Perceived Benefits, Risks, and Utility of Newborn Genomic Sequencing in the BabySeq Project.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There is interest in applying genomic sequencing (GS) to newborns' clinical care. Here we explore parents' and clinicians' attitudes toward and perceptions of the risks, benefits, and utility of newborn GS compared with newborn screening (NBS) prior to receiving study results. METHODS: The BabySeq Project is a randomized controlled trial used to explore the impact of integrating GS into the clinical care of newborns. Parents (n = 493) of enrolled infants (n = 309) and clinicians (n = 144) completed a baseline survey at enrollment. We examined between-group differences in perceived utility and attitudes toward NBS and GS. Open-ended responses about risks and benefits of each technology were categorized by theme. RESULTS: The majority of parents (71%) and clinicians (51%) agreed that there are health benefits of GS, although parents and clinicians agreed more that there are risks associated with GS (35%, 70%) than with NBS (19%, 39%; all P < .05). Parents perceived more benefit and less risk of GS than did clinicians. Clinicians endorsed concerns about privacy and discrimination related to genomic information more strongly than did parents, and parents anticipated benefits of GS that clinicians did not. CONCLUSIONS: Parents and clinicians are less confident in GS than NBS, but parents perceive a more favorable risk/benefit ratio of GS than do clinicians. Clinicians should be aware that parents' optimism may stem from their perceived benefits beyond clinical utility.

Detection of herpesvirus capsids in transmission electron microscopy images using transfer learning.

The detailed analysis of secondary envelopment of the Human betaherpesvirus 5/human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images is an important step towards understanding the mechanisms underlying the formation of infectious virions. As a step towards a software-based quantification of different stages of HCMV virion morphogenesis in TEM, we developed a transfer learning approach based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) that automatically detects HCMV nucleocapsids in TEM images. In contrast to existing image analysis techniques that require time-consuming manual definition of structural features, our method automatically learns discriminative features from raw images without the need for extensive pre-processing. For this a constantly growing TEM image database of HCMV infected cells was available which is unique regarding image quality and size in the terms of virological EM. From the two investigated types of transfer learning approaches, namely feature extraction and fine-tuning, the latter enabled us to successfully detect HCMV nucleocapsids in TEM images. Our detection method has outperformed some of the existing image analysis methods based on discriminative textural indicators and radial density profiles for virus detection in TEM images. In summary, we could show that the method of transfer learning can be used for an automated detection of viral capsids in TEM images with high specificity using standard computers. This method is highly adaptable and in future could be easily extended to automatically detect and classify virions of other viruses and even distinguish different virion maturation stages.

TiO2-NiO p-n nanocomposite with enhanced sonophotocatalytic activity under diffused sunlight.

TiO2-NiO composites with p-n junction were developed by assembling p-type NiO on n-type TiO2 using ultrasound assisted wet impregnation method. The sonophotocatalytic efficiencies of pure TiO2 and TiO2-NiO composites were evaluated under diffused sunlight using methyl orange (MO) as a model pollutant. The impregnation of NiO nanoparticles on TiO2 considerably enhanced the optical absorption in visible region (500-800nm) due to the formation of p-n junctions at the interface between TiO2 and NiO. The internal electric field induced by the p-n junction led to effective separation of electron-hole pairs and thereby generating a large amount of reactive species for the degradation of MO. The individual effect of ultrasound and diffused sunlight for the degradation of MO was found to be 30% and 6%, respectively. A synergy of 4.8 fold was achieved when ultrasound was combined with photocatalytic degradation process in the presence of diffused sunlight. The sonophotocatalytic activity of TiO2-NiO photocatalysts with different NiO loading was also evaluated and 10wt% NiO loading was found to be optimal. Moreover, 66% of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal was achieved with the optimized TiO2-NiO composite in 140min. In addition, the TiO2-NiO composite exhibited an enhanced photocurrent response under visible light illumination.

A review of hypoglycaemia in a South African family practice setting.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence and incidence of diabetes in South Africa are high and are expected to increase. Mortality and morbidity may be related to hypoglycaemia, and there is limited information on hypoglycaemia from private practice sites. The aim of this study was to assess patients' education about, knowledge of and response to hypoglycaemia. METHODS: The study site was a general practice, and participants were all patients with diabetes who presented to the practice over a 1-month period. Data were collected using a closedended questionnaire and analysed descriptively. FINDINGS: Most respondents were South Africans of Indian origin and were diagnosed with diabetes at a relatively young age. Despite attending a private practice, most had low incomes and low schooling levels. Just under half reported having experienced hypoglycaemia, and there was a strong association between hypoglycaemia and insulin use. Many reported never having received any education around hypoglycaemia. DISCUSSION: The study highlights the need for early screening for diabetes in this vulnerable population. Hypoglycaemic education should consider low schooling levels even in a private general practice, and further study is required on the quality and frequency of education provided in general practice.

Poliomyelitis vaccination status among children in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur 2007.

INTRODUCTION: Polio vaccination rates remain low in certain regions of Malaysia. The Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (FTKL) reported coverage of only 29.3% in 2005 and 61.2% in 2006, despite a Department of Health campaign to provide free three-round immunizations. The estimated numbers of live births used to calculate these rates may have artificially lowered the reported coverage percentages. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional household survey was conducted throughout the FTKL in 2007 to assess the actual polio vaccination status of children aged 9 to 24 months. Minimum sample size was calculated and proportionately divided among the 11 FTKL parliamentary constituencies. Residential areas were then randomly selected for in-person interviews. We used the gathered information, verified by medical records, to calculate the actual vaccination coverage and to compare the rates determined by using estimated or registered live births for the region. RESULTS: Of the 1713 study participants, 98.3% had completed their polio vaccination schedule. Only 21 children had been partially vaccinated, and nine children were completely unvaccinated. FTKL residents had 20 431 live births registered for 2006, as opposed to the official estimate of 28 400. When the registered value of live births was used to calculate vaccination coverage, the 2006 coverage increased (to 85.1%). CONCLUSION: Actual vaccination coverage in Kuala Lumpur was much higher than the estimated coverage previously reported, reflecting the expected success of the Department of Health immunization campaign. Estimated values of live births are insufficient to accurately determine vaccine status and should be avoided.

Dosimetric characteristics of a MOSFET dosimeter for clinical electron beams.

The fundamental dosimetric characteristics of commercially available metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) detectors were studied for clinical electron beam irradiations. MOSFET showed excellent linearity against doses measured using an ion chamber in the dose range of 20-630cGy. MOSFET reproducibility is better at high doses compared to low doses. The output factors measured with the MOSFET were within +/-3% when compared with those measured with a parallel plate chamber. From 4 to 12MeV, MOSFETs showed a large angular dependence in the tilt directions and less in the axial directions. MOSFETs do not show any dose-rate dependence between 100 and 600MU/min. However, MOSFETs have shown under-response when the dose per pulse of the beam is decreased. No measurable effect in MOSFET response was observed in the temperature range of 23-40 degrees C. The energy dependence of a MOSFET dosimeter was within +/-3.0% for 6-18MeV electron beams and 5.5% for 4MeV ones. This study shows that MOSFET detectors are suitable for dosimetry of electron beams in the energy range of 4-18MeV.