Service Station Attendant. Performance Objectives. Basic Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, John

Several intermediate performance objectives and corresponding criterion measures are listed for each of 24 terminal objectives for a basic secondary level service station attendant course. The materials were developed for a two-semester course (2 and 3 hours daily). The specialized classroom and shop experiences are designed to enable the student…

The Influence of Time Pressure and Case Complexity on Physicians׳ Diagnostic Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dalal A. ALQahtani

2016-12-01

Conclusions: Time pressure did not impact the diagnostic performance, whereas the complexity of the clinical case negatively influenced the diagnostic accuracy. Further studies with the enhanced experimental manipulation of time pressure are needed to reveal the effect of time pressure, if any, on a physician׳s diagnostic performance.

Diagnostic Performance of the Intraoral Radiographs on the Interproximal Dental Caries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Soo Ji; Kang, Byung Cheol

1998-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluated the diagnostic performance of the senior dental students for the proximal dental caries in intraoral radiographs and to compare it with the dental hospital residents, the reference group. It was also investigated the diagnostic performance according to the carious lesion depth. Thirty-five intraoral periapical and bitewing radiographs with 213 proximal surface included in this study were selected from the dental patients at Chonnam National University Hospital. The observers were 181 senior dental students from 5 dental schools and 40 dentists who were second year resident from 5 dental hospitals. They were asked to evaluate the presence ro the absence of the proximal dental caries. The results were as follows : 1. The mean of the hitting rate for the overall observers was 184.51 surfaces and the diagnostic accuracy was 86.62%. 2. The diagnostic performance of the sound proximal tooth surfaces was very high, i.e., 91.5% true negative rate and 8.5% false positive rate. 3. The diagnostic performance of the dentist group was higher than the student group (P 0.001).

Sensor Selection for Aircraft Engine Performance Estimation and Gas Path Fault Diagnostics

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Donald L.; Rinehart, Aidan W.

2016-01-01

This paper presents analytical techniques for aiding system designers in making aircraft engine health management sensor selection decisions. The presented techniques, which are based on linear estimation and probability theory, are tailored for gas turbine engine performance estimation and gas path fault diagnostics applications. They enable quantification of the performance estimation and diagnostic accuracy offered by different candidate sensor suites. For performance estimation, sensor selection metrics are presented for two types of estimators including a Kalman filter and a maximum a posteriori estimator. For each type of performance estimator, sensor selection is based on minimizing the theoretical sum of squared estimation errors in health parameters representing performance deterioration in the major rotating modules of the engine. For gas path fault diagnostics, the sensor selection metric is set up to maximize correct classification rate for a diagnostic strategy that performs fault classification by identifying the fault type that most closely matches the observed measurement signature in a weighted least squares sense. Results from the application of the sensor selection metrics to a linear engine model are presented and discussed. Given a baseline sensor suite and a candidate list of optional sensors, an exhaustive search is performed to determine the optimal sensor suites for performance estimation and fault diagnostics. For any given sensor suite, Monte Carlo simulation results are found to exhibit good agreement with theoretical predictions of estimation and diagnostic accuracies.

Methodology for quantitative evaluation of diagnostic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metz, C.

1981-01-01

Of various approaches that might be taken to the diagnostic performance evaluation problem, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis holds great promise. Further development of the methodology for a unified, objective, and meaningful approach to evaluating the usefulness of medical imaging procedures is done by consideration of statistical significance testing, optimal sequencing of correlated studies, and analysis of observer performance

Resilient actions in the diagnostic process and system performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Michael W; Davis Giardina, Traber; Murphy, Daniel R; Laxmisan, Archana; Singh, Hardeep

2013-12-01

Systemic issues can adversely affect the diagnostic process. Many system-related barriers can be masked by 'resilient' actions of frontline providers (ie, actions supporting the safe delivery of care in the presence of pressures that the system cannot readily adapt to). We explored system barriers and resilient actions of primary care providers (PCPs) in the diagnostic evaluation of cancer. We conducted a secondary data analysis of interviews of PCPs involved in diagnostic evaluation of 29 lung and colorectal cancer cases. Cases covered a range of diagnostic timeliness and were analysed to identify barriers for rapid diagnostic evaluation, and PCPs' actions involving elements of resilience addressing those barriers. We rated these actions according to whether they were usual or extraordinary for typical PCP work. Resilient actions and associated barriers were found in 59% of the cases, in all ranges of timeliness, with 40% involving actions rated as beyond typical. Most of the barriers were related to access to specialty services and coordination with patients. Many of the resilient actions involved using additional communication channels to solicit cooperation from other participants in the diagnostic process. Diagnostic evaluation of cancer involves several resilient actions by PCPs targeted at system deficiencies. PCPs' actions can sometimes mitigate system barriers to diagnosis, and thereby impact the sensitivity of 'downstream' measures (eg, delays) in detecting barriers. While resilient actions might enable providers to mitigate system deficiencies in the short run, they can be resource intensive and potentially unsustainable. They complement, rather than substitute for, structural remedies to improve system performance. Measures to detect and fix system performance issues targeted by these resilient actions could facilitate diagnostic safety.

Effect of radiologists' diagnostic work-up volume on interpretive performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Buist, Diana S M; Anderson, Melissa L; Smith, Robert A; Carney, Patricia A; Miglioretti, Diana L; Monsees, Barbara S; Sickles, Edward A; Taplin, Stephen H; Geller, Berta M; Yankaskas, Bonnie C; Onega, Tracy L

2014-11-01

To examine radiologists' screening performance in relation to the number of diagnostic work-ups performed after abnormal findings are discovered at screening mammography by the same radiologist or by different radiologists. In an institutional review board-approved HIPAA-compliant study, the authors linked 651 671 screening mammograms interpreted from 2002 to 2006 by 96 radiologists in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium to cancer registries (standard of reference) to evaluate the performance of screening mammography (sensitivity, false-positive rate [ FPR false-positive rate ], and cancer detection rate [ CDR cancer detection rate ]). Logistic regression was used to assess the association between the volume of recalled screening mammograms ("own" mammograms, where the radiologist who interpreted the diagnostic image was the same radiologist who had interpreted the screening image, and "any" mammograms, where the radiologist who interpreted the diagnostic image may or may not have been the radiologist who interpreted the screening image) and screening performance and whether the association between total annual volume and performance differed according to the volume of diagnostic work-up. Annually, 38% of radiologists performed the diagnostic work-up for 25 or fewer of their own recalled screening mammograms, 24% performed the work-up for 0-50, and 39% performed the work-up for more than 50. For the work-up of recalled screening mammograms from any radiologist, 24% of radiologists performed the work-up for 0-50 mammograms, 32% performed the work-up for 51-125, and 44% performed the work-up for more than 125. With increasing numbers of radiologist work-ups for their own recalled mammograms, the sensitivity (P = .039), FPR false-positive rate (P = .004), and CDR cancer detection rate (P women recalled per cancer detected from 17.4 for 25 or fewer mammograms to 24.6 for more than 50 mammograms. Increases in work-ups for any radiologist yielded significant

Effect of Radiologists’ Diagnostic Work-up Volume on Interpretive Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Melissa L.; Smith, Robert A.; Carney, Patricia A.; Miglioretti, Diana L.; Monsees, Barbara S.; Sickles, Edward A.; Taplin, Stephen H.; Geller, Berta M.; Yankaskas, Bonnie C.; Onega, Tracy L.

2014-01-01

Purpose To examine radiologists’ screening performance in relation to the number of diagnostic work-ups performed after abnormal findings are discovered at screening mammography by the same radiologist or by different radiologists. Materials and Methods In an institutional review board–approved HIPAA-compliant study, the authors linked 651 671 screening mammograms interpreted from 2002 to 2006 by 96 radiologists in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium to cancer registries (standard of reference) to evaluate the performance of screening mammography (sensitivity, false-positive rate [FPRfalse-positive rate], and cancer detection rate [CDRcancer detection rate]). Logistic regression was used to assess the association between the volume of recalled screening mammograms (“own” mammograms, where the radiologist who interpreted the diagnostic image was the same radiologist who had interpreted the screening image, and “any” mammograms, where the radiologist who interpreted the diagnostic image may or may not have been the radiologist who interpreted the screening image) and screening performance and whether the association between total annual volume and performance differed according to the volume of diagnostic work-up. Results Annually, 38% of radiologists performed the diagnostic work-up for 25 or fewer of their own recalled screening mammograms, 24% performed the work-up for 0–50, and 39% performed the work-up for more than 50. For the work-up of recalled screening mammograms from any radiologist, 24% of radiologists performed the work-up for 0–50 mammograms, 32% performed the work-up for 51–125, and 44% performed the work-up for more than 125. With increasing numbers of radiologist work-ups for their own recalled mammograms, the sensitivity (P = .039), FPRfalse-positive rate (P = .004), and CDRcancer detection rate (P work-ups for any radiologist yielded significant increases in FPRfalse-positive rate (P = .011) and CDRcancer detection rate (P

Plasma diagnostic reflectometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, B.I.; Afeyan, B.B.; Garrison, J.C.; Kaiser, T.B.; Luhmann, N.C. Jr.; Domier, C.W.; Chou, A.E.; Baang, S.

1996-01-01

Theoretical and experimental studies of plasma diagnostic reflectometry have been undertaken as a collaborative research project between the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the University of California Department of Applied Science Plasma Diagnostics Group under the auspices of the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program at LLNL. Theoretical analyses have explored the basic principles of reflectometry to understand its limitations, to address specific gaps in the understanding of reflectometry measurements in laboratory experiments, and to explore extensions of reflectometry such as ultra-short-pulse reflectometry. The theory has supported basic laboratory reflectometry experiments where reflectometry measurements can be corroborated by independent diagnostic measurements

Evaluation Of The Diagnostic Performance Of A Multimedia Medical Communications System.

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, John G.; Coristine, Marjorie; Goldberg, Morris; Beeton, Carolyn; Belanger, Garry; Tombaugh, Jo W.; Hickey, Nancy M.; Millward, Steven F.; Davis, Michael; Whittingham, David

1989-05-01

The central concern of radiologists when evaluating Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS) is the diagnostic performance of digital images compared to the original analog versions of the same images. Considerable work has been done comparing the ROC curves of various types of digital systems to the corresponding analog systems for the detection of specific phantoms or diseases. Although the studies may notify the radiologists that for a specific lesion a digital system may perform as well as the analog system, it tells the radiologists very little about the impact on diagnostic performance of a digital system in the general practice of radiology. We describe in this paper an alternative method for evaluating the diagnostic performance of a digital system and a preliminary experiment we conducted to test the methodology.

Study for the design method of multi-agent diagnostic system to improve diagnostic performance for similar abnormality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minowa, Hirotsugu; Gofuku, Akio

2014-01-01

Accidents on industrial plants cause large loss on human, economic, social credibility. In recent, studies of diagnostic methods using techniques of machine learning such as support vector machine is expected to detect the occurrence of abnormality in a plant early and correctly. There were reported that these diagnostic machines has high accuracy to diagnose the operating state of industrial plant under mono abnormality occurrence. But the each diagnostic machine on the multi-agent diagnostic system may misdiagnose similar abnormalities as a same abnormality if abnormalities to diagnose increases. That causes that a single diagnostic machine may show higher diagnostic performance than one of multi-agent diagnostic system because decision-making considering with misdiagnosis is difficult. Therefore, we study the design method for multi-agent diagnostic system to diagnose similar abnormality correctly. This method aimed to realize automatic generation of diagnostic system where the generation process and location of diagnostic machines are optimized to diagnose correctly the similar abnormalities which are evaluated from the similarity of process signals by statistical method. This paper explains our design method and reports the result evaluated our method applied to the process data of the fast-breeder reactor Monju

Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences Examination as a Predictor of Student Performance during Clinical Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Fassett, William E.; Campbell, William H.

1984-01-01

A comparison of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences Examination (BPSE) results with student performance evaluations in core clerkships, institutional and community externships, didactic and clinical courses, and related basic science coursework revealed the BPSE does not predict student performance during clinical instruction. (MSE)

30 CFR 250.520 - When do I have to perform a casing diagnostic test?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false When do I have to perform a casing diagnostic... Operations Casing Pressure Management § 250.520 When do I have to perform a casing diagnostic test? (a) You must perform a casing diagnostic test within 30 days after first observing or imposing casing pressure...

Model of critical diagnostic reasoning: achieving expert clinician performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Harjai, Prashant Kumar; Tiwari, Ruby

2009-01-01

Diagnostic reasoning refers to the analytical processes used to determine patient health problems. While the education curriculum and health care system focus on training nurse clinicians to accurately recognize and rescue clinical situations, assessments of non-expert nurses have yielded less than satisfactory data on diagnostic competency. The contrast between the expert and non-expert nurse clinician raises the important question of how differences in thinking may contribute to a large divergence in accurate diagnostic reasoning. This article recognizes superior organization of one's knowledge base, using prototypes, and quick retrieval of pertinent information, using similarity recognition as two reasons for the expert's superior diagnostic performance. A model of critical diagnostic reasoning, using prototypes and similarity recognition, is proposed and elucidated using case studies. This model serves as a starting point toward bridging the gap between clinical data and accurate problem identification, verification, and management while providing a structure for a knowledge exchange between expert and non-expert clinicians.

Thyroid Ultrasound: Change of Inter-observer Variability and Diagnostic Performance after Training

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Hee Jung; Kim, Eun Kyung; Kwak, Jin Young; Park, Jeong Seon

2011-01-01

To investigate and compare inter-observer variability and diagnostic performance of thyroid ultrasound (US) between a faculty member and observing residents. From October 2007 to June 2009, 18 residents underwent training in thyroid US section. Group 1 included 8 residents that were trained for the first time and group 2 included 10 residents that were trained for the second time. US features of nodules were recorded according to the composition, echogenicity, margin, calcifications, shape, and final assessment by a faculty member and residents, respectively. Following a discussion, a faculty member performed fine needle aspiration. Then, the inter-observer variability and diagnostic performance between a faculty member and residents were investigated and compared for US. In group 1, agreement for composition in resident 1, calcification for residents 5 and 6, and shape for resident 4 were slight, moderate, moderate, and moderate, respectively. In group 2, agreement for composition in residents 1 and 10 were moderate. Substantial or greater agreement was observed more frequently in group 2 than 1. The diagnostic performances for both the faculty and residents were high and not statistically different. Agreement for US features between a faculty and residents as well as diagnostic performance were high. Moreover, diagnostic performance of residents that underwent training a second time of training was higher than residents that underwent training only once

A basic diagnostic headache diary (BDHD) is well accepted and useful in the diagnosis of headache. a multicentre European and Latin American study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Rigmor Højland; Tassorelli, C; Rossi, P

2011-01-01

Aims: We tested the usability and usefulness of the basic diagnostic headache diary (BDHD) for the diagnosis of migraine, tension-type headache and medication-overuse headache in European and Latin American countries. Methods: Patients were subdivided into two groups according to a 1...

Diagnostic Value of Vaginal Discharge, Wet Mount and Vaginal pH – An Update on the Basics of Gynecologic Infectiology

Science.gov (United States)

Frobenius, W.; Bogdan, C.

2015-01-01

The majority of uncomplicated vulvovaginal complaints (e.g. bacterial vaginosis, vulvovaginal candidiasis, trichomoniasis) can be detected with uncomplicated basic infectiological tests and can usually be treated effectively without requiring further diagnostic procedures. Tests include measurement of vaginal pH, preparation and assessment of wet mount slides prepared from vaginal or cervical discharge, and the correct clinical and microbiological classification of findings. In Germany, at least in recent years, this has not been sufficiently taught or practiced. As new regulations on specialist gynecologic training in Germany are currently being drawn up, this overview provides basic information on gynecologic infectiology and summarizes clinically relevant aspects of recent microbiological findings on the physiology and pathology of vaginal flora. The clinical signs and symptoms of aerobic vaginitis, the pathogenesis of which is still not completely understood, are also reviewed. Finally, the symptoms, indications and risk factors for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) are presented. In contrast to the above-listed infections, PID requires immediate culture of the pathogen from samples (e.g. obtained by laparoscopy) with microbiological diagnostic procedures carried out by specialist laboratories. A schematic summary of all pathologies discussed here is presented. PMID:26028693

Preliminary consideration of CFETR ITER-like case diagnostic system.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, G S; Yang, Y; Wang, Y M; Ming, T F; Han, X; Liu, S C; Wang, E H; Liu, Y K; Yang, W J; Li, G Q; Hu, Q S; Gao, X

2016-11-01

Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is a new superconducting tokamak device being designed in China, which aims at bridging the gap between ITER and DEMO, where DEMO is a tokamak demonstration fusion reactor. Two diagnostic cases, ITER-like case and towards DEMO case, have been considered for CFETR early and later operating phases, respectively. In this paper, some preliminary consideration of ITER-like case will be presented. Based on ITER diagnostic system, three versions of increased complexity and coverage of the ITER-like case diagnostic system have been developed with different goals and functions. Version A aims only machine protection and basic control. Both of version B and version C are mainly for machine protection, basic and advanced control, but version C has an increased level of redundancy necessary for improved measurements capability. The performance of these versions and needed R&D work are outlined.

Preliminary consideration of CFETR ITER-like case diagnostic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, G. S.; Liu, Y. K.; Gao, X.; Yang, Y.; Wang, Y. M.; Ming, T. F.; Han, X.; Liu, S. C.; Wang, E. H.; Yang, W. J.; Li, G. Q.; Hu, Q. S.

2016-01-01

Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is a new superconducting tokamak device being designed in China, which aims at bridging the gap between ITER and DEMO, where DEMO is a tokamak demonstration fusion reactor. Two diagnostic cases, ITER-like case and towards DEMO case, have been considered for CFETR early and later operating phases, respectively. In this paper, some preliminary consideration of ITER-like case will be presented. Based on ITER diagnostic system, three versions of increased complexity and coverage of the ITER-like case diagnostic system have been developed with different goals and functions. Version A aims only machine protection and basic control. Both of version B and version C are mainly for machine protection, basic and advanced control, but version C has an increased level of redundancy necessary for improved measurements capability. The performance of these versions and needed R&D work are outlined.

Commercial and Advertising Art. Performance Objectives. Basic Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, Floyd

Several intermediate performance objectives and corresponding criterion measures are listed for each of 12 terminal objectives for a basic commercial and advertising art course. The materials were developed for a two-semester (2 hours daily) course to enable tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students to develop competencies in the care and use of…

Statistical evaluation of diagnostic performance topics in ROC analysis

CERN Document Server

Zou, Kelly H; Bandos, Andriy I; Ohno-Machado, Lucila; Rockette, Howard E

2016-01-01

Statistical evaluation of diagnostic performance in general and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis in particular are important for assessing the performance of medical tests and statistical classifiers, as well as for evaluating predictive models or algorithms. This book presents innovative approaches in ROC analysis, which are relevant to a wide variety of applications, including medical imaging, cancer research, epidemiology, and bioinformatics. Statistical Evaluation of Diagnostic Performance: Topics in ROC Analysis covers areas including monotone-transformation techniques in parametric ROC analysis, ROC methods for combined and pooled biomarkers, Bayesian hierarchical transformation models, sequential designs and inferences in the ROC setting, predictive modeling, multireader ROC analysis, and free-response ROC (FROC) methodology. The book is suitable for graduate-level students and researchers in statistics, biostatistics, epidemiology, public health, biomedical engineering, radiology, medi...

Diagnostic Devices for Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chia-Chen Chang

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Since the development of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR technique, genomic information has been retrievable from lesser amounts of DNA than previously possible. PCR-based amplifications require high-precision instruments to perform temperature cycling reactions; further, they are cumbersome for routine clinical use. However, the use of isothermal approaches can eliminate many complications associated with thermocycling. The application of diagnostic devices for isothermal DNA amplification has recently been studied extensively. In this paper, we describe the basic concepts of several isothermal amplification approaches and review recent progress in diagnostic device development.

Diagnostic devices for isothermal nucleic acid amplification.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Chia-Chen; Chen, Chien-Cheng; Wei, Shih-Chung; Lu, Hui-Hsin; Liang, Yang-Hung; Lin, Chii-Wann

2012-01-01

Since the development of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, genomic information has been retrievable from lesser amounts of DNA than previously possible. PCR-based amplifications require high-precision instruments to perform temperature cycling reactions; further, they are cumbersome for routine clinical use. However, the use of isothermal approaches can eliminate many complications associated with thermocycling. The application of diagnostic devices for isothermal DNA amplification has recently been studied extensively. In this paper, we describe the basic concepts of several isothermal amplification approaches and review recent progress in diagnostic device development.

Basic research on maxillofacial implants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsui, Yoshiro

2001-01-01

Osseointegrated implants have begun to be used not only in general practice in dentistry but also in various clinical situations in the maxillofacial region. The process has yielded three problems: the spread of application, new materials and diagnostic methods, and management for difficult situations. This paper presents basic data and clinical guidelines for new applications, it investigates the characteristics of the materials and the usefulness of a new diagnostic method, and it studies effective techniques for difficult cases. The results obtained are as follows: Investigations into the spreading application. The lateral and superior orbital rim have sufficient bone thickness and width for the implant body to be placed. Osseointegrated implants, especially by the fixed bridge technique, are not recommended in the craniofacial bone and jaws of young children. Implant placement into bone after/before irradiation must be performed in consideration of impaired osteogenesis, the decrease of trabecular bone, and the time interval between implantation and irradiation. Investigations into materials and diagnostic methods. Hydroxyapatite-coated and titanium implants should be selected according to the characteristics of the materials. A dental simulating soft may also be applicable in the craniofacial region. Investigations into the management of difficult cases. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), and tissue engineering should be useful for improving the quality and increasing the quantity of bone where implants are placed. Soft tissue around implants placed in the reconstructed area should be replaced with mucosal tissue. The data obtained here should be useful for increasing the efficiency of osseointegrated implants, but further basic research is required in the future. (author)

Basic research on maxillofacial implants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsui, Yoshiro [Showa Univ., Tokyo (Japan). School of Dentistry

2001-11-01

Osseointegrated implants have begun to be used not only in general practice in dentistry but also in various clinical situations in the maxillofacial region. The process has yielded three problems: the spread of application, new materials and diagnostic methods, and management for difficult situations. This paper presents basic data and clinical guidelines for new applications, it investigates the characteristics of the materials and the usefulness of a new diagnostic method, and it studies effective techniques for difficult cases. The results obtained are as follows: Investigations into the spreading application. The lateral and superior orbital rim have sufficient bone thickness and width for the implant body to be placed. Osseointegrated implants, especially by the fixed bridge technique, are not recommended in the craniofacial bone and jaws of young children. Implant placement into bone after/before irradiation must be performed in consideration of impaired osteogenesis, the decrease of trabecular bone, and the time interval between implantation and irradiation. Investigations into materials and diagnostic methods. Hydroxyapatite-coated and titanium implants should be selected according to the characteristics of the materials. A dental simulating soft may also be applicable in the craniofacial region. Investigations into the management of difficult cases. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), and tissue engineering should be useful for improving the quality and increasing the quantity of bone where implants are placed. Soft tissue around implants placed in the reconstructed area should be replaced with mucosal tissue. The data obtained here should be useful for increasing the efficiency of osseointegrated implants, but further basic research is required in the future. (author)

Statistical learning methods: Basics, control and performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zimmermann, J. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik, Foehringer Ring 6, 80805 Munich (Germany)]. E-mail: zimmerm@mppmu.mpg.de

2006-04-01

The basics of statistical learning are reviewed with a special emphasis on general principles and problems for all different types of learning methods. Different aspects of controlling these methods in a physically adequate way will be discussed. All principles and guidelines will be exercised on examples for statistical learning methods in high energy and astrophysics. These examples prove in addition that statistical learning methods very often lead to a remarkable performance gain compared to the competing classical algorithms.

Statistical learning methods: Basics, control and performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimmermann, J.

2006-01-01

The basics of statistical learning are reviewed with a special emphasis on general principles and problems for all different types of learning methods. Different aspects of controlling these methods in a physically adequate way will be discussed. All principles and guidelines will be exercised on examples for statistical learning methods in high energy and astrophysics. These examples prove in addition that statistical learning methods very often lead to a remarkable performance gain compared to the competing classical algorithms

TH-F-209-01: Pitfalls: Reliability and Performance of Diagnostic X-Ray Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behling, R.

2016-01-01

Purpose: Performance and reliability of medical X-ray tubes for imaging are crucial from an ethical, clinical and economic perspective. This lecture will deliver insight into the aspects to consider during the decision making process to invest in X-ray imaging equipment. Outdated metric still hampers realistic product comparison. It is time to change this and to comply with latest standards, which consider current technology. Failure modes and ways to avoid down-time of the equipment shall be discussed. In view of the increasing number of interventional procedures and the hazards associated with ionizing radiation, toxic contrast agents, and the combination thereof, the aspect of system reliability is of paramount importance. Methods: A comprehensive picture of trends for different modalities (CT, angiography, general radiology) has been drawn and led to the development of novel X-ray tube technology. Results: Recent X-ray tubes feature enhanced reliability and unprecedented performance. Relevant metrics for product comparison still have to be implemented in practice. Conclusion: The speed of scientific and industrial development of new diagnostic and therapeutic X-ray sources remains tremendous. Still, users suffer from gaps between desire and reality in day-to-day diagnostic routine. X-ray sources are still limiting cutting-edge medical procedures. Side-effects of wear and tear, limitations of the clinical work flow, costs, the characteristics of the X-ray spectrum and others topics need to be further addressed. New applications and modalities, like detection-based color-resolved X-ray and phase-contrast / dark-field imaging will impact the course of new developments of X-ray sources. Learning Objectives: Understand the basic requirements on medical diagnostic X-ray sources per modality Learn to select the optimal equipment employing state-of-the-art metric Know causes of failures, depending on the way X-ray sources are operated Understand methods to remediate

TH-F-209-00: Pitfalls: Reliability and Performance of Diagnostic X-Ray Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

Purpose: Performance and reliability of medical X-ray tubes for imaging are crucial from an ethical, clinical and economic perspective. This lecture will deliver insight into the aspects to consider during the decision making process to invest in X-ray imaging equipment. Outdated metric still hampers realistic product comparison. It is time to change this and to comply with latest standards, which consider current technology. Failure modes and ways to avoid down-time of the equipment shall be discussed. In view of the increasing number of interventional procedures and the hazards associated with ionizing radiation, toxic contrast agents, and the combination thereof, the aspect of system reliability is of paramount importance. Methods: A comprehensive picture of trends for different modalities (CT, angiography, general radiology) has been drawn and led to the development of novel X-ray tube technology. Results: Recent X-ray tubes feature enhanced reliability and unprecedented performance. Relevant metrics for product comparison still have to be implemented in practice. Conclusion: The speed of scientific and industrial development of new diagnostic and therapeutic X-ray sources remains tremendous. Still, users suffer from gaps between desire and reality in day-to-day diagnostic routine. X-ray sources are still limiting cutting-edge medical procedures. Side-effects of wear and tear, limitations of the clinical work flow, costs, the characteristics of the X-ray spectrum and others topics need to be further addressed. New applications and modalities, like detection-based color-resolved X-ray and phase-contrast / dark-field imaging will impact the course of new developments of X-ray sources. Learning Objectives: Understand the basic requirements on medical diagnostic X-ray sources per modality Learn to select the optimal equipment employing state-of-the-art metric Know causes of failures, depending on the way X-ray sources are operated Understand methods to remediate

TH-F-209-01: Pitfalls: Reliability and Performance of Diagnostic X-Ray Sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Behling, R. [Philips Medical Systems DMC GmbH (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Performance and reliability of medical X-ray tubes for imaging are crucial from an ethical, clinical and economic perspective. This lecture will deliver insight into the aspects to consider during the decision making process to invest in X-ray imaging equipment. Outdated metric still hampers realistic product comparison. It is time to change this and to comply with latest standards, which consider current technology. Failure modes and ways to avoid down-time of the equipment shall be discussed. In view of the increasing number of interventional procedures and the hazards associated with ionizing radiation, toxic contrast agents, and the combination thereof, the aspect of system reliability is of paramount importance. Methods: A comprehensive picture of trends for different modalities (CT, angiography, general radiology) has been drawn and led to the development of novel X-ray tube technology. Results: Recent X-ray tubes feature enhanced reliability and unprecedented performance. Relevant metrics for product comparison still have to be implemented in practice. Conclusion: The speed of scientific and industrial development of new diagnostic and therapeutic X-ray sources remains tremendous. Still, users suffer from gaps between desire and reality in day-to-day diagnostic routine. X-ray sources are still limiting cutting-edge medical procedures. Side-effects of wear and tear, limitations of the clinical work flow, costs, the characteristics of the X-ray spectrum and others topics need to be further addressed. New applications and modalities, like detection-based color-resolved X-ray and phase-contrast / dark-field imaging will impact the course of new developments of X-ray sources. Learning Objectives: Understand the basic requirements on medical diagnostic X-ray sources per modality Learn to select the optimal equipment employing state-of-the-art metric Know causes of failures, depending on the way X-ray sources are operated Understand methods to remediate

TH-F-209-00: Pitfalls: Reliability and Performance of Diagnostic X-Ray Sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2016-06-15

Purpose: Performance and reliability of medical X-ray tubes for imaging are crucial from an ethical, clinical and economic perspective. This lecture will deliver insight into the aspects to consider during the decision making process to invest in X-ray imaging equipment. Outdated metric still hampers realistic product comparison. It is time to change this and to comply with latest standards, which consider current technology. Failure modes and ways to avoid down-time of the equipment shall be discussed. In view of the increasing number of interventional procedures and the hazards associated with ionizing radiation, toxic contrast agents, and the combination thereof, the aspect of system reliability is of paramount importance. Methods: A comprehensive picture of trends for different modalities (CT, angiography, general radiology) has been drawn and led to the development of novel X-ray tube technology. Results: Recent X-ray tubes feature enhanced reliability and unprecedented performance. Relevant metrics for product comparison still have to be implemented in practice. Conclusion: The speed of scientific and industrial development of new diagnostic and therapeutic X-ray sources remains tremendous. Still, users suffer from gaps between desire and reality in day-to-day diagnostic routine. X-ray sources are still limiting cutting-edge medical procedures. Side-effects of wear and tear, limitations of the clinical work flow, costs, the characteristics of the X-ray spectrum and others topics need to be further addressed. New applications and modalities, like detection-based color-resolved X-ray and phase-contrast / dark-field imaging will impact the course of new developments of X-ray sources. Learning Objectives: Understand the basic requirements on medical diagnostic X-ray sources per modality Learn to select the optimal equipment employing state-of-the-art metric Know causes of failures, depending on the way X-ray sources are operated Understand methods to remediate

Basic metal carbonate supported gold nanoparticles: enhanced performance in aerobic alcohol oxidation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yang, J.; Guan, Y.; Verhoeven, M.W.G.M.; Santen, van R.A.; Li, Can; Hensen, E.J.M.

2009-01-01

Gold nanoparticles supported by basic hydrozincite or bismuth carbonate are excellent catalysts for liquid-phase aerobic alcohol oxidation: the performance of a series of metal (Zn, Bi, Ce, La, Zr) carbonate supported gold catalysts depends strongly on the basicity of the support material.

Plasma Diagnostics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zaveryaev, V [Kurchatov Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation); others, and

2012-09-15

The success in achieving peaceful fusion power depends on the ability to control a high temperature plasma, which is an object with unique properties, possibly the most complicated object created by humans. Over years of fusion research a new branch of science has been created, namely plasma diagnostics, which involves knowledge of almost all fields of physics, from electromagnetism to nuclear physics, and up-to-date progress in engineering and technology (materials, electronics, mathematical methods of data treatment). Historically, work on controlled fusion started with pulsed systems and accordingly the methods of plasma parameter measurement were first developed for short lived and dense plasmas. Magnetically confined hot plasmas require the creation of special experimental techniques for diagnostics. The diagnostic set is the most scientifically intensive part of a plasma device. During many years of research operation some scientific tasks have been solved while new ones arose. New tasks often require significant changes in the diagnostic system, which is thus a very flexible part of plasma machines. Diagnostic systems are designed to solve several tasks. As an example here are the diagnostic tasks for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor - ITER: (1) Measurements for machine protection and basic control; (2) Measurements for advanced control; (3) Additional measurements for performance evaluation and physics. Every new plasma machine is a further step along the path to the main goal - controlled fusion - and nobody knows in advance what new phenomena will be met on the way. So in the planning of diagnostic construction we should keep in mind further system upgrading to meet possible new scientific and technical challenges. (author)

Poor academic performance: A perspective of final year diagnostic radiography students

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gqweta, Ntokozo

2012-01-01

Introduction: A study was conducted on final year diagnostic radiography students at a University of Technology in Durban. The aim of the study was to investigate the final year diagnostic radiography students' opinions and views on academic performance in order to inform teaching and learning methods. The objectives were: •To explore the students' opinions regarding poor performance. •To identify strategies to improve academic performance. Method: A qualitative, interpretive approach was used to explain and understand the students' lived experiences of their academic performances. A short open ended questionnaire was administered to a cohort of final diagnostic radiography students following feedback on a written assessment. Questionnaire responses were then manually captured and analyzed. Results: Five (5) themes were identified that could possibly be associated with poor academic performance. These themes were, poor preparation, lack of independent study, difficulty in understanding learning content and misinterpretation of assessment questions, inefficient studying techniques as well as perceived improvement strategies. Conclusion: Students identified their inadequate preparation and the lack of dedicated independent studying as the main reasons for poor performance. Students preferred to be taught in an assessment oriented manner. However their identified improvement strategies were aligned with the learner centred approach.

Have Basic Mathematical Skills Grown Obsolete in the Computer Age: Assessing Basic Mathematical Skills and Forecasting Performance in a Business Statistics Course

Science.gov (United States)

Noser, Thomas C.; Tanner, John R.; Shah, Situl

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to measure the comprehension of basic mathematical skills of students enrolled in statistics classes at a large regional university, and to determine if the scores earned on a basic math skills test are useful in forecasting student performance in these statistics classes, and to determine if students' basic math…

Study of the performance of diagnostic radiology instruments during calibration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freitas, Rodrigo N. de; Vivolo, Vitor; Potiens, Maria da Penha A.

2008-01-01

Full text: The instruments used in diagnostic radiology measurements represent 8 % of the tested instruments by the calibration laboratory of IPEN annually (approximately 1600 in 2007). Considering that the calibration of this kind of instrument is performed biannually it is possible to conclude that almost 300 instruments are being used to measure the air kerma in diagnostic radiology clinics to determine the in beam values (in front of the patient), attenuated measurements (behind the patient) and scattered radiation. This work presents the results of the calibration of the instruments used in mammography, computed tomography, dental and conventional diagnostic radiology dosimetry, performed during the period of 2005 to 2007. Their performances during the calibrations measurements were evaluated. Although at the calibration laboratory there are three available series of radiation quality to this type of calibration (RQR, N and M, according to standards IEC 61267 and ISO 4037-1.), the applications can be assorted (general radiology, computed tomography, mammography, radiation protection and fluoroscopy). Depending on its design and behaviour , one kind of instrument can be used for one or more type of applications. The instruments normally used for diagnostic radiology measurements are ionization chambers with volumes varying from 3 to 1800 cm 3 , and can be cylindrical, spherical or plane parallel plates kind. They usually are sensitive to photon particles, with energies greater than 15 keV and can be used up to 1200 keV. In this work they were tested in X radiation fields from 25 to 150 kV, in specific qualities depending on the utilization of the instrument. The calibration results of 390 instruments received from 2005 to 2007 were analyzed. About 20 instruments were not able to be calibrated due to bad functioning. The calibration coefficients obtained were between 0.88 and 1.24. The uncertainties were always less than ± 3.6% to instruments used in scattered

Development of a computerized system for performance monitoring and diagnostics in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, G.H.; Chao, H.J.

1995-01-01

An on-line computerized system for thermal performance monitoring and diagnostics has been developed at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER). It was the product of the ChinShan plant performance Monitoring, Analysis and Diagnostics Expert System (CS-MADES) project sponsored by Taiwan Power Company (TPC). The system can carry out turbine performance monitoring and analysis during normal operation, and yield diagnostic results of component degradation after finding out the missing generation problems. Three subsystems were generated to support the whole system framework. They are Test Data Processing Subsystem (TDPS), On-line Monitoring and Analysis Subsystem (OMAS), and Thermal Performance Diagnostics Expert System (TPDES). Some visible benefits have been gained so far through the prototype system installed at the Chinshan nuclear power station

Beam-Based Diagnostics of RF-Breakdown in the Two-Beam Test-Stand in CTF3

CERN Document Server

Johnson, M

2007-01-01

The general outline of a beam-based diagnostic method of RF-breakdown, using BPMs, at the two-beam test-stand in CTF3 is discussed. The basic components of the set-up and their functions in the diagnostic are described. Estimations of the expected error in the measured parameters are performed.

Acoustic detection in superconducting magnets for performance characterization and diagnostics

OpenAIRE

Marchevsky, M.; Wang, X.; Sabbi, G.; Prestemon, S.

2014-01-01

Quench diagnostics in superconducting accelerator magnets is essential for understanding performance limitations and improving magnet design. Applicability of the conventional quench diagnostics methods such as voltage taps or quench antennas is limited for long magnets or complex winding geometries, and alternative approaches are desirable. Here, we discuss acoustic sensing technique for detecting mechanical vibrations in superconducting magnets. Using LARP high-field Nb3Sn quadrupole HQ01 [...

Nuclear diagnostics in support of ICF experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moran, M.J.; Hall, J.

1996-01-01

As the yields of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) experiments increase to NIF levels new diagnostic techniques for studying details of fusion burn behavior will become feasible. The new techniques will provide improved measurements of fusion burn temperature and history. Improved temperature measurements might be achieved with magnetic spectroscopy of fusion neutrons. High-bandwidth fusion reaction history will be measured with fusion-specific γ-ray diagnostics. Additional energy-resolved γ-ray might be able to study a selection of specific behaviors during fusion burn. Present ICF yields greater than 10 13 neutrons are sufficient to demonstrate the basic methods that underlie the new techniques. As ICF yields increase, the diagnostics designs adjusted accordingly in order to provide clear and specific data on fusion burn performance

Anatomy, normal variants, and basic biomechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berquist, T.H.; Johnson, K.A.

1989-01-01

This paper reports on the anatomy and basic functions of the foot and ankle important to physicians involved in imaging procedures, clinical medicine, and surgery. New radiographic techniques especially magnetic resonance imaging, provide more diagnostic information owing to improved tissue contrast and the ability to obtain multiple image planes (axial, sagittal, coronal, oblique). Therefore, a thorough knowledge of skeletal and soft tissue anatomy is even more essential. Normal variants must also be understood in order to distinguish normal from pathologic changes in the foot and ankle. A basic understanding of biomechanics is also essential for selecting the proper diagnostic techniques

A Thomson scattering diagnostic to measure fast ion and α-particle distributions in JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costley, A.E.; Hoekzema, J.A.; Stott, P.E.; Watkins, M.L.

1988-01-01

The paper presents the findings of a feasibility investigation into the proposed Thomson scattering diagnostic to measure fast ion and α-particle distributions in JET. A description is given of the motivation for alpha particle diagnostics on JET, followed by a brief survey of possible α-particle diagnostics for JET. The basic principles of the collective Thomson scattering technique are presented, along with its implementation on JET. The expected performance of the system, and other applications of the diagnostic system are also discussed. (U.K.)

Diagnostic evaluation of dementia in general practice in Denmark. A national survey

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waldorff, Frans Boch; Møller, S

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To examine GPs' self-reported basic diagnostic evaluation of dementia according to the recommendations in multidisciplinary consensus guidelines and to analyse explanatory factors for GP performance. DESIGN: Postal questionnaire study, spring 1998. SETTING: General practice in Denmark...

Intraindividual Variability in Basic Reaction Time Predicts Middle-Aged and Older Pilots’ Flight Simulator Performance

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Objectives. Intraindividual variability (IIV) is negatively associated with cognitive test performance and is positively associated with age and some neurological disorders. We aimed to extend these findings to a real-world task, flight simulator performance. We hypothesized that IIV predicts poorer initial flight performance and increased rate of decline in performance among middle-aged and older pilots. Method. Two-hundred and thirty-six pilots (40–69 years) completed annual assessments comprising a cognitive battery and two 75-min simulated flights in a flight simulator. Basic and complex IIV composite variables were created from measures of basic reaction time and shifting and divided attention tasks. Flight simulator performance was characterized by an overall summary score and scores on communication, emergencies, approach, and traffic avoidance components. Results. Although basic IIV did not predict rate of decline in flight performance, it had a negative association with initial performance for most flight measures. After taking into account processing speed, basic IIV explained an additional 8%–12% of the negative age effect on initial flight performance. Discussion. IIV plays an important role in real-world tasks and is another aspect of cognition that underlies age-related differences in cognitive performance. PMID:23052365

Intraindividual variability in basic reaction time predicts middle-aged and older pilots' flight simulator performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Quinn; Taylor, Joy; Heraldez, Daniel; Noda, Art; Lazzeroni, Laura C; Yesavage, Jerome

2013-07-01

Intraindividual variability (IIV) is negatively associated with cognitive test performance and is positively associated with age and some neurological disorders. We aimed to extend these findings to a real-world task, flight simulator performance. We hypothesized that IIV predicts poorer initial flight performance and increased rate of decline in performance among middle-aged and older pilots. Two-hundred and thirty-six pilots (40-69 years) completed annual assessments comprising a cognitive battery and two 75-min simulated flights in a flight simulator. Basic and complex IIV composite variables were created from measures of basic reaction time and shifting and divided attention tasks. Flight simulator performance was characterized by an overall summary score and scores on communication, emergencies, approach, and traffic avoidance components. Although basic IIV did not predict rate of decline in flight performance, it had a negative association with initial performance for most flight measures. After taking into account processing speed, basic IIV explained an additional 8%-12% of the negative age effect on initial flight performance. IIV plays an important role in real-world tasks and is another aspect of cognition that underlies age-related differences in cognitive performance.

Basic artefacts of diagnostic imaging by the magnetic resonance method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vitak, T.; Seidl, Z.; Obenberger, J.; Vaneckova, M.; Danes, J.; Krasensky, J.; Peterkova, V

2000-01-01

Artefacts in diagnostic imaging are defined as a geometric or anatomic misrepresentation of the reality by the image formed. The article deals with artefacts due to field and frequency shifts, in particular due to the water-fat chemical shift and due to magnetic susceptibility. The physical nature of the artefacts is explained and their diagnostic significance is discussed. (P.A.)

Ambient diagnostics

CERN Document Server

Cai, Yang

2014-01-01

Part I. FundamentalsIntroductionWhat is Ambient Diagnostics?Diagnostic ModelsMultimedia IntelligenceCrowd SourcingSoft SensorsScience of SimplicityPersonal DiagnosesBasic AlgorithmsBasic ToolsSummaryProblemsTransformationEarly Discoveries of Heartbeat PatternsTransforms, Features, and AttributesSequential FeaturesSpatiotemporal FeaturesShape FeaturesImagery FeaturesFrequency Domain FeaturesMulti-Resolution FeaturesSummaryProblemsPattern RecognitionSimilarities and DistancesClustering MethodsClassification MethodsClassifier Accuracy MeasuresSummaryProblemsPart II. Multimedia IntelligenceSound RecognitionMicrophone AppsModern Acoustic Transducers (Microphones)Frequency Response CharacteristicsDigital Audio File FormatsHeart Sound SensingLung Sound SensingSnore MeterSpectrogram (STFT)Ambient Sound AnalysisSound RecognitionRecognizing Asthma SoundPeak ShiftFeature CompressionRegroupingNoise IssuesFuture ApplicationsSummaryProblemsColor SensorsColor SensingHuman Color VisionColor SensorsColor Matching ExperimentsC...

Performance of diagnostic mammography differs in the United States and Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Allan; Geller, Berta M; Gard, Charlotte C

2010-01-01

in the United States and Denmark. The performance of 93,585 diagnostic mammograms from 180 facilities contributing data to the US Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) from 1999 to 2001 was compared to that of all 51,313 diagnostic mammograms performed at Danish clinics in 2000. We used the imaging...... workup's final assessment to determine sensitivity, specificity and an estimate of accuracy: area under the receiver-operating characteristics (ROCs) curve (AUC). Diagnostic mammography had slightly higher sensitivity in the United States (85%) than in Denmark (82%). In contrast, it had higher...... specificity in Denmark (99%) than in the United States (93%). The AUC was high in both countries: 0.91 in United States and 0.95 in Denmark. Denmark's higher accuracy may result from supplementary ultrasound examinations, which are provided to 74% of Danish women but only 37% to 52% of US women. In addition...

Review of diagnostics for next generation linear accelerators

CERN Document Server

Ross, M

2001-01-01

New electron linac designs incorporate substantial advances in critical beam parameters such as beam loading and bunch length and will require new levels of performance in stability and phase space control. In the coming decade, e- (and e+) linacs will be built for a high power linear collider (TESLA, CLIC, JLC/NLC), for fourth generation X-ray sources (TESLA FEL, LCLS, Spring 8 FEL) and for basic accelerator research and development (Orion). Each project assumes significant instrumentation performance advances across a wide front. This review will focus on basic diagnostics for beam position and phase space monitoring. Research and development efforts aimed at high precision multi-bunch beam position monitors, transverse and longitudinal profile monitors and timing systems will be described.

Diagnostics and structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vial, J.C.

1986-01-01

The structure of prominences and the diagnostic techniques used to evaluate their physical parameters are discussed. These include electron temperature, various densities (n sub p, n sub e, n sub l), ionization degree, velocities, and magnetic field vector. UV and radio measurements have already evidenced the existence of different temperature regions, corresponding to different geometrical locations, e.g., the so called Prominence-Corona (P-C) interface. Velocity measurements are important for considering formation and mass balance of prominences but there are conflicting velocity measurements which have led to the basic question: what structure is actually observed at a given wavelength; what averaging is performed within the projected slit area during the exposure time? In optically thick lines, the question of the formation region of the radiation along the line of sight is also not a trivial one. The same is true for low resolution measurements of the magnetic field. Coupling diagnostics with structure is now a general preoccupation

Diagnostics and performance evaluation of multikilohertz capacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDuff, G.; Nunnally, W.C.; Rust, K.; Sarjeant, J.

1980-01-01

The observed performance of nanofarad polypropylene-silicone oil, mica paper, and polytetrafluoroethylene-silicone oil capacitors discharged in a 100-ns, 1-kA pulse with a pulse repetition frequency of 1 kHz is presented. The test facility circuit, diagnostic parameters, and the preliminary test schedule are outlined as a basis for discussion of the observed failure locations and proposed failure mechanisms. Most of the test data and discussion presented involves the polypropylene-silicone oil units

Diagnostic methods of tubal factor in infertility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korzon, T.; Mielnik, J.; Gosciniak, W.

1993-01-01

The diagnostic methods of tubal factor in infertility have been presented. In details have been discussed PJ, PK HSG and pelviscopy. These examinations themselves constitute the basic ones in infertility. We turned our attention into technical details and possible mistakes which may occur at the time of performing them, these misinterpretations may lead to absolutely wrong conclusion and diagnosis. Authors have wide experience in performing the discussed examinations and this allows them to share their opinion. Over the years several thousand of PK and HSG examinations have been carried out and also 1000 laparoscopies. (author)

Part I: Basic Considerations and Recommendations for Preparation, Measurement and Interpretation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Haroske

1998-01-01

Full Text Available A task force of invited experts in the field of diagnostic DNA image cytometry, especially consisting of participants from the PRESS (Prototype Reference Standard Slides and EUROPATH (European Pathology Assisted by Telematics for Healthcare projects, but open to any other scientist or physician revealing experience in that new diagnostic procedure (names are given in the Annex A agreed upon the following updated consensus report during the 5th International Congress of the ESACP 1997 in Oslo. This report is based on the preceeding one [9] and on results of the above mentioned European research projects. It deals with the following items: – Biological background and aims of DNA image cytometry,– Principles of the method,– Basic performance standards,– Diagnostic interpretation of DNA measurements,– Recommendations for practical use.

Psychological and psychobiological stress in the relationship between basic cognitive function and school performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugenia Fernández-Martín

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study analyses the role played by daily stress, assessed through self-report and at the psychobiological level, in relation to basic cognitive function when predicting school performance. The sample comprised 100 schoolchildren (55 girls and 45 boys, age range 8 to 11 years from a state school in the city of Malaga (Spain. Daily stress was assessed through the Children's Daily Stress Inventory (IIEC m Spanish; Tnanes et al., 2009. Psychobiological stress was measured through the cortisol/DHEAS ratio, derived from saliva samples taken in the morning on two consecutive days. Basic cognitive skills were assessed by means of the Computerized Cognitive Assessment System (CDR battery; Wesnes et al., 2003, 2000. Finally, the measure of school performance was the mean value of the final grades recorded in the child's school report. In addition to descriptive and correlational statistical analyses, multiple regression analyses were conducted in order to assess the model. The results show that children's daily stress self-reported contributes to predict school performance, and has proven to be more influential than basic cognitive function when it comes to predict school performance. Therefore, in order to achieve good school performance, a pupil not only requires good basic cognitive function, but must also present low levels of self-reported daily stress. These findings suggest a new way of explaining and predicting school failure.

Diagnostic planning in JT-60 project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matoba, Tohru; Suzuki, Yasuo; Funahashi, Akimasa; Itagaki, Tokiyoshi

1977-08-01

The diagnostic plans of JT-60 were made along with design of the main machine. Basic requirements of the diagnostic program are (1) multiple measurement of respective plasma parameters, (2) efficient usage of the discharge, (3) capable data acquisition system, (4) high reliability of the diagnostic equipments, and (5) systematic development of new diagnostic techniques. Dimensions of the diagnostic ports were determined in detailed design of the vacuum vessel, anticipating the possible diagnostic methods. The proposed diagnostic systems and the plans are shown in table and figures respectively. Problems in the diagnostics are also described. (auth.)

Structured diagnostic imaging in patients with multiple trauma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linsenmaier, U.; Rieger, J.; Rock, C.; Pfeifer, K.J.; Reiser, M.; Kanz, K.G.

2002-01-01

Purpose. Development of a concept for structured diagnostic imaging in patients with multiple trauma.Material and methods. Evaluation of data from a prospective trial with over 2400 documented patients with multiple trauma. All diagnostic and therapeutic steps, primary and secondary death and the 90 days lethality were documented.Structured diagnostic imaging of multiple injured patients requires the integration of an experienced radiologist in an interdisciplinary trauma team consisting of anesthesia, radiology and trauma surgery. Radiology itself deserves standardized concepts for equipment, personnel and logistics to perform diagnostic imaging for a 24-h-coverage with constant quality.Results. This paper describes criteria for initiation of a shock room or emergency room treatment, strategies for documentation and interdisciplinary algorithms for the early clinical care coordinating diagnostic imaging and therapeutic procedures following standardized guidelines. Diagnostic imaging consists of basic diagnosis, radiological ABC-rule, radiological follow-up and structured organ diagnosis using CT. Radiological trauma scoring allows improved quality control of diagnosis and therapy of multiple injured patients.Conclusion. Structured diagnostic imaging of multiple injured patients leads to a standardization of diagnosis and therapy and ensures constant process quality. (orig.) [de

BASIC TECHNICAL SKILLS (THROWS IN 17-19-YEAR-OLD JUDOKAS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wladyslaw Jagiello

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of the research was to determine basic technical skills (throws in 17-19-year-old judokas and the level of their performance. Material: The study involved 30 judo athletes (aged 17-19. Results: To determine the athletes’ basic technical skills (throws, an analysis of source materials and a diagnostic survey were used. To determine the level of technical skills, the method of expert assessment was applied. Statistical software package Statistica 8 was used in the statistical analysis. In the coaches’ opinion, 17-19-year-old judokas have a specific, characteristic of this age group, set of basic technical skills (throws aptly defining their technical preparation. Conclusions: The tested group of judokas exhibited the highest level of demonstrating throws of the koshi-waza (hip group, and the lowest one of the ashi-waza (foot group.

The european approach to quality assurance in diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benini, A.

1997-01-01

The european and increasingly the international organizations are emphasizing the importance of appropriate quality assurance programmes in diagnostic radiology. The European Directive (particularly the directive 84/466/EURATOM). the various publications of the International Commission for radiation protection (ICRP), related to protection of the patients and workers and the Basic Safety Standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) might be considered the landmarks of the new approach to the problems of dose reduction and quality in diagnostic radiology. In particular ICRP maintains a watching brief on all aspects related to radiation protection and makes recommendations concerning basic principles. Since ICRP 26 (1977), several ICRP publications have dealt with all the principal fields of diagnostic radiology. The IAEA has recently published the new Basic Safety Standards including guidance levels for the most common diagnostic investigations.Within the European countries the European Union and the European legislation have strong influence of the implementation of radiation protection and Q A at a national level. This has led to a substantial effort in the european countries to establish national standards and basic quality requirements. (author)

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND LABOR PERFORMANCE IN BASIC EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yumaira Matilde Quero Romero

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This research is correlational descriptive, is framed in positivist approach why a quantitative statistical analysis was used to process the data obtained from the subjects surveyed to measure the relationship of the variables: Effective Communication and Job Performance of Directors and their respective dimensions and indicators. The study design is not experimental, transeccioanal. A population census was performed by the population being comprised of 99 subjects, 9 of which belong to the management staff and 90 teachers of Basic Schools Altagracia parish, municipality Miranda, Zulia state. Type two survey instruments comprised of 39 itemes each designed to measure effective communication and job performance of managers of national primary schools of Altagracia parish, with alternatives of Likert responses which variables were always, sometimes, almost never, never the statistical analysis used to analyze the results in this research was descriptive, with frequency distribution per item. In conclusion a significant positive correlation at the level of 0.00 was detected.

Diagnostic Performance on Low Dose Computed Tomography For Acute Appendicitis Among Attending and Resident Radiologists

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Chih-Chen; Wong, Yon-Cheong; Wu, Cheng-Hsien; Chen, Huan-Wu; Wang, Li-Jen; Lee, Yu-Hsien; Wu, Patricia Wanping; Irama, Wiwan; Chen, Wei Yuan; Chang, Chee-Jen

2016-01-01

Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) techniques can reduce exposure to radiation. Several previous studies have shown that radiation dose reduction in LDCT does not decrease the diagnostic performance for appendicitis among attending radiologists. But, the LDCT diagnostic performance for acute appendicitis in radiology residents with variable training levels has not been well discussed. To compare inter-observer and intra-observer differences of diagnostic performance on non-enhanced LDCT (NE-LDCT) and contrast-enhanced standard dose CT (CE-SDCT) for acute appendicitis among attending and resident radiologists. This retrospective study included 101 patients with suspected acute appendicitis who underwent NE-LDCT and CE-SDCT. The CT examinations were interpreted and recorded on a five-point scale independently by three attending radiologists and three residents with 4, 1 and 1 years of training. Diagnostic performance for acute appendicitis of all readers on both examinations was represented by area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Inter-observer and intra-observer AUC values were compared using Jackknife FROC software on both modalities. The diagnostic accuracy of each reader on NE-LDCT was compared with body mass index (BMI) subgroups and noise using independent T test. Diagnostic performances for acute appendicitis were not statistically different for attending radiologists at both examinations. Better performance was noted on the CE-SDCT with a borderline significant difference (P = 0.05) for senior radiology resident. No statistical difference of AUC values was observed between attending radiologists and fourth year resident on both examinations. Statistically signifi@@cant differences of AUC values were observed between attending radiologists and first year residents (P = 0.001 ~ 0.018) on NE-LDCT. Diagnostic accuracies of acute appendicitis on NE-LDCT for each reader were not significantly related to BMI or noise. Attending radiologists

A Hybrid Neural Network-Genetic Algorithm Technique for Aircraft Engine Performance Diagnostics

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Takahisa; Simon, Donald L.

2001-01-01

In this paper, a model-based diagnostic method, which utilizes Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms, is investigated. Neural networks are applied to estimate the engine internal health, and Genetic Algorithms are applied for sensor bias detection and estimation. This hybrid approach takes advantage of the nonlinear estimation capability provided by neural networks while improving the robustness to measurement uncertainty through the application of Genetic Algorithms. The hybrid diagnostic technique also has the ability to rank multiple potential solutions for a given set of anomalous sensor measurements in order to reduce false alarms and missed detections. The performance of the hybrid diagnostic technique is evaluated through some case studies derived from a turbofan engine simulation. The results show this approach is promising for reliable diagnostics of aircraft engines.

Diagnostic performance of 64-slice multidetector coronary computed tomographic angiography in women.

Science.gov (United States)

Jug, Borut; Gupta, Mohit; Papazian, Jenny; Li, Dong; Tsang, Janet; Bhatia, Harpreet; Karlsberg, Ronald; Budoff, Matthew

2012-12-01

Diagnostic approach to chest pain in women is challenging, but still under-investigated. The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of 64-slice multidetector coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) in women with chest pain. We included 606 patients--255 women and 351 men (mean age 61 ± 12 years for both)--who had been referred for a CCTA and an invasive coronary angiography (diagnostic standard) because of chest pain, either as part of clinical work-up in two urban medical centers or as part of the multicenter ACCURACY trial. On a patient-based model, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value to detect ≥50% and ≥70% stenosis were 98%, 84%, 87%, and 97% and 96%, 83%, 77%, and 97%, respectively, for women and 97%, 83%, 89%, and 95% and 94%, 91%, 90%, and 94%, respectively, for men. There were no statistically significant differences between men and women in diagnostic performance measures except for the PPV of detecting a ≥70% stenosis (P = .007). In women with chest pain, 64-slice multidetector CCTA is at least as sensitive and specific as in men. Our findings suggest that CCTA is a promising diagnostic tool for timely detection and/or exclusion of CAD in symptomatic intermediate-risk female populations.

Acoustic detection in superconducting magnets for performance characterization and diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchevsky, M; Wang, X; Sabbi, G; Prestemon, S

2013-01-01

Quench diagnostics in superconducting accelerator magnets is essential for understanding performance limitations and improving magnet design. Applicability of the conventional quench diagnostics methods such as voltage taps or quench antennas is limited for long magnets or complex winding geometries, and alternative approaches are desirable. Here, we discuss acoustic sensing technique for detecting mechanical vibrations in superconducting magnets. Using LARP high-field Nb3Sn quadrupole HQ01, we show how acoustic data is connected with voltage instabilities measured simultaneously in the magnet windings during provoked extractions and current ramps to quench. Instrumentation and data analysis techniques for acoustic sensing are reviewed. (author)

Acoustic detection in superconducting magnets for performance characterization and diagnostics

CERN Document Server

Marchevsky, M.; Sabbi, G.; Prestemon, S.

2013-01-01

Quench diagnostics in superconducting accelerator magnets is essential for understanding performance limitations and improving magnet design. Applicability of the conventional quench diagnostics methods such as voltage taps or quench antennas is limited for long magnets or complex winding geometries, and alternative approaches are desirable. Here, we discuss acoustic sensing technique for detecting mechanical vibrations in superconducting magnets. Using LARP high-field Nb$_{3}$Sn quadrupole HQ01 [1], we show how acoustic data is connected with voltage instabilities measured simultaneously in the magnet windings during provoked extractions and current ramps to quench. Instrumentation and data analysis techniques for acoustic sensing are reviewed.

A systematic review of the diagnostic performance of orthopedic physical examination tests of the hip.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Labib Ataur; Adie, Sam; Naylor, Justine Maree; Mittal, Rajat; So, Sarah; Harris, Ian Andrew

2013-08-30

Previous reviews of the diagnostic performances of physical tests of the hip in orthopedics have drawn limited conclusions because of the low to moderate quality of primary studies published in the literature. This systematic review aims to build on these reviews by assessing a broad range of hip pathologies, and employing a more selective approach to the inclusion of studies in order to accurately gauge diagnostic performance for the purposes of making recommendations for clinical practice and future research. It specifically identifies tests which demonstrate strong and moderate diagnostic performance. A systematic search of Medline, Embase, Embase Classic and CINAHL was conducted to identify studies of hip tests. Our selection criteria included an analysis of internal and external validity. We reported diagnostic performance in terms of sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and likelihood ratios. Likelihood ratios were used to identify tests with strong and moderate diagnostic utility. Only a small proportion of tests reported in the literature have been assessed in methodologically valid primary studies. 16 studies were included in our review, producing 56 independent test-pathology combinations. Two tests demonstrated strong clinical utility, the patellar-pubic percussion test for excluding radiologically occult hip fractures (negative LR 0.05, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.03-0.08) and the hip abduction sign for diagnosing sarcoglycanopathies in patients with known muscular dystrophies (positive LR 34.29, 95% CI 10.97-122.30). Fifteen tests demonstrated moderate diagnostic utility for diagnosing and/or excluding hip fractures, symptomatic osteoarthritis and loosening of components post-total hip arthroplasty. We have identified a number of tests demonstrating strong and moderate diagnostic performance. These findings must be viewed with caution as there are concerns over the methodological quality of the primary studies from which we have extracted our

POTENTIALITIES OF DIAGNOSTICS AND DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSTICS OF STOMACH DISEASES BY MEANS OF USAGE OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE BLOOD SERUM LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.P. Alexeeva

2008-12-01

Full Text Available 62 patients with the endoscopically and morphologicallyverified diagnosis of the chronic gastritis, 89 patients with the morphologically verified diagnosis of stomach cancer and 43 healthy persons ages 23 to 54 years have been examined. Potentialities of the usage of high-performance blood serum liquid chromatography have been studied for the purpose of diagnostics and differential diagnostics of chronic gastritis and stomach cancer. Blood serum driedextract was investigated by means of"Milichrome A02"chromatograph (Novosibirsk, "Econova" joint-stock company. The chromatograms were treated by the multivahate cluster analysis with the formation of pathologic three-dimensional characteristic state notably differed from the healthy human image. Diagnostic sensitivity of chronic gastritis and stomach cancer acounts for accordingly 92% and 96%. Diagnostic accuracy of the method comes to 94%.

Detailed Performance Assessment for the ITER ECE Diagnostic

Science.gov (United States)

Rowan, W.; Austin, M.; Houshmandyar, S.; Phillips, P.; Beno, J.; Bryant, A.; Ouroua, A.; Weeks, D.; Hubbard, A.; Taylor, G.

2017-10-01

One of the primary diagnostics for electron temperature (Te) measurement on ITER is based on the detection of electron cyclotron emission (ECE) Here we describe the predicted performance of the newly completed ECE diagnostic design by quantitatively following the emission from the plasma to the instruments and including the calibration method to assess accuracy. Operation of the diagnostic at 5.3 T is the main interest here but critical features of the emission spectra for 2.65 T and 1.8 T will be described. ECE will be collected by two very similar optical systems: one a radial view, the other an oblique view. Both measurements are used for Te while the oblique view also allows detection of non-thermal distortion in the electron distribution. An in-vacuum calibration source is included in the front end of each view to calibrate out the effect of any degradation of in-vessel optics. Following collection, the emission is split into orthogonal polarizations and transmitted to the detection instruments via waveguides filled with dry nitrogen, a choice that simplifies construction and analysis. Near the instruments, a switchyard is used to select which polarization and view is detected by each instrument. The design for the radiometer used for 5.3 T will be described in detail. Supported by PPPL/US-DA via subcontract S013464-H to UT Austin.

A critical narrative review of transfer of basic science knowledge in health professions education.

Science.gov (United States)

Castillo, Jean-Marie; Park, Yoon Soo; Harris, Ilene; Cheung, Jeffrey J H; Sood, Lonika; Clark, Maureen D; Kulasegaram, Kulamakan; Brydges, Ryan; Norman, Geoffrey; Woods, Nicole

2018-02-08

'Transfer' is the application of a previously learned concept to solve a new problem in another context. Transfer is essential for basic science education because, to be valuable, basic science knowledge must be transferred to clinical problem solving. Therefore, better understanding of interventions that enhance the transfer of basic science knowledge to clinical reasoning is essential. This review systematically identifies interventions described in the health professions education (HPE) literature that document the transfer of basic science knowledge to clinical reasoning, and considers teaching and assessment strategies. A systematic search of the literature was conducted. Articles related to basic science teaching at the undergraduate level in HPE were analysed using a 'transfer out'/'transfer in' conceptual framework. 'Transfer out' refers to the application of knowledge developed in one learning situation to the solving of a new problem. 'Transfer in' refers to the use of previously acquired knowledge to learn from new problems or learning situations. Of 9803 articles initially identified, 627 studies were retrieved for full text evaluation; 15 were included in the literature review. A total of 93% explored 'transfer out' to clinical reasoning and 7% (one article) explored 'transfer in'. Measures of 'transfer out' fostered by basic science knowledge included diagnostic accuracy over time and in new clinical cases. Basic science knowledge supported learning - 'transfer in' - of new related content and ultimately the 'transfer out' to diagnostic reasoning. Successful teaching strategies included the making of connections between basic and clinical sciences, the use of commonsense analogies, and the study of multiple clinical problems in multiple contexts. Performance on recall tests did not reflect the transfer of basic science knowledge to clinical reasoning. Transfer of basic science knowledge to clinical reasoning is an essential component of HPE that

Laser and plasma diagnostics for the OMEGA Upgrade Laser System (invited) (abstract)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Letzring, S.A.

1995-01-01

The upgraded OMEGA laser system will be capable of delivering up to 30 kJ of 351-nm laser light with various temporal pulse shapes onto a variety of targets for both ICF and basic plasma physics experiments. ICF experiments will cover a wide parameter space up to near-ignition conditions, and basic interaction and plasma physics experiments will cover previously unattainable parameter spaces. The laser system is the tool with which the experiments are performed; the diagnostics, both of the laser system and the interaction between the laser and the target, form the heart of the experiment. A new suite of diagnostics is now being designed and constructed. Most of these are based on diagnostics previously fielded on the OMEGA laser system very successfully over the last ten years, but there are some new diagnostics, both for the laser and the interaction experiments, which have had to be invented. Laser system diagnostics include high-energy, full-beam calorimetry for all of the 60 beams of the upgrade; a novel, multispectral energy-measuring system for assessing the tuning of the frequency-multiplying crystals; a beam-balance diagnostic that forms the heart of the energy-balance system; and a peak power diagnostic that forms the heart of the power-balance system. Target diagnostics will include the usual time-integrated x-ray imaging systems, both pinhole cameras and x-ray microscopes; x-ray spectrometers, both imaging and spatially integrating; plamsa calorimeters, including x-ray calorimetry; and time-resolved x-ray diagnostics, both nonimaging and imaging in one and two dimensions. Neutron diagnostics will include several measurements of total yield, secondary, and possibly tertiary yield and neutron spectroscopy with several time-of-flight spectrometers. Other measurements will include ''knock-on'' particle measurements and neutron activation of shell materials as a diagnostic of compressed fuel and shell density

Diagnostic performance of increased overjet in Class II division 1 malocclusion and incisor trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Baccetti, Tiziano; Giuntini, Veronica; Vangelisti, Andrea; Darendeliler, M Ali; Franchi, Lorenzo

2010-01-01

The objectives of this study were: 1) to evaluate the associations between an increased overjet (IO) and other dentoskeletal characteristics of Class II division 1 malocclusions in the mixed dentition; 2) to assess whether Class II division 1 malocclusions or rather an increased overjet per se is a risk factor for upper incisor trauma (UIT). A sample of 900 mixed dentition subjects, was observed by clinical inspection, analysis of dental casts, and lateral cephalograms. The diagnostic performance of IO (overjet ≥ 7 mm) was evaluated in relation to other Class II dentoskeletal features (Class II molar and canine relationships, and skeletal Class II relationships). Secondly, the diagnostic performance of IO and of the other Class II dentoskeletal components was tested with regard to the prevalence of UIT. Diagnostic performance was assessed by odds ratio and positive likelihood ratio. The diagnostic performance of IO with regard to the other dentoskeletal components of Class II malocclusions was not significant. The only Class II features associated significantly with an increased risk of UIT was IO. When used as an isolated occlusal feature, IO is not a valid diagnostic indicator for Class II division 1 malocclusions. An increased overjet per se, and not Class II malocclusions, appears to be a significant risk factor for UIT. These findings recommend discrimination between clinical conditions showing an isolated IO from comprehensive Class II malocclusions during diagnosis, analysis of treatment outcomes, and evaluation of the risk of upper incisor trauma. Copyright © 2010 Società Italiana di Ortodonzia SIDO. Published by Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

Quality criteria in diagnostic radiology of the skeleton

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freyschmidt, J.

1985-01-01

Conventional diagnostic radiology continues to represent the basic technique in skeleton diagnostics and results in decisive diagnoses in more than 80% of all cases. Compared with other examination methods, it is cheap and relatively easy to perform; however, it makes high demands on the physician's clinical and technical expertise. Compared with computerized tomography, conventional radiography has the advantage of decades of experience and of being cheaper by far. The author thinks the following quality criteria to be important in diagnostic radiology of the skeleton: roentgenological examination of one or several skeleton regions in keeping with the clinical issue concerned, accurate visualization of the object in a typical and reproducible projection, radiation quality matched to the dimension of the object, matched mean optical density, visualization of soft tissue near to bones and joints, and radiation dose in keeping with the clinical issue concerned. (orig./MG) [de

Strategies for adding adaptive learning mechanisms to rule-based diagnostic expert systems

Science.gov (United States)

Stclair, D. C.; Sabharwal, C. L.; Bond, W. E.; Hacke, Keith

1988-01-01

Rule-based diagnostic expert systems can be used to perform many of the diagnostic chores necessary in today's complex space systems. These expert systems typically take a set of symptoms as input and produce diagnostic advice as output. The primary objective of such expert systems is to provide accurate and comprehensive advice which can be used to help return the space system in question to nominal operation. The development and maintenance of diagnostic expert systems is time and labor intensive since the services of both knowledge engineer(s) and domain expert(s) are required. The use of adaptive learning mechanisms to increment evaluate and refine rules promises to reduce both time and labor costs associated with such systems. This paper describes the basic adaptive learning mechanisms of strengthening, weakening, generalization, discrimination, and discovery. Next basic strategies are discussed for adding these learning mechanisms to rule-based diagnostic expert systems. These strategies support the incremental evaluation and refinement of rules in the knowledge base by comparing the set of advice given by the expert system (A) with the correct diagnosis (C). Techniques are described for selecting those rules in the in the knowledge base which should participate in adaptive learning. The strategies presented may be used with a wide variety of learning algorithms. Further, these strategies are applicable to a large number of rule-based diagnostic expert systems. They may be used to provide either immediate or deferred updating of the knowledge base.

Mobile diagnostics: next-generation technologies for in vitro diagnostics.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Joonchul; Chakravarty, Sudesna; Choi, Wooseok; Lee, Kyungyeon; Han, Dongsik; Hwang, Hyundoo; Choi, Jaekyu; Jung, Hyo-Il

2018-03-26

The emergence of a wide range of applications of smartphones along with advances in 'liquid biopsy' has significantly propelled medical research particularly in the field of in vitro diagnostics (IVD). Herein, we have presented a detailed analysis of IVD, its associated critical concerns and probable solutions. It also demonstrates the transition in terms of analytes from minimally invasive (blood) to non-invasive (urine, saliva and sweat) and depicts how the different features of a smartphone can be integrated for specific diagnostic purposes. This review basically highlights recent advances in the applications of smartphone-based biosensors in IVD taking into account the following factors: accuracy and portability; quantitative and qualitative analysis; and centralization and decentralization tests. Furthermore, the critical concerns and future direction of diagnostics based on smartphones are also discussed.

Curriculum Reform and School Performance: An Evaluation of the "New Basics."

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Karl L.; Pallas, Aaron M.

This report examines whether a high school curriculum organized around the five "new basics" suggested by the National Commission on Excellence in Education is likely to enhance student achievement. Data from the ETS Growth Study reveals that completion of the core curriculum has sizable effects on senior-year test performance, even when…

Opinion: the basic scientist in radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holloway, A.F.; Taylor, K.W.

1984-01-01

Diagnostic radiology has experienced many scientific and technical advances in the past decade. New imaging methods have allowed diagnostic procedures that have in some cases produced marked advances in treatment of disease. The complexity of the science and technology requires increased knowledge of equipment and techniques on the part of users. This, together with the necessity of exploration of other new developments in science and technology, requires a closer relationship between radiologists on the one hand and basic scientists on the other. (author)

[Etiopathogenesis of diarrhea and basic principles of diagnosis and therapy].

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrmann, J

2002-06-01

Acute diarrhoea is worldwide the second most frequent disease after acute inflammations of the airways. Chronic diarrhoea is a less frequent disease, nevertheless the GP, specialist in internal medicine or gastroenterologist encounters it very frequently. For correct understanding of basic diagnostic and therapeutic principles of diarrhoea knowledge of its etiopathogenesis is necessary. In the submitted review the author mentions the functions of the small and large intestine and their part in the development of diarrhoea. He gives also the definition and classification of diarrhoea. The author presents the basic characteristics of osmotic, secretory, inflammatory, motor diarrhoea and diarrhoea associated with increased intestinal filtration. The basic diagnostic and therapeutic principles are in the last part of the review which has an educational character.

Clay as Thermoluminescence Dosemeter in diagnostic Radiology ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper reports the investigation of the basic thermoluminescence properties of clay at x-rays in the diagnostic radiology range, including dose monitoring in abdominal radiography. Clay sourced from Calabar, Nigeria, was tested for thermoluminescence response after irradiation at diagnostic radiology doses, including ...

An Integrated Architecture for On-Board Aircraft Engine Performance Trend Monitoring and Gas Path Fault Diagnostics

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Donald L.

2010-01-01

Aircraft engine performance trend monitoring and gas path fault diagnostics are closely related technologies that assist operators in managing the health of their gas turbine engine assets. Trend monitoring is the process of monitoring the gradual performance change that an aircraft engine will naturally incur over time due to turbomachinery deterioration, while gas path diagnostics is the process of detecting and isolating the occurrence of any faults impacting engine flow-path performance. Today, performance trend monitoring and gas path fault diagnostic functions are performed by a combination of on-board and off-board strategies. On-board engine control computers contain logic that monitors for anomalous engine operation in real-time. Off-board ground stations are used to conduct fleet-wide engine trend monitoring and fault diagnostics based on data collected from each engine each flight. Continuing advances in avionics are enabling the migration of portions of the ground-based functionality on-board, giving rise to more sophisticated on-board engine health management capabilities. This paper reviews the conventional engine performance trend monitoring and gas path fault diagnostic architecture commonly applied today, and presents a proposed enhanced on-board architecture for future applications. The enhanced architecture gains real-time access to an expanded quantity of engine parameters, and provides advanced on-board model-based estimation capabilities. The benefits of the enhanced architecture include the real-time continuous monitoring of engine health, the early diagnosis of fault conditions, and the estimation of unmeasured engine performance parameters. A future vision to advance the enhanced architecture is also presented and discussed

The diagnostic performance of chronologic age in the assessment of skeletal maturity.

Science.gov (United States)

Baccetti, Tiziano; Franchi, Lorenzo; De Toffol, Laura; Ghiozzi, Bruno; Cozza, Paola

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between chronologic age the and individual skeletal maturity as assessed by means of the cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) method during the circumpubertal period. The evaluated sample of 600 subjects consisted of 100 subjects (50 males and 50 females) for each of 6 age groups, from 9 years through 14 years of age. Individual skeletal maturity for all subjects was determined by using the CVM method. The relationship between chronologic age and the most prevalent CVM stage at each age group was evaluated statistically by means of indicators of diagnostic test performance that specify the ability of a diagnostic test to identify a condition. The diagnostic performance of chronologic age for the detection of the onset of the adolescent peak in skeletal maturation was very low both in males and in females. In male subjects, the chronologic age of 9 years +/- 6 months presented with strong diagnostic power for the identification of a pre-pubertal stage in skeletal maturation. In female subjects, the chronologic age of 14 years +/- 6 months corresponded with a strong probability of a postpubertal stage in skeletal maturation. In males, chronologic age can identify a pre-pubertal stage of skeletal development, and in females a post-pubertal stage. In both males and females, chronologic age cannot recognize the onset of the adolescent peak in skeletal maturation.

Methodology for quantitative evalution of diagnostic performance. Project III

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metz, C.E.

1985-01-01

Receiver Operation Characteristic (ROC) methodology is now widely recognized as the most satisfactory approach to the problem of measuring and specifying the performance of a diagnostic procedure. The primary advantage of ROC analysis over alternative methodologies is that it seperates differences in diagnostic accuracy that are due to actual differences in discrimination capacity from those that are due to decision threshold effects. Our effort during the past year has been devoted to developing digital computer programs for fitting ROC curves to diagnostic data by maximum likelihood estimation and to developing meaningful and valid statistical tests for assessing the significance of apparent differences between measured ROC curves. FORTRAN programs previously written here for ROC curve fitting and statistical testing have been refined to make them easier to use and to allow them to be run in a large variety of computer systems. We have attempted also to develop two new curve-fitting programs: one for conventional ROC data that assumes a different functional form for the ROC curve, and one that can be used for ''free-response'' ROC data. Finally, we have cooperated with other investigators to apply our techniques to analyze ROC data generated in clinical studies, and we have sought to familiarize the medical community with the advantages of ROC methodology. 36 ref

Improving the diagnostic performance of lung scintigraphy in suspected pulmonary embolic disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gleeson, F.V.; Turner, S.; Scarsbrook, A.F.

2006-01-01

Aim: to determine the effectiveness of a new imaging algorithm in the investigation of suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). Materials and methods: A new imaging algorithm for suspected PE was introduced following the installation of a multisection computed tomography (CT) machine at our institution. Before its installation, patients with suspected PE were evaluated with ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scintigraphy. Subsequently, patients were triaged according to chest radiography (CR) and respiratory history to either lung scintigraphy or CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA). Patients with a normal CR and no history of lung disease were evaluated using perfusion (Q) scintigraphy [ventilation (V) scintigraphy was no longer performed]. Patients with an abnormal CR, asthma or chronic lung disease were evaluated using CTPA. All V/Q images in a continuous 3-year period before the introduction of the new imaging algorithm and all Q images performed in a 3-year period after its introduction were retrospectively reviewed. Imaging reports were categorized into normal, non-diagnostic (low or intermediate probability) or high probability for PE. Patients in the later group who subsequently underwent CTPA, were also reviewed. Results: After the policy change the percentage of normal scintigrams significantly increased (39 to 60%; p < 0.001). There was a non-significant increase in the percentage of high probability scintigrams (15 to 18%; p = 0.716). Overall the diagnostic yield of lung scintigraphy improved significantly (54 to 78%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: the diagnostic performance of lung scintigraphy can be improved by careful triage of patients to either Q scintigraphy or CTPA based on clinical history and CR findings. Q scintigraphy remains a valuable diagnostic test in the investigation of suspected PE in carefully selected patients

Study on Fault Diagnostics of a Turboprop Engine Using Inverse Performance Model and Artificial Intelligent Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Changduk; Lim, Semyeong

2011-12-01

Recently, the health monitoring system of major gas path components of gas turbine uses mostly the model based method like the Gas Path Analysis (GPA). This method is to find quantity changes of component performance characteristic parameters such as isentropic efficiency and mass flow parameter by comparing between measured engine performance parameters such as temperatures, pressures, rotational speeds, fuel consumption, etc. and clean engine performance parameters without any engine faults which are calculated by the base engine performance model. Currently, the expert engine diagnostic systems using the artificial intelligent methods such as Neural Networks (NNs), Fuzzy Logic and Genetic Algorithms (GAs) have been studied to improve the model based method. Among them the NNs are mostly used to the engine fault diagnostic system due to its good learning performance, but it has a drawback due to low accuracy and long learning time to build learning data base if there are large amount of learning data. In addition, it has a very complex structure for finding effectively single type faults or multiple type faults of gas path components. This work builds inversely a base performance model of a turboprop engine to be used for a high altitude operation UAV using measured performance data, and proposes a fault diagnostic system using the base engine performance model and the artificial intelligent methods such as Fuzzy logic and Neural Network. The proposed diagnostic system isolates firstly the faulted components using Fuzzy Logic, then quantifies faults of the identified components using the NN leaned by fault learning data base, which are obtained from the developed base performance model. In leaning the NN, the Feed Forward Back Propagation (FFBP) method is used. Finally, it is verified through several test examples that the component faults implanted arbitrarily in the engine are well isolated and quantified by the proposed diagnostic system.

Diagnostic performance of CT angiography in patients visiting emergency department with overt gastrointestinal bleeding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ji Hang; Kim, Young Hoon; Lee, Kyoung Ho; Lee, Yoon Jin; Park, Ji Hoon

2015-01-01

To investigate the diagnostic performance of computed tomography angiography (CTA) in identifying the cause of bleeding and to determine the clinical features associated with a positive test result of CTA in patients visiting emergency department with overt gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. We included 111 consecutive patients (61 men and 50 women; mean age: 63.4 years; range: 28-89 years) who visited emergency department with overt GI bleeding. They underwent CTA as a first-line diagnostic modality from July through December 2010. Two radiologists retrospectively reviewed the CTA images and determined the presence of any definite or potential bleeding focus by consensus. An independent assessor determined the cause of bleeding based on other diagnostic studies and/or clinical follow-up. The diagnostic performance of CTA and clinical characteristics associated with positive CTA results were analyzed. To identify a definite or potential bleeding focus, the diagnostic yield of CTA was 61.3% (68 of 111). The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value were 84.8% (67 of 79), 96.9% (31 of 32), 98.5% (67 of 68), and 72.1% (31 of 43), respectively. Positive CTA results were associated with the presence of massive bleeding (p = 0.001, odds ratio: 11.506). Computed tomography angiography as a first-line diagnostic modality in patients presenting with overt GI bleeding showed a fairly high accuracy. It could identify definite or potential bleeding focus with a moderate diagnostic yield and a high PPV. CTA is particularly useful in patients with massive bleeding.

Peripheral occlusive vascular disease: Diagnostic performance of MRA and DSA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krug, B.; Kugel, H.; Harnischmacher, U.; Heindel, W.; Altenburg, A.; Fischbach, R.; Schmidt, R.

1995-01-01

In 59 patients with arterial flow disturbances 2-D inflow sequence of the abdominal and lower leg arteries were prospectively obtained on a 1.5 T MR-imager and were compared with additional DSA examinations. Supplementary Phase Contraste RSE ('Rapid Sequential Excitation') sequences were carried out in 29 patients. MRA and DSA angiograms were evaluated in random order by 4 readers using a questionnaire. The assessment of image quality were evaluated by variance analysis. Diagnostic performance of MRA and DSA was assessed by comparison of the readers' diagnostic assessments with reference diagnoses established by a radiologist and a vascular surgeon with full knowledge of all data concerning a patient. Image quality of inflow MRA was considered inferior to i.a. DSA (p [de

Compliance with European Guidelines for Diagnostic Mammography in a Decentralized Health-Care Setting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, A.; Mikkelsen, G.J.; Vestergaard, M.; Lynge, E.; Vejborg, I.

2005-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the compliance of Danish mammography clinics with requirements concerning organization, activity volume, and assessment procedures from two European guidelines for quality assurance in diagnostic mammography (EUSOMA and EUREF). Material and Methods: We used individual records on all diagnostic mammographies performed in Denmark in 2000, and questionnaires given to Danish mammography clinics in 2000, 2002, and 2004. Results: The study showed a marked centralization of the diagnostic activity from 2000 to 2004 to a smaller number of public breast assessment centers with full multidisciplinary breast assessment. However, a relatively large number of these centers did not comply with the activity volume requirement of 2000 mammograms per clinic per year. The number of private diagnostic mammography clinics performing basic diagnostic mammography has remained fairly stable in the period 2000 to 2004. Compared with public breast assessment centers, the private diagnostic mammography clinics had a lower compliance with activity volume requirements. Conclusion: A marked proportion of Danish public breast assessment centers operate with less than optimal activity volume, suggesting that further centralization would be appropriate. The situation in private diagnostic mammography clinics may cause concern, as our study showed that the majority of these clinics did not meet the activity volume requirements

Effects of basic clinical skills training on objective structured clinical examination performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Jünger, Jana; Schäfer, Sybille; Roth, Christiane; Schellberg, Dieter; Friedman Ben-David, Miriam; Nikendei, Christoph

2005-10-01

The aim of curriculum reform in medical education is to improve students' clinical and communication skills. However, there are contradicting results regarding the effectiveness of such reforms. A study of internal medicine students was carried out using a static group design. The experimental group consisted of 77 students participating in 7 sessions of communication training, 7 sessions of skills-laboratory training and 7 sessions of bedside-teaching, each lasting 1.5 hours. The control group of 66 students from the traditional curriculum participated in equally as many sessions but was offered only bedside teaching. Students' cognitive and practical skills performance was assessed using Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) testing and an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), delivered by examiners blind to group membership. The experimental group performed significantly better on the OSCE than did the control group (P < 0.01), whereas the groups did not differ on the MCQ test (P < 0.15). This indicates that specific training in communication and basic clinical skills enabled students to perform better in an OSCE, whereas its effects on knowledge did not differ from those of the traditional curriculum. Curriculum reform promoting communication and basic clinical skills are effective and lead to an improved performance in history taking and physical examination skills.

Impacts of dairy diagnostic teams on herd performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinand, D; Conlin, B J

2003-05-01

This study evaluated impacts of educational diagnostic teams of consultants used to transfer technology to dairy farms. Herd management performance changes were measured by comparing Dairy Herd Improvement data from 38 project farms to data from herds that were geographical contemporaries. The value of focused goals for effecting change was also assessed. Interviews provided producers' perception of project outcomes and insight on organization and conduct of dairy diagnostic teams. Changes observed in project herds were small compared with controls with tendencies for increased herd size and improved milk production per cow. Focused goals had greater impacts on increasing herd size, milk per cow, first lactation peak milk, reducing age at first calving, and percentages of cows with subclinical mastitis. Time, money, facility limitations, labor, and alternative priorities were the most cited constraints to implementing changes. Satisfaction scores of producers were significantly related to the degree that team recommendations were followed. Improved attitudes, quality of life, and financial well-being were benefits listed by a majority of producers from participation in the project. If similar projects were to be offered, 83% said they would participate again, and 69% indicated they would pay at least some of the costs. Project farms served as demonstration farms for 1930 other producers in their respective locales, resulting in a multiplier effect of original advice given by consultant teams. Suggestions by farmer participants for improvements in dairy diagnostic teams included needs for at least some unbiased team members, more frequent meetings, more follow-up on recommendations, and consistency of recommendations with family goals.

The Effect of Instructional Method on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Skill Performance: A Comparison Between Instructor-Led Basic Life Support and Computer-Based Basic Life Support With Voice-Activated Manikin.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson-Sands, Cathy; Brahn, Pamela; Graves, Kristal

2015-01-01

Validating participants' ability to correctly perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills during basic life support courses can be a challenge for nursing professional development specialists. This study compares two methods of basic life support training, instructor-led and computer-based learning with voice-activated manikins, to identify if one method is more effective for performance of CPR skills. The findings suggest that a computer-based learning course with voice-activated manikins is a more effective method of training for improved CPR performance.

Diagnostic Utility of the Social Skills Improvement System Performance Screening Guide

Science.gov (United States)

Krach, S. Kathleen; McCreery, Michael P.; Wang, Ye; Mohammadiamin, Houra; Cirks, Christen K.

2017-01-01

Researchers investigated the diagnostic utility of the Social Skills Improvement System: Performance Screening Guide (SSIS-PSG). Correlational, regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and conditional probability analyses were run to compare ratings on the SSIS-PSG subscales of Prosocial Behavior, Reading Skills, and Math Skills, to…

Diagnostic accuracy of mammography readers and their memory performance have no correlation with each other

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kok, P.; Cawson, J.N.; Mercuri, V.; Pitman, A.G.; Gledhill, S.; Shnier, D.; Taft, R.; Zentner, L.

2010-01-01

Full text: The study aims to determine if any association exists between visual memory performance and diagnostic accuracy performance in a group of radiologist mammogram readers. Materials and Methods: One hundred proven mammograms (23 with cancers) were grouped into 5 sets of 20 cases, with sets being of equal difficulty. Pairs of sets were presented in 5 reads (40 cases per read, order random) to a panel of 8 radiologist readers (either present or past screening readers, with experience range from 20 years). The readers were asked to either 'clear' or 'call back' cases depending on need for further workup, and at post-baseline reads to indicate whether each case was 'new' or 'old' (i .e. remembered from prior read). Two sets were presented only at baseline (40 cases per reader), and were used to calculate the reader's false recollection rate. Three sets were repeated post-baseline once or twice (100 cases per reader). Reading conditions were standardised. Results: Memory performance differed markedly between readers. The number of correctly remembered cases (of 100 'old' cases) had a median of 10.5 and range of 0-58. The observed number of false recollections (of 40 'totally new' cases) had a median of 2 and range of 0-17. Diagnostic performance measures were mean (range): sensitivity 0.68 (0.54-0.81); specificity 0.82 (0.74-0.91); positive predictive value (PPV) 0.55 (0.500.65); negative predictive value (NPV) 0.89 (0.86-0.93) and accuracy 0.78 (0.76-0.83). Confidence intervals (CIs; 95%) for each reader overlapped for all the diagnostic parameters, indicating a lack of statistically significant difference between the readers at the 5% level. The most sensitive and the most specific reader showed a trend away from each other on sensitivity, specificity, NPV and PPV; their accuracies were 0.76 and 0.82, respectively, and their accuracy 95% CIs overlapped considerably. Correlation analysis by reader showed no association between observed memory performance and

Transfer from point-of-care Ultrasonography training to diagnostic performance on patients--a randomized controlled trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Todsen, Tobias; Jensen, Morten Lind; Tolsgaard, Martin Grønnebæk

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Clinicians are increasingly using point-of-care ultrasonography for bedside examinations of patients. However, proper training is needed in this technique, and it is unknown whether the skills learned from focused Ultrasonography courses are being transferred to diagnostic performance...... test and binary logistic regression, respectively. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the performance score between the intervention group (27.4%) and the control group (18.0%, P = .004) and the diagnostic accuracy between the intervention group (65%) and the control group (39%, P = .014......). CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians could successfully transfer learning from an Ultrasonography course to improve diagnostic performance on patients. However, our results also indicate a need for more training when new technologies such as point-of-care ultrasonography are introduced....

Retention of basic life support knowledge, self-efficacy and chest compression performance in Thai undergraduate nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Partiprajak, Suphamas; Thongpo, Pichaya

2016-01-01

This study explored the retention of basic life support knowledge, self-efficacy, and chest compression performance among Thai nursing students at a university in Thailand. A one-group, pre-test and post-test design time series was used. Participants were 30 nursing students undertaking basic life support training as a care provider. Repeated measure analysis of variance was used to test the retention of knowledge and self-efficacy between pre-test, immediate post-test, and re-test after 3 months. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the difference in chest compression performance two times. Basic life support knowledge was measured using the Basic Life Support Standard Test for Cognitive Knowledge. Self-efficacy was measured using the Basic Life Support Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Chest compression performance was evaluated using a data printout from Resusci Anne and Laerdal skillmeter within two cycles. The training had an immediate significant effect on the knowledge, self-efficacy, and skill of chest compression; however, the knowledge and self-efficacy significantly declined after post-training for 3 months. Chest compression performance after training for 3 months was positively retaining compared to the first post-test but was not significant. Therefore, a retraining program to maintain knowledge and self-efficacy for a longer period of time should be established after post-training for 3 months. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

GPRA (Government Performance and Results Act) and research evaluation for basic science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Shoji

2002-08-01

The purpose of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) is to ask federal agencies for evaluating their program performance especially from cost-efficiency aspect and to report to Congress. GPRA is to hold agencies accountable for their programs by requiring that they think strategically (in most cases every 5 years) and set, measure and report goals annually. The agencies which have responsibilities for enhancing basic science like Department of Energy (DOE) and National Science Fund (NSF) are not excluded by reasons of the difficulties of economic evaluations. In Japan, based on 'the Rationalization program for the public corporations' of 2001, the research developing type corporations should make a cost-performance evaluation in addition to the conventional ones. They have same theme as US agencies struggles. The purpose of this report is to get some hints for this theme by surveying GPRA reports of DOE and NSF and analyzing related information. At present, I have to conclude although everybody accepts the necessities of socio-economic evaluations and investment criteria for basic research, studies and discussions about ways and means are still continuing even in the US. (author)

Diagnostic performance of traditional hepatobiliary biomarkers of drug-induced liver injury in the rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Ennulat, Daniela; Magid-Slav, Michal; Rehm, Sabine; Tatsuoka, Kay S

2010-08-01

Nonclinical studies provide the opportunity to anchor biochemical with morphologic findings; however, liver injury is often complex and heterogeneous, confounding the ability to relate biochemical changes with specific patterns of injury. The aim of the current study was to compare diagnostic performance of hepatobiliary markers for specific manifestations of drug-induced liver injury in rat using data collected in a recent hepatic toxicogenomics initiative in which rats (n = 3205) were given 182 different treatments for 4 or 14 days. Diagnostic accuracy of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (Tbili), serum bile acids (SBA), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), total cholesterol (Chol), and triglycerides (Trig) was evaluated for specific types of liver histopathology by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. To assess the relationship between biochemical and morphologic changes in the absence of hepatocellular necrosis, a second ROC analysis was performed on a subset of rats (n = 2504) given treatments (n = 152) that did not cause hepatocellular necrosis. In the initial analysis, ALT, AST, Tbili, and SBA had the greatest diagnostic utility for manifestations of hepatocellular necrosis and biliary injury, with comparable magnitude of area under the ROC curve and serum hepatobiliary marker changes for both. In the absence of hepatocellular necrosis, ALT increases were observed with biochemical or morphologic evidence of cholestasis. In both analyses, diagnostic utility of ALP and GGT for biliary injury was limited; however, ALP had modest diagnostic value for peroxisome proliferation, and ALT, AST, and total Chol had moderate diagnostic utility for phospholipidosis. None of the eight markers evaluated had diagnostic value for manifestations of hypertrophy, cytoplasmic rarefaction, inflammation, or lipidosis.

Diagnostic performance of semi-quantitative and quantitative stress CMR perfusion analysis: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

van Dijk, R; van Assen, M; Vliegenthart, R; de Bock, G H; van der Harst, P; Oudkerk, M

2017-11-27

Stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) perfusion imaging is a promising modality for the evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD) due to high spatial resolution and absence of radiation. Semi-quantitative and quantitative analysis of CMR perfusion are based on signal-intensity curves produced during the first-pass of gadolinium contrast. Multiple semi-quantitative and quantitative parameters have been introduced. Diagnostic performance of these parameters varies extensively among studies and standardized protocols are lacking. This study aims to determine the diagnostic accuracy of semi- quantitative and quantitative CMR perfusion parameters, compared to multiple reference standards. Pubmed, WebOfScience, and Embase were systematically searched using predefined criteria (3272 articles). A check for duplicates was performed (1967 articles). Eligibility and relevance of the articles was determined by two reviewers using pre-defined criteria. The primary data extraction was performed independently by two researchers with the use of a predefined template. Differences in extracted data were resolved by discussion between the two researchers. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the 'Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies Tool' (QUADAS-2). True positives, false positives, true negatives, and false negatives were subtracted/calculated from the articles. The principal summary measures used to assess diagnostic accuracy were sensitivity, specificity, andarea under the receiver operating curve (AUC). Data was pooled according to analysis territory, reference standard and perfusion parameter. Twenty-two articles were eligible based on the predefined study eligibility criteria. The pooled diagnostic accuracy for segment-, territory- and patient-based analyses showed good diagnostic performance with sensitivity of 0.88, 0.82, and 0.83, specificity of 0.72, 0.83, and 0.76 and AUC of 0.90, 0.84, and 0.87, respectively. In per territory

THE CURRENT METHODS FOR MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS OF FISH DISEASES (REVIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Zaloilo

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The methods of molecular diagnostic (MMD gradually become widespread in modern fish farming. MMD contain a wide variety of specific approaches, each of which has distinct limits of their possible applications and is characterized by individual peculiarities in practical performance. In addition to high sensitivity and the possibility of rapid diagnostics, the main advantage of molecular methods is to determine the uncultivated infectious agents. DNA amplification allows identifying pathogenic microorganisms at very small quantities even in the minimum sample volume. Molecular methods of diagnostic enable the determination of infection in latent or acute phases. These methods allow showing the differences between pathogens with similar antigenic structures. The current literature data on this subject usually show a methodology in the narrow context of the tasks or practical results obtained through such approaches. Thus, a synthesis of existing information on the mechanisms of action and the limits of the typical problems of basic methods of molecular diagnostics are an urgent task of fish breeding. In particular, the following description will more effectively choose one or several approaches to identify pathogens in fish. Findings. This paper reviews the basic molecular methods that are used in the world's aquaculture for diagnosis of various diseases in commercial fish species. Originality. This work is a generalization of data on the principles and mechanisms for the implementation of diagnostics based on modern molecular techniques. For each of the mentioned approaches, the most promising areas of application were shown. The information is provided in the form of a comparative analysis of each methodology, indicating positive and negative practical aspects. Practical value. The current review of modern methods of molecular diagnostic in aquaculture is focused on practical application. Generalizing and analytical information can be

Can Mission Predict School Performance? The Case of Basic Education in Oman

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Ani, Wajeha Thabit; Ismail, Omer Hashim

2015-01-01

This article reports on a study that examined the relationship between the mission statements and performance of Basic Education Schools in Oman. The process of mission statement framing was also investigated. A sample of 161 school mission statements was randomly collected from the Ministry of Education school mission portal database representing…

Testing Basic Competency in Knee Arthroscopy Using a Virtual Reality Simulator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Mads Emil; Andersen, Morten Jon; Hansen, Claus Ol

2015-01-01

was set at a total z-score of 15.5 points, resulting in two of the novices passing the test and a single experienced surgeon failing the test. CONCLUSIONS: By combining four procedures on a virtual reality arthroscopy simulator, it was possible to create a valid, reliable, and feasible test of basic......BACKGROUND: Diagnostic knee arthroscopy is a common procedure that orthopaedic residents are expected to learn early in their training. Arthroscopy requires a different skill set from traditional open surgery, and many orthopaedic residents feel less prepared for arthroscopic procedures. Virtual...... reality simulation training and testing provide an opportunity to ensure basic competency before proceeding to supervised procedures in patients. METHODS: Twenty-six physicians (thirteen novices and thirteen experienced arthroscopic surgeons) were voluntarily recruited to perform a test consisting of five...

Low cut-off values increase diagnostic performance of protein S assays

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mulder, Rene; ten Kate, Min Ki; Kluin-Nelemans, Hanneke C.; Mulder, Andre B.

Conflicting data have been reported on the accuracy of protein S (PS) assays for detection of hereditary PS deficiency. In this study we assessed the diagnostic performance of two total PS antigen assays, four free PS assays and three PS activity assays in a group of 28 heterozygous carriers of

Progress in diagnostics of the COMPASS tokamak

Science.gov (United States)

Weinzettl, V.; Adamek, J.; Berta, M.; Bilkova, P.; Bogar, O.; Bohm, P.; Cavalier, J.; Dejarnac, R.; Dimitrova, M.; Ficker, O.; Fridrich, D.; Grover, O.; Hacek, P.; Havlicek, J.; Havranek, A.; Horacek, J.; Hron, M.; Imrisek, M.; Komm, M.; Kovarik, K.; Krbec, J.; Markovic, T.; Matveeva, E.; Mitosinkova, K.; Mlynar, J.; Naydenkova, D.; Panek, R.; Paprok, R.; Peterka, M.; Podolnik, A.; Seidl, J.; Sos, M.; Stockel, J.; Tomes, M.; Varavin, M.; Varju, J.; Vlainic, M.; Vondracek, P.; Zajac, J.; Zacek, F.; Stano, M.; Anda, G.; Dunai, D.; Krizsanoczi, T.; Refy, D.; Zoletnik, S.; Silva, A.; Gomes, R.; Pereira, T.; Popov, Tsv.; Sarychev, D.; Ermak, G. P.; Zebrowski, J.; Jakubowski, M.; Rabinski, M.; Malinowski, K.; Nanobashvili, S.; Spolaore, M.; Vianello, N.; Gauthier, E.; Gunn, J. P.; Devitre, A.

2017-12-01

The COMPASS tokamak at IPP Prague is a small-size device with an ITER-relevant plasma geometry and operating in both the Ohmic as well as neutral beam assisted H-modes since 2012. A basic set of diagnostics installed at the beginning of the COMPASS operation has been gradually broadened in type of diagnostics, extended in number of detectors and collected channels and improved by an increased data acquisition speed. In recent years, a significant progress in diagnostic development has been motivated by the improved COMPASS plasma performance and broadening of its scientific programme (L-H transition and pedestal scaling studies, magnetic perturbations, runaway electron control and mitigation, plasma-surface interaction and corresponding heat fluxes, Alfvenic and edge localized mode observations, disruptions, etc.). In this contribution, we describe major upgrades of a broad spectrum of the COMPASS diagnostics and discuss their potential for physical studies. In particular, scrape-off layer plasma diagnostics will be represented by a new concept for microsecond electron temperature and heat flux measurements - we introduce a new set of divertor Langmuir and ball-pen probe arrays, newly constructed probe heads for reciprocating manipulators as well as several types of standalone probes. Among optical tools, an upgraded high-resolution edge Thomson scattering diagnostic for pedestal studies and a set of new visible light and infrared (plasma-surface interaction investigations) cameras will be described. Particle and beam diagnostics will be covered by a neutral particle analyzer, diagnostics on a lithium beam, Cherenkov detectors (for a direct detection of runaway electrons) and neutron detectors. We also present new modifications of the microwave reflectometer for fast edge density profile measurements.

Characterization of the Goubau line for testing beam diagnostic instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, S. Y.; Stulle, F.; Sung, C. K.; Yoo, K. H.; Seok, J.; Moon, K. J.; Choi, C. U.; Chung, Y.; Kim, G.; Woo, H. J.; Kwon, J.; Lee, I. G.; Choi, E. M.; Chung, M.

2017-12-01

One of the main characteristics of the Goubau line is that it supports a low-loss, non-radiated surface wave guided by a dielectric-coated metal wire. The dominant mode of the surface wave along the Goubau line is a TM01 mode, which resembles the pattern of the electromagnetic fields induced in the metallic beam pipe when the charged particle beam passes through it. Therefore, the Goubau line can be used for the preliminary bench test and performance optimization of the beam diagnostic instruments without requiring charged particle beams from the accelerators. In this paper, we discuss the basic properties of the Goubau line for testing beam diagnostic instruments and present the initial test results for button-type beam position monitors (BPMs). The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical estimations, which indicates that Goubau line allows effective testing of beam diagnostic equipment.

DIAGNOSTIC METHODS IN BREAST CANCER DETECTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristijana Hertl

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Background. In the world as well as in Slovenia, breast cancer is the most frequent female cancer. Due to its high incidence, it appears to be a serious health and economic problem. Content. Among other, tumour size at diagnosis, is an important prognostic factors of the course of the disease. The probability of axillary lymph node involvement as well as distant metastases is greater in larger tumours. This is the reason that encouraged the development of various diagnostic methods for early detection of small, clinically non-palpable breast tumours. Mammography, however, remains the »golden standard« of early breast cancer detection. It is the basic diagnostic method applied in all symptomatic women over 35 years of age and in asymptomatic women over 40 years of age. Ultrasonography (US, additional projections, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and ductography are regarded as complementary diagnostic breast imaging techniques in addition to mammography. The detected changes in the breast can be further confirmed by US-, MR-guided or stereotactic biopsy. If necessary, surgical biopsy and the excision of a tissue sample, after wire or isotope localisation of the nonpalpable lesion, can be performed. Conclusions. Any of the above mentioned diagnostic methods has advantages as well as drawbacks and only detailed knowledge and understanding of each of them may assure the best option.

CEA engineering studies and integration of the ITER diagnostic port plugs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doceul, L.; Walker, C.; Ingesson, C.; Ciattaglia, E.; Chappuis, P.; Portafaix, C.; Salasca, S.; Thomas, E.; Tremblay, G.; Bruyere, C.

2007-01-01

Most of the ITER diagnostic system is integrated in port plugs, which are water cooled stainless steel structures inserted into the vacuum-vessel ports. The port plug must perform basic functions such as providing neutron and gamma shielding, supporting the first wall armour and shielding blanket material, closing the vacuum vessel ports, while supporting the diagnostic equipment. CEA has contributed to the engineering activities on the port plugs and has more particularly focused on the design and diagnostic integration in the representative equatorial port plug Eq no. 01. The specific CEA contributions have been the engineering, structural and thermal analysis. These detailed analyses have highlighted some design issues which were worked out through different solutions. This paper contains a description of the engineering activities performed such as: the conceptual design of the Eq no. 01 port plug, the static mechanical calculations, the dynamic calculation to estimate the dynamic amplification factor due to the resonance phenomenon, the thermal assessment under the neutronic load and the seismic response of the port plug inside the vacuum vessel

CEA engineering studies and integration of the ITER diagnostic port plugs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doceul, L. [Association Euratom-CEA sur la Fusion Controlee, Centre d' Etudes de Cadarache, F-13108 Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance Cedex (France)], E-mail: louis.doceul@cea.fr; Walker, C. [ITER International Team, Boltzmannstr. 2, D-85748 Garching bei Muenchen (Germany); Ingesson, C.; Ciattaglia, E. [EFDA CSU - Garching, Boltzmannstr. 2, D-85748 Garching bei Muenchen (Germany); Chappuis, P.; Portafaix, C.; Salasca, S.; Thomas, E.; Tremblay, G.; Bruyere, C. [Association Euratom-CEA sur la Fusion Controlee, Centre d' Etudes de Cadarache, F-13108 Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance Cedex (France)

2007-10-15

Most of the ITER diagnostic system is integrated in port plugs, which are water cooled stainless steel structures inserted into the vacuum-vessel ports. The port plug must perform basic functions such as providing neutron and gamma shielding, supporting the first wall armour and shielding blanket material, closing the vacuum vessel ports, while supporting the diagnostic equipment. CEA has contributed to the engineering activities on the port plugs and has more particularly focused on the design and diagnostic integration in the representative equatorial port plug Eq no. 01. The specific CEA contributions have been the engineering, structural and thermal analysis. These detailed analyses have highlighted some design issues which were worked out through different solutions. This paper contains a description of the engineering activities performed such as: the conceptual design of the Eq no. 01 port plug, the static mechanical calculations, the dynamic calculation to estimate the dynamic amplification factor due to the resonance phenomenon, the thermal assessment under the neutronic load and the seismic response of the port plug inside the vacuum vessel.

Basic electrotechnology

CERN Document Server

Ashen, R A

2013-01-01

BASIC Electrotechnology discusses the applications of Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code (BASIC) in engineering, particularly in solving electrotechnology-related problems. The book is comprised of six chapters that cover several topics relevant to BASIC and electrotechnology. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to BASIC, and Chapter 2 talks about the use of complex numbers in a.c. circuit analysis. Chapter 3 covers linear circuit analysis with d.c. and sinusoidal a.c. supplies. The book also discusses the elementary magnetic circuit theory. The theory and performance of two windi

An ARM data-oriented diagnostics package to evaluate the climate model simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, C.; Xie, S.

2016-12-01

A set of diagnostics that utilize long-term high frequency measurements from the DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program is developed for evaluating the regional simulation of clouds, radiation and precipitation in climate models. The diagnostics results are computed and visualized automatically in a python-based package that aims to serve as an easy entry point for evaluating climate simulations using the ARM data, as well as the CMIP5 multi-model simulations. Basic performance metrics are computed to measure the accuracy of mean state and variability of simulated regional climate. The evaluated physical quantities include vertical profiles of clouds, temperature, relative humidity, cloud liquid water path, total column water vapor, precipitation, sensible and latent heat fluxes, radiative fluxes, aerosol and cloud microphysical properties. Process-oriented diagnostics focusing on individual cloud and precipitation-related phenomena are developed for the evaluation and development of specific model physical parameterizations. Application of the ARM diagnostics package will be presented in the AGU session. This work is performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344, IM release number is: LLNL-ABS-698645.

Nuclear power plant diagnostic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prokop, K.; Volavy, J.

1982-01-01

Basic information is presented on diagnostic systems used at nuclear power plants with PWR reactors. They include systems used at the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant in the USSR, at the Nord power plant in the GDR, the system developed at the Hungarian VEIKI institute, the system used at the V-1 nuclear power plant at Jaslovske Bohunice in Czechoslovakia and systems of the Rockwell International company used in US nuclear power plants. These diagnostic systems are basically founded on monitoring vibrations and noise, loose parts, pressure pulsations, neutron noise, coolant leaks and acoustic emissions. The Rockwell International system represents a complex unit whose advantage is the on-line evaluation of signals which gives certain instructions for the given situation directly to the operator. The other described systems process signals using similar methods. Digitized signals only serve off-line computer analyses. (Z.M.)

Generic Diagnostic Port Integration for the Equatorial Port Plug of ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doceul, L.; Chappuis, Ph.; Portafaix, Ch.; Guillaume, T.; Bruyere, Ch.; Walker, Ch.; Ingesson, Ch.; Ciattaglia, E.; Salasca, S.; Eric, T.

2006-01-01

ITER requires an extensive set of diagnostic systems to provide several key functions such as protection of the device, input to plasma control systems and evaluation of the plasma performance. Most of these diagnostics system are to be integrated in port plugs, which are water cooled stainless steel structures (approximately: 50 t, 2 m x 2 m x 4 m) inserted into the vacuum-vessel ports. The port plug must perform basic functions such as providing neutron and gamma shielding, supporting the first wall armour and shielding blanket material, closing the vacuum vessel ports, supporting the diagnostic equipment (within the primary vacuum, on the primary vacuum boundary and in the port interspace). CEA (Commissariat l'Energie Atomique) has contributed to the engineering activities on the port plugs and has more particularly focused on the design and diagnostic integration in the representative equatorial port plug EQ01. The specific CEA contributions were to perform the general engineering, structural and thermal analysis. These detailed analysis have highlighted some design issues which were worked out through different solutions. This paper will contain the description of the engineering activities performed such as: - The conceptual design of the EQ01 and the associated diagnostics, such as the visible and infrared optical diagnostic, - The static mechanical calculations, taking into account the electromagnetic loads occurring during fast transient plasma events, - The dynamic calculation constituted of modal and transient analysis under the same electromagnetic loads to estimate the dynamic amplification factor due to the resonance phenomenon, - The thermal assessment under the neutronic load of the water-cooled stainless steel structure, - The seismic response of the port plug inside the vacuum vessel, taking into account the ground spectra and soil conditions in the Cadarache site. (author)

Scramjet Performance Assessment Using Water Absorption Diagnostics (U)

Science.gov (United States)

Cavolowsky, John A.; Loomis, Mark P.; Deiwert, George

1995-01-01

Simultaneous multiple path measurements of temperature and H2O concentration will be presented for the AIMHYE test entries in the NASA Ames 16-Inch Shock Tunnel. Monitoring the progress of high temperature chemical reactions that define scramjet combustor efficiencies is a task uniquely suited to nonintrusive optical diagnostics. One application strategy to overcome the many challenges and limitations of nonintrusive measurements is to use laser absorption spectroscopy coupled with optical fibers. Absorption spectroscopic techniques with rapidly tunable lasers are capable of making simultaneous measurements of mole fraction, temperature, pressure, and velocity. The scramjet water absorption diagnostic was used to measure combustor efficiency and was compared to thrust measurements using a nozzle force balance and integrated nozzle pressures to develop a direct technique for evaluating integrated scramjet performance. Tests were initially performed with a diode laser tuning over a water absorption feature at 1391.7 nm. A second diode laser later became available at a wavelength near 1343.3 nm covering an additional water absorption feature and was incorporated in the system for a two-wavelength technique. Both temperature and mole fraction can be inferred from the lineshape analysis using this approach. Additional high temperature spectroscopy research was conducted to reduce uncertainties in the scramjet application. The lasers are optical fiber coupled to ports at the combustor exit and in the nozzle region. The output from the two diode lasers were combined in a single fiber, and the resultant two-wavelength beam was subsequently split into four legs. Each leg was directed through 60 meters of optical fiber to four combustor exit locations for measurement of beam intensity after absorption by the water within the flow. Absorption results will be compared to 1D combustor analysis using RJPA and nozzle CFD computations as well as to data from a nozzle metric

Los Alamos contribution to target diagnostics on the National Ignition Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mack, J.M.; Baker, D.A.; Caldwell, S.E. [and others

1994-07-01

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) will have a large suite of sophisticated target diagnostics. This will allow thoroughly diagnosed experiments to be performed both at the ignition and pre-ignition levels. As part of the national effort Los Alamos National Laboratory will design, construct and implement a number of diagnostics for the NIF. This paper describes Los Alamos contributions to the ``phase I diagnostics.`` Phase I represents the most fundamental and basic measurement systems that will form the core for most work on the NIF. The Los Alamos effort falls into four categories: moderate to hard X-ray (time resolved imaging neutron spectroscopy- primarily with neutron time of flight devices; burn diagnostics utilizing gamma ray measurements; testing measurement concepts on the TRIDENT laser system at Los Alamos. Because of the high blast, debris and radiation environment, the design of high resolution X-ray imaging systems present significant challenges. Systems with close target proximity require special protection and methods for such protection is described. The system design specifications based on expected target performance parameters is also described. Diagnosis of nuclear yield and burn will be crucial to the NIF operation. Nuclear reaction diagnosis utilizing both neutron and gamma ray detection is discussed. The Los Alamos TRIDENT laser system will be used extensively for the development of new measurement concepts and diagnostic instrumentation. Some its potential roles in the development of diagnostics for NIF are given.

Los Alamos contribution to target diagnostics on the National Ignition Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mack, J.M.; Baker, D.A.; Caldwell, S.E.

1994-01-01

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) will have a large suite of sophisticated target diagnostics. This will allow thoroughly diagnosed experiments to be performed both at the ignition and pre-ignition levels. As part of the national effort Los Alamos National Laboratory will design, construct and implement a number of diagnostics for the NIF. This paper describes Los Alamos contributions to the ''phase I diagnostics.'' Phase I represents the most fundamental and basic measurement systems that will form the core for most work on the NIF. The Los Alamos effort falls into four categories: moderate to hard X-ray (time resolved imaging neutron spectroscopy- primarily with neutron time of flight devices; burn diagnostics utilizing gamma ray measurements; testing measurement concepts on the TRIDENT laser system at Los Alamos. Because of the high blast, debris and radiation environment, the design of high resolution X-ray imaging systems present significant challenges. Systems with close target proximity require special protection and methods for such protection is described. The system design specifications based on expected target performance parameters is also described. Diagnosis of nuclear yield and burn will be crucial to the NIF operation. Nuclear reaction diagnosis utilizing both neutron and gamma ray detection is discussed. The Los Alamos TRIDENT laser system will be used extensively for the development of new measurement concepts and diagnostic instrumentation. Some its potential roles in the development of diagnostics for NIF are given

Diagnostic performance and color overlay pattern in shear wave elastography (SWE) for palpable breast mass.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jiyoon; Woo, Ok Hee; Shin, Hye Seon; Cho, Kyu Ran; Seo, Bo Kyoung; Kang, Eun Young

2015-10-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of SWE in palpable breast mass and to compare with color overlay pattern in SWE with conventional US and quantitative SWE for assessing palpable breast mass. SWE and conventional breast US were performed in 133 women with 156 palpable breast lesions (81 benign, 75 malignant) between August 2013 to June 2014. Either pathology or periodic imaging surveillance more than 2 years was a reference standard. Existence of previous image was blinded to performing radiologists. US BI-RADS final assessment, qualitative and quantitative SWE measurements were evaluated. Diagnostic performances of grayscale US, SWE and US combined to SWE were calculated and compared. Correlation between pattern classification and quantitative SWE was evaluated. Both color overlay pattern and quantitative SWE improved the specificity of conventional US, from 81.48% to 96.30% (p=0.0005), without improvement in sensitivity. Color overlay pattern was significantly related to all quantitative SWE parameters and malignancy rate (pbreast mass, conventional US combine to SWE improves specificity and reduces the number of biopsies that ultimately yield a benign result. Color overlay pattern classification is more quick and easy and may represent quantitative SWE measurements with similar diagnostic performances. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparing medical students for future learning using basic science instruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Mylopoulos, Maria; Woods, Nicole

2014-07-01

The construct of 'preparation for future learning' (PFL) is understood as the ability to learn new information from available resources, relate new learning to past experiences and demonstrate innovation and flexibility in problem solving. Preparation for future learning has been proposed as a key competence of adaptive expertise. There is a need for educators to ensure that opportunities are provided for students to develop PFL ability and that assessments accurately measure the development of this form of competence. The objective of this research was to compare the relative impacts of basic science instruction and clinically focused instruction on performance on a PFL assessment (PFLA). This study employed a 'double transfer' design. Fifty-one pre-clerkship students were randomly assigned to either basic science instruction or clinically focused instruction to learn four categories of disease. After completing an initial assessment on the learned material, all participants received clinically focused instruction for four novel diseases and completed a PFLA. The data from the initial assessment and the PFLA were submitted to independent-sample t-tests. Mean ± standard deviation [SD] scores on the diagnostic cases in the initial assessment were similar for participants in the basic science (0.65 ± 0.11) and clinical learning (0.62 ± 0.11) conditions. The difference was not significant (t[42] = 0.90, p = 0.37, d = 0.27). Analysis of the diagnostic cases on the PFLA revealed significantly higher mean ± SD scores for participants in the basic science learning condition (0.72 ± 0.14) compared with those in the clinical learning condition (0.63 ± 0.15) (t[42] = 2.02, p = 0.05, d = 0.62). Our results show that the inclusion of basic science instruction enhanced the learning of novel related content. We discuss this finding within the broader context of research on basic science instruction, development of adaptive expertise and assessment

9 CFR 130.17 - User fees for other veterinary diagnostic laboratory tests performed at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false User fees for other veterinary... FEES USER FEES § 130.17 User fees for other veterinary diagnostic laboratory tests performed at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or at authorized sites. (a) User fees for veterinary diagnostics tests performed at the...

9 CFR 130.16 - User fees for veterinary diagnostic serology tests performed at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or at...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false User fees for veterinary diagnostic serology tests performed at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or at authorized sites. 130.16 Section 130.16 Animals... USER FEES § 130.16 User fees for veterinary diagnostic serology tests performed at NVSL (excluding...

Basic principles of ROC analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metz, C.E.

1978-01-01

The limitations of diagnostic accuracy as a measure of decision performance require introduction of the concepts of the sensitivity and specificity of a diagnostic test. These measures and the related indices, true positive fraction and false positive fraction, are more meaningful than accuracy, yet do not provide a unique description of diagnostic performance because they depend on the arbitrary selection of a decision threshold. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is shown to be a simple yet complete empirical description of this decision threshold effect, indicating all possible combinations of the relative frequencies of the various kinds of correct and incorrect decisions. Practical experimental techniques for measuring ROC curves are described, and the issues of case selection and curve-fitting are discussed briefly. Possible generalizations of conventional ROC analysis to account for decision performance in complex diagnostic tasks are indicated. ROC analysis is shown to be related in a direct and natural way to cost/benefit analysis of diagnostic decision making. The concepts of average diagnostic cost and average net benefit are developed and used to identify the optimal compromise among various kinds of diagnostic error. Finally, the way in which ROC analysis can be employed to optimize diagnostic strategies is suggested

Changes in IEC standards related to diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porubszky, T.; Barsai, J.

2007-01-01

Complete test of publication follows. Purposes. Technical Committee TC62 of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) deals with medical electrical equipment (i.e. medical devices using electricity). Standardization concerning diagnostic radiology equipment is task of its Sub-Committee SC62B. An outlook of its activities and present situation, and especially of radiation protection aspects, is given. Materials and methods. Third edition of basic safety standard for medical electrical equipment IEC 60601-1 was issued in 2005. Elaboration of new collateral and particular standards - applicable together with it - is in progress. These standards are generally at the same time also European - EN - and national standards. There is a great importance of radiation protection in diagnostic X-ray equipment. Collateral standard IEC 6060-1-3 about it was at first issued in 1994. Rapid development of imaging technology demands updating of requirements. SC62B in 2003 founded a maintenance team MT37 for preparation of the second edition of this standard. According to new safety philosophy of IEC all modality specific requirements are to be collected in 'safety and essential performance' particular standards. A new working group WG42 - founded in 2006 - elaborates a new particular standard IEC 60601-2-54 for radiographic and radioscopic equipment. Maintenance team MT32 deals with safety and performance standards for X-ray tube assemblies. The authors actively participate in these activities. Results and discussion. Present and future system of diagnostic radiology IEC standards and some interesting details are presented. Conclusions. International standards - although they are not 'obligatory' - are generally the basis of safety and performance certification of diagnostic radiology equipment and often also of their quality assurance.

Predictive validity of the comprehensive basic science examination mean score for assessment of medical students' performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Firouz Behboudi

2002-04-01

Full Text Available Background Medical education curriculum improvements can be achieved bye valuating students performance. Medical students have to pass two undergraduate comprehensive examinations, basic science and preinternship, in Iran. Purpose To measure validity of the students' mean score in comprehensive basic science exam (CBSE for predicting their performance in later curriculum phases. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 95 (38 women and 55 men Guilan medical university students. Their admission to the university was 81% by regional quota and 12% by shaheed and other organizations' share. They first enrolled in 1994 and were able to pass CBS£ at first try. Data on gender, regional quota, and average grades of CBS£, PC, and CPIE were collected by a questionnaire. The calculations were done by SPSS package. Results The correlation coefficient between CBS£ and CPIE mean scores (0.65 was higher than correlation coefficient between CBS£ and PC mean scores (0.49. The predictive validity of CBS£ average grade was significant for students' performance in CPIE; however, the predictive validity of CBSE mean scores for students I pe1jormance in PC was lower. Conclusion he students' mean score in CBSE can be a good denominator for their further admission. We recommend further research to assess the predictive validity for each one of the basic courses. Keywords predictive validity, comprehensive basic exam

Feasibility of dynamic cardiac ultrasound transmission via mobile phone for basic emergency teleconsultation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Tae Ho; Choi, Hyuk Joong; Kang, Bo Seung

2010-01-01

We assessed the feasibility of using a camcorder mobile phone for teleconsulting about cardiac echocardiography. The diagnostic performance of evaluating left ventricle (LV) systolic function was measured by three emergency medicine physicians. A total of 138 short echocardiography video sequences (from 70 subjects) was selected from previous emergency room ultrasound examinations. The measurement of LV ejection fraction based on the transmitted video displayed on a mobile phone was compared with the original video displayed on the LCD monitor of the ultrasound machine. The image quality was evaluated using the double stimulation impairment scale (DSIS). All observers showed high sensitivity. There was an improvement in specificity with the observer's increasing experience of cardiac ultrasound. Although the image quality of video on the mobile phone was lower than that of the original, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that there was no significant difference in diagnostic performance. Immediate basic teleconsulting of echocardiography movies is possible using current commercially-available mobile phone systems.

Local area network for the plasma diagnostics system of MFTF-B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lau, N.H.; Minor, E.G.

1983-01-01

The MFTF-B Plasma Diagnostics System will be implemented in stages, beginning with a start-up set of diagnostics and evolving toward a basic set. The start-up set contains 12 diagnostics which will acquire a total of about 800 Kbytes of data per machine pulse; the basic set contains 23 diagnostics which will acquire a total of about 8 Mbytes of data per pulse. Each diagnostic is controlled by a Foundation System consisting of a DEC LSI-11/23 microcomputer connected to CAMAC via a 5 Mbits/second serial fiber-optic link and connected to a supervisory computer (Perkin-Elmer 3250) via a 9600 baud RS232 link. The Foundation System is a building block used throughout MFTF-B for control and status monitoring. However, its 9600 baud link to the supervisor presents a bottleneck for the large data transfers required by diagnostics. To overcome this bottleneck the diagnostics Foundation Systems will be connected together with an additional LSI-11/23 called the master to form a Local Area Network (LAN) for data acquisition

Diagnostic performance of cytology for assessment of hepatic lipid content in dairy cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Fry, M M; Yao, B; Ríos, C; Wong, C; Mann, S; McArt, J A A; Nydam, D V; Leal Yepes, F A; Viesselmann, L; Geick, A; Goldin, K; Jordan, A; Behling-Kelly, E

2018-02-01

The objective of our study was to characterize the diagnostic performance of cytology for assessing hepatic lipid content (HLC) in dairy cows by comparing microscopic evaluation of lipid vacuolation in touch imprint slide preparations of liver biopsies with quantitative measurement of triglyceride concentration ([TG]; mg/mg of wet weight) in paired biopsy samples. Our study also sought to compare the diagnostic performance of liver cytology, plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentration ([NEFA]), and plasma β-hydroxybutyrate concentration ([BHB]) derived from a measurement performed on whole blood, for assessing HLC. Chemical extraction of TG from liver tissue remains the gold standard for quantifying HLC, largely because available blood tests, although useful for detecting some types of pathology, such as increased lipid mobilization, ketosis, or hepatocellular injury, are nonspecific as to etiology. Veterinary practitioners can sample bovine liver for cytological evaluation in a fast, minimally invasive, and inexpensive manner. Thus, if highly predictive of HLC, cytology would be a practical diagnostic tool for dairy veterinarians. In our study, liver biopsy samples from Holstein cows (219 samples from 105 cows: 52 from cows 2 to 20 d prepartum, 105 from cows 0 to 10 d in milk, 62 from cows 18 to 25 d in milk) were used to prepare cytology slides and to quantify [TG] using the Folch extraction method followed by the Hantzch condensation reaction and spectrophotometric measurement. An ordinal scale (0-4) based on amount of hepatocellular cytoplasm occupied by discrete clear vacuoles was used by 3 blinded, independent observers to rank HLC in Wright-Giemsa-stained slides. Interobserver agreement in cytology scoring was good. Corresponding plasma [NEFA] and [BHB] measurements were available for 187 and 195 of the 219 samples, respectively. Liver [TG] correlated more strongly with cytology score than with NEFA or BHB, and receiver operating characteristic curve

9 CFR 130.15 - User fees for veterinary diagnostic isolation and identification tests performed at NVSL...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false User fees for veterinary diagnostic isolation and identification tests performed at NVSL (excluding FADDL) or other authorized site. 130.15... AGRICULTURE USER FEES USER FEES § 130.15 User fees for veterinary diagnostic isolation and identification...

Gear noise, vibration, and diagnostic studies at NASA Lewis Research Center

Science.gov (United States)

Zakrajsek, J. J.; Oswald, F. B.; Townsend, D. P.; Coy, J. J.

1990-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center and the U.S. Army Aviation Systems Command are involved in a joint research program to advance the technology of rotorcraft transmissions. This program consists of analytical as well as experimental efforts to achieve the overall goals of reducing weight, noise, and vibration, while increasing life and reliability. Recent analytical activities are highlighted in the areas of gear noise, vibration, and diagnostics performed in-house and through NASA and U.S. Army sponsored grants and contracts. These activities include studies of gear tooth profiles to reduce transmission error and vibration as well as gear housing and rotordynamic modeling to reduce structural vibration and transmission and noise radiation, and basic research into current gear failure diagnostic methodologies. Results of these activities are presented along with an overview of near-term research plans in the gear noise, vibration, and diagnostics area.

Diagnostic performance of qualitative shear-wave elastography according to different color map opacities for breast masses.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hana; Youk, Ji Hyun; Gweon, Hye Mi; Kim, Jeong-Ah; Son, Eun Ju

2013-08-01

To compare the diagnostic performance of qualitative shear-wave elastography (SWE) according to three different color map opacities for breast masses 101 patients aged 21-77 years with 113 breast masses underwent B-mode US and SWE under three different color map opacities (50%, 19% and 100%) before biopsy or surgery. Following SWE features were reviewed: visual pattern classification (pattern 1-4), color homogeneity (Ehomo) and six-point color score of maximum elasticity (Ecol). Combined with B-mode US and SWE, the likelihood of malignancy (LOM) was also scored. The area under the curve (AUC) was obtained by ROC curve analysis to assess the diagnostic performance under each color opacity. A visual color pattern, Ehomo, Ecol and LOM scoring were significantly different between benign and malignant lesions under all color opacities (Pbreast lesion under all color opacities. The difference in color map opacity did not significantly influence diagnostic performance of SWE. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Costing nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures].

Science.gov (United States)

Markou, Pavlos

2005-01-01

To the Editor: Referring to a recent special report about the cost analysis of twenty-nine nuclear medicine procedures, I would like to clarify some basic aspects for determining costs of nuclear medicine procedure with various costing methodologies. Activity Based Costing (ABC) method, is a new approach in imaging services costing that can provide the most accurate cost data, but is difficult to perform in nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures. That is because ABC requires determining and analyzing all direct and indirect costs of each procedure, according all its activities. Traditional costing methods, like those for estimating incomes and expenses per procedure or fixed and variable costs per procedure, which are widely used in break-even point analysis and the method of ratio-of-costs-to-charges per procedure may be easily performed in nuclear medicine departments, to evaluate the variability and differences between costs and reimbursement - charges.

The Effects of Fatigue From Overnight Shifts on Radiology Search Patterns and Diagnostic Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanna, Tarek N; Zygmont, Matthew E; Peterson, Ryan; Theriot, David; Shekhani, Haris; Johnson, Jamlik-Omari; Krupinski, Elizabeth A

2018-01-20

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of overnight shifts (ONS) on radiologist fatigue, visual search pattern, and diagnostic performance. This experimental study was approved by the institutional review board. Twelve radiologists (five faculty members and seven residents) each completed two sessions: one during a normal workday ("not fatigued") and another in the morning after an ONS ("fatigued"). Each radiologist completed the Swedish Occupational Fatigue Inventory. During each session, radiologists viewed 20 bone radiographs consisting of normal and abnormal findings. Viewing time, diagnostic confidence, and eye-tracking data were recorded. Swedish Occupational Fatigue Inventory results demonstrated worsening in all five variables (lack of energy, physical exertion, physical discomfort, lack of motivation, and sleepiness) after ONS (P radiologists were more fatigued with worse diagnostic performance, a 45% increase in view time per case, a 60% increase in total gaze fixations, and a 34% increase in time to fixate on the fracture. The effects of fatigue were more pronounced in residents. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationships of Mathematics Anxiety, Mathematics Self-Efficacy and Mathematics Performance of Adult Basic Education Students

Science.gov (United States)

Watts, Beverly Kinsey

2011-01-01

Competent mathematical skills are needed in the workplace as well as in the college setting. Adults in Adult Basic Education classes and programs generally perform below high school level competency, but very few studies have been performed investigating the predictors of mathematical success for adults. The current study contributes to the…

Exercise echocardiography or exercise SPECT imaging? - A meta-analysis of diagnostic test performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fleischmann, KE; Hunink, MGM; Kuntz, KM; Douglas, PS

1998-01-01

Context.-Cardiac imaging has advanced rapidly, providing clinicians with several choices for evaluating patients with suspected coronary artery disease, but few studies compare modalities directly. .-To review the contemporary literature and to compare the diagnostic performance of exercise

Systematic reviews of diagnostic tests in endocrinology: an audit of methods, reporting, and performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer-Bonilla, Gabriela; Singh Ospina, Naykky; Rodriguez-Gutierrez, Rene; Brito, Juan P; Iñiguez-Ariza, Nicole; Tamhane, Shrikant; Erwin, Patricia J; Murad, M Hassan; Montori, Victor M

2017-07-01

Systematic reviews provide clinicians and policymakers estimates of diagnostic test accuracy and their usefulness in clinical practice. We identified all available systematic reviews of diagnosis in endocrinology, summarized the diagnostic accuracy of the tests included, and assessed the credibility and clinical usefulness of the methods and reporting. We searched Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL from inception to December 2015 for systematic reviews and meta-analyses reporting accuracy measures of diagnostic tests in endocrinology. Experienced reviewers independently screened for eligible studies and collected data. We summarized the results, methods, and reporting of the reviews. We performed subgroup analyses to categorize diagnostic tests as most useful based on their accuracy. We identified 84 systematic reviews; half of the tests included were classified as helpful when positive, one-fourth as helpful when negative. Most authors adequately reported how studies were identified and selected and how their trustworthiness (risk of bias) was judged. Only one in three reviews, however, reported an overall judgment about trustworthiness and one in five reported using adequate meta-analytic methods. One in four reported contacting authors for further information and about half included only patients with diagnostic uncertainty. Up to half of the diagnostic endocrine tests in which the likelihood ratio was calculated or provided are likely to be helpful in practice when positive as are one-quarter when negative. Most diagnostic systematic reviews in endocrine lack methodological rigor, protection against bias, and offer limited credibility. Substantial efforts, therefore, seem necessary to improve the quality of diagnostic systematic reviews in endocrinology.

Reducing Diagnostic Errors through Effective Communication: Harnessing the Power of Information Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Naik, Aanand Dinkar; Rao, Raghuram; Petersen, Laura Ann

2008-01-01

Diagnostic errors are poorly understood despite being a frequent cause of medical errors. Recent efforts have aimed to advance the "basic science" of diagnostic error prevention by tracing errors to their most basic origins. Although a refined theory of diagnostic error prevention will take years to formulate, we focus on communication breakdown, a major contributor to diagnostic errors and an increasingly recognized preventable factor in medical mishaps. We describe a comprehensive framework that integrates the potential sources of communication breakdowns within the diagnostic process and identifies vulnerable steps in the diagnostic process where various types of communication breakdowns can precipitate error. We then discuss potential information technology-based interventions that may have efficacy in preventing one or more forms of these breakdowns. These possible intervention strategies include using new technologies to enhance communication between health providers and health systems, improve patient involvement, and facilitate management of information in the medical record. PMID:18373151

Substantia nigra fractional anisotropy is not a diagnostic biomarker of Parkinson's disease: A diagnostic performance study and meta-analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirata, Fabiana C.C.; Vieira, Gilson; Lucato, Leandro T.; Leite, Claudia C.; Pastorello, Bruno F.; Otaduy, Maria C.G.; Chaim, Khallil T.; Campanholo, Kenia R. [University of Sao Paulo, LIM-44, Department of Radiology, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Sato, Joao R. [University of Sao Paulo, LIM-44, Department of Radiology, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Universidade Federal do ABC, Center of Mathematics, Computation and Cognition, Santo Andre (Brazil); Bor-Seng-Shu, Edson; Novaes, Natalia P. [Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo (Brazil); University of Sao Paulo, Department of Neurology, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Magalhaes Melo, Luciano; Goncalves, Marcia R.; Reis Barbosa, Egberto [University of Sao Paulo, Department of Neurology, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Pereira do Nascimento, Felipe Barjud; Amaro, Edson [University of Sao Paulo, LIM-44, Department of Radiology, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Jacobsen Teixeira, Manoel [University of Sao Paulo, Department of Neurosurgery, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Cardoso, Ellison Fernando [University of Sao Paulo, LIM-44, Department of Radiology, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Institute of Mathematics and Statistics University of Sao Paulo (IME-USP), Sao Paulo (Brazil)

2017-06-15

Our goal was to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of substantia nigra fractional anisotropy (SN-FA) for Parkinson's disease (PD) diagnosis in a sample similar to the clinical setting, including patients with essential tremor (ET) and healthy controls (HC). We also performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate mean change in SN-FA induced by PD and its diagnostic accuracy. Our sample consisted of 135 subjects: 72 PD, 21 ET and 42 HC. To address inter-scanner variability, two 3.0-T MRI scans were performed. MRI results of this sample were pooled into a meta-analysis that included 1,432 subjects (806 PD and 626 HC). A bivariate model was used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy measures. In our sample, we did not observe a significant effect of disease on SN-FA and it was uninformative for diagnosis. The results of the meta-analysis estimated a 0.03 decrease in mean SN-FA in PD relative to HC (CI: 0.01-0.05). However, the discriminatory capability of SN-FA to diagnose PD was low: pooled sensitivity and specificity were 72 % (CI: 68-75) and 63 % (CI: 58-70), respectively. There was high heterogeneity between studies (I{sup 2} = 91.9 %). SN-FA cannot be used as an isolated measure to diagnose PD. (orig.)

Irradiation effects on plasma diagnostic components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishitani, Takeo; Iida, Toshiyuki; Ikeda, Yujiro

1998-10-01

One of the most important issues to develop the diagnostics for the experimental thermonuclear reactor such as ITER is the irradiation effects on the diagnostics components. Typical neutron flux and fluence on the first wall are 1 MW/m 2 and 1 MWa/m 2 , respectively for ITER. In such radiation condition, most of the present diagnostics could not survive so that those will be planed to be installed far from the vacuum vessel. However, some diagnostics sensors such as bolometers and magnetic probes still have to be install inside vessel. And many transmission components for lights, wave and electric signals are inevitable even inside vessel. As a part of this R and D program of the ITER Engineering Design Activities (EDA), we carried out the irradiation tests on the basic materials of the transmission components and in-vessel diagnostics sensors in order to identify radiation hardened materials that can be used for diagnostic systems. (J.P.N.)

Irradiation effects on plasma diagnostic components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishitani, Takeo [ed.] [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Naka, Ibaraki (Japan). Naka Fusion Research Establishment; Iida, Toshiyuki; Ikeda, Yujiro [and others

1998-10-01

One of the most important issues to develop the diagnostics for the experimental thermonuclear reactor such as ITER is the irradiation effects on the diagnostics components. Typical neutron flux and fluence on the first wall are 1 MW/m{sup 2} and 1 MWa/m{sup 2}, respectively for ITER. In such radiation condition, most of the present diagnostics could not survive so that those will be planed to be installed far from the vacuum vessel. However, some diagnostics sensors such as bolometers and magnetic probes still have to be install inside vessel. And many transmission components for lights, wave and electric signals are inevitable even inside vessel. As a part of this R and D program of the ITER Engineering Design Activities (EDA), we carried out the irradiation tests on the basic materials of the transmission components and in-vessel diagnostics sensors in order to identify radiation hardened materials that can be used for diagnostic systems. (J.P.N.)

Diagnostic Performance of Narrow Band Imaging for Laryngeal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Changling; Han, Xue; Li, Xiaoying; Zhang, Yayun; Du, Xiaodong

2017-04-01

Objective To evaluate the performance of narrow band imaging (NBI) for the diagnosis of laryngeal cancer and to compare the diagnostic value of NBI with that of white light endoscopy. Data Sources PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and CNKI databases. Review Methods Data analyses were performed with Meta-DiSc. The updated Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool was used to assess study quality and potential bias. Publication bias was assessed with the Deeks's asymmetry test. The protocol used in this article has been published on PROSPERO and is in accordance with the PRISMA checklist. The registry number for this study is CRD42015025866. Results Six studies including 716 lesions were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio for the NBI diagnosis of laryngeal cancer were 0.94 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.91-0.96), 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85-0.92), and 142.12 (95% CI: 46.42-435.15), respectively, and the area under receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.97. Among the 6 studies, 3 evaluated the diagnostic value of white light endoscopy, with a sensitivity of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.76-0.86), a specificity of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.88-0.95), and a diagnostic odds ratio of 33.82 (95% CI: 14.76-77.49). The evaluation of heterogeneity, calculated per the diagnostic odds ratio, gave an I 2 of 66%. No marked publication bias ( P = .84) was detected in this meta-analysis. Conclusion The sensitivity of NBI is superior to white light endoscopy, and the potential value of NBI needs to be validated in future studies.

Diagnostic work-up in cardiomyopathies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rapezzi, Claudio; Arbustini, Eloisa; Caforio, Alida L P

2013-01-01

a framework for the clinical approach to diagnosis in cardiomyopathies based on the recognition of diagnostic 'red flags' that can be used to guide rational selection of specialized tests including genetic analysis. The basic premise is that the adoption of a cardiomyopathy-specific mindset which combines...

Diagnostic performance of CT and MRI on the detection of symptomatic intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula: a meta-analysis with indirect comparison

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Yen-Heng [National Taiwan University, Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Taipei (China); National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei and Yuan-Lin Branch, Department of Medical Imaging and Radiology, Hospital and Medical College, Taipei (China); Lin, Hsien-Ho [National Taiwan University, Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Taipei (China); Liu, Hon-Man; Lee, Chung-Wei; Chen, Ya-Fang [National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei and Yuan-Lin Branch, Department of Medical Imaging and Radiology, Hospital and Medical College, Taipei (China)

2016-08-15

This study aims to review the diagnostic performance of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in symptomatic dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF). EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Library were searched until April 2015 for studies which compared CT, MRI, or both with angiography for the detection of DAVF. The diagnostic performances of MRI and CT were indirectly compared using modality as a covariate in the analysis. Thirteen studies met our inclusion criteria. MRI had a sensitivity of 0.90 (95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.83-0.94) and specificity of 0.94 (95 % CI = 0.90-0.96). CT had a sensitivity of 0.80 (95 % CI = 0.62-0.90) and specificity of 0.87 (95 % CI = 0.74-0.94). MRI showed better diagnostic performance than CT (p = 0.02). Contrast medium use and time-resolved MR angiography did not improve MRI diagnostic performance (p = 0.31 and 0.44, respectively). Both CT and MRI had good diagnostic performance. MRI was better than CT on the detection of symptomatic intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula in the indirect comparison. (orig.)

Ion temperature profiles along a hydrogen diagnostic beam in a TORE SUPRA tokamak plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romannikov, A.; Petrov, Yu.; Platts, P.; Khess, V.; Khutter, T.; Farzhon, Zh.; Moro, F.

2002-01-01

By means of corpuscular diagnostics one studies temperature of ions along a diagnostic hydrogen beam. Paper presents comparison of temperature of plasma (deuterium) basic ions measures by means of the active corpuscular diagnostics with temperature of C + carbon ions along a beam. One studies behavior peculiarities of T i ion temperature profiles for TORE-SUPRA different modes, such as: formation of plane and even hollow T i profiles for ohmic modes, variation of T i profiles under operation of an ergodic diverter, difference of temperature of basic ions measured by means of the active corpuscular diagnostics from C +5 temperature. Paper offers clear explanation of these peculiarities [ru

Effects of obligatory training and prior training experience on attitudes towards performing basic life support: a questionnaire survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsubara, Hiroki; Enami, Miki; Hirose, Keiko; Kamikura, Takahisa; Nishi, Taiki; Takei, Yutaka; Inaba, Hideo

2015-04-01

To determine the effect of Japanese obligatory basic life support training for new driver's license applicants on their willingness to carry out basic life support. We distributed a questionnaire to 9,807 participants of basic life support courses in authorized driving schools from May 2007 to April 2008 after the release of the 2006 Japanese guidelines. The questionnaire explored the participants' willingness to perform basic life support in four hypothetical scenarios: cardiopulmonary resuscitation on one's own initiative; compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation following telephone cardiopulmonary resuscitation; early emergency call; and use of an automated external defibrillator. The questionnaire was given at the beginning of the basic life support course in the first 6-month term and at the end in the second 6-month term. The 9,011 fully completed answer sheets were analyzed. The training significantly increased the proportion of respondents willing to use an automated external defibrillator and to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on their own initiative in those with and without prior basic life support training experience. It significantly increased the proportion of respondents willing to carry out favorable actions in all four scenarios. In multiple logistic regression analysis, basic life support training and prior training experiences within 3 years were associated with the attitude. The analysis of reasons for unwillingness suggested that the training reduced the lack of confidence in their skill but did not attenuate the lack of confidence in detection of arrest or clinical judgment to initiate a basic life support action. Obligatory basic life support training should be carried out periodically and modified to ensure that participants gain confidence in judging and detecting cardiac arrest.

An Evaluation of the Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services to Assess an Employee Performance Problem in a Center-Based Autism Treatment Facility

Science.gov (United States)

Ditzian, Kyle; Wilder, David A.; King, Allison; Tanz, Jeanine

2015-01-01

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) is an informant-based tool designed to assess the environmental variables that contribute to poor employee performance in human services settings. We administered the PDC-HS to 3 supervisors to assess the variables that contributed to poor performance by 4 staff members when securing…

Diagnostic performances of the fluorescent spot test for G6PD deficiency in newborns along the Thailand-Myanmar border: A cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Thielemans, Laurence; Gornsawun, Gornpan; Hanboonkunupakarn, Borimas; Paw, Moo Kho; Porn, Pen; Moo, Paw Khu; Van Overmeire, Bart; Proux, Stephane; Nosten, François; McGready, Rose; Carrara, Verena I; Bancone, Germana

2018-01-01

Background: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an inherited enzymatic disorder associated with severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and acute haemolysis after exposure to certain drugs or infections. The disorder can be diagnosed phenotypically with a fluorescent spot test (FST), which is a simple test that requires training and basic laboratory equipment. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performances of the FST used on umbilical cord blood by locally-trained staff and to compare test results of the neonates at birth with the results after one month of age. Methods : We conducted a cohort study on newborns at the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, along the Thai-Myanmar border between January 2015 and May 2016. The FST was performed at birth on the umbilical cord blood by locally-trained staff and quality controlled by specialised technicians at the central laboratory. The FST was repeated after one month of age. Genotyping for common local G6PD mutations was carried out for all discrepant results. Results: FST was performed on 1521 umbilical cord blood samples. Quality control and genotyping revealed 10 misdiagnoses. After quality control, 10.7% of the males (84/786) and 1.2% of the females (9/735) were phenotypically G6PD deficient at birth. The FST repeated at one month of age or later diagnosed 8 additional G6PD deficient infants who were phenotypically normal at birth. Conclusions : This study shows the short-comings of the G6PD FST in neonatal routine screening and highlights the importance of training and quality control. A more conservative interpretation of the FST in male newborns could increase the diagnostic performances. Quantitative point-of-care tests might show higher sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of G6PD deficiency on umbilical cord blood and should be investigated.

The diagnostic performance of imaging methods in ARVC using the 2010 Task Force criteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borgquist, Rasmus; Haugaa, Kristina H; Gilljam, Thomas

2014-01-01

, fractional area shortening 31 ± 9 vs. 39 ± 9% (P performance was low; sensitivity 50% and specificity 70%, positive predictive value 80% and negative predictive value 37...... evaluation of subtle structural changes in the right ventricle may be unreliable, and the diagnostic performance of CMR compared with echocardiography should be reflected in the guidelines....

Diagnostic Performance of Ultrasonography for Pediatric Appendicitis: A Night and Day Difference?

Science.gov (United States)

Mangona, Kate Louise M; Guillerman, R Paul; Mangona, Victor S; Carpenter, Jennifer; Zhang, Wei; Lopez, Monica; Orth, Robert C

2017-12-01

For imaging pediatric appendicitis, ultrasonography (US) is preferred because of its lack of ionizing radiation, but is limited by operator dependence. This study investigates the US diagnostic performance during night shifts covered by radiology trainees compared to day shifts covered by attending radiologists. Appy-Scores (1 = completely visualized normal appendix; 2 = partially visualized normal appendix; 3 = nonvisualized appendix with no inflammatory changes in the expected region of the appendix; 4 = equivocal; 5a = nonperforated appendicitis; 5b = perforated appendicitis) from 2935 US examinations (2161:774, day-to-night) from July 2013 to 2014 were correlated with the intraoperative diagnoses and the clinical follow-up. The diagnostic performance of trainees and attendings was compared with Fisher exact test. Interobserver agreement was measured by Cohen kappa coefficient. Appendicitis prevalence was 25.3% (day) and 22.5% (night). Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, negative predictive value, and positive predictive vale were 94.0%, 93.7%, 93.8%, 97.9%, and 83.4% during the day and 92.0%, 91.2%, 91.3%, 97.5%, and 75.2% at night. Specificity (P = .048) and positive predictive value (P = .011) differed, with more false positives at night (7%) than during the day (4.7%). Trainee and attending agreement was high (k = 0.995), with Appy-Scores of 1, 4, and 5a most frequently discordant. US has a high diagnostic performance and interobserver agreement for pediatric appendicitis when interpreted by radiology trainees during night shifts or attending radiologists during day shifts. However, lower specificity and positive predictive value at night warrants a thorough trainee education to avoid false-positive examinations. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Diagnostic performances of serum liver enzymes and cytokines in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hakan Turkon

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Objective:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD is affecting people worldwide with increasing prevalence. Non-invasive tests are required for both diagnosis and staging of the disease. We aimed to evaluate diagnostic accuracy of routine liver enzymes and cytokines in NAFLD. Methods:A total of 88 cases, aged between 20 and 62 years, were included in the study. Serum ALT, AST, GGT, triglyceride, TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-8 were measured in 40 patients with NAFLD and in 48 healthy control patients with similar BMI and demographic characteristics. Diagnostic performances of serum biomarkers for diagnosis of NAFLD were evaluated with ROC analysis. Results:ALT and AST showed good diagnostic performance in predicting patients with NAFLD in the overall group (AUC=0.817; 95% CI[0.721-0.913], AUC=0.815;95% CI[0.718-0.911] respectively but in obese subjects ALT and AST showed poor performance (AUC=0.659;95% CI[0.478-0.841], AUC=0.680; 95% CI[0.498-0.861] respectively. Among cytokines TNF-alpha showed best performance in the diagnosis of NAFLD in both overall group and obese subjects (AUC=0.892; 95% CI[0.824- 0.959], AUC=0.858; 95% CI[0.739-0.977] respectively. The optimal cut off value for TNF-alpha was 10.65pg/ml with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 93% in the overall group. IL-6 and IL-8 showed poor performance. Conclusion: TNF-alpha may be a good parameter for predicting patients with NAFLD. J Clin Exp Invest 2015;6 (1: 16-20

Quantitative evaluation of visual detection performance in medicine: ROC analysis and determination of diagnostic benefit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metz, C.E.; Starr, S.J.; Lusted, L.B.

1976-01-01

An ROC curve provides an empirical description of the trade-offs which are possible among the various types of correct and incorrect decisions as the human decision-maker varies one or more confidence thresholds. Conventional ROC curves measured in simple decision-making situations can, in some cases, be used to predict human decision performance in more complex situations. By considering both the consequences of the various types of diagnostic decisions and the overhead cost of a diagnostic study, one can use the ROC curve to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of a study in any particular clinical context. Since the ROC curve describes the possible relationships among the probabilities of the various types of correct and incorrect decisions, it plays a central role in optimizing diagnostic strategies using the general techniques of decision analysis. Applications in radiographic image evaluation are described

The local area network for the plasma Diagnostics System of MFTF-B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lau, N.H.; Minor, E.G.

1983-01-01

The MFTF-B Plasma Diagnostics System will be implemented in stages, beginning with a start-up set of diagnostics and evolving toward a basic set. The start-up set contains 12 diagnostics which will acquire a total of about 800 Kbytes of data per machine pulse; the basic set contains 23 diagnostics which will acquire a total of about 8 Mbytes of data per pulse. Each diagnostic is controlled by a ''Foundation System'' consisting of a DEC LSI-11/23 microcomputer connected to CAMAC via a 5 Mbits/second serial fiber-optic link and connected to a supervisory computer (Perkin-Elmer 3250) via a 9600 baud RS232 link. The Foundation System is a building block used throughout MFTF-B for control and status monitoring. However, its 9600 baud link to the supervisor presents a bottleneck for the large data transfers required by diagnostics. To overcome this bottleneck the diagnostics Foundation Systems will be connected together with an additional LSI-11/23 called the ''master'' to form a Local Area Network (LAN) for data acquisition. The Diagnostics LAN has a ring architecture with token passing arbitration

Diagnostic performance of combined single photon emission computed tomographic scintimammography and ultrasonography based on computer-aided diagnosis for breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Kyung Hoon; Choi, Duck Joo; Choe, Won Sick; Lee, Jun Gu; Kim, Jong Hyo; Lee, Hyung Ji; Om, Kyong Sik; Lee, Byeong Il

2007-01-01

We investigated whether the diagnostic performance of SPECT scintimammography (SMM) can be improved by adding computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) of ultrasonography (US). We reviewed breast SPECT SMM images and corresponding US images from 40 patients with breast masses (21 malignant and 19 benign tumors.) The quantitative data of SPECT SMM were obtained as the uptake ratio of lesion to contralateral normal breast. The morphologic features of the breast lesions on US were extracted and quantitated using the automated CAD software program. The diagnostic performance of SPECT SMM and CAD of US alone was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The best discriminating parameter (D-value) combining SPECT SMM and the CAD of US was created. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of combined two diagnostic modalities were compared to those of a single one. Both SPECT SMM and CAD of US showed a relatively good diagnostic performance (area under curve=0.846 and 0.831, respectively). Combining the results of SPECT SMM and CAD of US resulted in improved diagnostic performance (area under curve=0.860), but there was no statistical difference in sensitivity, specificity and accuracy between the combined method and a single modality. It seems that combining the results of SPECT SMM and CAD of breast US do not significantly improve the diagnostic performance for diagnosis of breast cancer, compared with that of SPECT SMM alone. However, SPECT SMM and CAD of US may complement each other in differential diagnosis of breast cancer

Diagnostic radiology in the nearest future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindenbraten, L.D.

1984-01-01

Basic trends of diagnostic radiology (DR) development in the nearest future are formulated. Possibilities of perspective ways and means of DR studies are described. The prohlems of strategy, tactics, organization of diagnostic radiological service are considered. An attempt has been made to outline the professional image of a specialist in the DR of the future. It is shown that prediction of the DR future development is the planning stage of the present, the choice of a right way of development

Molecular Imaging of the Brain Using Multi-Quantum Coherence and Diagnostics of Brain Disorders

CERN Document Server

Kaila, M M

2013-01-01

This book examines multi-quantum magnetic resonance imaging methods and the diagnostics of brain disorders. It consists of two Parts. The part I is initially devoted towards the basic concepts of the conventional single quantum MRI techniques. It is supplemented by the basic knowledge required to understand multi-quantum MRI. Practical illustrations are included both on recent developments in conventional MRI and the MQ-MRI. This is to illustrate the connection between theoretical concepts and their scope in the clinical applications. The Part II initially sets out the basic details about quadrupole charge distribution present in certain nuclei and their importance about the functions they perform in our brain. Some simplified final mathematical expressions are included to illustrate facts about the basic concepts of the quantum level interactions between magnetic dipole and the electric quadrupole behavior of useful nuclei present in the brain. Selected practical illustrations, from research and clinical pra...

Tribological diagnostics as a precondition for maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jolevski, Tome

1999-01-01

The concept of maintenance in one industrial system usually represents a sum of constructions and rules that point out to several facts: 1) over which technical system the maintenance should be applied, 2) when it should be applied and 3) on which way it should be organized. In our real industrial systems the contemporary maintenance of the technical systems is not enough. Also, other contemporary measures whose basic task is to prevent unplanned stoppages as well as damages in the production process are insufficient. The equipment of the technical systems with devices for permanent monitoring of the condition, in other words with devices for technical diagnostic is unsatisfactorily, with a small exemption of the devices for vibration diagnostic monitoring of the condition in real time. The tribological diagnostics, using the procedures and methods without destroying as well as measuring and monitoring the condition of the lubrication devices, allows to find out the real status of the technical systems in operation. On that basic it is possible to undertake correct maintenance measures which would provide promising and safe operation of the technical systems. (Author)

Oncology. Pt. 1. General part, epidemiology - pathogenesis - basic principles of therapy. 2. upd. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiddemann, Wolfgang; Bartram Claus R.

2010-01-01

The book Oncology is aimed to communicate the compiled knowledge on tumor development and cancer: fundamental knowledge base, practice related know-how for diagnostics and therapy. Part 1 includes the following chapters: epidemiology and pathogenesis, basic principles of diagnostics, basic principles of therapy, complication of malign growth, tumors in the gastrointestinal tract, female genital carcinomas, kidney and urinary tract carcinomas, respiratory tract and lung carcinomas, carcinomas in the head - neck area, bone and soft tissue carcinomas, pediatric tumors, hematological neoplasm, other carcinomas. The book can be used as reference for clinical work. [de

Student Listening Gains in the Basic Communication Course: A Comparison of Self-Report and Performance-Based Competence Measures

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Danette Ifert; Long, Kathleen M.

2007-01-01

Direct listening instruction is a frequent component of basic communication courses. Research has found changes in self-perceived listening competence during a basic communication course and only a minimal relationship between self-perceived and performance-based measures of listening and other communication behaviors. Results of the present study…

Skeletal diseases. Diagnostic clinical radiology and differential diagnostics. 2. rev. and enl. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freyschmidt, J.

1997-01-01

The book focuses on the diagnostic evaluation of idiopathic diseases of the skeleton and bone joints, also including the fundamental healing processes of bone fractures, particularly of stress-induced and pathologic fractures. Ample space has been given to the description and imaging of the course of diseases under treatment by up-to-date therapies, as e.g. for ostitis deformans Paget's disease, or skeletal metastases. This second edition of the book incorporates the progress achieved over the last five years in skeletal diagnostics. The advances in this field have been resulting from basic research work, for instance in molecular biology, or from a variety of completed studies relating to clinical medicine, laboratory chemistry, histopathology and radiology of skeletal diseases, and from experience obtained with the diagnostic radiology methods and techniques, with the potentials and constraints of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) today being more critically assessed than five years ago. MRI is a modality currently meeting with interest in the context of search for additional diagnostic information, new definition of complete pictures of diseases, or false or overinterpretation of diagnostic findings. (orig./MG). 431 figs [de

High voltage diagnostics on electrical insulation of supersonducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irmisch, M.

1995-12-01

The high voltage (HV) performance of superconducting magnets of large dimensions, e.g. as needed in fusion reactors, is a challange in the field of high voltage technology, i.e. especially in the field of cryogenic high voltage components and with respect to questions of HV insulation diagnostics at low temperature. By using the development of POLO - a superconducting prototype coil of a tokamak poloidal field coil - as an example, this work deals with special problems of how to get use of conventional HV test techniques for diagnostics under special cryogenic boundary conditions. As a first approach to gain experience in the field of phase resolved partial discharge (PRPD) measurements during operation of a superconductive coil, the POLO coil was subject to several high voltage tests. Compared with DC insulation resistance measurements and capacitive impulse voltage discharges to the coil, the AC PD measurements have been the only way to observe special characteristics of the electrical insulation with respect to the cooling down of the coil from 300 K to 4.2 K. The PRPD measurement technique thereby has proofed as a suitable diagnostic tool. This work can serve as basic data to be comparable within further projects of electrical insulation diagnostics at cryogenic temperatures. (orig.)

Diagnostic performance of calcification-suppressed coronary CT angiography using rapid kilovolt-switching dual-energy CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yunaga, Hiroto; Ohta, Yasutoshi; Kitao, Shinichiro; Ogawa, Toshihide [Tottori University, Division of Radiology, Department of Pathophysiological Therapeutic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Yonago City, Tottori (Japan); Kaetsu, Yasuhiro [Kakogawa Higashi Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Kakogawa (Japan); Watanabe, Tomomi; Furuse, Yoshiyuki; Yamamoto, Kazuhiro [Tottori University, Division of Cardiology, Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Yonago (Japan)

2017-07-15

Multi-detector-row computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) plays an important role in the assessment of patients with suspected coronary artery disease. However, MDCTA tends to overestimate stenosis in calcified coronary artery lesions. The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of calcification-suppressed material density (MD) images produced by using a single-detector single-source dual-energy computed tomography (ssDECT). We enrolled 67 patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease who underwent ssDECT with rapid kilovolt-switching (80 and 140 kVp). Coronary artery stenosis was evaluated on the basis of MD images and virtual monochromatic (VM) images. The diagnostic performance of the two methods for detecting coronary artery disease was compared with that of invasive coronary angiography as a reference standard. We evaluated 239 calcified segments. In all the segments, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy for detecting significant stenosis were respectively 88%, 88%, 75%, 95% and 88% for the MD images, 91%, 71%, 56%, 95% and 77% for the VM images. PPV was significantly higher on the MD images than on the VM images (P < 0.0001). Calcification-suppressed MD images improved PPV and diagnostic performance for calcified coronary artery lesions. (orig.)

Diagnostic Approach in Infants and Children with Mitochondrial Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Shiang Chi

2015-02-01

The purpose of this study is to review the molecular classification scheme and associated phenotypes in infants and children with mitochondrial diseases, in addition to providing an overview of the basic biochemical reactions and genetic characteristics in the mitochondrion, clinical manifestations, and diagnostic methods. A diagnostic algorithm for identifying mitochondrial disorders in pediatric neurology patients is proposed.

Additive manufacture (3d printing) of plasma diagnostic components and assemblies for fusion experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Sieck, Paul; Woodruff, Simon; Stuber, James; Romero-Talamas, Carlos; Rivera, William; You, Setthivoine; Card, Alexander

2015-11-01

Additive manufacturing (or 3D printing) is now becoming sufficiently accurate with a large range of materials for use in printing sensors needed universally in fusion energy research. Decreasing production cost and significantly lowering design time of energy subsystems would realize significant cost reduction for standard diagnostics commonly obtained through research grants. There is now a well-established set of plasma diagnostics, but these expensive since they are often highly complex and require customization, sometimes pace the project. Additive manufacturing (3D printing) is developing rapidly, including open source designs. Basic components can be printed for (in some cases) less than 1/100th costs of conventional manufacturing. We have examined the impact that AM can have on plasma diagnostic cost by taking 15 separate diagnostics through an engineering design using Conventional Manufacturing (CM) techniques to determine costs of components and labor costs associated with getting the diagnostic to work as intended. With that information in hand, we set about optimizing the design to exploit the benefits of AM. Work performed under DOE Contract DE-SC0011858.

Spectroscopy and optical diagnostics for gases

CERN Document Server

Hanson, Ronald K; Goldenstein, Christopher S

2016-01-01

This text provides an introduction to the science that governs the interaction of light and matter (in the gas phase). It provides readers with the basic knowledge to exploit the light-matter interaction to develop quantitative tools for gas analysis (i.e. optical diagnostics) and understand and interpret the results of spectroscopic measurements. The authors pair the basics of gas‐phase spectroscopy with coverage of key optical diagnostic techniques utilized by practicing engineers and scientists to measure fundamental flow‐field properties. The text is organized to cover three sub‐topics of gas‐phase spectroscopy: (1) spectral line positions, (2) spectral line strengths, and (3) spectral lineshapes by way of absorption, emission, and scattering interactions. The latter part of the book describes optical measurement techniques and equipment. Key subspecialties include laser induced fluorescence, tunable laser absorption spectroscopy, and wavelength modulation spectroscopy. It is ideal for students an...

Simulated performance of the optical Thomson scattering diagnostic designed for the National Ignition Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ross, J. S., E-mail: ross36@llnl.gov; Datte, P.; Divol, L.; Galbraith, J.; Hatch, B.; Landen, O.; Manuel, A. M.; Molander, W.; Moody, J. D.; Swadling, G. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551 (United States); Froula, D. H.; Katz, J. [Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States); Glenzer, S. H. [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Kilkenny, J. [General Atomics, San Diego, California 92186 (United States); Montgomery, D. S. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Weaver, J. [Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)

2016-11-15

An optical Thomson scattering diagnostic has been designed for the National Ignition Facility to characterize under-dense plasmas. We report on the design of the system and the expected performance for different target configurations. The diagnostic is designed to spatially and temporally resolve the Thomson scattered light from laser driven targets. The diagnostic will collect scattered light from a 50 × 50 × 200 μm volume. The optical design allows operation with different probe laser wavelengths. A deep-UV probe beam (λ{sub 0} = 210 nm) will be used to Thomson scatter from electron plasma densities of ∼5 × 10{sup 20} cm{sup −3} while a 3ω probe will be used for plasma densities of ∼1 × 10{sup 19} cm{sup −3}. The diagnostic package contains two spectrometers: the first to resolve Thomson scattering from ion acoustic wave fluctuations and the second to resolve scattering from electron plasma wave fluctuations. Expected signal levels relative to background will be presented for typical target configurations (hohlraums and a planar foil).

The interpretation of diagnostic tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamk, M.; Lamki, M.D.

1987-01-01

The progress of nuclear and other diagnostic imaging is near rampant. With almost every issue of the major journals in this field, a new diagnostic test, or at least a new utility of an old test is described. Before we accept these innovations, we have to have a clear understanding of the clinical performance of the test. The major criteria are the sensitivity and the specificity of the test. From these derived other statistical parameters such as accuracy or efficiency of that test; also, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves may then be evaluated and used in comparison of different tests. When we know the prevalence of the disease tested in the population we are investigating, we can then derive the predictive value of a positive or a negative result. This introduction tries to explain these parameters to help the reader understand the literature dealing with the subject of efficacy of imaging procedures. It is not intended as a critical review of the literature on the subject or a comprehensive overview of the subject matter. The benefit derived from explaination of statistical concepts to physicians is documented in a recent publication. Explaination of these basic statistical parameters will be followed by a demonstration of the utility of multiple testing with these parameters. The reader is thereby introduced to relevant statistical concepts that must be grasped for full comprehension of published results of a new diagnostic imaging modality, or before clinical decision making

Basic performance and stability of a CdTe solid-state detector panel.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuchiya, Katsutoshi; Takahashi, Isao; Kawaguchi, Tsuneaki; Yokoi, Kazuma; Morimoto, Yuuichi; Ishitsu, Takafumi; Suzuki, Atsurou; Ueno, Yuuichirou; Kobashi, Keiji

2010-05-01

We have developed a prototype gamma camera system (R1-M) using a cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector panel and evaluated the basic performance and the spectral stability. The CdTe panel consists of 5-mm-thick crystals. The field of view is 134 x 268 mm comprising 18,432 pixels with a pixel pitch of 1.4 mm. Replaceable small CdTe modules are mounted on to the circuit board by dedicated zero insertion force connectors. To make the readout circuit compact, the matrix read out is processed by dedicated ASICs. The panel is equipped with a cold-air cooling system. The temperature and humidity in the panel were kept at 20 degrees C and below 70% relative humidity. CdTe polarization was suppressed by the bias refresh technique to stabilize the detector. We also produced three dedicated square pixel-matched collimators: LEGP (20 mm-thick), LEHR (27 mm-thick), and LEUHR (35 mm-thick). We evaluated their basic performance (energy resolution, system resolution, and sensitivity) and the spectral stability in terms of short-term (several hours of continuous acquisition) and long-term (infrequent measurements over more than a year) activity. The intrinsic energy resolution (FWHM) acquired with Tc-99m (140.5 keV) was 6.6%. The spatial resolutions (FWHM at a distance of 100 mm) with LEGP, LEHR, and LEUHR collimators were 5.7, 4.9, and 4.2 mm, and the sensitivities were 71, 39, and 23 cps/MBq, respectively. The energy peak position and the intrinsic energy resolution after several hours of operation were nearly the same as the values a few minutes after the system was powered on; the variation of the peak position was <0.2%, and that of the resolution was about 0.3%. Infrequent measurements conducted over a year showed that the variations of the energy peak position and the intrinsic energy resolution of the system were at a similar level to those described above. The basic performance of the CdTe-gamma camera system was evaluated, and its stability was verified. It was shown that the

How today's USM diagnostics solve metering problems[Ultrasonic meters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lansing, John

2005-07-01

This paper discusses both basic and advanced diagnostic features of gas ultrasonic meters (USM), and how capabilities built into today's electronics can identify problems that often may not have been identified in the past. It primarily discusses fiscal-quality, multi-path USMs and does not cover issues that may be different with non-fiscal meters. Although USMs basically work the same, the diagnostics for each manufacturer does vary. All brands provide basic features as discussed in AGA 9. However, some provide advanced features that can be used to help identify issues such as blocked flow conditioners and gas compositional errors. This paper is based upon the Daniel USM design and the information presented here may or may not be applicable to other manufacturers. (author) (tk)

A simple, high performance Thomson scattering diagnostic for high temperature plasma research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartog, D.J.D.; Cekic, M.

1994-02-01

This Thomson scattering diagnostic is used to measure the electron temperature and density of the plasma in the MST reversed-field pinch, a magnetic confinement fusion research device. This diagnostic system is unique for its type in that it combines high performance with simple design and low cost components. In the design of this instrument, careful attention was given to the suppression of stray laser line light with simple and effective beam dumps, viewing dumps, aperatures, and a holographic edge filter. This allows the use of a single grating monochromator for dispersion of the Thomson scattered spectrum onto the microchannel plate detector. Alignment and calibration procedures for the laser beam delivery system, the scattered light collection system, and the spectrometer and detector are described. A sample Thomson scattered spectrum illustrates typical data

A Performance Evaluation of Diagnostic X-ray Unit Depends on the Hospitals Size

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Ju Hun [Kaya University, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of); Im, In Chul [Gwangju Health College University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Dong, Kyung Rae [Chosun University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Se Sik [College of Health Science, Catholic University of Pusan, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2009-03-15

The purpose of this study is to measure the tube voltage, the tube current/volume, exposure time and exposure dose of diagnostic X-ray unit in each doctor offices, hospitals and general hospitals for evaluating the performance of such device, to learn the method and technology of its measurement and to suggest its importance. Research subjects were total 30 X-ray units and divided into groups of 10 X-ray units each. The tube voltage, the tube current/volume, exposure time and exposure dose were measured using percentage average error, and then reproducibility of exposure dose was measured through calculating coefficient of variation. The results are like followings; The tube voltage correctness examination showed that incongruent devices among total 30 X-ray units were 5 devices (16.7%). The tube current correctness examination showed that incongruent X-ray units were 3 devices (10.0%). The tube current volume correctness examination showed that incongruent X-ray units were 4 devices (13.3%). Finally, according to exposure time correctness examination, incongruent X-ray units were 5 devices (16.7%) and according to reproducibility examination of exposure dose, incongruent X-ray units were 7 devices (23.3%). Above results showed serious problem in performance management based on management regulation of diagnostic X-ray unit; it means that regular checkout and safety management are required, and as doing so, patients will be able to receive good quality of medical service by the reduction of radiation exposure time, image quality administration, unnecessary retake and etc. Therefore, this study suggests that the performance of diagnostic X-ray units should be checked regularly

A Performance Evaluation of Diagnostic X-ray Unit Depends on the Hospitals Size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Ju Hun; Im, In Chul; Dong, Kyung Rae; Kang, Se Sik

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study is to measure the tube voltage, the tube current/volume, exposure time and exposure dose of diagnostic X-ray unit in each doctor offices, hospitals and general hospitals for evaluating the performance of such device, to learn the method and technology of its measurement and to suggest its importance. Research subjects were total 30 X-ray units and divided into groups of 10 X-ray units each. The tube voltage, the tube current/volume, exposure time and exposure dose were measured using percentage average error, and then reproducibility of exposure dose was measured through calculating coefficient of variation. The results are like followings; The tube voltage correctness examination showed that incongruent devices among total 30 X-ray units were 5 devices (16.7%). The tube current correctness examination showed that incongruent X-ray units were 3 devices (10.0%). The tube current volume correctness examination showed that incongruent X-ray units were 4 devices (13.3%). Finally, according to exposure time correctness examination, incongruent X-ray units were 5 devices (16.7%) and according to reproducibility examination of exposure dose, incongruent X-ray units were 7 devices (23.3%). Above results showed serious problem in performance management based on management regulation of diagnostic X-ray unit; it means that regular checkout and safety management are required, and as doing so, patients will be able to receive good quality of medical service by the reduction of radiation exposure time, image quality administration, unnecessary retake and etc. Therefore, this study suggests that the performance of diagnostic X-ray units should be checked regularly

Ruling Out Pulmonary Embolism in Primary Care: Comparison of the Diagnostic Performance of "Gestalt" and the Wells Rule

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendriksen, Janneke M. T.; Lucassen, Wim A. M.; Erkens, Petra M. G.; Stoffers, Henri E. J. H.; van Weert, Henk C. P. M.; Büller, Harry R.; Hoes, Arno W.; Moons, Karel G. M.; Geersing, Geert-Jan

2016-01-01

Diagnostic prediction models such as the Wells rule can be used for safely ruling out pulmonary embolism (PE) when it is suspected. A physician's own probability estimate ("gestalt"), however, is commonly used instead. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of both approaches in primary care.

Diagnostic reasoning: where we've been, where we're going.

Science.gov (United States)

Monteiro, Sandra M; Norman, Geoffrey

2013-01-01

Recently, clinical diagnostic reasoning has been characterized by "dual processing" models, which postulate a fast, unconscious (System 1) component and a slow, logical, analytical (System 2) component. However, there are a number of variants of this basic model, which may lead to conflicting claims. This paper critically reviews current theories and evidence about the nature of clinical diagnostic reasoning. We begin by briefly discussing the history of research in clinical reasoning. We then focus more specifically on the evidence to support dual-processing models. We conclude by identifying knowledge gaps about clinical reasoning and provide suggestions for future research. In contrast to work on analytical and nonanalytical knowledge as a basis for reasoning, these theories focus on the thinking process, not the nature of the knowledge retrieved. Ironically, this appears to be a revival of an outdated concept. Rather than defining diagnostic performance by problem-solving skills, it is now being defined by processing strategy. The version of dual processing that has received most attention in the literature in medical diagnosis might be labeled a "default/interventionist" model,(17) which suggests that a default system of cognitive processes (System 1) is responsible for cognitive biases that lead to diagnostic errors and that System 2 intervenes to correct these errors. Consequently, from this model, the best strategy for reducing errors is to make students aware of the biases and to encourage them to rely more on System 2. However, an accumulation of evidence suggests that (a) strategies directed at increasing analytical (System 2) processing, by slowing down, reducing distractions, paying conscious attention, and (b) strategies directed at making students aware of the effect of cognitive biases, have no impact on error rates. Conversely, strategies based on increasing application of relevant knowledge appear to have some success and are consistent with basic

Readers in Adult Basic Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Adrienne E; Kim, Young-Suk; Tighe, Elizabeth L; Vorstius, Christian

The present study explored the reading skills of a sample of 48 adults enrolled in a basic education program in northern Florida, United States. Previous research has reported on reading component skills for students in adult education settings, but little is known about eye movement patterns or their relation to reading skills for this population. In this study, reading component skills including decoding, language comprehension, and reading fluency are reported, as are eye movement variables for connected-text oral reading. Eye movement comparisons between individuals with higher and lower oral reading fluency revealed within- and between-subject effects for word frequency and word length as well as group and word frequency interactions. Bivariate correlations indicated strong relations between component skills of reading, eye movement measures, and both the Test of Adult Basic Education ( Reading subtest) and the Woodcock-Johnson III Diagnostic Reading Battery Passage Comprehension assessments. Regression analyses revealed the utility of decoding, language comprehension, and lexical activation time for predicting achievement on both the Woodcock Johnson III Passage Comprehension and the Test of Adult Basic Education Reading Comprehension.

Comparison of 3MP medical-grade to 1MP office grade LCD monitors in mammographic diagnostic and perceptual performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ong, Aaron; Tan, Shu.; Gledhill, Samuel; Hennessy, Oliver; Lui, Belinda; Lee, Alan; Lemish, Wayne; Styles, Colin; Pun, Emma; Padmanabhan, Meenakshi; Pitman, Alexander G.; Tauro, Paul; Waugh, Paul

2011-01-01

Full text: Picture archiving and communication systems images designed to be viewed on high-resolution medical-grade monitors are routinely viewed on office-grade monitors on the wards or at home. This study aimed to determine whether a statistically significant difference in diagnostic (cancer detection) and perceptual (microcalcification detection) performance exists between 3MP grade and 1MP office-grade monitors. 3MP Dome medical-grade liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors (Planar, Beaverton, OR, USA) were compared to 1MP Dell office-grade LCD monitors (Dell Inc, Round Rock, TX, USA). Eight radiologists (reader experi ence 8-30 years) read the same set of 100 mammograms (23/100 with proven cancers and 52/100 with microcalcifications) presented in random order on three occasions separated by two time intervals of 12 weeks. Reads 1 and 3 utilised 3MP monitors and formed the baseline read. Read 2 utilised 1MP monitors and constituted the experimental read. Reading conditions were standardised. Readers were aware of which monitors they were using. Mul tivariate logistic regression analysis (to account for reader variability and monitor impact) was performed to assess for statistical significance. At a = 5%, confidence intervals analysis comparing the measured parameters between 1MP to 3MP monitors demonstrated no statistically significant difference in diagnostic and perceptual performance for the reader group. In cancer detection (the diagnostic task), reader accuracy remained high irrespective of monitor type. Regression analysis comparing performance with 1MP against 3MP monitors found P values of 0.693 and 0.324 for diagnostic and perceptual performance, respectively. There were no statistically and clinically significant differences between 3MP and 1MP monitors in mammographic diagnostic and perceptual performance. Comparable performance may be due to compensatory behav iour by readers.

Accurate Point-of-Care Detection of Ruptured Fetal Membranes: Improved Diagnostic Performance Characteristics with a Monoclonal/Polyclonal Immunoassay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linda C. Rogers

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective Accurate and timely diagnosis of rupture of membranes (ROM is imperative to allow for gestational age-specific interventions. This study compared the diagnostic performance characteristics between two methods used for the detection of ROM as measured in the same patient. Methods Vaginal secretions were evaluated using the conventional fern test as well as a point-of-care monoclonal/polyclonal immunoassay test (ROM Plus® in 75 pregnant patients who presented to labor and delivery with complaints of leaking amniotic fluid. Both tests were compared to analytical confirmation of ROM using three external laboratory tests. Diagnostic performance characteristics were calculated including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV, negative predictive value (NPV, and accuracy. Results Diagnostic performance characteristics uniformly favored ROM detection using the immunoassay test compared to the fern test: sensitivity (100% vs. 77.8%, specificity (94.8% vs. 79.3%, PPV (75% vs. 36.8%, NPV (100% vs. 95.8%, and accuracy (95.5% vs. 79.1%. Conclusions The point-of-care immunoassay test provides improved diagnostic accuracy for the detection of ROM compared to fern testing. It has the potential of improving patient management decisions, thereby minimizing serious complications and perinatal morbidity.

Diagnostic Performance of Mammographic Texture Analysis in the Differential Diagnosis of Benign and Malignant Breast Tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhiming; Yu, Lan; Wang, Xin; Yu, Haiyang; Gao, Yuanxiang; Ren, Yande; Wang, Gang; Zhou, Xiaoming

2017-11-09

The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of mammographic texture analysis in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumors. Digital mammography images were obtained from the Picture Archiving and Communication System at our institute. Texture features of mammographic images were calculated. Mann-Whitney U test was used to identify differences between the benign and malignant group. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic performance of texture features. Significant differences of texture features of histogram, gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) and run length matrix (RLM) were found between the benign and malignant breast group (P  .05). The AUROCs of imaging-based diagnosis, texture analysis, and imaging-based diagnosis combined with texture analysis were 0.873, 0.863, and 0.961, respectively. When imaging-based diagnosis was combined with texture analysis, the AUROC was higher than that of imaging-based diagnosis or texture analysis (P benign and malignant breast tumors. Furthermore, the combination of imaging-based diagnosis and texture analysis can significantly improve diagnostic performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Basic Theoretical Principles Pertaining to Thermal Protection of Oil Transformer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. G. Shirokov

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The paper contains formulation of basic theoretical principles pertaining to thermal protection of an oil transformer in accordance with classical theory of relay protection and theory of diagnostics with the purpose of unification of terminological and analytical information which is presently available in respect of this problem. Classification of abnormal thermal modes of an oil transformer and also algorithms and methods for operation of diagnostic thermal protection of a transformer have been proposed.

Inertial confinement fusion diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coleman, L.W.

1986-10-01

The concept and goals of ICF will be briefly reviewed and the new 100 kJ class Nova laser facility will be described. Experimental results obtained to date with Nova will be summarized, and the discussions of diagnostics will use examples on the present capabilities of Nova and new developments that are underway. The classes of diagnostic systems to be discussed fall into three basic categories: optical, x-ray, and particle. Examples of highly space resolved, time resolved, and spectrally resolved techniques as well as schemes involving combinations of these capabilities will be presented. A brief summary of the sophisticated acquisition and analysis system in use for Nova data will be provided

Requirements for the special examination of isotope diagnostic specialists

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Csakany, Gyoergy

1986-01-01

Isotope diagnostic specialists are required to possess general paraclinical knowledge about nuclear physical principles, basic radiological measuring methods including up-to-date ones such as scintiscanning and tomography, as well as about radiopharmacology, radiation biology, health physics, radiation protection and organizational and economic aspects of the examinations. Clinical isotope diagnostic requirements comprise the proper selection among different radiological methods, the correct application of certain diagnostic procedures in practise, and the evaluation of the results in accordance with the symptoms on various fields of medical science. (V.N.)

Penetrating Colorectal Injuries: Diagnostic Performance of Multidetector CT with Trajectography.

Science.gov (United States)

Dreizin, David; Boscak, Alexis R; Anstadt, Michael J; Tirada, Nikki; Chiu, William C; Munera, Felipe; Bodanapally, Uttam K; Hornick, Michael; Stein, Deborah M

2016-12-01

Purpose To determine the diagnostic performance of multidetector computed tomography (CT) with trajectography for penetrating colorectal injuries. Materials and Methods This institutional review board-approved and HIPAA-compliant study was a 6-year blinded retrospective review by two independent readers of 182 consecutive patients who preoperatively underwent 40- or 64-row multidetector CT for penetrating torso trauma below the diaphragm and had surgically confirmed findings. Colorectal perforation was present in 42 patients. Trajectory analysis with postprocessing software was used for all studies. Additional signs evaluated were rectal contrast agent leak, collections of extruded fecal material, mural defect, wall thickening, abnormal enhancement, free fluid or stranding, and free air. The quality of the colorectal contrast agent administration was recorded. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs), and Cohen κ were determined. Results In patients with rectal contrast agent administration (n = 151), AUCs were 0.90-0.91, which indicated excellent accuracy. Trajectory was sensitive (88%-91%). For single wounds (n = 104), sensitivity of trajectory was 96% for both readers, but was only 80% for multiple wounds (n = 47). Contrast agent leak was highly specific (96%-98%), but insensitive (42%-46%). Improved diagnostic performance was observed in patients with poor colonic distension or opacification. Accuracy remained high (AUC, 0.86-0.99) in the group without rectal contrast agent administration (n = 31). Conclusion Trajectory had excellent sensitivity, while rectal contrast agent leak was specific but insensitive. Sensitivity of trajectory was lower for multiple wounds. Accuracy remained high in patients without rectal contrast agent administration. © RSNA, 2016.

The future of medical diagnostics: Review paper

NARCIS (Netherlands)

W.K. Jerjes (Waseem K.); T. Upile (Tahwinder); B.J. Wong (Brian J.); C.S. Betz (Christian S.); H.J.C.M. Sterenborg (Dick); M.J.H. Witjes (Max); K. Svanberg (Katarina); R. van Veen (Robert); M.A. Biel (Merrill A.); A.K. El-Naggar (Adel K.); C.A. Mosse (Charles A.); M. Olivo (Malini); R. Richards-Kortum (Rebecca); D.J. Robinson (Dominic); P.J. Rosen (Peter J.); A.G. Yodh (Arjun G.); C. Kendall (Catherine); J.F. Ilgner (Justus F.); A. Amelink (Arjen); V. Bagnato (Vanderlei); H. Barr (Hugh); L. Bolotine (Lina); I. Bigio (Irving); Z. Chen (Zhiyi); L.P. Choo-Smith; A.K. D'Cruz (Anil K.); A. Gillenwater (Ann); A. Leunig (Andreas); A.J. MacRobert (Alexander J.); G. McKenzie (Gordon); A. Sandison (Ann); K.C. Soo (Khee Chee); H. Stepp (Herbert); J.R.N. Stone; I.B. Tan (I. Bing); B.C. Wilson (Brian C.); H. Wolfsen (Herbert); C. Hopper (Colin)

2011-01-01

textabstractWhile histopathology of excised tissue remains the gold standard for diagnosis, several new, non-invasive diagnostic techniques are being developed. They rely on physical and biochemical changes that precede and mirror malignant change within tissue. The basic principle involves simple

The future of medical diagnostics : review paper

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jerjes, Waseem K.; Upile, Tahwinder; Wong, Brian J.; Betz, Christian S.; Sterenborg, Henricus J.; Witjes, Max J.; Berg, Kristian; van Veen, Robert; Biel, Merrill A.; El-Naggar, Adel K.; Mosse, Charles A.; Olivo, Malini; Richards-Kortum, Rebecca; Robinson, Dominic J.; Rosen, Jennifer; Yodh, Arjun G.; Kendall, Catherine; Ilgner, Justus F.; Amelink, Arjen; Bagnato, Vanderlei; Barr, Hugh; Bolotine, Lina; Bigio, Irving; Chen, Zhongping; Choo-Smith, Lin-Ping; D'Cruz, Anil K.; Gillenwater, Ann; Leunig, Andreas; MacRobert, Alexander J.; McKenzie, Gordon; Sandison, Ann; Soo, Khee C.; Stepp, Herbert; Stone, Nicholas; Svanberg, Katarina; Tan, I. Bing; Wilson, Brian C.; Wolfsen, Herbert; Hopper, Colin

2011-01-01

While histopathology of excised tissue remains the gold standard for diagnosis, several new, non-invasive diagnostic techniques are being developed. They rely on physical and biochemical changes that precede and mirror malignant change within tissue. The basic principle involves simple optical

The future of medical diagnostics: review paper

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jerjes, Waseem K.; Upile, Tahwinder; Wong, Brian J.; Betz, Christian S.; Sterenborg, Henricus J.; Witjes, Max J.; Berg, Kristian; van Veen, Robert; Biel, Merrill A.; El-Naggar, Adel K.; Mosse, Charles A.; Olivo, Malini; Richards-Kortum, Rebecca; Robinson, Dominic J.; Rosen, Jennifer; Yodh, Arjun G.; Kendall, Catherine; Ilgner, Justus F.; Amelink, Arjen; Bagnato, Vanderlei; Barr, Hugh; Bolotine, Lina; Bigio, Irving; Chen, Zhongping; Choo-Smith, Lin-Ping; D'Cruz, Anil K.; Gillenwater, Ann; Leunig, Andreas; MacRobert, Alexander J.; McKenzie, Gordon; Sandison, Ann; Soo, Khee C.; Stepp, Herbert; Stone, Nicholas; Svanberg, Katarina; Tan, I. Bing; Wilson, Brian C.; Wolfsen, Herbert; Hopper, Colin

2011-01-01

While histopathology of excised tissue remains the gold standard for diagnosis, several new, non-invasive diagnostic techniques are being developed. They rely on physical and biochemical changes that precede and mirror malignant change within tissue. The basic principle involves simple optical

Process management and controlling in diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gocke, P.; Debatin, J.F.; Duerselen, L.F.J.

2002-01-01

Systematic process management and efficient quality control is rapidly gaining importance in our healthcare system. What does this mean for diagnostic radiology departments?To improve efficiency, quality and productivity the workflow within the department of diagnostic and interventional radiology at the University Hospital of Essen were restructured over the last two years. Furthermore, a controlling system was established. One of the pursued aims was to create a quality management system as a basis for the subsequent certification according to the ISO EN 9001:2000 norm.Central to the success of the workflow reorganisation was the training of selected members of the department's staff in process and quality management theory. Thereafter, a dedicated working group was created to prepare the reorganisation and the subsequent ISO certification with the support of a consulting partner. To assure a smooth implementation of the restructured workflow and create acceptance for the required ISO-9001 documentation, the entire staff was familiarized with the basic ideas of process- and quality-management in several training sessions.This manuscript summarizes the basic concepts of process and quality management as they were taught to our staff. A direct relationship towards diagnostic radiology is maintained throughout the text. (orig.) [de

Diagnostic Performance of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid CD4/CD8 Ratio for Sarcoidosis: A Meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yongchun; Pang, Caishuang; Wu, Yanqiu; Li, Diandian; Wan, Chun; Liao, Zenglin; Yang, Ting; Chen, Lei; Wen, Fuqiang

2016-06-01

The usefulness of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) CD4/CD8 ratio for diagnosing sarcoidosis has been reported in many studies with variable results. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to estimate the overall diagnostic accuracy of BALF CD4/CD8 ratio based on the bulk of published evidence. Studies published prior to June 2015 and indexed in PubMed, OVID, Web of Science, Scopus and other databases were evaluated for inclusion. Data on sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were pooled from included studies. Summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were used to summarize overall test performance. Deeks's funnel plot was used to detect publication bias. Sixteen publications with 1885 subjects met our inclusion criteria and were included in this meta-analysis. Summary estimates of the diagnostic performance of the BALF CD4/CD8 ratio were as follows: sensitivity, 0.70 (95%CI 0.64-0.75); specificity, 0.83 (95%CI 0.78-0.86); PLR, 4.04 (95%CI 3.13-5.20); NLR, 0.36 (95%CI 0.30-0.44); and DOR, 11.17 (95%CI 7.31-17.07). The area under the SROC curve was 0.84 (95%CI 0.81-0.87). There was no evidence of publication bias. Measuring the BALF CD4/CD8 ratio may assist in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis when interpreted in parallel with other diagnostic factors. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Java EE 7 performance tuning and optimization

CERN Document Server

Oransa, Osama

2014-01-01

The book adopts a step-by-step approach, starting from building the basics and adding to it gradually by using different tools and examples. The book sequence is easy to follow and all topics are fully illustrated showing you how to make good use of different performance diagnostic tools. If you are an experienced Java developer, architect, team leader, consultant, support engineer, or anyone else who needs performance tuning in your Java applications, and in particular, Java enterprise applications, this book is for you. No prior experience of performance tuning is required.

Diagnostic performance of shear wave elastography of the breast according to scanning orientation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Solip; Choi, SeonHyeong; Choi, Yoonjung; Kook, Shin-Ho; Park, Hee Jin; Chung, Eun Chul

2014-10-01

To evaluate the influence of the scanning orientation on diagnostic performance measured by the mean elasticity, maximum elasticity, and fat-to-lesion elasticity ratio on ultrasound-based shear wave elastography in differentiating breast cancers from benign lesions. In this study, a total of 260 breast masses from 235 consecutive patients were observed from March 2012 to November 2012. For each lesion, the mean elasticity value, maximum elasticity value, and fat-to-lesion ratio were measured along two orthogonal directions, and all values were compared with pathologic results. There were 59 malignant and 201 benign lesions. Malignant masses showed higher mean elasticity, maximum elasticity, and fat-to-lesion ratio values than benign lesions (P masses; and mean elasticity, 0.392, for anterior mammary fat. Mean elasticity, maximum elasticity, and fat-to-lesion elasticity ratio values were helpful in differentiating benign and malignant breast masses. The scanning orientation did not significantly affect the diagnostic performance of shear wave elastography for breast masses. © 2014 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Radiation protection in medical diagnostic radiology in the city of Sobral, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menezes, F.L.; Paschoal, C.M.M.; Ferreira, F.C.L.; Alcantara, M.C.

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability to radiation protection of four diagnostic radiology medical services in the city of Sobral-CE, Northeast of Brazil, and to analyze results of the literature for the cities of Rio Branco-AC, North of Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro-RJ, South-east of Brazil. In Sobral-CE, it was performed interviews and direct observations with reference to Brazilian law, the National Ordinance No.453/1998 of the Ministry of Health that regulates the operation of medical and odontological diagnostic radiology services. The results show the occurrence of many items in disagreement with the standard. The technical and operational infractions have basically due to unfamiliarity with the legislation, the lack of investment in training and/or professional development courses. (authors)

Evaluating the Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services to Assess Incorrect Error-Correction Procedures by Preschool Paraprofessionals

Science.gov (United States)

Bowe, Melissa; Sellers, Tyra P.

2018-01-01

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) has been used to assess variables contributing to undesirable staff performance. In this study, three preschool teachers completed the PDC-HS to identify the factors contributing to four paraprofessionals' inaccurate implementation of error-correction procedures during discrete trial…

NOVA integrated alignment/diagnostic sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

Under Contract 3772003 to the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Aerojet ElectroSystems Company has investigated a number of alignment system design topics for the NOVA and SHIVA upgrade lasers. Prior reports dealt with the Main Beam Alignment System, and with Multipass Amplifier Alignment Concepts. This report, which completes the contract, examines ways in which the Return Beam Diagnostic (RBD) package and Incident Beam Diagnostic (IBD) packages may be reconfigured to a more integrated package. In particular, the report shows that the RBD optics may be directly integrated in the Pointing Focus and Centering (PFC) sensor, and that the IBD optics may use the same basic common configuration as the PFC/RBD package

Diagnostic performance of BMI percentiles to identify adolescents with metabolic syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Laurson, Kelly R; Welk, Gregory J; Eisenmann, Joey C

2014-02-01

To compare the diagnostic performance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and FITNESSGRAM (FGram) BMI standards for quantifying metabolic risk in youth. Adolescents in the NHANES (n = 3385) were measured for anthropometric variables and metabolic risk factors. BMI percentiles were calculated, and youth were categorized by weight status (using CDC and FGram thresholds). Participants were also categorized by presence or absence of metabolic syndrome. The CDC and FGram standards were compared by prevalence of metabolic abnormalities, various diagnostic criteria, and odds of metabolic syndrome. Receiver operating characteristic curves were also created to identify optimal BMI percentiles to detect metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in obese youth was 19% to 35%, compared with <2% in the normal-weight groups. The odds of metabolic syndrome for obese boys and girls were 46 to 67 and 19 to 22 times greater, respectively, than for normal-weight youth. The receiver operating characteristic analyses identified optimal thresholds similar to the CDC standards for boys and the FGram standards for girls. Overall, BMI thresholds were more strongly associated with metabolic syndrome in boys than in girls. Both the CDC and FGram standards are predictive of metabolic syndrome. The diagnostic utility of the CDC thresholds outperformed the FGram values for boys, whereas FGram standards were slightly better thresholds for girls. The use of a common set of thresholds for school and clinical applications would provide advantages for public health and clinical research and practice.

Performance Measurement Implementation Of Minimum Service Standards For Basic Education Based On The Balanced Scorecard

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Budiman Rusli

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Policies Minimum Service Standards for Basic Education has rolled out since 2002 by the minister in accordance with the Decree No. 129a U 2004 About Minimum Service Standards Education is continually updated and lastly Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture No. 23 of 2013. All of the district government town should achieve the target of achieving 100 per cent in each of the indicators listed in the minimum service standards for the end of 2014. achievement pad on each indicator is just one measure of the performance of the local government department of education. Unfortunately from the announced target for 27 indicators that exist almost all regions including local governments do not reach Tangerang Regency. It is necessary for measuring the performance of local authorities particularly the education department. One performance measure modern enough that measurements can be done that The Balance Scorecard BSc. In the Balanced Scorecard is a management tool contemporare complete measure company performance not only of the financial perspective but also non-financial performance such as Customer Perspective Internal Business Processes and Learning and Growth. This approach is actually ideally suited for multinational companies because this approach requires very expensive but can be used to measure the profit performance of the company in addition to the combination of a long-term strategic and short-strategic. Balanced Scorecard it can also be done in measuring the performance of public sector services as well by modifying a few things so it can be used to measure the performance of the public sector including the Performance Measurement Minimum Service Standards for Basic Education.

Optimization of Classification Strategies of Acetowhite Temporal Patterns towards Improving Diagnostic Performance of Colposcopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karina Gutiérrez-Fragoso

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Efforts have been being made to improve the diagnostic performance of colposcopy, trying to help better diagnose cervical cancer, particularly in developing countries. However, improvements in a number of areas are still necessary, such as the time it takes to process the full digital image of the cervix, the performance of the computing systems used to identify different kinds of tissues, and biopsy sampling. In this paper, we explore three different, well-known automatic classification methods (k-Nearest Neighbors, Naïve Bayes, and C4.5, in addition to different data models that take full advantage of this information and improve the diagnostic performance of colposcopy based on acetowhite temporal patterns. Based on the ROC and PRC area scores, the k-Nearest Neighbors and discrete PLA representation performed better than other methods. The values of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy reached using this method were 60% (95% CI 50–70, 79% (95% CI 71–86, and 70% (95% CI 60–80, respectively. The acetowhitening phenomenon is not exclusive to high-grade lesions, and we have found acetowhite temporal patterns of epithelial changes that are not precancerous lesions but that are similar to positive ones. These findings need to be considered when developing more robust computing systems in the future.

Quantitative Methods for Molecular Diagnostic and Therapeutic Imaging

OpenAIRE

Li, Quanzheng

2013-01-01

This theme issue provides an overview on the basic quantitative methods, an in-depth discussion on the cutting-edge quantitative analysis approaches as well as their applications for both static and dynamic molecular diagnostic and therapeutic imaging.

Performance Evaluation of Commercial Dengue Diagnostic Tests for Early Detection of Dengue in Clinical Samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tuan Nur Akmalina Mat Jusoh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The shattering rise in dengue virus infections globally has created a need for an accurate and validated rapid diagnostic test for this virus. Rapid diagnostic test (RDT and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR diagnostic detection are useful tools for diagnosis of early dengue infection. We prospectively evaluated the diagnostic performance of nonstructural 1 (NS1 RDT and real-time RT-PCR diagnostic kits in 86 patient serum samples. Thirty-six samples were positive for dengue NS1 antigen while the remaining 50 were negative when tested with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. Commercially available RDTs for NS1 detection, RTK ProDetect™, and SD Bioline showed high sensitivity of 94% and 89%, respectively, compared with ELISA. GenoAmp® Trioplex Real-Time RT-PCR and RealStar® Dengue RT-PCR tests presented a comparable kappa agreement with 0.722. The result obtained from GenoAmp® Real-Time RT-PCR Dengue test showed that 14 samples harbored dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1, 8 samples harbored DENV-2, 2 samples harbored DENV-3, and 1 sample harbored DENV-4. 1 sample had a double infection with DENV-1 and DENV-2. The NS1 RDTs and real-time RT-PCR tests were found to be a useful diagnostic for early and rapid diagnosis of acute dengue and an excellent surveillance tool in our battle against dengue.

[Effects of Self-directed Feedback Practice using Smartphone Videos on Basic Nursing Skills, Confidence in Performance and Learning Satisfaction].

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seul Gi; Shin, Yun Hee

2016-04-01

This study was done to verify effects of a self-directed feedback practice using smartphone videos on nursing students' basic nursing skills, confidence in performance and learning satisfaction. In this study an experimental study with a post-test only control group design was used. Twenty-nine students were assigned to the experimental group and 29 to the control group. Experimental treatment was exchanging feedback on deficiencies through smartphone recorded videos of nursing practice process taken by peers during self-directed practice. Basic nursing skills scores were higher for all items in the experimental group compared to the control group, and differences were statistically significant ["Measuring vital signs" (t=-2.10, p=.039); "Wearing protective equipment when entering and exiting the quarantine room and the management of waste materials" (t=-4.74, psmartphone videos can improve basic nursing skills. The significance is that it can help nursing students gain confidence in their nursing skills for the future through improvement of basic nursing skills and performance of quality care, thus providing patients with safer care.

Virtual Resting Pd/Pa From Coronary Angiography and Blood Flow Modelling: Diagnostic Performance Against Fractional Flow Reserve.

Science.gov (United States)

Papafaklis, Michail I; Muramatsu, Takashi; Ishibashi, Yuki; Bourantas, Christos V; Fotiadis, Dimitrios I; Brilakis, Emmanouil S; Garcia-Garcia, Héctor M; Escaned, Javier; Serruys, Patrick W; Michalis, Lampros K

2018-03-01

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) has been established as a useful diagnostic tool. The distal coronary pressure to aortic pressure (Pd/Pa) ratio at rest is a simpler physiologic index but also requires the use of the pressure wire, whereas recently proposed virtual functional indices derived from coronary imaging require complex blood flow modelling and/or are time-consuming. Our aim was to test the diagnostic performance of virtual resting Pd/Pa using routine angiographic images and a simple flow model. Three-dimensional quantitative coronary angiography (3D-QCA) was performed in 139 vessels (120 patients) with intermediate lesions assessed by FFR. The resting Pd/Pa for each lesion was assessed by computational fluid dynamics. The discriminatory power of virtual resting Pd/Pa against FFR (reference: ≤0.80) was high (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve [AUC]: 90.5% [95% CI: 85.4-95.6%]). Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity for the optimal virtual resting Pd/Pa cut-off (≤0.94) were 84.9%, 90.4% and 81.6%, respectively. Virtual resting Pd/Pa demonstrated superior performance (pvirtual resting Pd/Pa and FFR (r=0.69, pVirtual resting Pd/Pa using routine angiographic data and a simple flow model provides fast functional assessment of coronary lesions without requiring the pressure-wire and hyperaemia induction. The high diagnostic performance of virtual resting Pd/Pa for predicting FFR shows promise for using this simple/fast virtual index in clinical practice. Copyright © 2017 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic performance of calcification-suppressed coronary CT angiography using rapid kilovolt-switching dual-energy CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Yunaga, Hiroto; Ohta, Yasutoshi; Kaetsu, Yasuhiro; Kitao, Shinichiro; Watanabe, Tomomi; Furuse, Yoshiyuki; Yamamoto, Kazuhiro; Ogawa, Toshihide

2017-07-01

Multi-detector-row computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) plays an important role in the assessment of patients with suspected coronary artery disease. However, MDCTA tends to overestimate stenosis in calcified coronary artery lesions. The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of calcification-suppressed material density (MD) images produced by using a single-detector single-source dual-energy computed tomography (ssDECT). We enrolled 67 patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease who underwent ssDECT with rapid kilovolt-switching (80 and 140 kVp). Coronary artery stenosis was evaluated on the basis of MD images and virtual monochromatic (VM) images. The diagnostic performance of the two methods for detecting coronary artery disease was compared with that of invasive coronary angiography as a reference standard. We evaluated 239 calcified segments. In all the segments, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy for detecting significant stenosis were respectively 88%, 88%, 75%, 95% and 88% for the MD images, 91%, 71%, 56%, 95% and 77% for the VM images. PPV was significantly higher on the MD images than on the VM images (P < 0.0001). Calcification-suppressed MD images improved PPV and diagnostic performance for calcified coronary artery lesions. • Computed tomography angiography tends to overestimate stenosis in calcified coronary artery. • Dual-energy CT enables us to suppress calcification of coronary artery lesions. • Calcification-suppressed material density imaging reduces false-positive diagnosis of calcified lesion.

Ruling out pulmonary embolism in primary care : Comparison of the diagnostic performance of “gestalt” and the wells rule

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendriksen, Janneke M T; Lucassen, Wim A M; Erkens, Petra M G; Stoffers, Henri E J H; van Weert, Henk C P M; Büller, Harry R.; Hoes, Arno W.; Moons, Karel G M; Geersing, Geert Jan

2016-01-01

PURPOSE Diagnostic prediction models such as the Wells rule can be used for safely ruling out pulmonary embolism (PE) when it is suspected. A physician’s own probability estimate (“gestalt”), however, is commonly used instead. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of both approaches in primary

Elastography for Thyroid Nodules: The Comparison of Diagnostic Performance on Transverse and Longitudinal Planes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Hee Jung; Kwak, Jin Young; Kim, Eun Kyung

2012-01-01

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of elastography for thyroid nodules on the transverse and longitudinal planes. Gray scale ultrasonography (US), elastography on trans- verse and longitudinal planes, and fine needle aspiration biopsy for 78 thyroid nodules (malignant: 34 cases, benign: 44 cases) were performed. According to the Asteria criteria of elastography, scores 1 and 2 were classified as probably benign and scores 3 and 4 were classified as suspicious. Strain ratios on transverse and longitudinal planes were measured. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, accuracy, and Az value (under the receiver operating characteristics curve) of elastography on transverse and longitudinal planes were calculated and compared. Scores 3 and 4 were more frequently seen in malignant nodules on the longitudinal plane (p value = 0.007), but not significantly seen on the transverse plane (p value = 0.160). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, accuracy, and the Az value of elastography on the longitudinal plane were higher than those on the transverse plane, although Az values on the transverse and longtudinal planes were not statistically significant. Diagnostic performance of thyroid elastography, especially sensitivity, were higher on the longitudinal plane than the transverse plane

Development of high performance Schottky barrier diode and its application to plasma diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujita, Junji; Kawahata, Kazuo; Okajima, Shigeki

1993-10-01

At the conclusion of the Supporting Collaboration Research on 'Development of High Performance Detectors in the Far Infrared Range' carried out from FY1990 to FY1992, the results of developing Schottky barrier diode and its application to plasma diagnostics are summarized. Some remarks as well as technical know-how for the correct use of diodes are also described. (author)

Construction products performances and basic requirements for fire safety of facades in energy rehabilitation of buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laban Mirjana Đ.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Construction product means any product or kit which is produced and placed on the market for incorporation in a permanent manner in construction works, or parts thereof, and the performance of which has an effect on the performance of the construction works with respect to the basic requirements for construction works. Safety in case of fire and Energy economy and heat retention represent two among seven basic requirements which building has to meet according to contemporary technical rules on planning and construction. Performances of external walls building materials (particularly reaction to fire could significantly affect to fire spread on the façade and other building parts. Therefore, façade shaping and materialization in building renewal process, has to meet the fire safety requirement, as well as the energy requirement. Brief survey of fire protection regulations development in Serbia is presented in the paper. Preventive measures for fire risk reduction in building façade energy renewal are proposed according to contemporary fire safety requirements.

Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis: Diagnostic performance of CT to differentiate from gallbladder cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goshima, Satoshi, E-mail: gossy@par.odn.ne.j [Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Lothrop St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Department of Radiology, Gifu University School of Medicine, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194 (Japan); Chang, Samuel; Wang, Jin Hong [Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3362 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA15213 (United States); Kanematsu, Masayuki [Department of Radiology, Gifu University School of Medicine, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194 (Japan); Department of Radiology Services, Gifu University School of Medicine, 1-1- Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194 (Japan); Bae, Kyongtae T. [Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3362 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA15213 (United States); Federle, Michael P. [Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Lothrop St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Department of Radiology, Stanford University Medical Center, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5105 (United States)

2010-06-15

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate CT findings of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) and to measure diagnostic performance for distinguishing it from gallbladder (GB) cancer. Methods and materials: Our institutional review board approved this retrospective study. Three blinded radiologists, first independently and then in consensus, retrospectively evaluated postcontrast CT images of 35 patients with histopathologically proved XGC and GB cancer, all of whom subsequently had cholecystectomy. These included 18 patients with XGC (13 male, 5 female; age range, 35-84, mean 63 years) and 17 with GB cancer (6 male, 11 female; age range, 45-95, mean 69). Differences in CT findings between XGC and GB cancer and diagnostic performances for each CT finding were calculated. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated for each radiologist and observer performance was also determined by receiver-operating-characteristic curve analysis. Results: Five CT findings showed significant differences between XGC and GB cancer. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of each finding for the differentiation of XGC were 89%, 65%, 77% with diffuse GB wall thickening, 67%, 82%, 74% with a continuous mucosal line, 61%, 71%, 66% with intra-mural hypo-attenuated nodules, 72%, 77%, 74% with absence of macroscopic hepatic invasion, and 67%, 71%, 69% with absence of intra-hepatic bile duct dilatation, respectively. When at least three of these five CT findings were observed in combination, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 83%, 100% and 91%, respectively. Sensitivities, specificities and Az values for the differentiation of XGC from GB cancer were 83%, 88%, 0.94 for reader 1, 78%, 88%, 0.93 for reader 2, and 78%, 82%, 0.84 for reader 3. Conclusions: The combination of three of the five CT findings that are common with XGC can provide excellent accuracy for the differentiation of XGC and GB cancer.

Towards diagnostics for a fusion reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costley, A. E.

2009-01-01

The requirements for measurements on modern tokamak fusion plasmas are outlined, and the techniques and systems used to make the measurements, usually referred to as 'diagnostics', are introduced. The basics of three particular diagnostics - magnetics, neutron systems and a laser based optical system - are outlined as examples of modern diagnostic systems, and the implementation of these diagnostics on a current tokamak (JET) are described. The next major step in magnetic confinement fusion is the construction and operation of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which is a joint project of China, Europe, Japan, India, Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States. Construction has begun in Cadarache, France. It is expected that ITER will operate at the 500 MW level. Because of the harsh environment in the vacuum vessel where many diagnostic components are located, the development of diagnostics for ITER is a major challenge - arguably the most difficult challenge ever undertaken in the field of diagnostics. The main elements in the diagnostic step are outlined using the three chosen techniques as examples. Finally, the step beyond ITER to a demonstration reactor, DEMO, that is expected to produce several GWs of fusion power is considered and the impact on diagnostics outlined. It is shown that the applicability and development steps needed for the individual diagnostics techniques will differ. The challenges for DEMO diagnostics are substantial and a dedicated effort should be made to find and develop new techniques, and especially techniques appropriate to the DEMO environment. It is argued that the limitations and difficulties in diagnostics should be a consideration in the optimization and designs of DEMO. (author)

Improvement of Railroad Roller Bearing Test Procedures & Development of Roller Bearing Diagnostic Techniques. Volume 2.

Science.gov (United States)

1982-04-01

A comprehensive review of existing basic diagnostic techniques applicable to the railcar roller bearing defect and failure problem was made. Of the potentially feasible diagnostic techniques identified, high frequency vibration was selected for exper...

Diagnostic performance and useful findings of ultrasound re-evaluation for patients with equivocal CT features of acute appendicitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Mi Sung; Kwon, Heon-Ju; Kang, Kyung A; Do, In-Gu; Park, Hee-Jin; Kim, Eun Young; Hong, Hyun Pyo; Choi, Yoon Jung; Kim, Young Hwan

2018-02-01

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of ultrasound and to determine which ultrasound findings are useful to differentiate appendicitis from non-appendicitis in patients who underwent ultrasound re-evaluation owing to equivocal CT features of acute appendicitis. 62 patients who underwent CT examinations for suspected appendicitis followed by ultrasound re-evaluation owing to equivocal CT findings were included. Equivocal CT findings were considered based on the presence of only one or two findings among the CT criteria, and ultrasound re-evaluation was done based on a predefined structured report form. The diagnostic performance of ultrasound and independent variables to discriminate appendicitis from non-appendicitis were assessed. There were 27 patients in the appendicitis group. The overall diagnostic performance of ultrasound re-evaluation was sensitivity of 96.3%, specificity of 91.2% and accuracy of 91.9%. In terms of the performance of individual ultrasound findings, probe-induced tenderness showed the highest accuracy (86.7%) with sensitivity of 74% and specificity of 97%, followed by non-compressibility (accuracy 71.7%, sensitivity 85.2% and specificity 60.6%). The independent ultrasound findings for discriminating appendicitis were non-compressibility (p = 0.002) and increased flow on the appendiceal wall (p = 0.001). Ultrasound re-evaluation can be used to improve diagnostic accuracy in cases with equivocal CT features for diagnosing appendicitis. The presence of non-compressibility and increased vascular flow on the appendix wall are useful ultrasound findings to discriminate appendicitis from non-appendicitis. Advances in knowledge: Ultrasound re-evaluation is useful to discriminate appendicitis from non-appendicitis when CT features are inconclusive.

MO-F-204-01: Preparing for Part 1 of the ABR Diagnostic Physics Exam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKenney, S.

2016-01-01

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those unique aspects of the nuclear exam, and how preparing for a second specialty differs from the first. Medical physicists who recently completed each ABR exam portion will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear

WE-D-213-03: Preparing for Part 3 of the ABR Diagnostic Physics Exam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bevins, N.

2015-01-01

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR professional certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All three parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation and skill sets necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those aspects that are unique to the nuclear exam. Medical physicists who have recently completed each of part of the ABR exam will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to Prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear imaging physics

MO-F-204-02: Preparing for Part 2 of the ABR Diagnostic Physics Exam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szczykutowicz, T.

2016-01-01

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those unique aspects of the nuclear exam, and how preparing for a second specialty differs from the first. Medical physicists who recently completed each ABR exam portion will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear

WE-D-213-01: Preparing for Part 1 of the ABR Diagnostic Physics Exam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simiele, S.

2015-01-01

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR professional certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All three parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation and skill sets necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those aspects that are unique to the nuclear exam. Medical physicists who have recently completed each of part of the ABR exam will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to Prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear imaging physics

WE-D-213-00: Preparing for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medicine Physics Exams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2015-06-15

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR professional certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All three parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation and skill sets necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those aspects that are unique to the nuclear exam. Medical physicists who have recently completed each of part of the ABR exam will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to Prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear imaging physics

WE-D-213-02: Preparing for Part 2 of the ABR Diagnostic Physics Exam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zambelli, J. [Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids, MI (United States)

2015-06-15

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR professional certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All three parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation and skill sets necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those aspects that are unique to the nuclear exam. Medical physicists who have recently completed each of part of the ABR exam will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to Prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear imaging physics

MO-F-204-01: Preparing for Part 1 of the ABR Diagnostic Physics Exam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McKenney, S. [Children’s National Medical Center (United States)

2016-06-15

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those unique aspects of the nuclear exam, and how preparing for a second specialty differs from the first. Medical physicists who recently completed each ABR exam portion will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear

MO-F-204-00: Preparing for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics Exams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2016-06-15

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those unique aspects of the nuclear exam, and how preparing for a second specialty differs from the first. Medical physicists who recently completed each ABR exam portion will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear

MO-F-204-02: Preparing for Part 2 of the ABR Diagnostic Physics Exam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szczykutowicz, T. [University Wisconsin-Madison (United States)

2016-06-15

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those unique aspects of the nuclear exam, and how preparing for a second specialty differs from the first. Medical physicists who recently completed each ABR exam portion will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear

MO-F-204-03: Preparing for Part 3 of the ABR Diagnostic Physics Exam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zambelli, J. [Spectrum Health Grand Rapids (United States)

2016-06-15

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those unique aspects of the nuclear exam, and how preparing for a second specialty differs from the first. Medical physicists who recently completed each ABR exam portion will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear

WE-D-213-01: Preparing for Part 1 of the ABR Diagnostic Physics Exam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simiele, S. [University of Wisconsin-Madison (United States)

2015-06-15

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR professional certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All three parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation and skill sets necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those aspects that are unique to the nuclear exam. Medical physicists who have recently completed each of part of the ABR exam will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to Prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear imaging physics

WE-D-213-03: Preparing for Part 3 of the ABR Diagnostic Physics Exam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bevins, N. [Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (United States)

2015-06-15

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR professional certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All three parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation and skill sets necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those aspects that are unique to the nuclear exam. Medical physicists who have recently completed each of part of the ABR exam will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to Prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear imaging physics

MO-F-204-00: Preparing for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics Exams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those unique aspects of the nuclear exam, and how preparing for a second specialty differs from the first. Medical physicists who recently completed each ABR exam portion will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear

MO-F-204-03: Preparing for Part 3 of the ABR Diagnostic Physics Exam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zambelli, J.

2016-01-01

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those unique aspects of the nuclear exam, and how preparing for a second specialty differs from the first. Medical physicists who recently completed each ABR exam portion will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear

WE-D-213-02: Preparing for Part 2 of the ABR Diagnostic Physics Exam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zambelli, J.

2015-01-01

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR professional certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All three parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation and skill sets necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those aspects that are unique to the nuclear exam. Medical physicists who have recently completed each of part of the ABR exam will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to Prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear imaging physics

WE-D-213-00: Preparing for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medicine Physics Exams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

Adequate, efficient preparation for the ABR Diagnostic and Nuclear Medical Physics exams is key to successfully obtain ABR professional certification. Each part of the ABR exam presents its own challenges: Part I: Determine the scope of basic medical physics study material, efficiently review this material, and solve related written questions/problems. Part II: Understand imaging principles, modalities, and systems, including image acquisition, processing, and display. Understand the relationship between imaging techniques, image quality, patient dose and safety, and solve related written questions/problems. Part III: Gain crucial, practical, clinical medical physics experience. Effectively communicate and explain the practice, performance, and significance of all aspects of clinical medical physics. All three parts of the ABR exam require specific skill sets and preparation: mastery of basic physics and imaging principles; written problem solving often involving rapid calculation; responding clearly and succinctly to oral questions about the practice, methods, and significance of clinical medical physics. This symposium focuses on the preparation and skill sets necessary for each part of the ABR exam. Although there is some overlap, the nuclear exam covers a different body of knowledge than the diagnostic exam. A separate speaker will address those aspects that are unique to the nuclear exam. Medical physicists who have recently completed each of part of the ABR exam will share their experiences, insights, and preparation methods to help attendees best prepare for the challenges of each part of the ABR exam. In accordance with ABR exam security policy, no recalls or exam questions will be discussed. Learning Objectives: How to prepare for Part 1 of the ABR exam by determining the scope of basic medical physics study material and related problem solving/calculations How to Prepare for Part 2 of the ABR exam by understanding diagnostic and/or nuclear imaging physics

Biotechnology in diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koprowski, H.; Ferrone, S.; Albertini, A.

1985-01-01

In recent years much progress has been made in the area of biotechnology. The cellular and molecular cloning methodology to develop monoclonal antibodies and DNA probes have been extensively utilized in basic and clinical research. These investigations have provided the necessary information to apply these reagents to diagnostic problems. The RIA 85 meeting focused on the application of monoclonal antibodies and DNA probes in laboratory medicine. The papers presented at this meeting clearly indicate that biotechnology has already had a significant impact on clinical medicine. (Auth.)

Diagnostic imaging in undergraduate medical education: an expanding role

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miles, K.A.

2005-01-01

Radiologists have been involved in anatomy instruction for medical students for decades. However, recent technical advances in radiology, such as multiplanar imaging, 'virtual endoscopy', functional and molecular imaging, and spectroscopy, offer new ways in which to use imaging for teaching basic sciences to medical students. The broad dissemination of picture archiving and communications systems is making such images readily available to medical schools, providing new opportunities for the incorporation of diagnostic imaging into the undergraduate medical curriculum. Current reforms in the medical curriculum and the establishment of new medical schools in the UK further underline the prospects for an expanding role for imaging in medical education. This article reviews the methods by which diagnostic imaging can be used to support the learning of anatomy and other basic sciences

Utility of DWI with quantitative ADC values in ovarian tumors: a meta-analysis of diagnostic test performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Pi, Shan; Cao, Rong; Qiang, Jin Wei; Guo, Yan Hui

2018-01-01

Background Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and quantitative apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values are widely used in the differential diagnosis of ovarian tumors. Purpose To assess the diagnostic performance of quantitative ADC values in ovarian tumors. Material and Methods PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and local databases were searched for studies assessing ovarian tumors using quantitative ADC values. We quantitatively analyzed the diagnostic performances for two clinical problems: benign vs. malignant tumors and borderline vs. malignant tumors. We evaluated diagnostic performances by the pooled sensitivity and specificity values and by summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves. Subgroup analyses were used to analyze study heterogeneity. Results From the 742 studies identified in the search results, 16 studies met our inclusion criteria. A total of ten studies evaluated malignant vs. benign ovarian tumors and six studies assessed malignant vs. borderline ovarian tumors. Regarding the diagnostic accuracy of quantitative ADC values for distinguishing between malignant and benign ovarian tumors, the pooled sensitivity and specificity values were 0.91 and 0.91, respectively. The area under the SROC curve (AUC) was 0.96. For differentiating borderline from malignant tumors, the pooled sensitivity and specificity values were 0.89 and 0.79, and the AUC was 0.91. The methodological quality of the included studies was moderate. Conclusion Quantitative ADC values could serve as useful preoperative markers for predicting the nature of ovarian tumors. Nevertheless, prospective trials focused on standardized imaging parameters are needed to evaluate the clinical value of quantitative ADC values in ovarian tumors.

The effect of question format and task difficulty on reasoning strategies and diagnostic performance in Internal Medicine residents.

Science.gov (United States)

Heemskerk, Laura; Norman, Geoff; Chou, Sophia; Mintz, Marcy; Mandin, Henry; McLaughlin, Kevin

2008-11-01

Previous studies have suggested an association between reasoning strategies and diagnostic success, but the influence on this relationship of variables such as question format and task difficulty, has not been studied. Our objective was to study the association between question format, task difficulty, reasoning strategies and diagnostic success. Study participants were 13 Internal Medicine residents at the University of Calgary. Each was given eight problem-solving questions in four clinical presentations and were randomized to groups that differed only in the question format, such that a question presented as short answer (SA) to the first group was presented as extended matching (EM) to the second group. There were equal numbers of SA/EM questions and straightforward/difficult tasks. Participants performed think-aloud during diagnostic reasoning. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Question format was associated with reasoning strategies; hypothetico-deductive reasoning being used more frequently on EM questions and scheme-inductive reasoning on SA questions. For SA question, non-analytic reasoning alone was used more frequently to answer straightforward cases than difficult cases, whereas for EM questions no such association was observed. EM format and straightforward task increased the odds of diagnostic success, whereas hypothetico-deductive reasoning was associated with reduced odds of success. Question format and task difficulty both influence diagnostic reasoning strategies and studies that examine the effect of reasoning strategies on diagnostic success should control for these effects. Further studies are needed to investigate the effect of reasoning strategies on performance of different groups of learners.

Preclinical study of diagnostic performances of contrast-enhanced spectral mammography versus MRI for breast diseases in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qingguo; Li, Kangan; Wang, Lihui; Zhang, Jianbing; Zhou, Zhiguo; Feng, Yan

2016-01-01

To evaluate diagnostic performances of CESM for breast diseases with comparison to breast MRI in China. Sixty-eight patients with 77 breast lesions underwent MR and CESM. Two radiologists interpreted either MRI or CESM images, separately and independently. BI-RADS 1-3 and BI-RADS 4-5 were classified into the suspicious benign and suspicious malignant groups. Diagnostic accuracy parameters were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed for the two modalities. The agreement and correlation between maximum lesion diameter based on CESM and MRI, or CESM and pathology were analyzed. Diagnostic accuracy parameters for CESM were sensitivity 95.8 %, specificity 65.5 %, PPV 82.1 %, NPV 90.5 % and accuracy 84.4 %. The diagnostic accuracy parameters for breast MRI were sensitivity 93.8 %, specificity 82.8 %, PPV 88.2 %, NPV 92.3 %and accuracy 89.6 %. Area under the curve (AUC) of ROC was 0.96 for breast MRI and 0.88 for CESM. The Bland-Altman plots showed a mean difference of 0.7 mm with 95 % limits of agreement of 11.4 mm in tumor diameter measured using CESM and breast MRI. The differences of size measurement between CESM and breast MRI were significant, whereas no difference was observed between CESM and pathology as well as between breast MRI and pathology. The better correlation with pathological results was found in CESM than breast MRI. Our study demonstrates that CESM possesses better diagnostic performances than breast MRI in terms of diagnostic sensitivity and lesion size assessment. And CESM is a good alternative method of screening breast cancer in high-risk people.

CT-guided transthoracic core needle biopsy for small pulmonary lesions: diagnostic performance and adequacy for molecular testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Panwen; Wang, Ye; Li, Lei; Zhou, Yongzhao; Luo, Wenxin; Li, Weimin

2017-02-01

Computed tomography (CT)-guided transthoracic needle biopsy is a well-established, minimally invasive diagnostic tool for pulmonary lesions. Few large studies have been conducted on the diagnostic performance and adequacy for molecular testing of transthoracic core needle biopsy (TCNB) for small pulmonary lesions. This study included CT-guided TCNB with 18-gauge cutting needles in 560 consecutive patients with small (≤3 cm) pulmonary lesions from January 2012 to January 2015. There were 323 males and 237 females, aged 51.8±12.7 years. The size of the pulmonary lesions was 1.8±0.6 cm. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and complications of the biopsies were investigated. The risk factors of diagnostic failure were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. The sample's adequacy for molecular testing of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was analyzed. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for diagnosis of malignancy were 92.0% (311/338), 98.6% (219/222), and 94.6% (530/560), respectively. The incidence of bleeding complications was 22.9% (128/560), and the incidence of pneumothorax was 10.4% (58/560). Logistic multivariate regression analysis showed that the independent risk factors for diagnostic failure were a lesion size ≤1 cm [odds ratio (OR), 3.95; P=0.007], lower lobe lesions (OR, 2.83; P=0.001), and pneumothorax (OR, 1.98; P=0.004). Genetic analysis was successfully performed on 95.45% (168/176) of specimens diagnosed as NSCLC. At least 96.8% of samples with two or more passes from a lesion were sufficient for molecular testing. The diagnostic yield of small pulmonary lesions by CT-guided TCNB is high, and the procedure is relatively safe. A lesion size ≤1 cm, lower lobe lesions, and pneumothorax are independent risk factors for biopsy diagnostic failure. TCNB specimens could provide adequate tissues for molecular testing.

National NIF Diagnostic Program Interim Management Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warner, B

2002-01-01

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) has the mission of supporting Stockpile Stewardship and Basic Science research in high-energy-density plasmas. To execute those missions, the facility must provide diagnostic instrumentation capable of observing and resolving in time events and radiation emissions characteristic of the plasmas of interest. The diagnostic instrumentation must conform to high standards of operability and reliability within the NIF environment. These exacting standards, together with the facility mission of supporting a diverse user base, has led to the need for a central organization charged with delivering diagnostic capability to the NIF. The National NIF Diagnostics Program (NNDP) has been set up under the aegis of the NIF Director to provide that organization authority and accountability to the wide user community for NIF. The funds necessary to perform the work of developing diagnostics for NIF will be allocated from the National NIF Diagnostics Program to the participating laboratories and organizations. The participating laboratories and organizations will design, build, and commission the diagnostics for NIF. Restricted availability of funding has had an adverse impact, unforeseen at the time of the original decision to projectize NIF Core Diagnostics Systems and Cryogenic Target Handing Systems, on the planning and initiation of these efforts. The purpose of this document is to provide an interim project management plan describing the organizational structure and management processes currently in place for NIF Core Diagnostics Systems. Preparation of a Program Execution Plan for NIF Core Diagnostics Systems has been initiated and a current draft is provided as Attachment 1 to this document. The National NIF Diagnostics Program Interim Management Plan provides a summary of primary design criteria and functional requirements, current organizational structure, tracking and reporting procedures, and current planning estimates of project scope

Comparative analysis of diagnostic performance, feasibility and cost of different test-methods for thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology.

Science.gov (United States)

Sciacchitano, Salvatore; Lavra, Luca; Ulivieri, Alessandra; Magi, Fiorenza; De Francesco, Gian Paolo; Bellotti, Carlo; Salehi, Leila B; Trovato, Maria; Drago, Carlo; Bartolazzi, Armando

2017-07-25

Since it is impossible to recognize malignancy at fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology in indeterminate thyroid nodules, surgery is recommended for all of them. However, cancer rate at final histology is blood assay.We performed systematic reviews and meta-analyses to compare their features, feasibility, diagnostic performance and cost. GEC, GEC+BRAF, M/F panel+miRNA GEC and M/F panel by NGS were the best in ruling-out malignancy (sensitivity = 90%, 89%, 89% and 90% respectively). BRAF and M/F panel alone and by NGS were the best in ruling-in malignancy (specificity = 100%, 93% and 93%). The M/F by NGS showed the highest accuracy (92%) and BRAF the highest diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) (247). GAL-3-ICC performed well as rule-out (sensitivity = 83%) and rule-in test (specificity = 85%), with good accuracy (84%) and high DOR (27) and is one of the cheapest (113 USD) and easiest one to be performed in different clinical settings.In conclusion, the more accurate molecular-based test-methods are still expensive and restricted to few, highly specialized and centralized laboratories. GAL-3-ICC, although limited by some false negatives, represents the most suitable screening test-method to be applied on a large-scale basis in the diagnostic algorithm of indeterminate thyroid lesions.

Social anxiety disorder diagnostic criteria perform equally across age, comorbid diagnosis, and performance/interaction subtypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Crome, Erica; Baillie, Andrew

2015-01-01

The prevalence of social anxiety disorder (SAD) is frequently higher in younger age groups and people with other anxiety or mood disorders; however, it is unclear whether these groups have a higher risk for developing SAD or are simply more likely to endorse diagnostic criteria than other people with similar levels of social anxiety. Explicitly testing the assumption all people respond to structured diagnostic interviews in comparable ways (measurement invariance) is essential in ensuring systematic response biases do not create spurious group differences. This research aims to systematically test whether age, comorbidity status, or types of social fears affect responses to a structured diagnostic interview. Responses from 1755 participants in a large-scale survey of mental health in Australia screening into the social phobia/SAD section of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview were used. Three series of multigroup confirmatory factor analyses for categorical data systematically tested for increasingly strict levels of measurement invariance. Overall, patterns of responding to diagnostic criteria were comparable across the groups, supporting assumptions of measurement invariance. Establishment of invariance supports the interpretation of differences between age, comorbidity status, and types of social situations feared as genuine differences in experience as opposed to measurement biases.

Endoscopic and ultrasound diagnostics as contemporary method in diagnostics of dog stomach diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krstić Vanja

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The visualization of pathological processes in the dog stomach determines a correct diagnosis or differential diagnosis, which presents the basic prerequisite for rational therapy. In addition to the conventional type of clinical examination which covers the taking of anamnestic data, observation of the patient and laboratory tests, there are also certain computerized diagnostic methods (magnetic resonance and scanner which are the most precise and most reliable in the verification of stomach diseases. However, the listed approaches are either insufficiently relevant in making the diagnosis or are too expensive and demanding for the everyday clinical practice. These are the reasons why veterinary medicine today increasingly resorts to the use of other forms of imaging diagnostics, and, as its representatives, the video endoscopic, ultrasound and X-ray examination of the digestive tract.

Basic Energy Sciences at NREL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, S.

2000-01-01

NREL's Center for Basic Sciences performs fundamental research for DOE's Office of Science. Our mission is to provide fundamental knowledge in the basic sciences and engineering that will underpin new and improved renewable energy technologies

Diagnostic mirrors for ITER: A material choice and the impact of erosion and deposition on their performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Litnovsky, A.; Wienhold, P.; Philipps, V.; Sergienko, G.; Schmitz, O.; Kirschner, A.; Kreter, A.; Droste, S.; Samm, U.; Mertens, Ph.; Donne, A.H.; Rudakov, D.; Allen, S.; Boivin, R.; McLean, A.; Stangeby, P.; West, W.; Wong, C.; Lipa, M.; Schunke, B.; De Temmerman, G.; Pitts, R.; Costley, A.; Voitsenya, V.; Vukolov, K.; Oelhafen, P.; Rubel, M.; Romanyuk, A.

2007-01-01

Metal mirrors will be implemented in about half of the ITER diagnostics. Mirrors in ITER will have to withstand radiation loads, erosion by charge-exchange neutrals, deposition of impurities, particle implantation and neutron irradiation. It is believed that the optical properties of diagnostic mirrors will be primarily influenced by erosion and deposition. A solution is needed for optimal performance of mirrors in ITER throughout the entire lifetime of the machine. A multi-machine research on diagnostic mirrors is currently underway in fusion facilities at several institutions and laboratories worldwide. Among others, dedicated investigations of ITER-candidate mirror materials are ongoing in Tore-Supra, TEXTOR, DIII-D, TCV, T-10 and JET. Laboratory studies are underway at IPP Kharkov (Ukraine), Kurchatov Institute (Russia) and the University of Basel (Switzerland). An overview of current research on diagnostic mirrors along with an outlook on future investigations is the subject of this paper

Diagnostic performance of major depression disorder case-finding instruments used among mothers of young children in the United States: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Owora, Arthur H; Carabin, Hélène; Reese, Jessica; Garwe, Tabitha

2016-09-01

Growing recognition of the interrelated negative outcomes associated with major depression disorder (MDD) among mothers and their children has led to renewed public health interest in the early identification and treatment of maternal MDD. Healthcare providers, however, remain unsure of the validity of existing case-finding instruments. We conducted a systematic review to identify the most valid maternal MDD case-finding instrument used in the United States. We identified articles reporting the sensitivity and specificity of MDD case-finding instruments based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) by systematically searching through three electronic bibliographic databases, PubMed, PsycINFO, and EMBASE, from 1994 to 2014. Study eligibility and quality were evaluated using the Standards for the Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy studies and Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies guidelines respectively. Overall, we retrieved 996 unduplicated articles and selected 74 for full-text review. Of these, 14 articles examining 21 different instruments were included in the systematic review. The 10 item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Postpartum Depression Screening Scale had the most stable (lowest variation) and highest diagnostic performance during the antepartum and postpartum periods (sensitivity range: 0.63-0.94 and 0.67-0.95; specificity range: 0.83-0.98 and 0.68-0.97 respectively). Greater variation in diagnostic performance was observed among studies with higher MDD prevalence. Factors that explain greater variation in instrument diagnostic performance in study populations with higher MDD prevalence were not examined. Findings suggest that the diagnostic performance of maternal MDD case-finding instruments is peripartum period-specific. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Evaluation performance of diagnostic methods of intestinal parasitosis in school age children in Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Yimer, Mulat; Hailu, Tadesse; Mulu, Wondemagegn; Abera, Bayeh

2015-12-26

Although the sensitivity of Wet mount technique is questionable, it is the major diagnostic technique for routine diagnosis of intestinal parasitosis in Ethiopia. Therefore, the aim of this study was the evaluation performance of diagnostic methods of intestinal parasitosis in school age children in Ethiopia. A cross sectional study was conducted from May to June 2013. Single stool sample was processed for direct, Formol ether concentration (FEC) and Kato Katz methods. The sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) of diagnostic tests were calculated in terms of the "Gold" standard method (the combined result of the three methods altogether). A total of 422 school age children were participated in this study. The prevalence of intestinal parasites was high (74.6%) with Kato Katz technique. The sensitivity of Wet mount, FEC and Kato Katz tests against the Gold standard test was 48.9, 63.1 and 93.7%, respectively. Kato Katz technique revealed a better NPV 80.4 (80.1-80.6) as compared to the Wet mount (33.7%) and FEC techniques (41.3%). In this study, the Kato Katz technique outperformed the other two methods but the true values for sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic values are not known. Moreover, it is labor intensive and not easily accessible. Hence, it is preferable to use FEC technique to complement the Wet mount test.

Diagnostic performance of sonoelastographic Tsukuba score and strain ratio in evaluation of breast masses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmoud Abd Elaziz Dawood

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the use of strain index ratio by sonoelastography to differentiate between benign and malignant breast lesions. Patients & Methods: This prospective study including 40 females, complaining of breast masses which were suspicious to be malignant on clinical examination. All patients were submitted to B-mode Ultrasound and sonoelastography. Biopsy as a gold standard and pathological study were done for all breast lesions. Results: US examination of every mass was done and categorized according to BI-RADS categories according to ACR2013, according to US lexicon. Sonoelastography examination with Lesions classification was performed on the basis of a 5-point scoring method proposed by Tsukuba elasticity score. Then measurements of strain ratio were done. Statistical analysis of combination of the three methods was sensitivity of 96.7%, specificity of 100% when we use cut off value of 3–4 in elastography score and ≤3 cut off value of strain ratio. Conclusion: The combined use of strain ratio with Tsukuba score and BI-RADS categorization increased the diagnostic performance in differentiation between benign and malignant breast lesions. Keywords: Elastography, Breast masses, Strain ratio, Ultrasound, BI-RADS classification, Tsukuba score

Diagnostic performance of Contrast-enhanced CT in Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids-induced Hepatic Sinusoidal Obstructive Syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Kan, Xuefeng; Ye, Jin; Rong, Xinxin; Lu, Zhiwen; Li, Xin; Wang, Yong; Yang, Ling; Xu, Keshu; Song, Yuhu; Hou, Xiaohua

2016-01-01

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) can be caused by pyrrolizidine alkaloids(PAs)-containing herbals. Since PAs exposure is obscure and clinical presentation of HSOS is unspecific, it is challenge to establish the diagnosis of PAs-induced HSOS. Gynura segetum is one of the most wide-use herbals containing PAs. The aim of our study is to describe the features of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) in gynura segetum-induced HSOS, and then determine diagnostic performance of radiological signs. We retrospectively analyzed medical records and CT images of HSOS patients (71 cases) and the controls (222 cases) enrolled from January 1, 2008, to Oct 31, 2015. The common findings of contrast CT in PAs-induced HSOS included: ascites (100%), hepatomegaly (78.87%), gallbladder wall thickening (86.96%), pleural effusion (70.42%), hepatic vein narrowing (87.32%), patchy liver enhancement (92.96%), and heterogeneous hypoattenuation (100%); of these signs, patchy enhancement and heterogeneous hypoattenuation were valuable features. Then, the result of diagnostic performance demonstrated that contrast CT possessed better performance in diagnosing PAs-induced HSOS compared with various parameters of Seattle criteria. In conclusion, the patients with PAs-induced HSOS display distinct radiologic features at CT-scan, which reveals that contrast-enhanced CT provides an effective noninvasive method for diagnosing PAs-induced HSOS. PMID:27897243

Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance arthrography of the shoulder: dependence on the level of training of the performing radiologist for diagnostic accuracy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Theodoropoulos, John S. [University of Toronto, Division of Orthopaedics, Mount Sinai Hospital and the University Health Network, Toronto, ON (Canada); Andreisek, Gustav [University of Toronto, Department of Medical Imaging, Mount Sinai Hospital and the University Health Network, Toronto, ON (Canada); University Hospital Zuerich, Institute for Diagnostic Radiology, Zuerich (Switzerland); Harvey, Edward J. [McGill University, Division of Orthopaedics, MUHC - Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Wolin, Preston [Center for Athletic Medicine, Chicago, IL (United States)

2010-07-15

Discrepancies were identified between magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and clinical findings in patients who had MR imaging examinations evaluated by community-based general radiologists. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of MR imaging examinations of the shoulder with regard to the training level of the performing radiologist. A review of patient charts identified 238 patients (male/female, 175/63; mean age, 40.4 years) in whom 250 arthroscopies were performed and who underwent MR imaging or direct MR arthrography in either a community-based or hospital-based institution prior to surgery. All MR imaging and surgical reports were reviewed and the diagnostic performance for the detection of labral, rotator cuff, biceps, and Hill-Sachs lesions was determined. Kappa and Student's t test analyses were performed in a subset of cases in which initial community-based MR images were re-evaluated by hospital-based musculoskeletal radiologists, to determine the interobserver agreement and any differences in image interpretation. The diagnostic performance of community-based general radiologists was lower than that of hospital-based sub-specialized musculoskeletal radiologists. A sub-analysis of re-evaluated cases showed that musculoskeletal radiologists performed better. {kappa} values were 0.208, 0.396, 0.376, and 0.788 for labral, rotator cuff, biceps, and Hill-Sachs lesions (t test statistics: p =<0.001, 0.004, 0.019, and 0.235). Our results indicate that the diagnostic performance of MR imaging and MR arthrography of the shoulder depends on the training level of the performing radiologist, with sub-specialized musculoskeletal radiologists having a better diagnostic performance than general radiologists. (orig.)

The indication area of a diagnostic test. Part I--discounting gain and loss in diagnostic certainty

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stalpers, Lukas J. A.; Nelemans, Patty J.; Geurts, Sandra M. E.; Jansen, Erik; de Boer, Peter; Verbeek, André L. M.

2015-01-01

Test performance is conventionally expressed by gain in diagnostic certainty. We propose net diagnostic gain and indication area as more appropriate measures of test performance; then, the loss in certainty due to misclassification and the information of "no test" would be performed are taken into

Comparative diagnostic performance of multidetector computed tomography and MRI for characterization of pancreatic cystic lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Sung Min; Shin, Sang Soo; Park, Jin Gyoon; Jeong, Yong Yeon

2015-01-01

To compare the diagnostic performance of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in characterization of pancreatic cystic lesions. We conducted a retrospective study on 34 patients with histopathologically proven cystic pancreatic lesions who underwent both preoperative MDCT and MRI. CT and MRI were independently evaluated for differentiating mucinous vs. non-mucinous lesions, differentiating aggressive vs. non-aggressive lesion, analyzing morphological features, and evaluating specific leading diagnoses. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were determined. Competency assessment of lesional morphology analysis was performed using the kappa values of the 2 tests. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI for differentiating mucinous vs. non-mucinous lesions were higher than CT (p = 0.03). For differentiating aggressiveness, the sensitivity of MRI was better than CT, but the specificity of CT was better than MRI. In evaluation of morphologic features, MRI showed better performance in characterization of septa and wall. Otherwise, the 2 modalities showed similarly good performance. MRI was better than CT in determining a specific diagnosis (58.8% vs. 47.2%, respectively). CT and MRI are reasonable diagnostic methods for characterization of pancreatic cystic lesions. However, MRI enables more confident assessment than CT in differentiating mucinous vs. non-mucinous lesions and characterization of the septa and wall

Malignant renal cysts: Diagnostic performance and strong predictors at MDCT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dae Yoon; Kim, Jeong Kon; Cho, Kyoung-Sik; Min, Gyeong-Eun; Ahn, Han-Jong

2010-01-01

Background: Utilization of multidetector-row CT (MDCT) is anticipated to improve the diagnostic accuracy and reliability for determining malignant cysts. Purpose: To assess the diagnostic accuracy, interobserver agreement, benefit of consensus reading, and strong predictors of malignancy in determining malignant cystic renal masses at MDCT. Material and Methods: Two radiologists independently rated the probability of malignancy at MDCT in 72 benign and 53 malignant cysts. The accuracy and interobserver agreement for determining malignant cysts were evaluated. The strong predictors of malignancy were determined, and in patients with interobserver disagreement for determining malignant cysts, consensus readings were performed. Results: Az value of the two readers was 0.905-0.936 and the sensitivity and specificity were 85-89% and 83-93%, respectively. The overall interobserver agreement for determining the malignant cyst was good as the κ value was 0.696 (% agreement, 61% (76/125)). Thickened irregular wall, thickened irregular septa, and enhancing soft tissue component were strong predictors for malignancy with both readers. In the 17 patients with interobserver disagreement for determining malignant cysts, the sensitivity was improved from 38-63% to 89% by the consensus reading. Conclusion: At MDCT, some false negative decisions for determining malignant cysts can be corrected by consensus reading, and thickened irregular septa, thickened irregular wall, and enhancing soft tissue component are the strong predictors of malignant cysts

Sex and age differences in physical performance: A comparison of Army basic training and operational populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Dada, Esther O; Anderson, Morgan K; Grier, Tyson; Alemany, Joseph A; Jones, Bruce H

2017-11-01

To determine the age- and sex-specific differences of physical fitness performances and Body Mass Index (BMI) in basic training and the operational Army. Cross-sectional Study. This secondary analysis utilizes retrospective surveys of U.S. Army Soldiers in Basic Combat Training (BCT) and operational units to compare physical performances between men and women as measured by the Army Physical Readiness Test (APFT). An ANOVA was used to compare mean differences in APFT results and BMI within sex-specific populations. A post hoc Tukey test identified specific mean differences. Adjusting for age, an ANCOVA was used to compare sex and occupation (infantry and non-infantry) differences in APFT results. Surveyed populations consisted of 2216 BCT Soldiers (1573 men and 643 women) and 5515 Operational Soldiers (4987 men and 528 women). Male and female operational Soldiers had greater muscular performance (79%-125% higher APFT push-ups, 66%-85% higher APFT sit-ups) and cardiorespiratory performance (22%-24% faster APFT 2-mile run times) than BCT Soldiers. Male BCT and operational Soldiers outperform their female counterparts on tests of muscular and cardiorespiratory endurance. Sex differences in physical performances attenuated among female Soldiers in operational units compared to BCT. Among male operational Soldiers, infantry Soldiers exhibited greater cardiorespiratory and muscular performance than non-infantry Soldiers. Higher BMI was associated with higher age groups, except for female BCT Soldiers. Gaps in cardiorespiratory and muscular performances between men and women should be addressed through targeted physical training programs that aim to minimize physiological differences. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Prevalence and diagnostic performance of computed tomography angiography spot sign for intracerebral hematoma expansion depend on scan timing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsukabe, Akio; Watanabe, Yoshiyuki; Tanaka, Hisashi; Kunitomi, Yuki; Nishizawa, Mitsuo; Arisawa, Atsuko; Tomiyama, Noriyuki [Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Suita, Osaka (Japan); Yoshiya, Kazuhisa; Shimazu, Takeshi [Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Suita, Osaka (Japan)

2014-12-15

The computed tomography angiography (CTA) spot sign correlates with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) expansion; however, various diagnostic performances for hematoma expansion, especially in sensitivity, have been reported. We aimed to assess the impact of scan timing of CTA on the diagnostic performance of the CTA spot sign for ICH expansion in two different arterial phases within patients. Eighty-three consecutive patients with primary ICH who received two sequential CTAs were recruited. Two neuroradiologists reviewed CTAs for CTA spot signs, while one reviewed initial and follow-up non-contrast CT for measuring ICH volume. The time interval between two phases was then calculated, and the diagnostic performance of CTA spot sign in each phase was evaluated. CTA spot signs were observed in 20/83 (24.1 %) patients in the early phase and 44/83 (53.0 %) patients in the late phase. The mean time interval between the two phases was 12.7 s. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for hematoma progression of CTA spot sign were 48.1, 87.5, 65.0, 77.8, and 74.7 %, respectively, in early phase and 92.6, 66.1, 56.8, 94.9, and 74.7 %, respectively, in late phase. The CTA spot sign was significantly associated with ICH expansion in early (P < 0.001) and late (P < 0.00001) phases (Pearson's chi-square test). A mere 10-s difference in scan timing could make a difference on prevalence and diagnostic performance of the CTA spot sign, suggesting a need for the standardization of the CTA protocol to generalize the approach for effective clinical application. (orig.)

MR arthrography in calcific tendinitis of the shoulder: diagnostic performance and pitfalls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zubler, Christoph; Mengiardi, Bernard; Schmid, Marius R.; Hodler, Juerg; Pfirrmann, Christian W.A. [University Hospital Balgrist, Radiology, Zurich (Switzerland); Jost, Bernhard [University Hospital Balgrist, Orthopedic Surgery, Zurich (Switzerland)

2007-06-15

The purpose was to assess the diagnostic performance of MR arthrography to diagnose calcific tendinitis of the shoulder and to assess the reasons for diagnostic errors. Standard MR arthrograms of 22 patients with calcific tendinitis and 61 controls were retrospectively analyzed by two independent and blinded radiologists. All cases were consecutively collected from a database. Conventional radiographs were available in all cases serving as gold standard. The supraspinatus was involved in 16, the infraspinatus in four and the subscapularis in two patients. All diagnostic errors were analyzed by two additional readers. Reader 1 correctly detected 12 of the 22 shoulders with and 42 of the 61 shoulders without calcific tendinitis (sensitivity 0.55, specificity 0.66). The corresponding values for reader 2 were 13 of 22 and 40 of 61 cases (sensitivity 0.59, specificity 0.69). Inter-rater agreement (kappa-value) was 0.42. Small size of the calcific deposits and isointensity compared to the surrounding tissue were the most important reasons for false negative results. Normal hypointense areas within the supraspinatus tendon substance and attachment were the main reason for false positive results. In conclusion, MR arthrography is insufficient in the diagnosis of calcific tendinitis. Normal hypointense parts of the rotator cuff may mimic calcific deposits and calcifications may not be detected when they are isointense compared to the rotator cuff. Therefore, MR imaging should not be interpreted without corresponding radiographs. (orig.)

MR arthrography in calcific tendinitis of the shoulder: diagnostic performance and pitfalls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zubler, Christoph; Mengiardi, Bernard; Schmid, Marius R.; Hodler, Juerg; Pfirrmann, Christian W.A.; Jost, Bernhard

2007-01-01

The purpose was to assess the diagnostic performance of MR arthrography to diagnose calcific tendinitis of the shoulder and to assess the reasons for diagnostic errors. Standard MR arthrograms of 22 patients with calcific tendinitis and 61 controls were retrospectively analyzed by two independent and blinded radiologists. All cases were consecutively collected from a database. Conventional radiographs were available in all cases serving as gold standard. The supraspinatus was involved in 16, the infraspinatus in four and the subscapularis in two patients. All diagnostic errors were analyzed by two additional readers. Reader 1 correctly detected 12 of the 22 shoulders with and 42 of the 61 shoulders without calcific tendinitis (sensitivity 0.55, specificity 0.66). The corresponding values for reader 2 were 13 of 22 and 40 of 61 cases (sensitivity 0.59, specificity 0.69). Inter-rater agreement (kappa-value) was 0.42. Small size of the calcific deposits and isointensity compared to the surrounding tissue were the most important reasons for false negative results. Normal hypointense areas within the supraspinatus tendon substance and attachment were the main reason for false positive results. In conclusion, MR arthrography is insufficient in the diagnosis of calcific tendinitis. Normal hypointense parts of the rotator cuff may mimic calcific deposits and calcifications may not be detected when they are isointense compared to the rotator cuff. Therefore, MR imaging should not be interpreted without corresponding radiographs. (orig.)

Basic Energy Sciences at NREL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moon, S.

2000-12-04

NREL's Center for Basic Sciences performs fundamental research for DOE's Office of Science. Our mission is to provide fundamental knowledge in the basic sciences and engineering that will underpin new and improved renewable energy technologies.

Rapid Deterioration of Basic Life Support Skills in Dentists With Basic Life Support Healthcare Provider.

Science.gov (United States)

Nogami, Kentaro; Taniguchi, Shogo; Ichiyama, Tomoko

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between basic life support skills in dentists who had completed the American Heart Association's Basic Life Support (BLS) Healthcare Provider qualification and time since course completion. Thirty-six dentists who had completed the 2005 BLS Healthcare Provider course participated in the study. We asked participants to perform 2 cycles of cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a mannequin and evaluated basic life support skills. Dentists who had previously completed the BLS Healthcare Provider course displayed both prolonged reaction times, and the quality of their basic life support skills deteriorated rapidly. There were no correlations between basic life support skills and time since course completion. Our results suggest that basic life support skills deteriorate rapidly for dentists who have completed the BLS Healthcare Provider. Newer guidelines stressing chest compressions over ventilation may help improve performance over time, allowing better cardiopulmonary resuscitation in dental office emergencies. Moreover, it may be effective to provide a more specialized version of the life support course to train the dentists, stressing issues that may be more likely to occur in the dental office.

Diagnostic Performance of Self-Assessment for Constipation in Patients With Long-Term Opioid Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Tafelski, Sascha; Bellin, Felicitas; Denke, Claudia; Beutlhauser, Torsten; Fritzsche, Thomas; West, Christina; Schäfer, Michael

2015-12-01

Constipation is a prevalent comorbidity affecting ∼50% of patients with long-term opioid therapy. In clinical routine different diagnostic instruments are in use to identify patients under risk. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of an 11-item Likert scale for constipation used as a self-assessment in opioid-treated patients. This trial was conducted as a retrospective cohort study in Berlin, Germany. Patients with long-term opioid therapy treated in 2 university-affiliated outpatient pain facilities at the Charité hospital were included from January 2013 to August 2013. Constipation was rated in a self-assessment using a numeric rating scale from 0 to 10 (Con-NRS) and compared with results from a structured assessment based on ROME-III criteria. Altogether, 171 patients were included. Incidence of constipation was 49% of patients. The receiver-operating characteristic of Con-NRS achieved an area under the curve of 0.814 (AUC 95% confidence interval 0.748-0.880, P < 0.001). Con-NRS ≥ 1 achieved sensitivity and specificity of 79.7% and 77.2%, respectively. The positive predictive value and the negative predictive value were 70.3% and 81.6%, respectively. Overall diagnostic performance of a concise 11-item Likert scale for constipation was moderate. Although patients with long-term opioid therapy are familiar with numeric rating scales, a significant number of patients with constipation were not identified. The instrument may be additionally useful to facilitate individualized therapeutic decision making and to control therapeutic success when measured repetitively.

Frequency of chest pain in primary care, diagnostic tests performed and final diagnoses.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoorweg, Beatrijs Bn; Willemsen, Robert Ta; Cleef, Lotte E; Boogaerts, Tom; Buntinx, Frank; Glatz, Jan Fc; Dinant, Geert Jan

2017-11-01

Observational study of patients with chest pain in primary care: determination of incidence, referral rate, diagnostic tests and (agreement between) working and final diagnoses. 118 general practitioners (GPs) in the Netherlands and Belgium recorded all patient contacts during  2weeks. Furthermore, patients presenting with chest pain were registered extensively. A follow-up form was filled in after 30 days. 22 294 patient contacts were registered. In 281 (1.26%), chest pain was a reason for consulting the GP (mean age for men 54.4/women 53 years). In this cohort of 281 patients, in 38.1% of patients, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) was suspected at least temporarily during consultation, 40.2% of patients were referred to secondary care and 512 diagnostic tests were performed by GPs and consulted specialists. Musculoskeletal pain was the most frequent working (26.1%) and final diagnoses (33.1%). Potentially life-threatening diseases as final diagnosis (such as myocardial infarction) accounted for 8.4% of all chest pain cases. In 23.1% of cases, a major difference between working and final diagnoses was found, in 0.7% a severe disease was initially missed by the GP. Chest pain was present in 281 patients (1.26% of all consultations). Final diagnoses were mostly non-life-threatening. Nevertheless, in 8.4% of patients with chest pain, life-threatening underlying causes were identified. This seems reflected in the magnitude and wide variety of diagnostic tests performed in these patients by GPs and specialists, in the (safe) overestimation of life-threatening diseases by GPs at initial assessment and in the high referral rate we found. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Volume perfusion CT imaging of cerebral vasospasm: diagnostic performance of different perfusion maps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Othman, Ahmed E. [RWTH Aachen University, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Aachen (Germany); Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, University Hospital Tuebingen, Department for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Tuebingen (Germany); Afat, Saif; Nikoubashman, Omid; Mueller, Marguerite; Wiesmann, Martin; Brockmann, Carolin [RWTH Aachen University, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Aachen (Germany); Schubert, Gerrit Alexander [RWTH Aachen University, Department of Neurosurgery, Aachen (Germany); Bier, Georg [Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, University Hospital Tuebingen, Department for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Tuebingen (Germany); Brockmann, Marc A. [RWTH Aachen University, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Aachen (Germany); University Hospital Mainz, Department of Neuroradiology, Mainz (Germany)

2016-08-15

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of different volume perfusion CT (VPCT) maps regarding the detection of cerebral vasospasm compared to angiographic findings. Forty-one datasets of 26 patients (57.5 ± 10.8 years, 18 F) with subarachnoid hemorrhage and suspected cerebral vasospasm, who underwent VPCT and angiography within 6 h, were included. Two neuroradiologists independently evaluated the presence and severity of vasospasm on perfusion maps on a 3-point Likert scale (0 - no vasospasm, 1 - vasospasm affecting <50 %, 2 - vasospasm affecting >50 % of vascular territory). A third neuroradiologist independently assessed angiography for the presence and severity of vasospasm on a 3-point Likert scale (0 - no vasospasm, 1 - vasospasm affecting < 50 %, 2 - vasospasm affecting > 50 % of vessel diameter). Perfusion maps of cerebral blood volume (CBV), cerebral blood flow (CBF), mean transit time (MTT), and time to drain (TTD) were evaluated regarding diagnostic accuracy for cerebral vasospasm with angiography as reference standard. Correlation analysis of vasospasm severity on perfusion maps and angiographic images was performed. Furthermore, inter-reader agreement was assessed regarding findings on perfusion maps. Diagnostic accuracy for TTD and MTT was significantly higher than for all other perfusion maps (TTD, AUC = 0.832; MTT, AUC = 0.791; p < 0.001). TTD revealed higher sensitivity than MTT (p = 0.007). The severity of vasospasm on TTD maps showed significantly higher correlation levels with angiography than all other perfusion maps (p ≤ 0.048). Inter-reader agreement was (almost) perfect for all perfusion maps (kappa ≥ 0.927). The results of this study indicate that TTD maps have the highest sensitivity for the detection of cerebral vasospasm and highest correlation with angiography regarding the severity of vasospasm. (orig.)

Diagnostic performance of dark-blood T2-weighted CMR for evaluation of acute myocardial injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Srichai, Monvadi B; Lim, Ruth P; Lath, Narayan; Babb, James; Axel, Leon; Kim, Daniel

2013-01-01

We compared the image quality and diagnostic performance of 2 fat-suppression methods for black-blood T2-weighted fast spin-echo (FSE), which are as follows: (a) short T1 inversion recovery (STIR; FSE-STIR) and (b) spectral adiabatic inversion recovery (SPAIR; FSE-SPAIR), for detection of acute myocardial injury. Edema-sensitive T2-weighted FSE cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is useful in detecting acute myocardial injury but may experience reduced myocardial signal and signal dropout. The SPAIR pulse aims to eliminate artifacts associated with the STIR pulse. A total of 65 consecutive patients referred for CMR evaluation of myocardial structure and function underwent FSE-STIR and FSE-SPAIR, in addition to cine and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) CMR. T2-weighted FSE images were independently evaluated by 2 readers for image quality and artifacts (Likert scale of 1-5; best-worst) and presence of increased myocardial signal suggestive of edema. In addition, clinical CMR interpretation, incorporating all CMR sequences available, was recorded for comparison. Diagnostic performance of each T2-weighted sequence was measured using recent (T2, and wall motion. There was a statistically significant difference in sensitivity between the clinical interpretation and each of the T2-weighted sequences but not between each T2-weighted sequence. Although FSE-SPAIR demonstrated significantly improved image quality and decreased artifacts, isolated interpretations of each T2-weighted technique demonstrated high specificity but overall low sensitivity for the detection of myocardial injury, with no difference in accuracy between the techniques. However, real-world interpretation in combination with cine and LGE CMR methods significantly improves the overall sensitivity and diagnostic performance.

Research on the Countermeasures Based on TTPM Theory for the Improvement of the Basic Education Teachers Training Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Huabai, Bu; Dengyu, Zhang; Xiuying, Shen; Hao, Tu

2012-01-01

Many elements of the basic education teachers' training performance are embedded in the training interaction and sharing, so the enhancement of the training performance needs a whole process management and control. Based on TTPM theory, this paper has put forward four measures that must be pay attention to during the management of the basic…

WE-AB-206-01: Diagnostic Ultrasound Imaging Quality Assurance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zagzebski, J. [University of Wisconsin (United States)

2016-06-15

The involvement of medical physicists in diagnostic ultrasound imaging service is increasing due to QC and accreditation requirements. The goal of this ultrasound hands-on workshop is to demonstrate quality control (QC) testing in diagnostic ultrasound and to provide updates in ACR ultrasound accreditation requirements. The first half of this workshop will include two presentations reviewing diagnostic ultrasound QA/QC and ACR ultrasound accreditation requirements. The second half of the workshop will include live demonstrations of basic QC tests. An array of ultrasound testing phantoms and ultrasound scanners will be available for attendees to learn diagnostic ultrasound QC in a hands-on environment with live demonstrations and on-site instructors. The targeted attendees are medical physicists in diagnostic imaging. Learning Objectives: Gain familiarity with common elements of a QA/QC program for diagnostic ultrasound imaging dentify QC tools available for testing diagnostic ultrasound systems and learn how to use these tools Learn ACR ultrasound accreditation requirements Jennifer Walter is an employee of American College of Radiology on Ultrasound Accreditation.

WE-AB-206-01: Diagnostic Ultrasound Imaging Quality Assurance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zagzebski, J.

2016-01-01

The involvement of medical physicists in diagnostic ultrasound imaging service is increasing due to QC and accreditation requirements. The goal of this ultrasound hands-on workshop is to demonstrate quality control (QC) testing in diagnostic ultrasound and to provide updates in ACR ultrasound accreditation requirements. The first half of this workshop will include two presentations reviewing diagnostic ultrasound QA/QC and ACR ultrasound accreditation requirements. The second half of the workshop will include live demonstrations of basic QC tests. An array of ultrasound testing phantoms and ultrasound scanners will be available for attendees to learn diagnostic ultrasound QC in a hands-on environment with live demonstrations and on-site instructors. The targeted attendees are medical physicists in diagnostic imaging. Learning Objectives: Gain familiarity with common elements of a QA/QC program for diagnostic ultrasound imaging dentify QC tools available for testing diagnostic ultrasound systems and learn how to use these tools Learn ACR ultrasound accreditation requirements Jennifer Walter is an employee of American College of Radiology on Ultrasound Accreditation.

Operational evaluation of rapid diagnostic testing for Ebola Virus Disease in Guinean laboratories.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda VanSteelandt

Full Text Available Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD at the point of care have the potential to increase access and acceptability of EVD testing and the speed of patient isolation and secure burials for suspect cases. A pilot program for EVD RDTs in high risk areas of Guinea was introduced in October 2015. This paper presents concordance data between EVD RDTs and PCR testing in the field as well as an assessment of the acceptability, feasibility, and quality assurance of the RDT program.Concordance data were compiled from laboratory surveillance databases. The operational measures of the laboratory-based EVD RDT program were evaluated at all 34 sentinel sites in Guinea through: (1 a technical questionnaire filled by the lab technicians who performed the RDTs, (2 a checklist filled by the evaluator during the site visits, and (3 direct observation of the lab technicians performing the quality control test. Acceptability of the EVD RDT was good for technicians, patients, and families although many technicians (69.8% expressed concern for their safety while performing the test. The feasibility of the program was good based on average technician knowledge scores (6.6 out of 8 but basic infrastructure, equipment, and supplies were lacking. There was much room for improvement in quality assurance of the program.The implementation of new diagnostics in weak laboratory systems requires general training in quality assurance, biosafety and communication with patients in addition to specific training for the new test. Corresponding capacity building in terms of basic equipment and a long-term commitment to transfer supervision and quality improvement to national public health staff are necessary for successful implementation.

Early history of experimental inertial confinement fusion and diagnostics in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Chuanke; Jiang Shao'en; Ding Yongkun

2014-01-01

The early history of China's research on experimental laser inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and diagnostics technology is reviewed. The long and difficult path started from scratch, from learning the basics, looking up the literature and copying experiments, to independent research and development of comprehensive experimental facilities. This article fills a gap in the history of China's ICF experimental and diagnostics research. (authors)

Diagnostic heterogeneity in psychiatry : towards an empirical solution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wardenaar, Klaas J; de Jonge, Peter

2013-01-01

The launch of the 5th version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) has sparked a debate about the current approach to psychiatric classification. The most basic and enduring problem of the DSM is that its classifications are heterogeneous clinical descriptions rather

Development of electromagnetic induction diagnostics technology for condition based maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mawatari, Shingo; Oeda, Kaoru; Yatogi, Hideo; Fukuchi, Taira; Ueno, Tadashi

2008-01-01

In ROKKASHO Reprocessing Plant (below, called 'RRP'), we have applied Condition Based Maintenance to rotating equipment with vibration diagnostics technology. However, a few rotating equipment are difficult to diagnose definitely, because have structural problems which exercise vibrational noise to peripheral and be impossible to install vibratory sensor. Electromagnetic induction diagnostics technology which measure magnetic fields to eddy current which is induced to rotary through static magnetic field, diagnose deterioration behavior such as abrasion and crack. As a result, it has possibilities to clear above problems. Therefore, we started our basic researches with this technology for Condition Based Maintenance. In this paper, it introduces basic data about 'Non-seal pump' that have installed in RRP. As a result, this technology is a possibility that be able to detect Condition Based Maintenance. (author)

Receiver operating characteristic analysis of eyewitness memory: comparing the diagnostic accuracy of simultaneous versus sequential lineups.

Science.gov (United States)

Mickes, Laura; Flowe, Heather D; Wixted, John T

2012-12-01

A police lineup presents a real-world signal-detection problem because there are two possible states of the world (the suspect is either innocent or guilty), some degree of information about the true state of the world is available (the eyewitness has some degree of memory for the perpetrator), and a decision is made (identifying the suspect or not). A similar state of affairs applies to diagnostic tests in medicine because, in a patient, the disease is either present or absent, a diagnostic test yields some degree of information about the true state of affairs, and a decision is made about the presence or absence of the disease. In medicine, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis is the standard method for assessing diagnostic accuracy. By contrast, in the eyewitness memory literature, this powerful technique has never been used. Instead, researchers have attempted to assess the diagnostic performance of different lineup procedures using methods that cannot identify the better procedure (e.g., by computing a diagnosticity ratio). Here, we describe the basics of ROC analysis, explaining why it is needed and showing how to use it to measure the performance of different lineup procedures. To illustrate the unique advantages of this technique, we also report 3 ROC experiments that were designed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of simultaneous versus sequential lineups. According to our findings, the sequential procedure appears to be inferior to the simultaneous procedure in discriminating between the presence versus absence of a guilty suspect in a lineup.

Fetal alcohol syndrome – causes, diagnostic criteria and prevalence

OpenAIRE

Agata Horecka-Lewitowicz; Piotr Lewitowicz; Olga Adamczyk-Gruszka; Dariusz Skawiński; Monika Szpringer

2014-01-01

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is the outcome of alcohol exposition in the prenatal period. It is irreversible. In Poland, FAS is becoming more and more common, the diagnostic tools are limited though. It is recommended to use the 4-Digit Diagnostic Code, which evaluates the 4 basic FAS symptoms: growth retardation, dysmorphic appearance, damage to the central nervous system and prenatal alcohol exposure. It has been confirmed that there is no safe amount of alcohol for a mother to drink while ...

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the definition of threshold levels to diagnose coronary artery disease on electrocardiographic stress testing. Part I: The use of ROC curves in diagnostic medicine and electrocardiographic markers of ischaemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnabei, Luca; Marazìa, Stefania; De Caterina, Raffaele

2007-11-01

A common problem in diagnostic medicine, when performing a diagnostic test, is to obtain an accurate discrimination between 'normal' cases and cases with disease, owing to the overlapping distributions of these populations. In clinical practice, it is exceedingly rare that a chosen cut point will achieve perfect discrimination between normal cases and those with disease, and one has to select the best compromise between sensitivity and specificity by comparing the diagnostic performance of different tests or diagnostic criteria available. Receiver operating characteristic (or receiver operator characteristic, ROC) curves allow systematic and intuitively appealing descriptions of the diagnostic performance of a test and a comparison of the performance of different tests or diagnostic criteria. This review will analyse the basic principles underlying ROC curves and their specific application to the choice of optimal parameters on exercise electrocardiographic (ECG) stress testing. Part I will focus on theoretical description and analysis along with reviewing the common problems related to the diagnosis of myocardial ischaemia by means of exercise ECG stress testing. Part II will be devoted to applying ROC curves to available diagnostic criteria through the analysis of ECG stress test parameters.

Diagnostic performances of shear wave elastography: which parameter to use in differential diagnosis of solid breast masses?

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Eun Jung; Jung, Hae Kyoung; Ko, Kyung Hee; Lee, Jong Tae; Yoon, Jung Hyun

2013-07-01

To evaluate which shear wave elastography (SWE) parameter proves most accurate in the differential diagnosis of solid breast masses. One hundred and fifty-six breast lesions in 139 consecutive women (mean age: 43.54 ± 9.94 years, range 21-88 years), who had been scheduled for ultrasound-guided breast biopsy, were included. Conventional ultrasound and SWE were performed in all women before biopsy procedures. Ultrasound BI-RADS final assessment and SWE parameters were recorded. Diagnostic performance of each SWE parameter was calculated and compared with those obtained when applying cut-off values of previously published data. Performance of conventional ultrasound and ultrasound combined with each parameter was also compared. Of the 156 breast masses, 120 (76.9 %) were benign and 36 (23.1 %) malignant. Maximum stiffness (Emax) with a cut-off of 82.3 kPa had the highest area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (Az) value compared with other SWE parameters, 0.860 (sensitivity 88.9 %, specificity 77.5 %, accuracy 80.1 %). Az values of conventional ultrasound combined with each SWE parameter showed lower (but not significantly) values than with conventional ultrasound alone. Maximum stiffness (82.3 kPa) provided the best diagnostic performance. However the overall diagnostic performance of ultrasound plus SWE was not significantly better than that of conventional ultrasound alone. • SWE offers new information over and above conventional breast ultrasound • Various SWE parameters were explored regarding distinction between benign and malignant lesions • An elasticity of 82.3 kPa appears optimal in differentiating solid breast masses • However, ultrasound plus SWE was not significantly better than conventional ultrasound alone.

Diagnostic performance of computed tomography for parathyroid adenoma localization; a systematic review and meta-analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kluijfhout, Wouter P., E-mail: WPKluijfhout@gmail.com [Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco (United States); Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht (Netherlands); Pasternak, Jesse D. [Department of Surgery, University Health Network Toronto (Canada); Beninato, Toni; Drake, Frederick Thurston; Gosnell, Jessica E.; Shen, Wen T.; Duh, Quan-Yang [Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco (United States); Allen, Isabel E. [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco (United States); Vriens, Menno R. [Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht (Netherlands); Keizer, Bart de [Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht (Netherlands); Hope, Thomas A. [Department of Radiology, University of California San Francisco (United States); Suh, Insoo [Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco (United States)

2017-03-15

Highlights: • CT performs well in localizing pathological parathyroid glands. • Performance of CT is less in patients with inconclusive ultrasound and sestamibi. • Addition of a third contrast phase seems to have little added value. - Abstract: Abstract purpose: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of CT for preoperative parathyroid localization in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT), and subsequently compare the different protocols and their performance in different patient groups. Materials and methods: We performed a search of the Embase, Pubmed and Cochrane Library databases to identify studies published between January 1, 2000 and March 31, 2016 investigating the diagnostic value of CT for parathyroid localization in patients with biochemical diagnosis of pHPT. Performance of CT was expressed in sensitivity and PPV with pooled proportion using a random-effects model. Factors that could have affected the diagnostic performance were investigated by subgroup analysis. Results: Thirty-four studies evaluating a total of 2563 patients with non-familial pHPT who underwent CT localization and surgical resection were included. Overall pooled sensitivity of CT for localization of the pathological parathyroid(s) to the correct quadrant was 73% (95% CI: 69–78%), which increased to 81% (95% CI: 75–87%) for lateralization to the correct side. Subgroup analysis based on the number of contrast phases showed that adding a second contrast phase raises sensitivity from 71% (95% CI: 61–80%) to 76% (95% CI: 71–87%), and that adding a third phase resulted in a more modest additional increase in performance with a sensitivity of 80% (95% CI: 74–86%). Conclusion: CT performs well in localizing pathological glands in patients with pHPT. A protocol with two contrast phases seems to offer a good balance of acceptable performance with limitation of radiation exposure.

Diagnostic and interventional radiology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vogl, Thomas J. [Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitaet, Frankfurt am Main (Germany). Inst. fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie; Reith, Wolfgang [Universitaetsklinikum des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar (Germany). Klinik fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Neuroradiologie; Rummeny, Ernst J. (ed.) [Technische Univ. Muenchen Klinikum rechts der Isar, Muenchen (Germany). Inst. fuer Radiologie

2016-08-01

This exceptional book covers all aspects of diagnostic and interventional radiology within one volume, at a level appropriate for the specialist. From the basics through diagnosis to intervention: the reader will find a complete overview of all areas of radiology. The clear, uniform structure, with chapters organized according to organ system, facilitates the rapid retrieval of information. Features include: Presentation of the normal radiological anatomy Classification of the different imaging procedures according to their diagnostic relevance Imaging diagnosis with many reference images Precise description of the interventional options The inclusion of many instructive aids will be of particular value to novices in decision making: Important take home messages and summaries of key radiological findings smooth the path through the jungle of facts Numerous tables on differential diagnosis and typical findings in the most common diseases offer a rapid overview and orientation Diagnostic flow charts outline the sequence of diagnostic evaluation All standard procedures within the field of interventional radiology are presented in a clinically relevant and readily understandable way, with an abundance of illustrations. This is a textbook, atlas, and reference in one: with more than 2500 images for comparison with the reader's own findings. This comprehensive and totally up-to-date book provides a superb overview of everything that the radiology specialist of today needs to know.

Diagnostic performances of the fluorescent spot test for G6PD deficiency in newborns along the Thailand-Myanmar border: A cohort study [version 1; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurence Thielemans

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD deficiency is an inherited enzymatic disorder associated with severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and acute haemolysis after exposure to certain drugs or infections. The disorder can be diagnosed phenotypically with a fluorescent spot test (FST, which is a simple test that requires training and basic laboratory equipment. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performances of the FST used on umbilical cord blood by locally-trained staff and to compare test results of the neonates at birth with the results after one month of age. Methods: We conducted a cohort study on newborns at the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, along the Thai-Myanmar border between January 2015 and May 2016. The FST was performed at birth on the umbilical cord blood by locally-trained staff and quality controlled by specialised technicians at the central laboratory. The FST was repeated after one month of age. Genotyping for common local G6PD mutations was carried out for all discrepant results. Results: FST was performed on 1521 umbilical cord blood samples. Quality control and genotyping revealed 10 misdiagnoses. After quality control, 10.7% of the males (84/786 and 1.2% of the females (9/735 were phenotypically G6PD deficient at birth. The FST repeated at one month of age or later diagnosed 8 additional G6PD deficient infants who were phenotypically normal at birth. Conclusions: This study shows the short-comings of the G6PD FST in neonatal routine screening and highlights the importance of training and quality control. A more conservative interpretation of the FST in male newborns could increase the diagnostic performances. Quantitative point-of-care tests might show higher sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of G6PD deficiency on umbilical cord blood and should be investigated.

Diagnostic performance of combined noninvasive coronary angiography and myocardial perfusion imaging using 320 row detector computed tomography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vavere, Andrea L; Simon, Gregory G; George, Richard T

2013-01-01

Multidetector coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) is a promising modality for widespread clinical application because of its noninvasive nature and high diagnostic accuracy as found in previous studies using 64 to 320 simultaneous detector rows. It is, however, limited in its ability...... to detect myocardial ischemia. In this article, we describe the design of the CORE320 study ("Combined coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial perfusion evaluation using 320 detector row computed tomography"). This prospective, multicenter, multinational study is unique in that it is designed to assess...... the diagnostic performance of combined 320-row CTA and myocardial CT perfusion imaging (CTP) in comparison with the combination of invasive coronary angiography and single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI). The trial is being performed at 16 medical centers located in 8...

Comparison of Diagnostic Performance of Semi-Quantitative Knee Ultrasound and Knee Radiography with MRI: Oulu Knee Osteoarthritis Study

Science.gov (United States)

Podlipská, Jana; Guermazi, Ali; Lehenkari, Petri; Niinimäki, Jaakko; Roemer, Frank W.; Arokoski, Jari P.; Kaukinen, Päivi; Liukkonen, Esa; Lammentausta, Eveliina; Nieminen, Miika T.; Tervonen, Osmo; Koski, Juhani M.; Saarakkala, Simo

2016-01-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative musculoskeletal disease highly prevalent in aging societies worldwide. Traditionally, knee OA is diagnosed using conventional radiography. However, structural changes of articular cartilage or menisci cannot be directly evaluated using this method. On the other hand, ultrasound is a promising tool able to provide direct information on soft tissue degeneration. The aim of our study was to systematically determine the site-specific diagnostic performance of semi-quantitative ultrasound grading of knee femoral articular cartilage, osteophytes and meniscal extrusion, and of radiographic assessment of joint space narrowing and osteophytes, using MRI as a reference standard. Eighty asymptomatic and 79 symptomatic subjects with mean age of 57.7 years were included in the study. Ultrasound performed best in the assessment of femoral medial and lateral osteophytes, and medial meniscal extrusion. In comparison to radiography, ultrasound performed better or at least equally well in identification of tibio-femoral osteophytes, medial meniscal extrusion and medial femoral cartilage morphological degeneration. Ultrasound provides relevant additional diagnostic information on tissue-specific morphological changes not depicted by conventional radiography. Consequently, the use of ultrasound as a complementary imaging tool along with radiography may enable more accurate and cost-effective diagnostics of knee osteoarthritis at the primary healthcare level. PMID:26926836

[Qualitative and quantitative diagnostic performance of 320-slice computed tomography for detecting coronary artery disease with respect to atherosclerotic plaque characteristics].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Suhua; Liu, Jinlai; Peng, Long; Dong, Ruimin; Wu, Huilan; Wang, Chenlin; Ni, Qiongqiong; Luo, Yanting; Zhu, Jieming; Chen, Lin

2014-10-28

To investigate qualitatively and quantitatively the diagnostic performance of 320-slice CT for detection of coronary artery disease with respect to different atherosclerotic plaque characteristics. A retrospective search was performed for inpatients underwent both coronary CT and further coronary angiography (CAG) from December 1, 2008 to December 31, 2012. The diagnostic performance of 320-slice CTA for detecting significant stenosis ( ≥ 50% diameter) with respect to atherosclerotic plaque characteristics were analyzed by calculating sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), accuracy, kappa index (κ), and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Chi-square test was used to evaluate whether there were significant differences of the true-case frequency (true positive + true negative) and false-case frequency (false positive + false negative) among groups. Bland-Altman analysis was used to determine limits of agreement between CTA and CAG. A total of 454 patients and 6 779 segments were analyzed. Diagnostic accuracy was higher in non-calcified segments; whereas they decreased in the presence of both mild-moderately and heavily calcified plaques. Excellent agreement (κ = 0.810) between CT and CAG was observed for non-calcified segments, while good agreement was observed for both mild-moderately (κ = 0.701) and heavily calcified segments (κ = 0.750). Both mild-moderate (P = 0.000) and heavy (P = 0.000) calcification decreased the true-case frequency and increased the false-case frequency when compared to non-calcification. There were no significant underestimation or overestimation for non-calcified (P = 0.087) and mild-moderately calcified (P = 0.704) segments, while there was significant overestimation for heavily calcified segments (P = 0.001). Great qualitative and quantitative diagnostic performances of 320-slice CT were observed in non-calcified coronary segments. However, qualitative

Textbook on X-ray diagnostics. Substantiated by Marianne Zimmer-Brossy. 6. new rev. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becht, Stefanie; Bittner, Roland C.; Ohmstede, Anke; Pfeiffer, Andreas; Rossdeutscher, Reinhard

2008-01-01

The standard textbook on x-ray diagnostics has been revised by the MTRA team and radiologists: The book covers the following topics: General information: the profession of a radiologist, the x-ray department, radiation protection, quality assurance, basic physics, x-ray imaging, analog and digital image processing, archives, image interpretation. Skeleton diagnostics; Inner organs (thorax organs, neck, abdomen, gastrointestinal tract, colon, gall bladder and biliary tract): Special x-ray diagnostic methods: x-ray diagnostic of the female and male chest, x-ray diagnostics of bone joints (arthrography, and contrast media), x-ray diagnostics of the urinary-genital system, x-ray diagnostics of cavities and syrinx, x-ray diagnostics of arteries (arteriography, angiography), percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, x-ray diagnostics of veins (phlebography), x-ray diagnostics of lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes, x-ray diagnostics of spinal cord (myelography); Specific imaging methods: computerized tomography [de

A structured self-directed basic skills curriculum results in improved technical performance in the absence of expert faculty teaching.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Andrew S; McKenzie, Jill; Tsigonis, Abraham; Jensen, Aaron R; Figueredo, Edgar J; Kim, Sara; Horvath, Karen

2012-06-01

We developed a novel curriculum teaching 20 open surgical skills in 5 general domains (instrument handling, knot tying, simple wound closure, advanced wound closure, and hemostasis). The curriculum includes online didactics, skills practice, and defined performance metrics, but is entirely self-guided with no expert oversight or teaching. Subjects included first- and second-year medical students (n = 9). Subjects first viewed a demonstration video depicting proper technique. The pretest was video-recorded performance of each skill. Subjects then completed the self-guided skills curriculum at their own pace, returning for posttesting once they met defined self-assessment criteria. Performance was evaluated through both self-assessment and blinded video review by 2 expert reviewers using previously validated scales. After completion of the curriculum, performance improved significantly by both self-assessment (3,754 ± 1,742 to 6,496 ± 1,337; P performance was significantly better for all domains by self-assessment (P instrument handling). Completion of a self-guided basic surgical skills curriculum allows novice learners to significantly improve performance in basic open surgical skills, without traditional expert teaching. This curriculum is useful for medical students and incoming junior residents. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Performance of Three Phase Bone Scan for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1 with Optimally Modified Image Criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwon, Hyun Woo; Paeng, Jin Chul; Nahm, Francins Sahngun; Kim, Seog Gyun; Zehra, Tanzeel; Oh, So Won; Lee, Hyo Sang; Kang, Keon Wook; Chung, June Key; Lee, Myung Chul; Lee, Dong Soo [Seoul National Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2011-12-15

Although the three phase bone scan (TBPS) is one of the widely used imaging studies for diagnosing complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS 1), there is some controversy regarding the TPBS image criteria for CRPS 1. In this study, we modified the image criteria using image pattern and quantitative analysis in the patients diagnosed using the most recent consensus clinical diagnostic criteria. The study included 140 patients with suspected CRPS 1 (CRPS 1, n=79; non CRPS, n=61; mean age 39{+-}15 years) who underwent TPBS. The clinical diagnostic criteria for CRPS 1 revised by the Budapest consensus group were used for confirmative diagnosis. Patients were classified according to flow/pool and delayed uptake (DU) image patterns, and the time interval between the initiating event and TPBS (TI{sup eventscan)}. Quantitative analysis for lesion to contralateral ratio (LCR) was performed. Modified TPBS image criteria were created and evaluated for optimal diagnostic performance. Both increased and decreased periarticular DU were significant image findings for CRPS 1 (CRPS 1 positive rate=73% in the increased DU group, 75% in the decreased DU group). The TI{sup eventscand}id not differ significantly between the different image pattern groups. Quantitative analysis revealed an LCR of 1.43 was the optimal cutoff value for CRPS 1 and diagnostic performance was significantly improved in the increased DU group (area under the curve=0.732). Given the modified image criteria, the sensitivity and specificity of TPBS for diagnosing CRPS 1 were 80% and 72%, respectively. Optimally modified TPBS image criteria for CRPS 1 were suggested using image pattern and quantitative analysis. With the criteria, TPBS is an effective imaging study for CRPS 1 even with the most recent consensus clinical diagnostic criteria.

Diagnostic Performance of Three Phase Bone Scan for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1 with Optimally Modified Image Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Hyun Woo; Paeng, Jin Chul; Nahm, Francins Sahngun; Kim, Seog Gyun; Zehra, Tanzeel; Oh, So Won; Lee, Hyo Sang; Kang, Keon Wook; Chung, June Key; Lee, Myung Chul; Lee, Dong Soo

2011-01-01

Although the three phase bone scan (TBPS) is one of the widely used imaging studies for diagnosing complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS 1), there is some controversy regarding the TPBS image criteria for CRPS 1. In this study, we modified the image criteria using image pattern and quantitative analysis in the patients diagnosed using the most recent consensus clinical diagnostic criteria. The study included 140 patients with suspected CRPS 1 (CRPS 1, n=79; non CRPS, n=61; mean age 39±15 years) who underwent TPBS. The clinical diagnostic criteria for CRPS 1 revised by the Budapest consensus group were used for confirmative diagnosis. Patients were classified according to flow/pool and delayed uptake (DU) image patterns, and the time interval between the initiating event and TPBS (TI eventscan) . Quantitative analysis for lesion to contralateral ratio (LCR) was performed. Modified TPBS image criteria were created and evaluated for optimal diagnostic performance. Both increased and decreased periarticular DU were significant image findings for CRPS 1 (CRPS 1 positive rate=73% in the increased DU group, 75% in the decreased DU group). The TI eventscand id not differ significantly between the different image pattern groups. Quantitative analysis revealed an LCR of 1.43 was the optimal cutoff value for CRPS 1 and diagnostic performance was significantly improved in the increased DU group (area under the curve=0.732). Given the modified image criteria, the sensitivity and specificity of TPBS for diagnosing CRPS 1 were 80% and 72%, respectively. Optimally modified TPBS image criteria for CRPS 1 were suggested using image pattern and quantitative analysis. With the criteria, TPBS is an effective imaging study for CRPS 1 even with the most recent consensus clinical diagnostic criteria.

T1 mapping cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging to detect myocarditis—Impact of slice orientation on the diagnostic performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bohnen, Sebastian, E-mail: s.bohnen@uke.de [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, University Heart Center, General and Interventional Cardiology, Hamburg (Germany); Radunski, Ulf K., E-mail: u.radunski@uke.de [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, University Heart Center, General and Interventional Cardiology, Hamburg (Germany); Lund, Gunnar K., E-mail: glund@uke.de [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hamburg (Germany); Tahir, Enver, E-mail: e.tahir@uke.de [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hamburg (Germany); Avanesov, Maxim, E-mail: m.avanesov@uke.de [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hamburg (Germany); Stehning, Christian, E-mail: christian.stehning@philips.com [Philips Research, Hamburg (Germany); Schnackenburg, Bernhard, E-mail: bernhard.schnackenburg@philips.com [Philips Healthcare Germany, Hamburg (Germany); Adam, Gerhard, E-mail: g.adam@uke.de [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hamburg (Germany); Blankenberg, Stefan, E-mail: s.blankenberg@uke.de [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, University Heart Center, General and Interventional Cardiology, Hamburg (Germany); Muellerleile, Kai, E-mail: kamuellerleile@uke.de [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, University Heart Center, General and Interventional Cardiology, Hamburg (Germany)

2017-01-15

Background: T1 mapping is a promising diagnostic tool to improve the diagnostic accuracy of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with suspected myocarditis. However, there are currently no data on the potential influence of slice orientation on the diagnostic performance of CMR. Thus, we compared the diagnostic performance of global myocardial T1 and extracellular volume (ECV) values to differentiate patients with myocarditis from healthy individuals between different slice orientations. Methods: This study included 48 patients with clinically defined myocarditis and 13 healthy controls who underwent CMR at 1.5 T. A modified Look-Locker inversion-recovery (MOLLI) sequence was used for T1 mapping before and 15 min after administration of 0.075 mmol/kg Gadolinium-BOPTA. T1 mapping was performed on three short and on three long axes slices, respectively. Native T1, post-contrast T1 and extracellular volume (ECV) −BOPTA maps were calculated using a dedicated plug-in written for the OsiriX software and compared between the mean value of three short-axes slices (3SAX), the central short-axis (1SAX), the mean value of three long-axes slices (3LAX), the four-chamber view (4CH), the three-chamber view (3CH) and the two-chamber view (2CH). Results: There were significantly lower native T1 values on 3LAX (1081 ms (1037–1131 ms)) compared to 3SAX (1107 ms (1069–1143 ms), p = 0.0022) in patients with myocarditis, but not in controls (1026 ms (1009–1059 ms) vs. 1039 ms (1023–1055 ms), p = 0.2719). The areas under the curve (AUC) to discriminate between myocarditis and healthy controls by native myocardial T1 were 0.85 (p < 0.0001) on 3SAX, 0.85 (p < 0.0001) on 1SAX, 0.76 (p = 0.0002) on 3LAX, 0.70 (p = 0.0075) on 4CH, 0.72 (p = 0.0020) on 3CH and 0.75 (p = 0.0003) on 2CH. The AUCs for ECV-BOPTA were 0.83 (p < 0.0001) on 3 SAX, 0.82 (p < 0.0001) on 1SAX, 0.77 (p = 0.0005) on 3LAX, 0.71 (p = 0.0079) on 4CH, 0.69 (p = 0.0371) on 3CH and 0.75 (p = 0.0006) on

T1 mapping cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging to detect myocarditis—Impact of slice orientation on the diagnostic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohnen, Sebastian; Radunski, Ulf K.; Lund, Gunnar K.; Tahir, Enver; Avanesov, Maxim; Stehning, Christian; Schnackenburg, Bernhard; Adam, Gerhard; Blankenberg, Stefan; Muellerleile, Kai

2017-01-01

Background: T1 mapping is a promising diagnostic tool to improve the diagnostic accuracy of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with suspected myocarditis. However, there are currently no data on the potential influence of slice orientation on the diagnostic performance of CMR. Thus, we compared the diagnostic performance of global myocardial T1 and extracellular volume (ECV) values to differentiate patients with myocarditis from healthy individuals between different slice orientations. Methods: This study included 48 patients with clinically defined myocarditis and 13 healthy controls who underwent CMR at 1.5 T. A modified Look-Locker inversion-recovery (MOLLI) sequence was used for T1 mapping before and 15 min after administration of 0.075 mmol/kg Gadolinium-BOPTA. T1 mapping was performed on three short and on three long axes slices, respectively. Native T1, post-contrast T1 and extracellular volume (ECV) −BOPTA maps were calculated using a dedicated plug-in written for the OsiriX software and compared between the mean value of three short-axes slices (3SAX), the central short-axis (1SAX), the mean value of three long-axes slices (3LAX), the four-chamber view (4CH), the three-chamber view (3CH) and the two-chamber view (2CH). Results: There were significantly lower native T1 values on 3LAX (1081 ms (1037–1131 ms)) compared to 3SAX (1107 ms (1069–1143 ms), p = 0.0022) in patients with myocarditis, but not in controls (1026 ms (1009–1059 ms) vs. 1039 ms (1023–1055 ms), p = 0.2719). The areas under the curve (AUC) to discriminate between myocarditis and healthy controls by native myocardial T1 were 0.85 (p < 0.0001) on 3SAX, 0.85 (p < 0.0001) on 1SAX, 0.76 (p = 0.0002) on 3LAX, 0.70 (p = 0.0075) on 4CH, 0.72 (p = 0.0020) on 3CH and 0.75 (p = 0.0003) on 2CH. The AUCs for ECV-BOPTA were 0.83 (p < 0.0001) on 3 SAX, 0.82 (p < 0.0001) on 1SAX, 0.77 (p = 0.0005) on 3LAX, 0.71 (p = 0.0079) on 4CH, 0.69 (p = 0.0371) on 3CH and 0.75 (p = 0.0006) on

Methodology for evaluation of diagnostic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metz, C.E.

1992-01-01

Effort in this project during the past year has focused on the development, refinement, and distribution of computer software that will allow current Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) methodology to be used conveniently and reliably by investigators in a variety of evaluation tasks in diagnostic medicine; and on the development of new ROC methodology that will broaden the spectrum of evaluation tasks and/or experimental settings to which the fundamental approach can be applied. Progress has been limited by the amount of financial support made available to the project

Diagnostics for Evaluating Performance of NSTX Liquid Lihium Divertor

Science.gov (United States)

Kaita, R.; Kugel, H.; Kallman, J.; Leblanc, B.; Paul, S.; Roquemore, A. L.; Skinner, C.; Soukhanovskii, V.; Maingi, R.; Ahn, J.-W.; Wilgen, J.; Allain, J.-P.; Taylor, C.

2009-11-01

A Liquid Lithium Divertor (LLD) is being installed on NSTX to investigate particle control and power handling with liquid lithium as plasma-facing component (PFC). The LLD is expected to provide a low-recycling plasma-facing component (PFC). To study the effects of such a PFC on plasma performance, a variety of edge measurements are required. Since its surface is highly reflective at visible wavelengths, a Lyman-alpha detector array will be used to monitor the recycling. To understand changes in edge transport, electron temperature and density measurements will be made with Langmuir probes mounted in PFC's near the LLD, and the edge sightlines of a multipoint Thomson scattering system. A frequency-scanning reflectometer will also provide scrapeoff layer electron density profiles. The LLD response to heat loads will be examined with infrared cameras and thermocouples. Diagnostics are also needed to measure the erosion and codeposition of lithium. They include quartz deposition monitors and a retractable probe for exposing samples to the plasma.

Alzheimer's Disease Diagnostic Performance of a Multi-Atlas Hippocampal Segmentation Method using the Harmonized Hippocampal Protocol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anker, Cecilie Benedicte; Sørensen, Lauge; Pai, Akshay

PURPOSE Hippocampal volumetry is the most widely used structural MRI biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and state-of-the-art, automatic hippocampal segmentation can be obtained using longitudinal FreeSurfer. In this study, we compare the diagnostic AD performance of a single time point, multi...

The diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in differentiating high-from low-grade gliomas: A systematic review and meta-analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Qun; Zhang, JiaShu; Wu, Chen; Li, FangYe; Chen, XiaoLei; Xu, BaiNan; Zhang, Hui; Zhu, WeiJie

2016-01-01

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a powerful tool for preoperative grading of gliomas. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic performance of MRS in differentiating high-grade gliomas (HGGs) from low-grade gliomas (LGGs). PubMed and Embase databases were systematically searched for relevant studies of glioma grading assessed by MRS through 27 March 2015. Based on the data from eligible studies, pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio and areas under summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) of different metabolite ratios were obtained. Thirty articles comprising a total sample size of 1228 patients were included in our meta-analysis. Quantitative synthesis of studies showed that the pooled sensitivity/specificity of Cho/Cr, Cho/NAA and NAA/Cr ratios was 0.75/0.60, 0.80/0.76 and 0.71/0.70, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) of the SROC was 0.83, 0.87 and 0.78, respectively. MRS demonstrated moderate diagnostic performance in distinguishing HGGs from LGGs using tumoural metabolite ratios including Cho/Cr, Cho/NAA and NAA/Cr. Although there was no significant difference in AUC between Cho/Cr and Cho/NAA groups, Cho/NAA ratio showed higher sensitivity and specificity than Cho/Cr ratio and NAA/Cr ratio. We suggest that MRS should combine other advanced imaging techniques to improve diagnostic accuracy in differentiating HGGs from LGGs. (orig.)

The Interobserver Variability and Diagnostic Performance of 3-Dimensional Breast Ultrasound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyou, Chae Yeon; Kim, Sun Mi; Jang, Mi Jung; Kim, Sung Won; Kang, Eun Young; Park, So Yeon; Moon, Woo Kyung

2011-01-01

We wanted to evaluate the interobserver variability and diagnostic performance of 3-dimensional (3D) breast ultrasound (US) as compared with that of 2- dimensional (2D) US. We included 150 patients who received US-guided core biopsy and 3D US between June 2009 and April 2010. Three breast imaging radiologists analyzed the 2D and 3D US images using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon. The intra-observer agreement and inter-observer agreement were calculated. The sensitivity and specificity of 2D and 3D US were evaluated. The intra-observer agreement between 2D and 3D US was mostly slight or fair agreement. However, in terms of the final category, there was substantial agreement for all three radiologists. The inter-observer agreement of 3D US was similar to that of 2D US (moderate agreement for shape, orientation, circumscribed margin and boundary: fair agreement for indistinct margin, angular margin, microlobulated margin, echo pattern and final category). The sensitivity of 3D US for breast cancer was higher than that of 2D US for two radiologists (2D vs. 3D for reader 2: 55.8% vs. 61.5%, 2D vs. 3D for reader 3: 59.6% vs. 63.5%), and the specificity of 3D US was lower than that of 2D US for all the readers (2D vs. 3D for reader 1: 90.8% vs. 86.7%, 2D vs. 3D for reader 2: 90.8% vs. 87.8%, 2D vs. 3D for reader 3: 94.9% vs. 90.8%), but the difference was not significant (p ≥ 0.05). The interobserver variability and diagnostic performance of 3D breast US were similar to those of 2D US

Diagnostics and operative treatment of retrorectal cysts - description of five cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolodziejczak, M.; Grochowicz, M.; Kosim, A.; Stefanski, R.; Sudol-Szopinska, I.

2005-01-01

Background. Retrorectal cysts (RC) are unusual lesions. Publications on RC are very rare and describe a few cases at most. Methods. Authors describe five patients with RC. The diagnostics of RC was based on the medical history of the patients and the basic diagnostic investigation was trans rectal ultrasonography. An operation to remove the cysts from perineal access was the treatment administered in these cases. Results. In three cases the histopathological examination showed cystis epidermalis. In another case a cyst epithelialized with ciliated epithelium was found. In the last case bone tissue, fatty tissue and fibrous tissue were depicted, all in the state of chronic inflammation. Conclusions. Per rectum digital exam is the basic examination decisive in making the diagnosis. TRUS should be employed as the diagnostic investigation in order to estimate precisely the size of a cyst and its proportion to the rectum wall. Retrorectal cystectomy in perineal access is an effective method of treatment of this disease. This article, likewise other research works, describes a small group of patients, therefore, its conclusions should be treated as preliminary ones. (author)

Diagnostic Performance of Magnifying Endoscopy for Helicobacter pylori Infection: A Meta-Analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingqing Qi

Full Text Available Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori infection using magnifying endoscopy offers advantages over conventional invasive and noninvasive tests.This meta-analysis aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of magnifying endoscopy in the prediction of H. pylori infection.A literature search of the PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, Science Direct and the Cochrane Library databases was performed. A random-effects model was used to calculate the diagnostic efficiency of magnifying endoscopy for H. pylori infection. A summary receiver operator characteristic curve was plotted, and the area under the curve (AUC was calculated.A total of 18 studies involving 1897 patients were included. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of magnifying endoscopy to predict H. pylori infection were 0.89 [95% confidence interval (CI 0.87-0.91] and 0.82 (95%CI 0.79-0.85, respectively, with an AUC of 0.9461. When targeting the gastric antrum, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.82 (95%CI 0.78-0.86 and 0.72 (95%CI 0.66-0.78, respectively. When targeting the gastric corpus, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.92 (95%CI 0.90-0.94 and 0.86 (95%CI 0.82-0.88, respectively. The pooled sensitivity and specificity using magnifying white light endoscopy were 0.90 (95%CI 0.87-0.91 and 0.81 (95%CI 0.77-0.84, respectively. The pooled sensitivity and specificity using magnifying chromoendoscopy were 0.87 (95%CI 0.83-0.91 and 0.85 (95%CI 0.80-0.88, respectively. The "pit plus vascular pattern" classification in the gastric corpus observed by magnifying endoscopy was able to accurately predict the status of H. pylori infection, as indicated by a pooled sensitivity and specificity of 0.96 (95%CI 0.94-0.97 and 0.91 (95%CI 0.87-0.93, respectively, with an AUC of 0.9872.Magnifying endoscopy was able to accurately predict the status of H. pylori infection, either in magnifying white light endoscopy or magnifying chromoendoscopy mode. The "pit plus vascular pattern

Evaluation of diagnostic performance of whole-body simultaneous PET/MRI in pediatric lymphoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponisio, Maria Rosana; Laforest, Richard; Khanna, Geetika; McConathy, Jonathan

2016-01-01

Whole-body 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is the standard of care for lymphoma. Simultaneous PET/MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a promising new modality that combines the metabolic information of PET with superior soft-tissue resolution and functional imaging capabilities of MRI while decreasing radiation dose. There is limited information on the clinical performance of PET/MRI in the pediatric setting. This study evaluated the feasibility, dosimetry, and qualitative and quantitative diagnostic performance of simultaneous whole-body FDG-PET/MRI in children with lymphoma compared to PET/CT. Children with lymphoma undergoing standard of care FDG-PET/CT were prospectively recruited for PET/MRI performed immediately after the PET/CT. Images were evaluated for quality, lesion detection and anatomical localization of FDG uptake. Maximum and mean standardized uptake values (SUV max/mean ) of normal organs and SUV max of the most FDG-avid lesions were measured for PET/MRI and PET/CT. Estimation of radiation exposure was calculated using specific age-related factors. Nine PET/MRI scans were performed in eight patients (mean age: 15.3 years). The mean time interval between PET/CT and PET/MRI was 51 ± 10 min. Both the PET/CT and PET/MRI exams had good image quality and alignment with complete (9/9) concordance in response assessment. The SUVs from PET/MRI and PET/CT were highly correlated for normal organs (SUV mean r 2 : 0.88, P<0.0001) and very highly for FDG-avid lesions (SUV max r 2 : 0.94, P=0.0002). PET/MRI demonstrated an average percent radiation exposure reduction of 39% ± 13% compared with PET/CT. Simultaneous whole-body PET/MRI is clinically feasible in pediatric lymphoma. PET/MRI performance is comparable to PET/CT for lesion detection and SUV measurements. Replacement of PET/CT with PET/MRI can significantly decrease radiation dose from diagnostic imaging in children. (orig.)

Nuclear aspects of diagnostics in RTO/RC ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, C.I.; Yamamoto, S.; Costley, A.; Kock, L. de; Ebisawa, K.; Janeschitz, G.; Khripunov, V.; Martin, E.; Vayakis, G.

2000-01-01

ITER (international thermonuclear experimental reactor) will be the first fusion device where the design of the plasma diagnostic systems will make extensive use of the materials and techniques developed in the nuclear technology field. The designs have to satisfy stringent requirements for tritium confinement, nuclear shielding and vacuum integrity. This paper introduces the requirements for diagnostics in the ITER long pulse, burning plasma environment, and addresses the impact of the reactor environment on the diagnostics and ancillary equipment. These systems necessarily require access to the plasma or first wall, which generally conflicts with the requirements of the basic machine. Holes are required through the first wall, primary shielding, containment boundaries and biological shielding. Components have a limited life and require maintenance. This paper describes the effect of the radiation environment on diagnostic design at different locations. Ex-vessel and in-vessel remote handling, hot cell refurbishment and tritium confinement are also described

Diagnostic performance of dual-staining cytology for cervical cancer screening: A systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Tjalma, Wiebren A A

2017-03-01

Cervical cancer screening saves lives. Secondary prevention in cervical cancer screening relies on the results of primary cytology and/or HPV testing. However, primary screening with cytology has a low sensitivity, and HPV screening has a low specificity. This means that either cancers are missed, or women are over-treated. To improve performance outcomes, the concept of dual-stain cytology (CINtec ® PLUS Cytology test) has been introduced. In this approach, additional staining with p16/Ki-67 is performed in cases where cytology results are abnormal (LSIL or ASCUS) and/or HPV-positive. Another way to describe this approach might be "diagnostic" cytology. In order to assess the value of this "diagnostic cytology", a systematic literature review was conducted of dual-stain cytology performance across multiple studies until May 2016. In a Belgian screening population (women age 25-65 years), dual-stain cytology was significantly more sensitive (66%) and slightly less specific (-1.0%) than cytology. In the population referred to colposcopy or with abnormal cytology (ASCUS, LSIL), dual-staining showed a significantly higher increase in specificity, and a slightly lower sensitivity than HPV testing. Specificity gains resulted in fewer false positives and an increase in the number of correct referrals to colposcopy. Dual-staining with p16/Ki-67 cytology is an attractive biomarker approach for triage in cervical cancer screening. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PET/CT diagnostic of colo-rectal cancers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Straciuc, O.

2012-01-01

Full text: Objective: Presenting the advantages of Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/ CT) examination, using the radiotracer fluorure 18-deoxyglucose (FDG) in colo-rectal cancer diagnostic. Basics of the method will be also presented. Introduction: FDG PET/CT is recognized as the most efficient diagnostic imaging weapon in colorectal cancer, enable too comprehend all the 3 targets needed for staging of colo-rectal cancers: 1)Detection and evaluation of primary tumor (T) and recurrence; 2) Lymphadenopathy (N); 3)Metastatic disease (M). Assessment of treatment response during and after therapy, follow up and radiotherapy planning are also indications for PET/CT. There are two essential advantages of the method: 1)The whole body examination; 2)The complementary morphological information offered by CT and functional information offered by PET. Material and methods: Study of a total of 394 patients diagnosed with colo-rectal cancer of the total of 4125 investigated by PET/CT in Diagnosztika Pozitron center of Oradea, between 01.06.2008 - 06.06.2012. All cases had documented preoperative or postoperative histopathologic evaluation. We used a Siemens Biograph 16 device and only FDG as radiotracer, injected intravenously at a dose of 0.1-0.15 mCi /kg. Standard protocol of examination was performed at 60 minutes after FDG injection. CT acquisition consists of 'low dose' from vertex to thighs, followed by PET acquisition in 7 to 8 beds. Results: We followed the performance of PET/CT diagnostic in staging and restaging of colorectal cancer compared with other imaging methods. 141 patients had negative examinations. 107 patients were diagnosed with locally recurrent lesions, lymphadenopathy and/ or metastases. Compared with the results of previous imaging new metabolically active lesions were detected in 87 patients by PET/CT and suspected lesions were denied in 48 patients. Significant clinically cases are presented. Conclusions: The data obtained by PET

Diagnostic performance of qualitative shear-wave elastography according to different color map opacities for breast masses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hana; Youk, Ji Hyun, E-mail: jhyouk@yuhs.ac; Gweon, Hye Mi; Kim, Jeong-Ah; Son, Eun Ju

2013-08-15

Purpose: To compare the diagnostic performance of qualitative shear-wave elastography (SWE) according to three different color map opacities for breast masses Materials and methods: 101 patients aged 21–77 years with 113 breast masses underwent B-mode US and SWE under three different color map opacities (50%, 19% and 100%) before biopsy or surgery. Following SWE features were reviewed: visual pattern classification (pattern 1–4), color homogeneity (E{sub homo}) and six-point color score of maximum elasticity (E{sub col}). Combined with B-mode US and SWE, the likelihood of malignancy (LOM) was also scored. The area under the curve (AUC) was obtained by ROC curve analysis to assess the diagnostic performance under each color opacity. Results: A visual color pattern, E{sub homo}, E{sub col} and LOM scoring were significantly different between benign and malignant lesions under all color opacities (P < 0.001). For 50% opacity, AUCs of visual color pattern, E{sub col}, E{sub homo} and LOM scoring were 0.902, 0.951, 0.835 and 0.975. But, for each SWE feature, there was no significant difference in the AUC among three different color opacities. For all color opacities, visual color pattern and E{sub col} showed significantly higher AUC than E{sub homo}. In addition, a combined set of B-mode US and SWE showed significantly higher AUC than SWE alone for color patterns, E{sub homo}, but no significant difference was found in E{sub col}. Conclusion: Qualitative SWE was useful to differentiate benign from malignant breast lesion under all color opacities. The difference in color map opacity did not significantly influence diagnostic performance of SWE.

Diagnostic performance of qualitative shear-wave elastography according to different color map opacities for breast masses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hana; Youk, Ji Hyun; Gweon, Hye Mi; Kim, Jeong-Ah; Son, Eun Ju

2013-01-01

Purpose: To compare the diagnostic performance of qualitative shear-wave elastography (SWE) according to three different color map opacities for breast masses Materials and methods: 101 patients aged 21–77 years with 113 breast masses underwent B-mode US and SWE under three different color map opacities (50%, 19% and 100%) before biopsy or surgery. Following SWE features were reviewed: visual pattern classification (pattern 1–4), color homogeneity (E homo ) and six-point color score of maximum elasticity (E col ). Combined with B-mode US and SWE, the likelihood of malignancy (LOM) was also scored. The area under the curve (AUC) was obtained by ROC curve analysis to assess the diagnostic performance under each color opacity. Results: A visual color pattern, E homo , E col and LOM scoring were significantly different between benign and malignant lesions under all color opacities (P < 0.001). For 50% opacity, AUCs of visual color pattern, E col , E homo and LOM scoring were 0.902, 0.951, 0.835 and 0.975. But, for each SWE feature, there was no significant difference in the AUC among three different color opacities. For all color opacities, visual color pattern and E col showed significantly higher AUC than E homo . In addition, a combined set of B-mode US and SWE showed significantly higher AUC than SWE alone for color patterns, E homo , but no significant difference was found in E col . Conclusion: Qualitative SWE was useful to differentiate benign from malignant breast lesion under all color opacities. The difference in color map opacity did not significantly influence diagnostic performance of SWE

An outline of possible pre-course diagnostics for differential calculus

OpenAIRE

Maharaj, Aneshkumar; Wagh, Vivek

2014-01-01

There is a view that many first-year students lack the basic knowledge and skills expected of them to study at university level. We examined the expected work habits and pre-course diagnostics for students who choose to take a course on differential calculus. We focused on the lecturer pre-course expectations of a student in the context of work habits, knowledge and technical skills. In particular, we formulated outcomes and then sample diagnostic questions to test whether the identified lear...

Diagnostics of peripheric plasma in thermonuclear devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vojtsenya, V.S.; Tereshin, V.I.

1986-01-01

Review of basic methods, applied or developed for peripheral plasma diagnostics is given, including electric probes of various types, collecting probes for studying impurity ion and main plasma component characteristics, spectroscopic and corpuscular-optical methods, laser fluorescence spectroscopy, mass-spectrometry, heavy ion and atom (lithium and hydrogen) beam methods. Ranges of plasma parameters their measurements being provided by the methods indicated are presented

Trends in Basic Mathematical Competencies of Beginning Undergraduates in Ireland, 2003-2013

Science.gov (United States)

Treacy, Páraic; Faulkner, Fiona

2015-01-01

Deficiencies in beginning undergraduate students' basic mathematical skills has been an issue of concern in higher education, particularly in the past 15 years. This issue has been tracked and analysed in a number of universities in Ireland and internationally through student scores recorded in mathematics diagnostic tests. Students beginning…

Comparative Evaluation of the Diagnostic Performance of the Prototype Cepheid GeneXpert Ebola Assay

Science.gov (United States)

Jansen van Vuren, Petrus; Grobbelaar, Antoinette; Storm, Nadia; Conteh, Ousman; Konneh, Kelfala; Kamara, Abdul; Sanne, Ian

2015-01-01

The Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa has highlighted an urgent need for point-of-care (POC) assays for the diagnosis of this devastating disease in resource-limited African countries. The diagnostic performance characteristics of a prototype Cepheid GeneXpert Ebola POC used to detect Ebola virus (EBOV) in stored serum and plasma samples collected from suspected EVD cases in Sierra Leone in 2014 and 2015 was evaluated. The GeneXpert Ebola POC is a self-contained single-cartridge automated system that targets the glycoprotein (GP) and nucleoprotein (NP) genes of EBOV and yields results within 90 min. Results from 281 patient samples were compared to the results of a TaqMan real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) targeting the polymerase gene and performed on two real-time PCR machines. Agreement between the three platforms was 100% at cycle threshold (CT) values of ≤34.99, but discordant results were noted between CT values of 35 and 45.The diagnostic sensitivity of the three platforms was 100% in 91 patient samples that were confirmed to be infectious by virus isolation. All three molecular platforms detected viral EBOV RNA in additional samples that did not contain viable EBOV. The analytical sensitivity of the GeneXpert Ebola POC for the detection of NP was higher, and comparable to that of polymerase gene detection, than that for the detection of GP when using a titrated laboratory stock of EBOV. There was no detectable cross-reactivity with other hemorrhagic fever viruses or arboviruses. The GeneXpert Ebola POC offers an easy to operate and sensitive diagnostic tool that can be used for the rapid screening of suspected EVD cases in treatment or in holding centers during EVD outbreaks. PMID:26637383

Dental and dental hygiene students' diagnostic accuracy in oral radiology: effect of diagnostic strategy and instructional method.

Science.gov (United States)

Baghdady, Mariam T; Carnahan, Heather; Lam, Ernest W N; Woods, Nicole N

2014-09-01

There has been much debate surrounding diagnostic strategies and the most appropriate training models for novices in oral radiology. It has been argued that an analytic approach, using a step-by-step analysis of the radiographic features of an abnormality, is ideal. Alternative research suggests that novices can successfully employ non-analytic reasoning. Many of these studies do not take instructional methodology into account. This study evaluated the effectiveness of non-analytic and analytic strategies in radiographic interpretation and explored the relationship between instructional methodology and diagnostic strategy. Second-year dental and dental hygiene students were taught four radiographic abnormalities using basic science instructions or a step-by-step algorithm. The students were tested on diagnostic accuracy and memory immediately after learning and one week later. A total of seventy-three students completed both immediate and delayed sessions and were included in the analysis. Students were randomly divided into two instructional conditions: one group provided a diagnostic hypothesis for the image and then identified specific features to support it, while the other group first identified features and then provided a diagnosis. Participants in the diagnosis-first condition (non-analytic reasoning) had higher diagnostic accuracy then those in the features-first condition (analytic reasoning), regardless of their learning condition. No main effect of learning condition or interaction with diagnostic strategy was observed. Educators should be mindful of the potential influence of analytic and non-analytic approaches on the effectiveness of the instructional method.

Methodology, models and algorithms in thermographic diagnostics

CERN Document Server

Živčák, Jozef; Madarász, Ladislav; Rudas, Imre J

2013-01-01

This book presents  the methodology and techniques of  thermographic applications with focus primarily on medical thermography implemented for parametrizing the diagnostics of the human body. The first part of the book describes the basics of infrared thermography, the possibilities of thermographic diagnostics and the physical nature of thermography. The second half includes tools of intelligent engineering applied for the solving of selected applications and projects. Thermographic diagnostics was applied to problematics of paraplegia and tetraplegia and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The results of the research activities were created with the cooperation of the four projects within the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic entitled Digital control of complex systems with two degrees of freedom, Progressive methods of education in the area of control and modeling of complex object oriented systems on aircraft turbocompressor engines, Center for research of control of te...

Applying Diagnostics to Enhance Cable System Reliability (Cable Diagnostic Focused Initiative, Phase II)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hartlein, Rick [Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC), Atlanta, GA (United States). National Electric Energy Testing, Research and Applications Center (NEETRAC); Hampton, Nigel [Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC), Atlanta, GA (United States). National Electric Energy Testing, Research and Applications Center (NEETRAC); Perkel, Josh [Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC), Atlanta, GA (United States). National Electric Energy Testing, Research and Applications Center (NEETRAC); Hernandez, JC [Univ. de Los Andes, Merida (Venezuela); Elledge, Stacy [Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC), Atlanta, GA (United States). National Electric Energy Testing, Research and Applications Center (NEETRAC); del Valle, Yamille [Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC), Atlanta, GA (United States). National Electric Energy Testing, Research and Applications Center (NEETRAC); Grimaldo, Jose [Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States). School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Deku, Kodzo [Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States). George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering

2016-02-01

The Cable Diagnostic Focused Initiative (CDFI) played a significant and powerful role in clarifying the concerns and understanding the benefits of performing diagnostic tests on underground power cable systems. This project focused on the medium and high voltage cable systems used in utility transmission and distribution (T&D) systems. While many of the analysis techniques and interpretations are applicable to diagnostics and cable systems outside of T&D, areas such as generating stations (nuclear, coal, wind, etc.) and other industrial environments were not the focus. Many large utilities in North America now deploy diagnostics or have changed their diagnostic testing approach as a result of this project. Previous to the CDFI, different diagnostic technology providers individually promoted their approach as the “the best” or “the only” means of detecting cable system defects.

Measurement of the performance characteristics of diagnostic X-ray systems used in medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-01-01

A booklet has been produced by the Diagnostic Radiology Topic Group of the Hospital Physicists' Association, providing the basis for exhaustive performance tests on X-ray image intensifier television systems. After a general introduction to the equipment, the parameters which may need to be assessed are outlined in section 1. The measurement techniques and equipment necessary to undertake the measurements are presented in section 2. Specimen data sheets are also presented which the user may find useful to record the data acquired in the field. (U.K.)

Diagnostic performance of fecal quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for detection of Lawsonia intracellularis–associated proliferative enteropathy in nursery pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Ken Steen; Stege, Helle; Jensen, Tim Kåre

2013-01-01

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) tests for detection and quantification of Lawsonia intracellularis in feces from pigs have been developed. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a fecal qPCR test for detection of nursery pigs with L. intrace......Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) tests for detection and quantification of Lawsonia intracellularis in feces from pigs have been developed. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a fecal qPCR test for detection of nursery pigs with L...

Validity of the ISUOG basic training test

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hillerup, Niels Emil; Tabor, Ann; Konge, Lars

2018-01-01

A certain level of theoretical knowledge is required when performing basic obstetrical and gynecological ultrasound. To assess the adequacy of trainees' basic theoretical knowledge, the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) has developed a theoretical test of 49...... Multiple Choice Questionnaire (MCQ) items for their basic training courses....

Exploring Undergraduates' Understanding of Photosynthesis Using Diagnostic Question Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Joyce M.; Anderson, Charles W.; Heidemann, Merle; Merrill, John; Merritt, Brett; Richmond, Gail; Urban-Lurain, Mark

2012-01-01

We present a diagnostic question cluster (DQC) that assesses undergraduates' thinking about photosynthesis. This assessment tool is not designed to identify individual misconceptions. Rather, it is focused on students' abilities to apply basic concepts about photosynthesis by reasoning with a coordinated set of practices based on a few scientific…

The Clinical Utility and Diagnostic Performance of MRI for Identification of Early and Advanced Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Quatman, Carmen E.; Hettrich, Carolyn M.; Schmitt, Laura C.; Spindler, Kurt P.

2013-01-01

Background Current diagnostic strategies for detection of structural articular cartilage abnormalities, the earliest structural signs of osteoarthritis, often do not capture the condition until it is too far advanced for the most potential benefit of non-invasive interventions. Purpose Systematically review the literature relative to the following questions: (1) Is MRI a valid, sensitive, specific, accurate and reliable instrument to identify knee articular cartilage abnormalities compared to arthroscopy? (2) Is MRI a sensitive tool that can be utilized to identify early cartilage degeneration? Study Design Systematic Review Methods A systematic search was performed in November 2010 using PubMed MEDLINE (from 1966), CINAHL (from 1982), SPORTDiscus (from 1985), and SCOPUS (from 1996) databases. Results Fourteen level I and 13 level II studies were identified that met inclusion criteria and provided information related to diagnostic performance of MRI compared to arthroscopic evaluation. The diagnostic performance of MRI demonstrated a large range of sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies. The sensitivity for identifying articular cartilage abnormalities in the knee joint was reported between 26–96%. Specificity and accuracy was reported between 50–100% and 49–94%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for identifying early osteoarthritis were reported between 0–86%, 48–95%, and 5–94%, respectively. As a result of inconsistencies between imaging techniques and methodological shortcomings of many of the studies, a meta-analysis was not performed and it was difficult to fully synthesize the information to state firm conclusions about the diagnostic performance of MRI. Conclusions There is evidence in some MRI protocols that MRI is a relatively valid, sensitive, specific, accurate, and reliable clinical tool for identifying articular cartilage degeneration. Due to heterogeneity of MRI sequences it is not possible to make definitive

Ground and excited state properties of high performance anthocyanidin dyes-sensitized solar cells in the basic solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prima, Eka Cahya [Advanced Functional Material Laboratory, Engineering Physics, Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia); Computational Material Design and Quantum Engineering Laboratory, Engineering Physics, Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia); International Program on Science Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (Indonesia); Yuliarto, Brian; Suyatman, E-mail: yatman@tf.itb.ac.id [Advanced Functional Material Laboratory, Engineering Physics, Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia); Dipojono, Hermawan Kresno [Computational Material Design and Quantum Engineering Laboratory, Engineering Physics, Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia)

2015-09-30

The aglycones of anthocyanidin dyes were previously reported to form carbinol pseudobase, cis-chalcone, and trans-chalcone due to the basic levels. The further investigations of ground and excited state properties of the dyes were characterized using density functional theory with PCM(UFF)/B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level in the basic solutions. However, to the best of our knowledge, the theoretical investigation of their potential photosensitizers has never been reported before. In this paper, the theoretical photovoltaic properties sensitized by dyes have been successfully investigated including the electron injections, the ground and excited state oxidation potentials, the estimated open circuit voltages, and the light harvesting efficiencies. The results prove that the electronic properties represented by dyes’ LUMO-HOMO levels will affect to the photovoltaic performances. Cis-chalcone dye is the best anthocyanidin aglycone dye with the electron injection spontaneity of −1.208 eV, the theoretical open circuit voltage of 1.781 V, and light harvesting efficiency of 56.55% due to the best HOMO-LUMO levels. Moreover, the ethanol solvent slightly contributes to the better cell performance than the water solvent dye because of the better oxidation potential stabilization in the ground state as well as in the excited state. These results are in good agreement with the known experimental report that the aglycones of anthocyanidin dyes in basic solvent are the high potential photosensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cell.

Diagnostic utility of Montreal Cognitive Assessment in the Fifth Edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: major and mild neurocognitive disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Liew, Tau Ming; Feng, Lei; Gao, Qi; Ng, Tze Pin; Yap, Philip

2015-02-01

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) is a screening tool for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. The new criteria for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-5) mild neurocognitive disorder (NCD) define participants with cognitive decline but no dementia, and major NCD (dementia). We explored the usefulness of MOCA to detect major and mild NCD. Cross-sectional test research. Tertiary hospital memory clinic and community-based Singapore Longitudinal Aging Study (SLAS). Participants with questionable dementia (clinical dementia rating, CDR = 0.5) and early dementia (CDR ≤1) over a period of 1 year were identified from the memory clinic registry. The patient records were reviewed and the diagnostic labels of major and mild NCD were applied accordingly. Healthy controls (HC) (CDR = 0, Mini-Mental State Examination >26) were recruited from the on-going SLAS. Major and mild NCD were diagnosed based on medical history, clinical examination, basic and instrumental activities of daily living, locally validated bedside cognitive tests (Mini-Mental State Examination, Frontal Assessment Battery, and Clock Drawing Test), relevant laboratory investigations and standardized neuropsychological assessment. Two hundred fifty-one participants were included (41 mild NCD, 64 major NCD, 146 HC). On receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the diagnostic performance by area under the curve (AUC) for MOCA was 0.99 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98-1.0] for major NCD and 0.77 (95% CI 0.67-0.86) for mild NCD. For diagnosis of mild NCD, MOCA performed better in those with lower education (primary and below) (AUC 0.90) compared with those with secondary education and beyond (AUC 0.66). MOCA has high diagnostic utility for major NCD but its usefulness in detecting mild NCD is more modest. Possible reasons include greater heterogeneity in participants with mild NCD and how "quantified clinical assessment" in the DSM-5 mild NCD criteria

Diagnostic performance of indirect MR arthrography for the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears at 3.0 T.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ji Hyun; Yoon, Young Cheol; Jee, Sukkyung

2015-06-01

Indirect magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography is a non-invasive method for shoulder imaging. However, there are no studies that have examined the diagnostic performance of indirect MR arthrography for the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears in a large patient population. To assess the diagnostic performance of indirect fast spin-echo (FSE) MR arthrography for the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears at 3.0 T. A total of 149 patients who had undergone indirect shoulder MR arthrography followed by arthroscopic surgery were enrolled in this retrospective study. Two musculoskeletal radiologists evaluated images from each patient for the presence of supraspinatus-infraspinatus (SSP-ISP) or subscapularis (SSC) tendon tears. Using the arthroscopic findings as the reference standard, the overall diagnostic performance and detection rates for SSP-ISP and SSC tendon tears were calculated. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of readers I and II for the diagnosis of SSP-ISP tendon tears were 94% and 95%, 89% and 85%, and 93% and 93%, respectively. The sensitivity of imaging for detection of SSP-ISP tendon tears by readers I and II were 100% and 100% for full-thickness tears and 84% and 86% for partial-thickness tears, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of readers I and II for the diagnosis of SSC tendon tears were 80% and 76%, 89% and 93%, and 85% and 85%, respectively. Indirect MR arthrography is useful for the detection of SSP-ISP and SSC tendon tears. © The Foundation Acta Radiologica 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Performance of a real-time PCR assay in routine bovine mastitis diagnostics compared with in-depth conventional culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiitiö, Heidi; Riva, Rauna; Autio, Tiina; Pohjanvirta, Tarja; Holopainen, Jani; Pyörälä, Satu; Pelkonen, Sinikka

2015-05-01

Reliable identification of the aetiological agent is crucial in mastitis diagnostics. Real-time PCR is a fast, automated tool for detecting the most common udder pathogens directly from milk. In this study aseptically taken quarter milk samples were analysed with a real-time PCR assay (Thermo Scientific PathoProof Mastitis Complete-12 Kit, Thermo Fisher Scientific Ltd.) and by semi-quantitative, in-depth bacteriological culture (BC). The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the real-time PCR assay in routine use. A total of 294 quarter milk samples from routine mastitis cases were cultured in the national reference laboratory of Finland and examined with real-time PCR. With BC, 251 out of 294 (85.7%) of the milk samples had at least one colony on the plate and 38 samples were considered contaminated. In the PCR mastitis assay, DNA of target species was amplified in 244 samples out of 294 (83.0%). The most common bacterial species detected in the samples, irrespective of the diagnostic method, was the coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) group (later referred as Staphylococcus spp.) followed by Staphylococcus aureus. Sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) for the PCR assay to provide a positive Staph. aureus result was 97.0 and 95.8% compared with BC. For Staphylococcus spp., the corresponding figures were 86.7 and 75.4%. Our results imply that PCR performed well as a diagnostic tool to detect Staph. aureus but may be too nonspecific for Staphylococcus spp. in routine use with the current cut-off Ct value (37.0). Using PCR as the only microbiological method for mastitis diagnostics, clinical relevance of the results should be carefully considered before further decisions, for instance antimicrobial treatment, especially when minor pathogens with low amount of DNA have been detected. Introducing the concept of contaminated samples should also be considered.

Comparison of the diagnostic performance of digital breast tomosynthesis and magnetic resonance imaging added to digital mammography in women with known breast cancers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Won Hwa; Chang, Jung Min; Moon, Woo Kyung [Seoul National University Hospital, Department of Radiology, 101 Daehangno, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Moon, Hyeong-Gon [Seoul National University Hospital, Department of Surgery, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yi, Ann [Seoul National University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Gangnan Healthcare Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Koo, Hye Ryoung [Hanyang University College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Gweon, Hye Mi [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-06-15

To compare the diagnostic performance of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) added to mammography in women with known breast cancers. Three radiologists independently reviewed image sets of 172 patients with 184 cancers; mammography alone, DBT plus mammography and MRI plus mammography, and scored for cancer probability using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). Jack-knife alternative free-response receiver-operating characteristic (JAFROC), which allows diagnostic performance estimation using single lesion as a statistical unit in a cancer-only population, was used. Sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) were compared using the McNemar and Fisher-exact tests. The JAFROC figures of merit (FOMs) was lower in DBT plus mammography (0.937) than MRI plus mammography (0.978, P = 0.0006) but higher than mammography alone (0.900, P = 0.0013). The sensitivity was lower in DBT plus mammography (88.2 %) than MRI plus mammography (97.8 %) but higher than mammography alone (78.3 %, both P < 0.0001). The PPV was significantly higher in DBT plus mammography (93.3 %) than MRI plus mammography (89.6 %, P = 0.0282). DBT provided lower diagnostic performance than MRI as an adjunctive imaging to mammography. However, DBT had higher diagnostic performance than mammography and higher PPV than MRI. (orig.)

Comparison of the diagnostic performance of digital breast tomosynthesis and magnetic resonance imaging added to digital mammography in women with known breast cancers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Won Hwa; Chang, Jung Min; Moon, Woo Kyung; Moon, Hyeong-Gon; Yi, Ann; Koo, Hye Ryoung; Gweon, Hye Mi

2016-01-01

To compare the diagnostic performance of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) added to mammography in women with known breast cancers. Three radiologists independently reviewed image sets of 172 patients with 184 cancers; mammography alone, DBT plus mammography and MRI plus mammography, and scored for cancer probability using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). Jack-knife alternative free-response receiver-operating characteristic (JAFROC), which allows diagnostic performance estimation using single lesion as a statistical unit in a cancer-only population, was used. Sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) were compared using the McNemar and Fisher-exact tests. The JAFROC figures of merit (FOMs) was lower in DBT plus mammography (0.937) than MRI plus mammography (0.978, P = 0.0006) but higher than mammography alone (0.900, P = 0.0013). The sensitivity was lower in DBT plus mammography (88.2 %) than MRI plus mammography (97.8 %) but higher than mammography alone (78.3 %, both P < 0.0001). The PPV was significantly higher in DBT plus mammography (93.3 %) than MRI plus mammography (89.6 %, P = 0.0282). DBT provided lower diagnostic performance than MRI as an adjunctive imaging to mammography. However, DBT had higher diagnostic performance than mammography and higher PPV than MRI. (orig.)

[Treatment of Hallux Valgus: Current Diagnostic Testing and Surgical Treatment Performed by German Foot and Ankle Surgeons].

Science.gov (United States)

Arbab, Dariusch; Schneider, Lisa-Maria; Schnurr, Christoph; Bouillon, Bertil; Eysel, Peer; König, Dietmar Pierre

2018-04-01

Hallux valgus is one of the most prevalent foot deformities, and surgical treatment of Hallux valgus is one of the most common procedures in foot and ankle surgery. Diagnostic and treatment standards show large variation despite medical guidelines and national foot and ankle societies. The aim of this nationwide survey is a description of the current status of diagnostics and therapy of Hallux valgus in Germany. A nationwide online questionnaire survey was sent to two German foot and ankle societies. The participants were asked to answer a questionnaire of 53 questions with four subgroups (general, diagnostics, operation, preoperative management). Surgical treatment for three clinical cases demonstrating a mild, moderate and severe Hallux valgus deformity was inquired. 427 foot and ankle surgeons answered the questionnaire. 388 participants were certified foot and ankle surgeons from one or both foot and ankle societies. Medical history (78%), preoperative radiographs (100%) and preoperative radiographic management (78%) are of high or very high importance for surgical decision pathway. Outcome scores are used by less than 20% regularly. Open surgery is still the gold standard, whereas minimally invasive surgery is performed by only 7%. Our survey showed that diagnostic standards are met regularly. There is a wide variation in the type of procedures used to treat Hallux valgus deformity. TMT I arthrodesis is preferred in severe Hallux valgus, but also used to treat moderate and mild deformities. Minimally invasive surgery is still used by a minority of surgeons. It remains to be seen, to what extent minimally invasive surgery will be performed in the future. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

SU-F-E-01: Pitfalls: Reliability and Performance of Diagnostic X-Sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Behling, R [Philips Medical Systems DMC GmbHHamburg (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Performance and reliability of medical X-ray tubes for imaging are crucial from an ethical, clinical and economic perspective. This lecture will deliver insight into the aspects to consider during the decision making process to invest in X-ray imaging equipment. Outdated metric still hampers realistic product comparison. It is time to change this and to comply with latest standards, which consider current technology. Failure modes and ways to avoid down-time of the equipment shall be discussed. In view of the increasing number of interventional procedures and the hazards associated with ionizing radiation, toxic contrast agents, and the combination thereof, the aspect of system reliability is of paramount importance. Methods: A comprehensive picture of trends for different modalities (CT, angiography, general radiology) has been drawn and led to the development of novel X-ray tube technology. Results: Recent X-ray tubes feature enhanced reliability and unprecedented performance. Relevant metrics for product comparison still have to be implemented in practice. Conclusion: The speed of scientific and industrial development of new diagnostic and therapeutic X-ray sources remains tremendous. Still, users suffer from gaps between desire and reality in day-to-day diagnostic routine. X-ray sources are still limiting cutting-edge medical procedures. Side-effects of wear and tear, limitations of the clinical work flow, costs, the characteristics of the X-ray spectrum and others topics need to be further addressed. New applications and modalities, like detection-based color-resolved X-ray and phase-contrast / dark-field imaging will impact the course of new developments of X-ray sources. The author is employee of Royal Philips.

SU-F-E-01: Pitfalls: Reliability and Performance of Diagnostic X-Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behling, R

2016-01-01

Purpose: Performance and reliability of medical X-ray tubes for imaging are crucial from an ethical, clinical and economic perspective. This lecture will deliver insight into the aspects to consider during the decision making process to invest in X-ray imaging equipment. Outdated metric still hampers realistic product comparison. It is time to change this and to comply with latest standards, which consider current technology. Failure modes and ways to avoid down-time of the equipment shall be discussed. In view of the increasing number of interventional procedures and the hazards associated with ionizing radiation, toxic contrast agents, and the combination thereof, the aspect of system reliability is of paramount importance. Methods: A comprehensive picture of trends for different modalities (CT, angiography, general radiology) has been drawn and led to the development of novel X-ray tube technology. Results: Recent X-ray tubes feature enhanced reliability and unprecedented performance. Relevant metrics for product comparison still have to be implemented in practice. Conclusion: The speed of scientific and industrial development of new diagnostic and therapeutic X-ray sources remains tremendous. Still, users suffer from gaps between desire and reality in day-to-day diagnostic routine. X-ray sources are still limiting cutting-edge medical procedures. Side-effects of wear and tear, limitations of the clinical work flow, costs, the characteristics of the X-ray spectrum and others topics need to be further addressed. New applications and modalities, like detection-based color-resolved X-ray and phase-contrast / dark-field imaging will impact the course of new developments of X-ray sources. The author is employee of Royal Philips

An outline of possible pre-course diagnostics for differential calculus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aneshkumar Maharaj

2014-07-01

Full Text Available There is a view that many first-year students lack the basic knowledge and skills expected of them to study at university level. We examined the expected work habits and pre-course diagnostics for students who choose to take a course on differential calculus. We focused on the lecturer pre-course expectations of a student in the context of work habits, knowledge and technical skills. In particular, we formulated outcomes and then sample diagnostic questions to test whether the identified learning outcomes on expected work habits and learning are in place. If students are made aware of the expected learning outcomes and if they take the diagnostic test, they should be able to achieve greater success in their studies. The validity of this assumption will be the subject of a future paper which will report on the implementation of the learning outcomes and diagnostic questions that we formulated for pre-course diagnostics in differential calculus.

Emergency CT brain: preliminary interpretation with a tablet device: image quality and diagnostic performance of the Apple iPad.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Mc Laughlin, Patrick

2012-04-01

Tablet devices have recently been used in radiological image interpretation because they have a display resolution comparable to desktop LCD monitors. We identified a need to examine tablet display performance prior to their use in preliminary interpretation of radiological images. We compared the spatial and contrast resolution of a commercially available tablet display with a diagnostic grade 2 megapixel monochrome LCD using a contrast detail phantom. We also recorded reporting discrepancies, using the ACR RADPEER system, between preliminary interpretation of 100 emergency CT brain examinations on the tablet display and formal review on a diagnostic LCD. The iPad display performed inferiorly to the diagnostic monochrome display without the ability to zoom. When the software zoom function was enabled on the tablet device, comparable contrast detail phantom scores of 163 vs 165 points were achieved. No reporting discrepancies were encountered during the interpretation of 43 normal examinations and five cases of acute intracranial hemorrhage. There were seven RADPEER2 (understandable) misses when using the iPad display and 12 with the diagnostic LCD. Use of software zoom in the tablet device improved its contrast detail phantom score. The tablet allowed satisfactory identification of acute CT brain findings, but additional research will be required to examine the cause of "understandable" reporting discrepancies that occur when using tablet devices.

Diagnostic performance of a Lattice Boltzmann-based method for CT-based fractional flow reserve.

Science.gov (United States)

Giannopoulos, Andreas A; Tang, Anji; Ge, Yin; Cheezum, Michael K; Steigner, Michael L; Fujimoto, Shinichiro; Kumamaru, Kanako K; Chiappino, Dante; Della Latta, Daniele; Berti, Sergio; Chiappino, Sara; Rybicki, Frank J; Melchionna, Simone; Mitsouras, Dimitrios

2018-02-20

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) estimated from coronary computed tomography angiography (CT-FFR) offers non-invasive detection of lesion-specific ischaemia. We aimed to develop and validate a fast CT-FFR algorithm utilising the Lattice Boltzmann method for blood flow simulation (LBM CT-FFR). Sixty-four patients with clinically indicated CTA and invasive FFR measurement from three institutions were retrospectively analysed. CT-FFR was performed using an onsite tool interfacing with a commercial Lattice Boltzmann fluid dynamics cloud-based platform. Diagnostic accuracy of LBM CT-FFR ≤0.8 and percent diameter stenosis >50% by CTA to detect invasive FFR ≤0.8 were compared using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Sixty patients successfully underwent LBM CT-FFR analysis; 29 of 73 lesions in 69 vessels had invasive FFR ≤0.8. Total time to perform LBM CT-FFR was 40±10 min. Compared to invasive FFR, LBM CT-FFR had good correlation (r=0.64), small bias (0.009) and good limits of agreement (-0.223 to 0.206). The AUC of LBM CT-FFR (AUC=0.894, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.792-0.996) was significantly higher than CTA (AUC=0.685, 95% CI: 0.576-0.794) to detect FFR ≤0.8 (p=0.0021). Per-lesion specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy of LBM CT-FFR were 97.7%, 79.3%, and 90.4%, respectively. LBM CT-FFR has very good diagnostic accuracy to detect lesion-specific ischaemia (FFR ≤0.8) and can be performed in less than one hour.

Use of proficiency samples to assess diagnostic laboratories in France performing a Trichinella digestion assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Vallée, Isabelle; Macé, Pauline; Forbes, Lorry; Scandrett, Brad; Durand, Benoit; Gajadhar, Alvin; Boireau, Pascal

2007-07-01

Routine diagnosis of animal trichinellosis for food safety and trade relies on a method of artificial digestion to free Trichinella muscle larvae from meat for subsequent identification by microscopy. As part of a quality control system, the French National Reference Laboratory (NRL) initiated ring trials to determine the sensitivity of the test performed in the 72 routine diagnostic laboratories in France. A method was devised to obtain calibrated meat samples containing known numbers of capsules with Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae. This method was based on an incomplete artificial digestion of Trichinella-infected mice carcasses to allow the collection of intact Trichinella capsules. Capsules were placed into a meatball of 100 +/- 2 g of pork and horsemeat to produce proficiency samples. Three categories of samples were prepared: small (3 to 5 capsules), medium (7 to 10), and large (12 to 15). The sensitivity was expressed as the percentage of muscle larvae recovered from each proficiency sample. Reproducibility was tested with ring trials organized between two NRLs (France and Canada), and a reference sensitivity of 84.9% was established. National ring trials were then organized in France, with the 72 routine diagnostic laboratories each receiving four proficiency samples per session. After five sessions, an improvement in the digest test sensitivity was observed. Results at the fifth session indicated sensitivities of 78.60% +/- 23.70%, 81.19% +/- 19.59%, and 80.52% +/- 14.71% muscle larvae for small, medium, and large samples, respectively. This study supports the use of proficiency samples to accurately evaluate the performance of routine diagnostic laboratories that conduct digestion tests for animal trichinellosis diagnosis.

Effect of breast cancer phenotype on diagnostic performance of MRI in the prediction to response to neoadjuvant treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bufi, Enida, E-mail: reagandus@alice.it [Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Catholic University, Rome (Italy); Belli, Paolo; Di Matteo, Marialuisa [Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Catholic University, Rome (Italy); Terribile, Daniela; Franceschini, Gianluca [Department of Surgery, Breast Unit, Catholic University, Rome (Italy); Nardone, Luigia [Department of Radiotherapy, Catholic University, Rome (Italy); Petrone, Gianluigi [Department of Pathology, Catholic University, Rome (Italy); Bonomo, Lorenzo [Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Catholic University, Rome (Italy)

2014-09-15

Aim: The estimation of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is useful in the surgical decision in breast cancer. We addressed the diagnostic reliability of conventional MRI, of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and of a merged criterion coupling morphological MRI and DWI. Diagnostic performance was analysed separately in different tumor subtypes, including HER2+ (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2)/HR+ (hormone receptor) (hybrid phenotype). Materials and methods: Two-hundred and twenty-five patients underwent MRI before and after NAC. The response to treatment was defined according to the RECIST classification and the evaluation of DWI with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). The complete pathological response – pCR was assessed (Mandard classification). Results: Tumor phenotypes were Luminal (63.6%), Triple Negative (16.4%), HER2+ (7.6%) or Hybrid (12.4%). After NAC, pCR was observed in 17.3% of cases. Average ADC was statistically higher after NAC (p < 0.001) among patients showing pCR vs. those who had not pCR. The RECIST classification showed adequate performance in predicting the pCR in Triple Negative (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, ROC AUC = 0.9) and in the HER2+ subgroup (AUC = 0.826). Lower performance was found in the Luminal and Hybrid subgroups (AUC 0.693 and 0.611, respectively), where the ADC criterion yielded an improved performance (AUC = 0.787 and 0.722). The coupling of morphological and DWI criteria yielded maximally improved performance in the Luminal and Hybrid subgroups (AUC = 0.797 and 0.761). Conclusion: The diagnostic reliability of MRI in predicting the pCR to NAC depends on the tumor phenotype, particularly in the Luminal and Hybrid subgroups. In these cases, the coupling of morphological MRI evaluation and DWI assessment may facilitate the diagnosis.

Radiological protection and quality control for diagnostic radiology in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baorong, Yue

2008-01-01

Full text: There are 43,000 diagnostic departments, nearly 70,000 X-ray diagnostic facilities, 7,000 CT, 250 million for the annual total numbers of X-ray examinations, 120,000 occupationally exposed workers in diagnostic radiology. 'Basic standards for protection against ionizing radiation and for the safety of radiation sources' is promulgated on October, 2002. This basic standard follows the BSS. 'Rule on the administration of radio-diagnosis and radiotherapy', as a order of the Ministry of Health No. 46, is promulgated by Minister of Health on January 24, 2006. It includes general provisions, requirements and practice, establishment and approval of radio-diagnosis and radiotherapy services, safeguards and quality assurance, and so on. There are a series of radiological protection standards and quality control standards in diagnostic radiology, including 'radiological protection standard for the examination in X-ray diagnosis', 'radiological health protection standards for X-ray examination of child-bearing age women and pregnant women', 'radiological protection standards for the children in X-ray diagnosis', 'standards for radiological protection in medical X-ray diagnosis', 'specification for radiological protection monitoring in medical X-ray diagnosis', 'guide for reasonable application of medical X-ray diagnosis', 'general aspects for quality assurance in medical X-ray image of diagnosis', 'specification of image quality control test for the medical X-ray diagnostic equipment', 'specification of image quality assurance test for X-ray equipment for computed tomography', 'specification for testing of quality control in computed radiography (CR)' and 'specification for testing of quality control in X-ray mammography'. With the X-ray diagnostic equipment, there are acceptant tests, status tests and routing tests in large hospitals. It is poor for routing test in middle and smaller hospitals. CT is used widely in diagnostic radiology, however most workers in CT

Comparison of SPECT/CT and MRI in diagnosing symptomatic lesions in ankle and foot pain patients: diagnostic performance and relation to lesion type.

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, Seunggyun; Hong, Sung Hwan; Paeng, Jin Chul; Lee, Dong Yeon; Cheon, Gi Jeong; Arya, Amitabh; Chung, June-Key; Lee, Dong Soo; Kang, Keon Wook

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of SPECT/CT and MRI in patients with ankle and foot pain, with regard to the lesion types. Fifty consecutive patients with ankle and foot pain, who underwent 99mTc-MDP SPECT/CT and MRI, were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Symptomatic lesions were determined based on clinical examination and response to treatment. On MRI and SPECT/CT, detected lesions were classified as bone, ligament/tendon, and joint lesions. Uptake on SPECT/CT was assessed using a 4-grade system. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of SPECT/CT and MRI were evaluated in all detected lesions and each lesion type. Diagnostic value of uptake grade was analyzed using receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis, and diagnostic performance was compared using Chi-square or McNemar tests. In overall lesions, the sensitivity, PPV and NPV of SPECT/CT for symptomatic lesions were 93%, 56%, 91%, and they were 98%, 48%, 95% for MRI. There was no significant difference between SPECT/CT and MRI. However, the specificity of SPECT/CT was significantly higher than that of MRI (48% versus 24%, P = 0.016). Uptake grade on SPECT/CT was significantly higher in symptomatic lesions (P diagnostic performance for symptomatic lesions in ankle and foot pain patients. SPECT/CT and MRI exhibit different diagnostic specificity in different lesion types. SPECT/CT may be used as a complementary imaging method to MRI for enhancing diagnostic specificity.

Diagnostic performance of stress myocardial perfusion imaging for coronary artery disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jong, Marcus C. de; Genders, Tessa S.S.; Geuns, Robert-Jan van; Moelker, Adriaan; Hunink, M.G.M.

2012-01-01

To determine and compare the diagnostic performance of stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) for the diagnosis of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), using conventional coronary angiography (CCA) as the reference standard. We searched Medline and Embase for literature that evaluated stress MPI for the diagnosis of obstructive CAD using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), contrast-enhanced echocardiography (ECHO), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET). All pooled analyses were based on random effects models. Articles on MRI yielded a total of 2,970 patients from 28 studies, articles on ECHO yielded a sample size of 795 from 10 studies, articles on SPECT yielded 1,323 from 13 studies. For CAD defined as either at least 50 %, at least 70 % or at least 75 % lumen diameter reduction on CCA, the natural logarithms of the diagnostic odds ratio (lnDOR) for MRI (3.63; 95 % CI 3.26-4.00) was significantly higher compared to that of SPECT (2.76; 95 % CI 2.28-3.25; P = 0.006) and that of ECHO (2.83; 95 % CI 2.29-3.37; P = 0.02). There was no significant difference between the lnDOR of SPECT and ECHO (P = 0.52). Our results suggest that MRI is superior for the diagnosis of obstructive CAD compared with ECHO and SPECT. ECHO and SPECT demonstrated similar diagnostic performance. (orig.)

Diagnostic performance of tumor markers AFP and PIVKA-II in Chinese hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shujing; Jiang, Feifei; Wang, Ying; Yu, Yanhua; Ren, Siqian; Wang, Xiaowei; Yin, Peng; Lou, Jinli

2017-06-01

Alpha-fetoprotein is an effective biomarker as an aid in hepatocellular carcinoma detection in many countries. However, alpha-fetoprotein has its limitations, especially in early hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis. Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II is another biomarker that is used for hepatocellular carcinoma detection. The aim of this study is to compare the diagnostic performance of alpha-fetoprotein and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II alone and in combination to explore improving biomarker performance as an aid in early hepatocellular carcinoma detection. In this study a total of 582 serum samples including 132 hepatocellular carcinoma patients, 250 non-hepatocellular carcinoma patients, and 200 healthy volunteers were collected. Alpha-fetoprotein and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II levels were measured by both chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay on LUMIPULSE platform and by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay on ARCHITECT platform. Receiver operation characteristic curve analyses were performed for each biomarker and in combination. The results showed that Alpha-fetoprotein and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II in combination have shown higher area under the curve compared to alpha-fetoprotein alone for diagnosis in whole patients (0.906 vs 0.870) in hepatocellular carcinoma early-stage patients (0.809 vs 0.77) and in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma patients (0.851 vs 0.788) with ARCHITECT platform. Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II showed higher area under the curve than alpha-fetoprotein for diagnosis of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma patients (0.901 vs 0.788).We conclude that Combining alpha-fetoprotein and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II may improve the diagnostic value for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma. Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II performs better

Engineering activities on the ITER representative diagnostic equatorial port plug

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meunier, L.; Doceul, L.; Salasca, S.; Martins, J.-P.; Jullien, F.; Dechelle, Christian; Bidaud, Pierre; Pilard, Vincent; Terra, Alexis; Ogea, Mathieu; Ciattaglia, Emanuela; Walker, Christopher

2009-01-01

Most of ITER diagnostic systems are integrated in port plugs, which are water cooled stainless steel structures inserted into the vacuum vessel ports. The port plug must provide basic functions such as neutron and gamma shielding, supporting the first wall armour (BSM), closing the vacuum vessel ports, while supporting the diagnostic equipments. ITER diagnostic port plug must resist a severe environment like high temperature due to neutron interaction with the structures and high electromechanical loading during disruptions events. CEA has contributed to the design and integration tasks in the frame of the representative equatorial port plug EQ no. 01, in particular on the engineering, structural and thermal finite element analysis. These detailed analyses have highlighted some design issues which were worked out through different solutions. This paper contains a description of the engineering activities performed such as: -The static mechanical calculations of the top plate closure system under disruption load. -The static mechanical calculations of the BSM attachment to the port plug. These two first studies led to design changes proposals which significantly improved the behaviour of the structures but also showed that the safety margin with respect to design limits is quite low. -The design of a Diagnostic Shield Module (DSM) integrated inside the port plug and a proposition of attachment scheme, with respect to disruption loads. The manufacturing of the DSM has been taken into account, as well as diagnostic integration inside the structure and maintenance aspects. -The thermal assessment of the port plug under neutronic load during normal operation, with the optimization of the cooling system. The maximum temperature calculated in normal operation has been reduced from 900 deg. C to less than 400 deg. C in the front plate; and the cooling arrangement at the back of the port plug has been simplified without important temperature increase.

Engineering activities on the ITER representative diagnostic equatorial port plug

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meunier, L. [Association Euratom CEA, CEA/DSM/IRFM (France)], E-mail: lmeunier@cea.fr; Doceul, L.; Salasca, S.; Martins, J.-P.; Jullien, F.; Dechelle, Christian; Bidaud, Pierre; Pilard, Vincent; Terra, Alexis; Ogea, Mathieu [Association Euratom CEA, CEA/DSM/IRFM (France); Ciattaglia, Emanuela [EFDA CSU, Garching (Germany); Walker, Christopher [ITER International Organisation (France)

2009-06-15

Most of ITER diagnostic systems are integrated in port plugs, which are water cooled stainless steel structures inserted into the vacuum vessel ports. The port plug must provide basic functions such as neutron and gamma shielding, supporting the first wall armour (BSM), closing the vacuum vessel ports, while supporting the diagnostic equipments. ITER diagnostic port plug must resist a severe environment like high temperature due to neutron interaction with the structures and high electromechanical loading during disruptions events. CEA has contributed to the design and integration tasks in the frame of the representative equatorial port plug EQ no. 01, in particular on the engineering, structural and thermal finite element analysis. These detailed analyses have highlighted some design issues which were worked out through different solutions. This paper contains a description of the engineering activities performed such as: -The static mechanical calculations of the top plate closure system under disruption load. -The static mechanical calculations of the BSM attachment to the port plug. These two first studies led to design changes proposals which significantly improved the behaviour of the structures but also showed that the safety margin with respect to design limits is quite low. -The design of a Diagnostic Shield Module (DSM) integrated inside the port plug and a proposition of attachment scheme, with respect to disruption loads. The manufacturing of the DSM has been taken into account, as well as diagnostic integration inside the structure and maintenance aspects. -The thermal assessment of the port plug under neutronic load during normal operation, with the optimization of the cooling system. The maximum temperature calculated in normal operation has been reduced from 900 deg. C to less than 400 deg. C in the front plate; and the cooling arrangement at the back of the port plug has been simplified without important temperature increase.

Chest radiography with a shaped filter has no diagnostic advantage: Demonstration by observer performance tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guilbeau, J.C.; Mazoyer, B.; Pruvost, P.; Verrey, B.; Grenier, P.

1987-01-01

The effectiveness of a shaped filter in improving the detection of mediastinal and retrocardiac abnormalities on 140-kV posteroanterior chest radiographs was measured by observer performance testing. The filtered and unfiltered radiographs of 50 patients were randomly selected from 1,000 radiographs obtained from 500 ambulatory or hospitalized patients and were independently read by five observers. Observer performance in detecting abnormalities in the central area was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) techniques. The results indicate that the use of a filter has no significant diagnostic advantage, regardless of type or location of lesions over the mediastinum and the retrocardiac areas

Magnetic resonance imaging-detected extramural venous invasion in rectal cancer before and after preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Diagnostic performance and prognostic significance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Eun Sun [Chung-Ang University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Chung-Ang University, College of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); National Cancer Centre, Department of Radiology, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Min Ju; Hur, Bo Yun [National Cancer Centre, Department of Radiology, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Park, Sung Chan; Hyun, Jong Hee; Chang, Hee Jin; Baek, Ji Yeon; Kim, Dae Yong; Oh, Jae Hwan [National Cancer Centre, Centre for Colorectal Cancer, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Sun Young [National Cancer Centre, Centre for Colorectal Cancer, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of); University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Centre, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2018-02-15

We evaluated the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in terms of identifying extramural venous invasion (EMVI) in rectal cancer patients with preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and its prognostic significance. During 2008-2010, 200 patients underwent surgery following preoperative CRT for rectal cancer. Two radiologists independently reviewed all pre- and post-CRT MRI retrospectively. We investigated diagnostic performance of pre-CRT MR-EMVI (MR-EMVI) and post-CRT MR-EMVI (yMR-EMVI), based on pathological EMVI as the standard of reference. We assessed correlation between MRI findings and patients' prognosis, such as disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Additionally, subgroup analysis in MR- or yMR-EMVI-positive patients was performed to confirm the significance of the severity of EMVI in MRI on patient's prognosis. The sensitivity and specificity of yMR-EMVI were 76.19% and 79.75% (area under the curve: 0.830), respectively. In univariate analysis, yMR-EMVI was the only significant MRI factor in DFS (P = 0.027). The mean DFS for yMR-EMVI (+) patients was significantly less than for yMR-EMVI (-) patients: 57.56 months versus 72.46 months. yMR-EMVI demonstrated good diagnostic performance. yMR-EMVI was the only significant EMVI-related MRI factor that correlated with patients' DFS in univariate analysis; however, it was not significant in multivariate analysis. (orig.)

The tendency of medical electrical equipment - IEC 60601-2-54: Particular requirements for the basic safety and essential performance of x-ray equipment for radiography and radioscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roh, Young Hoon; Kim, Jung Min

2015-01-01

Medical electrical equipment - Part 1: General requirement for basic safety and essential performance of MFDS was revised as 3th edition and Medical electrical equipment Part 2-54: Particular requirements for the basic safety and essential performance of X-ray equipment will be expected to be announced as notification. Therefore this technical report was written to introduce provision of the particular requirements, replacement, addition, amendment. The purpose of this particular requirements is to secure requirements for basic safety and essential performance of X-ray equipment for radiography and radioscopy. X-ray high voltage generator, mechanical protective device, protection against radiation is included in this particular requirements. Medical electrical equipment - Part 1, Part 1-2, Part 1-3 is applied to this particular requirements. If the requirements is announced as notification, It is expected to widen understanding for basic safety and essential performance of X-ray equipment for radiography and radioscopy and play a part to internationalize of medical equipment

Diagnostic Performance and Confidence of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in the Differential Diagnosis of Cystic and Cysticlike Liver Lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Corvino, Antonio; Catalano, Orlando; Corvino, Fabio; Sandomenico, Fabio; Petrillo, Antonella

2017-09-01

The aims of this study were to assess the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the characterization of atypical cystic and cysticlike focal liver lesions in comparison with conventional US and to determine whether the use of CEUS can reduce the need for further diagnostic workup. In a 3-year period 48 patients with 50 atypical cystic and cysticlike lesions found at conventional US underwent CEUS. Diagnostic confirmation was obtained in cytohistopathologic examinations, with other imaging modalities, and in follow-up. Overall, there were 24 cystic lesions and 26 cysticlike solid lesions, specifically 32 benign and 18 malignant lesions. The conventional US and CEUS images and cine loops were reviewed by two blinded readers independently. Sensitivity, specificity, area under the ROC curve (A z ), and interobserver agreement were calculated. Diagnostic performance improved after review of CEUS examinations by both readers (conventional US A z = 0.781 vs 0.972; CEUS A z = 0.734 vs 0.957). Interreader agreement increased, although slightly (conventional US weighted κ = 0.894; CEUS weighted κ = 0.953). In terms of differential diagnosis, the occurrence of correctly characterized lesions increased after CEUS for both readers (reader 1, 62% to 98%; reader 2, 56% to 96%). The development of low-acoustic-power CEUS has made it possible to identify several imaging features of cystic and cysticlike focal liver lesions that, in association with history and clinical findings, may help to correctly characterize them. Our data indicate the usefulness of CEUS in the evaluation of patients with these lesions.

Description of the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills Revisited (ABLLS-R

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Semenovich M.L.

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Diagnostics and assessment of the functional skills of children with disabilities and autism spectrum disorders are to be conducted to develop comprehensive remedial educational programmes. The described Methodology of the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills — Revisited (ABLLS-R allows to simplify and make the diagnostics more efficient, to conduct a comprehensive examination of the child in different areas of development, detect the formed and deficit skills. The second and final part of the description of the methodology offers recommendations on the filling of the Table of the Results of Initial and Repeated Testing and on the choice of goals of correctional work with a child on the basis of performance of individual test scales. The pattern of the table filled after the initial and repeated testing is given. In drawing up of the programme of individual development the willingness of the child to the development of that skill should be considered. Regular practice of selected skills in various situations and the preventive measures against the regression of skills are also important. Conclusive part. Beginning in № 3 (48, 2015

Performance, diagnostics, controls and plans for the gyrotron system on the DIII-D tokamak

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ponce D.M.

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The DIII-D ECH complex is being upgraded with three new depressed collector gyrotrons. The performance of the existing system has been very good. As more gyrotrons having higher power are added to the system, diagnostics of gyrotron operation, optimization of the performance and qualification of components for higher power become more important. A new FPGA-based gyrotron control system is being installed, additional capabilities for rapid real time variation of the rf injection angles by the DIII-D Plasma Control System are being tested and infrastructure enhancements are being completed. Longer term plans continue to include ECH as a major component in the DIII-D heating and current drive capabilities.

Comprehensive MR Urography Protocol: Equally Good Diagnostic Performance and Enhanced Visibility of the Upper Urinary Tract Compared to Triple-Phase CT Urography.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mazen Sudah

Full Text Available To prospectively compare the diagnostic performance and the visualization of the upper urinary tract (UUT using a comprehensive 3.0T- magnetic resonance urography (MRU protocol versus triple-phase computed tomography urography (CTU.During the study period (January-2014 through December-2015, all consecutive patients in our tertiary university hospital scheduled by a urologist for CTU to exclude UUT malignancy were invited to participate. Diagnostic performance and visualization scores of 3.0T-MRU were compared to CTU using Wilcoxon matched-pairs test.Twenty patients (39 UUT excreting units were evaluated. 3.0T-MRU and CTU achieved equal diagnostic performances. The benign etiology of seven UUT obstructions was clarified equally with both methods. Another two urinary tract malignant tumors and one benign extraurinary tumor were detected and confirmed. Diagnostic visualization was slightly better in the intrarenal cavity areas with CTU but worsened towards distal ureter. MRU showed consistently slightly better visualization of the ureter. In the comparison, full 100% visualizations were detected in all areas in 93.6% (with 3.0T-MRU and 87.2% (with CTU and >75% visualization in 100% (3.0T-MRU and 93.6% (CTU. Mean CTU effective radiation dose was 9.2 mSv.Comprehensive 3.0T-MRU is an accurate imaging modality achieving comparable performance with CTU; since it does not entail exposure to radiation, it has the potential to become the primary investigation technique in selected patients.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02606513.

On recent progress using QCLs for molecular trace gas detection - from basic research to industrial applicaitons

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Röpcke, J.; Davies, P.; Hempel, F.; Hübner, M.; Glitsch, S.; Lang, N.; Nägele, M.; Rousseau, A.; Wege, S.; Welzel, S.

2010-01-01

Quantum Cascade Lasers offer attractive options for applications of MIR absorption spectroscopy for basic research and industrial process control. The contribution reviews applications for plasma diagnostics and trace gas monitoring in research and industry.

Aging and the number sense: preserved basic non-symbolic numerical processing and enhanced basic symbolic processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jade Eloise eNorris

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Aging often leads to general cognitive decline in domains such as memory and attention. The effect of aging on numerical cognition, particularly on foundational numerical skills known as the Number Sense, is not well known. Early research focused on the effect of aging on arithmetic. Recent studies have begun to investigate the impact of healthy aging on basic numerical skills, but focused on non-symbolic quantity discrimination alone. Moreover, contradictory findings have emerged. The current study aimed to further investigate the impact of aging on basic non-symbolic and symbolic numerical skills. A group of 25 younger (18-25 and 25 older adults (60-77 participated in non-symbolic and symbolic numerical comparison tasks. Mathematical and spelling abilities were also measured. Results showed that aging had no effect on foundational non-symbolic numerical skills, as both groups performed similarly (RTs, accuracy and Weber fractions (w. All participants showed decreased non-symbolic acuity (accuracy and w in trials requiring inhibition. However, aging appears to be associated with a greater decline in discrimination speed in such trials. Furthermore, aging seems to have a positive impact on mathematical ability and basic symbolic numerical processing, as older participants attained significantly higher mathematical achievement scores, and performed significantly better on the symbolic comparison task than younger participants. The findings suggest that aging and its lifetime exposure to numbers may lead to better mathematical achievement and stronger basic symbolic numerical skills. Our results further support the observation that basic non-symbolic numerical skills are resilient to aging, but that aging may exacerbate poorer performance on trials requiring inhibitory processes. These findings lend further support to the notion that preserved basic numerical skills in aging may reflect the preservation of an innate, primitive and embedded Number

Diagnostic and Prognostic Impact of pc-ASPECTS Applied to Perfusion CT in the Basilar Artery International Cooperation Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pallesen, Lars-Peder; Gerber, Johannes; Dzialowski, Imanuel; van der Hoeven, Erik J R J; Michel, Patrik; Pfefferkorn, Thomas; Ozdoba, Christoph; Kappelle, L Jaap; Wiedemann, Baerbel; Khomenko, Andrei; Algra, Ale; Hill, Michael D; von Kummer, Ruediger; Demchuk, Andrew M; Schonewille, Wouter J; Puetz, Volker

2015-01-01

The posterior circulation Acute Stroke Prognosis Early CT Score (pc-APECTS) applied to CT angiography source images (CTA-SI) predicts the functional outcome of patients in the Basilar Artery International Cooperation Study (BASICS). We assessed the diagnostic and prognostic impact of pc-ASPECTS applied to perfusion CT (CTP) in the BASICS registry population. We applied pc-ASPECTS to CTA-SI and cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV), and mean transit time (MTT) parameter maps of BASICS patients with CTA and CTP studies performed. Hypoattenuation on CTA-SI, relative reduction in CBV or CBF, or relative increase in MTT were rated as abnormal. CTA and CTP were available in 27/592 BASICS patients (4.6%). The proportion of patients with any perfusion abnormality was highest for MTT (93%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 76%-99%), compared with 78% (58%-91%) for CTA-SI and CBF, and 46% (27%-67%) for CBV (P < .001). All 3 patients with a CBV pc-ASPECTS < 8 compared to 6/23 patients with a CBV pc-ASPECTS ≥ 8 had died at 1 month (RR 3.8; 95% CI, 1.9-7.6). CTP was performed in a minority of the BASICS registry population. Perfusion disturbances in the posterior circulation were most pronounced on MTT parameter maps. CBV pc-ASPECTS < 8 may indicate patients with high case fatality. Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

Combination of interferometry and thermography data for cultural heritage structural diagnostic research

Science.gov (United States)

Tornari, Vivi; Andrianakis, Michalis; Hatzigiannakis, Kostas; Kosma, Kiki; Detalle, Vincent; Giovanacci, David

2017-07-01

The demand for non destructive and non invasive structural diagnostic techniques able to perform on field remote structural evaluation of historical structures and works of art it faces an increased demand. The techniques must have some basic important characteristics The non destructivity, accuracy, repeatability, non physical contact, portability, resolution, broad range of applicability depending on the type of artwork and the question at hand, are all among the important requirements underlying the requirement for on-field structural diagnostics. In this respect there are two known techniques that have been developed at full to provide a suited structural diagnostic application in artwork conservation. The systems presented here but discussed in detail elsewhere are stimulated infrared thermography (SIRT) and digital holographic speckle pattern interferometry (DHSPI) the prior can be found n market at commercial devise level while the latter is at laboratory prototype level. The two systems are being exploited for their complimentary advantages and in this paper are used in combined testing on art related targets according to the above criteria to confirm the enhanced diagnostic information that their complimentary use provides. Results confirm the effectiveness of each technique alone and the combination of data of both techniques in the conservation field. Each system is first briefly described and examples are given with the aim to present the suitability and appropriateness for use in structural documentation analysis and reports. The experimental work is in laboratory work-in-progress focusing on the hybriding of data synthesis.

Diagnostic accuracy of 201Tl SPECT·MRI in brain diseases and inter-reader variance of diagnostic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machida, Kikuo; Honda, Norinari; Matsumoto, Toru

1996-01-01

Fifteen-four studies of 201 Tl brain tumor SPECT were independently interpreted by 9 nuclear medicine physicians with and without reference magnetic resonance images in 2 separate sessions to define an effect of referring images, and inter-observer variations. The physicians were requested to detect foci of abnormal deposits, and to discriminate whether they were malignant or not according to 5-grade scaling of subjective diagnostic confidence. Receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was performed. Mean sensitivity for presence of lesions (SFP), and sensitivity and specificity for malignancy of 2 01 Tl SPECT were 84, and 53 and 55%, which were changed to 94 and 74 and 55% after referring to the MR images. The SFP was significantly improved (p 201 Tl brain tumor SPECT has moderate sensitivity and specificity for malignancy, which is not improved by addition of anatomical reference images, that additional MR images reduce inter-observer variation of confidence on lesion presence, and that SPECT localization of lesions has great inter-observer variations. (author)

Effects of disease severity distribution on the performance of quantitative diagnostic methods and proposal of a novel 'V-plot' methodology to display accuracy values.

Science.gov (United States)

Petraco, Ricardo; Dehbi, Hakim-Moulay; Howard, James P; Shun-Shin, Matthew J; Sen, Sayan; Nijjer, Sukhjinder S; Mayet, Jamil; Davies, Justin E; Francis, Darrel P

2018-01-01

Diagnostic accuracy is widely accepted by researchers and clinicians as an optimal expression of a test's performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of disease severity distribution on values of diagnostic accuracy as well as propose a sample-independent methodology to calculate and display accuracy of diagnostic tests. We evaluated the diagnostic relationship between two hypothetical methods to measure serum cholesterol (Chol rapid and Chol gold ) by generating samples with statistical software and (1) keeping the numerical relationship between methods unchanged and (2) changing the distribution of cholesterol values. Metrics of categorical agreement were calculated (accuracy, sensitivity and specificity). Finally, a novel methodology to display and calculate accuracy values was presented (the V-plot of accuracies). No single value of diagnostic accuracy can be used to describe the relationship between tests, as accuracy is a metric heavily affected by the underlying sample distribution. Our novel proposed methodology, the V-plot of accuracies, can be used as a sample-independent measure of a test performance against a reference gold standard.

Features of influence of different modes of training on the dynamics of power performance bodybuilders on stage-specialized basic training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.S. Slavityak

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose : study the effect of various features on the structure and orientation of exercise routines on the level of development of force capabilities bodybuilders on stage specialized basic training. Material : studies participated 60 athletes (age 18-19 years, the experience of training - 5 years. The study used a method of determining the index of the training load for the power sports. Level security features athletes determined by control testing. Control of the studied parameters was carried out for 4 months training at intervals of 1 month. Results : it was found that under conditions similar level of fitness athletes and structure your workout performance power load and the nature of their changes depend on the particular mode of training (in this study - from the application of the basic sequence variative and isolation exercises. Conclusions : the use of pilot training in integrated mode with alternating motor activity using the basic priority and isolation exercises for no more than 2 microcycles have the most significant positive impact on the increase in power performance parameters of athletes (on average by 26.5% p <0.05

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), part I: review of basic diagnostics and plasma-particle interactions: still-challenging issues within the analytical plasma community.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, David W; Omenetto, Nicoló

2010-12-01

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has become a very popular analytical method in the last decade in view of some of its unique features such as applicability to any type of sample, practically no sample preparation, remote sensing capability, and speed of analysis. The technique has a remarkably wide applicability in many fields, and the number of applications is still growing. From an analytical point of view, the quantitative aspects of LIBS may be considered its Achilles' heel, first due to the complex nature of the laser-sample interaction processes, which depend upon both the laser characteristics and the sample material properties, and second due to the plasma-particle interaction processes, which are space and time dependent. Together, these may cause undesirable matrix effects. Ways of alleviating these problems rely upon the description of the plasma excitation-ionization processes through the use of classical equilibrium relations and therefore on the assumption that the laser-induced plasma is in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). Even in this case, the transient nature of the plasma and its spatial inhomogeneity need to be considered and overcome in order to justify the theoretical assumptions made. This first article focuses on the basic diagnostics aspects and presents a review of the past and recent LIBS literature pertinent to this topic. Previous research on non-laser-based plasma literature, and the resulting knowledge, is also emphasized. The aim is, on one hand, to make the readers aware of such knowledge and on the other hand to trigger the interest of the LIBS community, as well as the larger analytical plasma community, in attempting some diagnostic approaches that have not yet been fully exploited in LIBS.

A diagnostic expert system for a boiling water reactor using a dynamic model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonoda, Y.; Kanemoto, S.; Imaruoka, H.

1990-01-01

A diagnostic expert system for abnormal disturbances in a BWR (Boiling Water Reactor) plant has been developed. The peculiar feature of this system is a diagnostic method which combines artificial intelligence technique with numerical analysis technique. The system has three diagnostic functions, 1) identification of anomaly position (device or sensor), 2) identification of anomaly mode and 3) identification of anomaly cause. Function 1) is implemented as follows. First, a hypothesis about anomaly propagation paths is built up by qualitative reasoning, using knowledge of causal relations among observed signals. Next, the abnormal device or sensor is found by applying model reference method and fuzzy set theory to test the hypothesis, using knowledge of plant structure and function, heuristic strategy of diagnosis and module type dynamic simulator. This simulator is composed of basic transfer function modules. The simulation model for the testing region is built up automatically, according to the requirement from the diagnostic task. Function 2) means identification of dynamic characteristics for an anomaly. It is realized by tuning model parameters so as to reproduce the abnormal signal behavior using the non-linear programing method. Function 3) derives probable anomaly causes from heuristic rules between anomaly mode and cause. A basic plant dynamic model was built up and adjusted to dynamic characteristics for one BWR plant (1100MWe). In order to verify the diagnostic functions of this system, data for several abnormal events was compiled by modifying this model. The diagnostic functions were proved useful, through the simulated abnormal data

Man against machine: diagnostic performance of a deep learning convolutional neural network for dermoscopic melanoma recognition in comparison to 58 dermatologists.

Science.gov (United States)

Haenssle, H A; Fink, C; Schneiderbauer, R; Toberer, F; Buhl, T; Blum, A; Kalloo, A; Hassen, A Ben Hadj; Thomas, L; Enk, A; Uhlmann, L

2018-05-28

Deep learning convolutional neural networks (CNN) may facilitate melanoma detection, but data comparing a CNN's diagnostic performance to larger groups of dermatologists are lacking. Google's Inception v4 CNN architecture was trained and validated using dermoscopic images and corresponding diagnoses. In a comparative cross-sectional reader study a 100-image test-set was used (level-I: dermoscopy only; level-II: dermoscopy plus clinical information and images). Main outcome measures were sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) for diagnostic classification (dichotomous) of lesions by the CNN versus an international group of 58 dermatologists during level-I or -II of the reader study. Secondary end points included the dermatologists' diagnostic performance in their management decisions and differences in the diagnostic performance of dermatologists during level-I and -II of the reader study. Additionally, the CNN's performance was compared with the top-five algorithms of the 2016 International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI) challenge. In level-I dermatologists achieved a mean (±standard deviation) sensitivity and specificity for lesion classification of 86.6% (±9.3%) and 71.3% (±11.2%), respectively. More clinical information (level-II) improved the sensitivity to 88.9% (±9.6%, P = 0.19) and specificity to 75.7% (±11.7%, P < 0.05). The CNN ROC curve revealed a higher specificity of 82.5% when compared with dermatologists in level-I (71.3%, P < 0.01) and level-II (75.7%, P < 0.01) at their sensitivities of 86.6% and 88.9%, respectively. The CNN ROC AUC was greater than the mean ROC area of dermatologists (0.86 versus 0.79, P < 0.01). The CNN scored results close to the top three algorithms of the ISBI 2016 challenge. For the first time we compared a CNN's diagnostic performance with a large international group of 58 dermatologists, including 30 experts. Most dermatologists

A Meta-analysis for the Diagnostic Performance of Transient Elastography for Clinically Significant Portal Hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

You, Myung-Won; Kim, Kyung Won; Pyo, Junhee; Huh, Jimi; Kim, Hyoung Jung; Lee, So Jung; Park, Seong Ho

2017-01-01

We aimed to evaluate the correlation between liver stiffness measurement using transient elastography (TE-LSM) and hepatic venous pressure gradient and the diagnostic performance of TE-LSM in assessing clinically significant portal hypertension through meta-analysis. Eleven studies were included from thorough literature research and selection processes. The summary correlation coefficient was 0.783 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.737-0.823). Summary sensitivity, specificity and area under the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were 87.5% (95% CI, 75.8-93.9%), 85.3 % (95% CI, 76.9-90.9%) and 0.9, respectively. The subgroup with low cut-off values of 13.6-18 kPa had better summary estimates (sensitivity 91.2%, specificity 81.3% and partial AUC 0.921) than the subgroup with high cut-off values of 21-25 kPa (sensitivity 71.2%, specificity 90.9% and partial AUC 0.769). In summary, TE-LSM correlated well with hepatic venous pressure gradient and represented good diagnostic performance in diagnosing clinically significant portal hypertension. For use as a sensitive screening tool, we propose using low cut-off values of 13.6-18 kPa in TE-LSM. Copyright © 2016 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic methods for insect sting allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, Robert G

2004-08-01

This review overviews advances from mid-2002 to the present in the validation and performance methods used in the diagnosis of Hymenoptera venom-induced immediate-type hypersensitivity. The general diagnostic algorithm for insect sting allergy is initially discussed with an examination of the AAAAI's 2003 revised practice parameter guidelines. Changes as a result of a greater recognition of skin test negative systemic reactors include repeat analysis of all testing and acceptance of serology as a complementary diagnostic test to the skin test. Original data examining concordance of venom-specific IgE results produced by the second-generation Pharmacia CAP System with the Johns Hopkins University radioallergosorbent test are presented. Diagnostic performance of honeybee venom-specific IgE assays used in clinical laboratories in North America is discussed using data from the Diagnostic Allergy Proficiency Survey conducted by the College of American Pathologists. Validity of venom-specific IgE antibody in postmortem blood specimens is demonstrated. The utility of alternative in-vivo (provocation) and in-vitro (basophil-based) diagnostic testing methods is critiqued. This overview supports the following conclusions. Improved practice parameter guidelines include serology and skin test as complementary in supporting a positive clinical history during the diagnostic process. Data are provided which support the analytical performance of commercially available venom-specific IgE antibody serology-based assays. Intentional sting challenge in-vivo provocation, in-vitro basophil flow cytometry (CD63, CD203c) based assays, and in-vitro basophil histamine and sulfidoleukotriene release assays have their utility in the study of difficult diagnostic cases, but their use will remain as supplementary, secondary diagnostic tests.

Diagnostic-management system and test pulse acquisition for WEST plasma measurement system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wojenski, A.; Kasprowicz, G.; Pozniak, K.T.; Byszuk, A.; Juszczyk, B.; Zabolotny, W.; Zienkiewicz, P.; Chernyshova, M.; Czarski, T.; Mazon, D.; Malard, P.

2014-01-01

This paper describes current status of electronic, firmware and software development for new plasma measurement system for use in WEST facility. The system allows to perform two dimensional plasma visualization (in time) with spectrum measurement. The analog front-end is connected to Gas Electron Multiplier detector (GEM detector). The system architecture have high data throughput due to use of PCI-Express interface, Gigabit Transceivers and sampling frequency of ADC integrated circuits. The hardware is based on several years of experience in building X-ray spectrometer system for Joint European Torus (JET) facility. Data streaming is done using Artix7 FPGA devices. The system in basic configuration can work with up to 256 channels, while the maximum number of measurement channels is 2048. Advanced firmware for the FPGA is required in order to perform high speed data streaming and analog signal sampling. Diagnostic system management has been developed in order to configure measurement system, perform necessary calibration and prepare hardware for data acquisition. (authors)

Diagnostic devices for osteoporosis in the general population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høiberg, M P; Rubin, Katrine Hass; Hermann, Pernille

2016-01-01

INTRODUCTION: A diagnostic gap exists in the current dual photon X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) based diagnostic approach to osteoporosis. Other diagnostic devices have been developed, but no comprehensive review concerning the applicability of these diagnostic devices for population-based screening...... have been performed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic review of Embase, Medline and the Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials was performed for population-based studies that focused on technical methods that could either indicate bone mineral density (BMD) by DXA, substitute for DXA...

The Development of a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Molecular Diagnostics

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Gail S.; Brown, Judith D.; Keagle, Martha B.

2000-01-01

A post-baccalaureate certificate program in diagnostic molecular sciences was created in 1995 by the Diagnostic Genetic Sciences Program in the School of Allied Health at the University of Connecticut. The required on-campus lecture and laboratory courses include basic laboratory techniques, health care issues, cell biology, immunology, human genetics, research, management, and molecular diagnostic techniques and laboratory in molecular diagnostics. These courses precede a 6-month, full-time practicum at an affiliated full-service molecular laboratory. The practicum includes amplification and blotting methods, a research project, and a choice of specialized electives including DNA sequencing, mutagenesis, in situ hybridization methods, or molecular diagnostic applications in microbiology. Graduates of the program are immediately eligible to sit for the National Credentialing Agency examination in molecular biology to obtain the credential Clinical Laboratory Specialist in Molecular Biology (CLSp(MB). This description of the University of Connecticut program may assist other laboratory science programs in creating similar curricula. PMID:11232107

Fuel performance-REP, Seminars on nuclear fuel performance based on basic underlining phenomena, proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

Description: The need for further improving the understanding of basic phenomena underlying nuclear fuel behaviour has been recognised both by fuel vendors, experts in fuel research in the different laboratories and committees and working groups coordinating international activities. The OECD/NEA Nuclear Science Committee has established an Experts Group addressing this issue. This has led to establishing an International Fuel Performance Experiments Database (IFPE) that should help model evaluation and validation. Many years ago the IAEA established an International Working Group on Fuel Performance and Technology (IWGFPT) that led to the FUMEX-I and FUMEX-II (Fuel Modelling Exercise) which has had an important impact on code improvements. Both international organisations, with the support of national organisations, co-operate in establishing and maintaining the Database and to build confidence in the predictive power of the models through international comparison exercises. But above all the different parties have agreed that seminars focussed on specific phenomena would be beneficial to exchange current knowledge, identify outstanding problems and agree on common action that would lead to improved understanding of the phenomena. A series of three seminars has been initiated by the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Electricite de France (EdF), Framatome and Cogema under the aegis of the OECD/NEA and the IAEA. 1. Thermal Performance of High Burn-Up LWR Fuel at Cadarache, France, from 3 to 6 of March 1998. Thermal performance occupies the most important aspect of the fuel performance modelling. Not only is it extremely important from a safety point of view, but also many of the material properties of interest and behaviour, such as transport properties like fuel creep and fission gas release are thermally activated processes. Thus, in order to model these processes correctly, it is critical to calculate temperatures and their distribution as accurately as

ITER diagnostics: Design choices and solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costley, A.E.; Sugie, T.; Vayakis, G.; Malaquias, A.; Walker, C.

2003-01-01

An extensive diagnostic system will be installed on ITER to provide the measurements necessary to control, evaluate and optimise the plasma performance and to study burning plasma physics. Because of the harsh environment, diagnostic system selection and design has to cope with a range of phenomena not previously encountered in diagnostic implementation. In this paper, we describe the key problems encountered and give examples of the solutions that have been developed. A brief description of the scheme developed for integrating multiple systems into individual ports is also included. We conclude with an assessment of overall system performance. (author)

Encyclopedia of diagnostic imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baert, A.L.

2008-01-01

The simple A to Z format provides easy access to relevant information in the field of imaging. Extensive cross references between keywords and related articles enable efficient searches in a user-friendly manner. Fully searchable and hyperlinked electronic online edition. The aim of this comprehensive encyclopedia is to provide detailed information on diagnostic radiology contributing to the broad field of imaging. The wide range of entries are written by leading experts. They will provide basic and clinical scientists in academia, practice and industry with valuable information about the field of diagnostic imaging. Those in related fields, students, teachers, and interested laypeople will also benefit from the important and relevant information on the most recent developments. Please note that this publication is available as print only or online only or print + online set. Save 75% of the online list price when purchasing the bundle. For more information on the online version please type the publication title into the search box above, then click on the eReference version in the results list. (orig.)

Development of GEM detector for plasma diagnostics application: simulations addressing optimization of its performance

Science.gov (United States)

Chernyshova, M.; Malinowski, K.; Kowalska-Strzęciwilk, E.; Czarski, T.; Linczuk, P.; Wojeński, A.; Krawczyk, R. D.

2017-12-01

The advanced Soft X-ray (SXR) diagnostics setup devoted to studies of the SXR plasma emissivity is at the moment a highly relevant and important for ITER/DEMO application. Especially focusing on the energy range of tungsten emission lines, as plasma contamination by W and its transport in the plasma must be understood and monitored for W plasma-facing material. The Gas Electron Multiplier, with a spatial and energy-resolved photon detecting chamber, based SXR radiation detection system under development by our group may become such a diagnostic setup considering and solving many physical, technical and technological aspects. This work presents the results of simulations aimed to optimize a design of the detector's internal chamber and its performance. The study of the effect of electrodes alignment allowed choosing the gap distances which maximizes electron transmission and choosing the optimal magnitudes of the applied electric fields. Finally, the optimal readout structure design was identified suitable to collect a total formed charge effectively, basing on the range of the simulated electron cloud at the readout plane which was in the order of ~ 2 mm.

A new techniques in the physics of diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jennings, R.J.

1987-01-01

The basic physics involved in the generation of X-rays and in the energy dependence of their interaction with matter are reviewed. Some applications of those ideas in both conventional X-ray imaging and in new imaging techniques are studied. Methods for the optimization of X-ray diagnostic imaging system are discussed. (M.A.C.) [pt

The effect of using digital mind mapping on cognitive achievement and performance level of some basic skills in handball

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khaled Thabet Awad

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This study aims to identify the effect of using digital mind maps to on the cognitive achievement and the performance level of some basic skills in handball. Research population includes the first-year students at the Faculty of Physical Education in Port Said consisting of 200 students. Research Sample both researchers randomly selected the sample of first year students. The total sample size reaches 180 students with a 90.00%, after excluding failed students, re-registered students, the students of other levels of curriculum, practitioners to previous experiences and irregular students. The total number was 20 students with a percentage of (10.00%. They were divided into: Basic Sample: includes 80 students with a 44.44%. They were divided into two equal groups of 40 students. First Exploratory Sample: includes 60 students from the same research population and from outside the basic sample in order to find Tests Validity of the tests with a 33.33%. Second Exploratory Sample: includes 40 students from the same research population and from outside the basic sample in order to find Tests Reliability of the tests and identify the extent of pilot program appropriateness for the sample under discussion with a 22.22%. The first-year students were selected, according to the study plan, which contains a handball curriculum for the students of this educational level. Statistical Treatments: Both researchers conducted data statistically processes, using a statistical package for Social Sciences, SPSS ver. 20.0, in order to identify: arithmetic mean, standard deviation, median, skewness coefficient, correlation coefficient, discriminant validity coefficient, "t" test per one group, "t" test per two groups. The use of mind maps has a positive effect better than (explanation and model method on the cognitive achievement and the performance level of some basic skills in handball. Active learning techniques, such as the method of digital mind maps in teaching

The Use of the Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services to Assess and Improve the Job Performance of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Madison; Wilder, David A

2018-06-01

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) is an informant-based tool designed to identify the variables responsible for performance problems. To date, the PDC-HS has not been examined with individuals with intellectual disabilities. In the current study, two supervisors with intellectual disabilities completed the PDC-HS to assess the productivity of two supervisees with disabilities who performed a pricing task in a thrift store. The PDC-HS suggested that performance deficits were due to a lack of training; a PDC-HS-indicated intervention was effective to increase accurate pricing. • The PDC-HS is an informant-based tool designed to identify the variables responsible for employee performance problems in human service settings. • The PDC-HS can be completed by some individuals with intellectual disabilities in a supervisory position to identify the variables responsible for problematic job performance among their supervisees. • A PDC-HS indicated intervention was demonstrated to be effective to improve the job performance of individuals with disabilities. • The PDC-HS may be a useful tool to support performance improvement and job maintenance among individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Nuclear Diagnostics at the National Ignition Facility, 2013-2015

Science.gov (United States)

Yeamans, C. B.; Cassata, W. S.; Church, J. A.; Fittinghoff, D. N.; Gatu Johnson, M.; Gharibyan, N.; Határik, R.; Sayre, D. B.; Sio, H. W.; Bionta, R. M.; Bleuel, D. L.; Caggiano, J. A.; Cerjan, C. J.; Cooper, G. W.; Eckart, M. J.; Edwards, E. R.; Faye, S. A.; Forrest, C. J.; Frenje, J. A.; Glebov, V. Yu; Grant, P. M.; Grim, G. P.; Hartouni, E. P.; Herrmann, H. W.; Kilkenny, J. D.; Knauer, J. P.; Mackinnon, A. J.; Merrill, F. E.; Moody, K. J.; Moran, M. J.; Petrasso, R. D.; Phillips, T. W.; Rinderknecht, H. G.; Schneider, D. H. G.; Sepke, S. M.; Shaughnessy, D. A.; Stoeffl, W.; Velsko, C. A.; Volegov, P.

2016-05-01

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) relies on a suite of nuclear diagnostics to measure the neutronic output of experiments. Neutron time-of-flight (NTOF) and neutron activation diagnostics (NAD) provide performance metrics of absolute neutron yield and neutron spectral content: spectral width and non-thermal content, from which implosion physical quantities of temperature and scattering mass are inferred. Spatially-distributed flange- mounted NADs (FNAD) measure, with nearly identical systematic uncertainties, primary DT neutron emission to infer a whole-sky neutron field. An automated FNAD system is being developed. A magnetic recoil spectrometer (MRS) shares few systematics with comparable NTOF and NAD devices, and as such is deployed for independent measurement of the primary neutronic quantities. The gas-Cherenkov Gamma Reaction History (GRH) instrument records four energy channels of time-resolved gamma emission to measure nuclear bang time and burn width, as well as to infer carbon areal density in experiments utilizing plastic or diamond capsules. A neutron imaging system (NIS) takes two images of the neutron source, typically gated to create coregistered 13-15 MeV primary and 6-12 MeV downscattered images. The radiochemical analysis of gaseous samples (RAGS) instrument pumps target chamber gas to a chemical reaction and fractionation system configured with gamma counters, allowing measurement of radionuclides with half-lives as short as 8 seconds. Solid radiochemistry collectors (SRC) with backing NAD foils collect target debris, where activated materials from the target assembly are used as indicators of neutron spectrum content, and also serve as the primary diagnostic for nuclear forensic science experiments. Particle time-of-flight (PTOF) measures compression-bang time using DT- or DD-neutrons, as well as shock bang-time using D3He-protons for implosions with lower x-ray background. In concert, these diagnostics serve to measure the basic and advanced

Diagnostic radiology on multiple injured patients: interdisciplinary management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linsenmaier, U.; Pfeifer, K.J.; Kanz, K.G.; Mutschler, W.

2001-01-01

The presence of a radiologist within the admitting area of an emergency department and his capability as a member of the trauma team have a major impact on the role of diagnostic radiology in trauma care. The knowledge of clinical decision criteria, algorithms, and standards of patient care are essential for the acceptance within a trauma team. We present an interdisciplinary management concept of diagnostic radiology for trauma patients, which comprises basic diagnosis, organ diagnosis, radiological ABC, and algorithms of early clinical care. It is the result of a prospective study comprising over 2000 documented multiple injured patients. The radiologist on a trauma team should support trauma surgery and anesthesia in diagnostic and clinical work-up. The radiological ABC provides a structured approach for diagnostic imaging in all steps of the early clinical care of the multiple injured patient. Radiological ABC requires a reevaluation in cases of equivocal findings or difficulties in the clinical course. Direct communication of radiological findings with the trauma team enables quick clinical decisions. In addition, the radiologist can priority-oriented influence the therapy by using interventional procedures. The clinical radiologist is an active member of the interdisciplinary trauma team, not only providing diagnostic imaging but also participating in clinical decisions. (orig.) [de

Basic science research in urology training.

Science.gov (United States)

Eberli, D; Atala, A

2009-04-01

The role of basic science exposure during urology training is a timely topic that is relevant to urologic health and to the training of new physician scientists. Today, researchers are needed for the advancement of this specialty, and involvement in basic research will foster understanding of basic scientific concepts and the development of critical thinking skills, which will, in turn, improve clinical performance. If research education is not included in urology training, future urologists may not be as likely to contribute to scientific discoveries.Currently, only a minority of urologists in training are currently exposed to significant research experience. In addition, the number of physician-scientists in urology has been decreasing over the last two decades, as fewer physicians are willing to undertake a career in academics and perform basic research. However, to ensure that the field of urology is driving forward and bringing novel techniques to patients, it is clear that more research-trained urologists are needed. In this article we will analyse the current status of basic research in urology training and discuss the importance of and obstacles to successful addition of research into the medical training curricula. Further, we will highlight different opportunities for trainees to obtain significant research exposure in urology.

Tomosynthesis for the early detection of pulmonary emphysema: diagnostic performance compared with chest radiography, using multidetector computed tomography as reference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Yoshitake; Jinzaki, Masahiro; Hashimoto, Masahiro; Shiomi, Eisuke; Kuribayashi, Sachio; Abe, Takayuki; Ogawa, Kenji

2013-01-01

To compare the diagnostic performance of tomosynthesis with that of chest radiography for the detection of pulmonary emphysema, using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) as reference. Forty-eight patients with and 63 without pulmonary emphysema underwent chest MDCT, tomosynthesis and radiography on the same day. Two blinded radiologists independently evaluated the tomosynthesis images and radiographs for the presence of pulmonary emphysema. Axial and coronal MDCT images served as the reference standard and the percentage lung volume with attenuation values of -950 HU or lower (LAA -950 ) was evaluated to determine the extent of emphysema. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and generalised estimating equations model were used. ROC analysis revealed significantly better performance (P -950 . The diagnostic performance of tomosynthesis was significantly superior to that of radiography for the detection of pulmonary emphysema. In both tomosynthesis and radiography, the sensitivity was affected by the LAA -950 . (orig.)

Exosomes - new topic in diagnostics of cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zduriencikova, M.; Gronesova, P.; Cholujova, D.; Hunakova, L.; Sedlak, J.

2015-01-01

Exam's, membrane vesicles with diameter in the range of 30 -100 nm, are produced by nearly all types of cells, including tumor ones. Because the molecular profile of exosomes reflects the composition of producing cells, exosomes represent the suitable source of potential bio markers for detection of malignant population. The aim of this mini review is to provide basic information about biogenesis of exosomes and some examples of their exploitation in tumor diagnostics. (author)

Diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging and pre-surgical evaluation in the assessment of traumatic intra-articular knee disorders in children and adolescents: what conditions still pose diagnostic challenges?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gans, Itai; Ganley, Theodore J. [The Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Division of Orthopaedics, 34th and Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Bedoya, Maria A.; Ho-Fung, Victor [The Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2014-08-31

Diagnosis of intra-articular lesions in children based on clinical examination and MRI is particularly challenging. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of MRI and pre-surgical evaluation of the knee in pediatric patients relative to arthroscopic evaluation as the gold standard. We report diagnoses frequently missed or inaccurately diagnosed pre-operatively. We conducted a retrospective review of MRI and pre-surgical evaluation in children and adolescents ages 1-17 years who were treated by knee arthroscopy during a 21/2-year period. All MRIs were reviewed by a pediatric radiologist blinded to clinical findings. Pediatric orthopedic clinic notes were reviewed for pre-surgical evaluation (based on physical exam, radiograph, MR images and radiologist's MRI report). Arthroscopic findings were used as the gold standard. We calculated the percentages of diagnoses at arthroscopy missed on both MRI and pre-surgical evaluation. Diagnostic accuracy between children and adolescents and in patients with one pathological lesion vs. those with >1 lesion was analyzed. We performed a second review of MR images of the missed or over-called MRI diagnoses with knowledge of arthroscopic findings. We included 178 children and adolescents. The most common diagnoses missed on MRI or pre-surgical evaluation but found at arthroscopy were: discoid meniscus (8/30, or 26.7% of cases); lateral meniscal tears (15/80, or 18.8% of cases); intra-articular loose bodies (5/36, or 13.9% of cases), and osteochondral injuries (9/73, or 12.3% of cases). Overall diagnostic accuracy of MRI and pre-surgical evaluation was 92.7% and 95.3%, respectively. No significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between children and adolescents was observed. When multiple intra-articular lesions were present, lateral meniscal tears were more likely to be inaccurately diagnosed (missed or over-called) on both MRI (P = 0.009) and pre-surgical evaluation (P < 0.001). Overall diagnostic accuracy of MRI and pre

Diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging and pre-surgical evaluation in the assessment of traumatic intra-articular knee disorders in children and adolescents: what conditions still pose diagnostic challenges?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gans, Itai; Ganley, Theodore J.; Bedoya, Maria A.; Ho-Fung, Victor

2015-01-01

Diagnosis of intra-articular lesions in children based on clinical examination and MRI is particularly challenging. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of MRI and pre-surgical evaluation of the knee in pediatric patients relative to arthroscopic evaluation as the gold standard. We report diagnoses frequently missed or inaccurately diagnosed pre-operatively. We conducted a retrospective review of MRI and pre-surgical evaluation in children and adolescents ages 1-17 years who were treated by knee arthroscopy during a 21/2-year period. All MRIs were reviewed by a pediatric radiologist blinded to clinical findings. Pediatric orthopedic clinic notes were reviewed for pre-surgical evaluation (based on physical exam, radiograph, MR images and radiologist's MRI report). Arthroscopic findings were used as the gold standard. We calculated the percentages of diagnoses at arthroscopy missed on both MRI and pre-surgical evaluation. Diagnostic accuracy between children and adolescents and in patients with one pathological lesion vs. those with >1 lesion was analyzed. We performed a second review of MR images of the missed or over-called MRI diagnoses with knowledge of arthroscopic findings. We included 178 children and adolescents. The most common diagnoses missed on MRI or pre-surgical evaluation but found at arthroscopy were: discoid meniscus (8/30, or 26.7% of cases); lateral meniscal tears (15/80, or 18.8% of cases); intra-articular loose bodies (5/36, or 13.9% of cases), and osteochondral injuries (9/73, or 12.3% of cases). Overall diagnostic accuracy of MRI and pre-surgical evaluation was 92.7% and 95.3%, respectively. No significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between children and adolescents was observed. When multiple intra-articular lesions were present, lateral meniscal tears were more likely to be inaccurately diagnosed (missed or over-called) on both MRI (P = 0.009) and pre-surgical evaluation (P < 0.001). Overall diagnostic accuracy of MRI and pre

Measures to Improve Diagnostic Safety in Clinical Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Hardeep; Graber, Mark L; Hofer, Timothy P

2016-10-20

Timely and accurate diagnosis is foundational to good clinical practice and an essential first step to achieving optimal patient outcomes. However, a recent Institute of Medicine report concluded that most of us will experience at least one diagnostic error in our lifetime. The report argues for efforts to improve the reliability of the diagnostic process through better measurement of diagnostic performance. The diagnostic process is a dynamic team-based activity that involves uncertainty, plays out over time, and requires effective communication and collaboration among multiple clinicians, diagnostic services, and the patient. Thus, it poses special challenges for measurement. In this paper, we discuss how the need to develop measures to improve diagnostic performance could move forward at a time when the scientific foundation needed to inform measurement is still evolving. We highlight challenges and opportunities for developing potential measures of "diagnostic safety" related to clinical diagnostic errors and associated preventable diagnostic harm. In doing so, we propose a starter set of measurement concepts for initial consideration that seem reasonably related to diagnostic safety and call for these to be studied and further refined. This would enable safe diagnosis to become an organizational priority and facilitate quality improvement. Health-care systems should consider measurement and evaluation of diagnostic performance as essential to timely and accurate diagnosis and to the reduction of preventable diagnostic harm.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.

Validation of the fifth edition BI-RADS ultrasound lexicon with comparison of fourth and fifth edition diagnostic performance using video clips

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Jung Hyun; Kim, Min Jung; Lee, Hye Sun; Kim, Sung Hun; Youk, Ji Hyun; Jeong, Sun Hye; Kim, You Me

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the positive predictive value (PPV) and the diagnostic performance of the ultrasonographic descriptors in the fifth edition of BI-RADS, comparing with the fourth edition using video clips. From September 2013 to July 2014, 80 breast masses in 74 women (mean age, 47.5±10.7 years) from five institutions of the Korean Society of Breast Imaging were included. Two radiologists individually reviewed the static and video images and analyzed the images according to the fourth and fifth edition of BI-RADS. The PPV of each descriptor was calculated and diagnostic performances between the fourth and fifth editions were compared. Of the 80 breast masses, 51 (63.8%) were benign and 29 (36.2%) were malignant. Suspicious ultrasonographic features such as irregular shape, non-parallel orientation, angular or spiculated margins, and combined posterior features showed higher PPV in both editions (all P<0.05). No significant differences were found in the diagnostic performances between the two editions (all P>0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was higher in the fourth edition (0.708 to 0.690), without significance (P=0.416). The fifth edition of the BI-RADS ultrasound lexicon showed comparable performance to the fourth edition and can be useful in the differential diagnosis of breast masses using ultrasonography

Protection of Bulgarian population in medical radiation diagnostic science after 1950. Some basic problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ingilizova, Kr.

2000-01-01

The report presents summarized data on frequency and structure of X-ray and nuclear medical examinations carried out in Bulgaria during the period 1950-1995. The effective and the collective effective dose are calculated. Some on the basic problems concerning the protection of Bulgarian population during medical exposure are outlined

The SUCCESS model for laboratory performance and execution of rapid molecular diagnostics in patients with sepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dekmezian, Mhair; Beal, Stacy G; Damashek, Mary Jane; Benavides, Raul; Dhiman, Neelam

2015-04-01

Successful performance and execution of rapid diagnostics in a clinical laboratory hinges heavily on careful validation, accurate and timely communication of results, and real-time quality monitoring. Laboratories must develop strategies to integrate diagnostics with stewardship and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. We present a collaborative SUCCESS model for execution and monitoring of rapid sepsis diagnostics to facilitate timely treatment. Six months after execution of the Verigene Gram-Positive Blood Culture (BC-GP) and the AdvanDx PNA-FISH assays, data were collected on 579 and 28 episodes of bacteremia and fungemia, respectively. Clinical testing was executed using a SUCCESS model comprising the following components: stewardship, utilization of resources, core strategies, concierge services, education, support, and surveillance. Stewardship needs were identified by evaluating the specialty services benefiting from new testing. Utilization of resources was optimized by reviewing current treatment strategies and antibiogram and formulary options. Core strategies consisted of input from infectious disease leadership, pharmacy, and laboratory staff. Concierge services included automated Micro-eUpdate and physician-friendly actionable reports. Education modules were user-specific, and support was provided through a dedicated 24/7 microbiology hotline. Surveillance was performed by daily audit by the director. Using the SUCCESS model, the turnaround time for the detailed report with actionable guidelines to the physician was ∼3 hours from the time of culture positivity. The overall correlation between rapid methods and culture was 94% (546/579). Discrepant results were predominantly contaminants such as a coagulase-negative staphylococci or viridans streptococci in mixed cultures. SUCCESS is a cost-effective and easily adaptable model for clinical laboratories with limited stewardship resources.

Evaluation of lymph node status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients: comparison of diagnostic performance of ultrasound, MRI and ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT.

Science.gov (United States)

You, S; Kang, D K; Jung, Y S; An, Y-S; Jeon, G S; Kim, T H

2015-08-01

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of ultrasound, MRI and fluorine-18 fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET)/CT for the diagnosis of metastatic axillary lymph node (ALN) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and to find out histopathological factors affecting the diagnostic performance of these imaging modalities. From January 2012 to November 2014, 191 consecutive patients with breast cancer who underwent NAC before surgery were retrospectively reviewed. We included 139 patients with ALN metastasis that was confirmed on fine needle aspiration or core needle biopsy at initial diagnosis. After NAC, 39 (28%) patients showed negative conversion of ALN on surgical specimens of sentinel lymph node (LN) or ALN. The sensitivity of ultrasound, MRI and PET/CT was 50% (48/96), 72% (70/97) and 22% (16/73), respectively. The specificity of ultrasound, MRI and PET/CT was 77% (30/39), 54% (21/39) and 85% (22/26), respectively. The Az value of combination of ultrasound and PET/CT was the highest (0.634) followed by ultrasound (0.626) and combination of ultrasound, MRI and PET/CT (0.617). The size of tumour deposit in LN and oestrogen receptor was significantly associated with the diagnostic performance of ultrasound (p performance of PET/CT (p = 0.023, p = 0.002, p = 0.036, p = 0.044 and p = 0.008, respectively). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, size of tumour deposit within LN was identified as being independently associated with diagnostic performance of ultrasound [odds ratio, 13.07; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.95-57.96] and PET/CT (odds ratio, 6.47; 95% CI, 1.407-29.737). Combination of three imaging modalities showed the highest sensitivity, and PET/CT showed the highest specificity for the evaluation of ALN metastasis after NAC. Ultrasound alone or combination of ultrasound and PET/CT showed the highest positive-predictive value. The size of tumour deposit within ALN was significantly associated with

Crohn's Disease Evaluated with Magnetic Resonance Enteroclysis: Diagnostic Performance of Experienced and Inexperienced Readers before and after Training

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Negaard, A.; Mulahasanovic, A.; Reisaeter, L.A.; Aasekjaer, K.; Sandvik, L.; Klow, N.E.

2008-01-01

Background: Magnetic resonance enteroclysis (MRE) is suggested to become the preferred radiological method in small-bowel Crohn's disease (CD). However, the performance of inexperienced readers may influence the diagnostic value of the method and has not been previously investigated. Purpose: To compare readings of MRE in small-bowel CD performed by experienced and inexperienced readers before and after training.Material and Methods: One experienced radiologist (observer 1) and two trainees (observers 2 and 3) reviewed 60 MRE examinations. A second reading was performed after training. Bowel wall thickness (BWT), ulcers (BWU), stenosis (BWS), fistulas (FIS), and abscesses (ABS) were evaluated. A reference standard based on clinical records was established. Results: BWT in the terminal ileum was evaluated with high diagnostic performance (sensitivity: observer 1, 83%; observer 2, 72%; observer 3, 78%). Only BWU was diagnosed with a higher sensitivity by observer 1 (78% vs. 33% and 39%, respectively; P=0.02). False-positive findings for BWT in the jejunum (observer 2: 7; observer 3: 4) and fistulas and abscesses (observer 2: 11/5; observer 3: 5/4) were made by the trainees. Interobserver agreement in the jejunum was poor (observer 1/observer 2: κ=0.23; observer 1/observer 3: κ=-0.03) and in the ileum good (observer 1/observer 2: κ=0.78; observer 1/observer 3: κ=0.73). After training, evaluation of BWU (observer 2: 56%, P=0.22; observer 3: 44%, P=0.03), BWT (observer 2: 2; observer 3: 2), and interobserver agreement in the jejunum improved (observer 1/observer 2: κ=0.66; observer 1/observer 3: κ=0.66). However, the number of diagnosed fistulas and abscesses remained high. Conclusion: Before training, most findings of Crohn's disease in the terminal ileum were evaluated with high diagnostic performance by all readers. However, the inexperienced readers evaluated BWU with a low sensitivity and overestimated the number of FIS, number of ABS, and increased BWT in

First set of gated x-ray imaging diagnostics for the Laser Megajoule facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosch, R.; Trosseille, C.; Caillaud, T.; Allouche, V.; Bourgade, J. L.; Briat, M.; Brunel, P.; Burillo, M.; Casner, A.; Depierreux, S.; Gontier, D.; Jadaud, J. P.; Le Breton, J. P.; Llavador, P.; Loupias, B.; Miquel, J. L.; Oudot, G.; Perez, S.; Raimbourg, J.; Rousseau, A. [CEA-DAM Ile de France, Bruyères-le-Châtel, 91297 Arpajon Cedex (France); and others

2016-03-15

The Laser Megajoule (LMJ) facility located at CEA/CESTA started to operate in the early 2014 with two quadruplets (20 kJ at 351 nm) focused on target for the first experimental campaign. We present here the first set of gated x-ray imaging (GXI) diagnostics implemented on LMJ since mid-2014. This set consists of two imaging diagnostics with spatial, temporal, and broadband spectral resolution. These diagnostics will give basic measurements, during the entire life of the facility, such as position, structure, and balance of beams, but they will also be used to characterize gas filled target implosion symmetry and timing, to study x-ray radiography and hydrodynamic instabilities. The design requires a vulnerability approach, because components will operate in a harsh environment induced by neutron fluxes, gamma rays, debris, and shrapnel. Grazing incidence x-ray microscopes are fielded as far as possible away from the target to minimize potential damage and signal noise due to these sources. These imaging diagnostics incorporate microscopes with large source-to-optic distance and large size gated microchannel plate detectors. Microscopes include optics with grazing incidence mirrors, pinholes, and refractive lenses. Spatial, temporal, and spectral performances have been measured on x-ray tubes and UV lasers at CEA-DIF and at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt BESSY II synchrotron prior to be set on LMJ. GXI-1 and GXI-2 designs, metrology, and first experiments on LMJ are presented here.

Diagnostic performance of CT-arthrography and 1.5T MR-arthrography for the assessment of glenohumeral joint cartilage: a comparative study with arthroscopic correlation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Omoumi, Patrick [Cliniques Universitaires St Luc - Universite Catholique de Louvain, Department of Radiology, Brussels (Belgium); Lausanne University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Lausanne (Switzerland); Rubini, Alexandra; Berg, Bruno C. vande; Lecouvet, Frederic E. [Cliniques Universitaires St Luc - Universite Catholique de Louvain, Department of Radiology, Brussels (Belgium); Dubuc, Jean-Emile [Cliniques Universitaires St Luc - Universite Catholique de Louvain, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brussels (Belgium)

2015-04-01

To compare the diagnostic performance of multi-detector CT arthrography (CTA) and 1.5-T MR arthrography (MRA) in detecting hyaline cartilage lesions of the shoulder, with arthroscopic correlation. CTA and MRA prospectively obtained in 56 consecutive patients following the same arthrographic procedure were independently evaluated for glenohumeral cartilage lesions (modified Outerbridge grade ≥2 and grade 4) by two musculoskeletal radiologists. The cartilage surface was divided in 18 anatomical areas. Arthroscopy was taken as the reference standard. Diagnostic performance of CTA and MRA was compared using ROC analysis. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement was determined by κ statistics. Sensitivity and specificity of CTA varied from 46.4 to 82.4 % and from 89.0 to 95.9 % respectively; sensitivity and specificity of MRA varied from 31.9 to 66.2 % and from 91.1 to 97.5 % respectively. Diagnostic performance of CTA was statistically significantly better than MRA for both readers (all p ≤ 0.04). Interobserver agreement for the evaluation of cartilage lesions was substantial with CTA (κ = 0.63) and moderate with MRA (κ = 0.54). Intraobserver agreement was almost perfect with both CTA (κ = 0.94-0.95) and MRA (κ = 0.83-0.87). The diagnostic performance of CTA and MRA for the detection of glenohumeral cartilage lesions is moderate, although statistically significantly better with CTA. (orig.)

Effects of disease severity distribution on the performance of quantitative diagnostic methods and proposal of a novel ‘V-plot’ methodology to display accuracy values

Science.gov (United States)

Dehbi, Hakim-Moulay; Howard, James P; Shun-Shin, Matthew J; Sen, Sayan; Nijjer, Sukhjinder S; Mayet, Jamil; Davies, Justin E; Francis, Darrel P

2018-01-01

Background Diagnostic accuracy is widely accepted by researchers and clinicians as an optimal expression of a test’s performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of disease severity distribution on values of diagnostic accuracy as well as propose a sample-independent methodology to calculate and display accuracy of diagnostic tests. Methods and findings We evaluated the diagnostic relationship between two hypothetical methods to measure serum cholesterol (Cholrapid and Cholgold) by generating samples with statistical software and (1) keeping the numerical relationship between methods unchanged and (2) changing the distribution of cholesterol values. Metrics of categorical agreement were calculated (accuracy, sensitivity and specificity). Finally, a novel methodology to display and calculate accuracy values was presented (the V-plot of accuracies). Conclusion No single value of diagnostic accuracy can be used to describe the relationship between tests, as accuracy is a metric heavily affected by the underlying sample distribution. Our novel proposed methodology, the V-plot of accuracies, can be used as a sample-independent measure of a test performance against a reference gold standard. PMID:29387424

Indices of diagnostic algorithm in imaging diagnosis of the gastrointestinal tract

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pomakov, P.

2002-01-01

The diagnostic algorithm (DA) is a method of consistent successive selection of the diagnostic imaging section in a given nosological entity. Depending on the diagnostic task undertaken one or more methods of consecutive investigation may be chosen - differing in scope, complexity and means of resolving the problem. The indices underlying the choice are divided up into two groups: primary effectiveness, accessibility, hazards and clinical relevance, and secondary - examiner, time, outfit and auxiliary means. For the purpose English terminology is used. The indices make part of the following formula: DA = RA (EOM) / DP (EOMT). In the numerator are included factors with positive effect, and in the denominator - factors with unfavourable effect. The primary factors are basic, leading and conclusive in nature, acting in all medical institutions and practicable in all nosological entities. Of the latter the most important is the obtained final result - R. The secondary factors are submitted in parenthesis. They vary within broad limits, changing in relatively short time intervals and having local relevance - only for the concrete medical facility where the imaging method is conducted. Not infrequently, the final outcome - diagnosis - is a function of the interaction between all the rest of the basic factors and those with local effect. (author)

The future of medical diagnostics: review paper

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Jerjes, Waseem K

2011-08-23

Abstract While histopathology of excised tissue remains the gold standard for diagnosis, several new, non-invasive diagnostic techniques are being developed. They rely on physical and biochemical changes that precede and mirror malignant change within tissue. The basic principle involves simple optical techniques of tissue interrogation. Their accuracy, expressed as sensitivity and specificity, are reported in a number of studies suggests that they have a potential for cost effective, real-time, in situ diagnosis. We review the Third Scientific Meeting of the Head and Neck Optical Diagnostics Society held in Congress Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria on the 11th May 2011. For the first time the HNODS Annual Scientific Meeting was held in association with the International Photodynamic Association (IPA) and the European Platform for Photodynamic Medicine (EPPM). The aim was to enhance the interdisciplinary aspects of optical diagnostics and other photodynamic applications. The meeting included 2 sections: oral communication sessions running in parallel to the IPA programme and poster presentation sessions combined with the IPA and EPPM posters sessions.

Comparison of diagnostic performance between single- and multiphasic contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic computed tomography in patients admitted to the emergency department with abdominal pain: potential radiation dose reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Shin Hye; You, Je Sung; Song, Mi Kyong; Choi, Jin-Young; Kim, Myeong-Jin; Chung, Yong Eun

2015-04-01

To evaluate feasibility of radiation dose reduction by optimal phase selection of computed tomography (CT) in patients who visited the emergency department (ED) for abdominal pain. We included 253 patients who visited the ED for abdominal pain. They underwent multiphasic CT including precontrast, late arterial phase (LAP), and hepatic venous phase (HVP). Three image sets (HVP, precontrast + HVP, and precontrast + LAP + HVP) were reviewed. Two reviewers determined the most appropriate diagnosis with five-point confidence scale. Diagnostic performances were compared among image sets by weighted-least-squares method or DeLong's method. Linear mixed model was used to assess changes of diagnostic confidence and radiation dose. There was no difference in diagnostic performance among three image sets, although diagnostic confidence level was significantly improved after review of triphasic images compared with both HVP images only or HVP with precontrast images (confidence scale, 4.64 ± 0.05, 4.66 ± 0.05, and 4.76 ± 0.04 in the order of the sets; overall P = 0.0008). Similar trends were observed in the subgroup analysis for diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease and cholecystitis. There is no difference between HVP-CT alone and multiphasic CT for the diagnosis of causes of abdominal pain in patients admitted to the ED without prior chronic disease or neoplasia. • There was no difference in diagnostic performance of HVP CT and multiphasic CT. • The diagnostic confidence level was improved after review of the LAP images. • HVP CT can achieve diagnostic performance similar to that of multiphasic CT, while minimizing radiation.

Fitting N-mixture models to count data with unmodeled heterogeneity: Bias, diagnostics, and alternative approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte, Adam; Adams, Michael J.; Peterson, James T.

2018-01-01

Monitoring animal populations is central to wildlife and fisheries management, and the use of N-mixture models toward these efforts has markedly increased in recent years. Nevertheless, relatively little work has evaluated estimator performance when basic assumptions are violated. Moreover, diagnostics to identify when bias in parameter estimates from N-mixture models is likely is largely unexplored. We simulated count data sets using 837 combinations of detection probability, number of sample units, number of survey occasions, and type and extent of heterogeneity in abundance or detectability. We fit Poisson N-mixture models to these data, quantified the bias associated with each combination, and evaluated if the parametric bootstrap goodness-of-fit (GOF) test can be used to indicate bias in parameter estimates. We also explored if assumption violations can be diagnosed prior to fitting N-mixture models. In doing so, we propose a new model diagnostic, which we term the quasi-coefficient of variation (QCV). N-mixture models performed well when assumptions were met and detection probabilities were moderate (i.e., ≥0.3), and the performance of the estimator improved with increasing survey occasions and sample units. However, the magnitude of bias in estimated mean abundance with even slight amounts of unmodeled heterogeneity was substantial. The parametric bootstrap GOF test did not perform well as a diagnostic for bias in parameter estimates when detectability and sample sizes were low. The results indicate the QCV is useful to diagnose potential bias and that potential bias associated with unidirectional trends in abundance or detectability can be diagnosed using Poisson regression. This study represents the most thorough assessment to date of assumption violations and diagnostics when fitting N-mixture models using the most commonly implemented error distribution. Unbiased estimates of population state variables are needed to properly inform management decision

Diagnostic Performance of Narrow Band Imaging for Nasopharyngeal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Changling; Zhang, Yayun; Han, Xue; Du, Xiaodong

2018-03-01

Objective The purposes of this study were to verify the effectiveness of the narrow band imaging (NBI) system in diagnosing nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) as compared with white light endoscopy. Data Sources PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CNKI, and Wan Fang databases. Review Methods Data analyses were performed with Meta-Disc. The updated Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool was used to assess study quality and potential bias. Publication bias was assessed with a Deeks asymmetry test. The registry number of the protocol published on PROSPERO is CRD42015026244. Results This meta-analysis included 10 studies of 1337 lesions. For NBI diagnosis of NPC, the pooled values were as follows: sensitivity, 0.83 (95% CI, 0.80-0.86); specificity, 0.91 (95% CI, 0.89-0.93); positive likelihood ratio, 8.82 (95% CI, 5.12-15.21); negative likelihood ratio, 0.18 (95% CI, 0.12-0.27); and diagnostic odds ratio, 65.73 (95% CI, 36.74-117.60). The area under the curve was 0.9549. For white light endoscopy in diagnosing NPC, the pooled values were as follows: sensitivity, 0.79 (95% CI, 0.75-0.83); specificity, 0.87 (95% CI, 0.84-0.90); positive likelihood ratio, 5.02 (95% CI, 1.99-12.65); negative likelihood ratio, 0.34 (95% CI, 0.24-0.49); and diagnostic odds ratio, 16.89 (95% CI, 5.98-47.66). The area under the curve was 0.8627. The evaluation of heterogeneity, calculated per the diagnostic odds ratio, gave an I 2 of 0.326. No marked publication bias ( P = .68) existed in this meta-analysis. Conclusion The sensitivity and specificity of NBI for the diagnosis of NPC are similar to those of white light endoscopy, and the potential value of NBI for the diagnosis of NPC needs to be validated further.

Glaucoma diagnostic performance of GDxVCC and spectralis OCT on eyes with atypical retardation pattern.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoesl, Laura Maria; Tornow, Ralf P; Schrems, Wolfgang A; Horn, Folkert K; Mardin, Christian Y; Kruse, Friedrich E; Juenemann, Anselm G M; Laemmer, Robert

2013-01-01

To investigate the impact of typical scan score (TSS) on discriminating glaucomatous and healthy eyes by scanning laser polarimetry and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in 32 peripapillary sectors. One hundred two glaucoma patients and 32 healthy controls underwent standard automated perimetry, 24-hour intraocular pressure profile, optic disc photography, GDxVCC, and SD-OCT measurements. For controls, only very typical scans (TSS=100) were accepted. Glaucoma patients were divided into 3 subgroups (very typical: TSS=100; typical: 99≥TSS≥80, atypical: TSS<80). Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed for mean retinal nerve fiber layer values, sector data, and nerve fiber indicator (NFI). Sensitivity was estimated at ≥90% specificity to compare the discriminating ability of each imaging modality. For discrimination between healthy and glaucomatous eyes with very typical scans, the NFI and inferior sector analyses 26 to 27 demonstrated the highest sensitivity at ≥90% specificity in GDxVCC and SD-OCT, respectively. For the typical and atypical groups, sensitivity at ≥90% specificity decreased for all 32 peripapillary sectors on an average by 10.9% and 17.9% for GDxVCC and by 4.9% and 0.8% for SD-OCT. For GDxVCC, diagnostic performance of peripapillary sectors decreased with lower TSS, especially in temporosuperior and inferotemporal sectors (sensitivity at ≥90% specificity decreased by 55.3% and by 37.8% in the atypical group). Diagnostic accuracy is comparable for SD-OCT and GDxVCC if typical scans (TSS=100) are investigated. Decreasing TSS is associated with a decrease in diagnostic accuracy for discriminating healthy and glaucomatous eyes by scanning laser polarimetry. NFI is less influenced than the global or sector retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. The TSS score should be included in the standard printout. Diagnostic accuracy of SD-OCT is barely influenced by low TSS.

Target diagnostic system for the National Ignition Facility (NIF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leeper, R.J.; Chandler, G.A.; Cooper, G.W.; Derzon, M.S.

1996-01-01

A review of recent progress on the design of a diagnostic system proposed for ignition target experiments on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) will be presented. This diagnostic package contains an extensive suite of optical, x-ray, gamma-ray, and neutron diagnostics that enable measurements of the performance of both direct and indirect driven NIF targets. The philosophy used in designing all of the diagnostics in the set has emphasized redundant and independent measurement of fundamental physical quantities relevant to the operation of the NIF target. A unique feature of these diagnostics is that they are being designed to be capable of operating, in the high radiation, EMP, and debris backgrounds expected on the NIF facility. The diagnostic system proposed can be categorized into three broad areas: laser characterization, hohlraum characterization, and capsule performance diagnostics. The operating principles of a representative instrument from each class of diagnostic employed in this package will be summarized and illustrated with data obtained in recent prototype diagnostic tests

Evaluation of Diagnostic Tests Using Information Theory for Multi-Class Diagnostic Problems and its Application for the Detection of Occlusal Caries Lesions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Umut Arslan

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Several methods are available to evaluate the performance of the tests when the purpose of the diagnostic test is to discriminate between two possible disease states. However multi-class diagnostic problems frequently appear in many areas of medical science. Hence, there is a need for methods which will enable us to characterize the accuracy of diagnostic tests when there are more than two possible disease states. Aims: To show that two information theory measures, information content (IC and proportional reduction in diagnostic uncertainty (PRDU, can be used for the evaluation of the performance of diagnostic tests for multi-class diagnostic problems that may appear in different areas of medical science. Study Design: Diagnostic accuracy study. Methods: Sixty freshly extracted permanent human molar and premolar teeth suspected to have occlusal caries lesions were selected for the study and were assessed by two experienced examiners. Each examiner performed two evaluations. Histological examination was used as the gold standard. The scores of the histological examination were defined as sound (n=11, enamel caries (n=22 and dentin caries (n=27. Diagnostic performance of i visual inspection, ii radiography, iii laser fluorescence (LF and iv micro-computed tomography (M-CT caries detection methods was evaluated by calculating IC and PRDU. Results: Micro-computed tomography examination was the best method among the diagnostic techniques for the diagnosis of occlusal caries in terms of both IC and PRDU. M-CT examination supplied the maximum diagnostic information about the diagnosis of occlusal caries in the first (IC: 1.056; p<0.05, (PRDU: 70.5% and second evaluation (IC: 1.105; p<0.05, (PRDU: 73.8% for the first examiner. M-CT examination was the best method among the diagnostic techniques for the second examiner in both the first (IC:1.105; p<0.05, (PRDU:73.8% and second evaluation (IC:1.061; p<0.05, (PRDU:70.8%. IC and PRDU were

Overview of diagnostic performance and results for the first operation phase in Wendelstein 7-X (invited).

Science.gov (United States)

Krychowiak, M; Adnan, A; Alonso, A; Andreeva, T; Baldzuhn, J; Barbui, T; Beurskens, M; Biel, W; Biedermann, C; Blackwell, B D; Bosch, H S; Bozhenkov, S; Brakel, R; Bräuer, T; Brotas de Carvalho, B; Burhenn, R; Buttenschön, B; Cappa, A; Cseh, G; Czarnecka, A; Dinklage, A; Drews, P; Dzikowicka, A; Effenberg, F; Endler, M; Erckmann, V; Estrada, T; Ford, O; Fornal, T; Frerichs, H; Fuchert, G; Geiger, J; Grulke, O; Harris, J H; Hartfuß, H J; Hartmann, D; Hathiramani, D; Hirsch, M; Höfel, U; Jabłoński, S; Jakubowski, M W; Kaczmarczyk, J; Klinger, T; Klose, S; Knauer, J; Kocsis, G; König, R; Kornejew, P; Krämer-Flecken, A; Krawczyk, N; Kremeyer, T; Książek, I; Kubkowska, M; Langenberg, A; Laqua, H P; Laux, M; Lazerson, S; Liang, Y; Liu, S C; Lorenz, A; Marchuk, A O; Marsen, S; Moncada, V; Naujoks, D; Neilson, H; Neubauer, O; Neuner, U; Niemann, H; Oosterbeek, J W; Otte, M; Pablant, N; Pasch, E; Sunn Pedersen, T; Pisano, F; Rahbarnia, K; Ryć, L; Schmitz, O; Schmuck, S; Schneider, W; Schröder, T; Schuhmacher, H; Schweer, B; Standley, B; Stange, T; Stephey, L; Svensson, J; Szabolics, T; Szepesi, T; Thomsen, H; Travere, J-M; Trimino Mora, H; Tsuchiya, H; Weir, G M; Wenzel, U; Werner, A; Wiegel, B; Windisch, T; Wolf, R; Wurden, G A; Zhang, D; Zimbal, A; Zoletnik, S

2016-11-01

Wendelstein 7-X, a superconducting optimized stellarator built in Greifswald/Germany, started its first plasmas with the last closed flux surface (LCFS) defined by 5 uncooled graphite limiters in December 2015. At the end of the 10 weeks long experimental campaign (OP1.1) more than 20 independent diagnostic systems were in operation, allowing detailed studies of many interesting plasma phenomena. For example, fast neutral gas manometers supported by video cameras (including one fast-frame camera with frame rates of tens of kHz) as well as visible cameras with different interference filters, with field of views covering all ten half-modules of the stellarator, discovered a MARFE-like radiation zone on the inboard side of machine module 4. This structure is presumably triggered by an inadvertent plasma-wall interaction in module 4 resulting in a high impurity influx that terminates some discharges by radiation cooling. The main plasma parameters achieved in OP1.1 exceeded predicted values in discharges of a length reaching 6 s. Although OP1.1 is characterized by short pulses, many of the diagnostics are already designed for quasi-steady state operation of 30 min discharges heated at 10 MW of ECRH. An overview of diagnostic performance for OP1.1 is given, including some highlights from the physics campaigns.

Tomosynthesis for the early detection of pulmonary emphysema: diagnostic performance compared with chest radiography, using multidetector computed tomography as reference.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Yoshitake; Jinzaki, Masahiro; Hashimoto, Masahiro; Shiomi, Eisuke; Abe, Takayuki; Kuribayashi, Sachio; Ogawa, Kenji

2013-08-01

To compare the diagnostic performance of tomosynthesis with that of chest radiography for the detection of pulmonary emphysema, using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) as reference. Forty-eight patients with and 63 without pulmonary emphysema underwent chest MDCT, tomosynthesis and radiography on the same day. Two blinded radiologists independently evaluated the tomosynthesis images and radiographs for the presence of pulmonary emphysema. Axial and coronal MDCT images served as the reference standard and the percentage lung volume with attenuation values of -950 HU or lower (LAA-950) was evaluated to determine the extent of emphysema. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and generalised estimating equations model were used. ROC analysis revealed significantly better performance (P pulmonary emphysema. The average sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of tomosynthesis were 0.875, 0.968, 0.955 and 0.910, respectively, whereas the values for radiography were 0.479, 0.913, 0.815 and 0.697, respectively. For both tomosynthesis and radiography, the sensitivity increased with increasing LAA-950. The diagnostic performance of tomosynthesis was significantly superior to that of radiography for the detection of pulmonary emphysema. In both tomosynthesis and radiography, the sensitivity was affected by the LAA-950. • Tomosynthesis showed significantly better diagnostic performance for pulmonary emphysema than radiography. • Interobserver agreement for tomosynthesis was significantly higher than that for radiography. • Sensitivity increased with increasing LAA -950 in both tomosynthesis and radiography. • Tomosynthesis imparts a similar radiation dose to two projection chest radiography. • Radiation dose and cost of tomosynthesis are lower than those of MDCT.

Validation of a novel basic virtual reality simulator, the LAP-X, for training basic laparoscopic skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawaguchi, Koji; Egi, Hiroyuki; Hattori, Minoru; Sawada, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Takahisa; Ohdan, Hideki

2014-10-01

Virtual reality surgical simulators are becoming popular as a means of providing trainees with an opportunity to practice laparoscopic skills. The Lap-X (Epona Medical, Rotterdam, the Netherlands) is a novel VR simulator for training basic skills in laparoscopic surgery. The objective of this study was to validate the LAP-X laparoscopic virtual reality simulator by assessing the face and construct validity in order to determine whether the simulator is adequate for basic skills training. The face and content validity were evaluated using a structured questionnaire. To assess the construct validity, the participants, nine expert surgeons (median age: 40 (32-45)) (>100 laparoscopic procedures) and 11 novices performed three basic laparoscopic tasks using the Lap-X. The participants reported a high level of content validity. No significant differences were found between the expert surgeons and the novices (Ps > 0.246). The performance of the expert surgeons on the three tasks was significantly better than that of the novices in all parameters (Ps training device.

[Allergy and autoimmunity: Molecular diagnostics, therapy, and presumable pathogenesis].

Science.gov (United States)

Arefieva, A S; Smoldovskaya, O V; Tikhonov, A A; Rubina, A Yu

2017-01-01

Allergic and autoimmune diseases represent immunopathological reactions of an organism to antigens. Despite that the allergy is a result of exaggerated immune response to foreign antigens (allergens) and autoimmune diseases are characterized by the pathological response to internal antigens (autoantigens), the underlying mechanisms of these diseases are probably common. Thus, both types of diseases represent variations in the hypersensitivity reaction. A large percentage of both the adult and pediatric population is in need of early diagnostics of these pathologies of the immune system. Considering the diversity of antibodies produced in allergic and autoimmune disease and the difficulties accompanying clinical diagnosing, molecular diagnostics of these pathological processes should be carried out in several stages, including screening and confirmatory studies. In this review, we summarize the available data on the molecular diagnostics and therapy of allergic and autoimmune diseases and discuss the basic similarities and differences in the mechanisms of their development.

Diagnostics and modeling of high pressure streamer induced discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marode, E.; Dessante, P.; Deschamps, N.; Deniset, C.

2001-01-01

A great variety of diagnostic has been applied to gain information on basic parameter governing high pressure nonthermal filamentary plasmas (and namely streamer induced filamentary discharges). Apart from electrical diagnostics, gas discharge, in contrast with solid state physics, can greatly benefit from all optical techniques owing to its ''transparent'' state. Emission and absorption spectroscopy, as well as LIF or CARS (talk are given during this meeting on these two techniques) are among such specific possibilities. The figures gained from these diagnostic measurements has generally no meaning by itself. They must be worked out, by means of calibrated former results, and/or by using them as input in high pressure plasma modeling. Mixing experimental and modeling approach is necessary for reaching relevant physical knowledge of the high pressure filamentary discharges processes. It is shown that diffusion, and thermal space and time distribution, must fully be taken into account

Diagnostics Neutral Beam Injector at the TCV Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mlynar, J.; Shukaev, A.N.; Bosshard, P.; Duval, B.P.; Ivanov, A.A.; Kollegov, M.; Kolmogorov, V.V.; Llobet, X.; Pitts, R.A.; Weisen, H.

2001-10-01

Within this report we summarize the technical and experimental effort made on diagnostics neutral beam injector (DNBI) which was installed at tokamak TCV last year. Basic components of DNBI are reviewed, its remote control is presented in more detail. Profile and attenuation studies are referred to. First experimental results obtained with DNBI, which led to a decision to upgrade the machine, are discussed in the last section. (author)

Enhancing Science Teaching through Performing Marbling Art Using Basic Solutions and Base Indicators

Science.gov (United States)

Çil, Emine; Çelik, Kevser; Maçin, Tuba; Demirbas, Gülay; Gökçimen, Özlem

2014-01-01

Basic solutions are an indispensable part of our daily life. Basic solutions are commonly used in industries such as the textile industry, oil refineries, the fertilizer industry, and pharmaceutical products. Most cleaning agents, such as soap, detergent, and bleach, and some of our foods, such as chocolate and eggs, include bases. Bases are the…

Status of TMX upgrade diagnostics construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hornady, R.S.; Davis, J.C.; Simonen, T.C.

1981-01-01

This report describes the status of the initial TMX Upgrade diagnostics and the state of development of additional diagnostics being prepared for later TMX Upgrade experiments. The initial diagnostic instrument set has been described in the TMX Upgrade Proposal. This set is required to get TMX Upgrade operational and to evaluate its initial performance. Additional diagnostic instruments are needed to then carry out the more detailed experiments outlined by the TMX Upgrade program milestones. The relation of these new measurements to the physics program is described in The TMX Upgrade Program Plan

Performance appraisal of expectations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Russkikh G.A.

2016-11-01

Full Text Available this article provides basic concepts for teachers to estimate and reach planned students’ expectations, describes functions and elements of expectations; nature of external and internal estimate, technology to estimate the results, gives recommendations how to create diagnostic assignments.

Diagnostic performance of 3D standing CT imaging for detection of knee osteoarthritis features.

Science.gov (United States)

Segal, Neil A; Nevitt, Michael C; Lynch, John A; Niu, Jingbo; Torner, James C; Guermazi, Ali

2015-07-01

To determine the diagnostic performance of standing computerized tomography (SCT) of the knee for osteophytes and subchondral cysts compared with fixed-flexion radiography, using MRI as the reference standard. Twenty participants were recruited from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study. Participants' knees were imaged with SCT while standing in a knee-positioning frame, and with postero-anterior fixed-flexion radiography and 1T MRI. Medial and lateral marginal osteophytes and subchondral cysts were scored on bilateral radiographs and coronal SCT images using the OARSI grading system and on coronal MRI using Whole Organ MRI Scoring. Imaging modalities were read separately with images in random order. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for the detection of lesions were calculated and differences between modalities were tested using McNemar's test. Participants' mean age was 66.8 years, body mass index was 29.6 kg/m(2) and 50% were women. Of the 160 surfaces (medial and lateral femur and tibia for 40 knees), MRI revealed 84 osteophytes and 10 subchondral cysts. In comparison with osteophytes and subchondral cysts detected by MRI, SCT was significantly more sensitive (93 and 100%; p osteophytes) than plain radiographs (sensitivity 60 and 10% and accuracy 79 and 94%, respectively). For osteophytes, differences in sensitivity and accuracy were greatest at the medial femur (p = 0.002). In comparison with MRI, SCT imaging was more sensitive and accurate for detection of osteophytes and subchondral cysts than conventional fixed-flexion radiography. Additional study is warranted to assess diagnostic performance of SCT measures of joint space width, progression of OA features and the patellofemoral joint.

Which supplementary imaging modality should be used for breast ultrasonography? Comparison of the diagnostic performance of elastography and computer-aided diagnosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Si Eun; Moon, Ji Eun Ho; Kim, Eun Kyung; Yoon, Jung Hyun [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-04-15

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of grayscale ultrasonography (US), US elastography, and US computer-aided diagnosis (US-CAD) in the differential diagnosis of breast masses. A total of 193 breast masses in 175 consecutive women (mean age, 46.4 years) from June to August 2015 were included. US and elastography images were obtained and recorded. A US-CAD system was applied to the grayscale sonograms, which were automatically analyzed and visualized in order to generate a final assessment. The final assessments of breast masses were based on the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) categories, while elasticity scores were assigned using a 5-point scoring system. The diagnostic performance of grayscale US, elastography, and US-CAD was calculated and compared. Of the 193 breast masses, 120 (62.2%) were benign and 73 (37.8%) were malignant. Breast masses had significantly higher rates of malignancy in BI-RADS categories 4c and 5, elastography patterns 4 and 5, and when the US-CAD assessment was possibly malignant (all P<0.001). Elastography had higher specificity (40.8%, P=0.042) than grayscale US. US-CAD showed the highest specificity (67.5%), positive predictive value (PPV) (61.4%), accuracy (74.1%), and area under the curve (AUC) (0.762, all P<0.05) among the three diagnostic tools. US-CAD had higher values for specificity, PPV, accuracy, and AUC than grayscale US or elastography. Computer-based analysis based on the morphologic features of US may be very useful in improving the diagnostic performance of breast US.

Dose and diagnostic performance comparison between phase-contrast mammography with synchrotron radiation and digital mammography: a clinical study report.

Science.gov (United States)

Fedon, Christian; Rigon, Luigi; Arfelli, Fulvia; Dreossi, Diego; Quai, Elisa; Tonutti, Maura; Tromba, Giuliana; Cova, Maria Assunta; Longo, Renata

2018-01-01

Two dosimetric quantities [mean glandular dose (MGD) and entrance surface air kerma (ESAK)] and the diagnostic performance of phase-contrast mammography with synchrotron radiation (MSR) are compared to conventional digital mammography (DM). Seventy-one patients (age range, 41 to 82 years) underwent MSR after a DM examination if questionable or suspicious breast abnormalities were not clarified by ultrasonography. The MGD and the ESAK delivered in both examinations were evaluated and compared. Two on-site radiologists rated the images in consensus according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System assessment categories, which were then correlated with the final diagnoses by means of statistical generalized linear models (GLMs). Receiver operating characteristic curves were also used to assess the diagnostic performance by comparing the area under the curve (AUC). An important MGD and ESAK reduction was observed in MSR due to the monoenergetic beam. In particular, an average 43% reduction was observed for the MGD and a reduction of more than 50% for the ESAK. GLM showed higher diagnostic accuracy, especially in terms of specificity, for MSR, confirmed by AUC analysis ([Formula: see text]). The study design implied that the population was characterized by a high prevalence of disease and that the radiologists, who read the DM images before referring the patient to MSR, could have been influenced in their assessments. Within these limitations, the use of synchrotron radiation with the phase-contrast technique applied to mammography showed an important dose reduction and a higher diagnostic accuracy compared with DM. These results could further encourage research on the translation of x-ray phase-contrast imaging into the clinics.

Development of an Information Fusion System for Engine Diagnostics and Health Management

Science.gov (United States)

Volponi, Allan J.; Brotherton, Tom; Luppold, Robert; Simon, Donald L.

2004-01-01

Aircraft gas-turbine engine data are available from a variety of sources including on-board sensor measurements, maintenance histories, and component models. An ultimate goal of Propulsion Health Management (PHM) is to maximize the amount of meaningful information that can be extracted from disparate data sources to obtain comprehensive diagnostic and prognostic knowledge regarding the health of the engine. Data Fusion is the integration of data or information from multiple sources, to achieve improved accuracy and more specific inferences than can be obtained from the use of a single sensor alone. The basic tenet underlying the data/information fusion concept is to leverage all available information to enhance diagnostic visibility, increase diagnostic reliability and reduce the number of diagnostic false alarms. This paper describes a basic PHM Data Fusion architecture being developed in alignment with the NASA C17 Propulsion Health Management (PHM) Flight Test program. The challenge of how to maximize the meaningful information extracted from disparate data sources to obtain enhanced diagnostic and prognostic information regarding the health and condition of the engine is the primary goal of this endeavor. To address this challenge, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) and Pratt & Whitney (P&W) have formed a team with several small innovative technology companies to plan and conduct a research project in the area of data fusion as applied to PHM. Methodologies being developed and evaluated have been drawn from a wide range of areas including artificial intelligence, pattern recognition, statistical estimation, and fuzzy logic. This paper will provide a broad overview of this work, discuss some of the methodologies employed and give some illustrative examples.

An Evaluation of the Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) Across Domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilder, David A; Lipschultz, Joshua; Gehrman, Chana

2018-06-01

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) is an informant-based tool designed to assess the environmental variables that contribute to poor employee performance in human service settings. Although the PDC-HS has been shown to effectively identify variables contributing to problematic performance, interventions based on only two of the four PDC-HS domains have been evaluated to date. In addition, the extent to which PDC-HS-indicated interventions are more effective than nonindicated interventions for two domains remains unclear. In the current study, we administered the PDC-HS to supervisors to assess the variables contributing to infrequent teaching of verbal operants and use of a timer by therapists at a center-based autism treatment program. Each of the four PDC-HS domains was identified as contributing to poor performance for at least one therapist. We then evaluated PDC-HS-indicated interventions for each domain. In addition, to assess the predictive validity of the tool, we evaluated various nonindicated interventions prior to implementing a PDC-HS-indicated intervention for two of the four domains. Results suggest that the PDC-HS-indicated interventions were effective across all four domains and were more effective than the nonindicated interventions for the two domains for which they were evaluated. Results are discussed in terms of the utility of the PDC-HS to identify appropriate interventions to manage therapist performance in human service settings.

A study of the academic performance of medical students in the comprehensive examination of the basic sciences according to the indices of emotional intelligence and educational status.

Science.gov (United States)

Moslehi, Mohsen; Samouei, Rahele; Tayebani, Tayebeh; Kolahduz, Sima

2015-01-01

Considering the increasing importance of emotional intelligence (EI) in different aspects of life, such as academic achievement, the present survey is aimed to predict academic performance of medical students in the comprehensive examination of the basic sciences, according to the indices of emotional intelligence and educational status. The present survey is a descriptive, analytical, and cross-sectional study performed on the medical students of Isfahan, Tehran, and Mashhad Universities of Medical Sciences. Sampling the universities was performed randomly after which selecting the students was done, taking into consideration the limitation in their numbers. Based on the inclusion criteria, all the medical students, entrance of 2005, who had attended the comprehensive basic sciences examination in 2008, entered the study. The data collection tools included an Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (standardized in Isfahan), the average score of the first to fifth semesters, total average of each of the five semesters, and the grade of the comprehensive basic sciences examination. The data were analyzed through stepwise regression coefficient by SPSS software version 15. The results indicated that the indicators of independence from an emotional intelligence test and average scores of the first and third academic semesters were significant in predicting the students' academic performance in the comprehensive basic sciences examination. According to the obtained results, the average scores of students, especially in the earlier semesters, as well as the indicators of independence and the self-esteem rate of students can influence their success in the comprehensive basic sciences examination.

Development of advanced diagnostic technologies for motor-operated valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hegi, Kotaro; Shimizu, Shunichi; Higuma, Koji; Nishino, Koji; Osaki, Kenji; Watanabe, Kazumi; Hamano, Frank

2010-01-01

As use of condition-based maintenance is allowed in the new regulatory inspection system employed in Japan's nuclear power plants in 2009, development of advanced diagnostic technologies for motor-operated valves (MOVs) is now required. This report discusses advanced technologies in valve-setup verification, valve performance evaluation, monitoring of valve/actuator conditions by performance diagnostic system and moreover detection of stem crack by ultrasonic diagnostic system. (author)

Basic research for environmental restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-12-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) is in the midst of a major environmental restoration effort to reduce the health and environmental risks resulting from past waste management and disposal practices at DOE sites. This report describes research needs in environmental restoration and complements a previously published document, DOE/ER-0419, Evaluation of Mid-to-Long Term Basic Research for Environmental Restoration. Basic research needs have been grouped into five major categories patterned after those identified in DOE/ER-0419: (1) environmental transport and transformations; (2) advanced sampling, characterization, and monitoring methods; (3) new remediation technologies; (4) performance assessment; and (5) health and environmental effects. In addition to basic research, this document deals with education and training needs for environmental restoration. 2 figs., 6 tabs

Basic research for environmental restoration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-12-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) is in the midst of a major environmental restoration effort to reduce the health and environmental risks resulting from past waste management and disposal practices at DOE sites. This report describes research needs in environmental restoration and complements a previously published document, DOE/ER-0419, Evaluation of Mid-to-Long Term Basic Research for Environmental Restoration. Basic research needs have been grouped into five major categories patterned after those identified in DOE/ER-0419: (1) environmental transport and transformations; (2) advanced sampling, characterization, and monitoring methods; (3) new remediation technologies; (4) performance assessment; and (5) health and environmental effects. In addition to basic research, this document deals with education and training needs for environmental restoration. 2 figs., 6 tabs.

The relevance of basic sciences in undergraduate medical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, C; Grant, T; McLoughlin, P; Last, J

2016-02-01

Evolving and changing undergraduate medical curricula raise concerns that there will no longer be a place for basic sciences. National and international trends show that 5-year programmes with a pre-requisite for school chemistry are growing more prevalent. National reports in Ireland show a decline in the availability of school chemistry and physics. This observational cohort study considers if the basic sciences of physics, chemistry and biology should be a prerequisite to entering medical school, be part of the core medical curriculum or if they have a place in the practice of medicine. Comparisons of means, correlation and linear regression analysis assessed the degree of association between predictors (school and university basic sciences) and outcomes (year and degree GPA) for entrants to a 6-year Irish medical programme between 2006 and 2009 (n = 352). We found no statistically significant difference in medical programme performance between students with/without prior basic science knowledge. The Irish school exit exam and its components were mainly weak predictors of performance (-0.043 ≥ r ≤ 0.396). Success in year one of medicine, which includes a basic science curriculum, was indicative of later success (0.194 ≥ r (2) ≤ 0.534). University basic sciences were found to be more predictive than school sciences in undergraduate medical performance in our institution. The increasing emphasis of basic sciences in medical practice and the declining availability of school sciences should mandate medical schools in Ireland to consider how removing basic sciences from the curriculum might impact on future applicants.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Focused Assessment with Sonography for Blunt Abdominal Trauma in Pediatric Patients Performed by Emergency Medicine Residents versus Radiology Residents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farhad Heydari

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST has been shown to be useful to detect intraperitoneal free fluid in patients with blunt abdominal trauma (BAT. Objective: We compared the diagnostic accuracy of FAST performed by emergency medicine residents (EMRs and radiology residents (RRs in pediatric patients with BAT. Method: In this prospective study, pediatric patients with BAT and high energy trauma who were referred to the emergency department (ED at Al-Zahra and Kashani hospitals in Isfahan, Iran, were evaluated using FAST, first by EMRs and subsequently by RRs. The reports provided by the two resident groups were compared with the final outcome based on the results of the abdominal computed tomography (CT, operative exploration, and clinical observation. Results: A total of 101 patients with a median age of 6.75 ± 3.2 years were enrolled in the study between January 2013 and May 2014. These patients were evaluated using FAST, first by EMRs and subsequently by RRs. A good diagnostic agreement was noted between the results of the FAST scans performed by EMRs and RRs (κ = 0.865, P < 0.001. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy in evaluating the intraperitoneal free fluid were 72.2%, 85.5%, 52%, 93.3%, and 83.2%, respectively, when FAST was performed by EMRs and 72.2%, 86.7%, 54.2%, 93.5%, and 84.2%, respectively, when FAST was performed by RRs. No significant differences were seen between the EMR- and RR-performed FAST. Conclusion: In this study, FAST performed by EMRs had acceptable diagnostic value, similar to that performed by RRs, in patients with BAT.

Mathematics Diagnostic Testing in Engineering: An International Comparison between Ireland and Portugal

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, M.; Fidalgo, C.; Bigotte de Almeida, M. E.; Branco, J. R.; Santos, V.; Murphy, E.; Ní Fhloinn, E.

2015-01-01

Concern has been expressed throughout Europe about the significant deficiencies in the basic mathematical skills of many engineering undergraduates. Mathematics diagnostic tests in the UK, Ireland and Portugal have shown these shortcomings, which provide a challenge to those striving to introduce more innovative educational practices into…

Diagnostic performance of a rapid in-clinic test for the detection of Canine Parvovirus under different storage conditions and vaccination status.

Science.gov (United States)

Kantere, Maria C; Athanasiou, Labrini V; Spyrou, Vassiliki; Kyriakis, Constantinos S; Kontos, Vassilios; Chatzopoulos, Dimitrios C; Tsokana, Constantina N; Billinis, Charalambos

2015-04-01

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is one of the most common causes of acute haemorrhagic enteritis in young dogs, while clinical diagnosis is often indecisive. The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of an in-clinic rapid test in the detection of CPV infection in dogs. To this end, we compared the Rapid Diagnostic Kit of Canine Parvovirus, Coronavirus and Rotavirus antigen (Quicking(®)) to PCR, which is considered as the most reliable diagnostic method. A total of 78 duplicated faecal samples were collected from diarrhoeic dogs. Vaccination history within a month prior to the onset of diarrhoea was reported for 12 of the sampled dogs. The rapid diagnostic test was performed in 23 of the faecal samples directly, while the rest were placed into a sterile cotton tipped swab suitable for collection and transportation of viruses (Sigma Σ-VCM(®)) and stored at -20 °C. The sensitivity of the Quicking rapid diagnostic test compared to PCR in the total number of samples, in samples from non-vaccinated dogs and in samples tested directly after collection were 22.22% (95% CI: 13.27-33.57%), 26.67% (95% CI: 16.08-39.66%) and 76.47% (95% CI: 50.10-93.04%) respectively, while the specificity of the test was 100% in any case. In conclusion, negative results do not exclude parvoenteritis from the differential diagnosis, especially in dogs with early vaccination history, but a positive result almost certainly indicates CPV infection. An improved sensitivity may be expected when the test is performed immediately. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of diagnostic performance for perinatal and paediatric post-mortem imaging: CT versus MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arthurs, Owen J.; Jacques, Thomas S.; Sebire, Neil J.; Guy, Anna; Chong, W.K.; Gunny, Roxanna; Saunders, Dawn; Olsen, Oystein E.; Thayyil, Sudhin; Wade, Angie; Jones, Rod; Norman, Wendy; Taylor, Andrew M.; Scott, Rosemary; Robertson, Nicola J.; Owens, Catherine M.; Offiah, Amaka C.; Chitty, Lyn S.

2016-01-01

To compare the diagnostic yield of whole-body post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) imaging to post-mortem magnetic resonance (PMMR) imaging in a prospective study of fetuses and children. We compared PMCT and PMMR to conventional autopsy as the gold standard for the detection of (a) major pathological abnormalities related to the cause of death and (b) all diagnostic findings in five different body organ systems. Eighty two cases (53 fetuses and 29 children) underwent PMCT and PMMR prior to autopsy, at which 55 major abnormalities were identified. Significantly more PMCT than PMMR examinations were non-diagnostic (18/82 vs. 4/82; 21.9 % vs. 4.9 %, diff 17.1 % (95 % CI 6.7, 27.6; p < 0.05)). PMMR gave an accurate diagnosis in 24/55 (43.64 %; 95 % CI 31.37, 56.73 %) compared to 18/55 PMCT (32.73 %; 95 % CI 21.81, 45.90). PMCT was particularly poor in fetuses <24 weeks, with 28.6 % (8.1, 46.4 %) more non-diagnostic scans. Where both PMCT and PMMR were diagnostic, PMMR gave slightly higher diagnostic accuracy than PMCT (62.8 % vs. 59.4 %). Unenhanced PMCT has limited value in detection of major pathology primarily because of poor-quality, non-diagnostic fetal images. On this basis, PMMR should be the modality of choice for non-invasive PM imaging in fetuses and children. (orig.)

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME IN CHILDREN: DIAGNOSTICS AND MODERN APPROACHES TO THERAPY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.Yu. Tereshchenko

2006-01-01

Full Text Available In the article modern data on prevalence, diagnostic criteria and approaches to the treatment of irritable bowel in children are presented. The issues of the terminology and classification of recurrent abdominal pains in children are clarified, the basic pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease are indicated. Particular emphasis has been placed on the efficient therapy of the different clinical variants of irritable bowel syndrome. The role of modern spasmolytic drugs in the treatment of abdominal pain syndrome and the rational usage of laxatives in constipation in children is shown.Key words: children, irritable bowel syndrome, diagnostics, treatment.

How to appraise a diagnostic test

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramanitharan Manikandan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Urologists frequently encounter problems in making a clinical diagnosis whose resolution requires the use of diagnostic tests. With an ever increasing choice of investigations being available, the urologist often has to decide which diagnostic test(s will best resolve the patient′s diagnostic problem. In this article, we aim to help the urologist understand how to critically appraise studies on diagnostic tests and make a rational choice. This article presents the guiding principles in scientifically assessing studies on diagnostic tests by proposing a clinical scenario. The authors describe a standardized protocol to assess the validity of the test and its relevance to the clinical problem that can help the urologist in decision making. The three important issues to be considered when evaluating the validity of the study are to identify how the study population was chosen, how the test was performed and whether there is a comparison to the gold standard test so as to confirm or refute the diagnosis. Then, the urologist would need to know the probability of the test in providing the correct diagnosis in an individual patient in order to decide about its utility in solving the diagnostic dilemma. By performing the steps described in this article, the urologist would be able to critically appraise diagnostic studies and draw meaningful conclusions about the investigations in terms of validity, results and its applicability to the patient′s problem. This would provide a scientific basis for using diagnostic tests for improving patient care.

Basic principles of diffusion-weighted imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bammer, Roland.

2003-01-01

In diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI), image contrast is determined by the random microscopic motion of water protons. During the last years, DWI has become an important modality in the diagnostic work-up of acute ischemia in the CNS. There are also a few promising reports about the application of DWI to other regions in the human body, such as the vertebral column or the abdomen. This manuscript provides an introduction into the basics of DWI and Diffusion Tensor imaging. The potential of various MR sequences in concert with diffusion preparation are discussed with respect to acquisition speed, spatial resolution, and sensitivity to bulk physiologic motion. More advanced diffusion measurement techniques, such as high angular resolution diffusion imaging, are also addressed

Evaluation and construction of diagnostic criteria for inclusion body myositis

Science.gov (United States)

Mammen, Andrew L.; Amato, Anthony A.; Weiss, Michael D.; Needham, Merrilee

2014-01-01

Objective: To use patient data to evaluate and construct diagnostic criteria for inclusion body myositis (IBM), a progressive disease of skeletal muscle. Methods: The literature was reviewed to identify all previously proposed IBM diagnostic criteria. These criteria were applied through medical records review to 200 patients diagnosed as having IBM and 171 patients diagnosed as having a muscle disease other than IBM by neuromuscular specialists at 2 institutions, and to a validating set of 66 additional patients with IBM from 2 other institutions. Machine learning techniques were used for unbiased construction of diagnostic criteria. Results: Twenty-four previously proposed IBM diagnostic categories were identified. Twelve categories all performed with high (≥97%) specificity but varied substantially in their sensitivities (11%–84%). The best performing category was European Neuromuscular Centre 2013 probable (sensitivity of 84%). Specialized pathologic features and newly introduced strength criteria (comparative knee extension/hip flexion strength) performed poorly. Unbiased data-directed analysis of 20 features in 371 patients resulted in construction of higher-performing data-derived diagnostic criteria (90% sensitivity and 96% specificity). Conclusions: Published expert consensus–derived IBM diagnostic categories have uniformly high specificity but wide-ranging sensitivities. High-performing IBM diagnostic category criteria can be developed directly from principled unbiased analysis of patient data. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class II evidence that published expert consensus–derived IBM diagnostic categories accurately distinguish IBM from other muscle disease with high specificity but wide-ranging sensitivities. PMID:24975859

Citation analysis may severely underestimate the impact of clinical research as compared to basic research.

Science.gov (United States)

van Eck, Nees Jan; Waltman, Ludo; van Raan, Anthony F J; Klautz, Robert J M; Peul, Wilco C

2013-01-01

Citation analysis has become an important tool for research performance assessment in the medical sciences. However, different areas of medical research may have considerably different citation practices, even within the same medical field. Because of this, it is unclear to what extent citation-based bibliometric indicators allow for valid comparisons between research units active in different areas of medical research. A visualization methodology is introduced that reveals differences in citation practices between medical research areas. The methodology extracts terms from the titles and abstracts of a large collection of publications and uses these terms to visualize the structure of a medical field and to indicate how research areas within this field differ from each other in their average citation impact. Visualizations are provided for 32 medical fields, defined based on journal subject categories in the Web of Science database. The analysis focuses on three fields: Cardiac & cardiovascular systems, Clinical neurology, and Surgery. In each of these fields, there turn out to be large differences in citation practices between research areas. Low-impact research areas tend to focus on clinical intervention research, while high-impact research areas are often more oriented on basic and diagnostic research. Popular bibliometric indicators, such as the h-index and the impact factor, do not correct for differences in citation practices between medical fields. These indicators therefore cannot be used to make accurate between-field comparisons. More sophisticated bibliometric indicators do correct for field differences but still fail to take into account within-field heterogeneity in citation practices. As a consequence, the citation impact of clinical intervention research may be substantially underestimated in comparison with basic and diagnostic research.

[Preparation and evaluation of stationary phase of high performance liquid chromatography for the separation of basic solutes].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, P; Wang, J; Cong, R; Dong, B

1997-05-01

A bonded phase for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been prepared by the new reaction between silica and silicon ether. The ether was synthesized from alkylchlorosilane and pentane-2,4-dione in the presence of imidazole under inert conditions by using anhydrous tetrahydrofuran as solvent. The bonded phase thus obtained was characterized by elemental analysis, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy and HPLC evaluation. The carbon content was 9.4% and the surface coverage almost attained 3.0micromol/m2 without end-capping. The silanol absorption peaks of the product cannot be observed from the DRIFT spectrum, which revealed that the silanization reaction proceeded thoroughly. The basic solutes, such as aniline, o-toluidine, p-toluidine, N,N-dimethylaniline and pyridine were used as the probe solutes to examine their interaction with the residual silanols on the surface of the products. No buffer or salt was used in the mobile phase for these experiments. In comparison with an acidic solute, such as, phenol, basic aniline eluted in front of phenol, and the ratio of asymmetry of aniline peak to that of the phenol peak was 1.1. Furthermore the relative k' value of p-toluidine to that of o-toluidine was also 1.1. All the results showed that the stationary phase has better quality and reproducibility and can be used for the separation of basic solutes efficiently.

Nano structures for Medical Diagnostics Md

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellah, M.; Iqbal, S.M.; Bellah, M.; Iqbal, S.M.; Christensen, S.M.; Iqbal, S.M.; Iqbal, S.M.

2012-01-01

Nano technology is the art of manipulating materials on atomic or molecular scales especially to build nano scale structures and devices. The field is expanding quickly, and a lot of work is ongoing in the design, characterization, synthesis, and application of materials, structures, devices, and systems by controlling shape and size at nanometer scale. In the last few years, much work has been focused on the use of nano structures toward problems of biology and medicine. In this paper, we focus on the application of various nano structures and nano devices in clinical diagnostics and detection of important biological molecules. The discussion starts by introducing some basic techniques of micro-/nano scale fabrication that have enabled reproducible production of nano structures. The prospects, benefits, and limitations of using these novel techniques in the fields of bio detection and medical diagnostics are then discussed. Finally, the challenges of mass production and acceptance of nano technology by the medical community are considered.

Diagnostic performance of neck circumference to identify overweight and obesity as defined by body mass index in children and adolescents: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Chunming; Wang, Rui; Liu, Yue; Lu, Qiang; Liu, Xiaoli; Yin, Fuzai

2017-05-01

The neck circumference (NC) has been shown to be an accurate index for screening overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. To perform a meta-analysis to assess the performance of NC for the assessment of overweight and obesity. Data sources were PubMed and EMBASE up to March 2016. Studies providing measures of diagnostic performance of NC and using body mass index as reference standard were included. Six eligible studies that evaluated 11 214 children and adolescents aged 6-18 years were included in the meta-analysis. NC showed pooled sensitivity to detect high body mass index of 0.780 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.765-0.794), specificity of 0.746 (95% CI =  0.736-0.756) and a diagnostic odds ratio of 17.343 (95% CI =  8.743-34.405). The NC had moderate diagnostic accuracy for identifying overweight and obesity in children and adolescents.

Polychromatic holographic plasma diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhiglinskij, A.G.; Morozov, A.O.

1992-01-01

Review of holographic interferometry properties is performed and advantages of this method by plasma diagnostics are indicated. Main results obtained by the method of holographic interferometry in studies of various-type plasmas are considered. Special attention is paid to multiwave plasma diagnostics, the necessity of which is related as a rule to multicomponent composition of plasma. The eight laser and gas-discharge sources and holographic schemes, which make it possible to realize plasma polychromatic and holographic interferometry, are considered. The advantages of the method are demonstrated by examples of polychromatic holographic diagnostics of arc discharge and discharge in a hollow cathode. Review of theoretical works determining the applicability area of resonance polychromatic interferometry is carried out

Diagnostics of helium plasma by collisional-radiative modeling and optical emission spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Wonwook; Kwon, Duck-Hee [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

Optical diagnostics for the electron temperature (T{sub e}) and the electron density (n{sub e}) of fusion plasma is important for understanding and controlling the edge and the divertor plasmas in tokamak. Since the line intensity ratio method using the collisional-radiative modeling and OES (optical emission spectroscopy) is simple and does not disturb the plasma, many fusion devices with TEXTOR, JET, JT-60U, LHD, and so on, have employed the line intensity ratio method as a basic diagnostic tool for neutral helium (He I). The accuracy of the line intensity ratio method depends on the reliability of the cross sections and rate coefficients. We performed state-of-the-art R-matrix calculations including couplings up to n=7 states and the distorted wave (DW) calculations for the electron-impact excitation (EIE) cross sections of He I using the flexible atomic code (FAC). The collisional-radiative model for He I was constructed using the calculated the cross sections. The helium collisional-radiative model for He I was constructed to diagnose the electron temperature and the electron density of the plasma. The electron temperature and density were determined by using the line intensity ratio method.

Diagnostic performance of a novel cadmium-zinc-telluride gamma camera system assessed using fractional flow reserve.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Hirokazu; Chikamori, Taishiro; Tanaka, Nobuhiro; Hida, Satoshi; Igarashi, Yuko; Yamashita, Jun; Ogawa, Masashi; Shiba, Chie; Usui, Yasuhiro; Yamashina, Akira

2014-01-01

Although the novel cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) camera system provides excellent image quality, its diagnostic value using thallium-201 as assessed on coronary angiography (CAG) and fractional flow reserve (FFR) has not been validated. METHODS AND RESULTS: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the CZT ultrafast camera system (Discovery NM 530c), 95 patients underwent stress thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and then CAG within 3 months. Image acquisition was performed in the supine and prone positions after stress for 5 and 3 min, respectively, and in the supine position at rest for 10 min. Significant stenosis was defined as ≥90% diameter narrowing on visual estimation, or a lesion with <90% and ≥50% stenosis and FFR ≤0.75. To detect individual coronary stenosis, the respective sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 90%, 64%, and 78% for left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis, 78%, 84%, and 81% for left circumflex stenosis, and 83%, 47%, and 60% for right coronary artery (RCA) stenosis. The combination of prone and supine imaging had a higher specificity for RCA disease than supine imaging alone (65% vs. 47%), with an improvement in accuracy from 60% to 72%. Using thallium-201 with short acquisition time, combined with prone imaging, CZT SPECT had a high diagnostic yield in detecting significant coronary stenosis as assessed using FFR.

Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) for Clinical and Research Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schiffman, Eric; Ohrbach, Richard; Truelove, Edmond

2014-01-01

and symposia, a panel of clinical and basic science pain experts modified the revised RDC/TMD Axis I algorithms by using comprehensive searches of published TMD diagnostic literature followed by review and consensus via a formal structured process. The panel's recommendations for further revision of the Axis I...

An Investigation of the Relative Effectiveness of the Basic Mathematics Review Program at Essex Community College.

Science.gov (United States)

Bloomberg, Jerome

Basic Mathematics Review (BMR) is a remedial non-credit course at Essex Community College (Maryland) being taught on an individualized basis. Following diagnostic testing and placement, instruction utilizes programmed materials, tutors, and self-tests. Evaluation of the new individualized BMR and comparison with the traditional remedial course…

Nordic working group for medical x-ray diagnostics: Diagnostic reference levels within xray diagnostics - experiences in the Nordic countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leitz, W.; Groen, P.; Servomaa, A.; Einarsson, G.; Olerud, H.

2003-01-01

Medical x-ray diagnostics is one of the few applications of ionising radiation where people are irradiated on purpose. The strategy for radiation protection is also different compared to that in other areas that have the zero-alternative as its ultimate goal, meaning that no human beings at all are exposed in these practices. The focus in x-ray diagnostics concerning radiation protection is justification and optimisation. Optimisation implies that the examination is performed in such a way that the radiation dose is as small as possible without jeopardising the diagnostic security. X- ray diagnostics is a complex method where many technical parameters and methodology factors together are interacting in the determination of radiation dose and image quality. The optimisation process is not a simple and uncomplicated procedure, this difficulty is reflected in many international and national surveys showing a large spread of patient doses for one and the same type of examination. The concept diagnostic reference levels (DRL) has been introduced as a tool for reducing this wide distribution that is obviously indicating a lack of optimisation, and for cutting the highest radiation doses. In this presentation the concept for DRL and the experience gained in the Nordic countries with DRL are described. (orig.)

A Framework to Debug Diagnostic Matrices

Science.gov (United States)

Kodal, Anuradha; Robinson, Peter; Patterson-Hine, Ann

2013-01-01

Diagnostics is an important concept in system health and monitoring of space operations. Many of the existing diagnostic algorithms utilize system knowledge in the form of diagnostic matrix (D-matrix, also popularly known as diagnostic dictionary, fault signature matrix or reachability matrix) gleaned from physical models. But, sometimes, this may not be coherent to obtain high diagnostic performance. In such a case, it is important to modify this D-matrix based on knowledge obtained from other sources such as time-series data stream (simulated or maintenance data) within the context of a framework that includes the diagnostic/inference algorithm. A systematic and sequential update procedure, diagnostic modeling evaluator (DME) is proposed to modify D-matrix and wrapper logic considering least expensive solution first. This iterative procedure includes conditions ranging from modifying 0s and 1s in the matrix, or adding/removing the rows (failure sources) columns (tests). We will experiment this framework on datasets from DX challenge 2009.

Pediatric echocardiograms performed at primary centers: Diagnostic errors and missing links!

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saraf, Rahul P; Suresh, PV; Maheshwari, Sunita; Shah, Sejal S

2015-01-01

The present study was undertaken to assess the accuracy of pediatric echocardiograms done at non-tertiary centers and to evaluate the relationship of inaccurate interpretations with age, echocardiogram performer and complexity of congenital heart disease (CHD). The echocardiogram reports of 182 consecutive children with CHD (5 days-16 years) who were evaluated at a non-tertiary center and subsequently referred to our center were reviewed. Age of the child at echocardiogram, echocardiogram performer and complexity of CHD were noted. These reports were compared with echocardiogram done at our center. Discrepancies were noted and categorized. To assess our own error rate, we compared our echocardiogram reports with the findings obtained during surgery (n = 172), CT scan (n = 9) or cardiac catheterization reports (n = 1). Most of the children at the non-tertiary center (92%) underwent echocardiogram by personnel other than a pediatric cardiologist. Overall, diagnostic errors were found in 69/182 (38%) children. Moderate and major discrepancies affecting the final management were found in 42/182 (23%) children. Discrepancies were higher when the echocardiogram was done by personnel other than pediatric cardiologist (P < 0.01) and with moderate and high complexity lesions (P = 0.0001). There was no significant difference in proportion of these discrepancies in children ≤ 1 year vs. >1 year of age. A significant number of pediatric echocardiograms done at non-tertiary centers had discrepancies that affected the management of these children. More discrepancies were seen when the echocardiogram performer was not a pediatric cardiologist and with complex CHD

Diagnostic Performance and Utility of Quantitative EEG Analyses in Delirium: Confirmatory Results From a Large Retrospective Case-Control Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleischmann, Robert; Tränkner, Steffi; Bathe-Peters, Rouven; Rönnefarth, Maria; Schmidt, Sein; Schreiber, Stephan J; Brandt, Stephan A

2018-03-01

The lack of objective disease markers is a major cause of misdiagnosis and nonstandardized approaches in delirium. Recent studies conducted in well-selected patients and confined study environments suggest that quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) can provide such markers. We hypothesize that qEEG helps remedy diagnostic uncertainty not only in well-defined study cohorts but also in a heterogeneous hospital population. In this retrospective case-control study, EEG power spectra of delirious patients and age-/gender-matched controls (n = 31 and n = 345, respectively) were fitted in a linear model to test their performance as binary classifiers. We subsequently evaluated the diagnostic performance of the best classifiers in control samples with normal EEGs (n = 534) and real-world samples including pathologic findings (n = 4294). Test reliability was estimated through split-half analyses. We found that the combination of spectral power at F3-P4 at 2 Hz (area under the curve [AUC] = .994) and C3-O1 at 19 Hz (AUC = .993) provided a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 99% to identify delirious patients among normal controls. These classifiers also yielded a false positive rate as low as 5% and increased the pretest probability of being delirious by 57% in an unselected real-world sample. Split-half reliabilities were .98 and .99, respectively. This retrospective study yielded preliminary evidence that qEEG provides excellent diagnostic performance to identify delirious patients even outside confined study environments. It furthermore revealed reduced beta power as a novel specific finding in delirium and that a normal EEG excludes delirium. Prospective studies including parameters of pretest probability and delirium severity are required to elaborate on these promising findings.

A study of the academic performance of medical students in the comprehensive examination of the basic sciences according to the indices of emotional intelligence and educational status

Science.gov (United States)

Moslehi, Mohsen; Samouei, Rahele; Tayebani, Tayebeh; Kolahduz, Sima

2015-01-01

Background: Considering the increasing importance of emotional intelligence (EI) in different aspects of life, such as academic achievement, the present survey is aimed to predict academic performance of medical students in the comprehensive examination of the basic sciences, according to the indices of emotional intelligence and educational status. Materials and Methods: The present survey is a descriptive, analytical, and cross-sectional study performed on the medical students of Isfahan, Tehran, and Mashhad Universities of Medical Sciences. Sampling the universities was performed randomly after which selecting the students was done, taking into consideration the limitation in their numbers. Based on the inclusion criteria, all the medical students, entrance of 2005, who had attended the comprehensive basic sciences examination in 2008, entered the study. The data collection tools included an Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (standardized in Isfahan), the average score of the first to fifth semesters, total average of each of the five semesters, and the grade of the comprehensive basic sciences examination. The data were analyzed through stepwise regression coefficient by SPSS software version 15. Results: The results indicated that the indicators of independence from an emotional intelligence test and average scores of the first and third academic semesters were significant in predicting the students’ academic performance in the comprehensive basic sciences examination. Conclusion: According to the obtained results, the average scores of students, especially in the earlier semesters, as well as the indicators of independence and the self-esteem rate of students can influence their success in the comprehensive basic sciences examination. PMID:26430693

Basic training of nuclear power reactor personnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palabrica, R.J.

1981-01-01

The basic training of nuclear power reactor personnel should be given very close attention since it constitutes the foundation of their knowledge of nuclear technology. Emphasis should be given on the thorough understanding of basic nuclear concepts in order to have reasonable assurance of successful assimilation by those personnel of more specialized and advanced concepts to which they will be later exposed. Basic training will also provide a means for screening to ensure that those will be sent for further spezialized training will perform well. Finally, it is during the basic training phase when nuclear reactor operators will start to acquire and develop attitudes regarding reactor operation and it is important that these be properly founded. (orig.)

Peer-assisted learning to train high-school students to perform basic life-support.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hyung Soo; Lee, Dong Hoon; Kim, Chan Woong; Kim, Sung Eun; Oh, Je Hyeok

2015-01-01

The inclusion of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in formal education has been a useful approach to providing basic life support (BLS) services. However, because not all students have been able to learn directly from certified instructors, we studied the educational efficacy of the use of peer-assisted learning (PAL) to train high-school students to perform BLS services. This study consisted of 187 high-school students: 68 participants served as a control group and received a 1-hour BLS training from a school nurse, and 119 were included in a PAL group and received a 1-hour CPR training from a PAL leader. Participants' BLS training was preceded by the completion of questionnaires regarding their background. Three months after the training, the participants were asked to respond to questionnaires about their willingness to perform CPR on bystander CPR and their retention of knowledge of BLS. We found no statistically significant difference between the control and PAL groups in their willingness to perform CPR on bystanders (control: 55.2%, PAL: 64.7%, P=0.202). The PAL group was not significantly different from the control group (control: 60.78±39.77, PAL: 61.76±17.80, P=0.848) in retention of knowledge about BLS services. In educating high school students about BLS, there was no significant difference between PAL and traditional education in increasing the willingness to provide CPR to bystanders or the ability to retain knowledge about BLS.

Basic Physics for Nuclear Medicine. Chapter 1