Influential nodes identification using network local structural properties.

With the rapid development of information technology, the scale of complex networks is increasing, which makes the spread of diseases and rumors harder to control. Identifying the influential nodes effectively and accurately is critical to predict and control the network system pertinently. Some existing influential nodes detection algorithms do not consider the impact of edges, resulting in the algorithm effect deviating from the expected. Some consider the global structure of the network, resulting in high computational complexity. To solve the above problems, based on the information entropy theory, we propose an influential nodes evaluation algorithm based on the entropy and the weight distribution of the edges connecting it to calculate the difference of edge weights and the influence of edge weights on neighbor nodes. We select eight real-world networks to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the algorithm. We verify the infection size of each node and top-10 nodes according to the ranking results by the SIR model. Otherwise, the Kendall [Formula: see text] coefficient is used to examine the consistency of our algorithm with the SIR model. Based on the above experiments, the performance of the LENC algorithm is verified.

Quantifying and contextualizing the impact of bioRxiv preprints through automated social media audience segmentation.

Engagement with scientific manuscripts is frequently facilitated by Twitter and other social media platforms. As such, the demographics of a paper's social media audience provide a wealth of information about how scholarly research is transmitted, consumed, and interpreted by online communities. By paying attention to public perceptions of their publications, scientists can learn whether their research is stimulating positive scholarly and public thought. They can also become aware of potentially negative patterns of interest from groups that misinterpret their work in harmful ways, either willfully or unintentionally, and devise strategies for altering their messaging to mitigate these impacts. In this study, we collected 331,696 Twitter posts referencing 1,800 highly tweeted bioRxiv preprints and leveraged topic modeling to infer the characteristics of various communities engaging with each preprint on Twitter. We agnostically learned the characteristics of these audience sectors from keywords each user's followers provide in their Twitter biographies. We estimate that 96% of the preprints analyzed are dominated by academic audiences on Twitter, suggesting that social media attention does not always correspond to greater public exposure. We further demonstrate how our audience segmentation method can quantify the level of interest from nonspecialist audience sectors such as mental health advocates, dog lovers, video game developers, vegans, bitcoin investors, conspiracy theorists, journalists, religious groups, and political constituencies. Surprisingly, we also found that 10% of the preprints analyzed have sizable (>5%) audience sectors that are associated with right-wing white nationalist communities. Although none of these preprints appear to intentionally espouse any right-wing extremist messages, cases exist in which extremist appropriation comprises more than 50% of the tweets referencing a given preprint. These results present unique opportunities for improving and contextualizing the public discourse surrounding scientific research.

Home-based HPV self-sampling assisted by a cloud-based electronic data system: Lessons learnt from a pilot community cervical cancer screening campaign in rural Ethiopia.

Primary HPV testing and triage of HPV-positive women is an effective cervical cancer screening strategy. Such a multi-visit screening algorithm is also promising for community-based screening in resource-poor communities, provided a robust tracking system is in place. A cervical cancer screening campaign was conducted in a rural community in Ethiopia. All women aged 25-65 years were offered genital self-sampling using the Evalyn Brush®. Samples were HPV-DNA-tested at a central laboratory. Key indicators were captured on tablet computers and linked by a cloud-based information system. HPV-positive women were examined at the local clinic using portable colposcopy, p16/Ki-67 dual stain cytology and biopsy examination. CIN2+ women were referred for LEEP to the referral hospital. Of 749 enumerated age-eligible women 634 (85%, (95% CI 82-88)) consented to screening, 429 samples were adequate for HPV testing, giving a total testing coverage of 57% (95% CI 53-62). The hrHPV prevalence was 14% (95% CI 5-22), 72% (95% CI 60-84) attended the clinic for a triage examination. Home-based HPV-DNA self-sampling and clinic-based triage assisted by cloud-based information technology is feasible in rural Ethiopia. Key components of such strategy are broad community awareness, high competency of community workers, and establishment of an adequate self-sampling and HPV-DNA testing platform.

Evaluating User Engagement with a Reminiscence App Using Cross-Comparative Analysis of User Event Logs and Qualitative Data.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usage of a reminiscence app by people living with dementia and their family carers, by comparing event log data generated from app usage alongside the qualitative experience of the process. A cross-comparative analysis of electronic event logging data with qualitative interview data was conducted. Electronic event logging data were obtained for 28 participating dyads (n = 56) and the interview sample comprised 14 people living with dementia and 16 family carers (n = 30). A thematic analysis framework was used in the analysis of interview transcripts and the identification of recurrent themes. The cross-comparison of electronic event log data and qualitative data revealed 25 out of 28 dyads regularly engaged with a reminiscence app, with the analysis of usage patterns revealing four clusters classifying different levels of user engagement. The cross-comparison of data revealed that the nature of the relationship was a significant factor in ongoing user engagement. The comparative analysis of the electronic event logs as "ground truth" in combination with the qualitative lived experience can provide a deeper understanding on the usage of a reminiscence app for those living with dementia and their family carers. This work not only shows the benefits of using automated event log data mining but also shows its clear limitations without using complementary qualitative data analysis. As such, this work also provides key insights into using mixed methods for evaluating human-computer interaction technologies.

Challenges encountered and lessons learned during a trial of an electronic hand hygiene monitoring system.

BACKGROUND: Automated hand hygiene monitoring systems (AHHMS) are being developed to supplement direct observations of hand hygiene (HH). We compared compliance rates generated by direct observations and by a badge-based AHHMS. METHODS: Observations of HH compliance were conducted in a surgical intensive care unit (SICU) and a general medical ward (GMW) during a 7-month baseline period and a 13-week intervention period, when compliance was also estimated using an AHHMS. Compliance rates were analyzed using time-series analysis. RESULTS: During the entire pre- and postintervention period, univariate analysis of observations revealed significant improvement in overall HH compliance in the SICU (P = .001) and the GMW (P = .03), beginning before implementation of the AHHMS. Initiation of the AHHMS was associated with a transient drop in entry and exit compliance on both units. During the intervention period, observations suggested that compliance on entry and exit continued to increase in the SICU, but not in the GMW. Time series analysis of AHHMS data revealed that entry and exit compliance did not change significantly in the SICU but decreased significantly in the GMW (P = .001). The average accuracy of the AHHMS was 60%. CONCLUSIONS: Based on observations, HH compliance increased during the baseline period. Observations and the AHHMS yielded different trends in compliance. The AHHMS's accuracy of HH events and health care personnel location were suboptimal.

Estimating disease burden using Internet data.

Data on disease burden are often used for assessing population health, evaluating the effectiveness of interventions, formulating health policies, and planning future resource allocation. We investigated whether Internet usage and social media data, specifically the search volume on Google, page view count on Wikipedia, and disease mentioning frequency on Twitter, correlated with the disease burden, measured by prevalence and treatment cost, for 1633 diseases over an 11-year period. We also applied least absolute shrinkage and selection operator to predict the burden of diseases. We found that Google search volume is relatively strongly correlated with the burdens for 39 of 1633 diseases, including viral hepatitis, diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, and hemorrhoids. Wikipedia and Twitter data strongly correlated with the burdens of 15 and 7 diseases, respectively. However, an accurate analysis must consider each condition's characteristics, including acute/chronic nature, severity, familiarity to the public, and the presence of stigma.

The Italian Registry of GH Treatment: electronic Clinical Report Form (e-CRF) and web-based platform for the national database of GH prescriptions.

BACKGROUND: In Italy, the utilization and the reimbursement of Growth Hormone (rGH) therapy by the National Health System (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) are regulated by the "Note #39" included in the "Notes for the use of drugs" by the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), which are published in the Official Gazette, thus having the force of law. The "Note #39" establishes the diagnosis for which the reimbursement is granted and confirms the assignment of the national health surveillance on the use of GH therapy to the Italian National Institute of Health, requesting its computerization. AIM: The aim of this work was to realize a dedicated electronic Clinical Report Form based on the mandatory data requested by the Note #39 and allowing the online reporting of the rGH prescriptions by the regional accredited centers. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: This interface is at the base of the national database of the Italian Registry of GH Treatment, which allows obtaining and managing correct and complete data to provide public health surveillance on GH therapy, both at national and local levels, necessary for policymakers decisions. In addition, this national database could be a useful instrument for improving knowledge about aspects of this treatment still under discussion.

Improving Bar Code Medication Administration Compliance in a Community Hospital Through a Nursing Leadership Initiative.

Achieving optimal compliance for bar code medication administration (BCMA) in mature medication use systems is challenging due to the iterative system refinements over time. A nursing leadership initiative increased BCMA compliance, measured as a composite across all hospital units, from 95% to 98%, discovering unanticipated benefits and unintended consequences in the process. The methodology used provides valuable insight into effective strategies for BCMA optimization with applicability for other, similar quality improvement initiatives.

Experience and Compliance With Scanning Vaccines' Two-Dimensional Barcodes to Record Data.

Automated population of data into health information system fields offers the potential to increase efficiencies and save time. Increasingly, as two-dimensional barcoded vaccine products and barcode scanning technology become more widely available, manual recording of vaccine data can be reduced. This evaluation explores how often two-dimensional barcodes on vaccine vials and syringes were scanned and the perceived benefits and challenges reported by vaccine providers. Eighty-two facilities that administer vaccines completed the evaluation. Twenty-seven of those facilities provided records from vaccines administered between July 2014 and January 2015. Among the 63 179 two-dimensional barcoded vaccine administrations recorded, 12 408 (19%) were scanned. We received 116 user surveys from 63 facilities; using content analysis, we identified perceived benefits of scanning, workflow challenges, scanning challenges, and other challenges. The findings of this evaluation can guide health information system developers, vaccine manufacturers, and vaccine providers on how to remove potential barriers to using two-dimensional barcode scanning.

Extracting information from free-text electronic patient records to identify practice-based evidence of the performance of coronary stents.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using drug-eluting stents (DES) is an indispensable treatment for coronary artery disease. However, to evaluate the performance of various types of stents for PCI, numerous resources are required. We extracted clinical information from free-text records and, using practice-based evidence, compared the efficacy of various DES. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed a text mining tool based on regular expression and applied it to PCI reports stored in the electronic health records (EHRs) of Ajou University Hospital from 2010-2014. The PCI data were extracted from EHRs with a sensitivity of 0.996, a specificity of 1.000, and an F-measure of 0.995 when compared with a sample of 200 reports. Using these data, we compared the performance of stents by Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Cox hazard proportional regression. RESULTS: In the self-validation analysis comparing the first-generation to the second-generation DES, the second-generation DES was superior to the first-generation DES (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.423, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.284-0.630) in terms of target vessel revascularization (TVR), showing similar findings to the established results of previous studies. Among the second-generation DES, the biodegradable-polymer DES tended to be superior, with a risk of TVR (HR: 0.568, 95% CI: 0.281-1.147) falling below than that for the durable-polymer DES approximately 1 year after the index procedure. The Endeavor stent had the highest TVR risk among the newer generation DES (HR: 2.576, 95% CI: 1.273-5.210). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we demonstrated how to construct a PCI data warehouse of PCI-related parameters obtained from free-text electronic records with high accuracy for use in the post surveillance of coronary stents in a time- and cost effective manner. Post surveillance of the practice based evidence in the PCI data warehouse indicated that the biodegradable-polymer DES might have a lower risk of TVR than the durable-polymer DES.

The use of information technology to enhance patient safety and nursing efficiency.

BACKGROUND: Issues in patient safety and nursing efficiency have long been of concern. Advancing the role of nursing informatics is seen as the best way to address this. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine if the use, outcomes and satisfaction with a nursing information system (NIS) improved patient safety and the quality of nursing care in a hospital in Taiwan. METHOD: This study adopts a quasi-experimental design. Nurses and patients were surveyed by questionnaire and data retrieval before and after the implementation of NIS in terms of blood drawing, nursing process, drug administration, bar code scanning, shift handover, and information and communication integration. RESULTS: Physiologic values were easier to read and interpret; it took less time to complete electronic records (3.7 vs. 9.1 min); the number of errors in drug administration was reduced (0.08% vs. 0.39%); bar codes reduced the number of errors in blood drawing (0 vs. 10) and transportation of specimens (0 vs. 0.42%); satisfaction with electronic shift handover increased significantly; there was a reduction in nursing turnover (14.9% vs. 16%); patient satisfaction increased significantly (3.46 vs. 3.34). CONCLUSIONS: Introduction of NIS improved patient safety and nursing efficiency and increased nurse and patient satisfaction. Medical organizations must continually improve the nursing information system if they are to provide patients with high quality service in a competitive environment.

[Required Framework for the Collection of Real-life Data: An Example from University Eye Hospital Munich]. / Rahmenbedingungen zur Sammlung von "Real-Life"-Daten am Beispiel der Augenklinik der Universität München.

Background The importance of evaluating real-life data is constantly increasing. Currently available computer systems better allow for analyses of data, as more and more data is available in a digital form. Before a project for real-life data analyses is started, technical considerations and staff, legal, and data protection procedures need to be addressed. In this manuscript, experiences made at the University Eye Hospital in Munich will be shared. Materials and Methods Legal requirements, as found in laws and guidelines governing documentation and data privacy, are highlighted. Technical requirements for information technology infrastructure and software are defined. A survey conducted by the German Ophthalmological Society, among German eye hospitals investigating the current state of digitalization, was conducted. Also, staff requirements are outlined. Results A database comprising results of 330,801 patients was set up. It includes all diagnoses, procedures, clinical findings and results from diagnostic devices. This database was approved by the local data protection officer. In less than half of German eye hospitals (n = 21) that participated in the survey (n = 54), a complete electronic documentation is done. Fourteen institutions are completely paper-based, and the remainder of the hospitals used a mixed system. Conclusion In this work, we examined the framework that is required to develop a comprehensive database containing real-life data from clinics. In future, these databases will become increasingly important as more and more innovation are made in decision support systems. The base for this is comprehensive and well-curated databases.

Enfermedades pulpares y periapicales en pacientes sistémicamente comprometidos en el Centro de Salud de Uayma, Yucatán, México / Pulp and periapical diseases in systemically compromised patients: Health Center of Uayma, Yucatan, Mexico

Introducción: el diagnóstico preciso de las enfermedades pulpares y periapicales es una fase en que se evalúan los factores sistémicos y locales. La diabetes es un ejemplo de enfermedad sistémica crónica degenerativa. En México en el 2012, se reportaron 418 797 casos, así como otras enfermedades asociadas, como son la hipertensión arterial y la insuficiencia renal. Objetivo: determinar la frecuencia de enfermedades pulpares o periapicales en pacientes sistémicamente comprometidos que acudieron al Centro de Salud de Uayma, Yucatán, México durante el 2013. Métodos: estudio descriptivo observacional. El universo fue de 689 pacientes. El muestreo fue no probabilístico, por conveniencia de 100 pacientes de 18 y más años de edad que presentaron alguna enfermedad sistémica y enfermedad pulpar o periapical. Bajo un consentimiento informado y voluntario se realizó, previa evaluación médica por el galeno adjunto, una historia dental, evaluación de los signos y síntomas de dolor, pruebas pulpares (térmicas y eléctricas), palpación y percusión y abordaje diagnóstico con tinción/transiluminación, así como la toma, examinación e interpretación de las imágenes radiográficas periapicales para confirmar el diagnóstico de enfermedades periapicales. Para el procesamiento de los datos se empleó la estadística descriptiva. Resultados: el 67 por ciento presentó enfermedades pulpares o periapicales. Se analizaron 106 órganos dentales, 41,5 por ciento manifestaron enfermedades pulpares y 58,5 por ciento periapicales; entre estas la más prevalente fue el absceso dentoalveolar crónico con 45,2 por ciento. La enfermedad sistémica que prevaleció fue la diabetes mellitus con 38 por ciento, la cual se presentó acompañada con hipertensión en 17 por ciento y con epilepsia en el 1 por ciento. De estos pacientes con diabetes mellitus, la enfermedad más frecuente fue la periapical con 53,6 por ciento. Conclusiones: en el paciente sistémicamente comprometido existe una frecuencia alta de las enfermedades pulpares y periapicales. La presencia de estas manifestaciones puede ser consecuencia de una respuesta de la pulpa dental ante la ausencia de un tratamiento odontológico oportuno y de la condición sistémica del paciente(AU)

Introduction: accurate diagnosis of pulpal and periapical diseases is a phase in which systemic and local factors are evaluated. Diabetes is an example of chronic degenerative systemic disease. In 2012, there were 418 797 cases as well as other associated diseases, such as hypertension and renal failure in Mexico. Objective: to determine the frequency of pulpal and periapical diseases in systemically compromised patients who attended the Health Center Uayma, Yucatan, Mexico in 2013. Methods: observational and descriptive study was conducted. The universe of study was 689 patients. A non-probabilistic, convenience sampling of 100 patients aged 18 and older, which had some kind of systemic disease and also pulpal or periapical disease. With the voluntary informed consent and a prior medical evaluation by the attending physician, a dental history, the assessment of pain signs and symptoms of pain, pulp testing (thermal and electrical), palpation and percussion and diagnostic approach with staining/transillumination were made as well as radiographic periapical images were taken, analyzed and interpreted to confirm the diagnosis of periapical diseases. Summary statistics was used for data processing. Results: sixty-seven percent of patients had pulpal or periapical diseases. One hundred and six dental organs were analyzed, 41.5 percent showed pulpal diseases and 58.5 percent periapical diseases, being the chronic dentoalveolar abscess with 45.2 percent the predominant one. Prevailing systemic disease was diabetes mellitus with 38 percent of cases, accompanied with hypertension in 17 percent and epilepsy in 1 percent of patients. In the diabetic patients, the most common disease was the periapical one for 53.6 percent. Conclusions: the systemically compromised patient faces highly frequent pulpal and periapical diseases. They may result from the response of the dental pulp to the lack of timely odontologic treatment and the systemic condition of the patient(AU)

The Mercy unique device identifier demonstration project: Implementing point of use product identification in the cardiac catheterization laboratories of a regional health system.

Mercy, a 4 state health system, conducted an FDA-sponsored demonstration whereby prototype unique device identifiers (UDIs) of coronary stents were implemented in its electronic information systems for safety surveillance and research. To accomplish this, a multi-disciplinary team implemented a point of use barcode scanning inventory management system in all 5 Mercy cardiac catheterization laboratories. The system's potential for improving inventory management and tracking Cath Lab supplies was felt to be sufficiently compelling for system deployment outside of the context of the demonstration. Further, it was felt to be useful for all Cath Lab renewable supplies and not just coronary stents. Benefits included preventing procedure delays, lowering costs, and increasing revenue. Finally, the system is extensible to all implanted medical devices and generalizable to most hospitals.

Principios para el cálculo de la lente intraocular tras cirugía refractiva corneal / Principles for the intraocular lens power calculation after corneal refractive surgery

Se estima que aproximadamente un millón o más de pacientes se realizan cirugía refractiva al año. Es por eso que con el envejecimiento son cada día más frecuentes los pacientes con catarata, a quienes previamente se les ha efectuado cirugía refractiva. El cálculo inexacto de la potencia dióptrica de la lente a implantar en la intervención de estos es también un problema de importancia creciente y con él la sorpresa refractiva. Este es mucho más complejo de lo normal, ya que existen dos fuentes de error: la incorrecta predicción de la posición efectiva de la lente por parte de la fórmula y la determinación errónea de la potencia de la córnea por parte de la queratometría. La corrección de estos dos factores permitirá realizar un cálculo correcto en estos ojos. De ahí la motivación para realizar una búsqueda actualizadas de los últimos diez años de diversos artículos publicados, con el objetivo de describir los principios para el cálculo de la lente intraocular tras cirugía refractiva corneal. Se utilizó la plataforma Infomed, específicamente la Biblioteca Virtual de Salud, con todos sus buscadores(AU)

It is considered that approximately one million or more patients undergo refractive surgery every year. Due to aging, the number of patients with cataract, who had previously undergone refractive surgery, is increasingly higher. The inaccurate calculation of the dioptric power of the lens to be implanted is also a growing significant problem and thus the refractive surprise. This is a much more complex situation since two error sources exist: the incorrect prediction of the effective position of the lens based on the formula and the wrong determination of the corneal power through keratometry. The correction of these two factors will allow making a suitable power calculation. Hence the motivation for updated search of several articles published in the last ten years, with the objective of describing the principles for intraocular lens power calculation after corneal refractive surgery. The Infomed platform, mainly the Virtual Library of Health, was fully used(AU)

Principios para el cálculo de la lente intraocular tras cirugía refractiva corneal / Principles for the intraocular lens power calculation after corneal refractive surgery

Se estima que aproximadamente un millón o más de pacientes se realizan cirugía refractiva al año. Es por eso que con el envejecimiento son cada día más frecuentes los pacientes con catarata, a quienes previamente se les ha efectuado cirugía refractiva. El cálculo inexacto de la potencia dióptrica de la lente a implantar en la intervención de estos es también un problema de importancia creciente y con él la sorpresa refractiva. Este es mucho más complejo de lo normal, ya que existen dos fuentes de error: la incorrecta predicción de la posición efectiva de la lente por parte de la fórmula y la determinación errónea de la potencia de la córnea por parte de la queratometría. La corrección de estos dos factores permitirá realizar un cálculo correcto en estos ojos. De ahí la motivación para realizar una búsqueda actualizadas de los últimos diez años de diversos artículos publicados, con el objetivo de describir los principios para el cálculo de la lente intraocular tras cirugía refractiva corneal. Se utilizó la plataforma Infomed, específicamente la Biblioteca Virtual de Salud, con todos sus buscadores(AU)

It is considered that approximately one million or more patients undergo refractive surgery every year. Due to aging, the number of patients with cataract, who had previously undergone refractive surgery, is increasingly higher. The inaccurate calculation of the dioptric power of the lens to be implanted is also a growing significant problem and thus the refractive surprise. This is a much more complex situation since two error sources exist: the incorrect prediction of the effective position of the lens based on the formula and the wrong determination of the corneal power through keratometry. The correction of these two factors will allow making a suitable power calculation. Hence the motivation for updated search of several articles published in the last ten years, with the objective of describing the principles for intraocular lens power calculation after corneal refractive surgery. The Infomed platform, mainly the Virtual Library of Health, was fully used(AU)

Evisceración ocular: diez años de estudio / Eye evisceration: ten years of research

Objetivos: determinar la frecuencia de evisceración según edad, sexo, ojo afectado, criterio quirúrgico y causa más frecuente. Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo, longitudinal y retrospectivo a través de la revisión de las historias clínicas de 89 pacientes a quienes se les realizó la evisceración en el período de enero 2002 a diciembre 2011 en el Hospital Militar Central Dr. Luis Díaz Soto. Se aplicaron métodos de estadística descriptiva para el procesamiento de los datos. Resultados: predominó el grupo de edad de 31-40 años con frecuencia absoluta (20), que constituyó el 22,4 por ciento de la muestra; el sexo masculino representó el 67,4 por ciento; predominó el ojo izquierdo en los casos eviscerados con 53 por ciento y la forma electiva de tratamiento con 78,7 por ciento. La causa más frecuente fue la ptisis bulbi con 32,7 por ciento. Conclusiones: son eviscerados con mayor frecuencia los ojos izquierdos de adultos jóvenes del sexo masculino, con criterio electivo de tratamiento quirúrgico. La ptisis bulbi es la causa más frecuente de evisceración(AU)

Objectives: to determine the evisceration frequency according to age, sex, affected eye, surgical approach and more frequent cause. Methods: descriptive, longitudinal and retrospective study was done through the revision from the clinical histories of 89 patients to all of them were applied the evisceration in the period of January 2002 to December 2011 in the Central Military Hospital Dr. Luis Díaz Soto. Methods of descriptive statistic were applied for the prosecution of the data. Results: there was bigger incidence in the 31-40 year-old group representing 22,4 percent of the sample, the male sex represented 67,4 percent, the left eye prevailed with 53 percent in the cases evisceration and the elective way of treatment with 78,7 percent. The most frequent cause was the ptisis bulbi occupying 32,7 percent. Conclusions: evisceration was done frequently in left eyes of young men, with elective approach of surgical treatment. The ptisis bulbi was the most frequent cause in evisceration(AU)

Queratomileusis in situ asistida por láser de excímeros en la corrección del astigmatismo miópico / Excimer laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis for correction of myopic astigmatism

INTRODUCCIÓN: la queratomielusis es un procedimiento quirúrgico de valor en el tratamiento de las ametropías. OBJETIVO: determinar los resultados de la queratomileusis "in situ" asistida por láser de excímeros (LASIK) en la corrección del astigmatismo miópico. MÉTODOS: se realizó un estudio retrospectivo de 73 pacientes con astigmatismo miópico, operados con la técnica LASIK durante el año 2013 en el Hospital Militar "Dr. Carlos J. Finlay". Las variables fueron: edad, sexo, agudeza visual con corrección pre y postoperatorias, equivalente esférico, complicaciones trans-operatorias, postoperatorias inmediatas y tardías. Para el procesamiento de la información se utilizó programa SPSS. RESULTADOS: se mantuvo la agudeza visual previa corregida y no se detectaron complicaciones graves o irreversibles. Se observaron cambios significativos en las variables estudiadas con tendencia a la emetropía para un 92,3 %. CONCLUSIÓN: LASIK es una técnica segura y útil para la corrección del astigmatismo miópico, que permite mejorar la agudeza visual.

OBJETIVE: to determinate the results of Excímer laser assisted "in situ" keratomileusis (LASIK)in the correction of myopic astigmatism. METHODS: a descriptive, retrospective study of the results was performed after surgery LASIK in 73 patients with myopic astigmatism. The variables were: age, sex, pre and postoperative visual acuity without correction, spherical equivalent, intraoperative complications, postoperative immediate and late complications. Significant changes were observed in all the variables studied tending to emmetropia and 92.3 %. RESULTS: with the use of this surgical technique the corrected previous visual acuity remained and not serious or irreversible complications were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Lasik is a safe and useful technique for the correction of myopic astigmatism that improves visual acuity.

From raw data to data-analysis for magnetic resonance spectroscopy--the missing link: jMRUI2XML.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy provides metabolic information about living tissues in a non-invasive way. However, there are only few multi-centre clinical studies, mostly performed on a single scanner model or data format, as there is no flexible way of documenting and exchanging processed magnetic resonance spectroscopy data in digital format. This is because the DICOM standard for spectroscopy deals with unprocessed data. This paper proposes a plugin tool developed for jMRUI, namely jMRUI2XML, to tackle the latter limitation. jMRUI is a software tool for magnetic resonance spectroscopy data processing that is widely used in the magnetic resonance spectroscopy community and has evolved into a plugin platform allowing for implementation of novel features. RESULTS: jMRUI2XML is a Java solution that facilitates common preprocessing of magnetic resonance spectroscopy data across multiple scanners. Its main characteristics are: 1) it automates magnetic resonance spectroscopy preprocessing, and 2) it can be a platform for outputting exchangeable magnetic resonance spectroscopy data. The plugin works with any kind of data that can be opened by jMRUI and outputs in extensible markup language format. Data processing templates can be generated and saved for later use. The output format opens the way for easy data sharing- due to the documentation of the preprocessing parameters and the intrinsic anonymization--for example for performing pattern recognition analysis on multicentre/multi-manufacturer magnetic resonance spectroscopy data. CONCLUSIONS: jMRUI2XML provides a self-contained and self-descriptive format accounting for the most relevant information needed for exchanging magnetic resonance spectroscopy data in digital form, as well as for automating its processing. This allows for tracking the procedures the data has undergone, which makes the proposed tool especially useful when performing pattern recognition analysis. Moreover, this work constitutes a first proposal for a minimum amount of information that should accompany any magnetic resonance processed spectrum, towards the goal of achieving better transferability of magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies.