A Sequential Framework for Detection and Classification of Abnormal Teeth in Panoramic X-rays

This paper describes our solution for the Dental Enumeration and Diagnosis on Panoramic X-rays Challenge at MICCAI 2023. Our approach consists of a multi-step framework tailored to the task of detecting and classifying abnormal teeth. The solution includes three sequential stages: dental instance detection, healthy instance filtering, and abnormal instance classification. In the first stage, we employed a Faster-RCNN model for detecting and identifying teeth. In subsequent stages, we designed a model that merged the encoding pathway of a pretrained U-net, optimized for dental lesion detection, with the Vgg16 architecture. The resulting model was first used for filtering out healthy teeth. Then, any identified abnormal teeth were categorized, potentially falling into one or more of the following conditions: embedded, periapical lesion, caries, deep caries. The model performing dental instance detection achieved an AP score of 0.49. The model responsible for identifying healthy teeth attained an F1 score of 0.71. Meanwhile, the model trained for multi-label dental disease classification achieved an F1 score of 0.76. The code is available at https://github.com/tudordascalu/2d-teeth-detection-challenge

The role of inflammation in age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex, chronic, and progressive disease which affects the macular area, being one of the leading causes of irreversible vision loss worldwide. Specific alterations of retinal structure occur at the macular level, which regarding its severity can range from the presence of drusen to the development of geographic atrophy or choroidal neovascularization. AMD has long been considered a degenerative disease, but new studies highlight the role of inflammation present both in the atrophic form and in the exudative form. The present review is based on comprehensive research on PubMed and Web of Science databases, and it aims to describe the inflammatory pathways involved in AMD onset and progression. Understanding the molecules involved in AMD pathogenesis, and their mechanism of action, is crucial because they can be both biomarkers with a predictive role in disease management, as well as potential therapeutic targets

3DTeethSeg'22: 3D Teeth Scan Segmentation and Labeling Challenge

Teeth localization, segmentation, and labeling from intra-oral 3D scans are essential tasks in modern dentistry to enhance dental diagnostics, treatment planning, and population-based studies on oral health. However, developing automated algorithms for teeth analysis presents significant challenges due to variations in dental anatomy, imaging protocols, and limited availability of publicly accessible data. To address these challenges, the 3DTeethSeg'22 challenge was organized in conjunction with the International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (MICCAI) in 2022, with a call for algorithms tackling teeth localization, segmentation, and labeling from intraoral 3D scans. A dataset comprising a total of 1800 scans from 900 patients was prepared, and each tooth was individually annotated by a human-machine hybrid algorithm. A total of 6 algorithms were evaluated on this dataset. In this study, we present the evaluation results of the 3DTeethSeg'22 challenge. The 3DTeethSeg'22 challenge code can be accessed at: https://github.com/abenhamadou/3DTeethSeg22_challengeComment: 29 pages, MICCAI 2022 Singapore, Satellite Event, Challeng

RELEVANCE OF BUSINESS ETHICS IN A CHANGING WORLD

Business relations ethics is a procedure theoretically necessary and of a great social importance, which, starting from the analysis of “what this is”, points out the moral experience in a controversial domain of the human action, “what should this be”, as for the businesses to be recognized as a profession, and for the business trainings to subordinate the same moral exigency as in the public administration, law, medicine, education, etc. To start with, a first argument that justifies the privileged position of business ethics in the multitude of applied ethics is that today businesses themselves are – and this didn’t always happened - a central and respectable activity, in a society that is dominated by the open economy and the creative virtues of enterprisers free competition. Therefore, business ethics evolved from the continuous attack over capitalism and profit reaching to more productive and constructive examination of the basic rules of business practicing. The present study is aiming, in its first part, to identify those arguments which justify the central position of business ethics among the applied ethics, and next, in the second part, to debate the newest issues people confront with in a transition society, which strongest point doesn’t seem to be under no circumstances the morality of those involved in business.business ethics, responsibility argument, pragmatic argument, public good argument, prey economy, parallel transition

Laparoscopic Surgery in COVID-19 Era—Safety and Ethical Issues

(1) Background: The paper aims to review the available evidence regarding the health risk of the aerosolization induced by laparoscopy induced and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon minimally invasive surgery. (2) Materials and methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed on PubMed, Medline and Scopus until 10 July. (3) Results: Chemicals, carcinogens and biologically active materials, such as bacteria and viruses, have been isolated in surgical smoke. However, the only evidence of viral transmission through surgical smoke to medical staff is post-laser ablation of HPV-positive genital warts. The reports of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery revealed the presence of the virus, when tested, in digestive wall and stools in 50% of cases but not in bile or peritoneal fluid. All surgeries did not result in contamination of the personnel, when protective measures were applied, including personal protective equipment (PPE) and filtration of the pneumoperitoneum. There are no comparative studies between classical and laparoscopic surgery. (4) Conclusions: Previously published data showed there is a possible infectious and toxic risk related to surgical smoke but not particularly proven for SARS-CoV-2. Implementing standardized filtration systems for smoke evacuation during laparoscopy, although increases costs, is necessary to increase the safety and it will probably remain a routine also in the future

Meningioma in shape

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible relationship between the appearance of tumour margins of atypical meningiomas and the risk of tumour recurrence, as well as progression-free survival. We also evaluated the correlations between the tumour margins and the neuroimaging characteristics (e.g. brain oedema and contrast enhancement) along with pathological features (e.g. brain invasion and mean value of Ki-67 LI). Material and methods: In our study, we included 81 patients diagnosed with atypical meningioma (grade II meningioma), who have undergone surgery at the "Prof. Dr N. Oblu" Emergency Clinical Hospital Iasi, between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019. We followed the MRI imaging characteristics (e.g. tumour margins patterns, contrast enhancement, oedema grading and tumour volume), but also the pathological characteristics such as brain invasion and the mean value of the Ki-67 labelling index. The assessment of tumour recurrence was made using MRI imaging (T1+ contrast), over a follow-up period of 5 years after the surgery. Results: In our study, we observed that 59.3% (n=48) of meningiomas had an irregular appearance. The irregular margins predominated in the male population (65.1%) and were statistically significantly correlated with brain oedema (p<0.001), contrast enhancement (p<0.01), anatomical location (p<0.014) and the mean value of the Ki-67 labelling index (p<0.01). The tumour margins were not correlated with brain invasion or volume of meningiomas. Conclusion: In our series of patients we found that the irregular margin was not a prognostic factor for tumour recurrence over a period of 5 years or for progression-free survival

Meningioma in shape: Can the appearance of tumour margins be considered as a prognostic factor?

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible relationship between the appearance of tumour margins of atypical meningiomas and the risk of tumour recurrence, as well as progression-free survival. We also evaluated the correlations between the tumour margins and the neuroimaging characteristics (e.g. brain oedema and contrast enhancement) along with pathological features (e.g. brain invasion and mean value of Ki-67 LI). Material and methods: In our study, we included 81 patients diagnosed with atypical meningioma (grade II meningioma), who have undergone surgery at the "Prof. Dr N. Oblu" Emergency Clinical Hospital Iasi, between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019. We followed the MRI imaging characteristics (e.g. tumour margins patterns, contrast enhancement, oedema grading and tumour volume), but also the pathological characteristics such as brain invasion and the mean value of the Ki-67 labelling index. The assessment of tumour recurrence was made using MRI imaging (T1+ contrast), over a follow-up period of 5 years after the surgery. Results: In our study, we observed that 59.3% (n=48) of meningiomas had an irregular appearance. The irregular margins predominated in the male population (65.1%) and were statistically significantly correlated with brain oedema (p&lt;0.001), contrast enhancement (p&lt;0.01), anatomical location (p&lt;0.014) and the mean value of the Ki-67 labelling index (p&lt;0.01). The tumour margins were not correlated with brain invasion or volume of meningiomas. Conclusion: In our series of patients we found that the irregular margin was not a prognostic factor for tumour recurrence over a period of 5 years or for progression-free survival

Significance of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Platelet Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) in Diabetic Foot Ulcer and Potential New Therapeutic Targets

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a well-known complication of diabetes and a significant burden on the national health systems. The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio are inexpensive and easily accessible biomarkers that have proved to be useful in several inflammatory, infectious and cardiovascular diseases. We carried out a comprehensive review examining the association of NLR and PLR with the onset and progression of DFU. PLR and NLR were significantly increased in patients with DFU, compared with a control group of T2DM patients without DFU, and correlate well with DFU severity, evaluated by Wagner and IWGDF grading scales. In patients with diabetic foot infections (DFI), elevated NLR and PLR were correlated with osteomyelitis, increased risk of amputation, and septic complications. The significance of the elevated value of these biomarkers in DFU is related to chronic hyperglycemia and low-grade systemic inflammation, atherosclerotic and vascular complications, and also the associated septic factor. Serial, dynamic follow-up can provide useful information in planning and monitoring DFU treatment, as well as in risk stratification of these vulnerable patients. Further randomized studies are needed to set the cut-off values with clinical significance