Satisfaction of search awareness in trauma radiology: Malignant renal lesion on a trauma thoracolumbar spine CT.

Fast-paced trauma imaging can result in misses relating to the nonosseous structures included in the field of view. We report a case of a Bosniak type III renal cyst, later found to be clear cell renal cell carcinoma, incidentally noted on post-traumatic CT of the thoracic and lumbar spine. This case includes a discussion of the circumstances which could result in a radiologist missing this finding, the idea of satisfaction of search, the importance of maintaining a thorough search pattern, and the management and communication of incidental findings.

The FIND Program: Improving Follow-up of Incidental Imaging Findings.

Incidental findings are findings identified on imaging which are unrelated to the original reason for examination and require follow-up. The Radiology Finding Incidental Disease (FIND) Program was designed to track and improve follow-up of incidental imaging findings. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of incidental findings on cross-sectional imaging and the adherence to suggested follow-up of incidental findings prior to and after implementation of a structured reporting and tracking system. A retrospective analysis of 2000 patients with computed tomographic cross-sectional imaging was performed: 1000 patients prior to implementation of the FIND Program and 1000 patients 1 year after establishment of the program. Data collected included the frequency of incidental findings, inclusion of follow-up recommendations in the radiology report, and adherence to suggested follow-up. There was a higher rate of completion of recommended follow-up imaging in the post-implementation group (34/67, 50.7%) compared to the pre-implementation (16/52, 30.8%) (p = 0.03). Implementation of an incidental findings tracking program resulted in improved follow-up of incidental imaging findings. This has the potential to reduce the burden of clinically significant incidental findings possibly resulting in later presentation of advanced disease.

Averaged dynamics of optical pulses described by a nonlinear Schrödinger equation with periodic coefficients.

A nonlinear Schrödinger equation with periodic coefficients, as it appears, e.g., in nonlinear optics, is considered. The high-frequency, variable part of the dispersion may be even much larger than the mean value. The ratio of the length of the dispersion map to the period of a solution is assumed as one small parameter. The second one corresponds to the integral over the variable part of the dispersion. For the averaged dynamics, we propose a procedure based on the Bogolyubov method. As a result, we obtain the asymptotic equation in the dominating order, as well as with the next corrections. The equation is valid for all combinations of the small parameters. The explicit forms of the coefficients are presented for a two-step dispersion map with an exponential loss function. The forms of the bright and black soliton solutions are discussed. The results are compared to those from other averaging methods, namely, the multiple-scale method and the method based on Lie transformations.

Quantitative analysis of gene expression in preimplantation mouse embryos using green fluorescent protein reporter.

We have developed a method to monitor noninvasively, quantitatively, and in real-time transcription in living preimplantation mouse embryos by measuring expression of a short half-life form of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) following microinjection of a plasmid-borne EGFP reporter gene. A standard curve was established by injecting known amounts of recombinant green fluorescent protein, and transcriptional activity was then determined by interpolating the amount of fluorescence in the DNA-injected embryos. This approach permitted multiple measurements in single embryos with no significant detrimental effect on embryonic development as long as light exposure was brief (<30 sec) and no more than two measurements were made each day. This method should facilitate analysis of the regulation of gene expression in preimplantation embryos; in particular, during the maternal-to-zygotic transition, and in other species in which limited numbers of embryos are available.