Fall Detection Using FMCW Radar to Reduce Detection Errors for the Elderly

Fall accidents pose a significant threat of severe injuries for the elderly, who often need immediate assistance when they fall. Since the use of conventional contact sensors or cameras might be uncomfortable for the user, research on fall detection using non-contact sensors has received considerable attention. While most prior studies have relied heavily on Doppler-based velocity parameters to detect falls, using only Doppler information may lead to erroneous detection of fall-like behavior. As a result, a feature that accounts for additional information is necessary. Addressing this need, this study developed an algorithm for classifying falls by detecting human motions using frequency modulation continuous wave radar, proposing a novel feature to reduce detection errors. The suggested feature was computed using the range-velocity map of the 2D Fourier transform and evaluated using supervised machine learning techniques, such as support vector machine and linear discriminant analysis, attaining an accuracy higher than 91%

Heat Shock Protein: Hard Worker or Bad Offender for Gastric Diseases

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) have core housekeeping functions in the cells where they are built-in components of folding, signal transduction pathways, and quality control functions for which they proofread the structure of proteins and repair misfolded conformers. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection leads to significant inflammations in the gastric mucosa, which is closely associated with development of either precancerous lesion including chronic atrophic gastritis or gastric cancer in addition to, peptic ulcer disease, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Therefore, the association between H. pylori infection and role of HSP has been focused as an important issue because there had been rather conflicting publications showing that HSPs as a good worker for defense against H. pylori infection, whereas HSPs as a bad offender contributing to the progression of H. pylori-associated gastric carcinogenesis in addition to aggravation of gastric inflammation. In this paper regarding proteomic discovery of HSPs related to H. pylori-associated gastric diseases, we introduce several evidences obtained from proteomic analysis dealing with friend or foe role of HSP in H. pylori infection from a cellular level to human diseases. The implication of HSPs in alcoholic or NSAIDs-induced gastritis and the intervening of HSPs in biological changes exemplified with TGF-β signaling, key tumor suppressor growth factors regulating inflammation, immune function, and carcinogenesis were further introduced

Availability of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) rule for computed tomography scanning decision in children younger than 2 years with minor head injury

Purpose Traumatic brain injury is the most common cause of pediatric injury. Although computed tomography (CT) scan is an effective modality for screening fatal craniocerebral trauma, there is growing concern about radiation exposure associated with the consequent cancer particularly in children. We assessed validity of previous large prospective study named Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) retrospectively to determine the necessity of CT scans for children younger than 2 years with minor head injury. Methods We reviewed medical records of children younger than 2 years discharged from our emergency department with S00–09 diagnosis code of ICD-10 from August 2008 to December 2014. Patients who had only soft tissue injury without blunt trauma, did not CT scan take brain CT, whose head trauma was not mild, and who was uncertain to meet the rule were excluded. All included patients were divided into the PECARN rule positive group and negative group. Each group was compared by sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value to predict four outcomes of clinically important traumatic brain injury (ciTBI), abnormal CT findings, intracranial hemorrhage, and isolated simple skull fracture. Results A total of 1,491 patients were included, 656 PECARN rule positive and 835 negative patients. There is statistical difference between PECARN rule positive and negative the 2 group for ciTBI (P < 0.001), abnormal CT findings (P < 0.001), intracranial hemorrhage (P < 0.001), and isolated simple skull fracture (P < 0.001) with high sensitivity (100.0%, 89.5%, 91.7%,85.7%) and negative predictive value (100.0%, 99.3%, 99.6%, 99.6%). Conclusion We confirmed that PECARN rule is a useful tool to determine the necessity of CT scan and reduce unnecessary CT scan for children younger than 2 years with minor head injury

Development and validation of a prediction model for knee joint line orientation after high tibial osteotomy

Background Maintenance of optimal knee joint line orientation (KJLO) is important after high tibial osteotomy (HTO). No tools, however, are currently available that could predict the value of postoperative KJLO before surgery. First, this study sought to determine the effects of various preoperative anatomical alignment parameters to postoperative KJLO. Based upon these analyses, we aimed to devise an equation that predicts the value of postoperative KJLO. Methods A total of 14 radiographic parameters were measured in preoperative and postoperative full-limb standing anteroposterior radiographs on 50 patients who underwent open-wedge HTO. The parameters were analysed using multivariable linear regression to predict KJLO after HTO. External validation of the equation was done with 20 patients who underwent HTO at another institution. Results After HTO, KJLO increased from − 0.8° to 2.9° (P < 0.001). Based on the multivariable linear regression analysis, an equation was derived that can estimate postoperative KJLO after HTO; postoperative KJLO(°) = 1.029 + 0.560 × preoperative KJLO(°) + 0.310 × preoperative tibia plateau inclination(°) + 0.463 × aimed correction angle(°). The adjusted coefficients of determination value for this equation was 0.721. The equation also showed good calibration and predictability in external validation with predicted squared correlation coefficient of 0.867. Conclusions This study analysed the effects of preoperative anatomical alignment parameters on the postoperative KJLO. An equation which predicts postoperative KJLO with preoperative anatomical alignment factors was devised and validated. This equation would help in selecting optimal patients for HTO and in selecting the optimal target correction angle in HTO

Clinical outcomes of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for portal hypertension: Korean multicenter real-practice data

Background/AimsThis retrospective study assessed the clinical outcome of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure for managing portal hypertension in Koreans with liver cirrhosis.MethodsBetween January 2003 and July 2013, 230 patients received a TIPS in 13 university-based hospitals.ResultsOf the 229 (99.6%) patients who successfully underwent TIPS placement, 142 received a TIPS for variceal bleeding, 84 for refractory ascites, and 3 for other indications. The follow-up period was 24.9±30.2 months (mean±SD), 74.7% of the stents were covered, and the primary patency rate at the 1-year follow-up was 78.7%. Hemorrhage occurred in 30 (21.1%) patients during follow-up; of these, 28 (93.3%) cases of rebleeding were associated with stent dysfunction. Fifty-four (23.6%) patients developed new hepatic encephalopathy, and most of these patients were successfully managed conservatively. The cumulative survival rates at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months were 87.5%, 75.0%, 66.8%, and 57.5%, respectively. A high Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score was significantly associated with the risk of death within the first month after receiving a TIPS (P=0.018). Old age (P<0.001), indication for a TIPS (ascites vs. bleeding, P=0.005), low serum albumin (P<0.001), and high MELD score (P=0.006) were associated with overall mortality.ConclusionsA high MELD score was found to be significantly associated with early and overall mortality rate in TIPS patients. Determining the appropriate indication is warranted to improve survival in these patients