High frame-rate cardiac ultrasound imaging with deep learning

Cardiac ultrasound imaging requires a high frame rate in order to capture rapid motion. This can be achieved by multi-line acquisition (MLA), where several narrow-focused received lines are obtained from each wide-focused transmitted line. This shortens the acquisition time at the expense of introducing block artifacts. In this paper, we propose a data-driven learning-based approach to improve the MLA image quality. We train an end-to-end convolutional neural network on pairs of real ultrasound cardiac data, acquired through MLA and the corresponding single-line acquisition (SLA). The network achieves a significant improvement in image quality for both $5-$ and $7-$line MLA resulting in a decorrelation measure similar to that of SLA while having the frame rate of MLA.Comment: To appear in the Proceedings of MICCAI, 201

Cochlear Compartments Segmentation and Pharmacokinetics using Micro Computed Tomography Images

Local drug delivery to the inner ear via micropump implants has the potential to be much more effective than oral drug delivery for treating patients with sensorineural hearing loss and to protect hearing from ototoxic insult due to noise exposure. Delivering appropriate concentrations of drugs to the necessary cochlear compartments is of paramount importance; however, directly measuring local drug concentrations over time throughout the cochlea is not possible. Indirect measurement using otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem response are ineffective as they only provide an estimate of concentration and are susceptible to non-linear sensitivity effects. Imaging modalities such as MRI with infused gadolinium contrast agent are limited due to the high spatial resolution requirement for pharmacokinetic analysis, especially in mice with cochlear length in the micron scale. We develop an intracochlear pharmacokinetic model using micro-computed tomography imaging of the cochlea during in vivo infusion of a contrast agent at the basal end of scala tympani through a cochleostomy. This approach requires accurately segmenting the main cochlear compartments: scala tympani (ST), scala media (SM) and scala vestibuli (SV). Each scan was segmented using 1) atlas-based deformable registration, and 2) V-Net, a encoder-decoder style convolutional neural network. The segmentation of these cochlear regions enable concentrations to be extracted along the length of each scala. These spatio-temporal concentration profiles are used to learn a concentration dependent diffusion coefficient, and transport parameters between the major scalae and to clearance. The pharmacokinetic model results are comparable to the current state of the art model, and can simulate concentrations for cases involving different infusion molecules and drug delivery protocols. While our model shows promising results, to extend the approach to larger animals and to generate accurate further experimental data, computational constraints, and time requirements of previous segmentation methods need to be mitigated. To this end, we extended the V-Net architecture with inclusion of spatial attention. Moreover, to enable segmentation in hardware restricted environments, we designed a 3D segmentation network using Capsule Networks that can provide improved segmentation performance along with 90% reduction in trainable parameters. Finally, to demonstrate the effectiveness of these networks, we test them on multiple public datasets. They are also tested on the cochlea dataset and pharmacokinetic model simulations will be validated against existing results

Consider this SGLT2 inhibitor for patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction

Consider adding empagliflozin 10 mg to usual therapy to reduce hospitalization of symptomatic patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF; EF > 40%) and an N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level > 300 pg/mL, regardless of diabetes status.Sanketh Produttur, MD; Gregory Castelli, PharmD, BCPS, BC-ADM, CDCES, (UPMC St. Margaret Family Medicine Residency Program)Includes bibliographical reference

DAY LIGHTING ANALYSIS IN VERNACULAR HOUSES OF RURAL KARNATAKA, INDIA

Day lighting is an important passive strategy for indoor architecture which helps in reducing the consumption of electrical energy or reliability on artificial lighting, thus enhancing the psychologically and physiologically effects on the health and wellbeing of building occupants.  The paper analyses the day lighting in typical rural houses more specifically, three vernacular residential dwellings in Mala village situated in Karkala District, Karnataka, India. The survey includes enlisting or recording building materials used in construction, dimensioning individual rooms, doors and window openings and total number of lighting fixtures used in each room. Ratio of window to floor area (AW/AR) is calculated in each room of the dwellings. Monitoring the daylight and further, illuminance at various levels is measured with the help of Lux meter . Three houses are further simulated using ECOTECT2011- software. The ratios of areas of window to floor of each room in all the houses are less than 10% resulting into poor illuminance. The quality of the light inside the kitchen was still poor. Adopting few strategies like making wall surfaces more reflective and few modifications in the grill patterns will help to increase the indoor illumination

DAY LIGHTING ANALYSIS IN VERNACULAR HOUSES OF RURAL KARNATAKA, INDIA

Day lighting is an important passive strategy for indoor architecture which helps in reducing the consumption of electrical energy or reliability on artificial lighting, thus enhancing the psychologically and physiologically effects on the health and wellbeing of building occupants.  The paper analyses the day lighting in typical rural houses more specifically, three vernacular residential dwellings in Mala village situated in Karkala District, Karnataka, India. The survey includes enlisting or recording building materials used in construction, dimensioning individual rooms, doors and window openings and total number of lighting fixtures used in each room. Ratio of window to floor area (AW/AR) is calculated in each room of the dwellings. Monitoring the daylight and further, illuminance at various levels is measured with the help of Lux meter . Three houses are further simulated using ECOTECT2011- software. The ratios of areas of window to floor of each room in all the houses are less than 10% resulting into poor illuminance. The quality of the light inside the kitchen was still poor. Adopting few strategies like making wall surfaces more reflective and few modifications in the grill patterns will help to increase the indoor illumination