Mammographic Vascular Microcalcifications as a Surrogate Parameter for Coronary Heart Disease: Correlation to Cardiac Computer Tomography and Proposal of a Classification Score.

Objective: This study develops a BI-RADS-like scoring system for vascular microcalcifications in mammographies, correlating breast arterial calcification (BAC) in a mammography with coronary artery calcification (CAC), and specifying differences between microcalcifications caused by BAC and microcalcifications potentially associated with malignant disease.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective single-center cohort study evaluated 124 consecutive female patients (with a median age of 57 years). The presence of CAC was evaluated based on the Agatston score obtained from non-enhanced coronary computed tomography, and the calcifications detected in the mammography were graded on a four-point Likert scale, with the following criteria: (1) no visible or sporadically scattered microcalcifications, (2) suspicious microcalcification not distinguishable from breast arterial calcification, (3) minor breast artery calcifications, and (4) major breast artery calcifications.

Technical feasibility of automated blur detection in digital mammography using convolutional neural network.

Background: The presence of a blurred area, depending on its localization, in a mammogram can limit diagnostic accuracy. The goal of this study was to develop a model for automatic detection of blur in diagnostically relevant locations in digital mammography.

Methods: A retrospective dataset consisting of 152 examinations acquired with mammography machines from three different vendors was utilized.

Bacterial bioluminescence is an important regulator of multitrophic interactions in the soil.

Enormous efforts have been made to understand the functions of bioluminescence; however, its relevance in soil ecosystems has barely been investigated. In addition, our understanding of the biological relevance of bioluminescence is hampered by the scarcity of tools to genetically manipulate this trait. Using the symbionts of entomopathogenic nematodes, Photorhabdus bacteria, we show that bioluminescence plays important regulatory roles in multitrophic interactions in the soil.

Potential of non-contrast spiral breast CT to exploit lesion density and favor breast cancer detection: A pilot study.

Purpose: To assess the density values of breast lesions and breast tissue using non-contrast spiral breast CT (nc-SBCT) imaging.

Method: In this prospective study women undergoing nc-SBCT between April-October 2023 for any purpose were included in case of: histologically proven malignant lesion (ML); fibroadenoma (FA) with histologic confirmation or stability > 24 months (retrospectively); cysts with ultrasound correlation; and women with extremely dense breast (EDB) and no sonographic findings. Three regions of interest were placed on each lesion and 3 different area of EDB.

Explainable Precision Medicine in Breast MRI: A Combined Radiomics and Deep Learning Approach for the Classification of Contrast Agent Uptake.

In DCE-MRI, the degree of contrast uptake in normal fibroglandular tissue, i.e., background parenchymal enhancement (BPE), is a crucial biomarker linked to breast cancer risk and treatment outcome.