Brain perfusion evaluated by perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging before and after stenting internal carotid artery stenosis in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients

Purpose To evaluate the brain perfusion with MRI perfusion weighted imaging (PWI) before and after ICA stenting in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. Materials and methods PWI was performed 3–21 days before and 3 days after ICA stenting in 31 asymptomatic patients with ICA >70% stenosis – Group I, and in 14 symptomatic patients with ICA >50% stenosis – Group II. PWI was evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively in 5 cerebral territories with: mean transit time (MTT), cerebral blood volume (CBV) and cerebral blood flow (CBF). Mean values of perfusion parameters were measured before and after stenting ΔMTT, ΔCBV, ΔCBF were calculated as subtraction of after-treatment values from those before treatment. Results In qualitative evaluation after ICA stenting perfusion was normalized in 21 patients (80.8%) in Group I and in 8 patients (80%) in Group II. In quantitative estimation MTT decreased significantly after CAS on stented side vs. non-stented side in all examined patients regardless of the group, p<0.05. MTT decreased more in Group II than in Group I in all territories (p<0.05) with the exception of temporal lobe. CBV and CBF have shown insignificant differences. Conclusions 1.In MRI the most useful parameters to assess brain perfusion are MTT and ΔMTT: regardless whether patients are asymptomatic or symptomatic.2.There were no significant differences in CBV and CBF after stenting in both groups of patients.3.The positive effect of ICA stenting measured with decrease of MTT, CBV values and increase of CBF value is more prominent in symptomatic patients

Tibial stress injuries : location, severity, and classification in magnetic resonance imaging examination

Purpose: To describe and illustrate the spectrum of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of tibial stress injuries (TSI) and propose a simplified classification system. Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of MRI exams of 44 patients with clinical suspicion of unilateral or bilateral TSI, using a modified classification system to evaluate the intensity and location of soft-tissue changes and bone changes. Results: Most of the patients were young athletic men diagnosed in late stage of TSI. Changes were predominantly found in the middle and distal parts of tibias along medial and posterior borders. Conclusions: TSI may be suspected in young, healthy patients with exertional lower leg pain. MRI is the only diagnostic method to visualise early oedematic signs of TSI. Knowledge of typical locations of TSI can be helpful in proper diagnosis before its evolution to stress fracture

Epithelioid haemangioendothelioma of the lungs

Authors present a case of EH as an accidental finding in 40 year old woman appeared as the presented small, solid nodules in both lungs on a routine chest radiograph and HRCT scans. There were no signs in clinical examination, no abnormalities were presented in the spirometric and respiratory tests, neither in the endoscopic digestive tract examinations nor in CT scans of abdomen. The histological examination of open lung biopsy revealed the morphology of epithelioid haemangioendothelioma. During one year follow up no clinical nor radiological progressions have been observed

Enhancing transformative learning and innovation skills using remote learning for sustainable architecture design

The currently used educational technology with artificial-intelligence-powered solutions, although rather instrumental, may lead to discontinuity in learning, as it lacks social and emotional value, which is an essential part of education for sustainable development and results in an immersive experience through which higher-order thinking skills can be adopted. This paper aims to explore transformative learning (TL) and innovation skill improvement accommodated by transactional distance theory in a 16-week remote sustainable architecture design course. The analysis identified the following: (a) significant progress in students’ attitudes toward uncertainty and criticality while social support differs due to the influence of classmates, faculty staff, teamwork, writing and reading assignments, promoters from industry and extracurricular activities(b) significant progress in TL achievement while innovation skill development differs significantly across the groups in which online collaborative learning was found as an influencer in creativity and motivation(c) self-efficacy influenced by feedback in and on actions, such as essay and other writing assignments, verbal persuasions and positive social comparisons(d) lack of development of situational awareness, continuity of learning and interactions/situations to empower teammates in handling conflicts to develop leadership ability(e) decrease in risk-taking ability, especially in a group of students in which social support was limited due to the absence of challenging situations and tasks. The results support the use of remote intervention directed at prosocial motivations and action-focused group goals

Urban spaces versus climate conditions - Spitsbergen

Artykuł ma na celu wykazanie, że przestrzenie społeczne w miastach spełniają ogromnie ważną rolę, niezależnie od strefy klimatycznej w jakiej miasta te się znajdują. Nawet na terenach o ekstremalnie zimnym klimacie, wykształcają się miejsca spotkań i współegzystowania mieszkańców. W publikacji oparto się na przykładach ze Spitzbergenu. Badania przeprowadzono w mieście Longyearbyen. Czynniki, które determinują jakość przestrzeni wspólnych, ich użyteczność, stopień akceptacji i zadowolenia ze spędzania w nich czasu przez mieszkańców, wynikają z ogólnie znanych uwarunkowań dotyczących kształtowania przestrzeni społecznych i publicznych, ale w większym stopniu, ze specyficznych warunków klimatycznych.This article’s aim is to demonstrate that social spaces play an immensely important role within cities regardless of the climate zones in which those cities are located. Even areas with an extremely cold climate see the emergence of places where their residents meet and coexist. The publication is based on examples from Spitsbergen. Research was conducted in the town of Longyearbyen. The factors that determine the quality of common spaces, their utility, the degree of their acceptance and satisfaction derived from spending time in them are the outcomes of widely known determinants concerning the design of social and public spaces, but are affected by their specific climate conditions to a much greater degree

Assessment of Solitary Pulmonary Nodules Based on Virtual Monochrome Images and Iodine-Dependent Images Using a Single-Source Dual-Energy CT with Fast kVp Switching

With lung cancer being the most common malignancy diagnosed worldwide, lung nodule assessment has proved to be one of big challenges of modern medicine. The aim of this study was to examine the usefulness of Dual Energy Computed Tomography (DECT) in solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) assessment. Between January 2017 and June 2018; 65 patients (42 males and 23 females) underwent DECT scans in the late arterial phase (AP) and venous phase (VP). We concluded that imaging at an energy level of 65 keV was the most accurate in detecting malignancy in solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) measuring ≤30 mm in diameter on virtual monochromatic maps. Both virtual monochromatic images and iodine concentration maps prove to be highly useful in differentiating benign and malignant pulmonary nodules. As for iodine concentration maps, the analysis of venous phase images resulted in the highest clinical usefulness. To summarize, DECT may be a useful tool in the differentiation of benign and malignant SPNs. A single-phase DECT examination with scans acquired 90 s after contrast media injection is recommended

Datasets for Automated Affect and Emotion Recognition from Cardiovascular Signals Using Artificial Intelligence— A Systematic Review

Our review aimed to assess the current state and quality of publicly available datasets used for automated affect and emotion recognition (AAER) with artificial intelligence (AI), and emphasising cardiovascular (CV) signals. The quality of such datasets is essential to create replicable systems for future work to grow. We investigated nine sources up to 31 August 2020, using a developed search strategy, including studies considering the use of AI in AAER based on CV signals. Two independent reviewers performed the screening of identified records, full-text assessment, data extraction, and credibility. All discrepancies were resolved by discussion. We descriptively synthesised the results and assessed their credibility. The protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF) platform. Eighteen records out of 195 were selected from 4649 records, focusing on datasets containing CV signals for AAER. Included papers analysed and shared data of 812 participants aged 17 to 47. Electrocardiography was the most explored signal (83.33% of datasets). Authors utilised video stimulation most frequently (52.38% of experiments). Despite these results, much information was not reported by researchers. The quality of the analysed papers was mainly low. Researchers in the field should concentrate more on methodology

Quality of Life in Follow-Up up to 9 Months after COVID-19 Hospitalization among the Polish Population—A Prospective Single Center Study

The consequences of COVID-19 constitute a significant burden to healthcare systems worldwide. Conducting an HRQoL assessment is an important aspect of the evaluation of the impact of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of persistent symptoms and their impact on HRQoL and health status in COVID-19 convalescents. The study group consists of 46 patients who required hospitalization due to respiratory failure and who were subsequently evaluated 3 and 9 months after hospital discharge. At the follow-up visits, the patients were asked to assess their HRQoL using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. The results of chest CT, 6MWT, as well as the severity of the course of COVID-19 were also considered in the analysis. The obtained results have identified fatigue as the most common persistent symptom. The majority of the convalescents reported an impairment of HRQoL in at least one domain (80% and 82% after 3 and 9 months, respectively), of which the most common was that of pain/discomfort. The presence of ongoing symptoms may affect HRQoL in particular domains. The 6MWT outcome correlates with HRQoL 3 months after hospital discharge. Therefore, it may be useful in identifying patients with reduced HRQoL, allowing early interventions aimed at its improvement

Porównanie maksymalnej grubości ścian lewej komory z masą lewej komory u pacjentów z kardiomiopatią przerostową

Background: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance enables accurate and reproducible assessment of left ventricular (LV) dimensions and function, free of geometric assumptions and limitations related to an inadequate acoustic window. In patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), LV mass (LVM) and maximal LV wall thickness (MLVWT) have prognostic significance. Aim: To compare MLVWT and LVM in patients with HCM. Methods: The study population included 33 patients with HCM (17 males, mean age 48.5 ± 16.5 years). Subjects after alcohol septal ablation or surgical myectomy were excluded from the study. The MLVWT and LVM were measured with the use of cardiac magnetic resonance. The MLVWT was determined with the use of the dedicated software in short axis slices after manual definition of endocardial and epicardial contours. The LVM was indexed for body surface area and expressed in g/m2. Cut-off values for normal, mildly increased and markedly increased LVM were based on previously published studies. Results: Mean LVM in the whole study group was 107.4 ± 30.9 g/m2 (range 57.0-163.4 g/m2) and was higher in males than females (120.2 ± 30.8 g/m2 vs 93.8 ± 25.3 g/m2, respectively; p = 0.01). Mean MLVWT was 23.4 ± 4.8 mm (range 16-36 mm). There was only a weak trend toward higher MLVWT in men when compared to women (24.8 ± 5.4 mm vs 21.9 ± 3.7 mm, respectively; p = 0.09). There was no correlation between LVM and MLVWT (r = 0.24; p = 0.17). A significant variability in LVM was observed in subjects with similar MLVWT; a greater than two-fold difference was noted in extreme cases. In three patients (9%; one female, two male) LVM was within the normal range and in another one female (3%) patient LVM was mildly increased. In the remaining patients (n = 29; 88%) markedly increased LVM was observed. Conclusions: The MLVWT does not reflect the degree of LV hypertrophy in patients with HCM. Patients with similar MLVWT may have substantial differences in LVM. A substantial group of patients with HCM is characterised by normal, or only mildly increased LVM, despite significant LV wall hypertrophy measured as MLVWT. Kardiol Pol 2010; 68, 7: 763-768Wstęp: Rezonans magnetyczny serca umożliwia wiarygodną i powtarzalną ocenę wielkości i funkcji lewej komory, niezależną od geometrycznych przybliżeń oraz nieodpowiedniej jakości okna akustycznego. U pacjentów z kardiomiopatią przerostową (HCM) masa lewej komory (LVM) i maksymalna grubość ściany lewej komory (MLVWT) mają znaczenie rokownicze. Cel: Celem pracy było porównanie MLVWT z LVM u pacjentów z HCM. Metody: Badaną grupę stanowiło 33 chorych z HCM (17 mężczyzn, średni wiek 48,5 ± 16,5 roku). Z badania wyłączono osoby po ablacji alkoholowej przegrody lub chirurgicznej miektomii w wywiadzie. Oceny MLVWT i LVM dokonywano przy użyciu badania serca metodą rezonansu magnetycznego, natomiast MLVWT mierzył automatycznie program komputerowy na przekrojach w osi krótkiej po ręcznym obrysowaniu konturów wsierdzia i nasierdzia. Masę lewej komory indeksowano na powierzchnię ciała i wyrażono w g/m2. Punkty odcięcia dla poszczególnych kategorii LVM (prawidłowa, nieznacznie zwiększona, znacznie zwiększona) określono na podstawie wcześniej opublikowanych badań. Wyniki: Średnia LVM w całej grupie wynosiła 107,4 ± 30,9 g/m2 (zakres 57,0-163,4 g/m2) i była wyższa u mężczyzn niż u kobiet (odpowiednio 120,2 ± 30,8 g/m2 v. 93,8 ± 25,3 g/m2; p = 0,01). Wartość MLVWT wynosiła średnio 23,4 ± 4,8 mm (zakres 16-36 mm). Wykazano jedynie słaby trend w kierunku większej MLVWT u mężczyzn niż u kobiet (odpowiednio 24,8 ± 5,4 mm v. 21,9 ± 3,7 mm; p = 0,09). Wartości MLVWT i LVM nie korelowały ze sobą (r = 0,24; p = 0,17). Zaobserwowano znaczne różnice w LVM u pacjentów z podobną MLVWT. W skrajnych przypadkach LVM różniła się ponad 2-krotnie; LVM znajdowała się w granicach normy u 3 osób (9%; 1 kobieta, 2 mężczyzn), a u 1 pacjentki (3%) była nieznacznie podwyższona. U pozostałych chorych (n = 29; 88%) LVM była istotnie zwiększona. Wnioski: Maksymalna grubość ściany lewej komory nie odzwierciedla w pełni stopnia przerostu mięśnia lewej komory u chorych z HCM. U pacjentów z tą samą MLVWT mogą występować znaczne różnice w zakresie LVM. U części chorych z HCM stwierdza się prawidłową lub jedynie nieznacznie zwiększoną LVM mimo obecności istotnego przerostu ścian lewej komory. Kardiol Pol 2010; 68, 7: 763-76