Moving object tracking in clinical scenarios: application to cardiac surgery and cerebral aneurysm clipping.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Surgical procedures such as laparoscopic and robotic surgeries are popular since they are invasive in nature and use miniaturized surgical instruments for small incisions. Tracking of the instruments (graspers, needle drivers) and field of view from the stereoscopic camera during surgery could further help the surgeons to remain focussed and reduce the probability of committing any mistakes. Tracking is usually preferred in computerized video surveillance, traffic monitoring, military surveillance system, and vehicle navigation. Despite the numerous efforts over the last few years, object tracking still remains an open research problem, mainly due to motion blur, image noise, lack of image texture, and occlusion. Most of the existing object tracking methods are time-consuming and less accurate when the input video contains high volume of information and more number of instruments. METHODS:This paper presents a variational framework to track the motion of moving objects in surgery videos. The key contributions are as follows: (1) A denoising method using stochastic resonance in maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform is proposed and (2) a robust energy functional based on Bhattacharyya coefficient to match the target region in the first frame of the input sequence with the subsequent frames using a similarity metric is developed. A modified affine transformation-based registration is used to estimate the motion of the features following an active contour-based segmentation method to converge the contour resulted from the registration process. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The proposed method has been implemented on publicly available databases; the results are found satisfactory. Overlap index (OI) is used to evaluate the tracking performance, and the maximum OI is found to be 76% and 88% on private data and public data sequences

Ashghal Quality Assurance & Quality Control system - QSD Role in Monitoring & Reporting the Quality Performance in Ashghal Projects

Ashghal has established a robust system of quality control and quality assurance for all projects constructed by Ashghal. Ashghal Departments are supervising a sophisticated system of quality control and quality assurance processes and procedures, implemented by the Consultants, Contractors, and Key Supply Chain Partners of Ashghal projects (e.g., Sub-Contractors, Key Suppliers, and Independent Laboratories). This paper illustrates how Ashghal Quality & Safety Department (QSD) monitors and reports the quality performance in Ashghal constructed projects to ensure continuous improvement and adherence to Ashghal quality strategy, policy mission, and targets. QSD is operating as Third Party, reporting directly to Ashghal President, and is monitoring and reporting the compliance of the industry to the quality requirements defined in Qatar Construction Specifications (QCS, 2014), Contracts, Professional Services Agreements, ISO 9001:2015 Standard and specific Ashghal requirements. Effective root cause analysis carried out by the auditing team has led to value-adding activities. QSD has established specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the management of non-conformities and corrective actions, to improve the performance and minimize the deviations and failures of compliance. QSD is conducting focused and system audits at Ashghal projects and the supply chain and is liaising with departments and individual projects as necessary, to agree on Lessons Learned and Actions to improve the quality of works. These activities include the establishment of consistent criteria of the qualifications and experience of the quality staff of Ashghal departments and Consultants' teams. QSD is making quarterly presentations to the Ashghal President regarding the performance of the Departments (including Contractors' and Consultants' performance) and of the Ashghal Project Managers. The established criteria and evaluation related to the quality are dynamic and reviewed/updated periodically to ensure the improvement of the Quality Performance of Ashghal Projects

Memokath for treating ureteric stricture post cryoablation of renal mass: a case report of rare complication and proposed alternative management

The use of cryoablation in the management of small renal masses is widely acceptable. Although rare but ureteral injury during the procedure with subsequent stricture formation can result in devastating effects on renal function. On the other hand, the management of such strictures requires reconstructive surgery as gold standard. Unfortunately, in some cases the reconstructive surgery might not be feasible, and the treatment usually is ureteral stent insertion that need to be changed regularly. Here we present a case of a 53-year-old gentleman who developed an upper ureteric iatrogenic stricture post cryoablation in which the reconstructive surgery was not feasible due to high procedural risk. We used metallic ureteral stent (Memokath) instead of regular ureteral double J stent. We found that if the reconstructive surgery is not possible the usage of Memokath in treating iatrogenic ureteral strictures is associated with better quality of life, lower costs and a similar functional outcome when compared to ureteral double J stent that needs regular frequent changes

Trace element composition of size-fractionated suspended particulate matter samples from the Qatari Exclusive Economic Zone of the Arabian Gulf: the role of atmospheric dust

We analyzed net-tow samples of natural assemblages of plankton, and associated particulate matter, from the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Qatar in the Arabian Gulf. Size-fractionated suspended particles were collected using net tows with mesh sizes of 50 and 200 μm to examine the composition of small- and large-size plankton populations. Samples were collected in two different years (11 offshore sites in October 2012 and 6 nearshore sites in April 2014) to examine temporal and spatial variabilities.We calculated the excess metal concentrations by correcting the bulk composition for inputs from atmospheric dust using aluminum (Al) as a lithogenic tracer and the metal=Al ratios for average Qatari dust. Atmospheric dust in Qatar is depleted in Al and enriched in calcium (Ca), in the form of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), relative to the global average Upper Continental Crust (UCC). To evaluate the fate of this carbonate fraction when dust particles enter seawater, we leached a subset of dust samples using an acetic acid–hydroxylamine hydrochloride (HAc–HyHCl) procedure that should solubilize CaCO3 minerals and associated elements. As expected, we found that Ca was removed in Qatari dust; however, the concentrations (ppm) for most elements actually increased after leaching because the reduction in sample mass resulting from the removal of CaCO3 by the leach was more important than the loss of metals solubilized by the leach. BecauseQatar National Research Fund (QNRF) under the National Priorities Research Progra

The effects of long-term testosterone treatment on endocrine parameters in hypogonadal men: 12-year data from a prospective controlled registry study.

Testosterone therapy (TTh) is the primary treatment for aging men with functional hypogonadism. Whilst the benefits of testosterone (T) replacement are well-evidenced, the long-term data for TTh on metabolic and endocrine parameters is limited. Here we present the effect of TTh on endocrine parameters in hypogonadal men at a 12-year follow-up. In this single-centre, cumulative, prospective, registry study, 321 hypogonadal men (mean age: 58.9 years) received testosterone undecanoate injections in 12-week intervals for up to 12 years. Blood samples were taken at every other visit to measure levels of total T (TT), calculated free T, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), estradiol, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), progesterone and prolactin. We observed an increase in TT of 15.5 nmol/L (p p p p p p p < 0.0001) were demonstrated at 12-years. The levels of prolactin remained unchanged. Long-term TTh altered hormonal parameters to predictably modify the endocrine system. These effects were sustained during the entire observation time of 12 years

Home cancer care research: a bibliometric and visualization analysis (1990-2021)

Home cancer care research (HCCR) has accelerated, as considerable attention has been placed on reducing cancer-related health costs and enhancing cancer patients' quality of life. Understanding the current status of HCCR can help guide future research and support informed decision-making about new home cancer care (HCC) programs. However, most current studies mainly detail the research status of certain components, while failing to explore the knowledge domain of this research field as a whole, thereby limiting the overall understanding of home cancer care. We carried out bibliometric and visualization analyses of Scopus-indexed papers related to home cancer care published between 1990-2021, and used VOSviewer scientometric software to investigate the status and provide a structural overview of the knowledge domain of HCCR (social, intellectual, and conceptual structures). Our findings demonstrate that over the last three decades, the research on home cancer care has been increasing, with a constantly expanding stream of new papers built on a solid knowledge base and applied to a wide range of research themes

A Bibliometric Analysis and Visualization of Decision Support Systems for Healthcare Referral Strategies

Background: The referral process is an important research focus because of the potential consequences of delays, especially for patients with serious medical conditions that need immediate care, such as those with metastatic cancer. Thus, a systematic literature review of recent and influential manuscripts is critical to understanding the current methods and future directions in order to improve the referral process. Methods: A hybrid bibliometric-structured review was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Searches were conducted of three databases, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed, in addition to the references from the eligible papers. The papers were considered to be eligible if they were relevant English articles or reviews that were published from January 2010 to June 2021. The searches were conducted using three groups of keywords, and bibliometric analysis was performed, followed by content analysis. Results: A total of 163 papers that were published in impactful journals between January 2010 and June 2021 were selected. These papers were then reviewed, analyzed, and categorized as follows: descriptive analysis (n = 77), cause and effect (n = 12), interventions (n = 50), and quality management (n = 24). Six future research directions were identified. Conclusions: Minimal attention was given to the study of the primary referral of blood cancer cases versus those with solid cancer types, which is a gap that future studies should address. More research is needed in order to optimize the referral process, specifically for suspected hematological cancer patients.This article was made possible by the National Priorities Research Program-Standard (NPRP-S) Twelfth (12th) Cycle grant# NPRP12S-0219-190108, from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation)

COVID‐19 effect on patients with noncommunicable diseases: a narrative review

Background and Aims: On March 11, 2020, the WHO has declared COVID‐19 a global pandemic, affecting our day‐to‐day lives. Physical distancing and lockdown made significant obstacles to populations, particularly healthcare systems. Most healthcare workers were reallocated to COVID‐19 facilities. Noncommunicable disease patients were given low priority and are at a higher risk of severe COVID‐19 infection, which disrupted the treatment and disease management of these patients. This review aimed to assess the effect of COVID‐19 on different types of noncommunicable diseases and the severity it may cause to patients. Methods: We have conducted a review of the literature on COVID‐19 and noncommunicable diseases from December 2019 until January 2022. The search was done in PubMed and Cochrane for relevant articles using variety of searching terms. Data for study variables were extracted. At the end of the selection process, 46 papers were selected for inclusion in the literature review. Result: The result from this review found that the COVID‐19 pandemic has affected the efficiency of the patient's treatment indirectly by either delaying or canceling sessions, which solidified the need to rely more on telemedicine, virtual visits, and in‐home visits to improve patient education and minimize the risk of exposure to the patients. The major and most common types of noncommunicable diseases are known to be related to the severe outcomes of COVID‐19 infection. It is strongly recommended to prioritize these patients for vaccinations against COVID‐19 to provide them with the protection that will neutralize the risk imposed by their comorbidities. Conclusion: We recommend conducting more studies with larger population samples to further understand the role of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in this pandemic. However, this pandemic has also affected the efficiency of NCDs treatment indirectly by delaying or canceling sessions and others

RUINAS DE LA IGLESIA DE SAN PEDRO [Material gráfico]

EN LA ACTUALIDAD ESTÁ RESTAURADA. ADQUIRIDA POR EL COLECCIONISTA EN LAS PALMAS G.C.FOTO DE ARCO DE PIEDRA EN PATIO INTERIOR ABANDONADO. RUINAS DE LA IGLESIA DE SAN PEDRO EN TELDE.Copia digital. Madrid : Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. Subdirección General de Coordinación Bibliotecaria, 201

Real-time automated image segmentation technique for cerebral aneurysm on reconfigurable system-on-chip

Cerebral aneurysm is a weakness in a blood vessel that may enlarge and bleed into the surrounding area, which is a life-threatening condition. Therefore, early and accurate diagnosis of aneurysm is highly required to help doctors to decide the right treatment. This work aims to implement a real-time automated segmentation technique for cerebral aneurysm on the Zynq system-on-chip (SoC), and virtualize the results on a 3D plane, utilizing virtual reality (VR) facilities, such as Oculus Rift, to create an interactive environment for training purposes. The segmentation algorithm is designed based on hard thresholding and Haar wavelet transformation. The system is tested on six subjects, for each consists 512 × 512 DICOM slices, of 16 bits 3D rotational angiography. The quantitative and subjective evaluation show that the segmented masks and 3D generated volumes have admitted results. In addition, the hardware implement results show that the proposed implementation is capable to process an image using Zynq SoC in an average time of 5.2 ms