Delayed 18F-FDG PET imaging provides better metabolic asymmetry in potential epileptogenic zone in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Objective: To investigate the value of 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) two time point imaging for the identification of the potential epileptogenic zone (EZ) in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Methods: Fifty-two patients with TLE were prospectively enrolled in the 18F-FDG PET/CT two time point imaging study. The early imaging was obtained approximately 40 min (43.44 ± 18.04 min) after 18F-FDG injection, and the delayed imaging was obtained about 2 to 3 h (160.46 ± 28.70 min) after the injection. Visual and semi-quantitative analysis of 18F-FDG uptake were performed at the two time points in EZ and contralateral symmetrical region. The mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) of EZ and contralateral symmetrical region was calculated to determine the asymmetry index (AI) of the early and delayed images, as well as in the MRI positive and negative patient groups. Results: Semi-quantitative analysis demonstrated that AI of the early and delayed 18F-FDG PET/CT images was 13.47 ± 6.10 and 16.43 ± 6.66, respectively. The ΔAI was 2.95 ± 3.05 in 52 TLE patients between the two time points. The AI of the EZ was significantly elevated in delayed images compared to the early images (p < 0.001). The AI of delayed imaging was also significantly elevated compared to the early imaging in both MRI positive (ΔAI = 2.81 ± 2.54, p < 0.001) and MRI negative (ΔAI = 3.21 ± 3.91, p < 0.003) groups, and more pronounced in MRI negative group. Visual analysis also showed that the delayed imaging appeared to be superior to the early imaging for identification of potential EZ. Conclusion: Delayed 18F-FDG PET imaging provided significantly better than the early imaging in the identification of potential EZ, which can be valuable during epilepsy pre-surgical evaluation in patients with TLE.

Deep Video Prior for Video Consistency and Propagation.

Applying an image processing algorithm independently to each video frame often leads to temporal inconsistency in the resulting video. To address this issue, we present a novel and general approach for blind video temporal consistency. Our method is only trained on a pair of original and processed videos directly instead of a large dataset. Unlike most previous methods that enforce temporal consistency with optical flow, we show that temporal consistency can be achieved by training a convolutional network on a video with Deep Video Prior (DVP). Moreover, a carefully designed iteratively reweighted training strategy is proposed to address the challenging multimodal inconsistency problem. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on 7 computer vision tasks on videos. Extensive quantitative and perceptual experiments show that our approach obtains superior performance than state-of-the-art methods on blind video temporal consistency. We further extend DVP to video propagation and demonstrate its effectiveness in propagating three different types of information (color, artistic style, and object segmentation). A progressive propagation strategy with pseudo labels is also proposed to enhance DVP's performance on video propagation. Our source codes are publicly available at https://github.com/ChenyangLEI/deep-video-prior.

Analysis and Prediction of Influencing Factors of College Student Achievement Based on Machine Learning.

To effectively improve students' performance and help educators monitor students' learning situations, many colleges are committed to establishing systems that explore the influencing factors and predict student academic performance. However, because different colleges have different situations, the previous research results may not be applicable to ordinary Chinese colleges. This paper has two main objectives: to analyze the fluctuation of Chinese ordinary college student academic performance and to establish systems to predict performance. First, according to previous research results and the current situation of Chinese college students, a questionnaire was designed to collect data. Second, the chi-square test was used to analyze the contents of the questionnaire and identify the main features. Third, taking the main features as input, four classification prediction models are established by machine learning. Some traits of the students who did not pass all the examinations were also discovered. It might help student counselors and educators to take targeted measures. The experiment shows that the support vector machine classifier (SVC) model has the best and most stable effect. The average recall rate, precision rate, and accuracy rate reached 82.83%, 86.18%, and 80.96%, respectively.

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis at High Altitude: A Retrospective Cohort of Twenty-one Consecutive Patients.

Background  Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a rare cerebrovascular disorder, comprising <1% of all strokes. The incidence of CVT is higher in females but a small number of cases suggest that men have a higher risk for CVT in high elevation. The aim of this retrospective cohort study is to investigate this gender-related relationship and to describe the baseline characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients who suffered CVT at high altitude in eastern Nepal. Methods  We conducted a retrospective analysis of 21 consecutive patients with CVT at a tertiary care center in Nepal from July 2017 to January 2018. Clinical data, radiologic characteristics, therapeutic strategies, and outcomes were analyzed. The Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) at discharge was reported for each patient.  Result The study cohort comprised 21 patients (76% males) with a mean of 56 years. Medical comorbidities included hypertension (76%) and diabetes mellitus (57%). All patients received low-molecular-weight heparin therapy (LMWH). Eight patients (38%) underwent decompressive craniectomy while the remaining 13 (62%) were treated with medical therapy alone. The GOS at discharge was 5 in 57%, 2-4 in 33%, and 1 in 10%. Conclusion  In our series, men were found to have a higher risk for CVT at high altitude. The reversal in the gender ratio could be related to elevation, but could also be confounded by alcoholism. Increasingly sophisticated imaging techniques, such as computed tomography venography (CTV) and magnetic resonance venography (MRV), have facilitated the diagnosis of CVT. LMWH is a safe and easily accessible treatment option, especially in developing countries. Further studies are needed to assess the incidence and prevalence of CVT in the developing world, to establish the gender-related trends.

Which Parameter Is More Important for the Prognosis of New-Onset Adult Glioblastoma: Residual Tumor Volume or Extent of Resection?

BACKGROUND: The extent of resection (EOR) and residual tumor volume (RTV) are 2 pivotal predictors influencing the survival of patients with new-onset adult glioblastoma. Which of these 2 factors is more important remains unclear, however. The present aimed to evaluate and compare the accuracy of EOR and RTV, based on contrast-enhancing (CE) T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and T2-weighted/fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (F) MRI, as prognostic factors in these patients. METHODS: In this retrospective study, data were extracted from the databases of 2 hospitals between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2015. The subjects were divided into 2 groups, the total resection group and the partial resection group. The analysis comprised EOR and RTV. Statistical analysis was performed after controlling for other relevant factors. RESULTS: We analyzed 292 patients with new-onset glioblastoma who met the inclusion criteria. In the partial resection group, univariate analysis revealed that CE-EOR, CE-RTV, F-EOR, and F-RTV were correlated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), but multivariate analysis identified no correlation between CE-EOR or F-EOR and PFS or OS. In the total resection group, F-EOR and F-RTV were correlated with PFS and OS in univariate analysis, but F-EOR was not correlated in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of total or partial CE tumor resection, EOR might not be an independent prognostic factor. In contrast, RTV has the potential to offer greater predictive power for the prognosis of new-onset adult glioblastoma. Further investigations of the correlations of RTV and EOR with survival in patients with new-onset glioblastoma are needed.

Identification of candidate target genes of pituitary adenomas based on the DNA microarray.

The present study aimed to explore molecular mechanisms involved in pituitary adenomas (PAs) and to discover target genes for their treatment. The gene expression profile GSE4488 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the Limma package and analyzed by two­dimensional hierarchical clustering. Gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analyses were performed in order to investigate the functions of DEGs. Subsequently, the protein­protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using Cytoscape software. DEGs were then mapped to the connectivity map database to identify molecular agents associated with the underlying mechanisms of PAs. A total of 340 upregulated and 49 downregulated DEGs in PA samples compared with those in normal controls were identified. Hierarchical clustering analysis showed that DEGs were highly differentially expressed, indicating their aptness for distinguishing PA samples from normal controls. Significant gene ontology terms were positive regulation of immune system-associated processes for downregulated DEGs and skeletal system development for upregulated DEGs. Pathways significantly enriched by DEGs included extracellular matrix (ECM)­receptor interaction, the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway and neuroactive ligand­receptor interaction. The PPI network was constructed with 117 nodes, 123 edges and CD44 and Gli2 as hub nodes. Furthermore, depudecin, a small molecule drug, was identified to be mechanistically associated with PA. The genes CD44 and Gli2 have important roles in the progression of PAs via ECM­receptor interaction and the Hh signaling pathway and are therefore potential target genes of PA. In addition, depudecin may be a candidate drug for the treatment of PAs.

Surgical treatment of multiple intracranial aneurysms.

AIM: To discuss the surgical methods for multiple intracranial aneurysms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 23 patients were divided into three groups according to the location of the aneurysms: aneurysms located in one side or in the midline of the Willis ring; aneurysms located on both sides of the Willis ring with unruptured aneurysms located ahead of the middle cerebral artery bifurcation; and MIAs located on both sides with unruptured aneurysms located in the middle cerebral artery bifurcation or distal bifurcation. The preoperative operation strategy was made according to different groups. RESULTS: All patients in the first group underwent a one-stage operation for occlusion of all aneurysms. In the second group, eight patients underwent a one-stage operation for occlusion of all arterial aneurysms while the other three patients underwent a one-stage operation for occlusion of the ipsilateral aneurysms, followed by a two-stage operation for occlusion of the contralateral arterial aneurysms. In the third group, all patients underwent a two-stage operation for occlusion of all aneurysms. Good recovery, moderate disability, and severe disability were observed in 19, 2, and 2 cases, respectively. CONCLUSION: One-stage or two-stage surgery was determined based on the distribution of multiple aneurysms and the intraoperative situation to achieve ideal treatment effects.