The global polarization of {\Lambda} hyperons along the total orbital angular momentum of a relativistic heavy-ion collision is presented based on the high statistics data samples collected in Au+Au ...collisions at \sqrt{s_{NN}} = 2.4 GeV and Ag+Ag at 2.55 GeV with the High-Acceptance Di-Electron Spectrometer (HADES) at GSI, Darmstadt. This is the first measurement below the strangeness production threshold in nucleon-nucleon collisions. Results are reported as a function of the collision centrality as well as a function of the hyperon transverse momentum (p_T) and rapidity (y_{CM}) for the range of centrality 0--40%. We observe a strong centrality dependence of the polarization with an increasing signal towards peripheral collisions. For mid-central (20--40%) collisions the polarization magnitudes are <P_{\Lambda}>(%) = 6.8 \pm 1.3 (stat.) \pm 2.1 (syst.) for Au+Au and <P_{\Lambda}>(%) = 6.2 \pm 0.4 (stat.) \pm 0.6 (syst.) for Ag+Ag, which are the largest values observed so far. This observation thus provides a continuation of the increasing trend previously observed by STAR and contrasts expectations from recent theoretical calculations predicting a maximum in the region of collision energies about 3 GeV. The observed polarization is of a similar magnitude as predicted by 3D fluid dynamics and the UrQMD plus thermal vorticity model and significantly above results from the AMPT model.
Purpose
Tensor‐valued diffusion encoding provides more specific information than conventional diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI), but has mainly been applied in neuroimaging studies. This study aimed ...to assess its potential for the imaging of prostate cancer (PCa).
Methods
Seventeen patients with histologically proven PCa were enrolled. DWI of the prostate was performed with linear and spherical tensor encoding using a maximal b‐value of 1.5 ms/µm2 and a voxel size of 3 × 3 × 4 mm3. The gamma‐distribution model was used to estimate the mean diffusivity (MD), the isotropic kurtosis (MKI), and the anisotropic kurtosis (MKA). Regions of interest were placed in MR‐defined cancerous tissues, as well as in apparently healthy tissues in the peripheral and transitional zones (PZs and TZs).
Results
DWI with linear and spherical encoding yielded different image contrasts at high b‐values, which enabled the estimation of MKA and MKI. Compared with healthy tissue (PZs and TZs combined) the cancers displayed a significantly lower MD (P < .05), higher MKI (P < 10−5), and lower MKA (P < .05). Compared with the TZ, tissue in the PZ showed lower MD (P < 10−3) and higher MKA (P < 10−3). No significant differences were found between cancers of different Gleason scores, possibly because of the limited sample size.
Conclusion
Tensor‐valued diffusion encoding enabled mapping of MKA and MKI in the prostate. The elevated MKI in PCa compared with normal tissues suggests an elevated heterogeneity in the cancers. Increased in‐plane resolution could improve tumor delineation in future studies.
Introduction
Discerning whether range of motion (ROM) is restricted by morphology or other pain sources is challenging in patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). Computed ...tomography (CT) motion simulation provides a hypothetical ROM based on morphology. This study aimed to explore associations between ROM measured using CT motion simulation and maximum passive ROM measured clinically using three dimensional (3D) motion analysis in patients with FAIS, prior to and post arthroscopic hip surgery.
Materials and methods
Eight males with FAIS (in total 12 hip joints) were included in this explorative feasibility study. Participants were examined using CT according to a low-dose protocol prior to and 7-months post arthroscopic surgery. Software was used to simulate at which ROM the impingement would occur. With the hip in 90 degrees’ flexion, maximum passive range of internal hip rotation, and maximum passive internal hip rotation coupled with adduction was examined clinically using 3D motion analysis pre- and postoperatively. Spearman rank correlation coefficients and linear regressions examined associations between methods.
Results
Preoperatively, the correlation between maximum internal hip rotation measured using CT motion simulation and 3D motion analysis was strong (
r
= 0.71,
p
= 0.009). Linear regressions demonstrated that maximal internal rotation measured using CT motion simulation was predominantly larger than when measured using 3D motion analysis. Postoperatively, and when maximum internal rotation was coupled with adduction, no correlations were found between the two methods.
Conclusions
The hypothetical morphology restricted ROM is larger than clinically assessed pain restricted ROM, both prior to and post hip arthroscopy. These findings suggest that ROM is restricted by pain rather than mechanical, morphology-based impingement in individuals with FAIS.
In many pain conditions, there is lingering pain despite healed tissue damage. Our previous study shows that individuals who underwent surgery for lumbar disk herniation (LDH) during adolescence have ...worse health, more pain, and increased disk degeneration mean 13 years after surgery compared with controls. It is unclear if walking patterns segregate surgically treated LDH adolescents and controls at mean 13-year follow-up.
Here, we analyzed the relationship between gait, back morphology and other health outcomes in a cohort of individuals treated surgically because of lumbar disk herniation compared with controls.
We analyzed gait during a walking paradigm, back morphology at the site of surgery, and standardized health outcomes, among individuals who received surgery for LDH as adolescents, "cases" (n = 23), compared with "controls" (n = 23).
There were gait differences in head (
= 0.021) and trunk angle (
= 0.021) between cases and controls in a direction where cases exhibited a posture associated with sickness. The gait variance was explained by subjective pain and exercise habits rather than objective disk degeneration.
Over a decade after surgery for LDH during adolescence, health among cases is worse compared with controls. The head and trunk angles differ between cases and controls, indicating that the residual pain lingers and may cause changes in movement patterns long after a painful episode in early life. Gait may be a useful target for understanding maintenance of pain and disability among individuals treated surgically for LDH during adolescence.
In locally advanced prostate cancer (PC), androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in combination with whole prostate radiotherapy (RT) is the standard treatment. ADT affects the prostate as well as the ...tumour on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with decreased PC conspicuity and impaired localisation of the prostate lesion. Image texture analysis has been suggested to be of aid in separating tumour from normal tissue. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of ADT on baseline defined MRI features in prostate cancer with the goal to investigate if it might be of use in radiotherapy planning.
Fifty PC patients were included. Multiparametric MRI was performed before, and three months after ADT. At baseline, a tumour volume was delineated on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps with suspected tumour content and a reference volume in normal prostatic tissue. These volumes were transferred to MRIs after ADT and were analysed with first-order -and invariant Haralick -features.
At baseline, the median value and several of the invariant Haralick features of ADC, showed a significant difference between tumour and reference volumes. After ADT, only ADC median value could significantly differentiate the two volumes.
Invariant Haralick -features could not distinguish between baseline MRI defined PC and normal tissue after ADT. First-order median value remained significantly different in tumour and reference volumes after ADT, but the difference was less pronounced than before ADT.
Background
The evidence supporting the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in prostate cancer
detection has been established, but its accuracy in local staging is questioned.
Purpose
To ...investigate the additional value of multi-planar radial reconstructions of a
three-dimensional (3D) T2-weighted (T2W) MRI sequence, intercepting the prostate capsule
perpendicularly, for improving local staging of prostate cancer.
Material and Methods
Preoperative, bi-parametric prostate MRI examinations in 94 patients operated between
June 2014 and January 2015 where retrospectively reviewed by two experienced abdominal
radiologists. Each patient was presented in two separate sets including
diffusion-weighted imaging, without and with the 3D T2W set that included radial
reconstructions. Each set was read at least two months apart. Extraprostatic tumor
extension (EPE) was assessed according to a 5-point grading scale. Sensitivity and
specificity for EPE was calculated and presented as receiver operating characteristics
(ROC) with area under the curve (AUC), using histology from whole-mount prostate
specimen as gold standard. Inter-rater agreement was calculated for the two different
reading modes using Cohen’s kappa.
Results
The AUC for detection of EPE for Readers 1 and 2 in the two-dimensional (2D) set was
0.70 and 0.68, respectively, and for the 2D + 3D set 0.62 and 0.65, respectively.
Inter-rater agreement (Reader 1 vs. Reader 2) on EPE using Cohen’s kappa for the 2D and
2D + 3D set, respectively, was 0.42 and 0.17 (i.e. moderate and poor agreement,
respectively).
Conclusion
The addition of 3D T2W MRI with radial reconstructions did not improve local staging in
prostate cancer.
Comparison of switch controlling alternatives Skorpil, Vladislav; Cika, Petr; Mojzis, L.
2017 Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium - Spring (PIERS)
Conference Proceeding
Peer reviewed
Besides the other parts, advanced communication networks also contain switches. These networks and these switches must guarantee Quality of Service (QoS) and a comparison of switch controlling ...alternatives is the main aim of this paper. Two alternatives applicable for switch controlling - classical method and using of neural network for this purpose are designed and simulated. Both models are simulated by MATLAB-SIMULINK environment for four differential QoS demands, a web server, an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) server, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) user and a printer. A comparison of Switch Controlling alternatives shows that controlling by neural network is faster than classic method and using of neural networks for this purpose is more useful.
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