scholarly journals Optical density analysis of standard phantom for mammography quality control

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.3) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Mi. Hwa Lee ◽  
Hong Ryang Jung ◽  
Cheong Hwan Lim ◽  
Mi Soon Park ◽  
Ki. Jeong Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Image ◽  
Visual Inspection ◽  
Concentration Difference ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Optic Density ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Breast Phantom ◽  
Level Information ◽  
Density Analysis ◽  
Mean Concentration

Background/Objectives: The objective of this study was to analyze optic density of dummy lesions in breast phantom by mammography and understand whether the objectivity of visual inspections on dummy lesions upon appropriate and inappropriate decisions was correct quantitatively.Methods/Statistical analysis: Study subjects were 165 phantom images in 74 hospitals nationwide that passed the test of special medical equipment by Korean Institute for Accreditation of Medical Image from May 2016 to April 2017. Min (A), Max (B), Mean (C), and StdDev (D) were measured using color level information. Fibers, specks, and masses divided dummy lesions determined as appropriate or inappropriate in 165 images. For each divided dummy lesion, Min, Max, Mean concentration, and concentration difference summarized it.Findings: There was a significant difference in Max concentration (B) between dummy lesions of 9 (specks 3) and 10 (specks 4). In dummy lesion 12 (mass 1), there was no significant difference by each step, although the deviation between black and white was high since the scope of lesion was big. Upon analysis of optic density divided by appropriate and inappropriate decisions, there were significant differences in concentration difference (D) for fibers, Min (A) and Max (B) concentrations as well as concentration difference (D) for specks, and Max (B) and Mean (C) concentrations with concentration difference (D) for masses.Improvements/Applications: Visual inspections appeared to have difficulty in analyzing lesions due to the ambiguity of quantitative differences. Further developments of quantitative programs are needed to replace visual inspection for breast phantom lesions in mammography.  

scholarly journals Artificial intelligence-based education assists medical students’ interpretation of hip fracture

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Tung Cheng ◽  
Chih-Chi Chen ◽  
Chih-Yuan Fu ◽  
Chung-Hsien Chaou ◽  
Yu-Tung Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Hip Fracture ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical Image ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Dynamic Collaboration ◽  
Increase In Accuracy ◽  
Image Learning

Abstract Background With recent transformations in medical education, the integration of technology to improve medical students’ abilities has become feasible. Artificial intelligence (AI) has impacted several aspects of healthcare. However, few studies have focused on medical education. We performed an AI-assisted education study and confirmed that AI can accelerate trainees’ medical image learning. Materials We developed an AI-based medical image learning system to highlight hip fracture on a plain pelvic film. Thirty medical students were divided into a conventional (CL) group and an AI-assisted learning (AIL) group. In the CL group, the participants received a prelearning test and a postlearning test. In the AIL group, the participants received another test with AI-assisted education before the postlearning test. Then, we analyzed changes in diagnostic accuracy. Results The prelearning performance was comparable in both groups. In the CL group, postlearning accuracy (78.66 ± 14.53) was higher than prelearning accuracy (75.86 ± 11.36) with no significant difference (p = .264). The AIL group showed remarkable improvement. The WithAI score (88.87 ± 5.51) was significantly higher than the prelearning score (75.73 ± 10.58, p < 0.01). Moreover, the postlearning score (84.93 ± 14.53) was better than the prelearning score (p < 0.01). The increase in accuracy was significantly higher in the AIL group than in the CL group. Conclusion The study demonstrated the viability of AI for augmenting medical education. Integrating AI into medical education requires dynamic collaboration from research, clinical, and educational perspectives.

Racial Disparity in Immediate Breast Reconstruction; a Gap That is not Closing

2021 ◽  
pp. 229255032110555
Author(s):  
Mahdi Malekpour ◽  
Sean Devitt ◽  
Joseph DeSantis ◽  
Christian Kauffman
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Breast Reconstruction ◽  
Racial Disparity ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Immediate Breast Reconstruction ◽  
P Value ◽  
National Cancer Database ◽  
Black Females ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Significant Difference

Background: Immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) is offered as part of the standard-of-care to females undergoing mastectomy. Racial disparity in IBR has been previously reported with a longstanding call for its elimination, though unknown if this goal is achieved. The aim of this study was to examine the current association between race and IBR and to investigate whether racial disparity is diminishing. Methods: Data was extracted from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) from 2004 to 2016. All variables in the database were controlled so that the comparison would be made solely between Black and White females. We also analyzed the trend in racial disparity to see if there has been a change from 2004 to 2016 after several calls for healthcare equality. Results: After propensity score matching, 69,084 White females were compared to 69,084 Black females. There was a statistically significant difference between the rate of IBR and race (23,386 [33.9%] in White females vs 20,850 [30.2%] in Black females, P-value  < .001). Despite a twofold increase in the rate of IBR in both White and Black females, a persistent gap of about 4% was observed over the study period, which translates to more than 2,500 Black females not receiving IBR. Conclusions: Using the NCDB database, a racial disparity was identified for IBR between White and Black females from 2004 and 2016. Unfortunately, the gap between the groups remained constant over this 13-year period.

Occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in bovine milk and associated risk factors among dairy farms of Punjab, India

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
H. Thukral ◽  
P. Dhaka ◽  
J. Singh Bedi ◽  
R. Singh Aulakh
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
European Union ◽  
Bovine Milk ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Buffalo Milk ◽  
Cow Milk ◽  
Milk Samples ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Associated Risk Factors ◽  
Mean Concentration

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination in milk and milk products may pose a major public health concern. The present cross-sectional study was aimed to estimate the prevalence of AFM1 in bovine milk across all districts of Punjab, India and to identify the associated animal and farm level risk factors. A total of 402 milk samples (266 cow milk and 136 buffalo milk) were analysed using commercial ELISA and representative samples were confirmed using HPLC-FLD. The results revealed that 56.2 and 13.4% of the milk samples exceeded the maximum levels of the European Union, i.e. 0.05 μg/l and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), i.e. 0.5 μg/l for AFM1 in milk, respectively. On analysis of species variation, buffalo milk (prevalence: 56.6%; mean concentration: 0.42±0.9 μg/l) was found to have higher AFM1 levels than cow milk (prevalence: 56.0%; mean concentration: 0.19±0.3 μg/l), with statistically significant difference between mean concentrations (P<0.01) and non-significant difference between AFM1 prevalence (P=0.91). Furthermore, milk from commercial dairy farms (prevalence: 64.7%; mean concentration: 0.34±0.65 μg/l) was found to be more contaminated than from household dairy establishments (prevalence: 47.8%; mean concentration: 0.19±0.65 μg/l). The risk factors ‘above average milk yield/day’ (odds ratio (OR): 2.4) and ‘poor animal hygiene’ (OR: 1.9) were identified at animal level, and ‘intensive dairy farming’ (OR: 3.1) and ‘animal feed without aflatoxin binder’ (OR: 4.7) as farm level risk factors for AFM1 excretion above maximum levels of European Union in milk. Among cow breeds, the milk from ‘non-descript’ breed (OR: 11.5) was found to be most contaminated with AFM1 and the least from Jersey breed (OR: 1.0). The present study highlighted the presence of AFM1 in milk samples; therefore, regular monitoring of AFM1 in milk is required so that high risk regions and associated risk factors can be addressed appropriately.

Hematological condition of breeding bulls after a long winter period of operation in the conditions of the Udmurt Republic

2022 ◽  
pp. 67-73
Author(s):  
A. Abilov ◽  
A. Azhmyakov ◽  
I. Novgorodova ◽  
N. Bogolyubova
Keyword(s):  
Red Blood Cells ◽  
Reference Values ◽  
Blood Cells ◽  
Hematological Parameters ◽  
White Blood Cells ◽  
Winter Period ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
White Breed ◽  
Udmurt Republic

Purpose: to study hematological parameters of blood in bulls-producers of dairy breeds on the day of semen collection in the Udmurt Republic after a long winter period of operation, depending on the breeds, age and place of selection.Materials and methods. The work was performed at the Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry named after Academy Member L. K. Ernst on the basis of AO "Udmurtplem" of the Udmurt Republic in the period from 2020 to 2021 on dairy bulls (n=20) aged 15-69 months, including a purebred Holstein breed of domestic selection (n=6), a Holstein black-and-white breed of European selection (the Netherlands, n=6), a black-and-white breed with blood transfusion on Holsteins on at the level of 94-98% (n=8). The content of white blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit, depending on age and breed, was studied on the ABC VET hematological analyzer on the day of taking the seed.Results. It was found that on average, in 20 bulls aged 15-69 months, the level of white blood cells was at the level of reference values of 8.8±0.25 x 109/l, red blood cells 10.3 x 1012/l, which is 50% more than the reference values. The concentration of hemoglobin is 128.0±2.92 g/l, hematocrit is on average 54.3%, with a norm of 24-46%. Breeding bulls at a reliable level, differing in age, showed that some animals had high indicators for red blood cells of 10.3±0.26 x 102, for hematocrit of 54.3% against 24-46% of reference values. Also, according to hematological indicators, there was a tendency to increase the concentration of hemoglobin and hematocrit in European-bred bulls.Conclusion. The study of the variability in hematological parameters depending on the selection showed that there is no significant difference in leukocytes and all indicators are at the level of reference values, and in erythrocytes more than 50% than the highest indicators. The highest hemoglobin values were at the level of 141-156 g/l instead of 128 g/l according to the highest reference values. Hematocrit also showed high max values in all groups in comparison with the reference values of 59-66% versus 46% in the norm. It is necessary when analyzing hematological blood parameters in addition to the average statistical indicators (M+m) also, monitor the variability (min-max) in order to obtain more objective information.

scholarly journals Position of lips and tongue in rest in newborns with and without ankyloglossia

CoDAS ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Márcia Andrade Campanha ◽  
Roberta Lopes de Castro Martinelli ◽  
Durval Batista Palhares
Keyword(s):  
Visual Inspection ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Hospital Data ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Chi Square Test

ABSTRACT Purpose Verify the position of lips and tongue at rest in newborns with and without ankyloglossia. Methods Cross-sectional study, carried out with 130 newborns in University Hospital. Data collection was performed by the researcher and speech-language pathologists from the Hospital. Information on gestational age, sex, weight, height and days of life was collected. The position of the lips and tongue at rest was evaluated through visual inspection with the newborns asleep. After the newborns were awakened, Neonatal Screening of the validated Protocol for the evaluation of the lingual frenulum for infants was performed to detect the alteration of the lingual frenulum. The data obtained were described and submitted to statistical analysis using the Chi-Square test to verify the association between the position of the lips with the tongue and to compare the position of the lips and tongue with and without ankyloglossia. The Mann-Whitney test was used to verify the behavior of the variables the differed between newborns with and without ankyloglossia. The significance level of 5% was adopted. Results When comparing the data, a significant difference was found between: weight and height with and without ankyloglossia; position of lips and tongue. An association between the position of the tongue and lips with and without ankyloglossia was also found. Conclusion Newborns without alteration of the lingual frenulum have a tendency to remain with their lips closed and their tongue elevated during rest and newborns with ankyloglossia have a tendency to keep their lips parted and their tongue low during rest.

scholarly journals Milk productivity of first-calf cows depending on the intensity of their breeding

2022 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 77-83
Author(s):  
L. L. Petrukhina
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Milk Productivity ◽  
Statistical Research ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Irkutsk Region ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Analytical Variation

The paper presents the results of studies of milk productivity of black-and-white cows depending on the age of the first insemination and live weight at the first calving in the conditions of the Irkutsk region. The dynamics of heifer rearing by year, milk productivity of cows in the 1st and 3rd lactations depending on the intensity of their development has been studied. The experiment was conducted on farm materials from the Irkutsk Region using generally accepted zootechnical, analytical, variation and statistical research methods from 2016 to 2020. Live weight of heifers at all ages met the requirements of the elite and elite-record classes. Analysis of the data showed that the growth rate of the animals increased during 5 years (6.0%, 6.8, 2.3 and 4.8% respectively with a significant difference p ≥ 0.90). With the increased intensity of heifer rearing, an increase in milk yield over 305 days of the first lactation was observed. The highest milk production was noted in the 1st (5309-5476 kg) and 3rd (5418-5817 kg) lactations in cows with the first fruitful insemination at 13-14 months. The lowest 1st and 3rd lactation yields are obtained from cows inseminated at 20 months of age or older. Higher milk production in the first and third lactations was obtained from cows with a live weight at first calving of 541-550 kg, 551 kg and higher (5197-5164, 5436-5545 kg respectively). Less milk production was obtained from cows with a live weight at first calving of up to 500 kg (4567-5122, 4943-5009 kg). The results obtained make it possible to reveal the influence of the intensity of rearing heifers on the productive qualities of cows.

Trends in stress among pregnant and postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serwaa Omowale ◽  
Andrea Casas ◽  
Yu-Hsuan Lai ◽  
Sarah Sanders ◽  
Ashley Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Racial Differences ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mean Stress ◽  
Postpartum Health ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Pregnancy And Postpartum ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Stress Levels ◽  
Change In Mean ◽  
At Home

BACKGROUND Stress has been associated with adverse birth and postpartum health outcomes. Few studies have explored racial differences in maternal stress in a birthing population longitudinally in the United States (U.S.) during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to: (1) assess changes in reported stress before, during, and after initial emergency declarations (e.g., stay-at-home orders) were in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) assess Black-White differences in reported stress in a pregnant and postpartum population from Southwestern Pennsylvania. METHODS We leveraged data from the ongoing Postpartum Mothers Mobile Study (PMOMS) which surveys participants in real-time throughout the pregnancy and postpartum periods via ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and smartphone technology. We analyzed data from a subset of PMOMS participants (n=85) who were either Black or White, and who submitted EMA responses regarding stress between November 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020, the timeframe of this study. Data were divided into four phases based on significant events during the COVID-19 pandemic: a pre-phase (baseline), early-phase (first case of COVID-19 reported in U.S.), during-phase (stay-at-home orders), and post-phase (stay-at-home orders eased). We assessed mean stress levels at each phase using mixed-effects models and post-hoc contrasts based on the models. RESULTS Overall mean stress (min: 0, max: 4 as measured by a modified Cohen Perceived Stress Scale) during the pre-phase was 0.8 for Black and White participants [range for Black participants: 0-3.9, range for White participants: 0-2.8]. There was an increase of 0.26 points (t=5.19, d.f.=5649, p<.0001) in the during-phase as compared with the pre-phase, and an increase of 0.19 points (t=3.09, d.f.=5649, p=0.002) in the post-phase compared with the pre-phase (n=85). No difference was found between Black and White participants in the change in mean stress from the pre-phase to the during-phase (δ ̂= -0.016, p=0.867). There was a significant difference between Black and White participants in the change in mean stress from the during-phase to the post-phase (δ ̂ = -0.39, p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS There was an overall increase in mean stress levels in this subset of pregnant and postpartum participants during the same time as the emergency declarations/stay-at-home orders in the US. Compared to baseline, mean stress levels remained elevated when stay-at-home orders eased. We found no significant difference in the mean stress levels by race. Given that stress is associated with adverse birth outcomes and postpartum health, stress induced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may have adverse implications for birthing populations in the U.S. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.2196/13569

Intellectual Characteristics of Successful, Dropout, and Probationary Black and White University Students

1974 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 951-953 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Pandey
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Black Students ◽  
Significant Interaction ◽  
Verbal Comprehension ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Intellectual Characteristics ◽  
Numerical Operations

Performance on Verbal Comprehension, General Reasoning, and Numerical Operations tests of 350 freshmen: “good,” dropout, and probationary, was studied. Analyses of variance did not yield significant status effects over the three tests, but a significant interaction of race and status was found for Verbal Comprehension scores. Whites did not differ over status categories, but there was a significant difference in favor of the “good” black students compared with those on probation. Black dropouts performed as well as “good” black students.

scholarly journals Medical Image Visual Appearance Improvement Using Bihistogram Bezier Curve Contrast Enhancement: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Seng Gan ◽  
Tan Tian Swee ◽  
Ahmad Helmy Abdul Karim ◽  
Khairil Amir Sayuti ◽  
Mohammed Rafiq Abdul Kadir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Contrast Enhancement ◽  
Medical Image ◽  
Visual Quality ◽  
Bézier Curve ◽  
Bezier Curve ◽  
Natural Image ◽  
Jump Problem ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Tissue Contrast ◽  
Sudden Jump

Well-defined image can assist user to identify region of interest during segmentation. However, complex medical image is usually characterized by poor tissue contrast and low background luminance. The contrast improvement can lift image visual quality, but the fundamental contrast enhancement methods often overlook the sudden jump problem. In this work, the proposed bihistogram Bezier curve contrast enhancement introduces the concept of “adequate contrast enhancement” to overcome sudden jump problem in knee magnetic resonance image. Since every image produces its own intensity distribution, the adequate contrast enhancement checks on the image’s maximum intensity distortion and uses intensity discrepancy reduction to generate Bezier transform curve. The proposed method improves tissue contrast and preserves pertinent knee features without compromising natural image appearance. Besides, statistical results from Fisher’s Least Significant Difference test and the Duncan test have consistently indicated that the proposed method outperforms fundamental contrast enhancement methods to exalt image visual quality. As the study is limited to relatively small image database, future works will include a larger dataset with osteoarthritic images to assess the clinical effectiveness of the proposed method to facilitate the image inspection.

scholarly journals The Effects of Human Visual Sensory Stimuli on N1b Amplitude: An EEG Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 2837
Author(s):  
Damien Moore ◽  
Toshikazu Ikuta ◽  
Paul D. Loprinzi
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Human Model ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Neural Connections ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Adaptive Mechanisms ◽  
Eeg Data ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Stimulation Paradigm

Sensory systems are widely known to exhibit adaptive mechanisms. Vision is no exception to input dependent changes in its sensitivity. Recent animal work demonstrates enhanced connectivity between neurons in the visual cortex. The purpose of the present experiment was to evaluate a human model that noninvasively alters the amplitude of the N1b component in the visual cortex of humans by means of rapid visual stimulation. Nineteen participants (Mage = 24 years; 52.6% male) completed a rapid visual stimulation paradigm involving black and white reversal checkerboards presented bilaterally in the visual field. EEG data was collected during the visual stimulation paradigm, which consisted of four main phases, a pre-tetanus block, photic stimulus, early post-tetanus, and late post-tetanus. The amplitude of the N1b component of the pre-tetanus, early post-tetanus and late post-tetanus visual evoked potentials were calculated. Change in N1b amplitude was calculated by subtracting pre-tetanus N1b amplitude from early and late post-tetanus. Results demonstrated a significant difference between pre-tetanus N1b (M = −0.498 µV, SD = 0.858) and early N1b (M = −1.011 µV, SD = 1.088), t (18) = 2.761, p = 0.039, d = 0.633. No difference was observed between pre-tetanus N1b and late N1b (p = 0.36). In conclusion, our findings suggest that it is possible to induce changes in the amplitude of the visually evoked potential N1b waveform in the visual cortex of humans non-invasively. Additional work is needed to corroborate that the potentiation of the N1b component observed in this study is due to similar mechanisms essential to prolonged strengthened neural connections exhibited in cognitive structures of the brain observed in prior animal research. If so, this will allow for the examination of strengthened neural connectivity and its interaction with multiple human sensory stimuli and behaviors.

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