Propagation of uncertainty in atmospheric parameters to hyperspectral unmixing

Atmospheric correction (AC) is important in pre-processing of airborne hyperspectral imagery. AC requires knowledge on the atmospheric state expressed by atmospheric condition parameters. Their values are affected by uncertainties that propagate to the application level. This study investigates the propagation of uncertainty from column water vapor (CWV) and aerosol optical depth (AOD) towards abundance maps obtained by means of spectral unmixing. Both Fully Constrained Least Squares (FCLS) and FCLS with Total Variation (FCLS-TV) are applied. We use five simulated datasets contaminated by various noise levels. Three datasets cover two spectral scenarios with different endmembers. A univariate and a bivariate analysis are carried out on CWV and AOD. The other two datasets are used to analyze the effect of surface albedo. The analysis identifies trends in performance degradation caused by the gradual shift in parameter values from their true value. The maximum achievable performance depends upon spectral characteristics of the datasets, noise level, and surface albedo. As expected, under noisy conditions FCLS-TV performs better than FCLS. Our research opens new perspectives for applications where estimation of reflectance is so far considered to be deterministic

Severe head injury: The place for regional centers

We are discussing the administrative aspect of solving the severe head trauma and the new modern aspects for pre and post operatory survey, using as a point of departure the case of a patient explored and sent to our department. The aim is not always to improve patient prognosis but to be more precise in depicting patient future evolution especially with patient with isolated, severe head injury who are most prone to be subjects for organ transplantation

Persistent median artery in the carpal tunnel: anatomy, embryology, clinical significance, and review of the literature

The median artery usually regresses after the eighth week of intrauterine life, but in some cases it persists into adulthood. The persistent median artery (PMA) passes through the carpal tunnel of the wrist, accompanying the median nerve. During anatomical dissection in our department, we found two unilateral cases of PMA originating from the ulnar artery. In both cases the PMA passed through the carpal tunnel, reached the palm, and anastomosed with the ulnar artery, forming a medio-ulnar type of superficial palmar arch. In addition, in both cases we observed a high division of the median nerve before entering the carpal tunnel. Such an artery may result in several complications such as carpal tunnel syndrome, pronator syndrome, or compression of the anterior interosseous nerve. Therefore, the presence of a PMA should be taken into consideration in clinical practice. This study presents two cases of PMA along with an embryological explanation, analysis of its clinical significance, and a review of the literature. The review of the literature includes cases observed during surgical procedures or anatomical dissections. Cases observed by means of imaging techniques were not included in the study

Statistical Power of Alternative Structural Models for Comparative Effectiveness Research: Advantages of Modeling Unreliability

The advantages of modeling the unreliability of outcomes when evaluating the comparative effectiveness of health interventions is illustrated. Adding an action-research intervention component to a regular summer job program for youth was expected to help in preventing risk behaviors. A series of simple two-group alternative structural equation models are compared to test the effect of the intervention on one key attitudinal outcome in terms of model fit and statistical power with Monte Carlo simulations. Some models presuming parameters equal across the intervention and comparison groups were under- powered to detect the intervention effect, yet modeling the unreliability of the outcome measure increased their statistical power and helped in the detection of the hypothesized effect. Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) could benefit from flexible multi- group alternative structural models organized in decision trees, and modeling unreliability of measures can be of tremendous help for both the fit of statistical models to the data and their statistical power

Perioperative management of patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomies (PD). Surgical clinic no. III Cluj expertise

Clinica Chirurgie III, Institutul Regional de Gastroenterologie si Hepatologie, UMF “Iuliu Hatieganu” Cluj-Napoca, România, Al XIII-lea Congres al Asociației Chirurgilor „Nicolae Anestiadi” și al III-lea Congres al Societății de Endoscopie, Chirurgie miniminvazivă și Ultrasonografie ”V.M.Guțu” din Republica MoldovaIntroducere: În 2009, în Clinica Chirurgie III Cluj-Napoca a fost introdus un protocol care cuprinde aspecte legate de pregătirea preoperatorie a pacienților pentru DPC, de tactica și tehnica intraoperatorie, și tratament postoperator. Material si metode: Studiul înrolează 444 pacienti cu DPC operați în clinica între 2009-2018, împărțiți în două loturi: 2009-2015 și 2016-2018. Au fost urmăriți factorii incriminați în apariția principalelor complicații postoperatorii, rezultatele fiind comparate cu cele obținute înainte de 2009. Informaţiile s-au colectat utilizând Excel 2009, analiza statistică efectuandu-se cu software-ul R v3.2.4. Rezultate: Nu am obtinut reducerea semnificativă a morbidității (53% înainte de 2009, 45,6% între 2009-2015 și 42% între 2016- 2018), însă a scăzut rata de apariție a fistulei pancreatice (de la 10% la 9,06%, respectiv 7,5%) și a stazei gastrice (de la 43% la 20,47%, respectiv 12,8%). Hemoragia bontului pancreatic a apărut mai frecvent (de la 2%, la 6,71%, respectiv 7,2%). Mortalitatea s-a redus semnificativ (de la 11,9%, la 6,04%, respectiv 3,99%), datorită scăderii fistulelor pancreatice grad C. Concluzie: Implementarea protocolului de pregătire a DPC și-a dovedit utilitatea, iar preocuparea de îmbunătațire a acestuia, prin adaptarea la literatură și la propria experiență rămâne o prioritate.Introduction: In 2009, a protocol was introduced at the Surgical Clinic III Cluj-Napoca, which included aspects related to preoperative preparation of patients for PD, intraoperative tactics and technique, and postoperative treatment. Material and Method: The study includes 444 patients with PD operated in the clinic between 2009-2018, divided into two batches: 2009-2015 and 2016-2018. We followed the factors involved in the occurrence of the main postoperative complications and the results were compared with those we obtained before 2009. The information was collected using Excel 2009, the statistical analysis being performed with the software R v3.2.4. Results: We have not achieved a significant decrease in morbidity (53% before 2009, 45.6% between 2009-2015 and 42% between 2016-2018), but decreased the rate of pancreatic fistula (from 10% to 9, 06% and 7.5% respectively) and gastric stasis (from 43% to 20.47% and 12.8% respectively). Pancreas bleeding occurred more frequently (from 2% to 6.71% and 7.2%, respectively). Mortality was significantly reduced (from 11.9% to 6.04% and 3.99%, respectively) due to the reduce rate of grade C pancreatic fistulae. Conclusion: Implementation of the protocol has proven useful and the concern for improvement by adapting it to literature and our experience remains a priority

Consistent interactions of dual linearized gravity in D=5: couplings with a topological BF model

Under some plausible assumptions, we find that the dual formulation of linearized gravity in D=5 can be nontrivially coupled to the topological BF model in such a way that the interacting theory exhibits a deformed gauge algebra and some deformed, on-shell reducibility relations. Moreover, the tensor field with the mixed symmetry (2,1) gains some shift gauge transformations with parameters from the BF sector.Comment: 63 pages, accepted for publication in Eur. Phys. J.

Measuring and Estimating GFR and Treatment Effect in ADPKD Patients: Results and Implications of a Longitudinal Cohort Study

Trials failed to demonstrate protective effects of investigational treatments on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) reduction in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD). To assess whether above findings were explained by unreliable GFR estimates, in this academic study we compared GFR values centrally measured by iohexol plasma clearance with corresponding values estimated by Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-Epi) and abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (aMDRD) formulas in ADPKD patients retrieved from four clinical trials run by a Clinical Research Center and five Nephrology Units in Italy. Measured baseline GFRs and one-year GFR changes averaged 78.6±26.7 and 8.4±10.3 mL/min/1.73 m2 in 111 and 71 ADPKD patients, respectively. CKD-Epi significantly overestimated and aMDRD underestimated baseline GFRs. Less than half estimates deviated by <10% from measured values. One-year estimated GFR changes did not detect measured changes. Both formulas underestimated GFR changes by 50%. Less than 9% of estimates deviated <10% from measured changes. Extent of deviations even exceeded that of measured one-year GFR changes. In ADPKD, prediction formulas unreliably estimate actual GFR values and fail to detect their changes over time. Direct kidney function measurements by appropriate techniques are needed to adequately evaluate treatment effects in clinics and research

Mycophenolate mofetil versus azathioprine for prevention of acute rejection in renal transplantation (MYSS): a randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Mycophenolate mofetil has replaced azathioprine in immunosuppression regimens worldwide to prevent graft rejection. However, evidence that its antirejection activity is better than that of azathioprine has been provided only by registration trials with an old formulation of ciclosporin and steroid. We aimed to compare the antirejection activity of these two drugs with a new formulation of ciclosporin. METHODS: The mycophenolate steroids sparing multicentre, prospective, randomised, parallel-group trial compared acute rejections and adverse events in recipients of cadaver-kidney transplants over 6-month treatment with mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine along with ciclosporin microemulsion (Neoral) and steroids (phase A), and over 15 more months without steroids (phase B). The primary endpoint was occurrence of acute rejection episodes. Analysis was by intention to treat. FINDINGS: 168 patients per group entered phase A. 56 (34%) assigned mycophenolate mofetil and 58 (35%) assigned azathioprine had clinical rejections (risk reduction [RR] on mycophenolate mofetil compared with azathioprine 13.7% [95% CI -25.7% to 40.7%], p=0.44). 88 patients in the mycophenolate mofetil group and 89 in the azathioprine group entered phase B. 14 (16%) taking mycophenolate mofetil and 11 (12%) taking azathioprine had clinical rejections (RR -16.2%, [-157.5% to 47.5%], p=0.71). Average per-patient costs of mycophenolate mofetil treatment greatly exceeded those of azathioprine (phase A 2665 Euros [SD 586] vs Euros 184 [62]; phase B 5095 Euros [2658] vs 322 Euros [170], p<0.0001 for both). INTERPRETATION: In recipients of cadaver kidney-transplants given ciclosporin microemulsion, mycophenolate mofetil offers no advantages over azathioprine in preventing acute rejections and is about 15 times more expensive. Standard immunosuppression regimens for transplantation should perhaps include azathioprine rather than mycophenolate mofetil, at least for kidney graft

Investigations on the properties of a two-dimensional nanopatterned metallic film

This paper presents some investigations of the effect of nanopatterning on the properties of aluminum layer deposited by sputtering. UV-Nanoimprint Lithography technique has been used for the realization of a 2D array of nanostructures (pillars) in aluminum film characterized by cylindrical shape and the following structural parameters: diameter between 400 nm and 490 nm, depth between 320 nm and 420 nm and periodicity of 1.1 μ m, which have been revealed by SEM and AFM measurements. The UV-Vis transmission, reflection and photoluminescence measurements have evidenced the effect of the nanopatterning on the optical properties of the Al layer