Novel fast semi-automated software to segment cartilage for knee MR acquisitions

AbstractObjectiveValidation of a new fast software technique to segment the cartilage on knee magnetic resonance (MR) acquisitions. Large studies of knee osteoarthritis (OA) will require fast and reproducible methods to quantify cartilage changes for knee MR data. In this report we document and measure the reproducibility and reader time of a software-based technique to quantify the volume and thickness of articular cartilage on knee MR images.MethodsThe software was tested on a set of duplicate sagittal three-dimensional (3D) dual echo steady state (DESS) acquisitions from 15 (8 OA, 7 normal) subjects. The repositioning, inter-reader, and intra-reader reproducibility of the cartilage volume (VC) and thickness (ThC) were measured independently as well as the reader time for each cartilage plate. The root-mean square coefficient of variation (RMSCoV) was used as metric to quantify the reproducibility of VC and mean ThC.ResultsThe repositioning RMSCoV was as follows: VC=2.0% and ThC=1.2% (femur), VC=2.9% and ThC=1.6% (medial tibial plateau), VC=5.5% and ThC=2.4% (lateral tibial plateau), and VC=4.6% and ThC=2.3% (patella). RMSCoV values were higher for the inter-reader reproducibility (VC: 2.5–8.6%) (ThC: 1.9–5.2%) and lower for the intra-reader reproducibility (VC: 1.6–2.5%) (ThC: 1.2–1.9%). The method required an average of 75.4min per knee.ConclusionsWe have documented a fast reproducible semi-automated software method to segment articular cartilage on knee MR acquisitions

Formation of Corrugated n = 1 2D Tin Iodide Perovskites and Their Use as Lead-Free Solar Absorbers

Major strides have been made in the development of materials and devices based around low-dimensional hybrid group 14 metal halide perovskites. Thus far, this work has mostly focused upon compounds containing highly toxic Pb, with the analogous less toxic Sn materials being comparatively poorly evolved. In response, the study herein aims to (i) provide insight into the impact of templating cation upon the structure of n = 1 2D tin iodide perovskites (where n refers to the number of contiguous two-dimensional (2D) inorganic layers, i.e., not separated by organic cations), and (ii) examine their potential as light absorbers for photovoltaic (PV) cells. It was discovered through systematic tuning of organic dications, that imidazolium rings are able to induce formation of (110)-oriented materials, including the examples of “3 × 3” corrugated Sn-I perovskites. This structural outcome is a consequence of a combination of supramolecular interactions of the two endocyclic N-atoms in the imidazolium functionalities with the Sn-I framework and the higher tendency of Sn2+ ions to stereochemically express their 5s2 lone pairs relative to the 6s2 electrons of Pb2+. More importantly, the resulting materials feature very short separations between their 2D inorganic layers with iodide–iodide (I···I) contacts as small as 4.174 Å, which is amongst the shortest ever recorded for 2D tin iodide perovskites. The proximate inorganic distances, combined with the polarizable nature of the imidazolium moiety, eases the separation of photogenerated charge within the materials. This is evident from the excitonic activation energies as low as 83(10) meV, measured for ImEA[SnI4]. When combined with superior light absorption capabilities relative to their lead congeners, this allowed fabrication of lead-free solar cells with incident photon-to-current and power conversion efficiencies of up to 70 % and 2.26 %, respectively, which are amongst the highest values reported for pure n = 1 2D group 14 metal halide perovskites. In fact, these values are superior to the corresponding lead iodide material, which demonstrates that 2D Sn-based materials have significant potential as less toxic alternatives to their Pb counterparts

Comparative outcomes for mature T-cell and NK/T-cell lymphomas in people with and without HIV and to AIDS-defining lymphomas

There are no studies comparing the prognosis for mature T-cell lymphoma (TCL) in people with HIV (PWH) to people without HIV (PWoH) and to AIDS-defining B-cell lymphomas (A-BCLs) in the modern antiretroviral therapy era. North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design and Comprehensive Oncology Measures for Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma Treatment are cohorts that enroll patients diagnosed with HIV and TCL, respectively. In our study, 52, 64, 101, 500, and 246 PWH with histologic confirmation of TCL, primary central nervous system lymphoma, Burkitt’s lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL), respectively, and 450 TCLs without HIV were eligible for analysis. At the time of TCL diagnosis, anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) was the most common TCL subtype within PWH. Although PWH with TCL diagnosed between 1996 and 2009 experienced a low 5-year survival probability at 0.23 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13, 0.41), we observed a marked improvement in their survival when diagnosed between 2010 and 2016 (0.69; 95% CI: 0.48, 1; P = .04) in contrast to TCLs among PWoH (0.45; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.51; P = .53). Similarly, PWH with ALCLs diagnosed between 1996 and 2009 were associated with a conspicuously inferior 5-year survival probability (0.17; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.42) and consistently lagged behind A-BCL subtypes such as Burkitt’s (0.43; 95% CI:0.33, 0.57; P = .09) and DLBCL (0.17; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.46; P = .11) and behind HL (0.57; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.65; P < .0001). Despite a small number, those diagnosed between 2010 and 2016 experienced a remarkable improvement in survival (0.67; 95% CI: 0.3, 1) in comparison with PWoH (0.76; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.87; P = .58). Thus, our analysis confirms improved overall survival for aggressive B- and T-cell malignancies among PWH in the last decade

Outcomes of parathyroidectomy versus calcimimetics for secondary hyperparathyroidism and kidney transplantation: a propensity-matched analysis (vol 405, pg 851, 2020)

An Erratum to this paper has been published:Vascular Surger

Timing of Parathyroidectomy Does Not Influence Renal Function After Kidney Transplantation

Background Parathyroidectomy (PTx) is the treatment of choice for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with therapy-resistant hyperparathyroidism (HPT). The optimal timing of PTx for ESRD-related HPT—before or after kidney transplantation (KTx)—is subject of debate. Methods Patients with ESRD-related HPT who underwent both PTx and KTx between 1994 and 2015 were included in a multicenter retrospective study in four university hospitals. Two groups were formed according to treatment sequence: PTx before KTx (PTxKTx) and PTx after KTx (KTxPTx). Primary endpoint was renal function (eGFR, CKD-EPI) between both groups at several time points post-transplantation. Correlation between the timing of PTx and KTx and the course of eGFR was assessed using generalized estimating equations (GEE). Results The PTxKTx group consisted of 102 (55.1%) and the KTxPTx group of 83 (44.9%) patients. Recipient age, donor type, PTx type, and pre-KTx PTH levels were significantly different between groups. At 5 years after transplantation, eGFR was similar in the PTxKTx group (eGFR 44.5 ± 4.0 ml/min/1.73 m2 ) and KTxPTx group (40.0 ± 6.4 ml/min/1.73 m2 , p = 0.43). The unadjusted GEE model showed that timing of PTx was not correlated with graft function over time (mean difference -1.0 ml/min/1.73 m2 , 95% confidence interval -8.4 to 6.4, p = 0.79). Adjustment for potential confounders including recipient age and sex, various donor characteristics, PTx type, and PTH levels did not materially influence the results. Conclusions In this multicenter cohort study, timing of PTx before or after KTx does not independently impact graft function over time

Treatment Outcomes of Patients With Multidrug-Resistant and Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis According to Drug Susceptibility Testing to First- and Second-line Drugs: An Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis

The clinical validity of drug susceptibility testing (DST) for pyrazinamide, ethambutol, and second-line antituberculosis drugs is uncertain. In an individual patient data meta-analysis of 8955 patients with confirmed multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, DST results for these drugs were associated with treatment outcome