Optimized 3D brachial plexus MR neurography using deep learning reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether 'fast,' unilateral, brachial plexus, 3D magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) acquisitions with deep learning reconstruction (DLR) provide similar image quality to longer, 'standard' scans without DLR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An IRB-approved prospective cohort of 30 subjects (13F; mean age = 50.3 ± 17.8y) underwent clinical brachial plexus 3.0 T MRN with 3D oblique-coronal STIR-T2-weighted-FSE. 'Standard' and 'fast' scans (time reduction = 23-48%, mean = 33%) were reconstructed without and with DLR. Evaluation of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and edge sharpness was performed for 4 image stacks: 'standard non-DLR,' 'standard DLR,' 'fast non-DLR,' and 'fast DLR.' Three raters qualitatively evaluated 'standard non-DLR' and 'fast DLR' for i) bulk motion (4-point scale), ii) nerve conspicuity of proximal and distal suprascapular and axillary nerves (5-point scale), and iii) nerve signal intensity, size, architecture, and presence of a mass (binary). ANOVA or Wilcoxon signed rank test compared differences. Gwet's agreement coefficient (AC2) assessed inter-rater agreement. RESULTS: Quantitative SNR and edge sharpness were superior for DLR versus non-DLR (SNR by + 4.57 to + 6.56 [p < 0.001] for 'standard' and + 4.26 to + 4.37 [p < 0.001] for 'fast;' sharpness by + 0.23 to + 0.52/pixel for 'standard' [p < 0.018] and + 0.21 to + 0.25/pixel for 'fast' [p < 0.003]) and similar between 'standard non-DLR' and 'fast DLR' (SNR: p = 0.436-1, sharpness: p = 0.067-1). Qualitatively, 'standard non-DLR' and 'fast DLR' had similar motion artifact, as well as nerve conspicuity, signal intensity, size and morphology, with high inter-rater agreement (AC2: 'standard' = 0.70-0.98, 'fast DLR' = 0.69-0.97). CONCLUSION: DLR applied to faster, 3D MRN acquisitions provides similar image quality to standard scans. A faster, DL-enabled protocol may replace currently optimized non-DL protocols.

Genetic mutations and phenotype characteristics in peripheral vascular malformations: A systematic review.

Vascular malformations (VMs) are clinically diverse with regard to the vessel type, anatomical location, tissue involvement and size. Consequently, symptoms and disease impact differ significantly. Diverse causative mutations in more and more genes are discovered and play a major role in the development of VMs. However, the relationship between the underlying causative mutations and the highly variable phenotype of VMs is not yet fully understood. In this systematic review, we aimed to provide an overview of known causative mutations in genes in VMs and discuss associations between the causative mutations and clinical phenotypes. PubMed and EMBASE libraries were systematically searched on November 9th, 2022 for randomized controlled trials and observational studies reporting causative mutations in at least five patients with peripheral venous, lymphatic, arteriovenous and combined malformations. Study quality was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data were extracted on patient and VM characteristics, molecular sequencing method and results of molecular analysis. In total, 5667 articles were found of which 69 studies were included, reporting molecular analysis in a total of 4261 patients and 1686 (40%) patients with peripheral VMs a causative mutation was detected. In conclusion, this systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of causative germline and somatic mutations in various genes and associated phenotypes in peripheral VMs. With these findings, we attempt to better understand how the underlying causative mutations in various genes contribute to the highly variable clinical characteristics of VMs. Our study shows that some causative mutations lead to a uniform phenotype, while other causal variants lead to more varying phenotypes. By contrast, distinct causative mutations may lead to similar phenotypes and result in almost indistinguishable VMs. VMs are currently classified based on clinical and histopathology features, however, the findings of this systematic review suggest a larger role for genotype in current diagnostics and classification.

The fusion of multiple scale data indicates that the carbon sink function of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is substantial.

BACKGROUND: The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the "sensitive area" of climate change, and also the "driver" and "amplifier" of global change. The response and feedback of its carbon dynamics to climate change will significantly affect the content of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. However, due to the unique geographical environment characteristics of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, there is still much controversy about its carbon source and sink estimation results. This study designed a new algorithm based on machine learning to improve the accuracy of carbon source and sink estimation by integrating multiple scale carbon input (net primary productivity, NPP) and output (soil heterotrophic respiration, Rh) information from remote sensing and ground observations. Then, we compared spatial patterns of NPP and Rh derived from the fusion of multiple scale data with other widely used products and tried to quantify the differences and uncertainties of carbon sink simulation at a regional scale. RESULTS: Our results indicate that although global warming has potentially increased the Rh of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it will also increase its NPP, and its current performance is a net carbon sink area (carbon sink amount is 22.3 Tg C/year). Comparative analysis with other data products shows that CASA, GLOPEM, and MODIS products based on remote sensing underestimate the carbon input of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (30-70%), which is the main reason for the severe underestimation of the carbon sink level of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (even considered as a carbon source). CONCLUSIONS: The estimation of the carbon sink in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is of great significance for ensuring its ecological barrier function. It can deepen the community's understanding of the response to climate change in sensitive areas of the plateau. This study can provide an essential basis for assessing the uncertainty of carbon sources and sinks in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and also provide a scientific reference for helping China achieve "carbon neutrality" by 2060.

Same-day discharge (SDD) vs standard enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols for major colorectal surgery: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs are well-established, resulting in improved outcomes and shorter length of hospital stay (LOS). Same-day discharge (SDD), or "hyper-ERAS", is a natural progression of ERAS. This systematic review aims to compare the safety and efficacy of SDD against conventional ERAS in colorectal surgery. METHODS: The protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (394793). A systematic search was performed in major databases to identify relevant articles, and a narrative systematic review was performed. Primary outcomes were readmission rates and length of hospital stay (LOS). Secondary outcomes were operative time and blood loss, postoperative pain, morbidity, nausea or vomiting, and patient satisfaction. Risks of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were included, with five single-arm and eight comparative studies, of which one was a randomised controlled trial. This comprised a total of 38,854 patients (SDD: 1622; ERAS: 37,232). Of the 1622 patients on the SDD pathway, 1590 patients (98%) were successfully discharged within 24 h of surgery. While most studies had an overall low risk of bias, there was considerable variability in inclusion criteria, types of surgery or anaesthesia, and discharge criteria. SDD resulted in a significantly reduced postoperative LOS, without increasing risk of 30-day readmission. Intraoperative blood loss and postoperative morbidity rates were comparable between both groups. Operative duration was shorter in the SDD group. Patient-reported satisfaction was high in the SDD cohort. CONCLUSION: SDD protocols appear to be safe and feasible in selected patients undergoing major colorectal operations. Randomised controlled trials are necessary to further substantiate these findings.

A new tool to investigate anorectal disorders in patients with multiple sclerosis: STAR-Q.

BACKGROUND: Bowel symptoms are commonly experienced by patients with Multiple sclerosis (PwMS), but no specific questionnaire validated in this population allows a rigorous assessment. OBJECTIVE: Validation of a multidimensional questionnaire assessing bowel disorders in PwMS. METHODS: A prospective, multicenter study was conducted between April 2020 and April 2021. The STAR-Q (Symptoms' assessmenT of AnoRectal dysfunction Questionnaire), was built in 3 steps. First, literature review and qualitative interviews were performed to create the first version, discussed with a panel of experts. Then, a pilot study assessed comprehension, acceptation and pertinence of items. Finally, the validation study was designed to measure content validity, internal consistency reliability (alpha coefficient of Cronbach) and test-retest reliability [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)]. The primary outcome was good psychometric properties with Cronbach's α>0.7 and ICC>0.7. RESULTS: We included 231 PwMS. Comprehension, acceptation and pertinence were good. STAR-Q showed a very good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α=0.84) and test-retest reliability (ICC=0.89). Final version of STAR-Q was composed of 3 domains corresponding in symptoms (Q1-Q14), treatment and constraints (Q15-Q18) and impact on quality of life (Q19). Three categories of severity were determined (STAR-Q≤16: minor, between 17 and 20: moderate, and≥21: severe). CONCLUSIONS: STAR-Q presents very good psychometric properties and allows a multidimensional assessment of bowel disorders in PwMS.

Postoperative Lumbar Fusion Bone Morphogenic Protein-Related Epidural Cyst Formation.

Bone morphogenetic protein is broadly used in spinal surgery to enhance fusion rates. Several complications have been associated with the use of bone morphogenetic protein, including postoperative radiculitis and pronounced bone resorption/osteolysis. Bone morphogenetic protein-related epidural cyst formation may represent another complication that has not been described aside from limited case reports. In this case series, we retrospectively reviewed imaging and clinical findings of 16 patients with epidural cysts on postoperative MR imaging following lumbar fusion. In 8 patients, mass effect on the thecal sac or lumbar nerve roots was noted. Of these, 6 patients developed new postoperative lumbosacral radiculopathy. During the study period, most patients were managed conservatively, and 1 patient required revision surgery with cyst resection. Concurrent imaging findings included reactive endplate edema and vertebral bone resorption/osteolysis. Epidural cysts had characteristic findings on MR imaging in this case series and may represent an important postoperative complication in patients following bone morphogenetic protein-augmented lumbar fusion.

Comparative study on comprehensive quality of Xinhui chenpi by two main plant propagation techniques.

Xinhui chenpi (XHCP), the sun-dried peel of the mandarin orange, Citrus reticulata "Chachi," is the most famous crude drug, as well as a traditional seasoning in Chinese cooking. The main cultivation methods of XHCP are cutting and grafting, but it is generally considered that the quality of XHCP after cutting is superior to that obtained from plants propagated by graftings, which had a negative impact on the marketing of the finished product. In our study, a total of 25 samples of XHCP obtained from plants cultivated by either traditional methods (i.e., from cuttings) or by grafting were collected to compare the contents of four types of metabolites (essential oils, flavonoids, synephrine, and total polysaccharides) as well as antioxidant activity. The results revealed that the quality of XHCP did not decline after cutting, and marked individual differences between XHCP samples, even when prepared from plants grown in the same way. In general, grafting had no significant effect on the most essential oils components, total polysaccharides, synephrine, total flavonoids, total polymethoxylated flavones, hesperidin, nobiletin, tangeretin content, and antioxidant activity. Nevertheless, five volatile compounds can be used as potential chemical markers (p < 0.05) to distinguish between cutting XHCP and grafted XHCP, while four volatile compounds showed high content in grafted XHCP. Our study is expected to provide a theoretical basis for XHCP breeding and cultivation, and thereby further standardize the market of XHCP.

Neurological pain relief interventional radiology procedures.

Neurological interventions have taken on a significant role in interventional radiology (IR) practice. Indications fall under three main categories: (1) intraprocedural pain management, (2) cancer pain palliation, and (3) chronic non-cancer pain control. Short-term regional anaesthesia can be achieved with local anaesthetics, while longer-term pain control can be attained with radiofrequency neuromodulation (pulsed or otherwise) or thermal/chemical neurolysis. This review article summarises the therapeutic options, applications, and techniques of commonly used peripheral nerve and plexus interventions in IR.

Evaluation of hypoparathyroidism following laryngectomy.

BACKGROUND: Hypoparathyroidism is a recognised complication following laryngectomy; it is associated with significant short-and long-term morbidity. This study aimed to further characterise this condition, identify risk factors and describe preventative and management strategies in a large cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study at a tertiary referral centre for head and neck cancers. All consecutive patients who had total laryngectomy over an eight-year period were included. RESULTS: A total of 140 patients were included. Rates of transient and long-term hypoparathyroidism were 14.3% and 10.1%, respectively. The following factors were significantly associated with transient post-surgical hypocalcaemia or hypoparathyroidism: total thyroidectomy (relative risk, RR, 4.33; 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.86-10.10), oesophagectomy (RR 6.05; 95% CI 2.92-12.53) and female sex (RR 3.23; 95% CI 1.45-7.19). In addition, total thyroidectomy (RR 5.89; 95% CI 1.94-17.86), central neck dissection (RR 3.97; 95% CI 1.42-11.10), oesophagectomy (RR 9.38; 95% CI 4.13-21.3), pharyngectomy (RR 7.14; 95% CI 2.08-24.39) and female sex (RR 5.52; 95% CI 1.95-15.63) were risk factors for long-term hypoparathyroidism. There was variability in the use of preventative measures, monitoring and management of hypocalcaemia and hypoparathyroidism following total laryngectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Transient hypocalcaemia and long-term hypoparathyroidism occur in a significant proportion of patients after laryngectomy. A standard protocol is required to improve care.

Transanal total mesorectal excision and delayed coloanal anastomosis without stoma for low rectal cancer.

The management of low rectal cancer is a perennial challenge for colorectal surgeons. The benefits of transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) in low rectal cancer are to secure the distal margin and avoid surgical space constraints within the deep pelvis. However, anastomotic leak remains an important concern. We report our technique and results combining TaTME with delayed coloanal anastomosis (DCAA) without bowel diversion. First, the splenic flexure, left colon and rectum are laparoscopically mobilized to mid-rectum. TaTME is performed to complete the distal rectal mobilization, and the specimen is delivered transanally and transected. The abdominoperineal colonic pull-through is secured to the anal canal and hypertonic dressing is applied regularly in the ward. The handsewn DCAA is performed one week later. An accompanying video demonstrates this technique. Five consecutive patients with low rectal cancer underwent TaTME with DCAA. All had upfront surgical resection except one who underwent total neoadjuvant therapy. Mean operative duration, blood loss, and length of hospital stay was 290 (250-375) min, 142 (10-200) ml and 11.6 (10-14) days respectively. One patient (20%) suffered a postoperative complication of persistent urinary retention, requiring an indwelling urinary catheter on discharge. There were no cases of open conversion and no instances of anastomotic leakage. Two patients (40%) had minor low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) and one (20%) had major LARS. TaTME and DCAA without stoma are complimentary techniques that augment the minimally invasive effects of laparoscopic sphincter-sparing low rectal cancer surgery, with good perioperative outcomes.

A systematic review of the feasibility and safety of day case nasal and/or palatopharyngeal surgery in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.

INTRODUCTION: Recent guidelines suggest obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is not an absolute contraindication for same day discharge following surgery. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the feasibility and safety of day case nasal and/or palatopharyngeal surgery in patients with OSA. METHODS: We performed a systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane library. Quality assessment of included studies was performed. The protocol of this systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021273451). RESULTS: A total of 1836 patients from 10 observational studies were included. There were 268 (15.4%) nasal surgeries, 738 palatopharyngeal surgeries (42.4%) and 735 (42.2%) combined nasal and palatopharyngeal surgery. The majority of patients had moderate to severe OSA. A total of 860 patients (49.8%) were successfully discharged as day cases. There were no standard criteria for daycase surgery. Post-anaesthetic respiratory events were reported in 86/1750 (4.9%) patients. Oxygen desaturation was the most common respiratory event (83.7%, n = 72). There was no mortality reported. CONCLUSION: Current data suggests day surgery is feasible in carefully selected patients with OSA undergoing nasal and/or palatopharyngeal surgery. Further well-designed prospective studies with an emphasis on the systematic assessment of complications are required to establish safety and daycase criteria.

The association between lumbar paraspinal muscle functional cross-sectional area on MRI and regional volumetric bone mineral density measured by quantitative computed tomography.

Osteosarcopenia is a common condition among elderly and postmenopausal female patients. Site-specific bone mineral density is more predictive of bone-related complications. Few studies have investigated muscle-bone associations. Our results demonstrated that in women, significant positive associations between paraspinal muscles FCSA and vBMD exist at different lumbosacral levels. These regional differences should be considered when interpreting bone-muscle associations in the lumbar spine. INTRODUCTION: There is increasing evidence between bone and muscle volume associations. Previous studies have demonstrated comorbidity between osteoporosis and sarcopenia. Recent studies showed that sarcopenic subjects had a fourfold higher risk of concomitant osteoporosis compared to non-sarcopenic individuals. Although site-specific bone mineral density (BMD) assessments were reported to be more predictive of bone-related complications after spinal fusions than BMD assessments in general, there are few studies that have investigated level-specific bone-muscle interactions. The aim of this study is to investigate the associations between muscle functional cross-sectional area (FCSA) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and site-specific quantitative computed tomography (QCT) volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in the lumbosacral region among spine surgery patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a prospective institutional database of posterior lumbar fusion patients. Patients with available MRI undergoing posterior lumbar fusion were included. Muscle measurements and FCSA were conducted and calculated utilizing a manual segmentation and custom-written program at the superior endplate of the L3-L5 vertebrae level. vBMD measurements were performed and calculated utilizing a QCT pro software at L1-L2 levels and bilateral sacral ala. We stratified by sex for all analyses. RESULTS: A total of 105 patients (mean age 61.5 years and 52.4% females) were included. We found that female patients had statistically significant lower muscle FCSA than male patients. After adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI), there were statistically significant positive associations between L1-L2 and S1 vBMD with L3 psoas FCSA as well as sacral ala vBMD with L3 posterior paraspinal and L5 psoas FCSA. These associations were not found in males. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that in women, significant positive associations between the psoas and posterior paraspinal muscle FCSA and vBMD exist in different lumbosacral levels, which are independent of age and BMI. These regional differences should be considered when interpreting bone and muscle associations in the lumbar spine.

Experimental quantum key distribution certified by Bell's theorem.

Cryptographic key exchange protocols traditionally rely on computational conjectures such as the hardness of prime factorization1 to provide security against eavesdropping attacks. Remarkably, quantum key distribution protocols such as the Bennett-Brassard scheme2 provide information-theoretic security against such attacks, a much stronger form of security unreachable by classical means. However, quantum protocols realized so far are subject to a new class of attacks exploiting a mismatch between the quantum states or measurements implemented and their theoretical modelling, as demonstrated in numerous experiments3-6. Here we present the experimental realization of a complete quantum key distribution protocol immune to these vulnerabilities, following Ekert's pioneering proposal7 to use entanglement to bound an adversary's information from Bell's theorem8. By combining theoretical developments with an improved optical fibre link generating entanglement between two trapped-ion qubits, we obtain 95,628 key bits with device-independent security9-12 from 1.5 million Bell pairs created during eight hours of run time. We take steps to ensure that information on the measurement results is inaccessible to an eavesdropper. These measurements are performed without space-like separation. Our result shows that provably secure cryptography under general assumptions is possible with real-world devices, and paves the way for further quantum information applications based on the device-independence principle.

The utility of liver function tests and abdominal ultrasound in infectious mononucleosis-A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: A large proportion of patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM) have abnormal liver function tests (LFT) at presentation. There is no guideline regarding the management and follow-up of these patients. Some patients also have abdominal ultrasound (US) due to deranged LFT, the need for this practice is unclear. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence base on LFT assessment in IM, time to resolution of derangement, and the role of abdominal US. METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane library was done. Two authors independently screened records for eligibility using pre-defined criteria. We included both adult and paediatric populations. Quality assessment of included studies was done. RESULTS: A total of 3924 patients were included from 32 studies, of which LFT values were reported on 2779 patients. A combination of typical clinical features, heterophile antibodies and Epstein-Barr virus-specific antibodies were used to ascertain diagnosis. The following proportion of patients had abnormal LFT: aspartate transaminase (57%); alanine transaminase (62%); alkaline phosphatase (65%); bilirubin (16%); gamma-glutamyltransferase (41%). Reported median (interquartile range) time to resolution of LFT was 8 (6-12) weeks (n = 438). Maximum time to resolution was >6 months. Clinical hepatomegaly and splenomegaly were found in 35% and 44% of patients, respectively. Enlarged liver and spleen on US were seen in 16 of 29 and 38 of 38 of patients, respectively. There were no reports of decompensated liver disease. CONCLUSION: Current evidence questions the need for routine assessment of LFT in immunocompetent patients presenting with IM; serial LFT assessments following initial abnormalities are not required in immunocompetent patients with subclinical derangement of LFT; routine US abdomen in IM to evaluate for derangement of LFT is not required.

Aqua: A new questionnaire assessing anticholinergic side effects in neurogenic population (Aqua: Anticholinergic side effects questionnaire).

AIMS: Validate a new questionnaire to assess the side effects secondary to anticholinergics in neurogenic population suffering from Adult neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (ANLUTD). METHODS: We conducted a prospective, monocentric study in a Neuro-urology Department of a University Hospital between February 2015 and April 2020. To allow a full psychometric validation of a questionnaire, the study protocol included 3 steps: qualitative interviews, feasibility study and validation study. The primary outcome was good psychometric properties defined with good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α>0.7) and good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)>0.7). RESULTS: we included 64 patients with ANLUTD secondary to neurogenic disorders. Feasibility study demonstrate very good acceptation and comprehension for 97% of patients. Validation study showed good internal consistency with Cronbach's α=0,69 and very good ICC=0,73. AQUA is composed with 8 items scoring 0 (no side effect) to 2 (major side effect) for a total score between 0 to 16. Time to fulfill is very quick. Mean score in our population was 4,1 (sd 2,9). CONCLUSION: AQUA is the first validated tool to assess side effects secondary to antimuscarinic treatment for neurogenic population suffering from ANLUTD. LEVEL OF PROOF: 2.