Role of medical informatics in future medical care

Medical information has been digitally formatted and it has been properly stored and managed by a computer system with the progress of information communication technology (ICT). Hospital information systems and regional medical liaison systems can be cited as the main components of the system, and the clinical task of the medical informatics department is the construction, management and operation of these systems. Recently, medical real world data (RWD) accumulated in these systems is focused not only as a primary use but also as a secondary use of medical information. However, there are many problems such as standardization, collection, cleaning, and analysis of medical information. Internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) are applied to the collection and analysis of RWD, and help to resolve the above problems. Using these new technologies expected further progress in the future, medical care is about to reach a new era

First-principles calculation of electronic polarization of III-V nanotubes

A first-principles study of the electronic polarization of BN and AlN nanotubes and their graphitic sheets under an external electric field has been performed. We found that the polarization per atom of zigzag nanotubes increases with decreasing diameter while that of armchair nanotubes decreases. The variation of the polarization is related to the exterior angle of the bonds around the B or Al atoms rather than that around the N atoms. The increase in the polarization of the zigzag nanotubes with decreasing diameter is caused by the large variation of the exterior angle when they are wrapped into the tubular form. On the other hand, the decrease in the bond length results in the weak polarization of thin armchair nanotubes.Comment: 12 pages. to be published in Phys. Rev.

First-principles study on scanning tunneling microscopy images of hydrogen-terminated Si(110) surfaces

Scanning tunneling microscopy images of hydrogen-terminated Si(110) surfaces are studied using first-principles calculations. Our results show that the calculated filled-state images and local density of states are consistent with recent experimental results, and the empty-state images appear significantly different from the filled-state ones. To elucidate the origin of this difference, we examined in detail the local density of states, which affects the images, and found that the bonding and antibonding states of surface silicon atoms largely affect the difference between the filled- and empty-state images.Comment: 4 pages, and 4 figure

Medical information management

With progress in information and communication technology, medical information has been converted to digital formats and stored and managed using computer systems. The construction, management, and operation of medical information systems and regional medical liaison systems are the main components of the clinical tasks of medical informatics departments. Research using medical information accumulated in these systems is also a task for medical informatics department. Recently, medical real-world data (RWD) accumulated in medical information systems has become a focus not only for primary use but also for secondary uses of medical information. However, there are many problems, such as standardization, collection, cleaning, and analysis of them. The internet of things and artificial intelligence are also being applied in the collection and analysis of RWD and in resolving the above problems. Using these new technologies, progress in medical care and clinical research is about to enter a new era

Perihilar or (Hilar) Cholangiocarcinoma: Interventional to Surgical Management

Peri-hilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHC) or hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA) characterizes a critical effort to assess significantly sick patients. The existing scenery and proof to the diagnosis and treatments for hilar cholangiocarcinoma are improving day by day. Patients with HCCA encounter numerous obstacles in acquiring efficient therapies. The condition is uncommon, and the majority patients don’t have any distinct risk factors, doing selection process inadequate. The initial signs and symptoms in many cases are non-specific, and in many patients the tumors are not resectable because of involvement of the perihilar structures. MRI with MRCP offers further information about the extent of biliary involvement. Furthermore, endoscopic stenting and percutaneous drain could be useful for intricate hilar strictures. Surgical resections with negative margins are related to good likelihood of survival for patients representing with HCCA. Regardless of the accessibility of curative treatment strategies such as operative resection and liver transplantation, most sufferers with HCCA shows with repeated, metastases or locally advanced disease with a poor prognosis. Within this chapter, we have tried to elaborate the modalities of treatment from intervention to surgical approach for HCCA

Cystic Artery Variations and Associated Vascular Complications in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Substantial knowledge of the arterial supply and its anatomical variations of the gall bladder and liver are important in all the hepatobiliary surgical procedures. The arterial supply of gallbladder called cystic artery (CA) is a vital structure required to get ligated or clipped in the path of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The possible concerns like intra-operative bleeding or adjoining accidental injuries will almost always be focused on the research consisting of dissection and clipping with cystic artery. Pseudoaneurysm of the cystic artery has additionally been belonging to the presence of acute cholecystitis or pancreatitis. An original supply of CA is usually assessed depending on the existence of hepatic artery variants. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is really a recent and arduous noninvasive procedure and might even result in substantial unintended effects possibly iatrogenic or in the form of post-procedural complications. The perfect knowledge of anatomy in addition to feasible variation of cystic artery is mandatory. An efficient operative strategy and consciousness are probably the key components with all the results and marginal likelihood of complications, which often can be ultimately attainable. Within this chapter, we have attempted to explore some variations of cystic artery, complications and management

Selective alpha(1A)-Adrenoceptor Stimulation Induces Mueller's Smooth Muscle Contraction in an Isolated Canine Upper Eyelid Preparation

Purpose: It has been demonstrated that in patients with aponeurotic blepharoptosis, alpha(1)-adrenoceptor stimulation causes the contraction of the upper eyelid tarsal smooth muscle (Mueller's muscle) and opening of the eye. However, alpha(1)-adrenoceptor subtypes mediating the contraction of Mueller's muscle are still unclear. This study was designed to identify the alpha(1)-adrenoceptor subtypes in Mueller's muscle. Materials and Methods: A newly developed canine upper eyelid preparation was retrogradely perfused with a drug-containing Krebs-Henseleit solution through the angular vein in a temperature-controlled organ chamber. The contraction of the preparation was measured with a force-displacement transducer. Results: Phenylephrine, an alpha(1)-adrenoceptor agonist, increased the upper eyelid contractile force in a dose-dependent manner (K(0.5) = 110 nmol). Interestingly, the contraction in response to phenylephrine was persistent and hardly recovered to a base line level for more than 100 min after washout of the drug. WB4101 (100 nM), an alpha(1A)- and alpha(1D)-adrenoceptor antagonist, but not BMY7378 (100 nM), a selective alpha(1D)-adrenoceptor antagonist, competitively inhibited the phenylephrine-induced contraction. ABT-866, a selective alpha(1A)-adrenoceptor agonist, increased the upper eyelid contractile force as effectively as phenylephrine in a dose-dependent manner (K(0.5) = 190 nmol), and the contraction continued again for more than 100 min. Conclusion: These results suggest that selective alpha(1A)-adrenoceptor agonists, such as ABT-866, induce the sustained Mueller's muscle contraction and may be useful in pharmacological treatment of blepharoptosis.ArticleCURRENT EYE RESEARCH. 35(5):363-369 (2010)journal articl

Evolution of genetic architecture and gene regulation in biphenyl/PCB-degrading bacteria

A variety of bacteria in the environment can utilize xenobiotic compounds as a source of carbon and energy. The bacterial strains degrading xenobiotics are suitable models to investigate the adaptation and evolutionary processes of bacteria because they appear to have emerged relatively soon after the release of these compounds into the natural environment. Analyses of bacterial genome sequences indicate that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the most important contributor to the bacterial evolution of genetic architecture. Further, host bacteria that can use energy effectively by controlling the expression of organized gene clusters involved in xenobiotic degradation will have a survival advantage in harsh xenobiotic-rich environments. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of evolutionary mechanisms operative in bacteria, with a focus on biphenyl/PCB-degrading bacteria. We then discuss metagenomic approaches that are useful for such investigation