Shell-model description of monopole shift in neutron-rich Cu

Variations in the nuclear mean-field, in neutron-rich nuclei, are investigated within the framework of the nuclear shell model. The change is identified to originate mainly from the monopole part of the effective two-body proton-neutron interaction. Applications for the low-lying states in odd-$A$ Cu nuclei are presented. We compare the results using both schematic and realistic forces. We also compare the monopole shifts with the results obtained from large-scale shell-model calculations, using the same realistic interaction, in order to study two-body correlations beyond the proton mean-field variations.Comment: Phys. Rev. C (in press

Studying the impact of a medication use evaluation for polymedicated older patients by the community pharmacist (SIMENON) : study protocol

Background: Aged polymedicated patients are particularly vulnerable for drug-related problems. A medication review aims to optimize the medication use of patients and improve health outcomes. In this study, the effect of a pharmacist-led medication use review is investigated for polymedicated ambulatory older patients with the aim of implementing this pharmaceutical care intervention across Belgium. Methods: This article describes the study protocol of the SIMENON study and reports the results of the feasibility study, which aimed to test and optimize this study protocol. In the SIMENON intervention study, 75 Belgian community pharmacies each recruit 12 patients for a medication use review. For each patient, the identified drug-related problems and subsequent interventions are registered using the PharmDISC classification. In a subset of Dutch speaking patients, a pretest-posttest single group design is used to measure the impact of this review on patient related outcomes using questionnaires. The main outcome of the study is the type and number of drug-related problems and related interventions. A second outcome is the impact of the medication use review on adherence, objectively measured with dispensing data. Evolution in medication related quality of life is another outcome, measured with the Living with Medicines Questionnaire version 3. Other patient reported outcomes include adherence, self-management, patient satisfaction, fall incidents and use of emergency healthcare services. Discussion: The findings of this study can provide data on the effectiveness of a medication use review in the Belgian primary care setting. Furthermore, it will provide insights in which patients benefit most of this intervention and therefore facilitate the implementation of medication review in Belgium

M & L Jaargang 3/2

RedactioneelA. Maesschalck en J. Viaene De patriciërswoning van het geslacht Van tSestich in de Naamsestraat te Leuven. [The mansion of the patrician family Van tSestich in the Naamsestraat at Louvain.]L. Wylleman Een toekomst voor de Sint-Bernardusabdij te Hemiksem. Deel 2: Lotgevallen van de abdij in de 19de en de 20ste eeuw. [A future for the Saint Bernards Abbey at Hemiksem. Part 2: the vicissitudes of the the abbey during the 19th and 20th centuries.]R. Berteloot en het Postgraduaat Monumentenzorg, NHIBS-Antwerpen Een toekomst voor de Sint-Bernardusabij te Hemiksem. Deel 3: Actuele evaluatie van het gebouwenbestand met een tentatieve aanzet tot onderzoek van de mogelijkheden tot renovatie en restauratie. [A future for the Saint Bernards Abbey at Hemiksem. Part 3: Assessment of the buildings and reconnaissance of the possibilities of renovation and restoration.]SummaryBrochure "Vragen rond landschapszorg

A methodology for automatic classification of breast cancer immunohistochemical data using semi-supervised fuzzy c-means

Previously, a semi-manual method was used to identify six novel and clinically useful classes in the Nottingham Tenovus Breast Cancer dataset. 663 out of 1,076 patients were classified. The objectives of our work is three folds. Firstly, our primary objective is to use one single automatic method (post-initialisation) to reproduce the six classes for the 663 patients and to classify the remaining 413 patients. Secondly, we explore using semi-supervised fuzzy c-means with various distance metrics and initialisation techniques to achieve this. Thirdly, the clinical characteristics of the 413 patients are examined by comparing with the 663 patients. Our experiments use various amount of labelled data and 10-fold cross validation to reproduce and evaluate the classification. ssFCM with Euclidean distance and initialisation technique by Katsavounidis et al. produced the best results. It is then used to classify the 413 patients. Visual evaluation of the 413 patients’ classifications revealed common characteristics as those previously reported. Examination of clinical characteristics indicates significant associations between classification and clinical parameters. More importantly, association between classification and survival based on the survival curves is shown

A comparison of location of acute symptomatic vs. 'silent' small vessel lesions

Background: Acute lacunar ischaemic stroke, white matter hyperintensities, and lacunes are all features of cerebral small vessel disease. It is unclear why some small vessel disease lesions present with acute stroke symptoms, whereas others typically do not. Aim: To test if lesion location could be one reason why some small vessel disease lesions present with acute stroke, whereas others accumulate covertly. Methods: We identified prospectively patients who presented with acute lacunar stroke symptoms with a recent small subcortical infarct confirmed on magnetic resonance diffusion imaging. We compared the distribution of the acute infarcts with that of white matter hyperintensity and lacunes using computational image mapping methods. Results: In 188 patients, mean age 67 ± standard deviation 12 years, the lesions that presented with acute lacunar ischaemic stroke were located in or near the main motor and sensory tracts in (descending order): posterior limb of the internal capsule (probability density 0·2/mm3), centrum semiovale (probability density = 0·15/mm3), medial lentiform nucleus/lateral thalamus (probability density = 0·09/mm3), and pons (probability density = 0·02/mm3). Most lacunes were in the lentiform nucleus (probability density = 0·01–0·04/mm3) or external capsule (probability density = 0·05/mm3). Most white matter hyperintensities were in centrum semiovale (except for the area affected by the acute symptomatic infarcts), external capsules, basal ganglia, and brainstem, with little overlap with the acute symptomatic infarcts (analysis of variance, P < 0·01). Conclusions: Lesions that present with acute lacunar ischaemic stroke symptoms may be more likely noticed by the patient through affecting the main motor and sensory tracts, whereas white matter hyperintensity and asymptomatic lacunes mainly affect other areas. Brain location could at least partly explain the symptomatic vs. covert development of small vessel disease