A continuous-variable quantum-inspired algorithm for classical image segmentation

The probabilistic nature of quantum particles, state space, and the superposition principle are among the important concepts in quantum mechanics. A framework was previously developed by the authors that allowed to take advantage of these quantum aspects in the field of image processing. This was done by modeling each image’s pixel by a two-state quantum system which allowed efficient single-object segmentation. However, the extension of the framework to multi-object segmentation would be highly complex and computationally expensive. In this paper, we propose a classical image segmentation algorithm inspired by the continuous-variable quantum theory that overcomes the challenges in extending the framework to multi-object segmentation. By associating each pixel with a quantum harmonic oscillator, the space of coherent states becomes continuous. Thus, each pixel can evolve from an initial state to any of the continuous coherent states under the influence of an external resonant force. The Hamiltonian operator is designed to account for this force and is derived from the features extracted at the pixel. Therefore, the system evolves from an initial ground state to a final coherent state depending on the image features. Finally by calculating the fidelity between the final state and a set of reference states representing the objects in the image, the state with the highest fidelity is selected. The collective states of all pixels produce the final segmentation. The proposed method is tested on a database of synthetic and natural images, and compared with other methods. Average sensitivity and specificity of 97.86% and 99.61% were obtained respectively indicating the high segmentation accuracy of the algorithm

The epidemiology of Candida species in the Middle East and North Africa

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Supplementary Material for: Dietary Zinc Intake and Plasma Zinc Concentrations in Children with Short Stature and Failure to Thrive

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The burden of zinc deficiency on children includes an increased incidence of diarrhea, failure to thrive (FTT) and short stature. The aim of this study was to assess whether children with FTT and/or short stature have lower dietary zinc intake and plasma zinc concentrations compared to controls. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A case-control study conducted at the American University of Beirut Medical Center included 161 subjects from 1 to 10 years of age. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Cases had a statistically significant lower energy intake (960.9 vs. 1,135.2 kcal for controls, p = 0.010), lower level of fat (30.3 vs. 36.5 g/day, p = 0.0043) and iron intake (7.4 vs. 9.1 mg/day, p = 0.034). There was no difference in zinc, copper, carbohydrate and protein intake between the 2 groups. The plasma zinc concentration did not differ between the cases and controls (97.4 vs. 98.2 μg/dl, p = 0.882). More cases had mild-to-moderate zinc deficiency when compared to controls with 10.3 vs. 3.6%, p = 0.095. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our study did not show statistically significant difference in dietary zinc intake and plasma zinc concentrations between children with FTT and/or short stature compared to healthy controls. A prospective study is planned to assess the effect of zinc supplementation on growth parameters in FTT children

Parents’ ratings of post-discharge healthcare for their children born very preterm and their suggestions for improvement: a European cohort study

Background Follow-up of very preterm infants is essential for reducing risks of health and developmental problems and relies on parental engagement. We investigated parents&rsquo; perceptions of post-discharge healthcare for their children born very preterm in a European multi-country cohort study. Methods Data come from a 5-year follow-up of an area-based cohort of births &lt;32 weeks&rsquo; gestation in 19 regions from 11 European countries. Perinatal data were collected from medical records and 5-year data from parent-report questionnaires. Parents rated post-discharge care related to their children&rsquo;s preterm birth (poor/fair/good/excellent) and provided free-text suggestions for improvements. We analyzed sociodemographic and medical factors associated with poor/fair ratings, using inverse probability weights to adjust for attrition bias, and assessed free-text responses using thematic analysis. Results Questionnaires were returned for 3635 children (53.8% response rate). Care was rated as poor/fair for 14.2% [from 6.1% (France) to 31.6% (Denmark)]; rates were higher when children had health or developmental problems (e.g. cerebral palsy (34.4%) or epilepsy (36.9%)). From 971 responses, 4 themes and 25 subthemes concerning care improvement were identified. Conclusions Parents&rsquo; experiences provide guidance for improving very preterm children&rsquo;s post-discharge care; this is a priority for children with health and developmental problems as parental dissatisfaction was high. Impact In a European population-based very preterm birth cohort, parents rated post-discharge healthcare as poor or fair for 14.2% of children, with a wide variation (6.1&ndash;31.6%) between countries. Dissatisfaction was reported in over one-third of cases when children had health or developmental difficulties, such as epilepsy or cerebral palsy. Parents&rsquo; free-text suggestions for improving preterm-related post-discharge healthcare were similar across countries; these focused primarily on better communication with parents and better coordination of care. Parents&rsquo; lived experiences are a valuable resource for understanding where care improvements are needed and should be included in future research. </ul

Association between postnatal growth and neurodevelopmental impairment by sex at 2 years of corrected age in a multi-national cohort of very preterm children

Background & aimsExtra-uterine growth restriction (EUGR) is common among very preterm (VPT) infants and has been associated with impaired neurodevelopment. Some research suggests that adverse effects of EUGR may be more severe in boys. We investigated EUGR and neurodevelopment at 2 years of corrected age (CA) by sex in a VPT birth cohort.MethodsData come from a population-based cohort of children born ResultsAmong 4197 infants, the prevalence of moderate to severe impairment at 2 years CA was 17.7%. Severe EUGR was associated with neurodevelopmental impairment in the overall sample and the interaction with sex was significant. For boys, adjusted RR were 1.57 (95% Confidence Intervals (CI): 1.18–2.09) for Fenton's delta Z-score and 1.50 (95% CI: 1.12–2.01) for Patel's weight-gain velocity, while for girls they were 0.97 (0.76–1.22) and 1.12 (0.90–1.40) respectively.ConclusionEUGR was associated with poor neurodevelopment at 2 years among VPT boys but not girls. Understanding why boys are more susceptible to the effects of poor growth is needed to develop appropriate healthcare strategies.</div