Segmentation-Free Estimation of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Using 3D CNN Is Reliable and Improves as Multiple Cardiac MRI Cine Orientations Are Combined.

Objectives: We aimed to study classical, publicly available convolutional neural networks (3D-CNNs) using a combination of several cine-MR orientation planes for the estimation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) without contour tracing.

Methods: Cine-MR examinations carried out on 1082 patients from our institution were analysed by comparing the LVEF provided by the CVI42 software (V5.9.

A dataset of physico-chemical properties, extractable organic N, N mineralization and physical organic matter fractionation of soils developed on loess silts, crystalline rocks and sedimentary rocks.

A network of 137 cultivated fields covering the wide diversity of soils, crop rotations and cropping practices throughout the region of Brittany (France) was monitored to collect data on soil organic nitrogen (SON) mineralization and to identify the factors that explain the observed variability. The dataset presented in this article contains all of the information about the soils, which were subjected to pedological description and in-depth analysis of their topsoil properties. The topsoil (0-30 cm) was sampled by mixing 30 samples to obtain one composite per field, which was divided into one sub-sample sieved at 5 mm to analyze soil microbial biomass (SMB) and SON mineralization via anaerobic incubation, and one subsample dried at 40 °C and sieved at 2 mm.

Comparative effects of various running exercise modalities on femoral bone quality in rats.

Background: It is now well established that physical exercise is an effective preventive method to reduce and treat certain chronic diseases, particularly musculoskeletal disorders. At the bone level, running exercise is well known for its positive effects on various parameters of bone quality. There is, however, no consensus regarding the effects of different running exercise modalities on bone quality.

Deep Learning to Classify AL versus ATTR Cardiac Amyloidosis MR Images.

The aim of this work was to compare the classification of cardiac MR-images of AL versus ATTR amyloidosis by neural networks and by experienced human readers. Cine-MR images and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) images of 120 patients were studied (70 AL and 50 TTR). A VGG16 convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained with a 5-fold cross validation process, taking care to strictly distribute images of a given patient in either the training group or the test group.

Role of Muscle LIM Protein in Mechanotransduction Process.

The induction of protein synthesis is crucial to counteract the deconditioning of neuromuscular system and its atrophy. In the past, hormones and cytokines acting as growth factors involved in the intracellular events of these processes have been identified, while the implications of signaling pathways associated with the anabolism/catabolism ratio in reference to the molecular mechanism of skeletal muscle hypertrophy have been recently identified. Among them, the mechanotransduction resulting from a mechanical stress applied to the cell appears increasingly interesting as a potential pathway for therapeutic intervention.

Impact of Treadmill Interval Running on the Appearance of Zinc Finger Protein FHL2 in Bone Marrow Cells in a Rat Model: A Pilot Study.

Although the benefits of physical exercise to preserve bone quality are now widely recognized, the intimate mechanisms leading to the underlying cell responses still require further investigations. Interval training running, for instance, appears as a generator of impacts on the skeleton, and particularly on the progenitor cells located in the bone marrow. Therefore, if this kind of stimulus initiates bone cell proliferation and differentiation, the activation of a devoted signaling pathway by mechano-transduction seems likely.

Deep Learning Supplants Visual Analysis by Experienced Operators for the Diagnosis of Cardiac Amyloidosis by Cine-CMR.

Background: Diagnosing cardiac amyloidosis (CA) from cine-CMR (cardiac magnetic resonance) alone is not reliable. In this study, we tested if a convolutional neural network (CNN) could outperform the visual diagnosis of experienced operators.

Method: 119 patients with cardiac amyloidosis and 122 patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) of other origins were retrospectively selected.

Classification of Cardiomyopathies from MR Cine Images Using Convolutional Neural Network with Transfer Learning.

Unlabelled: The automatic classification of various types of cardiomyopathies is desirable but has never been performed using a convolutional neural network (CNN). The purpose of this study was to evaluate currently available CNN models to classify cine magnetic resonance (cine-MR) images of cardiomyopathies.

Method: Diastolic and systolic frames of 1200 cine-MR sequences of three categories of subjects (395 normal, 411 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and 394 dilated cardiomyopathy) were selected, preprocessed, and labeled.

Participation of L-Lactate and Its Receptor HCAR1/GPR81 in Neurovisual Development.

During the development of the retina and the nervous system, high levels of energy are required by the axons of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to grow towards their brain targets. This energy demand leads to an increase of glycolysis and L-lactate concentrations in the retina. L-lactate is known to be the endogenous ligand of the GPR81 receptor.

T1 mapping cardiac magnetic resonance imaging frequently detects subclinical diffuse myocardial fibrosis in systemic sclerosis patients.

Objectives: cardiac involvement is the second most frequent systemic sclerosis (SSc) related cause of death. It remains mostly asymptomatic in the early stage and is underdiagnosed with routine screening. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) could improve cardiac assessment of patients and noteworthily, new sequences allow the detection of diffuse myocardial fibrosis (DMF) by native T1 mapping.

A dual flip angle 3D bSSFP magnetization transfer-like method to differentiate between recent and old myocardial infarction.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tissue signal is modulated by magnetization transfer (MT) phenomena, intrinsically induced by balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) imaging.

Purpose: To investigate the possible value of such a MT-like bSSFP approach in two clinical settings involving focal myocardial lesions highligthed by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE+): edema induced by recent myocardial infarction (MI) and fibrotic scar related to chronic infarction.

Materials And Methods: Population: 48 LGE + patients were studied: 26 with recent MI, 22 with chronic MI.

Longitudinal 2D strain can help diagnose coronary artery disease in patients with suspected non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome but apparent normal global and segmental systolic function.

Background: The clinical work-up of patients presenting with chest pain is a diagnostic challenge. We investigated the diagnostic performance of global (GLS) and territorial (TLS) longitudinal strain to predict coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients presenting with suspected non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) but apparent normal global and regional systolic function.

Methods: 150 consecutive suspected NSTE-ACS patients were initially screened for inclusion ; 58 patients with normal LVEF (≥55%) and WMSI (=1) were prospectively enrolled.

Magnetic resonance evaluation of cardiac thrombi and masses by T1 and T2 mapping: an observational study.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate CMR T1 and T2 mapping sequences in patients with intracardiac thrombi and masses in order to assess T1 and T2 relaxometry usefulness and to allow better etiological diagnosis. This observational study of patients scheduled for routine CMR was performed from September 2014 to August 2015. All patients referred to our department for a 1.

Multimodality Imaging Diagnostic Approach of Systemic-to-Pulmonary Vein Fistulae.

A 26-year-old man with a history of bilateral lung transplantation for pulmonary cystic fibrosis 6 months before was admitted in our institution for acute heart failure. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) showed an increased aortic output, as aortic flow assessed by velocity mapping was twofold the pulmonary flow, an occluded superior vena cava (SVC), and enlarged azygos vein. A systemic-to-pulmonary vein fistula (SAPVF) was suspected.

Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return of the Left Upper Lobe in a Donor Lung.

We report a case of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return from the left upper lobe in a donor lung discovered during lung transplantation. The upper lobe vein could be implanted successfully into the donor atrial cuff to restore physiologic venous drainage. The abnormality was retrospectively identified on the donor's chest computed tomographic scan.

Native T1 mapping of the heart - a pictorial review.

T1 mapping is now a clinically feasible method, providing pixel-wise quantification of the cardiac structure's T1 values. Beyond focal lesions, well depicted by late gadolinium enhancement sequences, it has become possible to discriminate diffuse myocardial alterations, previously not assessable by noninvasive means. The strength of this method includes the high reproducibility and immediate clinical applicability, even without the use of contrast media injection (native or pre-contrast T1).