Publications by authors named "N K Sand"
Article Synopsis
- Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is useful for analyzing coronary atherosclerotic plaques, but previous studies on the consistency of plaque volume measurements between scans are limited.
- In a study involving 101 patients, CCTA scans were performed twice with a one-hour interval using identical protocols, and plaque volumes were assessed using semi-automated software.
- Results showed high correlation for total, non-calcified, and calcified plaques, but lower for low-density non-calcified plaques, with reproducibility influenced by image quality, reconstruction settings, and lesion location, particularly in left anterior descending (LAD) arteries.
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are precursors of cancer in the blood and provide an attractive source for dynamic monitoring of disease progression and tumor heterogeneity. However, the scarcity of CTCs in the bloodstream has limited their use in clinical practice. In this study, we present a workflow for easy detection of CTCs by cytokeratin staining using the FDA-cleared Parsortix device for size-based microfluidic enrichment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWastewater treatment plants play a crucial role in controlling the transport of pollutants to the environment and often discharge persistent contaminants such as synthetic microplastic fibers (MFs) to the ecosystem. In this study, we examined the fate and toxicity of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) MFs fabricated from commercial cloth in post-disinfection secondary effluents by employing conditions that closely mimic disinfection processes applied in wastewater treatment plants. Challenging conventional assumptions, this study illustrated that oxidative treatment by chlorination and ozonation incurred no significant modification to the surface morphology of the MFs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study investigated how smoking status affects the coronary volume-to-myocardial mass ratio (V/M) in individuals with coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent CT analysis.
- It included a sample of 2,874 participants, revealing that former smokers had higher coronary volume than never-smokers, while current smokers had greater myocardial mass but both groups exhibited lower V/M ratios compared to never-smokers.
- The findings suggest that both current and former smoking status are significant predictors of lower V/M, alongside other factors like diabetes and severity of coronary stenosis.
Article Synopsis
- - The study examines the relationship between luminal stenosis, computed tomography-derived fractional-flow reserve (FFR), and high-risk plaque features on coronary CT angiography, focusing on their impact on patient outcomes and plaque volume measurements.
- - Data from 4,430 patients were analyzed using artificial intelligence to assess coronary plaque and determine optimal plaque volume cutoffs, considering factors like age, sex, hypertension, and diabetes.
- - Results showed that patients with total plaque volume and percent atheroma volume above specific cutoffs faced higher risks of major adverse cardiac events and late revascularization within one year.