Self-supervised monocular depth estimation with 3-D displacement module for laparoscopic images

We present a novel self-supervised training framework with 3D displacement (3DD) module for accurately estimating per-pixel depth maps from single laparoscopic images. Recently, several self-supervised learning based monocular depth estimation models have achieved good results on the KITTI dataset, under the hypothesis that the camera is dynamic and the objects are stationary, however this hypothesis is often reversed in the surgical setting (laparoscope is stationary, the surgical instruments and tissues are dynamic). Therefore, a 3DD module is proposed to establish the relation between frames instead of ego-motion estimation. In the 3DD module, a convolutional neural network (CNN) analyses source and target frames to predict the 3D displacement of a 3D point cloud from a target frame to a source frame in the coordinates of the camera. Since it is difficult to constrain the depth displacement from two 2D images, a novel depth consistency module is proposed to maintain depth consistency between displacement-updated depth and model-estimated depth to constrain 3D displacement effectively. Our proposed method achieves remarkable performance for monocular depth estimation on the Hamlyn surgical dataset and acquired ground truth depth maps, outperforming monodepth, monodepth2 and packnet models

Crystal growth and quantum oscillations in the topological chiral semimetal CoSi

We survey the electrical transport properties of the single-crystalline, topological chiral semimetal CoSi which was grown via different methods. High-quality CoSi single crystals were found in the growth from tellurium solution. The sample's high carrier mobility enables us to observe, for the first time, quantum oscillations (QOs) in its thermoelectrical signals. Our analysis of QOs reveals two spherical Fermi surfaces around the R point in the Brillouin zone corner. The extracted Berry phases of these electron orbits are consistent with the -2 chiral charge as reported in DFT calculations. Detailed analysis on the QOs reveals that the spin-orbit coupling induced band-splitting is less than 2 meV near the Fermi level, one order of magnitude smaller than our DFT calculation result. We also report the phonon-drag induced large Nernst effect in CoSi at intermediate temperatures

Leukemia: Derived heat shock protein gp96-peptide complex contribution to T cell and dendritic cell activation

The molecular chaperone, heat shock protein gp96 (HSP-gp96), has been shown to have roles in the synthesis, processing and transport of tumor antigens. Therefore, the capacity for HSP-gp96 to induce dendritic cells (DCs), thymus-dependent lymphocytes (T lymphocytes), natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) was investigated. Recombinant adenovirus (AD) containing HSP-gp96 (AD-gp96), as well as gp96-peptide complex from the human leukemia cell lines, K562, HL-60 and U937, was prepared. Purified gp96-peptide complex was found to stimulate the proliferation of T lymphocytes, increase the activity of NK cells and CTLs and induce the secretion of cytokines, compared with ADgp96. In the latter case, levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α were found to increase and levels of IL-12(P70) and IL- 10 decreased. In combination, these results indicated that the gp96-peptide complexes derived from the tumor cells contributed to the activation of lymphocytes and increase the presentation of tumor antigen. Furthermore, the chaperone function of gp96 promoted the maturation of DCs, enhanced the antigen presention function of DCs and induced the secretion of cytokines by DCs. Therefore, gp96-peptide complex derived from the tumor cells potentially represents an immunization therapy for the elimination of residual leukemia cells.Key words: Leukemia, heat shock protein gp96, dendritic cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes

Comparison of total variation algorithms for electrical impedance tomography

The applications of total variation (TV) algorithms for electrical impedance tomography (EIT) have been investigated. The use of the TV regularisation technique helps to preserve discontinuities in reconstruction, such as the boundaries of perturbations and sharp changes in conductivity, which are unintentionally smoothed by traditional l2 norm regularisation. However, the non-differentiability of TV regularisation has led to the use of different algorithms. Recent advances in TV algorithms such as the primal dual interior point method (PDIPM), the linearised alternating direction method of multipliers (LADMM) and the spilt Bregman (SB) method have all been demonstrated successful EIT applications, but no direct comparison of the techniques has been made. Their noise performance, spatial resolution and convergence rate applied to time difference EIT were studied in simulations on 2D cylindrical meshes with different noise levels, 2D cylindrical tank and 3D anatomically head-shaped phantoms containing vegetable material with complex conductivity. LADMM had the fastest calculation speed but worst resolution due to the exclusion of the second-derivative; PDIPM reconstructed the sharpest change in conductivity but with lower contrast than SB; SB had a faster convergence rate than PDIPM and the lowest image errors

Anatomical Changes and Predictors of Angle Widening After Laser Peripheral Iridotomy: The Zhongshan Angle Closure Prevention Trial

PURPOSE: To assess anatomical changes after laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) and predictors of angle widening based on anterior segment OCT (AS-OCT) and angle opening based on gonioscopy in mainland Chinese primary angle closure suspects (PACS). DESIGN: Prospective observational study. PARTICIPANTS: 454 subjects aged 50 to 70 years with PACS. METHODS: Subjects received clinical examinations including gonioscopy and AS-OCT imaging at baseline and 2 weeks after LPI as part of the Zhongshan Angle Closure Prevention (ZAP) Trial. PACS was defined as inability to visualize pigmented trabecular meshwork in two or more quadrants on static gonioscopy. LPI was performed on one eye per subject in a superior (between 11 to 1 o'clock) or temporal or nasal (at or below 10:30 or 1:30 o'clock) location. Biometric parameters in horizontal and vertical AS-OCT scans were measured and averaged. Multivariable linear and logistic regression modeling were performed to determine predictors of angle widening, defined as change in continuous measurements of mean angle opening distance (AOD750), poor angle widening, defined as the lowest quintile of change in mean AOD750, and poor angle opening, defined as residual PACS after LPI based on gonioscopy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anatomical changes and predictors of angle widening and opening after LPI. RESULTS: 454 subjects were included in the analysis. 219 received superior LPIs and 235 received temporal or nasal LPIs. There were significant changes among most biometric parameters (p<0.006) after LPI, including greater AOD750 (p<0.001). 120 eyes (26.4%) had residual PACS after LPI. In multivariable regression analysis, several baseline parameters, including superior LPI location (p=0.004), smaller AOD750 (p<0.001), and greater iris curvature (p<0.001), were predictive of greater angle widening. Temporal or nasal LPI locations (OR=2.60, p<0.0001) and greater baseline AOD750 (OR=2.58, 0.1 mm increment, p<0.001) were most predictive of poor angle widening based on AS-OCT. Smaller mean gonioscopy grade (OR=0.34, 1 grade increment) was most predictive of poor angle opening based on gonioscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Superior LPI location results in significantly greater angle widening based on AS-OCT compared to temporal or nasal locations in a Chinese population with PACS. This supports consideration of superior LPI locations to optimize anatomical changes after LPI

Mitochondrial transfer of mesenchymal stem cells effectively protects corneal epithelial cells from mitochondrial damage

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Surface reconstructions and stability of X-shaped carbon nanotube junction

Author name used in this publication: S. Q. Shi2005-2006 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Multiterminal junctions formed by heating ultrathin single-walled carbon nanotubes

Author name used in this publication: S. Q. Shi2004-2005 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Ocular Biometric Risk Factors for Progression of Primary Angle Closure Disease: The Zhongshan Angle Closure Prevention Trial

PURPOSE: To assess baseline ocular biometric risk factors for progression from primary angle closure suspect (PACS) to primary angle closure (PAC) or acute angle closure (AAC). DESIGN: Prospective observational study. PARTICIPANTS: 643 mainland Chinese aged 50 to 70 years with untreated PACS. METHODS: Participants received baseline clinical examinations including gonioscopy, anterior segment OCT (AS-OCT) imaging (Visante OCT, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA), and A-scan ultrasound biometry as part of the Zhongshan Angle Closure Prevention (ZAP) Trial. PACS was defined as inability to visualize pigmented trabecular meshwork in two or more quadrants based on static gonioscopy. PAC was defined as development of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) > 24 mmHg or peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS). Progression was defined as development of PAC or an acute angle closure (AAC) attack. Multivariable logistic regression models were developed to assess biometric risk factors for progression. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Progression from PACS to PAC or AAC over 6 years. RESULTS: 643 untreated eyes (609 non-progressors, 34 progressors) of 643 ZAP participants were included in the primary analysis. In a multivariable model with continuous parameters, narrower horizontal angle opening distance 500 μm from the scleral spur (AOD500; OR=1.10 per 0.01 mm decrease, p=0.03), flatter horizontal iris curvature (IC; OR=1.96 per 0.1 mm decrease, p=0.01), and older age (OR=1.11 per year increase, p=0.01) at baseline were significantly associated with progression (AUC=0.73). Smaller cumulative gonioscopy score was not associated with progression (OR=1.03 per 1 modified Shaffer grade decrease; p=0.85) when replacing horizontal AOD500 in the multivariable model. In a separate multivariable model with categorical parameters, participants in the lowest quartile of horizontal AOD500 (OR=3.10, p=0.002) and IC (OR=2.48, p=0.014) measurements and aged 59 years and older (OR=2.68, p=0.01) at baseline had higher odds of progression (AUC=0.72). CONCLUSIONS: Ocular biometric measurements can help risk stratify patients with early angle closure for more severe disease. AS-OCT measurements of biometric parameters describing the angle and iris are predictive of progression from PACS to PAC or AAC, whereas gonioscopy grades are not