Joint EANM/SNMMI guideline on radiomics in nuclear medicine : Jointly supported by the EANM Physics Committee and the SNMMI Physics, Instrumentation and Data Sciences Council.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this guideline is to provide comprehensive information on best practices for robust radiomics analyses for both hand-crafted and deep learning-based approaches. METHODS: In a cooperative effort between the EANM and SNMMI, we agreed upon current best practices and recommendations for relevant aspects of radiomics analyses, including study design, quality assurance, data collection, impact of acquisition and reconstruction, detection and segmentation, feature standardization and implementation, as well as appropriate modelling schemes, model evaluation, and interpretation. We also offer an outlook for future perspectives. CONCLUSION: Radiomics is a very quickly evolving field of research. The present guideline focused on established findings as well as recommendations based on the state of the art. Though this guideline recognizes both hand-crafted and deep learning-based radiomics approaches, it primarily focuses on the former as this field is more mature. This guideline will be updated once more studies and results have contributed to improved consensus regarding the application of deep learning methods for radiomics. Although methodological recommendations in the present document are valid for most medical image modalities, we focus here on nuclear medicine, and specific recommendations when necessary are made for PET/CT, PET/MR, and quantitative SPECT.

Spiradenoma causing longitudinal splitting of the nail.

Longitudinal splitting of the nails can occur as a result of any growth arising in the nail matrix. We present a case of a 50-year-old woman who presented with an 18-month history of longitudinal splitting of the nail on her right little finger, along with pain in the proximal nail fold region, which was extremely tender to touch. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intensely enhancing lesion, while colour Doppler imaging revealed hypervascularity within the mass. A provisional diagnosis of glomus tumour was considered. Histopathology demonstrated presence of a well-circumscribed tumour comprising a dual population of cells, which stained negatively with periodic-acid-Schiff. The histopathological features were consistent with those of eccrine spiradenoma (ES). In this case, glomus tumour was considered as the first differential diagnosis, but histopathology confirmed it as an ES.

Linear trichilemmoma following a blaschkoid pattern: a clinical dilemma.

BACKGROUND: Trichilemmoma are benign adnexal neoplasm with follicular outer sheath differentiation. It usually appears as single or multiple papules that resembles colour of the surrounding skin. They are most commonly seen on the face particularly on the nose and cheek. OBJECTIVES: We report a case of linear trichilemmoma following blaschkoid pattern. METHODS: A 13 year old boy presenting with asymptomatic plaque on the right side of the nose was fully evaluated for possible cause. RESULTS: On histopathology, a diagnosis of trichilemmoma was made. CONCLUSION: This is the first case report where linear trichilemmoma following a blaschkoid pattern is seen.

Land-use and land-cover change in Western Ghats of India.

The Western Ghats (WG) of India, one of the hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world, has witnessed major land-use and land-cover (LULC) change in recent times. The present research was aimed at studying the patterns of LULC change in WG during 1985-1995-2005, understanding the major drivers that caused such change, and projecting the future (2025) spatial distribution of forest using coupled logistic regression and Markov model. The International Geosphere Biosphere Program (IGBP) classification scheme was mainly followed in LULC characterization and change analysis. The single-step Markov model was used to project the forest demand. The spatial allocation of such forest demand was based on the predicted probabilities derived through logistic regression model. The R statistical package was used to set the allocation rules. The projection model was selected based on Akaike information criterion (AIC) and area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The actual and projected areas of forest in 2005 were compared before making projection for 2025. It was observed that forest degradation has reduced from 1985-1995 to 1995-2005. The study obtained important insights about the drivers and their impacts on LULC simulations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt where projection of future state of forest in entire WG is made based on decadal LULC and socio-economic datasets at the Taluka (sub-district) level.

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF METHYLATION STATUS OF TUMOR SUPPRESSOR GENES IN PAIRED BIOPSY AND SERUM SAMPLES FROM CERVICAL CANCER PATIENTS AMONG NORTH INDIAN POPULATION.

Tumor-specific genetic or epigenetic alterations have been detected in serum DNA in case of various types of cancers. In breast cancer, the detection of tumor suppressor gene hypermethylation has been reported in several body fluids. Promoter hypermethylation of some genes like MYOD1, CALCA, hTERT etc. has also been detected in serum samples from cervical cancer. The present study is the first report on the comparison of promoter hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes likep14, p15, p16, p21, p27, p57, p53, p73, RARß2, FHIT, DAPK, STAT1 and-RB1 genes in paired biopsy and serum samples from cervical cancer patients among north Indian population. This is also the first report on the hypermethylation of these genes in serum samples from cervical cancer patients among north Indian population. According to the results of the present study, promoter hypermethylation of these genes can also be detected in serum samples of cervical cancer patients. The sensitivity of detection of promoter hypermethylation in serum samples of cervical cancer patients as compared to paired biopsy samples was found to be around 83.3%. It was observed that promoter hypermethylation was mainly observed in the serum samples in the higher stages and very rarely in the lower stages. The present study clearly showed that serum of patients with cervical cancer can also be used to study methylated genes as biomarkers.

Curcumin-Mediated Reversal of p15 Gene Promoter Methylation: Implication in Anti-Neoplastic Action against Acute Lymphoid Leukaemia Cell Line.

Curcumin has been documented to exert anticancer effects by interacting with altered proliferative and apoptotic pathways in cancer models. In this study, we evaluated the potential of curcumin to reverse promoter methylation of the p15 gene in Raji cells and its ability to induce apoptosis and genomic instability. Anti-neoplastic action of curcumin showed an augmentation in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell cycle arrest in G1 phase. Subsequently, curcumin- exposed Raji cells showed structural abnormalities in chromosomes. These observations suggest that curcumin also causes ROS-mediated apoptosis and genomic instability. The treatment of Raji cell line with 10 µM curcumin caused hypomethylation of the p15 promoter after six days. Hypomethylation of p15 was further found to be favoured by downregulation of DNA methyltransferase 1 after 10 µM curcumin treatment for six days. Methylation-specific PCR suggested demethylation of the p15 promoter. Demethylation was further validated by DNA sequencing. Reverse-transcription PCR demonstrated that treatment with curcumin (10 µM) for six days led to the up-regulation of p15 and down-regulation of DNA methyltransferase 1. Furthermore, curcumin- mediated reversal of p15 promoter methylation might be potentiated by down-regulation of DNA methyltransferase 1 expression, which was supported by cell cycle analysis. Furthermore, curcumin acts as a double-pronged agent, as it caused apoptosis and promoter hypomethylation in Raji cells.

Comparative evaluation of surgical modalities for coverage of gingival recession: An Armed Forces Medical College perspective.

BACKGROUND: Esthetics represents an inseparable part of today's oral therapy, and several procedures have been proposed to preserve or enhance it. Gingival recessions may cause hypersensitivity, impaired esthetics and root caries. Keeping in mind patient's desire for improved esthetics and other related problems, every effort should be made to achieve complete root coverage. METHODS: Different types of modalities have been introduced to treat gingival recession including displaced flaps, free gingival graft, connective tissue graft, different type of barrier membranes and combination of different techniques. The aim of this study was to compare the commonly used techniques for gingival recession coverage and evaluate the results obtained. 73 subjects were selected for the present study who were randomly divided into four groups and were followed at baseline and 180 days where following parameters were recorded: (a) Assessment of gingival recession depth (RD); (b) Assessment of pocket depth (PD); (c) Assessment of clinical attachment level (CAL) and (d) Assessment of width of attached gingiva (WAG). RESULTS: Results of this study showed statistically significant reduction of gingival recession, with concomitant attachment gain, following treatment with all tested surgical techniques. However, SCTG with CAF technique showed the highest percentage gain in coverage of recession depth as well as gain in keratinized gingiva. Similar results were obtained with CAF alone. The use of GTR and other techniques showed less predictable coverage and gain in keratinized gingiva. CONCLUSION: Connective tissue grafts were statistically significantly superior to guided tissue regeneration for improvement in gingival recession reduction.

Effects of dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acid-rich linseed on the reproductive performance of ewes in subtropical climates.

The present study evaluated the effects of omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acid-rich linseed supplementation on the reproductive performance, endocrine profile, and biochemical profile of ewes reared in subtropical climates. Forty-eight acyclic and clinically healthy Marwari sheep, aged 1.5-2.5 years with no parity, were divided into four groups (n = n = 12 in each). Ewes in the control group (group I) were fed only a basal feed, whereas ewes in the treatment groups II, III, and IV were fed the basal diet along with 10%, 15%, and 20% linseed, respectively, daily on a dry matter basis. The experiment was conducted during the typical breeding season (October-November) of the sheep. The estrus induction rate was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in all treatment groups than in the control group. The estrus induction interval was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in group III. The conception rate in group I was significantly lower (p < 0.05). In addition, ewes in the control group had a significantly lower (p < 0.05) lambing rate than all treatment groups. Serum progesterone concentrations differed significantly (p < 0.05) between the control and the treatment groups on days 15, 30, 45, and 60 of supplementation. On treatment days 15 and 30, the serum estrogen concentrations were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in all treatment groups compared to that in group I. In all treatment groups, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) decreased significantly (p < 0.05), whereas polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) increased significantly (p < 0.05) from day 15 onward. In conclusion, by providing 15% dietary linseed supplementation to ewes, their reproductive performance can be improved in subtropical climates. Future studies are recommended to further elucidate the role of linseed supplementation in sheep reproduction in subtropical climates.

Enhancing soil health and fruit yield through Tephrosia biomass mulching in rainfed guava (Psidium guajava L.) orchards.

Leguminous crop Tephrosia candida has high biomass production and contains a substantial quantity of nutrients within its biomass. Starting in 2019, a long-term study was done to find the best Tephrosia candida dose for mulching in guava orchards. The study had four treatments: T1 = 3.0 kg dry biomass m-2 of the plant basin, T2 = 2.0 kg, T3 = 1.0 kg, and T4 = control (no mulch). Every year, the treatments imposed in the month of August. The third year (2021-2022) results indicated that mulching with 3 kg of biomass m-2 increased trunk diameter, fruit yield, fruit weight, specific leaf area, total leaf chlorophyll, and leaf macro- and micro-nutrients. At 3.0 kg m-2, mulching improved soil properties such as EC, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, DTPA extractable micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn), total organic carbon (Ctoc), soil organic carbon (Csoc), organic carbon fractions, and microbial biomass carbon between 0-0.15 m and 0.15-0.30 m. There was an increasing trend in dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and fluorescein diacetate (FDA). The Tephrosia leaf litter exhibited decay constants of 1.27 year-1, and the carbon content was 40.11%. Therefore, applying Tephrosia biomass mulching at a rate of 3.0 kg m-2 is a viable long-term solution for enhancing soil fertility and sequestering carbon.

Supplementation of microbial levan in the diet of Cyprinus carpio fry (Linnaeus, 1758) exposed to sublethal toxicity of fipronil: effect on growth and metabolic responses.

A 60-day feeding trial was conducted to study the effect of dietary microbial levan on growth performance and metabolic responses of Cyprinus carpio fry exposed to sublethal dose (1/10th LC50) of fipronil [(±)-5-amino-1-(2,6-dichloro-α,α,α-trifluoro-p-tolyl)-4-trifluoromethylsulfinylpyrazole-3-carbonitrile]. Two hundred and twenty five fry were randomly distributed in five treatments in triplicates. Four purified diets were prepared with graded levels of microbial levan. Five different treatment groups were levan control L0P0 (basal feed + 0 % levan without exposure to pesticide); pesticide control L0P1 (basal feed + 0 % levan with exposure to pesticide); L0.25P1 (basal feed + 0.25 % levan with exposure to pesticide); L0.50P1 (basal feed + 0.50 % levan with exposure to pesticide); and L0.75P1 (basal feed + 0.75 % levan with exposure to pesticide). Weight gain% and specific growth rate were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in levan fed groups compared to their non-levan fed counterpart. Highest (p < 0.05) content of ascorbic acid in muscle, liver and brain tissues was observed with higher level of dietary levan. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity decreased with the increasing level of dietary levan in the liver and muscle. Aspartate aminotransferase activity exhibited a second order polynomial relationship with the dietary levan, both in liver (Y = -1.001x² + 5.366x + 5.812, r² = 0.887) and muscle (Y = -0.566x² + 2.833x + 6.506, r² = 0.858) while alanine aminotransferase activity showed third order polynomial relationship both in liver (Y = 1.195x³ - 12.30x² + 35.23x + 9.874, r² = 0.879) and muscle (Y = 0.527x³ - 8.429x² + 31.80x + 8.718, r² = 0.990). Highest (p < 0.05) superoxide dismutase activity in gill was observed in the group fed with 0.75 % levan supplemented diet. Overall results indicated that dietary microbial levan at 0.75 % in C. carpio fry ameliorated the negative effects of fipronil and augmented the growth.

Effect of slice thickness and blanching time on different quality attributes of instant ginger candy.

Fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) suffers from weight loss, shrinkage, sprouting and rotting during storage after 3-4 weeks. This spoilage may be overcome by processing fresh produce to some value added products. An attempt was made to optimize the protocol for production of instant ginger candy. The experimental parameters considered were slice thickness (5.0-25.0 mm) and blanching duration (10-30 min) followed by dipping in 40°B and 75°B sugar solutions containing 2.0% citric acid respectively, for 1 and 2 h at 95 °C and dried at 60 °C for 1 h. RSM design was considered for this experiment and final products were evaluated for their textural properties, TSS, acidity, TSS: acid ratio, taste score and overall acceptability. The optimum product qualities in terms of hardness (2.08 kg), TSS (73.4%), acidity (1.31%), TSS: acid ratio (56.3), taste score (7.98) and overall acceptability (8.07) were obtained for slice thickness of 10.9 mm and blanching time of 24.9 min.

Methyl donors potentiates growth, metabolic status and neurotransmitter enzyme in Labeo rohita fingerlings exposed to endosulfan and temperature.

A 2-month preliminary study was conducted to delineate the effect of dietary methyl donors (choline, betaine, and lecithin) on the growth performance and metabolic status of Labeo rohita fingerlings subjected to endosulfan alone and in combination with elevated temperature. Four iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous diets viz. basal diet, betaine-supplemented diet, choline-supplemented diet and lecithin-supplemented diet were prepared and fed to the different experimental groups throughout the experimental period as per the design. Two hundred and seventy fingerlings (average weight 7.95 ± 0.04 g) were randomly distributed in six treatment groups each having three replicates. The experimental groups were as follows: fish subjected to normal water (without endosulfan) and fed with control diet (control group T(0)), fish subjected to endosulfan-treated water and fed with control diet (T(1)), fish subjected to concurrent exposure of endosulfan and elevated temperature and fed with control diet (T(2)), fish subjected to endosulfan and elevated temperature and fed with choline-supplemented diet (T(3)), fish subjected to endosulfan and temperature and fed with betaine-supplemented feed (T(4)), and fish subjected to endosulfan and temperature and fed with lecithin-supplemented feed (T(5)). The result shows that in both the groups, that is, endosulfan exposed and concurrent exposure to endosulfan and elevated temperature group of L. rohita the growth performance like percentage weight gain, feed conversion ratio and specific growth rates were significantly different (P < 0.01) when fed with supplemented diet compared with control fed group. The liver LDH and MDH activity were significantly lower in lecithin, betaine, and choline fed groups. The muscle AST as well as G6PDH, AST, and ALT did not vary but liver ALT, gill and liver ATPase, intestine ALP, muscle and liver glycogen varied significantly with dietary supplementation. The liver and gill glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities were significantly lower in methyl donors-supplemented groups and brain AChE activity showed lower inhibition in supplemented groups in both endosulfan alone and concurrently exposed endosulfan and temperature groups. The result obtained in this study concludes that inclusion of methyl donors, particularly lecithin and betaine in feed as nutritional supplements have potential to improve growth and stress mitigating effect in L. rohita fingerlings.

Dietary choline, betaine and lecithin mitigates endosulfan-induced stress in Labeo rohita fingerlings.

A five-week experiment was conducted to delineate stress-mitigating effects of three different methyl donors in Labeo rohita fingerlings subjected to endosulfan toxicity. Four iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric feed were prepared with and without supplementation of methyl donors. The feed were basal or control diet (i.e., without methyl donor supplementation), feed supplemented with choline, feed supplemented with betaine and feed supplemented with lecithin. Two hundred and twenty-five fishes were distributed randomly in five treatment groups each with three replicates. The experimental setup were normal water (without endosulfan) and fed with control diet (control group), endosulfan-treated water and fed with control diet (T1), endosulfan-treated water and fed with choline supplemented feed (T2), endosulfan-treated water and fed with betaine supplemented feed (T3) and endosulfan-treated water and fed with lecithin-supplemented feed (T4). The level of endosulfan in endosulfan treated water was maintained at the level of 1/10 of LC50, that is, 0.2 ppb. During the experiment, growth performances, metabolic enzyme activity and histological examination were done to assess the effect of treatments. The growth performance (percentage weight gain, feed conversion ratio, specific growth rate and protein efficiency ratio) and nutrient digestibility were significantly different (P<0.01) in lecithin, betaine and choline fed group when compared to endosulfan-exposed group fed with basal diet. The liver LDH and MDH activity were significantly (P<0.01) improved in the groups fed with methyl donor supplemented diet. The liver AST and ALT, brain AChE and muscle ALT did not change with supplementation in the diet, but muscle ALT and G6PDH significantly (P<0.01) changed with supplementation. The gill and liver ATPase and intestinal ALP were significantly (P<0.01) noticeably changed in supplemented group. After endosulfan exposure, histopathology alter like slight large vacuolation in hepatocyte and lipoid vacuole were observed and with supplementation normal appearance of liver were observed. The chromosome aberration (karyotype) was observed in endosulfan-exposed group. The result obtained in present study concluded that inclusion of methyl donors, particularly lecithin and betaine, in feed as nutritional supplements has a potential stress-mitigating effect in L. rohita fingerlings.

Clinical profile of patients presenting with breast cancer in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women in Nepal. Even though the evaluation and treatment of patients is done as per western guidelines, there are considerable variations in risk factors, presenting stage and prognostic factors such as receptor status. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical profile of patients presenting with breast cancer in Nepal. METHOD: The study was conducted at Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Bir Hospital and Department of Radiation Oncology, BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Bharatpur from 16th July 2007 to 15th June 2008 for a period of one year and 114 patients were enrolled. Detailed history, clinical examination and necessary investigations performed. Histological features including receptor status were recorded. Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) staging system was as per American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), fifth edition. Data was collected in preformed case report form and was managed using SPSS version 13. RESULTS: The incidence was high (34.2%) among perimenopausal women age ranging from 41 to 50. The majority of women presented with lump (98.2%) and others with pain (21.9%), nipple retraction (16.7%), ulceration (7.9%), discharge (7%), or symptoms of metastasis (6.1%). Regarding receptor status, the majority (64.0%) were Estrogen receptor (ER) and Progesterone receptor (PR) negative with 21.9 percent. ER+PR+, Younger women were more likely to be both ER and PR negative. Where available, Her- 2 immunohistochemistry showed that 45.0 % of post menopausal women were Her-2 neative, compared to 64.0 % of premenopausal women. Incidence of Triple negative disease was 41.3 %. The most common stage at presentation was stage III (26.3%). CONCLUSION: Majority of patients were perimenopausal, presenting with locally advanced disease (Stage III and Stage II) and with average tumor size two to five cm and were hormonal receptor negative. These findings are similar to other South Asian population but is inverse than profile reported in Western populations.

Post Kala azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) presenting with ulcerated chronic paronychia like lesion.

A 50-year-old lady, resident of urban Bihar, presented with inflamed proximal nail fold of a single digit for one and half months. The lesion on distal finger was remarkable for ulceration. Mucocutaneous examination revealed multiple hypopigmented macules and patches, notable for absence of scaling. The presence of ulceration was not consistent with chronic paronychia, hence, she was asked for biopsy. She declined and opted for trial of antibiotic and anti-fungal treatment. At two weeks of follow up, no improvement was noted at all. At the same time, she developed multiple juicy papules in perioral area and on neck. She tested positive by rK 39 tests. Histopathology from periungual area showed LD body. She was diagnosed as Post Kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis and was treated with miltefosine 50 mg twice daily for three months, resulting in complete resolution of all lesions.

katG (SER 315 THR) gene mutation in isoniazid resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

UNLABELLED: BACKGROUND Isoniazid (INH) together with Rifampicin (RFP) forms the cornerstone of a short chemotherapy course for tuberculosis (TB) treatment. Mutation at codon 315 of katG gene is most prevalent in isoniazid resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and is high in area with high TB incidence. Polymerase Chain Reaction Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) has been found to be a reliable and effective tool for the identification of the specific gene alteration. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to screen Ser315Thr mutation of KatG gene of INH resistant MTB strain by PCR-RFLP technique. METHODS: Altogether 37 INHr MTB isolates obtained from German Nepal Tuberculosis Project (GENETUP) Kathmandu Nepal was included in the study. Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) extraction was performed according to protocol of SORPOCLEAN from the culture isolates. Amplification of the fragment with katG codon 315 was performed in a Biometra Thermocycler using primers. The amplified fragment was cleaved with MspI. The restriction fragments obtained were electrophoresed in a 2% agarose gel and were visualized using transilluminator. RESULTS: The katG Ser315Thr mutation was observed in 23 (62.2%) out of 37 INH resistant isolates. The drug susceptibility profile of INHr MTB isolates showed all isolates to be resistant to INH and RFP whereas 26 and 27 MTB isolates were resistant to Ethambutol (EMB) and Streptomycin (S) respectively. Seventeen (17) patients were harbouring katG gene mutated strain among Ethambutol and Streptomycin resistant cases. CONCLUSION: The study identified high prevalence of Ser315Thr mutation in katG. The isolates harbouring this mutation were also simultaneously resistant to RFP. Ser315Th could be a potential genetic marker for predicting MDR-TB.