Smartdevices development for visual impairment and colour vision deficiency

The research concerns with the development of an app-based system to assist those with vision impairment to better interact with mobile phones and computers achieving maximum advantages. In particular, the system helps to detect colour deficiency and can automatically adjust view screens to increase contrast and arrive at optimal view result. Preliminary results when asking observers to evaluate the system demonstrate the advantages of the developed software system

On the Mazur--Ulam theorem in fuzzy n--normed strictly convex spaces

In this paper, we generalize the Mazur--Ulam theorem in the fuzzy real n-normed strictly convex spaces.Comment: 7 page

The association of increased stomach wall radiotracer uptake with prolonged use of Omeprazole capsules on myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) using 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT

Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is widely used in routine practice for diagnosis and risk stratification of coronary artery disease (CAD). Intense curvilinear activity in the stomach wall of a patient was seen on MPI raw data. This phenomenon was completely dissimilar to the familiar intraluminal gastric reflux of sestamibi. This observed activity could have resulted in false-positive or false-negative artifacts - and inaccurate diagnosis - of the inferior wall of the left ventricle after MPI processing. On further exploration, the current researchers found that the patient had a history of 10-year Omeprazole capsule consumption. The authors present this infrequent case of intense stomach uptake to stress the related clinical and diagnostic implications with the aim to stimulate acute awareness of possible, unexpected infringements on image quality that could potentially interfere with accurate interpretation of the data. Copyright © 2013 Via Medica

The association of rate pressure product (RPP) and myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) findings: A preliminary study

Introduction: The product of heart rate and systolic blood pressure, termed as rate-pressure product (RPP), is a very reliable indicator of myocardial oxygen demand and is widely used clinically. There have been previous attempts to describe the relationship between RPP and the onset of pain in angina pectoris. The current study aimed to evaluate the association between RPP results and scan findings.Materials and methods: In total, 497 patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent gated, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging with dipyridamole, exercise, or dobutamine stress, and were included in this study. Baseline and maximum heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and electrocardiogram (ECG) results were recorded. The rate-pressure product (RPP) was calculated as the product of heart rate and systolic arterial pressure for both baseline and maximum measures. The difference between the RPP max and the basal RPP is known as the RPP reserve. Researchers also obtained semi-quantitative analyses of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), using gated software, demographic information, risk factors of CAD, and pretest likelihoods of CAD using nomograms.Result: Four hundred and ninety-seven cases, including 426 patients with dipyridamole stress, 59 with exercise stress, and 12 with dobutamine stress, underwent myocardial perfusion imaging. Scan results were positive in 194 (45.5) and negative in 232 (54.5) patients with dipyridamole stress. In patients with exercise stress, the scan was positive in 24 (40.7) cases and negative in 35 (59.3) cases. In dobutamine stressed patients, the scan was positive in 6 (50) cases and negative in the 6 remaining cases. Dipyridamole stress resulted in a significant difference between HR at rest and at maximum (28.95 ± 24.53, p-value<0.0001), between systolic BP at rest and maximum (6.75 ± 12.50, p-value<0.0001) and between diastolic BP at rest and maximum (1.45 ± 5.80; p-value<0.0001). There was a significant correlation between sum stress scores (SSS) and reserved RPP (r= -0.12, p-value<0.001) which, in dipyridamole patients, was r=-0.18, p-value=0.0001). In addition, there was a significant association between reserved RPP and risk of CAD (p-value<0.001). In the patients with dipyridamole stress, the ejection fraction (EF) change (odds ratio =0.92; 95 CI: 0.86-0.98; p=0.01), reserve RPP (odds ratio =1.00; 95 CI: 1.00-1.00; p=0.04), risk of CAD (odds ratio =5.80; 95 CI: 3.21-10.50; p<0.0001) and age (odds ratio =0.94; 95 CI: 0.89-0.98; p=0.01) were associated significantly with MPI results, using multiple logistic regressions.Conclusion. The study demonstrated that RPP is associated with MPI findings using gated SPECT imaging with dipyridamole stress. However, to confirm this preliminary result, further studies are mandatory. © The Author(s) 2012

Molecular identification of Sarcocystis species in raw hamburgers using PCR–RFLP method in Kashan, central Iran

The prevalence of bovine Sarcocystosis is high in the most regions of the world. It can be a human health problem due to consumption of raw or under cooked hamburgers or other bovine meat products. This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence and species identification of Sarcocystis among of hamburgers, using PCR–RFLP methods in Kashan, central Iran. Overall 200 raw industrial hamburgers samples with at least 60% meat were randomly collected from nine different brands in Kashan, central Iran. The genomic DNA was extracted and a PCR–RFLP method was used to amplify an approximately 900 bp fragment at the 18S rRNA(SSU) gene, restriction enzyme BclI was used for species identification. The results showed that 58 (29%) of 200 tested hamburger samples were infected to Sarcocystis spp. The prevalence rate was 31.25 and 26.9% in the hamburgers with 90 and 60–75% meat, respectively. According to PCR–RFLP analysis, 43 (74.1%) of the 58 isolates were Sarcocystis cruzi, 12 (20.7%) showed co-infection to S. cruzi and Sarcocystis hirsuta, 2 (3.5%) was mixed infected to S. cruzi and Sarcocystis hominis, 1 (1.7%) showed the pattern of mix infection to three species. This study revealed one-third of industrial hamburger were infected to S. cruzi or mixed infection of S. cruzi with other bovine sarcocytosis. To prevent cattle infection, the possible ingestion of the disposal sporocyst stage from dogs must be eliminated. Although in this study, the prevalence of S. hominis was low and cannot be considered as a major zoonosis, it should be recommended avoiding eating under cooked hamburger and other bovine meat products to prevent human infection

A novel splice variant of the DNA-PKcs gene is associated with clinical and cellular radiosensivity in a patient with xeroderma pigmentosum

Background: Radiotherapy-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are critical cytotoxic lesions. Inherited defects in DNA DSB repair pathways lead to hypersensitivity to ionising radiation, immunodeficiency and increased cancer incidence. A patient with xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group C, with a scalp angiosarcoma, exhibited dramatic clinical radiosensitivity following radiotherapy, resulting in death. A fibroblast cell line from non-affected skin (XP14BRneo17) was hypersensitive to ionising radiation and defective in DNA DSB repair. Aim: To determine the genetic defect causing cellular radiation hypersensitivity in XP14BRneo17 cells. Methods: Functional genetic complementation whereby copies of human chromosomes containing genes involved in DNA DSB repair (chromosomes 2, 5, 8 10, 13 and 22) were individually transferred to XP14BRneo17 cells in an attempt to correct the radiation hypersensitivity. Clonogenic survival assays and g-H2AX immunofluorescence were conducted to measure radiation sensitivity and repair of DNA DSBs. DNA sequencing of defective DNA repair genes was performed. Results: Transfer of chromosome 8 (location of DNAPKcs gene) and transfection of a mammalian expression construct containing the DNA-PKcs cDNA restored normal ionising radiation sensitivity and repair of DNA DSBs in XP14BRneo17 cells. DNA sequencing of the DNA-PKcs coding region revealed a 249-bp deletion (between base pairs 3656 and 3904) encompassing exon 31 of the gene. Conclusion: We provide evidence of a novel splice variant of the DNA-PKcs gene associated with radiosensitivity in a patient with xeroderma pigmentosum and report the first double mutant in distinct DNA repair pathways being consistent with viability

A novel splice variant of the DNA-PKcs gene is associated with clinical and cellular radiosensitvity in a xeroderma pigmentosum patient

This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Background: Radiotherapy-induced DNA double strand breaks (DSB) are critical cytotoxic lesions. Inherited defects in DSB DNA repair pathways lead to hypersensitivity to ionising radiation, immunodeficiency and increased cancer incidence. A patient with xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group C, with a scalp angiosarcoma exhibited dramatic clinical radiosensitivity following radiotherapy, resulting in death. A fibroblast cell line from non-affected skin (XP14BRneo17) was hypersensitive to ionising radiation and defective in DNA double strand break repair. Aim: To determine the genetic defect causing cellular radiation hypersensitivity in XP14BRneo17 cells. Methods: Functional genetic complementation whereby copies of human chromosomes containing genes involved in DNA DSB repair (chromosomes 2, 5, 8 10, 13 and 22) were individually transferred to XP14BRneo17 cells in an attempt to correct the radiation hypersensitivity. Clonogenic survival assays and γ-H2AX immunofluorescence were conducted to measure radiation sensitivity and repair of DNA DSBs. DNA sequencing of defective DNA repair genes was performed. Results: Transfer of chromosome 8 (location of DNA-PKcs gene), and transfection of a mammalian expression construct containing the DNA-PKcs cDNA restored normal ionising radiation sensitivity and repair of DNA DSBs in XP14BRneo17 cells. DNA sequencing of the DNA-PKcs coding region revealed a 249 bp deletion (between base pairs 3656-3904) encompassing exon 31 of the gene. Conclusion: We provide evidence of a novel splice variant of the DNA-PKcs gene associated with radiosensitivity in a xeroderma pigmentosum patient and report the first double mutant in distinct DNA repair pathways being consistent with viability.Brunel Open Access Publishing Fun