Magnetic resonance thermometry (MRT) can measure in-vivo 3D-temperature changes in real-time and noninvasively. However, for the oropharynx region and the entire head and neck, motion potentially introduces large artifacts. Considering long treatment times of 60-90 min, this study aims to evaluate whether MRT around the oropharynx is clinically feasible for hyperthermia treatments and quantify the effects of breathing and swallowing on MRT performance. A 3D-ME-FGRE sequence was used in a phantom cooling down and around the oropharynx of five volunteers over ∼75 min. The imaging protocol consisted of imaging with acceleration (ARC = 2), number of image averages (NEX = 1,2 and 3). For volunteers, the acquisitions included a breath-hold scan and scans with deliberate swallowing. MRT performance was quantified in neck muscle, spinal cord and masseter muscle, using mean average error (MAE), mean error (ME) and spatial standard deviation (SD). In phantom, an increase in NEX leads to a significant decrease in SD, but MAE and ME were unchanged. No significant difference was found in volunteers between the different scans. There was a significant difference between the regions evaluated: neck muscle had the best MAE (=1.96 °C) and SD (=0.82 °C), followed by spinal cord (MAE = 3.17 °C, SD = 0.92 °C) and masseter muscle (MAE = 4.53 °C, SD = 1.16 °C). Concerning the ME, spinal cord did best, then neck muscle and masseter muscle, with values of -0.64 °C, 1.15 °C and -3.05 °C respectively. Breathing, swallowing, and different ways of imaging (acceleration and NEX) do not significantly influence the MRT performance in the oropharynx region. The ROI selected however, leads to significant differences.

Brucellosis is an important bacterial zoonosis responsible for considerable economic losses in livestock and health-related burden worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis in communal and smallholder cattle farming in four districts of the North West province of South Africa (Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Ngaka Modiri Molema, Bojanala platinum and Dr Kenneth Kaunda districts). Seven hundred and seventy blood samples from farmed animals (n = 378) and abattoir-slaughtered animals (n = 392) were collected. In addition, milk samples (n = 22) were collected from lactating farmed cows. Rose Bengal test (RBT), complement fixation test (CFT) and milk ring test (MRT) were used to detect antibodies against Brucella species. The RBT showed a seroprevalence of 2% at 95% confidence interval (CI: 1.35-3.35), CFT confirmed an overall seroprevalence of 1.95% (95% CI: 1.14-3.12) for all four districts sampled. Although the seroprevalence of brucellosis was found to be low, the possibility of undetected cases of the disease could not be ruled out. Overall, the findings of this study confirmed that brucellosis is endemic in the surveyed areas of the North West province of South Africa.Contribution: The outcome of this study will contribute to the National Brucellosis Project organised by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (2016-2026) to assist in the effective implementation of the disease control measures with a view to prevent further outbreaks in the country\'s cattle population.

Nowadays, the measurement of heat stress indices is of principal importance due to the escalating impact of global warming. As temperatures continue to rise, the well-being and health of individuals are increasingly at risk, which can lead to a detrimental effect on human performance and behavior. Hence, monitoring and assessing heat stress indices have become necessary for ensuring the safety and comfort of individuals. Thermal comfort indices, such as wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), Tropical Summer Index (TSI), and Predicted Heat Strain (PHS), as well as parameters like mean radiant temperature (MRT), are typically used for assessing and controlling heat stress conditions in working and urban environments. Therefore, measurement and monitoring of these parameters should be obtained for any environment in which people are constantly exposed. Modern cities collect and publish this relevant information following the Smart City concept. To monitor large cities, cost-effective solutions must be developed. This work presents the results of a Heat Stress Monitoring (HSM) system prototype network tested in the Benicalap-Ciutat Fallera district in Valencia, Spain. The scope of this work is to design, commission, and test a low-cost prototype that is able to measure heat stress indices. The Heat Stress Monitoring system comprises a central unit or receiver and several transmitters communicating via radiofrequency. The transmitter accurately measures wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, solar irradiation, and black globe temperature. The receiver has a 4G modem that sends the data to an SQL database in the cloud. The devices were tested over one year, showing that radio data transmission is reliable up to 700 m from the receiver. The system\'s power supply, composed of a Photovoltaic panel and Lithium-ion batteries, provided off-grid capabilities to the transmitter, with a tested backup autonomy of up to 36 days per charge. Then, indicators such as WBGT, TSI, and MRT were successfully estimated using the data collected by the devices. The material cost of a 12-point network is around EUR 2430 with a competitive price of EUR 190 per device.

Malignant rhabdoid tumor is an uncommon pediatric tumor that often arises from the kidneys but can also develop in other soft tissues including the orbits, where it is known as atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor. Orbital location is exceptional, with just a few reported cases. Imaging allows for an accurate diagnosis, but histological confirmation is required. The treatment is yet unclear but nearly often surgical, either with or without chemotherapy. In this report, we present a case of a neonate of 1-month-old with an orbital primary malignant rhabdoid tumor with synchronous cerebellar location. The patient was unable to undergo surgery, he had chemotherapy, and unfortunately died 1 week after following palliative treatment. We will illustrate this clinical experience and point out the importance of radiological imaging in the assessment of this uncommon condition.

BACKGROUND: Reducing sedentary behavior and increasing physical activity in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are associated with various positive health benefits. Just-in-time adaptive interventions offer the potential to target both of these behaviors through more contextually aware, tailored, and personalized support. We have developed a just-in-time adaptive intervention to promote sitting less and moving more in people with T2D.
OBJECTIVE: This paper presents the study protocol for a microrandomized trial to investigate whether motivational messages are effective in reducing time spent sitting in people with T2D and to determine what behavior change techniques are effective and in which context (eg, location, etc).
METHODS: We will use a 6-week microrandomized trial design. A total of 22 adults with T2D will be recruited. The intervention aims to reduce sitting time and increase time spent standing and walking and comprises a mobile app (iMove), a bespoke activity sensor called Sedentary Behavior Detector (SORD), a messaging system, and a secured database. Depending on the randomization sequence, participants will potentially receive motivational messages 5 times a day.
RESULTS: Recruitment was initiated in October 2022. As of now, 6 participants (2 female and 4 male) have consented and enrolled in the study. Their baseline measurements have been completed, and they have started using iMove. The mean age of 6 participants is 56.8 years, and they were diagnosed with T2D for 9.4 years on average.
CONCLUSIONS: This study will inform the optimization of digital behavior change interventions to support people with T2D Sit Less and Move More to increase daily physical activity. This study will generate new evidence about the immediate effectiveness of sedentary behavior interventions, their active ingredients, and associated factors.
BACKGROUND: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12622000426785; https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=383664.
UNASSIGNED: DERR1-10.2196/41502.

Molecular Radiation Therapy (MRT) is a valid therapeutic option for a wide range of malignancies, such as neuroendocrine tumors and liver cancers. In its practice, it is generally acknowledged that there is a need to evaluate the influence of different factors affecting the accuracy of dose estimates and to define the actions necessary to maintain treatment uncertainties at acceptable levels. The present study addresses the problem of uncertainty propagation in 90Y-PET quantification. We assessed the quantitative accuracy in reference conditions of three PET scanners (namely, Siemens Biograph mCT, Siemens Biograph mCT flow, and GE Discovery DST) available at three different Italian Nuclear Medicine centers. Specific aspects of uncertainty within the quantification chain have been addressed, including the uncertainty in the calibration procedure. A framework based on the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) approach is proposed for modeling the uncertainty in the quantification processes, and ultimately, an estimation of the uncertainty achievable in clinical conditions is reported.

This study investigated the applicability of expanded metal meshes (EMMs) in horizontal shading devices. We performed simulations and experiments with EMMs with different opening ratios and directions. We established various experimental and control groups to measure air temperature, surface temperature, and black globe temperature. After the comparison of simulation and experimental data, we used Grasshopper to simulate long-term climate situations. The research results can serve as reference for users in Tainan and provide customized suggestions. The findings can serve as a paradigm for parametric design to analyze EMMs. In design projects involving outdoor horizontal shading devices, these results can be used in the design phase for evaluation. Full-day measurements revealed that EMMs with small openings exhibited favorable shading effects. In the Tainan area, we suggest using north-facing EMMs; in our simulations result, 70% of sunshine did not pass through the mesh in a day. For shading equipment in the morning, west-facing EMMs should be used because they blocked 50-90% of sunshine. For recreational areas in the afternoon and evening, east-facing EMMs can block 50-90% of sunshine after noon. In Taiwan, south-facing EMMs are not advised because their shading performance is suboptimal in the morning and afternoon.

Mitochondria are indispensable power plants of eukaryotic cells that also act as a major biochemical hub. As such, mitochondrial dysfunction, which can originate from mutations in the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA), may impair organism fitness and lead to severe diseases in humans. MtDNA is a multi-copy, highly polymorphic genome that is uniparentally transmitted through the maternal line. Several mechanisms act in the germline to counteract heteroplasmy (i.e., coexistence of two or more mtDNA variants) and prevent expansion of mtDNA mutations. However, reproductive biotechnologies such as cloning by nuclear transfer can disrupt mtDNA inheritance, resulting in new genetic combinations that may be unstable and have physiological consequences. Here, we review the current understanding of mitochondrial inheritance, with emphasis on its pattern in animals and human embryos generated by nuclear transfer.

UNASSIGNED: MR thermometry (MRT) enables noninvasive temperature monitoring during hyperthermia treatments. MRT is already clinically applied for hyperthermia treatments in the abdomen and extremities, and devices for the head are under development. In order to optimally exploit MRT in all anatomical regions, the best sequence setup and post-processing must be selected, and the accuracy needs to be demonstrated.
UNASSIGNED: MRT performance of the traditionally used double-echo gradient-echo sequence (DE-GRE, 2 echoes, 2D) was compared to multi-echo sequences: a 2D fast gradient-echo (ME-FGRE, 11 echoes) and a 3D fast gradient-echo sequence (3D-ME-FGRE, 11 echoes). The different methods were assessed on a 1.5 T MR scanner (GE Healthcare) using a phantom cooling down from 59 °C to 34 °C and unheated brains of 10 volunteers. In-plane motion of volunteers was compensated by rigid body image registration. For the ME sequences, the off-resonance frequency was calculated using a multi-peak fitting tool. To correct for B0 drift, the internal body fat was selected automatically using water/fat density maps.
UNASSIGNED: The accuracy of the best performing 3D-ME-FGRE sequence was 0.20 °C in phantom (in the clinical temperature range) and 0.75 °C in volunteers, compared to DE-GRE values of 0.37 °C and 1.96 °C, respectively.
UNASSIGNED: For hyperthermia applications, where accuracy is more important than resolution or scan-time, the 3D-ME-FGRE sequence is deemed the most promising candidate. Beyond its convincing MRT performance, the ME nature enables automatic selection of internal body fat for B0 drift correction, an important feature for clinical application.

Physical inactivity is associated with numerous health risks, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, increased health care expenditure, and preventable, premature deaths. The majority of Americans fall short of clinical guideline goals (ie, 8000-10,000 steps per day). Behavior prediction algorithms could enable efficacious interventions to promote physical activity by facilitating delivery of nudges at appropriate times.
The aim of this paper is to develop and validate algorithms that predict walking (ie, >5 min) within the next 3 hours, predicted from the participants\' previous 5 weeks\' steps-per-minute data.
We conducted a retrospective, closed cohort, secondary analysis of a 6-week microrandomized trial of the HeartSteps mobile health physical-activity intervention conducted in 2015. The prediction performance of 6 algorithms was evaluated, as follows: logistic regression, radial-basis function support vector machine, eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), multilayered perceptron (MLP), decision tree, and random forest. For the MLP, 90 random layer architectures were tested for optimization. Prior 5-week hourly walking data, including missingness, were used for predictors. Whether the participant walked during the next 3 hours was used as the outcome. K-fold cross-validation (K=10) was used for the internal validation. The primary outcome measures are classification accuracy, the Mathew correlation coefficient, sensitivity, and specificity.
The total sample size included 6 weeks of data among 44 participants. Of the 44 participants, 31 (71%) were female, 26 (59%) were White, 36 (82%) had a college degree or more, and 15 (34%) were married. The mean age was 35.9 (SD 14.7) years. Participants (n=3, 7%) who did not have enough data (number of days <10) were excluded, resulting in 41 (93%) participants. MLP with optimized layer architecture showed the best performance in accuracy (82.0%, SD 1.1), whereas XGBoost (76.3%, SD 1.5), random forest (69.5%, SD 1.0), support vector machine (69.3%, SD 1.0), and decision tree (63.6%, SD 1.5) algorithms showed lower performance than logistic regression (77.2%, SD 1.2). MLP also showed superior overall performance to all other tried algorithms in Mathew correlation coefficient (0.643, SD 0.021), sensitivity (86.1%, SD 3.0), and specificity (77.8%, SD 3.3).
Walking behavior prediction models were developed and validated. MLP showed the highest overall performance of all attempted algorithms. A random search for optimal layer structure is a promising approach for prediction engine development. Future studies can test the real-world application of this algorithm in a \"smart\" intervention for promoting physical activity.