Visual analytics in histopathology diagnostics: a protocol-based approach

Computer-Aided-Diagnosis (CAD) systems supporting the diagnostic process are widespread in radiology. Digital Pathology is still behind in the introduction of such solutions. Several studies investigated pathologists' behavior but only a few aimed to improve the diagnostic and report process with novel applications. In this work we designed and implemented a first protocol-based CAD viewer supported by visual analytics. The system targets the optimization of the diagnostic workflow in breast cancer diagnosis by means of three image analysis features that belong to the standard grading system (Nottingham Histologic Grade). A pathologist's routine was tracked during the examination of breast cancer tissue slides and diagnostic traces were analyzed from a qualitative perspective. Accordingly, a set of generic requirements was elicited to define the design and the implementation of the CAD-Viewer. A first qualitative evaluation conducted with five pathologists shows that the interface suffices the diagnostic workflow and diminishes the manual effort. We present promising evidence of the usefulness of our CAD-viewer and opportunities for its extension and integration in clinical practice. As a conclusion, the findings demonstrate that it is feasibile to optimize the Nottingham Grading workflow and, generally, the histological diagnosis by integrating computational pathology data with visual analytics techniques

The Influence of Aortic Wall Elasticity on the False Lumen in Aortic Dissection: An In Vitro Study

Cardiovascular Aspects of Radiolog

The cinepheur: post-cinematic passage, post-perceptual passage

This thesis develops a hermeneutic commensurate with the aesthetic and ontological challenges of what Steven Shaviro describes as a post-cinematic media ecology, and Shane Denson describes as an emergent post-perceptual media ecology. I consider canonicity and cinephilia as frustrated efforts to contain and comprehend this new cinematic media object, offering a third unit of interpretation in their place, which I describe as the cinetopic anecdote. I associate the cinetopic anecdote with a particular way of moving between cinema and cinematic infrastructure, which I label cinetopic passage, and with a subject position that I label the cinepheur. Drawing on Walter Benjamin’s theory of the flâneur, I argue that the cinetopic anecdote precludes the extraction of a privileged cinematic moment in the manner characteristic of Christian Keathley’s cinephilic anecdote, but instead compels the cinepheur to instantiate, embody or physically recreate the infrastructural conditions that produced it, dovetailing production and consumption into what Axel Bruns has described as the emergent category of produsage; “unfinished artifacts, continuing process.” Having elaborated the cinetopic anecdote, I apply it to postmodern, post-cinematic and post-perceptual media ecologies, in order to evoke the peculiar forms of attachment and obsession bound up with the Criterion and Netflix platforms. In the process, I draw on Franco Moretti’s conception of distant reading to frame the cinetopic anecdote as a unit of distant viewing, offering distant viewings of Angela Christlieb and Stephen Kijak’s Cinemania, Sidney Lumet’s Garbo Talks and Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salò, or The 120 Days of Sodom. Just as distant reading takes “the great unread” as its object of enquiry, so the cinetopic anecdote speaks to a media ecology preoccupied by the “great unviewed,” in which cinematic scarcity increasingly ramifies as an elegaic object

Assessment of mitral valve regurgitation by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a common valvular heart disease and is the second most frequent indication for heart valve surgery in Western countries. Echocardiography is the recommended first-line test for the assessment of valvular heart disease, but cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) provides complementary information, especially for assessing MR severity and to plan the timing of intervention. As new CMR techniques for the assessment of MR have arisen, standardizing CMR protocols for research and clinical studies has become important in order to optimize diagnostic utility and support the wider use of CMR for the clinical assessment of MR. In this Consensus Statement, we provide a detailed description of the current evidence on the use of CMR for MR assessment, highlight its current clinical utility, and recommend a standardized CMR protocol and report for MR assessment

Trajectories of adolescent perceived stress and symptoms of depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic

NWO400.17.601Teaching and Teacher Learning (ICLON

Prepandemic risk factors of COVID-19-related concerns in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

To identify adolescents who may be at risk for adverse outcomes, we examined the extent of COVID-19-related concerns reported by adolescents and investigated which prepandemic risk and protective factors predicted these concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dutch adolescents (N = 188; M-age = 13.49, SD = .81) were assessed before the pandemic and at eight and ten months into the pandemic. Results demonstrated that adolescents' most frequently reported COVID-19-related concerns were about social activities and getting delayed in school. Adolescents that have specific vulnerabilities before the pandemic (i.e., higher stress, maladaptive coping, or internalizing problems) experience more concerns during the pandemic, stressing the importance of guiding and supporting these adolescents in order to prevent adverse developmental outcomes.Pathways through Adolescenc

The effects of school-based interventions on physiological stress in adolescents: a meta-analysis

Chronic stress is associated with dysregulations in the physiological stress system, resulting in diverse negative developmental outcomes. Since adolescence is a period characterized by increased stress-sensitivity, and schools are an important environment for the developing adolescent, school-based interventions promoting psychosocial functioning are of particular interest to prevent adverse outcomes. The present study therefore aimed to investigate the effectiveness of such interventions on hypothalamic pituitary adrenal-axis (i.e., cortisol) and cardiovascular (i.e., blood pressure [BP] and heart rate [HR]/heart rate variability [HRV]) parameters of stress in adolescents, and examined moderators of effectiveness. The search resulted in the inclusion of k = 9 studies for cortisol, k = 16 studies for BP, and k = 20 studies for HR/HRV. The results indicated a significant small overall effect on reducing BP, but no significant effect for HR/HRV. For cortisol, large methodological variation in the few primary studies did not allow for quantitative analyses, but a qualitative review demonstrated inconsistent results. For BP and HR/HRV, larger effects were observed for intervention programs with a mindfulness and/or meditation component, for interventions without a cognitive-behavioural component and for interventions with a higher intensity. Providing adolescents with techniques to improve indicators of physiological stress may prevent emerging mental health problems.Pathways through Adolescenc

Normal and reference values for cardiovascular magnetic resonance-based pulse wave velocity in the middle-aged general population

Background Aortic stiffness, assessed through pulse wave velocity (PWV), is an independent predictor for cardiovascular disease risk. However, the scarce availability of normal and reference values for cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) based PWV is limiting clinical implementation. The aim of this study was to determine normal and reference values for CMR assessed PWV in the general population. Methods From the 2,484 participants of the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity (NEO) study that have available CMR-PWV data, 1,394 participants free from cardiovasculard disease, smokers or treatment for diabetes, hypertension or dyslipidaemia were selected (45-65 years, 51% female). Participants were divided into sex, age and blood pressure (BP) subgroups. Normal values were specified for participants with a BP = 130/80 and = 140/90 mmHg). Differences between groups were tested with independent samples t-test or ANOVA. Due to an oversampling of obese individuals in this study, PWV values are based on a weighted analysis making them representative of the general population. Results Normal mean PWV was 6.0 m/s [95% CI 5.8-6.1]. PWV increased with advancing age and BP categories (both p 140/90 mmHg women had a higher PWV (p = 0.005). The interpercentile ranges were smaller for participants = 55 years, indicating an increasing variability of PWV with age. PWV upper limits were particularly elevated in participants >= 55 years old in the high blood pressure subgroups. Conclusion This study provides normal and reference values for CMR-assessed PWV per sex, age and blood pressure category in the general population.Clinical epidemiolog