An Integrated IoT Architecture for Smart Metering Using Next Generation Sensor for Water Management Based on LoRaWAN Technology: A Pilot Study.

This pilot study focuses on the design, implementation, optimization and verification of a novel solution of smart measuring of water consumption and crisis detection leading to a smart water management platform. The system implemented consists of a modular IoT platform based on a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) design using the M2.COM standard, a LoraWAN modem and a LoraWAN gateway based on the Raspberry Pi platform. The prototype is modular, low-cost, low-power, low-complex and it fully reflects the requirements of strategic technological concepts of Smart City and Industry 4.0, i.e., data integration, interoperability, (I)IoT, etc. The study was produced in cooperation with M.I.S Protivanov and VODARENSKA AKCIOVA SPOLECNOST, a.s. (industry partners distributing drinking water in the Olomouc and South-Moravian regions) to depict the current situation in the Czech Republic, characterized by extreme weather fluctuations and increasingly frequent periods of drought. These drinking water distributors are also constantly placing new demands on these smart solutions. These requirements include, above all, reliability of data transmission, modularity and, last but not least, low cost. However, smart water management (water consumption, distribution, system identification, equipment maintenance, etc.) is becoming an important topic worldwide. The functionality of the system was first verified in laboratory conditions and, then, in real operation. The study also includes checking signal propagation in the municipal area of the village of Zdarna, where the radius of the proposed measuring system was tested. A laboratory test with simulation of water leakage is also part of this work. Subsequently, the system was tested in a residential unit by means of water leakage detection using the MNF method (minimum night flow); the detection success rate was 95%.

Scintigraphic evaluation of salivary gland function in thyroid cancer patients after radioiodine remnant ablation.

Radioiodine (131 I, RAI) has traditionally been used in thyroid cancer treatment but its benefit should be balanced against possible risks. Among them, salivary gland dysfunction has often been discussed, although the reported data have been inconsistent. The aim of our prospective study was to evaluate salivary gland function in 31 thyroidectomised patients (6 men, 25 women; median age 52 yr) before and 4-6 months after RAI remnant ablation (RRA), using activity of 3.7 GBq 131 I-NaI. Salivary gland uptake and excretion fractions were quantitatively assessed with 99m Tc - pertechnetate salivary gland scintigraphy. Pre- and post-treatment values were compared using Wilcoxon signed rank test. No statistically significant difference in the pre- and post-treatment values was observed in parotid or submandibular glands uptake, or in the parotid or submandibular excretion fractions. The calculated power for minimum relevant difference of 25% with the sample size of 31 ranged between 86% and 96% for the individual variables, making our negative results reasonably reliable. The results suggest that RRA with the most commonly used activity of 3.7 GBq has no important impact on salivary gland function. Therefore, the concerns about putative salivary gland functional deterioration following RRA are probably unjustified.

Salivary gland function in thyroid cancer patients with radioiodine administration history.

AIM: Radioiodine (RAI) improves survival in patients with locally advanced or metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Although there has been an ongoing debate on RAI-induced salivary gland damage, published data have been inconsistent. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to compare salivary gland function in intermediate and high risk DTC patients after single or repeated RAI treatment with their age- and sex-matched RAI-naive counterparts. METHODS: Uptake and excretion of parotid and submandibular glands were quantitatively evaluated using 99mTc-pertechnetate salivary gland scintigraphy in 23 patients previously treated with RAI. Patients (median 9.25 GBq 131I-NaI; Q1-Q3: 5.55-16.65; range: 5.55-27.5) were divided into subgroups according to previously administered 131I-NaI activity using cut-off values 5.55 GBq and 9.25 GBq. Their salivary gland scintigraphy results were compared with RAI-naive patients using Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: Compared to RAI-naive patients, parotid glands pertechnetate uptake was significantly lower in those treated with > 9.25 GBq (P=0.034) and parotid glands excretion fraction was already decreased with RAI activities > 5.55 GBq (P=0.031). In submandibular glands, no statistically significant difference in either function was observed even with RAI activity > 9.25 GBq. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that RAI therapy using activities ≤ 5.55 GBq does not substantially decrease saliva production. Activities > 5.55 GBq may lead to significant decrease in parotid excretion, and activities > 9.25 GBq also diminish parotid uptake. Surprisingly, submandibular glands, providing majority of seromucinous saliva under basal condition, seem to be unaffected even by RAI activities above 9.25 GBq.

Dual Tracer 99mTc-Pertechnetate/99mTc-MIBI Dual-Time-Point SPECT/CT Parathyroid Gland Assessment Regarding to Parathyroid Gland Size and Biochemical Parameters - Two Years Single Imaging Centre Experience.

INTRODUCTION: Preoperative parathyroid imaging is inevitable part of focused parathyroid surgery. The aim of our study was assessment of parathyroid scintigraphy diagnostic accuracy regarding to size and metabolic parameters of hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Parathyroid scintigraphy for suspected primary hyperparathyroidism was performed in 95 patients during years 2015 and 2016. Of them, 75 patients with known clinical outcome (40 underwent surgery, 35 had documented laboratory follow-up) were further retrospectively evaluated. The performance of dual tracer 99mTc-pertechnetate and 99mTc-MIBI subtraction and dual-time-point 99mTc-MIBI imaging with SPECT/CT was analysed. Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcaemia, ionized calcaemia and phosphataemia and ultrasound detected adenoma volume and largest diameter in false negative and true positive findings were compared using Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity of parathyroid scintigraphy was 74.5% and 95.8%, respectively. NPV was 63.8% and PPV 97.4%. Hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue detectability was almost significantly associated with hypophosphataemia and PTH levels. CONCLUSION: Parathyroid scintigraphy provides high sensitivity and superior specificity in parathyroid adenoma location, nevertheless the diagnostic accuracy tends to decline in smaller adenomas and in less metabolically active parathyroid tissue causing only subtle biochemical changes. 18F-Fluorocholine PET/CT or 3D SPECT/CT subtraction should be a reasonable option for those cases.

Is radioiodine administration in patients with papillary thyroid multifocal microcarcinoma unnecessary?

UNLABELLED: Radioiodine (RAI) has played a crucial role in differentiated thyroid cancer treatment for more than 60years. However, the use of RAI administration in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (even multifocal) is now being widely discussed and often not recommended. In accordance with European consensus, and contrary to the American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines, we recently performed RAI thyroid remnant ablation in a patient with differentiated papillary multifocal microcarcinoma. The post-therapeutic whole-body scan and SPECT/CT revealed the real and unexpected extent of disease, with metastases to upper mediastinal lymph nodes. This finding led to the patient's upstaging from stage I to stage IVa according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union Against Cancer criteria. LEARNING POINTS: (131)I is a combined beta-gamma emitter, thus allowing not only residual thyroid tissue ablation but also metastatic tissue imaging.RAI remnant ablation omission also means post-treatment whole-body scan omission, which may lead to disease underestimation, due to incorrect nodal and metastatic staging.RAI should be considered also in "low-risk" patients, especially when the lymph node involvement is not reliably documented.Lower administered RAI activity (30mCi, 1.1GBq) may be a workable compromise in low-risk patients, not indicated for RAI remnant ablation according to ATA guidelines.