Technology and Health Care - Volume Pre-press, issue Pre-press

Authors: Begić, Edin | Aziri, Buena | Omeragić, Elma | Medjedović, Edin | Iglica, Amer | Stanetić, Bojan | Kovačević-Preradović, Tamara | Živanović, Željko | Begić, Amra | Janković, Slobodan | Mlačo, Nejra | Mladenović, Zorica | Badnjević, Almir

Article Type: Review Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Heat-not-burn (HNB) technology by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been classified as a modified risk tobacco product, which can be a better option for those populations who cannot give up the habit of smoking. The outlook on the effects of these products is quite controversial in the scientific world. OBJECTIVE: To present the effect of HNB tobacco products on the cardiovascular system, with reference to the existence of possible benefits of the technology. METHODS: The literature search was conducted in PubMed/Medline, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and …ClinicalTrials.gov databases, with reliance on a well-defined guiding research statement. Quality appraisal was performed using the CASP checklist for randomized controlled trials. RESULTS: The search of three databases identified 167 records, and after selection process, 25 randomized controlled trials were eligible for our study’s criteria. Twenty studies investigated the effects of HNB products on biomarkers of clinical relevance. Five studies evaluated other functional heart parameters rather than biomarkers. CONCLUSION: With HNB tobacco products, significant reductions were found in biomarkers of exposure and biological effect related to pathways involved in cardiovascular disease, including inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, platelet function, and endothelial dysfunction. Show more

Keywords: Tobacco products, nicotine delivery devices, cardiovascular system, risk, parameters

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220677

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-16, 2023

Authors: Shu, Yan | Li, Ling | Shu, Fanglian | Wei, Yanhong | Zhang, Li | Zhou, You

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Foot drop is one of the most common complications after stroke. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the role of an adjustable medical foot support pillow in preventing foot drop and improving the lower limb function of patients after stroke. METHODS: A total of 88 patients with strokes admitted to our hospital from September 2019 to September 2020 were selected and categorised into the control (n = 44) and intervention groups (n = 44) using a random number table. The control group received routine rehabilitation …nursing, while the intervention group adopted a self-made adjustable medical foot support pillow based on routine rehabilitation nursing. After four weeks, the simplified Fugl Meyer Assessment (FMA) and the modified activities of daily living (ADL) scales were used to measure the ankle range of motion of the lower limbs. The lower limb motor function, ADL, and ankle mobility before and after treatment, as well as the incidence of foot ptosis, were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After the procedure, the intervention group was superior to the control group in the FMA score of the lower extremities, ADL score, and ankle joint mobility in the lower limbs, indicating statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). The incidence rate of foot drop was lower in the intervention group than in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The adjustable medical foot support pillow can prevent foot drop in patients after stroke, improve lower limb function, provide a favourable basis for walking training, and improve the ADL of patients. Show more

Keywords: Stroke, foot drop, rehabilitation, mobility limitation, rehabilitation

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220462

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2022

Authors: Keser, Merve | Gulnar, Burak | Baser, Baris

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Transverse maxillary deficiency is one of the most common skeletal anomalies. The incidence of posterior crossbite caused by maxillary deficiency is between 2.7% and 23.3%. Unilateral posterior crossbite is more common than bilateral crossbite. The most common treatment for skeletal posterior crossbite is rapid maxillary expansion (RME), in which the base of the maxillary bone is expanded by separating the midpalatal suture. OBJECTIVE: This study compares the biomechanical effects of three different RME appliances, especially the effects on the midline, and evaluates the usability of the modified asymmetric RME (ARME) appliance for treating unilateral crossbites. …METHODS: Three scenarios were created with skull models using three different appliances: (1) conventional-bonded RME appliance; (2) full-cap splint RME appliance, with all teeth covered with acrylic; and (3) ARME, with all teeth on the right side and premolars and molars on the left side covered with acrylic. The finite element method was used to assess stress levels and displacements in all models after applying a 5-mm horizontal displacement to the RME screw. RESULTS: The lateral transverse movement of the first molars was greater with the conventional RME appliance than with the full-cap splint RME appliance. The lateral transverse movement of the first molar was greater on the left than on the right side with the ARME. The lateral transverse movement of the central incisors was greater with the full-cap splint RME appliance than with the conventional RME appliance. The lateral transverse movement of the central incisor was greater on the right than on the left side with the ARME. CONCLUSION: Asymmetrical RME appliance increases unilateral expansion compared to other appliances. Therefore, it should be used in cases of unilateral posterior crossbite. This appliance can also successfully treat posterior crossbite with upper midline deviation, since it corrects the shifted midline. Show more

Keywords: Asymmetrical RME appliance, finite element method, rapid maxillary expansion

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220538

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-12, 2022

Authors: Liu, Shuai | Chen, Ruili | Gu, Yun | Yu, Qiong | Su, Guoxiong | Ren, Yanjiao | Huang, Lan | Zhou, Fengfeng

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Acne is a skin lesion type widely existing in adolescents, and poses computational challenges for automatic diagnosis. Computer vision algorithms are utilized to detect and determine different subtypes of acne. Most of the existing acne detection algorithms are based on the facial natural images, which carry noisy factors like illuminations. OBJECTIVE: In order to tackle this issue, this study collected a dataset ACNEDer of dermoscopic acne images with annotations. Deep learning methods have demonstrated powerful capabilities in automatic acne diagnosis, and they usually release the training epoch with the best performance as the delivered model. …METHODS: This study proposes a novel self-ensemble and stacking-based framework AcneTyper for diagnosing the acne subtypes. Instead of delivering the best epoch, AcneTyper consolidates the prediction results of all training epochs as the latent features and stacks the best subset of these latent features for distinguishing different acne subtypes. RESULTS: The proposed AcneTyper framework achieves a promising detection performance of acne subtypes and even outperforms a clinical dermatologist with two-year experiences by 6.8% in accuracy. CONCLUSION: The method we proposed is used to determine different subtypes of acne and outperforms inexperienced dermatologists and contributes to reducing the probability of misdiagnosis. Show more

Keywords: Acne subtype, deep learning, self-ensemble, stacking, classification

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220295

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-17, 2022

Authors: Jiang, Runxue | Li, Zhi | Wang, Xia | Cai, Haifeng | Wu, Shouling | Chen, Shuohua | Hu, Hailong

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of developing several types of cancer in humans; however, its effect on the development of kidney cancer is not uniform. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components and the risk of developing kidney cancer. METHODS: We conducted a cohort-based case-control study. The case group included 217 patients with new kidney cancer in the Kailuan cohort. A total of 868 subjects who were matched for age and sex with those in the case group age (± 1 year) at 1:4 …as the control group were selected from baseline survey participants without malignant tumours at the same time as the case group. Biennial baseline survey data of the cases and controls were collected, and the baseline data nearest to the onset time of cases were used for statistical analyses. Logistic proportional risk regression models were used to analyse the association between MetS and its components and the risk of developing kidney cancer. RESULTS: The proportion of MetS patients in the case group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01). The risk of developing kidney cancer was significantly higher in the MetS group than in the non-MetS group [odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval, CI) = 1.63 (1.20–2.21)], and the risk of kidney cancer increased as the number of MetS components increased compared with subjects without any MetS components (p 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑑 < 0.01). Elevated blood pressure and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were associated with the risk of kidney cancer [OR (95% CI) = 1.49 (1.02–2.17) and 1.55 (1.13–2.13), respectively]. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the risk of developing kidney cancer is correlated with MetS. Show more

Keywords: Kidney cancer, metabolic syndrome, case-control study, Kailuan Study

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220482

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2022

Authors: Tian, Xiufen | Zheng, Juan | Luo, Yuanyuan | Wei, Chengshi | Ma, Jing | Wang, Dawei | Li, Keyi

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: DNA methylation plays a vital role as an epigenetic change that contributes to chronic periodontitis. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to integrate two methylation datasets (GSE173081 and GSE59962) and two gene expression datasets (GSE10334 and GES16134) to identify abnormally methylated differentially expressed genes related to chronic periodontitis. METHODS: Differentially methylated genes were obtained. Functional enrichment analysis of DMGs was performed. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using STRING and Cytoscape software. Finally, the hub genes were selected from the PPI network by using CytoHubba. RESULTS: In total, 122 hypomethylated …and highly expressed genes were enriched in the biological mechanisms that are involved in the differentiation of extracellular matrix organization, extracellular structure organization, and cell chemotaxis. The three selected hub genes of the PPI network were IL1B, KDR, and MMP9. A total of 122 hypermethylated and lowly expressed genes were identified, and biological processes, such as cornification, epidermis development, skin development, and keratinocyte differentiation were enriched. CDSN DSG1, and KRT2 were identified as the top 3 hub genes of the PPI network. CONCLUSION: Based on the comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, six hub genes (IL1B, KDR, MMP9, CDSN DSG1, and KRT2) were associated with chronic periodontitis. Our findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying epigenetic changes in chronic periodontitis. Show more

Keywords: Periodontitis, methylation, transcription, bioinformatic analysis, protein-protein interaction, hub genes

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220137

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-12, 2022

Authors: Lee, Ye Ji | Lee, Hyun Ju | Tae, Ki Sik

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Non-invasive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) uses an electroencephalogram (EEG) to obtain information on brain neural activity. Because EEG can be contaminated by various artifacts during the collection process, it has primarily evolved into motor imagery (MI) with a low risk of contamination. However, MI has a disadvantage in that accurate data is difficult to obtain. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine which motor imagery and movement execution (ME) of the knee has the best classification performance. METHODS: Ten subjects were selected to provide MI and ME data for four different …types of knee exercise. The experiment was conducted to keep the left, right, and both knees extend or bend for five seconds, and there was a five seconds break between each movement. Each motion was performed 20 times and the MI was carried out in the same protocol. Motions were classified through a modified model of the Lenet-5 of CNN (Convolution Neural Network). RESULTS: The deep learning data was classified, and a study discovered that ME (98.91%) could be classified significantly more accurately than MI (98.37%) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: If future studies on other body movements are conducted, we anticipate that BCI can be further developed to be more accurate. And such advancements in BCI can be used to facilitate the patient’s communication by analyzing the user’s movement intention. These results can also be used for various controls such as robots using a combination of MI and ME. Show more

Keywords: Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), electroencephalogram (EEG), motor imagery (MI), movement execution (ME), deep learning

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220363

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2022

Authors: Abgeena, | Garg, Shruti

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Recognising emotions in humans is a great challenge in the present era and has several applications under affective computing. Deep learning (DL) found a success tool for predict for emotions in different modalities. OBJECTIVE: To predict 3D emotions with high accuracy in multichannel physiological signals, i.e. electroencephalogram (EEG). METHODS: A hybrid DL model consist of CNN and GRU is proposed in this work for emotion recognition in EEG recordings. A convolution neural network (CNN) has the capability of learning abstract representation, whereas gated recurrent units (GRU) have the capability of exploring temporal …correlation. A bi-directional variation of GRU is used here to learn features in both directions. Discrete and dimensional emotion indices are recognised in two publicly available datasets namely SEED and DREAMER, respectively. A fused feature of energy and Shannon entropy ( 𝐸𝑛𝑆𝐸 → ) and energy and differential entropy ( 𝐸𝑛𝐷𝐸 → ) features are fed to the proposed classifier to improve the efficiency of the model. RESULTS: The performance of the presented model is measured in terms of average accuracy, which is obtained as 86.9% and 93.9% for SEED and DREAMER datasets, respectively. CONCLUSION: The proposed convolution bi-directional gated recurrent unit neural network (CNN-BiGRU) model outperforms most of the state-of-the-art and competitive hybrid DL models, which indicates the effectiveness of emotion recognition using EEG signals and provides a scientific base for the implementation of human-computer interaction (HCI). Show more

Keywords: EEG, hybrid deep learning, CNN, BiGRU, emotion recognition

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220458

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-20, 2022

Authors: Xu, Site | Zhang, Tiantian | Sheng, Tao | Liu, Jiaxing | Sun, Mu | Luo, Li

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: To effectively monitor medical insurance funds in the era of big data, the study tries to construct an inpatient cost rationality judgement model by designing a virtuous cycle of inpatient cost supervision information system and exploring a complete set of inpatient cost supervision methods. OBJECTIVE: To lay the foundation for applying artificial intelligence (AI) technology in medical insurance cost control supervision and provide feasible paths and available tools for medical insurance cost control managers. METHODS: By way of collecting and cleaning electronic medical record (EMR) data from 2016 to 2018 of a …city in East China, focusing on basic patient information and cost information, and using a combination of machine learning modeling and information system construction, the study tries to form a feasible inpatient cost supervision method and operation path. RESULTS: The set of the regulatory method, applied in nursing homes of a city in East China, is compelling. The accuracy rates of rationality judgement in different main diseases are stable up to 80%, the false positive rate is steady within 10%, and rehabilitation fee days of hospitalization, and the number of complications are important factors affecting the rationality of the inpatient cost. CONCLUSION: The model construction and optimization method combining machine learning and information system can make practical cost rationality judgement on medical institution’s inpatient cost data, which can directly reflect the key influencing factors of relevant inpatient costs, and achieve the effect of guiding medical behavior and improving the efficiency of medical insurance fund use. Show more

Keywords: EMR, cost supervision, medical insurance fund, machine learning, information system

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220608

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-15, 2022

Authors: Pushpa, B. | Baskaran, B. | Vivekanandan, S. | Gokul, P.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Fatty liver disease is a common condition caused by excess fat in the liver. It consists of two types: Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, also called alcoholic steatohepatitis, and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). As per epidemiological studies, fatty liver encompasses 9% to 32% of the general population in India and affects overweight people. OBJECTIVE: An Optimized Support Vector Machine with Support Vector Regression model is proposed to evaluate the volume of liver fat by image analysis (LFA-OSVM-SVR). METHOD: The input computed tomography (CT) liver images are collected from the Chennai liver foundation …and Liver Segmentation (LiTS) datasets. Here, input datasets are pre-processed using Gaussian smoothing filter and bypass filter to reduce noise and improve image intensity. The proposed U-Net method is used to perform the liver segmentation. The Optimized Support Vector Machine is used to classify the liver images as fatty liver image and normal images. The support vector regression (SVR) is utilized for analyzing the fat in percentage. RESULTS: The LFA-OSVM-SVR model effectively analyzed the liver fat from CT scan images. The proposed approach is activated in python and its efficiency is analyzed under certain performance metrics. CONCLUSION: The proposed LFA-OSVM-SVR method attains 33.4%, 28.3%, 25.7% improved accuracy with 55%, 47.7%, 32.6% lower error rate for fatty image classification and 30%, 21%, 19.5% improved accuracy with 57.9%, 46.5%, 31.76% lower error rate for normal image classificationthan compared to existing methods such as Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with Fractional Differential Enhancement (FDE) (CNN-FDE), Fully Convolutional Networks (FCN) and Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) (FCN-NMF), and Deep Learning with Fully Convolutional Networks (FCN) (DL-FCN). Show more

Keywords: CT scans, deep learning, liver fat, image analysis, liver segmentation, support vector regression, visual image processing

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220254

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-20, 2022

Authors: Wang, Fan | Zhang, Liping | Jiao, Junxia

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The early diagnosis of thyroid cancer depends on the popularisation and development of diagnostic imaging techniques and the continuous improvement of physician diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical value of multi-parameter magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and colour B-ultrasound elastography in thyroid nodules. METHODS: The clinical and imaging data of 252 patients with thyroid nodules who were admitted to our hospital were collected. All patients underwent preoperative colour B-ultrasound elastography and MRI. The postoperative pathological results were the gold standard for diagnosing benign and malignant thyroid nodules. The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of …MRI, colour B-ultrasound elastography and their combination for diagnosing benign and malignant thyroid nodules were compared. RESULTS: This study included 252 patients with 388 nodules. There were 169 patients with solitary nodules and 83 patients with multiple nodules. The maximum diameter of the thyroid nodules was 0.32–1.00 (0.75 ± 0.20) cm. The accuracy of MRI diagnosis (348/388) was 89.69%, the sensitivity was 92.98%, and the specificity was 65.22%. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of colour B-ultrasound elastography (332/388) were 85.57%, 88.30% and 65.22%, respectively. The accuracy rate of combined diagnosis (376/388) was 96.91%, the sensitivity was 98.25%, and the specificity was 86.96%, which was significantly higher than MRI and colour B-ultrasound elastography alone. The area under the curve (AUC) of MRI, colour B-ultrasound elastography and combined diagnosis were 0.768, 0.791 and 0.926, respectively. The AUC of the three diagnostic methods was > 0.7, indicating that the three diagnostic methods had good diagnostic value. The AUC for combined diagnosis was significantly higher than that of MRI and colour B-mode ultrasound elastography alone. CONCLUSION: Combined ultrasound and MRI have high diagnostic accuracy and specificity for benign and malignant thyroid nodules. This diagnostic method can be applied in clinical practice. Show more

Keywords: Thyroid nodules, benign and malignant, diagnostic value, multi-parameter MRI, colour B-ultrasound elastography

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220593

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2022

Authors: Xu, Yi-Jun | Yang, Peng-Jie | Chen, Zhi-Qiang | Liu, Peng | Wen, Wen | Li, Xiao-Wei | Guo, Jia-Qi | Deng, Yong-Zhi

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are the main treatment methods for left main artery disease (LMAD) and triple-vessel coronary artery disease (TVCAD). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the five-year post-treatment effects of CABG and PCI in patients with severe coronary vasculopathy. METHODS: A total of 430 patients with LMAD and/or triple-vessel coronary artery disease from November 2014 to July 2015 were enrolled retrospectively in the affiliated cardiovascular hospital of Shanxi Medical University and divided into the CABG group and PCI group. The living conditions of the …patients were obtained through medical records and telephonic follow-ups five years after the surgery date. The independent risk factors for major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. The effects of the two treatment methods were followed up and evaluated to measure the predictive ability of the Global Risk Classification (GRC) scoring system for MACCE after five years. RESULTS: There were 212 cases in the CABG group and 218 cases in the PCI group. Smoking (P = 0.047), diabetes (P = 0.031), LVEF (P = 0.020), LMAD (P = 0.008), and anterior descending branch lesions (P = 0.038) were significantly correlated with MACCE. The prevalence of MACCE in the CABG group and PCI group had no significant difference (P = 0.549). The GRC scoring system received an AUC of 0.701 for predicting MACCE. CONCLUSION: For patients with severe coronary artery disease, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of MACCE between the CABG and the PCI groups. Several independent risk factors for MACCE were found. The GRC scoring system showed a strong predictive ability for MACCE after five years of revascularization. Show more

Keywords: Coronary heart disease, CABG, PCI, MACCE, GRC

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220629

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2022

Authors: Minervini, Giuseppe | Cervino, Gabriele | Chaturvedi, Saurabh | Franco, Rocco | di Francesco, Fabrizio | Fiorillo, Luca | Cicciù, Marco

Article Type: Review Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Edentulism conducts to a recognized impairment of oral function with both aesthetic and psychological changes. These patients suffer from a multiplicity of problems with their dentures, such as insufficient stability, retention and pain during mastication. The rehabilitation of a part edentulous patient can be established using a wide range of prosthetic treatment options. The overdenture treatment uses a removable total denture that overlies retained teeth, tooth roots, or dental implants. In the literature it was shown that patients with removable overdentures supported and retained either by tooth roots or implants have more predictable prosthodontic outcomes. …OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to provide an overview on the overdenture with a focus on the tooth-supported telescopic overdenture. METHODS: The literature research was performed in the Scopus, Web of Science, and Pubmed electronic databases. Document type was limited to papers written in English, without time restrictions. The Review was recorded in the international PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews) database with the following number CRD42022326415. RESULTS: A total of 256 articles published were found from electronic searches, Two independent reviewers carried out the screening and the selection process for the studies. First, duplicate citations were eliminated. Then, the two Authors independently screened the retrieved articles by title and abstract of each citation to determine its suitability for inclusion. Finally, 13 full-text articles satisfied the inclusion criteria. CONCLUSION: Prostheses supported by Frictional telescopic crowns offer an effective treatment alternative for patients with Severely reduced dentitions who do not want implant treatment or complete dentures. Show more

Keywords: Jaw rehabilitation, overdenture, tooth-supported telescopic, full arch rehabilitation, implant

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220641

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-17, 2022

Authors: Yang, Cun | Yang, Lei | Gao, Guo-Dong | Zong, Hui-Qian | Gao, Duo

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is a promising diagnostic adjunct in fracture detection. However, few studies describe the improvement of clinicians’ diagnostic accuracy for nasal bone fractures with the aid of AI technology. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the value of the AI model in improving the diagnostic accuracy for nasal bone fractures compared with manual reading. METHODS: A total of 252 consecutive patients who had undergone facial computed tomography (CT) between January 2020 and January 2021 were enrolled in this study. The presence or absence of a nasal bone fracture was …determined by two experienced radiologists. An AI algorithm based on the deep-learning algorithm was engineered, trained and validated to detect fractures on CT images. Twenty readers with various experience were invited to read CT images with or without AI. The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity with the aid of the AI model were calculated by the readers. RESULTS: The deep-learning AI model had 84.78% sensitivity, 86.67% specificity, 0.857 area under the curve (AUC) and a 0.714 Youden index in identifying nasal bone fractures. For all readers, regardless of experience, AI-aided reading had higher sensitivity ([94.00 ± 3.17]% vs [83.52 ± 10.16]%, P < 0.001), specificity ([89.75 ± 6.15]% vs [77.55 ± 11.38]%, P < 0.001) and AUC (0.92 ± 0.04 vs 0.81 ± 0.10, P < 0.001) compared with reading without AI. With the aid of AI, the sensitivity, specificity and AUC were significantly improved in readers with 1–5 years or 6–10 years of experience (all P < 0.05, Table 4 ). For readers with 11–15 years of experience, no evidence suggested that AI could improve sensitivity and AUC (P = 0.124 and 0.152, respectively). CONCLUSION: The AI model might aid less experienced physicians and radiologists in improving their diagnostic performance for the localisation of nasal bone fractures on CT images. Show more

Keywords: Nasal bone fracture, artificial intelligence, sensitivity, specificity, deep learning

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220501

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2022

Authors: Jiang, Yunfei | Zhang, Shuang

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The impact of the current most effective vibration frequency on the balance ability of the elderly needs further verification. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of whole-body vibration training (WBVT) at three different frequencies on the balance ability of older women. METHODS: Ninety-three older women were randomly divided into low frequency (15 Hz), intermediate frequency (30 Hz), high-frequency (45 Hz), and control groups. The subjects in the vibration group underwent WBVT of the same amplitude twice a week for approximately 15 min per session. RESULTS: The speed of movement of …the centre of pressure in the left and right directions with eyes closed was 7.9% lower in the static balance ability test in the intermediate frequency group after 36 weeks (P < 0.05). In the high frequency group, after WBVT, the total length of centre of pressure movement and speed of centre of pressure movement in the left and right directions were 9.9% and 8.7% lower, respectively, in the dynamic balance test (P < 0.05), and the speed of closed eye movement in the left and right directions was 12.5% lower in the static balance test (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: WBVT at 30 and 45 Hz improved static balance in the right and left directions when older women had their eyes closed. WBVT at 45 Hz improved dynamic balance in the right and left directions in older women, and WBVT did not improve static balance in older women when their eyes were open. Show more

Keywords: Whole-body vibration training, different frequencies, older women, balance

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220343

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2022

Authors: Zhang, Weiyi | Liang, Hongping

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE) has adverse effects on pregnant women, fetuses, and newborns [1], and accounts for 3%–10% of pregnancy-related diseases globally. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to screen a series of prenatal markers (pregnancy-associated plasma protein [PAPP-A], β -human chorionic gonadotropin [β -hCG], alpha fetoprotein [AFP], and estriol [uE3]) to establish a risk model and evaluate the diagnostic values of the markers for predicting PE. METHODS: Sixty-five pregnant women were enrolled in this study. They were divided into two groups containing healthy pregnant women (n = …51, the non-PE group) and pregnant women with PE (n = 14, the PE group). According to the stage of pregnancy, the pregnant women in each group were divided into early, middle, and late pregnancy groups for statistical analysis. The levels of PAPPA-A β -hCG, AFP, and uE3 were compared among these groups. Then, a risk model was established, and PE was diagnosed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve results. RESULTS: In the early pregnancy group, the differences in the levels of PAPP-A, AFP, and uE3 between the PE and non-PE groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001, P = 0.029, and P = 0.033, respectively), while the difference in the single remaining marker was not statistically significant. A ROC curve analysis revealed that in early pregnancy, the sensitivity and specificity of PAPP-A were 76.5% and 71.4%, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity of β -hCG were 82.4% and 57.1%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the combination of the two markers for diagnosing PE were 86.3% and 57.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the combination of PAPP-A and β -hCG has diagnostic value for PE in pregnant women. Accordingly, we should formulate innovative PE screening strategies to target the prevention of PE and create important conditions for predictive and preventive personalized medical treatments. Show more

Keywords: Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, -human chorionic gonadotropin, alpha fetoprotein, estriol, preeclampsia

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220523

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2022

Authors: An, Yang | Xie, Ling | Liu, Yu | Wu, Po | Li, Hao | Jiang, Ji | Zhang, Zhengrui | Yang, Shuyong

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: When the jaw bone is subjected to an external force, the stress is transmitted from the force point along the alveolar bone to the skull and skull base. In the case of a dental implant, the stress distribution is mainly dependent on the implant position, type, and mechanical properties. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the dental implant position influence on the stress distribution and transmission in case of facial frontal trauma. Furthermore, the correlation between facial trauma and skull trauma in the case of a dental implant exists. METHODS: In this study, a Finite …Element Method (FEM) model was constructed based on a real skull shape, size, and anatomy. Dental implants were modeled based on imported CAD Data. Five cases were investigated including no dental implant and the replacement of teeth no. 18, 19 20 and 21. Facial trauma was mimicked by applying an external load on the lower frontal jaw. Finally, the stress distribution based on the bone geometry and implant position were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: Results suggested that a dental implant could significantly influence the stress distribution in the skull in case of facial trauma. In addition, the dental position greatly affects stress transmission from the mandible to the skull bones through the zygomatic arch. CONCLUSION: The position of the dental implant could have a significant role in stress transmission and distribution in case of facial or even brain trauma. Thus, increasing the possibility of a correlation between facial and brain trauma. Show more

Keywords: Dental implant, facial trauma, trauma complications, finite element analysis, stress distribution

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220148

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2022

Authors: Kim, Sung Shin | Park, Jun Sik | Choi, Dongil | Shin, Yumi | Jo, Kyeyeob | Kim, Youngkyung | Kim, Sun Ok | Kweon, Hyosun | Lee, Anna | Bae, Young-Hyeon

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: An electric bed can easily change posture from a lying position and was effective in preventing pressure ulcer. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the optimal posture for the prevention of pressure ulcers by analyzing pressure changes applied to the pelvic region. METHODS: Pressure changes resulting from lateral rotations of the body using an electronic adjustable bed and changes in the posture and angles of the trunk and knees were assessed. Twelve conditions with varying angles of the trunk and knees (15–35 ∘ in 5 ∘ …increments) and varying lateral angles (20–35 ∘ in 5 ∘ increments) were tested. The pressure (maximum and average) and contact area in the pelvic region of 20 individuals without disabilities were calculated. RESULTS: The conditions in which the average and maximum pressures did not increase according to the increase in angle were 25 ∘ for the upper body and knee angles and 35 ∘ for the side. CONCLUSIONS: The body pressure changed according to the posture rather than according to physical characteristics. Lateral rotation combined with changes in the angles of the trunk and knees effectively prevented pressure ulcers. Changes in the posture at various angles prevented an increased pressure on the body. Show more

Keywords: Pressure ulcer, body posture, positioning bed, body pressure, pressure area

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220376

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-12, 2022

Authors: Jiménez-Gayosso, Sandra Isabel | Morales-Luckie, Raúl Alberto | Robles-Bermeo, Norma Leticia | Hernández-Martínez, César Tadeo | Villalobos-Rodelo, Juan José | Islas-Zarazúa, Rosalina | Navarrete-Hernández, José de Jesús | Patiño-Marín, Nuria | Medina-Solís, Carlo Eduardo | Maupomé, Gerardo

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Prefabricated metal crowns (PMCs) have been widely used in pediatric dentistry due to their great success in various clinical situations. However, it is important to know the local effects, such as changes in pH in the oral environment. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pH variations before and after placement of PMCs. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study (before and after) was performed with 32 pediatric patients who needed rehabilitation with PMCs at a pediatric dentistry clinic in a public university. Measurements were made using a pH potentiometer before PMC placement, one week after, and one …month after placement. ANOVA and Pearson correlation were performed in SPSS. RESULTS: The average age of the participants was 5.9 ± 1.6 years, and 53.1% were female. The average pH before, one week after, and one month after crown placement was 7.46 ± 0.37, 7.00 ± 0.32, and 7.1 ± 0.19, respectively. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between the three pH measurements. We found differences when comparing the basal pH values to those at one week (p = 0.001) and one month (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Although there were statistically significant differences in the pH change values before and after the placement of crowns, these differences may not have a clinical impact. Show more

Keywords: Oral health, pediatric dentistry, prefabricated metal crowns, pH

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220433

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-8, 2022

Authors: Hu, Yang | Wu, Yanqing | Su, Hai | Tu, Jianglong | Zeng, Luchuan | Lei, Jie | Xia, Linglin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: At present, the clinical diagnosis of white matter change (WMC) patients depends on cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. This diagnostic method is costly and does not allow for large-scale screening, leading to delays in the patient’s condition due to inability to receive timely diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the burden of WMC is associated with the degree of invisible hand tremor in humans. METHODS: Previous studies have shown that tremor is associated with WMC, however, tremor does not always have imaging of WMC. Therefore, to confirm that the appearance of WMC …causes tremor, which are sometimes invisible to the naked eye, we achieved an optical-based computer-aided diagnostic device by detecting the invisible hand tremor, and we proposed a calculation method of WMC volume by using the characteristics of MRI images. RESULTS: Statistical analysis results further clarified the relationship between WMC and tremor, and our devices are validated for the detection of tremors with WMC. CONCLUSIONS: The burden of WMC volume is positive factor for degree of invisible hand tremor in the participants without visible hand tremor. Detection technology provides a more convenient and low-cost evaluating method before MRI for tremor diseases. Show more

Keywords: WMC, tremor, segmentation, multiple linear regression, hands

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220361

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2022

Authors: von Schudnat, Christian | Lahmann, Benjamin | Schoeneberg, Klaus-Peter | Albors-Garrigos, Jose | De-Miguel-Molina, María

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The continuous decrease of healthcare resources requires hospitals to improve efficiency while striving to improve quality standards that deliver better patient outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to analyze whether the implementation of digital support systems during orthopedic surgery positively affected clinical processes and quality ratios. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study of 297 knee joint replacement procedures was conducted between 2015 and 2020. Thirty-five patients were allocated to the treatment and control groups after they were identified with exact matching and estimation of the propensity score. Both groups were balanced …regarding the selected covariates. The effect of the surgical procedure manager (SPM) on the incidence of acute haemorrhagic anaemia between the two groups was evaluated with a t -test, and the odds ratio was calculated. RESULTS: SPM-supported surgery has no significant influence on the incidence of acute haemorrhagic anaemia but leads to significantly shorter hospital stay (1.93 days), changeover (4.14 minutes) and recovery room time (20.20 minutes). In addition, it reduces the standard deviation of operation room times. CONCLUSIONS: The study concludes that SPM enhances surgical efficiency and maintains quality outcomes. To overcome their increasing financial pressure hospital management should commercially evaluate the implementation of digital support systems. Show more

Keywords: Quality improvement, efficiency, operating rooms, the standard of care, digital technology, surgical procedure manager

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220395

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-14, 2022

Authors: Duan, Lian | Dang, Guangfu | Ge, Jinling | Gao, Yang | Wang, Lihua

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Aspheric intraocular lens (IOLs) implantation has been widely applied in cataract surgery. However, there is no consensus on the optimal guidance for the operations in IOLs implantation. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the visual function of Chinese cataract patients six months after cataract surgery with two different guiding ideologies. METHODS: We evaluated 50 patients (61 eyes) with implantation of different aspheric IOLs (SN60WF IOLs, ZCB00 IOLs, PY-60AD IOLs, AO IOLs) 6 months after cataract surgery. Twenty-four patients (30 eyes) under individual implantation were ascribed to group 1 and 26 patients (31 eyes) with …randomized implantation were ascribed to the control group (group 2). Postoperatively parameters included monocular best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), contrast sensitivity (CS), total spherical aberration Z (4, 0) at 5 mm pupil size, and patient satisfaction. The quality of life after operation was assessed through the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (NEI VFQ-25). RESULTS: Six months after cataract operation, the contrast sensitivity with glare of group 1 at 2.5 ∘ was 0.697 ± 0.027, and 0.532 ± 0.049 in group 2. Besides, there was no significant difference at any other special frequency. The mean spherical aberration Z (4, 0) at 5 mm pupil size in group 1 was 0.015 ± 0.028 um, and in group 2 was 0.043 ± 0.109 um, with a significant difference (p < 0.01). The mean scores obtained from NEI VFQ-25 were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: It is effective to implant aspheric IOLs individually according to preoperative corneal spherical aberration. Patients obtained better contrast sensitivity with glare at 2.5 ∘ , but there was no significant difference in BCVA, contrast sensitivity at other special frequency, and subjective visual function. Show more

Keywords: Visual function, cataract, aspheric intraocular lens implantation, best-corrected visual acuity, contrast sensitivity

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220154

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2022

Authors: Ryu, Jong Song | Hong, Sun Chol | Liang, Shili | Pak, Sin Il | Zhang, Lei | Wang, Suqiu | Lian, Yueqi

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The imaging photoplethysmography (iPPG) method is a non-invasive, non-contact measurement method that uses a camera to detect physiological indicators. On the other hand, wearing a mask has become essential today when COVID-19 is rampant, which has become a new challenge for heart rate (HR) estimation from facial videos recorded by a camera. OBJECTIVE: The aim is to propose an iPPG-based method that can accurately estimate HR with or without a mask. METHODS: First, the facial regions of interest (ROI) were divided into two sub-ROIs, and the original signal was obtained through spatial …averaging with different weights according to the result of judging whether wearing a mask or not, and the CDF, which emphasizes the main component signal, was combined with the improved POS suitable for real-time HR estimation to obtain the noise-removed BVP signal. RESULTS: For self-collected data while wearing a mask, MAE, RMSE, and ACC were 1.09 bpm, 1.44 bpm, and 99.08%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Experimental results show that the proposed framework can estimate HR stably in real-time in both cases of wearing a mask or not. This study expands the application range of HR estimation based on facial videos and has very practical value in real-time HR estimation in daily life. Show more

Keywords: Heart rate (HR), real-time, mask, imaging photoplethysmography (iPPG), spatial averaging

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220322

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-14, 2022

Authors: Lee, Youngho | Kim, Sun Kyung | Yoon, Hyoseok | Choi, Jongmyung | Go, Younghye | Park, Gun Woo

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Smart glass technology offers remote interaction between health professionals for telehealth, alleviating healthcare disparities in isolated areas. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the professionals’ perceptions of smart glass technology as a tool for telehealth and distance learning. METHOD: This mixed-method study on health professionals in 10 different island areas in Korea involved participants experiencing a smart glass-based telehealth system using the scenario of clinical consultation with remote specialists. A group pre- and post-test design was used to examine the change in attitude and perceived importance among health professionals about using smart glasses in telehealth. …RESULTS: Forty-seven participants completed both pre-and post-evaluation of smart glasses. A positive, statistically significant change in participants’ perceptions of smart glasses regarding their implications for telehealth and distance learning (p < 0.05) was found. Fifty-one health workers provided feedback on smart glasses, and a majority expressed their expectations of quality care with telehealth using advanced technology. The main concerns were patients’ privacy issues and inadequate technology for seamless application. CONCLUSION: The incorporation of smart glass technology offers great potential to enrich telehealth as well as distance learning for unskilled health professionals in isolated areas. Future studies are needed to increase efforts to secure a high level of acceptance for clinical consultation with remote specialists on this newly developed device. Show more

Keywords: Smart glasses, telehealth, isolated areas, health professionals

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220242

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2022

Authors: Milovanovic, Aleksandar | Saveljic, Igor | Filipovic, Nenad

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The fractional flow reserve (FFR) index has been widely accepted as a standard diagnostic method for identifying functional relevance of coronary stenosis. Since the invasive techniques used for its determination are associated with a certain risk of vascular injury, as well as with an increased cost, several non-invasive procedures have been developed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare FFR values for the coronary artery obtained by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). METHODS: Computation of FFR has been performed using both numerical and the analytical …method. The numerical method employs CFD to solve the governing equations which relate to mass and momentum conservation (the continuity equation and the Navier-Stokes equations) as well as CCTA to generate the three-dimensional computational domain. After imposing the appropriate boundary conditions, the values of the pressure change are calculated and the FFR index is determined. Based on Bernoulli’s law, the analytical method calculates the overall pressure drop across the stenosis in the coronary artery, enabling FFR determination. RESULTS: The clinical data for twenty patients who underwent invasive coronary angiography are used to validate the results obtained by using CFD (together with CCTA) simulation and analytical solution. The medically measured FFR compared to the analytical one differs by about 4%, while, the difference is about 2.6% when compared to the numerical FFR. For FFR values below 0.8 (which are considered to be associated with myocardial ischemia) the standard error has a value of 0.01201, while the standard deviation is 0.02081. For FFR values above 0.80, these values are slightly higher. Bland-Altman analysis showed that medical measurement and numerical FFR were in good agreement (SD = 0.0292, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The analytically calculated FFR has a slightly lower coefficient of determination than the numerically computed FFR when compared with experimental one. However, it can still give a reliable answer to the question of whether patients need a stent, bypass surgery or only drug treatment and it requires a significantly lower computation time. Show more

Keywords: Coronary artery stenosis, fractional flow reserve, CFD, Bernoulli’s law

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220435

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-14, 2022

Authors: Zhao, Huairui | Hua, Jia | Geng, Xiaochuan | Xu, Jianrong | Guo, Yi | Suo, Shiteng | Zhou, Yan | Wang, Yuanyuan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: High-precision detection for individual and clustered microcalcifications in mammograms is important for the early diagnosis of breast cancer. Large-scale differences between the two types and low-contrast images are major difficulties faced by radiologists when performing diagnoses. OBJECTIVE: Deep learning-based methods can provide end-to-end solutions for efficient detection. However, multicenter data bias, the low resolution of network inputs, and scale differences between microcalcifications lead to low detection rates. Aiming to overcome the aforementioned limitations, we propose a pyramid feature network for microcalcification detection in mammograms, MicroDMa, with adaptive image adjustment and shortcut connections. METHODS: …First, mammograms from multiple centers are represented as histograms and cropped by adaptive image adjustment, which mitigates the impact of dataset bias. Second, the proposed shortcut connection pyramid network ensures that the feature map contains more information for multiscale objects, while a shortcut path that jumps over layers enhances the efficiency of feature propagation from bottom to top. Third, the weights of each feature map at different scales in the fusion are trainable; thus, the network can automatically learn the contributions of all feature maps in the fusion stage. RESULT: Experiments were conducted on our in-house dataset and the public dataset INbreast. When the average number of positives per image is one on the in-house dataset, the recall rates of MicroDMa are the 96.8% for individual microcalcification and 98.9% for clustered microcalcification, which are higher than 69.1% and 91.2% achieved by recent deep learning model. Free-response receiver operating characteristic curve of MicroDMa is also higher than other methods when models are performed on INbreast. CONCLUSION: MicroDMa network is better than other methods and it can effectively help radiologists detect and identify two types of microcalcifications in clinical applications. Show more

Keywords: Deep learning, detection, pyramid network, mammography, breast microcalcification, convolutional neural network

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220235

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-13, 2022

Authors: Jing, Gao | Xia, Zhang | Lei, Quan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Genetic manipulation on the NO-sGC-cGMP pathway has been rarely achieved, partially due to complexity of the soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) enzyme. OBJECTIVE: We aim to develop gene therapy directly targeting the pathway to circumvent cytotoxicity and tolerance after prolonged use of NO-donors and the insufficiency of PDE inhibitors. METHODS: In this study, we constructed lentivirus vectors expressing GUCY1A3 and GUCY1B3 genes, which encoded the α 1 and β 1 subunits of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), respectively, to enhance cGMP synthesis. We also constructed lentiviral vector harboring …PDE5A shRNA to alleviate phosphodiesterase activity and cGMP degradation. RESULTS: Transductions of human HEK293 cells with the constructs were successful, as indicated by the fluorescent signal and altered gene expression produced by each vector. Overexpression of GUCY1A3 and GUCY1B3 resulted in increased sGC enzyme activity and elevated cGMP level in the cells. Expression of PDE5A shRNA resulted in decreased PDE5A expression and elevated cGMP level. Co-transduction of the three lentiviral vectors resulted in a more significant elevation of cGMP in HEK293 cells without obvious cytotoxicity. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show that co-expression of exogenous subunits of the soluble guanylyl cyclase could form functional enzyme and increase cellular cGMP level in mammalian cells. Simultaneous expression of PDE5A shRNA could alleviate feedback up-regulation on PDE5A caused by cGMP elevation. Further studies are required to evaluate the effects of these constructs in vivo . Show more

Keywords: Soluble guanylyl cyclase, PDE5A, lentiviral vector, cGMP, gene therapy

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220333

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2022

Authors: Chen, Hongbing | Su, Tong | Wang, Qi | Zheng, Zhe | Li, Hongwei | Li, Jianbo

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Aneurysms are associated with a mortality rate of 81% or more in cases of rupture. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the haemodynamic indices and compare the thrombosis risk in a double false lumen abdominal aortic dissection aneurysm using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). METHODS: Computer tomography angiography (CTA) imaging data were collected from a patient with a double false lumen abdominal aortic dissection aneurysm, and three different lesion morphology aneurysm models were established, double false lumen abdominal aortic dissection aneurysm, single false lumen abdominal aortic dissection aneurysm and saccular abdominal aortic aneurysm, in order to …analyse the flow velocity, time-averaged shear stress (TAWSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), relative residence time (RRT) of blood flow, and endothelial cell activation potential (ECAP). RESULTS: All three aneurysms were in a low-flow state within the body, and the low-flow velocity flow in the proximal vessel wall extended to the right common iliac artery; the vortex intensity was more intense in the abdominal aortic dissection aneurysm than in the saccular abdominal aortic aneurysm. The risk area for thrombosis was concentrated in the expansion part of the aneurysm and the false lumen. The RRT and ECAP maxima of the double false lumen abdominal aortic dissection aneurysm were much greater than those of the single false lumen dissection aneurysm and saccular aortic aneurysm. CONCLUSION: Low-velocity blood flow, high OSI, low TAWSS, high RRT, and high ECAP regions correlate with the risk of thrombosis. The double false lumen type of abdominal aortic dissection aneurysm had some specificity in this case. The risk of thrombosis in the patient was extremely high, and the largest risk zone was within the smaller false lumen, which could be because the smaller false lumen was connected to the true lumen by only one breach. The results of the study provide some guidance in the early screening and development of treatment plans. Show more

Keywords: Abdominal aortic dissection aneurysm, CTA, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), thrombosis risk, patient-specific simulation

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220481

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-13, 2022

Authors: Elagib, Mohamed Fadul A. | Alqaysi, Moayad Abdullah H. | Almushayt, Mussab Omar S. | Nagate, Raghavendra Reddy | Gokhale, Shankar | Chaturvedi, Saurabh

Article Type: Review Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Dental implants provide a suitable and reliable treatment for the replacement of missing teeth. Very few studies have been reported in the literature regarding the application of dental implants in growing and developing patients. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to systematically review the available literature regarding the application of dental implants in growing and developing patients. METHODS: A detailed search in the literature was performed with the help of keywords such as dental implants, treatment planning, children, adolescents, growing patients, and developing jaws. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Ovidsp …databases were searched for papers published between 1980 and 2021. The papers focused on children, adolescents, developing jaws, and implants. In this systemic review, the dataset concerned with the type of study, aim, number of patients and specimens included, age of patients, total number of implants placed, total number of implants evaluated, medical history of developmental disorders of teeth such as ectodermal dysplasia, congenital absence of teeth, were evaluated. RESULTS: Out of the total literature searched, 33.45% of studies and case reports documented no complications in any implant treatment. In 47.21% of studies and case reports, there was both success and failure of implants while in 13.21% of studies and case reports there was a complete failure of implants. The most common cause for loss of permanent teeth in growing children and adolescent patients was dental trauma (73.13%) followed by congenital developmental disturbance of teeth (18.19%). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded from this systematic review that the use of implants in edentulous growing patients is determined by several parameters, including the patient’s overall health, the stage of jaw growth, the number of teeth to be replaced, and soft and hard tissue anatomic features. Still, the use of a conservative treatment strategy for missing teeth management in patients with developing jaws is common and recommended until the patient’s growth is completed, as there are chances of changes in the position of dental implants placed in the developing and growing jaws due to the continuous changes taking place in their body. However, placement of implants can be done in these patients successfully with proper treatment planning and taking into account the phase of growth with proper follow-up. Show more

Keywords: Dental implants, growing patients, systematic review, meta-analysis, health care

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220581

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-14, 2022

Authors: Lena, Martensson

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Luxembourg’s supercomputer MeluXina is open to cooperation with companies that need to process huge quantities of data. Diem Bui, Solution Engineer at LuxProvide that manages MeluXina, explains how healthtech companies can benefit from supercomputing to develop and implement innovative health technology applications.

Keywords: Supercomputing, companies, dataprotection, healthtech, Luxembourg

DOI: 10.3233/THC-229018

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-3, 2023

Authors: Shimpi, Neel | Glurich, Ingrid | Hegde, Harshad | Steinmetz, Annie | Kuester, Robbyn | Crespin, Matthew | Acharya, Amit

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The evidence base supports effectiveness of dental sealants for prevention of childhood caries in school-aged children. OBJECTIVE: This study describes planning, development, usability testing and outcomes following implementation of DentaSeal, a web-based application designed to accurately track unique student data and generate reports for all Wisconsin school-based sealant placement (SP) programs. METHODS: Application software development was informed by a steering committee of representative stakeholders who were interviewed to inform design and provide feedback for design of DentaSeal during development and evaluation. Software development proceeded based on wireframes developed to build architectural design. …Usability testing followed and informed any required adjustments to the application. The DentaSeal prototype was beta tested and fully implemented subsequently in the public health sector. RESULTS: The DentaSeal application demonstrated capacity to: 1) track unique student SP data and longitudinal encounter history, 2) generate reports and 3) support administrative tracking. In 2019, DentaSeal captured SP data of 47 school-based programs in Wisconsin that sponsored > 7,000 program visits for 184,000 children from 62 counties. Delivery of > 548,000 SP services were catalogued. CONCLUSIONS: For public health initiatives targeting reduction in caries incidence, web-based applications such as DentaSeal represent useful longitudinal tracking tools for cataloguing SP in school-based program participants. Show more

Keywords: Dental sealants, school health services, registries, user-computer interface, computer software, dental caries resistance

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220568

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-13, 2023

Authors: Zečević, Aleksandar | Filipović, Luka | Marčev, Angel

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The necessity of setting up high-resolution models is essential to timely forecast dangerous meteorological phenomena. OBJECTIVE: This study presents a verification of the numerical Weather Research and Forecasting non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Model (WRF NMM) for weather prediction using the High-Performance Computing (HPC) cluster over the complex relief of Montenegro. METHODS: Verification was performed comparing WRF NMM predicted values and measured values for temperature, wind and precipitation for six Montenegrin weather stations in a five-year period using statistical parameters. The difficult task of adjusting the model over the complex Montenegrin terrain is caused by …a rapid altitude change in in the coastal area, numerous karst fields, basins, river valleys and canyons, large areas of artificial lakes on a relatively small terrain. RESULTS: Based on the obtained verification results, the results of the model vary during time of day, the season of the year, the altitude of the station for which the model results were verified, as well as the surrounding relief for them. The results show the best performance in the central region and show deviations for some metrological measures in some periods of the year. CONCLUSION: This study can give recommendations on how to adapt a numerical model to a real situation in order to produce better weather forecast for the public. Show more

Keywords: Weather forecast, Montenegro, WRF NMM model, meteorology

DOI: 10.3233/THC-229016

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-16, 2023

Authors: Malisic, Bojana | Tinaj, Sandra

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Absorptive capacity is the ability to absorb new knowledge and adopt new technologies. This capacity of an economy is measured through a series of indicators, however, the most important among them are precisely those elements related to the competences required for the adoption of new technologies, as well as their structure. OBJECTIVE: This paper provides an overview of the concepts and systems needed to develop the competencies needed to implement modern technology such as High-Performance Computing (HPC) in Montenegro. METHOD: In this research paper competencies are viewed holistically. This paper will elaborate …the defined competencies related to the HPC technology environment, identified during the implementation of the EuroCC project in Montenegro, but also based on market analyses, combined with the identified indicators of absorption capacity, generally at the national level. RESULT: By identifying the innovative and business potential of representatives of the public, academic and economic sectors, with special reference to small and medium-sized companies and the IT cluster that make up the dominant segments in the structure of the market sample, as generators and accelerators of innovation, smart growth and the digital economy, we got a clear picture regarding the development of necessary competencies within the NCC team but also at the national level. CONCLUSION: Yhere must be a systemic approach and sustainable, dynamic projects and tools for the development of human resources in the development of competences. Show more

Keywords: Competencies, absorption capacity, HPC new technology, knowledge environment

DOI: 10.3233/THC-229017

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2023

Authors: Popović, Tamara | Matavulj, Milica | Nežić, Lana | Radulović, Tatjana Nožica | Škrbić, Ranko

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) seem effective in increasing bone mineral density and promoting osteogenesis and bone healing. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of two different modalities of PEMFs therapy in comparison with the recommended pharmacological treatment on experimental osteoporosis in rats. METHODS: The experimental model of estrogen-deficient osteoporosis induced by ovariectomy was used in this study. The animals were exposed to PEMFs of various frequencies (40 Hz and 25 Hzk), intensities (10 mT and 36.4 μ T), lengths of exposure, and the effects were compared with the standard treatment …with pamidronate, vitamin D, and calcium supplementation. RESULTS: The application of PEMF 40Hz , significantly reduced the osteoporotic bone loss in female rats that were confirmed with biochemical, biomechanical, and histological analyses. These effects were more pronounced than in osteoporotic animals treated with pamidronate, vitamin D, and calcium supplementation. On the contrary, the exposure to PEMF 25Hz did not show restorative effects but led to further progression of osteoporosis. CONCLUSION: The exposure to PEMF 40Hz , significantly restored osteoporosis and attenuated bone fragility in comparison to the rats exposed to PEMF 25Hz or those treated with pamidronate, vitamin D, and calcium supplementation. Show more

Keywords: Estrogen deficient osteoporosis, pulsed electromagnetic fields, pamidronate, vitamin D, calcium

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220642

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2023

Authors: Li, Zhennan | Liu, Chunbao | Han, Yang | Wang, Tongjian | Lei, Ren

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Due to low friction, passive mechanical prostheses move compliantly followed by the stump and are used widely. Advanced semi-active prostheses can both move passively like passive prostheses and provide active torque under specific conditions. However, the current mechanical-hydraulic coupling driven semi-active prostheses, in order to meet the low passive friction requirements with a low active transmission ratio, lead to a significant problem of insufficient active torque. OBJECTIVE: A hybrid active and passive prosthesis was developed to solve the incompatibility problem of low passive friction and high active driving torque of semi-active prostheses. METHODS: …The mechanical structure and control strategy of the prosthesis were demonstrated. The performance of the prosthesis was tested by bench and human tests. RESULTS: Passive subsystem damping adjustment ranges from 0.4 N⋅ (mm/s) - 1 to 300 N⋅ (mm/s) - 1 . The switching time between the damping and the active subsystem is 32 ± 2 ms. The continuous active torque output is more than 24 Nm. In level walking, the peak torque is about 28 Nm. CONCLUSION: The proposed active-passive hybrid hydraulic prosthesis could satisfy both low passive friction and high active actuation. Show more

Keywords: Knee prosthesis, hydraulic, active-passive hybrid drive, low passive friction, high transmission ratio

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220522

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2023

Authors: Li, Jiaxin | Liu, Xiaonan | Li, Jiaxin | Han, Dongwei | Li, Yu | Ge, Pengling

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely recognized and accepted worldwide to provide favorable therapeutic effects for cancer patients. As Andrographis paniculata has an anti-tumor effect, it might inhibit lung cancer. OBJECTIVE: The drug targets and related pathways involved in the action of Andrographis paniculata against lung cancer were predicted using network pharmacology, and its mechanism was further explored at the molecular level. METHODS: This work selected the effective components and targets of Andrographis paniculata against the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology (TCMSP) database. Targets related to lung cancer …were searched for in the GEO database (accession number GSE136043). The volcanic and thermal maps of differential expression genes were produced using the software R. Then, the target genes were analyzed by GO and KEGG analysis using the software R. This also utilized the AutoDock tool to study the molecular docking of the active component structures downloaded from the PubChem database and the key target structures downloaded from the PDB database, and the docking results were visualized using the software PyMol. RESULTS: The results of molecular docking show that wogonin, Mono-O-methylwightin, Deoxycamptothecine, andrographidine F_qt, Quercetin tetramethyl (3’,4’,5,7) ether, 14-deoxyandrographolide, andrographolide-19-β -D-glucoside_qt and 14-deoxy-11-oxo-andrographolide were potential active components, while AKT1, MAPK14, RELA and NCOA1 were key targets. CONCLUSION: This study showed the main candidate components, targets, and pathways involved in the action of Andrographis paniculata against lung cancer. Show more

Keywords: lung cancer, pharmacology, molecular docking, mechanism

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220698

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-21, 2023

Authors: Du, Jie | Wei, Liang

Article Type: Case Report

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The clinical manifestations of Parkinson’s disease (PD) are bradykinesia and abnormal walking postures. Patients with PD are prone to complications such as drug addiction, which may not only lead to cognitive, behavioral, and affective disorders but also have irreversible impacts on patients’ body indexes. CASE DESCRIPTION: In this study, the treatment regimen for a patient with dopamine dysregulation syndrome was adjusted to allow for the withdrawal of Trastal, gradual decrease of Madopar, and the addition of Comtan and clozapine. While the body indexes effectively improved, the patient did not experience negative side effects. …CONCLUSION: Reducing the dosage of Madopar and reasonably applying the treatment regimen can improve the clinical treatment effect and improve the quality of life of patients. Show more

Keywords: Dopamine dysregulation syndrome, Madopar, clozapine, Comtan

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220719

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-4, 2023

Authors: Yang, Mo | Yang, Na | Yan, Zhanqiu | Tong, Yan | Zhao, Xiumei | Gu, Chengmin | Gao, Caiyun | Yang, Qing

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Effective analgesia is required to ensure maternal and neonatal safety. OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic effects of analgesia applied throughout labor and analgesia applied during the first stage of labor in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). METHODS: In this study, 120 puerperae with PIH who gave birth in our hospital were enrolled as the study participants and were randomized into two groups (n = 60 in each group) using a coin flip. Those who received analgesia throughout labor were enrolled in the observation group, and those administered …analgesia during the first stage of labor were enrolled in the control group. The analgesic effects, changes in blood pressure during labor, and neonatal health were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Differences in visual analog scale (VAS) scores before analgesia, 10 min after analgesia, and full cervical dilation between the two groups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05 in all). The VAS scores of the puerperae in the observation group during forced breathing in the second stage of labor and fetal head expulsion were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05 for both). The incidence of postpartum hemorrhage, forceps delivery, and antihypertensive treatment in the observation group was slightly lower than in the control group, but the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The rate of oxytocin treatment in puerperae in the observation group was significantly lower than in the control group (P < 0.05). The differences in base excess, arterial partial pressure of oxygen, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and pH between the two groups of newborns were not statistically significant (P > 0.05 for all). Differences in changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the two groups of puerperae were not statistically significant (P > 0.05 for both). Eclampsia did not occur during labor in either group. CONCLUSION: For patients with PIH, the application of analgesia throughout labor had a positive analgesic effect, effectively controlling the changes in blood pressure and ensuring the health of newborns. This is worthy of widespread clinical application. Show more

Keywords: Analgesia throughout labor, analgesia during the first stage of labor, pregnancy-induced hypertension, analgesic effect

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220680

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-7, 2023

Authors: Zhou, Tao-Cheng | Yin, Chuan-Gao | Wang, Chang | Shi, Zi-Feng | Tong, Guang-Lei

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in early infancy and childhood and is characterized by impaired social communication and repetitive stereotyped behaviors. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the development of the corpus callosum and its relationship to neurobehavior in young children with high-risk (HR) ASD using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). METHODS: Twenty-one children with HR-ASD who visited Anhui Children’s Hospital between January 2020 and December 2021 were selected as the study group, while 19 matched children with normal …development during the same time were adopted as the control group. Cranial MRI+ DTI were performed for all of the enrolled children and fractional anisotropy (FA) measurements were taken in each region of the corpus callosum. RESULTS: The FA values in all regions of the corpus callosum were higher in the study group than in the control group (0.417 ± 0.016 vs. 0.412 ± 0.02 in the corpus callosum knee, 0.439 ± 0.018 vs. 0.431 ± 0.023 in the corpus callosum body, and 0.446 ± 0.017 vs. 0.434 ± 0.019 in the splenium of corpus callosum [SCC]), where the difference in the FA in the SCC was statistically significant between the two groups (P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between the FA in the corpus callosum knee and speech scores in the neuropsychological development of the study group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: There was a premature development tendency for corpus callosum myelination in young children with HR-ASD, and the developmental tendency was visible in the SCC. There was also a positive relationship between corpus callosum knee development and language function. Show more

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, diffusion tensor imaging, corpus callosum, fractional anisotropy, developmental quotients

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220777

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-6, 2023

Authors: Heo, Min | Kang, Seung-Rok | Yu, Mi | Kwon, Tae-Kyu

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The weakening of the ability of the elderly to perform gait is becoming a major cause of the increase in the frequency of falls. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we designed and manufactured a treadmill capable of restraining walking by providing a sudden repulsive force on the left and right legs of a pedestrian when walking for the fall prevention training of the elderly. Through this, it is possible for the elderly person to strengthen the lower extremity muscles to prevent and prepare for falling through the fall prevention training similar to the fall environment that …may occur in daily life. METHOD: The development system includes a motor for generating a driving force in the form of a left and a right driving system and a belt separated from each other, an electromagnetic clutch for rapidly stopping the running belt of the motor transmitted to the running belt to stop the running belt, and a controller for controlling the driver. RESULTS: In order to evaluate the development system, the motor driving ability test and the power transmission, connection and shut-off performance of the electromagnetic clutch were carried out. The subject’s muscle activity of the lower extremity muscles was evaluated when the running belt stopped at the beginning of the right folding. CONCLUSION: It is expected that the developed dual function system would be helpful for the fall prevention exercise as well as the rehabilitation exercise for patients who have recovered from surgery or hemiplegic patients. Show more

Keywords: People with gait disability, fall prevention training, power train and control, split-treadmill, smart medical device

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220392

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-13, 2023

Authors: Lallement, Alex | Noblet, Vincent | Antoni, Delphine | Meyer, Philippe

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Adaptive radiotherapy (ART) aims to address anatomical modifications appearing during the treatment of patients by modifying the planning treatment according to the daily positioning image. Clinical implementation of ART relies on the quality of the deformable image registration (DIR) algorithms included in the ART workflow. To translate ART into clinical practice, automatic DIR assessment is needed. OBJECTIVE: This article aims to estimate spatial misalignment between two head and neck kilovoltage computed tomography (kVCT) images by using two convolutional neural networks (CNNs). METHODS: The first CNN quantifies misalignments between 0 mm and 15 …mm and the second CNN detects and classifies misalignments into two classes (poor alignment and good alignment). Both networks take pairs of patches of 33x33x33 mm 3 as inputs and use only the image intensity information. The training dataset was built by deforming kVCT images with basis splines (B-splines) to simulate DIR error maps. The test dataset was built using 2500 landmarks, consisting of hard and soft landmark tissues annotated by 6 clinicians at 10 locations. RESULTS: The quantification CNN reaches a mean error of 1.26 mm (± 1.75 mm) on the landmark set which, depending on the location, has annotation errors between 1 mm and 2 mm. The errors obtained for the quantification network fit the computed interoperator error. The classification network achieves an overall accuracy of 79.32%, and although the classification network overdetects poor alignments, it performs well (i.e., it achieves a rate of 90.4%) in detecting poor alignments when given one. CONCLUSION: The performances of the networks indicate the feasibility of using CNNs for an agnostic and generic approach to misalignment quantification and detection. Show more

Keywords: Registration error, DIR validation, DIR in radiotherapy, adaptive radiotherapy, supervised learning, convolutional neural networks, deep learning

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220519

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-14, 2023

Authors: Jiang, Sheng Li | Jiang, Xiu Min | Zheng, Qing Xiang | Liu, Xiu Wu

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Acupoint buried beans on the auricle is a feasible method to prevent and treat postpartum urinary retention. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effect of auricular acupoint buried beans on postpartum urination and maternal and fetal outcomes following epidural analgesia for labor. METHODS: Two hundred forty primiparas underwent vaginal trial labor analgesia from May 2020 to January 2021 and were randomly placed into the intervention and control groups. Both groups received epidural labor analgesia. Maternal urination during labor, 2 h postpartum, and the time for first postpartum urination were recorded as primary outcomes, …with maternal and infant outcomes documented as secondary results. Statistical analysis was performed using the independent sample t -test, non-parametric rank-sum, or chi-square test using the SPSS Statistics 25.0 software. RESULTS: Two hundred eight study participants were subsequently included in the results, i.e., 105 patients in the intervention group and 103 in the control group. The intervention group comprised a significantly lower number of patients with excessive residual urine volume at cervical dilatation of 5–6 cm (P < 0.05). The total postpartum score of the intervention group was lower than in the control group (P < 0.01), and the time to first urination was shorter compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In the intervention group, the time of labor analgesia, the duration of the first stage of labor, and the total labor time were shorter compared with the control group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Auricular acupoint embedded beans can improve the urination status at cervical dilatation of 5–6 cm and 2 h postpartum, as well as significantly shorten the duration of labor. Show more

Keywords: Ear-point buried beans, maternal outcome, epidural labor analgesia, urinary retention, labor

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220660

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2023

Authors: Koch, Miriam | Arlandini, Claudio | Antonopoulos, Gregory | Baretta, Alessia | Beaujean, Pierre | Bex, Geert Jan | Biancolini, Marco Evangelos | Celi, Simona | Costa, Emiliano | Drescher, Lukas | Eleftheriadis, Vasileios | Fadel, Nur A. | Fink, Andreas | Galbiati, Federica | Hatzakis, Ilias | Hompis, Georgios | Lewandowski, Natalie | Memmolo, Antonio | Mensch, Carl | Obrist, Dominik | Paneta, Valentina | Papadimitroulas, Panagiotis | Petropoulos, Konstantinos | Porziani, Stefano | Savvidis, Georgios | Sethia, Khyati | Strakos, Petr | Svobodova, Petra | Vignali, Emanuele

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: To say data is revolutionising the medical sector would be a vast understatement. The amount of medical data available today is unprecedented and has the potential to enable to date unseen forms of healthcare. To process this huge amount of data, an equally huge amount of computing power is required, which cannot be provided by regular desktop computers. These

DOI: 10.3233/THC-229015

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-15, 2023

Authors: Lv, Yin-Jiang | Liang, Xiu-Feng | Wu, Yi-Ping

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The ABO blood group is closely related to clinical blood transfusion, transplantation, and neonatal hemolytic disease. It is also the most clinically significant blood group system in clinical blood transfusion. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to review and analyze the clinical application of the ABO blood group. METHODS: The most common ABO blood group typing methods in clinical laboratories are hemagglutination test and microcolumn gel test, while genotype detection is mainly adopted in clinical identification of suspicious blood types. However, in some cases, the expression variation or absence of blood …type antigens or antibodies, experimental techniques, physiology, disease, and other factors affect the accurate determination of blood types, which may lead to serious transfusion reactions. RESULTS: The mistakes could be reduced or even eliminated by strengthening training, selecting reasonable identification methods, and optimizing processes, thereby improving the overall identification level of the ABO blood group. ABO blood groups are also correlated with many diseases, such as COVID-19 and malignant tumors. Rh blood groups are determined by the RHD and RHCE homologous genes on chromosome 1 and are classified as Rh negative or positive according to the D antigen., the agglutination method is often used in clinical settings, while genetic and sequencing methods are often used in scientific research. CONCLUSION: Accurate ABO blood typing is a critical requirement for the safety and effectiveness of blood transfusion in clinical practice. Most studies were designed for investigating rare Rh blood group family, and there is a lack of research on the relationship between Rh blood groups and common diseases. Show more

Keywords: ABO blood type, Rh blood type, blood group system, forward and reverse typing, influencing factors, diseases

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220659

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2023

Authors: Lin, Xiaoxiao | Sun, Haoyue | Lin, Xizhou | Liu, Ya | Hu, Sisi | Song, Caiyun | Yu, Yingcong

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Studies have reported that certain adverse reactions can occur during painless gastroscopy examination. Knowing how to decrease the risks and incidence of adverse reactions is of great importance. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether topical pharyngeal anesthesia combined with intravenous anesthesia is superior to intravenous anesthesia alone in patients undergoing painless gastroscopy and to determine whether this combined approach had any additional benefits. METHODS: Three hundred patients undergoing painless gastroscopy were randomly assigned to either the control group or the experimental group. In the control group, patients were anesthetized with propofol, while patients in …the experimental group received propofol combined with 2% lidocaine spray for topical pharyngeal anesthesia. Hemodynamic parameters before and after the procedure, including the heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulse oxygen saturation (SPO 2 ) were recorded. Any adverse reactions experienced by the patient, including choking and respiratory depression, and the total dosage of propofol required during each procedure were also documented. RESULTS: Compared with pre-anesthetic data, the HR, MAP, and SPO 2 were reduced after the completion of the painless gastroscopy procedure in both groups. However, the HR, MAP, and SPO 2 measurements taken after the gastroscopy were significantly lower in the control group than those of the experimental group (P < 0.05); thus, the hemodynamic parameters of the experimental group were more stable. Compared with the control group, there was significant reduction in the total amount of propofol administered in the experimental group (P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions, including choking and respiratory depression, was significantly lower in the experimental group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that the application of topical pharyngeal anesthesia in painless gastroscopy can significantly reduce the incidence of adverse reactions. Thus, the combination of topical pharyngeal and intravenous anesthesia is worthy of clinical application and promotion. Show more

Keywords: Topical pharyngeal anesthesia, adverse reactions, painless gastroscopy, intravenous anesthesia

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220516

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-7, 2023

Authors: Wang, Yong Feng | He, Rui Jing | Yuan, Xiao Juan | Wang, Xiao Min | Liang, Tao | Cui, Zhi Qiang | Liu, Jian Xia

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Standardized chemotherapy for breast cancer can improve the survival of patients, but during the process, it is accompanied by a variety of symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To explore the dynamic changes of symptoms and quality of life in breast cancer patients at different time points during chemotherapy, and to explore the correlation with quality of life. METHOD: A prospective study method was used to collect 120 breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy as the research objects. The general information questionnaire, the Chinese version of the M.D. Anderson Symptom inventory (MDASI-C), and the European Organization for …Cancer Research and Treatment (EORTC) Quality of Life questionnaire were used in the first week (T1), first month (T2), three month (T3) and 6 months after chemotherapy (T4) to conduct dynamic investigation. RESULTS: The symptoms of breast cancer patients at four time points during chemotherapy period were: psychological symptoms, pain-related symptoms, perimenopausal symptoms, impaired self-image, and neurological related symptoms etc. At T1, it exhibited 2 symptoms, however as moving along the chemotherapy process, the symptoms are increasing. The severity is (F = 76.32, P < 0.001), life of quality (F = 117.64, P < 0.001) vary. At T3, there were 5 symptoms, and at T4 symptom number increased to 6 with worsening quality of life. It exhibited positive correlation with scores in multiple domains of quality of life (P < 0.05), and the above symptoms showed positive correlation with multiple domains of QLQ-C30 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: After T1-T3 of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients, the symptoms become more serious and the quality of life reduced. Therefore, medical staff should pay attention to the occurrence and development of patient’s symptoms, create a reasonable plan from the perspective of symptom management and carry out personalized interventions to improve patient’s quality of life. Show more

Keywords: Breast cancer patients, chemotherapy, symptom clusters, dynamic changes, quality of life

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220657

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2023

Authors: Zhang, Yanhua | Teng, Libao | Wang, Chunying

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In order to prevent the occurrence of high-cost cases, it is necessary to know the proportion of high-rate cases and the hospitalization cost of patients. OBJECTIVE: Through the analysis of the high-rate cases of various specialties in a first-class hospital in a province, the profit and loss situation of medical institutions under the diagnosis-intervention packets (DIP) payment reform was discussed to seek a more effective way of medical insurance payment reform. METHODS: Data of 1955 inpatients who participated in DIP settlement in January 2022 were retrospectively selected. The Pareto chart was used …to analyze the distribution trend of high-cost cases and the composition of hospitalization expenses in each specialty. RESULTS: The high-cost cases are the main reason for the loss of medical institutions at the time of DIP settlement. Neurology, respiratory medicine and other specialties are the focus of high-cost cases. CONCLUSION: The cost composition of inpatients with high-cost cases is in urgent need of optimization and adjustment. DIP payment method can control the use of medical insurance funds more effectively, which is the guarantee for the refined management of medical institutions. Show more

Keywords: High-cost cases, diagnosis-intervention packet, hospitalization expenses, Pareto chart analysis

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220647

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2023

Authors: Tian, Qiu-Si | Zhang, Qun | Huang, Wei

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Gliomas are one of the most common malignancies in the central nervous system (CNS). Members of the minichromosomal maintenance protein (MCM) family play an essential role in diagnosing and prognosis of malignant tumors. MCM10 is found in gliomas, but the prognosis and immune infiltration of gliomas has not been elucidated. OBJECTIVE: To explore the biological function and immune infiltration of MCM10 in gliomas and provide a reference for the diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation. METHODS: The MCM10 expression profile and the clinical information database of glioma patients were obtained from the China …Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) and Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) glioma data. We analyzed the MCM10 expression levels in various cancers from The TCGA.RNA sequencing data were analyzed using the R packages to determine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high- and low MCM10 expressing GBM tissues from the TCGA-GBM database. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare MCM10 expression levels in glioma and normal brain tissue. To evaluate the value of MCM10 expressions in the prognosis of glioma patients by the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, a univariate Cox analysis, multivariate Cox analysis, and a ROC curve analysis were used to analyze the correlation of MCM10 expression and the clinicopathological features of glioma patients using the TCGA database data. Subsequently, a functional enrichment analysis was performed to explore its potential signaling pathways and biological functions. Moreover, a single-sample gene set enrichment analysis was used to assess the extent of immune cell infiltration. Lastly, the authors constructed a nomogram to predict the overall survival rate (OS) of gliomas at 1, 3 and 5 years after diagnosis. RESULTS: MCM10 is highly expressed in 20 cancer types including gliomas, and MCM10 expression was an independent adverse prognostic factor in glioma patients. Similarly, high expression of MCM10 was associated with advanced age (60 years), increased tumor grade, tumor recurrence or development of a secondary tumor, IDH wild-type, and non-codeletion of 1p19q (p < 0.01). The OS nomogram generated a consistency index of 0.821. The results of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment and Gene Ontology (GO) functional analysis showed that the cell-cycle-related and tumor-related signaling pathways were significantly enriched in the MCM10 high expression phenotype. Moreover, signaling pathways were significantly enriched in Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), including Rho GTPases, M phase, DNA repair, extracellular matrix organization, and nuclear receptors. Furthermore, MCM10 over expression was negatively correlated with the level of immune cell infiltration in natural killer CD56 bright cells, follicular helper T cells, plasmacytoma dendritic cells, and dendritic cells. CONCLUSION: MCM10 is an independent prognostic index of glioma patients, and the high expression of MCM10 suggests a poor prognosis; MCM10 expression is closely related to the immune cell infiltration of gliomas, and MCM10 may be related to drug resistance and development of gliomas. Show more

Keywords: Gliomas, minichromosomal maintenance protein 10, immune infiltration, biomarker, prognosis

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220576

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-17, 2023

Authors: Zhao, Yi | Wu, Yong-Meng | Hu, Die | Xiang, Ze-Rui | Zhi, Jin-Yi | Xu, Bo-Chu

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: High-speed health trains are important tools and guarantees in major accidents, epidemic pandemics, disasters, and warfare health care, and the health trains currently developed for common train platforms have more functional defects. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the medical transfer system and the medical system, and to obtain a better medical transfer train formation through the established model. METHODS: Based on the case study of medical transport tools, this paper analyzes the components and interrelationships of the medical transport system and the medical system, and …then analyzes the medical transport task process of the health train by using the hierarchical task analysis (HTA) method. Combined with the Chinese standard EMU, a medical transport task model of the high-speed health train is established. Through this model, the functional compartment unit of the high-speed health train and the marshaling scheme of the high-speed health train are obtained. RESULTS: The expert system is used to evaluate the scheme. The results show that the train formation scheme formulated by the model in this paper is superior to other train formation schemes in three indicators, meeting the requirements of large medical transfer tasks. CONCLUSION: The results of this study can improve the ability of on-site treatment of patients, and can provide a basis for the research and development of a high-speed health train, which has a certain practical application value. Show more

Keywords: High-speed health train, HTA, medical transport

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220675

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-15, 2023

Authors: Li, Changzhong | Ma, Ya

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: To effectively circumvent foetal structural abnormalities and serious newborn sequelae, antenatal ultrasound evaluation can support making an early diagnosis for potential prenatal management or the termination of pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: This study systematically evaluated a meta-analysis of different pregnancy outcomes in the diagnosis of isolated foetal renal parenchymal echogenicity (IHEK) by prenatal ultrasonography. METHODS: Two researchers conducted a literature search following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The following databases were included in the search: China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Medical Network, China Academic Journals Full-text Database, PubMed, …Web Of Science and Springer Link; additional library websites were also included, and the search reviewed different pregnancies among patients with IHEK. The outcome indicators were the live birth rate, the incidence of polycystic renal dysplasia and the incidence of pregnancy termination/neonatal death. The meta-analysis was performed using the Stata/SE 12.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 14 studies were included in the meta-analysis (total sample content, 1,115 cases). The combined effect size of prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of pregnancy termination/neonatal mortality in patients with IHEK was 0.289 (confidence interval (CI) 95%; range, 0.102–0.397). The combined effect size of the live birth rate of pregnancy outcomes was 0.742 (CI 95%; range, 0.634–0.850. The combined effect size of the polycystic kidney dysplasia rate was 0.066 (CI 95%; range, 0.030–0.102). The heterogeneity of all three results was > 50%; accordingly, a random-effects model was used. CONCLUSION: The indications for eugenic labour should not be included in a prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of patients with IHEK. In the results of this meta-analysis, the live birth and polycystic dysplasia rates were optimistic in terms of pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, under the condition of excluding other unfavourable factors, it is necessary to A thorough technical inspection is required to make an accurate judgment. Show more

Keywords: IHEK, pregnancy outcomes, eugenic labour

DOI: 10.3233/THC-220690

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-13, 2023