EVALUATION METHODOLOGY ON TRAJECTORY OF INBOUND SINGLE SHIP USING SIMILARITY MEASUREMENT BETWEEN PLANAR CLOUDS

In order to evaluate the ship trajectory more reasonable based on the quantitative information. This paper presents a new approach to evaluate the inward-port single ship trajectory quantitatively based on ship-handling simulator. First, a ship tracking points generating algorithm is proposed to generate sufficient tracking points in order to address the issue that the sample information is not enough on the ship simulator. Second, three reference tracking belts are established based on the sample data and cloud drop contribution degrees for the scenario that the collected samples information are enough. Finally, a quantitative score evaluation method that combines the qualitative information and the quantitative information is proposed, the similarity measurement results verify that the MES algorithm is more reasonable, the evaluation results of inward-port single ship trajectory illustrative that the proposed method is effective when applied to quantitative evaluation problems.

Correlations Between Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics, Laboratory Tests and CT Scan Reports in the Diagnosis of COVID-19: A Diagnostic Accuracy Study

Although the relationship between laboratory parameters, radiology, CT scan scan and clinical outcomes has not been well evaluated so far, COVID-19 is still a good challenge for this purpose. These tests can be used to diagnose, monitor, and treat COVID-19. The study was conducted from February 20 to August 31, 2020, following the referral of 340 patients with coronavirus symptoms at Chamran Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Clinical information of each patient is obtained based on patient information forms when visiting the hospital. Comparison of the relationship between lung involvement in CT scan and laboratory indicators, including biochemical and hematological factors is a suitable and reliable comparison to identify people with Covid 19. Based on the results of this study, it was found that ALT, AST, CRP, NEU, LDH, and Urea could be a suitable diagnostic method in positive RT-PCR for COVID-19. In this study, we tried to investigate the relationship between clinical and laboratory findings with CT-based quantitative score of pulmonary involvement in COVID-19 pneumonia and as a suitable and reliable method in continuing COVID-19 pandemic and diagnosis of COVID-19 infection.

Integrated Framework for Test and Evaluation of Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicles must pass effective standard tests to verify their reliability and safety. Accordingly, it is very important to establish a complete scientific test and evaluation system for autonomous vehicles. A comprehensive framework incorporating the design of test scenarios, selection of evaluation indexes, and establishment of an evaluation system is proposed in this paper. The aims of the system are to obtain an objective and quantitative score regarding the intelligence of autonomous vehicles, and to form an automated process in the future development. The proposed framework is built on a simulation platform to ensure the feasibility of the design and implementation of the test scenarios. The design principle for the test scenarios is also presented. To reduce subjective influences, the proposed framework selects objective indexes from four aspects: safety, comfort, driving performance, and standard regulations. The order relation analysis method is adopted to formulate the index weights, and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is used to quantify the scores. Finally, a numerical example is provided to visually demonstrate the evaluation results for the autonomous vehicles scored by the proposed framework.

Relation between score for allergic rhinitis and immunoglobulin-E levels in the local population

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Allergic rhinitis (AR) is the most prevalent atopic disease in the world. It involves clinical hypersensitivity of the nasal mucosa to foreign substances mediated through immunoglobulin E antibodies. The quantitative Score for allergic rhinitis (SFAR) ranging between 0 and 16 has been in use from 2002.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> 240 patients diagnosed with Persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR) were taken to be part of the study after proper consent irrespective of the severity of symptoms. Each patient filled out the SFAR form before the treatment commenced. Serum IgE levels were noted and treatment was started which included oral and topical antihistamines, oral leukotriene receptor antagonists along with intranasal steroids. The IgE values were assessed along with the SFAR values side by side to look for any association. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> It was noted that the individuals with identified triggers of allergy and those with a positive family history of allergy had a considerable higher IgE value as compared to those who did not. The ones with a trigger identified as a cause had a 54.88% higher IgE value. The ones with positive family history had 47.12% higher IgE than the ones without a history of allergy.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Patients with well-defined trigger agents of allergy and positive family history of allergy are at a higher risk as they have a higher IgE value. They should be advised regular follow-ups and be monitored closely.</p>

Comparing the first and the second waves of COVID-19 in Italy: differences in epidemiological features and CT findings using a semi-quantitative score

Purpose CT findings of hospitalized COVID-19 patients were analyzed during both the first and the second waves of the pandemic, in order to detect any significant differences between the two groups. Methods In this observational, retrospective, monocentric study, all hospitalized patients who underwent CT for suspected COVID-19 pneumonia from February 27 to March 27, 2020 (first wave) and from October 26 to November 24, 2020 (second wave) were enrolled. Epidemiological data, radiological pattern according to the RSNA consensus statement and visual score extension using a semi-quantitative score were compared. Results Two hundred and eleven patients (mean age, 64.52 years ± 15.14, 144 males) were evaluated during the first wave while 455 patients (mean age, 68.26 years ± 16.34, 283 males) were studied during the second wave. The same prevalence of patterns was documented in both the first and the second waves (p = 0.916), with non-typical patterns always more frequently observed in elderly patients, especially the “indeterminate” pattern. Compared to those infected during the first wave, the patients of the second wave were older (64.52 vs.68.26, p = 0.005) and presented a slightly higher mean semi-quantitative score (9.0 ± 2.88 vs. 8.4 ± 3.06, p = 0.042). Age and semi-quantitative score showed a positive correlation (r = 0.15, p = 0.001). Conclusions There was no difference regarding CT pattern prevalence between the first and the second waves, confirming both the validity of the RSNA consensus and the most frequent radiological COVID-19 features. Non-typical COVID-19 features were more frequently observed in older patients, thus should not be underestimated in the elderly population.

Antiphospholipid antibodies and anticoagulant therapy: capillaroscopic findings

Background Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by specific vascular and obstetric manifestations and by antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) positivity. Microvascular damage in the course of APS and “aPL carrier” patients without symptoms is poorly investigated. Objectives This study aims to compare nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) microvascular parameters in APS patients and non-symptomatic "aPL carriers" and to investigate their possible correlations with different aPL subtypes. Methods NVC was performed during standard evaluations in 18 APS patients (mean age 50 ± 13.8 years), 24 "aPL carriers" without symptoms (mean age 46.4 ± 16.4 years), and 18 control patients (CTR) (mean age 74 ± 12.5 years) taking oral anticoagulants for non-immunological indications (i.e., cardiovascular accidents). All patients were investigated for the presence of dilated capillaries, giant capillaries, microhemorrhages, capillary loss, and further non-specific/specific abnormalities (i.e., branched “bushy” capillaries, sign of neoangiogenesis) by NVC. Every alteration was also classified according to a semi-quantitative score. Lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin antibodies, and antibeta2 glycoprotein I antibodies were tested in each patient. Results APS patients showed at NVC increased frequency of microhemorrhages (p = 0.039)—particularly a “comb-like” pattern (parallel hemorrhages) (p = 0.002)—than "aPL carriers". Of note, there were no significant differences concerning the isolated number of microhemorrhages between APS and the CTR group (p = 0.314), but “comb-like” hemorrhages were significantly more frequent in the APS group (p = 0.034). Not any significant correlation was found between the aPL subtypes and NVC parameters. Conclusions APS patients showed significantly a greater number of non-specific NVC abnormalities than "aPL carriers", particularly the “comb-like” NVC pattern. Oral anticoagulants may represent a confounding factor for isolated microhemorrhages. Not any correlation was found between aPL subtypes and NVC parameters. Further investigations are needed to better characterize the microvascular endothelium damage induced by aPL.

POS0842 LUNG ULTRASOUND TO ASSESS THE SEVERITY OF INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE IN SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS

Background:Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the most common complications and one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of ILD and it allows its quantification. Among semi-quantitative methods, Goh et al proposed a semi-quantitative scoring system to visually quantify ILD extent, with categorical cut-off of 20% to distinguish limited and extensive parenchymal involvement with prognostic implications. More recently, the use of radiomics has allowed the objective quantification of ILD through the use of dedicated software, which calculate different parameters of lung density.Given the exposure to ionizing radiation that the procedure entails, other methods of ILD evaluation are being studied, among which lung ultrasound (LUS) identifies the B-lines as a main feature of ILD. So far, different evidences have proposed the use of LUS for the screening of ILD, even in the early phases of the disease and in subclinical lung involvement.Objectives:the aim of this study is to test the role of LUS in quantifying the severity of SSc-ILD, evaluated with both semi-quantitative visual radiological and quantitative radiomic scores.Methods:Adult SSc patients classified according to the ACR/EULAR 2013 criteria patients were assessed with pulmonary function test (PFTs), lung ultrasound and HRCT over 60 days. CT images were analysed qualitatively (by presence/absence of ILD), semi-quantitatively (categorical Goh score <20% vs> 20% of extent and the continuous extent Goh score made from 5 levels’ assessment– 0 to 100%) and quantitatively [with the densitometric radiomic data obtained through the Horos software - Mean lung attenuation (MLA), Standard Deviation (SD), Kurtosis, Skewness and Lung volume (LV)]. LUS was used to quantify the B-lines detected in each patient by scanning a total of 13 intercostal spaces, on both anterior and posterior chest wall.Results:Among 59 SSc patients (81% women, mean age 48±14 years, 45% anti-Scl70 positive), 23 (39%) presented ILD on HRCT, of which 14 limited and 9 extensive. The mean visual semi-quantitative score was 6%, ranging from 0 to 66%. Our data showed a significantly different number of B-Lines in ILD vs non-ILD patients (median 38 vs 9, p <.005), a result which was further confirmed among non-ILD vs ILD> 20% (median 47 vs 9, p=.001) and ILD <20% (median 36 vs 9, p=.001) patients. Conversely, the number of B-lines was not statistically different between patients with ILD <20% and >20% (median 47 vs 36, p=.78). We observed a significant negative correlation between the number of B-lines and FVC (r=-.472, p<.05) TLC (r=-.436, p=.003), DLco (r=-.515, p<.001), DLCO/VA (r=.-306, p=.03). Finally, the number of B-lines showed a statistically significant correlation with the Goh score on 5 levels (r=.437, p=.001), MLA (r=.571, p<.001), kurtosis (r=-.285, p=.028), skewness (r=-.370, p = .004) and LV (r=-.277, p=.033). All data were confirmed analysing anterior and posterior B-Lines separately.Conclusion:Our study confirms that LUS represents a useful tool for the identification of SSc-ILD. In addition, we showed that LUS may be useful also for the quantification of the severity of SSc-ILD, by correlating with PFT parameters, radiomics parameters and visual radiological evaluation. Together with the PFTs, LUS could be used to increase the accuracy of the screening and, potentially, of the follow-up of SSc-ILD patients.Disclosure of Interests:Cosimo Bruni: None declared, Lavinia Mattolini: None declared, Lorenzo Tofani: None declared, Luna Gargani Consultant of: GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare and Caption Health, Nicholas Landini: None declared, Gemma Lepri: None declared, Martina Orlandi: None declared, Serena Guiducci: None declared, Silvia Bellando Randone: None declared, Marco Matucci-Cerinic: None declared

AB0720 HIP INVOLVEMENT IN A COHORT OF EGYPTIAN JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS PATIENTS

Background:The hip joint is frequently involved in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). It is more common with polyarticular, systemic and enthesitis-related forms and with severe uncontrolled disease. Chronic hip arthritis leads to irreversible joint damage with marked impairment of quality of life and functional limitation [1]. Unilateral or bilateral hip arthritis occurs in 30- 50% of children with JIA [2].Objectives:The aim of this study is to assess the pattern of hip involvement in a cohort of Egyptian JIA patients in terms of epidemiological aspects, JIA pattern, bilateralism, associated extra-articular manifestations, radiological features, treatment and prognosis.Methods:We included 179 patients who fulfilled the International league against rheumatism criteria for JIA. Epidemiological, clinical, radiological, and therapeutic parameters were assembled and analyzed. Hip involvement was assessed using a semi-quantitative score of pain and tenderness for the hip, CARSH radiographic score of the hip, and Harris functional hip score. JADAS-27 was used for assessment of disease activity.Results:We included 113 girls and 66 boys; with a female: male ratio of nearly 2:1. The age at onset mean was 8.8±3 years (8.9±2.9 for females and 8.6±3.1 for males). The mean age at the study time was 13.3±4.1 years. The disease duration mean was 4.5±2.9 years.Clinically; 20.1% of the cases had hip involvement (12.8% unilateral and 7.3% bilateral), while by imaging, around 30.7% of the cases have hip involvement (19.6% unilateral and 11.2% bilateral). The mean age for cases with hip involvement was 14.1±4.3, compared to 12.9±4 among those with no hip involvement. The mean disease duration for those with hip arthritis (either clinical or by imaging) was 5.5±2.9 years, compared to 4.1±2.9 among those with no hip involvement (Figure 1).Figure 1.Difference between JIA cases with and without hip involvement.The Mean JADAS-27 was 13.5±6.2 and for those with hip involvement was 16.3±6.3. The commonest pattern of JIA with hip arthritis was polyarticular followed by enthesitis-related arthritis. There was a strong significant correlation between JADAS-27 and hip involvement at one hand and Harris score, semi-quantitative score for pain and tenderness at the other hand. Further, disease duration was significantly correlated with hip involvement as well. Among cases with hip involvement, 25% demonstrated destructive changes and 30% showed growth abnormalities.Conclusion:Hip arthritis in JIA is related to polyarticular and enthesitis-related pattern. Longer disease duration, seropositive polyarticular pattern were related to poor prognosis for hip arthritis.References:[1]Singh JA, Cleveland JD. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is associated with higher healthcare utilization after total knee or hip replacement. Scandinavian journal of rheumatology 2021; 50: 34-9.[2]Rostom S, Amine B, Bensabbah R, Abouqal R, Hajjaj-Hassouni N. Hip involvement in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Clinical rheumatology 2008; 27: 791-4.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

Musculoskeletal ultrasound assessment in pediatric knee hypermobility: a case control study

Background While musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) use in pediatric rheumatology is becoming more common, the majority of pediatric MSUS literature continues to focus on ultrasound findings in healthy children and juvenile idiopathic arthritis with little discussion of other musculoskeletal problems that may mimic arthritis such as joint hypermobility. Chronic joint pain related to hypermobility is a common referral to pediatric rheumatology clinics. Our aim is to describe the musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) characteristics of the knee in a population with joint hypermobility and pain in comparison to control participants. Methods Participants were recruited into three groups for a case-control study. Case group participants had knee hypermobility and pain symptoms (H + P). Participants in one control group had knee hypermobility without pain symptoms (H-P), and participants in the other control group had no knee hypermobility or pain symptoms (NP). B-mode and Doppler MSUS images were obtained and scored for each knee. Descriptive statistics are used for demographic variables and MSUS findings. Regression analysis is used to evaluate risk of synovial effusion and higher synovial effusion/hypertrophy quantitative score. Results MSUS assessment was performed on 91 knees of 50 participants. H + P knees were more likely to have positive findings noted on MSUS (94% vs. 70% of H-P and 74% of NP knees, p = 0.043). Patellar tendon hyperemia was more common in H + P knees (52%, vs. 19% among H-P and 23% among NP, p = 0.025). Participants who reported taking scheduled non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) had an increased risk of synovial effusion (RR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.07–2.30, p = 0.026) and a trend towards increased risk of a higher synovial effusion/hypertrophy quantitative score (RR = 1.77, 95% CI = 0.92–3.38, p = 0.086). Conclusions While positive MSUS findings were frequent in all participants, patellar tendon hyperemia was more frequent in participants with knee hypermobility and pain symptoms. Additionally, reported use of NSAIDs was associated with an increased risk of synovial effusion and higher synovial effusion/hypertrophy quantitative score. Further study should assess correlation between tendon abnormalities and degree of pain symptoms as well as the effect of NSAIDs on MSUS findings.