Articles: human.
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Machine vision is widely used in an industrial environment today. It can perform various tasks, such as inspecting and controlling production processes, that may require humanlike intelligence. The importance of imaging technology for biological research or medical diagnosis is greater than ever. ⋯ There is a strong need for the development of a digital microfluidics system integrated with machine vision for innovative biological research today. In this paper, we show how machine vision can be applied to digital microfluidics by demonstrating two applications: machine vision-based measurement of the kinetics of biomolecular interactions and machine vision-based droplet motion control. It is expected that digital microfluidics-based machine vision system will add intelligence and automation to high-throughput biological imaging in the future.
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Case Reports
Distal intracranial catheterization of patients with tortuous vascular anatomy using a new hybrid guide catheter.
A hybrid guide catheter mates the traditional strong guide catheter with a thin, soft distal tip, allowing placement further into the distal cervical or proximal cranial circulation. ⋯ Hybrid guide catheters provided safe, stable support for successful treatment. Hybrid guide catheters allow for treatment for patients who previously were not candidates for neuroendovascular surgery.
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Environ. Health Perspect. · Nov 2009
Black carbon exposure, oxidative stress genes, and blood pressure in a repeated-measures study.
Particulate matter (PM) air pollution has been associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and elevated blood pressure (BP) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A small number of studies have investigated the relationship between PM and BP and found mixed results. Evidence suggests that traffic-related air pollution contributes significantly to PM-related cardiovascular effects. ⋯ We observed positive associations between BP and BC, but not between BP and PM(2.5), and found no evidence of effect modification of the association between BC and BP by gene variants related to antioxidative defense.
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BMC Int Health Hum Rights · Oct 2009
The forsaken mental health of the Indigenous Peoples - a moral case of outrageous exclusion in Latin America.
Mental health is neglected in most parts of the world. For the Indigenous Peoples of Latin America, the plight is even more severe as there are no specific mental health services designed for them altogether. Given the high importance of mental health for general health, the status quo is unacceptable. Lack of research on the subject of Indigenous Peoples' mental health means that statistics are virtually unavailable. To illustrate their mental health status, one can nonetheless point to the high rates of poverty and extreme poverty in their communities, overcrowded housing, illiteracy, and lack of basic sanitary services such as water, electricity and sewage. At the dawn of the XXI century, they remain poor, powerless, and voiceless. They remain severely excluded from mainstream society despite being the first inhabitants of this continent and being an estimated of 48 million people. This paper comments, specifically, on the limited impact of the Pan American Health Organization's mental health initiative on the Indigenous Peoples of Latin America. ⋯ The persistent neglect of the Indigenous Peoples' mental health in Latin America raises serious concerns of moral and human rights violations. Since the Pan American Health Organization' Health of the Indigenous Peoples Initiative 16 years ago, no mental health service designed for them has yet been created.
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Introduction. There is renewed interest in the use of electrical stimulation to control seizures in patients with medically refractory epilepsy. The evidence indicates that multiple nuclei are involved in the onset, spread, or termination of seizures. Establishing electrical stimulation parameters tailored to these nuclei that best control seizures is ongoing. ⋯ The advent of seizure detection devices used in closed-loop studies has in part redefined the strategy to prevent seizure occurrence and limit spread. Discussion. A number of studies in animals and humans indicate that electrical stimulation may be an alternative treatment for some patients with medically intractable epilepsy who are not candidates for conventional surgical options. Conclusion. The reduction in the number and/or severity of seizures found in some studies supports further investigation into the effects of electrical stimulation on the brain and the continuation of testing in animals and humans.