Spectral Differentiation of Hyperdense Non-Vascular and Vascular Renal Lesions Without Solid Components in Contrast-Enhanced Photon-Counting Detector CT Scans-A Pilot Study.

: The number of incidental renal lesions identified in CT scans of the abdomen is increasing. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether hyperdense renal lesions without solid components in a portal venous CT scan can be clearly classified as vascular or non-vascular by material decomposition into iodine and water. This retrospective single-center study included 26 patients (mean age 72 years ± 9; 16 male) with 42 hyperdense renal lesions (>20 HU) in a contrast-enhanced Photon-Counting Detector CT scan (PCD-CT) between May and December 2022.

Are we systematically overdosing women? Revisiting standardized contrast protocols for thoracoabdominal CT scans.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the iodine contrast in blood and solid organs differs between men and women and to evaluate the effect of BMI, height, weight, and blood volume (BV) on sex-specific contrast in staging CT.

Materials And Methods: Patients receiving a venous-phase thoracoabdominal Photon-Counting Detector CT (PCD-CT) scan with 100- or 120-mL CM between 08/2021 and 01/2022 were retrospectively included in this single-center study. Image analysis was performed by measuring iodine contrast in the liver, portal vein, spleen, left atrium, left ventricle, pulmonary trunk, ascending and descending aorta on spectral PCD-CT datasets.

Virtual Monoenergetic Imaging of Thoracoabdominal Computed Tomography Angiography on Photon-Counting Detector Computertomography: Assessment of Image Quality and Leveraging Low-keV Series for Salvaging Suboptimal Contrast Acquisitions.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the possibility of image improvement of ECG-gated, high-pitch computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the thoracoabdominal aorta before transaortic valve replacement (TAVR) on a novel dual-source photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) in the setting of suboptimal low-contrast attenuation.

Methods: Continuously examined patients who underwent an ECG-gated, high-pitch CTA of the aorta on a PCD-CT with a contrast decrease of at least 50% between the ascending aorta and the common femoral arteries (CFA) were included. Patient characteristics were documented.

Radiomics Feature Stability in True and Virtual Non-Contrast Reconstructions from Cardiac Photon-Counting Detector CT Datasets.

: Virtual non-contrast (VNC) series reconstructed from contrast-enhanced cardiac scans acquired with photon counting detector CT (PCD-CT) systems have the potential to replace true non-contrast (TNC) series. However, a quantitative comparison of the image characteristics of TNC and VNC data is necessary to determine to what extent they are interchangeable. This work quantitatively evaluates the image similarity between VNC and TNC reconstructions by measuring the stability of multi-class radiomics features extracted in intra-patient TNC and VNC reconstructions.

SPINEPS-automatic whole spine segmentation of T2-weighted MR images using a two-phase approach to multi-class semantic and instance segmentation.

Objectives: Introducing SPINEPS, a deep learning method for semantic and instance segmentation of 14 spinal structures (ten vertebra substructures, intervertebral discs, spinal cord, spinal canal, and sacrum) in whole-body sagittal T2-weighted turbo spin echo images.

Material And Methods: This local ethics committee-approved study utilized a public dataset (train/test 179/39 subjects, 137 female), a German National Cohort (NAKO) subset (train/test 1412/65 subjects, mean age 53, 694 female), and an in-house dataset (test 10 subjects, mean age 70, 5 female). SPINEPS is a semantic segmentation model, followed by a sliding window approach utilizing a second model to create instance masks from the semantic ones.

Nearly linear orbital molecules on a pyrochlore lattice.

The interplay of spin-orbit coupling with other relevant parameters gives rise to the rich phase competition in complex ruthenates featuring octahedrally coordinated Ru. While locally, spin-orbit coupling stabilizes a nonmagnetic = 0 state, intersite interactions resolve one of two distinct phases at low temperatures: an excitonic magnet stabilized by the magnetic exchange of upper-lying = 1 states or Ru molecular orbital dimers driven by direct orbital overlap. Pyrochlore ruthenates RuO ( = rare earth, Y) are candidate excitonic magnets with geometrical frustration.

Decoupling of Light and Dark Reactions in a 2D Niobium Tungstate for Light-Induced Charge Storage and On-Demand Hydrogen Evolution.

The direct coupling of light harvesting and charge storage in a single material opens new avenues to light storing devices. Here we demonstrate the decoupling of light and dark reactions in the two-dimensional layered niobium tungstate (TBA)(NbWO) for on-demand hydrogen evolution and solar battery energy storage. Light illumination drives Li/H photointercalation into the (TBA)(NbWO) photoanode, leading to small polaron formation assisted by structural distortions on the WO sublattice, along with a light-induced decrease in material resistance over 2 orders of magnitude compared to the dark.

Radiomics signature for automatic hydronephrosis detection in unenhanced Low-Dose CT.

Purpose: To investigate the diagnostic performance of an automatic pipeline for detection of hydronephrosis on kidney's parenchyma on unenhanced low-dose CT of the abdomen.

Methods: This retrospective study included 95 patients with confirmed unilateral hydronephrosis in an unenhanced low-dose CT of the abdomen. Data were split into training (n = 67) and test (n = 28) cohorts.

Multiplanar reconstructions of the thoracic spine in a photon counting dual-source CT scanner: comparison to EID-CT.

Background: Photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) is a groundbreaking technology with promising results for visualization of small bone structures.

Purpose: To analyze the delineation of the thoracic spine in multiplanar reconstructions (MPR) on PCD-CT compared to energy-integrating detector (EID)-CT.

Material And Methods: Two euthanized mice were examined using different scanners: (i) 20-slice EID-CT and (ii) dual-source PCD-CT at various CTDI values.

Noncollinear Electric Dipoles in a Polar Chiral Phase of CsSnBr Perovskite.

Polar and chiral crystal symmetries confer a variety of potentially useful functionalities upon solids by coupling otherwise noninteracting mechanical, electronic, optical, and magnetic degrees of freedom. We describe two phases of the 3D perovskite, CsSnBr, which emerge below 85 K due to the formation of Sn(II) lone pairs and their interaction with extant octahedral tilts. Phase II (77 K < < 85 K, space group 2/) exhibits ferroaxial order driven by a noncollinear pattern of lone pair-driven distortions within the plane normal to the unique octahedral tilt axis, preserving the inversion symmetry observed at higher temperatures.

Photon-counting detector CT - first experiences in the field of musculoskeletal radiology.

The introduction of photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) marks a remarkable leap in innovation in CT imaging. The new detector technology allows X-rays to be converted directly into an electrical signal without an intermediate step via a scintillation layer and allows the energy of individual photons to be measured. Initial data show high spatial resolution, complete elimination of electronic noise, and steady availability of spectral image data sets.

Impact of CDK Inhibitors on Expression in Chordoma Cell Lines Including the First Stable Cell Line of a High-Grade Chordoma.

Chordomas are very rare malignant neoplasms of the bone occurring almost exclusively along the spine. As the tumours are thought to arise from notochordal remnants, the vast majority of chordomas express the gene, resulting in detectable nuclear amounts of its gene product brachyury. This T-Box transcription factor is commonly recognised as being essential in chordoma cells, and limiting expression is thought to be the key factor in controlling this tumour.

Exploring Layered Disorder in Lithium-Ion-Conducting LiYInCl.

LiYInCl undergoes a phase transition from trigonal to monoclinic via an intermediate orthorhombic phase. Although the trigonal yttrium containing the end member phase, LiYCl, synthesized by a mechanochemical route, is known to exhibit stacking fault disorder, not much is known about the monoclinic phases of the serial composition LiYInCl. This work aims to shed light on the influence of the indium substitution on the phase evolution, along with the evolution of stacking fault disorder using X-ray and neutron powder diffraction together with solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, studying the lithium-ion diffusion.

Radiomics-Based Machine Learning Model for Diagnosis of Acute Pancreatitis Using Computed Tomography.

In the early diagnostic workup of acute pancreatitis (AP), the role of contrast-enhanced CT is to establish the diagnosis in uncertain cases, assess severity, and detect potential complications like necrosis, fluid collections, bleeding or portal vein thrombosis. The value of texture analysis/radiomics of medical images has rapidly increased during the past decade, and the main focus has been on oncological imaging and tumor classification. Previous studies assessed the value of radiomics for differentiating between malignancies and inflammatory diseases of the pancreas as well as for prediction of AP severity.

Imaging Markers Derived From MRI-Based Automated Kidney Segmentation—an Analysis of Data From the German National Cohort (NAKO Gesundheitsstudie).

Background: Population-wide research on potential new imaging biomarkers of the kidney depends on accurate automated segmentation of the kidney and its compartments (cortex, medulla, and sinus).

Methods: We developed a robust deep-learning framework for kidney (sub-)segmentation based on a hierarchical, three-dimensional convolutional neural network (CNN) that was optimized for multiscale problems of combined localization and segmentation. We applied the CNN to abdominal magnetic resonance images from the population-based German National Cohort (NAKO) study.

Diagnostic performance of photon-counting detector CT for differentiation between adrenal adenomas and metastases.

Objectives: Aim of this study was to assess the value of virtual non-contrast (VNC) reconstructions in differentiating between adrenal adenomas and metastases on a photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT).

Material And Methods: Patients with adrenal masses and contrast-enhanced CT scans in portal venous phase were included. Image reconstructions were performed, including conventional VNC (VNC) and PureCalcium VNC (VNC), as well as virtual monochromatic images (VMI, 40-90 keV) and iodine maps.

Evaluation of ECG-Gated, High-Pitch Thoracoabdominal Angiographies With Dual-Source Photon-Counting Detector Computed Tomography.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiation dose, image quality, and the potential of virtual monoenergetic imaging (VMI) reconstructions of high-pitch computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the thoracoabdominal aorta on a dual-source photon-counting detector-CT (PCD-CT) in comparison with an energy-integrating detector-CT (EID-CT), with a special focus on low-contrast attenuation.

Methods: Consecutive patients being referred for an electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated, high-pitch CTA of the thoracoabdominal aorta prior to transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), and examined on the PCD-CT, were included in this prospective single-center study. For comparison, a retrospective patient group with ECG-gated, high-pitch CTA examinations of the thoracoabdominal aorta on EID-CT with a comparable scan protocol was matched for gender, body mass index, height, and age.

Inpatient treatment of acute diverticulitis between 2010 and 2021 - A German nationwide study about long-term trends and effects of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Aim: The aims of this study were to analyse all hospitalizations for acute diverticulitis in Germany from 2010 to 2021 and to assess the effects of the first 2 years of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on hospitalizations for acute diverticulitis.

Method: Using data from the German Federal Statistical Office, we analysed fully anonymized healthcare data of hospitalizations and treatment regimens with acute diverticulitis as the main diagnosis between 2010 and 2021. Logistic regression analyses for in-hospital mortality were performed.

Image Characteristics of Virtual Non-Contrast Series Derived from Photon-Counting Detector Coronary CT Angiography-Prerequisites for and Feasibility of Calcium Quantification.

In photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT), coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) can be performed using virtual non-contrast (VNC) series derived from coronary CT angiography (CCTA) datasets. Our study analyzed image characteristics of VNC series in terms of the efficacy of virtual iodine "removal" and image noise to determine whether the prerequisites for calcium quantification were satisfied. We analyzed 38 patients who had undergone non-enhanced CT followed by CCTA on a PCD-CT.

Multiphase photon counting detector CT data sets - Which combination of contrast phase and virtual non-contrast algorithm is best suited to replace true non-contrast series in the assessment of active bleeding?

Purpose: Aim of this study was to determine which virtual non-contrast (VNC) reconstruction algorithm, applied to which contrast phase of computed tomography angiography, best matches true non-contrast (TNC) images in the assessment of active bleeding.

Method: Patients who underwent a triphasic scan (pre-contrast, arterial, portal venous contrast) on a photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) (120 kV, image quality level 68) with suspected active (tumor, postoperative, spontaneous or other) bleeding were retrospectively included in this study. Conventional (VNC) and a calcium-preserving VNC algorithm (VNC) were derived from both arterial (art) and portal venous (pv) contrast scans, and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively by two independent and blinded raters.

Optimal conspicuity of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in virtual monochromatic imaging reconstructions on a photon-counting detector CT: comparison to conventional MDCT.

Purpose: To analyze the conspicuity of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) on a novel photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) in comparison to energy-integrating CT (EID-CT).

Methods: Inclusion criteria comprised initial diagnosis of PDAC (reference standard: histopathological analysis) and standardized contrast-enhanced CT imaging either on an EID-CT or a PCD-CT. Patients were excluded due to different histopathological diagnosis or missing tumor delineation on CT.

Treatment of acute mesenteric ischemia between 2010 and 2020 - a German nation-wide study.

Background: Aim of this study was to analyze long-term trends of hospitalizations, treatment regimen and in-hospital mortality of in-patients with acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) over the past decade and effects of the SARS-CoV2-pandemic.

Methods: We analyzed fully anonymized data from the German Federal Statistical Office of patients with AMI between 2010 and 2020. Besides descriptive analyses of age, gender, in-hospital mortality, comorbidity burden and treatment regimen, multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent variables associated with in-hospital mortality and different treatment.

German nation-wide in-patient treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm-trends between 2005 and 2019 and impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Purpose: Aim of this study was to analyze hospitalizations due to ruptured and non-ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAA, nrAAA) in Germany between 2005 and 2021 to determine long-term trends in treatment and the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Materials And Methods: Fully anonymized data were available from the research data center (RDC) of the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). All German hospitalizations with the ICD-10 code "I71.