The impact of sleep deprivation on various stages of information processing was investigated during a valance categorization picture task using temporally sensitive event-related potentials (ERPs). Young, healthy, good sleepers were randomly assigned to a total sleep deprivation (n ϭ 22) or sleep control group (n ϭ 23). Picture stimuli were presented at random for 1000 ms and rated as very-positive, slightly positive, slightly negative, or very-negative. ERP measures included a parietal-occipital positive peak (P1) reflecting early sensory processing and "reactivity," and a central-parietal Late Positive Potential (LPP) peak indexing sustained attention toward stimuli. There was a significant Group-by-Valance interaction for LPP amplitude; sleep-deprived participants had a larger LPP than controls to positive and negative, but not neutral pictures. Both groups had larger LPPs to positive and negative pictures relative to neutral pictures, but only the sleep-deprived group had a larger LPP to negative compared with positive stimuli. Sleep-deprived individuals with a lower reappraisal strategy in emotion regulation style produced a relatively larger LPP response to negative pictures. In conclusion, sleep deprivation did not influence early sensory processing or attention capture but led to greater sustained allocation of attention toward emotional pictures, particularly negative stimuli. Enhanced attention toward emotional stimuli may result in failure to attend to other relevant information and poor decision making, and may be especially problematic for individuals with lower emotion reappraisal strategies.
Background: Portable chest radiograph for COVID-19 positive patients and persons under investigation can be acquired through glass doors or walls of isolation rooms to limit exposure to the pathogen and conserve resources. Purpose: To report our initial experience with acquiring portable chest radiographs through glass doors of isolation rooms. Methods: Only 1 of 2 radiology technologist team members donned personal protective equipment and stayed inside the isolation room, while the second technologist and the radiography unit remained outside during the procedure. First hundred radiographs acquired through glass at the emergency department of our institute formed the “through glass radiograph” group. Hundred consecutive portable chest radiographs performed in a conventional manner formed the “conventional radiograph” group for comparison. Imaging database and feedback from operations leader were used to identify occurrences of a failed procedure. Suggestion of repeating the study and comments related to quality of the study were recorded from the reports of the staff radiologist. Results: There was no instance of failed acquisition, nondiagnostic examination, or suggestion of repetition in both groups. No significant difference in the number of reports with quality related remarks ( P > .05) was found between the 2 groups. Radiography through glass doors was associated with increased suboptimal positioning related remarks in radiology reports ( P < .05). No significant association was identified among other comments about image quality. Conclusion: Our initial clinical experience suggests that the acquisition of portable chest radiographs through the glass doors of isolation rooms is technically feasible and results in diagnostic quality studies.
Background Chest radiography is often used to detect lung involvement in patients with suspected pneumonia. Chest radiography through glass walls of an isolation room is a technique that could be immensely useful in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Purpose The purpose of this study was to ensure quality and radiation safety while acquiring portable chest radiographs through the glass doors of isolation rooms using an adult anthropomorphic thorax phantom. Materials and Methods Sixteen chest radiographs were acquired utilizing different exposure factors without glass, through the smart glass, and through regular glass. Images were scored independently by 2 radiologists for quantum mottle and sharpness of anatomical structures using a 5-point Likert scale. Statistically significant differences in Likert scale scores and entrance surface dose (ESD) between images acquired without glass and through the smart and regular glass were tested. Interreader reliability was also evaluated. Results Compared with conventional radiography, equal or higher mean image quality scores (mottle and anatomical structures) were observed with the smart glass using 100 kVp at 12 mAs and 20 mAs and 125 kVp at 6.3 mAs (100 kVp at 2 mAs and 125 kVp at 3.2 mAs were used for conventional radiography observations). There was no statistically significant difference in the Likert scale scores for image quality and the entrance surface dose for radiographs acquired without glass, through the smart glass, and through regular glass. Backscatter from the smart glass was minimal at a distance of 3 m and was recorded as zero at a distance of 4 m from the x-ray tube outside an isolation room. Conclusions Good-quality portable chest radiographs can be obtained safely through the smart glass doors of the isolation room. However, this technique does result in minor backscatter radiation. Modifications in the exposure factors (such as increasing milliampere seconds) may be required to optimize image quality while using this technique.
Objectives The acute and long-term effects of synthetic sugar substitutes have yet to be fully determined. Importantly, their interactions with the gut epithelium are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of two synthetic sugar substitutes on intestinal epithelial cells in terms of 1) cellular toxicity, 2) effects on cell proliferation, and 3) effects on cellular differentiation. Methods Gut epithelial cells (n = 3/group) were challenged for 3 hours with varying concentrations of saccharin and sucralose, to determine cellular toxicity thresholds, as assessed by MTT assay. Three morphologically distinct epithelial cell lines (HT-29, HT-29MTX, and T84) were also challenged (n = 3/group) with the maximum concentrations of these compounds that did not induce toxicity to evaluate cell proliferation over a 96-hour period. RNA was isolated from synthetic sugar substitute-challenged cells and analyzed for epithelial cell differentiation-related gene expression via CDX2 by qRT-PCR, and normalized to B2M, an epithelial cell reference gene. Results Cellular toxicity assays indicated that 10% w/v sweetener was the maximum level tested that avoided evidence of cellular toxicity. When comparing distinct epithelial cell lines, HT-29MTX and T84 displayed significant differences in cell proliferation when exposed to saccharin (HT29-MTX, P < 0.01) and sucralose (T84, P < 0.01), demonstrating increased cell proliferation, relative to unchallenged controls. Finally, CDX2 expression, a marker of cellular differentiation, was significantly increased in the presence of both saccharin (5% w/v) and sucralose (10% w/v) in HT-29 cells, relative to unchallenged controls (P < 0.05). Conclusions These findings demonstrate that exposure to high concentrations of synthetic sugar substitutes alter proliferation and differentiation of gut epithelial cell lines in vitro, in a cell line-dependent manner. Additional research is necessary to determine whether these interactions also occur in vivo. Funding Sources This work was funded by the University of Nevada, Reno Department of Nutrition, the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology, & Natural Resources, the Vice President for Research and Innovation, and the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station.
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