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Price: EUR 150.00Authors: Xu, Bi-Qing | Si, Qin | Feng, Yin-Ping | Guo, Jing | Jiang, Li-Ping
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Patients who have been treated with mechanical ventilation for more than 72 hours are susceptible to symptoms such as hypoxia and respiratory muscle fatigue after weaning, which may result in weaning difficulty and delay, as well as an increased incidence of negative emotions such as anxiety and depression. Correct pulmonary rehabilitation exercise technique and timing can improve the weaning success rate, reduce the disability rate, and reduce the incidence of pulmonary infection, as well as reduce medical expenses. OBJECTIVE: This article provides a review of pulmonary rehabilitation interventions for mechanically ventilated patients, searching relevant literature …through databases such as CNKI and PubMed, aiming to provide guidance for the successful weaning of mechanically ventilated patients. METHODS: We selected articles related to pulmonary rehabilitation interventions for mechanically ventilated patients from CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) and PubMed over the years. RESULTS: This article provides a comprehensive review of the research on lung rehabilitation for patients who are mechanically ventilated during the weaning process in an effort to serve as a guide for a successful transition from mechanical ventilation. CONCLUSION: Early pulmonary rehabilitation training can effectively increase the pulmonary function level and ventilation function of patients and reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation and hospitalization, and is an effective, safe, and feasible treatment method. Show more
Keywords: Mechanical ventilation, pulmonary rehabilitation, research progress, weaning
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231562
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-6, 2024
Authors: Vater, Adrian Matthias | Lamby, Philipp | Moncher, Johanna | Schmidt, Karsten | Jordan, Martin | Jakubietz, Michael | Meffert, Rainer | Jakubietz, Rafael
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Coverage of soft tissue defects following surgery at the trochanteric area is challenging. Revision surgery in case of compromised wound healing may lead to soft tissue defects requiring reconstruction with pedicled or free flaps. Previous access to the hip joint may jeopardize neurovascular structures relevant to the flap. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we evaluated if the use of a pedicled anterior lateral thigh (ALT) flap is a valuable option for soft tissue reconstruction. METHODS: In this retrospective study, seven patients were included. Defect etiology was tumor resection in one case, screw osteosynthesis …in another case and total hip arthroplasty in three cases. All patients underwent reconstruction by proximal pedicled anterior lateral thigh (ALT) flap. RESULTS: Pedicled ALT flap was a safe procedure in all cases. One patient showed delayed wound healing with need for additional surgery. No further complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Pedicled ALT flap transfer represents a reliable option for soft tissue coverage in the trochanteric area after primary surgery such as hip arthroplasty, osteosynthesis or tumor resection. Show more
Keywords: ALT flap, trochanteric defect, reconstructive surgery, revision surgery, hip arthroplasty, plastic surgery
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240381
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-8, 2024
Authors: Liao, Liangchuang | Zhang, Guoan | Hu, Mingwei
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Human gait pattern recognition and compliance control are key technologies for achieving high coordination and assistance between exoskeleton robots and human movements. OBJECTIVE: In order to improve the adaptability of exoskeleton robots to the human body, this paper proposes an exoskeleton compliance control strategy based on dual interaction torque phase separation control method. METHODS: A support phase swing phase split control strategy based on dual interaction torque is proposed. Utilize the interaction force of human joints and adopt a model-based method to control the support phase. By utilizing the interaction force of exoskeleton …joints and using a torque closed-loop method to control the swing phase, a multi-state control method of motion is achieved. RESULTS: A lower limb exoskeleton knee joint testing platform is built to verify the proposed human gait recognition The effectiveness of human-machine interaction force identification and human-machine coupling system compliance control technology. CONCLUSION: The proposed control method can effectively adjust joint torque, enabling the exoskeleton robot to maintain balance and stability during the entire walking phase. Show more
Keywords: Exoskeleton robots, compliance control, pattern recognition
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240050
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-19, 2024
Authors: Li, Chao | He, Gang | Mi, Zeyu | Huang, Daxin | Hu, Yulin
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Currently, surgery is the mainstay of the clinical treatment of vestibular migraine. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of using transesophageal echocardiography-guided interventional closure of the patent foramen ovale (PFO) in the treatment of vestibular migraine. METHODS: The study included 52 patients with vestibular migraine who were admitted to our hospital between June 2019 and June 2021. All selected patients underwent a transesophageal echocardiography-guided interventional closure of the PFO and were followed up for one year after surgery. We observed the clinical efficacy and surgical success rate one year after …surgery and compared the improvement in clinical symptoms and perioperative safety at different time points. RESULTS: The overall remission rate and the surgical success rate for the 52 patients with vestibular migraine one year after surgery were 86.54% and 96.15%, respectively. Compared to the pre-surgery levels, there was a significant progressively decreasing trend in the scores on the Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire, frequency of headaches, and duration of headaches in patients with vestibular migraine at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery (P < 0.05). Among the 52 patients, one developed atrial fibrillation three hours after surgery, which then spontaneously converted to sinus rhythm, and none of the other patients had adverse outcomes such as hematoma at the puncture site during the perioperative period. CONCLUSION: Transesophageal echocardiography-guided interventional closure of the PFO for treating vestibular migraine significantly improved the symptoms of migraine in patients, with a high surgical success rate, significant clinical efficacy, and favorable safety. Show more
Keywords: Efficacy, interventional closure, patent foramen ovale, safety, transesophageal echocardiography, vestibular migraine
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231815
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-8, 2024
Authors: Liang, Han | Li, Hao | Xia, Nan | Chen, Jingjing | Gao, Linlin | Liu, Hao | Lyu, Ping | Guo, Xiaolin | Yang, Ziwei
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in diseases, especially tumorigenesis, including gastric cancer (GC). Although lncRNAs in GC tissues have been extensively studied in previous research, the possible significance of circulating lncRNAs in diagnosing GC is still unknown. OBJECTIVE: The present work investigated lncRNAs ZFPM2-AS1 and XIST with high expression in GC tissues proved as potential plasma biomarkers from 20 early GC cases, 100 GC cases, and 90 normal subjects. METHODS: The possible correlation between ZFPM2-AS1 and XIST expression levels was analyzed with general characteristics and clinicopathological features. The performance in diagnosis was …assessed according to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: According to the results, XIST and ZFPM2-AS1 expression remarkably increased within GC plasma relative to normal subjects (P < 0.01); besides, lncRNA XIST expression after surgery had a tendency of downregulation compared with preoperative levels (P < 0.05). Moreover, the area under ROC curve (AUC) values were 0.62 for ZFPM2-AS1 and 0.68 for XIST, while the pooled AUC value of CA-724 and two lncRNAs was 0.751. CONCLUSION: Circulating lncRNAs ZFPM2-AS1 and XIST can serve as the candidate plasma biomarkers used to diagnose GC. Show more
Keywords: Long noncoding RNA, gastric cancer, ZFPM2-AS1, XIST, diagnosis, plasma, biomarker
DOI: 10.3233/THC-232033
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2024
Authors: Zheng, Xuna | Wang, Xianglong | Zhu, Pin
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: With the improvement of the level of science and technology, diagnosis and treatment technology of ophthalmology has continuously improved, especially with the rise of optical coherence tomography. Alternative methods have enabled clinicians to obtain more information and make greater breakthroughs in the occurrence and development of many ophthalmic diseases. OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes in retinal structure in the macular area of senile diabetic cataract patients undergoing cataract phacoemulsification. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study. A total of 68 cataract patients (78 eyes) who voluntarily received phacoemulsification combined with intraocular lens implantation …in the Department of Ophthalmology of our hospital from December 2018 to December 2021 were selected. They were divided into A (diabetic) and B (non-diabetic) according to whether they were complicated with diabetes. There were 24 cases (28 eyes) in A and 44 cases (50 eyes) in B. Cataract patients were collected before and after surgery. Day, 1 week, and 1 month, data on the average thickness of the fovea retina and thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer around the optic disc (average thickness, nasal thickness, topic side thickness, upper thickness, and lower thickness) were statistically analyzed analyze. RESULTS: The average retinal thickness of the macular fovea in Group A was found to be greater than that of Group B, however, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. At week one and week thirty, Group A’s layer of retinal nerve fibers surrounding the optic disc thickened; there was no discernible difference between the two groups. One week and one month following surgery, however, showed a one-week difference in upper thickness compared to preoperative days. There was no discernible change between the preoperative and 1-day times. CONCLUSION: Both diabetic cataract patients and simple age-related cataract patients will have different degrees of increased foveal retinal thickness after surgery. However, the foveal retinal thickness of patients with diabetes increases more. Show more
Keywords: Optical coherence tomography angiography, phacoemulsification, senile cataract, blood flow density, retinal thickness, foveal avascular area
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231966
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-16, 2024
Authors: Wang, Tong-Yue | Guo, Jin-Yuan | Zhou, Zhen | Li, Shi-Yi | Li, Shao-Bing | Xu, Shu-Lan
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The substitution of missing teeth with implants is a dependable and anticipated therapeutic approach. Despite numerous studies affirming long-term success rates, there exists a spectrum of potential biological and aesthetic complications. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to assess patient responses subsequent to surgical interventions, with a specific emphasis on the utilization of xenogenic collagen matrix (XCM), both with and without the application of a stent secured over healing abutments, in the context of keratinized gingival mucosa augmentation. The principal aim was to evaluate and draw comparisons between the clinical outcomes resulting from these …two procedural approaches, with a particular focus on critical parameters encompassing post-operative complications, patient comfort, and the overall efficacy in achieving successful keratinized tissue augmentation. methods: Sixty patients were selected for this study. The patients were divided into three groups: A, B, and a control group, with each group comprising 20 participants. We used XCM in experimental group A, XCM covered with surgical stent in experimental group B, and free gingival graft (FGG) in the control group. After the surgical procedure, patients were required to complete a visual analogue scale (VAS) questionnaire for post-operative complications, and a quality of life (QOL) questionnaire on days 1, 3, and 7. RESULTS: Patients in the experimental groups A and B demonstrated markedly improved outcomes when compared with the control group. Assessments conducted on days 1, 3, and 7 demonstrated diminished levels of pain, bleeding, and swelling in both experimental groups, with experimental group B showing the least discomfort. The incorporation of XCM, either with or without stents, was associated with a reduction in analgesic consumption, underscoring its favorable influence on post-operative comfort, notwithstanding the exception of halitosis in experimental group B. CONCLUSION: Using XCM with or without a stent for keratinized tissue augmentation has better post-operative outcomes associated with reduced swelling, bleeding, and pain based on the QOL survey. This study provides data to support the clinical application of XCM and stents. Show more
Keywords: Collagen matrix, dental implants, keratinized mucosa, stents
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231863
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-14, 2024
Authors: Lee, Soo Yong | Choi, Yu Sik | Kim, Min Hyuk | Chang, Woo Nam
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Despite the explosive increase in interest regarding Robot-Assisted Walking Training (RAWT) for stroke patients, very few studies have divided groups according to the severity levels of patients and conducted studies on the effects of RAWT. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to present a definite basis for physical therapy using the robot-assisted walking device through a more detailed comparison and analysis and to select the optimal target of RAWT. METHODS: This study was designed as a prospective and randomized controlled trial to investigate the effect of RAWT on balance, motor …function, and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) depending on severity levels in stroke patients. 100 participants were randomly divided into study and control groups in equal numbers. The study group was 49 and the control group was 47. One from the study group and three from the control group were eliminated. The study period is four weeks in total, and RAWT is performed five times a week for 40 minutes only for study group. During the same period, all group members had 30 minutes of Conventional Physiotherapy (CP) five times a week. RESULTS: The results of this study clearly confirmed that RAWT combined with CP produces more significant improvement in patients with stroke than the CP alone. And they indicated that RAWT had a more considerable effect in the poor or fair trunk control group for trunk balance and in the high fall risk group for balance. In motor function, RAWT showed its value in the severe and marked motor impairment group. The total or severe dependence group in ADL experienced more improvements for RAWT. CONCLUSION: This study can be concluded that the lower the level of physical functions, the more effective it responds to RAWT. As demonstrated in the results of this study, the potential of current robotic technology appears to be greatest at very low functional levels of stroke patients. Patients with low functional levels among stroke patients may benefit from robot rehabilitation. Show more
Keywords: ADL, balance, motor function, robot-assisted walking training, stroke
DOI: 10.3233/THC-232015
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-15, 2024
Authors: Liu, Lei | Guo, Jing | Ding, Kun | Zhou, Guang-Nao | Feng, Yin-Ping | Zhang, Na-Na
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Globally, pulmonary tuberculosis is a significant public health and social problem. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the factors influencing the hospitalization cost of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and grouped cases based on a decision tree model to provide a reference for enhancing the management of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) of this disease. METHODS: The data on the first page of the medical records of patients with the primary diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis were extracted from the designated tuberculosis hospital. The influencing factors of hospitalization cost were determined using the Wilcoxon rank sum test and multiple …linear stepwise regression analysis, and the included cases were grouped using the chi-squared automated interaction test decision tree model, with these influential factors used as classification nodes. In addition, the included cases were grouped according to the ZJ-DRG grouping scheme piloted in Zhejiang Province, and the differences between the two grouping methods were compared. RESULTS: The length of hospital stay, respiratory failure, sex, and age were the determining factors of the hospitalization cost of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, and these factors were incorporated into the decision tree model to form eight case combinations. The reduction in variance (RIV) using this grouping method was 60.60%, the heterogeneity between groups was high, the coefficients of variance ranged from 0.29 to 0.47, and the intra-group difference was small. The patients were also divided into four groups based on the ZJ-DRG grouping scheme piloted in Zhejiang Province. The RIV using this grouping method was 55.24, the differences between groups were acceptable, the coefficients of variance were 1.00, 0.61, 0.77, and 0.87, respectively, and the intra-group difference was significant. CONCLUSION: When the pulmonary tuberculosis cases were grouped according to the duration of hospital stay, respiratory failure, and age, the results were rather reasonable, providing a reference for DRG management and cost control of this disease. Show more
Keywords: Decision tree model, disease-related diagnostic grouping, hospitalization costs, influencing factors, pulmonary, tuberculosis
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231827
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-14, 2024
Authors: Thomas, Anvin | Jose, Rejath | Syed, Faiz | Wei, Ong Chi | Toma, Milan
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, with heart attacks and strokes representing significant health challenges. The accurate, early diagnosis and management of these conditions are paramount in improving patient outcomes. The specific disease, cardiovascular occlusions, has been chosen for the study due to the significant impact it has on public health. Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality globally, and occlusions, which are blockages in the blood vessels, are a critical factor contributing to these conditions. OBJECTIVE: By focusing on cardiovascular occlusions, the study aims to leverage machine learning …to improve the prediction and management of these events, potentially helping to reduce the incidence of heart attacks, strokes, and other related health issues. The use of machine learning in this context offers the promise of developing more accurate and timely interventions, thus improving patient outcomes. METHODS: We analyze diverse datasets to assess the efficacy of various machine learning algorithms in predicting heart attacks and strokes, comparing their performance to pinpoint the most accurate and reliable models. Additionally, we classify individuals by their predicted risk levels and examine key features that correlate with the incidence of cardiovascular events. The PyCaret machine learning library’s Classification Module was key in developing predictive models which were evaluated with stratified cross-validation for reliable performance estimates. RESULTS: Our findings suggest that machine learning can significantly improve the prediction accuracy for heart attacks and strokes, facilitating earlier and more precise interventions. We also discuss the integration of machine learning models into clinical practice, addressing potential challenges and the need for healthcare professionals to interpret and apply these predictions effectively. CONCLUSIONS: The use of machine learning for risk stratification and the identification of modifiable factors may empower preemptive approaches to cardiovascular care, ultimately aiming to reduce the occurrence of life-threatening events and improve long-term patient health trajectories. Show more
Keywords: Machine learning, cardiovascular diseases, heart attack, stroke, predictive modeling, risk factors, clinical decision-making
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240582
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-22, 2024
Authors: Weber, Maximilian | Lenz, Maximilian | Wassenberg, Lena | Perera, Akanksha | Eysel, Peer | Scheyerer, Max Joseph
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Wound complications after lumbar spine surgery may result in prolonged hospitalization and increased morbidity. Early identification can trigger appropriate management. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of infrared-based wound assessment (FLIR) after lumbar spine surgery in the context of identifying wound healing disorders. METHODS: 62 individuals who underwent lumbar spine surgery were included. The immediate postoperative course was studied, and the patient’s sex, age, body mass index (BMI), heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, numeric rating scale for pain (NRS), C-reactive protein (CRP), leukocyte, and hemoglobin levels …were noted and compared to thermographic measurement of local surface temperature in the wound area. RESULTS: Measurement of local surface temperature in the wound area showed a consistent temperature distribution while it was uneven in case of wound healing disorder. In this instance, the region of the wound where the wound healing disorder occured had a lower temperature than the surrounding tissue (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the ongoing importance of clinical wound assessment for early detection of complications. While laboratory parameter measurement is crucial, FLIR may serve as a cost-effective supplemental tool in clinical wound evaluation. Patient safety risks appear minimal since local ST is measured without touch. Show more
Keywords: Infrared thermography, surgical site infection, spine surgery, skin, temperature
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240344
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-8, 2024
Authors: Yaqoob, Ashfaq | Chaturvedi, Saurabh | Khader, Mohasin Abdul | Kamraan, Abdullah | Alam, Tanveer | Elmahdi, Asim Elsir | Suleman, Ghazala
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Any manipulation of the surface of natural teeth may result in a variation of their colour. The fixed orthodontic treatment (FOT) is one such procedure which alters the enamel surface during the procedure. OBJECTIVE: To clinically evaluate the colour changes in teeth associated with comprehensive FOT (to compare the changes in test and control groups) and to determine the relationship of age and gender on enamel colour due to FOT by using an advanced spectrophotometer. METHODS: The selection of sixty patients for the study was done randomly and among these thirty patients …who underwent the FOT as the case group, the other thirty patients who did not need FOT, were the control group. The recordings of spectrophotometric data were done in a standardized manner for all patients in the labial circular region of every anterior tooth, following debonding and cleaning operations, and before bracket bonding. The Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage’s L*, a*, and b* (lightness, red/green, and blue/yellow) tooth-type characteristics were used to measure color, and the associated color differences (DE) between the groups were computed. One-way ANOVA (a < 0.05) and the paired t -test were used to evaluate any changes in these color characteristics. RESULTS: Fixed orthodontic treatment is associated with changes in colour parameters. L* values decreased (P < 0.001), while a* and b* values increased (P < 0.001) at the end of treatment. All measured tooth types showed significant colour change (DE); their mean differences ranged from 1.64 to 2.96 DE units. CONCLUSIONS: Fixed orthodontics can change the natural colour of teeth. The CIE colour parameters L*, a*, and b* of natural teeth showed statistically significant differences after debonding the orthodontic appliances. The L* values decreased making the teeth look darker. The adolescent and male patients had more tooth colour changes than the adult and female groups. Show more
Keywords: Fixed appliance orthodontic treatment, colour changes in enamel, spectrophotometer, CIE
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231756
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-12, 2024
Authors: Miura, Takanori | Takahashi, Tsuneari | Ae, Ryusuke | Takeshita, Katsushi | Miyakoshi, Naohisa
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: A gradually reducing radius (GRADIUS) design implant can facilitate a smooth transition from stability through full range of motion in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Nonetheless, patient-specific factors associated with good knee flexion remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the factors associated with good knee flexion after cruciate-retaining TKA with a GRADIUS prosthesis in an Asian population. METHODS: This retrospective study included 135 patients that were stratified according to postoperative knee flexion angle (KFA) into Group F (⩾ 120∘ ; 85 patients [63.2%]) and Group NF (< …120∘ ; 50 patients [36.8%]). RESULTS: Patients in Group F were taller and had a lower body mass index (BMI) smaller preoperative hipkneeankle angle and better preoperative extension and flexion angle than Group NF patients. The multivariable analysis revealed that patients’ height (odds ratio [OR]: 1.07, P = 0.0150), BMI (OR: 0.85, P = 0.0049), and preoperative flexion angle (OR: 1.06, P = 0.0008) predicted good KFA. The ROC curve analysis showed that the cutoff values of a good KFA were height 155.1 cm, BMI 22.1 kg/m2 , and preoperative KFA 120∘ . CONCLUSIONS: Patient height, BMI, and preoperative KFA were independent factors affecting good postoperative KFA in patients of Asian descent who underwent cruciate-retaining TKA with a GRADIUS design. Show more
Keywords: Total knee arthroplasty, posterior cruciate ligament retaining, knee flexion, body mass index, height, knee implant
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240212
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2024
Authors: Terzi, Mithat | Buyuk, Suleyman Kutalmış | Akdemir, Hale
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Botulinum toxin, commonly referred to as botox, is frequently used in facial aesthetics, but also has therapeutic applications in various medical and surgical conditions such as bruxism treatment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research is to evaluate the information quality of only English resources available on the Internet regarding the use of botulinum toxin in the treatment of bruxism. METHODS: The terms “Botox + Tooth Grinding” selected for this study were searched on the Internet using the Google Search Engine, and the URLs of the top 150 websites containing …only English pages were recorded and examined. The websites were assessed using DISCERN tools, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark, and HONcode tools. The website readability evaluation involved utilizing the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL). RESULTS: A total of 130 websites met the inclusion criteria. The total mean DISCERN score (section 1 + section 2) for all websites was 39.75/75 (range: 15–67). The average FRES of all websites was 52.79, and the average FKGL score of all websites was 10.72. Internet blog websites had significantly higher DISCERN (Section 1) scores than other websites (p = 0.007). Only one website had the HON code. Internet blog websites showed better compliance with JAMA (authorship and currency) benchmarks. No statistically significant difference was determined related to FRES and FKGL scores between groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is moderate and difficult-to-read information on the Internet about masseter botox injection for bruxism. Relevant guidelines are needed to improve the quality of websites about botulinum toxin for the treatment of bruxism. Show more
Keywords: Botox, bruxism, dentistry, Internet
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231674
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2024
Authors: Jin, Ning | Zhang, Xiao
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Visualization of sports has a lot of potential for future development in data sports because of how quickly things are changing and how much sports depend on data. Presently, conventional systems fail to accurately address sports persons’ dynamic health data change with less error rate. Further, those systems are unable to distinguish players’ health data and their visualization in a precise manner. An excellent starting point for building fitness solutions based on computer vision technology is the data visualization technology that arose in the age of big data analytics. OBJECTIVE: This research presents a Big …Data Analytic assisted Computer Vision Model (BD-CVM) for effective sports persons healthcare data management with improved accuracy and precision. METHODS: The fitness and health of professional athletes are analyzed using information from a publicly available sports visualization dataset. Machine learning-assisted computer vision dynamic algorithm has been used for an effective image featuring and classification by categorizing sports videos through temporal and geographical data. RESULTS: The significance of big data’s great potential in screening data during a sporting event can be reasonably analyzed and processed effectively with less error rate. The proposed BD-CVM utilized an error analysis module which can be embedded in the design further to ensure the accuracy requirements in the data processing from sports videos. CONCLUSION: The research findings of this paper demonstrate that the strategy presented here can potentially improve accuracy and precision and optimize mean square error in sports data classification and visualization. Show more
Keywords: Big data, computer vision, data processing, sports visualization, recurrent neural network (RNN)
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231875
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-21, 2024
Authors: Azmy, Mohamed Moustafa
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Melanoma is a malignant skin cancer that causes high mortality. Early detection of melanoma can save patients’ lives. The features of the skin lesion images can be extracted using computer techniques to differentiate early between melanoma and benign skin lesions. OBJECTIVE: A new model of empirical wavelet decomposition (EWD) based on tan hyperbolic modulated filter banks (THMFBs) (EWD-THMFBs) was used to obtain the features of skin lesion images by MATLAB software. METHODS: The EWD-THMFBs model was compared with the empirical short-time Fourier decomposition method based on THMFBs (ESTFD-THMFBs) and the empirical Fourier …decomposition method based on THMFBs (EFD-THMFBs). RESULTS: The accuracy rates obtained for EWD-THMFBs, ESTFD-THMFBs, and EFD-THMFBs models were 100%, 98.89%, and 83.33%, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) was 1, 0.97, and 0.91, respectively. CONCLUSION: The EWD-THMFBs model performed best in extracting features from skin lesion images. This model can be programmed on a mobile to detect skin lesions in rural areas by a nurse before consulting a dermatologist. Show more
Keywords: EFD, ESTFD, EWD, THMFBs, CMFBs, BILSTM, RNN
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240020
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2024
Authors: Liang, Yan | Wang, Dan
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The number of studies which investigate the association between TLR9 gene polymorphism and Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection is low and their results are not consistent. OBJECTIVE: To get a better understanding of the association between TLR9 gene polymorphism and H.pylori infection, providing basis and risk assessment for precision nursing for hospital nurses. METHODS: A total of 630 normal physical examination subjects were collected including 240 H.pylori (+ ) and 390 H.pylori (- ) subjects. PCR-RFLP was applied to investigate the present polymorphism. At the same time, the meta-analysis …was performed between TLR9 gene polymorphism and H.pylori infection risk. RESULTS: Three genotypes (TT, TC, and CC) were observed for TLR9 gene rs187084 polymorphism. CC genotype and C allele were responsible for the significant associations (all P < 0.05). Meta-analysis found no significant associations were found by any genetic models (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: TLR9 polymorphism has a crucial role in H.pylori infection risk and CC genotype confers increased risk to H.pylori infection in the Southern Chinese population. After understanding the influence of TLR9 gene polymorphism on H.pylori infection, nurses can improve the risk assessment of Helicobacter pylori infection and provide health education more personally. Show more
Keywords: TLR9, gene polymorphism, Helicobacter pylori infection, meta-analysis, precision nursing
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231677
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2024
Authors: Yue, Yiting | Guo, Jinli | Huang, Yongbo | Li, Wenbin | Xue, Ruifang | Li, Hongmei | Xue, Jingjing | Yang, Yujing
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Developmental dislocation of the hip (DDH) is a common congenital deformity of the skeletal system in children. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of post-surgery cluster nursing in children with DDH. METHODS: A total of 60 children with DDH who underwent hip joint orthopedic surgery in our hospital from September 2021 to September 2022 were enrolled as the research participants in this prospective study, and divided into the control group and the observation group according to the numerical table method, with 30 patients in each group. The control group was given routine pain …care, and the observation group was given cluster pain care. The hip joint function scores, pain scores, self-rating anxiety score (SAS) were compared between the two groups and between before intervention and after intervention in the two groups. RESULTS: The pain score of the children and the SAS of the primary caregivers after the intervention in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05), and the hip joint function score and family satisfaction degree were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Family-based cluster pain care can reduce pain in children with DDH after surgery, promote hip joint functional recovery, reduce the negative emotions of caregivers, and improve family satisfaction, and has clinical popularization value. Show more
Keywords: Cluster nursing, hip dislocation, family-based, pain measurement, hip joint function, self-rating anxiety score
DOI: 10.3233/THC-230879
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2024
Authors: Cao, Yi | Li, Chongfei | Yang, Cheng
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Physical education and training are essential ways to improve the physical quality of the nation, and China has incorporated “building a healthy China” and “fitness for all” into its national development strategy, integrating a strong sports nation into the Chinese dream. OBJECTIVE: The study of digital recording and automated training in sports is of profound value. Motion capture technology can digitally record the training process in a digital physical education training system. At the same time, accurate modeling and calculation can analyze the training effects and give appropriate guidance and feedback. This study develops a …new and improved hierarchical K-means algorithm by combining the known classification algorithm K-means with a hierarchical algorithm. METHODS: The performance of the old and new algorithms are compared and then applied to physical education training data to produce clustering results and analysis to reduce the model, which is used to reduce the number of parameters in the model and improve the recognition speed. RESULTS: The experimental results demonstrate that the relevant models proposed in this study achieve an average accuracy of 91.27% and 92.26%, respectively, which is better than a single network model and can effectively use big data for health event detection. CONCLUSION: The empirical results show that the improved model algorithm outperforms the single network model and can detect health events using big data. Show more
Keywords: Big data, health, physical education, training action detection, hierarchical K-mean algorithm optimization
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231417
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-16, 2024
Authors: Ciloglu, Osman | Karaali, Evren | Yilmaz, Ahmet | Çetinkaya, Pelin Duru | Unlu, Nurdan | Kaya, Hatice | Unal, Nevzat | Keklikcioglu, Burak
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: It has not yet been fully established that there is coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) involvement in the synovial fluid and it remains a topic of debate. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in knee joint synovial fluid of patients with COVID-19. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted with an initial screening of patients who were admitted to a tertiary pandemic hospital due to COVID-19 symptoms, and underwent treatment for COVID-19 between March and June 2020. RESULTS: …A total of 2476 patients were hospitalized or received treatment for a possible diagnosis of COVID-19. While the RT-PCR test was positive in 318 patients (12.8%), 2158 (87.2%) were computed tomography positive but reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) negative. Twelve patients were consulted due to acute joint effusion. Of five patients with knee joint effusion and a positive RT-PCR test, the synovial tissue RT-PCR test was positive in only one patient. CONCLUSION: This paper is the first to show the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in synovial fluid. This can be considered of importance for the determination and elimination of the route of transmission, thereby preventing further development and spread of the disease. Show more
Keywords: Coronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, knee arthritis
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240317
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-8, 2024
Authors: Zhao, Tingting | Lv, Tian
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: A significant proportion of interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients experience two or more comorbidities, leading to an increasing burden of disease, frequent hospitalizations, and premature death. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the causal relationship between serum metabolites and ILD in humans using Mendelian randomization. METHODS: Genetic loci closely related to human serum metabolites were selected as instrumental variables (IVs), with the inverse-variance weighted method (IVW) as the primary method and the weighted median method (WME) and MR-Egger regression as auxiliary methods for Mendelian randomization analysis of the data. Meanwhile, the causal relationship between human …serum metabolites and ILD was evaluated by OR, along with the assessment of the stability and reliability of the results via 3 methods, i.e., heterogeneity testing, gene pleiotropy testing, and sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: 8,234 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci were included as IV, among which 23 SNP loci were selected as IV. Specifically, IVW estimated that the risk of ILD in the anti-Jo-1 antibody-positive population was 4.122 times higher than that in the negative population (95% CI: 2.311–5.954, P < 0.001). IVW also supported a causal effect between anti-SSA antibody positivity and ILD (OR = 2.781, 95% CI: 1.413–4.350, P < 0.001). At the same time, MR-Egger fitted a linear relationship between erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (95% CI: 1.257–5.894, P = 0.002), C-reactive protein (CRP) (95% CI: 2.433–6.935, P = 0.001), and ILD. Additionally, heterogeneity testing with IVW and MR-Egger regression indicated no heterogeneity, and MR-Egger regression intercept and MR-PRESSO testing suggested minimal influence of gene pleiotropy on the results, without non-specific SNPs identified in the leave-one-out analysis. CONCLUSION: A positive causal relationship may exist between anti-Jo-1 antibody positivity, anti-SSA antibody positivity, elevated ESR, elevated CRP, and ILD. Show more
Keywords: Serum metabolites, interstitial lung disease, mendelian randomization, causal relationship
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240285
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-12, 2024
Authors: Wu, Jianlei | Guo, Jing | Luo, Yong | Sun, Jianfeng | Xu, Liangwei | Zhang, Jianxing | Liu, Yunfeng
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: As a new intelligent polymer material, shape memory polymer (SMP) was a potential orthodontic appliance material. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the thermodynamic responses of SMP under different loads via finite element analysis (FEA). METHODS: FEA specimens with a specification of 0.1 × 0.1 × 1 mm were designed. One end of the specimen was fixed, and the other was subjected to displacement load. Different loading, cooling, and heating rates were separately exerted on the specimen in its shape recovery process and used to observe …the responses of the SMP constitutive model. Furthermore, specimens with various tensile elongation and sectional areas were simulated and used to elucidate their effect on shape recovering force. RESULTS: The specimens obtained a similar stress of 0.5, 0.44, and 1.07 Mpa for different loading, cooling, and heating rates after a long time. The shape recovering force of specimen increased from 0.0102 to 0.0315 N when the elongation improved from 10% to 40% and to 0.0408 N when the sectional areas were expanded to 0.2 × 0.2 mm. CONCLUSION: The stiffness of SMP was small at a high temperature but large at a low temperature. The effects of the loading, cooling, and heating rates on SMP can be eliminated after a long time. Furthermore, it was possible to increase the recovering force by increasing the elongation or expanding the sectional area of the specimen. The force was quadratically dependent on the elongation ratio. Show more
Keywords: Shape memory polymer, constitutive model, thermodynamic response, finite element analysis
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240078
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2024
Authors: He, Hui | Yan, Shuai | Chen, Dan-Dan | Guo, Cong | Xi, Zeng-Hui
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is one of the common complications of end-stage renal disease-uremia, and is mainly manifested as parathyroid hyperplasia and abnormal secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value and advantages of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in evaluating the survival of autografts after parathyroidectomy + parathyroid autotransplantation. METHODS: In this study, 125 patients with renal failure due to polycystic kidney disease, chronic nephritis, diabetic nephropathy, lupus nephritis, and atherosclerotic nephropathy were enrolled as the participants and each of them had 4 secondary hyperactive parathyroid glands and underwent …parathyroid autotransplantation. One parathyroid gland was taken from each patient and equally divided into 4 parts and placed in the subcutaneous fat of one forearm for transplantation. CEUS was performed 14 days after the transplantation to observe the micro blood supply of the graft and assess the survival and secretory function of the transplanted parathyroid. The grafts were divided into the partial survival group and the total survival group based on the enhancement characteristics. The survival of the grafts was determined by comparing the parathyroid hormone level in bilateral elbow cephalic veins 1 month after surgery. RESULTS: Among the 125 patients, 112 had linear or punctate enhancement of 2–4 parathyroid glands 14 days after surgery, and 13 patients had linear or punctate enhancement of 0–1 parathyroid gland. There were statistically significant differences in the perfusion pattern, enhancement uniformity, and parathyroid hormone levels in the cephalic veins at the elbow on both the graft and non-graft sides among all groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared to the detection of the difference in the parathyroid hormone level in the cephalic vein of bilateral elbows 1 month after surgery, CEUS can reflect the parathyroid survival after transplantation more quickly and accurately 2 weeks later, and provide a more rapid and agile non-invasive clinical diagnosis method. Show more
Keywords: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), parathyroid autotransplantation, secondary hyperparathyroidism, survival
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231191
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2024
Authors: Auer, Simon | Süß, Franz | Dendorfer, Sebastian
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: This study presents a comprehensive comparison between a marker-based motion capture system (MMC) and a video-based motion capture system (VMC) in the context of kinematic analysis using musculoskeletal models. OBJECTIVE: Focusing on joint angles, the study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of VMC as a viable alternative for biomechanical research. METHODS: Eighteen healthy subjects performed isolated movements with 17 joint degrees of freedom, and their kinematic data were collected using both an MMC and a VMC setup. The kinematic data were entered into the AnyBody Modelling System, which enables the calculation of …joint angles. The mean absolute error (MAE) was calculated to quantify the deviations between the two systems. RESULTS: The results showed good agreement between VMC and MMC at several joint angles. In particular, the shoulder, hip and knee joints showed small deviations in kinematics with MAE values of 4.8∘ , 6.8∘ and 3.5∘ , respectively. However, the study revealed problems in tracking hand and elbow movements, resulting in higher MAE values of 13.7∘ and 27.7∘ . Deviations were also higher for head and thoracic movements. CONCLUSION: Overall, VMC showed promising results for lower body and shoulder kinematics. However, the tracking of the wrist and pelvis still needs to be refined. The research results provide a basis for further investigations that promote the fusion of VMC and musculoskeletal models. Show more
Keywords: Biomechanics, range of motion, musculoskeletal system, optical motion capture
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240202
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2024
Authors: Wang, Juan | Zhang, Fan | Ma, Yulin | Ju, Hongjuan | Zhang, Yuena | Wang, Yueheng
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem, so it is particularly important to quantitatively assess and intervene in the degree of early renal damage in CKD. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the research is to establish reference values for kidney elasticity by using real-time shear wave elastography (RT-SWE) technology to quantify Young’s modulus values in the renal cortex of normal adults. The intention is to provide a foundation for evaluating renal function and structural changes in patients with CKD. Furthermore, this research investigates the role of RT-SWE in the early detection of renal …fibrosis in CKD, providing insights into its diagnostic value for detecting pathological changes at an early stage. METHODS: Between August 2019 and December 2021, we collected a sample of 100 healthy people (55 men with an average age of 43.5 ± 15.2 years and 45 women with an average age of 41.6 ± 19.8 years) for medical evaluations at our hospital’s Department of Ultrasound Medicine. In addition, 97 individuals with CKD1-3 stage were considered. Following the removal of contraindications and relevant confounding variables, we included a final cohort of 80 individuals in the research (45 men and 35 females, with an average age of 39.1 ± 19.2 years). The RENAL mode was selected and a convex array probe S6-1 operating at a frequency of 3.5–5.5 MHz was used in the research, which made use of the French Supersonic AixPlorer ultrasonic diagnostic instrument. Renal RT-SWE elastography was performed after conventional two-dimensional and color Doppler ultrasonography. The study used RT-SWE technology to assess the mean Young’s modulus of the cortex in healthy individuals (Emean), with data analysis and comparisons based on age and gender. Furthermore, the Emean values of CKD stage 1–3 patients were determined, and analyses were performed about 24-hour urine protein quantitative (24hUTP), serum creatinine concentration (SCr), and renal biopsy pathology, specifically the degree of interstitial fibrosis. RESULTS: Healthy group: a) The average kPa values of the left kidney (4.2 ± 2.3), right kidney (4.3 + 2.5) kPa, both kidneys’ average kPa values (4.3 ± 2.4) kPa, and the average kPa values of the left and right kidneys do not differ statistically (p = 0.986). b) There was no difference in the kPa values of healthy male and female kidneys (4.4 + 2.1 and 4.2 + 2.6, respectively. c) There was no difference in the renal kPa values of healthy adults aged 50 (4.4 ± 2.8) kPa and renal kPa of the 50-year-old population (4.2 + 2.1) kPa (p = 0.041). Case group: a) the group of patients with CKD1-3 stage and the group did not vary in their Emean values (both p < 0.05); b) There is a difference between CKD stages 1, 2, and 3 (p < 0.05), however, there is still no difference in the pyEmean value corrected for patient age between patients in stages 1 and 2 (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study reveals no significant differences in the Emean value of bilateral kidneys in normal people and no differences in the elasticity value of kidneys and gender. However, age-based differences were statistically significant. pyEmean may be useful for comparing CKD stage 1, 2, and 3 patients, and RT-SWE can assess early renal damage. Show more
Keywords: Shear wave elastography, chronic kidney disease, renal fibrosis, early renal injury
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231270
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-14, 2024
Authors: Si, Tongguo | Guo, Yongfei | Yang, Mao
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The most effective clinical treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is surgery, but most patients are diagnosed when the disease has progressed. OBJECTIVE: To examine the long-term prognosis and clinical effectiveness of PD-L1 inhibitor-targeted therapy for patients suffering from HCC. METHODS: Ninety-six patients with advanced HCC who were admitted to our hospital between December 2019 and April 2022 were split into two groups based on the treatment plan after a retrospective analysis: 43 patients in the control group underwent sorafenib-based targeted therapy, while dulvalizumab was used to treat 53 patients in the observation …group. Observation indexes were used to assess the clinical effectiveness and long-term prognosis of HCC patients receiving targeted therapy with dulvalizumab, which included the disease control rate, tumor markers, immune function, survival, quality of survival, and the occurrence of unfavorable side effects such as thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, vomiting, and rash. RESULTS: The initial KPS scores, CEA, CA199, AFP, CD3+ , CD4+ , CD4+ /CD8+ , IgG, IgM, and IgA levels did not differ significantly between the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, the observation group showed a significantly higher disease control rate (92.45% vs. 74.42%) and improved KPS score, OS, PFS, CD3+ , CD4+ , CD4+ /CD8+ , IgG, IgM, and IgA levels compared to the control group. Additionally, the observation group exhibited significantly reduced CEA, CA199, and AFP levels, and a lower overall incidence of adverse reactions (16.98% vs. 51.16%) compared to the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The clinical efficacy of dulvalizumab-targeted treatment of HCC among PD-L1 inhibitors is better, enhancing the disease’s ability to be controlled considerably lowering patients’ levels of tumor markers. This greatly boosts patients’ immune systems, extends their lives and improves the quality of their survival. The frequency of negative reactions is minimal and safe. Show more
Keywords: PD-L1 inhibitor, dulvalizumab, hepatocellular carcinoma, clinical efficacy, long-term prognosis
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231876
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-12, 2024
Authors: Begic, Zijo | Djukic, Milan | Begic, Edin | Aziri, Buena | Gojak, Refet | Mladenovic, Zorica | Begic, Nedim | Badnjevic, Almir
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Left atrial stiffness index (LASI), defined as the ratio of early diastolic transmitral flow velocity/lateral mitral annulus myocardial velocity (E/e’) to peak atrial strain, reflects reduced left atrial (LA) compliance and represents an emerging marker that can be used for noninvasive measurement of fibrosis of LA in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of chronic MR in children and adolescents on the remodeling and function of the LA, quantified through strain parameters and diastolic function. METHODS: The study included fifty patients (n = …50) diagnosed with primary and secondary chronic MR lasting at least 5 years. The echocardiographic recordings were performed by a third party, two cardiologists actively engaged in echocardiography on a daily basis. RESULTS: Older participants had higher values of the LASI (r = 0.467, p = 0.001). Participants with higher LASI values had a smaller LA reservoir (r = 0.784, p = 0.0001) and smaller LA conduit values (r = - 0.374, p = 0.00). Participants with higher LASI values had a larger LA diameter (r = 0.444, p -value= 0.001) and higher average E/e’ ratio (r = 0.718, p = 0.0001). There was a significant difference (p = 0.04) in the LASI among participants based on the MR jet area (< 20.85% ⩾ 20.85%), LASI was higher in participants with an area greater than 20.85%. Differences in other parameters such as LA reservoir, LA conduit, LA contractile were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Increased LA stiffness is associated with diminished atrial compliance and reservoir capacity, and LASI has a potential to as an early marker for assessing disease severity and progression in pediatric MR. Show more
Keywords: Left atrium, mitral regurgitation, echocardiography, fibrosis
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240402
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2024
Authors: Zhu, Yu-Ling | Wang, Sheng | Gu, Yan | Mao, Mao | Yan, Li-Hua
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Aortic dissection is usually managed with interventional therapy, conservative therapy, and surgery to inhibit disease progression and improve prognoses. Nevertheless, the absence of meticulous and effective nursing during the treatment greatly increases the complication rates, which is detrimental to the recovery of patients. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the efficacy of predictive pain intervention in the nursing process of patients with aortic dissection. METHODS: Sixty patients with aortic dissection who were admitted to our hospital from December 2018 to December 2020 were observed in this study. Specifically, these patients were randomly …and equally classified into Group A (patients who were given conventional nursing intervention) and Group B (patients who were given predictive pain intervention). Subsequently, the pain score, complication rates, and nursing satisfaction in the two groups were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with patients in Group A, patients in Group B had significantly lower pain scores (P < 0.05); complication rates were significantly lower in Group B than in Group A (6.67% vs. 23.33%, P < 0.05); patient satisfaction with care was significantly better in Group B compared to Group A (96.67% vs. 73.33%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Predictive pain intervention is widely recognized as useful in the treatment of patients with aortic dissection. It has significant clinical application value as it can largely alleviate pain and is relatively safe for patients. Show more
Keywords: Aortic dissection, efficacy, predictive pain intervention
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231066
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-6, 2024
Authors: von Hertzberg-Boelch, Sebastian Philipp | Rudert, Maximilian | Haker, Felix | Groll, Juergen | Ewald, Andrea
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The formation of biofilms, characterized by cell aggregation and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production, is a common feature of periprosthetic joint infections (PJI). OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to investigate the development of biofilm features in vitro within less than 3 weeks by Staphylococcus aureus isolated from PJIs. METHODS: Biofilms were grown on sandblasted titanium discs, and fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy were used to observe biofilm maturation for 21 days. RESULTS: DNA mass decreased initially, then increased from day 5 onwards, and decreased again after day 7. The …proportion of living to dead bacteria oscillated until day 7 and increased at day 10 for strain A and day 14 for strain B. EPS mass decreased initially and then continuously increased. Multilayer bacterial organization was observed at day 7. CONCLUSION: Cell aggregation occurred during the first week, followed by EPS production in the second week, and characteristic biofilm features were observed within 1 to 2 weeks. Show more
Keywords: Biofilm, periprosthetic, infection, staphylococcus aureus, treatment
DOI: 10.3233/THC-232041
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-7, 2024
Authors: Wen, Yi | Li, Xinyan | Shu, Wan | Zhang, Hong | Shen, Zhefan | Huang, Zhaoxia
Article Type: Review Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: About 186 million people in the world suffer from infertility, and there is one infertile couple in every 4–6 couples. It is thus essential to find effective psychological treatment. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review of previous meta-analyses on mindfulness-based therapy outcomes in infertile female patients and a meta-analysis of studies nested within these meta-analyses. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTS) on the efficacy of mindset-based interventions in infertile female patients were retrieved from PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, CNI, VIP Database, and Wanfang Database until March 1, 2023. Two …researchers screened the literature, extracted data according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and conducted quality control according to Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0. When there was ambiguity, a third party determined it. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULT: 14 randomized controlled trials involving 1784 patients were included. Meta-analysis showed that compared with conventional care, mindfulness-based intervention can effectively relieve anxiety in female infertility patients [SMD = - 2.25, 95% CI (- 2.90, - 1.60), P < 0.00001], depression [SMD = - 2.25, 95% CI (- 2.99, - 1.52), P < 0.00001], perceived stress [SMD = - 0.99, 95% CI (- 1.27, - 0.71), P < 0.00001], improved quality of life, physiological function [MD = 14.03, 95% CI (11.98, 16.07), P < 0.00001], Role limitations due to physical problems [MD = 11.30, 95% CI (5.71, 16.90), P < 0.0001], vitality [MD = 11.55, 95% CI (9.46, 13.65), P < 0.00001], mental health [MD = 17.32, 95% CI (15.29, 19.35), P < 0.00001]. CONCLUSION: Existing evidence shows that mindfulness therapy can effectively relieve the anxiety and depression of infertile women, reduce the level of stress, and improve the quality of life and sleep quality. However, due to the limited quantity and quality of the literature, multi-center, large-sample, and high-quality randomized controlled studies should be conducted in the future. Show more
Keywords: Mindfulness-based therapy, infertility, women, meta-analysis, evidence-based nursing, randomized controlled trial (RCTS), RF dimension
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240174
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-15, 2024
Authors: Tigga, Neha Prerna | Garg, Shruti | Goyal, Nishant | Raj, Justin | Das, Basudeb
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Brain variations are responsible for developmental impairments, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). EEG signals efficiently detect neurological conditions by revealing crucial information about brain function abnormalities. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to utilize EEG data collected from both autistic and typically developing children to investigate the potential of a Graph Convolutional Neural Network (GCNN) in predicting ASD based on neurological abnormalities revealed through EEG signals. METHODS: In this study, EEG data were gathered from eight autistic children and eight typically developing children diagnosed using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale at the Central Institute …of Psychiatry, Ranchi. EEG recording was done using a HydroCel GSN with 257 channels, and 71 channels with 10-10 international equivalents were utilized. Electrodes were divided into 12 brain regions. A GCNN was introduced for ASD prediction, preceded by autoregressive and spectral feature extraction. RESULTS: The anterior-frontal brain region, crucial for cognitive functions like emotion, memory, and social interaction, proved most predictive of ASD, achieving 87.07% accuracy. This underscores the suitability of the GCNN method for EEG-based ASD detection. CONCLUSION: The detailed dataset collected enhances understanding of the neurological basis of ASD, benefiting healthcare practitioners involved in ASD diagnosis. Show more
Keywords: Autism, graph convolution neural network, electroencephalogram, deep learning, brain region
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240550
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-25, 2024
Authors: Schuh, Alexander | Feyrer, Matthias | Benditz, Achim | Sesselmann, Stefan | Koehl, Philipp
Article Type: Case Report
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Uncemented acetabular components are widely used in modern total hip arthroplasty (THA). Modularity has numerous advantages including the ability to use supplementary screw fixation for the shell, and allow to switch from ceramic to polyethylene (PE) bearings and vice versa, and the use of lipped and face-changing liners. OBJECTIVE: Despite these advantages, a problem with modular PE liners is dissociation. This is a rare complication in modern implants. The rate of liner dissociation is reported to be very low between 0.17% and 0.8%. Typical symptoms are sudden onset of groin pain in a previously well-functioning …hip joint, followed by grinding or clicking sensations during hip joint motions indicating, that the femoral head is articulating with the metal acetabular shell rather than with the PE liner. Any newly observed noise or squeaking from a THA should undergo radiographic investigation to exclude liner dissociation. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of an 88-yearold male patient who developed PE liner dissociation in a cementless THA with a Pinnacle acetabular component six years after the index operation. We recommended revision of the left hip, which was performed two days later. In the interim, the patient was advised to use a pair of crutches. During revision surgery, it was observed that the metal head made contact with the cementless cup shell without damaging it from a macroscopic standpoint. Consequently, a simple exchange of the PE liner was conducted, and a 36 mm metal head was implanted due to scratches on the original head. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis facilitates a straightforward exchange of the liner along with the head, potentially preserving the osseous integrated cup shell and stem integrity. Routine radiologic follow-up allows to distinguish between PE liner dissociation and severe PE wear. Show more
Keywords: Polyethylene, PE, liner, dissociation, THR, THA, pinnacle cup
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240016
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-7, 2024
Authors: Li, Bangju
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Standardised management of day surgery for haemorrhoids and achieving standardised nursing in the painless ward of colorectal surgery are important. OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of segmented nursing pathways in patients undergoing day surgery for anorectal procedures and to provide theoretical and practical guidance for day surgery nursing. METHODS: A total of 146 patients undergoing anorectal surgery in our day surgery ward between April 2023 and July 2023 were selected as the study participants, with 74 patients in the control group receiving routine nursing and 72 patients in the experimental group receiving …segmented nursing. The preoperative preparedness, preoperative anxiety, complication rate, discharge preparedness and nursing satisfaction were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The experimental group had higher rates of admission before 8:30 am (77.78% vs 45.95%), awareness of the day surgery process (63.89% vs 24.32%), completion rate of preoperative preparation (81.94% vs 59.46%), satisfaction with preoperative preparation (94.44% vs 74.32%), discharge preparedness (112.42 ± 3.28 vs 95.82 ± 3.41) and nursing satisfaction (97.22% vs 70.27%) compared with the control group (P < 0.05). After the intervention, the self-rating anxiety scale score (43.14 ± 12.44 vs 52.51 ± 13.21) and the self-rating depression scale score (45.03 ± 11.37 vs 55.37 ± 10.14) were lower in the experimental group than in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Segmented nursing pathways can improve the preoperative preparedness of patients undergoing day surgery for anorectal procedures, alleviate patient anxiety, enhance discharge preparedness, improve the quality of nursing care and increase nursing satisfaction. Show more
Keywords: Segmented nursing, daytime anorectal surgery, preoperative preparedness, preoperative anxiety, discharge preparedness, nursing satisfaction
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231823
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2024
Authors: Chen, Xiaoqun | Song, Yingliang
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Matrine has been reported inhibitory effects on ovarian cancer (OC) cell progression, development, and apoptosis. However, the molecular targets of matrine against OC and the underlying mechanisms of action remain elusive. OBJECTIVE: This study endeavors to unveil the potential targets of matrine against OC and to explore the intricate relationships between these targets and the pathogenesis of OC. METHODS: The effects of matrine on the OC cells (A2780 and AKOV3) viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion was investigated through CCK-8, flow cytometry, wound healing, and Transwell analyses, respectively. Next, Matrine-related targets, OC-related genes, …and ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequence data were harnessed from publicly available databases. Differentially expressed analyses, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and Venn diagram were involved to unravel the core targets of matrine against OC. Leveraging the GEPIA database, we further validated the expression levels of these core targets between OC cases and controls. Mendelian randomization (MR) study was implemented to delve into potential causal associations between core targets and OC. The AutoDock software was used for molecular docking, and its results were further validated using RT-qPCR in OC cell lines. RESULTS: Matrine reduced the cell viability, migration, invasion and increased the cell apoptosis of A2780 and AKOV3 cells (P < 0.01). A PPI network with 578 interactions among 105 candidate targets was developed. Finally, six core targets (TP53, CCND1, STAT3, LI1B, VEGFA, and CCL2) were derived, among which five core targets (TP53, CCND1, LI1B, VEGFA, and CCL2) differential expressed in OC and control samples were further picked for MR analysis. The results revealed that CCND1 and TP53 were risk factors for OC. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated that matrine had good potential to bind to TP53, CCND1, and IL1B. Moreover, matrine reduced the expression of CCND1 and IL1B while elevating P53 expression in OC cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: We identified six matrine-related targets against OC, offering novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of matrine against OC. These findings provide valuable guidance for developing more efficient and targeted therapeutic approaches for treating OC. Show more
Keywords: Ovarian cancer, Matrine, Mendelian randomization, target, molecular docking
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231051
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-14, 2024
Authors: Fujimura, Soichiro | Yamanaka, Yuma | Kan, Issei | Nagao, Masahiro | Otani, Katharina | Karagiozov, Kostadin | Fukudome, Koji | Ishibashi, Toshihiro | Takao, Hiroyuki | Motosuke, Masahiro | Yamamoto, Makoto | Murayama, Yuichi
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The current 3D-iFlow application can only measure the arrival time of contrast media through intensity values. If the flow rate could be estimated by 3D-iFlow, patient-specific hemodynamics could be determined within the scope of normal diagnostic management, eliminating the need for additional resources for blood flow rate estimation. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to develop and validate a method for measuring the flow rate by data obtained from 3D-iFlow images – a prototype application in Four-dimensional digital subtraction angiography (4D-DSA). METHODS: Using phantom model and experimental circuit with circulating glycerin …solution, an equation for the relationship between contrast media intensity and flow rate was developed. Applying the equation to the aneurysm phantom models, the derived flow rate was evaluated. RESULTS: The average errors between the derived flow rate and setting flow rate became larger when the glycerin flow and the X-rays from the X-ray tube of the angiography system were parallel to each other or when the measurement point included overlaps with other contrast enhanced areas. CONCLUSION: Although the error increases dependent on the imaging direction and overlap of contrast enhanced area, the developed equation can estimate the flow rate using the image intensity value measured on 3D-iFlow based on 4D-DSA. Show more
Keywords: Aneurysm, four-dimensional digital subtraction angiography, hemodynamics
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231906
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-14, 2024
Authors: Zhang, Hongru | Wang, Chen | Yang, Ning
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Early identification of sepsis has been shown to significantly improve patient prognosis. OBJECTIVE: Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis is to systematically evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of machine-learning algorithms for sepsis prediction. METHODS: Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases, covering literature up to December 2023. The keywords included machine learning, sepsis and prediction. After screening, data were extracted and analysed from studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Key evaluation metrics included sensitivity, specificity and the area under the curve (AUC) for diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS: The meta-analysis …included a total of 21 studies with a data sample size of 4,158,941. Overall, the pooled sensitivity was 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.70–0.90; P < 0.001; I 2 = 99.7%), the specificity was 0.91 (95% CI = 0.86–0.94; P < 0.001; I 2 = 99.9%), and the AUC was 0.94 (95% CI = 0.91–0.96). The subgroup analysis revealed that in the emergency department setting (6 studies), the pooled sensitivity was 0.79 (95% CI = 0.68–0.87; P < 0.001; I 2 = 99.6%), the specificity was 0.94 (95% CI 0.90–0.97; P < 0.001; I 2 = 99.9%), and the AUC was 0.94 (95% CI = 0.92–0.96). In the Intensive Care Unit setting (11 studies), the sensitivity was 0.91 (95% CI = 0.75–0.97; P < 0.001; I 2 = 98.3%), the specificity was 0.85 (95% CI = 0.75–0.92; P < 0.001; I 2 = 99.9%), and the AUC was 0.93 (95% CI = 0.91–0.95). Due to the limited number of studies in the in-hospital and mixed settings (n < 3), no pooled analysis was performed. CONCLUSION: Machine-learning algorithms have demonstrated excellent diagnostic accuracy in predicting the occurrence of sepsis, showing potential for clinical application. Show more
Keywords: Sepsis, machine learning, prediction, meta-analysis
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240087
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-17, 2024
Authors: Rajeshkumar, C. | Soundar, K. Ruba
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Due to the increasing prevalence of respiratory diseases and the importance of early diagnosis. The need for non-invasive and touchless medical diagnostic solutions has become increasingly crucial in modern healthcare to detect lung abnormalities. OBJECTIVE: Existing methods for lung abnormality detection often rely on invasive and time-consuming procedures limiting their effectiveness in real-time diagnosis. This work introduces a novel Touchless Lung Abnormality (TO-LAB) detection model utilizing universal software radio peripherals (USRP) and machine learning algorithms. METHODS: The TO-LAB model integrates a blood pressure meter and an RGB-D depth-sensing camera to gather individual …data without physical contact. Heart rate (HR) is analyzed through image conversion to IPPG signals, while blood pressure (BP) is obtained via analog conversion from the blood pressure meter. This touchless imaging setup facilitates the extraction of essential signal features crucial for respiratory pattern analysis. Advanced computer vision algorithms like Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) process the acquired data to focus on breathing abnormalities. These features are then combined and inputted into a machine learning-based Multi-class SVM for breathing activity analysis. The Multi-class SVM categorizes breathing abnormalities as normal, shallow, or elevated based on the fused features. The efficiency of this TO-LAB model is evaluated with the simulated and real-time data. RESULTS: According to the findings, the proposed TO-LAB model attains the maximum accuracy of 96.15% for real time data; however, the accuracy increases to 99.54% for simulated data for the efficient classification of breathing abnormalities. CONCLUSION: From this analysis, our model attains better results in simulated data but it declines the accuracy while processing with real-time data. Moreover, this work has a significant medical impact since it presents a solution to the problem of gathering enough data during the epidemic to create a realistic model with a large dataset. Show more
Keywords: Breathing abnormality, touchless detection, universal software radio peripherals, machine learning, multi-class SVM
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240149
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-22, 2024
Authors: Selvakumar, K. | Lokesh, S.
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Medical imaging techniques have improved to the point where security has become a basic requirement for all applications to ensure data security and data transmission over the internet. However, clinical images hold personal and sensitive data related to the patients and their disclosure has a negative impact on their right to privacy as well as legal ramifications for hospitals. OBJECTIVE: In this research, a novel deep learning-based key generation network (Deep-KEDI) is designed to produce the secure key used for decrypting and encrypting medical images. METHODS: Initially, medical images are pre-processed by …adding the speckle noise using discrete ripplet transform before encryption and are removed after decryption for more security. In the Deep-KEDI model, the zigzag generative adversarial network (ZZ-GAN) is used as the learning network to generate the secret key. RESULTS: The proposed ZZ-GAN is used for secure encryption by generating three different zigzag patterns (vertical, horizontal, diagonal) of encrypted images with its key. The zigzag cipher uses an XOR operation in both encryption and decryption using the proposed ZZ-GAN. Encrypting the original image requires a secret key generated during encryption. After identification, the encrypted image is decrypted using the generated key to reverse the encryption process. Finally, speckle noise is removed from the encrypted image in order to reconstruct the original image. CONCLUSION: According to the experiments, the Deep-KEDI model generates secret keys with an information entropy of 7.45 that is particularly suitable for securing medical images. Show more
Keywords: Medical image encryption, speckle noise, deep learning, zigzag pattern, generative adversarial network
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231927
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-21, 2024
Authors: Dou, Fengjiao | Tian, Qingxiu | Zhang, Ran
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes, a frequent pregnancy complication marked by elevated maternal blood glucose, can cause serious adverse effects for both mother and fetus, including increased amniotic fluid and risks of fetal asphyxia, hypoxia, and premature birth. OBJECTIVE: To construct a predictive model to analyze the risk factors for macrosomia in deliveries with gestational diabetes. METHODS: From January 2021 to February 2023, 362 pregnant women with gestational diabetes were selected for the study. They were followed up until delivery. Based on newborn birth weight, the participants were divided into the macrosomia group (birth weight ⩾ …4000 g) and the non-macrosomia group (birth weight < 4000 g). The data of the two groups of pregnant women were compared. ROC curves were plotted to analyze the predictive value of multiple factors for the delivery of macrosomic infants among pregnant women with gestational diabetes. A logistic regression model was constructed to identify the risk factors for delivering macrosomic infants and the model was tested. RESULTS: A total of 362 pregnant women with gestational diabetes were included, of which 58 (16.02%) had babies with macrosomia. The macrosomia group exhibited higher metrics in several areas compared to those without: pre-pregnancy BMI, fasting glucose, 1 h and 2 h OGTT sugar levels, weight gain during pregnancy, and levels of triglycerides, LDL-C, and HDL-C, all with significant differences (P < 0.05). ROC analysis revealed predictive value for macrosomia with AUCs of 0.761 (pre-pregnancy BMI), 0.710 (fasting glucose), 0.671 (1 h OGTT), 0.634 (2 h OGTT), 0.850 (weight gain), 0.837 (triglycerides), 0.742 (LDL-C), and 0.776 (HDL-C), indicating statistical significance (P < 0.05). Logistic regression identified high pre-pregnancy BMI, fasting glucose, weight gain, triglycerides, and LDL-C levels as independent risk factors for macrosomia, with odds ratios of 2.448, 2.730, 1.884, 16.919, and 5.667, respectively, and all were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The model’s AUC of 0.980 (P < 0.05) attests to its reliability and stability. CONCLUSION: The delivery of macrosomic infants in gestational diabetes may be related to factors such as body mass index before pregnancy, blood-glucose levels, gain weight during pregnancy, and lipid levels. Clinical interventions targeting these factors should be implemented to reduce the incidence of macrosomia. Show more
Keywords: Gestational diabetes, delivery, macrosomia, risk factors, predictive model
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240679
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2024
Authors: Gao, Wenlong | Zeng, Zhimei | Ma, Xiaojie | Ke, Yongsong | Zhi, Minqian
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The morbidity and mortality of heart disease are increasing in middle-aged and elderly people in China. It is necessary to explore relationships and interactive associations between heart disease and its risk factors in order to prevent heart disease. OBJECTIVE: To establish a Bayesian network model of heart disease and its influencing factors in middle-aged and elderly people in China, and explore the applicability of the elite-based structure learner using genetic algorithm based on ensemble learning (EN-ESL-GA) algorithm in etiology analysis and disease prediction. METHODS: Based on the 2013 national tracking survey data …from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database, EN-ESL-GA algorithm was used to learn the Bayesian network structure. Then we input the data and the learned network structure into the Netica software for parameter learning and inference analysis. RESULTS: The Bayesian network model based on the EN-ESL-GAalgorithm can effectively excavate the complex network relationships and interactive associations between heart disease and its risk factors in middle-aged and elderly people in China. CONCLUSIONS: The Bayesian network model based on the EN-ESL-GA algorithm has good applicability and application prospect in the prediction of diseases prevalence risk. Show more
Keywords: Bayesian networks, heart disease, influence factors, middle-aged and elderly people
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231215
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2024
Authors: Ping, Yuxia
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been continuously advancing and finding extensive applications, with one of its core technologies, machine learning, being increasingly utilized in the field of healthcare. OBJECTIVE: This research aims to explore the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in psychological counseling and utilize machine learning algorithms to predict counseling outcomes. METHODS: Firstly, by employing natural language processing techniques to analyze user conversations with AI chatbots, researchers can gain insights into the psychological states and needs of users during the counseling process. This involves detailed analysis using …text analysis, sentiment analysis, and other relevant techniques. Subsequently, machine learning algorithms are used to establish predictive models that forecast counseling outcomes and user satisfaction based on data such as user language, emotions, and behavior. These predictive results can assist counselors or AI chatbots in adjusting counseling strategies, thereby enhancing counseling effectiveness and user experience. Additionally, this study explores the potential and prospects of AI technology in the field of psychological counseling. RESULTS: The research findings indicate that the designed machine learning models achieve an accuracy rate of approximately 89% in analyzing psychological conditions. This demonstrates significant innovation and breakthroughs in AI technology. Consequently, AI technology will gradually become a highly important tool and method in the field of psychological counseling. CONCLUSION: In the future, AI chatbots will become more intelligent and personalized, providing users with precise, efficient, and convenient psychological counseling services. The results of this research provide valuable technical insights for further improving AI-supported psychological counseling, contributing positively to the application and development of AI technology. Show more
Keywords: Artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language, psychological counseling, sentiment analysis
DOI: 10.3233/THC-230809
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-18, 2024
Authors: Nanda, Ashok Kumar | Thilagavathy, R. | Gayatri Devi, G.S.K. | Chaturvedi, Abhay | Jalda, Chaitra Sai | Inthiyaz, Syed
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Dengue fever is rapidly becoming Malaysia’s most pressing health concern, as the reported cases have nearly doubled over the past decade. Without efficacious antiviral medications, vector control remains the primary strategy for battling dengue, while the recently introduced tetravalent immunization is being evaluated. The most significant and dangerous risk increasing recently is vector-borne illnesses. These illnesses induce significant human sickness and are transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods such as fleas, parasites, and mosquitos. A thorough grasp of various factors is necessary to improve prediction accuracy and typically generate inaccurate and unstable predictions, as well as machine learning (ML) models, …weather-driven mechanisms, and numerical time series. OBJECTIVE: In this research, we propose a novel method for forecasting vector-borne disease risk using Radial Basis Function Networks (RBFNs) and the Darts Game Optimizer (DGO) algorithm. METHODS: The proposed approach entails training the RBFNs with historical disease data and enhancing their parameters with the DGO algorithm. To prepare the RBFNs, we used a massive dataset of vector-borne disease incidences, climate variables, and geographical data. The DGO algorithm proficiently searches the RBFN parameter space, fine-tuning the model’s architecture to increase forecast accuracy. RESULTS: RBFN-DGO provides a potential method for predicting vector-borne disease risk. This study advances predictive demonstrating in public health by shedding light on effectively controlling vector-borne diseases to protect human populations. We conducted extensive testing to evaluate the performance of the proposed method to standard optimization methods and alternative forecasting methods. CONCLUSION: According to the findings, the RBFN-DGO model beats others in terms of accuracy and robustness in predicting the likelihood of vector-borne illness occurrences. Show more
Keywords: Deep learning (DL), dengue fever, radial basis function networks, darts game optimizer, vector-borne disease
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240046
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-21, 2024
Authors: Oh, Sungyeon | Ko, Chang-Yong | Lee, Jaewon | Nekar, Daekook M. | Kang, Hyeyoon | Kim, Hansung | Yu, Jaeho
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal symptoms in individuals engaged in strenuous exercise programs. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of wearable low-intensity continuous ultrasound on muscle biomechanical properties during DOMS. METHODS: Twenty volunteers were distributed into a wearable ultrasound stimulation group (WUG) (n = 10) and medical ultrasound stimulation group (MUG) (n = 10). All subjects performed wrist extensor muscle strength exercises to induce DOMS. At the site of pain, ultrasound of frequency 3 MHz …was applied for 1 h or 5 min in each subject of the WUG or MUG, respectively. Before and after ultrasound stimulation, muscle biomechanical properties (tone, stiffness, elasticity, stress relaxation time, and creep) and body temperature were measured, and pain was evaluated. RESULTS: A significant decrease was found in the tone, stiffness, stress relaxation time, and creep in both groups after ultrasound stimulation (all p < 0.05). A significant decrease in the pain and increases in temperature were observed in both groups (all p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the groups in most evaluations. CONCLUSION: The stiffness and pain caused by DOMS were alleviated using a wearable ultrasound stimulator. Furthermore, the effects of the wearable ultrasound stimulator were like those of a medical ultrasound stimulator. Show more
Keywords: Wearable low-intensity continuous ultrasound, muscle biomechanical properties, delayed onset muscle soreness, biomechanics, medical devices
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231947
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2024
Authors: Stjepić, Maja Kovačević | Rifatbegović, Zijah | Cerovac, Anis | Agić, Mirha | Mehmedović, Zlatan | Habek, Dubravko | Vranić, Semir | Ahmetašević, Emir | Trnačević, Senaid
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Despite improvements, survival rates for gastric cancer remain low, even in developed countries, confirming the role of primary and secondary prevention. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to demonstrate the role of additional suspension sutures on the esophagojejunal anastomosis (EJA) to strengthen the anastomosis, i.e., relieve the mechanical suture. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2011 to 2022 at the Clinic for Surgery, University Clinical Center Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The experimental group consisted of patients placed with a suspension suture at the esophagojejunal anastomosis (EJA) site after total gastrectomy. The control …group was patients without a suspension suture. The clinical and laboratory parameters available from the medical history were analyzed, X-ray passage, surgical complications, non-surgical complications, the length of hospitalization, the postoperative course, time of onset of postoperative complications, postoperative radiological follow-up and endoscopic postoperative follow-up were then analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 212 patients were included in the study: 87 in the experimental group with suspension sutures on the EJA and 125 in the control group without suspension sutures on the EJA. The two cohorts did not differ in other clinicopathologic parameters except perineural invasion, which was more prevalent in the control group. Patients in both groups were anemic and elevated values of C reactive protein (CRP) and decreased levels of proteins, albumin and globulin, with no significant difference between the two groups. The most common general complication was pleural effusion (28%), followed by pneumonia (∼ 22%). The most common complication in the experimental group was an intraabdominal abscess, while in the control group, it was a surgical wound infection. CONCLUSION: Our study did not show a statistically significant difference between the two analyzed EJA techniques created with a circular stapler, when it comes to postoperative course and outcome in patients with gastric cancer. Show more
Keywords: Gastric cancer, surgery, postoperative outcome
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231467
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2024
Authors: Jiang, Yangzheng | Yang, Jiantao | Tian, Hui | Jiang, Chuan | Wang, Hongzhu
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Flatfoot (pes planus) is a common foot deformity, and its causes are mainly related to age, gender, weight, and genetics. Previous studies have shown that custom-made insoles could have a positive effect in improving plantar pressure and symptoms in individuals with flexible flatfeet, but it remains to be explored whether they can still show benefits in daily walking on different slopes. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate a custom-made insole based on plantar pressure redistribution and to verify its effectiveness by gait analysis on different slopes. METHODS: We recruited 10 subjects and …compared the peak pressure and impulse in each area between custom-made insole (CI) and ordinary insole (OI) groups. RESULTS: The results illustrate that CI raises the pressure in T area, improves the ability of the subjects to move forward in the slope walking, which was beneficial to gait stability. CONCLUSION: The redistribution of pressure in MF and MH area is promoted to provide active protection for subjects. Meanwhile, CI could decrease the impulse in MF area during uphill and level walking, which effectively reduces the accumulation of fatigue during gait. Moreover, avoiding downhill walking could be able to protect foot from injury in daily life. Show more
Keywords: Flatfoot, custom-made insole, slope, pressure, impulse
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231785
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-13, 2024
Authors: Li, Zhaoxi | Guo, Xiaohui | Shi, Wei | He, Rongxia | Zhong, Hua
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Electronic foetal monitoring (EFM), a method to monitor foetal intrauterine conditions and foetal reserve capacity, is the most extensively used intrauterine monitoring technology in obstetrics. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the Thoth wearable foetal electrocardiogram (foetal ECG [FECG]) monitoring system with a traditional Doppler foetal heart monitoring system before labour to investigate their respective values in clinical application. METHODS: A total of 393 pregnant women admitted to our hospital between 2020 and 2022 participated in this study. They were recruited using the convenience sampling method. We employed a paired design to …assess the confusion rate, trend overlap, and foetal heart rate/ECG monitoring consistency, whereas a completely randomised design was used to measure pregnancy outcome indicators. The participants were divided into two groups using a random number table: the Thoth group (n = 196) and the traditional Doppler group (n = 197). Each group was monitored using the corresponding system. RESULTS: The Thoth monitor demonstrated a lower confusion rate compared with the traditional Doppler monitor (0.25% vs 2.04%; χ 2 = 5.508, P = 0.019). The trend overlap in foetal heart rates was consistently 100%, with 91.2% of readings showing a consistency rate of ⩾ 95%. Additionally, the Thoth monitor recorded a higher cumulative interruption time in the foetal heart rate curve (12.13 ± 2.22 vs 21.02 ± 2.34; t = 18.471, P < 0.001) and more abnormal ECGs (21.21 ± 4.32 vs 18.21 ± 2.91; t = 7.582, P < 0.001) than the traditional Doppler system. CONCLUSION: The Thoth wearable FECG monitor offers several advantages over the traditional Doppler foetal heart monitoring system. These include a reduced confusion rate, more accurate data collection, a lower rate of clinical misjudgement, reduced workload for medical staff, and enhanced comfort during vaginal delivery. The rates of emergency caesarean sections and neonatal asphyxia in the Thoth group were marginally lower than those in the Doppler group, which may be attributed to issues such as ECG disconnection or interference from the maternal heart rate. Show more
Keywords: Foetal heart monitoring, foetal ECG monitor, Thoth wearable device, Doppler device, heart rates
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231752
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2024
Authors: Abu-Izneid, Tareq | Rauf, Abdur | Naz, Saima | Ibrahim, Muhammad | Muhammad, Naveed | Wadood, Abdul | Ajmal, Amar | Hemeg, Hassan A. | Fahad, Shah | Thiruvengadam, Muthu | Venkidasamy, Baskar
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Ficus benghalensis has been used by local health care practitioners to treat pain, inflammation, rheumatism, and other health issues. OBJECTIVE: In this study, the crude extract and diverse fractions, along with the isolated compound of F. benghalensis were examined for their roles as muscle relaxants, analgesics, and sedatives. METHODS: The extract and isolated compound 1 were screened for muscle-relaxant, analgesic, and sedative actions. The acetic acid-mediated writhing model was utilized for analgesic assessment, the muscle relaxant potential was quantified through traction and inclined plan tests, and the open field test was …applied for sedative effects. RESULTS: The extract/fractions (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) and isolated compounds (2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) were tested at various doses. A profound (p < 0.001) reduce in the acetic acid-mediated writhing model was observed against carpachromene (64.44%), followed by ethyl acetate (60.67%) and methanol (58.42%) fractions. A marked (p < 0.001) muscle relaxant activity was noticed against the isolated compound (71.09%), followed by ethyl acetate (66.98%) and methanol (67.10%) fractions. Regarding the sedative effect, a significant action was noted against the isolated compound (71.09%), followed by ethyl acetate (66.98%) and methanol (67.10%) fractions. Furthermore, the binding modes of the isolated compounds were explored using molecular docking. The molecular docking study revealed that the isolated compound possessed good binding affinity for COX2 and GABA. Our isolated compound may possess inhibitory activity against COX2 and GABA receptors. CONCLUSION: The extract and isolated compounds of Ficus benghalensis can be used as analgesics, muscle relaxants, and sedatives. However, detailed molecular and functional analyses are essential to ascertain their function as muscle relaxants, analgesics, and sedatives. Show more
Keywords: Ficus benghalensis, Moraceae, carpachromene, analgesic, muscle relaxant, sedative, molecular docking
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231703
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-12, 2024
Authors: Wu, Cuiying | Li, Yunjun | Luo, Yongchun | Dai, Yiwu | Qin, Jiazhen | Liu, Ning | Xu, Ruxiang | Li, Xuezhen | Zhang, Peng
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Low-grade gliomas (LGG) are a variety of brain tumors that show different clinical outcomes. The methylation of the GSTM5 gene has been noted in the development of LGG, however, its prognostic importance remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between GSTM5 DNA methylation and clinical outcomes in individuals diagnosed with LGG. METHODS: Analysis of GSTM5 methylation levels in LGG samples was conducted using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. The overall survival based on GSTM5 methylation status was evaluated …using Kaplan-Meier curves. The DNA methylation heatmap for particular CpG sites in the GSTM5 gene was visualized using the “pheatmap” R package. RESULTS: The study analyzed that LGG tumors had higher levels of GSTM5 methylation than normal tissues. There was an inverse relationship discovered between GSTM5 expression and methylation. LGG patients with hypermethylation of GSTM5 promoter experienced a positive outcome. Age, grade, and GSTM5 methylation were determined as independent prognostic factors in LGG through both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. CONCLUSION: Methylation of GSTM5 DNA, specifically at certain CpG sites, is linked to a positive outlook in patients with LGG. Utilizing the “pheatmap” R package to visualize GSTM5 methylation patterns offers important information for identifying prognostic markers and therapeutic targets in low-grade gliomas. Show more
Keywords: Low-grade glioma, glutathione S-transferase mu class 5 (GSTM5), prognosist, methylaion, immune cells
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231316
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-18, 2024
Authors: Yadalam, Pradeep Kumar | Anegundi, Raghavendra Vamsi | Ramadoss, Ramya | Shrivastava, Deepti | Almufarrij, Raha Ahmed Shamikh | Srivastava, Kumar Chandan
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Wnt activation promotes bone formation and prevents bone loss. The Wnt pathway antagonist sclerostin and additional anti-sclerostin antibodies were discovered as a result of the development of the monoclonal antibody romosozumab. These monoclonal antibodies greatly increase the risk of cardiac arrest. Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships (3D-QSAR) predicts biological activities of ligands based on their three-dimensional features by employing powerful chemometric investigations such as artificial neural networks (ANNs) and partial least squares (PLS). OBJECTIVE: In this study, ligand-receptor interactions were investigated using 3D-QSAR Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA). Estimates of steric and electrostatic characteristics in CoMFA …are made using Lennard-Jones and Coulomb potentials. METHODS: To identify the conditions necessary for the activity of these molecules, fifty Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications were chosen for 3D-QSAR investigations and done by CoMFA. For QSAR analysis, there are numerous tools available. This study employed Open 3D-QSAR for analysis due to its simplicity of use and capacity to produce trustworthy results. Four tools were used for the analysis on this platform: Py-MolEdit, Py-ConfSearch, and Py-CoMFA. RESULTS: Maps that were generated were used to determine the screen’s r2 (Coefficient of Multiple Determinations) value and q2 (correlation coefficient). These numbers must be fewer than 1, suggesting a good, trustworthy model. Cross-validated (q2) 0.532 and conventional (r2) correlation values of 0.969 made the CoMFA model statistically significant. The model showed that hydroxamic acid inhibitors are significantly more sensitive to the steric field than the electrostatic field (70%) (30%). This hypothesis states that steric (43.1%), electrostatic (26.4%), and hydrophobic (20.3%) qualities were important in the design of sclerostin inhibitors. CONCLUSION: With 3D-QSAR and CoMFA, statistically meaningful models were constructed to predict ligand inhibitory effects. The test set demonstrated the model’s robustness. This research may aid in the development of more effective sclerostin inhibitors that are synthesised using FDA-approved medications. Show more
Keywords: 3dQSAR, sclerostin, bone formation
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231358
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-13, 2024
Authors: Wu, Jing | Yang, Xiaoyan | Liu, Yun | Xi, Fang | Lei, Ping
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower limbs is a venous reflux disorder caused by abnormal coagulation of blood components, primarily characterised by swelling and pain in the lower limbs. Key risk factors include prolonged immobility due to bed rest, pregnancy, postpartum or postoperative states, traumas, malignant tumours and long-term contraceptive use. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application of real-time shear wave elastography (SWE) in diagnosing lower-limb deep vein thrombosis (DVT). METHODS: A total of 91 patients with DVT were selected and divided into three groups: acute phase (n = …29), subacute phase (n = 30) and chronic phase (n = 32). The Young’s modulus of the patients was measured using real-time SWE. The diagnostic efficacy of Young’s modulus was evaluated by ROC curves. The hardness differences in Young’s modulus across different parts of the same thrombus (head, body and tail) were measured using SWE. RESULTS: Before treatment, significant differences were observed in Young’s modulus among patients with DVT (P < 0.001). Following anticoagulant therapy, catheter-directed thrombolysis and systemic thrombolysis, significant differences were noted in Young’s modulus among patients at the same stage but receiving different treatments (acute phase: P = 0.003; subacute phase: P = 0.014; chronic phase: P = 0.004). Catheter-directed thrombolysis had greater efficacy than anticoagulant therapy. The area under the curve for SWE in staging patients was 0.917, with a sensitivity of 92.36% and specificity of 93.81%. Significant differences in Young’s modulus were found between the thrombus head and thrombus body and tail but not between the thrombus body and thrombus tail. CONCLUSION: Measurement of Young’s modulus using SWE can serve as an auxiliary means of evaluating staging, predicting pulmonary embolism and selecting treatment in patients with DVT. Show more
Keywords: Real-time shear wave elastography, lower-limb deep vein thrombosis, diagnosis, treatment plan
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240386
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2024
Authors: Zheng, Chichao | Tang, Yi | Wang, Yadan | Wang, Yuanguo | Peng, Hu
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Ultrasound imaging has been widely used in clinical examination because of portability, safety, and low cost. However, there are still some main challenges of imaging quality that remain in conventional ultrasound systems. OBJECTIVE: Improving image quality of SA-based methods using an improved imaging mode named far-focus compound (FSC) imaging. METHODS: A far-focus compound (FSC) imaging based on full-aperture transmission and full-aperture reception is proposed in this paper. In transmission, it uses the full aperture to transmit the focused beam to ensure image resolution and emission of sound field energy. In reception, the …full aperture is used to receive the reflected beam to ensure the image quality. A lag-one coherence-based zero-cross factor (LOCZF) is then implemented in FSC for improvement of contrast ratio (CR). The LOCZF uses lag-one coherence as zero-cross factorâs adaptive coefficient. Comparisons were made with several other weighting techniques by performing simulations and experiments for performance evaluation. RESULTS: Results confirm that LOCZF applied to FSC offers a good image contrast and simultaneously the speckle pattern. For simulated cysts, CR improvement of LOCZF reaches 194.1%. For experimental cysts, CR improvement of LOCZF reaches 220%. From the in-vivo result, compared with FSC, CR improvement of LOCZF reaches 112.7%. CONCLUSION: Proved gCNR performance. In addition, the LOCZF method shows good performance in experiments. The proposed method can be used as an effective weighting technique for improvement of image quality in ultrasound imaging. Show more
Keywords: Ultrasonic imaging, far-focus compound imaging, reversal-squart zero-cross factor, lag-one coherence-based zero-cross factor
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231452
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-18, 2024
Authors: Wu, Weihua | Chen, Jie | An, Peng | Feng, Yangmei | Li, Chen | Zhang, Meiqi | Yu, Zhenfei
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The kidney is the most vulnerable organ in severe patients. In severe cases, the fatality rate of acute kidney damage is as high as 30% ∼ 60%. Severe ultrasound is a non-invasive method to evaluate renal blood flow. It can give a semi-quantitative score of renal blood flow and measure the Resistance Index (RI), which can reflect renal artery blood flow to a certain extent. OBJECTIVE: There is little literature on hemodynamic regulation in septic shock patients, but almost no research report on the relationship between hemodynamics and RI exists. Therefore, this …paper proposed the analysis of severe ultrasound and gene diagnosis in cardiac index and peripheral vascular RI of shock patients. METHODS: This paper mainly expounded on detecting renal function parameters and RI in patients with viral shock to understand further the correlation between them and renal flow and RI. RESULTS: It could be seen from the experimental results that the P values before and after resuscitation in the two groups with and without elevated Cardiac Output (CO) were 0.41 and 0.12, respectively, which were more significant than 0.05. CONCLUSION: RI had no apparent relationship with CO, and RI could not be used as an evaluation index for patients with early septic shock. Show more
Keywords: Severe ultrasound, shock patients, gene diagnosis, genetic algorithm
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231859
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-16, 2024
Authors: Chen, Ruijuan | Wang, Rui | Fei, Jieying | Huang, Lengjie | Bi, Xun | Wang, Jinhai
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Mental fatigue has become a non-negligible health problem in modern life, as well as one of the important causes of social transportation, production and life accidents. OBJECTIVE: Fatigue detection based on traditional machine learning requires manual and tedious feature extraction and feature selection engineering, which is inefficient, poor in real-time, and the recognition accuracy needs to be improved. In order to recognize daily mental fatigue level more accurately and in real time, this paper proposes a mental fatigue recognition model based on 1D Convolutional Neural Network (1D-CNN), which inputs 1D raw ECG sequences of 5 s duration …into the model, and can directly output the predicted fatigue level labels. METHODS: The fatigue dataset was constructed by collecting the ECG signals of 22 subjects at three time periods: 9:00–11:00 a.m., 14:00–16:00 p.m., and 19:00–21:00 p.m., and then inputted into the 19-layer 1D-CNN model constructed in the present study for the classification of mental fatigue in three grades. RESULTS: The results showed that the model was able to recognize the fatigue levels effectively, and its accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score reached 98.44%, 98.47%, 98.41%, and 98.44%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study further improves the accuracy and real-time performance of recognizing multi-level mental fatigue based on electrocardiography, and provides theoretical support for real-time fatigue monitoring in daily life. Show more
Keywords: Mental fatigue, short-time electrocardiographic sequence, deep learning, 1D convolutional neural network
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240129
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-14, 2024
Authors: Mansoor, C.M.M. | Chettri, Sarat Kumar | Naleer, H.M.M.
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Heart disease is a severe health issue that results in high fatality rates worldwide. Identifying cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart attacks through repetitive clinical data analysis is a significant task. Detecting heart disease in its early stages can save lives. The most lethal cardiovascular condition is CAD, which develops over time due to plaque buildup in coronary arteries, causing incomplete blood flow obstruction. Machine Learning (ML) is progressively used in the medical sector to detect CAD disease. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this work is to deliver a state-of-the-art approach …to enhancing CAD prediction accuracy by using a DL algorithm in a classification context. METHODS: A unique ML technique is proposed in this study to predict CAD disease accurately using a deep learning algorithm in a classification context. An ensemble voting classifier classification model is developed based on various methods such as Naïve Bayes (NB), Logistic Regression (LR), Decision Tree (DT), XGBoost, Random Forest (RF), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), K Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Bidirectional LSTM and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). The performance of the ensemble models and a novel model are compared in this study. The Alizadeh Sani dataset, which consists of a random sample of 216 cases with CAD, is used in this study. Synthetic Minority Over Sampling Technique (SMOTE) is used to address the issue of imbalanced datasets, and the Chi-square test is used for feature selection optimization. Performance is assessed using various assessment methodologies, such as confusion matrix, accuracy, recall, precision, f1-score, and auc-roc. RESULTS: When a novel algorithm achieves the highest accuracy relative to other algorithms, it demonstrates its effectiveness in several ways, including superior performance, robustness, generalization capability, efficiency, innovative approaches, and benchmarking against baselines. These characteristics collectively contribute to establishing the novel algorithm as a promising solution for addressing the target problem in machine learning and related fields. CONCLUSION: Implementing the novel model in this study significantly improved performance, achieving a prediction accuracy rate of 92% in the detection of CAD. These findings are competitive and on par with the top outcomes among other methods. Show more
Keywords: Machine learning, coronary artery disease, heart disease, feature selection, classification
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240740
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-25, 2024
Authors: Badnjević, Almir | Zebić, Emina Zejnilović
Article Type: Editorial
DOI: 10.3233/THC-248050
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-6, 2024
Authors: Hu, Xia | Jiang, Huiqing | Liu, Peizhen | Li, Zhiquan | Zhang, Ruiying
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The Stepped Care Model (SCM) is an evidence-based treatment approach that tailors treatment intensity based on patients’ health status, aiming to achieve the most positive treatment outcomes with the least intensive and cost-effective interventions. Currently, the effectiveness of the Stepped Care Model in postoperative rehabilitation for TKA (Total Knee Arthroplasty) patients has not been reported. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to investigate whether the stepped care model could improve early-stage self-report quality of life and knee function after total knee arthroplasty via a prospective randomized controlled design. METHODS: It was a mono-center, …parallel-group, open-label, prospective randomized controlled study. Patients who aging from 60–75 years old as well as underwent unilateral primary total knee arthroplasty due to end-stage knee osteoarthritis between 2020.06 to 2022.02 were enrolled. Participants were randomized and arranged into two groups in a 1:1 allocation. The control group was given traditional rehabilitation guidance, while the stepped care model group was given continued stepped care. Hospital for special surgery knee score, daily living ability (ADL), knee flexion range, and adverse events at 1, 3, and 6 months after total knee arthroplasty were recorded. RESULTS: 88 patients proceeded to the final analysis. There was no significant difference of age, gender, length of stay, BMI, and educational level between the two groups at the baseline. After specific stepped care model interventions, patients showed significant improvements in HHS in 1 month (85.00 (82.25, 86.00) vs. 80.00 (75.00, 83.00), p < 0.001), 3 months (88.00 (86.00, 92.00) vs. 83.00 (76.75, 85.00), p < 0.001), and 6 months (93.00 (90.25, 98.00) vs. 88.00 (84.25, 91.75), p < 0.001) when compared with the control group. Similar results were also found in both daily living ability and knee flexion angle measurements. No adverse event was observed during the follow-up. CONCLUSION: The present study found that the stepped care model intervention significantly improved early-stage knee function and self-reported life quality after total knee arthroplasty due to knee osteoarthritis. Female patients and those less than 70 years old benefit more from the stepped care model intervention after total knee arthroplasty. Show more
Keywords: Stepped care model, total knee arthroplasty, randomized controlled trail, knee function, life quality
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240780
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2024
Authors: Fragidis, Leonidas | Tsamoglou, Sofia | Kosmidis, Kosmas | Aggelidis, Vassilios
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The global implementation of Electronic Health Records has significantly enhanced the quality of medical care and the overall delivery of public health services. The incorporation of Evidence-Based Medicine offers numerous benefits and enhances the efficacy of decision-making in areas such as prevention, prognosis, diagnosis, and therapeutic approaches. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to propose an architectural design of an Evidence-Based Medicine information system based on the Electronic Health Record, taking into account the existing and future level of interoperability of health information systems in Greece. METHODS: A study of the …suggested evidence-based medicine architectures found in the existing literature was conducted. Moreover, the interoperability architecture of health information systems in Greece was analyzed. The architecture design reviewed by specialized personnel and their recommendations were incorporated into the final design of the proposed architecture. RESULTS: The proposed integrated architecture of an Evidence-Based Medicine system based on the Electronic Health Record integrates and utilizes citizens’ health data while leveraging the existing knowledge available in the literature. CONCLUSIONS: Taking into consideration the recently established National Interoperability Framework, which aligns with the European Interoperability Framework, the proposed realistic architectural approach contributes to improving the quality of healthcare provided through the ability to make safe, timely and accurate decisions by physicians. Show more
Keywords: Electronic health records, evidence-based medicine, clinical decision support systems, health information systems
DOI: 10.3233/THC-232042
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-15, 2024
Authors: Chen, Changsheng | Zhang, Yu | Lin, Yuda | Shen, Chong | Zhang, Zhe | Wu, Zhouliang | Qie, Yunkai | Zhao, Gangjian | Hu, Hailong
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are a group of cancer-related proteins vital for development and progression of certain cancer types. Nevertheless, function of BMP family in pan-cancer was not detailedly researched. OBJECTIVE: Investigating expression pattern and prognostic value of the BMPs family (BMP1-8A and BMP8B) expression across multiple cancer types. METHODS: Our research integrated multi-omics data for exploring potential associations between BMPs expression and prognosis, clinicopathological characteristics, copy number or somatic mutations, immune characteristics, tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), immune checkpoint genes and drug sensitivity in The Cancer …Genome Atlas (TCGA) tumors. Furthermore, association of BMPs expression and immunotherapy effectiveness was investigated in some confirmatory cohorts (GSE111636, GSE78220, GSE67501, GSE176307, IMvigor210 and mRNA sequencing data from currently undergoing TRUCE01 clinical research included), and biological function and potential signaling pathways of BMPs in bladder cancer (BCa) was explored via Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Eventually, immune infiltration analysis was done via BMPs expression, copy number or somatic mutations in BCa, as well as validation of the expression levels by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blot, and in vitro functional experiments of BMP8A. RESULTS: Discoveries displayed BMPs expression was related to prognosis, clinicopathological characteristics, mutations, TME, TMB, MSI and immune checkpoint genes of TCGA tumors. Anticancer drug sensitivity analysis displayed BMPs were associated with various drug sensitivities. What’s more, it was discovered that expression level of certain BMP family members related to objective response to immunotherapy. By GSEA, we discovered multiple immune-associated functions and pathways were enriched. Immune infiltration analysis on BCa also displayed significant associations among BMPs copy number variations, mutation status and infiltration level of diverse immune cells. Furthermore, differential expression validation and in vitro phenotypic experiment indicated that BMP8A significantly promoted BCa cell proliferation, migration and invasion. CONCLUSIONS: Current results confirmed significance of both BMPs expression and genomic alteration in the prognosis and treatment of diverse cancer types, and suggested that BMPs may be vital for BCa and can possibly be utilized as biomarkers for immunotherapy. Show more
Keywords: Bone morphogenetic proteins, pan-cancer analysis, bladder cancer, tumor microenvironment, prognosis
DOI: 10.3233/THC-232004
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-53, 2024
Authors: Hwang, Daon | Cho, Ki Hun
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Traditional canes have no special functions besides weight support, and their long-term use may cause secondary damage to the musculoskeletal system and gait deviation. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the usability of the cane-combined weight support feedback device (CWSFD) to identify areas requiring improvement and the current level of satisfaction. METHODS: As a collet-type device, the CWSFD has a structure allowing attachment and detachment at the lower end of a traditional mono cane. To assess the level of satisfaction and areas of improvement regarding the novel CWSFD, a usability test was …conducted on 10 physical therapists with ⩾ 20 years of clinical experience. The usability test comprised a satisfaction survey questionnaire to determine the level of satisfaction, and an in-depth interview to identify the points of improvement. RESULTS: The usability test demonstrated a moderate or higher level of satisfaction in all tested items, and the in-depth interview revealed that the device should have a lower weight with a greater diversity of feedback. CONCLUSIONS: We anticipate that by implementing the respective improvements, a novel device will be developed in the future; for its commercialization, studies to verify the clinical effectiveness are warranted. Show more
Keywords: Cane, gait, satisfaction, usability test, weight support
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240056
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2024
Authors: Radhakrishnan, Menaka | Ramamurthy, Karthik | Shanmugam, Saranya | Prasanna, Gaurav | S, Vignesh | Y, Surya | Won, Daehan
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition with social interaction, communication, and behavioral difficulties. Diagnostic methods mostly rely on subjective evaluations and can lack objectivity. In this research Machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) techniques are used to enhance ASD classification. OBJECTIVE: This study focuses on improving ASD and TD classification accuracy with a minimal number of EEG channels. ML and DL models are used with EEG data, including Mu Rhythm from the Sensory Motor Cortex (SMC) for classification. METHODS: Non-linear features in time and frequency domains are extracted and ML …models are applied for classification. The EEG 1D data is transformed into images using Independent Component Analysis-Second Order Blind Identification (ICA-SOBI), Spectrogram, and Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT). RESULTS: Stacking Classifier employed with non-linear features yields precision, recall, F1-score, and accuracy rates of 78%, 79%, 78%, and 78% respectively. Including entropy and fuzzy entropy features further improves accuracy to 81.4%. In addition, DL models, employing SOBI, CWT, and spectrogram plots, achieve precision, recall, F1-score, and accuracy of 75%, 75%, 74%, and 75% respectively. The hybrid model, which combined deep learning features from spectrogram and CWT with machine learning, exhibits prominent improvement, attained precision, recall, F1-score, and accuracy of 94%, 94%, 94%, and 94% respectively. Incorporating entropy and fuzzy entropy features further improved the accuracy to 96.9%. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the potential of ML and DL techniques in improving the classification of ASD and TD individuals, particularly when utilizing a minimal set of EEG channels. Show more
Keywords: Independent component analysis – Second Order Blind Identification (ICA – SOBI), Continuous Wavelet transform (CWT), stacking classifier, hybrid model, spectrogram, electroencephalogram
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240644
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-19, 2024
Authors: K. P, Ajitha Gladis | D, Roja Ramani | N, Mohana Suganthi | P, Linu Babu
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) diseases impact the entire digestive system, spanning from the mouth to the anus. Wireless Capsule Endoscopy (WCE) stands out as an effective analytic instrument for Gastrointestinal tract diseases. Nevertheless, accurately identifying various lesion features, such as irregular sizes, shapes, colors, and textures, remains challenging in this field. OBJECTIVE: Several computer vision algorithms have been introduced to tackle these challenges, but many relied on handcrafted features, resulting in inaccuracies in various instances. METHODS: In this work, a novel Deep SS-Hexa model is proposed which is a combination two different deep …learning structures for extracting two different features from the WCE images to detect various GIT ailment. The gathered images are denoised by weighted median filter to remove the noisy distortions and augment the images for enhancing the training data. The structural and statistical (SS) feature extraction process is sectioned into two phases for the analysis of distinct regions of gastrointestinal. In the first stage, statistical features of the image are retrieved using MobileNet with the support of SiLU activation function to retrieve the relevant features. In the second phase, the segmented intestine images are transformed into structural features to learn the local information. These SS features are parallelly fused for selecting the best relevant features with walrus optimization algorithm. Finally, Deep belief network (DBN) is used classified the GIT diseases into hexa classes namely normal, ulcer, pylorus, cecum, esophagitis and polyps on the basis of the selected features. RESULTS: The proposed Deep SS-Hexa model attains an overall average accuracy of 99.16% in GIT disease detection based on KVASIR and KID datasets. The proposed Deep SS-Hexa model achieves high level of accuracy with minimal computational cost in the recognition of GIT illness. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed Deep SS-Hexa Model progresses the overall accuracy range of 0.04%, 0.80% better than GastroVision, Genetic algorithm based on KVASIR dataset and 0.60%, 1.21% better than Modified U-Net, WCENet based on KID dataset respectively. Show more
Keywords: Gastrointestinal tract, wireless capsule endoscopy, mobile network, structural and statistical features, deep belief network
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240603
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-21, 2024
Authors: Teng, Xiaohuan | Sun, Yanrong | Zhao, Landi | Kang, Yingxian
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: In 2019, approximately 330 million individuals in China were affected by cardiovascular diseases, with 11.4 million cases specifically attributed to coronary artery disease (CAD). A national public health report indicated that the mortality rate for CAD ranged from 121.59 to 130.14 per 100,000 individuals in 2019. The treatments for CAD include lifestyle changes, medications, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the management effect of a digital health program in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: This retrospective study compares …blood pressure, blood glucose, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), medication adherence, lifestyle modification, and readmission rate between digital health users and traditional follow-up in post-PCI CAD patients. RESULTS: In this study of 698 CAD patients, the 6-month readmission rate of all patients was 27.4%, with digital health users showing lower rates than those in traditional follow-up (22.6% vs. 32.1%, p = 0.005). Digital health users had significantly higher target achievements rates in blood pressure (79.7% vs. 54.7%, p < 0.001), blood glucose (98.9% vs. 82.5%, p < 0.001) and LDL-C level (71.3% vs. 52.7%, p < 0.001) at 6-month post-PCI. The digital health group had more patients adopting lifestyle changes, including quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy diet, and exercising regularly. In risk factor analysis, digital health utilization (OR = 0.60, 95%CI: 0.40–0.90, p = 0.014) and multivessel disease (double: OR = 1.72, 95%CI: 1.09—2.72, p = 0.02; triple: OR = 2.59, 95%CI: 1.61–4.17, p < 0.001) were independent predictors of CAD-related cardiovascular readmissions. CONCLUSIONS: Post-PCI patients using digital health platforms exhibited improved blood pressure, glucose, and LDL-C control, greater treatment adherence, enhanced lifestyle changes, and reduced six-month readmission rates versus those with traditional follow-up. Show more
Keywords: Coronary artery disease, PCI, disease management, digital health
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240621
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2024
Authors: Hong, Haisen | Sha, Mo | Chen, Zhangxin | Li, Yanwei | Kang, Liangqi
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Femoral neck fractures, which are fractures occurring from the femoral head to the base of the femoral neck, are prevalent in the elderly population. With the progression of societal aging, the incidence of femoral neck fractures has been steadily increasing, making it a significant global issue that urgently needs to be addressed. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of dynamic hip screw (DHS) with anti-rotation screw and femoral neck system (FNS) internal fixation for the treatment of Garden II–IV type femoral neck fractures. METHODS: A total of 90 patients with Garden …II–IV type femoral neck fractures were randomly assigned to either the control group (n = 45) treated with DHS and anti-rotation screw or the experimental group (n = 45) treated with FNS. Surgical outcomes, including incision size, blood loss, operation time, fluoroscopy frequency, and fracture healing time, were compared. Postoperative complication rates, reoperation rates, Harris scores, and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were also assessed. RESULTS: The experimental group demonstrated significantly reduced incision length, blood loss, operation time, and fluoroscopy frequency compared to the control group (P < 0.01). No significant differences were observed in fracture healing time, Garden classification, or fracture reduction outcomes between the two groups (P > 0.05). At 6 months post-treatment, both groups showed significant improvements in Harris scores and VAS scores compared to pre-treatment (P < 0.05), with no significant differences between the groups (P > 0.05). The rates of internal fixation failure, nonunion, and avascular necrosis of the femoral head, as well as overall incidence of postoperative complications and reoperation rates, showed no significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both DHS with anti-rotation screw and FNS internal fixation demonstrated comparable efficacy and safety profiles in the treatment of Garden II–IV type femoral neck fractures. The experimental group showed advantages in terms of reduced incision length, blood loss, operation time, and fluoroscopy frequency, while maintaining similar clinical outcomes and complication rates. Show more
Keywords: Femoral neck fractures, Garden II–IV classification, dynamic hip screw (DHS), anti-rotation screw, femoral neck system (FNS), internal fixation
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231547
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2024
Authors: Wang, Jing | Yin, Liang
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: More than a million people are affected by brain tumors each year; high-grade gliomas (HGGs) and low-grade gliomas (LGGs) present serious diagnostic and treatment hurdles, resulting in shortened life expectancies. Glioma segmentation is still a significant difficulty in clinical settings, despite improvements in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and diagnostic tools. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have seen recent advancements that offer promise for increasing segmentation accuracy, addressing the pressing need for improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. OBJECTIVE: The study intended to develop an automated glioma segmentation algorithm using CNN to accurately identify tumor components in MRI …images. The goal was to match the accuracy of experienced radiologists with commercial instruments, hence improving diagnostic precision and quantification. METHODS: 285 MRI scans of high-grade gliomas (HGGs) and low-grade gliomas (LGGs) were analyzed in the study. T1-weighted sequences were utilised for segmentation both pre-and post-contrast agent administration, along with T2-weighted sequences (with and without Fluid Attenuation by Inversion Recovery [FAIRE]). The segmentation performance was assessed with a U-Net network, renowned for its efficacy in medical image segmentation. DICE coefficients were computed for the tumour core with contrast enhancement, the entire tumour, and the tumour nucleus without contrast enhancement. RESULTS: The U-Net network produced DICE values of 0.7331 for the tumour core with contrast enhancement, 0.8624 for the total tumour, and 0.7267 for the tumour nucleus without contrast enhancement. The results align with previous studies, demonstrating segmentation accuracy on par with professional radiologists and commercially accessible segmentation tools. CONCLUSION: The study developed a CNN-based automated segmentation system for gliomas, achieving high accuracy in recognising glioma components in MRI images. The results confirm the ability of CNNs to enhance the accuracy of brain tumour diagnoses, suggesting a promising avenue for future research in medical imaging and diagnostics. This advancement is expected to improve diagnostic processes for clinicians and patients by providing more precise and quantitative results. Show more
Keywords: Biomedical imaging, CNN, deep learning, glioma, neuroimages, MRI
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240158
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-18, 2024
Authors: Tian, Wei | Zhang, Sheng | Gao, Yuan | Wang, Yan | Cui, Qianqian
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Irrational pharmacotherapy and increasing pharmacy costs remain major concerns in healthcare systems. Pharmacists are expected to employ diagnosis-related group (DRG) data to analyse inpatient pharmacy utilization. OBJECTIVE: This project aimed to pilot an efficient pharmacist-led programme to analyse factors related to pharmacy expenses, evaluate the rational use of drugs in batch processing, and make further interventions based on DRG data. METHODS: Patients from the OB25 (caesarean section without comorbidities or complications) DRG were selected in 2018, and the most relevant factors were identified through statistical analysis. Interventions were implemented by sending monthly …reports on prescribing data and drug review results for the same DRGs to the department starting in 2019. Pre–post comparisons were conducted to demonstrate changes in pharmacy costs and appropriateness at a tertiary teaching hospital with 2,300 beds in China. RESULTS: A total of 1,110 patients were identified from the OB25 DRG data in 2018. Multivariate linear analysis indicated that the number of items prescribed and wards substantially influenced pharmacy expenditure. Drugs labelled as vital, essential, and non-essential revealed that 46.6% of total pharmacy costs were spent on non-essential drugs, whereas 38.7% were spent on vital drugs. The use of inappropriate pharmaceuticals and drug items was substantially reduced, and the average pharmacy cost after intervention was 336.7 RMB in 2020. The benefit–cost ratio of the programme was 9.86. CONCLUSION: Interventions based on DRG data are highly efficient and feasible for reducing inpatient pharmacy costs and non-essential drug use. Show more
Keywords: Diagnosis-related groups, rational use of drugs, cost savings, prescribing behaviour, pharmacist intervention
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240284
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2024
Authors: Niu, Haiying | He, Huijie | Zhao, Zilong | Lu, Xuemei | Zhao, Gang
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Asthma is a major public health concern due to its persistent inflammation of the airways. The intricate and widely variable epidemiology of asthma among nations and populations is a result of the interplay between genetic, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate whether VitD supplementation can reduce the frequency of exacerbations (including the frequency of exacerbations requiring systemic corticosteroids and the frequency of exacerbations necessitating trips to the hospital or emergency room, or both) and improve pulmonary function (clinical indicators such as the FEV1% predicted value). METHODS: Computers were …used to search Pubmed, Medline, ISI Web of Science, Embase, Cachrane Library, CNKI, CBM, VIP, and the Wanfang Database. Asthma/asthma, VitD/VitD, lung function/lung function, retrieval time is from database setup to October 8, 2021, to search all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effect of VitD on human asthma and to retroactively incorporate references to literature were all included in the search criteria. After rigorous screening, quality evaluation, and data extraction of the included literature by two reviewers independently, heterogeneity tests and sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS: The findings show that a total of 12 relevant studies meeting the inclusion criteria were finally included, including 649 cases in the experimental group and 646 cases in the control group. VitD intervention reduced the number of asthma exacerbations, including the rate of exacerbations requiring systemic corticosteroid therapy and the rate of acute exacerbations requiring emergency department or hospital visits or both. CONCLUSIONS: In the outcome of lung function (FEV1% predicted value), it was shown that VitD supplementation improved lung function; in the outcome of serum 25-hydroxyVitD levels, it was shown that VitD supplementation increased serum 25-hydroxyVitD levels. Show more
Keywords: Asthma, VitD, FEV, lung function, 25-hydroxyVitD
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231462
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-24, 2024
Authors: Wu, Qian | Zang, Ruiqi | Zhang, Yong
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is an important process in women’s life, which is widely concerned by women. In recent years, the incidence of premature delivery (PTD) becomes more and more higher due to the development of auxiliary reproduction and ovulation induction technologies and the changes of pregnant women’s lifestyle and physical quality. PTD not only affects postpartum recovery and causes great physical pains, but it also has adverse effects on the birth state of neonates and even leads to neonatal death OBJECTIVE: The predictive values of cervix length (CL) measurement based on transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) and pathological examination …of placenta for premature delivery (PTD) were investigated and the correlation between PTD and infection was analyzed. METHODS: 120 pregnant women with PTD or high-risk factors for PTD admitted to The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University between February 2020 and March 2022 were included as the subjects and underwent pathological examination of placenta and TVUS for CL measurement. The final gestational age was set as the standard for the evaluation on the predictive values of pathological examination of placenta and TVUS. What’s more, 36 subjects in PTD group and 84 in normal delivery group (control group) underwent pathological examination of placenta for the analysis of the correlation between PTD and infection. RESULTS: The joint inspection method showed significantly better sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV compared to single CL or pathological examination of the placenta (P < 0.05). Among pregnant women, those with CL ⩽ 30 mm and positive placental pathology had a higher proportion compared to those with CL > 30 mm and negative placental pathology (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the incidence of Ureaplasma Urealyticum (UU), Chlamydia Trachomatis (CT), and Chorioamnionitis (CA) in vaginal discharge of the preterm delivery (PTD) group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The combination of CL ⩽ 30 mm and positive placental pathology could effectively predict PTD and placental infection was notably correlated with the occurrence of PTD. Show more
Keywords: Transvaginal ultrasonography, cervix length, pathological examination of placenta, premature delivery, infection
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240079
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-13, 2024
Authors: Pélissier, Léna | Beraud, Duane | Pereira, Bruno | Couret, Alexis | Isacco, Laurie | Thivel, David
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Exploring the independent effect of mechanical discharge in response to weight loss (WL) seems necessary but remains highly challenging from a methodological point. Anti-gravity treadmills could be relevant to simulate a mechanical WL by body weight support (BWS), but their reliability remains unclear to properly explore exercise energy metabolism, especially at low degrees of alleviations. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of an anti-gravity treadmill to generate BWS, and the reproducibility of cardiometabolic responses to an exercise performed at low degrees of BWS on this device. METHODS: Observed …BWS of 18 normal-weight males was obtained twice at seven degrees of target BWS (i.e., 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18%) using a digital scale inside the anti-gravity treadmill, and was compared to the expected BWS. Then, 15 of them performed 5-min bout of low-intensity walking exercise at these degrees of BWS in a randomized order, separated by 4-min rest. The exercise was identically repeated on three occasions separated by a minimum of 3 days. Energy metabolism and heart rate (HR) were measured throughout the exercise by indirect calorimetry and a HR monitor, respectively. RESULTS: The observed BWS were significantly different from the expected BWS (p < 0.001), and there was a high inter- and intra-individual variability in BWS generated by the anti-gravity treadmill. Results showed an overall good reliability of VO2 (intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) values ranging from 0.67 to 0.85) and HR (ICC > 0.8) in response to exercise. An effect of the degree of BWS was observed for VO2 (p < 0.001), illustrating reduced values at 15% and 18% of BWS compared to 0, 3, and 6%. CONCLUSIONS: Such device might not be adapted to simulate low degrees of WL in normal-weight males, particularly when it comes to the exploration of energy metabolism. Show more
Keywords: Lower-body positive pressure, accuracy, alleviation, exercise, energy metabolism
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240314
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-16, 2024
Authors: MA, Sreema | A, Jayachandran | Perumal T, Sudarson Rama
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Segmentation of retinal fragments like blood vessels, Optic Disc (OD), and Optic Cup (OC) enables the early detection of different retinal pathologies like Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), Glaucoma, etc. OBJECTIVE: Accurate segmentation of OD remains challenging due to blurred boundaries, vessel occlusion, and other distractions and limitations. These days, deep learning is rapidly progressing in the segmentation of image pixels, and a number of network models have been proposed for end-to-end image segmentation. However, there are still certain limitations, such as limited ability to represent context, inadequate feature processing, limited receptive field, etc., which lead to …the loss of local details and blurred boundaries. METHODS: A multi-dimensional dense attention network, or MDDA-Net, is proposed for pixel-wise segmentation of OD in retinal images in order to address the aforementioned issues and produce more thorough and accurate segmentation results. In order to acquire powerful contexts when faced with limited context representation capabilities, a dense attention block is recommended. A triple-attention (TA) block is introduced in order to better extract the relationship between pixels and obtain more comprehensive information, with the goal of addressing the insufficient feature processing. In the meantime, a multi-scale context fusion (MCF) is suggested for acquiring the multi-scale contexts through context improvement. RESULTS: Specifically, we provide a thorough assessment of the suggested approach on three difficult datasets. In the MESSIDOR and ORIGA data sets, the suggested MDDA-NET approach obtains accuracy levels of 99.28% and 98.95%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The experimental results show that the MDDA-Net can obtain better performance than state-of-the-art deep learning models under the same environmental conditions. Show more
Keywords: Deep learning, dense prediction networks, fundus images, segmentation
DOI: 10.3233/THC-230310
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-18, 2024
Authors: Tu, Jin-Peng | Shi, Xiao-Feng | Wang, Hui | Zhao, Jie | Wang, Xin | Mo, Chun-Bai | Song, Wen-Li
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Renal failure is one of the most common chronic complications of diabetes. Simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK) is considered the preferred treatment for individuals with diabetes and chronic renal failure. This procedure has demonstrated efficacy in enhancing the quality of life for patients and minimizing the complications associated with diabetes. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we analyzed the incidence and safety of complications in different thrombosis prevention techniques post simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK). METHODS: Patients who underwent SPK between January 2019 and December 2022 were selectively categorized into two groups: the heparin group and the …non-heparin group depending on the utilization of low molecular weight heparin. The occurrence of complications and clinical outcomes were subsequently calculated in each group. RESULTS: In this study, we included a total of 58 recipients who underwent SPK, with 36 in the heparin group and 22 in the non-heparin group. Among the 58 participants, there were 3 cases of pancreatic thrombosis complications, with 2 cases (5.6%) in the heparin group and 1 case (4.6%) in the non-heparin group, and the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Regarding gastrointestinal bleeding, there were 17 cases out of the total 58 patients, with 14 cases (38.9%) in the heparin group and 3 cases (13.6%) in the non-heparin group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: After surgery, the use of low molecular weight heparin anticoagulation may increase the likelihood of experiencing gastrointestinal bleeding. Prior to the surgery, a comprehensive evaluation of the coagulation status and medical history of the patient should be performed, enabling stratification of risks involved. Based on this assessment, either low-molecular-weight heparin or aspirin should be selected as a preventive measure against thrombosis. Show more
Keywords: Heparin, simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK), thrombosis
DOI: 10.3233/THC-232037
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2024
Authors: Zheng, Yanhua | Ren, Ruilin | Zuo, Teng | Chen, Xuan | Li, Hanxuan | Xie, Cheng | Weng, Meiling | He, Chunxiao | Xu, Min | Wang, Lili | Li, Nainong | Li, Xiaofan
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Diagnostic challenges exist for CMV pneumonia in post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (post-HSCT) patients, despite early-phase radiographic changes. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to employ a deep learning model distinguishing CMV pneumonia from COVID-19 pneumonia, community-acquired pneumonia, and normal lungs post-HSCT. METHODS: Initially, 6 neural network models were pre-trained with COVID-19 pneumonia, community-acquired pneumonia, and normal lung CT images from Kaggle’s COVID multiclass dataset (Dataset A), then Dataset A was combined with the CMV pneumonia images from our center, forming Dataset B. We use a few-shot transfer learning strategy to fine-tune the pre-trained models and evaluate …model performance in Dataset B. RESULTS: 34 cases of CMV pneumonia were found between January 2018 and December 2022 post-HSCT. Dataset A contained 1681 images of each subgroup from Kaggle. Combined with Dataset A, Dataset B was initially formed by 98 images of CMV pneumonia and normal lung. The optimal model (Xception) achieved an accuracy of 0.9034. Precision, recall, and F1-score all reached 0.9091, with an AUC of 0.9668 in the test set of Dataset B. CONCLUSIONS: This framework demonstrates the deep learning model’s ability to distinguish rare pneumonia types utilizing a small volume of CT images, facilitating early detection of CMV pneumonia post-HSCT. Show more
Keywords: Cytomegalovirus pneumonia, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, imaging diagnosis, deep learning, transfer learning
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240597
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-12, 2024
Authors: Khaleel Sallam Ma’aitah, Mohammad | Helwan, Abdulkader
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Deep learning has demonstrated superior performance over traditional methods for the estimation of heart rates in controlled contexts. However, in less controlled scenarios this performance seems to vary based on the training dataset and the architecture of the deep learning models. OBJECTIVES: In this paper, we develop a deep learning-based model leveraging the power of 3D convolutional neural networks (3DCNN) to extract temporal and spatial features that lead to an accurate heart rates estimation from RGB no pre-defined region of interest (ROI) videos. METHODS: We propose a 3D DenseNet with a 3D …temporal transition layer for the estimation of heart rates from a large-scale dataset of videos that appear more hospital-like and real-life than other existing facial video-based datasets. RESULTS: Experimentally, our model was trained and tested on this less controlled dataset and showed heart rate estimation performance with root mean square error (RMSE) of 8.68 BPM and mean absolute error (MAE) of 3.34 BPM. CONCLUSION: Moreover, we show that such a model can also achieve better results than the state-of-the-art models when tested on the VIPL-HR public dataset. Show more
Keywords: Heart rate, deep learning, rPPG, 3D convolutional neural networks, no pre-defined region of interest (ROI)
DOI: 10.3233/THC-241104
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-12, 2024
Authors: Quan, Wentao | Guo, Xudong | Cui, Haipo | Luo, Linlaisheng | Li, Mengyun
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Multi-channel acquisition systems of brain neural signals can provide a powerful tool with a wide range of information for the clinical application of brain computer interfaces. High-throughput implantable systems are limited by size and power consumption, posing challenges to system design. OBJECTIVE: To acquire more comprehensive neural signals and wirelessly transmit high-throughput brain neural signals, a FPGA-based acquisition system for multi-channel brain nerve signals has been developed. And the Bluetooth transmission with low-power technology are utilized. METHODS: To wirelessly transmit large amount of data with limited Bluetooth bandwidth and improve the accuracy …of neural signal decoding, an improved sharing run length encoding (SRLE) is proposed to compress the spike data of brain neural signal to improve the transmission efficiency of the system. The functional prototype has been developed, which consists of multi-channel data acquisition chips, FPGA main control module with the improved SRLE, a wireless data transmitter, a wireless data receiver and an upper computer. And the developed functional prototype was tested for spike detection of brain neural signal by animal experiments. RESULTS: From the animal experiments, it shows that the system can successfully collect and transmit brain nerve signals. And the improved SRLE algorithm has an excellent compression effect with the average compression rate of 5.94%, compared to the double run-length encoding, the FDR encoding, and the traditional run-length encoding. CONCLUSION: The developed system, incorporating the improved SRLE algorithm, is capable of wirelessly capturing spike signals with 1024 channels, thereby realizing the implantable systems of High-throughput brain neural signals. Show more
Keywords: Brain nerve signal, wireless transmission, multi-channel system, improved SRLE, compression ratio
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231401
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-12, 2024
Authors: Čehić, Ermin | Cerovac, Anis | Zulović, Tarik | Begić, Edin
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Thanks to modern methods of assisted reproduction (ART), parenthood has become an attainable goal for couples in which the male partner has experienced spinal cord injury (SCI). OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to determine the success of the treatment of infertile patients with SCI with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of cryopreserved sperm obtained by the testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) procedure. METHODS: In this retrospective study 156 infertile couples were included, in which the male partner is primarily infertile due to azoospermia. Infertile couples were divided into two groups. The first …group (n = 82) includes men with SCI, and the second (n = 74) men with obstructive azoospermia (OA) as the cause of infertility. All infertile men were examined and processed in the diagnostic procedure, and based on the urological findings, surgical extraction of sperm from the testicles was indicated. Exclusion criteria were the age of women over 40 and men over 45. RESULTS: We found that the quality of sperm was worse in the group with SCI, compared to the group with OA, but without statistical significance. Zenica and Johnsen score (p = 0.001; p = 0.000) showed worse semen characteristics in the group with SCI. There were no significant differences in the average number of embryos (p = 0.698), pregnancy rates per cycle (p = 0.979) and pregnancy rates per embrio transfer (ET), clinical pregnancy rates per ET (p = 0.987) and delivery rates per ET (p = 0.804) in couples with SCI, compared to couples with OA. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this research, the TESA and ICSI procedures can be recommended as a successful method in the treatment of male infertility caused by azoospermia due to SCI. Show more
Keywords: Azoospermia, male, pregnancy rate, sperm motility, sperm retrieval, spinal cord injuries
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240518
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2024
Authors: K, Gayathri | N, Uma Maheswari | R, Venkatesh | B, Ganesh Prabu
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The left ventricle segmentation (LVS) is crucial to the assessment of cardiac function. Globally, cardiovascular disease accounts for the majority of deaths, posing a significant health threat. In recent years, LVS has gained important attention due to its ability to measure vital parameters such as myocardial mass, end-diastolic volume, and ejection fraction. Medical professionals realize that manually segmenting data to evaluate these processes takes a lot of time, effort when diagnosing heart diseases. Yet, manually segmenting these images is labour-intensive and may reduce diagnostic accuracy. OBJECTIVE/METHODS: This paper, propose a combination of different deep neural networks for …semantic segmentation of the left ventricle based on Tri-Convolutional Networks (Tri-ConvNets) to obtain highly accurate segmentation. CMRI images are initially pre-processed to remove noise artefacts and enhance image quality, then ROI-based extraction is done in three stages to accurately identify the LV. The extracted features are given as input to three different deep learning structures for segmenting the LV in an efficient way. The contour edges are processed in the standard ConvNet, the contour points are processed using Fully ConvNet and finally the noise free images are converted into patches to perform pixel-wise operations in ConvNets. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: The proposed Tri-ConvNets model achieves the Jaccard indices of 0.9491 ± 0.0188 for the sunny brook dataset and 0.9497 ± 0.0237 for the York dataset, and the dice index of 0.9419 ± 0.0178 for the ACDC dataset and 0.9414 ± 0.0247 for LVSC dataset respectively. The experimental results also reveal that the proposed Tri-ConvNets model is faster and requires minimal resources compared to state-of-the-art models. Show more
Keywords: Left ventricle, convolutional neural networks, deep learning, region of interest, MRI
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240062
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-23, 2024
Authors: Lu, Jieting | Sun, Xiaoling | Zhang, Yun
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Nursing management considers nursing quality management at its core. Evaluation indexes of nursing quality not only control nursing quality, measure work enthusiasm, and judge the difference in nursing levels but also help nurses accurately understand the satisfaction degree of patients. OBJECTIVE: To analyze pediatric tumor nursing quality evaluation indexes and establish a scientific and rigorous index system of children’s nursing quality. METHODS: Based on the “structure-process-result” in this study, the Delphi method was used to carry out questionnaire investigations and opinion collection for domestic experts in pediatrics, pediatric oncology internal medicine, and pediatric oncology …surgical care and clinical aspects two times. In addition, the Kendall coordination coefficient and analytic hierarchy process were used to determine the content of indicators at all levels, set the weight, and finally establish the quality index system of pediatric tumor nursing. RESULTS: The response rate of 27 experts in the first round of the questionnaire was 100%, Ca0.77, Cs,0.73, Cr0.75, and the W value of the expert coordination coefficient was 0.315. In the second round of 27 expert consultations, the reply rate was 96%, Ca0.81, Cs0.80, Cr0.805, and the specialist coordination coefficient W value was 0.369. After two rounds of consultation, the importance evaluation scores of each indicator ranged from 3.31 to 4.88 and 3.29 to 5.00, respectively, and more than 94.7% of the indicators’ importance evaluation scores were higher than 3.50. Finally, 3 Level-1 indicators, 12 Level-2 indicators, and 54 Level-3 indicators are established. CONCLUSION: This study has established a simple, comprehensive, and scientific quality index system for pediatric tumor nursing, highlighted the characteristics of pediatric tumor nursing, and provided an evaluation system for specialized nursing of pediatric tumors to more standardized pediatric tumor nursing and contribute to the sustainable and scientific development of pediatric tumor nursing. Show more
Keywords: Pediatric tumor, tumor nursing, quality indexes, Delphi method, health care, semi-structured interview method, oncology nurses
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240252
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2024
Authors: Wang, Zuoshan | Wang, Shilin | Wang, Manya | Sun, Yan
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Healthcare is crucial to patient care because it provides vital services for maintaining and restoring health. As healthcare technology evolves, cutting-edge tools facilitate faster diagnosis and more effective patient treatment. In the present age of pandemics, the Internet of Things (IoT) offers a potential solution to the problem of patient safety monitoring by creating a massive quantity of data about the patient through the linked devices around them and then analyzing it to estimate the patient’s current status. Utilizing the IoT-based meta-heuristic algorithm allows patients to be remotely monitored, resulting in timely diagnosis and improved care. Meta-heuristic algorithms …are successful, resilient, and effective in solving real-world enhancement, clustering, predicting, and grouping. Healthcare organizations need an efficient method for dealing with big data since the prevalence of such data makes it challenging to analyze for diagnosis. The current techniques used in medical diagnostics have limitations due to imbalanced data and the overfitting issue. OBJECTIVE: This study introduces the particle swarm optimization and convolutional neural network to be used as a meta-heuristic optimization method for extensive data analysis in the IoT to monitor patients’ health conditions. METHOD: Particle Swarm Optimization is used to optimize the data used in the study. Information for a diabetes diagnosis model that includes cardiac risk forecasting is collected. Particle Swarm Optimization and Convolutional Neural Networks (PSO-CNN) results effectively make illness predictions. Support Vector Machine has been used to predict the possibility of a heart attack based on the classification of the collected data into projected abnormal and normal ranges for diabetes. RESULTS: The results of the simulations reveal that the PSO-CNN model used to predict diabetic disease increased in accuracy by 92.6%, precision by 92.5%, recall by 93.2%, F1-score by 94.2%, and quantization error by 4.1%. CONCLUSION: The suggested approach could be applied to identify cancer cells. Show more
Keywords: Healthcare, disease diagnosis, meta-heuristic algorithm, IoT, patient monitoring, Particle Swarm Optimization, convolutional neural network, diabetes, cardiac risk forecasting, support vector machine, cancer cells
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231755
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-21, 2024
Authors: Cai, Zhuhua | Guo, Xueke | Zheng, Ge | Xiang, Junmiao | Liu, Lingyun | Lin, Dongmei | Deng, Xiaohui
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α ) have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, specifically recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). These elevated levels may be associated with the presence of autoantibodies. Although TNF-α inhibitors have shown promise in improving pregnancy rates, further research is needed to comprehend their impact and mechanisms in RPL patients. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the association between elevated TNF-α levels and autoantibodies in RPL patients, as well as evaluate the effect of TNF-α inhibition on pregnancy outcomes. …METHODS: A total of 249 RPL patients were included in this study. Serum levels of TNF-α , autoantibodies, and complement were measured and monitored. Among these patients, 138 tested positive for TNF-α , while 111 tested negative. The medical records of these patients were retrospectively evaluated. Additionally, 102 patients with elevated TNF-α levels were treated with TNF-α inhibitors, and their pregnancy outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: TNF-α -positive RPL patients had higher levels of complement C1q, anti-cardiolipin (ACL)-IgA, ACL-IgM ,ACL-IgG, thyroglobulin antibody, and Anti-phosphatidylserine/prothrombin IgM antibody, as well as a higher positive rate of antinuclear antibodies compared to TNF-α -negative patients (23.19% vs. 12.6%, P < 0.05). Conversely, complement C3 were lower in TNF-α -positive patients (t test, P < 0.05). The use of TNF-α inhibitors led to a reduction in the early abortion rate (13.7% vs. 44.4%, P < 0.001) and an improvement in term delivery rate (52.0% vs. 27.8%, P = 0.012). Furthermore, patients who used TNF-α inhibitors before 5 weeks of pregnancy had a lower early abortion rate (7.7% vs. 24.3%, P = 0.033) and a higher term delivery rate (69.2% vs. 48.6%, P = 0.033). CONCLUSION: TNF-α plays a role in the occurrence and development of RPL, and its expression is closely associated with autoantibodies and complements. TNF-α inhibitors increase the term delivery rate in TNF-α -positive RPL patients, and their use before 5 weeks of pregnancy may more beneficial. Show more
Keywords: Antinuclear antibodies, anti-phospholipid antibodies, estrogen, human chorionic gonadotropin, pregnancy, pregnancy outcome, tumor necrosis factor
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240757
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2024
Authors: Gao, Peng | Chen, Lijun | He, Linbo | Lei, Jiang | Luo, Menglu | Gu, Li
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disease globally, characterized by obstructive ventilatory disorder under pulmonary function tests. Recent years have witnessed a yearly increase in the prevalence of COPD. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of respiratory virus infections on patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), and to perform sequencing typing and mutation analysis of viruses with high detection rate. METHODS: A total of 1523 inpatients with AECOPD admitted to our hospital from April 1,2020 to March 30,2022 were collected and divided into two groups: the …infected group (n = 532) and the non-infected group (n = 991). The related indexes between the two groups were collected and compared (including clinical characteristics and laboratory tests that blood cell count, PCT, CRP, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, influenza A virus, influenza B virus, etc.). RESULTS: In the infected group, the proportion of patients with palpitations (49.44% VS 8.07%, P < 0.001), lipid metabolism abnormalities (18.42% VS 39.96%, P < 0.001), heart failure (39.85% VS 29.87%, P < 0.001), disease duration (17.48 ± 7.47 VS 12.45 ± 11.43 d, P < 0.001), and poor prognosis (69.55% VS 17.15%, P < 0.001) were higher than those in the non-infected group; Adenovirus (ADV) accounted for 75.94% (404/532) of all infected viruses. 31 virus strains could be categorized into 16 ADV-C1, one ADV-C5, two ADV-B3, three ADV-B7, two ADV-D17, two ADV-D19, and five ADV-D27, which were similar to the serotypes reported in severe pneumonia. Furthermore, three strains of C1 adenovirus were found to be highly homologous to the original strain AF534906 by sequencing, and the phylogenetic trees of the three main structural genes were all on the same branch as the original strain. Base mutations and amino acid variants were found in each structural gene segment. In clinical data, it’s found that patients with mutations are worse than those without mutations. CONCLUSION: Respiratory viruses are common in patients with poor prognosis of AECOPD, especially adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus. Respiratory virus infections will lead to the deterioration of patients with AECOPD, accompanied by longer treatment cycles and poor prognosis. Show more
Keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory virus infections, genotyping
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240010
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-19, 2024
Authors: H, Summia Parveen | S, Karthik | R, Sabitha
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Early pregnancy thyroid function assessment in mothers is covered. The benefits of using load-specific reference ranges are well-established. OBJECTIVE: We pondered whether the categorization of maternal thyroid function would change if multiple blood samples obtained early in pregnancy were used. Even though binary classification is a common goal of current disease diagnosis techniques, the data sets are small, and the outcomes are not validated. Most current approaches concentrate on model optimization, focusing less on feature engineering. METHODS: The suggested method can predict increased protein binding, non-thyroid syndrome (NTIS) (simultaneous non-thyroid disease), autoimmune …thyroiditis (compensated hypothyroidism), and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (primary hypothyroidism). In this paper, we develop an automatic thyroid nodule classification system using a multi-scale vision transformer and image enhancement. Graph equalization is the chosen technique for image enhancement, and in our experiments, we used neural networks with four-layer network nodes. This work presents an enhanced linguistic coverage neuro-fuzzy classifier with chosen features for thyroid disease feature selection diagnosis. The training procedure is optimized, and a multi-scale vision transformer network is employed. Each hop connection in Dense Net now has trainable weight parameters, altering the architecture. Images of thyroid nodules from 508 patients make up the data set for this article. Sets of 80% training and 20% validation and 70% training and 30% validation are created from the data. Simultaneously, we take into account how the number of training iterations, network structure, activation function of network nodes, and other factors affect the classification outcomes. RESULTS: According to the experimental results, the best number of training iterations is 500, the logistic function is the best activation function, and the ideal network structure is 2500-40-2-1. CONCLUSION: K-fold validation and performance comparison with previous research validate the suggested methodology’s enhanced effectiveness. Show more
Keywords: Maternal thyroid disease, multi-scale vision transformer, improved linguistic hedges, neural-fuzzy classifier
DOI: 10.3233/THC-240362
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-22, 2024
Authors: Hsiao, Min-Chien | Yen, Yu-Chun | Wang, Chun-Hsiang | Chen, Yen-Nien | Wang, Shun-Ping | Su, Kuo-Chih
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: To avoid risks of mucosal infection from contact lenses removal, a contact lens plunger is often used. OBJECTIVE: Given various types of contact lens plungers available on the market, no study has yet been done on mechanical effects of the contact lens plunger on contact lens removal. Here, this study used finite element analysis to investigate the effects of plunger size and plunger position on the removal of soft and rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses. METHODS: First, we established finite element analysis models for the plunger, contact lens, cornea, and aqueous …humor. The plunger is made of mostly silicone rubber, and the contact lenses are mainly made of soft and hard material. The part of the plunger used for removal was located either at the central or the edged position, with pulling 1 mm distance. The main parameters observation indicators of in this study were the reaction force at the fixed end of the cornea, aqueous humor, the von Mises stress of the plunger, the contact lenses, and the cornea. RESULTS: Results of this study showed that when a plunger of a larger diameter was used, the reaction force of the plunger was also larger, especially when applied to RGP lenses, which required a slightly larger force (∼ 0.27 N). Also, when removing a RGP lens from the edge, there was a greater stress at the edge of the contact lens (2.5799 MPa), and this caused a higher stress on both the cornea (0.0165 MPa) and the aqueous humor (0.00114 MPa). CONCLUSIONS: When using a plunger with a larger diameter to remove a RGP lens, although a larger force required, the relatively larger contact area likely reduced the stress on the cornea and aqueous humor, thereby reducing the risk of eye injury. In addition, when removing a RGP lens, the results of this study recommended it to be removed from the plunger edge, as that facilitated the removal of contact lens. Show more
Keywords: Plunger design, contact lenses, finite element analysis, biomechanics
DOI: 10.3233/THC-231983
Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-13, 2024
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