Prostate Biopsy Assistance System with Gland Deformation Estimation for Enhanced Precision

Computer-assisted prostate biopsies became a very active research area during the last years. Prostate tracking makes it possi- ble to overcome several drawbacks of the current standard transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) biopsy procedure, namely the insufficient targeting accuracy which may lead to a biopsy distribution of poor quality, the very approximate knowledge about the actual location of the sampled tissues which makes it difficult to implement focal therapy strategies based on biopsy results, and finally the difficulty to precisely reach non-ultrasound (US) targets stemming from different modalities, statistical atlases or previous biopsy series. The prostate tracking systems presented so far are limited to rigid transformation tracking. However, the gland can get considerably deformed during the intervention because of US probe pres- sure and patient movements. We propose to use 3D US combined with image-based elastic registration to estimate these deformations. A fast elastic registration algorithm that copes with the frequently occurring US shadows is presented. A patient cohort study was performed, which yielded a statistically significant in-vivo accuracy of 0.83+-0.54mm.Comment: This version of the paper integrates a correction concerning the local similarity measure w.r.t. the proceedings (this typing error could not be corrected before editing the proceedings

The use of ICT in the assessment of modern languages: the English context and European viewpoints

The ever increasing explosion of highly attractive multimedia resources on offer has boosted the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the teaching and learning of modern languages. The use of ICT to assess languages is less frequent, however, although online testing is starting to develop. This paper examines the national context for the assessment of modern foreign language proficiency in England, outlines the kinds of assessment currently available and the development of electronic forms of assessment and compares the above with the survey results of a European Union (EU) funded project on current good practice in online assessment of languages in other European countries. The findings indicate that speaking is inadequately served by online testing as tests currently focus primarily on receptive language skills. The implications for future successful online testing include the incorporation of interactive skills and effective formative feedback

Fundamental insight into the effect of carbodiimide crosslinking on cellular recognition of collagen-based scaffolds

Research on the development of collagen constructs is extremely important in the field of tissue engineering. Collagen scaffolds for numerous tissue engineering applications are frequently crosslinked with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl-carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) in the presence of N-hydroxy-succinimide (NHS). Despite producing scaffolds with good biocompatibility and low cellular toxicity the influence of EDC/NHS crosslinking on the cell interactive properties of collagen has been overlooked. Here we have extensively studied the interaction of model cell lines with collagen I-based materials after crosslinking with different ratios of EDC in relation to the number of carboxylic acid residues on collagen. Divalent cation-dependent cell adhesion, via integrins α$_{1}$β$_{1}$, α$_{2}$β$_{1}$, α$_{10}$β$_{1}$ and α$_{11}$β$_{1}$, were sensitive to EDC crosslinking. With increasing EDC concentration, this was replaced with cation-independent adhesion. These results were replicated using purified recombinant I domains derived from integrin α$_{1}$ and α$_{2}$ subunits. Integrin α$_{2}$β$_{1}$-mediated cell spreading, apoptosis and proliferation were all heavily influenced by EDC crosslinking of collagen. Data from this rigorous study provides an exciting new insight that EDC/NHS crosslinking is utilising the same carboxylic side chain chemistry that is vital for native-like integrin-mediated cell interactions. Due to the ubiquitous usage of EDC/NHS crosslinked collagen for biomaterials fabrication this data is essential to have a full understanding in order to ensure optimized collagen-based material performance.This work was supported by the British Heart Foundation (Grant NH/11/1/28922, RG/15/4/31268, SP/15/7/31561 and RG/09/003/27122) and the ERC Advanced Grant 320598 3D-E. D. V. Bax is funded by the Peoples Programme of the EU 7th Framework Programme (RAE no: PIIF-GA-2013-624904) and was supported by an EPSRC IKC Proof of Concept Award

A cross-sectional study to compare care needs of individuals with and without dementia in residential homes in the Netherlands

Background: Little is known about met and unmet needs of individuals in residential care, many of whom suffer from dementia. Unmet needs are associated with a decreased quality of life, worse mental health, dissatisfaction with services, and increased costs of care. The aim of this study was to compare the number and type of (unmet) needs of people with and without dementia in residential care in the Netherlands. Methods: 187 individuals in residents care or their relatives were interviewed to identify their care needs on 24 topics using the Camberwell Assessment of Needs for the Elderly (CANE) interview. Results: Individuals diagnosed with probable dementia reported more needs in total and more unmet needs in comparison with individuals without this diagnosis. More specifically, differences were found for the topics "accommodation", "money", "benefits", "medication management", "incontinence", "memory problems", "inadvertent self-harm", "company" and "daytime activities". Conclusions: It seems that the differences in care needs between individuals with and without dementia can be attributed to actual differences in physical and cognitive functioning. Residents with dementia reported more often unmet needs which might imply that care for people with dementia can still be better attuned to their needs

Noninvasive evaluation of ischaemic heart disease: myocardial perfusion imaging or stress echocardiography?

Stress echocardiography and myocardial perfusion imaging are commonly used noninvasive imaging modalities for the evaluation of ischaemic heart disease. Both modalities have proved clinically useful in the entire spectrum of coronary artery disease. Both techniques can detect coronary artery disease and provide prognostic information. Both techniques can identify low-risk and high-risk subsets among patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease and thus guide patient management decisions. In patients with acute myocardial infarction, both techniques have been used to identify residual viable tissue and predict improvement of function over time. In patients with chronic ischaemic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, viability assessment with either modality can be used to predict improvement of function after revascularisation and thus guide patient treatment

Long-term prognostic value of dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography in 1737 patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease: A single-center experience

BACKGROUND--The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term value of dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography (DSE) for prediction of late cardiac events in patients with proven or suspected coronary artery disease. METHODS AND RESULTS--Clinical data and DSE results were analyzed in 1734 consecutive patients undergoing DSE between 1989 and 1997. Seventy-four patients who underwent revascularization within 3 months of DSE and 1 patient lost to follow-up were excluded; the remaining 1659 (median age, 62 years; range, 14 to 99 years) were followed up for 36 months (range, 6 to 96 months). Wall motion abnormalities at rest and the presence and extent of stress-induced wall motion abnormalities (ischemia) were scored for each patient. Cardiac events were related to clinical and ECG data and DSE results. Four hundred twenty-eight cardiac events occurred in 366, documented cardiac death in 108 (total death, 247), nonfatal infarction in 128, and late revascularization in 192 patients. In a multivariable Cox proportional-hazards model, the ratio of documented cardiac death or (re)infarction was increased in the presence of stress-induced ischemia (hazard ratio, 3.3; 95% CI, 2.4 to 4.4) and extensive rest wall motion abnormalities (hazard ratio, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3 to 2.6). The number of ischemic segments was predictive for late cardiac events. A normal DSE carried a relatively good prognosis, wit