Non-invasive inspections: a review on methods and tools

Non-Invasive Inspection (NII) has become a fundamental tool in modern industrial maintenance strategies. Remote and online inspection features keep operators fully aware of the health of industrial assets whilst saving money, lives, production and the environment. This paper conducted crucial research to identify suitable sensing techniques for machine health diagnosis in an NII manner, mainly to detect machine shaft misalignment and gearbox tooth damage for different types of machines, even those installed in a hostile environment, using literature on several sensing tools and techniques. The researched tools are critically reviewed based on the published literature. However, in the absence of a formal definition of NII in the existing literature, we have categorised NII tools and methods into two distinct categories. Later, we describe the use of these tools as contact-based, such as vibration, alternative current (AC), voltage and flux analysis, and non-contact-based, such as laser, imaging, acoustic, thermographic and radar, under each category in detail. The unaddressed issues and challenges are discussed at the end of the paper. The conclusions suggest that one cannot single out an NII technique or method to perform health diagnostics for every machine efficiently. There are limitations with all of the reviewed tools and methods, but good results possible if the machine operational requirements and maintenance needs are considered. It has been noted that the sensors based on radar principles are particularly effective when monitoring assets, but further comprehensive research is required to explore the full potential of these sensors in the context of the NII of machine health. Hence it was identified that the radar sensing technique has excellent features, although it has not been comprehensively employed in machine health diagnosis

Non-Invasive Inspections: A Review on Methods and Tools

Non-Invasive Inspection (NII) has become a fundamental tool in modern industrial maintenance strategies. Remote and online inspection features keep operators fully aware of the health of industrial assets whilst saving money, lives, production and the environment. This paper conducted crucial research to identify suitable sensing techniques for machine health diagnosis in an NII manner, mainly to detect machine shaft misalignment and gearbox tooth damage for different types of machines, even those installed in a hostile environment, using literature on several sensing tools and techniques. The researched tools are critically reviewed based on the published literature. However, in the absence of a formal definition of NII in the existing literature, we have categorised NII tools and methods into two distinct categories. Later, we describe the use of these tools as contact-based, such as vibration, alternative current (AC), voltage and flux analysis, and non-contact-based, such as laser, imaging, acoustic, thermographic and radar, under each category in detail. The unaddressed issues and challenges are discussed at the end of the paper. The conclusions suggest that one cannot single out an NII technique or method to perform health diagnostics for every machine efficiently. There are limitations with all of the reviewed tools and methods, but good results possible if the machine operational requirements and maintenance needs are considered. It has been noted that the sensors based on radar principles are particularly effective when monitoring assets, but further comprehensive research is required to explore the full potential of these sensors in the context of the NII of machine health. Hence it was identified that the radar sensing technique has excellent features, although it has not been comprehensively employed in machine health diagnosis

A rare case of prostatic abscess caused by Brucella organisms: First report in Saudi Arabia

Brucellosis is a zoonotic infectious disease that is known endemic infection in Saudi Arabia. Yet, this infection has not been reported as evident cause of prostatic abscess. we present a new case of prostatic abscess caused by brucella organism proven using pus culture and serology. These organisms should be suspected in patients presenting with clinical picture of prostatic abscess especially in endemic areas

Paroxysmal nonepileptic events in children and adolescents admitted to the epilepsy monitoring unit: A retrospective study

Several patients are referred to the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) to evaluate episodic events that can be challenging to differentiate from epileptic events. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of non-epileptic events (NEEs) among children and adolescents admitted to the EMU, and the clinical and demographic features of such events. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated all patients aged 18 years and below who were admitted to the EMU of King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, KSA, from January 2014 to March 2020. Results: The prevalence of NEEs in children & adolescents admitted to the EMU was 25%. Psychogenic events (PNESs, 30%) were the most common type. Movement disorders occurred more often in younger age group, while migraine was seen more often in school-aged children. Conclusion: The prevalence of NEEs was 25%, and this result is similar to that reported in the literature. The distribution of events is mainly based on age. Clinical and video-based assessments are essential in identifying such events to prevent unnecessary treatment with anti-seizure medications

Investigating the Feasibility of Predicting KRAS Status, Tumor Staging, and Extramural Venous Invasion in Colorectal Cancer Using Inter-Platform Magnetic Resonance Imaging Radiomic Features

(1) Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer with a high mortality rate and poor prognosis. The accurate prediction of key genetic mutations, such as the KRAS status, tumor staging, and extramural venous invasion (EMVI), is crucial for guiding personalized treatment decisions and improving patients’ outcomes. MRI radiomics was assessed to predict the KRAS status and tumor staging in colorectal cancer patients across different imaging platforms to improve the personalized treatment decisions and outcomes. (2) Methods: Sixty colorectal cancer patients (35M/25F; avg. age 56.3 ± 12.9 years) were treated at an oncology unit. The MRI scans included T2-weighted (T2W) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) or the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). The manual segmentation of colorectal cancer was conducted on the T2W and DWI/ADC images. The cohort was split into training and validation sets, and machine learning was used to build predictive models. (3) Results: The neural network (NN) model achieved 73% accuracy and an AUC of 0.71 during training for predicting the KRAS mutation status, while during testing, it achieved 62.5% accuracy and an AUC of 0.68. In the case of tumor grading, the support vector machine (SVM) model excelled with a training accuracy of 72.93% and an AUC of 0.7, and during testing, it reached an accuracy of 72% and an AUC of 0.69. (4) Conclusions: ML models using radiomics from ADC maps and T2-weighted images are effective for distinguishing KRAS genes, tumor grading, and EMVI in colorectal cancer. Standardized protocols are essential to improve MRI radiomics’ reliability in clinical practice

Saudi oncology society and Saudi urology association combined clinical management guidelines for renal cell carcinoma 2017

In this report, we update the previously published Saudi guidelines for the evaluation and medical and surgical management of renal cell carcinoma. It is categorized according to the stage of the disease using the tumor node metastasis staging system 7th edition. The recommendations are presented with supporting evidence level

Risk factors associated with mortality among patients with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Africa

Background The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in China and later spread rapidly to other parts of the world, including Africa. Africa was projected to be devastated by COVID-19. There is currently limited data regarding regional predictors of mortality among patients with COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the independent risk factors associated with mortality among patients with COVID-19 in Africa. Methods A total of 1028 confirmed cases of COVID-19 from Africa with definite survival outcomes were identified retrospectively from an open-access individual-level worldwide COVID-19 database. The live version of the dataset is available at https://github.com/beoutbreakprepared/nCoV2019. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to determine the risk factors that independently predict mortality among patients with COVID-19 in Africa. Results Of the 1028 cases included in study, 432 (42.0%) were females with a median (interquartile range, IQR) age of 50 (24) years. Older age (adjusted odds ratio {aOR} 1.06; [95% confidence intervals {95% CI}, 1.04–1.08]), presence of chronic disease (aOR 9.63; [95% CI, 3.84–24.15]), travel history (aOR 2.44; [95% CI, 1.26–4.72]), as well as locations of Central Africa (aOR 0.14; [95% CI, 0.03–0.72]) and West Africa (aOR 0.12; [95% CI, 0.04–0.32]) were identified as the independent risk factors significantly associated with increased mortality among the patients with COVID-19. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic is evolving gradually in Africa. Among patients with COVID-19 in Africa, older age, presence of chronic disease, travel history, and the locations of Central Africa and West Africa were associated with increased mortality. A regional response should prioritize strategies that will protect these populations. Also, conducting a further in-depth study could provide more insights into additional factors predictive of mortality in COVID-19 patients

Saudi Oncology Society and Saudi Urology Association combined clinical management guidelines for urothelial cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder 2017

This is an update to the previously published Saudi guidelines for the evaluation and medical/surgical management of patients diagnosed with urothelial cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder. It is categorized according to the stage of the disease using the tumor node metastasis staging system, 7th edition. The guidelines are presented with their accompanying supporting evidence level, which is based on comprehensive literature review, several internationally recognized guidelines, and the collective expertise of the guidelines committee members (authors) who were selected by the Saudi Oncology Society and Saudi Urological Association. Considerations to the local availability of drugs, technology, and expertise have been regarded. These guidelines should serve as a roadmap for the urologists, oncologists, general physicians, support groups, and health-care policymakers in the management of patients diagnosed with urothelial cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder

Saudi Oncology Society and Saudi Urology Association combined clinical management guidelines for prostate cancer 2017

This is an update to the previously published Saudi guidelines for the evaluation and medical and surgical management of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is categorized according to the stage of the disease using the tumor node metastasis staging system 7th edition. The guidelines are presented with supporting evidence levels based on a comprehensive literature review, several internationally recognized guidelines, and the collective expertise of the guidelines committee members (authors) who were selected by the Saudi Oncology Society and Saudi Urological Association. Local factors, such as availability, logistic feasibility, and familiarity of various treatment modalities, have been taken into consideration. These guidelines should serve as a roadmap for the urologists, oncologists, general physicians, support groups, and health-care policymakers in the management of patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the prostate