Laboratory findings in imaging diagnostic tests in patients infected with COVID-19 – A study review

Purpose: This study disseminates the diagnosis of COVID-19 emphasizing the importance of imaging tests in medical interpretation and identification of its complications, besides demonstrating the contribution to patient care. Methodology: The study was conducted based on a literature review, in addition to the acquired results of imaging tests from clinical patients at a Public Hospital of the State of Sergipe, Brazil, to point the scoring system in thorax radiography and compare to computed tomography (CT). Results: The imaging tests are not indicated for patients with mild symptoms and suspected COVID-19 infection, except for risk of disease progression, being indicated in the complementary diagnosis of COVID-19 positive patients. Studies show that thorax radiography is more used because it has low cost and easy access. However, its use has limitations due to the low sharpness of the images and impossibility of visualization of some lesions. Computed tomography, on the other hand, can be used as a pulmonary monitoring and evolution test in patients with COVID-19 worsening and/or persistent homeostatic changes. Nevertheless, this test is not indicated for acute cases without aggravating symptoms. Conclusion: The high degree of dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 and the collapse of health systems demonstrated the importance of the science in health. In addition, the importance of laboratory tests in the diagnosis of virus infection and imaging tests in the early diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia has been shown as efficient complementarity in the evolution and clinical interpretation of patients, highlighting the importance of radiography and CT exams.

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Dementia Improvement after Primary Hyperparathyroidism Surgery

Case Reports in Medicine ◽

10.1155/2020/1095414 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-4

Author(s):

Claudio Voci

Keyword(s):

Computed Tomography ◽

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Primary Hyperparathyroidism ◽

Diagnostic Tests ◽

Laboratory Tests ◽

Sleep Disturbances ◽

Lithium Treatment ◽

Tension Headache ◽

Parathyroid Glands ◽

Major Depressive

This is the case of a 76-year-old man admitted to hospital in a delirium state, previously diagnosed with a major depressive disorder at an age of 50 years, treated for years for chronic tension headache. The computed tomography of the head resulted negative. Inpatient laboratory tests revealed a mild hypercalcemia. Due to the progression of the disease (delirium state, dementia, tension headache, and depression), he was again admitted to hospital. The patient showed dysarthria, postural tremors, mirror movements and palmar hyperhidrosis, mild ataxia when walking, and rigidity. Sleep disturbances were also observed. He underwent several clinical diagnostic tests, which resulted negative. After more than 2 years, the ultrasound of the neck identified enlarged parathyroid glands. The patient was surgically treated, and three parathyroid glands were removed. Parathyroidectomy and lithium treatment resulted in improvement of cognitive functions. In elderly patients, concomitant presence of cognitive dysfunction may mask the underlying primary hyperparathyroidism.

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Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis after a Single Dose of Empagliflozin in a Patient with Pancreatitis

Clinics and Practice ◽

10.3390/clinpract11020031 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 216-218

Author(s):

Marta Brandão Calçada ◽

Luís Fernandes ◽

Rita Soares Costa ◽

Sara Montezinho ◽

Filipa Martins Duarte ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Diabetic Ketoacidosis ◽

Drug Class ◽

Clinical Suspicion ◽

Laboratory Findings ◽

Sodium Glucose Cotransporter ◽

History Of ◽

High Degree ◽

Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are the most recently approved drug class for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Although they are largely well-tolerated, their intake has been associated with euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in some rare cases. We report the case of a 70-year-old male with type 2 diabetes and no history of DKA, who started therapy with empagliflozin one day before presenting with acute pancreatitis and laboratory findings consistent with euglycemic DKA. SGLT2i can induce euglycemic DKA from the first dose. Given the atypical presentation, a high degree of clinical suspicion is required to recognize this complication.

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Highly Compact Through-Wire Microstrip to Empty Substrate Integrated Coaxial Line Transition

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11156885 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (15) ◽

pp. 6885

Author(s):

Marcos D. Fernandez ◽

José A. Ballesteros ◽

Angel Belenguer

Keyword(s):

Printed Circuit Board ◽

Low Cost ◽

Coaxial Line ◽

Circuit Board ◽

Central Layer ◽

Printed Circuit ◽

Integrated Technology ◽

Low Profile ◽

The Many ◽

High Degree

Empty substrate integrated coaxial line (ESICL) technology preserves the many advantages of the substrate integrated technology waveguides, such as low cost, low profile, or integration in a printed circuit board (PCB); in addition, ESICL is non-dispersive and has low radiation. To date, only two transitions have been proposed in the literature that connect the ESICL to classical planar lines such as grounded coplanar and microstrip. In both transitions, the feeding planar lines and the ESICL are built in the same substrate layer and they are based on transformed structures in the planar line, which must be in the central layer of the ESICL. These transitions also combine a lot of metallized and non-metallized parts, which increases the complexity of the manufacturing process. In this work, a new through-wire microstrip-to-ESICL transition is proposed. The feeding lines and the ESICL are implemented in different layers, so that the height of the ESICL can be independently chosen. In addition, it is a highly compact transition that does not require a transformer and can be freely rotated in its plane. This simplicity provides a high degree of versatility in the design phase, where there are only four variables that control the performance of the transition.

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Can Hematological Parameters Play a Role in the Differential Diagnosis of Adrenal Tumors?

Uro ◽

10.3390/uro1020006 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 39-44

Author(s):

Mehmet Gürkan Arıkan ◽

Göktan Altuğ Öz ◽

Nur Gülce İşkan ◽

Necdet Süt ◽

İlkan Yüksel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Differential Diagnosis ◽

Inflammatory Markers ◽

Blood Count ◽

Complete Blood Count ◽

Low Cost ◽

Easy Access ◽

Adrenal Tumors ◽

Tumor Diameter ◽

Lymphocyte Ratio ◽

Significant Difference

There have been few studies reported with conflicting results in the use of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), redcell-distribution-width (RDW), etc. for predicting prognosis and differential diagnosis of adrenal tumors. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of inflammatory markers through a complete blood count, which is an easy access low-cost method, for the differential diagnosis of adrenocortical adenoma (ACA), adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), and pheochromocytoma. The data of patients who underwent adrenalectomy between the years of 2010–2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Systemic hematologic inflammatory markers based on a complete blood count such as neutrophil ratio (NR), lymphocyte ratio (LR), NLR, PLR, RDW, mean platelet volume (MPV), and maximum tumor diameter (MTD) were compared between the groups. A statistically significant difference was found between the three groups in terms of PLR, RDW, and MTD. With post-hoc tests, a statistically significant difference was found in PLR and MTD between the ACA and ACC groups. A statistically significant difference was found between the ACA and pheochromocytoma groups in PLR and RDW values. In conclusion, it could be possible to plan a more accurate medical and surgical approach using PLR and RDW, which are easily calculated through an easy access low-cost method such as a complete blood count, together with MTD in the differential diagnosis of ACC, ACA, and pheochromocytoma.

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Arthritis and Diagnostics in Lyme Disease

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease ◽

10.3390/tropicalmed6010018 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 18

Author(s):

Javier A. Quintero ◽

Raluchukwu Attah ◽

Reena Khianey ◽

Eugenio Capitle ◽

Steven E. Schutzer

Keyword(s):

Lyme Disease ◽

Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽

Diagnostic Tests ◽

Laboratory Tests ◽

Diagnostic Methods ◽

Lyme Arthritis ◽

Differential Diagnoses ◽

Antibody Testing ◽

Active Infection ◽

Indirect Measure

The diagnosis of Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, is clinical but frequently supported by laboratory tests. Lyme arthritis is now less frequently seen than at the time of its discovery. However, it still occurs, and it is important to recognize this, the differential diagnoses, and how laboratory tests can be useful and their limitations. The most frequently used diagnostic tests are antibody based. However, antibody testing still suffers from many drawbacks and is only an indirect measure of exposure. In contrast, evolving direct diagnostic methods can indicate active infection.

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Fracture Toughness of Powder Metallurgy and Ingot Titanium Alloys – A Review

Key Engineering Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.551.143 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 551 ◽

pp. 143-160 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ajit Pal Singh ◽

Brian Gabbitas ◽

De Liang Zhang

Keyword(s):

Fracture Toughness ◽

Powder Metallurgy ◽

Titanium Alloys ◽

Alloy Composition ◽

Low Cost ◽

Ingot Metallurgy ◽

Metal Powders ◽

Critical Factors ◽

Microstructural Characteristics ◽

High Degree

Powder metallurgy (PM) is potentially capable of producing homogeneous titanium alloys at relative low cost compared to ingot metallurgy (IM). There are many established PM methods for consolidating metal powders to near net shapes with a high degree of freedom in alloy composition and resulting microstructural characteristics. The mechanical properties of titanium and its alloys processed using a powder metallurgical route have been studied in great detail; one major concern is that ductility and toughness of materials produced by a PM route are often lower than those of corresponding IM materials. The aim of this paper is to review the fracture toughness of both PM and IM titanium alloys. The effects of critical factors such as interstitial impurities, microstructural features and heat treatment on fracture toughness are also discussed

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Non-invasive intelligent monitoring system for fault detection in induction motor based on bio piezoelectric sensor using ANN

Measurement Science and Technology ◽

10.1088/1361-6501/ac4b8f ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Massine GANA ◽

Hakim ACHOUR ◽

Kamel BELAID ◽

Zakia CHELLI ◽

Mourad LAGHROUCHE ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neural Network ◽

Artificial Neural Network ◽

Induction Motor ◽

Vibration Analysis ◽

Low Cost ◽

Piezoelectric Sensor ◽

Integrated System ◽

Easy Access ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Artificial Neural

Abstract This paper presents a design of a low-cost integrated system for the preventive detection of unbalance faults in an induction motor. In this regard, two non-invasive measurements have been collected then monitored in real time and transmitted via an ESP32 board. A new bio-flexible piezoelectric sensor developed previously in our laboratory, was used for vibration analysis. Moreover an infrared thermopile was used for non-contact temperature measurement. The data is transmitted via Wi-Fi to a monitoring station that intervenes to detect an anomaly. The diagnosis of the motor condition is realized using an artificial neural network algorithm implemented on the microcontroller. Besides, a Kalman filter is employed to predict the vibrations while eliminating the noise. The combination of vibration analysis, thermal signature analysis and artificial neural network provides a better diagnosis. It ensures efficiency, accuracy, easy access to data and remote control, which significantly reduces human intervention.

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Pediatricians in Court

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.89.6.1267a ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 89 (6) ◽

pp. 1267-1268

Author(s):

JOHN T. BENJAMIN

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Computed Tomography ◽

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Medical Care ◽

Laboratory Tests ◽

Resonance Imaging

To the Editor.— I have been a practicing pediatrician for 18 years. There have been many changes in our specialty during that time. Some of the changes have been good and others more troublesome. Good changes have included greater recognition of the importance of our specialty; higher pay scale for residents, and, for that matter, practitioners; our greater ability to diagnose and treat patients: computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and marvelous laboratory tests not even imagined 20 years ago; increased numbers and complexities of medications and methods of monitoring those medications—all of these changes have contributed to improved medical care for children.

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First autochthonous case of canine visceral leishmaniasis in Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária ◽

10.1590/s1984-29612013000300018 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 424-426 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Monique Paiva de Campos ◽

Denise Amaro da Silva ◽

Maria de Fátima Madeira ◽

Artur Augusto Mendes Velho Júnior ◽

Fabiano Borges Figueiredo

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Diagnostic Tests ◽

Rio De Janeiro ◽

Scientific Community ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Leishmania Chagasi ◽

Laboratory Findings ◽

Autochthonous Case ◽

Canine Diseases

In Brazil, American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) is caused byLeishmania (Leishmania) chagasi and its main vector isLutzomyia longipalpis. Cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) in non-endemic areas have been reported over the last few years throughout the country. The objective of this research note is to describe an autochthonous case of CVL that occurred in the municipality of Volta Redonda, state of Rio de Janeiro, an area where the disease is not endemic, alerting veterinarians and the scientific community to the expansion of this important zoonosis and advising veterinary practitioners on how to deal with a suspicion of CVL. Canine visceral leishmaniasis can be misdiagnosed within a broad spectrum of canine diseases based on clinical and laboratory findings. Therefore, knowledge of its clinical manifestations, specific and sensitive laboratory diagnostic tests and parasitological procedures are of the utmost importance for rapid confirmation and notification of a case, thus contributing directly to the control of a focus.

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Development of Low-Cost Fast Photoacoustic Computed Tomography: System Characterization and Phantom Study

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app9030374 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 374 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Mohsin Zafar ◽

Karl Kratkiewicz ◽

Rayyan Manwar ◽

Mohammad Avanaki

Keyword(s):

Computed Tomography ◽

Spatial Resolution ◽

Temporal Resolution ◽

High Performance ◽

Low Cost ◽

Single Element ◽

Tomography System ◽

System Characterization ◽

2D Images ◽

Fast Rotating

A low-cost Photoacoustic Computed Tomography (PACT) system consisting of 16 single-element transducers has been developed. Our design proposes a fast rotating mechanism of 360o rotation around the imaging target, generating comparable images to those produced by large-number-element (e.g., 512, 1024, etc.) ring-array PACT systems. The 2D images with a temporal resolution of 1.5 s and a spatial resolution of 240 µm were achieved. The performance of the proposed system was evaluated by imaging complex phantom. The purpose of the proposed development is to provide researchers a low-cost alternative 2D photoacoustic computed tomography system with comparable resolution to the current high performance expensive ring-array PACT systems.

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