Submission Of Images Research Articles

Capacity building in obstetric ultrasound: Impact of simulation based clinical teaching on resident training at a health facility in India.

Current postgraduate curriculum in India lacks practical training in ultrasound for residents in obstetrics and gynecology. The objective of this study was to develop and assess impact of a capacity building program utilizing clinical teaching and simulation to enhance knowledge and skills of residents at a healthcare facility in India. A training program comprising of 14 modules on basic obstetric ultrasounds was created over 3 months. These modules, validated by fetal medicine experts, underwent a pilot study for face validity. A total of 18 newly enrolled junior residents without prior ultrasound experience were recruited. A two-day workshop included interactive module sessions and 6 h and 30 min of hands-on training using an obstetric simulator. Pre- and post-tests consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) assessed knowledge. Follow-up assessments were carried out at 1 and 3 months. Skill assessment at the third month was conducted using an objective structured practical examination (OSPE), alongside image submission by residents. There was significant improvement in marks over time, with a mean pretest score of 24 ± 2.7 out of 50 marks, post-test score of 36.81 ± 2.86 and stable scores (34.6 ± 3.21, 34.4 ± 2.96) during follow-up reviews. OSPE scores at third month averaged at 21.47 ± 2.3 (maximum marks 30); image assessment scores averaged at 83 ± 8.62 (maximum marks 100). Participant feedback indicated a positive response to all program aspects (practicality, content and structured training). Confidence levels in performing clinical ultrasound improved significantly after attending the module (P < 0.0001). Simulation with clinical teaching effectively enhanced knowledge and skills of residents, fostering confidence in performing basic obstetric ultrasounds early on in their residency. Integrating similar capacity building initiatives into residency training programs can improve healthcare delivery by ensuring a well prepared cadre of doctors skilled in obstetric ultrasounds.

Traumatic Bilateral Quadriceps Tendon Rupture from a Ground Level Fall

This is a clincal image submission depicting traumatic bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture from a ground level fall.

Enhancing COVID-19 Diagnosis: A Multi-Modal Approach Utilizing the CNN Algorithm in Automated Applications

Rapidly identifying COVID-19 patients is essential for effective disease control and management. To address this need, we have developed an automated application that utilizes multi-modal data, including Chest X-ray, Electrocardiogram (ECG), and CT scan images, for precise COVID-19 patient identification. This application comprises a two-stage process, starting with a web-based questionnaire and then the submission of medical images for verification. Leveraging various ML and DL techniques, including CNN, KNN, Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, and NaiveBayes, We conducted extensive model training and validation for LSTM, InceptionV3, SVM, Resnet, and MobileNet. The CNN algorithm emerged as the top-performing method across all modalities, demonstrating exceptional accuracy, precision, recall, F-score, and a minimal false prediction rate. Confusion matrices were employed for comprehensive result evaluation. This study highlights the potential of multi-modal data analysis, particularly the CNN algorithm, for efficiently and accurately identifying COVID-19 patients.

OBIA: An Open Biomedical Imaging Archive

With the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, biomedical imaging data play an important role in scientific research and clinical application, but the available resources are limited. Here we present Open Biomedical Imaging Archive (OBIA), a repository for archiving biomedical imaging and related clinical data. OBIA adopts five data objects (Collection, Individual, Study, Series, and Image) for data organization, and accepts the submission of biomedical images of multiple modalities, organs, and diseases. In order to protect personal privacy, OBIA has formulated a unified de-identification and quality control process. In addition, OBIA provides friendly and intuitive web interfaces for data submission, browsing, and retrieval, as well as image retrieval. As of September 2023, OBIA has housed data for a total of 937 individuals, 4136 studies, 24,701 series, and 1,938,309 images covering 9 modalities and 30 anatomical sites. Collectively, OBIA provides a reliable platform for biomedical imaging data management and offers free open access to all publicly available data to support research activities throughout the world. OBIA can be accessed at https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/obia.

Hemithorax white-out due to massive pleural effusion

This is a clinical image submission depicting hemithorax white-out due to massive pleural effusion.

Insights From Image Guided Radiation Therapy Credentialing for the NRG Oncology RTOG 1112 Liver Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Trial

NRG Oncology trial RTOG 1112 is a randomized phase 3 study of sorafenib with or without stereotactic body radiation therapy for locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) credentialing is essential for this study because of the high doses, respiratory motion, and variety of delivery technologies. This analysis presents the IGRT credentialing experience. Credentialing of volumetric IGRT requires submission of planning and localization images, planning structures, and resulting IGRT shifts for a patient treated according to the study requirements. A study reviewer uses these data to repeat the registrations and compare to the actual clinical registrations. Agreement within 5 mm was considered acceptable for credentialing. Volumetric images of 130 fractions from 42 institutions between June 2013 and January 2018 were reviewed. The median agreement between clinical registrations and study reviewer was 3 mm, with 95% of all fractions within 5 mm. A subanalysis identified a statistically significant difference between the use of low-contrast soft tissue and high-contrast surrogates (eg, implanted fiducial markers, surgical clips, metallic stents) for registration. Soft tissue and high-contrast surrogate registrations both agreed within 3 mm in 50% of fractions. However, soft tissue registrations exceeded 10 mm in 3% of fractions, while no high-contrast surrogate registrations exceeded 5 mm. The RTOG 1112 credentialing experience suggests that most institutions perform liver IGRT with sufficient accuracy to deliver stereotactic body radiation therapy safely, as assessed by expert reviewers. Both soft tissue and high-contrast surrogates appear adequate for consistent registration in most instances; however, some disagreements were observed when using soft-tissue registration targets. The use of high-contrast surrogates appears to reduce the small risk of substantial geographic miss owing to mis-registration in liver IGRT.

32746 The clinical utility of teledermatology in triaging and diagnosing skin malignancies: A series of three cases

Teledermatology is a rapidly growing digital resource within the field of dermatology with specific utility in triaging patients to determine those requiring in-person evaluation for early and accurate detection of skin malignancies. Previous studies have demonstrated that approximately one-third of teledermatology consultations result in face-to-face clinical encounters with malignant neoplasms being the leading cause for biopsy. For specific populations, such as geriatric, immunocompromised, or those with limited access to in-person health care, teledermatology serves as a valuable tool. We describe the clinical utility of teledermatology in triaging and diagnosing skin malignancies through the presentation of 3 cases obtained from digital image review at 1 large, midwest medical center during the month of July 2021. Three unique cases with final diagnoses of a rare or aggressive skin cancer were selected as examples, including a 75-year-old man with Merkel cell carcinoma, a 55-year-old man with aggressive pT3b malignant melanoma, and a 72-year-old man diagnosed with an atypical fibroxanthoma. The visual representation of the clinical timeline of each case is presented, including time intervals from initial image submission to image review, image review to face-to-face clinical encounter, and image review to final diagnosis. These cases serve as important examples of the application of teledermatology in reducing the time to diagnosis of aggressive skin malignancies. Given the current pandemic and the increasing, widespread use of digital technology within the field of dermatology, further demonstration of the clinical utility of teledermatology is warranted and additional research in the area of digital and electronic technology is required.

North to the future: A new asynchronous delivery of the classic “flora class” at the University of Alaska Fairbanks

Alaska is relatively isolated from the rest of the United States, due to its distance, size and widespread population. Online course delivery is a valuable alternative to on-campus enrollment for many of the rural students in our state. Introduction to the Flora of Alaska and Systematic Botany are now being offered as fully online courses with a lab component. These courses taught both online, and in the classroom (COVID-19 depending), are versions of the first author’s own experiences taking these same classes taught by Don Pinkava at Arizona State University. His legacy as an intrepid botanist and inspiring educator influenced how I (Steffi Ickert-Bond) approached developing my own teaching style. The course design presented reflects some of Don Pinkava’s rigorous detailed and challenging course content and innovative labs. The devoted teacher he was, Dr. Pinkava left for us a comprehensive statement outlining his teaching principles he had acquired over many years (Appendix 1). As a student of Don’s, I have applied those teaching principles to my own courses. To create a lab experience like Don's classes, I have carefully chosen technology that will allow students from all over the state (and even outside Alaska) to have a hands-on learning experience. Using cutting-edge virtual herbaria they collect data, and perform plant dissections within the flora’s native environment. Instead of traditional course materials like textbooks, students use an inexpensive wide-angle macro lens to take high-resolution, detailed photos of flora on the go. The technology not only lets students mimic lab spaces in their own areas but also expands their digital networks through the submission of images to iNaturalist, enabling them to share and collaborate with enthusiasts around the world. Students must get outside, touch with their hands and share what they discover. In combining traditional methods with modern technologies such as virtual, streaming dissections students develop skills and confidence with the microscope and dissection techniques just as much as I did in Don’s in person Flora of Arizona class in 1993. Today the Introduction to the Flora of Alaska (BIOL190), and Systematic Botany (BIOL331) are both exciting intersections highlighting a curiosity for wild plants, an exploration of Alaska’s plant communities as well as a great introduction to the science of botany. Don’s Flora of Arizona took us students to those same crossroads. Together with my colleague Dr. Ute Kaden who teaches STEM methodology at the School of Education, UAF we describe effective course design elements for online delivery of a biology course and the challenges that come with it. Some student feedback after the first semester running will be presented here as well.

CoastSnap: A global citizen science program to monitor changing coastlines

CoastSnap is a low-cost community beach monitoring program that turns everyday smartphones into devices to measure coastal response to storms, sea-level rise, human modifications and other factors. Underpinning CoastSnap is a stainless-steel smartphone cradle that is installed overlooking a beach in a location easily accessible to the public. Using the cradle for image positioning, passers-by simply take a photo of the coast and upload it to a centralized database, which in turn provides a crowd-sourced record of coastline change over time. Behind this simple idea are advanced image processing algorithms that then enable the shoreline position (and other coastal features) to be mapped from the community snapshots in a scientifically rigorous manner. First established in Sydney, Australia in 2017, the network of CoastSnap stations has grown rapidly over the past five years to now encompass 200 monitoring locations in 21 countries. Analysis of the 44 Australian stations managed by the Authors indicates strong community participation, with over 10,000 images and 4000 community participants to date and an image submission frequency ranging from approximately weekly to daily (average = 2.6 images/station/week). Example practical applications of CoastSnap include: as a tool to monitor high-frequency shoreline change and coastal inlet dynamics; to support conservation efforts on protected coastlines; and to directly inform the timing of dredging and beach nourishment activities. This paper describes the background and evolution of the project and discusses its successes, challenges as well as future directions.

Clinical Images in Dermatology Manuscripts - A Study of Journal Submission Guidelines.

Images are an important element of any scientific publication, more so for a very visual specialty such as dermatology. Dermatology journals generally include detailed instructions related to images submitted with the manuscripts, including technical aspects such as file format, resolution, and editing. We aimed to review and critically analyze instructions for images in the top 50 dermatology journals [as per the latest Clarivate journal citation report (JCR) ranking]. The top 50 journals as per the latest Clarivate JCR were included in the study. Instructions for images were reviewed for each of the journals. The main points analyzed included file type, resolution, size limits, editing limits, support for post-processing of images and details regarding patient consent. Only half the journals (25) had clear, detailed, and specific instructions for the images. Only one journal specifically mentioned pixels per inch (PPI) as the descriptive term, and the remaining used dots per inch (DPI), whereas 6 did not mention either. Twenty-three journals did not mention the recommended size of the image. The most common minimum resolution mentioned was 300 DPI (41 journals). Although 24 of the journals mentioned editing limits, none of the journals elaborated on image plagiarism in the instructions. Twenty-one of the fifty did not mention a clear policy on patient consent. Image submission guidelines for dermatology journals need to be made more elaborate yet easier to understand. Developing a consensus, followed by standardization of these submission guidelines, can help both authors and journals.

Identification of public submitted tick images: A neural network approach.

Ticks and tick-borne diseases represent a growing public health threat in North America and Europe. The number of ticks, their geographical distribution, and the incidence of tick-borne diseases, like Lyme disease, are all on the rise. Accurate, real-time tick-image identification through a smartphone app or similar platform could help mitigate this threat by informing users of the risks associated with encountered ticks and by providing researchers and public health agencies with additional data on tick activity and geographic range. Here we outline the requirements for such a system, present a model that meets those requirements, and discuss remaining challenges and frontiers in automated tick identification. We compiled a user-generated dataset of more than 12,000 images of the three most common tick species found on humans in the U.S.: Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis. We used image augmentation to further increase the size of our dataset to more than 90,000 images. Here we report the development and validation of a convolutional neural network which we call "TickIDNet," that scores an 87.8% identification accuracy across all three species, outperforming the accuracy of identifications done by a member of the general public or healthcare professionals. However, the model fails to match the performance of experts with formal entomological training. We find that image quality, particularly the size of the tick in the image (measured in pixels), plays a significant role in the network's ability to correctly identify an image: images where the tick is small are less likely to be correctly identified because of the small object detection problem in deep learning. TickIDNet's performance can be increased by using confidence thresholds to introduce an "unsure" class and building image submission pipelines that encourage better quality photos. Our findings suggest that deep learning represents a promising frontier for tick identification that should be further explored and deployed as part of the toolkit for addressing the public health consequences of tick-borne diseases.

Accessible charts are part of the equation of accessible papers: a heuristic evaluation of the highest impact LIS journals

PurposeStatistical charts are an essential source of information in academic papers. Charts have an important role in conveying, clarifying and simplifying the research results provided by the authors, but they present some accessibility barriers for people with low vision. This article aims to evaluate the accessibility of the statistical charts published in the library and information science (LIS) journals with the greatest impact factor.Design/methodology/approachA list of heuristic indicators developed by the authors has been used to assess the accessibility of statistical charts for people with low vision. The heuristics have been applied to a sample of charts from 2019 issues of ten LIS journals with the highest impact factor according to the ranking of the JCR.FindingsThe current practices of image submission do not follow the basic recommended guidelines on accessibility like color contrast or the use of textual alternatives. On the other hand, some incongruities between the technical suggestions of image submission and their application in analyzed charts also emerged. The main problems identified are: poor text alternatives, insufficient contrast ratio between adjacent colors and the inexistence of customization options. Authoring tools do not help authors to fulfill these requirements.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample is not very extensive; nonetheless, it is representative of common practices and the most frequent accessibility problems in this context.Social implicationsThe heuristics proposed are a good starting point to generate guidelines for authors when preparing their papers for publication and to guide journal publishers in creating accessible documents. Low-vision users, a highly prevalent condition, will benefit from the improvements.Originality/valueThe results of this research provide key insights into low-vision accessibility barriers, not considered in previous literature and can be a starting point for their solution.

Viral time capsule: a global photo-elicitation study of child and adolescent mental health professionals during COVID-19

ObjectiveTo examine, through photo-elicitation, the personal and professional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health professionals working with children and adolescents around the globe.MethodsWe invited the submission of images collected about the pandemic between May and August 2020. We encouraged participants to yoke personal reflections or voice memos to their images. Using snowball sampling, we began with two invitations, including one to the graduates of a mentorship program continuously hosted since 2004 by the International Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP). We analyzed de-identified images and anonymized transcripts through iterative coding using thematic analysis informed by rich picture analysis and aided by NVivo software.ResultsWe collected submissions from child and adolescent mental health professionals (n = 134) working in 54 countries spread across the five continents. We identified four overarching domains with component themes that revealed both the commonality and the uniqueness of the pandemic experience around the globe: (1) Place (adjusting to emptiness and stillness; shifting timeframes; blending of spaces); (2) Person (disruption to life rhythms; emotional toll; positives of the pandemic); (3) Profession (changing practices; outreach efforts; guild pride—and guilt); and (4) Purpose (from pandemic to syndemic; from lamenting to embracing; planning toward a better tomorrow).ConclusionsPhoto-elicitation provided a disarming and efficient means to learn about individual, regional, and global similarities and differences regarding the professionals charged with addressing the mental health needs of children and adolescents around the globe. These findings may help inform practice changes in post-pandemic times.

Insights from IGRT Credentialing for the NRG Oncology RTOG 1112 Liver Trial

NRG Oncology trial RTOG 1112 is a randomized study of sorafenib with or without stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for hepatocellular carcinoma. Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) credentialing is essential for this study due to the high doses, respiratory motion, and variety of delivery technologies. This analysis examines the IGRT credentialing experience. Credentialing of volumetric IGRT for RTOG 1112 requires submission of planning and localization images, planning structures, and resulting IGRT shifts consistent with the study. A study reviewer uses this data to repeat the registrations and compare to the actual clinical registrations. Agreement within 5 mm was considered acceptable for credentialing. Deviations of greater than 10 mm were confirmed with the submitting institution. Images of 130 fractions from the initial and repeat submissions from 42 institutions between June 2013 to present were reviewed. The median agreement between clinical registrations and study reviewer was 3 mm, with 95% of all fractions within 5 mm. A sub-analysis investigated differences between use of low contrast soft tissue (n=63 images) or high-contrast surrogates (n=67) (e.g. implanted fiducial markers, surgical clips, metallic stents) for registration. Soft tissue registrations agreed within 3 mm in 50% of fractions and 9 mm in 95%, while high-contrast surrogate registrations agreed within 3 mm in 50% and 5 mm in 95%. Soft tissue registrations exceeded 10 mm in 3% of fractions, while no high-contrast surrogate registrations exceeded 5 mm. The RTOG 1112 credentialing experience suggests most institutions perform liver IGRT with sufficient accuracy to deliver SBRT safely. Both soft tissue and high-contrast surrogates appear adequate for consistent registration in most instances; however, some mis-registrations were observed when using soft-tissue registration targets. The use of high-contrast surrogates appears to reduce the small risk of substantial geographic miss due to mis-registration in liver IGRT. Funding: This project was supported by grants U10CA180868 (NRG Oncology Operations), U24CA180803 (IROC), CTEP from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

DemoCamp: BRIT Digitization Appliance

In recent years, the natural history collections community has made great progress in accelerating the pace of collection digitization and global data-sharing. However, a common workflow bottleneck often occurs in that period immediately following image capture but preceding image submission to portals, a critical phase involving quality control, file management, image processing, metadata capture, data backup, and monitoring performance and progress. While larger institutions have likely developed reliable, automated workflows over time, small and medium institutions may not have the expertise or resources to design and implement workflows that take full advantage of automation opportunities. Without automation, these institutions must invest many hours of manual effort to meet quality and performance goals. To address its own needs, BRIT developed a number of workflow automation components, which coalesced over time into a suite of tools that operate on both an image capture station as a client application and on a server that provides file storage and image processing features. Together, these tools were created to meet the following goals: Simplify file management and data preservation through automation Quickly identify quality issues Quickly capture skeletal metadata to facilitate later databasing Significantly reduce time between image capture and online availability Provide performance and quality monitoring and reporting Easy configuration and maintenance of client and server The client and server components together can be considered a “digitization appliance”: software integrated with the specific goal of providing a comprehensive suite of digitization tools that can be quickly and easily deployed on simple consumer hardware. We have made this software available to the natural history collections community under an open-source license at https://github.com/BRITorg/digitization_appliance.

Finding Our Way Home

Not Required - image submission

Evaluating the submission of digital images as a method of surveillance for Ixodes scapularis ticks.

Widespread access to the internet is offering new possibilities for data collection in surveillance. We explore, in this study, the possibility of using an electronic tool to monitor occurrence of the tick vector of Lyme disease, Ixodes scapularis. The study aimed to compare the capacity for ticks to be identified in web-based submissions of digital images/photographs, to the traditional specimen-based identification method used by the provincial public health laboratory in Quebec, Canada. Forty-one veterinary clinics participated in the study by submitting digital images of ticks collected from pets via a website for image-based identification by an entomologist. The tick specimens were then sent to the provincial public health laboratory to be identified by the 'gold standard' method using a microscope. Of the images submitted online, 74·3% (284/382) were considered of high-enough quality to allow identification. The laboratory identified 382 tick specimens from seven different species, with I. scapularis representing 76% of the total submissions. Of the 284 ticks suitable for image-based species identification, 276 (97·2%) were correctly identified (Kappa statistic of 0·92, Z = 15·46, P < 0·001). This study demonstrates that image-based tick identification may be an accurate and useful method of detecting ticks for surveillance when images are of suitable quality.

Abstract A05: The Mouse Tumor Biology (MTB) Database: An electronic tool for identifying and evaluating mouse and PDX models of human cancer

Abstract The increasing number and diversity of available mouse models of human cancer and their growing importance in scientific research have resulted in an enormous increase in the amount and types of data generated from these models. These models represent powerful tools for studying biological and genetic mechanisms of cancer and for translation into potential clinical therapeutics. However, the amount of available data makes it challenging to identify and evaluate specific models and data important for an individual laboratory's research. Placing these data in their proper genetic context is crucial to understanding the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of initiation, progression, and metastasis of different cancers. In addition, the ability of the immunodeficient NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ (NSG) mouse strain to host patient derived xenograft (PDX) models only increases the number of available models and the data produced from them. The Mouse Tumor Biology (MTB) Database provides access to data from mouse and PDX models of human tumors and the tools to analyze these data, facilitating the discovery and evaluation of novel mouse and PDX models of human cancers (http://tumor.informatics.jax.org). MTB includes data on endogenously arising tumors (both spontaneous and induced) in genetically defined mice (inbred, hybrid, mutant, and genetically engineered mice) and information from PDX models of human tumors and provides freely available web access to these data. MTB integrates data from peer-reviewed literature, laboratories studying mouse models of human cancer, production mouse colonies at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), colonies of aging mice from the Jackson Aging Center, and PDX data from the Jackson Laboratory Patient-derived xenograft resource. MTB also incorporates data from PathBase, and mouse gene expression data sets from NCBI's Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and the Array Express Database. Data include tumor classification, incidence and latency, tumor associated quantitative trait loci (QTL), pathology reports, images and genetic changes in tumors (somatic) and background strain (germline). Data type specific query forms (tumor, genetic etc.) allow detailed searches. MTB also can be searched using human gene symbols for orthologous mouse genes and associated data. Pathology images are submitted by the scientific community, from primary literature (with publisher permission), and from JAX colonies. MTB also includes immunohistochemistry data on over 500 antibodies with accompanying images of positive control samples and links to the respective vendors. MTB encourages direct submission of mouse tumor data and images from the cancer research community and has developed a web-based system to facilitate submission of data. Standard nomenclature, controlled vocabularies and literature citations facilitate data integration and robust searches. MTB is integrated with the Mouse Genome Informatics resource (MGI, http://www.informatics.jax.org) and provides links to other related online resources such as the Mouse Phenome Database (MPD), the Biology of the Mammary Gland Web Site, and the NCI Mouse Repository. MTB is supported by NCI grant CA089713. Citation Format: Dale A. Begley, Debra M. Krupke, Steven B. Neuhauser, Joel E. Richardson, John P. Sundberg, Carol J. Bult, Janan T. Eppig. The Mouse Tumor Biology (MTB) Database: An electronic tool for identifying and evaluating mouse and PDX models of human cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: The Translational Impact of Model Organisms in Cancer; Nov 5-8, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2014;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A05.

A Welcome to Open Forum Infectious Diseases (OFID).

Welcome to Open Forum Infectious Diseases (OFID), the new open-access journal of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and HIV Medicine Association (hivma). As with the existing IDSA journals Clinical Infectious Diseases and The Journal of Infectious Diseases, OFID will be published by Oxford University Press (OUP). As noted previously, OFID will provide a venue for the rapid publication of clinical, translational, and basic research for all aspects of Infectious Diseases (ID), with a focus on studies that have the potential to improve patient care. All papers will be peer-reviewed and, once accepted, will be immediately available for anyone to read at no cost. Papers published in OFID will be indexed in PubMed Central. We welcome direct submissions to OFID via http://www.edmgr.com/ofid and will also consider certain papers submitted to Clinical Infectious Diseases or The Journal of Infectious Diseases, provided the contributing authors agree to allow the transfer. There will be a special track for Fellows of IDSA (FIDSA) for rapid review, and members of IDSA and hivma will receive discounts on article-processing fees. In addition to original research studies and review articles, we also are eager to feature several other ID-related pieces, including the following: ID Cases: Did you see a particularly illustrative case or series of cases? We are especially interested in cases that underscore a key aspect of diagnosis and management. What can readers learn from these cases that can help improve patient care? Submission of notable images or videos is strongly encouraged, along with a targeted review of relevant literature. ID Perspectives: Do you have an opinion on some aspect of ID—research, clinical care, education, policy—that you are motivated to communicate to others in our field? Did you encounter a patient- or research-related situation that you feel should be shared? Did you experience something in your practice that particularly moved, amused, or annoyed you? Top Questions in ID: Are you an expert in specific area of ID? This could involve diagnostics, management strategies, research topics, or all of the above. If so, what are the top questions you get—and the answers you give—on the topic? ID Learning Units: Clinicians who are not ID-specialists (and in particular ID fellows) need to learn the “basics” on many aspects of ID diagnosis, evaluation, and therapy. We would welcome your sharing how you go about teaching them. ID on the Web: This is, after all, where we get most of our information today. What are your go-to sites for the best information, and why? Additional content will be added as OFID matures. For example, we plan to include brief, behind the scenes podcasts consisting of interviews that highlight the History of Infectious Diseases, and will periodically publish perspectives on how to make ID research more relevant to clinicians. Last, a little bit about journal's name, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, which was selected by a working group from IDSA and OUP prior to my becoming Editor. My initial reaction was that the journal's title didn't really roll off your tongue—certainly not like War and Peace or Gone with the Wind. However, I ultimately have come around to embracing the title as it accurately conveys the goals of the publication. From the OFID prospectus: “The idea is to convey a dynamic, interactive exchange of ideas between authors and readers, allowing a different model for communicating research findings and sharing clinical experience. An Open Forum provides an online platform for nurturing and mentoring junior-level physicians and scientists, much like the popular Poster Discussion rounds of the IDSA Annual Meeting in which luminaries in the field take colleagues on a tour of research findings presented by fellows in training and other investigators. An Open Forum promotes multi-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration among clinicians and investigators.” Furthermore, the preferred abbreviation is spoken “O-F-I-D” (think “C-I-D” and “J-I-D”), not “Oh-Fid”, though we'll certainly understand both choices. We look forward to receiving your submissions!

Do Physicians Make Their Articles Readable for Their Blind or Low-Vision Patients? An Analysis of Current Image Processing Practices in Biomedical Journals from the Point of View of Accessibility

Visual content in biomedical academic papers is a growing source of critical information, but it is not always fully readable for people with visual impairments. We aimed to assess current image processing practices, accessibility policies, and submission policies in a sample of 12 highly cited biomedical journals. We manually checked the application of text-based alternative image descriptions for every image in 12 articles (one for each journal). We determined whether the journals claimed to follow an accessibility policy and we reviewed their submission policy and their guidelines related to the visual content. We identified important features concerning the processing of images and the characteristics of the visual and the retrieval options of visual content offered by the publishers. The evaluation shows that the actual practices of textual image description in highly cited biomedical journals do not follow general guidelines on accessibility. The images within the articles analyzed lack alternative descriptions or have uninformative descriptions, even in the case of journals claiming to follow an accessibility policy. Consequently, the visual information of scientific articles is not accessible to people with severe visual disabilities. Instructions on image submission are heterogeneous and a declaration of accessibility guidelines was only found in two thirds of the sample of journals, with one third not explicitly following any accessibility policy, although they are required to by law.