BACKGROUND: No universal solution, based on an approved pedagogical approach, exists to parametrically describe, effectively manage, and clearly visualize a higher education institution's curriculum, including tools for unveiling relationships inside curricular datasets. OBJECTIVE: We aim to solve the issue of medical curriculum mapping to improve understanding of the complex structure and content of medical education programs. Our effort is based on the long-term development and implementation of an original web-based platform, which supports an outcomes-based approach to medical and healthcare education and is suitable for repeated updates and adoption to curriculum innovations. METHODS: We adopted data exploration and visualization approaches in the context of medical curriculum innovations in higher education institutions domain. We have developed a robust platform, covering detailed formal metadata specifications down to the level of learning units, interconnections, and learning outcomes, in accordance with Bloom's taxonomy and direct links to a particular biomedical nomenclature. Furthermore, we used selected modeling techniques and data mining methods to generate academic analytics reports from medical curriculum mapping datasets. RESULTS: We present a solution that allows users to effectively optimize a curriculum structure that is described with appropriate metadata, such as course attributes, learning units and outcomes, a standardized vocabulary nomenclature, and a tree structure of essential terms. We present a case study implementation that includes effective support for curriculum reengineering efforts of academics through a comprehensive overview of the General Medicine study program. Moreover, we introduce deep content analysis of a dataset that was captured with the use of the curriculum mapping platform; this may assist in detecting any potentially problematic areas, and hence it may help to construct a comprehensive overview for the subsequent global in-depth medical curriculum inspection. CONCLUSIONS: We have proposed, developed, and implemented an original framework for medical and healthcare curriculum innovations and harmonization, including: planning model, mapping model, and selected academic analytics extracted with the use of data mining.

• MeSH
• Curriculum * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Models, Statistical * MeSH
• Education, Medical * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Motion artifacts are one of the issues in cardiac optical mapping studies. This paper is focused on the description of the motion artifacts caused by planar movement. The theory of its origin and possibilities of its suppression is described. The suppression of the motion artifacts is based on image registration techniques. There are introduced the characteristics about influence of the weighted area averages on presence of these artifacts. In this study conventional pharmacological or mechanical ways of motion artifacts suppression were not involved.

• MeSH
• Algorithms MeSH
• Artifacts MeSH
• Diagnostic Imaging methods   MeSH
• Microscopy, Fluorescence methods   MeSH
• Data Compression MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• Optics and Photonics MeSH
• Image Processing, Computer-Assisted methods   MeSH
• Motion * MeSH
• Software MeSH
• Heart physiology   MeSH
• Cardiac Electrophysiology methods   MeSH
• Models, Statistical MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

The aim of our work was to study the opposite polarity of the PQ segment to the P wave body surface potential maps in different groups of patients. We constructed isointegral maps (IIM) in 26 healthy controls (C), 16 hypertensives (HT), 26 patients with arterial hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and 15 patients with myocardial infarction (MI). We analyzed values and positions of map extrema and compared the polarity of maps using the correlation coefficient. The IIM P maxima appeared mainly over the precordium, the minima mainly in the right subclavicular area. The highest maxima were in the MI group, being significantly higher than in the HT and LVH groups. No differences concerning any values of other extrema were significant. The IIM PQ maxima were distributed over the upper half of the chest; the minima mainly over the middle sternum. A statistically significant opposite polarity between the IIM P and IIM PQ was found in 80 % of cases. The opposite polarity of the P wave and the PQ segment was proved in isointegral body surface maps. The extrema occurred in areas not examined by the standard chest leads. This has to be considered for diagnostic purposes.

• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Body Surface Potential Mapping methods   MeSH
• Models, Cardiovascular * MeSH
• Heart Diseases physiopathology   MeSH
• Computer Simulation MeSH
• Heart Conduction System physiopathology   MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Models, Statistical MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Quantitative maps of rotating frame relaxation (RFR) time constants are sensitive and useful magnetic resonance imaging tools with which to evaluate tissue integrity in vivo. However, to date, only moderate image resolutions of 1.6 x 1.6 x 3.6 mm3 have been used for whole-brain coverage RFR mapping in humans at 3 T. For more precise morphometrical examinations, higher spatial resolutions are desirable. Towards achieving the long-term goal of increasing the spatial resolution of RFR mapping without increasing scan times, we explore the use of the recently introduced Transform domain NOise Reduction with DIstribution Corrected principal component analysis (T-NORDIC) algorithm for thermal noise reduction. RFR acquisitions at 3 T were obtained from eight healthy participants (seven males and one female) aged 52 ± 20 years, including adiabatic T1ρ, T2ρ, and nonadiabatic Relaxation Along a Fictitious Field (RAFF) in the rotating frame of rank n = 4 (RAFF4) with both 1.6 x 1.6 x 3.6 mm3 and 1.25 x 1.25 x 2 mm3 image resolutions. We compared RFR values and their confidence intervals (CIs) obtained from fitting the denoised versus nondenoised images, at both voxel and regional levels separately for each resolution and RFR metric. The comparison of metrics obtained from denoised versus nondenoised images was performed with a two-sample paired t-test and statistical significance was set at p less than 0.05 after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. The use of T-NORDIC on the RFR images prior to the fitting procedure decreases the uncertainty of parameter estimation (lower CIs) at both spatial resolutions. The effect was particularly prominent at high-spatial resolution for RAFF4. Moreover, T-NORDIC did not degrade map quality, and it had minimal impact on the RFR values. Denoising RFR images with T-NORDIC improves parameter estimation while preserving the image quality and accuracy of all RFR maps, ultimately enabling high-resolution RFR mapping in scan times that are suitable for clinical settings.

• Keywords
• NORDIC, brain mapping, denoising, quantitative MRI, rotating frame relaxation,
• MeSH
• Algorithms MeSH
• Principal Component Analysis MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging * methods   MeSH
• Brain Mapping MeSH
• Brain * diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Signal-To-Noise Ratio * MeSH
• Rotation MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The aim of the present study was to investigate the reflection of psychoemotional stress in the body surface potential distribution as documented by isointegral maps of cardiac activation and recovery. In 72 young men (18.3+/- 7.3 y.) with no cardiovascular history body surface potential maps (BSPMs) at rest and during the test of mental arithmetic were recorded. The digitalized data for each point of the QRS, STT and QRST integral maps, for each subject in both situations, were processed and evaluated by methods of univariate as well as spatial mathematical and statistical modeling. The results showed during MA a significant decrease of repolarization integral values over the sternum and right precordium, which contributed to analogically localized decrements also in the QRST BSM. The decrease occurred in more than 2/3 of lead points. The most pronounced changes were observed in the right precordial area, where potentials decreased in more than in 70 % of subjects. In conclusion, the discriminative power of the difference STT and QRST integral maps was strong enough to distinguish the mental arithmetic induced changes in the superficial cardiac electric field. These adrenergic transient alterations in ventricular recovery may be of importance in subjects at risk for ventricular arrhythmias.

• MeSH
• Electrocardiography MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Body Surface Potential Mapping * MeSH
• Heart Conduction System physiopathology   MeSH
• Stress, Psychological physiopathology   MeSH
• Heart Ventricles physiopathology   MeSH
• Models, Statistical MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

The cross-sectional geometry (CSG) of long bone diaphyses is used in bioanthropology to evaluate their resistance to biomechanical constraints and to infer life-history-related patterns such as mobility, activity specialization or intensity, sexual dimorphism, body mass and proportions. First limited by technical analytical constraints to the analysis of one or two cross sections per bone, it has evolved into the analysis of cross sections of the full length of the diaphyseal part of long bones. More recently, researchers have developed analytical tools to map the cortical thickness of entire diaphyses to evaluate locomotor signatures. However, none of these analytical tools are easy to use for scientists who are not familiar with computer programming, and some statistical procedures-such as mapping the correlation coefficients of the diaphyseal thickness with various parameters have yet to be made available. Therefore, we developed an automated and open-source application that renders those analyses (both CSG and cortical thickness) in a semiautomated and user friendly manner. This application, called "Diaphysator", is associated with another free software ("Extractor", presented in Dupej et al. (2017). American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 164, 868-876). Diaphysator can be used as an online application (https://diaphysator.shinyapps.io/maps) or as a package for R statistical software. Along with the mean maps of cortical thickness and mean CSG parameter graphs, the users can evaluate the correlations and partial correlations of both CSG parameters at every cross section along the diaphyseal length, and cortical thickness data points of the entire diaphysis, with any factor such as age, sex, stature, and body mass.

• Keywords
• correlation, cortical area, cortical thickness, free software, morphometric maps,
• MeSH
• Anatomy, Cross-Sectional MeSH
• Anthropology, Physical methods   MeSH
• Diaphyses anatomy & histology   diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Femur anatomy & histology   diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Internet MeSH
• Data Interpretation, Statistical MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed MeSH
• Software * MeSH
• Tibia anatomy & histology   diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Decades of research have shown that rare highly penetrant mutations can promote tumorigenesis, but it is still unclear whether variants observed at high-frequency in the broader population could modulate the risk of developing cancer. Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS) have generated a wealth of data linking single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to increased cancer risk, but the effect of these mutations are usually subtle, leaving most of cancer heritability unexplained. Understanding the role of high-frequency mutations in cancer can provide new intervention points for early diagnostics, patient stratification and treatment in malignancies with high prevalence, such as breast cancer. Here we review state-of-the-art methods to study cancer heritability using GWAS data and provide an updated map of breast cancer susceptibility loci at the SNP and gene level.

• Keywords
• Cancer, Cancer risk, GWAS, Heritability, SNP,
• MeSH
• Genome-Wide Association Study * MeSH
• Genetic Predisposition to Disease * MeSH
• Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Biomarkers, Tumor genetics   MeSH
• Breast Neoplasms epidemiology   genetics   pathology   MeSH
• Prognosis MeSH
• Models, Statistical * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Biomarkers, Tumor MeSH

The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) and the Brown Norway (BN) rat differ significantly in litter size (7.6 versus 4.5 pups). In the HXB and BXH sets of recombinant inbred (RI) strains derived from SHR and BN rats, heritability of litter size and of selected male reproductive parameters such as sperm production, sperm count, sperm morphology and motility, and the mass of the testis, epididymides, and seminal vesicles were estimated and a search was undertaken for quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with these phenotypes. The mass of seminal vesicles was significantly associated with a QTL near the D8Cebr204S21 marker on chromosome 8 (LOD score = 4.1, P = 0.00001); this QTL was responsible for 46% of the genetic variability of the trait. The same gene marker on chromosome 8 also showed a suggestive association with the litter size. Litter size was significantly correlated with the mass of seminal vesicles (r = 0.58, P = 0.003). These findings indicate that the variability in litter size among RI strains may be due in part to differences in the mass of seminal vesicles and it is possible that both mass of seminal vesicles and litter size are determined by a pleiotropic effect of the same QTL on rat chromosome 8.

• MeSH
• Phenotype MeSH
• Genetic Variation MeSH
• Genotype MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• Quantitative Trait, Heritable * MeSH
• Chromosome Mapping MeSH
• Rats, Inbred BN genetics   MeSH
• Rats, Inbred SHR genetics   MeSH
• Likelihood Functions MeSH
• Regression Analysis MeSH
• Recombination, Genetic MeSH
• Seminal Vesicles anatomy & histology   MeSH
• Litter Size genetics   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH

BACKGROUND: Lower-limb kinematic and temporospatial differences between back-carried (BC) and non-back-carried (NBC) children are expected based on previous static lower-limb relationships reported in BC children. Back-carrying of children is common among South Africans and becoming popular among Westerners. Establishing the potential effects of back-carrying on lower-limb development and gait is therefore important. RESEARCH QUESTION: Does BC influence the tri-planar instantaneous lower-limb kinematics and temporospatial parameters of the full gait cycle in children, and is there an association between static tibial torsion and the lower-limb gait kinematics? METHODS: Twelve NBC (age = 8.00 ± 0.95 years) and 12 BC (age = 8.08 ± 0.79 years) children were selected. Tri-planar kinematics of the hip, knee, and ankle were captured during gait using an eight-camera motion analysis system and Visual3D software to extract the kinematic data. All static tibial torsion were measured goniometrically. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was used to compare joint kinematics during the gait cycle and the association of tibial torsion throughout the gait cycle. RESULTS: SPM revealed significant differences between BC and NBC participants in hip kinematics (mean difference = 2.49°, p = 0.016) at 52-66 % of the gait cycle and knee joint kinematics (mean difference = 3.00°, p = 0.026) at 34-41 % of the gait cycle. Temporospatial differences were non-significant for speed, stride length, stance time, and stride width (p = 0.80, gHedges = 0.10). Significant correlations were evident between static tibial torsion and joint kinematics for the knee (r = -0.44 to -0.69, p = 0.041) for BC children and for the ankle (r = 0.74-0.75, p = 0.025) in NBC children. Larger internal tibial torsion is associated with more in-toeing and internal knee rotation during the swing phase in back-carried children. SIGNIFICANCE: A discrete comparison of kinematics in BC versus NBC children did not yield significant differences, while differences were observed using the SPM. The observed differences are likely of limited clinical importance, implying that caregivers can continue to BC their children.

• Keywords
• Back-carrying, Joint kinematics, Lower-limb development, Temporospatial,
• MeSH
• Biomechanical Phenomena MeSH
• Gait * physiology   MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Lower Extremity * physiology   MeSH
• Ankle Joint * physiology   MeSH
• Knee Joint * physiology   MeSH
• Hip Joint * physiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Range of Motion, Articular physiology   MeSH
• Tibia * physiology   MeSH
• Torsion, Mechanical MeSH
• Weight-Bearing * physiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH

f-statistics have emerged as a first line of analysis for making inferences about demographic history from genome-wide data. Not only are they guaranteed to allow robust tests of the fits of proposed models of population history to data when analyzing full genome sequencing data-that is, all single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the individuals being analyzed-but they are also guaranteed to allow robust tests of models for SNPs ascertained as polymorphic in a population that is an outgroup in a phylogenetic sense to all groups being analyzed. True "outgroup ascertainment" is in practice impossible in humans because our species has arisen from a substructured ancestral population that does not descend from a homogeneous ancestral population going back many hundreds of thousands of years into the past. However, initial studies suggested that non-outgroup-ascertainment schemes might produce robust enough results using f-statistics, and that motivated widespread fitting of models to data using non-outgroup-ascertained SNP panels such as the "Affymetrix Human Origins array" which has been genotyped on thousands of modern individuals from hundreds of populations, or the "1240k" in-solution enrichment reagent which has been the source of about 70% of published genome-wide data for ancient humans. In this study, we show that while analyses of population history using such panels work well for studies of relationships among non-African populations and one African outgroup, when co-modeling more than one sub-Saharan African and/or archaic human groups (Neanderthals and Denisovans), fitting of f-statistics to such SNP sets is expected to frequently lead to false rejection of true demographic histories, and failure to reject incorrect models. Analyzing panels of SNPs polymorphic in archaic humans, which has been suggested as a solution for the ascertainment problem, has limited statistical power and retains important biases. However, by carrying out simulations of diverse demographic histories, we show that bias in inferences based on f-statistics can be minimized by ascertaining on variants common in a union of diverse African groups; such ascertainment retains high statistical power while allowing co-analysis of archaic and modern groups.

• MeSH
• African People * genetics   MeSH
• Biological Variation, Population genetics   MeSH
• Black People genetics   MeSH
• Demography * history   MeSH
• Phylogeny * MeSH
• Genotype MeSH
• Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide * genetics   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Chromosome Mapping MeSH
• Neanderthals genetics   MeSH
• Models, Statistical MeSH
• Bias MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH