Respiratory disorders in children can now be detected via smartphone

The diagnosis of childhood respiratory disorders can now be readily done with an automated cough analysis technology incorporated in a smartphone app, according to a recent study. This system delivers high diagnostic accuracy ( between 81-97%) in detecting respiratory disorders, including pneumonia, RAD, croup, bronchitis, upper and lower respiratory tract disorders.

In children, respiratory disorders are the 2nd most common reason for admission to the emergency department and is a major disease burden worldwide. The differential diagnosis of respiratory disorders can be challenging even for experienced clinicians with access to diagnostic support services.

Diagnostic delays and errors can result in an increased risk of morbidity, antibiotic stewardship and mortality.

Researchers compared diagnoses made by the algorithm to those from a clinical adjudication panel ( who had access to all medical records and diagnostic support service results) in order to determine positive and negative percent agreement for a number of respiratory conditions.

It can be difficult to differentiate between respiratory disorders in children, even for experienced doctors.This study demonstrates how new technology, mathematical concepts, machine learning and clinical medicine can be successfully combined to produce completely new diagnostic tests utilising the expertise of several disciplines, said a Dr.

To develop the app, the authors used similar technology to that used in speech recognition, which they trained to recognise features of coughs which are characteristic of 5 different respiratory diseases. The researchers then used the app to categorise the coughs of 585 children between ages 29 days to 12 years who were being cared for at 2 hospitals.

The accuracy of the automated cough analyser was determined by comparing its diagnosis to a diagnosis reached by a panel of pediatricians after they had reviewed results of imaging, laboratory findings, hospital charts and conducted all available clinical investigations.

The authors note that the technology developed for this study is able to provide a diagnosis without the need for a clinical examination by a doctor in person, addressing a major limiting feature of existing telehealth consultations, which are used to provide clinical services remotely. removing the need for a clinical examination may allow targeted treatments to begin sooner.

The Dr. said, as the tool does not rely on clinical investigations, it can be used by health care providers of all levels of training and expertise. However, we would advise that where possible the tool should be used in conjunction with a clinician to maximise the clinical accuracy.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/  

                            FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                  https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com

Read more at Speciality Medical Dialogues: Respiratory disorders in children can now be detected via smartphone https://speciality.medicaldialogues.in/respiratory-disorders-in-children-can-now-be-detected-via-smartphone/

Virtual tumour' model to offer new treatment against cancer

British scientists have built a novel virtual reality (VR) 3D model of cancer that will help increase the understanding of  cancer as well as in the search for new treatment.

Researchers took from a patient the tumour sample -- a one millimetre cubed piece of breast cancer tissue biopsy -- containing around 100,000 cells, was reported on Wednesday. 

The team cut the tissue into wafer thin slices and scanned them. Then they stained the slices with markers to show their molecular make-up and DNA characteristics.

The tumour was rebuilt using VR, which was analysed within a VR laboratory.

"No one has examined the geography of a tumour in this level of detail before; it is a new way of looking at cancer," the researcher said.

"Understanding how cancer cells interact with each other and with healthy tissues is critical if we are going to develop new therapies. Looking at tumours using this new system is so much more dynamic than the static 2D versions we are used to," said the chief scientist.

To study the tumour, the researchers became avatars within the 'virtual' laboratory whilst the cancer was represented by a multi-coloured mass of bubbles.

Although the human tissue sample was about the size of a pinhead, within the virtual laboratory it could be magnified to appear several metres across.

The VR system allowed the researchers to "fly through" the cells to explore the tumour in more detail.

Pointing to a group of tumour cells which escaped from the breast milk ducts, a researcher said: "This may be the point at which the cancer spread to surrounding tissue and became really dangerous. Examining the tumour in 3D allows us to capture this moment."

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                
 PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                                             FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                               
     https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                     
  FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                              https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com

Study sheds light on genetic overlap between major psychiatric disorders

Most medical disorders have well-defined physical characteristics seen in tissues, organs and bodily fluids. Psychiatric disorders, in contrast, are not defined by such pathology, but rather by behavior.

A  study, has found that autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share some physical characteristics at the molecular level, specifically, patterns of gene expression in the brain. Researchers also pinpointed important differences in these disorders' gene expression.

"These findings provide a molecular, pathological signature of these disorders, which is a large step forward," said a distinguished professor of neurology, psychiatry and human genetics. "The major challenge now is to understand how these changes arose."

Researchers know that certain variations in genetic material put people at risk for psychiatric disorders, but DNA alone doesn't tell the whole story. Every cell in the body contains the same DNA; RNA molecules, on the other hand, play a role in gene expression in different parts of the body, by "reading" the instructions contained within DNA.

The study's lead author,  reasoned that taking a close look at the RNA in human brain tissue would provide a molecular profile of these psychiatric disorders.

Researchers analyzed the RNA in 700 tissue samples from the brains of deceased subjects who had autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder or alcohol abuse disorder, comparing them to samples from brains without psychiatric disorders.

The molecular pathology showed significant overlap between distinct disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia, but also specificity, with major depression showing molecular changes not seen in the other disorders.

"We show that these molecular changes in the brain are connected to underlying genetic causes, but we don't yet understand the mechanisms by which these genetic factors would lead to these changes," the Prof. said. "So, although now we have some understanding of causes, and this new work shows the consequences, we now have to understand the mechanisms by which this comes about, so as to develop the ability to change these outcomes." 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                                             FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                                                             https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                       FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com      

Vitamin D does not prevent development of type 2 diabetes

A new study has revealed that there is no substantial proof that Vitamin D helps in preventing the development of type 2 diabetes in people.

The study conducted by scientists at the University of Cambridge, challenge evidence from earlier observational studies which suggested that higher concentrations of circulating vitamin D might prevent type 2 diabetes.

The researchers found no association between different gene variants that control vitamin D levels and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Moreover, the study also examined the link between vitamin D status and several physiological characteristics of type 2 diabetes, such as glucose and glycated haemoglobin, and also found no evidence of a causative link.

Dr Nita Forouhi, at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, said that observational studies that show a strong and consistent higher risk of type 2 diabetes with lower levels of vitamin D might do so because they have thus far not been able to adequately control for distorting or confounding factors, such as physical activity levels, that may be related both to vitamin D levels and to the risk of type 2 diabetes. Further research is needed with both better clinical trials and better observational studies with more precise measurement of important factors that might affect vitamin D and disease relationships, Forouhi added.

The study is published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.








PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-

HTTP:GSEASYRECIPES.BLOGSPOT.COM/

FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-

HTTP://KNEE REPLACEMENT-STICK CLUB.BLOGSPOT.COM/

FOR CROCHET DESIGNS

HTTP://MY CROCHET CREATIONS.BLOGSPOT.COM