Identifying TBI Physiological States by Clustering Multivariate Clinical Time-Series Data

Determining clinically relevant physiological states from multivariate time series data with missing values is essential for providing appropriate treatment for acute conditions such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), respiratory failure, and heart failure. Utilizing non-temporal clustering or data imputation and aggregation techniques may lead to loss of valuable information and biased analyses. In our study, we apply the SLAC-Time algorithm, an innovative self-supervision-based approach that maintains data integrity by avoiding imputation or aggregation, offering a more useful representation of acute patient states. By using SLAC-Time to cluster data in a large research dataset, we identified three distinct TBI physiological states and their specific feature profiles. We employed various clustering evaluation metrics and incorporated input from a clinical domain expert to validate and interpret the identified physiological states. Further, we discovered how specific clinical events and interventions can influence patient states and state transitions.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 2 table

Is a simplified Finite Element model of the gluteus region able to capture the mechanical response of the internal soft tissues under compression?

Internal soft tissue strains have been shown to be one of the main factors responsible for the onset of Pressure Ulcers and to be representative of its risk of development. However, the estimation of this parameter using Finite Element (FE) analysis in clinical setups is currently hindered by costly acquisition, reconstruction and computation times. Ultrasound (US) imaging is a promising candidate for the clinical assessment of both morphological and material parameters. Method: The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of a local FE model of the region beneath the ischium with a limited number of parameters to capture the internal response of the gluteus region predicted by a complete 3D FE model. 26 local FE models were developed, and their predictions were compared to those of the patient-specific reference FE models in sitting position. Findings: A high correlation was observed (R = 0.90, p-value < 0.01). A sensitivity analysis showed that the most influent parameters were the mechanical behaviour of the muscle tissues, the ischium morphology and the external mechanical loading. Interpretation: Given the progress of US for capturing both morphological and material parameters, these results are promising because they open up the possibility to use personalised simplified FE models for risk estimation in daily clinical routine.This work was supported by the Fondation de l'Avenir (grant number AP-RM-2016-030), by la Fondation des Arts et Métiers and the Fonds de dotation Clinatec. The authors are also grateful to the ParisTech BiomecAM chair program on subject-specific musculoskeletal modelling

Applications of aerospace technology in the public sector

Current activities of the program to accelerate specific applications of space related technology in major public sector problem areas are summarized for the period 1 June 1971 through 30 November 1971. An overview of NASA technology, technology applications, and supporting activities are presented. Specific technology applications in biomedicine are reported including cancer detection, treatment and research; cardiovascular diseases, diagnosis, and treatment; medical instrumentation; kidney function disorders, treatment, and research; and rehabilitation medicine

Technology applications

A summary of NASA Technology Utilization programs for the period of 1 December 1971 through 31 May 1972 is presented. An abbreviated description of the overall Technology Utilization Applications Program is provided as a background for the specific applications examples. Subjects discussed are in the broad headings of: (1) cancer, (2) cardiovascular disease, (2) medical instrumentation, (4) urinary system disorders, (5) rehabilitation medicine, (6) air and water pollution, (7) housing and urban construction, (8) fire safety, (9) law enforcement and criminalistics, (10) transportation, and (11) mine safety

Guideline on therapeutic dentistry for the 5-th term

РУКОВОДСТВАСТОМАТОЛОГИЯ ЛЕЧЕБНО-ВОССТАНОВИТЕЛЬНАЯСТОМАТОЛОГИЯ ТЕРАПЕВТИЧЕСКАЯИНОСТРАННЫЕ СТУДЕНТЫУЧЕБНО-МЕТОДИЧЕСКИЕ ПОСОБИЯПособие составлено в соответствии с учебной программой для медицинских вузов по терапевтической стоматологии. Предназначено для внутреннего использования

Southwest Research Institute assistance to NASA in biomedical areas of the technology

Significant applications of aerospace technology were achieved. These applications include: a miniaturized, noninvasive system to telemeter electrocardiographic signals of heart transplant patients during their recuperative period as graded situations are introduced; and economical vital signs monitor for use in nursing homes and rehabilitation hospitals to indicate the onset of respiratory arrest; an implantable telemetry system to indicate the onset of the rejection phenomenon in animals undergoing cardiac transplants; an exceptionally accurate current proportional temperature controller for pollution studies; an automatic, atraumatic blood pressure measurement device; materials for protecting burned areas in contact with joint bender splints; a detector to signal the passage of animals by a given point during ecology studies; and special cushioning for use with below-knee amputees to protect the integrity of the skin at the stump/prosthesis interface

Athletic exposure to repetitive brain trauma and its effect on the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston UniversityChronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease marked by widespread accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau (ptau). CTE is associated with a constellation of symptoms, including impairments in cognition, behavior, and mood. Although initially described in boxers as dementia pugilistrca, CTE has been diagnosed in athletes from a variety of backgrounds, as well as military veterans and other individuals exposed to traumatic brain injury (TBI). To date, the only shared risk factor for CTE is a history of single or multiple TBI. This work aimed to better elucidate the relationship between exposure to head impacts and the development and progression of CTE. Although the link between brain injury and CTE has been well described, the magnitude of this relationship has never been studied epidemiologically. The minimum prevalence of CTE was determined in a cohort at high risk of exposure to head impacts, specifically National Football League (NFL) athletes. All former NFL athletes who passed away in 2011 were identified; a subset of these athletes were studied and diagnosed with CTE to establish a minimum prevalence of CTE. The characteristics of those examined and diagnosed with CTE and those undiagnosed were explored. These analyses represent the first epidemiologic study of CTE; the high prevalence highlights the relationship between exposure to head impacts and the diagnosis of CTE. Next, the relationship between the nature of athletic exposure and CTE was quantified. An athletic history questionnaire was developed and integrated into a mathematical model, incorporating data from sensors placed in football players' helmets, to identify the theoretical frequency and magnitude of an athlete's head impact exposure. This model was adapted for use postmortem, and it was found that the duration of athletic exposure, total theoretical collisions experienced; and the sum of the 95th percentiles of the rotational acceleration endured, were all significantly associated with extent of CTE pathology. The relationships between the type of athletic exposure and the clinical presentation of disease and the specific neuroanatomic distribution of p-tau were also explored. These findings indicate the significant role of athletic exposure to head impacts on the diagnosis and progression of CTE, clinically and pathologically