On consensus biomarker selection

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Recent development of mass spectrometry technology enabled the analysis of complex peptide mixtures. A lot of effort is currently devoted to the identification of biomarkers in human body fluids like serum or plasma, based on which new diagnostic tests for different diseases could be constructed. Various biomarker selection procedures have been exploited in recent studies. It has been noted that they often lead to different biomarker lists and as a consequence, the patient classification may also vary.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we propose a new approach to the biomarker selection problem: to apply several competing feature ranking procedures and compute a consensus list of features based on their outcomes. We validate our methods on two proteomic datasets for the diagnosis of ovarian and prostate cancer.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The proposed methodology can improve the classification results and at the same time provide a unified biomarker list for further biological examinations and interpretation.</p

Tracking virus outbreaks in the twenty-first century

Emerging viruses have the potential to impose substantial mortality, morbidity and economic burdens on human populations. Tracking the spread of infectious diseases to assist in their control has traditionally relied on the analysis of case data gathered as the outbreak proceeds. Here, we describe how many of the key questions in infectious disease epidemiology, from the initial detection and characterization of outbreak viruses, to transmission chain tracking and outbreak mapping, can now be much more accurately addressed using recent advances in virus sequencing and phylogenetics. We highlight the utility of this approach with the hypothetical outbreak of an unknown pathogen, 'Disease X', suggested by the World Health Organization to be a potential cause of a future major epidemic. We also outline the requirements and challenges, including the need for flexible platforms that generate sequence data in real-time, and for these data to be shared as widely and openly as possible

Manufacture of precision, thin-walled, drawn tubes for pneumatic cylinders

26.00; Translated from Polish (Hutnik (Katowice) 1986 (2) p. 49-53)Available from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:9022.06(BISI-Trans--26494)T / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Poor final visual outcome after traumatic hyphema: A retrospective study of associated factors

OBJECTIVES: To determine the factors associated with a poor final visual outcome following a non-perforating traumatic hyphema. METHODS: The in-patient records of all traumatic hyphema patients admitted to the Department of Ophthalmology of the Hamad Medical Centre (HMC) in Doha, Qatar, were retrospectively reviewed for a four-year period from January 2004 to March 2008. One hundred and seventeen patients who did not meet the exclusion criteria were divided into two groups based on their final visual outcome post-treatment. Group 1 (good outcome) consisted of 100 patients with a visual acuity (VA) of 6/18 or better and group 2 (worse outcome) consisted of 17 patients with a VA of less than 6/18. The two groups were compared to determine the factors associated with a poor final visual outcome. RESULTS: Group 2 patients had an 82.3% incidence of complications after a traumatic hyphema compared with a 21% incidence in group 1. Of these complications, secondary glaucoma and rebleeding were significantly associated with a worse final visual outcome. Trauma from projectiles or blows did not differ significantly in their effect on the final visual outcome, although blow injuries had a greater impact on the final visual outcome. Posterior segment injuries were associated with a worse visual outcome. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that secondary glaucoma, rebleeding, and posterior segment injuries are factors associated with a poor final visual outcome