An in vitro comparison between two methods of electrical resistance measurement for occlusal caries detection

Because of different measurement techniques and the easier design of the CRM prototype, this in vitro study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance and reproducibility of two electrical methods (Electronic Caries Monitor III, ECM and Cariometer 800, CRM) for occlusal caries detection, and to evaluate the effect of staining/ discoloration of fissures on diagnostic performance. Hundred and seventeen third molars with no apparent occlusal cavitation were selected. Six examiners inspected all specimens independently, using the CRM, and a subgroup of 4 using the ECM. Histological validation using a stereomicroscope was performed after hemisectioning. Intra- and interexaminer reproducibility was assessed by Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and Bland and Altman analysis. Diagnostic performance parameters included sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP) and area under the ROC curve (A(z)). The CCC yielded an intra- and interexaminer reproducibility of 0.69/0.62 (ECM) and of 0.79/0.74 (CRM). The mean intra- and interexaminer 95% range of measurements (range between Bland and Altman limits of agreement) given in percentages of the instrument reading were 67%/65% for the ECM and 28%/33% for the CRM. A(z) at the D3-4 level was 0.74 (ECM) and 0.78 (CRM). The CRM showed at least equivalent diagnostic performance to the ECM. However, improvement is still desirable. Diagnostic performance appeared to be enhanced in discolored lesions; however, this may be related to sample lesion distribution characteristics. Copyright (C) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel

Current Diagnostic Techniques for Pneumonia:A Scoping Review

Community-acquired pneumonia is one of the most lethal infectious diseases, especially for infants and the elderly. Given the variety of causative agents, the accurate early detection of pneumonia is an active research area. To the best of our knowledge, scoping reviews on diagnostic techniques for pneumonia are lacking. In this scoping review, three major electronic databases were searched and the resulting research was screened. We categorized these diagnostic techniques into four classes (i.e., lab-based methods, imaging-based techniques, acoustic-based techniques, and physiological-measurement-based techniques) and summarized their recent applications. Major research has been skewed towards imaging-based techniques, especially after COVID-19. Currently, chest X-rays and blood tests are the most common tools in the clinical setting to establish a diagnosis; however, there is a need to look for safe, non-invasive, and more rapid techniques for diagnosis. Recently, some non-invasive techniques based on wearable sensors achieved reasonable diagnostic accuracy that could open a new chapter for future applications. Consequently, further research and technology development are still needed for pneumonia diagnosis using non-invasive physiological parameters to attain a better point of care for pneumonia patients

Diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced MR angiography in severe carotid stenosis: meta-analysis with metaregression of different techniques

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) has become a well-established noninvasive imaging method for the assessment of severe carotid stenosis (70–99% by NASCET criteria). However, CE-MRA is not a standardised technique, but encompasses different concurrent techniques. This review analyses possible differences. A bivariate random effects meta-analysis of 17 primary diagnostic accuracy studies confirmed a high pooled sensitivity of 94.3% and specificity of 93.0% for carotid CE-MRA in severe carotid stenosis. Sensitivity was fairly uniform among the studies, while specificity showed significant variation (I2 = 73%). Metaregressions found significant differences for specificity with two covariates: specificity was higher when using not only maximum intensity projection (MIP) images, but also three-dimensional (3D) images (P = 0.01). Specificity was also higher with electronic images than with hardcopies (P = 0.02). The timing technique (bolus-timed, fluoroscopically triggered or time-resolved) did not result in any significant differences in diagnostic accuracy. Some nonsignificant trends were found for the percentages of severe carotid disease, acquisition time and voxel size. In conclusion, in CE-MRA of severe carotid stenosis the three major timing techniques yield comparably high diagnostic accuracy, electronic images are more specific than hardcopies, and 3D images should be used in addition to MIP images to increase the specificity

Cryobiopsy versus forceps biopsy in endobronchial lesions, diagnostic yield and safety

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and diagnostic yield of CB in comparison to forceps biopsy in endobronchial lesions. Material and methods: Patients with suspected endobronchial lesions were enrolled. Two forceps biopsies and one cryobiopsy were done in the same patient with randomized sequence. The largest diameter of the samples was measured in mm by electronic caliper. Diagnostic yield of each technique and postbronchoscopy bleeding were evaluated. Results: Samples obtained by CB was significantly larger than that of the forceps biopsy (5.9 ± 2.3 vs 2.5 ± 0.8), (p = 0.001). Diagnostic yield of CB was significantly higher than forceps biopsy 74.5% versus 51.1% (p = 0.001). Mild and moderate bleeding grades were reported in both techniques with no significant difference (p = 0.063) (p = 0.5) respectively. Severe bleeding was not recorded in both techniques. Conclusions: CB represents a safe and effective tool to obtain a larger tissue samples of a good quality with higher diagnostic yield in comparison to standard forceps samples. On the other hand, bleeding occurred more frequently after CB than forceps biopsy. However, without severe adverse effects

Risk stratification and subclinical phenotyping of dilated and/or arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy mutation-positive relatives: CVON eDETECT consortium

In relatives of index patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, early detection of disease onset is essential to prevent sudden cardiac death and facilitate early treatment of heart failure. However, the optimal screening interval and combination of diagnostic techniques are unknown. The clinical course of disease in index patients and their relatives is variable due to incomplete and age-dependent penetrance. Several biomarkers, electrocardiographic and imaging (echocardiographic deformation imaging and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging) techniques are promising non-invasive methods for detection of subclinical cardiomyopathy. However, these techniques need optimisation and integration into clinical practice. Furthermore, determining the optimal interval and intensity of cascade screening may require a personalised approach. To address this, the CVON-eDETECT (early detection of disease in cardiomyopathy mutation carriers) consortium aims to integrate electronic health record data from long-term follow-up, diagnostic data sets, tissue and plasma samples in a multidisciplinary biobank environment to provide personalised risk stratification for heart failure and sudden cardiac death. Adequate risk stratification may lead to personalised screening, treatment and optimal timing of implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation. In this article, we describe non-invasive diagnostic techniques used for detection of subclinical disease in relatives of index patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy

Risk stratification and subclinical phenotyping of dilated and/or arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy mutation-positive relatives:CVON eDETECT consortium

In relatives of index patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, early detection of disease onset is essential to prevent sudden cardiac death and facilitate early treatment of heart failure. However, the optimal screening interval and combination of diagnostic techniques are unknown. The clinical course of disease in index patients and their relatives is variable due to incomplete and age-dependent penetrance. Several biomarkers, electrocardiographic and imaging (echocardiographic deformation imaging and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging) techniques are promising non-invasive methods for detection of subclinical cardiomyopathy. However, these techniques need optimisation and integration into clinical practice. Furthermore, determining the optimal interval and intensity of cascade screening may require a personalised approach. To address this, the CVON-eDETECT (early detection of disease in cardiomyopathy mutation carriers) consortium aims to integrate electronic health record data from long-term follow-up, diagnostic data sets, tissue and plasma samples in a multidisciplinary biobank environment to provide personalised risk stratification for heart failure and sudden cardiac death. Adequate risk stratification may lead to personalised screening, treatment and optimal timing of implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation. In this article, we describe non-invasive diagnostic techniques used for detection of subclinical disease in relatives of index patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy

BEARING FAULT MONITORING SYSTEM USING ACOUSTIC EMISSION

Detecting mechanical faults in bearings and machinery has long been recognized as being important for preventing catastrophic failure and effective maintenance planning. The human senses of sound and touch were the first mechanisms used to detect machinery problems. Electronic sensors have since offered the ability to feel and listen to machinery with more precision, at more locations, and over more time than was ever before possible. Interpretation of the electronic signals delivered by sensors has provided the maintenance engineer with the diagnostic information necessary to pinpoint bearing faults, thus enabling a more efficient and predictable maintenance effort. However, skilled and trained personnel have been required to effectively interpret this diagnostic information. As electronic sensors have become more sophisticated, and also have the diagnostic techniques, leading to the ability of earlier detection of failures with less required skill. This project proposes an implementation of bearing fault monitoring system by using acoustic emission (AE). The signal is captured and analyzed by MATLAB software. Generally this project is carried Oft by detecting ultrasonic waves captured by AE sensor of tested bearing and interprets the data which mean either the bearing is healthy or havin~ defect. The benefit of having early detection of bearing fault will be able to save maintenance cost and fso human life

Intuitive and interpretable visual communication of a complex statistical model of disease progression and risk

Computer science and machine learning in particular are increasingly lauded for their potential to aid medical practice. However, the highly technical nature of the state of the art techniques can be a major obstacle in their usability by health care professionals and thus, their adoption and actual practical benefit. In this paper we describe a software tool which focuses on the visualization of predictions made by a recently developed method which leverages data in the form of large scale electronic records for making diagnostic predictions. Guided by risk predictions, our tool allows the user to explore interactively different diagnostic trajectories,or display cumulative long term prognostics, in an intuitive and easily interpretable manner.Postprin

The integration of on-line monitoring and reconfiguration functions using IEEE1149.4 into a safety critical automotive electronic control unit.

This paper presents an innovative application of IEEE 1149.4 and the integrated diagnostic reconfiguration (IDR) as tools for the implementation of an embedded test solution for an automotive electronic control unit, implemented as a fully integrated mixed signal system. The paper describes how the test architecture can be used for fault avoidance with results from a hardware prototype presented. The paper concludes that fault avoidance can be integrated into mixed signal electronic systems to handle key failure modes

What does validation of cases in electronic record databases mean? The potential contribution of free text

Electronic health records are increasingly used for research. The definition of cases or endpoints often relies on the use of coded diagnostic data, using a pre-selected group of codes. Validation of these cases, as ‘true’ cases of the disease, is crucial. There are, however, ambiguities in what is meant by validation in the context of electronic records. Validation usually implies comparison of a definition against a gold standard of diagnosis and the ability to identify false negatives (‘true’ cases which were not detected) as well as false positives (detected cases which did not have the condition). We argue that two separate concepts of validation are often conflated in existing studies. Firstly, whether the GP thought the patient was suffering from a particular condition (which we term confirmation or internal validation) and secondly, whether the patient really had the condition (external validation). Few studies have the ability to detect false negatives who have not received a diagnostic code. Natural language processing is likely to open up the use of free text within the electronic record which will facilitate both the validation of the coded diagnosis and searching for false negatives