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Kushkevych I, Martínková K, Mráková L, Giudici F, Baldi S, Novak D, Gajdács M, Vítězová M, Dordevic D, Amedei A, Rittmann SKMR. Comparison of microbial communities and the profile of sulfate-reducing bacteria in patients with ulcerative colitis and their association with bowel diseases: a pilot study. Microb Cell 2024; 11:79-89. [PMID: 38486888 PMCID: PMC10939707 DOI: 10.15698/mic2024.03.817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Considerable evidence has accumulated regarding the molecular relationship between gut microbiota (GM) composition and the onset (clinical presentation and prognosis of ulcerative colitis (UC)). In addition, it is well documented that short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria may play a fundamental role in maintaining an anti-inflammatory intestinal homeostasis, but sulfate- and sulfite reducing bacteria may be responsible for the production of toxic metabolites, such as hydrogen sulfide and acetate. Hence, the present study aimed to assess the GM composition - focusing on sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) - in patients with severe, severe-active and moderate UC. Each one of the six enrolled patients provided two stool samples in the following way: one sample was cultivated in a modified SRB-medium before 16S rRNA sequencing and the other was not cultivated. Comparative phylogenetic analysis was conducted on each sample. Percentage of detected gut microbial genera showed considerable variation based on the patients' disease severity and cultivation in the SRB medium. In detail, samples without cultivation from patients with moderate UC showed a high abundance of the genera Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium and Ruminococcus, but after SRB cultivation, the dominant genera were Bacteroides, Klebsiella and Bilophila. On the other hand, before SRB cultivation, the main represented genera in patients with severe UC were Escherichia-Shigella, Proteus, Methanothermobacter and Methanobacterium. However, after incubation in the SRB medium Bacteroides, Proteus, Alistipes and Lachnoclostridium were predominant. Information regarding GM compositional changes in UC patients may aid the development of novel therapeutic strategies (e.g., probiotic preparations containing specific bacterial strains) to counteract the mechanisms of virulence of harmful bacteria and the subsequent inflammatory response that is closely related to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Kushkevych
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kristýna Martínková
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Mráková
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Francesco Giudici
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Simone Baldi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - David Novak
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Márió Gajdács
- Department of Oral Biology and Experimental Dental Research, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Monika Vítězová
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Dani Dordevic
- Department of Plant Origin Food Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Amedeo Amedei
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Simon K.-M. R. Rittmann
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Archaea Physiology & Biotechnology Group, Universität Wien, 1030 Wien, Austria
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Liechti T, Van Gassen S, Beddall M, Ballard R, Iftikhar Y, Du R, Venkataraman T, Novak D, Mangino M, Perfetto S, Larman HB, Spector T, Saeys Y, Roederer M. A robust pipeline for high-content, high-throughput immunophenotyping reveals age- and genetics-dependent changes in blood leukocytes. Cell Rep Methods 2023; 3:100619. [PMID: 37883924 PMCID: PMC10626267 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
High-dimensional flow cytometry is the gold standard to study the human immune system in large cohorts. However, large sample sizes increase inter-experimental variation because of technical and experimental inaccuracies introduced by batch variability. Our high-throughput sample processing pipeline in combination with 28-color flow cytometry focuses on increased throughput (192 samples/experiment) and high reproducibility. We implemented quality control checkpoints to reduce technical and experimental variation. Finally, we integrated FlowSOM clustering to facilitate automated data analysis and demonstrate the reproducibility of our pipeline in a study with 3,357 samples. We reveal age-associated immune dynamics in 2,300 individuals, signified by decreasing T and B cell subsets with age. In addition, by combining genetic analyses, our approach revealed unique immune signatures associated with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that abrogates CD45 isoform splicing. In summary, we provide a versatile and reliable high-throughput, flow cytometry-based pipeline for immune discovery and exploration in large cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Liechti
- ImmunoTechnology Section, Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Sofie Van Gassen
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Margaret Beddall
- ImmunoTechnology Section, Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Reid Ballard
- ImmunoTechnology Section, Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yaser Iftikhar
- ImmunoTechnology Section, Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Renguang Du
- ImmunoTechnology Section, Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thiagarajan Venkataraman
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David Novak
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Massimo Mangino
- Department of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK; National Heart and Lung Institute, Cardiovascular Science Division, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Stephen Perfetto
- ImmunoTechnology Section, Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - H Benjamin Larman
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tim Spector
- Department of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yvan Saeys
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mario Roederer
- ImmunoTechnology Section, Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Grell P, Borilova S, Fabian P, Selingerova I, Novak D, Muller P, Kiss I, Vyzula R. FoxP3 Expression in Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes as Potential Predictor of Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Patients with Advanced Melanoma and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15061901. [PMID: 36980787 PMCID: PMC10047850 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15061901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are the main therapy currently used in advanced malignant melanoma (MM) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite the wide variety of uses, the possibility of predicting ICI efficacy in these tumor types is scarce. The aim of our study was to find new predictive biomarkers for ICI treatment. We analyzed, by immunohistochemistry, various cell subsets, including CD3+, CD8+, CD68+, CD20+, and FoxP3+ cells, and molecules such as LAG-3, IDO1, and TGFβ. Comprehensive genomic profiles were analyzed. We evaluated 46 patients with advanced MM (31) and NSCLC (15) treated with ICI monotherapy. When analyzing the malignant melanoma group, shorter median progression-free survival (PFS) was found in tumors positive for nuclear FoxP3 in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) (p = 0.048, HR 3.04) and for CD68 expression (p = 0.034, HR 3.2). Longer PFS was achieved in patients with tumors with PD-L1 TPS ≥ 1 (p = 0.005, HR 0.26). In the NSCLC group, only FoxP3 positivity was associated with shorter PFS and OS. We found that FoxP3 negativity was linked with a better response to ICI in both histological groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Grell
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Simona Borilova
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Fabian
- Department of Pathology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Iveta Selingerova
- Research Center for Applied Molecular Oncology (RECAMO), Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Novak
- Research Center for Applied Molecular Oncology (RECAMO), Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Muller
- Research Center for Applied Molecular Oncology (RECAMO), Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Igor Kiss
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Rostislav Vyzula
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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Gotthans J, Gotthans T, Novak D. Improving TDOA Radar Performance in Jammed Areas through Neural Network-Based Signal Processing. Sensors (Basel) 2023; 23:2889. [PMID: 36991599 PMCID: PMC10054461 DOI: 10.3390/s23062889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a method for estimating the position of a target under jammed conditions using the Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) method. The algorithm utilizes a deep neural network to overcome the challenges posed by the jammed conditions. The simulations and results indicate that the presented method is more accurate and efficient than the traditional TDOA methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Gotthans
- Department of Radio Electronics, Brno University of Technology, 61600 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Gotthans
- Department of Radio Electronics, Brno University of Technology, 61600 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Novak
- Department of Communication Technologies, Electronic Warfare and Radiolocation, University of Defense, 66210 Brno, Czech Republic
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Palabikyan H, Ruddyard A, Pomper L, Novak D, Reischl B, Rittmann SKMR. Scale-up of biomass production by Methanococcus maripaludis. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1031131. [PMID: 36504798 PMCID: PMC9727139 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1031131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of a sustainable energy economy is one of the great challenges in the current times of climate crisis and growing energy demands. Industrial production of the fifth-generation biofuel methane by microorganisms has the potential to become a crucial biotechnological milestone of the post fossil fuel era. Therefore, reproducible cultivation and scale-up of methanogenic archaea (methanogens) is essential for enabling biomass generation for fundamental studies and for defining peak performance conditions for bioprocess development. This study provides a comprehensive revision of established and optimization of novel methods for the cultivation of the model organism Methanococcus maripaludis S0001. In closed batch mode, 0.05 L serum bottles cultures were gradually replaced by 0.4 L Schott bottle cultures for regular biomass generation, and the time for reaching peak optical density (OD578) values was reduced in half. In 1.5 L reactor cultures, various agitation, harvesting and transfer methods were compared resulting in a specific growth rate of 0.16 h-1 and the highest recorded OD578 of 3.4. Finally, a 300-fold scale-up from serum bottles was achieved by growing M. maripaludis for the first time in a 22 L stainless steel bioreactor with 15 L working volume. Altogether, the experimental approaches described in this study contribute to establishing methanogens as essential organisms in large-scale biotechnology applications, a crucial stage of an urgently needed industrial evolution toward sustainable biosynthesis of energy and high value products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayk Palabikyan
- Archaea Physiology & Biotechnology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Aquilla Ruddyard
- Archaea Physiology & Biotechnology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria,Arkeon GmbH, Tulln a.d. Donau, Austria
| | - Lara Pomper
- Archaea Physiology & Biotechnology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - David Novak
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Barbara Reischl
- Archaea Physiology & Biotechnology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria,Arkeon GmbH, Tulln a.d. Donau, Austria
| | - Simon K.-M. R. Rittmann
- Archaea Physiology & Biotechnology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria,Arkeon GmbH, Tulln a.d. Donau, Austria,*Correspondence: Simon K.-M. R. Rittmann,
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Spiess S, Sasiain Conde A, Kucera J, Novak D, Thallner S, Kieberger N, Guebitz GM, Haberbauer M. Bioelectrochemical methanation by utilization of steel mill off-gas in a two-chamber microbial electrolysis cell. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:972653. [PMID: 36159676 PMCID: PMC9500408 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.972653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbon capture and utilization has been proposed as one strategy to combat global warming. Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) combine the biological conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) with the formation of valuable products such as methane. This study was motivated by the surprising gap in current knowledge about the utilization of real exhaust gas as a CO2 source for methane production in a fully biocatalyzed MEC. Therefore, two steel mill off-gases differing in composition were tested in a two-chamber MEC, consisting of an organic substrate-oxidizing bioanode and a methane-producing biocathode, by applying a constant anode potential. The methane production rate in the MEC decreased immediately when steel mill off-gas was tested, which likely inhibited anaerobic methanogens in the presence of oxygen. However, methanogenesis was still ongoing even though at lower methane production rates than with pure CO2. Subsequently, pure CO2 was studied for methanation, and the cathodic biofilm successfully recovered from inhibition reaching a methane production rate of 10.8 L m−2d−1. Metagenomic analysis revealed Geobacter as the dominant genus forming the anodic organic substrate-oxidizing biofilms, whereas Methanobacterium was most abundant at the cathodic methane-producing biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Spiess
- K1-MET GmbH, Linz, Austria
- *Correspondence: Sabine Spiess,
| | | | - Jiri Kucera
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - David Novak
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | | | | | - Georg M. Guebitz
- ACIB GmbH (Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology), Graz, Austria
- Department of Agrobiotechnology, Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Tulln an der Donau, Austria
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Couckuyt A, Seurinck R, Emmaneel A, Quintelier K, Novak D, Van Gassen S, Saeys Y. Challenges in translational machine learning. Hum Genet 2022; 141:1451-1466. [PMID: 35246744 PMCID: PMC8896412 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-022-02439-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Machine learning (ML) algorithms are increasingly being used to help implement clinical decision support systems. In this new field, we define as "translational machine learning", joint efforts and strong communication between data scientists and clinicians help to span the gap between ML and its adoption in the clinic. These collaborations also improve interpretability and trust in translational ML methods and ultimately aim to result in generalizable and reproducible models. To help clinicians and bioinformaticians refine their translational ML pipelines, we review the steps from model building to the use of ML in the clinic. We discuss experimental setup, computational analysis, interpretability and reproducibility, and emphasize the challenges involved. We highly advise collaboration and data sharing between consortia and institutes to build multi-centric cohorts that facilitate ML methodologies that generalize across centers. In the end, we hope that this review provides a way to streamline translational ML and helps to tackle the challenges that come with it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artuur Couckuyt
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Gent, Belgium
| | - Ruth Seurinck
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Gent, Belgium
| | - Annelies Emmaneel
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Gent, Belgium
| | - Katrien Quintelier
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David Novak
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Gent, Belgium
| | - Sofie Van Gassen
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Gent, Belgium
| | - Yvan Saeys
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
- Data Mining and Modeling for Biomedicine, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Gent, Belgium.
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Vaswani S, Quinn E, Novak D. 147 An Exploratory Study Investigating the Use of a Resident-Driven Virtual Webinar Series for Residency Program Recruitment. Ann Emerg Med 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2021.09.157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Spiess S, Kucera J, Seelajaroen H, Sasiain A, Thallner S, Kremser K, Novak D, Guebitz GM, Haberbauer M. Impact of Carbon Felt Electrode Pretreatment on Anodic Biofilm Composition in Microbial Electrolysis Cells. Biosensors (Basel) 2021; 11:bios11060170. [PMID: 34073192 PMCID: PMC8229196 DOI: 10.3390/bios11060170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable technologies for energy production and storage are currently in great demand. Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) offer promising solutions for both. Several attempts have been made to improve carbon felt electrode characteristics with various pretreatments in order to enhance performance. This study was motivated by gaps in current knowledge of the impact of pretreatments on the enrichment and microbial composition of bioelectrochemical systems. Therefore, electrodes were treated with poly(neutral red), chitosan, or isopropanol in a first step and then fixed in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). Four MECs consisting of organic substance-degrading bioanodes and methane-producing biocathodes were set up and operated in batch mode by controlling the bioanode at 400 mV vs. Ag/AgCl (3M NaCl). After 1 month of operation, Enterococcus species were dominant microorganisms attached to all bioanodes and independent of electrode pretreatment. However, electrode pretreatments led to a decrease in microbial diversity and the enrichment of specific electroactive genera, according to the type of modification used. The MEC containing isopropanol-treated electrodes achieved the highest performance due to presence of both Enterococcus and Geobacter. The obtained results might help to select suitable electrode pretreatments and support growth conditions for desired electroactive microorganisms, whereby performance of BESs and related applications, such as BES-based biosensors, could be enhanced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Spiess
- K1-MET GmbH, Stahlstrasse 14, 4020 Linz, Austria; (A.S.); (S.T.); (M.H.)
- ACIB GmbH (Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology), Krenngasse 37/2, 8010 Graz, Austria;
- Correspondence:
| | - Jiri Kucera
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic; (J.K.); (D.N.)
| | - Hathaichanok Seelajaroen
- Linz Institute for Organic Solar Cells (LIOS), Institute of Physical Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenberger Strasse 69, 4040 Linz, Austria;
| | - Amaia Sasiain
- K1-MET GmbH, Stahlstrasse 14, 4020 Linz, Austria; (A.S.); (S.T.); (M.H.)
| | - Sophie Thallner
- K1-MET GmbH, Stahlstrasse 14, 4020 Linz, Austria; (A.S.); (S.T.); (M.H.)
- ACIB GmbH (Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology), Krenngasse 37/2, 8010 Graz, Austria;
| | - Klemens Kremser
- Department of Agrobiotechnology, Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Konrad-Lorenz-Strasse 20, 3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria;
| | - David Novak
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic; (J.K.); (D.N.)
| | - Georg M. Guebitz
- ACIB GmbH (Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology), Krenngasse 37/2, 8010 Graz, Austria;
- Department of Agrobiotechnology, Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Konrad-Lorenz-Strasse 20, 3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria;
| | - Marianne Haberbauer
- K1-MET GmbH, Stahlstrasse 14, 4020 Linz, Austria; (A.S.); (S.T.); (M.H.)
- ACIB GmbH (Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology), Krenngasse 37/2, 8010 Graz, Austria;
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Fontenot HB, Abuelezam NN, Rosenberger JG, Novak D, Mayer KH, Zimet G. The Impact of Advertisement Messaging on Enrollment of Young Men Who Have Sex With Men for Web-Based Research: Observational Study. J Med Internet Res 2020; 22:e16027. [PMID: 31929103 PMCID: PMC6996771 DOI: 10.2196/16027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recruiting young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in community settings is difficult. The use of Web-based social networks and dating apps for recruitment can be successful approaches, although little work has been done on the impact of study advertisement content on recruitment. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of advertisement message content on the recruitment of YMSM (aged 18-26 years) for a Web-based focus group study, examining perspectives and preferences for a mobile app that was designed to support sexual health among YMSM. Methods Between March and April 2017, a recruitment campaign to promote human papillomavirus vaccination was launched on a popular social networking and dating app for YMSM, with 3 different text-based advertisement themes (technology, cancer prevention, and sexual innuendo). The campaign recruited YMSM across 3 states (Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania). We examined the click-through rates, conversion rates, and enrollment rates of each of the advertisements and examined differences in views and clicks by age, state, and time of day. Results The sexual innuendo advertisement had the highest click rates when compared with both the technology (click rate ratio [CRR] 2.06, 95% CI 1.74-2.45) and cancer prevention (CRR 1.62, 95% CI 1.38-1.90) advertisements. The sexual innuendo advertisement also had higher study enrollment rates compared with the technology (CRR 1.90, 95% CI 1.23-2.83) and cancer prevention (CRR 2.06, 95% CI 1.37-3.13) advertisements. No differences were observed in clicks or enrollment by age, state, or time of day. Conclusions Our marketing campaign, targeting YMSM, was effective in recruiting participants for a qualitative study, using Web-based focus groups. The sexual innuendo advertisement was the most effective and cost-efficient advertisement of the 3 approaches trialed. Different populations need different targeted strategies for study recruitment. Researchers should work with key representatives to develop and test culturally relevant messaging and approaches that utilize current and popular technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly B Fontenot
- Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States.,The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nadia N Abuelezam
- Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
| | - Joshua G Rosenberger
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - David Novak
- DSN Consulting, LLC, Quincy, MA, United States
| | - Kenneth H Mayer
- The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Gregory Zimet
- Section of Adolescent Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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Abuelezam NN, Reshef YA, Novak D, Grad YH, Seage Iii GR, Mayer K, Lipsitch M. Interaction Patterns of Men Who Have Sex With Men on a Geosocial Networking Mobile App in Seven United States Metropolitan Areas: Observational Study. J Med Internet Res 2019; 21:e13766. [PMID: 31516124 PMCID: PMC6746104 DOI: 10.2196/13766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The structure of the sexual networks and partnership characteristics of young black men who have sex with men (MSM) may be contributing to their high risk of contracting HIV in the United States. Assortative mixing, which refers to the tendency of individuals to have partners from one's own group, has been proposed as a potential explanation for disparities. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to identify the age- and race-related search patterns of users of a diverse geosocial networking mobile app in seven metropolitan areas in the United States to understand the disparities in sexually transmitted infection and HIV risk in MSM communities. METHODS Data were collected on user behavior between November 2015 and May 2016. Data pertaining to behavior on the app were collected for men who had searched for partners with at least one search parameter narrowed from defaults or used the app to send at least one private chat message and used the app at least once during the study period. Newman assortativity coefficient (R) was calculated from the study data to understand assortativity patterns of men by race. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess assortativity patterns by age. Heat maps were used to visualize the relationship between searcher's and candidate's characteristics by age band, race, or age band and race. RESULTS From November 2015 through May 2016, there were 2,989,737 searches in all seven metropolitan areas among 122,417 searchers. Assortativity by age was important for looking at the profiles of candidates with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.284 (Birmingham) to 0.523 (San Francisco). Men tended to look at the profiles of candidates that matched their race in a highly assortative manner with R ranging from 0.310 (Birmingham) to 0.566 (Los Angeles). For the initiation of chats, race appeared to be slightly assortative for some groups with R ranging from 0.023 (Birmingham) to 0.305 (Los Angeles). Asian searchers were most assortative in initiating chats with Asian candidates in Boston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. In Birmingham and Tampa, searchers from all races tended to initiate chats with black candidates. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that the age preferences of MSM are relatively consistent across cities, that is, younger MSM are more likely to be chatted with and have their profiles viewed compared with older MSM, but the patterns of racial mixing are more variable. Although some generalizations can be made regarding Web-based behaviors across all cities, city-specific usage patterns and trends should be analyzed to create targeted and localized interventions that may make the most difference in the lives of MSM in these areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia N Abuelezam
- William F Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
| | - Yakir A Reshef
- Department of Computer Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - David Novak
- DSN Consulting, LLC, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Yonatan Hagai Grad
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
- Division of Infectious Disease, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - George R Seage Iii
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Marc Lipsitch
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Boston, MA, United States
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Edeza A, Galarraga O, Novak D, Mayer K, Rosenberger J, Mimiaga M, Biello K. The role of sexual risk behaviors on PrEP awareness and interest among men who have sex with men in Latin America. Int J STD AIDS 2019; 30:542-549. [PMID: 30722750 DOI: 10.1177/0956462419825944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In Latin America, men who have sex with men (MSM) remain disproportionately impacted by HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective HIV prevention tool and has been FDA approved in the United States since 2012, but no Latin American state, with the recent exception of Brazil, has implemented PrEP guidelines. We carried out a multinational online survey of MSM in Latin America (n = 22698) in 2012 to assess whether MSM at highest risk of HIV acquisition (i.e., those engaging in condomless anal sex [CAS; n = 2606] and transactional sex [n = 1488]) had higher levels of awareness of PrEP, PrEP use and interest in participating in a PrEP trial. After adjusting for demographic and psychosocial characteristics including depressive symptoms, hazardous alcohol use, childhood sexual abuse, and sexual compulsivity, transactional sex and CAS were associated with increased PrEP awareness (aOR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.05-1.59, p < .001 and aOR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.11-1.34, p < .001, respectively) and PrEP trial interest (aOR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.25-1.71, p < .001 and aOR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.57-1.95, p < .001, respectively). Findings demonstrate substantial awareness of and interest in PrEP among MSM with behavioral risk factors for HIV in Latin America, suggesting that this region is primed for PrEP implementation, which has been slow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Edeza
- 1 Department of Behavioral and Social Health Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Omar Galarraga
- 2 Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - David Novak
- 3 OLB Research Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kenneth Mayer
- 4 The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,5 Department of Infectious Disease, Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joshua Rosenberger
- 6 College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Matthew Mimiaga
- 1 Department of Behavioral and Social Health Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA.,4 The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,7 Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Katie Biello
- 1 Department of Behavioral and Social Health Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA.,4 The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,7 Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
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Abstract
This article addresses the problem of matching the most similar data objects to a given query object. We adopt a generic model of similarity that involves the domain of objects and metric distance functions only. We examine the case of a large dataset in a complex data space, which makes this problem inherently difficult. Many indexing and searching approaches have been proposed, but they have often failed to efficiently prune complex search spaces and access large portions of the dataset when evaluating queries. We propose an approach to enhancing the existing search techniques to significantly reduce the number of accessed data objects while preserving the quality of the search results. In particular, we extend each data object with its
sketch
, a short binary string in Hamming space. These sketches approximate the similarity relationships in the original search space, and we use them to filter out non-relevant objects not pruned by the original search technique. We provide a probabilistic model to tune the parameters of the sketch-based filtering separately for each query object. Experiments conducted with different similarity search techniques and real-life datasets demonstrate that the secondary filtering can speed-up similarity search several times.
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Hrbac J, Novak D, Knopf P, Svarc M, Vacek J. Carbon fiber on-line detector for monitoring human blood serum reductive capacity. A complex technical solution. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2018.02.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Anderson K, Biello K, Rosenberger JG, Novak D, Mayer K, Carey K, Mimiaga MJ. The impact of social support and partner relationship dynamics on engagement in HIV care and antiretroviral treatment adherence among MSM in Latin America. AIDS Care 2018; 30:1406-1412. [PMID: 29587490 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2018.1456641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In Latin America (LA), HIV prevalence among MSM is estimated at thirty times greater than in the general male population. Little is known about the role of social support or disclosure status in relation to the HIV care continuum among LA MSM. Using multivariable logistic generalized estimation equations, we assessed the impact of social support satisfaction and disclosure status on engagement in HIV care, ART initiation, and ART adherence with data from an online, multinational sample of HIV infected MSM in Latin America (N = 2,350). 80.0% were engaged in HIV care, 71% initiated ART, and among those, 37% reported missing at least one dose in the past month. In multivariable models, compared to being very satisfied with social support, being somewhat satisfied (aOR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.56, 0.95) or somewhat dissatisfied (aOR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.70, 0.98) were associated with reduced odds of reporting 100% ART adherence. Disclosure of status was associated with a greater odds of HIV care engagement (OR = 1.63, 95% CI 1.28, 2.07) and ART initiation (OR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.30, 1.84). Greater satisfaction with social support and comfort disclosing HIV status to these sources were associated with improved engagement in HIV care and greater initiation of ART among MSM in LA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey Anderson
- a Brown University School of Public Health , Providence , RI , USA
| | - Katie Biello
- b The Fenway Institute , Fenway Health , Boston , MA , USA.,c Departments of Behavioral and Social Health Sciences and Epidemiology , Brown University School of Public Health , Providence , RI , USA
| | - Joshua G Rosenberger
- d Department of Biobehavioral Health , Penn State University , Middletown , PA , USA
| | - David Novak
- e OLB Research Institute, Online Buddies, Inc. , Cambridge , MA , USA
| | - Kenneth Mayer
- b The Fenway Institute , Fenway Health , Boston , MA , USA.,f Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine , Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Kate Carey
- g Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies , School of Public Health, Brown University , Providence , RI , USA
| | - Matthew J Mimiaga
- b The Fenway Institute , Fenway Health , Boston , MA , USA.,c Departments of Behavioral and Social Health Sciences and Epidemiology , Brown University School of Public Health , Providence , RI , USA.,h Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior , Alpert Medical School, Brown University , Providence , RI , USA
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Darzi A, Gorsic M, Novak D. Difficulty adaptation in a competitive arm rehabilitation game using real-time control of arm electromyogram and respiration. IEEE Int Conf Rehabil Robot 2018; 2017:857-862. [PMID: 28813928 DOI: 10.1109/icorr.2017.8009356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Rehabilitation robots are often combined with serious games that motivate patients and keep them exercising at high intensities. A promising type of game are competitive rehabilitation games, but few difficulty adaptation algorithms have been presented for them. This paper thus presents the adaptation of difficulty in a competitive arm rehabilitation game based on two physiological signals: respiration and electromyography of the posterior deltoid. It consists of three smaller studies: an open-loop respiration study, a closed-loop respiration study (where a controller attempts to maintain respiration rate at preset levels), and a closed-loop electromyogram study (where a controller attempts to keep the electromyogram at preset levels). The studies control two difficulty parameters based on the physiological responses of one of the two exercising participants, though the ultimate goal is to control the physiological responses of both participants. Furthermore, all three studies are done with unimpaired participants. The closed-loop controllers achieved high correlation coefficients between desired and measured levels of respiration rate (r = 0.83) and electromyogram (r = 0.89), demonstrating that it is possible to control the physiological responses of unimpaired participants in a competitive arm rehabilitation game, thus controlling their level of workload and exercise intensity. In the future, the proposed method will be tested with patients undergoing rehabilitation.
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Novak D, Viskupicova J, Zatloukalova M, Heger V, Michalikova S, Majekova M, Vacek J. Electrochemical behavior of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase in response to carbonylation processes. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2018.01.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Novak D, Mojovic M, Pavicevic A, Zatloukalova M, Hernychova L, Bartosik M, Vacek J. Electrochemistry and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy of cytochrome c and its heme-disrupted analogs. Bioelectrochemistry 2018; 119:136-141. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2017.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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21
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Svrckova M, Zatloukalova M, Dvorakova P, Coufalova D, Novak D, Hernychova L, Vacek J. Na +/K +-ATPase interaction with methylglyoxal as reactive metabolic side product. Free Radic Biol Med 2017; 108:146-154. [PMID: 28342847 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2017.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Proteins are subject to oxidative modification and the formation of adducts with a broad spectrum of reactive species via enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanisms. Here we report that in vitro non-enzymatic methylglyoxal (MGO) binding causes the inhibition and formation of MGO advanced glycation end-products (MAGEs) in Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA). Concretely, MGO adducts with NKA amino acid residues (mainly Arg) and Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) formation were found. MGO is not only an inhibitor for solubilized NKA (IC50=91±16μM), but also for reconstituted NKA in the lipid bilayer environment, which was clearly demonstrated using a DPPC/DPPE liposome model in the presence or absence of the NKA-selective inhibitor ouabain. High-resolution mass spectrometric analysis of a tryptic digest of NKA isolated from pig (Sus scrofa) kidney indicates that the intracellular α-subunit is naturally (post-translationally) modified by MGO in vivo. In contrast to this, the β-subunit could only be modified by MGO artificially, and the transmembrane part of the protein did not undergo MGO binding under the experimental setup used. As with bovine serum albumin, serving as the water-soluble model, we also demonstrated a high binding capacity of MGO to water-poorly soluble NKA using a multi-spectral methodology based on electroanalytical, immunochemical and fluorimetric tools. In addition, a partial suppression of the MGO-mediated inhibitory effect could be observed in the presence of aminoguanidine (pimagedine), a glycation suppressor and MGO-scavenger. All the results here were obtained with the X-ray structure of NKA in the E1 conformation (3WGV) and could be used in the further interpretation of the functionality of this key enzyme in the presence of highly-reactive metabolic side-products, glycation agents and generally under oxidative stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marika Svrckova
- Department of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Hnevotinska 3, 775 15 Olomouc, Czech Republic.
| | - Martina Zatloukalova
- Department of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Hnevotinska 3, 775 15 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Dvorakova
- Regional Centre for Applied Molecular Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Dominika Coufalova
- Regional Centre for Applied Molecular Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Novak
- Department of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Hnevotinska 3, 775 15 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Hernychova
- Regional Centre for Applied Molecular Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Vacek
- Department of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Hnevotinska 3, 775 15 Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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22
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Maloney KM, Krakower DS, Ziobro D, Rosenberger JG, Novak D, Mayer KH. Culturally Competent Sexual Healthcare as a Prerequisite for Obtaining Preexposure Prophylaxis: Findings from a Qualitative Study. LGBT Health 2017; 4:310-314. [PMID: 28514200 DOI: 10.1089/lgbt.2016.0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Men who have sex with men (MSM) experience stigma in healthcare settings, which impedes disclosure of sexual behavior, potentially limiting uptake of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The purpose of this study was to describe the context of this limitation and explore geographical variability. METHODS To understand how discomfort in healthcare settings affects PrEP utilization, we conducted two online focus groups with geographically diverse samples of MSM. RESULTS Respondents identified primary care providers as preferred sources for PrEP, but potential uptake was limited by barriers to establishing nonjudgmental relationships with these providers. CONCLUSION Improved patient-provider communication about sexual behaviors might increase PrEP use among MSM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Maloney
- 1 Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , Boston, Massachusetts.,2 Department of Epidemiology, Emory University , Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Douglas S Krakower
- 1 Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , Boston, Massachusetts.,3 The Fenway Institute , Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts.,4 Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Dale Ziobro
- 1 Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Joshua G Rosenberger
- 5 Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania
| | - David Novak
- 6 OLB Research Institute , Online Buddies, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Kenneth H Mayer
- 1 Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , Boston, Massachusetts.,3 The Fenway Institute , Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts.,4 Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts
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Holloway IW, Winder TJ, Lea CH, Tan D, Boyd D, Novak D. Technology Use and Preferences for Mobile Phone-Based HIV Prevention and Treatment Among Black Young Men Who Have Sex With Men: Exploratory Research. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2017; 5:e46. [PMID: 28408360 PMCID: PMC5408136 DOI: 10.2196/mhealth.6436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 01/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Black young men who have sex with men (BYMSM) experience higher human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) incidence than their white and Latino counterparts. Objective The aim of our study was to understand BYMSM’s preferences for mobile phone–based HIV prevention and treatment in order to inform culturally tailored interventions to reduce the spread of HIV and improve HIV treatment outcomes in this population. Methods Qualitative focus groups (N=6) with BYMSM aged 18-29 years (N=41; 46%, 19/41 HIV-positive) were conducted to elucidate their preferences for the design and delivery of mobile phone–based HIV prevention and treatment interventions. A modified grounded theory approach to data analysis was undertaken using ATLAS.ti textual analysis software. Results Participants preferred holistic health interventions that did not focus exclusively on HIV prevention and treatment. Issues of privacy and confidentiality were paramount. Participants preferred functionality that enables discreet connections to culturally competent health educators and treatment providers who can address the range of health and psychosocial concerns faced by BYMSM. Conclusions Mobile phone–based HIV prevention has the potential to increase engagement with HIV prevention and treatment resources among BYMSM. For these approaches to be successful, researchers must include BYMSM in the design and creation of these interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian W Holloway
- Department of Social Welfare, Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Terrell Ja Winder
- Department of Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | | | - Diane Tan
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Donte Boyd
- Department of Social Welfare, Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - David Novak
- OLB Research Institute, Online Buddies, Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
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25
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Novak D. On Freud's theory of law and religion. Int J Law Psychiatry 2016; 48:24-34. [PMID: 27389478 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2016.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This paper is a critical engagement with Freud's anthropological theory of the origins of law and religion, which Freud developed as his representation and development of the Oedipal myth. Freud's mythology, it is argued, is the theoretical result of the essentially narrative nature of psychoanalytical praxis. Freud's myth, especially its treatment of patricide as the original sin, is seen to be a displacement of the biblical myth of fratricide as the original sin. It is argued that the biblical myth is more coherent than Freud's myth, and that it corresponds to the reality of the human condition better than Freud's myth. The paper concludes with the suggestion that the acceptance of the biblical myth in place of Freud's does not necessarily entail a rejection of psychoanalysis as a praxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Novak
- J. Richard and Dorothy Shiff Chair of Jewish Studies as Professor of Religion and Philosophy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Orozco-Duque A, Duque SI, Ugarte JP, Tobon C, Novak D, Kremen V, Castellanos-Dominguez G, Saiz J, Bustamante J. Fractionated electrograms and rotors detection in chronic atrial fibrillation using model-based clustering. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2016; 2014:1579-82. [PMID: 25570273 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2014.6943905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The identification of atrial fibrillation (AF) substrates is needed to improve ablation therapy guided by electrograms, although mechanisms that sustain AF are not fully understood. Detection of complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAE) is used for this purpose. Nonetheless, efficacy of this method is inadequate in the case of chronic AF. Recent hypothesis proposes the rotors as fibrillatory substrate. Novel approaches seek to relate CFAE with rotor; nevertheless, such methods are not able to identify the associated substrate. Furthermore, the patterns that characterize CFAE generated by rotors remain unknown. Thus, tracking of rotors is an unsolved issue. In this paper, we propose a non-supervised method to find patterns associated with fibrillatory substrates in chronic AF. We extracted two features based on local activation wave detection and one feature based on non-linear dynamics. Gaussian mixture model-based clustering was used to discriminate CFAE patterns. Resulting clusters are visualized in an electroanatomic map. We assessed the proposed method in a real database labeled according to the level of fractionation and in a simulated episode of chronic AF in which a rotor was detected. Our results indicate that the method proposed can separate different levels of fractionation in CFAE, and provide evidence that clustering can be used to locate the vortex of the rotors. Provided approach can support ablation therapy procedures by means of CFAE patterns discrimination.
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Novak D, Doubova SV, Kawachi I. Social capital and physical activity among Croatian high school students. Public Health 2016; 135:48-55. [PMID: 27112377 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Revised: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine factors associated with regular physical activity in Croatian adolescents. STUDY DESIGN A cross-sectional survey among high school students was carried out in the 2013/14 school year. METHOD A survey was conducted among 33 high schools in Zagreb City, Croatia. Participants were students aged 17-18 years. The dependent variables were regular moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and overall physical activity measured by the short version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire and defined as 60 min or more of daily physical activity. The independent variables included family, neighborhood, and high school social capital. Other study covariates included: socio-economic status, self-rated health, psychological distress and nutritional status. The associations between physical activity and social capital variables were assessed separately for boys and girls through multiple logistic regression and inverse probability weighting in order to correct for missing data bias. RESULTS A total of 1689 boys and 1739 girls responded to the survey. A higher percentage of boys reported performing regular vigorous and moderate physical activity (59.4%) and overall physical activity (83.4%), comparing with the girls (35.4% and 70%, respectively). For boys, high family social capital and high informal social control were associated with increased odds of regular MVPA (1.49, 95%CI: 1.18 - 1.90 and 1.26, 95%CI: 1.02 - 1.56, respectively), compared to those with low social capital. For girls, high informal social control was associated with regular overall physical activity (OR 1.38, 95% CI: 1.09 - 1.76). CONCLUSION High social capital is associated with regular MVPA in boys and regular overall activity in girls. Intervention and policies that leverage community social capital might serve as an avenue for promotion of physical activity in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Novak
- Department of General and Applied Kinesiology, University of Zagreb Faculty of Kinesiology, Zagreb, Croatia; Harvard University, Harvard School of Public Health, Takemi Program in International Health, Boston, United States.
| | - S V Doubova
- Harvard University, Harvard School of Public Health, Takemi Program in International Health, Boston, United States; Epidemiology and Health Services Research Unit, Mexican Institute of Social Security, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - I Kawachi
- Department of Social and Behvioral Sciences, Harvard University, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, United States
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Orozco-Duque A, Novak D, Kremen V, Bustamante J. Multifractal analysis for grading complex fractionated electrograms in atrial fibrillation. Physiol Meas 2015; 36:2269-84. [DOI: 10.1088/0967-3334/36/11/2269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Biello KB, Oldenburg CE, Rosenberger J, Mayer KH, Novak D, Mimiaga MJ. Is Involvement in Sex Work Associated with Engagement in HIV-Related Medical Care in Latin American Men Who Have Sex with Men? Results of a Large, Multinational Internet Survey. LGBT Health 2015; 3:233-7. [PMID: 26789395 DOI: 10.1089/lgbt.2015.0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Men who have sex with men (MSM) who engage in transactional sex are at increased HIV risk, and face complex barriers to care seeking. Among 2,035 men recruited through an MSM social/sexual networking website in Latin America and who reported being HIV-infected, 186 (9.1%) reported being paid for sex with another man in the past year. Engagement in transactional sex was associated with decreased odds of receiving medical care for HIV (AOR=0.57, 95% CI=0.37-0.85). No significant differences were seen in being on antiretroviral therapy (ART) or ART adherence once in care. Interventions in this population should focus on reducing barriers to engagement in care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie B Biello
- 1 Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts.,2 The Fenway Institute , Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Catherine E Oldenburg
- 1 Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Joshua Rosenberger
- 3 Department of Global and Community Health, George Mason University , Fairfax, Virginia
| | - Kenneth H Mayer
- 2 The Fenway Institute , Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts.,4 Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , Boston, Massachusetts.,5 Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - David Novak
- 6 OLB Research Institute , Online Buddies, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Matthew J Mimiaga
- 1 Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts.,2 The Fenway Institute , Fenway Health, Boston, Massachusetts.,7 Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts.,8 Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
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Wezel F, Novak D, Larribere L, Galach M, Unger C, Utikal J. 1006 Directed differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPS) for urothelial cell-based tissue-engineering therapies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/s1569-9056(15)60994-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Orozco-Duque A, Martinez-Vargas JD, Novak D, Bustamante J, Castellanos-Dominguez G. Feature selection for discrimination of fractionation levels in atrial electrograms. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2015; 2014:1595-8. [PMID: 25570277 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2014.6943909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Radiofrequency catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) guided by complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAE) is associated with a high AF termination rate in paroxysmal AF, but not in persistent. CFAE does not always identify favorable sites for persistent AF ablation. Studies suggest that only high fractionation level should be used as a target site for ablation. Nonetheless, there are not a standardized criterion to defined fractionation levels. Therefore, a better characterization of the signal is required providing a set of more powerful features that should be extracted from CFAE. Due to the apparent difference among fractionation classes in terms of their stochastic variability, we test time-domain and time-frequency based feature extraction approaches. Also, we carried out the symmetrical uncertainty-based feature selection to determine the most relevant features which improve discrimination of fractionation levels. Obtained results on a tested real electrogram database show that most relevant features in time-domain are related with time intervals and not with amplitudes. Nonetheless, time-frequency features obtained more information from the signal and this representation is likely a better suitable discriminating approach, particularly to detect high fractionated electrograms with a sensitivity and specificity of 83.0% and 93.6%, respectively.
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Oldenburg C, Perez-Brumer A, Hatzenbuehler M, Krakower D, Novak D, Mimiaga M, Mayer K. Structural Stigma Affects Access to Pre- and Post-exposure Prophylaxis and HIV Risk among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in the United States. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2014. [DOI: 10.1089/aid.2014.5031.abstract] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Oldenburg
- Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Amaya Perez-Brumer
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mark Hatzenbuehler
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - David Novak
- OLB Research Institute, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Matthew Mimiaga
- Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Boston, MA, United States
- The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kenneth Mayer
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
- The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Global Health and Population, Boston, MA, United States
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Jech R, Sieger T, Ruzicka F, Urgosik D, Bonnet C, Vostatek P, Wild J, Stastna D, Novak D, Ruzicka E, Serranova T. O29: Beyond skeletomotor function of human basal ganglia: oculomotor, visual and affective neurons. Clin Neurophysiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/s1388-2457(14)50134-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Kavalkova P, Touskova V, Roubicek T, Trachta P, Urbanova M, Drapalova J, Haluzikova D, Mraz M, Novak D, Matoulek M, Lacinova Z, Haluzik M. Serum preadipocyte factor-1 concentrations in females with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus: the influence of very low calorie diet, acute hyperinsulinemia, and fenofibrate treatment. Horm Metab Res 2013; 45:820-6. [PMID: 23979788 DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1353210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate differentiation capacity of adipose tissue significantly affects its ability to store lipids and to protect nonadipose tissues against lipid spillover and development of insulin resistance. Preadipocyte factor-1 (Pref-1) is an important negative regulator of preadipocyte differentiation. The aim of our study was to explore the changes in circulating Pref-1 concentrations in female subjects with obesity (OB) (n=19), females with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (n=22), and sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects (C) (n=22), and to study its modulation by very low calorie diet (VLCD), acute hyperinsulinemia during isoglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp, and 3 months' treatment with PPAR-α agonist fenofibrate. At baseline, serum Pref-1 concentrations were significantly higher in patients with T2DM compared to control group, while only nonsignificant trend towards higher levels was observed in OB group. 3 weeks of VLCD decreased Pref-1 levels in both OB and T2DM group, whereas 3 months of fenofibrate treatment had no significant effect. Hyperinsulinemia during the clamp significantly suppressed Pref-1 levels in both C and T2DM subjects and this suppression was unaffected by fenofibrate treatment. In a combined population of all groups, circulating Pref-1 levels correlated positively with insulin, leptin and glucose levels and HOMA (homeostasis model assessment) index. We conclude that elevated Pref-1 concentrations in T2DM subjects may contribute to impaired adipose tissue differentiation capacity associated with insulin resistance in obese patients with T2DM. The decrease of Pref-1 levels after VLCD may be involved in the improvement of metabolic status and the amelioration of insulin resistance in T2DM patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Kavalkova
- Third Department of Medicine, General University Hospital and First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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Crea S, De Rossi SMM, Donati M, Reberšek P, Novak D, Vitiello N, Lenzi T, Podobnik J, Munih M, Carrozza MC. Development of gait segmentation methods for wearable foot pressure sensors. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2013; 2012:5018-21. [PMID: 23367055 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2012.6347120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We present an automated segmentation method based on the analysis of plantar pressure signals recorded from two synchronized wireless foot insoles. Given the strict limits on computational power and power consumption typical of wearable electronic components, our aim is to investigate the capability of a Hidden Markov Model machine-learning method, to detect gait phases with different levels of complexity in the processing of the wearable pressure sensors signals. Therefore three different datasets are developed: raw voltage values, calibrated sensor signals and a calibrated estimation of total ground reaction force and position of the plantar center of pressure. The method is tested on a pool of 5 healthy subjects, through a leave-one-out cross validation. The results show high classification performances achieved using estimated biomechanical variables, being on average the 96%. Calibrated signals and raw voltage values show higher delays and dispersions in phase transition detection, suggesting a lower reliability for online applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Crea
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, Pontedera PI, Italy.
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Wark L, Novak D, Sabbaghian N, Amrein L, Jangamreddy JR, Cheang M, Pouchet C, Aloyz R, Foulkes WD, Mai S, Tischkowitz M. Heterozygous mutations in the PALB2 hereditary breast cancer predisposition gene impact on the three-dimensional nuclear organization of patient-derived cell lines. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2013; 52:480-94. [PMID: 23341105 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.22045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2012] [Revised: 12/14/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
PALB2/FANCN is a BRCA1- and BRCA2-interacting Fanconi Anemia (FA) protein crucial for key BRCA2 genome caretaker functions. Heterozygous germline mutations in PALB2 predispose to breast cancer and biallelic mutations cause FA. FA proteins play a critical role in the telomere maintenance pathway, with telomeric shortening observed in FA cells. Less is known about telomere maintenance in the heterozygous state. Here, we investigate the roles of PALB2 heterozygous mutations in genomic instability, an important carcinogenesis precursor. Patient-derived lymphoblastoid (LCL) and fibroblast (FCL) cell lines with monoallelic truncating PALB2 mutations were investigated using a combination of molecular imaging techniques including centromeric FISH, telomeric Q-FISH and spectral karyotyping (SKY). Mitomycin C and Cisplatin sensitivity was assayed via cellular metabolism of WST-1. The PALB2 c.229delT FCL showed increases in telomere counts associated with increased mean intensity compared with two wild-type FCLs generated from first-degree relatives (P =1.04E-10 and P =9.68E-15) and it showed evidence of chromosomal rearrangements. Significant differences in centromere distribution were observed in one of three PALB2 heterozygous FCLs analyzed when compared with PALB2 wild-type, BRCA1 and BRCA2 heterozygous FCLs. No significant consistently increased sensitivity to Mitomycin C or Cisplatin was observed in LCLs. Our results are suggestive of an altered centromere distribution profile and a telomere instability phenotype. Together, these may indicate critical nuclear organization defects associated with the predisposition to transformation and early stage development of PALB2-related cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Landon Wark
- The Genomic Centre for Cancer Research and Diagnosis, Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, CancerCare Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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Abstract
Sweden was the first country to introduce online Chlamydia trachomatis testing for both men and women and this article provides information about the user characteristics and which risk groups are reached with this method. During the years 2005-2007 a questionnaire was administered with a response rate of 86% (n = 6025) (62.5% women, 37.5% men). Over 60% of respondents were aged below 26 years and single. The average years of education for men and women was 14 (range 9.0-26.0). The mean Internet usage time was 22.4 hours/week among men and 15.5 hours/week among women. Only 22% men and 34% women had tested themselves for C. trachomatis at clinics previously. Respondents reported a higher frequency of previous sexually transmitted infections (STIs) compared with other Internet users (i.e. C. trachomatis: men 19%, women 24%). Eighty percent of online test users had engaged in sex with ≥ 2 partners without a condom during the previous year. Online C. trachomatis test users are mostly young people with high sexual risk behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Novak
- Department of Paediatrics, Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Novak D. Illustrated history of angiography Part II (1952-1999). Yeni Tip Tarihi Arastirmalari 2012:205-225. [PMID: 22164741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
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Novak D, Uller M, Rousseaux S, Mraz M, Smrz J, Stepankova O, Haluzik M, Busuoli M. Diabetes management in OLDES project. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2010; 2009:7228-31. [PMID: 19965284 DOI: 10.1109/iembs.2009.5335256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
EU project OLDES (Older People's e-services at home) develops easy to use and low cost ICT platform in order to offer a better quality of life to elderly people directly in their homes through innovative systems of tele-accompany, tele-assistance and tele-medicine. The elderly are able to access the services and send relevant medical data from their home by being connected to the central server via a low cost PC which is based on Negroponte paradigm. The OLDES platform interface uses television screens controlled through a remote control customized for the elderly. The feasibility of OLDES project is evaluated by the pilot study concentrating on compensation of diabetic patients. Compensation of diabetes is achieved by monitoring glucose glycemia level, blood pressure and weight. Moreover, the patient feeds into OLDES system daily consumption of food using interactive food scales and obtains advice if necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Novak
- Department of Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic.
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Cuesta-Frau D, Miro-Martinez P, Oltra-Crespo S, Varela-Entrecanales M, Aboy M, Novak D, Austin D. Measuring body temperature time series regularity using Approximate Entropy and Sample Entropy. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2010; 2009:3461-4. [PMID: 19964986 DOI: 10.1109/iembs.2009.5334602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Approximate Entropy (ApEn) and Sample Entropy (SampEn) have proven to be a valuable analyzing tool for a number of physiological signals. However, the characterization of these metrics is still lacking. We applied ApEn and SampEn to body temperature time series recorded from patients in critical state. This study was aimed at finding the optimal analytical configuration to best distinguish between survivor and non-survivor records, and at gaining additional insight into the characterization of such tools. A statistical analysis of the results was conducted to support the parameter and metric selection criteria for this type of physiological signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Cuesta-Frau
- Technological Institute of Informatics, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Alcoi Campus, 03801 Alcoi, Spain.
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Khan MF, Novak D, Anain P, McDonald J. Primary aortoduodenal fistula: a rare cause of upper GI bleeding. Gastrointest Endosc 2009; 70:1271-2. [PMID: 19846079 DOI: 10.1016/j.gie.2009.04.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2009] [Accepted: 04/22/2009] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Fahad Khan
- Department of Gastroenterology, University at Buffalo (Catholic Health System), Sisters of Charity Hospital, Buffalo, New York 14225, USA
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Novak D, Hilweg D, Lensch S. Anwendung des Computers zur Auswertung röntgenologischer Befunde bei malignen Lymphomen*. ROFO-FORTSCHR RONTG 2009. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1228979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Novak D, Stepankova O, Mraz M, Haluzik M, Bussoli M, Uller M, Maly K, Novakova L, Novak P. OLDES: new solution for long-term diabetes compensation management. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2009; 2008:4346-9. [PMID: 19163675 DOI: 10.1109/iembs.2008.4650172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
EU project OLDES (Older People's e-services at home) aims at developing a very low cost and easy to use entertainment and health care platform designed to ease the life of older people in their homes. The platform is based on a PC corresponding to Negroponte's paradigm of a 100 $ device. OLDES combines user entertainment services (through easy-to-access thematic interactive channels and special interest forums supported by animators) and health care facilities. The pilot case study of diabetes type II compensation under the OLDES framework is presented. Apart from measurement of continuous glucose, blood pressure and weight, the user feeds into OLDES system food daily consumption using interactive food scales via user friendly software interface designed by user-centered design paradigm and obtains advice if necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Novak
- Department of Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic.
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Tischkowitz MD, Yilmaz A, Chen LQ, Karyadi DM, Novak D, Kirchhoff T, Hamel N, Tavtigian SV, Kolb S, Bismar TA, Aloyz R, Nelson PS, Hood L, Narod SA, White KA, Ostrander EA, Isaacs WB, Offit K, Cooney KA, Stanford JL, Foulkes WD. Identification and characterization of novel SNPs in CHEK2 in Ashkenazi Jewish men with prostate cancer. Cancer Lett 2008; 270:173-80. [PMID: 18571837 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2008.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2008] [Revised: 01/17/2008] [Accepted: 05/06/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Checkpoint kinase 2 (CHEK2) is a protein involved in arresting cell cycle in response to DNA damage. To investigate whether it plays an important role in the development of prostate cancer (PRCA) in the Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) population, we sequenced CHEK2 in 75 AJ individuals with prostate, breast, or no cancer (n=25 each). We identified seven coding SNPs (five are novel) that changed the amino-acid sequence, resulting in R3W, E394F, Y424H, S428F, D438Y, P509S, and P509L. We determined the frequency of each variant in 76 AJ families collected by members of the International Consortium for Prostate Cancer Genetics (ICPCG) where >or=2 men were affected by PRCA. Only one variant, Y424H in exon 11, was identified in more than two families. Exon 11 was then screened in nine additional AJ ICPCG families (a total of 85 families). The Y424H variant occurred in nine affected cases from four different families; however, it did not completely segregate with the disease. We performed bioinformatics analysis, which showed that Y424H is a non-conservative missense substitution that falls at a position that is invariant in vertebrate CHEK2 orthologs. Both SIFT and Align-GVGD predict that Y424H is a loss of function mutation. However, the frequency of Y424H was not significantly different between unselected AJ cases from Montreal/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre (MSKCC) and AJ controls from Israel/MSKCC (OR 1.18, 95%CI: 0.34-4.61, p=.99). Moreover, functional assays using Saccharomyces cerevisiae revealed that the Y424H substitution did not alter function of CHEK2 protein. Although we cannot rule out a subtle influence of the CHEK2 variants on PRCA risk, these results suggest that germline CHEK2 mutations have a minor role in, if any, PRCA susceptibility in AJ men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc D Tischkowitz
- Department of Oncology and Medical Genetics, Cancer Prevention Centre, E740, Sir MB Davis-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Aboy M, McNames J, Hornero R, Thong T, Cuesta D, Novak D, Goldstein B. A novel statistical model for simulation of arterial and intracranial pressure. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2007; 2006:129-32. [PMID: 17271622 DOI: 10.1109/iembs.2004.1403108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We describe a novel statistical model of pressure signals that incorporates the effects of respiration on arterial (ABP) and intracranial pressure (ICP). This model can be used to synthesize pulsatile ABP and ICP signals with similar time, frequency, and variability characteristics of real pressure signals. These synthetic signals can be used during the development, simulation, or quantitative assessment of biomedical algorithms in a variety of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Aboy
- Biomedical Signal Process. Laboratory, Electr. & Comput. Eng., Portland State Univ., USA
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Abstract
Amino acid transport System A (SysA) activity is present within the rodent and human placentas. Inhibition of this transport system is associated with fetal growth retardation. Several cDNAs encoding SysA transport proteins have been discovered, and their presence documented within the human placenta. We have demonstrated the presence of mRNA encoding three of these transporters, SNAT1, 2, and 4 within the rat placenta over the final third of gestation. Abundance of these mRNA species increases from day 14 to day 20 of gestation. Immunohistochemistry demonstrates the presence of SNAT1 and 2 within the placental labyrinth at both days 14 and 20. Transport proteins are also present within marginal giant cells and, for SNAT1, within fetal endothelium. In conclusion, several proteins capable of SysA transport activity are present within the rodent placenta. mRNA expression increases over the final third of gestation, coincident with the period of greatest need for fetal amino acid delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Novak
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Box 100296, Gainesville, FL 32610-0296, USA.
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