Visual grading characteristics and ordinal regression analysis during optimisation of CT head examinations

Objectives: To evaluate visual grading characteristics (VGC) and ordinal regression analysis during head CT optimisation as a potential alternative to visual grading assessment (VGA), traditionally employed to score anatomical visualisation.Methods: Patient images (n = 66) were obtained using current and optimised imaging protocols from two CT suites: a 16-slice scanner at the national Maltese centre for trauma and a 64-slice scanner in a private centre. Local resident radiologists (n = 6) performed VGA followed by VGC and ordinal regression analysis.Results: VGC alone indicated that optimised protocols had similar image quality as current protocols. Ordinal logistic regression analysis provided an in-depth evaluation, criterion by criterion allowing the selective implementation of the protocols. The local radiology review panel supported the implementation of optimised protocols for brain CT examinations (including trauma) in one centre, achieving radiation dose reductions ranging from 24 % to 36 %. In the second centre a 29 % reduction in radiation dose was achieved for follow-up cases.Conclusions: The combined use of VGC and ordinal logistic regression analysis led to clinical decisions being taken on the implementation of the optimised protocols. This improved method of image quality analysis provided the evidence to support imaging protocol optimisation, resulting in significant radiation dose savings.peer-reviewe

Implementing supplementary breast cancer screening in women with dense breasts: Insights from European radiographers and radiologists

Introduction In response to the critical need for enhancing breast cancer screening for women with dense breasts, this study explored the understanding of challenges and requirements for implementing supplementary breast cancer screening for such women among clinical radiographers and radiologists in Europe. Method Fourteen (14) semi-structured online interviews were conducted with European clinical radiologists (n=5) and radiographers (n=9) specializing in breast cancer screening from 8 different countries: Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Switzerland, United Kingdom. The interview schedule comprised questions regarding professional background and demographics and 13 key questions divided into six subgroups, namely Supplementary Imaging, Training, Resources and Guidelines, Challenges, Implementing supplementary screening and Women's Perspective. Data analysis followed the six phases of reflexive thematic analysis. Results Six significant themes emerged from the data analysis: Understanding and experiences of supplementary imaging for women with dense breasts; Challenges and requirements related to training among clinical radiographers and radiologists; Awareness among radiographers and radiologists of guidelines on imaging women with dense breasts; Challenges to implement supplementary screening; Predictors of Implementing Supplementary screening; Views of radiologists and radiographers on women's perception towards supplementary screening. Conclusion The interviews with radiographers and radiologists provided valuable insights into the challenges and potential strategies for implementing supplementary breast cancer screening. These challenges included patient and staff related challenges. Implementing multifaceted solutions such as Artificial Intelligence integration, specialized training and resource investment can address these challenges and promote the successful implementation of supplementary screening. Further research and collaboration are needed to refine and implement these strategies effectively. Implications for practice This study highlights the urgent need for specialized training programs and dedicated resources to enhance supplementary breast cancer screening for women with dense breasts in Europe. These resources include advanced imaging technologies, such as MRI or ultrasound, and specialized software for image analysis. Moreover, further research is imperative to refine screening protocols and evaluate their efficacy and cost-effectiveness, based on the findings of this study

Development and characterization of a stable adhesive bond between a poly(dimethylsiloxane) catheter material and a bacterial biofilm resistant acrylate polymer coating

Catheter associated urinary tract infections (CA-UTIs) are the most common health related infections world wide, contributing significantly to patient morbidity and mortality and increased health care costs. To reduce the incidence of these infections, new materials that resist bacterial biofilm formation are needed. A composite catheter material, consisting of bulk PDMS coated with a novel bacterial biofilm resistant polyacrylate (EGDPEA–co-DEGMA) has been proposed. The coated material shows excellent bacterial resistance when compared to commercial catheter materials but delamination of the coatings under mechanical stress presents a challenge. In this work, the use of oxygen plasma treatment to improve the wettability and reactivity of the PDMS catheter material and improve adhesion with the EGDPEA–co-DEGMA coating has been investigated. Argon Cluster 3D-imaging Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) has been used to probe the buried adhesive interface between the EGDPEA–co-DEGMA coating and the treated PDMS. ToF-SIMS analysis was performed in both dry and frozen-hydrated states and results were compared to mechanical tests. From the ToF-SIMS data we have been able to observe the presence of PDMS, silicates, salt particles, cracks and water at the adhesive interface. In the dry catheters, low molecular weight PDMS oligomers at the interface were associated with poor adhesion. When hydrated, the hydrophilic silicates attracted water to the interface and led to easy delamination of the coating. The best adhesion results, under hydrated conditions, were obtained using a combination of 5 min O2 plasma treatment and silane primers. Cryo-ToF-SIMS analysis of the hydrated catheter material showed that the bond between the primed PDMS catheter and the EGDPEA–co-DEGMA coating was stable in the presence of water. The resulting catheter material was resisted Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis biofilm colonization by up to 95 % compared with uncoated PDMS after 10 days of continuous bacterial exposure and had the mechanical properties necessary for use as a urinary catheter

From ‘other’ to involved: User involvement in research: An emerging paradigm

This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund. Copyright @ 2013 The Author(s). This is an Open Access article. Non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly attributed, cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way, is permitted. The moral rights of the named author(s) have been asserted.This article explores the issue of ‘othering’ service users and the role that involving them, particularly in social policy and social work research may play in reducing this. It takes, as its starting point, the concept of ‘social exclusion’, which has developed in Europe and the marginal role that those who have been included in this construct have played in its development and the damaging effects this may have. The article explores service user involvement in research and is itself written from a service user perspective. It pays particular attention to the ideological, practical, theoretical, ethical and methodological issues that such user involvement may raise for research. It examines problems that both research and user involvement may give rise to and also considers developments internationally to involve service users/subjects of research, highlighting some of the possible implications and gains of engaging service user knowledge in research and the need for this to be evaluated

The reliability of the McCabe score as a marker of co-morbidity in healthcare-associated infection point prevalence studies

This study aimed to ascertain the reliability of the McCabe score in a healthcare-associated infection point prevalence survey.   A 10 European Union Member States survey in 20 hospitals (n = 1912) indicated that there was a moderate level of agreement (κ = 0.57) with the score. The reliability of the application of the score could be increased by training data collectors, particularly with reference to the ultimately fatal criteria. This is important if the score is to be used to risk adjust data to drive infection prevention and control interventions

Nannu Ġanninu

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Il-mewt, Mulej! ta’ A. Mallia Zarb – Sena ġdida ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Il-mewt ta’ Lakoonte ta’ Patri Ġużeppi Cremona – Carlucciello ta’ Ġer. Azzopardi – Lill-mitħna tar-riħ ta’ M. Anġ. Apap – In-nannu Ġanninu ta’ F. Farrugia.peer-reviewe

Mapping our Universe in 3D with MITEoR

Mapping our universe in 3D by imaging the redshifted 21 cm line from neutral hydrogen has the potential to overtake the cosmic microwave background as our most powerful cosmological probe, because it can map a much larger volume of our Universe, shedding new light on the epoch of reionization, inflation, dark matter, dark energy, and neutrino masses. We report on MITEoR, a pathfinder low-frequency radio interferometer whose goal is to test technologies that greatly reduce the cost of such 3D mapping for a given sensitivity. MITEoR accomplishes this by using massive baseline redundancy both to enable automated precision calibration and to cut the correlator cost scaling from N^2 to NlogN, where N is the number of antennas. The success of MITEoR with its 64 dual-polarization elements bodes well for the more ambitious HERA project, which would incorporate many identical or similar technologies using an order of magnitude more antennas, each with dramatically larger collecting area.Comment: To be published in proceedings of 2013 IEEE International Symposium on Phased Array Systems & Technolog