Skeleton-Based Scagnostics.

Scatterplot matrices (SPLOMs) are widely used for exploring multidimensional data. Scatterplot diagnostics (scagnostics) approaches measure characteristics of scatterplots to automatically find potentially interesting plots, thereby making SPLOMs more scalable with the dimension count. While statistical measures such as regression lines can capture orientation, and graph-theoretic scagnostics measures can capture shape, there is no scatterplot characterization measure that uses both descriptors. Based on well-known results in shape analysis, we propose a scagnostics approach that captures both scatterplot shape and orientation using skeletons (or medial axes). Our representation can handle complex spatial distributions, helps discovery of principal trends in a multiscale way, scales visually well with the number of samples, is robust to noise, and is automatic and fast to compute. We define skeleton-based similarity metrics for the visual exploration and analysis of SPLOMs. We perform a user study to measure the human perception of scatterplot similarity and compare the outcome to our results as well as to graph-based scagnostics and other visual quality metrics. Our skeleton-based metrics outperform previously defined measures both in terms of closeness to perceptually-based similarity and computation time efficiency.

Urokinase versus VATS for treatment of empyema: a randomized multicenter clinical trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Parapneumonic empyema (PPE) is a frequent complication of acute bacterial pneumonia in children. There is limited evidence regarding the optimal treatment of this condition. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of drainage plus urokinase versus video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in the treatment of PPE in childhood. METHODS: This prospective, randomized, multicenter clinical trial enrolled patients aged <15 years and hospitalized with septated PPE. Study patients were randomized to receive urokinase or thoracoscopy. The main outcome variable was the length of hospital stay after treatment. The secondary outcomes were total length of hospital stay, number of days with the chest drain, number of days with fever, and treatment failures. The trial was approved by the ethics committees of all the participating hospitals. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients were randomized to treatment and analyzed; 53 were treated with thoracoscopy and 50 with urokinase. There were no differences in demographic characteristics or in the main baseline characteristics between the 2 groups. No statistically significant differences were found between thoracoscopy and urokinase in the median postoperative stay (10 vs 9 days), median hospital stay (14 vs 13 days), or days febrile after treatment (4 vs 6 days). A second intervention was required in 15% of children in the thoracoscopy group versus 10% in the urokinase group (P = .47). CONCLUSIONS: Drainage plus urokinase instillation is as effective as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery as first-line treatment of septated PPE in children.

[Sliding tracheoplasty: a good choice for the treatment of congenital tracheal stenosis]. / Traqueoplastia de deslizamento. Uma boa opção na correcção da estenose congénita da traqueia.

When infants with recurrent wheezing have a clinical course inconsistent with a common diagnosis, anatomic malformations should be considered in diagnostic workup, followed by medical stabilization and early therapy. A careful history and physical examination could reveal important diagnostic clues that indicate the need to perform a fiberoptic bronchoscopy, which in the reported case showed tracheal stenosis in the transition between the first and second third of the trachea. Chest CT scan revealed a long funnel-shaped tracheal stenosis and along with an echocardiogram, excluded associated cardiovascular malformations. Surgical correction by sliding tracheoplasty under extra-corporeal circulation was successfully performed at the Hospital Gregório Marañon in Madrid. The surgical complications that have occurred (mediastinitis and pulmonary embolism) were resolved. After a two-year follow-up, that included endoscopic control, the patient was found to be free of symptoms of wheezing or post-surgical complications. The authors emphasize the need for early diagnosis and surgical treatment to be performed in an experienced reference center.