Efficacy of anti-suppression therapy in improving binocular vision in children with small-angle Esotropia

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of anti-suppression exercises in children with small-angle esotropia in achieving binocular vision. Methods: A retrospective review of patients aged 3–8 years who underwent anti-suppression exercises for either monocular or alternate suppression between January 2016 and December 2021 was conducted. Patients with esotropia less than 15 prism diopters (PD) and visual acuity ≥ 6/12 were included. Patients with previous intra-ocular surgery or less than three-month follow-up were excluded. Success was defined as the development of binocular single vision (BSV) for distance, near, or both (measured clinically with either the 4 prism base out test or Worth four dot test) and maintained at two consecutive visits. Qualified success was defined as the presence of diplopia response for both distance and near. Additionally, improvement in near stereo acuity was measured using the Stereo Fly test. Results: Eighteen patients with a mean age of 5.4 ± 1.38 years (range 3–8 years) at the time of initiation of exercises were included in the study. The male female ratio was 10:8. The mean best corrected visual acuity was 0.18 LogMAR unit(s) and the mean spherical equivalent was +3.8 ± 0.14 diopters (D). The etiology of the esotropia was fully accommodative refractive esotropia (8), microtropia (1), post–operative infantile esotropia (4), partially accommodative esotropia (1), and post-operative partially accommodative esotropia (4). Patients received either office-based, home-based, or both modes of treatment for an average duration of 4.8 months (range 3–8). After therapy, BSV was achieved for either distance or near in 66.6 % of patients (95 % CI = 40.03–93.31 %). Binocular single vision for both distance and near was seen in 50 % of children. Qualified success was observed in 38.46% of patients. Persistence of suppression was observed in one patient (5.5 %)... (AU)

A marginal structural model for normal tissue complication probability.

The goal of radiation therapy for cancer is to deliver prescribed radiation dose to the tumor while minimizing dose to the surrounding healthy tissues. To evaluate treatment plans, the dose distribution to healthy organs is commonly summarized as dose-volume histograms (DVHs). Normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) modeling has centered around making patient-level risk predictions with features extracted from the DVHs, but few have considered adapting a causal framework to evaluate the safety of alternative treatment plans. We propose causal estimands for NTCP based on deterministic and stochastic interventions, as well as propose estimators based on marginal structural models that impose bivariable monotonicity between dose, volume, and toxicity risk. The properties of these estimators are studied through simulations, and their use is illustrated in the context of radiotherapy treatment of anal canal cancer patients.

Assessing the antioxidant properties of Naringin and Rutin and investigating their oxidative DNA damage effects in breast cancer.

This work examines the capacity of Naringin and Rutin to influence the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway by investigating their interactions with key DDR proteins, including PARP-1, ATM, ATR, CHK1, and WEE1. Through a combination of in silico molecular docking and in vitro evaluations, we investigated the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of these compounds on MDA-MB-231 cells, comparing them to normal human fibroblast cells (2DD) and quiescent fibroblast cells (QFC). The research found that Naringin and Rutin had strong affinities for DDR pathway proteins, indicating their capacity to specifically regulate DDR pathways in cancer cells. Both compounds exhibited preferential cytotoxicity towards cancer cells while preserving the vitality of normal 2DD fibroblast cells, as demonstrated by cytotoxicity experiments conducted at a dose of 10 µM. The comet experiments performed particularly on QFC cells provide valuable information on the genotoxic impact of Naringin and Rutin, highlighting the targeted initiation of DNA damage in cancer cells. The need to use precise cell models to appropriately evaluate toxicity and genotoxicity is emphasized by this discrepancy. In addition, ADMET and drug-likeness investigations have emphasized the pharmacological potential of these compounds; however, they have also pointed out the necessity for optimization to improve their therapeutic profiles. The antioxidant capabilities of Naringin and Rutin were assessed using DPPH and free radical scavenging assays at a concentration of 10 µM. The results confirmed that both compounds have a role in reducing oxidative stress, hence enhancing their anticancer effects. Overall, Naringin and Rutin show potential as medicines for modulating the DDR in cancer treatment. They exhibit selective toxicity towards cancer cells while sparing normal cells and possess strong antioxidant properties. This analysis enhances our understanding of the therapeutic uses of natural chemicals in cancer treatment, supporting the need for more research on their mechanisms of action and clinical effectiveness.

Comparison of the effect of intra-dermal injection of botulinum toxin and normal saline in the treatment of facial skin pores.

Background and Purpose: Skin pores (SPs) are normal and benign skin structures that are mostly located on the face (nose, cheeks, etc.) that cause many aesthetic concerns or complaints. One known effective treatment is botulinum toxin A (BTXA), which is also approved for the treatment of strabismus, blepharospasm, muscle spasm, cervical dystonia, glabella wrinkles, and primary axillary hyperhidrosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effect of intra-dermal injection of botulinum toxin and normal saline serum (NSS) in the treatment of large facial pores. Methods: The study included 25 people who referred to the skin clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz from June 2021 to January 2022 for the treatment of large facial skin pores. Randomly, some subjects were injected with botulinum toxin at ten points, and each point was equivalent to 2.5 units of Masport (500 units vial of Masport diluted with 10 ml of NSS). Some other people were injected with 0.05 ml of NSS by intra-dermal injection at ten points. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS-Ver. 22 software. Results: Based on optical coherence tomography results, it was determined that the diameter of facial pores decreased significantly (P = 0.011). Dermoscopy showed a significant decrease in the average size of facial pores (P < 0.011), and also, the pore score decreased significantly (P = 0.021). In addition, the results showed that the size of skin pores and facial fat on both sides of the face did not decrease significantly from the patients' point of view (P = 0.71). Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, it can be concluded that intra-dermal injection of botulinum toxin is an effective and safe method to control facial pores, which showed acceptable results after 3 months.

Normal ovarian sizes on MRI in pediatric patients: a preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian enlargement is one of several findings of pathology, including ovarian torsion. With increasing use of MRI for acute abdominal pain in children, data for normal ovary size and appearance are needed. OBJECTIVE: To provide preliminary data on normal sizes of ovaries on MRI in pediatric patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective IRB-approved study included girls (5 to 17 years of age) with MRI examinations performed for indications not related to the ovaries from 2018 to 2022. For each MRI, coronal T2-weighted single shot fast spin echo and axial T2-weighted fat-saturated images were independently reviewed by three pediatric radiologists who recorded ovary visualization and ovarian linear measurements (3 planes). Ovarian volumes were calculated from linear measurements. Agreement among observers was calculated using kappa statistics and intraclass correlation coefficients. RESULTS: A total of 181 MRIs were reviewed. The left ovary was visualized in 166-176 (92-97%) cases (R1-R3) and the right ovary was visualized in 165-174 (91-96%) cases with excellent agreement among reviewers (left: K = 0.89 [0.84-0.94], right: K = 0.85 [0.79-0.91]). Interrater class coefficient (ICC) for largest single dimension of the ovary was left: 0.83 (CI 0.79-0.87) and right: 0.85 (CI 0.81-0.89). There were significant moderate to strong correlations between ovarian volume and age (left: 0.67 [0.58-0.75], right: 0.66 [0.57-0.74]). CONCLUSION: The ovaries can be adequately visualized and measured on MRI with excellent inter-reader agreement. This study serves as the foundation for developing normative values for ovarian volumes by age on MRI.

Clinical algorithms for the monitoring and management of spontaneous, uncomplicated labour and childbirth.

The aim of this manuscript is to develop evidence-based clinical algorithms for the assessment and management of spontaneous, uncomplicated labour and vaginal birth. The population is pregnant women at any stage of labour, with singleton, term pregnancies considered to be at low risk of developing complications in health facilities in low and middle income countries. We searched for relevant published algorithms, guidelines, systematic reviews and primary research studies on Cochrane Library, PubMed® and Google, using terms related to spontaneous, uncomplicated labour and childbirth up to 1 June 2023. Three case scenarios were developed to cover the assessment and management of spontaneous, uncomplicated first, second and third stages of labour. The algorithms provide pathways for definition, assessments, diagnosis and links to other algorithms in this series for the management of complications. We have developed three clinical algorithms to support evidence-based decision-making during spontaneous, uncomplicated labour and vaginal birth. These algorithms may help to guide healthcare staff to institute respectful care, with appropriate interventions where needed, and potentially will reduce the unnecessary use of interventions during labour and childbirth.

Normoalbuminuria-is it normal? The association of urinary albumin within the 'normoalbuminuric' range with adverse cardiovascular and mortality outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: To assess the association between urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) categories within the normal range with mortality and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed and Embase were systematically searched for real-world evidence studies. Studies were manually evaluated according to predefined eligibility criteria. We included prospective and retrospective cohort studies of the association between UACR categories <30 mg/g and cardiovascular outcomes or mortality. Published information regarding study design, participants, UACR categorization, statistical methods, and results was manually collected. Two UACR categorization approaches were defined: a two-category (UACR <10 mg/g vs. 10-30 mg/g) and a three-category division (UACR <5 mg/g vs. 5-10 and 10-30 mg/g). A random effects meta-analysis was performed on studies eligible for the meta-analysis. RESULTS: In total, 22 manuscripts were identified for the systematic review, 15 of which were eligible for the meta-analysis. The results suggest an association between elevated UACR within the normal to mildly increased range and higher risks of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular death, and coronary heart disease, particularly in the range of 10-30 mg/g. Compared with UACR <10 mg/g, the hazard ratio [HR (95% confidence interval, CI)] for UACR between 10 and 30 mg/g was 1.41 (1.15, 1.74) for all-cause mortality and 1.56 (1.23, 1.98) for coronary heart disease. Compared with UACR <5 mg/g, the risk of cardiovascular mortality for UACR between 10 and 30 mg/g was more than twofold [HR (95% CI): 2.12 (1.61, 2.80)]. Intermediate UACR (5-10 mg/g) was also associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality [HR (95% CI): 1.14 (1.05, 1.24)] and cardiovascular mortality [HR (95% CI): 1.50 (1.14, 1.99)]. CONCLUSIONS: We propose considering higher UACR within the normoalbuminuric range as a prognostic factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Our findings underscore the clinical significance of even mild increases in albuminuria.

Case report: Near-fatal hypermagnesemia resulting from the use of Epsom salts in a patient with normal renal function.

Hypermagnesemia commonly occurs in patients with renal dysfunction. Diagnosing hypermagnesemia represents a challenge due to its rarity and the absence of routine monitoring of magnesium levels. Furthermore, the lack of awareness among clinicians regarding this uncommon condition frequently leads to delayed diagnoses. Few patients survive with a serum magnesium level exceeding 7 mmol/L. This article presents a case study of near-fatal hypermagnesemia resulting from the oral administration of Epsom salts in a patient with normal renal function. A 60-year-old female presented to the gastroenterology department on Oct. 6, 2023, with a 3-day history of black stools. She underwent subtotal gastrectomy in 2005 and has a stable history of nephrotic syndrome. To investigate the cause of her bleeding, electronic gastroscopy and colonoscopy were scheduled for Oct. 11, 2023. She experienced a sudden loss of consciousness 30 min after the ingestion of Epsom salts. The attending physician suspected a severe magnesium poisoning. She was promptly administered calcium gluconate, underwent tracheal intubation with ambu bag ventilation, and received early continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Swift diagnosis and CRRT contributed to a reduction in her serum magnesium levels from an initial 8.71 mmol/L to 1.35 mmol/L, leading to a remarkable improvement in the toxic symptoms associated with hypermagnesemia. Subsequently, she was managed in the gastroenterology department, with gastroscopy revealing bleeding from the gastrointestinal anastomotic ulcer. Following conservative treatments including acid suppression, stomach protection, and hemostasis, her symptoms improved, and she was successfully discharged. This study aims to alert clinicians to the possibility of hypermagnesemia in individuals with normal renal function. Physicians should exercise caution when prescribing Epsom salts to patients with underlying gastrointestinal conditions. If necessary, alternative drug therapies may be considered to mitigate the risk of hypermagnesemia. Timely intervention is pivotal in averting life-threatening complications linked to hypermagnesemia.

Establishment of a normal control model of children's brain 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and analysis of the changing pattern in patients aged 0-14 years.

Background: It is difficult to obtain 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18FDG-PET) data from normal children, and changes in brain metabolism in children due to growth and development are poorly understood. For the first time, we established a normal control model of brain 18FDG-PET in children and evaluated its feasibility. The association of PET with age in children aged 0-14 years was analyzed. This study aimed to establish a normal control model of brain 18FDG-PET in children for the first time and to verify its feasibility, and to analyze the trend of PET with age in children aged 0-14 years. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the 18FDG-PET imaging data of patients with no epileptiform discharge involvement contralateral to the epileptogenic zone were consecutively collected from January 2015 to June 2022 according to strictly defined screening criteria. For the normal control data, the hemisphere contralateral to the epileptogenic zone was mirrored and spliced to form an intact brain. The cohort of children aged 0-14 years was divided into 14 groups according age by year. Subsequently, patients who underwent lesionectomy with clear hypometabolism that roughly coincided with the extent of surgical resection were examined. The PET scan was compared with the control model, and the ratio of overlapping parts (hypometabolic areas ∩ surgical resection area) to hypometabolic parts (ROH) was calculated. Multiple regression analysis was performed on the normal control model for every 3- to 4-year age interval. Results: A total of 159 normal control models were established. Five patients were randomly selected to verify the reliability of each yearly model. The average ROH was 0.968. Metabolism increasing with age in the different brain regions was observed at ages 0-2~, 3-5~, and 6-10 years. No age-related metabolic increase or decrease was found in the 10- to 14-year-old group. The metabolism in the 7- to 8-year-old group was higher than that in the 13- to 14-year-old group. Conclusions: With strict screening criteria, the method of mirroring the contralateral hemisphere of the epileptic zone and splicing it into a complete brain as a means of creating a normal control group is feasible. The method offers convenience to the studies that lack healthy pediatric controls. Children under 10 years of age (especially 0-6 years old) experience considerable metabolic changes year on year. After the age of 10 years, the changes in metabolism gradually decrease, and metabolism also slowly decreases. Our findings provide guidance the clinical interpretation of areas with hypometabolism and emphasize the importance of establishing a normal control model of the child's brain, which should not be replaced by an adult model.

Close relationship between mediators of inflammation and pancreatic cancer: Our experience.

In this editorial, we focus specifically on the mechanisms by which pancreatic inflammation affects pancreatic cancer. Cancer of the pancreas remains one of the deadliest cancer types. The highest incidence and mortality rates of pancreatic cancer are found in developed countries. Trends of pancreatic cancer incidence and mortality vary considerably worldwide. A better understanding of the etiology and identification of the risk factors is essential for the primary prevention of this disease. Pancreatic tumors are characterized by a complex microenvironment that orchestrates metabolic alterations and supports a milieu of interactions among various cell types within this niche. In this editorial, we highlight the foundational studies that have driven our understanding of these processes. In our experimental center, we have carefully studied the mechanisms of that link pancreatic inflammation and pancreatic cancer. We focused on the role of mast cells (MCs). MCs contain pro-angiogenic factors, including tryptase, that are associated with increased angiogenesis in various tumors. In this editorial, we address the role of MCs in angiogenesis in both pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissue and adjacent normal tissue. The assessment includes the density of c-Kit receptor-positive MCs, the density of tryptase-positive MCs, the area of tryptase-positive MCs, and angiogenesis in terms of microvascularization density.

The Combination of Methionine Restriction and Docetaxel Synergistically Arrests Androgen-independent Prostate Cancer But Not Normal Cells.

Background/Aim: Androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) is resistant to androgen-depletion therapy and is a recalcitrant disease. Docetaxel is the first-line treatment for AIPC, but has limited efficacy and severe side-effects. All cancers are methionine-addicted, which is termed the Hoffman effect. Recombinant methioninase (rMETase) targets methionine addiction. The purpose of the present study was to determine if the combination of docetaxel and rMETase is effective for AIPC. Materials and Methods: The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of docetaxel and rMETase alone were determined for the human AIPC cell line PC-3 and Hs27 normal human fibroblasts in vitro. The synergistic efficacy for PC-3 and Hs27 using the combination of docetaxel and rMETase at their IC50s for PC-3 was determined. Results: The IC50 of docetaxel for PC-3 and for Hs27 was 0.72 nM and 0.94 nM, respectively. The IC50 of rMETase for PC-3 and for Hs27 was 0.67 U/ml and 0.76 U/ml, respectively. The combination of docetaxel and rMETase was synergistic for PC-3 but not Hs27 cells. Conclusion: The combination of a relatively low concentration of docetaxel and rMETase was synergistic and effective for AIPC. The present results also suggest that the effective concentration of docetaxel can be reduced by using rMETase, which may reduce toxicity. The present results also suggest the future clinical potential of the combination of docetaxel and rMETase for AIPC.

Effect of cuff inflation with lidocaine, saline, and air on tracheal tube cuff pressure during laparoscopic resection of colorectal neoplasms: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Tracheal tube cuff pressure will increase after pneumoperitoneum when the cuff is inflated with air, high pressure can cause tracheal mucosal damage. This prospective trial aimed to assess if inflating with normal saline or lidocaine can prevent increase of tracheal tube cuff pressure and tracheal mucosal damage in laparoscopic surgeries with general anesthesia. Whether changes of tracheal tube cuff transverse diameter (CD) can predict changes of tracheal tube cuff pressure. METHODS: Ninety patients scheduled for laparoscopic resection of colorectal neoplasms under general anesthesia were randomly assigned to groups air (A), saline (S) or lidocaine (L). Endotracheal tube cuff was inflated with room-temperature air in group A (n = 30), normal saline in group S (n = 30), 2% lidocaine hydrochloride injection in group L (n = 30). After intubation, tracheal tube cuff pressure was monitored by a calibrated pressure transducers, cuff pressure was adjusted to 25 cmH2O (T0.5). Tracheal tube cuff pressure at 15 min after pneumoperitoneum (T1) and 15 min after exsufflation (T2) were accessed. CD were measured by ultrasound at T0.5 and T1, the ability of ΔCD (T1-0.5) to predict cuff pressure was accessed. Tracheal mucous injury at the end of surgery were also recorded. RESULTS: Tracheal tube cuff pressure had no significant difference among the three groups at T1 and T2. ΔCD had prediction value (AUC: 0.92 [95% CI: 0.81-1.02]; sensitivity: 0.99; specificity: 0.82) for cuff pressure. Tracheal mucous injury at the end of surgery were 0 (0, 1.0) in group A, 0 (0, 1.0) in group S, 0 (0, 0) in group L (p = 0.02, group L was lower than group A and S, p = 0.03 and p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to inflation with air, normal saline and 2% lidocaine cannot ameliorate the increase of tracheal tube cuff pressure during the pneumoperitoneum period under general anesthesia, but lidocaine can decrease postoperative tracheal mucosa injury. ΔCD measured by ultrasound is a predictor for changes of tracheal tube cuff pressure. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, identifier: ChiCTR2100054089, Date: 08/12/2021.

Ambient air pollution decreased normal fertilization rate via the mediation of seminal prosaposin.

OBJECTIVE: This study focuses on the association between seminal concentration of prosaposin and ambient air pollutants and whether the association affects the normal fertilization rate in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. METHODS: The cohort of 323 couple participants aged 22-46 was recruited from Jan. 2013 to Jun. 2018. At enrollment, resident address information was obtained and semen parameters of male counterparts were evaluated according to WHO criteria. We used inverse distance weighting interpolation to estimate the levels of ambient pollutants (SO2, O3, CO, NO2, PM2.5, and PM10) in the surrounding area. The exposure of each participant was estimated based on the data gathered from air quality monitoring stations and their home address over various periods (0-9, 10-14, and 0-90 days) before semen sampling. The generalized linear regression model (GLM) and the Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were used to analyze the associations between pollutants, semen parameters, prosaposin, and normal fertilization. Additionally, the mediating effect of prosaposin and semen parameters on the link between pollutants and normal fertilization was investigated. RESULTS: GLM and BKMR showed exposure to ambient air pollutants was all associated with the concentration of seminal prosaposin, among them, O3 and CO were also associated with normal fertilization (-0.10, 95 %CI: -0.13, -0.06; -26.43, 95 %CI: -33.79, -19.07). Among the semen parameters, only the concentration of prosaposin and total motile sperm count (TMC) was associated with normal fertilization (0.059, 95 %CI: 0.047, 0.071; 0.016, 95 %CI: 0.012, 0.020). Mediation analysis showed that prosaposin played a stronger mediating role than TMC in the relationship between short-term exposure to O3 and fertilization (66.83 %, P<0.001 versus 3.05 %, P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Seminal plasma prosaposin showed a stronger meditating effect reflect the correlation between ambient air pollutants and normal fertilization rate than conventional semen parameters, which may be used as one of the indicators between pollution and fertilization in IVF.

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt patients and glaucoma: a cohort analysis of the NPH registry.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a chronic condition affecting the elderly. It is characterized by a triad of symptoms and radiological findings. Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Earlier studies have proposed that the rate of glaucoma is higher in iNPH patients, and of a possible link between ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VP) treatment and the development of glaucoma. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of glaucoma among iNPH patients and assess the impact of VPs on glaucoma prevalence. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted at Kuopio University Hospital (KUH), including 262 patients with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Clinical data were obtained from the Kuopio NPH Registry and medical records. Patients were grouped by iNPH status: iNPH (+) - probable/possible iNPH (n = 192), and iNPH (-) - other causes of hydrocephalus (congenital, secondary, obstructive) (n = 70). We conducted statistical analysis using the Independent Samples T-test, Fisher's exact test, and Pearson Chi-Square. We compared demographics, glaucoma prevalence, brain biopsies positive for Amyloid-ß (Aß) and hyperphosphorylated tau (HPτ) as well as comorbidities for hypertension and diabetes medication. Age stratification assessed glaucoma prevalence in the full cohort. RESULTS: Both iNPH (+) and iNPH (-) groups had comparable demographic and comorbidity profiles. The prevalence of glaucoma in the iNPH (+) group was 11.5% (n = 22) and 11.4% (n = 8) in the iNPH (-) group without a statistically significant difference (p = 1.000). Brain biopsies positive for Amyloid-ß (Aß) and hyperphosphorylated tau (HPτ) were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Neither shunted iNPH patients nor those with a comorbid condition other than iNPH showed a markedly higher prevalence of glaucoma. Instead, both groups exhibited age-related increases in glaucoma prevalence, similar to the trends observed in population-based studies. Our data does not suggest a correlation between VP shunts and an elevated rate of glaucoma.

A Bayesian Survival Analysis on Long COVID and non Long COVID patients: A Cohort Study Using National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) Data.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, numerous researches and studies have focused on the long-term effects of COVID infection. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) implemented an additional code into the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) for reporting 'Post COVID-19 condition, unspecified (U09.9)' effective on October 1st 2021, representing that Long COVID is a real illness with potential chronic conditions. The National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) provides researchers with abundant electronic health records (EHR) data by aggregating and harmonizing EHR data across different clinical organizations in the United States, making it convenient to build up a survival analysis on Long COVID patients and non Long COVID patients among large amounts of COVID positive patients.

Atypical Presentation of Longstanding Overt Ventriculomegaly in Adults: A Case Report.

Hydrocephalus involves the enlargement of the ventricular system due to increased cerebrospinal fluid. This condition often presents with ventriculomegaly, associated with cognitive decline, gait disturbances, visual changes, and other neurological symptoms. In adults, hydrocephalus may result from longstanding overt ventriculomegaly in adults (LOVA), characterized by macrocephaly, subnormal IQ, urinary incontinence, and gait issues. In a recent case report, a 52-year-old Hispanic female displayed similar predisposing factors and radiological findings for a LOVA diagnosis. Despite the absence of focal neurological deficits or typical complaints, she experienced a breakthrough seizure episode after years without incident.

Monocular Depth Estimation via Self-Supervised Self-Distillation.

Self-supervised monocular depth estimation can exhibit excellent performance in static environments due to the multi-view consistency assumption during the training process. However, it is hard to maintain depth consistency in dynamic scenes when considering the occlusion problem caused by moving objects. For this reason, we propose a method of self-supervised self-distillation for monocular depth estimation (SS-MDE) in dynamic scenes, where a deep network with a multi-scale decoder and a lightweight pose network are designed to predict depth in a self-supervised manner via the disparity, motion information, and the association between two adjacent frames in the image sequence. Meanwhile, in order to improve the depth estimation accuracy of static areas, the pseudo-depth images generated by the LeReS network are used to provide the pseudo-supervision information, enhancing the effect of depth refinement in static areas. Furthermore, a forgetting factor is leveraged to alleviate the dependency on the pseudo-supervision. In addition, a teacher model is introduced to generate depth prior information, and a multi-view mask filter module is designed to implement feature extraction and noise filtering. This can enable the student model to better learn the deep structure of dynamic scenes, enhancing the generalization and robustness of the entire model in a self-distillation manner. Finally, on four public data datasets, the performance of the proposed SS-MDE method outperformed several state-of-the-art monocular depth estimation techniques, achieving an accuracy (δ1) of 89% while minimizing the error (AbsRel) by 0.102 in NYU-Depth V2 and achieving an accuracy (δ1) of 87% while minimizing the error (AbsRel) by 0.111 in KITTI.

Regulation of brain fluid volumes and pressures: basic principles, intracranial hypertension, ventriculomegaly and hydrocephalus.

The principles of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production, circulation and outflow and regulation of fluid volumes and pressures in the normal brain are summarised. Abnormalities in these aspects in intracranial hypertension, ventriculomegaly and hydrocephalus are discussed. The brain parenchyma has a cellular framework with interstitial fluid (ISF) in the intervening spaces. Framework stress and interstitial fluid pressure (ISFP) combined provide the total stress which, after allowing for gravity, normally equals intracerebral pressure (ICP) with gradients of total stress too small to measure. Fluid pressure may differ from ICP in the parenchyma and collapsed subarachnoid spaces when the parenchyma presses against the meninges. Fluid pressure gradients determine fluid movements. In adults, restricting CSF outflow from subarachnoid spaces produces intracranial hypertension which, when CSF volumes change very little, is called idiopathic intracranial hypertension (iIH). Raised ICP in iIH is accompanied by increased venous sinus pressure, though which is cause and which effect is unclear. In infants with growing skulls, restriction in outflow leads to increased head and CSF volumes. In adults, ventriculomegaly can arise due to cerebral atrophy or, in hydrocephalus, to obstructions to intracranial CSF flow. In non-communicating hydrocephalus, flow through or out of the ventricles is somehow obstructed, whereas in communicating hydrocephalus, the obstruction is somewhere between the cisterna magna and cranial sites of outflow. When normal outflow routes are obstructed, continued CSF production in the ventricles may be partially balanced by outflow through the parenchyma via an oedematous periventricular layer and perivascular spaces. In adults, secondary hydrocephalus with raised ICP results from obvious obstructions to flow. By contrast, with the more subtly obstructed flow seen in normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), fluid pressure must be reduced elsewhere, e.g. in some subarachnoid spaces. In idiopathic NPH, where ventriculomegaly is accompanied by gait disturbance, dementia and/or urinary incontinence, the functional deficits can sometimes be reversed by shunting or third ventriculostomy. Parenchymal shrinkage is irreversible in late stage hydrocephalus with cellular framework loss but may not occur in early stages, whether by exclusion of fluid or otherwise. Further studies that are needed to explain the development of hydrocephalus are outlined.

Magnetic field and initial stress on a rotating photothermal semiconductor medium with ramp type heating and internal heat source.

This manuscript addresses a significant research gap in the study by employing a mathematical model of photo thermoelastic wave propagation in a rotator semiconductor medium under the effect of a magnetic field and initial stress, as well as ramp-type heating. The considered model is formulated during the photothermal theory and in two-dimensional (2D) electronic-elastic deformation. The governing equations represent the interaction between the primary physical parameters throughout the process of photothermal transfer. Computational simulations are performed to determine the temperature, carrier density, displacement components, normal stress, and shear stress using the application of Lame's potential and normal mode analysis. Numerical calculations are carried out and graphically displayed for an isotropic semiconductor like silicon (Si) material. Furthermore, comparisons are made with the previous results obtained by the others, as well as in the presence and absence of magnetic field, rotation, and initial stress. The obtained results illustrate that the rotation, initial stress, magnetic field, and ramp-type heating parameter all have significant effects. This investigation provides valuable insights into the synergistic dynamics among a magnetization constituent, semiconducture structures, and wave propagation, enabling advancements in nuclear reactors' construction, operation, electrical circuits, and solar cells.