Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Local Area Signal-to-Noise Ratio (LASNR) algorithm for Image Segmentation Local Area Signal-to-Noise Ratio (LASNR) algorithm for Image Segmentation

ABSTRACT Many automated image-based applications have need of finding small spots in a variably noisy image. For humans, it is relatively easy to distinguish objects from local surroundings no matter what else may be in the image. We attempt to capture this distinguishing capability computationally by calculating a measurement that estimates the strength of signal within an object versus the noise in its local neighborhood. First, we hypothesize various sizes for the object and corresponding background areas. Then, we compute the Local Area Signal to Noise Ratio (LASNR) at every pixel in the image, resulting in a new image with LASNR values for each pixel. All pixels exceeding a pre-selected LASNR value become seed pixels, or initiation points, and are grown to include the full area extent of the object. Since growing the seed is a separate operation from finding the seed, each object can be any size and shape. Thus, the overall process is a 2-stage segmentation method that first finds object seeds and then grows them to find the full extent of the object. This algorithm was designed, optimized and is in daily use for the accurate and rapid inspection of optics from a large laser system (National Ignition Facility (NIF), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA), which includes images with background noise, ghost reflections, different illumination and other sources of variation

Preventing Falls: A Community-Based Intervention Project

Falls are preventable. The National Council on Aging stresses falls are not a normal part of aging and individuals have the agency to reduce their risk of falling. Nevertheless, fall rates are growing among older adults across the United States and are the most common cause of injury in Franklin County. Coupled with the considerable burden on patients, their caregivers, and health care systems, this is a clear indicator that our current fall prevention systems are failing. Moreover, this is occurring despite having a robust set of already known, evidence-based, publicly available fall reduction strategies, and resources. Falls can result in injuries that lead to profound changes in mobility, the ability to care for oneself, and overall life expectancy. At the community level, local emergency medical services (EMS) are often called for older patients who experience a fall or require assistance for mobility but do not require transport for further care (deemed "lift assist" calls). EMS lift assists are costly – approximately $825 per run – and divert care from higher acuity calls. Emerging evidence demonstrates that fall and lift assist calls should be considered sentinel events and serve as a trigger for further assessment and intervention to prevent future injury, medical deterioration, and disability for older patients and that home modifications have the greatest potential to stop preventable falls and decrease injuries (5-7). Reducing the number of paramedic runs for lift assists should have a significant cost benefit to the local community and provide transformational care strategies for fall prevention in a patient's own home. This project was a collaborative effort between OSUWMC Orthopaedics and the Upper Arlington Fire Department to identify feasible home modifications that community paramedics can implement in the homes of older adults to prevent falls in the home and reduce emergency calls related to falls and lift assists.AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Elizabeth Sheridan Wagg, researcher, OSUWMC, [email protected] (Corresponding Author); Carmen Quatman, surgeon-scientist, OSUWMC; Jennifer Garvin, informaticist/public health researcher, OSUWMC; Melinda Gabriel, firefighter/paramedic, Upper Arlington Fire Division; Deb Kegelmeyer, researcher/physical therapist, OSUWMC; Laura Phieffer, surgeon, OSUWMC; Catherine Quatman-Yates, clinical researcher/physical therapist, OSUWMC; Heena Santry, surgeon-scientist, OSUWMC; Mark Weade, firefighter/paramedic, Upper Arlington Fire Division; Jessica Wiseman, researcher, OSUWMC; David Wisner, firefighter/paramedic, Upper Arlington Fire Division; Mark Zambito, assistant chief, Worthington Fire DivisionFalls are not a normal part of aging. However, fall rates are growing among older adults and are the most common cause of injury for older adults in Franklin County. Falls can lead to profound changes in mobility, independent living, and overall life expectancy. At the community level, local emergency medical services are often called for older patients who experience a fall or require assistance for mobility, but then do not require transport for further care ("lift assists"). Reducing the number of paramedic runs for lift assists should have a significant cost benefit to the local community and provide transformational care strategies for fall prevention in a patient's own home. This was a collaborative effort between OSUWMC Orthopaedics and the Upper Arlington Fire Division to identify feasible home modifications that community paramedics can implement in the homes of older adults to prevent falls in the home and reduce emergency calls related to falls and lift assists