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Synthetic data generation via generative adversarial networks in healthcare: a systematic review of image- and signal-based studies
No full textGenerative Adversarial Networks (GANs) have emerged as a powerful tool in artificial intelligence, particularly for unsupervised learning. This systematic review analyzes GAN applications in healthcare, focusing on image and signal-based studies across various clinical domains. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we reviewed 72 relevant journal articles. Our findings reveal that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electrocardiogram (ECG) signal acquisition techniques were most utilized, with brain studies (22%), cardiology (18%), cancer (15%), ophthalmology (12%), and lung studies (10%) being the most researched areas. We discuss key GAN architectures, including cGAN (31%) and CycleGAN (18%), along with datasets, evaluation metrics, and performance outcomes. The review highlights promising data augmentation, anonymization, and multi-task learning results. We identify current limitations, such as the lack of standardized metrics and direct comparisons, and propose future directions, including the development of no-reference metrics, immersive simulation scenarios, and enhanced interpretability.</p
Emojis in Education? - Systematic Review on the Integration of Short-Form Academic Content and Non-Textual Paralinguistic Communications in Higher Education
No full textThis systematic review critically examines the impact of integrating short-form academic content and non-textual paralinguistic communications in higher education. In the digital age, traditional academic communication paradigms are evolving, with the rise of brief, accessible content and the inclusion of emojis, multimedia elements, and other non-textual forms. This study explores how these modern communication methods affect student engagement, equitable access, and knowledge accessibility, particularly for neurodivergent and non-academic readers.Analysing 28 studies published between 2010 and 2023, the review identifies three main themes: enhanced student engagement, equitable access, and improved knowledge accessibility. Findings suggest that multimedia elements, emojis, and concise summaries heighten student interest and participation, while visual and interactive elements break down complex concepts, aiding learners with diverse abilities. However, challenges such as the need for educator training and potential misinterpretations of emojis are noted.The review highlights the transformative potential of these communication methods in creating more inclusive and accessible educational experiences. It underscores the importance of further exploration and adoption of these modern communication strategies in diverse educational settings. The review also calls for more longitudinal and context-specific research to fully understand the long-term impact and applicability of these methods in higher education.</p
What resilience theory and praxis can learn from multi-dimensional approaches to understanding poverty: A study of Ghanaian cocoa forest landscapes
No full textResilience – broadly understood as withstanding, and adapting to, shocks and risks – has emerged as a central discursive device for converging humanitarian needs with climate change responses. This paper's human-centred engagement with resilience draws on the case of smallholder farmers engaged in rain-fed cocoa production in Ghana's Central Region, to systematically unpack how poverty shapes smallholders’ responses to drought, with differing effects on resilience. The surveys, focus groups, and interviews were gathered before, during, and in the aftermath of, a prolonged El Niño-induced drought, facilitating pre-drought and post-drought comparisons of poverty conditions and their interactions with resilience. We centre our analysis on smallholders’ definitions of both poverty and resilience. We consider how co-identified dimensions of poverty interact with three co-identified dimensions or “outcomes“ of resilience: i) meeting critical needs; ii) implementing adaptation; and iii) preparedness for future climate shocks. We find that higher cocoa incomes were not associated with meeting critical needs during a drought, while many other poverty indicators were important across different dimensions of resilience e.g., adequate healthcare access, access to clean drinking water, food security, livelihood diversification, and access to livestock. Thus we advocate that: resilience, like poverty be understood and addressed as multi-dimensional; that resilience be considered in tandem with people's own livelihood concerns; and that interventions look beyond raising cash crop productivity. Although diversifying income is a common resilience-boosting policy, we found greater livelihood diversification was associated with lower preparedness scores and meeting fewer critical needs in the drought year. Income diversification's ability to alleviate multiple dimensions of poverty is constrained by financial exclusion, lack of market linkages, and structural poverty barriers such as illiteracy, tenure insecurity, or non-potable water. Thus efforts to address households’ poverty and climate resilience must be holistic and responsive to local contexts.</p
The safety and potential efficacy of exosomes overexpressing CD24 (EXO-CD24) in mild-moderate COVID-19 related ARDS
No full textIntroduction: EXO-CD24 are exosomes genetically manipulated to over-express Cluster of Differentiation (CD) 24. It consists of two breakthrough technologies: CD24, the drug, as a novel immunomodulator that is smarter than steroids without any side effects, and exosomes as the ideal natural drug carrier.MethodsA randomized, single blind, dose-finding phase IIb trial in hospitalized patients with mild to moderate Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) was carried out in two medical centers in Athens. Patients received either 109or 1010exosome particles of EXO-CD24, daily, for five consecutive days and monitored for 28 days. Efficacy was assessed at day 7 among 91 patients who underwent randomization. The outcome was also compared in a post-hoc analysis with an income control group (n = 202) that fit the inclusion and exclusion criteria.ResultsThe mean age was 49.4 (± 13.2) years and 74.4% were male. By day 7, 83.7% showed improved respiratory signs and 64% had better oxygen saturation (SpO2) (p < 0.05). There were significant reductions in all inflammatory markers, most notably in C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ferritin, fibrinogen and an array of cytokines. Conversely, levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine Interleukin-10 (IL-10) were increased (p < 0.05). Of all the documented adverse events, none were considered treatment related. No drug-drug interactions were noted. Two patients succumbed to COVID-19. Post-hoc analysis revealed that EXO-CD24 patients exhibited greater improvements in clinical and laboratory outcomes compared to an observational income control group.ConclusionsEXO-CD24 presents a promising therapeutic approach for hyper-inflammatory state and in particular ARDS. Its unique combination of exosomes, as a drug carrier, and CD24, as an immunomodulator, coupled with inhalation administration, warrants further investigation in a larger, international, randomized, quadri-blind trial against a placebo.</p
An exosome mRNA-related gene risk model to evaluate the tumor microenvironment and predict prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma
No full textBackground: The interplay between exosomes and the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains unclear. We investigated the influence of exosomes on the TME in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), focusing on their mRNA expression profile. Methods mRNA expression profiles of exosomes were obtained from exoRBase. RNA sequencing data from HCC patients’ tumors were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC). An exosome mRNA-related risk score model of prognostic value was established. The patients in the two databases were divided into high- and low-risk groups based on the median risk score value, and used to validate one another. Functional enrichment analysis was performed based on a differential gene prognosis model (DGPM). CIBERSORT was used to assess the abundance of immune cells in the TME. The correlation between the expression levels of immune checkpoint-related genes and DGPM was analyzed alongside the prediction value to drug sensitivity. Results A prognostic exosome mRNA-related 4-gene signature (DYNC1H1, PRKDC, CCDC88A, and ADAMTS5) was constructed and validated. A prognostic nomogram had prognostic ability for HCC. The genes for this model are involved in extracellular matrix, extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction, and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Expression of genes here had a positive correlation with immune cell infiltration in the TME. Conclusions Our study results demonstrate that an exosome mRNA-related risk model can be established in HCC, highlighting the functional significance of the molecules in prognosis and risk stratification.</p
Prevalence and trends of cervical cancer screening among women in Fiji from 2014 to 2018
No full textIntroduction: Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women both in developed and developing countries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of cervical cancer and the trends of cervical cancer screening among women who had cervical cancer screening in Suva, Fiji between 2014 and 2018. Materials and method: This study applied a 5-year retrospective electronic chart review of data from all women attending the Women's Wellness Clinic (WWC) in Suva, Fiji. The women who were selected for this study and screened for cervical cancer were Fijian citizens above 18 years of age and were registered in 2014–2018. A data collection form was used to collect data. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24; p </p
The genomic and clinical consequences of replacing procarbazine with dacarbazine in escalated BEACOPP for Hodgkin lymphoma: a retrospective, observational study
No full textBackground: Procarbazine-containing chemotherapy regimens are associated with cytopenias and infertility, suggesting stem-cell toxicity. When treating Hodgkin lymphoma, procarbazine in escalated-dose bleomycin–etoposide–doxorubicin–cyclophosphamide–vincristine–procarbazine–prednisolone (eBEACOPP) is increasingly replaced with dacarbazine (eBEACOPDac) to reduce toxicity. We aimed to investigate the impact of this drug substitution on the mutation burden in stem cells, patient survival, and toxicity.Methods: In this two-part retrospective, observational study, we first compared mutational landscapes in haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from patients with advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma in remission for at least 6 months who had been treated with eBEACOPDac (eBEACOPDac cohort), eBEACOPP (real-world eBEACOPP cohort), or doxorubicin–bleomycin–vinblastine–dacarbazine (ABVD); in buccal DNA from five children of a female patient with classical Hodgkin lymphoma treated with eBEACOPP before conceiving the third child; in sperm DNA from a patient with mild oligospermia treated with eBEACOPP; and in caecal adenocarcinoma and healthy colon tissue from a survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma treated with chlorambucil–vinblastine–procarbazine–prednisolone. For the second part, we analysed efficacy and toxicity data from adult patients (aged >16 years) treated with first-line eBEACOPDac (eBEACOPDac cohort) at 25 centres across UK, Ireland, and France; efficacy was compared with the German HD18 eBEACOPP trial data and toxicity with a UK real-world dataset. Participants in the German HD18 and UK real-world datasets were adults (aged >16 years) with previously untreated Hodgkin lymphoma, treated with first-line eBEACOPP. We had two co-primary objectives: to define the comparative stem-cell mutation burden and mutational signatures after treatment with or without procarbazine-containing chemotherapy (first study part); and to determine progression-free survival of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma treated with eBEACOPP or eBEACOPDac (second study part). Secondary objectives included overall survival and explored differences in specific toxicity outcomes, including transfusion requirements and measures of reproductive health (second study part).Findings: In the first part of the study (mutational analysis), patients treated with eBEACOPP (n=5) exhibited a higher burden of point mutations in HSPCs compared with those treated with eBEACOPDac (n=4) or ABVD (n=3; excess mutations 1150 [95% CI 934–1366] vs 290 [241–339] vs 186 [116–254]). Two novel mutational signatures, SBSA (SBS25-like) and SBSB, were identified in HSPCs and in a single neoplastic and healthy colon sample from patients who received procarbazine-containing chemotherapy. SBSB was also identified in germline DNA of three children conceived after eBEACOPP and in sperm of a male patient treated with eBEACOPP. SBSC was detected in patients treated with either ABVD or eBEACOPDac. In the second part of the study (efficacy and toxicity analysis), dacarbazine substitution did not appear to compromise efficacy or safety. 312 patients treated with eBEACOPDac (eBEACOPDac cohort; treated 2017–22, 186 [60%] male, median follow-up 36·0 months [IQR 25·2–50·1]) had a 3-year progression-free survival of 93·3% (95% CI 90·3–96·4), which was similar to the 93·3% [95% CI 92·1–94·4]) progression-free survival seen in 1945 patients in the German HD18 eBEACOPP trial (treated 2008–14, 1183 [61%] male, median follow-up 57·0 months [35·4–64·7]). Patients treated with eBEACOPDac required fewer blood transfusions (mean 1·70 units [SD 2·77] vs 3·69 units [3·89]; pInterpretation: Procarbazine induces a higher mutation burden and novel mutational signatures in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma treated with eBEACOPP and their germline DNA, raising concerns for the genomic health of survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma and hereditary consequences for their offspring. However, replacing procarbazine with dacarbazine appears to mitigate gonadal and stem-cell toxicity while maintaining similar clinical efficacy.</p
A framework for optimizing deep learning-based lane detection and steering for autonomous driving
No full textImproving the ability of autonomous vehicles to accurately identify and follow lanes in various contexts is crucial. This project aims to provide a novel framework for optimizing a self-driving vehicle that can detect lanes and steer accordingly. A virtual sandbox environment was developed in Unity3D that provides a semi-automated procedural road and driving generation framework for a variety of road scenarios. Four types of segments replicate actual driving situations by directing the car using strategically positioned waypoints. A training dataset thus generated was used to train a behavioral driving model that employs a convolutional neural network to detect the lane and ensure that the car steers autonomously to remain within lane boundaries. The model was evaluated on real-world driving footage from Comma.ai, exhibiting an autonomy of 77% in low challenge road conditions and of 66% on roads with sharper turns.</p
Can direct finance within a servitizing supply chain reduce the moral hazard associated with the servitized user’s care of the product?
No full textServitizing business models can provide economic benefits in a supply chain by utilizing products more efficiently. However, the transfer of the burden to keep the product operable from the user to the servitizing provider may cause issues. As a result of no longer owning the product, a user may be less inclined to taking care of it thereby increasing the maintenance effort for the servitizing provider. This may induce additional financial stress on the latter, specifically if it is a small company with lack of budget to begin with. In this study we analyze whether direct finance within a supply chain, where the user lends money to the servitizing provider, can alleviate this problem, when compared with a more traditional bank finance option. We find that improved access to finance indeed enables the servitizing provider to induce high effort by the user through lower servitizing fees. This also makes the servitizing model economically more attractive for both firms involved. Besides those economic implications, direct finance increases consumer demand and surplus, while at the same time resource consumption for satisfying this increased demand increases.</p
A study on the employment and wage outcomes of persons living with a same-sex partner
No full textThis study examines the labour market disparities faced by same-sex couples across nine countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Mexico, Thailand, the United States of Americaand the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela), extending the focus of previous studies by lookingbeyond developed countries. Consistent with the existing literature, the findings presented hereshow that, in many countries, men in same-sex couples participate in the labour market to alesser extent, experience higher unemployment rates and receive lower wages than comparablemen in opposite-sex couples. Conversely, women in same-sex couples are more likely to be employed than comparable heterosexual women and to enjoy a wage premium in some countries.Finally, it makes the case for further research, especially in developing countries.</p
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