Publications by authors named "Heather J Zhao"
Objectives: Early skin cancer detection in primary care settings is crucial for prognosis, yet clinicians often lack relevant training. Machine learning (ML) methods may offer a potential solution for this dilemma. This study aimed to develop a neural network for the binary classification of skin lesions into malignant and benign categories using smartphone images and clinical data via a multimodal and transfer learning-based approach.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The REporting of studies Conducted using Observational Routinely Collected Data (RECORD) tool was developed to address gaps around reporting routinely collected health data. The objective of this study was to assess adherence to RECORD in general medical journals and to evaluate its correlation with study quality.
Methods: We searched PubMed using a filter to identify studies using routinely collected health data published in 8 high impact medical journals between 2016 and 2023.
Article Synopsis
- * Overall, TCI usage surged by 66%, with high-sociodemographic-index (SDI) countries consuming significantly more TCIs—11.2 times higher than low-middle/low-SDI countries.
- * The findings indicate a strong correlation between a country's SDI and geographic location with TCI utilization, while the burden of AD, measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), showed no significant impact on drug usage levels.
Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-associated hypertension disorder with high morbidity and mortality. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-molecules produced by gut microbes-have been associated with hypertension, yet their relation to PE remains uncertain.
Objectives: The aim was to review existing human studies that examined associations of the major SCFAs (acetate, propionate, butyrate) in pregnancy with PE development.
Background: Actinic Keratoses (AK) are precancerous lesions that can lead to Squamous Cell Carcinoma. International differences in the utilization of topical medications to treat AK are not well described.
Objectives: To describe international differences in topical AK medication utilization, including associations of countries' economic status with AK medication utilization.
Cannabis use has been associated with reduced physical activity and increased sedentary behavior in adolescents. In adults, however, there is no conclusive evidence of such an association, and existing studies have primarily relied on self-reported activity measures. As cannabis use increases globally, a deeper understanding of its relationship with activity levels may inform clinical counseling and guidelines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study investigates the link between plastic bottle feeding and various health indicators in infants during their first year of life.
- It involved 442 infants from the Nurture birth cohort, analyzing the impact of plastic bottle feeding frequency at 3 months on growth metrics and microbiota composition at 12 months.
- Results showed that while plastic bottle feeding frequency affected fecal microbiota diversity and specific short-chain fatty acid levels, it did not lead to significant differences in overall growth measures, except for a slight impact on length-for-age.
Article Synopsis
- A pilot survey was conducted among young adults at a Canadian university to assess their knowledge and adherence to the 2019 Canada's Food Guide (CFG) and its influence on their eating habits.
- The results showed that only 33% of women and 8% of men met the recommended vegetable and fruit intake, with men consuming more protein than women.
- Majority of participants felt the CFG has low influence on their food choices (mean score 2.2 out of 7) and suggested that awareness could be improved through social media outreach.
Article Synopsis
- This study explores the effects of plastic bottle feeding on the gut microbiota and growth of infants in their first year of life, revealing significant associations.
- Infants fed with plastic bottles less frequently showed lower diversity in fecal microbiota and reduced levels of propionic acid, both at three months.
- Additionally, less frequent bottle use negatively affected the length-for-age growth metric by 12 months, suggesting that plastic bottle exposure could influence both microbiome development and overall growth in infants.