either a full or partial lockdown, affecting billions of people. In Tyrol, first lockdown measures were taken on 10 March 2020. On 16 March 2020, a curfew went into force which ended on 1 May 2020. On 19 March 2020, Tyrol as a whole was placed in quarantine which ended on 7 April 2020. The governmental actions helped reducing the spread of COVID-19 at the cost of significant effects on social life and behaviour. Accordingly, to provide a comprehensive picture of the population health status not only input from medical and biological sciences is required, but also from other sciences able to provide lifestyle information such as drug use. Herein, wastewater-based epidemiology was used for studying temporal trends of licit and illicit drug consumption during lockdown and quarantine in the area of the Tyrolean capital Innsbruck (174,000 inhabitants). On 35 days between 12 March 2020 and 15 April 2020, loads of 23 markers were monitored in wastewater. Loads determined on 292 days between March 2016 and January 2020 served as reference. During lockdown, changes in the consumption patterns of recreational drugs (i.e. cocaine, amphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, methamphetamine, and alcohol) and pharmaceuticals for short-term application (i.e. acetaminophen, codeine, and trimethoprim) were detected. For illicit drugs and alcohol, it is very likely that observed changes were linked to the shutdown of the hospitality industry and event cancelation which led to a reduced demand of these compounds particularly on weekends. For the pharmaceuticals, further work will be necessary to clarify if the observed declines are indicators of improved population health or of some kind of restraining effect that reduced the number of consultations of medical doctors and pharmacies.

[Improvement of claw health of cattle in Switzerland]

INTRODUCTION

The modern technique of cattle hoof care was founded by E. Toussaint Raven in 1977. Environmental risk factors on cattle claws altered in the past 43 years. The change from free ranging to indoor housing, the intensified feeding and the breeding towards traits of high performance have significantly increased the mechanical and chemical stress on the claws. In modern free-stalls, dairy cows are required to walk on hard flooring to feed, drink and get milked. Good hoof health is a basic requirement for cattle welfare. Professional and regular hoof trimming is still considered the most effective measure to promote hoof health in dairy cattle. In order to meet today's requirements and to promote claw health, the Swiss Hoof Trimmers Association (SKV), in collaboration with the Vetsuisse faculties, Universities of Berne and Zurich, and the Bovine Health Service (RGD, Bern) developed and described the Swiss technique of functional claw trimming. The aim was to establish a consistent method, which takes into account the size and bodyweight of the modern cow, the anatomical and physiological characteristics of their claws and includes adaptations counteracting very relevant diseases such as digital dermatitis. The result is a workflow described and illustrated with coloured pictures and consisting of five individual steps based on the technique of E. Toussaint Raven, Additionally, the upcoming Swiss national resource project on long-term improvement of claw health is presented in some detail. The key point of this project is the electronic documentation of clinical findings by the trained professional claw trimmers. This data will later (i) be used to assess the foot health of Swiss cows, (ii) allow to determine the prevalence of foot diseases of cattle in Switzerland and (iii) to monitor the effect of the implementation of foot health concepts. The aim of this work is to combine the findings from science and the practical experience of hoof trimmers in one method, to standardize the applied hoof care in Switzerland and to adapt it to today's hoof health requirements.

Factors affecting attitudes toward migrants-An evolutionary approach

OBJECTIVE

To understand migration from an evolutionary perspective, this phenomenon has so far been mainly investigated in animal species. We therefore aim to investigate the potential evolutionary roots of attitudes toward migrants in humans.

METHODS

We used data from the European Social Survey (n = 83 734), analyzing attitudes toward migrants by performing ordinal mixed models.

RESULTS

We found that men have a more restrictive attitude toward migration than women, which increases with age and is stronger with a child in the household. Attitude toward migrants is also more skeptical if migrants have a different ethnicity and are from poorer countries. Increasing education and religiousness are associated with a more positive attitude toward migrants, particularly toward migrants of different ethnicity and from poorer countries.

DISCUSSION

Although migration flows are a hallmark of the human species, previous findings suggest that (pre-)historic migration flows were at times accompanied by conflict and violence, while at the same time, they insured survival by allowing cultural exchange and the avoidance of inbreeding. Accordingly, we assume that contemporary attitudes toward migration are rooted in our evolutionary past. We discuss the respective behavioral patterns from an evolutionary perspective, arguing that both-a negative attitude as well as openness-make sense.

Effects of wife's and husband's income on wife's reproduction: an evolutionary perspective on human mating

From an evolutionary perspective, for women mate choice may be of crucial importance particularly concerning resources needed for rearing children. In modern societies, however, resources in terms of income are often provided by both women and men. Nonetheless, the effects of a wife's and husband's socioeconomic status on the wife's reproduction have not been investigated on a broader level. We therefore aim to investigate the effects of wife's and husband's income on wife's number of children and her probability of remaining childless using census data from nine countries mainly in the developing world for a total of 782,147 women aged 45-54 years who currently live with a husband and their spouses. Overall, both wife's and husband's income are significantly negatively associated with wife's number of children. Only in Israel do we find a positive association between husband's income and wife's offspring number. A wife's probability of remaining childless, however, increases with increasing own, but decreases with increasing husband's income. We conclude that in this sample of nearly all developing countries, effects of husband's socioeconomic status on wife's reproduction are acting through childlessness.

The correct blood volume for paediatric blood cultures: a conundrum?

BACKGROUND

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in paediatric patients. For fast and accurate diagnosis, blood culture (BC) is the reference standard. However, the procedure for blood sampling in paediatric patients, particularly the optimal blood volume, is the subject of controversy stemming from a lack of knowledge of the bacterial load and because of several obstacles such as low intravascular volume and the risk of causing anaemia.

AIMS

The aim of this narrative review is to summarize current knowledge on blood sampling in paediatric patients for BC purposes, in particular blood volume and number and type of BC bottles needed for reasonable future guidelines/recommendations.

SOURCES

A comprehensive literature search of PubMed, including all publications in English, was performed in June 2019 using the search terms 'blood culture', 'blood volume', 'bloodstream infection', 'diagnostic', 'paediatric' and/or 'sepsis'.

CONTENT

The amount of inoculated blood determines the sensitivity, specificity and time to positivity of a BC, and low-level bacteraemia (≤10 cfu/mL) in paediatric patients is presumed to be more common than reported. Current approaches for 'adequate' blood volume for paediatric BC are mainly weight- or age-dependent. Of these recommendations, the scheme devised by Gaur and colleagues seems most appropriate and calls for a sample of 1-1.5 mL for children weighing <11 kg and 7.5 mL for a patient weight of 11-17 kg to be drawn into one BC bottle. Inclusion of a more detailed grading in the weight range 4-14 kg, as published by Gonsalves and colleagues, might be useful.

IMPLICATIONS

This review could be important for future guidelines on paediatric BC collection and thus could contribute to improving patient management and lowering the economic and global health burden associated with BSI. Furthermore, upcoming molecular-based approaches with low sample volumes might be an interesting alternative.

Correction: Interleukin-22-deficiency and microbiota contribute to the exacerbation of Toxoplasma gondii-induced intestinal inflammation

The original version of this Article omitted the author Dr Mathias Chamaillard from the l'Institut de Pasteur, Lille, France. This has been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

Political Attitude and Fertility: Is There a Selection for the Political Extreme?

There is growing evidence that human ideology as well as social and political attitudes also have a genetic basis. In case of some genetic predisposition of political attitude, an association with fertility would be a hint of potential selection on political ideology. We therefore investigated on the basis of men and women that have completed, respectively, almost completed reproduction, of three different data sets (the World Value Survey 1981-2014 covering a wide range of countries and developmental levels, n = 152,380, the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe of 2005, n = 65,912, and the General Social Survey of the United States 1972-2014, n ∼ 6200) whether political attitude is associated with number of children. Overall, in the world wide survey, both extreme political attitudes, albeit more pronounced for right/conservative than for left/liberal attitude, are associated with higher average offspring number compared to intermediate attitudes. If countries are analyzed separately, however, the picture is inconsistent, and in most countries, the association is non-significant. In the European and the US-survey, only the political right is associated with above average number of children. The time series of US data from 1972 to 2014 shows that at least in the US-sample, this pattern emerged during the 1990s: in the 1970s and 1980s, also in the US-sample both political extremes had a reproductive advantage, which vanished for left wing individuals during the 1990s. From an evolutionary perspective, we are not able to draw final conclusions as the association between political attitude and reproduction varies across countries and time. Nonetheless, the overall pattern suggests that in human evolutionary history, both left and right political attitudes may have conveyed fitness benefits so that both attitudes have been kept in the population.

Evidence for a maximum "shelf-life" of oocytes in mammals suggests that human menopause may be an implication of meiotic arrest

There is an ongoing debate why a trait like human menopause should have evolved. Adaptive explanations explain menopause with fitness benefits of ceasing reproduction, whereas non-adaptive explanations view it as an epiphenomenon. Here we present data in support of non-adaptive explanations of menopause suggesting a maximum shelf-life of oocytes. By analyzing the association between lifespan and age at reproductive senescence across 49 mammal species, we find that the positive association levels off in long lived species, indicating that the age at reproductive senescence has an upper limit. Only in baleen whales there seems to be no evidence for reproductive senescence. We suggest that apart from the baleen whales, the confinement of reproductive senescence in long-lived species may be the result of physiological constraints imposed by the long period of time oocytes remain inactive in an arrested phase of meiosis from their production in utero until ovulation. We therefore conclude that menopause may be an implication of the long duration of meiotic arrest caused by semelgametogenesis together with long lifespan.

Interleukin-22-deficiency and microbiota contribute to the exacerbation of Toxoplasma gondii-induced intestinal inflammation

Upon oral infection with Toxoplasma gondii cysts (76 K strain) tachyzoites are released into the intestinal lumen and cross the epithelial barrier causing damage and acute intestinal inflammation in C57BL/6 (B6) mice. Here we investigated the role of microbiota and IL-22 in T.gondii-induced small intestinal inflammation. Oral T.gondii infection in B6 mice causes inflammation with IFNγ and IL-22 production. In IL-22-deficient mice, T.gondii infection augments the Th1 driven inflammation. Deficiency in either IL-22bp, the soluble IL-22 receptor or Reg3γ, an IL-22-dependent antimicrobial lectin/peptide, did not reduce inflammation. Under germ-free conditions, T.gondii-induced inflammation was reduced in correlation with parasite load. But intestinal inflammation is still present in germ-free mice, at low level, in the lamina propria, independently of IL-22 expression. Exacerbated intestinal inflammation driven by absence of IL-22 appears to be independent of IL-22 deficiency associated-dysbiosis as similar inflammation was observed after fecal transplantation of IL-22-/- or WT microbiota to germ-free-WT mice. Our results suggest cooperation between parasite and intestinal microbiota in small intestine inflammation development and endogenous IL-22 seems to exert a protective role independently of its effect on the microbiota. In conclusion, IL-22 participates in T.gondii induced acute small intestinal inflammation independently of microbiota and Reg3γ.

Neuraxial analgesia is not associated with an increased risk of post-partum relapses in MS

Background:

Obstetrical analgesia remains a matter of controversy because of the fear of neurotoxicity of local anesthetics on demyelinated fibers or their potential relationship with subsequent relapses.

Objective:

To assess the impact of neuraxial analgesia on the risk of relapse during the first 3 months post-partum, with a focus on women who experienced relapses during pregnancy.

Methods:

We analyzed data of women followed-up prospectively during their pregnancies and at least 3 months post-partum, collected in the Pregnancy in Multiple Sclerosis (PRIMS) and Prevention of Post-Partum Relapses with Progestin and Estradiol in Multiple Sclerosis (POPARTMUS) studies between 1992–1995 and 2005–2012, respectively. The association of neuraxial analgesia with the occurrence of a post-partum relapse was estimated by logistic regression analysis.

Results:

A total of 389 women were included, 215 from PRIMS and 174 from POPARTMUS. In total, 156 women (40%) had neuraxial analgesia. Overall, 24% experienced a relapse during pregnancy and 25% in the 3 months post-partum. Women with a pregnancy relapse were more likely to have a post-partum relapse (odds ratio (OR) = 1.83, p = 0.02), independently of the use of neuraxial analgesia. There was no association between neuraxial analgesia and post-partum relapse (OR = 1.08, p = 0.78).

Conclusion:

Neuraxial analgesia was not associated with an increased risk of post-partum relapses, whatever multiple sclerosis (MS) activity during pregnancy.

Whole Transcriptome Screening Reveals Myelination Deficits in Dysplastic Human Temporal Neocortex

Focal cortical dysplasias (FCDs) are local malformations of the human neocortex with strong epileptogenic potential. To investigate the underlying pathomechanisms, we performed a whole human transcriptome screening to compare the gene expression pattern of dysplastic versus nondysplastic temporal neocortex. Tissue obtained from FCD IIIa cases (mean age 20.5 years) who had undergone surgical treatment, due to intractable epilepsy, was compared with nondysplastic specimens (mean age 19.9 years) by means of Affymetrix arrays covering 28 869 genes. We found 211 differentially expressed genes (DEX) among which mainly genes important for oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination were downregulated in FCD IIIa. These findings were confirmed as functionally important by Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) analysis. The reduced expression of myelin-associated transcripts was confirmed for FCD Ia, IIa, and IIIa by real-time RT-qPCR. In addition, we found that the density of myelin basic protein mRNA-expressing oligodendrocytes and of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase-positive myelin fibers was significantly reduced in dysplastic cortex. Moreover, high-resolution confocal imaging and 3D reconstruction revealed that the myelin fiber network was severely disorganized in dysplastic neocortex, indicating a disturbance of myelin sheath formation and maintenance in FCD.

Amb a 1 isoforms: Unequal siblings with distinct immunological features

Background

Ragweed pollen represents a major allergy risk factor. Ragweed extracts contain five different isoforms of the major allergen Amb a 1. However, the immunological characteristics of Amb a 1 isoforms are not fully investigated. Here, we compared the physicochemical and immunological properties of three most important Amb a 1 isoforms.

Methods

After purification, the isoforms were physicochemically characterized, tested for antibody binding and induction of human T‐cell proliferative responses. Their immunological properties were further evaluated in vitro and in vivo in a mouse model.

Results

Amb a 1 isoforms exhibited distinct patterns of IgE binding and immunogenicity. Compared to Amb a 1.02 or 03 isoforms, Amb a 1.01 showed higher IgE‐binding activity. Isoforms 01 and 03 were the most potent stimulators of patients’ T cells. In a mouse model of immunization, Amb a 1.01 induced higher levels of IgG and IgE antibodies when compared to isoforms 02 and 03. Interestingly, ragweed‐sensitized patients also displayed an IgG response to Amb a 1 isoforms. However, unlike therapy‐induced antibodies, sensitization‐induced IgG did not show IgE‐blocking activity.

Conclusion

The present study showed that naturally occurring isoforms of Amb a 1 possess different immunogenic and sensitizing properties. These findings should be considered when selecting sequences for molecule‐based diagnosis and therapy for ragweed allergy. Due to its high IgE‐binding activity, isoform Amb a 1.01 should be included in diagnostic tests. In contrast, due to their limited B‐ and T‐cell cross‐reactivity patterns, a combination of different isoforms might be a more attractive strategy for ragweed immunotherapy.

Living with own or husband's mother in the household is associated with lower number of children: a cross-cultural analysis

It has been discussed in the literature that the presence of kin, particularly the presence of a women's own mother or her mother in law, may have fertility effects. We aimed to examine the effects of the presence of a woman's own or her husband's mother in the household on a woman's fertility in terms of number of children on a broad basis by analysing census data of over two million married women aged between 15 and 34 years from 14 countries worldwide. We find that with the exception of Iraq, across all countries, the majority of women live only with their spouse in the household. We further find that the presence of any mother in the household is invariably associated with a significantly lower number of children compared to women living only with their spouse. In addition, in most countries, a woman's number of children is lower if she lives with her own mother as compared to her husband's mother in the household. Number of children is nonlinearly associated with woman's age, the presence of any mother being related with an earlier start of childbearing but a shallower increase in number of children. We speculate that the presence of a mother in the household may slow down woman's reproduction, but also discuss alternative explanations.

Mutual compensation of the effects of religious and ethnic homogamy on reproduction

OBJECTIVES

Homogamy, mating based on similarity, has been demonstrated for a great variety of traits such as age, education, religion, and physical and psychological traits. Recently, pro-fertile effects of religious as well as educational homogamy have been reported. We investigate whether ethnic homogamy also has a pro-fertile effect and whether ethnic and religious homogamy interact in their putative effects on reproduction (in terms of average number of offspring).

METHODS

We analyzed the association between ethnic as well as religious homogamy and woman's average number of offspring based on census data from ten countries provided by IPUMS international, encompassing a total of 1,485,433 married women aged 46-60 years (who have thus completed or almost completed reproduction) and their spouses.

RESULTS

We find a clear pro-fertile but nonadditive effect of both ethnic and religious homogamy, which is most pronounced in the case of double homogamy. Our results further indicate that homogamy for one trait may compensate for heterogamy of the other, albeit countries differ regarding which trait compensates for the other.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest that the interaction between ethnic homogamy, religious homogamy, and reproduction provides an interesting example for gene-culture co-evolution.

First Measurement of Transverse-Spin-Dependent Azimuthal Asymmetries in the Drell-Yan Process

The first measurement of transverse-spin-dependent azimuthal asymmetries in the pion-induced Drell-Yan (DY) process is reported. We use the CERN SPS 190  GeV/c π^{-} beam and a transversely polarized ammonia target. Three azimuthal asymmetries giving access to different transverse-momentum-dependent (TMD) parton distribution functions (PDFs) are extracted using dimuon events with invariant mass between 4.3  GeV/c^{2} and 8.5  GeV/c^{2}. Within the experimental uncertainties, the observed sign of the Sivers asymmetry is found to be consistent with the fundamental prediction of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) that the Sivers TMD PDFs extracted from DY have a sign opposite to the one extracted from semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering (SIDIS) data. We present two other asymmetries originating from the pion Boer-Mulders TMD PDFs convoluted with either the nucleon transversity or pretzelosity TMD PDFs. A recent COMPASS SIDIS measurement was obtained at a hard scale comparable to that of these DY results. This opens the way for possible tests of fundamental QCD universality predictions.

Analysis of 2D NMR relaxation data using Chisholm approximations

To analyze 2D NMR relaxation data based on a discrete delta-like relaxation map we extended the Padé-Laplace method to two dimensions. We approximate the forward Laplace image of the time domain signal by a Chisholm approximation, i.e. a rational polynomial in two dimensions. The poles and residues of this approximation correspond to the relaxation rates and weighting factors of the underlying relaxation map. In this work we explain the principle ideas of our algorithm and demonstrate its applicability. Therefore we compare the inversion results of the Chisholm approximation and Tikhonov regularization method as a function of SNR when the investigated signal is based on a given discrete relaxation map. Our algorithm proved to be reliable for SNRs larger than 50 and is able to compete with the Tikhonov regularization method. Furthermore we show that our method is also able to detect the simulated relaxation compartments of narrow Gaussian distributions with widths less or equal than 0.05s^-1. Finally we investigate the resolution limit with experimental data. For a SNR of 750 the Chisholm approximation method was able to resolve two relaxation compartments in 8 of 10 cases when both compartments differ by a factor of 1.7.

The association between religious homogamy and reproduction

Individuals more strongly affiliated to religion have on average more children than less religious ones. Here, based on census data of 3 658 650 women aged 46-60 years from 32 countries provided by IPUMS International and data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (n = 2400 women, aged 53-57 years), we show that religious homogamy is also associated with higher reproduction in terms of a higher number of children and a lower chance of remaining childless. We argue that, together with the relationship between general religious intensity and number of children, religious homogamy has reproductive consequences. These may impact future demographic developments and could have also played a role in the biological evolution of humans.

The Adapting Mind in the Genomic Era

Genomics and molecular biology has added substantial methods and knowledge to nearly all fields of biology and medicine. In this review we try to demonstrate how genomics and molecular biology is also on the way to have a profound impact on behavioral anthropology, evolutionary psychology, evolutionary sociology, and bio-sociology. We propose that particularly studies on “selection and adaptation” will be influenced profoundly by genomics, for instance via identification of the partially genetic basis of human behavior by “candidate gene studies” and by “genome wide association studies.” In addition, epigenetics will lead to a deeper study of the interaction of the genetic basis of a behavior and its environmental regulation. We argue that the “genomic revolution” is much more than merely a new methodological approach, but will change our concepts of human behavior and its development in the evolution of homo.

Ultrastructural and functional adaptations of the female reproductive system in the family Heterozerconidae (Acari, Anactinotrichida, Gamasida, Heterozerconina) and implications for the systematic position of the group

Heterozerconidae is a poorly known, early derived mite family belonging to Heterozerconina (Monogynaspida, Gamasida (= Mesostigmata)). The systematic position of the family is still controversial and little is known about the biology and anatomy of the taxon. In this paper, the gross anatomy, ultrastructure and functional morphology of the female reproductive system are described comparing genera from different geographic areas. The occurence of podospermy (i.e. the use of a sperm transfer process carried by the fixed digit of the male chelicerae to inseminate females through secondary insemination pores instead of through the oviporus) as insemination mode in this family was documented. Nevertheless, morphological and functional evidence in the reproductive system of the females supports the idea that, in the same family, more than one insemination mode is present: some genera are plesiomorphically tocospemic (i.e. insemination through the oviporus) while others switched to podospermy. Such discovery is of fundamental importance for the determination of the relationship between the family Heterozerconidae and the family Discozerconidae, both belonging tentatively to Heterozerconina and for the phylogenetic position of the Heterozerconina among Gamasida.