Pixel machine learning with clonal selection algorithm for lung nodules visualization

The early detection of lung nodules is critical to provide a better chance of survival from lung cancer. Since benign/malignant lung cancer may be caused by the growth of lung nodules, the diagnosis of an early detection of lung nodules is important. With rapidly development of advanced technology, detection of lung nodules becomes efficient by utilizing computer-aided detection (CAD) systems that can automatically detect and localize the nodules from computed tomography (CT) scans. CAD is fundamentally based on pattern recognition by extensive use of machine learning approaches which is highly interrelated to mathematical algorithms. In this study, a pixel machine learning algorithm which is developed by artificial immune system (AIS) based algorithm – Clonal Section Algorithm (CSA) is proposed for lung nodules visualization. By using pixel machine learning algorithm, several pre-processing procedures can be avoided to prevent the loss of information from image intensities. It is found that the proposed classification algorithm using original intensity values from CT scans is able to provide reasonable visualization results for lung nodules detection

Robustness of Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) High-rise Building

[EN] Due to the safety awareness arisen from natural and human-caused disasters, robustness design of building is increasingly important to ensure the stability of the building and to prevent progressive collapse. For this reason, the robustness design of innovative construction technologies such as modular construction may be essential due to its relative novel structural form and numerous joints among modules. Particularly in Singapore, Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) has been highly promoted in residential and commercial buildings, hostels and hospitals to boost the construction productivity and quality as well as to reduce the reliance on foreign workforce. PPVC offers high quality and efficiency because most of the finishes and mechanical and electrical services are manufactured and installed together with the modules in factory, before sending for on-site assembly. To maximize the productivity of PPVC, modular design standardization and repetition can be improved by going for high-rise. Nonetheless, there are limited studies on the robustness of PPVC high-rise building and its behavior under progressive collapse remains uncertain. Therefore, this paper investigates the robustness of steel PPVC high-rise building under column removal scenarios by conducting non-linear numerical analysis. The effects of joint design and diaphragm action between modules are studied to ensure continuity of horizontal and vertical tying. This paper provides insight on the behaviour and alternative path for load transfer under column removal scenario for future design guideline of robustness PPVC building.The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and SembCorp-NUS Corp Lab under project grant R-261-513-009-281Chua, YS.; Liew, JYR.; Pang, SD. (2018). Robustness of Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) High-rise Building. En Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Advances in Steel-Concrete Composite Structures. ASCCS 2018. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 913-919. https://doi.org/10.4995/ASCCS2018.2018.6955OCS91391

Range images

This article gives an overview of range‐imaging techniques with an aim to let the reader better understand how the difficult issue, such as the registration of overlapping range images, can be approached and solved. It firstly introduces the characteristics of range images and highlights examples of 3D image visualizations, associated technical issues, applications, and the differences of range imaging with respect to the traditional digital broadband imaging. Subsequently, one of the most popular feature extraction and matching methods, the signature of histograms of orientations (SHOT) method, is then outlined. However, the “matched” points generated by SHOT usually generate high proportion of false positives due to various factors such as imaging noise, lack of features, and cluttered backgrounds. Thus, the article discusses more about image‐matching issues, particularly to emphasize how the widely employed range image alignment technique, the random sample consensus (RANSAC) method, is compared with a simple, yet effective, technique based on normalized error penalization (NEP). This simple NEP method utilizes a strategy to penalize point matches whose errors are far away from the majority. The capability of the method for the evaluation of point matches between overlapping range images is illustrated by experiments using real range image data sets. Interestingly enough, these range images appear to be easier to register than expected. Finally, some conclusions have been drawn and further readings for other fundamental techniques and concepts have been suggested

Effect of an advocacy intervention on mental health in Chinese women survivors of intimate partner violence: A randomized controlled trial

Context: Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women can have negative mental health consequences for survivors; however, the effect of interventions designed to improve survivors' depressive symptoms is unclear. Objective: To determine whether an advocacy intervention would improve the depressive symptoms of Chinese women survivors of IPV. Design, Setting, and Participants: Assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial of 200 Chinese women 18 years or older with a history of IPV, conducted from February 2007 to June 2009 in a community center in Hong Kong, China. Intervention: The intervention group (n=100) received a 12-week advocacy intervention comprising empowerment and telephone social support. The control group (n=100) received usual community services including child care, health care and promotion, and recreational programs. Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcome was change in depressive symptoms (Chinese version of the Beck Depression Inventory II) between baseline and 9 months. Secondary outcomes were changes in IPV (Chinese Revised Conflict Tactics Scales), health-related quality of life (12-Item Short Form Health Survey), and perceived social support (Interpersonal Support Evaluation List) between baseline and 9 months. Usefulness of the intervention and usual community services was evaluated at 9 months. Results: At 3 months, themeanchange in depressive symptom score was 11.6(95%CI, 9.5 to 13.7) in the control group and 14.9(95%CI, 12.4 to 17.5) in the intervention group; respective changes at 9 months were 19.6 (95% CI, 16.6 to 22.7) and 23.2 (95% CI, 20.4 to 26.0). Intervention effects at 3 and 9 months were not significantly different (P=.86). The intervention significantly reduced depressive symptoms by 2.66(95%CI, 0.26 to 5.06; P=.03) vs the control, less than the 5-unit minimal clinically important difference. Statistically significant improvement was found in partner psychological aggression (-1.87[95% CI, -3.34 to -0.40]; mean change at 3 months, 1.5 [95% CI, -1.0 to 3.9] in the control group and 0.3 [95% CI, -0.7 to 1.4] in the intervention group; mean change at 9 months, -6.4 [95% CI, -7.8 to -5.0] and -8.9 [95% CI, -10.6 to -7.2]) and perceived social support (2.18[95%CI, 0.48 to 3.89]; meanchange at 3 months, 6.4[95%CI, 4.9 to 7.8] and 9.2 [95% CI, 7.7 to 10.8]; mean change at 9 months, 12.4 [95% CI, 10.5 to 14.3] and 14.4 [95% CI, 12.7 to 16.1]) but not in physical assault, sexual coercion, or health-related quality of life. By end of study, more women in the intervention group found the advocacy intervention useful or extremely useful in improving intimate relationships vs those in the control group receiving usual community services (93.8%vs81.7%;difference,12.1% [95% CI, 2.1% to 22.0%]; P=.02) and in helping them to resolve conflicts with their intimate partners (97.5% vs 84.1%; difference,13.4%[95%CI,4.7%to 22.0%];P=.001). Conclusion: Among community-dwelling abused Chinese women, an advocacy intervention did not result in a clinically meaningful improvement in depressive symptoms. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01054898. ©2010 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.postprin

A study of financial sector regulation in Hong Kong : towards a nw insurance regulatory regime

published_or_final_versionPolitics and Public AdministrationMasterMaster of Public Administratio

A phase 1 dose-escalating study of pegylated recombinant human arginase 1 (Peg-rhArg1) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells are auxotrophic for arginine, depletion of which leads to tumour regression. The current study evaluated safety, pharmacokinetics (PK)/ pharmacodynamics (PD) parameters, and potential anti-tumor activity of pegylated recombinant human arginase 1 (peg-rhArg1) in advanced HCC patients. Methods Eligibility criteria included advanced HCC with measurable lesions, Child-Pugh A or B, and adequate organ function. Initial single IV bolus was followed by weekly doses of peg-rhArgI escalated from 500 U/kg to 2500 U/kg in a 3 + 3 design. Results Fifteen patients were enrolled at weekly doses of 500 U/kg (n = 3), 1000 U/kg (n = 3), 1600 U/kg (n = 3) and 2500 U/kg (n = 6). The median age was 57 years (33-74); 87% were hepatitis B carriers and 47% had prior systemic treatment. The most commonly reported drug-related non-haematological adverse events (AEs) were diarrhea (13.3%), abdominal discomfort (6.7%) and nausea (6.7%). No drug-related haematological AEs were seen. Only 1 of the six patients that received 2500U/kg peg-rhArg1 experienced DLT (grade 4 bilirubin elevation) and thus the maximum tolerated dose was 2500 U/kg. PK and PD analysis indicated that peg-rhArg1 was efficacious in inducing arginine depletion in a dose-dependent manner. Adequate arginine depletion dose was achieved in the 1,600-2,500 U/kg range and therefore the optimal biological dose was at 1600 U/kg, which was chosen as the recommended dose. The best response was stable disease for >8 weeks in 26.7% of the enrolled patients. Conclusion Peg-rhArg1 has manageable safety profile and preliminary evidence of activity in advanced HCC patients.published_or_final_versio

Smoking cessation policy and treatments derived from the protective motivation of smokers: a study on graphic health warning labels

IntroductionSmoking is a leading public health risk. Many countries are reducing the demand for tobacco through graphic health warning labels (GHWLs). This study aims to explore smokers’ perceptions of GHWLs and analyze the effect of GHWLs on their behavioral intentions to quit smoking.MethodsA theoretical model is designed by synthesizing protection motivation theory, an extension of the extended parallel process model, and the theory of planned behavior. We collected a cross-sectional sample of 547 anonymous smokers through a stratified random sampling strategy. GHWLs published in 2011 by the US Food and Drug Administration were used in the survey to assess smokers’ responses to them, and then the hypotheses are validated through structural equation models.ResultsThe results suggest that perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, response efficacy, and health anxiety have a significant impact on smokers’ protection motivation. Furthermore, smokers’ protection motivation directly impacts the behavioral intention to quit smoking and indirectly influences intention to quit through attitudes.DiscussionThese findings have practical implications for the implementation and improvement of GHWLs policies. Meanwhile, this study enriches the literature on public health protection measures (i.e., GHWLs) and smokers’ behavioral intention to quit smoking

Efficient immortalization of primary nasopharyngeal epithelial cells for EBV infection study.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is common among southern Chinese including the ethnic Cantonese population living in Hong Kong. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is detected in all undifferentiated type of NPC in this endemic region. Establishment of stable and latent EBV infection in premalignant nasopharyngeal epithelial cells is an early event in NPC development and may contribute to its pathogenesis. Immortalized primary nasopharyngeal epithelial cells represent an important tool for investigation of EBV infection and its tumorigenic potential in this special type of epithelial cells. However, the limited availability and small sizes of nasopharyngeal biopsies have seriously restricted the establishment of primary nasopharyngeal epithelial cells for immortalization. A reliable and effective method to immortalize primary nasopharyngeal epithelial cells will provide unrestricted materials for EBV infection studies. An earlier study has reported that Bmi-1 expression could immortalize primary nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. However, its efficiency and actions in immortalization have not been fully characterized. Our studies showed that Bmi-1 expression alone has limited ability to immortalize primary nasopharyngeal epithelial cells and additional events are often required for its immortalization action. We have identified some of the key events associated with the immortalization of primary nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. Efficient immortalization of nasopharyngeal epithelial cells could be reproducibly and efficiently achieved by the combined actions of Bmi-1 expression, activation of telomerase and silencing of p16 gene. Activation of MAPK signaling and gene expression downstream of Bmi-1 were detected in the immortalized nasopharyngeal epithelial cells and may play a role in immortalization. Furthermore, these newly immortalized nasopharyngeal epithelial cells are susceptible to EBV infection and supported a type II latent EBV infection program characteristic of EBV-infected nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The establishment of an efficient method to immortalize primary nasopharyngeal epithelial cells will facilitate the investigation into the role of EBV infection in pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.published_or_final_versio

A 10-year study reveals clinical and laboratory evidence for the 'semi-invasive' properties of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis

published_or_final_versio

Efficient immortalization of primary nasopharyngeal epithelial cells for EBV infection study

Author name used in this publication: Cornelia Man2013-2014 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalpublished_fina