Development of Computer-Aided Semi-Automatic Diagnosis System for Chronic Post-Stroke Aphasia Classification with Temporal and Parietal Lesions: A Pilot Study

Survivors of either a hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke tend to acquire aphasia and experience spontaneous recovery during the first six months. Nevertheless, a considerable number of patients sustain aphasia and require speech and language therapy to overcome the difficulties. As a preliminary study, this article aims to distinguish aphasia caused from a temporoparietal lesion. Typically, temporal and parietal lesions cause Wernicke’s aphasia and Anomic aphasia. Differential diagnosis between Anomic and Wernicke’s has become controversial and subjective due to the close resemblance of Wernicke’s to Anomic aphasia when recovering. Hence, this article proposes a clinical diagnosis system that incorporates normal coupling between the acoustic frequencies of speech signals and the language ability of temporoparietal aphasias to delineate classification boundary lines. The proposed inspection system is a hybrid scheme consisting of automated components, such as confrontation naming, repetition, and a manual component, such as comprehension. The study was conducted involving 30 participants clinically diagnosed with temporoparietal aphasias after a stroke and 30 participants who had experienced a stroke without aphasia. The plausibility of accurate classification of Wernicke’s and Anomic aphasia was confirmed using the distinctive acoustic frequency profiles of selected controls. Accuracy of the proposed system and algorithm was confirmed by comparing the obtained diagnosis with the conventional manual diagnosis. Though this preliminary work distinguishes between Anomic and Wernicke’s aphasia, we can claim that the developed algorithm-based inspection model could be a worthwhile solution towards objective classification of other aphasia types.

The Effects of Coupling Stiffness and Slippage of Interface Between the Wellbore and Unconsolidated Sediment on the Stability Analysis of the Wellbore Under Gas Hydrate Production

Gas hydrates have great potential as future energy resources. Several productivity and stability analyses have been conducted for the Ulleung Basin, and the depressurization method is being considered for production. Under depressurization, ground settlement occurs near the wellbore and axial stress develops. For a safe production test, it is essential to perform a stability analysis for the wellbore and hydrate-bearing sediments. In this study, the development of axial stress on the wellbore was investigated considering the coupling stiffness of the interface between the wellbore and sediment. A coupling stiffness model, which can consider both confining stress and slippage phenomena, was suggested and applied in a numerical simulation. Parametric analyses were conducted to investigate the effects of coupling stiffness and slippage on axial stress development. The results show that shear coupling stiffness has a significant effect on wellbore stability, while normal coupling stiffness has a minor effect. In addition, the maximum axial stress of the well bore has an upper limit depending on the magnitude of the confining stress, and the axial stress converges to this upper limit due to slipping at the interface. The results can be used as fundamental data for the design of wellbore under depressurization-based gas production.

New (azulen-1-yldiazenyl)-heteroaromatic Compounds Containing 1,2,5-thiadiazol-3-yl Moieties

(E)-2-(Azulen-1-yldiazenyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazoles, unsubstituted or substituted either at azulen-1-yl moiety or at 5-position of thiadiazole ring were synthesized. Among the acids used as diazotization medium, dichloroacetic acid was the best choice. In several cases the by-products such as thioether 9 were isolated along with the normal coupling derivatives. The generated products were characterized and their MS and UV-vis spectra discussed. A computational study on (E)-2-(azulen-1-yldiazenyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazoles was undertaken based on density functional theory (DFT) to determine frontier orbital energies and other physical properties. The absorption maxima and the basicity of the new compounds are close to those of the corresponding diazenes containing thiazole, previously described. They have brick color in neutral medium and violet in strong acidic solutions. The redox potentials were also determined remarking the influence of the substituents on these potentials.

Neuroarthropathy in diabetes: pathogenesis of Charcot arthropathy

Charcot neuroarthropathy is a rare but serious complication of diabetes, causing progressive destruction of the bones and joints of the foot leading to deformity, altered biomechanics and an increased risk of ulceration. Management is complicated by a lack of consensus on diagnostic criteria and an incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis. In this review, we consider recent insights into the development of Charcot neuroarthropathy. It is likely to be dependent on several interrelated factors which may include a genetic pre-disposition in combination with diabetic neuropathy. This leads to decreased neuropeptides (nitric oxide and calcitonin gene-related peptide), which may affect the normal coupling of bone formation and resorption, and increased levels of Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand, potentiating osteoclastogenesis. Repetitive unrecognized trauma due to neuropathy increases levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor α) which could also contribute to increased bone resorption, in combination with a pre-inflammatory state, with increased autoimmune reactivity and a profile of monocytes primed to transform into osteoclasts - cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14). Increased blood glucose and loss of circulating Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGLEPs), leading to increased non-enzymatic glycation of collagen and accumulation of AGLEPs in the tissues of the foot, may also contribute to the pathological process. An understanding of the relative contributions of each of these mechanisms and a final common pathway for the development of Charcot neuroarthropathy are still lacking. Cite this article: S. E. Johnson-Lynn, A. W. McCaskie, A. P. Coll, A. H. N. Robinson. Neuroarthropathy in diabetes: pathogenesis of Charcot arthropathy. Bone Joint Res 2018;7:373–378. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.75.BJR-2017-0334.R1.

Measuring Coupling of Rhythmical Time Series Using Cross Sample Entropy and Cross Recurrence Quantification Analysis

The aim of this investigation was to compare and contrast the use of cross sample entropy (xSE) and cross recurrence quantification analysis (cRQA) measures for the assessment of coupling of rhythmical patterns. Measures were assessed using simulated signals with regular, chaotic, and random fluctuations in frequency, amplitude, and a combination of both. Biological data were studied as models of normal and abnormal locomotor-respiratory coupling. Nine signal types were generated for seven frequency ratios. Fifteen patients with COPD (abnormal coupling) and twenty-one healthy controls (normal coupling) walked on a treadmill at three speeds while breathing and walking were recorded. xSE and the cRQA measures of percent determinism, maximum line, mean line, and entropy were quantified for both the simulated and experimental data. In the simulated data, xSE, percent determinism, and entropy were influenced by the frequency manipulation. The 1 : 1 frequency ratio was different than other frequency ratios for almost all measures and/or manipulations. The patients with COPD used a 2 : 3 ratio more often and xSE, percent determinism, maximum line, mean line, and cRQA entropy were able to discriminate between the groups. Analysis of the effects of walking speed indicated that all measures were able to discriminate between speeds.

Abstract 15031: Defining a Coupling Ratio: Tissue Doppler Velocities in Systole and Diastole Predict Greater Diastolic Than Systolic Impairment in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Introduction: Mitral annular velocities, E’ and S’, (cm/s) measured by Tissue Doppler Imaging, are used in clinical cardiology and in research as important descriptors of systolic and diastolic function. We hypothesized that the relationship between these velocities in normal individuals would be linear, and would define a ventricular systolic/diastolic coupling ratio. We further hypothesized that departure from this normal coupling ratio might provide insight into certain disease states. Methods: We reviewed consecutive ECHOs performed at our institution to define the coupling ratio in normal individuals (n=57) and in 2 disease states dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (n=20), and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) (n=19). The average of peak septal and lateral velocities, obtained in systole and diastole were compared (ANOVA). Results: Baseline characters as depicted in the table. In normals, there is a linear relationship between S’ and E’. While the S’ and E’ velocities are lower in absolute terms in DCM, the coupling ratio is similar to that seen in Normals. HCM, by contrast shows a relatively lower coupling ratio than Normals or DCM (Figure attached). Conclusion: We have defined a simple coupling ratio of systolic and diastolic velocities in normal and cardiomyopathy. The greater relative impairment on diastolic velocities in HCM appears to reflect a greater relative impairment in diastolic filling than in systolic shortening. In other words, for a given degree of systolic fiber shortening, fiber lengthening/stretch and perhaps utilization of the Frank Starling mechanism would be disproportionately impaired.