Computer tomography-based assessment of perivascular adipose tissue in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms.

This retrospective study investigates perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) alterations in CT as a marker of inflammation in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). 100 abdominal CT scans of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms and 100 age and sex matched controls without underlying aortic disease were included. Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted segmentation of the aorta and the surrounding adipose tissue was performed.

Parametric mapping using cardiovascular magnetic resonance for the differentiation of light chain amyloidosis and transthyretin-related amyloidosis.

Aims: To evaluate different cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters for the differentiation of light chain amyloidosis (AL) and transthyretin-related amyloidosis (ATTR).

Methods And Results: In total, 75 patients, 53 with cardiac amyloidosis {20 patients with AL [66 ± 12 years, 14 males (70%)] and 33 patients with ATTR [78 ± 5 years, 28 males (88%)]} were retrospectively analysed regarding CMR parameters such as T1 and T2 mapping, extracellular volume (ECV), late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) distribution patterns, and myocardial strain, and compared to a control cohort with other causes of left ventricular hypertrophy {LVH; 22 patients [53 ± 16 years, 17 males (85%)]}. One-way ANOVA and receiver operating characteristic analysis were used for statistical analysis.

Post-radiotherapy stage III/IV non-small cell lung cancer radiomics research: a systematic review and comparison of CLEAR and RQS frameworks.

Background: Lung cancer, the second most common cancer, presents persistently dismal prognoses. Radiomics, a promising field, aims to provide novel imaging biomarkers to improve outcomes. However, clinical translation faces reproducibility challenges, despite efforts to address them with quality scoring tools.

Non-destructive, whole-plant phenotyping reveals dynamic changes in water use efficiency, photosynthesis, and rhizosphere acidification of sorghum accessions under osmotic stress.

Noninvasive phenotyping can quantify dynamic plant growth processes at higher temporal resolution than destructive phenotyping and can reveal phenomena that would be missed by end-point analysis alone. Additionally, whole-plant phenotyping can identify growth conditions that are optimal for both above- and below-ground tissues. However, noninvasive, whole-plant phenotyping approaches available today are generally expensive, complex, and non-modular.

Evaluating Plant Drought Resistance with a Raspberry Pi and Time-lapse Photography.

Identifying genetic variations or treatments that confer greater resistance to drought is paramount to ensuring sustainable crop productivity. Accurate and reproducible measurement of drought stress symptoms can be achieved via automated, image-based phenotyping. Many phenotyping platforms are either cost-prohibitive, require specific technical expertise, or are simply more complex than necessary to effectively evaluate drought resistance.

Uncoupling differential water usage from drought resistance in a dwarf Arabidopsis mutant.

Understanding the molecular and physiological mechanisms of how plants respond to drought is paramount to breeding more drought-resistant crops. Certain mutations or allelic variations result in plants with altered water-use requirements. To correctly identify genetic differences which confer a drought phenotype, plants with different genotypes must be subjected to equal levels of drought stress.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN COMPUTERISED ANALYSIS OF THERMOLUMINESCENCE GLOW CURVES: SOFTWARE CODES, MECHANISMS AND DOSIMETRIC APPLICATIONS.

The computerised deconvolution of thermoluminescence glow curves into component glow peaks is discussed in detail with special emphasis on advances of the subject post 2013. A plethora of computer codes have been developed using models based on first-order kinetics, second-orders kinetics, interactive traps and continuous distributions of activation energies. The glow curves of several materials are displayed and discussed along with new and improved dosimetric applications:precision effects of heating rate, heavy charged particles, mixed field α/ϒ dosimetry, fading and dose-response linearity.

SEARCH FOR EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE OF DOSE-RATE AND WALL SCATTERING EFFECTS IN THE THERMOLUMINESCENCE RESPONSE OF LIF:MG,TI (TLD-100).

An experimental investigation into the possibility of dose-rate effects and wall scatter in the thermoluminescent response of LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100) was carried out. The investigation was motivated by theoretical simulations predicting the possible presence of dose-rate effects coupled with the lack of detailed experimental studies. The dose rate was varied by changing the source to sample distance, by the use of attenuators, sources of 137Cs of various activities, filtration and the construction of identical geometrical irradiators of Teflon and stainless steel.

INVESTIGATION OF THE TL CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPOSITE PEAK 5 IN THE GLOW CURVE OF LIF:MG,TI (TLD-100) USING NATURALLY AND FURNACE-COOLED SAMPLES FOLLOWING THE 400°C PRE-IRRADIATION ANNEAL.

The cooling rate to room temperature following the 400°C pre-irradiation anneal is known to affect the thermoluminescent properties of LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100) as a result of migration and clustering of defects during the cooling down process. In this investigation the dose response over an extended dose range from 0.01 to 7000 Gy in both naturally cooled and the much slower furnace-cooled samples has been measured.

Plant Metabolic Network 15: A resource of genome-wide metabolism databases for 126 plants and algae.

To understand and engineer plant metabolism, we need a comprehensive and accurate annotation of all metabolic information across plant species. As a step towards this goal, we generated genome-scale metabolic pathway databases of 126 algal and plant genomes, ranging from model organisms to crops to medicinal plants (https://plantcyc.org).

Diagnostic Benefit of MRI for Exclusion of Ligamentous Injury in Patients with Lateral Atlantodental Interval Asymmetry at Initial Trauma CT.

Background Cervical spine CT is regularly performed to exclude cervical spine injury during the initial evaluation of trauma patients. Patients with asymmetry of the lateral atlantodental interval (LADI) often undergo subsequent MRI to rule out ligamentous injuries. The clinical relevance of an asymmetric LADI and the benefit of additional MRI remain unclear.

THE UNIFIED INTERACTION MODEL: SIMULATIONS OF TL DOSE RESPONSE AND EXPERIMENTAL VERIFICATION OF INTENDED DOSE RESPONSE LINEARITY BY POSTIRRADIATION PHOTON EXCITATION.

The Unified Interaction Model (UNIM) simulates the linear/supralinear dose response of the glow peaks of LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100) and other thermoluminescent materials and the dependence of the supralinearity on photon/electron energy. The UNIM is based on the radiation action of spatially correlated trapping centres (TCs) and luminescent centres (LCs), which results in localised (geminate) electron/hole recombination by quantum mechanical tunnelling. The linear dose response is mainly attributed to geminate recombination.

MANIPULATION OF THE DOSE-RESPONSE OF COMPOSITE GLOW PEAK 5 IN THE THERMOLUMINESCENCE OF LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100) VIA OPTICAL EXCITATION POST-IRRADIATION: POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVED DOSE-RESPONSE LINEARITY BEYOND 1 Gy.

Many dosimetric applications and especially those involved in clinical dosimetry are hampered by the supralinearity of TLD-100 which begins at a level of dose of 1 Gy. This research investigates the effect of optical excitation following irradiation on the dose-response. It is expected that this will lead to a more linear dose-response, however, irrespective of the hoped-for linearity, the theoretical/kinetic simulations of the effect of optical excitation will further enhance our understanding of the thermoluminescence mechanisms, especially the role of spatially correlated trapping and luminescent centers.

Manualized cognitive therapy versus cognitive-behavioral treatment-as-usual for social anxiety disorder in routine practice: A cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This study examined the effectiveness of manualized cognitive therapy (mCT) following the Clark-Wells approach versus non-manualized cognitive-behavioral treatment-as-usual (CBTAU) for social anxiety disorder (SAD) in routine practice.

Methods: Forty-eight private practitioners were recruited within a multi-center trial and either received training in manualized CT for SAD or no such training. Practitioners treated 162 patients with SAD in routine practice (N = 107 completers, n = 57 for mCT, n = 50 for CBTAU).

Ionisation Chamber for Measurement of Pulsed Photon Radiation Fields.

The use of pulsed photon radiation in medical, industrial and security sectors has vastly increased during the recent years. The length of pulse from different X-ray flash generators that are commonly used as either portable, battery-operated or fixed systems can be as low as a few femtoseconds. However, the majority of radiation protection instruments, especially various active electronic dosemeters, have limitations when operated in pulsed fields.

Time evolution of a Gaussian class of quasi-distribution functions under quadratic Hamiltonian.

A Lie algebraic method for propagation of the Wigner quasi-distribution function (QDF) under quadratic Hamiltonian was presented by Zoubi and Ben-Aryeh. We show that the same method can be used in order to propagate a rather general class of QDFs, which we call the "Gaussian class." This class contains as special cases the well-known Wigner, Husimi, Glauber, and Kirkwood-Rihaczek QDFs.

Treatment specific competence predicts outcome in cognitive therapy for social anxiety disorder.

Several studies have demonstrated a positive relationship between competence and outcome in CBT for depression but studies of CBT for anxiety disorders are lacking. The present study explores the relationship between competence and outcome in cognitive therapy (CT) for social anxiety disorder, using hierarchical linear modeling analyses (HLM). Data were drawn from a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Transfer of manualized CBT for social phobia into clinical practice (SOPHO-PRAX): a study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Background: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is generally known to be efficacious in the treatment of social phobia when applied in RCTs, namely when the treatment manual is based on the Clark-Wells approach. However, little is known about the efficacy of manualized treatments in routine clinical practice (Phase IV of psychotherapy research). The present study (SOPHO-PRAX) is a continuation of a large multicenter randomized clinical trial (SOPHO-NET) and analyzes the extent to which additional training practitioners in manualized procedures enhances treatment effect.

[An outpatient education program for patients and partners after implantation of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD)].

Background: The implantation of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is commonly followed by a physical and psychological process of adaptation to the new situation. Psychological support is often not provided and patients are left alone with questions and their needs. Because of the emerging sense of support group programs have proven to be apt for clearing up questions and addressing personal concerns.

Assessment of adherence and competence in cognitive therapy: comparing session segments with entire sessions.

The aim of the study was to compare the reliability and validity of adherence and competence judgments of four raters, based on session segments on the one hand and on entire sessions on the other. The global adherence/competence judgments based on the middle section of 34 therapy sessions demonstrated satisfactory interrater reliability (ICC=.81/.

[Changes in depression, anxiety, and vital exhaustion in patients after ICD implantation. Comparison of clinical subgroups].

Background: The psychological strain of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is infrequently explored in prospective studies, which have until now generally focused on the dimensions anxiety and depression. Furthermore, vital exhaustion (VE; ICD10 F 48.0) is known as a very good predictor for negative outcome in patients with coronary heart disease.