Color LAR codec : a color image representation and compression scheme based on local resolution adjustment and on self-extracting region representation

This LAR (Locally Adaptive Resolution) color image coding scheme yields to an efficient progressive compression with a better subjective quality than Jpeg2000. Additionally, it offers region functionalities for low bit rate coding and decoding. From highly compressed luminance, a region description, without contours encoding, can be obtained through a segmentation process performed at both coder and decoder. Considering color results, controlled chrominance components segmentation provides a better data consistency simultaneously with a low bit rate compression. As regions and their encoding are based on a same representation grid, enhancement of image quality can be global, or only restricted to a Region Of Interest.Cet article présente un schéma original de codage progressif d'images couleur apportant à la fois une efficacité en termes de compression (meilleure qualité subjective que Jpeg2000) et des fonctionnalités au niveau région à bas débits pour le codeur et le décodeur. À partir de l'image des luminances codée à bas débit par le codec LAR (Locally Adaptive Resolution), une description en régions, sans codage des contours, est obtenue à travers un procédé de segmentation effectué au codeur et au décodeur. Cette segmentation peut être contrôlée par les composantes chromatiques pour une meilleure cohérence du résultat d'un point de vue couleur. Un codage basé régions appliqué sur les images de chrominance produit alors une compression de ces composantes à très bas débit. Comme les régions et le codage de leur contenu partagent une même grille de représentation, l'amélioration de la qualité de l'image peut être globale, ou limitée à une zone d'intérêt

The Latin American Dialysis and Renal Transplantation Registry: report 2019

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Latin America (LA) continues to represent a challenge due to the burden of disease it causes and the difficulty in accessing treatment. LA has a total population of 652 million people living in 20 countries that occupy an area of 19.2 million km2. The Latin American Dialysis and Renal Transplantation Registry (LADRTR), founded in 1991, has collected data and reports on patients receiving kidney replacement therapy (KRT) since 1993. This article summarizes the registry data for 2019. Methods Participating countries complete an annual survey collecting aggregated data on incident and prevalent patients on KRT in all modalities. The different treatment modalities considered were hemodialysis (HD), peritoneal dialysis (PD) and living functioning kidney graft (LFG). National gross domestic product per capita (GDP, expressed in US dollars) and life expectancy at birth (LEB) corresponding to the year 2019 were collected from the World Bank Data Bank. Prevalence and incidence were compared with previous years and were also correlated with GDP and LEB. Results On 31 December 2019 a total of 432 610 patients were in KRT in LA, corresponding to an overall unadjusted prevalence of 866 per million population (pmp). Regarding treatment modality, 66.7% of the prevalent patients were treated with HD and 9.3% with PD while 24% of the patients had an LFG. A total of 85 224 patients started KRT in LA, representing a total unadjusted incidence rate of 168 pmp. Diabetic nephropathy as a cause of CKD continues to be a relevant percentage (36%) and five countries reported CKD of nontraditional causes. The kidney transplant rate in the region was 22 pmp, varying from 1 to >60 pmp. The total prevalence of KRT correlated positively with GDP per capita (r2 = 0.6, P < 0.01) and LEB (r2 = 0.23, P < 0.05). The overall incidence rate also significantly correlated with GDP (r2 = 0.307, P < 0.05). The overall unadjusted mortality rate was 13%. Conclusion Accessibility to KRT is still limited in LA. It is necessary to continue the efforts made by each country and the Latin American Society of Nephrology and Hypertension to guarantee equal access to treatment

The epidemiology of renal replacement therapy in two different parts of the worldThe Latin American Dialysis and Transplant Registry versus the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association Registry

Publisher Copyright: © 2018 Pan American Health Organization. All rights reserved.Objective: To compare the epidemiology of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Latin America and Europe, as well as to study differences in macro-economic indicators, demographic and clinical patient characteristics, mortality rates, and causes of death between these two populations. Methods: We used data from 20 Latin American and 49 European national and subnational renal registries that had provided data to the Latin American Dialysis and Renal Transplant Registry (RLADTR) and the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA) Registry, respectively. The incidence and prevalence of RRT in 2013 were calculated per million population (pmp), overall and by subcategories of age, sex, primary renal disease, and treatment modality. The correlation between gross domestic product and the prevalence of RRT was analyzed using linear regression. Trends in the prevalence of RRT between 2004 and 2013 were assessed using Joinpoint regression analysis. Results: In 2013, the overall incidence at day 91 after the onset of RRT was 181 pmp for Latin American countries and 130 pmp for European countries. The overall prevalence was 660 pmp for Latin America and 782 pmp for Europe. In the Latin American countries, the annual increase in the prevalence averaged 4.0% (95% confdence interval (CI): 2.5%-5.6%) from 2004 to 2013, while the European countries showed an average annual increase of 2.2% (95% CI: 2.0%-2.4%) for the same time period. The crude mortality rate was higher in Latin America than in Europe (112 versus 100 deaths per 1 000 patient-years), and cardiovascular disease was the main cause of death in both of those regions. Conclusions. There are considerable differences between Latin America and Europe in the epidemiology of RRT for ESRD. Further research is needed to explore the reasons for these differences.Peer reviewe

Unexpected Massive Hemothorax After Pancreatic Islet Transplantation: A Case Report

The percutaneous transhepatic portal approach is the most commonly used technique for islet transplantation, largely owing to its safety and minimally invasive characteristic. Bleeding complications after islet transplantation are rare and include portal vein thrombosis and subcapsular liver hematoma. We report a massive hemothorax after portal vein catheterization in a patient with brittle type 1 diabetes undergoing hepatic islet embolization. The patient was under long-term aspirin therapy because of vascular complications and received heparin in low doses to prevent the instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction and reduce the risk of portal vein thrombosis. The present case illustrates the particular risk of bleeding complications in patients with brittle type 1 diabetes, who represent a frail population. This uncommon adverse event highlights the importance of close monitoring in the first days following islet transplantation