A Multi-Scale DNN Algorithm for Nonlinear Elliptic Equations with Multiple Scales

Algorithms based on deep neural networks (DNNs) have attracted increasing attention from the scientific computing community. DNN based algorithms are easy to implement, natural for nonlinear problems, and have shown great potential to overcome the curse of dimensionality. In this work, we utilize the multi-scale DNN-based algorithm (MscaleDNN) proposed by Liu, Cai and Xu (2020) to solve multi-scale elliptic problems with possible nonlinearity, for example, the p-Laplacian problem. We improve the MscaleDNN algorithm by a smooth and localized activation function. Several numerical examples of multi-scale elliptic problems with separable or non-separable scales in low-dimensional and high-dimensional Euclidean spaces are used to demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the MscaleDNN numerical scheme.     

Distinct perceptive pathways selected with tonic and bursting patterns of thalamic stimulation

BackgroundNovel patterns of electrical stimulation of the brain and spinal cord hold tremendous promise to improve neuromodulation therapies for diverse disorders, including tremor and pain. To date, there are limited numbers of experimental studies in human subjects to help explain how stimulation patterns impact the clinical response, especially with deep brain stimulation.We propose using novel stimulation patterns during electrical stimulation of somatosensory thalamus in awake deep brain stimulation surgeries and hypothesize that stimulation patterns will influence the sensory percept without moving the electrode.MethodsIn this study of 15 fully awake patients, the threshold of perception as well as perceptual characteristics were compared for tonic (trains of regularly-repeated pulses) and bursting stimulation patterns.ResultsIn a majority of subjects, tonic and burst percepts were located in separate, non-overlapping body regions (i.e., face vs. hand) without moving the stimulating electrode (p < 0.001; binomial test). The qualitative features of burst percepts also differed from those of tonic-evoked percepts as burst patterns were less likely to evoke percepts described as tingling (p = 0.013; Fisher’s exact test).ConclusionsBecause somatosensory thalamus is somatotopically organized, percept location can be related to anatomic thalamocortical pathways. Thus, stimulation pattern may provide a mechanism to select for different thalamocortical pathways. This added control could lead to improvements in neuromodulation - such as improved efficacy and side effect attenuation - and may also improve localization for sensory prostheses.     

Surgical and Hardware Complications of Deep Brain Stimulation—A Single Surgeon Experience of 519 Cases Over 20 Years

ObjectiveDeep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery has its own set of risks and complications. This study from a single center and a single surgeon analyzes various risk factors for complications and tries to establish if there is a learning curve effect in minimizing the complications.Materials and MethodsA retrospective analysis of 519 patients (1024 leads) who underwent DBS surgery and 232 patients who underwent implantable pulse generator replacement (IPG), by a single surgeon, between the years 1999 and 2019 was performed. Perioperative and hardware related complications were evaluated.ResultsThe follow-up period ranged from six months to 20 years. Surgery-related complications occurred in 46 (8.9%) cases which included confusion in 31 (5.98%), intracerebral hemorrhage in 7 (1.3%), vasovagal attack in 3 (0.58%), respiratory distress in 2 (0.38%), postoperative aggressiveness in 1 (0.19%), and blepharospasm in 2 (0.38%) patients. Complications related to the DBS hardware were found in 35 cases, including erosion and infection in 22 (2.95%), inaccurate lead placement or migration in 6 (0.6%) lead fracture/extension wire failure in 2 (0.26%), IPG malfunction in 2 (0.26%), and hardware discomfort in 3 (0.4%) cases. In three patients, one lead was repositioned. In cases of infection, 87% of patients had either partial or complete removal of hardware. There was no mortality. The complications were analyzed for every 100 DBS procedures. There was a significant drop in the percentage of complications in from 23% in the first 100 cases to 7% in the last 100 cases (p < 0.0001).ConclusionConfusion remains the most frequent operative and perioperative complication. Erosion and infection of the surgical site represents the most frequent hardware complication. DBS surgery is safe and the complication rates are acceptably low. The complication rate also decreases with cumulative years of experience, demonstrating a learning curve effect.     

新型生物可降解腔静脉滤器的设计研究

目的为了弥补目前临床应用中腔静脉滤器的缺陷,本研究设计了一款新型生物可降解型腔静脉滤器,在肺栓塞危险期度过后,滤器可缓慢的降解、吸收,避免了二次取出手术。方法该款滤器由手工制作,分为上下2部分:上方是由6条聚糖乳酸缝线组成的圆锥形过滤结构;下方是聚己内酯支架,支架展开后实现滤器在腔静脉的中央型固定。在超声引导下,将滤器植入到10只犬体内。术后6周手术取出滤器,下腔静脉和肺组织行病理学检查,观察滤器的降解情况、下腔静脉壁的改变以及滤器的降解产物是否导致医源性肺栓塞。结果本研究手工制作了生物可降解滤器,并成功的植入到10只杂交犬的下腔静脉。术后所有犬均正常存活,未发生异常生命体征及伤口感染,有1例犬出现双下肢肿胀。1滤器移位:所有滤器不同程度的向头端移位。有1例犬的植入滤器移位至右房室孔,剩余的9例,滤器移位小于2 cm,仍位于肾静脉以下。2标本肉眼所见:所有的可降解支架被下腔静脉内皮细胞覆盖,肉眼未见明显的变化。滤器植入处下腔静脉壁增厚,但未出现明显狭窄。8例犬可见可吸收缝线完全降解,1例犬出现可吸收缝线被下腔静脉壁包裹,管腔内可见增生的纤维结缔组织和少量炎性细胞浸润,导致约70%的管腔阻塞。3标本HE染色:9例犬下腔静脉均存在炎性反应,中膜和内膜增厚,肺组织切片未见到降解产物所致的肺动脉栓塞和肺动脉壁的炎性反应。结论本研究成功设计了一款生物可降解腔静脉滤器,并通过动物体内实验证实这款滤器具有良好的生物相容性和可降解性。     

Infections and foreign bodies in ENT

Infections of the ear, nose and throat are common. The majority of these infections are managed by the primary care physicians and they settle with conservative and medical management. However, a small group can progress to become troublesome and develop complications to the extent that they may require surgical intervention. Some of the infections can lead to life-threatening complications, therefore awareness and correct diagnosis along with appropriate management is paramount. Foreign bodies in the ear, nose and throat are commonly encountered. The location and type of foreign body can have an implication on the urgency of action and the possible complications. In this article the common ENT infections and foreign bodies and their management are discussed.     

Moderate versus deep sedation in adults undergoing colonoscopy: systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing effectiveness and safety of moderate and deep sedation during colonoscopy.

Research design and methods: We searched Medline, Embase, Central and Google scholar in May 2017 and updated in March 2018 to identify all randomized controlled trials that compared the effectiveness and safety of moderate and deep sedation during colonoscopy. The quality of studies was assessed using the “Risk of bias” tool. The primary endpoints were defined as patient satisfaction, physician satisfaction, incidence of recall and incidence of desaturation. Recovery time was also evaluated. Review Manager and Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software were used for statistical analysis.

Results: A total of 919 patients from three studies were included in the final analysis. The combined analysis did not reveal any differences in patient satisfaction between moderate and deep sedation (RR?=?0.94; 95% CI: 0.86 to 1.04; P_chi²?=?0.06; I²?=?65%; number needed to treat to harm [NNTH]?=?15.6; 95% CI: NNTH 7.8 to ∞ to number needed to treat to benefit [NNTB]?=?3078.0), physician satisfaction (RR?=?0.35; 95% CI: 0.02 to 6.95; P_chi² < 0.001; I²?=?100%; NNTB?=?1.6; 95% CI: 1.5 to 1.8), incidence of recall (RR?=?5.82; 95% CI: 0.51 to 66.48; P_chi²?=?0.11; I²?=?60%; NNTH?=?11.0; 95% CI: 7.5 to 20.5) or recovery time (mean difference?=?-6.77; 95% CI: -16.21 to 2.67; P_chi² < 0.001; I²?=?99%). However, incidence of desaturation was higher in the deep group than in the moderate group (RR?=?0.18; 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.99; P_chi²?=?0.48; I²?=?0%; NNTB?=?56.7; 95% CI: 31.6 to 273.1).

Conclusions: Moderate sedation showed comparable safety and effectiveness to deep sedation with respect to patient satisfaction, physician satisfaction, incidence of recall and recovery time.     

直肠癌淋巴结转移的深度神经网络评判研究进展

正目前,临床上对于直肠癌常用的影像评估方法有MRI、螺旋CT、PET-CT、直肠腔内超声(ERUS)等。而MRI作为首选检查方式,对肿瘤位置、浸润深度、淋巴结转移、血管侵犯、环周切缘及周围器官侵犯等方面的评估均具有明显优势~([1-2])。通过MRI诊断淋巴结的方法通常是影像科医师逐层浏览每一幅图像,从中识别淋巴结的形状、界限及密度来判断,这种传统方式耗时较长且存在主观偏倚,导致     

Computational pathology definitions,best practices,and recommendations for regulatory guidance: a white paper from the Digital Pathology Association

In this white paper, experts from the Digital Pathology Association (DPA) define terminology and concepts in the emerging field of computational pathology, with a focus on its application to histology images analyzed together with their associated patient data to extract information. This review offers a historical perspective and describes the potential clinical benefits from research and applications in this field, as well as significant obstacles to adoption. Best practices for implementing computational pathology workflows are presented. These include infrastructure considerations, acquisition of training data, quality assessments, as well as regulatory, ethical, and cyber-security concerns. Recommendations are provided for regulators, vendors, and computational pathology practitioners in order to facilitate progress in the field. © 2019 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.