96 research outputs found
A New Evolutionary Algorithm-Based Home Monitoring Device for Parkinsonâs Dyskinesia
Parkinsonâs disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder. Although there is no cure, symptomatic treatments are available and can significantly improve quality of life. The motor, or movement, features of PD are caused by reduced production of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine deficiency is most often treated using dopamine replacement therapy. However, this therapy can itself lead to further motor abnormalities referred to as dyskinesia. Dyskinesia consists of involuntary jerking movements and muscle spasms, which can often be violent. To minimise dyskinesia, it is necessary to accurately titrate the amount of medication given and monitor a patientâs movements. In this paper, we describe a new home monitoring device that allows dyskinesia to be measured as a patient goes about their daily activities, providing information that can assist clinicians when making changes to medication regimens. The device uses a predictive model of dyskinesia that was trained by an evolutionary algorithm, and achieves AUC>0.9 when discriminating clinically significant dyskinesia
Genomic characterization of pediatric Bâlymphoblastic lymphoma and Bâlymphoblastic leukemia using formalinâfixed tissues
BackgroundRecurrent genomic changes in Bâlymphoblastic leukemia (BâALL) identified by genomeâwide singleânucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray analysis provide important prognostic information, but gene copy number analysis of its rare lymphoma counterpart, Bâlymphoblastic lymphoma (BâLBL), is limited by the low incidence and lack of fresh tissue for genomic testing.ProcedureWe used molecular inversion probe (MIP) technology to analyze and compare copy number alterations (CNAs) in archival formalinâfixed paraffinâembedded pediatric BâLBL (n = 23) and BâALL (n = 55).ResultsSimilar to BâALL, CDKN2A/B deletions were the most common alteration identified in 6/23 (26%) BâLBL cases. Eleven of 23 (48%) BâLBL patients were hyperdiploid, but none showed triple trisomies (chromosomes 4, 10, and 17) characteristic of BâALL. IKZF1 and PAX5 deletions were observed in 13 and 17% of BâLBL, respectively, which was similar to the reported frequency in BâALL. Immunoglobulin light chain lambda (IGL) locus deletions consistent with normal light chain rearrangement were observed in 5/23 (22%) BâLBL cases, compared with only 1% in BâALL samples. None of the BâLBL cases showed abnormal, isolated VPREB1 deletion adjacent to IGL locus, which we identified in 25% of BâALL.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that the copy number profile of BâLBL is distinct from BâALL, suggesting possible differences in pathogenesis between these closely related diseases.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137353/1/pbc26363.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137353/2/pbc26363_am.pd
Raman spectroscopy in head and neck cancer
In recent years there has been much interest in the use of optical diagnostics in cancer detection. Early diagnosis of cancer affords early intervention and greatest chance of cure. Raman spectroscopy is based on the interaction of photons with the target material producing a highly detailed biochemical 'fingerprint' of the sample. It can be appreciated that such a sensitive biochemical detection system could confer diagnostic benefit in a clinical setting. Raman has been used successfully in key health areas such as cardiovascular diseases, and dental care but there is a paucity of literature on Raman spectroscopy in Head and Neck cancer. Following the introduction of health care targets for cancer, and with an ever-aging population the need for rapid cancer detection has never been greater. Raman spectroscopy could confer great patient benefit with early, rapid and accurate diagnosis. This technique is almost labour free without the need for sample preparation. It could reduce the need for whole pathological specimen examination, in theatre it could help to determine margin status, and finally peripheral blood diagnosis may be an achievable target
SREB, a GATA Transcription Factor That Directs Disparate Fates in Blastomyces dermatitidis Including Morphogenesis and Siderophore Biosynthesis
Blastomyces dermatitidis belongs to a group of human pathogenic fungi that exhibit thermal dimorphism. At 22°C, these fungi grow as mold that produce conidia or infectious particles, whereas at 37°C they convert to budding yeast. The ability to switch between these forms is essential for virulence in mammals and may enable these organisms to survive in the soil. To identify genes that regulate this phase transition, we used Agrobacterium tumefaciens to mutagenize B. dermatitidis conidia and screened transformants for defects in morphogenesis. We found that the GATA transcription factor SREB governs multiple fates in B. dermatitidis: phase transition from yeast to mold, cell growth at 22°C, and biosynthesis of siderophores under iron-replete conditions. Insertional and null mutants fail to convert to mold, do not accumulate significant biomass at 22°C, and are unable to suppress siderophore biosynthesis under iron-replete conditions. The defect in morphogenesis in the SREB mutant was independent of exogenous iron concentration, suggesting that SREB promotes the phase transition by altering the expression of genes that are unrelated to siderophore biosynthesis. Using bioinformatic and gene expression analyses, we identified candidate genes with upstream GATA sites whose expression is altered in the null mutant that may be direct or indirect targets of SREB and promote the phase transition. We conclude that SREB functions as a transcription factor that promotes morphogenesis and regulates siderophore biosynthesis. To our knowledge, this is the first gene identified that promotes the conversion from yeast to mold in the dimorphic fungi, and may shed light on environmental persistence of these pathogens
High Resolution Genome-Wide Analysis of Chromosomal Alterations in Burkitt's Lymphoma
Additional chromosomal abnormalities are currently detected in Burkitt's lymphoma. They play major roles in the progression of BL and in prognosis. The genes involved remain elusive. A whole-genome oligonucleotide array CGH analysis correlated with karyotype and FISH was performed in a set of 27 Burkitt's lymphoma-derived cell lines and primary tumors. More than half of the 145 CNAs<2 Mb were mapped to Mendelian CNVs, including GSTT1, glutathione s-transferase and BIRC6, an anti-apoptotic protein, possibly predisposing to some cancers. Somatic cell line-specific CNVs localized to the IG locus were consistently observed with the 244 K aCGH platform. Among 136 CNAs >2 Mb, gains were found in 1q (12/27), 13q (7/27), 7q (6/27), 8q(4/27), 2p (3/27), 11q (2/27) and 15q (2/27). Losses were found in 3p (5/27), 4p (4/27), 4q (4/27), 9p (4/27), 13q (4/27), 6p (3/27), 17p (3/27), 6q (2/27),11pterp13 (2/27) and 14q12q21.3 (2/27). Twenty one minimal critical regions (MCR), (range 0.04â71.36 Mb), were delineated in tumors and cell lines. Three MCRs were localized to 1q. The proximal one was mapped to 1q21.1q25.2 with a 6.3 Mb amplicon (1q21.1q21.3) harboring BCA2 and PIAS3. In the other 2 MCRs, 1q32.1 and 1q44, MDM4 and AKT3 appeared as possible drivers of these gains respectively. The 13q31.3q32.1 <89.58â96.81> MCR contained an amplicon and ABCC4 might be the driver of this amplicon. The 40 Kb 2p16.1 <60.96â61> MCR was the smallest gained MCR and specifically encompassed the REL oncogene which is already implicated in B cell lymphomas. The most frequently deleted MCR was 3p14.1 <60.43â60.53> that removed the fifth exon of FHIT. Further investigations which combined gene expression and functional studies are essential to understand the lymphomagenesis mechanism and for the development of more effective, targeted therapeutic strategies
PRM6 The UK Contribution to Real World Research: Review of Published Data at ISPOR, Madrid 2011
Instruction-Level Design of Local Optimisers using Push GP
This work uses genetic programming to explore the design space of local
optimisation algorithms. Optimisers are expressed in the Push programming
language, a stack-based language with a wide range of typed primitive
instructions. The evolutionary framework provides the evolving optimisers with
an outer loop and information about whether a solution has improved, but
otherwise they are relatively unconstrained in how they explore optimisation
landscapes. To test the utility of this approach, optimisers were evolved on
four different types of continuous landscape, and the search behaviours of the
evolved optimisers analysed. By making use of mathematical functions such as
tangents and logarithms to explore different neighbourhoods, and also by
learning features of the landscapes, it was observed that the evolved
optimisers were often able to reach the optima using relatively short paths.Comment: Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO'19), Prague,
Czech Republic, July 13-17, 201
- âŠ