In-situ start and end of growing season dates of major European crop types from France and Bulgaria at a field level.

Crop phenology data offer crucial information for crop yield estimation, agricultural management, and assessment of agroecosystems. Such information becomes more important in the context of increasing year-to-year climatic variability. The dataset provides in-situ crop phenology data (first leaves emergence and harvest date) of major European crops (wheat, corn, sunflower, rapeseed) from seventeen field study sites in Bulgaria and two in France. Additional information such as the sowing date, area of each site, coordinates, method and equipment used for phenophase data estimation, and photos of the France sites are also provided. The georeferenced ground-truth dataset provides a solid base for a better understanding of crop growth and can be used to validate the retrieval of phenological stages from remote sensing data.

RSNA-STR-ACR Consensus Statement for COVID-19 CT Patterns: Interreader Agreement in 240 Consecutive Patients and Association With RT-PCR Status.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to study interreader agreement of the RSNA-STR-ACR (Radiological Society of North America/Society of Thoracic Radiology/American College of Radiology) consensus statement on reporting chest computed tomography (CT) findings related to COVID-19 on a sample of consecutive patients confirmed with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This institutional review board-approved retrospective study included 240 cases with a mean age of 47.6 ± 15.9 years, ranging from 20 to 90 years, who had a chest CT and RT-PCR performed. Computed tomography images were independently analyzed by 2 thoracic radiologists to identify patterns defined by the RSNA-STR-ACR consensus statement, and concordance was determined with weighted κ tests. Also, CT findings and CT severity scores were tabulated and compared. RESULTS: Of the 240 cases, 118 had findings on CT. The most frequent on the RT-PCR-positive group were areas of ground-glass opacities (80.5%), crazy-paving pattern (32.2%), and rounded pseudonodular ground-glass opacities (22.9%). Regarding the CT patterns, the most frequent in the RT-PCR-positive group was typical in 75.9%, followed by negative in 17.1%. The interreader agreement was 0.90 (95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.96) in this group. The CT severity score had a mean difference of -0.07 (95% confidence interval, -0.48 to 0.34) among the readers, showing no significant differences regarding visual estimation. CONCLUSIONS: The RSNA-STR-ACR consensus statement on reporting chest CT patterns for COVID-19 presents a high interreader agreement, with the typical pattern being more frequently associated with RT-PCR-positive examinations.

RSNA Committee on International Radiology Education: 25 Years of Global Education Outreach.

The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Committee on International Radiology Education (CIRE) has worked for the past 25 years to create academic programs oriented to the needs of international radiologists. The CIRE develops organized and structured approaches to help build one's capabilities and increase one's capacity for professional growth, which then facilitates better patient care. The authors describe the four programs that CIRE is responsible for and introduces its newest initiative, Global Learning Centers, which is planned to start in 2021. RSNA involvement in global radiology education provides opportunities for early, mid-, and late-career radiologists to participate in these programs as students or teachers. The authors describe some of the programs' success stories and invite readers to become a part of and contribute to the growth of radiologic academic endeavors globally. ©RSNA, 2020.

A multifactorial approach of nutritional, intellectual, brain development, cardiovascular risk, socio-economic, demographic and educational variables affecting the scholastic achievement in Chilean students: An eight- year follow-up study.

The aim of this study was to quantitate the relative impact of nutritional, intellectual, brain development, cardiovascular risk, socio-economic, demographic and educational variables on the results of the 2009 Quality Education Measurement System (SIMCE) tests of language and mathematics for scholastic achievement (SA) applying a multifactorial approach, in school-age children of the 2010 5th elementary school grade (5ESG) and of the 1st grade of high school (1HSG). The purposes were: i) to test the hypothesis that intellectual ability, the level of SA of the educational establishments in the 2009 SIMCE tests, sex, parental schooling levels, and head circumference-for-age Z-score are the most relevant parameters associated with 2009 SIMCE outcomes; ii) to determine the predictive ability of the 2009 SIMCE results in determining the 2013 SIMCE outcomes for the 2010 5ESG cohort (when they graduated from elementary school, 8th grade) and for determining the 2013 University Selection Test (PSU) outcomes for the 2010 1HSG group (for university admission, when they graduated from high school, 4th grade); iii) to determine the association between the 2009 SIMCE results with the 2017 PSU outcomes for the 2010 5ESG group (for university admission, when they graduated from high school, 4th grade). A representative, proportional and stratified sample of 33 schools of the Metropolitan Region of Chile was randomly chosen. In these schools, 1,353 school-age children of both sexes, of the 2010 5ESG (n = 682; mean age = 10.8 years, SD = 0.6) and of the 2010 1HSG (n = 671; mean age = 14.8 years, SD = 0.6) participated. In both grades and tests, the findings confirm the hypotheses formulated. 2009 SIMCE outcomes were positively and significantly associated with 2013 SIMCE and with 2017 PSU and, with 2013 PSU outcomes in school-age children from 2010 5ESG and 1HSG, respectively. These findings may be useful for educational and health planning in Chile and countries in a comparable stage of development.

Impact of anthropometric nutritional parameters on the university selection test in Chile: A multifactorial approach.

OBJECTIVES: Scholastic achievement (SA) is a multifactorial problem that depends on factors related to the child, the child's family, and the educational system. The aim of this study was to quantify the relative impact of significant variables at the beginning of high school during 2010 (first grade of high school [1 HSG]) on 2013 university selection test (Prueba de Seleccion Universitaria [PSU]) outcomes, both in language scholastic achievement (LSA) and mathematics scholastic achievement (MSA), when students graduated from high school (4 HSG). This was done at the time of university admission with a multicausal approach. The purpose was to confirm the hypothesis that the level of educational establishment SA, intellectual ability, sex, parental schooling levels, and head circumference for age Z-score at the onset of high school are the most relevant parameters associated with 2013 PSU outcomes, both in LSA and MSA. METHODS: A representative, proportional, and stratified sample of 671 children of both sexes who enrolled in 1 HSG in 2010 (mean age: 14.8 ± 0.6 y) participated in the study. Nutritional, intellectual, brain developmental, cardiovascular risk, socio-to-economic, demographic, and educational variables were quantitated. SA was assessed at 4 HSG with the 2013 PSU tests. Data were analyzed with SAS software. RESULTS: Educational establishment SA, intellectual ability, maternal schooling, and age Z-score were the most relevant parameters to explain LSA (R2 = 0.493; P < 0.0001) and MSA variance in addition to sex (male), but only in MSA (R2 = 0.600; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm the hypothesis and can be useful to support nutritional, health, and educational planning.

Prospective validation of the ultrasound based TIRADS (Thyroid Imaging Reporting And Data System) classification: results in surgically resected thyroid nodules.

OBJECTIVE: To assess performance of TIRADS classification on a prospective surgical cohort, demonstrating its clinical usefulness. METHODS: Between June 2009 and October 2012, patients assessed with pre-operative ultrasound (US) were included in this IRB-approved study. Nodules were categorised according to our previously described TIRADS classification. Final pathological diagnosis was obtained from the thyroidectomy specimen. Sensitivity, specificity, positive/negative predictive values and likelihood ratios were calculated. RESULTS: The study included 210 patients with 502 nodules (average: 2.39 (±1.64) nodules/patient). Median size was 7 mm (3-60 mm). Malignancy was 0 % (0/116) in TIRADS 2, 1.79 % (1/56) in TIRADS 3, 76.13 % (185/243) in TIRADS 4 [subgroups: TIRADS 4A 5.88 % (1/17), TIRADS 4B 62.82 % (49/78), TIRADS 4C 91.22 % (135/148)], and 98.85 % (86/87) in TIRADS 5. With a cut-off point at TIRADS 4-5 to perform FNAB, we obtained: sensitivity 99.6 % (95 % CI: 98.9-100.0), specificity 74.35 % (95 % CI: 68.7-80.0), PPV 82.1 % (95 % CI: 78.0-86.3), NPV 99.4 % (95 % CI: 98.3-100.0), PLR 3.9 (95 % CI: 3.6-4.2) and an NLR 0.005 (95 % CI: 0.003-0.04) for malignancy. CONCLUSION: US-based TIRADS classification allows selection of nodules requiring FNAB and recognition of those with a low malignancy risk. KEY POINTS: • TIRADS classification allows accurate selection of thyroid nodules requiring biopsy (TIRADS 4-5). • The recognition of benign/possibly benign patterns can avoid unnecessary procedures. • This classification and its sonographic patterns are validated using surgical specimens.

Acute prevertebral calcific tendinitis: a source of non-surgical acute cervical pain.

BACKGROUND: Prevertebral calcific tendinitis results from calcium hydroxyapatite crystal deposits in the longus colli muscles, which induce symptoms similar to some surgically-treated conditions, such as retropharyngeal abscesses. Imaging techniques are critical for accurate diagnosis. PURPOSE: To describe the computed tomography (CT) findings associated with prevertebral calcific tendinitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis performed in an 18-month period, searching for patients with neck CT and reports with diagnosis of "calcific longus collis tendinitis" or "prevertebral calcific tendinitis". CT images and clinical data available in the medical records were analyzed. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-four examinations were performed in the period studied. Nine patients who fulfilled inclusion criteria were identified and their CT imaging characteristics are presented. Six presented with calcific deposits in the right longus colli muscle. CT matched the clinical pain lateralization in all cases. Eight patients had no significant enhancement post injection of contrast media. CONCLUSION: Prevertebral calcific tendinitis is a cause of acute cervical pain that clinically mimics a retropharyngeal abscess, however on neck CT has a characteristic appearance. Correct identification of this pathologic condition will help avoiding unnecessary invasive procedures.