Image quality and metal artifact reduction in total hip arthroplasty CT: deep learning-based algorithm versus virtual monoenergetic imaging and orthopedic metal artifact reduction.

Background: To compare image quality, metal artifacts, and diagnostic confidence of conventional computed tomography (CT) images of unilateral total hip arthroplasty patients (THA) with deep learning-based metal artifact reduction (DL-MAR) to conventional CT and 130-keV monoenergetic images with and without orthopedic metal artifact reduction (O-MAR).

Methods: Conventional CT and 130-keV monoenergetic images with and without O-MAR and DL-MAR images of 28 unilateral THA patients were reconstructed. Image quality, metal artifacts, and diagnostic confidence in bone, pelvic organs, and soft tissue adjacent to the prosthesis were jointly scored by two experienced musculoskeletal radiologists.

Improvement of the Ductility of Environmentally Friendly Poly(lactide) Composites with Wastes Plasticized with an Ester of Cinnamic Acid.

New composite materials were developed with poly(lactide) (PLA) and fibers through reactive extrusion in the presence of dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and subsequent injection molding. The effect of different amounts of methyl -cinnamate (MTC) on the mechanical, thermal, thermomechanical, and wettability properties was studied. The results showed that the presence of fibers generated disruptions in the PLA matrix, causing a decrease in the tensile mechanical properties and causing an impact on the strength due to the stress concentration phenomenon.

The Oxytocin Puzzle: Unlocking Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease is a multi-factorial disease that disrupts many aspects of human behavior. In this comment, we highlight the work by Koulousakis et al. published in a recent issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Advances in metal artifact reduction in CT images: A review of traditional and novel metal artifact reduction techniques.

Metal artifacts degrade CT image quality, hampering clinical assessment. Numerous metal artifact reduction methods are available to improve the image quality of CT images with metal implants. In this review, an overview of traditional methods is provided including the modification of acquisition and reconstruction parameters, projection-based metal artifact reduction techniques (MAR), dual energy CT (DECT) and the combination of these techniques.

Investigation of Cinnamic Acid Derivatives as Alternative Plasticizers for Improved Ductility of Polyvinyl Chloride Films.

This study investigates the viability of cinnamic acid derivatives as alternative plasticizers for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) films by addressing concerns about conventional phthalate-based options that pose health and environmental risks. By theoretical modeling, this research evaluates the compatibility between various cinnamic acid-based plasticizers and the PVC matrix, which suggests their potential effectiveness. Additionally, the incorporation of these plasticizers notably enhances the tensile properties of PVC films, particularly in terms of ductility and elongation at break by surpassing the neat PVC.