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Marketing and publicity strategies for launching the pilot phase of the Hong Kong Genome Project
No full textAim: Public trust and confidence determine the acceptance of any population-based genome project. The Hong Kong Genome Institute (HKGI) was established in May 2020 by the Food and Health Bureau (Currently the Health Bureau) to spearhead the integration of genomic medicine into mainstream healthcare. One of HKGI’s goals is to enhance public genomic literacy and engagement by launching the Hong Kong Genome Project (HKGP).Methods: Three focus groups (undiagnosed and rare disease patients and their families, hereditary cancer patients and their families, and clinical geneticists and other medical subspecialists) involving 20 patients, family members, and healthcare professionals were completed in mid-2021 by an independent party. The aim was to harness insights into stakeholders’ views, concerns, and aspirations on issues related to genomic studies and the HKGP: (1) the decision to undergo genetic testing; (2) concerns; (3) campaign format; and (4) other strategic suggestions for the Pilot Phase. These issues are complex and multifactorial and have not been documented in Chinese populations. The qualitative approach facilitates such exploration.Results: Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis: (1) decisional considerations of undertaking genetic testing: perceived benefits and motivators; (2) concerns and worries: personal, familial, and societal concerns; (3) a quest for a patient-oriented, transparent, and decommercialized whole-genome sequencing campaign; and (4) communicating genomics efficaciously: the importance of informational support and literacy enhancement.Conclusion: Our results shaped the strategies for publicizing the Pilot Phase of HKGP and laid a patient-oriented foundation for HKGP’s Main Phase
Applying artificial intelligence to big data in hepatopancreatic and biliary surgery: a scoping review
No full textAim: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its applications in healthcare are rapidly developing. The healthcare industry generates ever-increasing volumes of data that should be used to improve patient care. This review aims to examine the use of AI and its applications in hepatopancreatic and biliary (HPB) surgery, highlighting studies leveraging large datasets.Methods: A PRISMA-ScR compliant scoping review using Medline and Google Scholar databases was performed (5th August 2022). Studies focusing on the development and application of AI to HPB surgery were eligible for inclusion. We undertook a conceptual mapping exercise to identify key areas where AI is under active development for use in HPB surgery. We considered studies and concepts in the context of patient pathways - before surgery (including diagnostics), around the time of surgery (supporting interventions) and after surgery (including prognostication).Results: 98 studies were included. Most studies were performed in China or the USA (n = 45). Liver surgery was the most common area studied (n = 51). Research into AI in HPB surgery has increased rapidly in recent years, with almost two-thirds published since 2019 (61/98). Of these studies, 11 have focused on using “big data” to develop and apply AI models. Nine of these studies came from the USA and nearly all focused on the application of Natural Language Processing. We identified several critical conceptual areas where AI is under active development, including improving preoperative optimization, image guidance and sensor fusion-assisted surgery, surgical planning and simulation, natural language processing of clinical reports for deep phenotyping and prediction, and image-based machine learning.Conclusion: Applications of AI in HPB surgery primarily focus on image analysis and computer vision to address diagnostic and prognostic uncertainties. Virtual 3D and augmented reality models to support complex HPB interventions are also under active development and likely to be used in surgical planning and education. In addition, natural language processing may be helpful in the annotation and phenotyping of disease, leading to new scientific insights
Formal verification of Fuzzy-based XAI for Strategic Combat Game
No full textExplainable AI is a topic at the forefront of the field currently for reasons involving human trust in AI, correctness, auditing, knowledge transfer, and regulation. AI that is developed with reinforcement learning (RL) is especially of interest due to the non-transparency of what was learned from the environment. RL AI systems have been shown to be "brittle" with respect to the conditions it can safely operate in, and therefore ways to show correctness regardless of input values are of key interest. One way to show correctness is to verify the system using Formal Methods, known as Formal Verification. These methods are valuable, but costly and difficult to implement, leading most to instead favor other methodologies for verification that may be less rigorous, but more easily implemented. In this work, we show methods for development of an RL AI system for aspects of the strategic combat game Starcraft 2 that is performant, explainable, and formally verifiable. The resulting system performs very well on example scenarios while retaining explainability of its actions to a human operator or designer. In addition, it is shown to adhere to formal safety specifications about its behavior
Genomics in practice - a review of inherited cardiac conditions
No full textInterest in inherited cardiovascular conditions (ICCs) is fueled by resources devoted to its diagnosis, management, and research. The rapid advancement of DNA genomic sequencing deepens our understanding of ICCs. The ICC genomic landscape empowers the development of diagnostic guidelines and the discovery of potential therapeutic targets and promises novel therapeutics, especially in precision cardiology. Therefore, it is essential for healthcare institutes and systems to develop contextual frameworks based on current guidelines to provide holistic care for patients with ICCs. The clinical frameworks and considerations described in this review provide an overview of the operations of an ICC clinic, including wet and dry lab conditions, work performed by a healthcare professional, and the variety of cases, ranging from cardiomyopathies to arrythmias to aortopathies. Insights from our experience in an ICC clinic in Singapore add to the discussion of the challenges and benefits for patients and clinicians who serve them
Can age be a modifiable risk factor? the impact of dietary patterns on the molecular mechanisms that underlie cardiovascular aging
No full textAging is the number one risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Therefore, an evaluation of therapies for the prevention of CVD should focus on factors that slow down aging, particularly cardiovascular aging. There are various proposed mechanisms that advance cardiovascular age; in this review, we focus on chronic inflammation, oxidative stress and epigenetics as the primary drivers of aging. Furthermore, we will evaluate several dietary patterns on their impact on these aging mechanisms. The traditional "heart-healthy" dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet, plant-based diet and intermittent fasting will be evaluated for their performance to slow down the aforementioned aging mechanisms. The aim of this review will be to guide practitioners and patients on the dietary components that can slow down the effects of aging to prevent CVD
Ethylbenzene exposure in North America - an update
No full textChronic ethylbenzene exposures and attendant potential health risks for United States children and prospective parents were first evaluated under the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Voluntary Children’s Chemical Evaluation Program. Using updated data and methods, a 2015 reevaluation observed declines in ethylbenzene releases and concentrations in ambient and indoor air. Both assessments identified inhalation as the dominant exposure route and smoking as the greatest contributor, with dietary intake much lower. Children’s exposure concentrations were similar to that of adults, but their intakes were higher. Neither breastfeeding nor toy mouthing was a significant source. This report updates the previous assessments, summarizing current ethylbenzene concentrations in air and foods, exposures during the use of household and consumer products, nationally representative biomonitoring data, including expanded demographic groups, and a new survey of worker exposures in styrene production facilities. General population ethylbenzene exposures appear to have declined for all age groups. The ethylbenzene/styrene chain of commerce contributes an estimated 0.1% to total air emissions and 7%-12% to dietary concentrations. Total estimated ethylbenzene intakes are consistent with biomonitoring data. Lactational transfer is not a significant exposure pathway for breastfed infants. Production workers’ exposure is well below occupational guidelines. Updated exposure estimates for each pathway suitable for potential health risk assessment are proposed
Carbon footprint of beef cattle systems in the Southeast United States
No full textGrasslands in the Southeast United States (SE US) cover 15.8 million ha and most of this area is dedicated to beef production systems. This region holds 6.3 million beef cows and 12.1 million cattle, including calves. Beef cattle systems in the SE US are mostly cow-calf based, and most of the greenhouse gas emission from cattle occurs during this phase (cow-calf) because of their forage-based diet. This review assessed the carbon footprint (C footprint) of beef cattle systems in the SE US and indicates possible ways to reduce it. Major emissions in beef cattle systems come from livestock enteric fermentation and greenhouse gases from excreta. Cow-calf systems in the SE US are typically low input, although they use some industrial fertilizers, machinery, and fossil fuel, which adds to the C footprint of the sector. There are opportunities to reduce the beef C footprint in the SE US by adopting climate-smart practices, including preservation of natural ecosystems that have potentially high carbon sequestration, afforestation, integration of forage legumes (and reduction of nitrogen fertilizer), use of slow-release fertilizers, and dietary interventions. In fact, depending on the level of adoption of some of these practices, it is possible to establish climate-neutral beef at the farm gate in the SE US. Beef is a key food for humans and has large economic effects. Development of climate-smart beef could create opportunities for a niche market that recognizes the environmental footprint of agricultural production and could incentivize producers to pursue those systems
Treatment of recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome with fat grafting as an adjunct
No full textAim: The purpose of this study is to compare the surgical outcomes of treating recurrent carpal tunnel with recurrent carpal tunnel release only compared to recurrent carpal tunnel release with fat grafting as an adjunct.Methods: Retrospective case-control study was performed of the recurrent carpal tunnels treated, excluding explicit nerve injury such as transections, neuromas in continuity, etc. Patients with recurrent carpal tunnel received re-release of carpal tunnel only or fat grafting as an adjunct. The outcomes of both groups were compared utilizing chi-square analysis.Results: A total number of 81 patients were found to meet the inclusion criteria. Of the recurrences, a total of 16 patients did not receive fat grafting and 65 did. The rate of improvement in symptoms for performing a carpal tunnel release was only 50.0% and for performing carpal tunnel release with fat grafting was 92%, with P-value < 0.00.Conclusion: Adipose-derived stem cells as an adjunct to carpal tunnel release increased the rate of improvement in symptoms of carpal tunnel compression after recurrence compared to carpal tunnel release alone. Further studies need to be performed to confirm the validity of these findings
Nano-TRAIL: a promising path to cancer therapy
No full textTumor Necrosis Factor-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand, also called apo-2 ligand (TRAIL/Apo-2L), is a cytokine that triggers apoptosis by binding to TRAIL-R1 (DR4) and TRAIL-R2 (DR5) death receptors. Apoptosis occurs through either the extrinsic or intrinsic pathway. The administration of recombinant human TRAIL (rhTRAIL) or TRAIL-receptor (TRAIL-R) agonists promotes apoptosis preferentially in cancerous cells over normal cells in vitro; this phenomenon has also been observed in clinical studies. The limited efficacy of rhTRAIL in clinical trials could be attributed to drug resistance, short half-life, targeted delivery issues, and off-target toxicities. Nanoparticles are excellent drug and gene delivery systems characterized by improved permeability and retention, increased stability and biocompatibility, and precision targeting. In this review, we discuss resistance mechanisms to TRAIL and methods to overcome TRAIL resistance by using nanoparticle-based formulations developed for the delivery of TRAIL peptides, TRAIL-R agonists, and TRAIL genes to cancer cells. We also discuss combinatorial approaches of chemotherapeutic drugs with TRAIL. These studies demonstrate TRAIL’s potential as an anticancer agent
Triethanolamine assisted synthesis of bimetallic nickel cobalt nitride/nitrogen-doped carbon hollow nanoflowers for supercapacitor
No full textSupercapacitors (SCs) have drawn growing attention due to their advantages in fast charge/discharge over batteries. Benefiting from their prominent electrical conductivity and metal-like characteristics, transition metal nitrides have emerged as promising electrode materials for SCs. Traditional ways to prepare metal nitrides through ammonolysis are inconvenient and induce severe environmental pollution. Herein, we report a facile synthetic method toward heterogenous Ni3N-Co2N0.67/nitrogen-doped carbon (Ni3N-Co2N0.67/NC) hollow nanoflower via pyrolyzing NiCo-TEOA (triethanolamine) complex precursor applying urea as nitrogen source. Electrochemical tests demonstrate that the Ni3N-Co2N0.67/NC nanoflower delivers good specific capacitance (1582 F g-1 at 1 A g-1) and steady cycle performance (83.79% after 5000 cycles). Moreover, the as-assembled Ni3N-Co2N0.67/NC//AC cell can reach a peak energy density of 32.4 W h kg-1 at a power density of 851.3 W kg-1. The excellent electrochemical performance confirms extensive application prospects of the Ni3N-Co2N0.67/NC nanoflower
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