Human Analysts at Superhuman Scales: What Has Friendly Software To Do?

As analysts are expected to process a greater amount of information in a shorter amount of time, creators of big data software are challenged with the need for improved efficiency. Ray, our group's usable, scalable genome assembler, addresses big data problems by using optimal resources and producing one, correct and conservative, timely solution. Only by abstracting the size of the data from both the computers and the humans can the real scientific question, often complex in itself, eventually be solved.

Risk factors for contact lens complications in US clinical practices.

Purpose: To determine significant risk factors for any inflammatory and infectious events with soft contact lenses (SCL) in a large retrospective clinical chart review.

Methods: Charts of patients who presented for SCL care from October 2005 through March 2006 were reviewed and observed for a potential of at least 2 years. Charts from those with office visits involving an event-requiring pharmacologic treatment and/or interruption of SCL wear were scanned and later adjudicated by a masked panel.

Comfort-enhanced daily disposable contact lens reduces symptoms among weekly/monthly wear patients.

Objectives: The primary objective of this trial was to explore the extent to which common contact lens-related symptoms may be improved among symptomatic daily wear contact lens wearers who habitually replaced their lenses at intervals of 1 to 4 weeks when fitted with DAILIES AquaComfort Plus for daily disposable, daily wear. Primary variables were frequency and severity of tired eyes, irritated eyes, lens awareness, blurred vision, redness, discomfort, deposits, and dryness.

Methods: Eight sites, investigators enrolled 83 subjects who reported two or more of the symptoms with frequency of often or always.

Myopia progression during three years of soft contact lens wear.

Purpose: To analyze the effect of lens material alone on myopia progression in a multi-center non-randomized prospective study of daily wear hydrogel and continuous wear silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Methods: Refractive error data from completing subjects were collected during a 3-year study of 54 subjects wearing low-Dk/t hydrogel contact lenses for daily wear and 230 wearing silicone hydrogel contact lenses for up to 30 nights continuous wear. Univariate analysis of refractive error changes was first conducted on factors of lens type, age at baseline, and baseline refractive error.

Comparison of subjective grading of limbal redness by eyecare practitioners in three countries.

Objectives: To compare grading of a biomicroscopy sign between eye care practitioners in three countries of widely different geographies-the United States, Australia, and Germany-and to test the accuracy of grading the sign within each country.

Methods: Four eye care practitioners licensed in the practice of optometry in each country were sent sets of limbal redness images that were printed from the Efron Grading Scale morphing program. Each set consisted of 18 images randomly selected over the range of 0 to 4, inclusive.

Expanding your use of silicone hydrogel contact lenses: using lotrafilcon A for daily wear.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to profile contact lens (CL) experience among patients in eyecare practitioner (ECP) offices and the response to daily wear (DW) of lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel CLs.

Methods: Patients at ECP offices were surveyed for their vision correction modality and experience with CLs. Adapted, new, and former CL wearers who were interested in trying CLs were dispensed lotrafilcon A (NIGHT & DAY, CIBA VISION, Duluth, GA) lenses for a 1 month trial of DW.

Improving contact-lens related dryness symptoms with silicone hydrogel lenses.

Purpose: To determine dryness symptoms attributable to hydrogel contact lens (HCL) wear by comparing symptoms from age-matched HCL wearers and non-wearers in a cross-sectional study, and to compare that difference to the change in proportion of subjects reporting frequent dryness among HCL wearers after refitting with lotrafilcon A or B silicone hydrogels (SHCLs).

Methods: Prevalence of frequent dryness symptoms was compared between HCL and non-wearers from a cross-sectional, historical dataset of Dry Eye/Contact Lens Dry Eye Questionnaires using an age-matched subset of 259 HCL and 246 non-wearers. Prospective change in prevalence of frequent dryness from non-randomized studies (n = 1036), in which daily wear (DW) HCL wearers were refit with lotrafilcon A or B SHCLs, was then compared to the cross-sectional difference between HCL wearers and non-wearers.

Integrating data, models, and reasoning in critical care.

Modern intensive care units (ICUs) employ an impressive array of technologically sophisticated instrumentation to provide detailed measurements of the pathophysiological state of each patient. Providing life support in the ICU is becoming an increasingly complex task, however, because of the growing volume of relevant data from clinical observations, bedside monitors, mechanical ventilators, and a wide variety of laboratory tests and imaging studies. The enormous amount of ICU data and its poor organization makes its integration and interpretation time-consuming and inefficient.

The stability of dryness symptoms after refitting with silicone hydrogel contact lenses over 3 years.

Purpose: To assess the stability of dryness symptoms after refitting patients wearing low-Dk/t hydrogel contact lenses with high-Dk/t silicone hydrogel contact lenses and to determine whether early dryness symptoms were predictive of discontinuation in the 3-year study.

Methods: Two hundred seventy-eight hydrogel lens wearers were refitted with lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel contact lenses for continuous wear of up to 30 nights. Self-administered questionnaires at baseline, 1 week, and 3 years captured the frequency and intensity of dryness symptoms during the day and at the end of the day.

Inflammatory and mechanical complications associated with 3 years of up to 30 nights of continuous wear of lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel lenses.

Purpose: To report the ocular complications occurring during a 3-year clinical trial of subjects wearing lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel lenses for up to 30 nights of continuous wear.

Methods: Nineteen sites enrolled 317 subjects (286 current wearers and 31 new wearers), who were dispensed lotrafilcon A lenses with 3 years of follow-up.

Results: By the 1-month visit, continuous wear of up to 30 nights was recommended for 87% of subjects.

Long-term clinical results: 3 years of up to 30-night continuous wear of lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel and daily wear of low-Dk/t hydrogel lenses.

Purpose: To summarize results of a 3-year clinical trial assessing subjective and objective experience with lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel (SH) lenses for up to 30 nights of continuous wear or low-Dk/t daily-wear (LDW) hydrogel lenses.

Methods: Nineteen sites dispensed SH lenses to 317 subjects (286 current wearers and 31 new wearers) and 2-week replacement LDW lenses to 81 new wearers in a 3-year study.

Results: For the SH cohort, limbal redness, conjunctival redness, and corneal neovascularization improved among 23%, 21%, and 13% of eyes, respectively (P<0.

Predictive factors for corneal infiltrates with continuous wear of silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Objective: To estimate the cumulative probability and risk factors for developing corneal infiltrates after up to 3 years of continuous wear (CW) with lotrafilcon A lenses.

Methods: Patients were fitted with lotrafilcon A lenses and followed up for 3 years. The main outcome variable was the first occurrence of any infiltrative event in either eye.

The clinical performance of a silicone hydrogel lens for daily wear in an Asian population.

Purpose: To evaluate slitlamp findings, frequency and severity of symptoms, and wearing time with a silicone hydrogel contact lens when used for daily wear by patients of Asian ethnicity.

Methods: This was a five-site, 88-patient, prospective, open-label study involving 1 month of daily wear of lotrafilcon A lenses (Focus NIGHT & DAY, CIBA Vision, Duluth, GA) among adapted soft lens wearers previously wearing etafilcon A (ACUVUE 2, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Jacksonville, FL) or polymacon (Optima FW, Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, NY) lenses.

Results: Statistically significant improvements in conjunctival redness, limbal redness, and corneal neovascularization were reported after 1 week and 1 month of wear.

Three-year follow-up of biomicroscopy signs and refractive status in patients wearing lotrafilcon A lenses.

Purpose: To report the wearer experience, biomicroscopy signs, and stability of refractive error after 3 years' use of lotrafilcon A lenses.

Methods: Seventy-four subjects from a multicenter clinical trial with lotrafilcon A lenses were queried on aspects of lens wear. Biomicroscopy signs and refractive error were compared to baseline measurements.

Impact of previous extended and daily wear schedules on signs and symptoms with high Dk lotrafilcon A lenses.

Purpose: This study measured the impact of previous contact lens wearing schedule on the resolution of signs and contact lens-related symptoms among wearers of lotrafilcon A lenses.

Methods: One hundred forty adapted low Dk daily wear (DW) and 140 adapted low Dk extended wear (EW) subjects were enrolled and examined for 1 year (overall study length is 3 years). All subjects wore lotrafilcon A lenses on a wearing schedule of up to 30 nights continuous wear with monthly replacement of lenses.

Safety of contact lenses in patients with diabetes.

The purpose of the present study was to determine if increased complications exist among patients with diabetes as compared with individuals without diabetes who wear soft disposable contact lenses for daily wear. Complications among daily-wear contact lens wearers who have worn soft contact lenses for 1 year or more were reported from a retrospective review of records. Eyes from 254 patients with diabetes and 254 individuals without diabetes (control), one eye for each subject, from six clinical practices were compared using chi2 and exact Wilcoxon analyses as appropriate.

An exhaustive DNA micro-satellite map of the human genome using high performance computing.

The current pace of the generation of sequence data requires the development of software tools that can rapidly provide full annotation of the data. We have developed a new method for rapid sequence comparison using the exact match algorithm without repeat masking. As a demonstration, we have identified all perfect simple tandem repeats (STR) within the draft sequence of the human genome.

Subjective experience with high-oxygen and low-oxygen permeable soft contact lenses in France.

Purpose: This article reports the subjective results of a study comparing extended-wear high-oxygen permeable (HDk) silicone hydrogel soft contact lenses with low-oxygen permeable (LDk) hydroxyethyl methacrylate lenses.

Methods: Six practitioners in France enrolled 134 subjects in this 4-month, open-label, multicenter, prospective, randomized, cross-over study. Subjects were randomized to receive prescriptions of either an HDk lotrafilcon A or an LDk etafilcon A soft contact lens.

Clinical results comparing high-oxygen and low-oxygen permeable soft contact lenses in France.

Purpose: This article reports clinical results comparing a high-oxygen permeable (HDk) silicone hydrogel soft contact lens with a low-oxygen permeable (LDk) soft hydroxyethyl methacrylate contact lens when worn on an extended-wear basis.

Methods: Six practitioners in France enrolled 134 subjects in this 4-month, open-label, multicenter, prospective, randomized, cross-over study. Subjects were randomized to receive either an HDk lotrafilcon A or an LDk etafilcon A soft contact lens.

Retrospective case series of therapeutic applications of lotrafilcon a silicone hydrogel soft contact lenses.

Purpose: To report a series of consecutive cases for which a lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel soft contact lens was used in therapeutic applications.

Methods: Three practitioners in Spain, Denmark, and Germany supplied 41 consecutive case reports of 39 patients for whom a lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel soft contact lens was used in therapeutic applications. Applications included erosion or recurrent erosion, bullous keratopathy, corneal edema, corneal dystrophy, neurotrophic corneal ulcer, entropion, and use after corneal surgeries.