Special Report on the Consensus QIBA Profile for Objective Analytical Validation of Non-calcified and High-risk Plaque and Other Biomarkers using Computed Tomography Angiography.

Rationale And Objectives: Evidence is building in support of the clinical utility of atherosclerotic plaque imaging by computed tomography angiography (CTA). There is increasing organized activity to embrace non-calcified plaque (NCP) as a formally defined biomarker for clinical trials, and high-risk plaque (HRP) for clinical care, as the most relevant measures for the field to advance and worthy of community efforts to validate. Yet the ability to assess the quantitative performance of any given specific solution to make these measurements or classifications is not available.

Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque Activity and Risk of Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Total coronary atherosclerotic plaque activity across the entire coronary arterial tree is associated with patient-level clinical outcomes.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate whether vessel-level coronary atherosclerotic plaque activity is associated with vessel-level myocardial infarction.

Methods: In this secondary analysis of an international multicenter study of patients with recent myocardial infarction and multivessel coronary artery disease, we assessed vessel-level coronary atherosclerotic plaque activity using coronary F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography to identify vessel-level myocardial infarction.

Long COVID and cardiovascular disease: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cardiovascular risk factors have been associated with an increased risk of complications following hospitalisation with COVID-19, but their impact on the rate of recovery following discharge is not known.

Objectives: To determine whether the rate of patient-perceived recovery following hospitalisation with COVID-19 was affected by the presence of CVD or cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: In a multicentre prospective cohort study, patients were recruited following discharge from the hospital with COVID-19 undertaking two comprehensive assessments at 5 months and 12 months.

Association of epicardial adipose tissue with early structural and functional cardiac changes in Type 2 diabetes.

Background: Dysregulated epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) may contribute to the development of heart failure in Type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study aimed to evaluate the associations between EAT volume and composition with imaging markers of subclinical cardiac dysfunction in people with T2D and no prevalent cardiovascular disease.

Methods: Prospective case-control study enrolling participants with and without T2D and no known cardiovascular disease.

Is atrial fibrillation in HFpEF a distinct phenotype? Insights from multiparametric MRI and circulating biomarkers.

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently co-exist. There is a limited understanding on whether this coexistence is associated with distinct alterations in myocardial remodelling and mechanics. We aimed to determine if patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represent a distinct phenotype.

Did people really drink bleach to prevent COVID-19? A guide for protecting survey data against problematic respondents.

Survey respondents who are non-attentive, respond randomly, or misrepresent who they are can impact the outcomes of surveys. Prior findings reported by the CDC have suggested that people engaged in highly dangerous cleaning practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, including ingesting household cleaners such as bleach. In our attempts to replicate the CDC's results, we found that 100% of reported ingestion of household cleaners are made by problematic respondents.

Is it ethical to use Mechanical Turk for behavioral research? Relevant data from a representative survey of MTurk participants and wages.

To understand human behavior, social scientists need people and data. In the last decade, Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) emerged as a flexible, affordable, and reliable source of human participants and was widely adopted by academics. Yet despite MTurk's utility, some have questioned whether researchers should continue using the platform on ethical grounds.

Implementable Deep Learning for Multi-sequence Proton MRI Lung Segmentation: A Multi-center, Multi-vendor, and Multi-disease Study.

Background: Recently, deep learning via convolutional neural networks (CNNs) has largely superseded conventional methods for proton ( H)-MRI lung segmentation. However, previous deep learning studies have utilized single-center data and limited acquisition parameters.

Purpose: Develop a generalizable CNN for lung segmentation in H-MRI, robust to pathology, acquisition protocol, vendor, and center.

Evaluating CloudResearch's Approved Group as a solution for problematic data quality on MTurk.

Maintaining data quality on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) has always been a concern for researchers. These concerns have grown recently due to the bot crisis of 2018 and observations that past safeguards of data quality (e.g.

Do you know the Wooly Bully? Testing era-based knowledge to verify participant age online.

People in online studies sometimes misrepresent themselves. Regardless of their motive for doing so, participant misrepresentation threatens the validity of research. Here, we propose and evaluate a way to verify the age of online respondents: a test of era-based knowledge.

Radiologist opinions regarding reporting incidental coronary and cardiac calcification on thoracic CT.

Objectives: Coronary and cardiac calcification are frequent incidental findings on non-gated thoracic computed tomography (CT). However, radiologist opinions and practices regarding the reporting of incidental calcification are poorly understood.

Methods: UK radiologists were invited to complete this online survey, organised by the British Society of Cardiovascular Imaging (BSCI).

Overstimulation of the ergoreflex-A possible mechanism to explain symptoms in long COVID.

Long COVID refers to a multitude of symptoms that persist long after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Fatigue and breathlessness are the most common symptoms of long COVID across a range of studies. They are also cardinal symptoms of chronic heart failure (CHF).

The Interfield Strength Agreement of Left Ventricular Strain Measurements at 1.5 T and 3 T Using Cardiac MRI Feature Tracking.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) strain measurements can be derived using cardiac MRI from routinely acquired balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) cine images.

Purpose: To compare the interfield strength agreement of global systolic strain, peak strain rates and artificial intelligence (AI) landmark-based global longitudinal shortening at 1.5 T and 3 T.

Hepatosteatosis and Atherosclerotic Plaque at Coronary CT Angiography.

Purpose: To assess the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and quantitative atherosclerotic plaque at CT.

Materials And Methods: In this post hoc analysis of the prospective Scottish Computed Tomography of the HEART trial (November 2010 to September 2014), hepatosteatosis and coronary artery calcium score were measured at noncontrast CT. Presence of stenoses, visually assessed high-risk plaque, and quantitative plaque burden were assessed at coronary CT angiography.

Pericoronary Adipose Tissue Attenuation, Low-Attenuation Plaque Burden, and 5-Year Risk of Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) attenuation and low-attenuation noncalcified plaque (LAP) burden can both predict outcomes.

Objectives: This study sought to assess the relative and additive values of PCAT attenuation and LAP to predict future risk of myocardial infarction.

Methods: In a post hoc analysis of the multicenter SCOT-HEART (Scottish Computed Tomography of the Heart) trial, the authors investigated the relationships between the future risk of fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction and PCAT attenuation measured from coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) using multivariable Cox regression models including plaque burden, obstructive coronary disease, and cardiac risk score (incorporating age, sex, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and family history).

Thoracic Aortic F-Sodium Fluoride Activity and Ischemic Stroke in Patients With Established Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: Aortic atherosclerosis represents an important contributor to ischemic stroke risk. Identifying patients with high-risk aortic atheroma could improve preventative treatment strategies for future ischemic stroke.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether thoracic F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography (PET) could improve the identification of patients at the highest risk of ischemic stroke.

MRI and CT coronary angiography in survivors of COVID-19.

Objectives: To determine the contribution of comorbidities on the reported widespread myocardial abnormalities in patients with recent COVID-19.

Methods: In a prospective two-centre observational study, patients hospitalised with confirmed COVID-19 underwent gadolinium and manganese-enhanced MRI and CT coronary angiography (CTCA). They were compared with healthy and comorbidity-matched volunteers after blinded analysis.