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Abstract Introduction Serological methods provide useful metrics to estimate age-specific period prevalence in settings of low malaria transmission; however, evidence on the use of seropositivity as an endpoint remains scarce in studies to evaluate combinations of malaria control measures, especially in children. This study aims to evaluate the immediate effects of a targeted mass drug administration campaign (tMDA) in Haiti by using serological markers. Methods The tMDA was implemented in September–October 2018 using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and single low-dose primaquine. A natural quasi-experimental study was designed, using a pretest and posttest in a cohort of 754 randomly selected school children, among which 23% reported having received tMDA. Five antigens were selected as outcomes (MSP1-19, AMA-1, Etramp5 antigen 1, HSP40, and GLURP-R0). Posttest was conducted 2–6 weeks after the intervention. Results At baseline, there was no statistical difference in seroprevalence between the groups of children that were or were not exposed during the posttest. A lower seroprevalence was observed for markers informative of recent exposure (Etramp5 antigen 1, HSP40, and GLURP-R0). Exposure to tMDA was significantly associated with a 50% reduction in the odds of seropositivity for Etramp5 antigen 1 and a 21% reduction in the odds of seropositivity for MSP119. Conclusion Serological markers can be used to evaluate the effects of interventions against malaria on the risk of infection in settings of low transmission. Antibody responses against Etramp5 antigen 1 in Haitian children were reduced in the 2–6 weeks following a tMDA campaign, confirming its usefulness as a short-term marker in child populations.

The title molecular salts, C16H16NO+·PF6−, (I), and C21H21N2+·PF6−, (II), are pyridine derivatives. In compound (I), the cation comprises a methyl N-substituted pyridine ring and a methoxy-substituted benzene ring connected by a C=C double bond. The F atoms of the PF6− anion are disordered over two sets of sites with refined occupancy factors of 0.614 (7):0.386 (7). In compound (II), the cation comprises a pyridine ring attached to unsubstituted phenyl ring and a dimethylaniline ring, which are connected by a C=C double bond. The anion is PF6−. In both salts, the cation adopts an E configuration with respect to the C=C bond. The pyridine ring makes a dihedral angle of 9.86 (12)° with the methoxy-substituted benzene ring in compound (I) and 11.2 (3)° with the dimethylamine-substituted benzene ring in compound (II). In compound (I), the crystal packing is stabilized by weak C—H...F intermolecular interactions which result in R43(14) ring motifs, forming molecular sheets running parallel to (\overline{1}03). These are further stabilized by weak P—F...π interactions. In compound (II), the crystal packing is stabilized by C—H...F interactions, which result in R66(40) ring motifs, forming molecular sheets running parallel to (101) and these are further connected by π–π interactions.

The word biometrics refers to the use of physiological or biological characteristics of human to recognize and verify the identity of an individual. Palmprint has become a new class of human biometrics for passive identification with uniqueness and stability. This is considered to be reliable due to the lack of expressions and the lesser effect of aging. In this manuscript a new Palmprint based biometric system based on neural networks self organizing maps (SOM) is presented. The method is named as SOMP. The paper shows that the proposed SOMP method improves the performance and robustness of recognition. The proposed method is applied to a variety of datasets and the results are shown.

Classification of large amount of data is a time consuming process but crucial for analysis and decision making. Radial Basis Function networks are widely used for classification and regression analysis. In this paper, we have studied the performance of RBF neural networks to classify the sales of cars based on the demand, using kernel density estimation algorithm which produces classification accuracy comparable to data classification accuracy provided by support vector machines. In this paper, we have proposed a new instance based data selection method where redundant instances are removed with help of a threshold thus improving the time complexity with improved classification accuracy. The instance based selection of the data set will help reduce the number of clusters formed thereby reduces the number of centers considered for building the RBF network. Further the efficiency of the training is improved by applying a hierarchical clustering technique to reduce the number of clusters formed at every step. The paper explains the algorithm used for classification and for conditioning the data. It also explains the complexities involved in classification of sales data for analysis and decision-making.

Abstract Objectives Persistent olfactory dysfunction (OD) following loss of smell associated with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection is a major feature of long COVID. Perspectives on the prevalence of persistent OD predominantly rely on self‐reported olfactory function. Few studies have tracked longitudinal rates of recovery using psychophysical assessment among patients presenting for evaluation of persistent OD beyond a window of acute recovery. Data anchored in standardized testing methods are needed to counsel patients who fail to acutely regain their sense of smell. This study aims to quantify the degree of persistent OD in post‐COVID‐19 patients who experience subjective and psychophysical OD. Methods We grouped participants presenting for OD evaluation into cohorts based on both subjective and psychophysical olfactory status at a baseline assessment and assessed their olfactory abilities with a visual analogue scale and the Sniffin' Sticks extended test at baseline and 1‐year time points. Participants had confirmed a history of COVID‐19 by lab evaluation or clinical diagnosis if lab evaluation was not available. Results Baseline olfactory evaluation was completed by 122 participants, 53 of whom completed the 1‐year follow‐up assessment. Among participants presenting with perceived OD, 74.5% had confirmed psychophysical OD at baseline, with 55.1% at 1‐year follow‐up. Participants had reliable trends in self‐rated versus psychophysically tested olfactory function at both time points. The total threshold, discrimination, and identification (TDI) score improved by +3.25 points in the cohort with psychophysical OD (p = 0.0005), with this improvement largely attributable to an increase in median threshold scores (+2.75 points; p = 0.0004). Conclusions OD persists in a significant number of patients who fail to acutely recovery their sense of smell after COVID‐19, with many demonstrating lingering deficits at 1‐year. Improvements in threshold, but not discrimination or identification, most significantly mediate improvement of total TDI score at follow‐up.

The human gut has a rich and dynamic microbial population that plays an important role in many physiological activities. This review explores the complex interaction between the gut microbiota and human health, with an emphasis on its effect on neurodegenerative illnesses. The makeup of the gut microbiome and its impact on brain function through the gut–brain axis is highlighted. Dysbiosis, characterized by changes in the gut microbiota’s composition, has been linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A Bidirectional communication between the stomach and the brain takes place via a variety of channels, including neurotransmitters and metabolites generated by gut bacteria. We investigate the processes through which dysbiosis causes neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neuronal damage, which drive disease development. Potential therapeutic approaches that focus on the gut microbiota, such as antibiotics, probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation, are reviewed, with promising preclinical and clinical findings. Overall, this study emphasizes the relevance of gut microbiota to neurodegenerative illnesses, as well as the need to understand and target the gut-brain axis for future treatment options.

IntroductionThere have been large geographical differences in the infection and death rates of COVID-19. Foods and beverages containing high amounts of phytochemicals with bioactive properties were suggested to prevent contracting and to facilitate recovery from COVID-19. The goal of our study was to determine the correlation of the type of foods/beverages people consumed and the risk reduction of contracting COVID-19 and the recovery from COVID-19.MethodsWe developed an online survey that asked the participants whether they contracted COVID-19, their symptoms, time to recover, and their frequency of eating various types of foods/beverages. The survey was developed in 10 different languages.ResultsThe participants who did not contract COVID-19 consumed vegetables, herbs/spices, and fermented foods/beverages significantly more than the participants who contracted COVID-19. Among the six countries (India/Iran/Italy/Japan/Russia/Spain) with over 100 participants and high correspondence between the location of the participants and the language of the survey, in India and Japan the people who contracted COVID-19 showed significantly shorter recovery time, and greater daily intake of vegetables, herbs/spices, and fermented foods/beverages was associated with faster recovery.ConclusionsOur results suggest that phytochemical compounds included in the vegetables may have contributed in not only preventing contraction of COVID-19, but also accelerating their recovery.

Abstract Metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) poses a significant therapeutic challenge with high mortality rates. Utilizing CRISPR-Cas9 in vivo, we target five potential tumor suppressor genes (Pten, Trp53, Rb1, Stk11, and RnaseL) in the mouse prostate, reaching humane endpoint after eight weeks without metastasis. By further depleting three epigenetic factors (Kmt2c, Kmt2d, and Zbtb16), lung metastases are present in all mice. While whole genome sequencing reveals few mutations in coding sequence, RNA sequencing shows significant dysregulation, especially in a conserved genomic region at chr5qE1 regulated by KMT2C. Depleting Odam and Cabs1 in this region prevents metastasis. Notably, the gene expression signatures, resulting from our study, predict progression-free and overall survival and distinguish primary and metastatic human prostate cancer. This study emphasizes positive genetic interactions between classical tumor suppressor genes and epigenetic modulators in metastatic PCa progression, offering insights into potential treatments.

Abstract Early life stress (ELS) significantly increases susceptibility to alcohol use disorder (AUD) by affecting the interplay between the executive and the salience networks (SNs). The link between AUD and higher body-mass index (BMI) is known, but we lack understanding of how BMI impacts the relationship between ELS and brain connectivity in individuals with AUD. To bridge this gap, we investigated the main and interaction effects of ELS and BMI on brain connectivity in individuals with AUD compared to non-AUD participants (n = 77 sex-matched individuals per group). All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, revealing intriguing positive functional connectivity between SN seeds and brain regions involved in somatosensory processing, motor coordination and executive control. Examining the relationship of brain connectivity with ELS and BMI, we observed positive associations with the correlations of SN seeds, right anterior insula (RAIns) and supramarginal gyrus (SMG) with clusters in motor [occipital cortex, supplementary motor cortex]; anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) with clusters in frontal, or executive, control regions (middle frontal gyrus; MFG, precentral gyrus) that reportedly are involved in processing of emotionally salient stimuli (all |β | > 0.001, |p |

Urban trees are at risk of stress due to heat island effects and the increased proportion of impervious areas surrounding them. Among pests of trees, insect borers such as bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and flatheaded borers (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) are some of the most devastating, frequently colonizing stressed trees. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of biotic and abiotic risk factors on borer attacks on trees in urban areas. In the summer of 2021 and 2022, this study was conducted in 50 urban sites in Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia (USA). Specific factors explored include overall tree health, differentially warmer maximum and minimum temperatures of sites compared to surrounding areas, tree species, and the percentage of impervious surface surrounding trees. Generalized linear models and zero-inflated models explored how these factors were related to damage from these borers. The number of borer attacks on trees increased with higher percentage impervious area. As the two most commonly encountered trees, Acer rubrum was found to be significantly more susceptible to attack from borers than Ulmus parvifolia. Unhealthy trees were more likely to experience more frequent and more severe borer attack. Trees with increased impervious cover around them as well as those with differentially warmer daily maximum and minimum temperatures relative to surrounding were more likely to be attacked.

Activity space research explores the behavioral impact of the spaces people move through in daily life. This research has focused on urban settings, devoting little attention to non-urban settings. We examined the validity of the activity space method, comparing feasibility and data quality in urban and non-urban contexts. Overall, we found that the method is easily implemented in both settings. We also found location data quality was comparable across residential and activity space settings. The major differences in GPS (Global Positioning System) density and accuracy came from the operating system (iOS versus Android) of the device used. The GPS-derived locations showed high agreement with participants' self-reported locations. We further validated GPS data by comparing at-home time allocation with the American Time Use Survey. This study suggests that it is possible to collect daily activity space data in non-urban settings that are of comparable quality to data from urban settings.

ABSTRACTResearch suggests that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) traits (e.g., hyperandrogenism) may create a suboptimal intrauterine environment and induce epigenetic modifications. Therefore, we assessed the associations of PCOS traits with neonatal DNA methylation (DNAm) using two independent cohorts. DNAm was measured in both cohorts using the Infinium MethylationEPIC array. Multivariable robust linear regression was used to determine associations of maternal PCOS exposure or preconception testosterone with methylation β-values at each CpG probe and corrected for multiple testing by false-discovery rate (FDR). In the birth cohort, 12% (102/849) had a PCOS diagnosis (8.1% PCOS without hirsutism; 3.9% PCOS with hirsutism). Infants exposed to maternal PCOS with hirsutism compared to no PCOS had differential DNAm at cg02372539 [β(SE): −0.080 (0.010); FDR p = 0.009], cg08471713 [β(SE):0.077 (0.014); FDR p = 0.016] and cg17897916 [β(SE):0.050 (0.009); FDR p = 0.009] with adjustment for maternal characteristics including pre-pregnancy BMI. PCOS with hirsutism was also associated with 8 differentially methylated regions (DMRs). PCOS without hirsutism was not associated with individual CpGs. In an independent preconception cohort, total testosterone concentrations were associated with 3 DMRs but not with individual CpGs, though the top quartile of testosterone compared to the lowest was marginally associated with increased DNAm at cg21472377 near an uncharacterized locus (FDR p = 0.09). Examination of these probes and DMRs indicate they may be under foetal genetic control. Overall, we found several associations among newborns exposed to PCOS, specifically when hirsutism was reported, and among newborns of women with relatively higher testosterone around conception.

ABSTRACT Type 1 diabetes (T1D) confers an increased risk of fracture and is associated with lower bone mineral density (BMD) and altered microarchitecture compared with controls. Adequate calcium (Ca) intake promotes bone mineralization, thereby increasing BMD. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the associations of total daily Ca intake with bone outcomes among youth with T1D. This was a cross‐sectional analysis of girls ages 10–16 years with (n = 62) and without (n = 60) T1D. We measured Ca intake with a validated food‐frequency questionnaire and BMD, microarchitecture, and strength estimates with dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry and high‐resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Total daily Ca intake did not differ between groups (950 ± 488 in T1D versus 862 ± 461 mg/d in controls, p = 0.306). Serum 25OHD was lower in T1D (26.3 ± 7.6 versus 32.6 ± 9.0 ng/mL, p =

IntroductionThe consumption of probiotics may influence children’s gut microbiome and metabolome, which may reflect shifts in gut microbial diversity composition and metabolism. These potential changes might have a beneficial impact on health. However, there is a lack of evidence investigating the effect of probiotics on the gut microbiome and metabolome of children. We aimed to examine the potential impact of a two (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii; S2) vs. three (S2 + Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strain BB-12) strain-supplemented yogurt.MethodsIncluded in this study were 59 participants, aged one to five years old, recruited to phase I of a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Fecal samples were collected at baseline, after the intervention, and at twenty days post-intervention discontinuation, and untargeted metabolomics and shotgun metagenomics were performed.ResultsShotgun metagenomics and metabolomic analyses showed no global changes in either intervention group’s gut microbiome alpha or beta diversity indices, except for a lower microbial diversity in the S2 + BB12 group at Day 30. The relative abundance of the two and three intervention bacteria increased in the S2 and S2 + BB12 groups, respectively, from Day 0 to Day 10. In the S2 + BB12 group, the abundance of several fecal metabolites increased at Day 10, including alanine, glycine, lysine, phenylalanine, serine, and valine. These fecal metabolite changes did not occur in the S2 group.DiscussionIn conclusion, there were were no significant differences in the global metagenomic or metabolomic profiles between healthy children receiving two (S2) vs. three (S2 + BB12) probiotic strains for 10 days. Nevertheless, we observed a significant increase (Day 0 to Day 10) in the relative abundance of the two and three probiotics administered in the S2 and S2 + BB12 groups, respectively, indicating the intervention had a measurable impact on the bacteria of interest in the gut microbiome. Future research using longer probiotic intervention durations and in children at risk for gastrointestinal disorders may elucidate if functional metabolite changes confer a protective gastrointestinal effect.

Pre-algebra mathematical competencies were assessed for a large and diverse sample of sixth graders (n = 1,926), including whole number and fractions arithmetic, conceptual understanding of equality and fractions magnitudes, and the fractions number line. The goal was to determine if there were clusters of students with similar patterns of pre-algebra strengths and weaknesses and if variation between clusters was related to mathematics attitudes, anxiety, or for a subsample (n = 342) some combination of intelligence, working memory, or spatial abilities. Critically, strengths and weaknesses were not uniform across the three identified clusters. Lower-performing students had pronounced deficits in their understanding of mathematical equality, fractions magnitudes, and the fractions number line. Higher-performing students had particular advantages in whole number and fractions arithmetic, and the fractions number line. Students could be reliably placed into clusters based on their mathematics self-efficacy and a combination of intelligence and spatial abilities. The results contribute to our understanding of key aspects of students' mathematical development, highlight areas in need of intervention for at-risk students, and identify cognitive areas in which scaffolds might be incorporated into these interventions.

Emotion recognition is key to interpersonal communication and to human-machine interaction. Body expression may contribute to emotion recognition, but most past studies focused on a few motions, limiting accurate recognition. Moreover, emotions in most previous research were acted out, resulting in non-natural motion, which is unapplicable in reality. We present an approach for emotion recognition based on body motion in naturalistic settings, examining authentic emotions, natural movement, and a broad collection of motion parameters. A lab experiment using 24 participants manipulated participants' emotions using pretested movies into five conditions: happiness, relaxation, fear, sadness, and emotionally-neutral. Emotion was manipulated within subjects, with fillers in between and a counterbalanced order. A motion capture system measured posture and motion during standing and walking; a force plate measured center of pressure location. Traditional statistics revealed nonsignificant effects of emotions on most motion parameters; only 7 of 229 parameters demonstrate significant effects. Most significant effects are in parameters representing postural control during standing, which is consistent with past studies. Yet, the few significant effects suggest that it is impossible to recognize emotions based on a single motion parameter. We therefore developed machine learning models to classify emotions using a collection of parameters, and examined six models: k-nearest neighbors, decision tree, logistic regression, and the support vector machine with radial base function and linear and polynomial functions. The decision tree using 25 parameters provided the highest average accuracy (45.8%), more than twice the random guess for five conditions, which advances past studies demonstrating comparable accuracies, due to our naturalistic setting. This research suggests that machine learning models are valuable for emotion recognition in reality and lays the foundation for further progress in emotion recognition models, informing the development of recognition devices (e.g., depth camera), to be used in home-setting human-machine interactions.

In humans, odors are detected by ~400 functional olfactory receptor (OR) genes. The superfamily of functional OR genes can be further divided into tens of families. In large part, the OR genes have experienced extensive tandem duplications, which have led to gene gains and losses. However, whether different OR gene families have experienced distinct modes of gene duplication has yet to be reported. We conducted comparative genomic and evolutionary analyses for human functional OR genes. Based on analysis of human-mouse 1-1 orthologs, we found that human functional OR genes show higher-than-average evolutionary rates, and there are significant differences among families of functional OR genes. Via comparison with seven vertebrate outgroups, families of human functional OR genes show different extents of gene synteny conservation. Although the superfamily of human functional OR genes is enriched in tandem and proximal duplications, there are particular families which are enriched in segmental duplications. These findings suggest that human functional OR genes may be governed by different evolutionary mechanisms and that large-scale gene duplications have contributed to the early evolution of human functional OR genes.

Introduction: The occurrence of kidney dysfunction in diabetics promotes early cardiac dysfunction. The timing of Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD) and the impact of the stage of DKD on cardiac dysfunction is far from elucidated in current literature. Aim: To evaluate the association between the early stages of DKD and cardiac dysfunction by echocardiography. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive, case-control study was conducted in the Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Kalapet, Puducherry, India, from November 2018 to November 2020. All diabetic patients between 25-60 years, who attended the medicine Outpatient Department (OPD) or were admitted into the medical wards, were screened, among which 280 subjects were selected for the study. Patients with Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) of more than 45 mL/min/1.73m2 were characterised as cases and those with eGFR of more than 90 mL/min/1.73m2 were controls. Echocardiographic parameters were recorded. Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and unpaired t-test were used for statistical analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was done using an odd’s ratio to assess the association between early DKD and cardiac dysfunction. Results: The number of diabetics with early kidney disease (cases) were 139 and without kidney disease (controls) were 141. The mean age of the cases was 54.63±4.84 years and the controls were 52.61±7.916 years. The number of males among the cases and controls were 68 (48.92%) out of 139 and 96 (68.1%) out of 141, respectively. The prevalence of systolic dysfunction among diabetic patients with early kidney disease was 12.23% (17/139) and diastolic dysfunction was prevalent in 99.29% (138/139). Systolic dysfunction was 9.68 times more common in cases (n=139) than in controls (n=141). Women had a 2.6 times higher likelihood, and hypertension had (an independent association which was) a 2.6 times higher likelihood of developing cardiac dysfunction in the early stages of DKD. Conclusion: Systolic cardiac dysfunction is significantly higher (9.68 times more common) in those with early DKD when compared to those without kidney disease; with female gender and systemic hypertension as independent and significant risk factors.

Cabbage maggot, Delia radicum (L.) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) is a serious pest of Brassica such as broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica Plenck) and cauliflower (B. oleracea L. var. botrytis) in California’s Central Coast. Since there are limited non-chemical options available for growers to manage D. radicum, there is an urgent need to develop alternative tactics. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of side-by-side plantings of turnip (Brassica rapa var. rapa L.), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), cauliflower, and cabbage (B. oleracea L. var. capitata) with broccoli on D. radicum infestation. In 2013 and 2014, the experiments were conducted in Salinas, California. Significantly greater numbers of eggs and larval feeding damage were found on turnip compared with broccoli. Lettuce (Asteraceae), a non-Brassica crop, was compared with broccoli; however, lettuce did not reduce oviposition or larval feeding damage on broccoli. The larval feeding damage on cauliflower was significantly lower than on broccoli when planted side-by-side. The effects on cabbage were not significantly different from broccoli in terms of oviposition and larval feeding damage. This new information generated from the Central Coast of California will be further utilized to develop a trap crop to effectively tackle the D. radicum problem in Brassica fields.

Background: Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease related dementias (AD/ADRD) have increased in prevalence. Objective: This article describes the Add Health Parent Study (AHPS) Phase 2, a study of social, behavioral, and biological factors influencing healthy aging and risk for AD/ADRD, in a national sample of adults aged 58–90. Methods: Sample members are parents of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) cohort, initially interviewed in Add Health in midlife (1994-95). AHPS Phase 1 (2015–17) collected longitudinal data on a random subsample of parents and their spouse/partners, who were mostly Non-Hispanic (NH) White. AHPS Phase 2 will collect the same longitudinal socio-behavioral, and health survey data on all remaining NH Black and Hispanic parents (Black and Hispanic Supplement, BHS). Additionally, Phase 2 will collect cognitive and DNA data from AHPS Phase 1 and BHS sample parents and their current spouse/partners. Results: Funded by the National Institute on Aging, recruitment will occur between June 2025 and May 2026, producing an expected total AHPS sample of 5506 parents and their spouse/partners. Conclusions: The AHPS will be the first longitudinal cohort study powered to address multigenerational racial/ethnic disparities in AD/ADRD risk and protective factors across race/ethnic groups and socioeconomic strata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Ulnar variance (UV) is a measurement of the relative locations of the radius and ulna that may become perturbed in athletic populations. Positive UV can be associated with wrist pathologies often treated conservatively or surgically and may result in interruption of sports participation. Objective: This scoping review aims to summarize diagnostic measures of UV in athletes, describe its relation to separate wrist conditions, and present treatment strategies for symptomatic UV. Data Sources: A systematic search was created and modified for PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and SPORTDiscus including articles from inception until February 2, 2022. Study Selection: Articles including UV characterization, imaging modality style, and an athletic population were searched across multiple databases. Study Design: A scoping review was designed to identify the methods for imaging UV in athletic populations following the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Level of Evidence: Level 4. Data Extraction: The specific athletic population, imaging modality, measurement style, wrist pathology association, and surgical management of UV were extracted. Results: A total of 4321 records were screened independently for eligibility: 22 met inclusion criteria. Eight sports comprised the analysis. All studies referenced conventional radiography to diagnose UV; 50% specified the posteroanterior, 18.2% anteroposterior, and 13.6% pronated, gripping radiographs. Hafner's method (7×), Palmer's technique (2×), and the method of perpendiculars (3×) were used to measure UV. Athletes displayed more positive UV than nonathletes and UV became more positive over time in longitudinal studies. Triangular fibrocartilage complex tears, focal lunate necrosis, and ulnar abutment were associated with positive UV. Ulnar shortening osteotomy was the most performed operation for positive UV. Conclusion: Conventional radiography is the gold standard for imaging UV in athletes. Hafner's method is the most commonly used radiograph measurement technique. Wrist pathology in athletic populations may indicate positive UV in need for operative management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research work proposes an efficient skin cancer detection technique based on Support Vector Machine (SVM) with Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) features. In this, skin cancer images from ISIC 2018 (International Skin Imaging Collaboration 2018) dataset are converted into gray scale and pre-processed using the median filter. The image resampling technique is then applied to rebalance the class distribution. The HOG features are extracted from these preprocessed images. After, the Radial Basis Function (RBF) kernel based SVM classification method is used to classify these extracted HOG features for detecting cancer class labels. These predicted class labels are compared with original labels for performing the evaluation. This proposed method is tested using and achieves 76% accuracy, 85% specificity, 84% precision, 76% recall and 75% F1-score.