The technological imperative in tuberculosis care and prevention in Vietnam

ABSTRACT

A monocausal bacteriological understanding of infectious disease orients tuberculosis control efforts towards antimicrobial interventions. A bias towards technological solutions can leave multistranded public health and social interventions largely neglected. In the context of globalising biomedical approaches to infectious disease control, this ethnography-inspired review article reflects upon the implementation of rapid diagnostic technology in low- and middle-income countries. Fieldwork observations in Vietnam provided a stimulus for a critical review of the global rollout of tuberculosis diagnostic technology. To address local needs in tuberculosis control, health managers in resource-poor settings are readily cooperating with international donors to deploy novel diagnostic technologies throughout national tuberculosis programme facilities. Increasing investment in new diagnostic technologies is predicated on the supposition that these interventions will ameliorate disease outcomes. However, suboptimal treatment control persists even when accurate diagnostic technologies are available, suggesting that promotion of singular technological solutions can distract from addressing systemic change, without which disease susceptibility, propagation of infection, detection gaps, diagnostic delays, and treatment shortfalls persist.     

Absence of FGFR3–TACC3 rearrangement in hematological malignancies with numerical chromosomal alteration

FGFR–TACC, found in different tumor types, is characterized by the fusion of a member of fibroblast grown factor receptor (FGFR) tyrosine kinase (TK) family to a member of the transforming acidic coiled-coil (TACC) proteins. Because chromosome numerical alterations, hallmarks of FGFR–TACC fusions are present in many hematological disorders and there are no data on the prevalence, we studied a series of patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome who presented numerical alterations using cytogenetic traditional analysis. None of the analyzed samples showed FGFR3–TACC3 gene fusion, so screening for this mutation at diagnosis is not recommended.     

AAV-CRISPR Gene Editing Is Negated by Pre-existing Immunity to Cas9

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远程胎儿监护的临床应用

远程胎儿监护是应用互连网及计算机技术，孕妇在家中或远程监护终端将胎心监护图形传输到中央监护站，医生即可通过电脑或手机APP远程判读。对高危孕妇实行远程监护，便于及时发现胎儿宫内缺氧情况和及时处理，改善围产儿结局。     

基于血清代谢组学技术考察通阳化浊方与四妙勇安汤治疗冠心病模型家兔的作用机制＊

目的 通过血清代谢组学技术，考察通阳化浊方与四妙勇安汤在治疗冠心病家兔中的作用机制。方法 40只雄性白兔，随机分为空白组、模型组、通阳化浊方组与四妙勇安汤组4组，每组10只。空白组正常饮食，模型组给予高脂饲料喂养至第8周，于第4周结束后，用球囊法手术损伤实验兔的右侧颈总动脉；在模型组基础上，两个实验组分别在术后，灌胃给予通阳化浊方和四妙勇安汤，连续4周，每日1次。给药结束后，模型组与实验组每组抽取3只家兔，采集全血后，用LC-MS技术进行血清代谢组学检测，运用PCA与OPLS-DA分析法来寻找差异性表达的代谢物和代谢途径。结果 相较于模型组，通阳化浊方与四妙勇安汤组分别存在45和27个差异化合物，通阳化浊方组涉及18条代谢通路，根据Impact值 > 0.05筛选出5条主要代谢通路，包括精氨酸和脯氨酸代谢、组氨酸代谢、牛磺酸和牛磺酸代谢、精氨酸生物合成和α-亚麻酸代谢；四妙勇安汤组涉及11条代谢通路，筛选出2条主要代谢通路分别为牛磺酸和牛磺酸代谢、组氨酸代谢。结论 通阳化浊方与四妙勇安汤在治疗冠心病模型家兔的过程中存在差异性代谢产物，干预相应的代谢通路可能会对药物在模型中的作用产生影响。     

An electronic travel guide for visually impaired – vehicle board recognition system through computer vision techniques

Abstract

Purpose: In the context of assistive technology, mobility takes the meaning of “moving safely, gracefully, and comfortably”.The aim of this article is to provide a system which will be a convenient means of navigation for the Visually Impaired people, in the public transport system.

Method: A blind regular commuter who travels by public transport facility finds difficulty in identifying the vehicle that is nearing the stop. Hence, a real-time system that dynamically identifies the nearing vehicle and informs the commuters is necessary. This paper proposes such a system namely the “Vehicle Board Recognition System” (VBRS). Computer Vision techniques such as segmentation, object recognition, text detection and optical character recognition are utilized to build the system, which will detect, analyze, derive and communicate the information to the passengers.

Results: Thanks to the rapid development in technology, there are several navigation systems both hand held and wearable, available to help visually impaired (VI) people move comfortably both indoor and outdoor. Many blind people are not comfortable in using these devices or they are not affordable for them. Thus the proposed system gives them the comfort of navigation.

Conclusion: This system can be installed in the bus stop to assist the Visually Impaired, from externally rather than their hand held or wearable assistive devices.

• Implications for rehabilitation

• This proposed system will help the visually impaired to

• ensure secure navigation

• be independent of the others

• develop self confidence.

• overcome the training, affordability of wearable/ handheld devices.