Publications by authors named "Heather Collins"

Background And Purpose: Magnetic Resonance Imaging is widely used to assess disease burden in multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a commercially available k-nearest neighbors (k-NN) software in quantifying white matter lesion (WML) burden in MS. We compared the software's WML quantification to expert radiologists' assessments.

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Purpose: To evaluate quantitative and qualitative spermatic cord CT abnormalities and presence of unilateral or bilateral symptomatic scrotal pathology (SSP) at ultrasound.

Methods: This retrospective study included 122 male patients (mean age 47.8 years) undergoing scrotal ultrasound within 24 h of contrast-enhanced CT (n = 85), non-contrast CT (NECT, n = 32) or CT-Urogram (n = 5).

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Background: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) carry an increased risk of progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is a need to understand how to integrate NPS into the paradigm outlined in the 2018 NIA-AA Research Framework.

Objective: To evaluate a prediction model of MCI-AD progression using a collection of variables, including NPS, cognitive testing, apolipoprotein E4 status (APOE4), imaging and laboratory AD biomarkers.

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Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted the world since 2019, causing significant morbidity and mortality in developed and developing countries alike. Although substantial resources have been diverted to developing diagnostic, preventative, and treatment measures, disparities in the availability and efficacy of these tools vary across countries. We seek to assess the ability of commercial artificial intelligence (AI) technology to diagnose COVID-19 by analyzing chest radiographs.

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Repeated hypoglycemia exposure leads to impaired awareness of hypoglycemia (IAH) and the development of defective counterregulatory responses. To date, only pancreas or islet transplantation has demonstrated normalization of hypoglycemia awareness and the endogenous glucose production (EGP) response to defend against insulin-induced hypoglycemia in long-standing type 1 diabetes (T1D). This study aims to validate clinical metrics of IAH (Clarke score), hypoglycemia severity (HYPO score), glycemic lability (lability index), and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) as predictors of absent autonomic symptom (AS) recognition and defective glucose counterregulation during insulin-induced hypoglycemia, thus enabling early identification of individuals with compromised physiologic defense against clinically significant hypoglycemia.

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Objectives: Ovarian torsion (OT) is an emergency that mandates early detection and surgical detorsion to avoid catastrophic consequences of further adnexal injury. Prompt ultrasound is critical for accurate diagnosis. Traditionally, evaluation of arterial and venous flow was used as a diagnostic tool for OT, but recent radiologic research has indicated that ovarian size and size discrepancy between sides is a better diagnostic criterion.

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Purpose: Several groups and resources provide information that pertains to the validity of gene-disease relationships used in genomic medicine and research; however, universal standards and terminologies to define the evidence base for the role of a gene in disease and a single harmonized resource were lacking. To tackle this issue, the Gene Curation Coalition (GenCC) was formed.

Methods: The GenCC drafted harmonized definitions for differing levels of gene-disease validity on the basis of existing resources, and performed a modified Delphi survey with 3 rounds to narrow the list of terms.

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Long-duration spaceflight induces changes to the brain and cerebrospinal fluid compartments and visual acuity problems known as spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS). The clinical relevance of these changes and whether they equally affect crews of different space agencies remain unknown. We used MRI to analyze the alterations occurring in the perivascular spaces (PVS) in NASA and European Space Agency astronauts and Roscosmos cosmonauts after a 6-mo spaceflight on the International Space Station (ISS).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to determine normal thoracic aorta diameters in children aged 0 to 18, using CT scans and body surface area (BSA) measurements.
  • A total of 623 healthy pediatric patients were analyzed, with systematic diameter measurements taken and reference graphs created to demonstrate the relationship between BSA and aortic diameter.
  • Results showed no significant gender differences, with both age groups displaying strong correlations between BSA and aortic size, leading to the development of normative nomograms for clinical use.
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Importance: Spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) occurs in 40% to 60% of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) International Space Station (ISS) astronauts who present postflight with ophthalmological findings and elevated intracranial pressure. The etiology of SANS is unknown; it is hypothesized that venous outflow congestion from the head and neck occurs because of microgravity, which is supported by the finding of internal jugular vein stagnant flow and thrombosis in some astronauts, but the impact on intracranial dural venous sinus structures remains unknown.

Objectives: To clarify the potential risk of retrograde extension of clot intracranially among astronauts with internal jugular venous thrombosis by evaluating intracranial venous structures following spaceflight and to assess for any association between intracranial venous congestion and SANS.

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It is well known that adults spontaneously classify people into social categories and this categorization in turn guides their cognition and behavior. A wealth of research has examined how people perceive race and investigated the effect of race on social behavior. But what about race encoding? Although considerable behavioral research has investigated the encoding of race, that is, the social categorization by race, the neural underpinning of it is largely underexplored.

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Unlabelled: An 11-25% increase in total ventricular volume has been documented in astronauts following spaceflight on the ISS. Given the approximately 2-year time interval between pre- and post-flight MRI, it is unknown if ventricular enlargement simply reflects normal aging or is unique to spaceflight exposure. Therefore, we compared percent ventricular volume change per year (PVVC/yr) documented on pre- to post-flight MRI in a group of NASA ISS astronauts (n = 18, 16.

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Background: For many common malignancies, including breast cancer, evaluation for metastatic disease using multiphase computed tomography (CT) has fallen out of favor and been replaced by studies performed only in the portal venous phase. However, differences in tumor vascularity could produce differences in appearance on post-contrast imaging.

Purpose: To assess non-contrast phase and portal venous phase computed tomography in detection and measurement of hepatic metastases from breast carcinoma.

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Purpose: Following prolonged stays on the International Space Station (ISS), some astronauts exhibit visual acuity changes, ophthalmological findings, and mildly elevated intracranial pressures as part of a novel process called spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS). To determine the pathophysiology of SANS, NASA conducted a multi-investigator study in which 11 healthy participants underwent head-down tilt bed rest, mimicking microgravity-induced cephalad fluid shifts, combined with elevated ambient CO levels similar to those on the ISS (HDT+CO). As part of that study, we examined the effects of HDT+CO on cerebral perfusion.

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Background: Conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE) has been the standard treatment for intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). For early stage HCC, percutaneous ablation is a curative option. There is growing evidence to support combined therapy to improve tumor response and overall survival (OS) in patients with unresectable HCC.

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Importance: Head congestion is one of the most common somatic symptoms experienced by astronauts during spaceflight; however, changes in the opacification of the paranasal sinuses or mastoid air cells in astronauts have not been adequately studied.

Objectives: To quantify preflight to postflight changes in the opacification of the paranasal sinuses and mastoid air cells in Space Shuttle astronauts and International Space Station (ISS) astronauts and to assess whether there are differences between the 2 groups of astronauts.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study examined preflight and postflight head magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of 35 astronauts who had participated in either a short-duration (≤30 days) Space Shuttle mission or a long-duration (>30 days) ISS mission and had undergone both preflight and postflight MRI.

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Rationale And Objectives: To investigate gender representation among recipients of physician awards presented by major radiological societies.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed records of distinguished awards recipients given by four major radiological societies from 2000 to 2018. Included awards were those intended for attending physician recipients primarily involved in clinical and educational work which recognized accomplishments over the course of a career.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how T2-weighted Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery (T2/FLAIR) hyperintensity on MRI relates to the aggressive presentation of dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs).
  • A retrospective analysis of dAVF patients revealed that T2/FLAIR hyperintensity is only present in those with cortical venous drainage (CVD), and those patients are more likely to show severe symptoms.
  • The findings suggest that T2/FLAIR hyperintensity could be a key indicator of aggressive dAVF cases, potentially guiding earlier treatment decisions.
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The objective of this study was to explore nurses' perceptions of end-of-life care following the withdrawal of the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP). Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses working in palliative care. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined the safety, effectiveness, and prognostic factors of using conventional transarterial chemoembolization (c-TACE) with mitomycin in treating patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from 2007 to 2012.
  • Out of 60 patients, the overall survival (OS) rates were 72.1% at 1 year, 47.8% at 3 years, and 39.3% at 5 years, with a median OS of 15 months; a strong correlation was found between tumor response and risk of death.
  • The findings indicated that c-TACE with mitomycin was both effective and safe, especially highlighting
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Purpose: To assess the safety and efficacy of single-session transarterial embolization and radiofrequency (RF) ablation for hepatic tumors with the use of needle navigation software.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective analysis was conducted of 24 patients with liver cancer undergoing embolization followed by RF ablation between May 2014 and August 2017. Twelve patients each underwent (i) embolization and computed tomography (CT)-guided RF ablation during different sessions (group 1) and (ii) embolization followed by RF ablation with cone-beam CT and Needle Assist software in 1 session (group 2).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to compare patient satisfaction between transradial access (TRA) and transfemoral access (TFA) for intra-arterial therapy in liver cancer patients.
  • A total of 55 patients participated, with results showing that 81% preferred TRA over TFA, and TRA was associated with lower radiation exposure to the operator.
  • No significant differences were found in complications, procedure time, contrast volume, or patient radiation exposure between the two access methods.
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Background: There is limited information regarding the effects of spaceflight on the anatomical configuration of the brain and on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spaces.

Methods: We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to compare images of 18 astronauts' brains before and after missions of long duration, involving stays on the International Space Station, and of 16 astronauts' brains before and after missions of short duration, involving participation in the Space Shuttle Program. Images were interpreted by readers who were unaware of the flight duration.

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