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Copyright of Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. 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.)

• Individuals with Fanconi anemia have a higher incidence of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). • Cyclosporine level is not correlated with PRES occurrence. • PRES can present with a nonposterior distribution. • PRES is nonreversible in all cases. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is one of the most common neurologic complications following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We aimed to evaluate the incidence, clinical, and imaging features of PRES in pediatric patients with Fanconi anemia (FA) following HSCT. This prospective study included all post-HSCT patients with underlying FA disease between 2014 and 2017. Brain computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed in all individuals who developed neurologic symptoms. PRES was diagnosed based on clinic-radiological evidence. Follow-up MRI was performed in all patients with PRES within two months. Forty-one patients with FA (28 males; mean age, 8.19 ± 3.25 years) were enrolled. Out of 15 patients with acute neurologic symptoms, PRES was diagnosed in 9 individuals (21.95% of the total cohort). The occurrence of PRES was significantly higher in patients who had a donor with a 1-locus mismatch (P =.02). Donor relation, stem cell source, and graft-versus-host disease grade did not have any significant association with the development of PRES. MRI showed asymmetric vasogenic edema in 5 patients, an overt infarct in 1 patient, and foci of microhemorrhages in 3 patients, 1 of whom developed a hemorrhagic infarct. This patient died shortly, and persistent microhemorrhages were noted in the other 2 patients. Our findings demonstrate a greater risk of developing PRES after HSCT in patients with FA compared with those with other diseases (21.95% versus 1% to 10%), and in contrast to its term, it might be irreversible and has adverse effects on HSCT outcomes. The increased vascular and endothelial fragility in FA may contribute to the higher frequency of PRES in these individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There is evidence that standard assessment techniques for detecting PAD might be of less diagnostic accuracy in people with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to examine diagnostic performance of Plethysmographic-and-Doppler derived ankle brachial index, toe brachial index, and Pulse volume waveform analysis for detecting PAD in people with T2DM.Methods: In this cross-sectional study 303 patients with T2DM were included in the study. The participants underwent ABI measurement, applying both Plethysmographic and Doppler derived devices, as well as TBI, PVW was also recorded for each patient. Diagnostic performance of each test for detecting PAD, applying ultrasound Doppler scan as the reference standard, was measured. Moreover, the best cut-off point for each method to detect PAD was determined.Results: PVW showed the highest sensitivity (81.8%) for detecting PAD, followed by ABIDOP (72.7%), and ABIPLE (20%). However, all devices showed an excellent specificity for detecting PAD. The optimal cut-off point for diagnosis of PAD was 0.9 for ABIDOP, 1.2 for ABIPLE, and 0.38 for TBI.Conclusion: Within this population of patients with T2DM, TBI less than 0.38 provided the best sensitivity for detection of PAD followed by PVW, ABIDOP≤0.9, and ABIPLE<1.2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transformer neural networks have revolutionized natural language processing by effectively addressing the vanishing gradient problem. This study focuses on applying Transformer models to time-series forecasting and customizing them for a simultaneous multistep-ahead prediction model in surrogate model predictive control (MPC). The proposed method showcases improved control performance and computational efficiency compared to LSTM-based MPC and one-step-ahead prediction models using both LSTM and Transformer networks. The study introduces three key contributions: (1) a new MPC system based on a Transformer time-series architecture, (2) a training method enabling multistep-ahead prediction for time-series machine learning models, and (3) validation of the enhanced time performance of multistep-ahead Transformer MPC compared to one-step-ahead LSTM networks. Case studies demonstrate a significant fifteen-fold improvement in computational speed compared to one-step-ahead LSTM, although this improvement may vary depending on MPC factors like the lookback window and prediction horizon. • Transformer and LSTM models compared in Model Predictive Control. • New multistep Transformer architecture proposed for MPC. • Transformer MPC outperforms LSTM-based MPC with 15x speedup. • Practical implementation on fluidized-bed gold ore roaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans are potentially exposed to nano(micro)plastics, however their interaction with tissues and cells in humans remains largely unknown. This premise is particularly notable with nano-sized plastic particulates, a potentially most pernicious form of plastic pollution. In this study, even in a hypothetical scenario in terms of dose (1, 3, 6 and 10 mg/kg-day) and exposure time (five weeks), the potential endocrine disturbances with particular reference to reproductive toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS NPs, average size = 38.92 nm) was studied in male rats considering biomarkers of semen quality, changes in hormonal milieu and molecular signatures of endocrine disruption. Sperm DNA integrity and its chromatin structure were also analyzed. There observed significant inverse associations between exposure to PS NPs and serum concentrations of testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Tissue and cell impairments were also noticed even at the lowest tested dosage, though the severity of lesions followed a clear dose-response pattern. DNA damage as well as alterations in sperm morphology and viability were evident, again proportionally with the amount of exposure dosage. RT-qPCR data were in accordance with the results of physio-histological alterations and fluorescence imaging, as significant down-regulation of PLZF , DAZL , FSH and LH gene expressions were noticed in the testis of exposed animals, suggesting that exposure interferes with spermatogenesis and also with HPT-axis. However, among those with highest exposure dosage, expressions of FSH and LH were significantly increased. ABP modulation further revealed evidence of a nonlinear dose response. The association between PS NPs exposure and GnRH was indeed in an unexpected positive direction, though these end-points were less sensitive at higher doses. Although additional evidence is warranted, the present work provides new insights into the possible risks of plastic nanoparticles exposure in humans, especially since the problem is growing and will persist for a long time. Image 1 • Rats were orally exposed to virgin and fluorescently labeled polystyrene nanoplastics. • Early warning signs of reproductive toxicity in rats from the ingestion of PS. • A significant down-regulation of PLZF , DAZL , FSH and LH gene expressions were found. • Endocrine disturbance was ascribed to NPs bioaccumulation and histological lesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous welded rail (CWR) tracks have particular advantages over common tracks with jointed rails such as increased ride comfort, reduced noise and vibration and decreased maintenance costs due to the removal of joints in rail connections. Alternatively, some complications associated with CWR tracks, for instance increased lateral forces, are the main reason of track buckling and its subsequent lateral deformation. These problems are usually more severe in curved tracks. In order to overcome the large lateral forces caused by temperature deviations of CWR tracks which results in railway vehicle instability, the ballasted track lateral resistance should be improved. Among the various methods proposed in this area, no specific study has been carried out on the effect of geogrid reinforcement on ballasted track lateral resistance. Thus, the present research was allocated to investigating the effect of geogrid on the lateral resistances of both single tie and track panel via laboratory and field tests. In this regard, at the first stage, the ballast layer was reinforced with various number of geogrid layers, the effect of which was investigated by conducting the single tie push test (STPT) in the lab environment to assess the optimum number of geogrid layers and their installation levels along the ballast layer thickness. Afterwards, a test track was executed in the field including various sections which were reinforced in the same way as the lab tests. Consequently, many STPTs and track panel displacement tests (TPDTs) were accomplished. As a result, the STPTs in the lab and field confirmed more than 31% and 42% increase in single tie lateral resistance for ballast layers reinforced respectively with one and two geogrid layers, while these values were reached to 29% and 40% in the case of TPDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]