DeepReg: a deep learning toolkit for medical image registration

Image fusion is a fundamental task in medical image analysis and computer-assisted intervention. Medical image registration, computational algorithms that align different images together (Hill et al., 2001), has in recent years turned the research attention towards deep learning. Indeed, the representation ability to learn from population data with deep neural networks has opened new possibilities for improving registration generalisability by mitigating difficulties in designing hand-engineered image features and similarity measures for many realworld clinical applications (Fu et al., 2020; Haskins et al., 2020). In addition, its fast inference can substantially accelerate registration execution for time-critical tasks. DeepReg is a Python package using TensorFlow (Abadi et al., 2015) that implements multiple registration algorithms and a set of predefined dataset loaders, supporting both labelledand unlabelled data. DeepReg also provides command-line tool options that enable basic and advanced functionalities for model training, prediction and image warping. These implementations, together with their documentation, tutorials and demos, aim to simplify workflows for prototyping and developing novel methodology, utilising latest development and accessing quality research advances. DeepReg is unit tested and a set of customised contributor guidelines are provided to facilitate community contributions. A submission to the MICCAI Educational Challenge has utilised the DeepReg code and demos to explore the link between classical algorithms and deep-learning-based methods (Montana Brown et al., 2020), while a recently published research work investigated temporal changes in prostate cancer imaging, by using a longitudinal registration adapted from the DeepReg code (Yang et al., 2020)

Metallothionein genes: no association with Crohn's disease in a New Zealand population

Metallothioneins (MTs) are excellent candidate genes for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and have previously been shown to have altered expression in both animal and human studies of IBD. This is the first study to examine genetic variants within the MT genes and aims to determine whether such genetic variants have an important role in this disease. 28 tag SNPs in genes MT1 (subtypes A, B, E, F, G, H, M, X), MT2, MT3 and MT4 were selected for genotyping in a well-characterized New Zealand dataset consisting of 406 patients with Crohn's Disease and 638 controls. We did not find any evidence of association for MT genetic variation with CD. The lack of association indicates that genetic variants in the MT genes do not play a significant role in predisposing to CD in the New Zealand population

Risk factors for oral mucositis in paediatric oncology patients receiving alkylant chemotherapy

BACKGROUND: We describe the risk indicators for oral mucositis (OM) in paediatric oncology patients hospitalised in the Institut Gustave Roussy (Villejuif-Paris) and treated with alkylant chemotherapy with autologous peripheral blood progenitor cells. METHODS: The sample was selected using PIGAS software. Three groups of subjects received different chemotherapy regimens: A. Melphalan, B. Busulfan and C. other alkylant protocols. The degree of mucositis was recorded by CTC version 2.0 (Common Toxicity Criteria). Descriptive statistics were performed. The association between mucositis and risk indicator variables was tested using a χ(2 )test. The association between case status and covariates was tested using unconditional logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 337 children enrolled, 241 showed mucositis (group 1) and 96 did not show mucositis (group 2) during alkylant chemotherapy. There was a higher prevalence of male patients in both groups. The three different chemotherapy regimen groups are correlated with the appearance of oral mucositis (χ(2 )= 22.42, p < 0.01). Weight loss was higher in group 1 (χ(2 )= 6.31, p = 0.01). The duration of aplasia was lower in the Busulfan protocol (7.5 days) than in the Melphalan group (9.3 days) or the other regimens (8.6 days). The use of Bufulfan(® )was directly associated with case status (presence of oral mucositis): odds ratio [OR] = 2.1 and confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.3–3.0. Also, occurrences of germinal tumours and secondary bacterial infections were directly linked with case status: [OR] = 1.4 and 1.8, confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.2 – 1.7 and 1.1 – 2.5, respectively. CONCLUSION: The presence of OM was associated with the three different chemotherapy regimens considered; in particularly patients treated with Busulfan had the highest prevalence

Resistance training with soy vs whey protein supplements in hyperlipidemic males

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most individuals at risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) can reduce risk factors through diet and exercise before resorting to drug treatment. The effect of a combination of resistance training with vegetable-based (soy) versus animal-based (whey) protein supplementation on CVD risk reduction has received little study. The study's purpose was to examine the effects of 12 weeks of resistance exercise training with soy versus whey protein supplementation on strength gains, body composition and serum lipid changes in overweight, hyperlipidemic men.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twenty-eight overweight, male subjects (BMI 25–30) with serum cholesterol >200 mg/dl were randomly divided into 3 groups (placebo (n = 9), and soy (n = 9) or whey (n = 10) supplementation) and participated in supervised resistance training for 12 weeks. Supplements were provided in a double blind fashion.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All 3 groups had significant gains in strength, averaging 47% in all major muscle groups and significant increases in fat free mass (2.6%), with no difference among groups. Percent body fat and waist-to-hip ratio decreased significantly in all 3 groups an average of 8% and 2%, respectively, with no difference among groups. Total serum cholesterol decreased significantly, again with no difference among groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Participation in a 12 week resistance exercise training program significantly increased strength and improved both body composition and serum cholesterol in overweight, hypercholesterolemic men with no added benefit from protein supplementation.</p

Lack of effective communication between communities and hospitals in Uganda: a qualitative exploration of missing links

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Community members are stakeholders in hospitals and have a right to participate in the improvement of quality of services rendered to them. Their views are important because they reflect the perspectives of the general public. This study explored how communities that live around hospitals pass on their views to and receive feedback from the hospitals' management and administration.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was conducted in eight hospitals and the communities around them. Four of the hospitals were from three districts from eastern Uganda and another four from two districts from western Uganda. Eight key informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted with medical superintendents of the hospitals. A member from each of three hospital management boards was also interviewed. Eight focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with health workers from the hospitals. Another eight FGDs (four with men and four with women) were conducted with communities within a five km radius around the hospitals. Four of the FGDs (two with men and two with women) were done in western Uganda and the other four in eastern Uganda. The focus of the KIIs and FGDs was exploring how hospitals communicated with the communities around them. Analysis was by manifest content analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Whereas health unit management committees were supposed to have community representatives, the representatives never received views from the community nor gave them any feed back from the hospitals. Messages through the mass media like radio were seen to be non specific for action. Views sent through suggestion boxes were seen as individual needs rather than community concerns. Some community members perceived they would be harassed if they complained and had reached a state of resignation preferring instead to endure the problems quietly.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>There is still lack of effective communication between the communities and the hospitals that serve them in Uganda. This deprives the communities of the right to participate in the improvement of the services they receive, to assume their position as stakeholders. Various avenues could be instituted including using associations in communities, rapid appraisal methods and community meetings.</p

Synthesising Corporate Responsibility on Organisational and Societal Levels of Analysis: An Integrative Perspective

This article develops an integrative perspective on corporate responsibility by synthesising competing perspectives on the responsibility of the corporation at the organisational and societal levels of analysis. We review three major corporate responsibility perspectives, which we refer to as economic, critical, and politico-ethical. We analyse the major potential uses and pitfalls of the perspectives, and integrate the debate on these two levels. Our synthesis concludes that when a society has a robust division of moral labour in place, the responsibility of a corporation may be economic (as suggested under the economic perspective) without jeopardising democracy and sustainability (as reported under the critical perspective). Moreover, the economic role of corporations neither signifies the absence of deliberative democratic mechanisms nor business practices extending beyond compliance (as called for under the politico-ethical perspective). The study underscores the value of integrating different perspectives and multiple levels of analysis to present comprehensive descriptions and prescriptions of the responsibility phenomenon

Managerial Views of Corporate Impacts and Dependencies on Ecosystem Services : A Case of International and Domestic Forestry Companies in China

A line of research is emerging investigating the private sector impacts and dependencies on critical biodiversity and ecosystem services, and related business risks and opportunities. While the ecosystem services narrative is being forwarded globally as a key paradigm for promoting business sustainability, there is scarce knowledge of how these issues are considered at managerial level. This study thus investigates managerial views of corporate sustainability after the ecosystem services concept. We analyse interviews conducted with 20 managers from domestic and international forestry companies operating with a plantation-based business model in China. Content analysis was employed to analyse the data, with a focus on four key areas: (1) interviewee familiarity with the ecosystem services concept; (2) their views of corporate dependencies and impacts on ecosystem services; (3) related business risks and opportunities; and (4) viability of existing instruments and practices that can be employed in detecting and addressing business impacts and dependencies on ecosystem services. Through an inductive approach to the empirical findings, we refined a framework that holds operational value for developing company response strategies to ecosystem services impact/dependence assessment, ensuring that all issues are addressed comprehensively, and that related risks and opportunities are properly acknowledged.Peer reviewe