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.

Exploring why people with SMI smoke and why they may want to quit: baseline data from the SCIMITAR RCT.

ACCESSIBLE SUMMARY: People with severe mental ill health are up to three times more likely to smoke than other members of the general population. Life expectancy in this client group is reduced by up to 30 years, and smoking is the single most important cause of premature death. The aim of this study was to explore why people with severe mental ill health smoked and why they might want to stop smoking or cut down on the amount of cigarettes that they smoked. The study found that people with severe mental ill health are motivated to cut down or stop smoking, and this is mainly due to concerns about their own health. The reasons people gave for smoking were to relieve stress, to help relax and for something to do when they are bored. Health professionals should offer evidence supported smoking cessation therapy to people with severe mental ill health. In addition to standard National Health Service smoking cessation treatments such as pharmacotherapy and behavioural support. Practitioners should help people with serious mental ill health to identify meaningful activities to relieve boredom and challenge any incorrect beliefs they hold that smoking helps relaxation and relieves stress. ABSTRACT: Smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature mortality for people with serious mental ill health (SMI). Yet little is known about the reasons why service users smoke or what their motivations for quitting might be. The aim of this paper is to explore smoking behaviours, reasons for smoking and motivations for cutting down/stopping smoking in individuals with SMI who expressed an interest in cutting down or stopping smoking. Prior to randomization, the smoking behaviours and motivations for wanting to cut down or stop smoking of participants in a randomized trial were systematically assessed. Participant's primary reasons for continuing to smoke were that they believed it helped them to cope with stress, to relax and relieve boredom. Participant's main motivations for wanting to cut down or stop smoking were related to concerns for their own health. Previous attempts to stop smoking had often been made alone without access to evidence supported smoking cessation therapy. Future recommendations include helping people with SMI to increase their activity levels to relieve boredom and inspire confidence in their ability to stop smoking and challenging beliefs that smoking aids relaxation and relieves stress.

Optically pure (+)-nicotine from (+/-)-nicotine and biological comparisons with (-)-nicotine.

Optically pure (+)-nicotine has been obtained from (+/-)-nicotine using a combination of d-tartaric acid and di-p-toluoyl-l-tartaric acid. As the di-d-tartrate salt, (+)-nicotine is less potent than (-)-nicotine di-l-tartrate in producing lethality in mice, on blood pressure in anesthetized rats, and in the isolated guinea-pig ileum, indicating substantial stereospecificity for nicotine receptors. Potency ratios are 0.14, 0.06, and 0.019, respectively.

Toxicology of chloral hydrate in the mouse.

Chloral hydrate has been found in our drinking water supplies at levels up to 5 micrograms/1. The purpose of this study was to evalute the acute and subchronic toxicology of chloral hydrate in the random-bred CD-1 mouse, to provide data for risk assessment. The acute oral LD50 of this compound was 1442 and 1265 mg/kg in male and female mice, respectively. Acute toxicity appeared to be related to depression of the central nervous system. Fourteen-day exposure by gavage in male mice at doses 1/10 and 1/100 the LD50 caused an increase in liver weight and a decrease in spleen weight at the highest dose level. Based on the data derived from 14 days of exposure, a 90-day study was performed. The compound was delivered via the drinking water; levels of the compound delivered per day were equivalent to those dosed in the 14-day study. The target organ in both sexes appeared to be the liver, with the males most affected. Male mice demonstrated a dose-related hepatomegaly accompanied by significant changes in serum chemistries and hepatic microsomal parameters. The females did not demonstrate the hepatomegaly observed in males, but did show alterations in hepatic microsomal parameters. No other significant toxicological changes were observed in either sex following 90 days of exposure.

Outbreak due to methicillin- and rifampin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: epidemiology and eradication of the resistant strain from the hospital.

A methicillin- and rifampin-resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus was introduced into a university hospital by interstate transfer of an infected surgical patient. An outbreak occurred, and 17 patients became infected or colonized with the epidemic strain. Reservoirs appeared to be patients who were infected or colonized with the resistant S aureus and possibly two nurses who were nasal carriers. The outbreak isolate was likely spread by contact with contaminated hands of personnel. A retrospective case-control study identified tracheostomy, débridement, and irrigation of wounds by power spray and prolonged nasogastric intubation as risk factors for acquisition of the epidemic strain. Analysis of factors by groups indicated that surgical procedures, wound care procedures and instrumentation of the respiratory tract were significantly associated with cases. The nasal carrier state was eradicated in two nurses by topical application of 5% vancomycin. The epidemic strain was eradicated from the hospital 8 months after it was introduced.