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Virtual reality (VR) has applications in cardiology to create enhancement, thereby improving the quality of associated planning, treatment and surgery. The need is to study different applications of this technology in the field of cardiology. We have studied research papers on VR and its applications in cardiology through a detailed bibliometric analysis. The study identified five significant steps for proper implementation of this technology in cardiology. Some challenges are to be undertaken by using this technology, and they can provide some benefits; thus, authors contemplate extensive research and development. This study also identifies 10 major VR technology applications in cardiology and provided a brief description. This innovative technology helps a heart surgeon to perform complex heart surgery effectively. Thus, VR applications have the potential for improving decision-making, which helps save human life. VR plays a significant role in the development of a surgical procedure. This technology undertakes 3D heart model information in full colour, which helps to analyze the overall heart vane, blockage and blood flow. With the help of this digital technology, a surgeon can improve the accuracy of heart surgery, and he can simulate the surgery. A surgeon can undertake surgery in a virtual environment on a virtual patient. The unique purpose of this technology is to practice pre-operatively on the specific circumstance. A cardiologist can also check the proper status of inner and outer heart wall layer. Thus, by using this 3D information, the surgeon can now interact with heart data/information without any physical touch. This technology opens a new opportunity to improve the heart surgery and development in cardiovascular treatment to improve patient outcome.

Background: Ovarian endometriomas have been shown to have a negative effect on fertility. There is a dilemma on the timing for surgery either before or after the fertility treatment. By delaying surgical treatment for infertile patients with endometriomas, medical treatment has become an important choice for these patients. The objectives of this review were to compare the efficacy of medical treatment on endometrioma size and endometriosis-associated pelvic pain (EAPP).

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis examining women who have endometrioma and underwent medical therapy for endometrioma size reduction. The primary outcome measure was endometrioma size reduction. Secondary outcome measures EAPP.

Results: We included 14 studies for the meta-analysis. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis examining women with endometrioma who underwent medical therapy for endometrioma size reduction. The primary outcome measure was endometrioma size reduction. Secondary outcome measure is EAPP. The majority of the studies were non-randomized controlled trials (RCTs; 9/14), and five were RCTs. Women who received medical treatment have a significant endometrioma size reduction in diameter compared to women not receiving any medical treatment or placebo (MD −9.66mm; 95% CI [−13.85, −5.46], three studies, 467 women, $I^2=96$%) and a reduction in visual analog scale (VAS) for EAPP (MD −2.64; 95% CI [−3.31, −1.97], two studies, 338 women, $I^2=0$%). Women who received dienogest (DNG) treatment have a significant endometrioma size reduction in diameter (MD −4.61mm; 95% CI [−9.08, −0.15], three studies, 220 women, $I^2=96$%). Compared to women receiving other medical treatments, women receiving DNG treatment had more VAS reduction of EAPP (MD −0.46; 95% CI [−0.62, −0.31], four studies, 451 women, $I^2=85$%).

Conclusions: The use of medical therapy is associated with endometrioma size reduction and a reduction in endometriosis-related pain when compared with no medical treatment given. With the availability of various medical options, surgery can thus be avoided to minimize the risk of damage to the ovarian reserves.

Digital imaging and medical reporting have acquired an essential role in healthcare, but the main challenge is the storage of a high volume of patient data. Although newer technologies are already introduced in the medical sciences to save records size, Big Data provides advancements by storing a large amount of data to improve the efficiency and quality of patient treatment with better care. It provides intelligent automation capabilities to reduce errors than manual inputs. Large numbers of research papers on big data in the medical field are studied and analyzed for their impacts, benefits, and applications. Big data has great potential to support the digitalization of all medical and clinical records and then save the entire data regarding the medical history of an individual or a group. This paper discusses big data usage for various industries and sectors. Finally, 12 significant applications for the medical field by the implementation of big data are identified and studied with a brief description. This technology can be gainfully used to extract useful information from the available data by analyzing and managing them through a combination of hardware and software. With technological advancement, big data provides health-related information for millions of patient-related to life issues such as lab tests reporting, clinical narratives, demographics, prescription, medical diagnosis, and related documentation. Thus, Big Data is essential in developing a better yet efficient analysis and storage healthcare services. The demand for big data applications is increasing due to its capability of handling and analyzing massive data. Not only in the future but even now, Big Data is proving itself as an axiom of storing, developing, analyzing, and providing overall health information to the physicians.

The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in the manufacturing and service sectors being badly hit globally. Since there are no vaccines or any proven medical treatment available, there is an urgent need to take necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus. As the virus spreads with human-to-human interaction, lockdown has been declared in many countries, and the public is advised to observe social distancing strictly. Robots can undertake human-like activities and can be gainfully programmed to replace some of the human interactions. Through this paper, we identify and propose the introduction of robots to take up this challenge in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. We did a comprehensive review of the literature to identify robots’ possible applications in the management of epidemics and pandemics of this nature. We have reviewed the available literature through the search engines of PubMed, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and Research Gate. A comprehensive review of the literature identified different types of robots being used in the medical field. We could find several vital applications of robots in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. No doubt technology comes with a cost. In this paper, we identified how different types of robots are used gainfully to deliver medicine, food, and other essential items to COVID-19 patients who are under quarantine. Therefore, there is extensive scope for customising robots to undertake hazardous and repetitive jobs with precision and reliability.

In the paper Improved Overlap-Based Undersampling for Imbalanced Dataset Classification with Application to Epilepsy and Parkinson’s Disease, the authors introduced two new methods that address the class overlap problem in imbalanced datasets. The methods involve identification and removal of potentially overlapped majority class instances. Extensive evaluations were carried out using 136 datasets and compared against several state-of-the-art methods. Results showed competitive performance with those methods, and statistical tests proved significant improvement in classification results. The discussion on the paper related to the behavioral analysis of class overlap and method validation was raised by Fernández. In this article, the response to the discussion is delivered. Detailed clarification and supporting evidence to answer all the points raised are provided.

Extensive development has taken place in the field of image fusion and various algorithms of image fusion have attracted the attention of many researchers in the recent past. Various algorithms of image fusion are used to combine information from multiple source images into a single fused image. In this paper, fusion of multiple images using fuzzy transform is proposed. Images to be fused are initially decomposed into same size blocks. These blocks are then fuzzy transformed and fused using maxima coefficient value-based fusion rule. Finally, the fused image is obtained by performing inverse fuzzy transform. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated by performing experiments on multifocus, medical and visible/infrared images. Further, the performance of the proposed algorithm is compared with the state-of-the-art image fusion algorithms, both subjectively and objectively. Experimental results and comparative study show that the proposed fusion algorithm fuses the multiple images effectively and produces better fusion results for medical and visible/infrared images.

One of the major change drivers which emerged in the 21st century is the birth of the internet. Internet-led digitalisation has impacted almost all the sectors across the board positively and in some cases negatively. The healthcare sector is no exception to the transformation. We are witnessing dramatic changes in the healthcare sector across all its verticals due to increasing digital health innovations. The Government of India is aggressively pushing for digital health reforms in India. The inception of key healthcare digitalisation initiatives, like national digital health mission, legalisation of telemedicine, E-pharmacies and the Health ID project, indicates the government’s strong resolve towards taking forward the digitalisation transformation at a rapid pace.

All these digital health innovations led to new strata of medical consumers like Digital Medical Consumers. In this chapter, a conceptual framework of three types of medical consumers based on their buying behaviour has been postulated. In addition, digital health innovations are playing a major role in the evolution of the holistic digital health ecosystem in India. We anticipate the evolution of Holistic Digital Health Start-ups (HDHSs) because of the government’s push towards digitalisation in health and its subsequent willingness to create digital health infrastructure and the rising penetration of health informatics. Hence, this paper has proposed a conceptual framework for Holistic Digital Health Start-ups (HDHSs).

Applying Nano-Scale Technologies to Make Big Ideas Possible.

Toxicity of Engineered Nanomaterials.

Graphene for Smart Medical Devices.

Protein Nanocages: The Versatile Molecular Shell.

Electrical impedance tomography is a recently established technique by which impedance of an object (medical or nonmedical applications) is measured data from the surface of the object, and a numerically simulated reconstruction of the object internal shape of the image can be obtained. This imaging technique based on boundary or surface voltage is measured when the different current pattern is injected into it. For current pulse, we are creating a voltage controlled current source, which is based on the different RC circuits, according to current amplitude and frequency values. The current source used in inject the current pulse of the various phantoms. The current position and measuring voltage is controlled by the created control unit or programmable system on chip (PSOC) of the proposed EIT system. After that image reconstruction of the cross-sectional image of resistivity requires sufficient data collection from used phantoms, which is based on finite element method (FEM) method and Tikhonov regularization method with helps of graphical user interface (GUI) on MatLab. The objective of the GUI was to produce an image (2D/3D), impedance distribution graph, and the FEM mesh model according to used electrode combinations from the various phantoms. EIT system has a great potential for imaging modality, is non-invasive, radiation-free, and inexpensive for medical applications.

This chapter will briefly introduce the molecular design, synthesis, structure and properties, characterisation method and applications of adaptive polymers. There are many smart and functional materials, and adaptive polymers are one such example. This book mainly focuses on adaptive polymers and textiles. First, some concepts will be suggested and definitions of adaptive polymers and textiles are reviewed. Following that, the characteristics, structures and potential applications of adaptive polymers will be summarised. Developing novel smart adaptive polymers and textiles are challenging, and some future trends are suggested at the end.

More to Structure than Meets the Eye.

Medical Technology Integration in Healthcare.

Investing in Healthcare in China.

Feeding Asia in the 21st Century: Building Urban-Rural Alliances at International Conference on Asian Food Security (ICAFS) 2011 in Singapore.

The Appearance and Development of Commercial Laboratories in China.

Independent Medical Laboratories in China - A Sunrise Industry under the Circumstances of Healthcare Reformation.

Tracing the Rise of KingMed and its Future Route - A Correspondence with Hongbo Li.

Establishment of IML Quality Managerial System in China.

The Collaboration between IML and Community Medical Hospitals: Supplementary Service with Tests, Technologies and Beyond.

The Collaboration between IML and Major Medical Institutions - Supplement Service with Esoteric Testing.

Notice from Ministry of Health on Printing and Distributing "Basic Standards for Medical Laboratory (on Trial)" - Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China.

INDIA – A novel form of gene regulation in bacteria.

INDIA – Algal biofuels are no energy panacea.

JAPAN – Medical Data Vision enhances the quality of medical care with Actian Vectorwise.

SINGAPORE – Singapore heart surgeon to receive honour from The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

SINGAPORE – ELGA^® to deliver innovative water purification at new Singapore General Hospital expansion.

AUSTRALIA – Specialised Therapeutics Australia: New drug to fight hospital superbug infection.

AUSTRALIA – Group of genes hold the clue in migraine cases.

AUSTRALIA – CT scans can triple risk of brain cancer, leukemia.

BRAZIL – Science can do more for sustainable development.

MIDDLE EAST – Particles and persecution: why we should care about Iranian physicists.

EUROPE – Medicyte coordinates EU-funded collaboration on Biomimetic Bioartificial Liver.

EUROPE – Selvita and Orion Pharma achieve a research milestone in Alzheimer's Disease Program.

EUROPE – Zinforo (ceftaroline fosamil) receives positive CHMP opinion in the European Union for the treatment of patients with serious skin infections or community acquired pneumonia.

USA – Vein grown from girl's own stem cells transplanted.

USA – Hidden vitamin in milk yields remarkable health benefits - Weill Cornell researchers show tiny vitamin in milk, in high doses, makes mice leaner, faster and stronger.

USA – New report finds biotechnology companies are participating in 39% of all projects in development for new medicines and technologies for neglected diseases.

USA – TriReme Medical receives FDA clearance for expanded matrix of sizes of Chocolate PTA balloon catheter.

USA – New data show investigational compound dapagliflozin demonstrated significant reductions in blood sugar levels when added to sitagliptin in adults with type 2 diabetes at 24 weeks, with results maintained over 48 weeks.

USA – Zalicus successfully completes Phase 1 single ascending dose study with Z944, a novel, oral T-Type Calcium Channel Blocker.

USA – Study provides clues to clinical trial cost savings.

INDONESIA – Biomed Analysis: Indonesia needs a central science fund.

KOREA – Agilent Technologies helps City of Daegu and Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology search for biomarkers for neurological diseases.

SINGAPORE – New S$6.5m facility at NTU by SCELSE and Carl Zeiss to boost used water treatment and environmental life sciences engineering research in Singapore.

SINGAPORE – Chugai expands in Singapore with opening of second satellite research institute.

SINGAPORE – Rising Above the Present into the Next-Generation.

SINGAPORE – Austrianova Singapore announces new pancreatic cancer models.

SINGAPORE – IBN and Fortis Colorectal Hospital establish tissue bank for colorectal cancer research.

SINGAPORE – Electronic medical records progress from an enterprise-centric solution to a customer-specific application, finds Frost & Sullivan.

SINGAPORE – Global perspectives on Health IT from Harvard Medical School thought leader, Dr Blackford Middleton.

AUSTRALIA – World's first fluorescent flowers.

UNITED KINGDOM – AbD Serotec introduces bovine and ovine Dendritic Cell Growth Kits and antibodies.

USA – Medicago Successfully Completes the Production of More Than Ten Million Doses of H1N1 VLP Influenza Vaccine in One Month.

USA – Research validates BioNano genomics' mapping platform for complex human genome analysis.

USA – Nine population strategies to stop short of 9 billion.

USA – Virtual science libraries to be launched in Central Asia.

USA – Vaginal ring may help reduce HIV infections.

INDIA – Lack of access to technology ‘hampers detection of substandard drugs’.

JAPAN – Daiichi Sankyo announces development of nucleic acid treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy utilizing proprietary technology.

SINGAPORE – IBN creates unlimited source of human kidney cells.

SINGAPORE – Dyesol and Singapore's NTU sign agreement.

THE PHILIPPINES – Global biotech/GM crop plantings increase 100-fold from 1996.

AUSTRALIA – Phosphagenics further expands pain portfolio.

AUSTRALIA – Primary Health Care signs Australia distribution agreement for iGeneScreen™ prenatal test.

AUSTRALIA – Folic acid in pregnancy linked with reduced autism risk.

AUSTRALIA – Phylogica and Bio-Link collaborate to commercialize anti-inflammatory Phylomers.

AUSTRALIA – ABRAXANE^® plus gemcitabine improves survival in Phase III study of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

CANADA – Verisante Technology, Inc. announces first sales of aura, a revolutionary medical device for the detection of skin cancer.

EUROPE – Project eyes robust medical technology for poor countries.

UNITED KINGDOM – Asthma sufferers have more lung fungi.

UNITED KINGDOM – Pioneering drug discovery gets major funding to move to next stage.

UNITED STATES – Gilead's sofosbuvir for hepatitis C meets primary endpoint in fourth pivotal Phase III study.

UNITED STATES – Eleven Biotherapeutics publishes data on EBI-005, a novel IL-1 inhibitor protein for topical treatment of dry eye disease.

UNITED STATES – Phase I/II trial of ADXS-HPV in anal cancer conducted by Brown University Oncology Group.

UNITED STATES – Scopolamine: An old drug with new psychiatric applications.

UNITED STATES – New bioengineered ears look and act like the real thing.

UNITED STATES – To trap a rainbow, slow down light.

UNITED STATES – AB SCIEX responds to milk contamination concerns with new method to detect dicyandiamide.

Treating An Aging Population – Innovative Dutch Solutions: Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency.

AUSTRALIA — Childhood CT scans slightly raise cancer risk.

AUSTRALIA — There's a very simple solution to your lack of vitamin D.

INDIA — India develops cheap rotavirus vaccine.

JAPAN — 'Tug of war' method to measure the copy number limits of all genes in budding yeast.

SINGAPORE — SG Austria co-edits just released book on living cell bioencapsulation.

SINGAPORE — Nano Today's 2013 impact factor increases from 15.355 to 17.689.

SINGAPORE — Cholesterol beats coronaviruses, Avian flu and Swine flu.

THE PHILIPPINES — Philippines maps out plan to switch to 100% renewables in 10 years.

EUROPE — Roche launches first sugar-transferase for new glyco-engineering portfolio.

EUROPE — Older liver cancer patients respond to radioembolization equally as well as younger patients.

NORTH AMERICA — Protein helps colon cancer move and invade.

NORTH AMERICA — FDA approval of VIBATIV(R) (telavancin) for the treatment of bacterial pneumonia.

NORTH AMERICA — “On Demand Medical Research” is up and running.

UNITED KINGDOM — Diabetes rises sharply among UK's young adults.

UNITED KINGDOM — 'Mental illness' isn't all about brain chemistry: it's about life.

UNITED KINGDOM — Public to see impact of medical research funding.

3D Printing in the Medical World.

Biogen Idec's Aducanumab (BIIB037) shown to reduce brain amyloid plaque levels slow cognitive decline in patients with prodromal or mild Alzheimer's disease.

Johnson Matthey recognized in 2015 CMO Leaderships Awards.

Heraeus enters agreement to acquire NeoMetrics.

AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo to jointly commercialize MOVANTIK in the US.

AbbVie and C2N enter worldwide license agreement for Alzheimer's disease therapy.

Menara Landmark Medical Suites expands healthcare and medical offerings in Johor Bahru.

Sigma-Aldrich® expands customer-centric model with investments in Singapore.

NTU setting up a new $30 million institute to boost Singapore's efforts in tackling human disease.

SCIENCE CHINA Life Sciences English Edition Publishes Domestic Type 2 Diabetes Research Findings.

Omega-3 Therapy May Help Reverse Type 1 Diabetes.

New Plastic-Eating Fungus May Solve Garbage Problem.

Chinese Researchers Reveal How Cells Prevent Viral Invasion.

Scientists Unlock TCM Drug’s Role in Weight Loss.

Medical Reforms in Beijing.

East China’s Anhui Province Innovates Advanced Technology.

DeltaHealth and Harvard Global Health Institute Hold Symposium.

HONG KONG News – HKSTP Welcomes Maz World to Hong Kong’s Vibrant Ecosystem to Commercialise Revolutionary Ostrich Antibody Technology from Japan