An Artificial Neural Network Framework to Predict Patients with High Likelihood of Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an important health and healthcare system problem. The ability to predict which patients will develop CKD is a difficult task due to the complex nonlinear relationships among related factors. Using artificial neural networks (ANN), applied to a population 17 through 90 years of age, we achieved 97% accuracy in classification, based on standard laboratory test and patient data. The technique was also helpful in determining which features of the data are most predictive; 75% of the features were sufficient to reach this high level of accuracy

Two Axis Solar System

For several hours of service, stationary solar energy systems produce less than their maximum power output. This is because solar panels produce their highest peak power while they are perpendicular to the sun's light, which occurs only for a brief period of time during the day while the panel is stationary. Solar tracking systems have been around for a long time and solve this problem. Some systems use light sensor arrays to monitor the sun's light intensity, while others depend on mathematical models with no external sensors that simply set the angle of the panel at specific times during the day. This project's engineering design phase is split into two semesters, with the first semester's design process having already been detailed in the first article. The aim of this document is to show how to develop, test, and analyse a low-cost solar tracking system primary design that best addresses the problem statement

Intradural extramedullary spinal cord meningioma with a rare extradural foraminal extension: A case report

BackgroundMeningiomas are mostly benign and slow-growing neoplasms of the central nervous system. Spinal meningiomas account for up to 45% of all intradural spinal tumors in adults and up to 25%–45% of all spinal tumors. Spinal extradural meningiomas are rare and may be easily confused with malignant neoplasms.Case descriptionA 24-year-old woman was presented to our hospital with paraplegia and loss of sensation in the T7 dermatome and lower body. MRI findings showed T6-T7 right-sided intradural extramedullary and extradural lesion, measuring 1.4 cm × 1.5 cm × 3 cm, extending to the right foramen, compressing the spinal cord, and displacing it to the left. Hyperintense lesion on T2 and hypointense lesion on T1 were observed. The patient reported improvement after surgery and during follow-up. We recommend maximizing the decompression during surgery to achieve better clinical outcome. Extradural meningiomas represent 5% of all meningiomas; therefore, having an intradural on top of extradural meningioma with extraforaminal extensions makes this a unique and rare case.ConclusionMeningiomas can be easily missed in diagnosis depending on imaging and the pathognomonic pattern it represents, which can mimic other pathologies, such as schwannomas. Therefore, surgeons should always suspect their patient having a meningioma even if the pattern is not typical. Moreover, preoperative preparation, such as navigation and defect closure, must be taken in case it turns out be a meningioma instead of the presumed pathology

Profiling estrogen, progesterone, and androgen receptors in colorectal cancer in relation to gender, menopausal status, clinical stage, and tumour sidedness

BackgroundAlthough estrogen (ERα/ERβ), progesterone (PGR), and androgen (AR) receptors are pathologically altered in colorectal cancer (CRC), their simultaneous expression within the same cohort of patients was not previously measured.MethodsERα/ERβ/PGR/AR proteins were measured in archived paired normal and malignant colon specimens (n =120 patients) by immunohistochemistry, and results were analyzed by gender, age (≤50 vs. ≥60 years), clinical stages (early-stage I/II vs. late-stage III/IV), and anatomical location (right; RSCs vs. left; LSCs). Effects of 17β-estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4), and testosterone alone or combined with the specific blockers of ERα (MPP dihydrochloride), ERβ (PHTPP), PGR (mifepristone), and AR (bicalutamide) on cell cycle and apoptosis were also measured in the SW480 male and HT29 female CRC cell lines. ResultsERα and AR proteins increased, whilst ERβ and PGR declined markedly in malignant specimens. Moreover, male neoplastic tissues showed highest AR expression, whilst ERβ and PGR weakest alongside ERα strongest expression was seen in cancerous tissues from women aged ≥60 years. Late-stage neoplasms also revealed maximal alterations in the expression of sex steroid receptors. By tumor location, LSCs disclosed significant elevations in ERα with marked declines in PGR compared with RSCs, and ERα strongest alongside PGR weakest expression was detected in advanced LSCs from women aged ≥60 years. Late-stage LSCs from females aged ≥60 years also showed weakest ERβ and strongest AR expression. In contrast, male RSC and LSC tissues exhibited equal ERβ and AR expression in all clinical stages. ERα and AR proteins also correlated positively, whereas ERβ and PGR inversely, with tumor characteristics. Concomitantly, E2 and P4 monotherapies triggered cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in the SW480 and HT29 cells, and while pre-treatment with ERα-blocker enhanced the effects of E2, ERβ-blocker and PGR-blocker suppressed the E2 and P4 anti-cancer actions, respectively. In contrast, treatment with the AR-blocker induced apoptosis, whilst co-treatment with testosterone hindered the effects. ConclusionsThis study advocates that protein expression of sex steroid receptors in malignant tissues could represent prognostic markers, as well as hormonal therapy could provide an alternative strategy against CRC, and their efficacies could be dependent on gender, clinical stage, and tumor location

Systemic Design Approach to a Real-Time Healthcare Monitoring System: Reducing Unplanned Hospital Readmissions †

Following hospital discharge, millions of patients continue to recover outside formal healthcare organizations (HCOs) in designated transitional care periods (TCPs). Unplanned hospital readmissions of patients during TCPs adversely affects the quality and cost of care. In order to reduce the rates of unplanned hospital readmissions, we propose a real-time patient-centric system, built around applications, to assist discharged patients in remaining at home or in the workplace while being supported by care providers. Discrete-event system modeling techniques and supervisory control theory play fundamental roles in the system’s design. Simulation results and analysis show that the proposed system can be effective in documenting a patient’s condition and health-related behaviors. Most importantly, the system tackles the problem of unplanned hospital readmissions by supporting discharged patients at a lower cost via home/workplace monitoring without sacrificing the quality of care

Scores of awareness and altruism in organ transplantation among Saudi health colleges students-impact of gender, year of study, and field of specialization

This study aimed to evaluate the awareness of organ transplantation and willingness to donate among Saudi Health Colleges students and the impact of gender, year of study, and field of specialization on this. This is a cross-sectional survey-based study. The survey was distributed to all the students attending the annual national conference of Saudi Health Colleges students held in 2018. The survey had two parts. The first part collected the information about gender, university, college of specialization, and year of study. The second part asked 10 questions, seven of which were about the types, causes, treatment of organ failure (awareness questions), and three of which were about their willingness to donate (altruism questions). The participants had three response options: “Yes”, “No” and “I don’t know. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard) and the frequencies were generated for each parameter. Categorical data were compared using Chi-square and continuous data using an independent t-test or paired t-test. A total of 821 respondents completed the questionnaire; 58.1% were female, 41.3% studying medicine, 25.1% applied medical sciences, 12.7% pharmacy, 9.6% dentistry, and 4.5% nursing 4.5%. The overall awareness of the correct responses constituted 60.4% while 12.3 % gave incorrect responses and 27.3% did not know what the answers were. The highest awareness score was about the concept of brain death (86.4%). The overall awareness score was significantly higher than the altruism score (62.7% and 45.7% respectively (P = 0.0001). Female respondents proved more aware than the male respondents in all the questions did. However, the differences reached the significant levels in four of the ten questions. If we split and summate the responses into “awareness” questions and “altruism” questions, we find that, although female students score higher in both categories, this reaches the significant level for the altruism score (59.90% vs. 45.60% (P = 0.0001). Final year students were significantly more aware than the freshmen in seven of the 10 questions posed with the biggest gap seen in the awareness that Islamic Sharia permits donating organs after death (82.3% vs. 49.6% (P = 0.0001). When we compare of responses by the college, we find that significant differences between the College of Medicine students and applied medical sciences in two questions with the former having a higher awareness score. The overall awareness score was significantly higher than the altruism score (62.7% and 45.7% respectively). Female students have higher altruistic score than male students. The scores are significantly higher in the senior students than in the junior ones

Image1_Intradural extramedullary spinal cord meningioma with a rare extradural foraminal extension: A case report.tiff

BackgroundMeningiomas are mostly benign and slow-growing neoplasms of the central nervous system. Spinal meningiomas account for up to 45% of all intradural spinal tumors in adults and up to 25%–45% of all spinal tumors. Spinal extradural meningiomas are rare and may be easily confused with malignant neoplasms.Case descriptionA 24-year-old woman was presented to our hospital with paraplegia and loss of sensation in the T7 dermatome and lower body. MRI findings showed T6-T7 right-sided intradural extramedullary and extradural lesion, measuring 1.4 cm × 1.5 cm × 3 cm, extending to the right foramen, compressing the spinal cord, and displacing it to the left. Hyperintense lesion on T2 and hypointense lesion on T1 were observed. The patient reported improvement after surgery and during follow-up. We recommend maximizing the decompression during surgery to achieve better clinical outcome. Extradural meningiomas represent 5% of all meningiomas; therefore, having an intradural on top of extradural meningioma with extraforaminal extensions makes this a unique and rare case.ConclusionMeningiomas can be easily missed in diagnosis depending on imaging and the pathognomonic pattern it represents, which can mimic other pathologies, such as schwannomas. Therefore, surgeons should always suspect their patient having a meningioma even if the pattern is not typical. Moreover, preoperative preparation, such as navigation and defect closure, must be taken in case it turns out be a meningioma instead of the presumed pathology.</p