Deep Learning-Based Methods for Prostate Segmentation in Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging-based prostate segmentation is an essential task for adaptive radiotherapy and for radiomics studies whose purpose is to identify associations between imaging features and patient outcomes. Because manual delineation is a time-consuming task, we present three deep-learning (DL) approaches, namely UNet, efficient neural network (ENet), and efficient residual factorized convNet (ERFNet), whose aim is to tackle the fully-automated, real-time, and 3D delineation process of the prostate gland on T2-weighted MRI. While UNet is used in many biomedical image delineation applications, ENet and ERFNet are mainly applied in self-driving cars to compensate for limited hardware availability while still achieving accurate segmentation.

Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in Oncology: An Update.

To date, diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is included in routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols for several cancers. The real additive role of DWI lies in the "functional" information obtained by probing the free diffusivity of water molecules into intra and inter-cellular spaces that in tumors mainly depend on cellularity. Although DWI has not gained much space in some oncologic scenarios, this non-invasive tool is routinely used in clinical practice and still remains a hot research topic: it has been tested in almost all cancers to differentiate malignant from benign lesions, to distinguish different malignant histotypes or tumor grades, to predict and/or assess treatment responses, and to identify residual or recurrent tumors in follow-up examinations.

Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) in lymphoma: State of the art.

The improvements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology and the concern related to the increased cancer risk in patients with lymphoma, also due to radiation exposure associated with imaging examinations, have led to the introduction of whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) as a radiation-free alternative to standard imaging procedures. WB-MRI seems a less histology-dependent functional imaging test than F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/CT ( F-FDG-PET/CT). In patients with FDG-avid lymphomas, such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), F-FDG-PET/CT remains the imaging reference standard for staging, with WB-MRI potentially being a complementary modality that could replace CT, especially in young patients.

Comparison of the Enhancement Pattern of Hepatic Hemangioma on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Performed With Gd-EOB-DTPA Versus Gd-BOPTA.

Purpose: To compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings with gadoxetic acid and gadobenate dimeglumine for the diagnosis of hepatic hemangiomas.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, we included 26 hemangiomas (mean size was 14 mm ± 10 mm) in 19 patients (mean age 60 ± 14 years) scanned with both gadobenate dimeglumine MRI and gadoxetic acid MRI. For each patient, we collected multiple lesion variables including location, number, size and enhancement pattern on arterial, portal venous, 3-minute and hepatobiliary phases with both gadoxetic acid and gadobenate dimeglumine.

Imaging features of adrenal masses.

The widespread use of imaging examinations has increased the detection of incidental adrenal lesions, which are mostly benign and non-functioning adenomas. The differentiation of a benign from a malignant adrenal mass can be crucial especially in oncology patients since it would greatly affect treatment and prognosis. In this setting, imaging plays a key role in the detection and characterization of adrenal lesions, with several imaging tools which can be employed by radiologists.

Role of apparent diffusion coefficient values in prostate diseases characterization on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: To evaluate if normal and pathological prostate tissue can be distinguished by using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to understand if it is possible to differentiate among pathological prostate tissues using ADC values.

Methods: Our population consisted in 81 patients (mean age 65.4 years) in which 84 suspicious areas were identified.

Imaging features of solid renal masses.

The widespread use of abdominal imaging techniques has increased the detection of solid renal masses over the past years. Imaging plays a crucial role in the management and surveillance and in determining which lesions need treatment. The "classical angiomyolipoma" is the only benign solid renal mass that can be characterized with confidence by imaging through the detection of a fat-containing lesion without calcifications.

Effect of low-level light therapy on diabetic foot ulcers: a near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a diabetic complication due to peripheral vasculopathy and neuropathy. A promising technology for wound healing in DFU is low-level light therapy (LLLT). Despite several studies showing positive effects of LLLT on DFU, LLLT’s physiological effects have not yet been studied.

Is blood glucose on admission a predictor of mortality in adult acute pneumonia?

Background: Even if hyperglycaemia is often identified as an independent risk factor for developing respiratory tract infection, only few studies have investigated this relationship. The aim of this study is to investigate if plasma glucose on admission is related with in-hospital mortality among patients with pneumonia and to identify the glycaemic range with significant reductions of mortality risks in non-intensive care patients.

Methods: Data come from administrative records of 1018 non-intensive care patients hospitalised with diagnosis of pneumonia.

HBV and HCV infection in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a survey in three diabetes units in different Italian areas.

Viral infections and the metabolic syndrome may coexist in several individuals, due to the large prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Antiviral therapy has changed the natural history of chronic viral hepatitis, but viral infection may remain undiagnosed in the absence of systematic screening. We determined the prevalence of HBV and/or HCV infection in an Italian cohort with T2DM (859 consecutive patients, 413 females) in three Italian centers: Turin, Bologna, and Naples.

Prevalence of markers for hepatitis B virus and vaccination compliance among medical school students in Italy.

The prevalence of markers for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the rate of compliance with HBV vaccination laws were investigated in a study at Padua University Medical School (Italy). Of 2,361 students, 385 (16.3%) tested negative for antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen.

Normal glucose values are associated with a lower risk of mortality in hospitalized patients.

Objective: Hyperglycemia is a common condition in hospitalized patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between glycemia upon admission and mortality in a heterogeneous group of adult patients.

Research Design And Methods: The 3-year records released from a general hospital were associated with a plasma glucose dataset of its general laboratory.

Immunity against infectious diseases: predictive value of self-reported history of vaccination and disease.

Objective: To determine whether self-reported history of disease and/or vaccination is predictive of immunity against hepatitis B, varicella, rubella, mumps, and measles.

Design: The seroprevalence of viral antibodies and the predictive value of a self-report questionnaire were determined for 616 paramedical students who matriculated into Padua Medical School (Padua, Italy) during 2003-2005.

Results: The majority of subjects (86.

Use of antiplatelet therapy in a diabetic outpatient service of a large urban public hospital.

Background And Aim: Cardiovascular disease is the most important cause of mortality in type 2 diabetes. Aspirin treatment is effective in diabetic patients with cardiovascular disease and it does not significantly increase the risk of retinal haemorrhage, gastrointestinal bleeding or hemorrhagic stroke. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends the use of aspirin in all adult patients with diabetes and macrovascular disease, and suggests to start treatment with aspirin for primary prevention in diabetic patients >or=40 years of age and with one or more other cardiovascular risk factors in the absence of specific contraindications.