Quantitative Visualization and Detection of Skin Cancer Using Dynamic Thermal Imaging

In 2010 approximately 68,720 melanomas will be diagnosed in the US alone, with around 8,650 resulting in death 1. To date, the only effective treatment for melanoma remains surgical excision, therefore, the key to extended survival is early detection 2,3. Considering the large numbers of patients diagnosed every year and the limitations in accessing specialized care quickly, the development of objective in vivo diagnostic instruments to aid the diagnosis is essential. New techniques to detect skin cancer, especially non-invasive diagnostic tools, are being explored in numerous laboratories. Along with the surgical methods, techniques such as digital photography, dermoscopy, multispectral imaging systems (MelaFind), laser-based systems (confocal scanning laser microscopy, laser doppler perfusion imaging, optical coherence tomography), ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, are being tested. Each technique offers unique advantages and disadvantages, many of which pose a compromise between effectiveness and accuracy versus ease of use and cost considerations. Details about these techniques and comparisons are available in the literature 4

Short Communication Effects of short chain fatty acid (SCFA) supplementation on performance and egg characteristics of old breeder hens

A study was conducted to determine the effect of supplementing the diet of breeder hens with a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) premix, containing 509 g fatty acid salts/kg of which 285 g were calcium butyrate, on their eggshell characteristics and the hatching percentage of the eggs. One thousand six hundred 66-week old White Bovans laying breeder hens were used in this experiment. They were housed in eight identical pens, each containing 200 birds, and four pens were used per treatment. The SCFA premix was included at 1000 mg/kg in the treatment diet, and fed for a period of nine weeks. Responses were compared with an unsupplemented treatment. Supplementation started when the hens were 66 weeks old. From day 75 eggs were collected for the next seven weeks and the occurrence of cracked, dirty and misshapen eggs was recorded, and the hatching percentage of the eggs was determined. Eggshell strength was lower in eggs from the control (1.76 ± 0.05) than from the treatment group (2.07 ± 0.03). The percentage of eggs produced by the control group (68.6 ± 0.08) was significantly lower than that by the supplemented group (71.5 ± 0.15). Percentage of dirty, cracked and misshapen eggs, and the hatchability percentage of the control group (1.15 ± 0.03, 3.44 ± 0.05, 6.27 ± 0.03 and 88.93 ± 0.06, respectively) were also significantly lower than in the group receiving SCFA (0.47 ± 0.03, 2.21 ± 0.03, 3.81 ± 0.03 and 93.36 ± 0.05, respectively). It was concluded that dietary supplementation of SCFA to layer breeder hens from 66 weeks of age onwards improved eggshell strength, reduced the percentage of dirty, cracked and misshapen eggs and increased the hatching percentage of the eggs. The positive responses were suggested to be largely due to the butyrate in the SCFA. Keywords: Butyrate; SCFA; eggshell quality; hatching characteristics South African Journal of Animal Science Vol. 37 (3) 2007: pp.158-16

Application of infrared thermography in computer aided diagnosis

The invention of thermography, in the 1950s, posed a formidable problem to the research community: What is the relationship between disease and heat radiation captured with Infrared (IR) cameras? The research community responded with a continuous effort to find this crucial relationship. This effort was aided by advances in processing techniques, improved sensitivity and spatial resolution of thermal sensors. However, despite this progress fundamental issues with this imaging modality still remain. The main problem is that the link between disease and heat radiation is complex and in many cases even non-linear. Furthermore, the change in heat radiation as well as the change in radiation pattern, which indicate disease, is minute. On a technical level, this poses high requirements on image capturing and processing. On a more abstract level, these problems lead to inter-observer variability and on an even more abstract level they lead to a lack of trust in this imaging modality. In this review, we adopt the position that these problems can only be solved through a strict application of scientific principles and objective performance assessment. Computing machinery is inherently objective; this helps us to apply scientific principles in a transparent way and to assess the performance results. As a consequence, we aim to promote thermography based Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) systems. Another benefit of CAD systems comes from the fact that the diagnostic accuracy is linked to the capability of the computing machinery and, in general, computers become ever more potent. We predict that a pervasive application of computers and networking technology in medicine will help us to overcome the shortcomings of any single imaging modality and this will pave the way for integrated health care systems which maximize the quality of patient care

USING CONCEPTUAL CHANGE TEXTS WITH ANALOGIES FOR MISCONCEPTIONS IN ACIDS AND BASES

This study was conducted to explore the effectiveness of conceptual change oriented instruction over traditional instruction on students' understanding of acids and bases concept. Besides, effects of gender difference and science process skills on students' understanding of acids and bases were also investigated. Analysis of the results showed that establishing an analogical thinking during the instruction via conceptual change text caused better acquisition of scientific conceptions and elimination of misconceptions. In-depth interviews after the post-tests showed that students' lack of knowledge and misinterpretation of solutions and bonds concepts result in serious misconceptions in acids and bases concept. Especially, students have problems when they relate the concentration and strength with acidity, basicity and pH. Results also showed that science process skills of the students could be a strong predictor of their achievements in acids and bases whereas there was no significant effect of gender on students' understanding of acids and bases

Short-term clinical outcomes of two different flap techniques in impacted mandibular third molar surgery

WOS: 000323484300006PubMed ID: 22921446Objective. The aim of this study was to estimate the influence of flap design on alveolar osteitis (AO) and postoperative side effects following third molar surgery. Study Design. This study was designed as a randomized single-blind clinical trial. The predictor variable was flap type. Envelope flap and modified triangular flap techniques were used. The primary outcome variable was AO. The secondary outcome variables were pain, swelling, and trismus. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed. Statistical significance was set at P <= .05. Results. Eighty patients with impacted mandibular third molars participated in the study. The envelope flap design was associated with a higher incidence of AO that was not statistically significant. On the second day, postoperative pain and swelling was observed as significantly different with the envelope flap technique. Conclusions. The modified triangular flap had the advantage of less postoperative pain and swelling but had the disadvantage of AO

18F-FDG PET/CT in pediatric lymphoma: Comparison of the deauville criteria with semiquantitative analysis and ct in interim and post-treatment nodal evaluation

2-s2.0-85077032145Objectives: To investigate and compare the role of visual assessment according to the Deauville Criteria (DC) and semiquantitative assessment by maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and CT, in interim and post-therapy 18F-FDG PET/CT scans in the nodal involvement of pediatric lymphoma. Design: Retrospective study Setting: Training and Research Hospital Subjects: Forty-nine PET/CT scans (15 interim, 34 posttherapy) of 30 pediatric patients [19 Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL)/11 non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL)] were retrospectively reviewed. Unenhanced low-dose CT component of PET/CT were compared with data derived from DC and SUVmax and all were correlated with radiologic, pathological, laboratory records and clinical follow-up. Main outcome measures: SUVmax, DC scores and CT findings in interim and/or post-therapy PET/CT scan Results: In 15 interim PET/CT scans, 23 and 12 nodal disease sites were detected by CT and PET (with SUVmax and DC), respectively. In 34 post-therapy scans, 36 regions were detected by CT and metabolic assessment revealed 31 regions. In HL, specificity to predict therapy response was 77.7% and 64.4% for interim evaluation and 95.1% and 75.8% for post-therapy evaluation by metabolic assessment methods and CT, respectively. Negative predictive value (NPV) was 100% for each interim and post-therapy evaluation method. Sensitivity was 100% for post-therapy metabolic evaluation and CT. In NHL, specificity to predict therapy response was 100% and 28.5% for interim evaluation and 75% and 62.5% for post-therapy evaluation by metabolic assessment methods and CT, respectively. NPV was 100% for each interim evaluation method, 42.8% for post-therapy metabolic evaluation, 26.3% for post-therapy CT; sensitivity was 75% for post-therapy metabolic evaluation and 56.2% for post-therapy CT. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that the assessment according to DC and SUVmax showed concordant results and could be safely used both in interim and post-therapy PET/CT scans of pediatric patients with lymphoma. Even if metabolic evaluation is superior to CT, these methodologies are complementary to each other, and one should review them both synchronously. © 2019, Kuwait Medical Association. All rights reserved