Value of minimum intensity projections for chest CT in COVID-19 patients

Purpose: To investigate whether minimum intensity projection (MinIP) reconstructions enable more accurate depiction of pulmonary ground-glass opacity (GGO) compared to standard transverse sections and multiplanar reformat (MPR) series in patients with suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Method: In this multinational study, chest CT scans of 185 patients were retrospectively analyzed. Diagnostic accuracy, diagnostic confidence, image quality regarding the assessment of GGO, as well as subjective time-efficiency of MinIP and standard MPR series were analyzed based on the assessment of six radiologists. In addition, the suitability for COVID-19 evaluation, image quality regarding GGO and subjective time-efficiency in clinical routine was assessed by five clinicians. Results: The reference standard revealed a total of 149 CT scans with pulmonary GGO. MinIP reconstructions yielded significantly higher sensitivity (99.9 % vs 95.6 %), specificity (95.8 % vs 86.1 %) and accuracy (99.1 % vs 93.8 %) for assessing of GGO compared with standard MPR series. MinIP reconstructions achieved significantly higher ratings by radiologists concerning diagnostic confidence (medians, 5.00 vs 4.00), image quality (medians, 4.00 vs 4.00), contrast between GGO and unaffected lung parenchyma (medians, 5.00 vs 4.00) as well as subjective time-efficiency (medians, 5.00 vs 4.00) compared with MPR-series (all P <.001). Clinicians preferred MinIP reconstructions for COVID-19 assessment (medians, 5.00 vs 3.00), image quality regarding GGO (medians, 5.00 vs 3.00) and subjective time-efficiency in clinical routine (medians, 5.00 vs 3.00). Conclusions: MinIP reconstructions improve the assessment of COVID-19 in chest CT compared to standard images and may be suitable for routine application

Educación cimarrona

La presente obra consta de tres partes bien definidas: la primera expone el resultado de los talleres y el trabajo de las coordinadoras de los Centros de Educación Cimarrona de los siguientes barrios de Sucumbíos: El Cisne, Amazonas, San Valentín y la parroquia Pacayacu, y recupera historias de viada de hombres y mujeres así como la tradición oral presente en su memoria colectiva y recuperada por el grupo de trabajo. La segunda parte consta de las reflexiones teóricas sobre el cimarronaje y los fundamentos conceptuales que inspiran los Centros de Educación Cimarrona. La tercera y última sección ofrece, en primer lugar, el relato reflexivo de los talleres de grafoplástica identitaria y, luego, una guía para niños investigadores al servicio de la revitalización de la cultura, las identidades y las memorias vivas de los pueblos cimarrone

Fe and Pt carbon nanotubes for the electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to oxygenates

Using Pt/CNT or Fe/CNT electrocatalysts it is possible to convert carbon dioxide to liquid fuels, particularly isopropanol. Fe/CNT shows a better behavior than Pt/CNT, although a faster deactivation. The main reason of deactivation is cross-over of the electrolyte, particularly of K ions. They react with iron particles and cause their dissolution and migration. In the case of Pt/CNT there is no, or minor, dissolution of metal, but potassium covers the Pt particles and/or induce deactivation. It is shown, however, that the electrolyte was necessary to simulate the half-cell of the full photoelectrocatalytic device, while in the latter no electrolyte is needed, being the protons and electrons produced by water splitting. The elimination of the electrolyte probably could eliminate or significantly reduce a main cause determining the observed fast deactivation

L’urbanistica dei prof(ass)essori. Esperienze e competenze nell’amministrazione pubblica e per la didattica

Il libro raccoglie i contributi di un gruppo di docenti di urbanistica che per un certo periodo hanno assunto il ruolo di assessori (all’urbanistica, al governo del territorio e simili) a livello comunale, provinciale e regionale. Tenendo in mente il senso della ricerca con John Forester sui profili dei planner, del lavoro sulle pratiche urbane à la Crosta e della collezione di biografie di urbanisti à la la Gabellini-Di Biagi, la specifica forma di questa raccolta è, senz’altro un ibrido. Una composizione di scritti sulle pratiche, tecniche, amministrative e politiche, con l’ambizione di riconnettere la riflessività dei professori-assessori a quella necessaria capacità deliberativa consentita dal ruolo e dalla prossimità, invece che dalla contrapposizione e distanza, dalle azioni di governo, e quindi, dalle policies.The book is focused on the experience of professors-deputy mayors in urban planning able to consider their own experience to improve practices and knowledge of their own students