A Comparison of Automated Segmentation and Manual Tracing of Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Quantify Lateral Ventricle Volumes

Objective: Ventricular volume measurements have been proposed as a useful biomarker for several neurological diseases. The goal of this study was to compare the performance of 3 fully-automated tools, volBrain (http://volbrain.upv.es), ALVIN (Automatic Lateral Ventricle Delineation) (https://sites.google.com/site/mrilateralventricle/), and MRICloud (http://mricloud.org), with expert hand tracing to quantify lateral ventricle (LV) volume using magnetic resonance images. Materials and Methods: The sample comprised 24 healthy subjects (age: 25.1±5.7 years, all male). Volumes derived from each automated measurement were compared to hand tracing results performed by 2 specialists to assess the percent volume difference using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), Dice index value, and Bland-Altman analysis. Results: The ICC agreement of the Manual_1 and Manual_2 was very good (0.979), and there was no statistically significant difference (p>0.001). The volume difference of all methods was similar. The CCC with MRICloud and ALVIN was higher than that of volBrain. Bland-Altman plots indicated that the 3 automated methods demonstrated acceptable agreement. Conclusion: Compared with hand tracing, the LV volumes generated by MRICloud were more accurate than those of volBrain and ALVIN. LV volume values can provide valuable data related to the volumetric dependencies of the anatomical structures in various clinical conditions that can now be easily obtained using automated tools

Wellesley College 1875-1975: A Century of Women

https://repository.wellesley.edu/wellesleyhistories/1000/thumbnail.jp

Effect of heavy metals and sialic acid in multiple sclerosis

Bu çalışmanın amacı multipl sklerozlu hastalarda ağır metaller, sialik asit ve diğer çevresel faktörlerin etkisini araştırmaktır. Çalışmaya 52 multipl skleroz hastası ve 41 sağlıklı gönüllü kontrol grubu olarak dahil edildi. Sırasıyla, sialik asit ve ağır metallerin belirlenmesi için açlık tükürük ve idrar örnekleri alındı. MS hastalarında, kontrol grubuna göre, Al (p &lt;0.001), As (p &lt;0.001), Ba (p &lt;0.05), Cd (p &lt;0.005), Cs (p &lt;0.001), Cu (p &lt;0.05), Mn (p &lt;0.05), Ni (p &lt;0.001), Pb (p &lt;0.001), Rb (p &lt;0.05), Sr (p &lt;0.05)&nbsp; ve&nbsp; sialik asit düzeyleri (p &lt;0.001) anlamlı yüksek, Ti (p &lt;0.05) ve Fe (p &lt;0.05) değerleri ise düşük bulundu.&nbsp; Siyalik asit, ağır metal seviyeleri, sebze tüketimi, bağırsak alışkanlıkları ve multipl skleroz grubu arasında anlamlı ilişki vardı. Bu çalışmada, yüksek siyalik asit ve ağır metal seviyelerinin, daha az sebze tüketiminin ve kötü bağırsak alışkanlıklarının multipl skleroz için risk faktörü olduğu bulunmuştur.Anahtar kelimeler: Sebze tüketimi, ağır metaller, multipl skleroz, sialik asit, kötü bağırsak alışkanlıkları.&nbsp;The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of heavy metals, sialic acid and other environmental factors in patients with multiple sclerosis. Fifty-two multiple sclerosis patients and 41 healthy volunteers as the control group were included in the study. Fasting saliva and urine samples were taken to determine sialic acid and heavy metals respectively.The levels of Ag (p&lt;0.001), Al (p&lt;0.001), As (p&lt;0.001), Ba (p&lt;0.05), Cd (p&lt;0.005), Cs (p&lt;0.001), Cu (p&lt;0.05), Mn (p&lt;0.05), Ni (p&lt;0.001), Pb (p&lt;0.001), Rb (p&lt;0.05), Sr (p&lt;0.05), and sialic acid levels (p&lt;0.001) were found significantly higher, Ti (p&lt;0.05) and Fe (p&lt;0.05) lower in MS patients compared to the control group. There was a significant relationship between sialic acid, heavy metals levels, vegetable consumption, bowel habits and multiple sclerosis group. In this study, it was found that high levels of sialic acid and heavy metals, less vegetable consumption and bad bowel habits were risk factors for multiple sclerosis.Key words: Vegetable consumption, heavy metals, multiple sclerosis, sialic acid, bad intestinal habits.</p

The moderating role of posttraumatic growth in secondary traumatic stress–burnout relationship: a sample of child psychiatrists from Turkey

Abstract Background Secondary traumatization is a common occupational hazard for professionals working with distressed and traumatized people, especially children. If not properly managed, secondary traumatization can lead to symptoms similar to posttraumatic stress disorder. This condition is known as secondary traumatic stress (STS) and is linked to adverse mental health outcomes, such as burnout. Nevertheless, exposure to a traumatic event or its disturbing details can contribute to personal transformation, allowing an individual to move beyond pre-traumatic functioning and awareness. This process is called posttraumatic growth and is associated with positive mental health outcomes. The current study examined the relationship between STS and burnout and whether posttraumatic growth moderates this relationship in a sample of child psychiatrists. Methods An online questionnaire was designed and distributed to participants. A total of 59 child psychiatrists working in Turkey completed measures including the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory-work burnout subscale, the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, and the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale. Results While STS was positively related to burnout (r = 0.661, p < .001), posttraumatic growth moderated this relationship. In other words, the relationship between STS and burnout was weaker for child psychiatrists with higher posttraumatic growth. Conclusions Promoting posttraumatic growth may be a good way to reduce burnout among child psychiatrists. Individual or group supervision can promote posttraumatic growth by providing a supportive environment for child psychiatrists. Balancing workloads and creating time for self-care can also contribute to their growth

The parental COVID-19 anxiety and emotional exhaustion in healthcare workers: exploring the roles of resilience, prosocialness, and optimism

Healthcare workers (HCWs) also became the main protagonist of the tragic pandemic story. They have had a markedly higher risk of becoming infected with COVID-19. Outside work, healthcare workers with children have experienced mental health challenges, including the worry that they may carry COVID-19 home and infect their children. Based on these, the current study aimed to examine the effect of parental COVID-19 anxiety on emotional exhaustion and identify the roles of resilience, prosocialness, and optimism in this relationship. The findings demonstrated that prosocialness moderated the relationship between personal COVID-19 anxiety and emotional exhaustion by alleviating the depleting effects of personal COVID-19 anxiety. At the same time, prosocialness reinforced the negative effect of resilience on emotional exhaustion. On the other side, optimism moderated the relationship between parental COVID-19 anxiety and resilience by alleviating the adverse effect of parental COVID-19 anxiety. Moreover, it buffered the exacerbating effect of parental anxiety on personal anxiety. In conclusion, promoting personal resources (i.e., resilience, prosocialness, and optimism) seems an excellent way to mitigate the adverse consequences of the pandemic on mental health. Furthermore, the increment in parental mental health problems during COVID-19 pandemic may have long-term effects on children. Considering this perspective, we need to develop a proactive approach for parents’ now and children’s futures

Antibiotic Resistance Pattern in Significant Bacteriuria: What Is the Current Situation in the Pediatric Nephrology Department?

Objective: In order to contribute the empirical treatment of urinary tract infections in children, the antibiotic resistance patterns of uropathogens isolated in one center over a year, and clinical risk factors were evaluated in this study

Evaluation of COVID-19 fear and quality of life in patients with haematopoietic stem cell transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective We aimed to determine the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) fear state in haematopoietic stem cell transplant patients and to examine its relationship with quality of life. Methods In this prospective study, 64 patients who underwent HSCT during the pandemic were included. The COVID-19 fear situation was evaluated with the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Quality of life was evaluated with the European Organisation for Quality of Life Research and Treatment Core Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) (Version 3). Results The median FCV-19S score was 16.5 (12.0-22.0). The FCV-19S score was significantly higher in urban residents than rural residents. The general health score was 59.64 +/- 20.04. The strongest positive correlation between fear level and life quality was found in emotional function. A weak, significant, positive correlation was observed between role function, nausea-vomiting, pain, appetite loss and fear level. Conclusion FCV-19S is a quick, safe and valid tool that can be used to determine the COVID-19 fear level in vulnerable patient groups such as HSCT patients and to direct them to the necessary psycho-oncological support