An exudate detection method for diagnosis risk of diabetic macular edema in retinal images using feature-based and supervised classification.

The present paper aims at presenting the methodology and first results of a detection system of risk of diabetic macular edema (DME) in fundus images. The system is based on the detection of retinal exudates (Ex), whose presence in the image is clinically used for an early diagnosis of the disease. To do so, the system applies digital image processing algorithms to the retinal image in order to obtain a set of candidate regions to be Ex, which are validated by means of feature extraction and supervised classification techniques.

Correction to: Safety and effectiveness of self-adhesive mesh in laparoscopic ventral hernia repair using transabdominal preperitoneal route.

The metadata listed the wrong given names and family names.

A tool for automated diabetic retinopathy pre-screening based on retinal image computer analysis.

Aim: This paper presents a methodology and first results of an automatic detection system of first signs of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) in fundus images, developed for the Health Ministry of the Andalusian Regional Government (Spain).

Material And Methods: The system detects the presence of microaneurysms and haemorrhages in retinography by means of techniques of digital image processing and supervised classification. Evaluation was conducted on 1058 images of 529 diabetic patients at risk of presenting evidence of DR (an image of each eye is provided).

Risk factors for premenstrual asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Asthma in women can deteriorate in specific phases during the menstrual cycle. Deterioration in the premenstrual phase (increase in symptoms or deterioration in peak flow measurements) is known as premenstrual asthma. The etiology remains mostly unknown.

Safety and effectiveness of self-adhesive mesh in laparoscopic ventral hernia repair using transabdominal preperitoneal route.

Background: Laparoscopic ventral or incisional hernia repair requires intraperitoneal mesh placement. This is associated with an increase in adhesions, bowel obstruction and enterocutaneous fistula. Intraabdominal meshes are laparoscopically fixed using traumatic fixation methods that increase acute, chronic pain and adhesions to bowel loops.

Metabolic profiling of potential lung cancer biomarkers using bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and the integrated direct infusion/ gas chromatography mass spectrometry platform.

Unlabelled: Lung cancer is one of the ten most common causes of death worldwide, so that the search for early diagnosis biomarkers is a very challenging task. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) provides information on cellular and biochemical epithelial surface of the lower respiratory tract constituents and no previous metabolomic studies have been performed with BALF samples from patients with lung cancer. Therefore, this fluid has been explored looking for new contributions in lung cancer metabolism.

Genome-Wide DNA Copy Number Analysis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Identifies New Genetic Markers Associated with Clinical Outcome.

Unlabelled: Identifying additional genetic alterations associated with poor prognosis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is still a challenge.

Aims: To characterize the presence of additional DNA copy number alterations (CNAs) in children and adults with ALL by whole-genome oligonucleotide array (aCGH) analysis, and to identify their associations with clinical features and outcome. Array-CGH was carried out in 265 newly diagnosed ALLs (142 children and 123 adults).

Evaluation of the utilization of external radiotherapy in the treatment of localized prostate cancer in Andalusia, Spain.

Background: Around 27,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year in Spain and 5400 die from this disease. Radiotherapy (RT), alone or combined, has proven to be effective as initial treatment in patients with localized disease. Our objective was to evaluate the use of external beam RT (EBRT) in our region, comparing the indication rate and irradiation rate and examining variability in its application among hospitals.

New graphic AUC-based method to estimate overall survival benefit: pomalidomide reanalysis.

What Is Known And Objective: Difference in median survival is an erratic measure and sometimes does not provide a good assessment of survival benefit. The aim of this study was to reanalyse the overall survival benefit of pomalidomide from pivotal clinical trial using a new area under curve (AUC)-based method.

Comment: In the pivotal trial, pomalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone showed a significant survival benefit over high-dose dexamethasone, with a difference between medians of 4.

SIMBOSPROST: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and osteoporosis in prostate cancer patients treated with radiotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy: A multicentre, cross-sectional study.

Aim: To assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and osteoporosis in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) treated with radical radiotherapy (RT) with or without androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

Background: Worldwide, the prevalence of MetS is estimated to range from 20% to 25% of the adult population. However, prevalence rates are much higher in PCa patients (pts) who undergo ADT.

Diagnostic Approach to Unexplained Cardiac Arrest (from the FIVI-Gen Study).

Unexplained cardiac arrest (UCA) can be caused by low-penetrance genetic disorders. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to assess the usefulness of a new diagnostic protocol: Thirty-five patients were recruited from 9 Spanish centers. Electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and coronary catheterization were used to rule out electrical or structural heart disease in all subjects.

Comparison of the carbon footprint of different patient diets in a Spanish hospital.

Objectives: Mitigating climate change requires management strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in any sector, including the health system. Carbon footprint calculations should play a key role in quantifying and communicating these emissions. Food is among the categories with low accuracy because the carbon footprint for food is still under development.

Influence of early surgical treatment on the prognosis of left-sided infective endocarditis: a multicenter cohort study.

Objective: To analyze the influence of early valve operation on mortality in patients with left-sided infective endocarditis (IE).

Patients And Methods: A multicenter cohort study was carried out between 1990 and 2010. Data from consecutive patients with definite IE and possible left-sided IE were collected.

The neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist aprepitant is a promising candidate for the treatment of breast cancer.

The substance P (SP)/neurokinin (NK)-1 receptor system plays an important role in the development of cancer. No in-depth studies of the involvement of this system in breast cancer (BC) have been carried out, and the action exerted by the drug aprepitant on BC cells is currently unknown. We show the involvement of this system in human BC cell lines: i) these cells express mRNA for the NK-1 receptor; ii) they overexpress NK-1 receptors; iii) the NK-1 receptor is involved in their viability; iv) SP induces their proliferation; v) NK-1 receptor antagonists block SP-induced mitogen stimulation of these cells; vi) the specific antitumor action of such antagonists on these cells occurs through the NK-1 receptor; and vii) BC cell death is due to apoptosis.

Randomized comparison between polymer-free versus polymer-based paclitaxel-eluting stent: two-year final clinical results.

Background: Most drug-eluting stents currently in use are coated with a polymer carrying the drug that is released for several weeks. However, a durable polymer may provoke hypersensitive reaction, delayed artery healing, and eventually stent thrombosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of a polymer-free paclitaxel-eluting stent (PF-PES) versus a polymer-based PES (PB-PES).

Maternal fat mass may predict overweight/obesity in non-instituzionalized women with intellectual disability.

Introduction: Previous studies have found a significant correlation between parents and offspring regarding overweight and obesity in general population at early life stages. However this issue has received no attention in people with intellectual disability (ID). Therefore, the present study was designed to find out potential correlations in overweight/obesity between young adult women with ID living in the family and their parents.

Central obesity measurements predict metabolic syndrome in a retrospective cohort study of postmenopausal women.

Introduction: The various diagnostic classifications in the literature concur as regards the important role of abdominal obesity in the onset and progression of metabolic syndrome. Accordingly, this study was aimed at clarifying whether central obesity measurements assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) may predict metabolic syndrome in Spanish postmenopausal women.

Material And Methods: This historical cohort study included a total of 1326 postmenopausal women aged > 45 years old who had routinely undergone DXA to measure their bone mineral density between January 2006 and January 2011.

Hepatoblastoma cells express truncated neurokinin-1 receptor and can be growth inhibited by aprepitant in vitro and in vivo.

Background & Aims: Multidrug resistance presents a major problem in hepatoblastoma (HB), and new anti-tumor strategies are desperately needed. The substance P (SP)/neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) complex has been discovered to be pivotal in the development of a variety of human cancers, and NK1R antagonists, such as the clinical drug aprepitant, are promising future anticancer agents. Yet, the role of the SP/NK1R complex as a potential anticancer target in HB is unknown.

Resistance circuit training reduced inflammatory cytokines in a cohort of male adults with Down syndrome.

Background: It is widely accepted that muscle strength plays a key role on functional tasks of daily living and employability in individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Recent studies have also reported resistance training may improve chronic inflammation in other clinical situations. This is the first study conducted to determine the effect of resistance circuit training on low-grade systemic inflammation in adults with DS.

Ability of FDG-PET/CT in the detection of gallbladder cancer.

Purpose: To assess the value of FDG-PET/CT in the evaluation of gallbladder carcinomas (GBC).

Methods: A prospective cohort of patients with suspicion of or confirmed GBC was studied with FDG-PET/CT. Diagnostic accuracy parameters were calculated in comparison with pathology and/or the clinical course of patients.

Low-grade systemic inflammation and leptin levels were improved by arm cranking exercise in adults with chronic spinal cord injury.

Objective: To ascertain the effect of arm cranking exercise on improving plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines and adipokines in untrained adults with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: Longitudinal study.

Setting: Community-based supervised intervention.

Rituximab as an effective alternative therapy in refractory idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of B-lymphocyte depletion therapy (BCDT) utilising rituximab in refractory idiopathic inflammatory myositis.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 16 adult patients with active dermatomyositis (DM) or polymyositis (PM) who received 1 gram rituximab intravenous infusions two weeks apart after failing to respond to conventional therapy. The clinical and biochemical response were analysed by the Myositis Intention to Treat index (MITAX) and the serum creatine kinase (CK) levels at baseline and 6 and 12 months after treatment.

Neonatal hypercalcemia due to a homozygous mutation in the calcium-sensing receptor: failure of cinacalcet.

A neonate affected by a novel inactivating mutation in the calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) gene is presented. This mutation is homozygously inherited and has not been previously described. A deletion in exon 5 (c.

Arm-cranking exercise reduced oxidative damage in adults with chronic spinal cord injury.

Objective: To assess the effect of a 12-week arm-cranking exercise program on reducing oxidative damage in untrained adults with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Community-based supervised intervention.