The most widely adopted method for diagnosing respiratory infectious diseases is to conduct polymerase chain reaction(PCR)assays on patients’respiratory specimens,which are collected through either nasal or oropharyn...The most widely adopted method for diagnosing respiratory infectious diseases is to conduct polymerase chain reaction(PCR)assays on patients’respiratory specimens,which are collected through either nasal or oropharyngeal swabs.The manual swab sampling process poses a high risk to the examiner and may cause false-negative results owing to improper sampling.In this paper,we propose a pneumatically actuated soft end-effector specifically designed to achieve all of the tasks involved in swab sampling.The soft end-effector utilizes circumferential instability to ensure grasping stability,and exhibits several key properties,including high load-to-weight ratio,error tolerance,and variable swab-tip stiffness,leading to successful automatic robotic oropharyngeal swab sampling,from loosening and tightening the transport medium tube cap,holding the swab,and conducting sampling,to snapping off the swab tail and sterilizing itself.Using an industrial collaborative robotic arm,we integrated the soft end-effector,force sensor,camera,lights,and remote-control stick,and developed a robotic oropharyngeal swab sampling system.Using this swab sampling system,we conducted oropharyngeal swab-sampling tests on 20 volunteers.Our Digital PCR assay results(RNase P RNA gene absolute copy numbers for the samples)revealed that our system successfully collected sufficient numbers of cells from the pharyngeal wall for respiratory disease diagnosis.In summary,we have developed a pharyngeal swab-sampling system based on an“enveloping”soft actuator,studied the sampling process,and imple-mented whole-process robotic oropharyngeal swab-sampling.展开更多
Rhabdoid tumors (RTs) are a well-defined entity in the kidney or central nervous system of infants or children. However, soft-tissue involvement is uncommon. It’s an exceptional neonatal tumor of soft tissue. The ima...Rhabdoid tumors (RTs) are a well-defined entity in the kidney or central nervous system of infants or children. However, soft-tissue involvement is uncommon. It’s an exceptional neonatal tumor of soft tissue. The imaging characteristics of this tumor are not specific. Biopsy allows diagnosis;the histomorphological characteristics of rhabdoid tumors, their immunoreactivity to epithelial markers and vimentin, and the INI-1 loss are important tools for diagnosis. RT tumors are aggressive and have a rapidly fatal clinical course in most cases. Despite multidisciplinary therapy, the survival rate is very low. We report a rare case occurring in a male neonate who presents at birth with a voluminous right axillary mass. A CT scan showed a well-limited tumor mass with lobulated contours. An ultrasound-guided biopsy was performed on day 8, showing the morphology and immunoprofile of RT. The mass showed rapid growth. The child was admitted for respiratory distress at 3 weeks. A thoraco-abdominal CT showed an increase in the size of the mass with the appearance of multiple lymph nodes and pleural, hepatic, and renal metastases. The child died two days later.展开更多
AIM To study the clinical findings and characteristic features in sciatic notch dumbbell tumors(SNDTs).METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the clinical outcomes and characteristic features of consecutive cases of SNDT...AIM To study the clinical findings and characteristic features in sciatic notch dumbbell tumors(SNDTs).METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the clinical outcomes and characteristic features of consecutive cases of SNDTs(n = 8). RESULTS Buttock masses occurred in three patients with SNDT(37.5%). Severe buttock tenderness and pain at rest were observed in seven patients with SNDTs(87.5%). Remarkably, none of the patients with SNDTs experienced back pain. Mean tumor size was 8.4 ± 2.0 cm(range, 3.9 to 10.6 cm) and part of the tumor mass was detected in 2 patients in the sagittal view of lumbar magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).CONCLUSION The clinical information regarding to SNDTs is scarce. The authors consider that above mentioned characteristic findings may facilitate the suspicion of pelvic pathology and a search for SNDT by MRI or computed tomography should be considered in patients presenting with sciatica without evidence of spinal diseases.展开更多
Eight cases of surgically and pathologically verified extraskeletal (soft tissue) chondrosarcoma were analyzed with regard to clinical and X-ray features. The cardinal clinical aspects of this series are: presence of ...Eight cases of surgically and pathologically verified extraskeletal (soft tissue) chondrosarcoma were analyzed with regard to clinical and X-ray features. The cardinal clinical aspects of this series are: presence of a local soft tissue mass; gradual enlargement of the mass accompanied by increasing pain. The X-ray signs were summarized as follows: formation of a soft tissue mass; various forms of calcifications concentrated in the central area of the tumor; in some instances, presence of a saucer-like defect on the cortical surface of neighbouring bone and periosteal proliferation with mound-like new bone on both sides as well as bending deformity of the affected bone. The incidence and sites of predilection, the main X-ray findings, radiological diagnosis and differential diagnosis of the tumor were discussed. The Roentgen features of synovial chondrosarcoma of the knee joint were especially analyzed.展开更多
A single soft fault diagnosis method for analog circuit with tolerance based on particle swarm optimization （PSO） is proposed. The parameter deviation of circuit elements is defined as the element of particle. Node-...A single soft fault diagnosis method for analog circuit with tolerance based on particle swarm optimization （PSO） is proposed. The parameter deviation of circuit elements is defined as the element of particle. Node-voltage incremental equations based on the sensitivity analysis are built as constraints of a linear programming （LP） equation. Through inducing the penalty coefficient, the LP equation is set as the fitness function for the PSO program. After evaluating the best position of particles, the position of the optimal particle states whether the actual parameter is within tolerance range or not. Simulation result shows the effectiveness of the method.展开更多
BACKGROUND Soft tissue tuberculosis is rare and insidious,with most patients presenting with a localized enlarged mass or swelling,which may be factors associated with delayed diagnosis and treatment.In recent years,n...BACKGROUND Soft tissue tuberculosis is rare and insidious,with most patients presenting with a localized enlarged mass or swelling,which may be factors associated with delayed diagnosis and treatment.In recent years,next-generation sequencing has rapidly evolved and has been successfully applied to numerous areas of basic and clinical research.A literature search revealed that the use of next-generation sequencing in the diagnosis of soft tissue tuberculosis has been rarely reported.CASE SUMMARY A 44-year-old man presented with recurrent swelling and ulcers on the left thigh.Magnetic resonance imaging suggested a soft tissue abscess.The lesion was surgically removed and tissue biopsy and culture were performed;however,no organism growth was detected.Finally,Mycobacterium tuberculosis was confirmed as the pathogen responsible for infection through next-generation sequencing analysis of the surgical specimen.The patient received a standardized anti-tuberculosis treatment and showed clinical improvement.We also performed a literature review on soft tissue tuberculosis using studies published in the past 10 years.CONCLUSION This case highlights the importance of next-generation sequencing for the early diagnosis of soft tissue tuberculosis,which can provide guidance for clinical treatment and improve prognosis.展开更多
The soft fault induced by parameter variation is one of the most challenging problems in the domain of fault diagnosis for analog circuits.A new fault location and parameter prediction approach for soft-faults diagnos...The soft fault induced by parameter variation is one of the most challenging problems in the domain of fault diagnosis for analog circuits.A new fault location and parameter prediction approach for soft-faults diagnosis in analog circuits is presented in this paper.The proposed method extracts the original signals from the output terminals of the circuits under test（CUT） by a data acquisition board.Firstly,the phase deviation value between fault-free and faulty conditions is obtained by fitting the sampling sequence with a sine curve.Secondly,the sampling sequence is organized into a square matrix and the spectral radius of this matrix is obtained.Thirdly,the smallest error of the spectral radius and the corresponding component value are obtained through comparing the spectral radius and phase deviation value with the trend curves of them,respectively,which are calculated from the simulation data.Finally,the fault location is completed by using the smallest error,and the corresponding component value is the parameter identification result.Both simulated and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.It is particularly suitable for the fault location and parameter identification for analog integrated circuits.展开更多
A ray tracing method is introduced for helping adjustment and spectra analysis of the grazing incidence flat-field imaging soft X-ray spectrometer. For a single point source, the spectra images obtained by separate co...A ray tracing method is introduced for helping adjustment and spectra analysis of the grazing incidence flat-field imaging soft X-ray spectrometer. For a single point source, the spectra images obtained by separate components, the toroidal mirror, and the grazing incidence flat-field concave grating with varied line spaces are given respectively. The calculated spectral images of the single point source by the spectrometer are also given for comparison with measurements with different experimental alignments.展开更多
BACKGROUND Despite the fact that about one third of patients with primary localized extremity soft tissue sarcoma(e STS)will develop metastatic disease,abdominal metastases(AM)and retroperitoneal metastases(RM)constit...BACKGROUND Despite the fact that about one third of patients with primary localized extremity soft tissue sarcoma(e STS)will develop metastatic disease,abdominal metastases(AM)and retroperitoneal metastases(RM)constitute rare events.There is no clear consensus on how to achieve follow-up on patients with primary localized e STS following curative resection,especially regarding the surveillance of potential AM/RM.AIM To systematically analyse incidence,diagnosis,treatment and outcome of AM/RM in e STS patients.METHODS In this systematic review,899 studies available in Pub Med and published between 2000 and 2018 were screened,identifying 17 original articles focused on AM or RM in e STS.Article selection was based on the PRISMA guidelines,using the search terms(abdominal metastasis AND soft tissue sarcoma)and(soft tissue sarcoma metastasis abdomen).All studies published between January 1,2000 and December 31,2018 were screened.Further articles were identified by crosssearching article references,with the final search date being February 18,2019.Due to limited data and the different reporting techniques used,the present review focused on descriptive analysis of the included studies.RESULTS Of the 17 studies included,six original articles reported on incidence±diagnosis,therapy and outcome in AM and RM,whilst three original and eight case reports focused on diagnostic pathway,therapeutic procedures or outcomes without allowing conclusions regarding incidence of AM and RM.According to the former six studies,incidence of AM ranged from 0.9%-5.6%in patients with miscellaneous histological subtypes,and up to 12.1%in patients with myxoid liposarcoma.The most common histological subtypes that developed AM or RM were(myxoid)liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma,but also rare subtypes such asepithelioid sarcoma,myxofibrosarcoma,synovial sarcoma,and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour had been reported to develop AM/RM.Surgery for AM/RM was performed in five of eight case-reports(62.5%)and in 20.8%-100.0%of original articles.In particular,patients with hepatic metastases undergoing metastasectomy had a survival benefit compared to patients treated with chemotherapy or best supportive care(>3 years vs<6 mo).CONCLUSION Patients with e STS should undergo surveillance with abdominal ultrasonography/computed tomography,or even whole-body-magnetic resonance imaging to detect AM/RM at an early stage.展开更多
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52222502,92048302,and 51975306)Research Project of State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration of China(Grant No.MSV201904)Emergency Research Project for COVID-19 from Institute for Precision Medicine of Tsinghua University of China.
文摘The most widely adopted method for diagnosing respiratory infectious diseases is to conduct polymerase chain reaction(PCR)assays on patients’respiratory specimens,which are collected through either nasal or oropharyngeal swabs.The manual swab sampling process poses a high risk to the examiner and may cause false-negative results owing to improper sampling.In this paper,we propose a pneumatically actuated soft end-effector specifically designed to achieve all of the tasks involved in swab sampling.The soft end-effector utilizes circumferential instability to ensure grasping stability,and exhibits several key properties,including high load-to-weight ratio,error tolerance,and variable swab-tip stiffness,leading to successful automatic robotic oropharyngeal swab sampling,from loosening and tightening the transport medium tube cap,holding the swab,and conducting sampling,to snapping off the swab tail and sterilizing itself.Using an industrial collaborative robotic arm,we integrated the soft end-effector,force sensor,camera,lights,and remote-control stick,and developed a robotic oropharyngeal swab sampling system.Using this swab sampling system,we conducted oropharyngeal swab-sampling tests on 20 volunteers.Our Digital PCR assay results(RNase P RNA gene absolute copy numbers for the samples)revealed that our system successfully collected sufficient numbers of cells from the pharyngeal wall for respiratory disease diagnosis.In summary,we have developed a pharyngeal swab-sampling system based on an“enveloping”soft actuator,studied the sampling process,and imple-mented whole-process robotic oropharyngeal swab-sampling.
文摘Rhabdoid tumors (RTs) are a well-defined entity in the kidney or central nervous system of infants or children. However, soft-tissue involvement is uncommon. It’s an exceptional neonatal tumor of soft tissue. The imaging characteristics of this tumor are not specific. Biopsy allows diagnosis;the histomorphological characteristics of rhabdoid tumors, their immunoreactivity to epithelial markers and vimentin, and the INI-1 loss are important tools for diagnosis. RT tumors are aggressive and have a rapidly fatal clinical course in most cases. Despite multidisciplinary therapy, the survival rate is very low. We report a rare case occurring in a male neonate who presents at birth with a voluminous right axillary mass. A CT scan showed a well-limited tumor mass with lobulated contours. An ultrasound-guided biopsy was performed on day 8, showing the morphology and immunoprofile of RT. The mass showed rapid growth. The child was admitted for respiratory distress at 3 weeks. A thoraco-abdominal CT showed an increase in the size of the mass with the appearance of multiple lymph nodes and pleural, hepatic, and renal metastases. The child died two days later.
文摘AIM To study the clinical findings and characteristic features in sciatic notch dumbbell tumors(SNDTs).METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the clinical outcomes and characteristic features of consecutive cases of SNDTs(n = 8). RESULTS Buttock masses occurred in three patients with SNDT(37.5%). Severe buttock tenderness and pain at rest were observed in seven patients with SNDTs(87.5%). Remarkably, none of the patients with SNDTs experienced back pain. Mean tumor size was 8.4 ± 2.0 cm(range, 3.9 to 10.6 cm) and part of the tumor mass was detected in 2 patients in the sagittal view of lumbar magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).CONCLUSION The clinical information regarding to SNDTs is scarce. The authors consider that above mentioned characteristic findings may facilitate the suspicion of pelvic pathology and a search for SNDT by MRI or computed tomography should be considered in patients presenting with sciatica without evidence of spinal diseases.
文摘Eight cases of surgically and pathologically verified extraskeletal (soft tissue) chondrosarcoma were analyzed with regard to clinical and X-ray features. The cardinal clinical aspects of this series are: presence of a local soft tissue mass; gradual enlargement of the mass accompanied by increasing pain. The X-ray signs were summarized as follows: formation of a soft tissue mass; various forms of calcifications concentrated in the central area of the tumor; in some instances, presence of a saucer-like defect on the cortical surface of neighbouring bone and periosteal proliferation with mound-like new bone on both sides as well as bending deformity of the affected bone. The incidence and sites of predilection, the main X-ray findings, radiological diagnosis and differential diagnosis of the tumor were discussed. The Roentgen features of synovial chondrosarcoma of the knee joint were especially analyzed.
基金supported by the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University under Grant No.NCET-05-0804partly supported by Chinese National Programs for High Technology Research and Development under Grant No.2006AA06Z222
文摘A single soft fault diagnosis method for analog circuit with tolerance based on particle swarm optimization （PSO） is proposed. The parameter deviation of circuit elements is defined as the element of particle. Node-voltage incremental equations based on the sensitivity analysis are built as constraints of a linear programming （LP） equation. Through inducing the penalty coefficient, the LP equation is set as the fitness function for the PSO program. After evaluating the best position of particles, the position of the optimal particle states whether the actual parameter is within tolerance range or not. Simulation result shows the effectiveness of the method.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.82272544。
文摘BACKGROUND Soft tissue tuberculosis is rare and insidious,with most patients presenting with a localized enlarged mass or swelling,which may be factors associated with delayed diagnosis and treatment.In recent years,next-generation sequencing has rapidly evolved and has been successfully applied to numerous areas of basic and clinical research.A literature search revealed that the use of next-generation sequencing in the diagnosis of soft tissue tuberculosis has been rarely reported.CASE SUMMARY A 44-year-old man presented with recurrent swelling and ulcers on the left thigh.Magnetic resonance imaging suggested a soft tissue abscess.The lesion was surgically removed and tissue biopsy and culture were performed;however,no organism growth was detected.Finally,Mycobacterium tuberculosis was confirmed as the pathogen responsible for infection through next-generation sequencing analysis of the surgical specimen.The patient received a standardized anti-tuberculosis treatment and showed clinical improvement.We also performed a literature review on soft tissue tuberculosis using studies published in the past 10 years.CONCLUSION This case highlights the importance of next-generation sequencing for the early diagnosis of soft tissue tuberculosis,which can provide guidance for clinical treatment and improve prognosis.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.61371049
文摘The soft fault induced by parameter variation is one of the most challenging problems in the domain of fault diagnosis for analog circuits.A new fault location and parameter prediction approach for soft-faults diagnosis in analog circuits is presented in this paper.The proposed method extracts the original signals from the output terminals of the circuits under test（CUT） by a data acquisition board.Firstly,the phase deviation value between fault-free and faulty conditions is obtained by fitting the sampling sequence with a sine curve.Secondly,the sampling sequence is organized into a square matrix and the spectral radius of this matrix is obtained.Thirdly,the smallest error of the spectral radius and the corresponding component value are obtained through comparing the spectral radius and phase deviation value with the trend curves of them,respectively,which are calculated from the simulation data.Finally,the fault location is completed by using the smallest error,and the corresponding component value is the parameter identification result.Both simulated and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.It is particularly suitable for the fault location and parameter identification for analog integrated circuits.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11221002,11274152,and 11074297)
文摘A ray tracing method is introduced for helping adjustment and spectra analysis of the grazing incidence flat-field imaging soft X-ray spectrometer. For a single point source, the spectra images obtained by separate components, the toroidal mirror, and the grazing incidence flat-field concave grating with varied line spaces are given respectively. The calculated spectral images of the single point source by the spectrometer are also given for comparison with measurements with different experimental alignments.
文摘BACKGROUND Despite the fact that about one third of patients with primary localized extremity soft tissue sarcoma(e STS)will develop metastatic disease,abdominal metastases(AM)and retroperitoneal metastases(RM)constitute rare events.There is no clear consensus on how to achieve follow-up on patients with primary localized e STS following curative resection,especially regarding the surveillance of potential AM/RM.AIM To systematically analyse incidence,diagnosis,treatment and outcome of AM/RM in e STS patients.METHODS In this systematic review,899 studies available in Pub Med and published between 2000 and 2018 were screened,identifying 17 original articles focused on AM or RM in e STS.Article selection was based on the PRISMA guidelines,using the search terms(abdominal metastasis AND soft tissue sarcoma)and(soft tissue sarcoma metastasis abdomen).All studies published between January 1,2000 and December 31,2018 were screened.Further articles were identified by crosssearching article references,with the final search date being February 18,2019.Due to limited data and the different reporting techniques used,the present review focused on descriptive analysis of the included studies.RESULTS Of the 17 studies included,six original articles reported on incidence±diagnosis,therapy and outcome in AM and RM,whilst three original and eight case reports focused on diagnostic pathway,therapeutic procedures or outcomes without allowing conclusions regarding incidence of AM and RM.According to the former six studies,incidence of AM ranged from 0.9%-5.6%in patients with miscellaneous histological subtypes,and up to 12.1%in patients with myxoid liposarcoma.The most common histological subtypes that developed AM or RM were(myxoid)liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma,but also rare subtypes such asepithelioid sarcoma,myxofibrosarcoma,synovial sarcoma,and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour had been reported to develop AM/RM.Surgery for AM/RM was performed in five of eight case-reports(62.5%)and in 20.8%-100.0%of original articles.In particular,patients with hepatic metastases undergoing metastasectomy had a survival benefit compared to patients treated with chemotherapy or best supportive care(>3 years vs<6 mo).CONCLUSION Patients with e STS should undergo surveillance with abdominal ultrasonography/computed tomography,or even whole-body-magnetic resonance imaging to detect AM/RM at an early stage.
