Combined PET/MRI:from Status Quo to Status Go. Summary Report of the Fifth International Workshop on PET/MR Imaging; February 15–19, 2016; Tübingen, Germany

Contains fulltext : 172154.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)This article provides a collaborative perspective of the discussions and conclusions from the fifth international workshop of combined positron emission tomorgraphy (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that was held in Tubingen, Germany, from February 15 to 19, 2016. Specifically, we summarise the second part of the workshop made up of invited presentations from active researchers in the field of PET/MRI and associated fields augmented by round table discussions and dialogue boards with specific topics. This year, this included practical advice as to possible approaches to moving PET/MRI into clinical routine, the use of PET/MRI in brain receptor imaging, in assessing cardiovascular diseases, cancer, infection, and inflammatory diseases. To address perceived challenges still remaining to innovatively integrate PET and MRI system technologies, a dedicated round table session brought together key representatives from industry and academia who were engaged with either the conceptualisation or early adoption of hybrid PET/MRI systems. Discussions during the workshop highlighted that emerging unique applications of PET/MRI such as the ability to provide multi-parametric quantitative and visual information which will enable not only overall disease detection but also disease characterisation would eventually be regarded as compelling arguments for the adoption of PET/MR. However, as indicated by previous workshops, evidence in favour of this observation is only growing slowly, mainly due to the ongoing inability to pool data cohorts from independent trials as well as different systems and sites. The participants emphasised that moving from status quo to status go entails the need to adopt standardised imaging procedures and the readiness to act together prospectively across multiple PET/MRI sites and vendors

Opting to wear prismatic spectacles was associated with reduced neck pain in dental personnel : A longitudinal cohort study

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate effects on perceived exertion, work ability self-reported neck pain and clinically diagnosed conditions in the neck, of an intervention with prismatic spectacles among dental personnel. Methods: In this cohort study a baseline questionnaire including questions about frequency of neck pain, perceived exertion during work and background information was distributed to dental personnel in municipal dental care units. In connection, personnel from 78 out of 110 dental care units underwent a clinical neck examination and rated their perceived work ability with the single-item question from the Work Ability Index. The study population consisted of 564 participants; 366 in the questionnaire group, 321 in the examination group, whereof 123 participated in both assessments. In total 371 belonged to the intervention group and received individually adjusted prismatic spectacles after the baseline assessments (inclusion based on self-selection) and 193 belonged to the reference group. At the 12-month follow-up the clinical examination was repeated and the same questionnaire with additional questions was completed. Fisher's exact test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess differences between the intervention group and the reference group at baseline. Differences at follow up between the two groups were assessed by means of Linear-by Linear association test for trends. Results: A significant decrease in neck pain (p = 0.047), clinical diagnoses in the neck (p = 0.025), and perceived exertion (p = 0.003) was observed at follow up for the intervention group compared to the reference group. Moreover, for the intervention group a significantly improved self-rated work ability (p = 0.040) was reported. Finally, opting to wear prismatic spectacles during dental work appeared to have a preventive effect on neck pain. Conclusions: Dental personnel opting to wear prismatic spectacles reduced their neck pain significantly more at follow up compared with the reference group. These results are worthwhile testing in a randomised design. The practical implication of this study is that recommendations regarding ergonomics for dental professionals may include the use of prismatic glasses, both as primary and secondary prevention of work-related neck pain. Such glasses should also be tested in other working situations where the work tasks include high visual demands in sustained awkward neck postures

Effects of technology adoption on mass customization ability of broad and narrow market firms Efeitos da adoção da tecnologia sobre a capacidade para customização em massa em empresas com escopos de mercado amplos e focalizados

Despite the increasing number of mass customization (MC) studies in the literature and practice, two research gaps still remain. First, there is a lack of empirical studies to test predicted theoretical relationships between MC strategic, technical, and performance aspects (Tu et al., 2001). Second, there is limited understanding about the role of technology, including information technology in MC systems (Åhlström and Westbrook, 1999). This paper investigates the effects of technology adoption on the MC ability of 315 manufacturers of metal products, machinery, and equipment with either narrow or broad strategic market scope. The results suggest that different technologies have different effects on the MC dimensions of product capability and productivity, and that this effect is determined by the market scope of the firm<br>Apesar do número crescente de estudos sobre a Customização em Massa (CM) enfocando tanto aspectos teóricos quanto práticos desta estratégia, duas lacunas persistem nas pesquisas sobre o assunto. A primeira diz respeito à ausência de estudos empíricos que testem a relação, prevista na teoria, entre aspectos estratégicos, técnicos e de desempenho da CM (Tu et al., 2001). A segunda lacuna está relacionada à compreensão limitada acerca do papel da tecnologia, em particular da tecnologia de informação, nos sistemas de CM (Åhlström and Westbrook, 1999). Este artigo investiga os efeitos da adoção da tecnologia sobre a capacidade para CM de 315 produtores de bens de metal, máquinas e equipamentos que atuam em mercados amplos ou focalizados. Os resultam indicam que diferentes tecnologias possuem efeitos distintos sobre as dimensões de variedade e produtividade da CM, e que tais efeitos são determinados pelo escopo de mercado das empresas