Study of Ds1 (2460)+ → Ds+π+π- in B → D‾(*)Ds+π+π- decays

An amplitude analysis of the Ds1(2460)+→Ds+π+π- transition is performed simultaneously in B0→D-Ds+π+π-, B+→D‾0Ds+π+π-, and B0→D*-Ds+π+π- decays. The study is based on a data sample of proton-proton collisions recorded with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of s=7,8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 9fb-1. A clear double-peak structure is observed in the m(π+π-) spectrum of the Ds1(2460)+→Ds+π+π- decay. The data can be described either with a model including f0500,f0980, and f2(1270) resonances, in which the contributions of f0(980) and f2(1270) are unexpectedly large, or with a model including f0(500), a doubly charged open-charm tetraquark state Tcs¯++ and its isospin partner Tcs¯0. If the former is considered implausible, the Tcs¯ states are observed with high significance, and the data are consistent with isospin symmetry. When imposing isospin constraints between the two Tcs¯ states, their mass and width are determined to be (2327±13±13) MeV and (96±16-23+170) MeV, respectively, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The mass is slightly below the DK threshold, and a spin-parity of 0+ is favoured with high significance

Design and Implementation of a Speller based on EMG Signal

A speller is a communication device designed for those suffering from neuromuscular disorders having difficulty to speak. An EMG based design is proposed which uses eye blinks for character selection that offers high accuracy and more comfort to the user. The eye blink signals are feature extracted using Fast Walsh Hadamard Transform (FWHT) and classified using Naive Bayes Classifier. The proposed design has achieved an accuracy of 100% for all users. The average values achieved for spelling rate was 12.12 characters/minute and ITR was 71.39 bits/minute

Outcomes after lung transplantation performed using elective cardiopulmonary bypass: A single-center experience

Background: There remains significant variability in the use of intraoperative mechanical circulatory support in lung transplantation. This report details our outcomes using elective cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in lung transplantation. Methods: We performed a single institution analysis of consecutively enrolled patients who underwent isolated lung transplantation between August 2020 and April 2023. Primary outcomes included rates of grade 3 primary graft dysfunction (PGD) and 1-year survival. Results: Forty consecutive lung transplants were performed on CBP over the study period. The average PaO2/FiO2 at 72 hours was 369.7 ± 121.4, with grade 3 PGD occurring in 2 patients (5%). The median intraoperative packed red blood cell transfusion requirement was 300 (93.75-727.5) ml. Freedom from nonelective reoperation was 82.5% (n = 33). Mortality was 0% at 90 days, and 1-year survival was 90.5%. Conclusions: Lung transplantation can be safely performed with elective CPB support

Global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on subarachnoid haemorrhage hospitalisations, aneurysm treatment and in-hospital mortality: 1-year follow-up

Background Prior studies indicated a decrease in the incidences of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated differences in the incidence, severity of aSAH presentation, and ruptured aneurysm treatment modality during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the preceding year. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study including 49 countries and 187 centres. We recorded volumes for COVID-19 hospitalisations, aSAH hospitalisations, Hunt-Hess grade, coiling, clipping and aSAH in-hospital mortality. Diagnoses were identified by International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, codes or stroke databases from January 2019 to May 2021. Results Over the study period, there were 16 247 aSAH admissions, 344 491 COVID-19 admissions, 8300 ruptured aneurysm coiling and 4240 ruptured aneurysm clipping procedures. Declines were observed in aSAH admissions (-6.4% (95% CI-7.0% to-5.8%), p=0.0001) during the first year of the pandemic compared with the prior year, most pronounced in high-volume SAH and high-volume COVID-19 hospitals. There was a trend towards a decline in mild and moderate presentations of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) (mild:-5% (95% CI-5.9% to-4.3%), p=0.06; moderate:-8.3% (95% CI-10.2% to-6.7%), p=0.06) but no difference in higher SAH severity. The ruptured aneurysm clipping rate remained unchanged (30.7% vs 31.2%, p=0.58), whereas ruptured aneurysm coiling increased (53.97% vs 56.5%, p=0.009). There was no difference in aSAH in-hospital mortality rate (19.1% vs 20.1%, p=0.12). Conclusion During the first year of the pandemic, there was a decrease in aSAH admissions volume, driven by a decrease in mild to moderate presentation of aSAH. There was an increase in the ruptured aneurysm coiling rate but neither change in the ruptured aneurysm clipping rate nor change in aSAH in-hospital mortality. Trial registration number NCT04934020. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ

Global impact of COVID-19 on stroke care

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to profound changes in the organization of health care systems worldwide. Aims: We sought to measure the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volumes for mechanical thrombectomy, stroke, and intracranial hemorrhage hospitalizations over a three-month period at the height of the pandemic (1 March–31 May 2020) compared with two control three-month periods (immediately preceding and one year prior). Methods: Retrospective, observational, international study, across 6 continents, 40 countries, and 187 comprehensive stroke centers. The diagnoses were identified by their ICD-10 codes and/or classifications in stroke databases at participating centers. Results: The hospitalization volumes for any stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, and mechanical thrombectomy were 26,699, 4002, and 5191 in the three months immediately before versus 21,576, 3540, and 4533 during the first three pandemic months, representing declines of 19.2% (95%CI, −19.7 to −18.7), 11.5% (95%CI, −12.6 to −10.6), and 12.7% (95%CI, −13.6 to −11.8), respectively. The decreases were noted across centers with high, mid, and low COVID-19 hospitalization burden, and also across high, mid, and low volume stroke/mechanical thrombectomy centers. High-volume COVID-19 centers (−20.5%) had greater declines in mechanical thrombectomy volumes than mid- (−10.1%) and low-volume (−8.7%) centers (p < 0.0001). There was a 1.5% stroke rate across 54,366 COVID-19 hospitalizations. SARS-CoV-2 infection was noted in 3.9% (784/20,250) of all stroke admissions. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a global decline in the volume of overall stroke hospitalizations, mechanical thrombectomy procedures, and intracranial hemorrhage admission volumes. Despite geographic variations, these volume reductions were observed regardless of COVID-19 hospitalization burden and pre-pandemic stroke/mechanical thrombectomy volumes. © 2021 World Stroke Organization