Collaborative information seeking with ant colony ranking in real-time

In this paper we propose a new ranking algorithm based on Swarm Intelligence, more specifically on the Ant Colony Optimization technique, to improve search engines’ performances and reduce the information overload by exploiting users’ collective behavior. We designed an online evaluation involving end users to test our algorithm in a real-world scenario dealing with informational queries. The development of a fully working prototype – based on the Wikipedia search engine – demonstrated promising preliminary results

Endocrinologic, neurologic, and visual morbidity after treatment for craniopharyngioma

Craniopharyngiomas are locally aggressive tumors which typically are focused in the sellar and suprasellar region near a number of critical neural and vascular structures mediating endocrinologic, behavioral, and visual functions. The present study aims to summarize and compare the published literature regarding morbidity resulting from treatment of craniopharyngioma. We performed a comprehensive search of the published English language literature to identify studies publishing outcome data of patients undergoing surgery for craniopharyngioma. Comparisons of the rates of endocrine, vascular, neurological, and visual complications were performed using Pearson’s chi-squared test, and covariates of interest were fitted into a multivariate logistic regression model. In our data set, 540 patients underwent surgical resection of their tumor. 138 patients received biopsy alone followed by some form of radiotherapy. Mean overall follow-up for all patients in these studies was 54 ± 1.8 months. The overall rate of new endocrinopathy for all patients undergoing surgical resection of their mass was 37% (95% CI = 33–41). Patients receiving GTR had over 2.5 times the rate of developing at least one endocrinopathy compared to patients receiving STR alone or STR + XRT (52 vs. 19 vs. 20%, χ2P < 0.00001). On multivariate analysis, GTR conferred a significant increase in the risk of endocrinopathy compared to STR + XRT (OR = 3.45, 95% CI = 2.05–5.81, P < 0.00001), after controlling for study size and the presence of significant hypothalamic involvement. There was a statistical trend towards worse visual outcomes in patients receiving XRT after STR compared to GTR or STR alone (GTR = 3.5% vs. STR 2.1% vs. STR + XRT 6.4%, P = 0.11). Given the difficulty in obtaining class 1 data regarding the treatment of this tumor, this study can serve as an estimate of expected outcomes for these patients, and guide decision making until these data are available

Seborrhoeic dermatitis in pigmy goats

This paper describes a two year study of a seborrhoeic dermatitis in pigmy goats. Clinical signs appear from 3–5 months of age and affect animals randomly. Disease is chronic with periods of resolution and relapse. It is restricted to the skin, most usually of the head and extremities, and consists of non-pruritic erythema, scaling and alopecia. No infective agents have been detected and there is no evidence of nutritional deficiency. Pathologically there is a orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis, focal parakeratosis, epidermal spongiform microabscesses formation and a perivascular dermatitis. Untrastructural examination revealed fewer tonofilaments in basal cells and acanthocytes and few keratohyaline granules. Epidermal cell kinetic studies using tritiated thymidine revealed a reduced epidermal cell renewal time, compared with similar sites in normal goats. Corticosteroid treatment effected temporary resolution but treatment with a vitamin E and selenium mixture and with zinc failed to produce any improvement. Pedigree studies failed to reveal any simple inheritance mechanism and the pathogenesis remains unclear