Sex classification using long‐range temporal dependence of resting‐state functional MRI time series

A thorough understanding of sex differences that exist in the brains of healthy individuals is crucial for the study of neurological illnesses that exhibit phenotypic differences between males and females. Here we evaluate sex differences in regional temporal dependence of resting‐state brain activity in 195 adult male–female pairs strictly matched for total grey matter volume from the Human Connectome Project. We find that males have more persistent temporal dependence in regions within temporal, parietal, and occipital cortices. Machine learning algorithms trained on regional temporal dependence measures achieve sex classification accuracies up to 81%. Regions with the strongest feature importance in the sex classification task included cerebellum, amygdala, and frontal and occipital cortices. Secondarily, we show that even after strict matching of total gray matter volume, significant volumetric sex differences persist; males have larger absolute cerebella, hippocampi, parahippocampi, thalami, caudates, and amygdalae while females have larger absolute cingulates, precunei, and frontal and parietal cortices. Sex classification based on regional volume achieves accuracies up to 85%, highlighting the importance of strict volume‐matching when studying brain‐based sex differences. Differential patterns in regional temporal dependence between the sexes identifies a potential neurobiological substrate or environmental effect underlying sex differences in functional brain activation patterns.     

Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms: are morphology and immunophenotyping still relevant?

The term myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN) refers to a group of clonal hematopoietic neoplasms with overlapping clinical, morphologic and genetic myelodysplastic and myeloproliferative features observed at the time of first presentation. Impaired hematopoiesis morphologically associated with evidence of myelodysplasia manifests clinically with cytopenia/s. Simultaneously, myeloproliferation is seen within the bone marrow and leads to cytosis in the peripheral blood.The diagnostic category of MDS/MPN encompasses a heterogeneous group of diseases which share similarities among them, but at the same time have distinct clinical and pathologic features and eventually diverse prognosis; such differences justify their separation in a classification scheme.In the era of genetic and genomic tests, their distinction from conventional myelodysplastic syndromes or myeloproliferative neoplasms still relies on close clinocopathological correlation, with evaluation of both peripheral blood and bone marrow samples being essential in this sense. A multiparametric integration of clinicopathologic data and cytogenetics and molecular genetics results is the preferred diagnostic approach.     

基于小波能量谱的先天或风湿性心脏病异常心音分类算法研究

目的为解决先天性心脏病或风湿性心脏病异常心音分辨问题,应用离散小波频带能量对异常心音分类算法进行研究。方法采集22人的正常心音和116人的异常心音,对心音信号做离散小波变换,根据病理性心杂音在频域内的分布范围划分5层频带,计算得到各层频带的能量占比,根据单因素方差分析方法,提出了基于小波能量谱的心音分类指标。结果对正常心音和异常心音的4个听诊区域进行了分类,最优分类准确率为92%。区分动脉导管未闭和其余异常心音的最优分类准确率为81.9%。结论基于小波能量谱的心音分类算法无需对心音信号进行分割,提取特征值少,可准确有效地对心音信号进行分类,相较于传统的心音听诊,算法的引入能够在异常心音临床诊断中提供参考数据。     

Use of Second Window ICG in spinal cord biopsy of a mildly contrast-enhancing lesion: Technical note and review of the literature

IntroductionIndocyanine green (ICG) is commonly used to visualize cerebral vasculature, particularly in the management of cerebral aneurysms. There have also been attempts to use ICG for visualization of tumors. Injection of ICG followed by immediate fluorescence microscopy is limited by the short time window for imaging and administration and restricted depth of imaging. Second Window Indocyanine Green (SWIG) addresses these issues by allowing for longer contrast times and the imaging of deeper regions of brain tissue. Biopsy of spinal cord lesions is often difficult for a variety of reasons, including the delicate nature of the tissue and differentiating normal from lesional tissue visually, especially in lesions with heterogeneous enhancement.MethodsIn this case report, we describe the use of second window ICG to facilitate the visualization of a spinal cord lesion and subsequent biopsy of the lesion.ResultsThis patient is a 24-year-old female who had recurrence of a suprasellar germinoma. An MRI of the rest of the neuraxis was performed to assess for the presence of drop metastases. The spinal cord from C2-5 was expanded with areas of patchy enhancement; however, this lesion was asymptomatic. The patient's oncologist requested a biopsy of this lesion to help direct subsequent care of her recurrent germinoma. The day before surgery, the patient had an intravenous injection of ICG dye. She then underwent a C3-5 laminectomy for biopsy of her cervical intramedullary lesion. After opening of the dura, no visible abnormality of the spinal cord could be identified. A Stryker endoscope showed an area of ICG uptake in the cord at approximately the C3-4 level. A midline myelotomy was centered over the ICG demarcated area and several samples were taken for pathology. Final biopsy results determined the lesion to be spinal cord parenchyma with perivascular and intraparenchymal lymphocytes – not consistent with spinal cord tumor or germinoma.ConclusionSecond Window ICG is effective in visualizing otherwise visually unremarkable spinal cord lesions. This technology can facilitate biopsy of these lesions and possibly their surgical resection.     

胃肠道间质瘤的MSCT表现与病理危险程度分析

目的研究胃肠道间质瘤的MSCT表现与病理危险程度分级的关系。方法此项研究对象为医院2014年1月—2018年12月经过手术、病理等确诊为胃肠道间质瘤的患者,共计50例,对其MSCT表现进行回顾分析,评估肿瘤最大径、生长方式等和病理危险程度分级关系。结果50例胃肠道间质瘤患者中,胃部18例,胃肠道外5例,肠道27例;病理分级中低度危险7例,中度危险8例,重度危险35例。不同危险程度肿瘤出现的位置和强化情况差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),肿瘤生长方式、形态、转移情况等对比差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论胃肠道间质瘤的MSCT表现有特性,和病理危险程度分级密不可分,对治疗、确定预后等有积极影响。     

Cost of postoperative complications: How to avoid calculation errors

Postoperative complications(PC) are a basic health outcome, but no surgery service in the world records and/or audits the PC associated with all the surgical procedures it performs. Most studies that have assessed the cost of PC suffer from poor quality and a lack of transparency and consistency. The payment system in place often rewards the volume of services provided rather than the quality of patients' clinical outcomes. Without a thorough registration of PC, the economic costs involved cannot be determined. An accurate, reliable appraisal would help identify areas for investment in order to reduce the incidence of PC,improve surgical results, and bring down the economic costs. This article describes how to quantify and classify PC using the Clavien-Dindo classification and the comprehensive complication index, discusses the perspectives from which economic evaluations are performed and the minimum postoperative follow-up established, and makes various recommendations. The availability of accurate and impartially audited data on PC will help reduce their incidence and bring down costs. Patients, the health authorities, and society as a whole are sure to benefit.