Background: To evaluate the role and usefulness of Multislice CT angiography (CTA) and color Doppler US (CDUS) in assessment of vascular tree of AVFs and comprehensive evaluation of possible shunt complications in ESRD patients on hemodialysis.Methods: Prospective analysis of vascular access related data was obtained from 30 patients (10 Male, 20 Female and age range 18-80 years) referred from hemodialysis unit via CTA and CDUS examination of the upper limbs. All patients were examined to identify the different types of fistula shunt related complications utilizing Doppler indices (PSV, EDV and RI) and different CTA 2D image reconstruction and 3D volume rendering techniques followed by surgical procedures as a gold standard within 2-7 days. Results: The study showed 15 patients with shunt related complications; aneurysm 33.3% (10 patients) followed by venous thrombosis 23.3% (7 patients), and arterial steal syndrome 13.3% (4 patients), and finally venous hypertension 6.6% (2 patients). Considering surgery as a gold standard the sensitivity and specificity of CDUS and CTA, in detecting aneurysms and stenosis was 100% and 100% respectively. The detection of subclavian occlusion sensitivity and specificity by CDUS was 70% and 85% respectively on the other hand CTA sensitivity and specificity was 100% and 100% respectively. Conclusions: The adjuvant diagnostic value of CTA with CDUS maximizes the evaluation of AV fistula related vascular complications approaching that of surgery.
The expansion of the Internet of Things has resulted in new creative solutions, such as smart cities, that have made our lives more productive, convenient, and intelligent. The core of smart cities is the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) which has been integrated into several smart city applications that improve transportation and mobility. ITS aims to resolve many traffic issues, such as traffic congestion issues. Recently, new traffic flow prediction models and frameworks have been rapidly developed in tandem with the introduction of artificial intelligence approaches to improve the accuracy of traffic flow prediction. Traffic forecasting is a crucial duty in the transportation industry. It can significantly affect the design of road constructions and projects in addition to its importance for route planning and traffic rules. Furthermore, traffic congestion is a critical issue in urban areas and overcrowded cities. Therefore, it must be accurately evaluated and forecasted. Hence, a reliable and efficient method for predicting traffic is essential. The main objectives of this study are: First, present a comprehensive review of the most popular machine learning and deep learning techniques applied in traffic prediction. Second, identifying inherent obstacles to applying machine learning and deep learning in the domain of traffic prediction.
Early detection of renal dysfunction is of importance in the care of critically ill patients. Cystatin C was proposed to be superior to serum creatinine in estimation of renal function. This work aimed to compare serum cystatin C to serum creatinine and creatinine based formulae in detection of early decline in renal function at a single point in critically ill patients. Fifty critically ill patients admitted to Cairo University Hospitals ICUs-Egyptwere included. Patients with chronic renal disease, thyroid disease, malignancy, patients receiving corticosteroid therapy, with serum creatinine > 1.4 mg/dl and patients receiving diuretics or large volumes of IV fluids were excluded. Serum creatinine, serum cystatin C, adjusted creatinine clearance (Adj Ccr), estimated GFR (eGFR) by modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD), abbreviated MDRD (abb MDRD) and Cockcroft-Gault (CG) formulae were measured. Patients with renal dysfunction (adj Ccr < 80 ml/min/1.73m 2) were 26 (52%) in number. Patients with renal dysfunction and high serum creatinine were 12/26 (46.2%) while those with high cystatin C were 23/26 (88.5%). Cystatin C was found to be significantly correlated with serum creatinine, adj Ccr and eGFR by all studied formulae. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis; AUC for Cystatin C (0.976) was more than that for eGFR by abb MDRD (AUC=0.839), MDRD (AUC=0.822), CG formulae (AUC=0.808) and serum creatinine (AUC=0.710) respectively. In conclusion; cystatin C was found to be better than serum creatinine, eGFR by abb MDRD, MDRD and CG formulae in detection of early renal dysfunction at a single point in critically ill patients.
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