The effects of a common stainless steel orthodontic bracket on the diagnostic quality of cranial and cervical 3T-MR images: a prospective, case-control study

Abstract OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of orthodontic stainless steel brackets and two different types of archwires (stainless steel and nickel-titanium) on the diagnostic quality of 3T-MR images. METHODS: This prospective, case-control study was conducted following STROBE guidelines. The imaging protocol consisted of the axial Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) and axial oblique double echo proton density (PD) and weighted/turbo spin echo (TSE) T2-weighted sequences for brain, paranasal sinuses and cervical region evaluation; sagittal TSE T2w, sagittal TSE T1w and axial T2* Gradient echo sequences (GRE) sequences for the cervical vertebrae; axial and coronal TSE T2w images for the head and neck structures; and sagittal, axial and coronal PD and TSE T2-weighted sequences for the temporo-mandibular joint. Two experts in neuroradiology evaluated the images. The statistical analysis was performed at the level of anatomical districts. The following statistical methods were used: descriptive statistics, Cohen's kappa coefficient (k), Kruskal-Wallis test, pairwise comparisons using the Dunn-Bonferroni approach. Significance was set at p≤0.05. RESULTS: 80 patients were included, providing 80 MRI. The presence of stainless steel brackets with or without archwires negatively influenced the MR images of the cervical region, paranasal sinuses, head and neck region and cervical vertebrae but did not influence the MR images of brain and temporomandibular joint regions. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with a stainless steel multi-bracket orthodontic appliance should remove it before cervical vertebrae, cervical region, paranasal sinuses and head and neck MRI scans. The brain and temporomandibular joint regions MRI should not require the removal of such appliances

A comparative study of operational vessel detectors for maritime surveillance using satellite-borne synthetic aperture radar

This paper presents a comparative study among four operational detectors that work by automatically post-processing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images acquired from the satellite platforms RADARSAT-2 and COSMO-SkyMed. Challenging maritime scenarios have been chosen to assess the detectors' performance against features such as ambiguities, significant sea clutter, or irregular shorelines. The SAR images which form the test data are complemented with ground truth to define the reference detection configuration, which permits quantifying the probability of detection, the false alarm rate, and the accuracy of estimating ship dimensions. Although the results show that all the detectors perform well, there is no perfect detector, and a better detection system could be developed that combines the best elements from each of the single detectors. In addition to the comparison exercise, the study has facilitated the improvement of the detectors by highlighting weaknesses and providing means for fixing them.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

#IStayCamp. Health conditions, food deprivation and solidarity problems in the first days of the lockdown in the Roma Villages of Rome

First lines: On March 9, 2020 the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, "in order to counteract and contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus," signed a decree of complete lockdown aimed at "avoiding any movement of individuals."1 Furthermore, the government recommended the application of stringent hygienic-sanitary measures throughout the country. Our NGO, “Associazione 21 luglio”, began an applied research project aimed at understanding the impact of the measures in formal settlements in Rome. These settlements are inhabited by families that generally define themselves (and are identified by the local authorities) as belonging to varied Roma communities

Technological Options for Promoting Adaptive Behaviors of Children with Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic pathology due to an excessive length of a repetitive sequence of trinucleotides (CGG) in a specific gene (FMR1), matched to FMR1 protein, which is primarily responsible for the regular brain developing and functioning. It represents one of the most usual cause of developmental disabilities with learning difficulties as consequence of intellectual, communicative and social disorders. Additionally, anxiety, hyperactivity, seizures, gaze avoidance and autism spectrum disorders are frequently described within its patterns, basically occurring in males. FXS physical characteristics usually include long and narrow visage, large ears, prominent jaws and foreheads. Stereotypic behaviors, aggression and self-injuries are equally described among this population [1-3]. Accordingly, individuals with FXS may be entirely considered as affected by severe to profound developmental disabilities. One way to enable the latter persons with the independent access to positive stimulation is the use of assistive technology (AT) [4]. It refers to any technological piece, device, tool or equipment enhancing selfdetermination [5]. Despite its large and wide use among children with developmental disabilities, few studies have been carried out on the use of AT within FXS populatio