Improved Chest Anomaly Localization without Pixel-level Annotation via Image Translation Network Application in Pseudo-paired Registration Domain

Image translation based on a generative adversarial network (GAN-IT) is a promising method for the precise localization of abnormal regions in chest X-ray images (AL-CXR) even without pixel-level annotation. However, heterogeneous unpaired datasets undermine existing methods to extract key features and distinguish normal from abnormal cases, resulting in inaccurate and unstable AL-CXR. To address this problem, we propose an improved two-stage GAN-IT involving registration and data augmentation. For the first stage, we introduce an advanced deep-learning-based registration technique that virtually and reasonably converts unpaired data into paired data for learning registration maps, by sequentially utilizing linear-based global and uniform coordinate transformation and AI-based non-linear coordinate fine-tuning. This approach enables the independent and complex coordinate transformation of each detailed location of the lung while recognizing the entire lung structure, thereby achieving higher registration performance with resolving inherent artifacts caused by unpaired conditions. For the second stage, we apply data augmentation to diversify anomaly locations by swapping the left and right lung regions on the uniform registered frames, further improving the performance by alleviating imbalance in data distribution showing left and right lung lesions. The proposed method is model agnostic and shows consistent AL-CXR performance improvement in representative AI models. Therefore, we believe GAN-IT for AL-CXR can be clinically implemented by using our basis framework, even if learning data are scarce or difficult for the pixel-level disease annotation

Clinical Approach to the Standardization of Oriental Medical Diagnostic Pattern Identification in Stroke Patients

In Korea, many stroke patients receive oriental medical care, in which pattern-identification plays a major role. Pattern-identification is Oriental Medicine's unique diagnostic system. This study attempted to standardize oriental medical pattern-identification for stroke patients. This was a community-based multicenter study that enrolled stroke patients within 30 days after their ictus. We assessed the patients' general characteristics and symptoms related to pattern-identification. Each patient's pattern was determined when two doctors had the same opinion. To determine which variables affect the pattern-identification, binary logistic regression analysis was used with the backward method. A total of 806 stroke patients were enrolled. Among 480 patients who were identified as having a certain pattern, 100 patients exhibited the Fire Heat Pattern, 210 patients the Phlegm Dampness Pattern, nine patients the Blood Stasis Pattern, 110 patients the Qi Deficiency Pattern, and 51 patients the Yin Deficiency Pattern. After the regression analysis, the predictive logistic equations for the Fire Heat, Phlegm Dampness, Qi Deficiency, and Yin Deficiency patterns were determined. The Blood Stasis Pattern was omitted because the sample size was too small. Predictive logistic equations were suggested for four of the patterns. These criteria would be useful in determining each stroke patient's pattern in clinics. However, further studies with large samples are necessary to validate and confirm these criteria

A Parallelized Model For Simulating A Vertical Closed-Loop Geothermal Heat Pump System

ABSTRACT A borehole heat exchanger (BHE) is one of the important factors that can affect performance of the vertical closedloop geothermal heat pump (GHP) system. Its construction costs are also a large percentage of the overall initial costs of the GHP system. When constructing BHEs, several parameters should be determined, such as length of the borehole heat exchanger, the number of the BHEs, and spacing between BHEs. Numerical simulation can be used to find optimal parameters. However, it takes a long time to find optimal parameters with a large domain. To reduce the calculation time, a massively parallel computing procedure is introduced into the serial simulator for the vertical closed-loop GHP system. It can simulate temperature changes in the BHE with circulating fluid through the Utubes and compute groundwater flow and aquifer temperature changes. By increasing the number of processors, the total execution time was reduced from 7,031 seconds using two processors to 1,145 seconds using 32 processors. The total execution time of the serial model is 13,902 seconds

Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Acute Myocardial Infarction with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura: A Case Report

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is rare in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). We describe a case of an AMI during thrombocytopenia in a patient with chronic ITP. A 47-yr-old woman presented with anterior chest pain and a low platelet count (21,000/µL) at admission. Urgent coronary angiography revealed total occlusion of proximal right coronary artery and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was performed successfully. This case suggests that primary PCI may be a therapeutic option for an AMI in patients with ITP, even though the patient had severe thrombocytopenia

Realizable Minimally Invasive 1-Day Lumbar Interbody Fusion Surgery: No General Anesthesia, No Hemovac Insertion, No Skin Suture Surgery, and Early Ambulation

Objective The lumbar interbody fusion surgery, patients commonly have severe pain, requiring adequate bed rest for a long time. We performed a 1-day minimally invasive spine (MIS) lumbar interbody fusion that required no hemovac insertion and no skin suture and led to early ambulation. Here, we report the surgical procedure and results. Methods This study was designed as a retrospective review. From January 2013 to August 2014, 49 patients who received the MIS TLIF for 1-day MIS lumbar interbody fusion surgery were included in this study. The surgical procedures performed were as follows: (1) epidural catheter insertion; (2) midline subdermal dissection procedure; (3) MIS TLIF; (4) bleeding control procedure; (5) percutaneous transpedicular screwing; (6) tight subdermal plan suture; (7) skin sealing procedures. Postoperatively, wound dressing was not needed. Epidural catheter was removed on the second day after the operation. Results Average intraoperative bleeding was 128.6 mL per level. The average operation time was 78.9 min. per level. An average midline skin incision was 2.8 cm per level. The possible ambulation time was 0.94±0.88 day. The discharge time after antibiotic injection for 3 days was 4.88±1.51 days. In the corresponding order of preoperative and immediate postoperative, 3-month, 6-month, and final follow-up, Postoperative VAS (back), VAS (leg) and ODI improved significantly immediate postoperatively (p<0.0001). Postoperatively, there was no cases of revision due to hematoma. Conclusion The results indicated good clinical results of the 1-day minimally invasive lumbar interbody fusion surgery, without any serious complications

Defect states in hybrid solar cells consisting of Sb2S3 quantum dots and TiO2 nanoparticles

We have studied defect states in an organic-inorganic hybrid solar cell containing Sb2S3 quantum dots (QDs) and TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) by using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). An Au electrode was deposited as a Schottky contact on the sample, where the Sb2S3 QDs were distributed on the surface of TiO2 NPs by chemical synthesis. The activation energy and capture-cross section of an interface state between the Sb2S3 QDs and the TiO2 NPs were found to be about 0.78 eV and 2.21 x 10(-9) cm(-2), respectively. Also, the densities of this interface trap under a measurement voltage of -1 V were approximately 2.5 x 10(17) cm(-3). Based on these results, the interface trap was positioned around E-c - 1.03 eV below the conduction band edge of Sb2S3 QD. Thus, the external quantum efficiency of the solar cell was affected because of its role as a recombination center for carriers generated from Sb2S3 QDs. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLCclos