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Protein kinase C is a family of kinases that play important roles in carcinogenesis. Medicinal plants from Plectranthus spp. (Lamiaceae) are a well-known source of interesting abietanes, such as 7α-acetoxy-6β-hydroxyroyleanone (Roy). This study aimed to extract and isolate Roy from P. grandidentatus Gürke, comparing two extraction methods (CO2 supercritical and ultrasound-assisted acetonic extraction), and design new royleanone derivatives for PKC modulation focusing on breast cancer therapy. The concentration of Roy in the extracts was determined by HPLC–DAD. The supercritical extraction method yielded 3.6% w/w, with the presence of 42.7 μg mg−1 of Roy (yield of 0.13%), while ultrasound-assisted acetonic extraction yielded 2.3% w/w, with the presence of 55.2 μg mg−1 of Roy (yield of 0.15%). The reactivity of Roy was investigated aiming at synthetizing new ester derivatives through standard benzoylation and esterification reactions. The benzoylated (Roy-12-Bz) and acetylated (Roy-12-Ac) derivatives in the C12 position were consistently prepared with overall good yields (33–86%). These results indicate the 12-OH position as the most reactive for esterification, affording derivatives under mild conditions. The reported di-benzoylated (RoyBz) and di-acetylated (RoyAc) derivatives were also synthesized after increasing the temperature (50 °C), reaction time, and using an excess of reagents. The cytotoxic potential of Roy and its derivatives was assessed against breast cancer cell lines, with RoyBz emerging as the most promising compound. Derivatization at position C-12 did not offer advantages over di-esterification at positions C-12 and C-6 or over the parent compound Roy and the presence of aromatic groups favored cytotoxicity. Evaluation of royleanones as PKC-α, βI, δ, ε, and ζ activators revealed DeRoy's efficacy across all isoforms, while RoyPr showed promising activation of PKC-δ but not PKC-ζ, highlighting the influence of slight structural changes on isoform selectivity. Molecular docking analysis emphasized the importance of microenvironmental factors in isoform specificity, underscoring the complexity of PKC modulation and the need for further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To compare the diagnostic value of 120-kV with conventional 96-kV Cone-Beam CT (CBCT) of the temporal bone after cochlear implant (CI) surgery. Methods: This retrospective study included CBCT scans after CI surgery between 06/17 and 01/18. CBCT allowed examinations with 96-kV or 120-kV; other parameters were the same. Two radiologists independently evaluated following criteria on 5-point Likert scales: osseous spiral lamina, inner and outer cochlear wall, semi-circular canals, mastoid trabecular structure, overall image quality, metal and motion artefacts, depiction of intracochlear electrode position and visualisation of single electrode contacts. Effective radiation dose was assessed. Results: Seventy-five patients (females, n = 39 [52.0%], mean age, 55.8 ± 16.5 years) were scanned with 96-kV (n = 32, 42.7%) and 120-kV (n = 43, 57.3%) protocols including CI models from three vendors (vendor A n = 7; vendor B n = 43; vendor C n = 25). Overall image quality, depiction of anatomical structures, and electrode position were rated significantly better in 120-kV images compared to 96-kV (all p < = 0.018). Anatomical structures and electrode position were rated significantly better in 120-kV CBCT for CI models from vendor A and C, while 120-kV did not provide improved image quality in CI models from vendor B. Radiation doses were significantly higher for 120-kV scans compared to 96-kV (0.15 vs. 0.08 mSv, p < 0.001). Conclusions: 120-kV and 96-kV CBCT provide good diagnostic images for the postoperative CI evaluation. While 120-kV showed improved depiction of temporal bone and CI electrode position compared to 96-kV in most CI models, the 120-kV protocol should be chosen wisely due to a substantially higher radiation exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A senile male black capuchin monkey (Sapajus nigritus) kept under human care in a Zoo was found dead after 2 weeks presenting signals of weight loss and hyporexia. Histopathological revealed a necrotizing encephalitis. Although it was not observed microscopically, Sarcocystis sp infection was detected in brain tissue from molecular assays. These infections have been rarely described in neotropical primates, particularly associated with tissue lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 40‐year old female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) developed hyporexia, weight loss, followed by progressive and complete blindness. Tomography demonstrated an intracranial mass in the rostroventral brain involving the optic chiasm, with a presumptive diagnosis of neoplasm. However, histopathology revealed a granulomatous meningoencephalitis, and tissue samples tested positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Die Radiologie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Radio-frequency identification technology finds extensive use in various industrial applications, including those involving metallic surfaces. The integration of radio-frequency identification systems with metal surfaces, such as those found in the automotive sector, presents distinct challenges that can notably affect system efficacy due to metal's tendency to reflect electromagnetic waves, thus degrading the functionality of conventional radio-frequency identification tags. This highlights the importance of conducting research into academic publications and patents to grasp the current advancements and challenges in this field, aiming to improve the applications of radio-frequency identification tags technology on metal. Consequently, this research undertakes a concise review of both the literature and patents exploring radio-frequency identification technology's use for on-metal tags, utilizing resources like Google Scholar and Google Patents. The research categorized crucial aspects such as tag flexibility, operating frequency, and geographic origins of the research. Findings highlight China's prominent role in contributing to metal-focused radio-frequency identification tag research, with a considerable volume of articles and patents. In particular, flexible tags and the Ultra-High Frequency range are dominant in both scholarly and patent documents, reflecting their significance in radio-frequency identification technology applications. The research underscores a vibrant area of development within radio-frequency identification technology, with continued innovation driven by specific industrial needs. Despite the noted advances, the presence of a significant percentage of no longer valid patents suggests substantial opportunities for further research and innovation in radio-frequency identification technology for on-metal applications, especially considering the demand for flexible tags and for solutions in systems that offer specialized characteristics or are tailored for specific uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the total radiomics quality score (RQS) and the reproducibility of individual RQS items' score in a large multireader study. Methods: Nine raters with different backgrounds were randomly assigned to three groups based on their proficiency with RQS utilization: Groups 1 and 2 represented the inter-rater reliability groups with or without prior training in RQS, respectively; group 3 represented the intra-rater reliability group. Thirty-three original research papers on radiomics were evaluated by raters of groups 1 and 2. Of the 33 papers, 17 were evaluated twice with an interval of 1 month by raters of group 3. Intraclass coefficient (ICC) for continuous variables, and Fleiss' and Cohen's kappa (k) statistics for categorical variables were used. Results: The inter-rater reliability was poor to moderate for total RQS (ICC 0.30–055, p < 0.001) and very low to good for item's reproducibility (k − 0.12 to 0.75) within groups 1 and 2 for both inexperienced and experienced raters. The intra-rater reliability for total RQS was moderate for the less experienced rater (ICC 0.522, p = 0.009), whereas experienced raters showed excellent intra-rater reliability (ICC 0.91–0.99, p < 0.001) between the first and second read. Intra-rater reliability on RQS items' score reproducibility was higher and most of the items had moderate to good intra-rater reliability (k − 0.40 to 1). Conclusions: Reproducibility of the total RQS and the score of individual RQS items is low. There is a need for a robust and reproducible assessment method to assess the quality of radiomics research. Clinical relevance statement: There is a need for reproducible scoring systems to improve quality of radiomics research and consecutively close the translational gap between research and clinical implementation. Key Points: • Radiomics quality score has been widely used for the evaluation of radiomics studies. • Although the intra-rater reliability was moderate to excellent, intra- and inter-rater reliability of total score and point-by-point scores were low with radiomics quality score. • A robust, easy-to-use scoring system is needed for the evaluation of radiomics research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study aimed to improve the precision of classifying pulmonary lesions as malignant using a new scoring system called 'LIONS PREY' (Lung lesION Score PREdicts malignancY). The new model, developed through the evaluation of a patient cohort from a single center, incorporates eight parameters, including age, nodule size, spiculation, solidity, size dynamics, smoking history, pack years, and cancer history. LIONS PREY demonstrates excellent precision and might facilitate decision making for multidisciplinary teams. Furthermore, it may help patients make informed decisions about surgery. The LIONS PREY app is available for free on Android and iOS devices. Objectives: Classifying radiologic pulmonary lesions as malignant is challenging. Scoring systems like the Mayo model lack precision in predicting the probability of malignancy. We developed the logistic scoring system 'LIONS PREY' (Lung lesION Score PREdicts malignancY), which is superior to existing models in its precision in determining the likelihood of malignancy. Methods: We evaluated all patients that were presented to our multidisciplinary team between January 2013 and December 2020. Availability of pathological results after resection or CT-/EBUS-guided sampling was mandatory for study inclusion. Two groups were formed: Group A (malignant nodule; n = 238) and Group B (benign nodule; n = 148). Initially, 22 potential score parameters were derived from the patients' medical histories. Results: After uni- and multivariate analysis, we identified the following eight parameters that were integrated into a scoring system: (1) age (Group A: 64.5 ± 10.2 years vs. Group B: 61.6 ± 13.8 years; multivariate p-value: 0.054); (2) nodule size (21.8 ± 7.5 mm vs. 18.3 ± 7.9 mm; p = 0.051); (3) spiculation (73.1% vs. 41.9%; p = 0.024); (4) solidity (84.9% vs. 62.8%; p = 0.004); (5) size dynamics (6.4 ± 7.7 mm/3 months vs. 0.2 ± 0.9 mm/3 months; p < 0.0001); (6) smoking history (92.0% vs. 43.9%; p < 0.0001); (7) pack years (35.1 ± 19.1 vs. 21.3 ± 18.8; p = 0.079); and (8) cancer history (34.9% vs. 24.3%; p = 0.052). Our model demonstrated superior precision to that of the Mayo score (p = 0.013) with an overall correct classification of 96.0%, a calibration (observed/expected-ratio) of 1.1, and a discrimination (ROC analysis) of AUC (95% CI) 0.94 (0.92–0.97). Conclusions: Focusing on essential parameters, LIONS PREY can be easily and reproducibly applied based on computed tomography (CT) scans. Multidisciplinary team members could use it to facilitate decision making. Patients may find it easier to consent to surgery knowing the likelihood of pulmonary malignancy. The LIONS PREY app is available for free on Android and iOS devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature is a key factor that shapes the distribution of organisms. Having knowledge about how species respond to temperature is relevant to devise strategies for addressing the impacts of climate change. Aquatic insects are particularly vulnerable to climate change, yet there is still much to learn about their ecology and distribution. In the Yungas ecoregion of Northwestern Argentina, cold- and warm-adapted species of the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) are segregated by elevation. We modeled the ecological niche of South American EPT species in this region using available data and projected their potential distribution in geographic space. Species were grouped based on their ecogeographic similarity, and we analyzed their replacement pattern along elevation gradients, focusing on the ecotone where opposing thermal preferences converge. Along this interface, we identified critical points where the combined incidence of cold and warm assemblages maximizes, indicating a significant transition zone. We found that the Montane Cloud Forest holds the interface, with a particularly greater suitability at its lower boundary. The main axis of the interface runs in a N-S direction and falls between 14°C–16°C mean annual isotherms. The probability of a particular location within a basin being classified as part of the interface increases as Kira's warmth index approaches a score around 150. Understanding the interface is critical for defining the thermal limits of species distribution and designing biomonitoring programs. Changes in the location of thermal constants related to mountainous ecotones may cause vertical displacement of aquatic insects and vegetation communities. We have recognized significant temperature thresholds that serve as indicators of suitability for the interface. As global warming is anticipated to shift these indicators, we suggest using them to monitor the imprints of climate change on mountain ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Artificial Intelligence (AI) carries the potential for unprecedented disruption in radiology, with possible positive and negative consequences. The integration of AI in radiology holds the potential to revolutionize healthcare practices by advancing diagnosis, quantification, and management of multiple medical conditions. Nevertheless, the ever‐growing availability of AI tools in radiology highlights an increasing need to critically evaluate claims for its utility and to differentiate safe product offerings from potentially harmful, or fundamentally unhelpful ones. This multi‐society paper, presenting the views of Radiology Societies in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, defines the potential practical problems and ethical issues surrounding the incorporation of AI into radiological practice. In addition to delineating the main points of concern that developers, regulators, and purchasers of AI tools should consider prior to their introduction into clinical practice, this statement also suggests methods to monitor their stability and safety in clinical use, and their suitability for possible autonomous function. This statement is intended to serve as a useful summary of the practical issues which should be considered by all parties involved in the development of radiology AI resources, and their implementation as clinical tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) carries the potential for unprecedented disruption in radiology, with possible positive and negative consequences. The integration of AI in radiology holds the potential to revolutionize healthcare practices by advancing diagnosis, quantification, and management of multiple medical conditions. Nevertheless, the ever-growing availability of AI tools in radiology highlights an increasing need to critically evaluate claims for its utility and to differentiate safe product offerings from potentially harmful, or fundamentally unhelpful ones. This multi-society paper, presenting the views of Radiology Societies in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, defines the potential practical problems and ethical issues surrounding the incorporation of AI into radiological practice. In addition to delineating the main points of concern that developers, regulators, and purchasers of AI tools should consider prior to their introduction into clinical practice, this statement also suggests methods to monitor their stability and safety in clinical use, and their suitability for possible autonomous function. This statement is intended to serve as a useful summary of the practical issues which should be considered by all parties involved in the development of radiology AI resources, and their implementation as clinical tools. Key points • The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) in radiological practice demands increased monitoring of its utility and safety. • Cooperation between developers, clinicians, and regulators will allow all involved to address ethical issues and monitor AI performance. • AI can fulfil its promise to advance patient well-being if all steps from development to integration in healthcare are rigorously evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the model-, code-, and data-sharing practices in the current radiomics research landscape and to introduce a radiomics research database. Methods: A total of 1254 articles published between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022, in leading radiology journals (European Radiology, European Journal of Radiology, Radiology, Radiology: Artificial Intelligence, Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging, Radiology: Imaging Cancer) were retrospectively screened, and 257 original research articles were included in this study. The categorical variables were compared using Fisher's exact tests or chi-square test and numerical variables using Student's t test with relation to the year of publication. Results: Half of the articles (128 of 257) shared the model by either including the final model formula or reporting the coefficients of selected radiomics features. A total of 73 (28%) models were validated on an external independent dataset. Only 16 (6%) articles shared the data or used publicly available open datasets. Similarly, only 20 (7%) of the articles shared the code. A total of 7 (3%) articles both shared code and data. All collected data in this study is presented in a radiomics research database (RadBase) and could be accessed at https://github.com/EuSoMII/RadBase. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the majority of published radiomics models were not technically reproducible since they shared neither model nor code and data. There is still room for improvement in carrying out reproducible and open research in the field of radiomics. Clinical relevance statement: To date, the reproducibility of radiomics research and open science practices within the radiomics research community are still very low. Ensuring reproducible radiomics research with model-, code-, and data-sharing practices will facilitate faster clinical translation. Key Points: • There is a discrepancy between the number of published radiomics papers and the clinical implementation of these published radiomics models. • The main obstacle to clinical implementation is the lack of model-, code-, and data-sharing practices. • In order to translate radiomics research into clinical practice, the radiomics research community should adopt open science practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Identifying hereditary parkinsonism is valuable for diagnosis, genetic counseling, patient prioritization in trials, and studying the disease for personalized therapies. However, most studies were conducted in Europeans, and limited data exist on admixed populations like those from Latin America. Objectives: This study aims to assess the frequency and distribution of genetic parkinsonism in Latin America. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of the frequency of parkinsonian syndromes associated with genetic pathogenic variants in Latin America. We defined hereditary parkinsonism as those caused by the genes outlined by the MDS Nomenclature of Genetic Movement Disorders and heterozygous carriers of GBA1 pathogenic variants. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and LILACS in August 2022. Researchers reviewed titles and abstracts, and disagreements were resolved by a third researcher. After this screening, five researchers reanalyzed the selection criteria and extracted information based on the full paper. The frequency for each parkinsonism‐related gene was determined by the presence of pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants among screened patients. Cochran's Q and I2 tests were used to quantify heterogeneity. Meta‐regression, publication bias tests, and sensitivity analysis regarding study quality were also used for LRRK2‐, PRKN‐, and GBA1‐related papers. Results: We included 73 studies involving 3014 screened studies from 16 countries. Among 7668 Latin American patients, pathogenic variants were found in 19 different genes. The frequency of the pathogenic variants in LRRK2 was 1.38% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52–2.57), PRKN was 1.16% (95% CI: 0.08–3.05), and GBA1 was 4.17% (95% CI: 2.57–6.08). For all meta‐analysis, heterogeneity was high and publication bias tests were negative, except for PRKN, which was contradictory. Information on the number of pathogenic variants in the other genes is further presented in the text. Conclusions: This study provides insights into hereditary and GBA1‐related parkinsonism in Latin America. Lower GBA1 frequencies compared to European/North American cohorts may result from limited access to gene sequencing. Further research is vital for regional prevalence understanding, enabling personalized care and therapies. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Percutaneous drainage is a first-line therapy for abscesses and other fluid collections. However, experimental data on the viscosity of body fluids are scarce. This study analyses the apparent viscosity of serous, purulent and biliary fluids to provide reference data for the evaluation of drainage catheters. Serous, purulent and biliary fluid samples were collected during routine drainage procedures. In a first setup, the apparent kinematic viscosity of 50 fluid samples was measured using an Ubbelohde viscometer. In a second setup, the apparent dynamic viscosity of 20 fluid samples obtained during CT-guided percutaneous drainage was measured using an in-house designed capillary extrusion experiment. The median apparent kinematic viscosity was 0.96 mm2/s (IQR 0.90–1.15 mm2/s) for serous samples, 0.98 mm2/s (IQR 0.97–0.99 mm2/s) for purulent samples and 2.77 mm2/s (IQR 1.75–3.70 mm2/s) for biliary samples. The median apparent dynamic viscosity was 1.63 mPa*s (IQR 1.27–2.09 mPa*s) for serous samples, 2.45 mPa*s (IQR 1.69–3.22 mPa*s) for purulent samples and 3.50 mPa*s (IQR 2.81–3.90 mPa*s) for biliary samples (all differences p < 0.01). Relative to water, dynamic viscosities were increased by a factor of 1.36 for serous fluids, 2.26 for purulent fluids, and 4.03 for biliary fluids. Serous fluids have apparent viscosities similar to water, but biliary and purulent fluids are more viscous. These data can be used as a reference when selecting the drainage catheter size, with 8F catheters being appropriate for most percutaneous drainage cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Structured reporting in radiology continues to hold substantial potential to improve the quality of service provided to patients and referring physicians. Despite many physicians' preference for structured reports and various efforts by radiological societies and some vendors, structured reporting has still not been widely adopted in clinical routine. While in many countries national radiological societies have launched initiatives to further promote structured reporting, cross-institutional applications of report templates and incentives for usage of structured reporting are lacking. Various legislative measures have been taken in the USA and the European Union to promote interoperable data formats such as Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) in the context of the EU Health Data Space (EHDS) which will certainly be relevant for the future of structured reporting. Lastly, recent advances in artificial intelligence and large language models may provide innovative and efficient approaches to integrate structured reporting more seamlessly into the radiologists' workflow. The ESR will remain committed to advancing structured reporting as a key component towards more value-based radiology. Practical solutions for structured reporting need to be provided by vendors. Policy makers should incentivize the usage of structured radiological reporting, especially in cross-institutional setting. Critical relevance statement Over the past years, the benefits of structured reporting in radiology have been widely discussed and agreed upon; however, implementation in clinical routine is lacking due—policy makers should incentivize the usage of structured radiological reporting, especially in cross-institutional setting. Key points 1. Various national societies have established initiatives for structured reporting in radiology. 2. Almost no monetary or structural incentives exist that favor structured reporting. 3. A consensus on technical standards for structured reporting is still missing. 4. The application of large language models may help structuring radiological reports. 5. Policy makers should incentivize the usage of structured radiological reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: To conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of artificial intelligence (AI) and its subfields as well as radiomics in Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, and Medical Imaging (RNMMI). Methods: Web of Science was queried for relevant publications in RNMMI and medicine along with their associated data from 2000 to 2021. Bibliometric techniques utilised were co-occurrence, co-authorship, citation burst, and thematic evolution analyses. Growth rate and doubling time were also estimated using log-linear regression analyses. Results: According to the number of publications, RNMMI (11,209; 19.8%) was the most prominent category in medicine (56,734). USA (44.6%) and China (23.1%) were the two most productive and collaborative countries. USA and Germany experienced the strongest citation bursts. Thematic evolution has recently exhibited a significant shift toward deep learning. In all analyses, the annual number of publications and citations demonstrated exponential growth, with deep learning-based publications exhibiting the most prominent growth pattern. Estimated continuous growth rate, annual growth rate, and doubling time of the AI and machine learning publications in RNMMI were 26.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.0–40.2%), 29.8% (95% CI, 12.7–49.5%), and 2.7 years (95% CI, 1.7–5.8), respectively. In the sensitivity analysis using data from the last 5 and 10 years, these estimates ranged from 47.6 to 51.1%, 61.0 to 66.7%, and 1.4 to 1.5 years. Conclusion: This study provides an overview of AI and radiomics research conducted mainly in RNMMI. These results may assist researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and organisations in gaining a better understanding of both the evolution of these fields and the importance of supporting (e.g., financial) these research activities. Key Points: • In terms of the number of publications on AI and ML, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, and Medical Imaging was the most prominent category compared to the other categories related to medicine (e.g., Health Policy & Services, Surgery). • All evaluated analyses (i.e., AI, its subfields, and radiomics), based on the annual number of publications and citations, demonstrated exponential growth, with decreasing doubling time, which indicates increasing interest from researchers, journals, and, in turn, the medical imaging community. • The most prominent growth pattern was observed in deep learning-based publications. However, the further thematic analysis demonstrated that deep learning has been underdeveloped but highly relevant to the medical imaging community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Be sure your imaging data is heterogeneous with distributional similarity among data partitions. The dataset must be split appropriately before performing any action on the imaging data set, such as image and radiomics feature preprocessing and feature dimensionality reduction [[13]]. Several algorithms perform better when feature values are in a common scale (i.e., feature scaling), which must be fitted exclusively to the training data [[18]]. Feature selection or data transformations should also be applied to reduce the dimensionality of the data. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: To investigate the epidemiology and distribution of disease characteristics of urolithiasis by data mining structured radiology reports. Methods: The content of structured radiology reports of 2028 urolithiasis CTs was extracted from the department's structured reporting (SR) platform. The investigated cohort represented the full spectrum of a tertiary care center, including mostly symptomatic outpatients as well as inpatients. The prevalences of urolithiasis in general and of nephro- and ureterolithasis were calculated. The distributions of age, sex, calculus size, density and location, and the number of ureteral and renal calculi were calculated. For ureterolithiasis, the impact of calculus characteristics on the degree of possible obstructive uropathy was calculated. Results: The prevalence of urolithiasis in the investigated cohort was 72%. Of those patients, 25% had nephrolithiasis, 40% ureterolithiasis, and 35% combined nephro- and ureterolithiasis. The sex distribution was 2.3:1 (M:F). The median patient age was 50 years (IQR 36–62). The median number of calculi per patient was 1. The median size of calculi was 4 mm, and the median density was 734 HU. Of the patients who suffered from ureterolithiasis, 81% showed obstructive uropathy, with 2nd-degree uropathy being the most common. Calculus characteristics showed no impact on the degree of obstructive uropathy. Conclusion: SR-based data mining is a simple method by which to obtain epidemiologic data and distributions of disease characteristics, for the investigated cohort of urolithiasis patients. The added information can be useful for multiple purposes, such as clinical quality assurance, radiation protection, and scientific or economic investigations. To benefit from these, the consistent use of SR is mandatory. However, in clinical routine SR usage can be elaborate and requires radiologists to adapt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer is a well‐known risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). A combined strategy of D‐dimer testing and clinical pre‐test probability is usually used to exclude VTE. However, its effectiveness is diminished in cancer patients due to reduced specificity, ultimately leading to a decreased clinical utility. This review article seeks to provide a comprehensive summary of how to interpret D‐dimer testing in cancer patients. Methods: In accordance with PRISMA standards, literature pertaining to the diagnostic and prognostic significance of D‐dimer testing in cancer patients was carefully chosen from reputable sources such as PubMed and the Cochrane databases. Results: D‐dimers have not only a diagnostic value in ruling out VTE but can also serve as an aid for rule‐in if their values exceed 10‐times the upper limit of normal. This threshold allows a diagnosis of VTE in cancer patients with a positive predictive value of more than 80%. Moreover, elevated D‐dimers carry important prognostic information and are associated with VTE reoccurrence. A gradual increase in risk for all‐cause death suggests that VTE is also an indicator of biologically more aggressive cancer types and advanced cancer stages. Considering the lack of standardization for D‐dimer assays, it is essential for clinicians to carefully consider the variations in assay performance and the specific test characteristics of their institution. Conclusions: Standardizing D‐dimer assays and developing modified pretest probability models specifically for cancer patients, along with adjusted cut‐off values for D‐dimer testing, could significantly enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of VTE diagnosis in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The radiologists' workload is increasing, and computational imaging techniques may have the potential to identify visually unequivocal lesions, so that the radiologist can focus on equivocal and critical cases. The purpose of this study was to assess radiomics versus dual-energy CT (DECT) material decomposition to objectively distinguish visually unequivocal abdominal lymphoma and benign lymph nodes. Methods: Retrospectively, 72 patients [m, 47; age, 63.5 (27–87) years] with nodal lymphoma (n = 27) or benign abdominal lymph nodes (n = 45) who had contrast-enhanced abdominal DECT between 06/2015 and 07/2019 were included. Three lymph nodes per patient were manually segmented to extract radiomics features and DECT material decomposition values. We used intra-class correlation analysis, Pearson correlation and LASSO to stratify a robust and non-redundant feature subset. Independent train and test data were applied on a pool of four machine learning models. Performance and permutation-based feature importance was assessed to increase the interpretability and allow for comparison of the models. Top performing models were compared by the DeLong test. Results: About 38% (19/50) and 36% (8/22) of the train and test set patients had abdominal lymphoma. Clearer entity clusters were seen in t-SNE plots using a combination of DECT and radiomics features compared to DECT features only. Top model performances of AUC = 0.763 (CI = 0.435–0.923) were achieved for the DECT cohort and AUC = 1.000 (CI = 1.000–1.000) for the radiomics feature cohort to stratify visually unequivocal lymphomatous lymph nodes. The performance of the radiomics model was significantly (p = 0.011, DeLong) superior to the DECT model. Conclusions: Radiomics may have the potential to objectively stratify visually unequivocal nodal lymphoma versus benign lymph nodes. Radiomics seems superior to spectral DECT material decomposition in this use case. Therefore, artificial intelligence methodologies may not be restricted to centers with DECT equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free-living amoebae (FLA) are amphizoic protozoans with a cosmopolitan distribution. Some strains of species are associated with infections in humans. They feed on microorganisms by phagocytosis; however, some of these can become endocytobionts by resisting this process and taking shelter inside the amoeba. The whole world is experiencing increasing shortage of water, and sewage is being reused, so the study of this environment is important in public health context. The objective of this work was to identify FLA present in sewage treatment plants in Porto Alegre, Brazil. About 1 L samples were collected from eight stations (raw and treated sewage) in January, February, July, and August 2022. The samples were sown in monoxenic culture, and the isolated amoebae were subjected to morphological and molecular identification. Polymerase chain reaction results indicated the presence of the genus Acanthamoeba in 100% of the samples. Gene sequencing showed the presence of Acanthamoeba lenticulata and Acanthamoeba polyphaga - T5 and T4 genotypes - respectively, which are related to pathogenicity. The environment where the sewage is released can be used in recreational activities, exposing individuals to potential interactions with these amoebae and their potential endocytobionts, which may pose risks to public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arquivos de Ciências da Saúde da UNIPAR is the property of Associacao Paranaense de Ensino e Cultura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is a need of simple, inexpensive, and reliable noninvasive testing to predict coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), where the prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) events and death is elevated. We analyzed the association between peripheral artery disease (PAD) and CAD in 201 patients with stage 5 CKD on dialysis using a prospective observational cohort. Diagnosis of PAD by both palpation and USD were significantly correlated. In patients with PAD diagnosed by palpation, CAD was observed in 80%, while in those diagnosed by USD, CAD was present in 79.1%. The absence of a pulse by palpation predicted CAD with a sensitivity of 55% and a specificity of 76%; USD showed a sensitivity of 62% and specificity of 60% to predict CAD. The risk of combined serious CV events and death was significantly higher in subjects with PAD diagnosed by palpation, but not by USD. PAD assessed by palpation also correlated with the occurrence of multivessel CAD and with the probability of coronary intervention. Both methods are moderately useful for predicting CAD, but PAD diagnosis by palpation was a better predictor of combined CV events and death and was also associated with CAD severity and likelihood of intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chylothorax is the accumulation of lymph in the thoracic cavity, and it has never been reported in neotropical primates. An emperor tamarin died and at necropsy chylothorax associated with pulmonary compressive atelectasis was diagnosed. Idiopathic chylothorax can be a cause of respiratory insufficiency and death in tamarins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing oil recovery in reservoirs with light oil and high gas content relies on optimizing the miscible water alternating gas (WAG) injection profile. However, this can be costly and time-consuming due to computationally demanding compositional simulation models and numerous other well control variables. This study introduces WAGeq, a novel approach that expedites the convergence of the optimization algorithm for miscible water alternating gas (WAG) injection in carbonate reservoirs. The WAGeq leverages production data to create flexible solutions that maximize the net present value (NPV) of the field, while providing practical implementation of individual WAG profiles for each injector. The WAGeq utilizes an injection priority index to rank the wells and determine which should inject water or gas at each time interval. The index is built using a parametric equation that considers factors such as producer and injector relationship, water cut (WCUT), gas–oil ratio (GOR), and wells cumulative gas production, to induce desirable effects on production and WAG profile. To evaluate WAGeq's effectiveness, two other approaches were compared: a benchmark solution named WAGbm, in which the injected fluid is optimized for each well over time, and a traditional baseline strategy with fixed 6-month WAG cycles. The procedures were applied to a synthetic simulation case (SEC1_2022) with characteristics of a Brazilian pre-salt carbonate field with karstic formations and high CO2 content. The WAGeq outperformed the baseline procedure, improving the NPV by 6.7% or 511 USD million. Moreover, WAGeq required fewer simulations (less than 350) than WAGbm (up to 2000), while delivering a slightly higher NPV. The terms of the equation were also found to be essential for producing a WAG profile with regular patterns on each injector, resulting in a more practical solution. In conclusion, WAGeq significantly reduces computational requirements while creating consistent patterns across injectors, which are crucial factors to consider when planning a practical WAG strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Meta: Avaliação is the property of Revista Meta: Avaliacao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Free-living amoebae (FLA) are protozoa dispersed in different environments and are responsible for different infections caused to humans and other animals. Microorganisms such as Acanthamoeba spp., Vermamoeba sp., and Naegleria sp. are associated with diseases that affect the central nervous system, in addition to skin infections and keratitis, as occurs in the genus Acanthamoeba and with Vermamoeba vermiformis. Due to the concerns of these FLA in anthropogenic aquatic environments, this work aimed to identify these microorganisms present in waters of Porto Alegre, Brazil. One litre sample was collected in two watercourses during the summer of 2022 and inoculated onto non-nutrient agar plates containing heat-inactivated Escherichia coli. Polymerase chain reaction results indicated the presence of FLA of the genera Acanthamoeba, Vermamoeba, and Naegleria in the study areas. Genetic sequencing indicated the presence of V. vermiformis and Naegleria gruberi. These aquatic and anthropogenic environments can serve as a means of spread and contamination by FLA, which gives valuable information on public health in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the enthusiasm surrounding Deep Learning grows, both medical practitioners and regulatory bodies are exploring ways to safely introduce image segmentation in clinical practice. One frontier to overcome when translating promising research into the clinical open world is the shift from static to continual learning. Continual learning, the practice of training models throughout their lifecycle, is seeing growing interest but is still in its infancy in healthcare. We present Lifelong nnU-Net, a standardized framework that places continual segmentation at the hands of researchers and clinicians. Built on top of the nnU-Net—widely regarded as the best-performing segmenter for multiple medical applications—and equipped with all necessary modules for training and testing models sequentially, we ensure broad applicability and lower the barrier to evaluating new methods in a continual fashion. Our benchmark results across three medical segmentation use cases and five continual learning methods give a comprehensive outlook on the current state of the field and signify a first reproducible benchmark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various studies have shown that medical professionals are prone to follow the incorrect suggestions offered by algorithms, especially when they have limited inputs to interrogate and interpret such suggestions and when they have an attitude of relying on them. We examine the effect of correct and incorrect algorithmic suggestions on the diagnosis performance of radiologists when (1) they have no, partial, and extensive informational inputs for explaining the suggestions (study 1) and (2) they are primed to hold a positive, negative, ambivalent, or neutral attitude towards AI (study 2). Our analysis of 2760 decisions made by 92 radiologists conducting 15 mammography examinations shows that radiologists' diagnoses follow both incorrect and correct suggestions, despite variations in the explainability inputs and attitudinal priming interventions. We identify and explain various pathways through which radiologists navigate through the decision process and arrive at correct or incorrect decisions. Overall, the findings of both studies show the limited effect of using explainability inputs and attitudinal priming for overcoming the influence of (incorrect) algorithmic suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-registration is required when the alignment of two or more point clouds obtained for mapping natural and built environments is needed. While closed-form solutions are suitable for co-registration, most of the existing approaches rely on unit quaternion solutions for the estimation of transformation parameters from point or plane correspondences. This paper presents a novel co-registration of terrestrial light detection and ranging point clouds solution to create globally consistent 3-D environments. Our method exploits the advantages of the dual quaternion solution combining both points and plane correspondences. The role of our relaxation labeling technique in 3-D matching (3PRL) is investigated, and its efficiency to find the best plane correspondences is shown. The paper also presents a method to treat degenerate plane configurations with corresponding virtual points. Experimental results reveal that our 3PRL technique can update and improve the 3-D matching probabilities using binary relations. At the same time, the proposed dual quaternions point- and plane-based optimization indicated that the mathematical optimization might represent a valid model for co-registration of point clouds. A closer inspection of co-registration accuracy revealed that the translation and rotation error mean decreased drastically, with margins between 0.10 m and 0.17 m and 0.01° and 0.33°, respectively. Experiments have shown that our method generally achieves better results than existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Treatment plans for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) are individually decided in tumor board meetings but some treatment decision-steps lack objective prognostic estimates. Our purpose was to explore the potential of radiomics for SCCHN therapy-specific survival prognostication and to increase the models' interpretability by ranking the features based on their predictive importance. Methods: We included 157 SCCHN patients (male, 119; female, 38; mean age, 64.39 ± 10.71 years) with baseline head and neck CT between 09/2014 and 08/2020 in this retrospective study. Patients were stratified according to their treatment. Using independent training and test datasets with cross-validation and 100 iterations, we identified, ranked and inter-correlated prognostic signatures using elastic net (EN) and random survival forest (RSF). We benchmarked the models against clinical parameters. Inter-reader variation was analyzed using intraclass-correlation coefficients (ICC). Results: EN and RSF achieved top prognostication performances of AUC = 0.795 (95% CI 0.767–0.822) and AUC = 0.811 (95% CI 0.782–0.839). RSF prognostication slightly outperformed the EN for the complete (ΔAUC 0.035, p = 0.002) and radiochemotherapy (ΔAUC 0.092, p < 0.001) cohort. RSF was superior to most clinical benchmarking (p ≤ 0.006). The inter-reader correlation was moderate or high for all features classes (ICC ≥ 0.77 (± 0.19)). Shape features had the highest prognostic importance, followed by texture features. Conclusions: EN and RSF built on radiomics features may be used for survival prognostication. The prognostically leading features may vary between treatment subgroups. This warrants further validation to potentially aid clinical treatment decision making in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the topic of structured reporting in radiology and its slow adoption in daily practice. It highlights the need for harmonization of reporting templates and incentives for radiologists to adopt structured reporting. The article also mentions the potential use of large language models (LLMs) to structure unstructured reports and the challenges and potential biases associated with relying on commercial AI-based solutions. Overall, the article emphasizes the importance of structured reporting in transforming radiology practice and leveraging the valuable data contained in radiological reports. [Extracted from the article]

Context: People with patellofemoral pain (PFP) present altered lower-limb movements during some activities. Perhaps, joint misalignment in the hip is one of the reasons for altered movement patterns in people with PFP. Some mobilization techniques have been designed to address joint misalignments. Objective: To investigate the acute effects of hip mobilization with movement (MWM) technique on pain and biomechanics during squats and jumps in females with and without PFP. Design: Randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Setting: Movement analysis laboratory. Patients: Fifty-six physically active females (28 with PFP and 28 asymptomatic) were divided into 4 groups: experimental group with PFP, sham group with PFP, experimental group without PFP, and sham group without PFP. Intervention(s): The experimental groups received MWM for the hip, and the sham groups received sham mobilization. Main Outcome Measures: Pain, trunk, and lower-limb kinematics, and hip and knee kinetics during single-leg squats and landings. Results: After the interventions, no difference between groups was found for pain. The PFP experimental group decreased hip internal rotation during squats compared with the PFP sham group (P =.03). There was no other significant difference between PFP groups for kinematic or kinetic outcomes during squats, as well as for any outcome during landings. There was no difference between asymptomatic groups for any of the outcomes in any of the tasks. Conclusions: Hip mobilization was ineffective to reduce pain in people with PFP. Hip MWM may contribute to dynamic lower-limb realignment in females with PFP by decreasing hip internal rotation during squats. Therefore, hip MWM could be potentially useful as a complementary intervention for patients with PFP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though radiomics can hold great potential for supporting clinical decision-making, its current use is mostly limited to academic research, without applications in routine clinical practice. The workflow of radiomics is complex due to several methodological steps and nuances, which often leads to inadequate reporting and evaluation, and poor reproducibility. Available reporting guidelines and checklists for artificial intelligence and predictive modeling include relevant good practices, but they are not tailored to radiomic research. There is a clear need for a complete radiomics checklist for study planning, manuscript writing, and evaluation during the review process to facilitate the repeatability and reproducibility of studies. We here present a documentation standard for radiomic research that can guide authors and reviewers. Our motivation is to improve the quality and reliability and, in turn, the reproducibility of radiomic research. We name the checklist CLEAR (CheckList for EvaluAtion of Radiomics research), to convey the idea of being more transparent. With its 58 items, the CLEAR checklist should be considered a standardization tool providing the minimum requirements for presenting clinical radiomics research. In addition to a dynamic online version of the checklist, a public repository has also been set up to allow the radiomics community to comment on the checklist items and adapt the checklist for future versions. Prepared and revised by an international group of experts using a modified Delphi method, we hope the CLEAR checklist will serve well as a single and complete scientific documentation tool for authors and reviewers to improve the radiomics literature. Key points: The workflow of radiomics is complex with several methodological steps and nuances, which often leads to inadequate reproducibility, reporting, and evaluation. The CLEAR checklist proposes a single documentation standard for radiomics research that can guide authors, providing the minimum requirements for presenting clinical radiomics research. The CLEAR checklist aims to include all necessary items to support reviewer evaluation of radiomics-related manuscripts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]