Healthcare technologies and professional vision

This paper presents some details from an observational evaluation of a computer assisted detection tool in mammography. The use of the tool, its strengths and weaknesses, are documented and its impact on reader's 'professional vision' (Goodwin 1994) considered. The paper suggests issues for the design, use and, importantly, evaluation of new technologies in everyday medical work, pointing to general issues concerning trust – users’ perception of the dependability of the evidence generated by such tools and suggesting that evaluations require an emphasis on the complex issue of what technologies afford their users in everyday work

Abstractions, accounts and grid usability

The vision of the Grid is one of seamless, virtual and constantly changing resources where users need not concern themselves about details, such as exactly where an application is running or where their data is being stored. However, seamless and virtual often imply a lack of control that users may be wary of, or even opposed to. Drawing upon our studies of HCI and of collaborative work, this paper examines whether the Grid development community should be taking this vision literally and argues for the need for accountability of systems ‘in interaction’. We give examples of an alternative approach that seeks to provide ways in which administrators, technical support and user communities can make sense of the behaviour of the complex socio-technical ensembles that are the reality of Grids

The surgical management of vault prolapse : a reappraisal with and assessment of the sacrospinous colpopexy and sacrospinous cervicopexy

The study was undertaken to assess the results of the sacrospinous colpopexy procedure for the treatment of vault prolapse following hysterectomy. It was also to assess the results of the procedure in the treatment of marked uterovaginal prolapse and to compare its role in a group undergoing hysterectomy with a group in whom the uterus was conserved. A prospective study was undertaken between December 1991 and December 1992. Forty women with vm1lt prolapse following hysterectomy were included in one group. All these patients underwent posterior vaginal repair, enterocele sac obliteration and sacrospinous colpopexy. In 25 patients an anterior vaginal repair with sub urethral buttressing sutures was also perfom1ed. A long-needle bladder neck suspension operation was included for three women with coexistent stress incontinence. The mean follow-up period was six months. The success rate was 92%. Of the three failures one underwent a successful repeat sacrospinous colpopexy and repair. The main long-term complication was cystocele formation. A further 24 women with marked uterovaginal prolapse were also included. All women underwent anterior and posterior vaginal repairs, enterocele sac obliteration and sacrospinous ligament fixation. In 13 patients a vaginal hysterectomy was performed and in 11 the uterus was conserved. In the hysterectomy group the follow-up was four months. Although there have been no failures, one woman had developed a small asymptomatic cystocele. Follow-up in the group with uterine preservation was three and a half months. A gain, no failures were seen but three women had developed small asymptomatic cystoceles. There were no differences between the groups apart from a significantly shorter operating time in the patients who did not undergo hysterectomy. The sacrospinous colpopexy is effective in the treatment of vault prolapse. It avoids major abdominal surgery: and allows the surgeon to correct coexistent cystocele and rectocele. The procedure is a useful adjuvent to vaginal repair for marked degrees of uterovaginal prolapse, resulting in a well-supported vagina in the correct anatomical position

miR-34a Silences c-SRC to Attenuate Tumor Growth in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype with no clinically proven biologically targeted treatment options. The molecular heterogeneity of TNBC and lack of high frequency driver mutations other than TP53 have hindered the development of new and effective therapies that significantly improve patient outcomes. miRNAs, global regulators of survival and proliferation pathways important in tumor development and maintenance, are becoming promising therapeutic agents. We performed miRNA-profiling studies in different TNBC subtypes to identify miRNAs that significantly contribute to disease progression. We found that miR-34a was lost in TNBC, specifically within mesenchymal and mesenchymal stem cell-like subtypes, whereas expression of miR-34a targets was significantly enriched. Furthermore, restoration of miR-34a in cell lines representing these subtypes inhibited proliferation and invasion, activated senescence, and promoted sensitivity to dasatinib by targeting the proto-oncogene c-SRC. Notably, SRC depletion in TNBC cell lines phenocopied the effects of miR-34a reintroduction, whereas SRC overexpression rescued the antitumorigenic properties mediated by miR-34a. miR-34a levels also increased when cells were treated with c-SRC inhibitors, suggesting a negative feedback exists between miR-34a and c-SRC. Moreover, miR-34a administration significantly delayed tumor growth of subcutaneously and orthotopically implanted tumors in nude mice, and was accompanied by c-SRC downregulation. Finally, we found that miR-34a and SRC levels were inversely correlated in human tumor specimens. Together, our results demonstrate that miR-34a exerts potent antitumorigenic effects in vitro and in vivo and suggests that miR-34a replacement therapy, which is currently being tested in human clinical trials, represents a promising therapeutic strategy for TNBC. Cancer Res; 76(4); 1-13. (c)2015 AACR

Preclinical evaluation of the Versius surgical system: A next‐generation surgical robot for use in minimal access prostate surgery

© 2023 The Authors. BJUI Compass published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of BJU International Company. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Objectives: To evaluate the Versius surgical system for robot‐assisted prostatectomy in a preclinical cadaveric model using varying system setups and collect surgeon feedback on the performance of the system and instruments, in line with IDEAL‐D recommendations. Materials and methods: Procedures were performed in cadaveric specimens by consultant urological surgeons to evaluate system performance in completing the surgical steps required for a prostatectomy. Procedures were conducted using either a 3‐arm or 4‐arm bedside unit (BSU) setup. Optimal port placements and BSU layouts were determined and surgeon feedback collected. Procedure success was defined as the satisfactory completion of all steps of the procedure, according to the operating surgeon. Results: All four prostatectomies were successfully completed; two were completed with a 3‐arm BSU setup and two using a 4‐arm BSU setup. Small adjustments were made to the port and BSU positioning, according to surgeon preference, in order to complete the surgical steps. The surgeons noted some instrument difficulties with the Monopolar Curved Scissor tip and the Needle Holders, which were subsequently refined between the first and second sessions of the study, in line with surgeon feedback. Three cystectomies were also successfully completed, demonstrating the capability of the system to perform additional urological procedures. Conclusions: This study provides a preclinical assessment of a next‐generation surgical robot for prostatectomies. All procedures were completed successfully, and port and BSU positions were validated, thus supporting the progression of the system to further clinical development according to the IDEAL‐D framework.Peer reviewe

Prospectus, August 25, 1980

FALL IN ; Senate to hold elections; Ready or not…; President Staerkel welcomes students; U of I ROTC courses available to Parkland College students; Mexico -- A Land of Contrast; Dates to Live By; Parkland choral music has new conductor, big plans; Classes offered at Monticello, Lincoln schools; Courses offered to music lovers; Outlook optimistic for baseball; Women\u27s fast pitch softball meeting to be held Thursday; Fall tryouts for baseball; Fall Sports Schedules; Summer sports in review...; V-ballers face tough schedule, meeting and tryouts Tuesdayhttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1980/1024/thumbnail.jp

Seascape Connectivity of Gulf Sturgeon \u3ci\u3eAcipenser oxyrinchus desotoi\u3c/i\u3e Population Units Across the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Critical habitat was designated in 2003 for federally threatened anadromous Gulf sturgeon to aid in population recovery. This study examined overwintering Gulf sturgeon spatial use and movement through critical habitat monitored by the Ship Island acoustic array from 2011 to 2015. Previous studies observed western population Gulf sturgeon (Pearl and Pascagoula rivers) overwintering near the ends and within the passes of the barrier islands of the Mississippi Sound, USA. Recent telemetry studies detected eastern population fish (Escambia, Blackwater, Yellow, and Choctawhatchee rivers) overwintering as far west as Mobile Bay, Alabama; however, this study is the first to observe eastern population fish overwintering in western population critical habitat associated with the Ship Island array. Use of overwintering habitat was compared using mean active days detected and rate of travel to and from the array. There was no significant difference in mean active days of population units on the array; however, travel rate to the array from natal drainages was significantly different, with eastern population individuals traveling at a faster rate compared to western population individuals. Post hoc tests indicated that individuals from the Blackwater River had a significantly higher travel rate compared to Pascagoula River individuals. We documented large-scale seascape connectivity among population units of Gulf sturgeon across the northern Gulf of Mexico. Although large-scale seascape connectivity promotes mixing among population units and an exchange of marine nutrients into riverine environments, large-scale migration poses an issue for endangered species such as Gulf sturgeon, as there is greater risk of bycatch mortality and size-specific predation

Working IT out in e-Science: Experiences of requirements capture in a healthgrid project

This paper reports on our experiences of being involved in requirements capture for a HealthGrid project. Large scale, collaborative projects with multiple partners tend to experience numerous problems in the requirements capture phase (and often beyond) and HealthGrid projects are no exception. Projects with highly innovative objectives often have additional sets of problematics, however. In carving out new visions of, for example, clinical research and healthcare service delivery, HealthGrid projects have to reckon with-and work within-existing healthcare policy, legislative frameworks, professional cultures and organisational politics as well as the more common integration probkem of dealing with legacy systems. Such factors are not conducive to the achievement in healthcare of the e-Science vision of seamless integration of information and collaborative working across administrative, professional and organisational boundaries. In this paper, we document some of the challenges we encountered in investigating the requirements for eDiaMoND, a flagship pilot UK e-Science project. We discuss what we might learn from these challenges, especially approaches to requirements capture that are appropriate for projects with innovative aims and are also sensitive to representing and addressing what may be complex professional and organisational interests. © 2005 The authors

Prospectus, October 22, 1980

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CELEBRATE TODAY; Letters to the Editors: Student has questions for Schumacher, Co-editor apologizes to runners, Student supports Schumacher\u27s view; PACT discusses day care; Food, beer, fun planned for Oktoberfest; Seniors to tour Parkland next week; Stories of America will be presented October 29-Nov 1; Two-hundred help celebrate: Parkland students celebrate International Students Day today; State rep. candidates express their views; PC drama department presents its fall production; PC offers Pharmacy Technician program; Fall means football... and football means Homecoming; Handle your $$ properly; Learn to take care of you car: enroll in PC\u27s car care course; Leardship is not shout, flout, and clout; Compunds from marine animals could cure cancer; U of I\u27s John Dickel will talk; Reaching Out ; Jeff Beck gives a hot, jazzy show; Marcel Marceau: the Master isn\u27t up to par; IM football winds down: teams available for volleyball, b-ball; Career center needs guides; X-country third in invitational; PC to offer EMT refresher; Arts showcase scheduled for next week; PC Datebook; Cobras can tie for championship; Freddy\u27s record looking better; Bench Warmer: Women\u27s b-ball team looking for balance; Fast Freddy Contesthttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1980/1016/thumbnail.jp