Longitudinal in silico imaging study comparing digital mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis systems.

Background: In silico clinical trials are becoming more sophisticated and allow for realistic assessment and comparisons of medical image system models. These fully computational models enable fast and affordable trial designs that can closely capture trends seen on real clinical trials.

Purpose: To evaluate three breast imaging system models for digital mammography (DM) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) in a fully-in-silico longitudinal study.

Integrating eye rotation and contrast sensitivity into image quality evaluation of virtual reality head-mounted displays.

Visual perception on virtual reality head-mounted displays (VR HMDs) involves human vision in the imaging pipeline. Image quality evaluation of VR HMDs may need to be expanded from optical bench testing by incorporating human visual perception. In this study, we implement a 5-degree-of-freedom (5DoF) experimental setup that simulates the human eye geometry and rotation mechanism.

Applying queueing theory to evaluate wait-time-savings of triage algorithms.

In the past decade, artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms have made promising impacts in many areas of healthcare. One application is AI-enabled prioritization software known as computer-aided triage and notification (CADt). This type of software as a medical device is intended to prioritize reviews of radiological images with time-sensitive findings, thus shortening the waiting time for patients with these findings.

Evaluation of monocular and binocular contrast perception on virtual reality head-mounted displays.

Purpose: Visualization of medical images on a virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD) requires binocular fusion of a stereoscopic pair of graphical views. However, current image quality assessment on VR HMDs for medical applications has been primarily limited to time-consuming monocular optical bench measurement on a single eyepiece.

Approach: As an alternative to optical bench measurement to quantify the image quality on VR HMDs, we developed a WebXR test platform to perform contrast perceptual experiments that can be used for binocular image quality assessment.

Unlocking the potential of ponds and pondscapes as nature-based solutions for climate resilience and beyond: Hundred evidences.

Unlocking the full potential of ponds (small water bodies) and pondscapes (network of ponds) as Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is critical pursuit for enhancing ecosystems and societal resilience to climate change and other societal challenges. Despite scattered initiatives for pond/pondscape creation, restoration and management-each considered here a distinct NbS-there is a significant knowledge gap in utilising ponds/pondscapes as effective NbS. We aimed to assess these NbS in terms of their objectives, outcomes, effectiveness, multifunctionality, delivery of potentially conflicting effects, and the implementation process while considering their Nature's Contributions to People (NCPs, i.

tumor model for longitudinal in silico imaging trials.

In this article, we introduce a computational model for simulating the growth of breast cancer lesions accounting for the stiffness of surrounding anatomical structures.In our model, ligaments are classified as the most rigid structures while the softer parts of the breast are occupied by fat and glandular tissues As a result of these variations in tissue elasticity, the rapidly proliferating tumor cells are met with differential resistance. It is found that these cells are likely to circumvent stiffer terrains such as ligaments, instead electing to proliferate preferentially within the more yielding confines of the breast's soft topography.

Development of the lexicon, trained panel validation and sensory profiling of new ready-to-eat plant-based " " in tomato sauce.

Background: Providing educational content for children and parents can promote healthy nutritional habits. During the TITAN project, a pilot digital contest where participants have to developed ready-to-eat meatballs in sauce, using only plant-based ingredients, will be tested. The objective of this study was to develop the lexicon needed to objectively assess the sensory profile of this product.

A high salt intake in early life affects stress-coping response in males but not in female rats.

Eating diets high in salt has been associated with alterations in the immune system and the potential development of neuropsychiatric disorders. This area of research shows promise, but there is currently a limited amount of research on this topic. The present study investigated whether a high salt diet (HSD) affects anhedonia and stress-coping response behaviors in young male and female Wistar rats.

Which irrigating provides a better bond strength in glass fiber posts: Chlorhexidine or Sodium Hypochlorite? A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Background: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the influence of the use of chlorhexidine on endodontic instrumentation on the bond strength of glass fiber posts with resin cements. The guiding question of the study was: "Is the bond strength of glass fiber posts greater when using chlorhexidine as an irrigator in endodontic treatment instead of sodium hypochlorite?".

Material And Methods: This study was conducted according to Guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA).

Assessing satisfaction of search in virtual mammograms for experienced and novice searchers.

Purpose: Satisfaction of search (SOS) is a phenomenon where searchers are more likely to miss a lesion/target after detecting a first lesion/target. Here, we investigated SOS for masses and calcifications in virtual mammograms with experienced and novice searchers to determine the extent to which: (1) SOS affects breast lesion detection, (2) similarity between lesions impacts detection, and (3) experience impacts SOS rates.

Approach: The open virtual clinical trials framework was used to simulate the breast anatomy of patients, and up to two simulated masses and/or single-calcifications were inserted into the breast models.

The strategies of private higher educational institutions during the Covid-19 pandemic. A review of literature.

This paper sought a qualitative/quantitative bibliometric approach, using the literature review, to present the main strategies with a bias toward sustainability, used by private Higher Education Institutions, in an attempt to neutralize the effects of the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. To meet the reliability requirements of the source of the papers used, a search was made in the Web of Science and Scopus databases, where 47 papers were selected. As a result, there was a scattering of strategic actions in several works.

Objective Image Quality Optimization in Augmented Reality Using Spatial Frequency Domain Models.

Augmented reality (AR) blends the digital and physical worlds by overlapping a virtual image onto the see-through physical environment. However, contrast reduction and noise superposition in an AR head-mounted display (HMD) can substantially limit image quality and human perceptual performance in both the digital and physical spaces. To assess image quality in AR, we performed human and model observer studies for various imaging tasks with targets placed in the digital and physical worlds.

Gellan gum-based hydrogels support the recreation of the dermal papilla microenvironment.

The dermal papilla (DP), a specialized compartment within the hair follicle, regulates hair growth. However, human DP cells rapidly lose their inductivity in 2D-culture given the loss of positional and microenvironmental cues. Spheroids have been capable of recreating the 3D intercellular organization of DP cells, however, DP cell-matrix interactions are poorly represented.

A 2D Synthesized Image Improves the 3D Search for Foveated Visual Systems.

Current medical imaging increasingly relies on 3D volumetric data making it difficult for radiologists to thoroughly search all regions of the volume. In some applications (e.g.

Dengue outbreak amongst travellers returning from Cuba-GeoSentinel surveillance network, January-September 2022.

Increasing numbers of travellers returning from Cuba with dengue virus infection were reported to the GeoSentinel Network from June to September 2022, reflecting an ongoing local outbreak. This report demonstrates the importance of travellers as sentinels of arboviral outbreaks and highlights the need for early identification of travel-related dengue.

Effect of Preoperative Use of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs on Dental Sensitivity Induced by Dental Bleaching in the Dental Office: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Aim: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effect of using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) before dental bleaching sessions in the dental office on postoperative sensitivity.

Methods: The review is reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses checklist and registered on International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews under number CRD42020210054. Randomized clinical trials published in the English language that compared the preventive use of NSAIDs with a placebo on the sensitivity resulting from dental bleaching in the dental office were selected, with no limitation on the year of publication.

Changes in Radiosensitivity to Gamma-Rays of Lymphocytes from Hyperthyroid Patients Treated with I-131.

This study investigated the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) response to a dose of γ-rays in patients treated with radioiodine (I-131) for hyperthyroidism vs. healthy controls, to gain information about the individual lymphocytes' radio-sensitivity. Blood samples were taken from 18 patients and 10 healthy donors.

The institutional capacity of the Health Sector and the response to COVID-19 in a global perspective.

This study approaches the Global Health Security Index (GHSI) according to the responses to the first cycle of the COVID-19. The GHSI ranks countries' institutional capacity to address biological risks. We analyzed data regarding the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in 50 countries to assess the ability of GHSI to anticipate health risks.

Medical image quality metrics for foveated model observers.

A recently proposed model observer mimics the foveated nature of the human visual system by processing the entire image with varying spatial detail, executing eye movements, and scrolling through slices. The model can predict how human search performance changes with signal type and modality (2D versus 3D), yet its implementation is computationally expensive and time-consuming. Here, we evaluate various image quality metrics using extensions of the classic index of detectability expression and assess foveated model observers for search tasks.

Does flossing before or after brushing influence the reduction in the plaque index? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: The purpose of this systematic review was to assess whether flossing before or after influences plaque index reduction.

Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to the guidelines of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses and registered with the International prospective register of systematic reviews under number CRD42019126239. The PICO question was, 'does flossing before or after brushing have any effect on reducing dental plaque?'.

Deep spatial profiling of human COVID-19 brains reveals neuroinflammation with distinct microanatomical microglia-T-cell interactions.

COVID-19 can cause severe neurological symptoms, but the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are unclear. Here, we interrogated the brain stems and olfactory bulbs in postmortem patients who had COVID-19 using imaging mass cytometry to understand the local immune response at a spatially resolved, high-dimensional, single-cell level and compared their immune map to non-COVID respiratory failure, multiple sclerosis, and control patients. We observed substantial immune activation in the central nervous system with pronounced neuropathology (astrocytosis, axonal damage, and blood-brain-barrier leakage) and detected viral antigen in ACE2-receptor-positive cells enriched in the vascular compartment.

The Relationship Between Confidence and Conformity in a Non-routine Counting Task With Young Children: Dedicated to the Memory of Purificación Rodríguez.

Counting is a complex cognitive process that is paramount to arithmetical development at school. The improvement of counting skills of children depends on their understanding of the logical and conventional rules involved. While the logical rules are mandatory and related to one-to-one correspondence, stable order, and cardinal principles, conventional rules are optional and associated with social customs.

Computational Breast Anatomy Simulation Using Multi-Scale Perlin Noise.

Virtual clinical trials (VCTs) of medical imaging require realistic models of human anatomy. For VCTs in breast imaging, a multi-scale Perlin noise method is proposed to simulate anatomical structures of breast tissue in the context of an ongoing breast phantom development effort. Four Perlin noise distributions were used to replace voxels representing the tissue compartments and Cooper's ligaments in the breast phantoms.