Side-information generation for temporally and spatially scalablewyner-ziv codecs

The distributed video coding paradigmenables video codecs to operate with reversed complexity, in which the complexity is shifted from the encoder toward the decoder. Its performance is heavily dependent on the quality of the side information generated by motio estimation at the decoder. We compare the rate-distortion performance of different side-information estimators, for both temporally and spatially scalableWyner-Ziv codecs. For the temporally scalable codec we compared an established method with a new algorithm that uses a linear-motion model to produce side-information. As a continuation of previous works, in this paper, we propose to use a super-resolution method to upsample the nonkey frame, for the spatial scalable codec, using the key frames as reference.We verify the performance of the spatial scalableWZcoding using the state-of-the-art video coding standard H.264/AVC

Bone mass and quality in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: longitudinal evaluation of bone mass determinants using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, peripheral quantitative computed tomography, and quantitative ultrasonography.

INTRODUCTION: Our objective was to evaluate longitudinally the main bone-mass and quality predictors in young juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients by using lumbar spine dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan, radius peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), and phalangeal quantitative ultrasonography (QUS) at the same time. METHODS: In total, 245 patients (172 females, 73 males; median age, 15.6 years: 148 oligoarticular, 55 polyarticular, 20 systemic, and 22 enthesitis-related-arthritis (ERA) onset) entered the study. Of these, 166 patients were evaluated longitudinally. Data were compared with two age- and sex-matched control groups. RESULTS: In comparison with controls, JIA patients, but not with ERA, had a reduced spine bone-mineral apparent density (BMAD) standard deviation score (P < 0.001) and musculoskeletal deficits, with significantly lower levels of trabecular bone mineral density (TrabBMD) (P < 0.0001), muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) (P < 0.005), and density-weighted polar section modulus (SSIp) (P < 0.05). In contrast, JIA showed fat CSA significantly higher than controls (P < 0.0001). Finally, JIA patients had a significant reduced amplitude-dependent speed of sound (AD-SoS) (P < 0.001), and QUS z score (P < 0.005). Longitudinally, we did not find any difference in all JIA patients in comparison with baseline, except for the SSIp value that normalized. Analyzing the treatments, a significant negative correlation among spine BMAD values, TrabBMD, AD-SoS, and systemic and/or intraarticular corticosteroids, and a positive correlation among TNF-α-blocking agents and spine BMAD, TrabBMD, and AD-SoS were observed. CONCLUSIONS: JIA patients have a low bone mass that, after a first increase due to the therapy, does not reach the normal condition over time. The pronounced bone deficits in JIA are greater than would be expected because of reduction in muscle cross-sectional area. Thus, bone alterations in JIA likely represent a mixed defect of bone accrual and lower muscle forces

Lemierre’s Syndrome: an atypical co-infection by Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Lemierre’s syndrome (LS) stands as a rare and life-threatening condition. It is secondary to an acute oropharyngeal infection, leading to thrombosis of the internal jugular vein (IJV) and subsequent dissemination to other organs through metastatic septic emboli, predominantly affecting the lungs. While anaerobic bacterium such as Fusobacterium necrophorum typically prevail as etiological agents for this syndrome, the presented case illustrates an uncommon occurence of Lemierre’s Syndrome incited by a co-infection of Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a 17-year old immunocompetent female. This highlights the importance of identifying alternative etiological agents capable of provoking this severe condition in order to provide tailored and timely therapeutic measures

Implante de Cardioversor-Desfibrilador de Dupla-Câmara Utilizando Cabo-Eletrodo Unico

O modo VDD com eletrodo único para a estimulaçao cardíaca artificial em pacientes com BAVT e resposta cronotrópica do nó sinusal tem sido utilizado em casos selecionados. Este relato de caso apresenta o uso de um eletrodo similar que inova ao incorporar uma mola de choque para a desfibrilaçao ventricular no mesmo cabo-eletrodo. Um cardioversor-desfibrilador-implantável (CDI) especialmente projetado, com canal de sensibilidade otimizado, permite a captaçao da onda P com segurança na obtençao do sincronismo atrioventricular. Adicionalmente, o sistema permite aumentar a especificidade dos algoritmos de discriminaçao de taquicardias supraventriculares de modo similar aos obtidos nos CDIs de dupla-câmara com dois eletrodos

Implante de Cardioversor-Desfibrilador de Dupla-Câmara Utilizando Cabo-Eletrodo Unico

O modo VDD com eletrodo único para a estimulaçao cardíaca artificial em pacientes com BAVT e resposta cronotrópica do nó sinusal tem sido utilizado em casos selecionados. Este relato de caso apresenta o uso de um eletrodo similar que inova ao incorporar uma mola de choque para a desfibrilaçao ventricular no mesmo cabo-eletrodo. Um cardioversor-desfibrilador-implantável (CDI) especialmente projetado, com canal de sensibilidade otimizado, permite a captaçao da onda P com segurança na obtençao do sincronismo atrioventricular. Adicionalmente, o sistema permite aumentar a especificidade dos algoritmos de discriminaçao de taquicardias supraventriculares de modo similar aos obtidos nos CDIs de dupla-câmara com dois eletrodos

Satisfação sexual feminina: mulheres climatéricas x adultas jovens / Female sexual satisfaction: climacteric women x young adults

A sexualidade confere um conjunto de características humanas que se traduz nas diferenças de expressar a energia vital, que envolve aspectos físicos, psicoemocionais e socioculturais. O objetivo do estudo é avaliar a satisfação sexual de mulheres adultas jovens e mulheres climatéricas, bem como identificar os fatores que interferem no desempenho sexual feminino. Trata-se de um estudo de revisão integrativa de caráter descritivo. A pesquisa foi realizada através de artigos dos seguintes bancos de dados: Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), Literatura Latino Americana e do Caribe de Ciências da Saúde (LILACS) e Scientific Eletronic Library Online (SciElo) com os descritores: “climatério”, “sexualidade” e “saúde da mulher”, juntamente com operadores boleanos da seguinte forma: Climatério AND Sexualidade AND Saúde da Mulher. No presente estudo é possível verificar que existe uma exigência acentuada pela beleza e jovialidade no climatério, visto que devido as alterações hormonais vivenciadas pelas mulheres nesse período, há uma diminuição no vigor físico e uma perda do desejo sexual, bem como um sentimento de baixa autoestima, diferentemente das mulheres jovens que se sentem mais atraentes, desejáveis e em sua maioria, não apresentam grandes problemas frente a sexualidade. No entanto, o desejo sexual está presente em ambos os grupos, porém, as climatéricas apresentam desejo sexual hipoativo se comparadas com as adultas jovens. Apesar do pequeno número de publicações com a temática proposta, foi possível concluir que a satisfação sexual de mulheres climatéricas se apresentou reduzida se comparada as adultas jovens

Comprehensive characterization of 536 patient-derived xenograft models prioritizes candidatesfor targeted treatment.

Development of candidate cancer treatments is a resource-intensive process, with the research community continuing to investigate options beyond static genomic characterization. Toward this goal, we have established the genomic landscapes of 536 patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models across 25 cancer types, together with mutation, copy number, fusion, transcriptomic profiles, and NCI-MATCH arms. Compared with human tumors, PDXs typically have higher purity and fit to investigate dynamic driver events and molecular properties via multiple time points from same case PDXs. Here, we report on dynamic genomic landscapes and pharmacogenomic associations, including associations between activating oncogenic events and drugs, correlations between whole-genome duplications and subclone events, and the potential PDX models for NCI-MATCH trials. Lastly, we provide a web portal having comprehensive pan-cancer PDX genomic profiles and source code to facilitate identification of more druggable events and further insights into PDXs\u27 recapitulation of human tumors

Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on liver cancer management (CERO-19).

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to healthcare systems and it may have heavily impacted patients with liver cancer (LC). Herein, we evaluated whether the schedule of LC screening or procedures has been interrupted or delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: An international survey evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical practice and clinical trials from March 2020 to June 2020, as the first phase of a multicentre, international, and observational project. The focus was on patients with hepatocellular carcinoma or intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, cared for around the world during the first COVID-19 pandemic wave. RESULTS: Ninety-one centres expressed interest to participate and 76 were included in the analysis, from Europe, South America, North America, Asia, and Africa (73.7%, 17.1%, 5.3%, 2.6%, and 1.3% per continent, respectively). Eighty-seven percent of the centres modified their clinical practice: 40.8% the diagnostic procedures, 80.9% the screening programme, 50% cancelled curative and/or palliative treatments for LC, and 41.7% modified the liver transplantation programme. Forty-five out of 69 (65.2%) centres in which clinical trials were running modified their treatments in that setting, but 58.1% were able to recruit new patients. The phone call service was modified in 51.4% of centres which had this service before the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 19/37). CONCLUSIONS: The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic had a tremendous impact on the routine care of patients with liver cancer. Modifications in screening, diagnostic, and treatment algorithms may have significantly impaired the outcome of patients. Ongoing data collection and future analyses will report the benefits and disadvantages of the strategies implemented, aiding future decision-making. LAY SUMMARY: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to healthcare systems globally. Herein, we assessed the impact of the first wave pandemic on patients with liver cancer and found that routine care for these patients has been majorly disrupted, which could have a significant impact on outcomes