A review of cardiac tumors

The intention of the review is to highlight the clinical presentation and established surgical technique in the management of this relatively uncommon cardiac pathology. Intracardiac masses may be encountered by a cardiologist or cardiac surgeon, and a comprehensive knowledge of the various diagnostic modalities is therefore essential. More crucial are the likely probabilities, based on an amalgamation of the clinical features, echocardiographic and radiographic findings. If surgical management is undertaken, the intra-operative finding is ultimately correlated with the histopathological diagnosis. In the review, we emphasise the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach to management of these tumors. The cumulative experience of the various members of the team collectively enables increasingly accurate diagnoses to be made preoperatively, with appropriate surgical management carried out timeously

Effects of Physical Exercise Training on Cerebral Blood Flow Measurements:A Systematic Review of Human Intervention Studies

The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effects of physical exercise training on cerebral blood flow (CBF), which is a physiological marker of cerebrovascular function. Relationships between training-induced effects on CBF with changes in cognitive performance were also discussed. A systematic search was performed up to July 2022. Forty-five intervention studies with experimental, quasi-experimental, or pre-post designs were included. Sixteen studies (median duration: 14 weeks) investigated effects of physical exercise training on CBF markers using magnetic resonance imaging, 20 studies (median duration: 14 weeks) used transcranial Doppler ultrasound, and eight studies (median duration: 8 weeks) used near-infrared spectroscopy. Studies using magnetic resonance imaging observed consistent increases in CBF in the anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus, but not in whole-brain CBF. Effects on resting CBF-measured with transcranial Doppler ultrasound and near-infrared spectroscopy-were variable, while middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity increased in some studies following exercise or hypercapnic stimuli. Interestingly, concomitant changes in physical fitness and regional CBF were observed, while a relation between training-induced effects on CBF and cognitive performance was evident. In conclusion, exercise training improved cerebrovascular function because regional CBF was changed. Studies are however still needed to establish whether exercise-induced improvements in CBF are sustained over longer periods of time and underlie the observed beneficial effects on cognitive performance.</p

Static Future Technologies, Dynamic Professionalism — Co-creating Future Scenarios in Medical Imaging Practices

New magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques that offer faster scanning and potential artificial intelligence-assisted interpretation and diagnosis can significantly impact existing workflows in radiology. In a qualitative study embedded within a responsible research and innovation design, we investigate the development and potential implementation of quantitative MRI. We aim to investigate postdigital MRI futures, covered by scenarios of potential workflows, as well as the resulting implications for professions and related education involved in the MRI process. Furthermore, we examine the related and changing responsibilities, more specifically reflecting on ‘forward-looking responsibilities’. Through expert interviews (n = 20) and a focus group, stakeholder perspectives on the future of quantitative imaging techniques were explored. During a subsequent co-creation workshop and another focus group, stakeholders reflected on future scenarios in quantitative MRI. Our study shows that a proactive and future-oriented investigation of the influence of emerging technologies on potential workflows and subsequent changes in expertise and roles help in gaining or increasing awareness about the wider impact of a technology developed to contribute to faster and quantitative MRI exams. We argue that anticipating postdigital worlds by reflecting on future responsibilities through the co-creation of imaginaries can help making uncertain futures tangible in other ways

Synthetic MRI with Magnetic Resonance Spin TomogrAphy in Time-Domain (MR-STAT): Results from a Prospective Cross-Sectional Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: Magnetic Resonance Spin TomogrAphy in Time-domain (MR-STAT) can reconstruct whole-brain multi-parametric quantitative maps (eg, T 1 , T 2 ) from a 5-minute MR acquisition. These quantitative maps can be leveraged for synthetization of clinical image contrasts. PURPOSE: The objective was to assess image quality and overall diagnostic accuracy of synthetic MR-STAT contrasts compared to conventional contrast-weighted images. STUDY TYPE: Prospective cross-sectional clinical trial. POPULATION: Fifty participants with a median age of 45 years (range: 21-79 years) consisting of 10 healthy participants and 40 patients with neurological diseases (brain tumor, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis or stroke). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3T/Conventional contrast-weighted imaging (T 1 /T 2 weighted, proton density [PD] weighted, and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery [FLAIR]) and a MR-STAT acquisition (2D Cartesian spoiled gradient echo with varying flip angle preceded by a non-selective inversion pulse). ASSESSMENT: Quantitative T 1 , T 2 , and PD maps were computed from the MR-STAT acquisition, from which synthetic contrasts were generated. Three neuroradiologists blinded for image type and disease randomly and independently evaluated synthetic and conventional datasets for image quality and diagnostic accuracy, which was assessed by comparison with the clinically confirmed diagnosis. STATISTICAL TESTS: Image quality and consequent acceptability for diagnostic use was assessed with a McNemar's test (one-sided α = 0.025). Wilcoxon signed rank test with a one-sided α = 0.025 and a margin of Δ = 0.5 on the 5-level Likert scale was used to assess non-inferiority. RESULTS: All data sets were similar in acceptability for diagnostic use (≥3 Likert-scale) between techniques (T 1 w:P = 0.105, PDw:P = 1.000, FLAIR:P = 0.564). However, only the synthetic MR-STAT T 2 weighted images were significantly non-inferior to their conventional counterpart; all other synthetic datasets were inferior (T 1 w:P = 0.260, PDw:P = 1.000, FLAIR:P = 1.000). Moreover, true positive/negative rates were similar between techniques (conventional: 88%, MR-STAT: 84%). DATA CONCLUSION: MR-STAT is a quantitative technique that may provide radiologists with clinically useful synthetic contrast images within substantially reduced scan time. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2

The influence of personality on the sensitivity to subjective effects of Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol

Stress-related psychiatric disorders across the life spa

Profiling the subjective effects of 9-tetrahydrocannabinol using visual analogue scales

Stress-related psychiatric disorders across the life spa

Effects of an 8-week aerobic exercise program on plasma markers for cholesterol absorption and synthesis in older overweight and obese men

Abstract Background Increased physical activity is inversely related to the risk to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD). In a recent systematic review, it was reported that CVD patients had an increased cholesterol absorption and a decreased synthesis as compared with control participants. As increased physical activity levels reduce CVD risk, we hypothesized that exercise training will reduce cholesterol absorption and increase endogenous cholesterol synthesis in older overweight and obese men. Methods A randomized, controlled, crossover trial was performed. Seventeen apparently healthy older overweight and obese men were randomized to start with an aerobic exercise or no-exercise control period for 8 weeks, separated by 12 weeks washout. Fasting serum total cholesterol (TC) and non-cholesterol sterol concentrations were measured at baseline, and after 4 and 8 weeks. Results The aerobic exercise program did not affect serum TC concentrations. In addition, exercise did not affect TC-standardized serum concentrations of sitosterol and cholestanol that are markers for cholesterol absorption. However, a trend for reduced TC-standardized campesterol concentrations, which is another validated marker for cholesterol absorption, was observed as compared with control. Lathosterol concentrations, reflecting cholesterol synthesis, did not differ between both periods. Conclusions Aerobic exercise training for 8 weeks did not lower serum TC concentrations in older overweight and obese men, but a trend towards a decrease in the cholesterol absorption marker campesterol was found. The cholesterol synthesis marker lathosterol did not change. Trial registration posted on www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03272061 on 7 September 2017. </jats:sec