Interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) on CT may affect the clinical outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but their quantification remains unestablished. This study ...examined whether artificial intelligence (AI)-based segmentation could be applied to identify ILAs using two COPD cohorts.
ILAs were diagnosed visually based on the Fleischner Society definition. Using an AI-based method, ground-glass opacities, reticulations, and honeycombing were segmented, and their volumes were summed to obtain the percentage ratio of interstitial lung disease-associated volume to total lung volume (ILDvol%). The optimal ILDvol% threshold for ILA detection was determined in cross-sectional data of the discovery and validation cohorts. The 5-year longitudinal changes in ILDvol% were calculated in discovery cohort patients who underwent baseline and follow-up CT scans.
ILAs were found in 32 (14%) and 15 (10%) patients with COPD in the discovery (n = 234) and validation (n = 153) cohorts, respectively. ILDvol% was higher in patients with ILAs than in those without ILA in both cohorts. The optimal ILDvol% threshold in the discovery cohort was 1.203%, and good sensitivity and specificity (93.3% and 76.3%) were confirmed in the validation cohort. 124 patients took follow-up CT scan during 5 ± 1 years. 8 out of 124 patients (7%) developed ILAs. In a multivariable model, an increase in ILDvol% was associated with ILA development after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and smoking exposure.
AI-based CT quantification of ILDvol% may be a reproducible method for identifying and monitoring ILAs in patients with COPD.
The carbonophosphate Na3FePO4CO3 was synthesized by the mechanical ball milling method for the first time. The composition of the obtained sample with a higher amount of Fe2+ was ...Na2.66Fe2+0.66Fe3+0.34PO4CO3 as confirmed by Mössbauer analysis, owing to the good airtight properties of this method. The obtained samples in an organic electrolyte delivered an initial discharge capacity of 124 mAh/g at room temperature, and a larger discharge capacity of 159 mAh/g (1.66 Na+/mole) at 60 °C. With 17 m NaClO4 aqueous electrolyte, a discharge capacity of 161 mAh/g (1.69 Na+/mole) was delivered because of the high ionic conductivity of the concentrated aqueous electrolyte. During the charge-discharge process, the formation of Fe4+ after charging up to 4.5 V and the return of Fe2+ after discharging down to 1.5 V were detected by ex-situ X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analysis.
There is a growing need to accurately estimate the prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in clinical practice, given the development of effective drugs for treating IPF.
To develop ...artificial intelligence-based image analysis software to detect parenchymal and airway abnormalities on computed tomographic (CT) imaging of the chest and to explore their prognostic importance in patients with IPF.
A novel artificial intelligence-based quantitative CT image analysis software (AIQCT) was developed by applying 304 high-resolution CT (HRCT) scans from patients with diffuse lung diseases as the training set. AIQCT automatically categorized and quantified 10 types of parenchymal patterns as well as airways, expressing the volumes as percentages of the total lung volume. To validate the software, the area percentages of each lesion quantified by AIQCT were compared with those of the visual scores using 30 plain high-resolution CT images with lung diseases. In addition, three-dimensional analysis for similarity with ground truth was performed using HRCT images from 10 patients with IPF. AIQCT was then applied to 120 patients with IPF who underwent HRCT scanning of the chest at our institute. Associations between the measured volumes and survival were analyzed.
The correlations between AIQCT and the visual scores were moderate to strong (correlation coefficient 0.44-0.95) depending on the parenchymal pattern. The Dice indices for similarity between AIQCT data and ground truth were 0.67, 0.76, and 0.64 for reticulation, honeycombing, and bronchi, respectively. During a median follow-up period of 2,184 days, 66 patients died, and 1 underwent lung transplantation. In multivariable Cox regression analysis, bronchial volumes (adjusted hazard ratio HR, 1.33; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.16-1.53) and normal lung volumes (adjusted HR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94-0.99) were independently associated with survival after adjusting for the gender-age-lung physiology stage of IPF.
Our newly developed artificial intelligence-based image analysis software successfully quantified parenchymal lesions and airway volumes. Bronchial and normal lung volumes on HRCT imaging of the chest may provide additional prognostic information on the gender-age-lung physiology stage of IPF.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate lung cancer segmentation with a pretrained model and transfer learning. The pretrained model was constructed from an artificial dataset ...generated using a generative adversarial network (GAN).
Materials and Methods:
Three public datasets containing images of lung nodules/lung cancers were used: LUNA16 dataset, Decathlon lung dataset, and NSCLC radiogenomics. The LUNA16 dataset was used to generate an artificial dataset for lung cancer segmentation with the help of the GAN and 3D graph cut. Pretrained models were then constructed from the artificial dataset. Subsequently, the main segmentation model was constructed from the pretrained models and the Decathlon lung dataset. Finally, the NSCLC radiogenomics dataset was used to evaluate the main segmentation model. The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) was used as a metric to evaluate the segmentation performance.
Results:
The mean DSC for the NSCLC radiogenomics dataset improved overall when using the pretrained models. At maximum, the mean DSC was 0.09 higher with the pretrained model than that without it.
Conclusion:
The proposed method comprising an artificial dataset and a pretrained model can improve lung cancer segmentation as confirmed in terms of the DSC metric. Moreover, the construction of the artificial dataset for the segmentation using the GAN and 3D graph cut was found to be feasible.
Surface roughness is affected by the tool geometry, feed rate, overcutting by built-up edge, and tool vibration in the depth of the cut direction. However, dividing the roughness value into each ...component is difficult. Therefore, a new prediction method for the position of the tool contour on the roughness curve is proposed to divide the measured roughness value into components. This proposed method consists of two processes. In one, the roughness curve is divided into the roughness curve formed during each revolution of the work material regardless of the clarity of the feed marks. The other is the process that predicts the vertical position of the tool contour. If the vertical position of the tool contour can be predicted, the vibration and overcutting components of roughness can also be predicted. In this study, the transition of roughness components such as the theoretical roughness, vibration width, and overcutting is studied with the increase in the cutting distance in the turning of chromium molybdenum steel, JIS SCM435. When supplying a 10% emulsion mist, the measured R z is smaller than that of the dry condition. In both the dry and mist supply conditions, the measured R z increases from the beginning of cutting then decreases and then increases again with the increase in the cutting distance. The largest component of the total roughness in both the dry and mist supply conditions is the theoretical roughness R th . The ratio ranges between 50.3% and 78.7%. Regardless of the cutting conditions, the vibration width in the depth of the cut direction is relatively constant. The overcutting slightly increases after the start of cutting, then decreases when the maximum contact length exceeds approximately 0.1 mm. The proposed method verifies the ratio of the surface roughness components and is an effective method for improving the surface roughness.
Fluoride batteries are attracting intensive attention because they can provide a higher energy density than conventional lithium‐ion batteries. Among various metal fluorides, FeF3 is a promising ...candidate for the cathode material of fluoride batteries because of its high theoretical capacity. In this report, the reversibility of an FeF3 cathode is investigated in conjunction with fluorite‐type Ba0.6La0.4F2.4 as the electrolyte and Pb as the counter‐electrode material. For the first time, the discharge–charge performance of a fluoride battery using FeF3 cathode is investigated. The initial discharge capacity is 579 mAh g−1, and a capacity of 461 mAh g−1 is retained at the 10th cycle. The reversible conversion reaction mechanism for FeF3 is clarified by X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray adsorption spectroscopy. The results revealed that FeF3 is reduced to FeF2 at the first‐stage plateau and then to Fe metal at the second‐stage plateau; they also reveal that the reverse process proceeded during charging. Ex situ scanning electron microscopy observations show that the morphology of the cathode changed reversibly and that, when the battery is in the discharged state, voids are present because of shrinkage of the electrode.
The discharge–charge performance of a fluoride battery using FeF3 cathode is investigated for the first time. X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray adsorption spectroscopy reveal that FeF3 is reduced to FeF2 at the first‐stage plateau and then to Fe metal at the second‐stage plateau; they also reveal that the reverse process proceed during charging.
This study is a post hoc analysis of a single-arm trial to determine whether daily viewing of comedy videos for four weeks improves health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and oxidative stress in ...cancer survivors (UMIN-CTR 000044880). There are no reports of personality traits affecting HRQOL improvement. The purpose of this post hoc analysis was to identify associations with personality traits that may improve HRQOL.
This analysis compared the baseline scores on the Ten-Item Personality Inventory-Japanese version (TIPI-J) for personality traits in Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-G (FACT-G) groups with improved or worsened scores. This grouping was based on the results of previous studies. In addition, the EuroQOL 5 dimension 3 level (EQ-5D-3L), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) score, biological antioxidant potential (BAP), reactive oxygen metabolite-derived compounds, oxidative stress index, and potential antioxidant potential were assessed for each group. Items related to oxidative stress were tested using t-tests, while other items were tested using Friedman's analysis of variance.
Forty-three participants completed the analysis (FACT-G improved up group,
= 25; FACT-G decreased down group,
= 18). No significant differences in the TIPI-J items existed between the two groups. Significant items for oxidative stress in the FACT-G up group were BAP (
= 0.04, Cohen's
= 0.32) and potential antioxidant capacity (
= 0.02, Cohen's
= 0.41). In the FACT-G down group, the significant item was potential antioxidant capacity (
= 0.03, Cohen's
= 0.46). The FACT-G up group had significant changes over time in the scores of the EuroQOL Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS;
= 21.151 df = 4;
< 0.01), HADS-anxiety (χ
= 24.579 df = 4;
< 0.01), and HADS-depression (χ
= 29.068 df = 4;
< 0.01).
Our results suggested that cancer survivors' personality traits did not influence the effects of viewing comedy. It has been suggested that the group with increased FACT-G may have had an improvement in the EQ-VAS, HADS, and potential antioxidant capacity independent of FACT-G.
Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate whether thin-slice 2D fat-saturated proton density-weighted images of the shoulder joint in three imaging planes combined with parallel imaging, partial ...Fourier technique, and denoising approach with deep learning-based reconstruction (dDLR) are more useful than 3D fat-saturated proton density multi-planar voxel images.Methods: Eighteen patients who underwent MRI of the shoulder joint at 3T were enrolled. The denoising effect of dDLR in 2D was evaluated using coefficient of variation (CV). Qualitative evaluation of anatomical structures, noise, and artifacts in 2D after dDLR and 3D was performed by two radiologists using a five-point Likert scale. All were analyzed statistically. Gwet’s agreement coefficients were also calculated.Results: The CV of 2D after dDLR was significantly lower than that before dDLR (P < 0.05). Both radiologists rated 2D higher than 3D for all anatomical structures and noise (P < 0.05), except for artifacts. Both Gwet’s agreement coefficients of anatomical structures, noise, and artifacts in 2D and 3D produced nearly perfect agreement between the two radiologists. The evaluation of 2D tended to be more reproducible than 3D.Conclusion: 2D with parallel imaging, partial Fourier technique, and dDLR was proved to be superior to 3D for depicting shoulder joint structures with lower noise.
Abstract Background : Laughter is a universal expression of emotion for humans, and it has been linked with health and well-being. The purpose of this study is to clarify the physical and ...psychological effect of laughter by scoring procedure of facial expression. Method : During a period of a month, a total of three interventions to induce laughter were conducted for 22 adults. During the interventions, data on facial expression and vital signs were collected for future analysis, and psychological examinations were conducted. Measures related to quality of life, including scores on the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey version 2, did not show signs of improvement between the measures before or after interventions for mean participants. Results : Those participants who laughed more heartily, showed significant reductions in their scores for Tension-Anxiety, and Pain. The male group, as a whole, had significantly lower scores for happiness according to the data for facial expression. Conclusion : This study suggests that laughter may not bring positive changes to total quality of life. However, it does appear that the effects of laughter may be more easily demonstrated for participants who are not habituated to its effects, which would depend on the specific intervention used and the context in which the laughter takes place.
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