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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

In silico comparison of gene expression levels in ten human tumor types reveals candidate genes associated with carcinogenesis.

Most human cancers are characterized by genomic instability. Changes associated with such may result in altered expression of numerous genes. The sequence information available in the public databases can be used to identify transcripts differentially expressed in cancers. Determining cancer-related genes that are commonly deregulated in different tumor types may facilitate identification of targets for cancer diagnoses and therapeutic treatments. Using a data-mining tool named Digital Differential Display (DDD) from the UniGene database at the NCBI web site, gene expression levels of ten different tumor types and their counterpart normal tissues were analyzed. Unigenes which showed transcriptional regulation in more than five tumor types with > or =2-fold differences from normal tissues were identified. The expression data of selected Unigenes were subjected to clustering analysis. 127 commonly up-regulated genes and 92 commonly down-regulated genes were identified. Clustering analysis using these genes showed that most tumor types can be clustered into a separate branch from most normal tissues. Nineteen genes that have been shown to be involved in carcinogenesis by experimental evidence were also identified. Present computational analyses revealed 219 candidate cancer-related genes that are commonly deregulated in ten human tumor types which may contribute to the progress of carcinogenesis.

Gene Expression↗
PubMed2006

A method for calculating the exact angle required during pedicle subtraction osteotomy for fixed sagittal deformity: comparison with the trigonometric method.

OBJECTIVE: Pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) has emerged as a powerful procedure for correcting fixed sagittal deformity. There has only been one attempt to quantify the magnitude of correction needed to restore sagittal balance; the trigonometric method for calculating the desired PSO angle is an approximation. We propose a method for calculating the exact angle required for PSO and explore how this angle differs from that obtained via the trigonometric method in illustrative cases. METHODS: We conducted a mathematical analysis of the spine with application in illustrative cases. The trigonometric method calculates the necessary angular correction at the axial level of the PSO, but along the sacral vertical line. However, the angular measurement should take place at the true axis of rotation, the apex of the PSO. Measurements were taken from full-length standing x-rays, and both methods were explored. RESULTS: The trigonometric method for calculating PSO angle is an exact measurement only if the apex of the PSO site lies on the sacral vertical line. As the apex of the PSO site moves anterior to that line, the trigonometric approximation underestimates the actual angle. As the apex of the PSO moves posterior to that line, the trigonometric approximation overestimates the actual angle. CONCLUSION: The trigonometric method for calculating the PSO angle required for surgical deformity correction is an approximation, but its validity in clinical practice was confirmed by this study. The exact angle is obtained by a method centered on the apex of the PSO site. Although the difference between these angles is small, it is an important conceptual point for spine surgeons. Measurement of the exact angle is easily performed and should replace the trigonometric method for calculating the required PSO angle when standard digital measurement tools are available.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Intravascular sonography in the assessment of traumatic injury of the thoracic aorta.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to describe the use of intravascular sonography in the evaluation of suspected injury of the thoracic aorta as an adjunctive tool to digital subtraction arteriography (DSA). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Images of the thoracic aorta were obtained using DSA and intravascular sonography in 20 consecutive patients who underwent arteriography after chest trauma. A 6-French, 12.5-MHz sonography catheter was used for the intravascular sonography study. Diagnoses based on the review of both studies were compared. RESULTS: Five of 20 patients had aortic or great vessel injuries confirmed by surgery. Intravascular sonographic findings were positive (one false-positive) in seven patients, whereas DSA findings were positive in six patients (one false-positive and one false-negative). Surgery showed the lesion that was false-positive using both techniques to be a ductus diverticulum. Intravascular sonographic findings included intimal flaps, intramural lesions (hematomas), pseudoaneurysms, and perivascular hematomas. CONCLUSION: In our initial limited experience, intravascular sonography of the thoracic aorta and great vessels effectively identified traumatic injuries. Intramural injury without pseudoaneurysm formation or obvious intraluminal flap was visualized by intravascular sonography in one patient but was not detected by DSA. On the other hand, a ductus diverticulum was erroneously interpreted as trauma using both techniques. Intravascular sonography is a relatively new procedure with an obvious learning curve in the interpretation of the findings. An atypical ductus diverticulum may still be mistakenly interpreted as a sign of traumatic injury of the aorta. Familiarity with intravascular sonography in the setting of aortic trauma is necessary for correct interpretation of the images. The sonographic findings offer views of the aorta that are complementary to those of aortography.

Adult↗
PubMed2025

Advancing the fight against tuberculosis: integrating innovation and public health in diagnosis, treatment, vaccine development, and implementation science.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the leading causes of infectious disease mortality worldwide, increasingly complicated by the emergence of drug-resistant strains and limitations in existing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Despite decades of global efforts, the disease continues to impose a significant burden, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where health system weaknesses hinder progress. This comprehensive review explores recent advancements in TB diagnostics, antimicrobial resistance (AMR surveillance), treatment strategies, and vaccine development. It critically evaluates cutting-edge technologies including CRISPR-based diagnostics, whole-genome sequencing, and digital adherence tools, alongside therapeutic innovations such as shorter multidrug-resistant TB regimens and host-directed therapies. Special emphasis is placed on the translational gap-highlighting barriers to real-world implementation such as cost, infrastructure, and policy fragmentation. While innovations like the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra, BPaLM regimen, and next-generation vaccines such as M72/AS01E represent pivotal progress, their deployment remains uneven. Implementation science, cost-effectiveness analyses, and health equity considerations are vital to scaling up these tools. Moreover, the expansion of the TB vaccine pipeline and integration of AI in diagnostics signal a transformative period in TB control. Eliminating TB demands more than biomedical breakthroughs-it requires a unified strategy that aligns innovation with access, equity, and sustainability. By bridging science with implementation, and integrating diagnostics, treatment, and prevention within robust health systems, the global community can accelerate the path toward ending TB.

diagnostic innovation↗
PubMed1999

A comparison between subgaleal and subperiosteal brow lifts.

The author has thought for a long time that the endoscopic subperiosteal brow lift has a better long-term result than the bicoronal subgaleal brow lift; therefore, he stopped doing subgaleal bicoronal brow lifts in 1995 in favor of the endoscopic subperiosteal approach. To discover if this impression could be objectively verified, the author undertook a retrospective study of 120 patients who had a brow lift. They were divided into four groups, depending on the type of operation, and were compared with each other by means of a new digitalized analyzing tool. Measurements of the vertical height from the midpupil to the top of the brow, from the medial canthus to the top of the brow, and from the lateral canthus to the top of the brow were made. Preoperative measurements were compared with postoperative measurements taken after 1 year. No significant difference existed between the preoperative and postoperative values in the patients who had a subgaleal brow lift. In the patients who had a subperiosteal brow lift, there was a mean increase of 7 mm in the vertical height of the brow 1 year after the operation.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Photographic evidence protocol: the use of digital imaging methods to rectify angular distortion and create life size reproductions of bite mark evidence.

Bite mark evidence seen in skin injuries or objects is commonly photographed for evidentiary documentation, preservation, and analysis. Distortion in forensic evidence photographs diminishes the outcome of analytical procedures available to the forensic odontologist. Inaccurate positioning of the evidence, camera, or measurement reference scale creates perspective and parallax distortion of the captured image. These variables must be eliminated, if possible, to ensure reliable results derived from comparison of the suspect teeth and the bite mark. Detection and measurement of camera/evidence/scale misalignment is the threshold step in evidence evaluation, and is possible through digital imaging methods coupled with established methods. Correction (rectification) of perspective distortion is possible through the application of additional digital editing techniques. This study establishes type categories of perspective and parallax distortion seen in bite mark evidence, validates the use of the digital imaging tools of Adobe Photoshop to correct certain types of distortion, and establishes a forensic protocol to verify the accuracy of evidence photographs requiring dimensional accuracy.

Bites, Human↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Bioinformatics-based discovery of a novel factor with apparent specificity to colon cancer.

In a previous study, a data mining tool called Digital Differential Display (DDD) from the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project (CGAP) was used to predict solid tumor- and organ-specific genes from the expressed sequence tag (EST) database. To validate the use of bioinformatics approaches in gene discovery, one of the ESTs, which was predicted to be colon tumor-specific, was chosen for further study. Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of matched sets of cDNAs from normal and colon tumor tissues indicated that the EST was specifically expressed in the majority of colon tumors. Expression was also detected in early adenomas. Among other normal tissues, EST expression was detected only in the small intestine. The colon tumor specificity of this EST was inferred from the lack of expression in carcinomas of the breast, lung, ovary, pancreas and prostate. To validate the computational prediction of specificity, a full-length cDNA encompassing the entire open reading frame was cloned and, in view of its apparent specificity to the colon tumors, this gene was termed Colon Carcinoma Related Gene (CCRG). CCRG encodes a novel cysteine-rich motif and a putative signal peptide sequence. Supernatant from COS cells transfected with the CCRG expression vector stimulated proliferation of colon cancer cells. Immunoreactive CCRG was also detected in the paraffin sections of colon tumor samples. CCRG belongs to a new class of growth factors and may be important in the diagnosis and treatment of colon cancers. Identification of CCRG using bioinformatics approaches validates gene discovery using computational approaches.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

The personal digital assistant (PDA) as a tool for telementoring endoscopic procedures.

The telementoring of surgical procedures is currently achieved via a wired infrastructure that usually requires sophisticated videoconference systems. This project represents the first step in assessing the potential for using handheld computers as a mobile alternative to current telementoring systems. Specifically, this project compares a handheld computer to a standard CRT monitor regarding their capability to accurately display video images from an endoscopic procedure. Video images from two previously recorded endoscopic procedures were transmitted from a standard VCR to: 1) a handheld computer (iPAQ 3670 running Pocket PC) via a wireless LAN and 2) a standard CRT monitor via a wired analog connection. The software-used on the handheld device was custom designed to allow 320 X 240 pixel video images to be broadcast in real time. Twenty-three surgical residents who had completed an endoscopy rotation were randomized to watch one of the two videotaped endoscopic procedures on the hand held computer or on the CRT monitor. After viewing the procedure, a ten-question quiz was used to assess the ability of each participant to recognize several anatomic landmarks. The result of each questionnaire was expressed as the percentage of correct responses. Using a crossover design, each participant then viewed the other videotaped procedure using the alternate device and completed a second quiz. The mean test score for each device was calculated, and these data was analyzed using a Student T test. The observed difference between the mean test score associated with the handheld device (77.93 +/- 11.26) and the CRT monitor (81.30 +/- 12.54) was not statistically significant (p<0.41). In addition, regardless of the device used, scores corresponding to video tape one were significantly higher than those recorded for video tape two (84.35 +/- 9.92 vs. 74.35 +/- 11.61; p < 0.01) All participants were able to recognize anatomic landmarks equally well when viewing broadcasted endoscopic procedures on a handheld display or a standard CRT monitor. Handheld computers may have a role in telementoring residents who are performing endoscopic procedures. Further research is needed to evaluate the integration of handheld devices into telementoring and robotic system to perform surgical procedures.

Computers, Handheld↗
PubMed2005

[Molecular cloning and character analysis of the mouse zinc finger protein gene Zfp474 exclusively expressed in testis and ovary].

A novel mouse zinc finger protein gene that contains C2HC/C3H domain was first isolated by using a data-mining tool called Digital Differential Display (DDD) from the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The full-length cDNA of this transcript was deduced and further confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Total four exons of the mouse gene spaning a 29 869 bp genomic DNA sequence was mapped to chromosome 18D1. The cDNA encodes a novel protein of 347 amino acids and the protein contains four C2HC/C3H domains. Northern blot analyses revealed that Zfp474 mRNA was exclusively expressed in testis and ovary and had one transcript. We hypothesize that Zfp474 functions as a germ cell specific transcription factor that plays important roles in spermatid differentiation and oocyte development.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Molecular cloning and primary functional analysis of a novel human testis-specific gene.

In this study, a new data mining tool called Digital Differential Display (DDD) from the NCBI was used to predict testis-specific expressed genes from the expressed sequence tag (EST) database. DDD (digital differential display) was performed between nine testis libraries and seventy libraries derived from other tissues. We identified a new contig of ESTs (HS. 326528) which was from testis libraries. To validate the use of bioinformatic approaches in gene discovery, the ESTs (HS. 326528), which were predicted to be testis-specific, were chosen for further study. Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of matched sets of cDNAs from testis and other tissues indicated that the ESTs were specifically expressed in testis. This result was further validated by multi-tissue Northern blot. The full-length cDNA encompassing the entire open reading frame was cloned and, in view of its apparent specificity to testis, the gene was termed homo sapiens spermatogenesis-related gene 8---SRG8 (GenBank accession number: AY489187). The gene whose full cDNA length is 1 044 bp containing 3 exons and 2 introns is located in human chromosome 15q26.2, the cDNA encodes a novel protein of 105 amino acides with a theoretical molecular weight of 11.7 kD and isoelectric point of 10.09 which shares no significant homology with any known proteins in database. Real time PCR analysis of testis of different developmental periods revealed that SRG8 gene is significantly expressed in adult testis. The green fluorescent protein produced by pEGFP-C3/SRG8 was detected in the nucleus of HeLa cells after 24 h post-transfection. Cell cycle analysis showed that SRG8 can accelerate HeLa cells to traverse the S-phase and enter the G2-phase compared with the control without transfection of SRG8, which suggested that this gene plays an important role in the development of testis. The discovery of SRG8 showed that DDD combined with experiments is a feasible, time-saving strategy to identify new candidate genes for testis-specific development

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Digital blood pressure after local cooling as a diagnostic tool in traumatic vasospastic disease.

Measurement of digital blood pressure before and after local cooling was performed in 10 men with traumatic vasospastic disease (TVD), 10 men who worked with vibrating tools but had no symptoms in arms or hands, and 10 men who had never worked with vibrating tools. The reduction in finger systolic pressure was significantly larger in the group with TVD than in either of the reference groups (p less than 0.001). There was no difference between the two reference groups. Nine of the 10 patients with TVD had a larger reduction in their finger systolic pressure after local cooling than anyone in either control group. The effects of two different room temperatures (17 degrees C and 23 degrees C) were evaluated. At the higher temperature the overlap between patients with TVD and controls was greater. The method described seems a feasible way to obtain an objective verification of TVD.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed2006

Computerized digital imaging techniques provided by digital X-ray radiogrammetry as new diagnostic tool in rheumatoid arthritis.

PURPOSE: Our study evaluates digital x-ray radiogrammetry (DXR) and Radiogrammetry Kit (RK) as a new diagnostic method for the measurement of disease-related osteoporosis including quantification of joint space narrowing dependent on the severity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 172 unselected patients with RA underwent computerized measurements of bone mineral density (BMD) and metacarpal index (MCI) by DXR, as well as a semiautomated measurement of joint space distances at the metacarpal-phalangeal articulation (JSD-MCP 2-5), both were analyzed from plain radiographs of the nondominant hand. RESULTS: Correlations between DXR-BMD and DXR-MCI vs. parameters of RK were all significant (0.34 < R < 0.61; p < 0.01). An expected negative association was observed between RK parameters and the different scoring methods (-0.27 < R < -0.59). The maximum relative decrease in BMD vs. MCI as measured by DXR between the highest and lowest RA severity group was -27.7% vs. -27.5% (p < 0.01) for the modified Larsen Score, whereas the minimal value of relative DXR-BMD and DXR-MCI reduction could be documented for the Sharp Erosion Score (-20.8% vs. -26.8%; p < 0.01). The relative reduction of mean JSD-MCP using RK significantly varied from -25.0% (Sharp Erosion Score) to -41.2% (modified Larsen Score). In addition, an excellent reproducibility of DXR and RK could be verified. CONCLUSION: DXR in combination with RK could be a promising, widely available diagnostic tool to supplement the different scoring methods of RA with quantitative data, allowing an earlier and improved diagnosis and more precision in determining disease progression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Let SMIL be your umbrella: software tools for transcribing, coding, and presenting digital video in behavioral research.

Video-based techniques have become central to many areas of social science research, although their use has been limited by the expense and complexity of tools for working with video information. New standards for the representation of digital video make the manipulation of video for observational research a far less time-consuming and expensive process than it once was. We provide an overview of SMIL, a cross-platform markup standard, and guidelines on how it can be used to edit, synchronize, caption, and present video clips with no need to modify the original digital video files. We also present TransTool, a free Windows program that can generate SMIL files for playing video clips of interest along with captions and codes. TransTool can also be used as a transcribing and coding tool that synchronizes video and text such as transcripts. These tools greatly facilitate tasks such as creating video events with multilanguage transcripts, showing synchronized views of the same event, quickly extracting clips from longer video files, and incorporating video clips into presentations and web pages. Example SMIL files and the TransTool program can be downloaded from http://www.psych.uiuc.edu/-kmiller/smil.

Behavior↗
PubMed2005

Digital image processing-an alternate tool for monitoring of pigment levels in cultured cells with special reference to green alga Haematococcus pluvialis.

A method for analyzing carotenoid content in Haematococcus pluvialis, a green alga was developed using digital image processing (DIP) and an artificial neural network (ANN) model. About 90 images of algal cells in various phases of growth were processed with the tools of DIP. A good correlation of R(2)=0.967 was observed between carotenoid content as estimated by analytical method and DIP. Similar correlation was also observed in case of chlorophyll. Since the conventional methods of carotenoid estimation are time consuming and result in loss of pigments during analysis, DIP method was found to be an effective online monitoring method. This method will be useful in measurement of pigments in cultured cells.

Algorithms↗