Long-term evaluation of pain reduction after vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty.

Background: Various studies have been made about the most effective and safest type of treatment for vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). Long-term results are needed for qualitative evaluation.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) and percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) procedures for VCFs.

Cross-reactive antibodies against human coronaviruses and the animal coronavirome suggest diagnostics for future zoonotic spillovers.

The spillover of animal coronaviruses (aCoVs) to humans has caused SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. While antibody responses displaying cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal/common cold human coronaviruses (hCoVs) have been reported, potential cross-reactivity with aCoVs and the diagnostic implications are incompletely understood. Here, we probed for antibody binding against all seven hCoVs and 49 aCoVs represented as 12,924 peptides within a phage-displayed antigen library.

Mimicking conditions of intestinal Crohn's disease: magnetic resonance enterography findings.

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by a transmural involvement of intestinal walls. Its diagnosis comes from a combination of clinical data, imaging findings and, above all, endoscopy with biopsy results, which are mandatory for achieving a definitive diagnosis. Even so, endoscopy information may be unavailable, for instance due to technical impairments or patient intolerance.

Population-wide diversity and stability of serum antibody epitope repertoires against human microbiota.

Serum antibodies can recognize both pathogens and commensal gut microbiota. However, our current understanding of antibody repertoires is largely based on DNA sequencing of the corresponding B-cell receptor genes, and actual bacterial antigen targets remain incompletely characterized. Here we have profiled the serum antibody responses of 997 healthy individuals against 244,000 rationally selected peptide antigens derived from gut microbiota and pathogenic and probiotic bacteria.

Impact of Intravenously Injected Contrast Agent on Bone Mineral Density Measurement in Dual-Source Dual-Energy CT.

Purpose: To assess the influence of intravenously injected contrast agent on bone mineral density (BMD) assessment in dual-source dual-energy CT.

Methods: This retrospective study included 1,031 patients (mean age, 53 ± 7 years; 519 women) who had undergone third-generation dual-source dual-energy CT in context of tumor staging between January 2019 and December 2019. Dedicated postprocessing software based on material decomposition was used for phantomless volumetric BMD assessment of trabecular bone of the lumbar spine.

Impact of rescanning and repositioning on radiomic features employing a multi-object phantom in magnetic resonance imaging.

Our purpose was to analyze the robustness and reproducibility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomic features. We constructed a multi-object fruit phantom to perform MRI acquisition as scan-rescan using a 3 Tesla MRI scanner. We applied T2-weighted (T2w) half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE), T2w turbo spin-echo (TSE), T2w fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), T2 map and T1-weighted (T1w) TSE.

Postoperative radiological assessment of the mastoid facial canal in cochlear implant patients in correlation with facial nerve stimulation.

Objectives: To correlate the radiological assessment of the mastoid facial canal in postoperative cochlear implant (CI) cone-beam CT (CBCT) and other possible contributing clinical or implant-related factors with postoperative facial nerve stimulation (FNS) occurrence.

Methods: Two experienced radiologists evaluated retrospectively 215 postoperative post-CI CBCT examinations. The mastoid facial canal diameter, wall thickness, distance between the electrode cable and mastoid facial canal, and facial-chorda tympani angle were assessed.

S100a9 Protects Male Lupus-Prone NZBWF1 Mice From Disease Development.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder disproportionally affecting women. A similar sex difference exists in the murine New Zealand Black/White hybrid model (NZBWF1) of SLE with all females, but only 30-40% of males, developing disease within the first year of life. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are prominent in NZBWF1 males and while depletion of these cells in males, but not females, promotes disease development, the mechanism of suppression remains unknown.

Comprehensive comparison of dual-energy computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging for the assessment of bone marrow edema and fracture lines in acute vertebral fractures.

Objectives: To compare dual-energy CT (DECT) and MRI for assessing presence and extent of traumatic bone marrow edema (BME) and fracture line depiction in acute vertebral fractures.

Methods: Eighty-eight consecutive patients who underwent dual-source DECT and 3-T MRI of the spine were retrospectively analyzed. Five radiologists assessed all vertebrae for presence and extent of BME and for identification of acute fracture lines on MRI and, after 12 weeks, on DECT series.

Differences in mastoid and middle-ear cavity opacification in CT between intensive care patients and patients with acute mastoiditis requiring surgical treatment.

Purpose: To stratify differences in visual semantic and quantitative imaging features in intensive care patients with nonspecific mastoid effusions versus patients with acute mastoiditis (AM) requiring surgical treatment.

Methods: We included 48 patients (male, 28; female, 20; mean age, 59.5 ± 18.

Increased levels of S100A8/A9, IL-1ß and IL-18 as a novel biomarker for recurrent tonsillitis.

Background: Acute tonsillitis represents one of the most frequent reasons patients seek primary medical care and otorhinolaryngology consultation. Therefore, recurrent episodes of acute tonsillitis (RAT), also called chronic tonsillitis, exhaust a substantial amount of medical and financial resources. Diagnosis of tonsillitis depends on a physical examination, which therefore does not allow for a reliable differentiation between viral and bacterial infection.

Assessment of muscle volume using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in football players after hamstring injuries.

Muscle injuries of the hamstrings are among the most frequent in football and a main cause for significant time away from training and competition. The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the loss of muscle volume in recreational football players three and six weeks after initial trauma. We hypothesized that significant muscle volume loss occurs within 6 weeks after the initial injury event.

Assessment of thoracic disk herniation by using virtual noncalcium dual-energy CT in comparison with standard grayscale CT.

Objectives: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of dual-energy CT (DECT) virtual noncalcium (VNCa) reconstructions for assessing thoracic disk herniation compared to standard grayscale CT.

Methods: In this retrospective study, 87 patients (1131 intervertebral disks; mean age, 66 years; 47 women) who underwent third-generation dual-source DECT and 3.0-T MRI within 3 weeks between November 2016 and April 2020 were included.

Iodine Map Radiomics in Breast Cancer: Prediction of Metastatic Status.

Dual-energy CT (DECT) iodine maps enable quantification of iodine concentrations as a marker for tissue vascularization. We investigated whether iodine map radiomic features derived from staging DECT enable prediction of breast cancer metastatic status, and whether textural differences exist between primary breast cancers and metastases. Seventy-seven treatment-naïve patients with biopsy-proven breast cancers were included retrospectively (41 non-metastatic, 36 metastatic).

Prospective Evaluation of the First Integrated Positron Emission Tomography/Dual-Energy Computed Tomography System in Patients With Lung Cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this pilot study was to prospectively evaluate the first integrated positron emission tomography (PET)/dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) system performance in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: In this single-center, prospective trial, consecutive patients with NSCLC referred for a PET study between May 2017 and June 2018 were enrolled. All patients received contrast-enhanced imaging on a clinical PET/DECT system.

Combination of Sorafenib and Transarterial Chemoembolization in Selected Patients with Advanced-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Retrospective Cohort Study at Three German Liver Centers.

Background And Aims: Systemic treatment with sorafenib has been the standard of care (SOC) in patients with advanced Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for more than a decade. TACE has been reported to allow better local tumor control in selected patients with BCLC stage C HCC.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with BCLC stage C HCC that were treated with sorafenib and TACE was conducted; they were compared to BCLC stage C patients treated either with TACE or sorafenib in the same period of time outside a clinical trial.

Head and neck single- and dual-energy CT: differences in radiation dose and image quality of 2nd and 3rd generation dual-source CT.

Objectives: To compare radiation dose and image quality of single-energy (SECT) and dual-energy (DECT) head and neck CT examinations performed with second- and third-generation dual-source CT (DSCT) in matched patient cohorts.

Methods: 200 patients (mean age 55.1 ± 16.

Generative Adversarial Networks: A Primer for Radiologists.

Artificial intelligence techniques involving the use of artificial neural networks-that is, deep learning techniques-are expected to have a major effect on radiology. Some of the most exciting applications of deep learning in radiology make use of generative adversarial networks (GANs). GANs consist of two artificial neural networks that are jointly optimized but with opposing goals.

Myocardial Fibrosis and Inflammation by CMR Predict Cardiovascular Outcome in People Living With HIV.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to examine prognostic relationships between cardiac imaging measures and cardiovascular outcome in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH) on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Background: PLWH have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease and heart failure (HF) compared with the noninfected population. The pathophysiological drivers of myocardial dysfunction and worse cardiovascular outcome in HIV remain poorly understood.

A reporting and analysis framework for structured evaluation of COVID-19 clinical and imaging data.

The COVID-19 pandemic has worldwide individual and socioeconomic consequences. Chest computed tomography has been found to support diagnostics and disease monitoring. A standardized approach to generate, collect, analyze, and share clinical and imaging information in the highest quality possible is urgently needed.

Visualization of Different Types of Cochlear Implants in Postoperative Cone-Beam CT Imaging.

Rationale And Objectives: To evaluate cone-beam computed-tomography (CBCT) images of the temporal bone for radiological delineation, metal artifacts, and accuracy for localization of six different electrode arrays after cochlear device implantation.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 116 patients who underwent CBCT (120kV, 7.1mA) within 24 hours after cochlear device implantation.

Disulfide bond engineering of AppA phytase for increased thermostability requires co-expression of protein disulfide isomerase in Pichia pastoris.

Background: Phytases are widely used commercially as dietary supplements for swine and poultry to increase the digestibility of phytic acid. Enzyme development has focused on increasing thermostability to withstand the high temperatures during industrial steam pelleting. Increasing thermostability often reduces activity at gut temperatures and there remains a demand for improved phyases for a growing market.

Value of Machine Learning-based Coronary CT Fractional Flow Reserve Applied to Triple-Rule-Out CT Angiography in Acute Chest Pain.

Purpose: To evaluate the additional value of noninvasive artificial intelligence (AI)-based CT-derived fractional flow reserve (CT FFR), derived from triple-rule-out coronary CT angiography for acute chest pain (ACP) in the emergency department (ED) setting.

Materials And Methods: AI-based CT FFR from triple-rule-out CT angiography data sets was retrospectively obtained in 159 of 271 eligible patients (102 men; mean age, 57.0 years ± 9.