Advanced Diagnostic Technique Research Articles

CoF-DResNet: Cancer Metastasis Recognition Network based on Dynamic Coordinated Metabolic Attention and Structural Attention.

Cancer metastasis usually means that cancer cells spread to other tissues or organs, and the condition worsens. Identifying whether cancer has metastasized can help doctors infer the progression of a patient's condition and is an essential prerequisite for devising treatment plans. Fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ( 18F -FDG PET/CT) is an advanced cancer diagnostic imaging technique that provides both metabolic and structural information. In cancer metastasis recognition tasks, effectively integrating metabolic and structural information stands as a key technology to enhance feature representation and recognition performance. This paper proposes a cancer metastasis identification network based on dynamic coordinated metabolic attention and structural attention to address these challenges. Specifically, metabolic and structural features are extracted by incorporating a dynamic coordinated attention module (DCAM) into two branches of ResNet networks, thereby amalgamating high metabolic spatial information from PET images with texture structure information from CT images, and dynamically adjusting this process through iterations. Next, to improve the efficacy of feature expression, a multi-receptive field feature fusion module (MRFM) is included in order to execute multi-receptive field fusion of semantic features. To validate the effectiveness of our proposed model, experiments were conducted on both a private lung lymph nodes dataset and a public soft tissue sarcomas dataset. The accuracy of our method reached 76.0% and 75.1% for the two datasets, respectively, demonstrating an improvement of 6.8% and 5.6% compared to ResNet, thus affirming the efficacy of our method.

Analysis of dual laser Thomson scattering signals on W7-X

A dual laser Thomson scattering has been developed at W7-X: a unique system employing, in combination with a 1064 nm laser, a 1319 nm Nd:YAG laser. Dual-laser Thomson scattering (DLTS) is an advanced diagnostic technique in which two laser pulses of different wavelengths are sent to the plasma with a very short time delay and the two scattered signals are separately and independently measured with the same set of polychromators. For the first time during OP2.1, a dual laser Thomson scattering system was operated stably during the entire experimental campaign. In this work, the dual-wavelength signals recorded in several W7-X discharges are analyzed with different methods and the resulting electron temperature profiles and the experimental errors are discussed, with the aim of identifying the capabilities of this technique.

The use of magnetic resonance imaging in the imaging of selected heart diseases - a review of the current literature

Cardiovascular diseases are still the most common cause of death worldwide [1]. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an advanced diagnostic technique that has become widely used in many fields of medicine, including the diagnosis of heart disease. MRI offers a non-invasive and safe approach to the anatomical and functional assessment of the heart, which enables characterization of the structure and function of this important organ [2]. In this text, we present the current state of knowledge on magnetic resonance imaging in selected heart diseases.

Advanced Diagnostic Technique for Alzheimer's Disease using MRI Top-Ranked Volume and Surface-based Features.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most dominant type of dementia that has not been treated completely yet. Few Alzheimer's patients are correctly diagnosed on time. Therefore, diagnostic tools are needed for better and more efficient diagnoses. This study aimed to develop an efficient automated method to differentiate Alzheimer's patients from normal elderly and present the essential features with accurate Alzheimer's diagnosis. In this analytical study, 154 Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans were obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database, preprocessed, and normalized by the head size for extracting features (volume, cortical thickness, Sulci depth, and Gyrification Index Features (GIF). Relief-F algorithm, t-test, and one way-ANOVA were used for feature ranking to obtain the most effective features representing the AD for the classification process. Finally, in the classification step, four classifiers were used with 10 folds cross-validation as follows: Gaussian Support Vector Machine (GSVM), Linear Support Vector Machine (LSVM), Weighted K-Nearest Neighbors (W-KNN), and Decision Tree algorithm. The LSVM classifier and W-KNN produce a testing accuracy of 100% with only seven features. Additionally, GSVM and decision tree produce a testing accuracy of 97.83% and 93.48%, respectively. The proposed system represents an automatic and highly accurate AD detection with a few reliable and effective features and minimum time.

New diagnostic molecular markers and biomarkers in odontogenic tumors

Odontogenic tumors comprised of complex heterogeneous lesions that diverse from harmatomas to malignant tumors with different behavior and histology. The etiology of odontogenic tumors is not exactly determined and pathologists deal with challenges in diagnosis of odontogenic tumors because they are rare and obtained experiences are difficult to evaluate. In this study, we describe immunohistochemical and molecular markers in diagnosis of odontogenic tumors besides advanced diagnostic technique. Immunohistochemical features of odontogenic tumors beside the clinical features and radiological finding can help us to determine the correct diagnosis. Although these markers are neither specific nor sensitive enough, but analysis of gene expression provides definitive confirmation of diagnosis. In addition, “-omics” technology detected specific molecular alternation associated with etiology such as genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics. The post transcriptional events such as DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling by histone modification affect the changes in epigenome. Furthermore, non-coding RNAs like micro-RNAs, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and small non-coding RNA (snoRNA) play regulatory role and impact odontogenesis. Molecular marker propose their potential role in etiopathogenesis of odontogenic tumors and suitable candidate in diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic approaches in addition to patient management. For future evaluations, organoid represents in vitro tumor model-study for tumor behavior, metastasis and invasion, drug screening, immunotherapy, clinical trial, hallmarks association with prognosis and evolution of personalized anti-cancer therapy. Moreover, organoid biobank help us to check genetic profile. We think more investigation and studies are needed to gain these knowledges that can shift therapeutic approaches to target therapy.

Role of PET/CT in Evaluation of Postoperative Colorectal Cancer

AbstractBackground: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in men and the second in women worldwide, the current treatment for localized CRC is curative complete surgical resection after exclusion of distant metastases, Unfortunately, high recurrence rate was recorded post-operatively within 5 years. Early detection of recurrent CRC has become more important, as the treatment options for localized recurrence disease have improved significantly. Objective: to evaluate the role of PET/CT in postoperative evaluation of suspected recurrence or metastases in CRC patients in comparison with CECT. Methods: Between December 2018 and December 2019, twenty patients with histopathologically proven colorectal primary malignancy were evaluated for suspected local recurrence and metastasis. No age predilection and both sexes were included, medical, clinical history, any other follow up images, tumor markers (CEA), and pathological reports were reviewed for gold standard. Results: Local recurrence detected in 10 patients by PET/CT with 90% sensitivity, 90% specificity, 90% accuracy, 90% PPV and 90% NPV and detected in 9 patients by CECT with sensitivity 72.7%, specificity 88.8%, accuracy 80.0%, PPV88.8% and NPV 72.7%. While distant metastasis to different organs detected in 15 patients by PET/CT with sensitivity 87.5%, specificity 75%, accuracy 85%, PPV93.3%, NPV 60 % and detected in 12 patients by CECT with sensitivity 68.7%, specificity 75%, accuracy 70 %, PPV 91.6% and NPV 37.5%. PET/CT imaging detected 1 recurrent and 12 metastatic lesions that were missed by CECT. Conclusion: PET/CT is an advanced diagnostic imaging technique in detecting loco-regional recurrence and metastasis.

Chemiluminescent-microparticle-immunoassay-based detection and prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infection in Islamabad, Pakistan.

An advanced detection assay is important for clinical diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in asymptomatic individuals. The first step in timely treatment and management of the infection is the early detection of HIV. In this study, we determined the prevalence of HIV in Islamabad for the first time using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA), which is an advanced serological diagnostic technique. A total of 3659 samples were obtained from the general public in Islamabad, Pakistan, and 85 of them were found to be positive for HIV infection (2.32% prevalence). Of the positive subjects, 78.82% (67/85) were male, 10.6% (9/85) were female, and 10.6% (9/85) were of unidentified gender. The results revealed a significant relationship between age groups and HIV status. The age group of 21- to 30-year-olds was found to have the highest rate of HIV infection, and the rate of HIV infection in males was higher than in females.

Fault Detection and Localization of Shielded Cable via Optimal Detection of Time–Frequency-Domain Reflectometry

In recent years, as reliance on factory automation increases, real-time surveillance techniques for electrical systems have received substantial attention. In particular, the fault diagnosis of shielded cables has become crucial in the industrial sector due to their roles in interconnecting each electrical element. The time-frequency-domain reflectometry (TFDR), which is an advanced cable diagnostic technique, has been used to diagnose various types of shielded cable with high accuracy in fault location. However, in the case of reflected signals with a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) caused by any soft faults, the method faces ambiguities in interpreting the presence of failures and locating the faults. Thus, this article proposes an algorithm that simultaneously enhances the fault detection and localization performance of TFDR. In addition, the proposed method provides a statistical model-based threshold for fault detection. The performance of the proposed algorithm is tested via three experiments on actual shielded cables, and the efficacy of the proposed method is verified based on statistical analyses with theoretical discussion.

A Review on Gas Turbine Gas-Path Diagnostics: State-of-the-Art Methods, Challenges and Opportunities

Gas-path diagnostics is an essential part of gas turbine (GT) condition-based maintenance (CBM). There exists extensive literature on GT gas-path diagnostics and a variety of methods have been introduced. The fundamental limitations of the conventional methods such as the inability to deal with the nonlinear engine behavior, measurement uncertainty, simultaneous faults, and the limited number of sensors available remain the driving force for exploring more advanced techniques. This review aims to provide a critical survey of the existing literature produced in the area over the past few decades. In the first section, the issue of GT degradation is addressed, aiming to identify the type of physical faults that degrade a gas turbine performance, which gas-path faults contribute more significantly to the overall performance loss, and which specific components often encounter these faults. A brief overview is then given about the inconsistencies in the literature on gas-path diagnostics followed by a discussion of the various challenges against successful gas-path diagnostics and the major desirable characteristics that an advanced fault diagnostic technique should ideally possess. At this point, the available fault diagnostic methods are thoroughly reviewed, and their strengths and weaknesses summarized. Artificial intelligence (AI) based and hybrid diagnostic methods have received a great deal of attention due to their promising potentials to address the above-mentioned limitations along with providing accurate diagnostic results. Moreover, the available validation techniques that system developers used in the past to evaluate the performance of their proposed diagnostic algorithms are discussed. Finally, concluding remarks and recommendations for further investigations are provided.

In Vitro Safety Evaluation and In Vivo Imaging Studies of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles through Biomimetic Modification

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an advanced medical imaging diagnostic technique that utilizes different resonance signals generated by the signal strength of water content and the relaxation time of protons in water molecules under the influence of an external magnetic field. This technique requires contrast agents, such as Gd-DTPA and Gd-DOTA, which could increase the risk of renal fibrosis in patients with severe renal insufficiency. The magnetic moment or susceptibility of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (SPION) is higher than that of other paramagnetic substances and could significantly reduce the dosage of the contrast agent required. In our previous work, the novel magnetic composite nanoparticles (abbreviated as c(RGDyK)-PDA-SPION) had been successfully synthesized by a facile and simple approach. Further evaluation had demonstrated that it had an average particle size of about 50 nm and uniform distribution, superparamagnetic properties, and good dispersion stability in water solution. Animal acute toxicity test also had proved that it had high safety in vivo. In this work, c(RGDyK)-PDA-SPION was further studied for the cell toxicity and effect on HepG2 cells in vitro, and the MRI imaging of this contrast agent in HepG2 tumor-bearing mice was also studied. It is an extension of the published work. The results showed that it possessed high safety and enrichment phenomenon on HepG2 cells in vitro. Animal experimental data preliminarily prove that the contrast agent could enhance the MRI T2-weighted imaging capability of HepG2 carcinoma in tumor-bearing mice and could be a potential T2 contrast agent.

A New Vibration Analysis Approach for Detecting Mechanical Anomalies on Power Circuit Breakers

On-line monitoring and the diagnosis of the high-voltage circuit breaker (HVCB) have been discussed and investigated significantly in the past few decades. The vibration analysis is a noninvasive and advanced diagnostic technique suitable for the detection of mechanical conditions during the HVCB operation, which plays an important role in improving the operating reliability of HVCB and reduces maintenance costs. However, due to the very complicated mechanical system and extremely short operation time of HVCB, the vibration signal has the characteristics of highly nonlinear, non-stationary, and corrupted by heavy garbage noise, which makes it very difficult to precisely extract effective features for machinery fault diagnosis. To address this issue, an energy entropy of Hilbert marginal spectrum (HMS) based on variational mode decomposition (VMD) is presented to analyze the vibration signals of HVCB in this paper. The VMD is used to decompose the vibration signal into a set of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) reflecting its local characteristics, and then, the energy entropy of IMF's HMS, which varies from different failure modes of HVCB, is obtained by Hilbert transform and entropy-information theory. The characteristics of IMF's HMS, which reveal the variation of vibration signals, under different failure modes of HVCB, are practically analyzed and examined to illustrate the advantage of the proposed method in feature extraction. The IMF that best reflects the mechanical anomaly information of HVCB is ascertained from IMF's HMS, and its Hilbert marginal spectrum energy entropy (HMSEE), namely, IMF-HMSEE, which synthetically reflects the variations of vibration signal's amplitude, phase, and frequency, is turned out to have excellent classification performance for some mechanical anomalies of HVCB. The effectiveness of the proposed approaches is substantiated by experiments carried out in a 12-kV vacuum HVCB.

Prototype design of singles processing unit for the small animal PET

Position Emission Tomography (PET) is an advanced clinical diagnostic imaging technique for nuclear medicine. Small animal PET is increasingly used for studying the animal model of disease, new drugs and new therapies. A prototype of Singles Processing Unit (SPU) for a small animal PET system was designed to obtain the time, energy, and position information. The energy and position is actually calculated through high precison charge measurement, which is based on amplification, shaping, A/D conversion and area calculation in digital signal processing domian. Analysis and simulations were also conducted to optimize the key parameters in system design. Initial tests indicate that the charge and time precision is better than 3‰ FWHM and 350 ps FWHM respectively, while the position resolution is better than 3.5‰ FWHM. Commination tests of the SPU prototype with the PET detector indicate that the system time precision is better than 2.5 ns, while the flood map and energy spectra concored well with the expected.

Rapid immunocytochemistry for the detection of cytokeratin and vimentin: assessment of its diagnostic value in neoplastic diseases of dogs.

Immunocytochemistry (ICC) is an advanced diagnostic technique used in the field of veterinary cytology. We recently developed a rapid ICC method for the detection of cytokeratin and vimentin in dogs, which helps to determine whether tumor cells are of epithelial or nonepithelial origin. However, the diagnostic value of this rapid ICC method in neoplastic diseases of dogs has not been assessed yet. The aim of the present study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of rapid ICC compared to standard immunohistochemistry (IHC). Air-dried smear samples and formalin-fixed paraffin sections were prepared from tumors excised from dogs (n=30). Immunosignals for cytokeratin and vimentin were detected in smear samples by rapid ICC, and in paraffin sections by standard IHC. Signals in smear samples detected by rapid ICC were compared with positive staining in paraffin sections detected by standard IHC and analyzed for statistical significance (kappa statistic). Rapid ICC detected specific immunosignals in 25/30 cases (83.3%), and nonspecific signals were detected in 5/30 cases. Statistical analysis revealed fair agreement in epithelial tumors (n=16) with cytokeratin (κ=0.236) and vimentin (κ=0.294). In nonepithelial tumors (n=14), almost perfect agreement was demonstrated with cytokeratin (κ=0.857) and vimentin (κ=0.857). The rapid ICC method can be a useful tool for the diagnostic cytology of neoplastic tissues in dogs.

A Molecular and Microscopically Studies of Calicophoron Microbothrium (Paramphistomatidae)

Background: Paramphistomiasis is a parasitic disease of livestock animals and humans, which causes heavy economic black lashes especially in countries with advanced animal industry Aim of Study: the current study aimed to add more information about Calicophoron microbothrium (C. microbothrium) and clarify its biological role and how its miracidia infecte the molluscan intermediate host. In addition, a briefdescription to Bullins truncates; the morphological, structural and chronological characteristics of the various intermolluscan stages of the parasite are studied in detail. Moreover, the present work showed the effective role of physical parameters (light, temperature, salinity and gas-phase (aerobic versus anaerobic)) on egg development and hatching and the biological activities of cercaria and metacercaria. Beside these routine techniques, PCR also was used as more advanced and accurate diagnostic technique based on the detection of nucleic acid. Where, 34 larvae and adult worms of Calicophoron microbothrium were isolated from naturally infected buffaloes. The results of the present study will facilitate the identification of this despise secular group of digeneans although its bad effect not only affect animal industry but also human health. Furthermore, the current research clears the weak points in its life cycle to aperient settling this parasite.

Oral Tuberculosis with Advanced Diagnostic Trends

ABSTRACT Tuberculosis (TB) is a universally known chronic infectious disease that can affect any part of the body including oral cavity. Though usually affects the lungs, tubercle bacilli can spread hematogenously to involve other parts of the body. Oral lesions, although rare, are very important for early diagnosis and interception of primary TB. Here, we report a case of oral TB that manifested as painless extraoral swelling on the right side of the mandible which was initially small, later increased in size within 3 months. The patient was asymptomatic for pulmonary TB. Excisional biopsy was done. The histopathological section showed granulomatous lesion, and Ziehl—Neelsen (ZN) stain showed acid-fast magenta color rods suggesting tuberculous infection. This prompted us to validate with other advanced diagnostic technique, such as polymerized chain reaction (PCR) for tubercle bacilli. Thus, we emphasize on few advanced diagnostic techniques in the detection of the TB. How to cite this article Pavithra V, Nambiar S, Augustine D, Sowmya SV, Kumar KV, Prasad K, Rao RS. Oral Tuberculosis with Advanced Diagnostic Trends. World J Dent 2016;7(4):203-207.

Non-linear modeling of oil-paper insulation for condition assessment using non-sinusoidal excitation

In high voltage engineering, dielectric response analysis is a widely used tool for insulation diagnostic. Voltages used for studying dielectric response in the laboratory are usually sinusoidal in nature. But the insulation system in operation on site is often stressed by voltages that may deviate significantly from a sinusoid. Thus the use of nonsinusoidal waveform in obtaining the dielectric response is a desirable study for advanced insulation diagnostic technique. Present work involves assessing the condition of electrical insulation using dielectric response analysis under the influence of nonsinusoidal voltage waveform. In dielectric response analysis, characteristics curve of phase response over a frequency band is used to predict the insulation condition, which involves expertise. In this respect parameterization of insulation condition can make the assessment technique much simpler. But the nonlinear behavior of insulation restricts such an attempt to be accurate enough for reliable assessment of minute degradation of insulation condition. Therefore, the present work proposes a non-linear system identification technique, in an attempt to parameterize insulation condition. In this work, a suitable excitation signal has been designed so that the observed response becomes representative of the behavior of the whole system dynamics over the frequency band of interest. Tests have been performed with insulations having different moisture contents. The obtained system parameters, through nonlinear Hammerstein model, were found to be consistent over several experiments, and also accurate enough to detect small variation of moisture content. The proposed method is based on the time domain measurement of input excitation voltage and corresponding response current through the insulation.

Chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay based detection and prevalence of HCV infection in district Peshawar Pakistan.

BackgroundDue to the high rate of asymptomatic infections an advanced screening assay is of prompt importance to be used for the clinical diagnosis of HCV. Early detection of anti HCV is the first step in the management of chronic hepatitis and in the selection of patients needing treatments. In the current study we have first time used the advanced serological diagnostic technique i.e. Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immuno Assay (CMIA) for the detection of HCV infection in Peshawar Pakistan.MethodsA total number of 982 samples were collected among the general public belongs to the different areas of district Peshawar. The samples were centrifuged at high speed to obtain a clear supernatant serum. All the samples were run on Architect system a fully automated immuno analyzer CMIA base technology.ResultsOut of 982 blood samples analyzed in this study, 160 (15.9%) were confirmed to be positive for active HCV infection. The overall prevalence was found to be 13.4%. Gender wise prevalence was recorded to be higher in male (19.1%) than female (12.7%). The age group 21-30 years was identified as the highest risk group among the studied population.ConclusionAmong the tested samples, overall prevalence of active HCV infection was found to be 13.4% in the general population of Peshawar Pakistan. The young middle aged population of this region was at higher risk of HCV ailments compared to the other age groups.

Use of X-ray computed tomography to investigate crack distribution and mineral dissemination in sphalerite ore particles

As the trends in mineral processing move towards the beneficiation of finer grained and more complex ore bodies, so too do the methods needed to understand and model these processes. During the heap leaching of low-grade ore bodies, the crack distribution and mineral dissemination in ore particles are important characteristics that determine the performance of sub-processes, such as the diffusion of reagents in and out of particle pores. Recent developments in X-ray computed tomography (CT) as an advanced diagnostic and nondestructive technique have indicated the potential for the technology to become a tool for the acquisition of 3-D mineralogical and structural data. The spatial distribution of cracks and mineral dissemination in particles derived from a sphalerite ore in the Northern Cape, South Africa, was characterized using a high-resolution industrial X-ray CT system. This paper describes the use of image analysis techniques including image segmentation, which uses a combination of thresholding and other methods to characterize and quantify crack and mineral dissemination in the sphalerite particles. The results are validated with those obtained using traditional techniques such as physical gas (with N 2) adsorption, mercury intrusion porosimetry, SEM and QEMSCAN. A comparison of the effect of different comminution devices (HPGR and Cone crusher) on crack generation is also given.

Huge Plunging Ranula

Ranula is a form of mucocele which specifically occurs in the floor of the mouth in association with the ducts of the submaxillary or sublingual gland. The term Ranula is derived from the Latin word Rana which means ‘Belly of frog’, because the lesions in the floor of the mouth resemble the bulging underbelly of a frog. The formation of ranula is thought to be due to the excretory duct rupture followed by extravasation and accumulation of saliva into the surrounding tissue. The accumulation of mucous in the surrounding connective tissue forms a pseudocyst that lacks an epithelial lining. Ranulas have classically been divided into simple and diving/plunging/cervical. Simple ranulas remain confined to the sublingual space, whereas diving ranulas extend beyond it [1]. Plunging ranula though rare are well documented causes of neck swelling. It is accepted that they arise as a result of extravasation of saliva from the sublingual gland through a hiatus in the mylohyoid muscle. If the only presentation is a cervical swelling, diagnosis can be difficult and advanced diagnostic technique like CT plays an important role in diagnosis.

Clinical value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in postoperative monitoring for patients with colorectal carcinoma

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in postoperative monitoring for patients with colorectal carcinoma. Methods: 66 postoperative patients with colorectal carcinoma underwent whole-body FDG PET/CT. The final histopathological and formal clinical follow-up findings were used as gold standard to determine the sensitivity and specificity of FDG PET/CT and enhanced CT of the same periods. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of FDG PET/CT in detecting recurrence are 96.30%, 94.87% (while enhanced CT are 70.37% and 87.18% respectively). The sensitivity and specificity in detecting metastasis are 95.35%, 82.61% (enhanced CT are 61.90%, 75.00%). SUVmax was significantly higher in malignant lesions [range 4.16–22.00, mean±standard deviation (x±s) 8.06±4.30] than in benign ones (range1.18–6.25, x±s 2.82±1.02). Conclusion: At present, whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT is an advanced diagnostic imaging technique in detecting loco-regional recurrence and metastasis in postoperative patients with colorectal carcinoma for its higher sensitivity and specificity.