Multicomponent analysis of accumulated solutes in uremia : are the classical markers sufficient to describe uremic solute accumulation?

Doctral degree 26-04-1988; Supervisors: C.A.M.G. Cramers and S.M.G. Ringoi

Placental Oxidative Stress:histological features, biomarkers and clinical conditions

This thesis describes the characteristics of placental oxidative stress in relation to placental pathology, biomarkers in maternal blood and clinical characteristics. In a retrospective study (DIGITAT) of cases with fetal growth restriction (FGR) a term indicated that induction of labor showed less histomorfologic ischemic placental changes (known as maternal vascular malperfusion) compared to an expectant management of delivery. Oxidative stress can result from inflammatory processes. Little is known however about the contribution of specific inflammatory processes to the rise of specific placental lesions and pregnancy complications. In pregnancies complicated by FGR an increase of M1-type (pro-inflammatory) macrophages was found. Also, an increase in regulatory T-cells and a decrease in chymase-positive mast cells in pregnancies complicated by FGR or stillbirth was seen. In FGR combined with preeclampsia significant differences in levels of oxidative stress was found compared to healthy pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by FGR only. By evaluating these characteristics we hope to discover new potential targets for intervention and possible treatment(s) of pregnancy complications. The thesis concludes with a review of different diet-related therapies in relation to pregnancy-related oxidative stress

The primacy of multiparametric MRI in men with suspected prostate cancer

Background: Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) became recognised in investigating those with suspected prostate cancer between 2010 and 2012; in the USA, the preventative task force moratorium on PSA screening was a strong catalyst. In a few short years, it has been adopted into daily urological and oncological practice. The pace of clinical uptake, born along by countless papers proclaiming high accuracy in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer, has sparked much debate about the timing of mpMRI within the traditional biopsy-driven clinical pathways. There are strongly held opposing views on using mpMRI as a triage test regarding the need for biopsy and/or guiding the biopsy pattern. Objective: To review the evidence base and present a position paper on the role of mpMRI in the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer. Methods: A subgroup of experts from the ESUR Prostate MRI Working Group conducted literature review and face to face and electronic exchanges to draw up a position statement. Results: This paper considers diagnostic strategies for clinically significant prostate cancer; current national and international guidance; the impact of pre-biopsy mpMRI in detection of clinically significant and clinically insignificant neoplasms; the impact of pre-biopsy mpMRI on biopsy strategies and targeting; the notion of mpMRI within a wider risk evaluation on a patient by patient basis; the problems that beset mpMRI including inter-observer variability. Conclusions: The paper concludes with a set of suggestions for using mpMRI to influence who to biopsy and who not to biopsy at diagnosis. Key Points: • Adopt mpMRI as the first, and primary, investigation in the workup of men with suspected prostate cancer. • PI-RADS assessment categories 1 and 2 have a high negative predictive value in excluding significant disease, and systematic biopsy may be postponed, especially in men with low-risk of disease following additional risk stratification. • PI-RADS assessment category lesions 4 and 5 should be targeted; PI-RADS assessment category lesion 3 may be biopsied as a target, as part of systematic biopsies or may be observed depending on risk stratification

Building TrusTee:The world's most trusted robot

This essay explores the requirements for building trustworthy robots and artificial intelligence by drawing from various scientific disciplines and taking human values as the starting-point. It also presents a research and impact agenda

Using context-aware sub sorting of received signal strength fingerprints for indoor localisation

Mobile indoor localisation has numerous uses for logistics, health, sport and social networking applications. Current wireless localisation systems experience reliability difficulties while operating within indoor environments due to interference caused by the presence of metallic infrastructure. Current position localisation use wireless channel propagation characteristics, such as RF receive signal strength to localise a user\u27s position, which is subject to interference. To overcome this, we developed a Fingerprint Context Aware Partitioning tracking model for tracking people within a building. The Fingerprint Context Aware Partitioning tracking model used received RF signal strength fingerprinting, combined with localised context aware information about the user\u27s immediate indoor environment surroundings. We also present an inexpensive and robust wireless localisation network that can track the location of users in an indoor environment, using the Zigbee/802.15.4 wireless communications protocol. The wireless localisation network used reference nodes placed at known positions in a building. The reference nodes are used by mobile nodes, carried by users to localise their position. We found that the Fingerprint Context Aware Partitioning model had improved performance than using only multilateration, in locations that were not in range of multiple reference nodes. Further work includes investigating how multiple mobile nodes can be used by Fingerprint Context Aware Partition model to improve position accuracy