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24 Hour Fitness Grows Northern California Presence with New Club In Milpitas
New Club to Offer Invigorating Workouts in a Contemporary Environment
MILPITAS, CA - May 12, 2018
This Spring, 24 Hour Fitness will open its doors to the diverse, family-friendly community of Milpitas. The new club will offer a welcoming atmosphere, energetic group classes, and talented team of fitness professionals who are excited to help you achieve your fitness goals. The company is continuing to expand its reach, with the Milpitas club representing the 64th club in Northern California. Located on the Southern tip of the Bay Area peninsula, the expansive new club is the perfect complement to the active, outdoor lifestyle its residents enjoy.
The club’s grand opening event is scheduled for Saturday, May 12, 2018, 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., 24 Hour Fitness®
Milpitas, located at 719 E. Calaveras Blvd., Milpitas, CA 95035. The community is invited to this free celebration, which includes club tours, prize drawings, group training demonstrations, innovative GX24® studio classes and more.
The city of Milpitas was incorporated in 1954, the same year Ford opened their nearby manufacturing plant, drawing residents and jobs. Now, the progressive and affluent community features an educated workforce, diverse population, high-quality schools, 31 community parks, and an affordable housing market. Milpitas is often referred to as the “Crossroads of Silicon Valley,” since most of its land is situated between major highways. Its desirable location offers close proximity to the high-tech industry, with many of its residents working for some of the world’s top technology companies.
“We’re very excited to bring our team of passionate fitness professionals and team members to Milpitas,” said Kelsey Borraga, General Manager. “Many of the residents here work in Silicon Valley, and our convenient locations and hours provide an accessible way for them to achieve their fitness goals at any time of day. Our new club will offer exciting studio classes such as cycling, barre, and Pilates, and our 24GO® app will allow our members to track their fitness progress both inside and outside of the club.”
The modern new 47,378 square foot club features quality amenities, including:
GX24®, Cycle Classes, Zumba®, BodyPump®, POP Pilates, RPM® and bootybarre® included with membership
Hundreds of digital studio classes available on demand, for times when you want to take a class on your own or with friends
Personal and small group training programs, designed to elevate performance and motivation*
Rows of cardio and strength machines, plus free weights for every level of fitness
Dedicated zones for TRX® resistance training, core work, stretching, functional and sports-specific workouts
Multi-functional Olympic Training rig, used by athletes and fitness enthusiasts for both high-intensity training and Olympic lifting
Indoor lap pool for swim workouts and aqua classes
Whirlpool, steam room and sauna for relaxation and recovery
Spacious locker rooms with private showers
Pro shop for convenient access to nutritional products, snacks and workout gear
Towel Service
*Additional fees apply
24 Hour Fitness offers a network of more than 420 locations nationwide, as well as signature content and programming including:
24GO™ on-demand workouts, including discounted access to Daily Burn®, streamed to any device, anytime
Fit:Perks® Rewards program, featuring exclusive sweepstakes, deals and VIP passes
Innovative24GO® app with class finder, XCapture fitness tracking and compatibility with leading fitness apps and wearables
24Life® digital magazine, packed with ideas and lifestyle advice from world-class experts and celebrities on how to think, eat, move and recover better
24 Day Smart Start™ program, created in partnership with top health and fitness coaches to help you maximize your membership and your results
To experience the new gym, download a free guest pass from http://www.24hourfitness.com/Milpitas.
About 24 Hour Fitness
As an industry leader for more than 30 years, 24 Hour Fitness changes lives every day through fitness. Conveniently located clubs, furnished with a wide variety of strength, cardio and functional training equipment, are the perfect environment for fitness professionals to deliver dynamic personal and group training programs. GX24® and cycle studios feature a popular array of live studio classes included with membership. A multitude of additional offerings engage and inspire every member to lead a full and healthy life both inside and outside of the club. Opening new clubs on average at the brisk pace of one every few weeks, 24 Hour Fitness is headquartered in San Ramon, CA and serves nearly 4 million members in over 420 clubs nationwide.
To learn more about us and to find the club nearest you, visit www.24hourfitness.com.
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Vine For Chrome Brings The Popular Video Sharing App To Your Browser
by Waqas Ahmed
Vine, Twitters’ social network service based on short, looping videos, has been all the rage since its very launch, and there are no signs of things slowing down for it anytime soon. The video-sharing app, which is now available on both iOS and Android platforms, lets you record and upload videos of up to six seconds in length, and has become a popular hit among casual users, enthusiasts and celebrities alike. But even though it’s an online service, what it lacks is a way to browse and watch Vine videos without the mobile apps. While Vines shared on Twitter can be played in your timeline, there’s no official web interface of the service itself that can be accessed from any desktop web browser. But fret not – there’s always a workaround! There are already a myriad of web services that let you watch Vine videos, but you can now browse Vine right in Google Chrome with Vine For Chrome extension.
It’s worth mentioning here that the extension comes from a third-party developer and not from Twitter itself. It does not work with your Twitter username and password, and you will need to either associate your email address with your active Vine account, or create a new one from scratch and then use the same email address and password to log into Vine from the extension.
Vine For Chrome works in a popup accessible from its button next to the URL bar, and provides a constant stream of Vines just like the mobile apps. However, unlike the mobile apps, videos aren’t played until you manually click the Play button. On the bright side, playing only one Vine video at a time lets you toggle Full Screen mode, which makes Vine all the more interesting.
How To Control Video Playback Speed On Any Website In Chrome
How To Search Inside A YouTube Video In Chrome
Besides video playback, Vine For Chrome also lets you view and post comments on videos, and share them with others. You can also explore feeds via Vine tags, which makes the process of finding videos that are related to a certain topic or genre a lot easier.
Clicking the Home button beside the Vine logo at the top-left corner reveals a menu that allows you to navigate to Home, Popular, Explorer and My Profile. These are exactly the same sections that you will find on the mobile apps.
For instance, the Explore menu lets you navigate to videos from a color-coded list of bunch of categories including Comedy, Cats, Dogs, Family, Food, Nature, Beauty and Fashion, and more.
In a nutshell, if you don’t have your Android or iOS device around and want to access your Vine content, Vine For Chrome provides a convenient solution right in your browser.
Install Vine for Chrome from Chrome Web Store
How To Add Bookmarks To A YouTube Video [Chrome]
How to disable ‘Video paused. Continue watching’ on YouTube in Chrome
How to fix Twitch won’t load in Chrome browser
Play To Kodi Extension For Chrome: Send Videos From Your Browser To Kodi
How to download a video from Twitter
How To Fix Price Not Available For Extensions In The Chrome Web Store
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Adizes News
Pursuit of Prime Award
Avoid the Founder’s Trap in Your Organization
By Mark Rittmanic
Founder and CEO, ForteONE
This article first appeared on Entrepreneur.com on July 20, 2016.
Can corporate organizations and life-forms be similar enough in nature that they both undergo a natural lifecycle with predictable stages and similar patterns of growth and behavior? Dr. Ichak Adizes, author of Corporate Lifecycles, believes so.
Both are created, grow, live, decay and die. We’re familiar with this process in life-forms, so it is their counterparts-the corporations-that truly grab our interest. The successive stages of a corporation include:
Infancy,
Go-Go,
Prime,
Fall,
Aristocracy,
Recrimination,
Bureaucracy and
For the purpose of this post, we’ll focus on the Go-Go stage because it is during this stage that the Founder’s Trap manifests.
The Founder’s Trap is a disease.
According to Dr. Adizes, every era in human history has specific diseases that organizations suffer from.
“When I say organizations, I have in mind empires, movements, schools of thought, for-profit-organizations. Many organizations were born, grew to some point, got into a trap where there was no way out and disappeared. The cause for this is a disease called Founder’s Trap,” Dr. Adizes says.
What is this disease?
Following a company’s infancy, an organization enters the Go-Go stage. A Go-Go organization is a company that has a successful product or service that has rapidly growing sales and strong cash flow. The company is not only surviving, it’s thriving. Key customers are raving about the products and ordering more. Even the investors are starting to get excited.
With this success, everyone quickly forgets about the trials and tribulations of infancy.
Go-Gos feel they can succeed at everything. It is often considered a time when the founder’s vision is readily unfolding.
The Founder’s Trap begins when the Go-Go organization cannot separate itself from dependency on the founder. Symptoms include the founder refusing to delegate effectively or hire the talent needed to grow. (He wants to but at the same time is threatened by it. Editors note)
The needs of an organization change once the Go-Go stage ends and the Adolescent stage begins. Things may slow down in the organization compared to the height of the Go-Go stage. The decisive decision-making is no longer emergency caliber.
In this stage, the organization matures and looks to grow successfully with shared authority and shared responsibility. If the founder refuses to relinquish these aspects of control, the organization is mired in the Founder’s Trap.
Avoid the Founder’s Trap.
Is your organization at risk of the Founder’s Trap? It’s easy to determine if you ask the following questions.
Does the founder fear losing control?
Will the founder maintain commitment?
Can the founder let others lead, and inspire the team in their own way?
Will the founder release equity to management?
Is the founder committed to a succession plan?
Can the founder get out from the camera’s spotlight?
What will the company require from the founder at a later stage?
Are you capable of avoiding the trap?
Ed Fernandez, venture capitalist and former BlackBerry executive, has identified three capabilities leaders need to have to avoid the trap.
Can you become a storyteller? Empathy and credibility, combined with your ability to articulate a narrative around the necessary changes are part of a continuous process of rebuilding expectations and generating hope.
You can change fortunes by channeling your inner fortune teller. Can you anticipate the moment when the organization will outgrow you? If so, plan accordingly, and prepare to release control for the greater good of the organization.
Can you transition from selfish to self-aware? Self-awareness is essential. What are your limitations and your true motivations? It is imperative for you to detach yourself from your company, embracing it as an independent entity that has its own needs to grow and prosper.
Set your organization free.
So what does Dr. Adizes believe is the best way to get out of the trap?
According to Dr. Adizes, founders should bring someone in from outside during the transition between Go-Go and Adolescence, not before and not after that. This is the most difficult transition in the corporate lifecycle because the changes are so fundamental, and the founder often appears to be an obstacle.
To get out of the Founder’s Trap, the founder must restructure the company with outside help (first). This process is best done by implementation consultants with an expansive range of skills and prior executive and ownership experiences.
To avoid the Founder’s Trap, an organization needs to clearly communicate responsibilities and authorities that further its strategies. Or, in other words, it must distribute the founder’s responsibilities.
In addition to building a more valuable company, the leader’s job is to build a strong management team to address issues and distribute accountability. A quality management team is required to succeed into the Adolescent stage. The founder must ensure the right people are in place to take the company to the next lifecycle.
The day will come when your Go-Go strengths are no longer a priority. If you want a legacy, treat your company like you would your own growing child – with the understanding that your goal is to make the little one self-sufficient long after your guidance diminishes.
Note: You may wish to read more on this topic by picking up a copy of Managing Corporate Lifecycles, HERE
This entry was posted in August 2016 by admin. Bookmark the permalink.
AdizesInstitute
@adizesinstitute
adizesofficial
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rkeely,
Princeton ‘17
B.A., Political Science and Government, , International Relations
Hometown Atlanta
EthnicityAsian
AdmissionRegular Decision
Other Language(s) Spoken Korean, Mandarin
Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
Applied for a B.A. in Political Science and Government
Art/acting/singing, Career aspirations, Challenged a belief, Childhood memory, Creative personal story, Diversity statement, Family background, Failure experience, Feeling out of place, Fictional short story, Interest in med/sci/math, Interest in other academic subject, International background, Issue of personal significance, Leadership experience, Movie or book that changed you, One moment that changed you, Overcoming personal struggle, Role model/inspiration, Story central to identity, Study/travel abroad, Summer experience, Volunteer/public interest work, Work experience
The greatest experiences in life—insofar as I can tell from seventeen years of it—are those that are able to introduce new concepts into the mind, bring new life into the heart, and lead a change in the person as a whole. Law camp was all of that, but I cannot satisfactorily explain, with all its vitality, why it was so special. Alas, I can only attempt and hope that its greatness will bleed through my vastly insufficient words....
I grew up in South Korea. I never did attend a Korean school because I went to an international school, but I was only taught the language, not the culture, of the U.S. So when I moved back to the US after eight years of living in Korea, I was a bit unacquainted with the American culture. I remember spending hours figuring out what kids were talking about when they spoke colloquially and about singers, TV shows, and movies....
Additional Essay Details
Here's the prompt: Using the quotation below as a starting point, reflect on the role that culture plays in your life. “Culture is what presents us with the kinds of valuable things that can fill a life. And insofar as we can recognize the value in those things and make them part of our lives, our lives are meaningful.” --Gideon Rosen, Stuart Professor of Philosophy, chair of the Council of the Humanities and director of the Program in Humanistic Studies,...
Whether I used a private admissions counselor, and advice I received
No. I'm personally very much against college counseling or...
Recommended summer activities during high school and college
Something you enjoy, but is rare. For example, I interned at...
What set me apart from other applicants
I tried to keep the BS to a minimum on my essays. I was honest,...
My advice about getting recommenders
People who knew me well, and could write...
I had three categories: Reaches, Targets, and Safeties. I put in a lot of reaches and targets, and only a couple...
Weighted GPA
High School TypeMagnet
Explanation of Low Grades
SAT IIs
Other Standardized Tests
ActivitiesBeta Club, Green Club, School Theater/Plays, Improv club/team, National Honor Society, Political Campaign, School Jazz / Orchestra, Student Council / Government
Elaborate on Extracurriculars or Work
Accepted to Princeton, MIT, Columbia, Dartmouth, JHU, Duke, Rutgers, CMU, Cornell
I'm studying computer science and economics at Princeton with a focus in statistics and machine learning. I took two years off from college to start a company.
saprmarks
Accepted to GA Tech, CalTech, UChicago, Princeton
I am an aspiring mathematician who pursued a broad range of math/science/language extracurriculars in high school.
Amsgro
Accepted to Princeton, Columbia, Duke, CMU, NC State, UNC, GA Tech
Current musician, tutor, and Princetonian of the Great Class of '18!
slcruz14
Accepted to Princeton, BC, Columbia, Duke, Fordham, Georgetown, Providence, Tufts, Yale
Princeton University '18
juli@
Accepted to UNC, Princeton, MIT, Columbia, Cornell, UPenn, UC Berkeley, CalTech, Duke
Normal high school student (no accolades) who got in with good essays. Currently majoring in computer science.
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Loss – Horizonless Review Pyreship – The Liars Bend Low Review
Ayreon – The Source Review
By Angry Metal Guy On May 23, 2017 · 96 Comments · In 2017, Dutch Metal, Heavy Metal, Mascot Records, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Symphonic Metal
Look, I know I’m late with this. I can hardly swing reviews these days and Arjen didn’t pull any punches with The Source. In fact, our Poofy-Haired Dutchman™ didn’t even do me a solid by making The Source a sequel to The Theory of Everything, an album I adored. Rather, he made it a prequel to 2004’s 01011001 (that’s “Y” for those of you who aren’t computers), an album that I’d spent precious little time with. What’s weird about that, is that 01011001 is probably his least popular album aside from Into the Electric Castle. When I went back to listen to it, I have to admit that I agree. So I was perplexed by the choice to write a prequel to it. But Arjen’s mind works in mysterious ways, which is why I have come to love his music so much. So, despite a history of prequels being horrible pieces of shit that not even a mother can love, Arjen gets better with age and I needed to give it a chance.
The Source, if I’m understanding it correctly, is a story about the Alphans—who are the ancestors of humans? (I’ve never been clear on this point)—leaving their world for a new one (hint: Planet Y) because a rogue AI has decided that the best way to cope with planet’s problems is to kill everyone. This sets the stage for an epic musical journey in four parts, with the individuals discovering the problem (Chronicle 1: The Frame), leaving the world (Chronicle 2: The Aligning of the Ten), getting to the new world and getting injected with Liquid Eternity (Chronicle 3: The Transmigration), and the last one, which I won’t spoil (Chronicle 4: The Rebirth). The story is OK, though unlike its predecessor, there’s not quite a human story to follow in the same way. In fact, the most interesting character in the whole thing is TH-1, but a robot’s character growth isn’t necessarily the high bar for development.
Musically speaking, the record feels oddly familiar. All composers have a voice, but The Source feels almost intentionally like Arjen is quoting himself. For example, in “The Deathcry of our Race,” there’s a riff I could swear is from The Gentle Storm. There are moments early on in the album that remind me of The Theory of Everything, while some of The Chemist’s (Between the Buried and Me‘s Tommy Rogers) parts remind me of Arjen’s solo album. And in comparison to its predecessor, The Source is a lot more linear, lacking the recapitulation and themes which worked so well on that record. This hardly means that the music isn’t strong and interesting—and some of the heaviest material Arjen has produced in a good, long while—and he nails hooky melodies like only Arjen can do.
The Source, however, demonstrates what I think may be Lucassen’s greatest, unheralded strength: voice direction. He does such a good job of choosing voices for what they do best, and by doing so he makes me like voices that I’ve never enjoyed. James “Just Ran up the Stairs” Labrie (The Historian) has almost single-handedly made Dream Theater unlistenable for me,1 but I have always liked him on softer material. This is, not coincidentally, what Arjen almost exclusively uses him for. On the other hand, unlike her actual band Nightwish, Floor Jansen (The Biologist) gets some room to show off her enormous pipes throughout the album.2 While Symphony X‘s Russel Allen (The President) is all gruff and rock n’ roll, but Arjen never lets him do his New Jersey nü metal routine.
The voices do a great job of complementing the great music. The Source peaks when it seems like Lucassen isn’t taking himself too seriously. My favorite songs on the album are probably “Everybody Dies,” which features some rare Tommy Rogers growling, but also cues for jazz hands and is surprisingly cheerful for a song with that name. I also love “Run! Apocalypse! Run!” which, aside from having the funniest chorus imaginable (you don’t exactly run from the apocalypse…), sits alongside “Deathcry of a Race” as some of the heaviest Ayreon material that I can remember. Another highlight is when The Robot—voiced by Toehider‘s amazing Mike Mills—hat/tips The Beatles (and Arjen’s solo album) on “Bay of Dreams”: “Will you still be needing me? Will you still be feeding me? Will you still be heeding me? Will you still let me serve when you mutate into the species roaming these oceans? Or will I be disengaged?”
Still, in spite of these high points, Ayreon albums need an outstanding lyricist. I don’t mean a good one—the lyrics for The Source work well—but Arjen needs a heavy metal Howard Ashman. I can’t help but feel the whole “prog/power musical” idea would be taken up a notch with a lyricist who knows how to really turn a phrase.3 This, combined with the fact that the Ayreon stories—actually, excepting The Theory of Everything—seem to be very much of the “X happens and people do Y,” as opposed to engaging in character growth always leaves me a bit cold. The Robot is really the only character who seems to develop in this whole story, so maybe this is his story? Regardless, I just feel like when I start to engage in the lyrics intellectually, I am left a bit frustrated.
But why hold Arjen to a standard that I don’t hold anyone else to? I do, indeed, love Sonata Arctica, and no one’s ever accused Tony Kakko of being a good lyricist. For me, The Source is still a great piece of work by a guy whose tone and writing I continue to love as it develops. The music is catchy and engaging, and the entire cast delivers beautiful vocal performances. If I’m honest, being on one of these records has become a bucket list thing for me and I need to figure out who to bribe in order to get it done. Let me start by highly recommending that you buy 14 copies of The Source. There’s a 4 CD earbook version! And it’s really just that good!
Rating: Great!
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: v0 mp3
Label: Mascot Records
Release Dates: You shut the hell up!
Websites: arjenlucassen.com
Cue freakout in the comments in 3, 2, 1…. ↩
Remind me again why Nightwish hired her to chain her to the floor? ↩
You may laugh that I reference Howard Ashman. But that guy had some amazing lyrics—check out Little Shop of Horrors or Beauty and the Beast. Both of them have tongue-twisting, hilarious and witty lyrics which anyone writing something theatrical should envy. ↩
No More Angry.
Tagged with → 2017 • Apr17 • Arjen Lucassen • Ayreon • Dutch Metal • Progressive Metal • Progressive Rock • Review • Reviews • The Source
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Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (File photo)
Never gave up hope: Kangujam ready to wear Indian jersey again after injury
New Delhi [India], Jan 15 (ANI): Indian midfielder Chinglensana Singh Kangujam said that he did not give up hope despite having thoughts about never being able to play for the team again after his injury.
Kangujam sustained a fracture on his right ankle during the 9th India">Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2019 which sidelined him for a year.
"It was a very difficult phase for me. I was not allowed to use my lower body much which resulted in me gaining about 5-6 kilos. I was not sure if I could come back again for the Indian team," India">Hockey India's official website quoted Kangujam as saying.
"I didn't play hockey for about eight months but I never gave up hope. During this period I ensured I stayed fit, followed a systematic routine provided by our Scientific Advisor Robin Arkel which involved gym, cycling and I followed a strict diet. It was important to ensure my weight was under control and as such, I had given up on rice completely," he added.
Kangujam last played in the Indian jersey at the FIH Men's World Cup in December 2018. However, he is gearing up to make his comeback as he has been recalled by Chief Coach Graham Reid to the squad for the upcoming FIH Hockey Pro League 2020 matches against the Netherlands.
"I am happy to earn the India jersey again. It is important for me to make this opportunity count and give my 100 per cent in the midfield. With a good talent pool available, every player has to prove his place in the team and I am no different. I see this as a fresh start for me and I am looking forward to a good start against the Netherlands," Kangujam said.
India will play against the Netherlands on 18 and 19 January at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar. (ANI)
Hockey India
Chinglensana Singh Kangujam
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Add to Wishlists
About La Terrazza
High up on the top floor of the impressive 15th Century Gothic Palazzo on the Grand Canal. Enjoying breathtaking views from its two amazing terraces it is superbly located between the Accademia Bridge and the Ca’ Rezzonico Museum of Art and opposite Francois Pinault's Palazzo Grassi Museum of
The apartment maintains an attractively casual, laid-back and unpretentious feeling, while rich wooden flooring and independent air-conditioning throughout, satellite TV, wireless internet connection and a small laundry room with washing machine ensure that all the comforts and conveniences of modern living are at your fingertips for the duration of your stay.
An absolute favourites and an all-round extraordinary property, offering comfort, space and spectacular views from an unrivalled position in one of Venice's loveliest areas.
Photos of La Terrazza
TV (Cable/Satellite)
5th Floor:
Elegant living room with comfy seating and wide French windows opening onto a superb terrace (with seating space for six)
Dining area seating eight
Fully-equipped kitchen/ breakfast room with Grand Canal views
Master bedroom with double bed and French windows opening onto a private terrace with Grand Canal views and en suite bathroom with bathtub
Double bedroom with double bed enjoying views towards the Accademia Bridge and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, en suite bathroom with bathtub
Bedroom with twin beds (which can be made into a double if requested during booking) and an en suite bathroom with bathtub and shower
Bathroom with W.C. and shower.
Kindly note:
The non-refundable deposit to confirm a rental is 40%.
The minimum rental period is 3 nights. Rates for short stays available on request
Utilities (gas, electricity)
Arrival set of bed linen and towels
Welcome on arrival and check-in up until 8 pm
Venice Tourist Tax.
Telephone charges.
Arrivals between 8 p.m. and midnight incur a late arrival fee of €50, payable in cash upon arrival.
Arrivals between midnight and 1:00 a.m. incur a late arrival fee of € 100 to be paid in cash upon arrival.
Security deposit - EUR 1.000 to be paid with the balance of the rental. A EUR 20 handling fee is due for payments by bank wire.
Maid service.
Final cleaning – EUR 100 per booking.
The minimum rental period is 5 nights from April to November and over Christmas; 3 nights from January to March, November and December. Rates for stays of less than 7 nights are available on request.
Check rates and availability for La Terrazza
7 nights 14 nights
Our villas are normally rented on a Saturday to Saturday basis throughout the year, however this can vary.
Please enquire with us to find out more about rental periods for specific properties. If you're interested in shorter stays or alternative arrival days outside the high season, let us know and we'll try to match your requirements.
Please note that the standard check-in time at our properties is between 4pm and 7pm, and that we ask guests to vacate the property by 10am on departure day, unless otherwise agreed in advance.
Other than renting the villa on an exclusive basis and the services provided by the individual property owners, the price includes:
A local representative, on call 24/7
Clean towels and bed linen
One cot and a highchair
Located in the Dorsoduro area in a wonderfully commanding position opposite Francois Pinault's Palazzo Grassi Museum of Modern Art and between the Accademia Bridge/Academy of Fine Arts and the Ca' Rezzonico Museum of 18th Century Art, the apartment lies within a 15th Century Gothic Palazzo, birthplace of two, ancient Doges of Venice.
Please note that the location on this map is an approximate guide, normally to the closest town or village.
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Denali Zipline Talkeetna Tour
Get a taste of the high life on this zipline adventure through Talkeetna’s boreal forest.
Things to Do in Talkeetna
The Denali Zipline tour begins with a three-mile shuttle ride into the forest surrounding Talkeetna. After arriving at the zipline, course guests are outfitted in harnesses, helmets, and gloves before starting ground school. The lesson is basic but helpful, with each participant practicing the basics of traversing and braking." With school complete, it's off to the course.
After that first leap of faith it's nothing but fun.
Approaching the first zipline is nerve wracking for many, but the trepidatious feeling quickly fades after that initial step off the platform. There's nothing quite like zooming through the high tree canopy with the ground below, and sky above obscured by a blur of green leaves. From here on out, it's nothing but fun.
The tour moves between platforms built around tree trunks. The dense trees hide the course, so every new obstacle is an exciting surprise. There are ziplines of all lengths and speeds, three lengthy suspension bridges, and a rappel that tends to bring back those initial butterflies. Carefully watched by the guides, and clipped into secure lines the entire time, it's as safe as it is a thrill. The tour culminates with a final 600-foot zipline through a forest clearing, and over a reflective pond to a ground-level platform.
The Denali Zipline tour in Talkeetna features nine ziplines, three suspension bridges, one rappel, and one spiral staircase. The entire tour runs high up in the tree canopy. There is a maximum of eight guests to a tour. Tours operate rain or shine.
Wear sturdy close-toed shoes and dress in comfortable layers. The weather in Alaska can change quickly, so a rain jacket is highly recommended. Guests are welcome to bring a camera, but are responsible for transporting it during the zipline tour.
Participants must weigh between 80 pounds and 270 pounds. The tour requires active participation. Guests must be able to easily climb stairs, go from a seated to standing position without difficulty, and raise their arms above their heads. This tour is not appropriate for those with recent/chronic back or knee issues.
The tour starts at the operator office in downtown Talkeetna. The operator provides complimentary transportation to the downtown office from the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge as needed.
Child rates apply to children under the age of 15, but children must be at least 10 years old to participate.
12 PM Departure
5/22/20 (F) to 9/19/20 (Sa)5/22/20 (F) to 9/19/20 (Sa) Adult: $149.00 Child: $119.00
The rates above do not include taxes/fees of 3% and are subject to change without notice.
1 PM Departure
6/12/20 (F) to 8/26/20 (W)6/12/20 (F) to 8/26/20 (W) Adult: $149.00 Child: $119.00
Depart: 11:30 AM Location: Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge
Depart: 12:00 PM Location: Zipline Office Talkeetna
Depart: 12:30 PM Location: Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge
Depart: 1:00 PM Location: Zipline Office Talkeetna
Depart: 1:30 PM Location: Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge
Price $149 + Tax
Departures 12 PM, 1 PM, 2 PM
Operating Dates From 5/22/2020 to 9/19/2020
Activity Level Most Active
Nine ziplines, three suspension bridges, and one rappel.
Certified guides throughout the course.
Safety gear and harnesses.
Shuttle ride to zipline course.
"Well organized and managed. The zipline personnel was very attentive and supervised the lines and zipliners well. This was a great experience that I would highly recommend."
~Linda from Tennessee~
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35 Marlborough Road Westbourne, Bournemouth
35 Marlborough Road Westbourne, Bournemouth £265,000
SUPERB TWO BEDROOM FIRST FLOOR APARTMENT
EXCELLENT CONDITION THROUGHOUT
DUAL ASPECT LOUNGE/DINING ROOM
SOUTH FACING BALCONY
CONTEMPORARY KITCHEN WITH APPLIANCES
GAS CENTRAL HEATING & DOUBLE GLAZED
GARAGE WITH POWER & LIGHT
ALBURY & HALL are delighted to be offering this superbly presented bright & airy two bedroom first floor apartment. The property is situated in Westbourne's most popular Golden grid location just a short level walk from Westbourne Village with its range of cafes, bars and restaurants alongside exclusive boutiques & independent traders in addition to the usual High Street facilities including marks & Spencers Food Hall. The sea front can be easily accessed via a wooded walk through Alum Chine. Bournemouth is a mile away with its extensive range of shopping, leisure and entertainment facilities. There is easy access by road and rail to Southampton & London with many major bus routes & National Express Coaches running through Westbourne itself. Communal hall and stairs lead to the first floor landing where the front door leads into the entrance hall which has laminate flooring plus storage & boiler cupboards. A door leads from the hall to the bright & sunny dual aspect lounge/dining room with a door out onto the south facing balcony. Doors from the hall and dining area lead to the contemporary fully fitted kitchen which has the benefit of integrated appliances including hob, eye level oven & microwave, dishwasher, washing machine & fridge/freezer. The main bedroom overlooks the rear of the property and has a large built in wardrobe with sliding doors. Finally we have the guest bedroom and a modern fully tiled bathroom with a white Villeroy & Boch suite. There are a host of features including gas central heating, UPVC double glazing throughout, entry phone system, pitched roof, a single garage with power & light plus a share in the freehold. SEE FLOOR PLAN FOR DIMENSIONS The vendor has supplied the following information: Tenure: Share in the freehold. Maintenance: Approximately £1900.00 per annum including buildings insurance, water & sewerage charges & a share in the freehold. Council Tax: Band C
35 Marlborough Road Westbourne
Bournemouth BH4 8DF
Sale Type: Under Offer
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Connections Public Charter School, Hawaii Public Schools
Grade(s): K - 12
Scenario: Computer Lab, Computers in Classroom, Home Access
Purpose: Intervention, Enrichment/Gifted and Talented
Time Spent in ALEKS: 2.5 hours per week, 25 hours per term
ALEKS Course: Mathematics - LV 3 (with QuickTables), Mathematics - LV 4 (with QuickTables), Mathematics - LV 5 (with QuickTables), Middle School Math Course 2, Middle School Math Course 3, Algebra 1, California Algebra 1, Traditional Algebra 1, High School Geometry, Algebra 2, Algebra 2 with Trigonometry
Pamela Thatcher, Teacher
I have had the same class of students for the past two years. We have eight computer seats in the classroom (two work stations with four seats each), and we also go to the lab once a week. I arranged the schedule so that each student spends 30 minutes per day on ALEKS. Because I have 18 of the same students from last year, I thought I'd do a little action research project to show the impact of ALEKS on our Hawaii State Assessment (HSA) scores. Students take this assessment online and have three opportunities to take it per year. The first opportunity is in November, the second is in February, and the third is in May. I compared scores and calculated the percent gain from November to February for both years. This year, 50 percent of the students made more gains on the second opportunity after only an average of 11 hours on ALEKS. We are about to take the third opportunity, and I am expecting many more gains on the HSA.
Our curriculum was not really aligned to the HSA. ALEKS is really helping to fill in the gaps.
Thirty-minute blocks on ALEKS are scheduled into intervention periods. The gifted group logs on for 30 minutes rather than going to another small group intervention.
No, I let the students choose. They enjoy the freedom of deciding. When they get to decide, it makes them want to watch their progress. They get really excited as they see their pies grow.
Groups are scheduled in during intervention blocks. One group is on an online reading program, and another group is on ALEKS. The gifted group goes on ALEKS during the small group intervention block. The last group goes on during silent reading time. Everyone is on 30 minutes per day. Some students login from home as well.
I reduced my very long block schedule period to a 45-minute math period. ALEKS is scheduled into that extra time.
I give them the option to work on ALEKS instead of doing the regular math review homework.
We have parent nights where students and parents can come in and log on to ALEKS. It is very helpful because not all parents are computer literate.
It can't be a required assignment because Internet access is not available for all students. However, some students like to work on it at home.
I do not incorporate ALEKS into my grading system.
No, but we track their progress by looking at their pies and at the reports I can generate. I really like the variety of reports I have access to.
Fifty percent of my students have made more gains on the HSA this year compared to last year without using ALEKS. Students are very excited about their ALEKS Pies; they are motivated by the visual that tracks their progress. One of my students has finished her grade-level course and has moved on to the next level. She was so excited that she called me at home so I could move her to the next course!
It is helpful to monitor students as they work on ALEKS. It prevents "clickers" from clicking away without actually working through the problems. I also require them to have a paper and pencil to work out problems. It helps them to actually engage, especially for problems that are new to them. They use the Explain button a lot and work through new problems instead of just clicking out of it.
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Renowned Southern Cameroons lawyer dies aged 76
A prominent Limbe-based lawyer, Barrister Helen Ebai, has died aged 76. The circumstances surrounding her death were sketchy at press time. However some sources said that the late barrister was preparing to travel to the United Kingdom for her regular health checks when she suddenly developed a certain medical challenge in her residence in Limbe.
Incorruptible and fearless career legal practitioner, Barrister Helen Ebai was among the few Southern Cameroons women to read law in England. She was married to the late Barrister Edward Ebai and was blessed with six children.
Tributes from all over the world have been pouring in ever since information of her sudden departure was made public. Reacting to the news, Chief Charles A Taku of the International Criminal Court observed that:
“The passing into the eternal glory of the Lord of the great legal luminary Barrister Helen Ebai has deprived us of a commanding voice at the service of justice and the truth. I did my first case as a lawyer before her at the Victoria Magistrate Court with the distinguished legal luminary Fon Gorgi Dinka in the case of C. J Woleta v Imoh. Several years later, she briefed me as counsel in the Besongabang Chieftaincy cases against Barrister Enonchong.
She was a passionate tireless and fearless crusader for justice, and a ferocious outspoken defender of the oppressed, the poor and the weak.”
Her last public appearance was during a town hall meeting with Prime Minister Dion Ngute. A QRC and Queens College product, she qualified as a lawyer in the UK. Went back home into ENAM and onto the magistracy profession . Helen Ebai later resigned and joined her husband in the family legal practice. She was subsequently appointed liquidator of the National Produce Marketing Board.
A devoted Catholic and an exemplary leader. She leaves behind 6 children, 8 grand children and family to mourn her.
By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Source: CIR
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Nexen Tire, Purple Heart Foundation Select Retired Army Sergeant First Class Ken Cates As Recipient Of Nexen Hero Jeep Wrangler
Cates is the third veteran selected to receive a custom vehicle built by Nexen Tire as part of its commitment to honor the nation’s heroes.
Nexen Tire America, Inc., a worldwide leader in high-performance, passenger, SUV / light truck and winter tire technology, has announced retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Ken Cates the recipient of the 2019 Nexen Hero Jeep Wrangler equipped with 37-inch Nexen Roadian MTX Xtreme off-road tires as part of the Nexen Hero III Campaign. Cates is the third veteran selected to receive a custom vehicle built by Nexen Tire as part of its commitment to honor the nation’s heroes. The Nexen Hero III program builds on the success of the last two campaigns which honored a well-deserving veteran. The second campaign took place earlier this year and named retired Army Master Sgt. Brian Porter the recipient of the Nexen Hero 2020 Jeep Gladiator; while the first campaign, American Muscle for American Heroes, named retired Marine Cpl. Steven Diaz the recipient of the Nexen Tire Purple Heart Dodge Challenger. Both Porter and Diaz are Purple Heart Medal recipients.
Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Ken Cates – Military Leadership Benefits Local Community
Cates military career spans 26 years and started in the Army Reserves at age 18, then he took to the seas by enlisting in the Coast Guard. Cates was a shipboard and land-based electronics technician and served just over four years. Not quite done with serving his country, he decided to enlist in the Army where he served another incredible 22 years.
From the moment he joined the military, he wanted to set the example for exceptional leadership, as his father (Jay Cates, U.S. Coast Guard, retired) did before him. Cates was deployed during the Iraq War and received several medals throughout his career for exemplary military service. Most notably, Cates was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medals and Army Achievement Medals and the Humanitarian Service Medal.
Although Cates retired from the Army in August of 2015, he has continued his mission helping others. Cates is now the CEO of the Fort Hood Area Habitat for Humanity that serves three counties in the greater Killeen/Temple, Texas, area. Since taking on that role, Cates has helped the organization triple the amount of homes it completes each year, in addition to nine other unique projects centering around repairs and community revitalization. These changes have positively impacted more than 30 families, but Cates isn’t one to rest on his laurels. Through his vision for the organization, Cates has led the group to a new milestone by completing 26 homes in the veteran community. These homes were built for homeless and disabled veterans, and in addition to more than 48 other projects last year, Cates’ leadership helped the organization impact 150 families.
“It’s an honor to be selected as the recipient of the Nexen Hero Jeep Wrangler. I’ve dedicated much of my life to military service, and what Nexen Tire is doing with this vehicle and its campaign is incredibly humbling. It’s an honor for any veteran,” said retired Sgt. 1st Class Ken Cates. “I believe in creating an environment to help those who want to lead and to this day, I still get phone calls from young soldiers seeking advice and I’m happy to help them in any way possible. I couldn’t be more thankful to Nexen Tire and what they are doing for veterans.”
As part of its ongoing commitment to honoring America’s veterans, Nexen Tire has extended the deadline for matching donations made to the Purple Heart Foundation. From now until Dec. 31 at midnight, Nexen Tire will continue matching donations made through the www.NexenTireUSA.com/NexenHero webpage up to $30,000.
“Some stories have a silver lining and Ken’s is no exception. We wanted to open the Nexen Hero III campaign to all veterans this year and of the thousands of entries, Ken’s story of perseverance, his 26-year career and his ongoing commitment to his community really stood out to us the most,” said John Hagan, executive VP of sales for Nexen Tire America Inc. “Ken continues to help active service members be the best soldiers they can and as the CEO of a local Habitat for Humanity, helps veterans and deserving families find a home. For those reasons and more, we’re honored to name Ken the vehicle recipient of the Nexen Hero III Jeep.”
Donations made to the Purple Heart Foundation during the campaign will be used to help empower veterans on many levels, such as educational scholarships, medical claims and more.
“Our continued partnership with Nexen Tire helps our organization continue raising awareness not only for Purple Heart Medal recipients, but veterans like Ken Cates,” said Stephen Ruckman, chief executive officer for The Purple Heart Foundation. “Ken Cates and veterans like him deserve to be recognized for their commitment to their communities after serving their country, and programs like the Nexen Hero III campaign set the standard for representing veterans in the best way possible.”
In this article:Nexen Tire
Wells Vehicle Electronics Expands WVE Vehicle Electronics Brand
Yokohama Tire Wins Two GOOD DESIGN Awards
LS Power Completes Acquisition Of EVgo
Hankook Tire Presents 'Design Innovation 2020'
MPI Holdings Acquired By Turnspire Capital Partners
Newsweek Ranks Goodyear Among Greenest Big Companies
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Everything related to the former Kenner and current Hasbro property Mobile Armored Strike Kommand.
Home / Brandon Easton / comic books / Ioannis Roumpoulias / Joe Suitor / Juan Carlos Ruiz Burgos / M.A.S.K. / Tommy Lee Edwards / V.E.N.O.M. / M.A.S.K. #5 Now Available in Comic Shops and Digital Download
Brandon Easton comic books Ioannis Roumpoulias Joe Suitor Juan Carlos Ruiz Burgos M.A.S.K. Tommy Lee Edwards V.E.N.O.M.
M.A.S.K. #5 Now Available in Comic Shops and Digital Download
Jason Gross 4/19/2017
This is it...the end of the first story arc!! After the showdown in M.A.S.K. #4, Mayhem and the V.E.N.O.M. team are back for another epic throwdown You can find a preview of M.A.S.K. #5 at PreviewsWorld which shows the first few moments of the attack. Here is the official synopsis for the 5th issue:
With all secrets revealed, Matt Trakker and the M.A.S.K. team take on Miles Mayhem and V.E.N.O.M. in a brutal final assault. With their first major victory in their sights, the M.A.S.K. team must remain vigilant as other powerful and unforeseen forces rise up from the darkness. New enemies are on the horizon and you must NOT miss what happens on the last page!
Story by Brandon Easton
Art by Tony Vargas
Colors by Jordi Escuin
Letters by Gilberto Lazcano
Cover Art by Tommy Lee Edwards
Tommy Lee Edwards is the cover artist for M.A.S.K. #5 and will be his last (at least for now) as new artists will begin contributing as the series continues. M.A.S.K. #5 will feature 3 variant covers including two subscription variants, one from Joe Suitor featuring classic versions of Firefly and Jackhammer and also a cover by Ioannis Roumpoulias featuring Miles Mayhem hovering over the M.A.S.K. team of vehicles. The rare 10-copy incentive cover will be from Juan Carlos Ruiz Burgos featuring classic version of Thunder Hawk and Condor mid flight. From page 2 of the new book, here is a guide to all of the covers:
Visit your local comic shop today (find one here) or download digitally from IDW Publishing, Amazon, Google Play, or Comixology. You can also find discounted back issues at Things From Another World. We encourage our fellow fans to pickup a copy today and share their opinions. Tell us what you think of the series so far and we might include them in an upcoming MASKast podcast.
#Brandon Easton #comic books #Ioannis Roumpoulias #Joe Suitor #Juan Carlos Ruiz Burgos #M.A.S.K. #Tommy Lee Edwards #V.E.N.O.M.
MASKast Assignment
Our next podcast will cover Episode 55 "Plunder of Glowworm Grotto"
Click the image above to watch & review!
M.A.S.K. Community Links
AlbertPenello.com
Boulder-Hill.net
Cartoonopolis
DreamsJoes.com
Facebook Group - M.A.S.K. Comics, Movie, Toys, Etc.
Facebook Group - M.A.S.K. Fans
Facebook Group - M.A.S.K. Peaceful Nations Alliance
Facebook Group - M.A.S.K. Toy Collectors
Facebook Group - Matt-Trakker.com M.A.S.K. Forum
Facebook Group - Unofficial M.A.S.K. Discussion & Trading
FranksHeManPage.net
M.A.S.K. IMDB
M.A.S.K. Proboards Forum
M.A.S.K. Toy Blog
M.A.S.K. Toys Tumblr
M.A.S.K. Wiki
MASKComics.Blogspot.com
MASKsite.com
Matt-Trakker.com
7 Vehicles In The M.A.S.K. Animated Series That We Wish Were Toys
After recently featuring my collection video on our YouTube channel, I was thinking about what is missing from the vehicles sets. Not fr...
Retro Con 2018: Walk Through Video
We had the awesome opportunity to attend Retro Con 2018 this past weekend in Oaks, PA. Our highlight of the trip was meeting up with our ...
M.A.S.K. Series 2 Toyline Overview
M.A.S.K. Series 2 Toyline (Released 1986) It's time for our MASKast podcast to take a quick break from episode reviews and focu...
Vanessa Warfield Cosplay By DJForce
Awhile back we featured some great Matt Trakker cosplay by DJ Force. What sets apart his work from anything I've seen is not just th...
'Vanessa Whips It' Music Video Tribute (Video)
Today we are glad to introduce our first music video tribute! We've compiled footage from several episodes of the M.A.S.K. animated s...
Agents Watching M.A.S.K. - EP2 The Star Chariot
Another installment in our video series "Agents Watching M.A.S.K." is now live! In case you missed the first episode , we decid...
M.A.S.K. Color Guides Posted Online Reveal Original Mask Names!
Following up the blogpost I put together last week on M.A.S.K. concept art , I've found some color guides posted online that really b...
Introducing "Agents Watching M.A.S.K." Video Series!
Hello Agents! We are proud to introduce a new video series titled "Agents Watching M.A.S.K." . Recently when we got together fo...
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London Dock coming to life
Great to see our wayfinding scheme coming to life at London Dock, a unique new mixed-use development in Central London from the Berkeley Group.
The signage is designed to complement the development’s delicate balance of industrial heritage and urban chic.
What makes the public realm particularly special is the work of artist Gordon Young, whose typographic trail – Trading Words – features over 1,000 words which weave their way around the scheme’s squares, shops, restaurants and apartments.
Inspired by historical ledgers found on-site of imports and exports dating from 1805 to 1968, the artwork lists items such as Elephants’ Teeth, Lucifer, Bear’s Grease, Goats’ Beards and Dragons’ Blood!
Well done to all involved – an interesting new place in London is being created!
© Air Design 2020.
Unit 2B, Lloyds Wharf
2 Mill Street, London SE1 2BD
info@airdesign.co.uk
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Iron Chromium Nickel Molybdenum Aluminum Alloy
Fe-Cr-Ni-Mo-Al
Fe- Cr-13% Ni-0.8% Mo-0.2% Al-
FECR-NIMOAL-01-P.AL
Iron Chromium Nickel Molybdenum Aluminum Alloy Properties (Theoretical)
Iron Chromium Nickel Molybdenum Aluminum Alloy Health & Safety Information
About Iron Chromium Nickel Molybdenum Aluminum Alloy
Iron Chromium Nickel Molybdenum Aluminum is one of numerous metal alloys sold by American Elements under the trade name AE Alloys™. Generally immediately available in most volumes, AE Alloys™ are available as bar, ingot, ribbon, wire, shot, sheet, and foil. Ultra high purity and high purity forms also include metal powder, submicron powder and nanoscale, targets for thin film deposition, and pellets for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD) applications. American Elements produces to many standard grades when applicable, including Mil Spec (military grade); ACS, Reagent and Technical Grade; Food, Agricultural and Pharmaceutical Grade; Optical Grade, USP and EP/BP (European Pharmacopoeia/British Pharmacopoeia) and follows applicable ASTM testing standards. Typical and custom packaging is available. Primary applications include bearing assembly, ballast, casting, step soldering, and radiation shielding.
Iron Chromium Nickel Molybdenum Aluminum Alloy Synonyms
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26 Fe 55.845000000 Iron
See more Iron products. Iron (atomic symbol: Fe, atomic number: 26) is a Block D, Group 8, Period 4 element with an atomic weight of 55.845. The number of electrons in each of Iron's shells is 2, 8, 14, 2 and its electron configuration is [Ar] 3d6 4s2. The iron atom has a radius of 126 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 194 pm. Iron was discovered by humans before 5000 BC. In its elemental form, iron has a lustrous grayish metallic appearance. Iron is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust and the most common element by mass forming the earth as a whole. Iron is rarely found as a free element, since it tends to oxidize easily; it is usually found in minerals such as magnetite, hematite, goethite, limonite, or siderite. Though pure iron is typically soft, the addition of carbon creates the alloy known as steel, which is significantly stronger.
24 Cr 51.996100000 Chromium
See more Chromium products. Chromium (atomic symbol: Cr, atomic number: 24) is a Block D, Group 6, Period 4 element with an atomic weight of 51.9961. The number of electrons in each of Chromium's shells is 2, 8, 13, 1 and its electron configuration is [Ar] 3d5 4s1. Chromium was first discovered by Louis Nicolas Vauquelin in 1797. It was first isolated in 1798, also by Louis Nicolas Vauquelin. The chromium atom has a radius of 128 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 189 pm. In its elemental form, chromium has a lustrous steel-gray appearance. Chromium is the hardest metal element in the periodic table and the only element that exhibits antiferromagnetic ordering at room temperature, above which it tranforms into a paramagnetic solid. The most common source of chromium is chromite ore (FeCr2O4). Due to its various colorful compounds, Chromium was named after the Greek word 'chroma' meaning color.
28 Ni 58.693400000 Nickel
See more Nickel products. Nickel (atomic symbol: Ni, atomic number: 28) is a Block D, Group 4, Period 4 element with an atomic weight of 58.6934. The number of electrons in each of nickel's shells is [2, 8, 16, 2] and its electron configuration is [Ar]3d8 4s2. Nickel was first discovered by Alex Constedt in 1751. The nickel atom has a radius of 124 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 184 pm. In its elemental form, nickel has a lustrous metallic silver appearance. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal that is considered corrosion-resistant because of its slow rate of oxidation. It is one of four elements that are ferromagnetic and is used in the production of various type of magnets for commercial use. Nickel is sometimes found free in nature but is more commonly found in ores. The bulk of mined nickel comes from laterite and magmatic sulfide ores. The name originates from the German word kupfernickel, which means "false copper" from the illusory copper color of the ore.
42 Mo 95.960000000 Molybdenum
See more Molybdenum products. Molybdenum (atomic symbol: Mo, atomic number: 42) is a Block D, Group 6, Period 5 element with an atomic weight of 95.96. The number of electrons in each of molybdenum's shells is [2, 8, 18, 13, 1] and its electron configuration is [Kr] 4d5 5s1. The molybdenum atom has a radius of 139 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 209 pm. In its elemental form, molybdenum has a gray metallic appearance. Molybdenum was discovered by Carl Wilhelm in 1778 and first isolated by Peter Jacob Hjelm in 1781. Molybdenum is the 54th most abundant element in the earth's crust. It has the third highest melting point of any element, exceeded only by tungsten and tantalum. Molybdenum does not occur naturally as a free metal, it is found in various oxidation states in minerals. The primary commercial source of molybdenum is molybdenite, although it is also recovered as a byproduct of copper and tungsten mining. The origin of the name Molybdenum comes from the Greek word molubdos meaning lead.
13 Al 26.981538600 Aluminum
See more Aluminum products. Aluminum (or Aluminum) (atomic symbol: Al, atomic number: 13) is a Block P, Group 13, Period 3 element with an atomic weight of 26.9815386. It is the third most abundant element in the earth's crust and the most abundant metallic element. Aluminum's name is derived from alumina, the mineral from which Sir Humphrey Davy attempted to refine it from in 1812. It wasn't until 1825 that Aluminum was first isolated by Hans Christian Oersted. Aluminum is a silvery gray metal that possesses many desirable characteristics. It is light, nonmagnetic and non-sparking. It stands second among metals in the scale of malleability, and sixth in ductility. It is extensively used in many industrial applications where a strong, light, easily constructed material is needed. Although it has only 60% of the electrical conductivity of copper, it is used in electrical transmission lines because of its light weight. Pure aluminum is soft and lacks strength, but alloyed with small amounts of copper, magnesium, silicon, manganese, or other elements it imparts a variety of useful properties. Aluminum was first predicted by Antoine Lavoisierin 1787 and first isolated by Friedrich Wöhler in 1827.
Effects of annealing on the microstructural evolution and phase transition in an AlCrCuFeNi2 high-entropy alloy.
Morphology of Aluminum Alloy Foams Produced with Dolomite via Partial Sintering of Precursors.
Facile electrodeposition of ternary Ni-Fe-Co alloy nanostructure as a binder free, cost-effective and durable electrocatalyst for high-performance overall water splitting.
[Experience in plasma-detonation coating of the working parts of medical instruments with nickel-aluminide-based alloys].
Arsenic surface complexation behavior in aqueous systems onto Al substituted Ni, Co, Mn, and Cu based ferrite nano adsorbents.
Iron-Doped Nickel Molybdate with Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Kinetics.
A robust core-shell nanostructured nickel-iron alloy@nitrogen-containing carbon catalyst for the highly efficient hydrogenation of nitroarenes.
A novel method for vanadium slag comprehensive utilization to synthesize Zn-Mn ferrite and Fe-V-Cr alloy.
Effect of Cu/Fe/Co substitution on static and dynamic magnetic properties of Ni-Mn-Sn alloy thin films.
Formation of iron aluminide coatings on plain carbon steel by TIG process.
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Tesla’s self-driving system was on at time of fatal Florida crash
By Jorge Milian jmilian@pbpost.com
A Palm Beach County, Fla., man activated the self-driving system on his 2018 Tesla seconds before the vehicle slammed into a tractor-trailer in suburban Delray Beach, according to federal investigators.
Jeremy Beren Banner, 50, from the Wellington area, died at the scene of the March 1 crash.
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board said that neither the vehicle’s autopilot feature nor Banner attempted to brake the Tesla 3 or make an evasive maneuver before it traveled underneath the truck while traveling 68 mph in the 14000 block of State Road 7, north of Atlantic Avenue. The crash sheared off the Tesla’s roof.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said the truck had pulled out of Pero Farms and was making a left-hand turn onto northbound State Road 7 when the Tesla, headed southbound, smashed into the undercarriage of the tractor-trailer. The posted speed in the area is 55 mph.
The NTSB report states that Banner took his hands off the steering wheel eight seconds before the crash, but the self-driving system did not detect it.
The autopilot system has been criticized for its reliability. The Delray crash is similar to one that took place in 2016 near Gainesville in which a Tesla driver died after the vehicle struck a tractor-trailer. The system has also played a role in three other fatal crashes since 2016, according to reports.
Tesla released a statement saying the company was “deeply saddened” by the Delray Beach crash, but added that, “Tesla drivers have logged more than one billion miles with autopilot engaged, and our data shows that, when used properly by an attentive driver who is prepared to take control at all times, drivers supported by autopilot are safer than those operating without assistance.
Richard Keith Wood, 45, of the Tampa suburb of Ruskin was driving the truck and was not injured.
The Ames Tribune ~ 317 5th St., Ames, IA 50010 ~ Do Not Sell My Personal Information ~ Cookie Policy ~ Do Not Sell My Personal Information ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service ~ Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy
Story County Sun
Real Estate Weekly
Newspapers In Education - NIE
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24 GHz to 44 GHz Wideband Integrated Upconverters and Downconverters Boost Microwave Radio Performance While Reducing Size
James Wong, Kasey Chatzopoulos, Murtaza Thahirally 共著 PDFをダウンロード
Analog Devices launched a pair of highly integrated microwave upconverter and downconverter chips, the ADMV1013 and the ADMV1014, respectively. These ICs operate over a very wide frequency range with 50 Ω match from 24 GHz up to 44 GHz and can support more than 1 GHz instantaneous bandwidth. Performance attributes of the ADMV1013 and ADMV1014 ease the design and implementation of small 5G millimeter wave (mmW) platforms that cover the popular 28 GHz and 39 GHz bands in backhaul and fronthaul, as well as many other ultrawide bandwidth transmitter and receiver applications.
Each upconverter and downconverter chip is highly integrated (see Figure 1), comprised of in phase (I) and quadrature phase (Q) mixers with on-chip quadrature phase-shifter configurable for direct conversion to/from the baseband (operable from dc to 6 GHz) or to/from an intermediate frequency (IF) that can operate from 800 MHz to 6 GHz. The upconverter RF output has an on-chip transmit driver amplifier with a voltage variable attenuator (VVA), while the downconverter’s RF input contains a low noise amplifier (LNA) and gain stage with a VVA. Both chips’ local oscillator (LO) chain consists of an integrated LO buffer, a frequency quadrupler, and a programmable band-pass filter. Most of the programmability and calibration functions are controlled via an SPI interface, making the ICs easily software configurable to a performance level that is unmatched.
Figure 1. (a) The ADMV1013 upconverter chip block diagram. (b) The ADMV1014 downconverter chip block diagram.
An Inside Look at the ADMV1013 Upconverter
The ADMV1013 offers two modes of frequency translation. One mode is direct upconversion from baseband I and Q to RF. In this I/Q mode, the baseband I and Q differential inputs can accept signals from dc up to 6 GHz, for instance, generated from a pair of high speed transmit digital-to-analog converters (DACs). These inputs have a configurable common-mode range from 0 V to 2.6 V; thus, they can accommodate the interface requirements of most DACs. So when a DAC with a certain common-mode voltage is chosen, the upconverter’s registers can be easily set to match the optimum bias for that VCM voltage, simplifying the interface design. The other mode is single-sideband upconversion to RF from complex IF inputs such as those signals generated by a quadrature digital upconverter device. Unique to the ADMV1013 is its capability to allow digital correction of the I and Q mixers’ dc offset error in the I/Q mode, resulting in improved LO leakage to the RF output. Achievable LO leakage after calibration can be as low as –45 dBm at the RF output, at maximum gain. An even more difficult challenge that plagues direct conversion radio design is that of I and Q phase imbalance, which gives rise to poor sideband suppression. An added challenge with direct conversion is that the sideband is usually too close to the microwave carrier that renders filters impractical. The ADMV1013 solves the problem by allowing users to digitally correct for the I and Q phase imbalance through register tuning. In normal operation, the upconverter exhibits an uncalibrated sideband suppression of 26 dBc. Using the on-chip registers, its sideband suppression can be improved to about 36 dBc after calibration. Both correction features are accessed via the SPI without extra circuitry. Additional suppression can be achieved by further adjusting the phase balance of the I and Q DACs at baseband, in the I/Q mode. These performance enhancement features minimize external filtering while improving radio performance at microwave frequencies.
With the LO buffer integrated, the part requires only 0 dBm drive. Thus, the device can be conveniently driven directly from a synthesizer with integrated voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) like the ADF4372 or ADF5610, further reducing external components. The on-chip frequency quadrupler multiplies the LO frequency to the desired carrier frequency and is passed through a programmable band-pass filter to reduce the undesired multiplier harmonics prior to feeding the mixers’ quadrature phase generator stage. This arrangement greatly reduces spurious injection into the mixers while allowing the part to work with an external low cost, low frequency synthesizer/VCO. The modulated RF output is then amplified through a pair of amplifier stages with a VVA in between. The gain control provides a user adjustment range of 35 dB, with a maximum cascaded conversion gain of 23 dB. The ADMV1013 comes in a 40-lead land grid array package (see Figure 2). These features combine to provide exceptional performance, maximum flexibility, and ease of use, while requiring minimal external components. Hence, small microwave platforms can be realized such as small cell base stations.
Figure 2. The ADMV1013 in a 6 mm × 6 mm surface-mount package shown on its evaluation board.
An Inside Look at the ADMV1014 Downconverter
The ADMV1014 also has some of the similar elements such as the LO buffer, frequency quadrupler, programmable band-pass filter, and quadrature phase shifter in its LO path. However, architected as a downconversion device (see Figure 1b block diagram), the ADMV1014 has an LNA in its RF front end, followed by a VVA and an amplifier. A continuous 19 dB gain adjustment range is controlled by a dc voltage applied to the VCTRL pin. Users have the option to use the ADMV1014 in an I/Q mode as a direct conversion demodulator from microwave to baseband dc. In this mode, the demodulated I and Q signals are amplified at the respective I and Q differential outputs. Their gain and dc common-mode voltage can be set by registers via the SPI, allowing the differential signals to be dc coupled—for instance, to a pair of baseband analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Alternatively, the ADMV1014 can be used as an image-reject downconverter to single-ended I and Q IF ports. In either mode, the I and Q phase and amplitude imbalance can be corrected via the SPI, improving the downconverter’s image rejection performance as it demodulates to baseband or IF. Overall, the downconverter provides a total cascaded noise figure of 5.5 dB, with a maximum conversion gain of 17 dB, over the frequency range from 24 GHz to 42 GHz. As the operating frequency gets close to the band edge, up to 44 GHz, the cascaded NF is still a respectable 6 dB.
Figure 3. The ADMV1014 in a slightly smaller 5 mm × 5 mm package mounted on its evaluation board.
Boosting 5G mmW Radio Performance
Figure 4 shows the measured performance of the downconvrter at 28 GHz frequency, using a 5G NR waveform over 4 independent 100 MHz channels modulated at 256 QAM at –20 dBm input power per channel. The resulting EVM measured –40 dB (1% rms), enabling demodulation of higher order modulation schemes that mmW 5G require. With the up and downconverter’s >1 GHz bandwidth capability, along with a 23 dBm OIP3 for the upconverter and 0 dBm IIP3 for the downconverter, the combination can be expected to support high order QAM modulations—hence high data throughput. In addition, the devices benefit other applications such as satellite and Earth station broadband communication links, secured communication radios, RF test equipment, and radar systems. Their superior linearity and image rejection performance are compelling, and when combined with compact solution size, small form factor, high performance microwave links, broadband base stations can be realized.
Figure 4. Measured EVM performance in rms percentage vs. input power and the corresponding 256 QAM constellation diagram at 28 GHz.
Mr. Wong is a RF Product Marketing Manager at Analog Devices. He served in senior marketing and sales roles for more than 25 years. Additionally, he has been designing RF, analog circuits and systems for more than 25 years.
Kasey Chatzopoulos
Kasey Chatzopoulos is a Product Application Manager in the Microwave Communications Group (MCG) at Analog Devices. He is responsible for supporting the microwave integrated frequency conversion, rf tunable filter and beamformer products in MCG. He received his B.S.in Electrical Engineering (EE) from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 2012 and his M.S. in EE from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2017. He joined Analog Devices/Hittite Microwave in 2012 and worked as a Product Engineer for two years, then he assumed the role of the Product and Application Team Lead in the RF and Microwave Group. He then moved to the Microwave Communications Group as the Design Evaluation Manager for two years, then he transitioned to be a Product Line Manager for another two years. Most recently he took on the role of Product Application Manager at the start of 2019.
Murtaza Thahirally
Murtaza Thahirally is an applications engineer in the Microwave Communications Group (MCG) at Analog Devices. He is responsible for supporting the microwave integrated frequency conversion products in MCG. He received his B.S.in Electrical and Computer Engineer (ECE), and Economics from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2012 and his M.S. in ECE from Purdue University in 2016. He joined Analog Devices in 2012 and worked as a product engineer for three years in the RF and Microwave Group. He then moved to the Microwave Communications Group and has been working there for four years as an applications engineer.
ADMV1013
24 GHz ～ 44 GHz、広帯域、マイクロ波アップコンバータ
24 GHz ～ 44 GHz、広帯域、マイクロ波ダウンコンバータ
直交型デジタル・アップ・コンバータ（QDUC）
RFとマイクロ波
集積化トランシーバー、トランスミッタ、レシーバー
I/Q変調器／復調器
関連するマーケット＆テクノロジー
計測器および計測
自動試験装置
ワイヤレス・インフラストラクチャ
広帯域RFシグナル・プロセッシング
航空宇宙 ＆ 防衛
フェーズド・アレイ
ミサイルおよび高精度軍用品
電子的情報収集および対抗手段
アビオニクス（航空電子機器）
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Call for feedback
The RNIB is calling for cataract, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration patients to have their say in a review of treatment guidelines
24 Jan 2017 by Selina Powell
AMD,
Cataracts,
Glaucoma,
Patients living with age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma are being encouraged to have their say on the treatment they receive.
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is calling for feedback from patients as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) conducts its 2017 review of guidelines determining how the three eye conditions are treated.
There will be three separate consultations on age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts and glaucoma over a six-month period.
RNIB eye health campaigns manager, Jessica Hall, told OT that the charity would be conducting phone interviews and online surveys with patients to get their views.
“We want to hear from people living with AMD, cataracts and glaucoma because it’s important to know what the experiences are of people living with these conditions,” she added.
Patients were encouraged to express their interest in offering feedback by registering online, emailing or calling the charity.
Ms Hall explained that the information provided by patients would be analysed, with key threads in the feedback used to inform an RNIB consultation submission.
There had been a positive response to the call for patient insight, Ms Hall noted.
“We’ve heard from people living with all of the three conditions being examined in these guidelines, but we always want to hear from more people,” she emphasised.
“We’re really keen to get as many people as possible taking part. It’s very important that patients are represented in the review.”
Topics that will be covered in the review include the information that is provided to patients, and the support that they receive during diagnosis and treatment.
The deadline for patients to get in contact with RNIB is 13 February for people living with AMD, 17 April for cataract patients and 6 June for those living with glaucoma.
Patients can register to offer feedback on the RNIB website, or by contacting the RNIB directly, on 0207 391 2123 or by emailing campaigns@rnib.org.uk.
More Health services articles
Delays in follow-up appointments increase the risk of sight loss
OT : Health services
A new focus
Ordnance Survey customises digital map for colour blind users
NHS Digital will publish “vital” GOS data in 2020
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Difference between revisions of "Community involvement"
Philralph (talk | Contributions)
m (→News and comment)
'''2016'''
The story of Ahora Madrid, Dec 21 <ref>[http://commonstransition.org/this-is-how-people-power-wins-an-election-the-story-of-ahora-madrid/ commonstransition.org]</ref>
Common space for exchange: Cities in transition and citizen struggles, Dec 20 <ref>[http://commonstransition.org/common-space-for-exchange-cities-in-transition-and-citizen-struggles/ commonstransition.org]</ref>
Community involvement is used here as a term similar to Participatory democracy W, and more recent terms such as Open source governance W.
What communities can do
Overview, see right hand column for more
create or develop Location, projects or networks pages, eg 'Sustainable (Your town)', in this wiki
Participatory carbon budgeting
Participatory or citizen journalism
Local quality of life conferences
Community involvement weeks
Youth Fora
promote and practice Open conference design
advocate Open involvement
Community involvement is about people and communities being able to play a full part in decision-making, for example local decision-making, and so influence the decisions which affect their lives. It is also about community empowerment, for example through access to appropriate information and adivce.
Proper community involvement is not tokenistic. Instead it is on-going, valued, meaningful, provides extensive opportunity and is genuinely and extensively influential.
Proper community involvement is not about allowing mere comment on decisions that have already largely been taken. Instead it begins at the design stage, the very beginning of any project or programme.
Proper community involvement does not include measures of success being foisted upon the community, or worse still simply being ignored. Instead it gives a primary role to the community in judging how successful a project or programme has been.
Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
The Rio Declaration of 1992 enshrines public participation in its 27 principles. Principle 10 states that "environmental issues are best handled with participation of all concerned citizens, at the relevant level”. The Rio Declaration continues, drawing a close link between access to information and public participation:
"At the national level, each individual shall have appropriate access to information concerning the environment that is held by public authorities, including information on hazardous materials and activities in their communities, and the opportunity to participate in decision-making processes. States shall facilitate and encourage public awareness and participation by making information widely available. Effective access to judicial and administrative proceedings, including redress and remedy, shall be provided." W
Coproduction
The co-production of public services has been defined in a variety of ways - e.g. "Co-production means delivering public services in an equal and reciprocal relationship between professionals, people using services, their families and their neighbours" (new economics foundation) or "the public sector and citizens making better use of each other's assets and resources to achieve better outcomes and improved efficiency" (Governance International).
Experiments on co-production on public services have been launched in many countries, from Denmark to Malaysia, the UK and the USA. W
Participatory budgeting (PB) is a process of democratic deliberation and decision-making, and a type of participatory democracy, in which ordinary people decide how to allocate part of a municipal or public budget. Participatory budgeting allows citizens to identify, discuss, and prioritize public spending projects, and gives them the power to make real decisions about how money is spent. When PB is taken seriously and is based on mutual trust local governments and citizen can benefit equally. In some cases PB even raised people's willingness to pay taxes.
Participatory budgeting generally involves several basic steps: 1) Community members identify spending priorities and select budget delegates 2) Budget delegates develop specific spending proposals, with help from experts 3) Community members vote on which proposals to fund 4) The city or institution implements the top proposals
A comprehensive case study of eight municipalities in Brazil analyzing the successes and failures of participatory budgeting has suggested that it often results in more equitable public spending, greater government transparency and accountability, increased levels of public participation (especially by marginalized or poorer residents), and democratic and citizenship learning. W
Participatory democracy strives to create opportunities for all members of a population to make meaningful contributions to decision-making, and seeks to broaden the range of people who have access to such opportunities. In 2011, considerable grassroots interest in participatory democracy was generated by the Occupy movement. W
Participatory justice
Participatory justice is the use of alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation, conciliation, and arbitration, in criminal justice systems, instead of, or before, going to court. It is sometimes called "community dispute resolution". W
Participatory planning is an urban planning paradigm that emphasizes involving the entire community in the strategic and management processes of urban planning; or, community-level planning processes, urban or rural. It is often considered as part of community development. Participatory planning aims to harmonize views among all of its participants as well as prevent conflict between opposing parties. In addition, marginalized groups have an opportunity to participate in the planning process. W
A Charter for Democracy on Commons Transition Strategies Wiki (creative commons license)
Civic Activism
Civic Commons Wiki, an effort to provide a permanent, sustainable organization to assist public agencies in the adoption of open systems and collaborative technologies, and to coordinate the co-creation of these technologies among agencies to ensure interoperability and shareability. Civic Commons will provide infrastructure, knowledge, and toolsets to government entities, and encourage the development of shared "civic software" and protocols, and supply optional technical infrastructure (such as data and project hosting) as needed.
How to Start Participatory Budgeting in Your City, Dec 3, 2011, Shareable
Imagine Chicago, Imagine projects and networks in th UK, Europe and Australia have been modelled on Imagine Chicago.
Benchmark study data The state of open data from different perspectives, including that of the public / citizens
Introducing the Cycle of Transparency, Sunlight Foundation Blog, 03/10/10
Resources from Imagine Chicago
Making is Connecting - site about Making is Connecting project, with extracts, video, etc. W
Regulation on collaboration between citizens and and the City for the care and regeneration of urban commons, comune.bologna.it
Who Ya Gonna Call? Deliberative Democracy Resources
72 Frequently Asked Questions about Participatory Budgeting, UN-HABITAT, 2004
Apps for sustainability
Promise Tracker, Data collection for civic action. After an election, how can citizens hold elected leaders accountable for promises they made during the campaign season? We believe that informed communities, equipped with data, are the best positioned to assess the performance of their representatives and advocate for change on a local level. Promise Tracker explores how citizen monitoring can extend civic engagement between election cycles.
Citizens data initiative
Based on Porto Alegre more than 140 (about 2.5%) of the 5,571 municipalities in Brazil have adopted participatory budgeting.
Since its emergence in Porto Alegre, participatory budgeting has spread to hundreds of Latin American cities, and dozens of cities in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. More than 1500 municipalities are estimated to have initiated participatory budgeting. W
There resides in all populations a "mass of sense lying in a dormant state - which good government should quietly harness." Tom Paine [1]
*"Where I live in Marin County, it was citizen action that instigated the preservation of hundreds of thousands of acres as open space and parkland; it was not government taking the initiative. That mostly happened in the pre-Internet days. Now that we’ve got the Net and there’s more talent, creativity and freedom in the civic sector than in government, it’s time that citizens once again take the lead in building tools and solving problems for their localities." cfigallo [2]
"Given how radical a departure these participatory ways of working are from the closed-door status quo (or the view that participation is limited to voting and opinion polling), we cannot declare, define, and repeat often enough what it could mean to embrace collaboration and co-creation; to make consultation part of operations on a day-to-day basis; to strive for constant conversation with an engaged and knowledgeable public and to reinvent the conception of public service and of the public servant as the steward of such a conversation.." Beth Simone Noveck [3]
Sharing ideas and actions
Manifesto for Democracy and Sustainability
More video: Representative democracy - Tim Berners-Lee on the next Web, video on TED.com - Getting back to Government Is Us, youtube, 2010 - Dan Mcquillan at mypublicservices, youtube, 2009
1 What communities can do
2 Why it matters
2.1 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
3 Coproduction
4 Participatory budgeting
5 Participatory democracy
6 Participatory justice
7 Participatory planning
8.1 Apps for sustainability
8.2 Citizens data initiative
8.3 Maps
8.5 Sharing ideas and actions
8.6 Video
9 News and comment
11 Interwiki links
The story of Ahora Madrid, Dec 21 [4]
Common space for exchange: Cities in transition and citizen struggles, Dec 20 [5]
8 Ways to Engage Your Community During Challenging Times, Dec 15 [6]
The possibility of a Co-City, Nov 17 [7]
New Report Highlights Fast Growth of Participatory Budgeting, Sep 20 [8]
“Town Halls for Social Change” by @indy_johar, April 4 [9]
The rise of the citizen expert. How can data-rich technology drive better citizen engagement and make government more effective? February 4 [10]
Polisdigitocracy: Digital Technology, Citizen Engagement and Climate Action – A New C40-Arup Report, November 18 [11]
A Charter for Democracy, September 22 [12]
Integrating activism into governance institutions, September 15 [13]
Author Don Tapscott on the growing influence of public participation, 4 October [14]
"At its broadest, non-discriminatory access to data means that any person can access the data at any time without having to identify him/herself or provide any justification for doing so." Sunlight Foundation, August 11 [15]
Data alone is not sufficient for problem-solving, but an involved community informed with data just might be, John Tolva, July 2010 [16]
Open Philanthropy: A Modest Manifesto, Lucy Bernholz, 3/15/2010 [17]
Crisis in policymaking for people and planet demands new approach to policymaking that gives citizens a greater say in decisions that affect them, 27/01/2010 [18]
Developing the Open City, 15 October 2009 [19]
How long is your city's tail? by John Geraci, October 7 [20]
The Three Laws of Open Government Data, 30 September 2009 [21]
Not Just Peak Oil, But “Peak Hierarchy,” Too? December 4 [22]
"The best mechanism to confront the challenge of climate change are not market mechanisms, but conscious, motivated, and well organized human beings endowed with an identity of their own." Evo Morales Ayma, President of Bolivia, November 28, 2008
"In this negotiation process towards Copenhagen, it is fundamental to guarantee the participation of our people as active stakeholders at a national, regional and worldwide level, especially taking into account those sectors most affected, such as indigenous peoples who have always promoted the defense of Mother Earth." Evo Morales Ayma, President of Bolivia, November 28, 2008
"...his (Obama's) only real hope in dealing with the tremendous challenges the country (world) faces will be to harness the collective ingenuity of citizens on a massive scale. In other words, he must enlist a level of participation in generating and acting on innovative solutions that has no obvious parallel in history." Anthony D. Williams [23]
A Wiki for the Planet: Clay Shirky on Open Source Environmentalism [24]
"We're going to look at every place that a reader or a listener or a viewer or a user has been locked out, has been served up passive or a fixed or a canned experience, and ask ourselves, "If we carve out a little bit of the cognitive surplus and deploy it here, could we make a good thing happen?" And I'm betting the answer is yes." [25]
Wikis And Blogs As Instruments Of Citizen Participation, May 11 [26]
local information can be found, or shared, via our many location pages
Arts, sport and culture
Citizen centred participation
Communities online
Community and voluntary action
Maps for community action
Open conference design
Open involvement
Rural sustainability
Towards sustainable economies
Video for community action
Interwiki links
Wikipedia: Participatory democracy, Open-source governance, .green, Participatory budgeting, Participatory planning, Participatory justice, Public participation, Coproduction (public services)
Paticipedia
Civicus, global alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society around the world. Founded in 1993, the organisation today has members in more than 145 countries, with its headquarters in Johannesburg and offices in London, Geneva and New York. W
Democracies Online, builds online public space in the heart of real democracy and community. "Our mission is to harness the power of online tools to support participation in public life, strengthen communities, and build democracy."
Foundation for Democracy and Sustainable Development
Open311, collaborative model and open standard for civic issue tracking
OpeningParliament.org, forum intended to help connect the world's civic organizations engaged in monitoring, supporting and opening up their countries' parliaments and legislative institutions.
Green Drinks international Organic, self-organising network of people who meet up monthly for a beer at informal sessions known as Green Drinks.
Participatory Budgeting Project, (mainly USA and Canada)
Meetup Free service that organizes local gatherings about anything, anywhere. Topic groups include 'New Urbanism and Sustainable Development'
This page includes Creative Commons Licensed content from the Sustainable community action wiki on Wikia.
The list of authors can be seen in the history, link via drop down menu at top left of page.
↑ Guardian review of Hilary Wainwright’s book Reclaim the State: Adventures in Popular Democracy, July 2003
↑ pResilience, April 7, 2009
↑ Medium
↑ commonstransition.org
↑ Shareable
↑ citiesintransition.eu
↑ voices.nationalgeographic.com
↑ Commons Transition
↑ guardian.co.uk, 4 October 2010
↑ sunlightfoundation.com, August 11, 2010
↑ ascentstage.com, July 2010
↑ philanthropy 2173 3/15/2010
↑ International Institute for Environment and Development, 27/01/2010, link not found, July 2015
↑ planetizen, 15 October 2009
↑ O'Reilly Radar, October 7, 2009
↑ David Eaves
↑ onthecommons.org, December 4, link not found, July 2015
↑ wikinomics, November 7 2008
↑ wired.com, August 20, 2008, link not found, July 2015
↑ Clay Shirky at a Web 2.0 conference, April 23, 2008. link not found, July 2015
↑ masternewmedia.org
CASwiki... Places - Topics - Resources - News / About - Join - Talk - Village pump / UK
Retrieved from "https://www.appropedia.org/index.php?title=Community_involvement&oldid=340904"
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Home Features Art and About Double Act: Art and Comedy at the MAC, Belfast
Art and About
Double Act: Art and Comedy at the MAC, Belfast
Art in Liverpool... /Belfast
Patrick Kirk-Smith
Double Act: Art & Comedy
MAC Theatre, Belfast, 6 May – 31 July 2016
Words and images, Patrick Kirk-Smith
It’s not always good to find the greener grass. That’s what I learned on Monday when I hopped on a plane to Belfast to visit Double Act: Art and Comedy. The exhibition, curated by David Campbell and Mark Durden, is twinned with an exhibition of the same name at Bluecoat. It shows a different story entirely to the one I visited on School Lane, Liverpool.
This manifestation of Double Act functions so spectacularly because it sticks so strictly to telling the truth through its jokes. Even the simplest piece in the show, a deflated version of Jeff Koon’s Sculpture No. 1 is a satire on satire. How sick must we have become, as a culture, of satire in art that we have begun to satirise it. No longer can we simply write a joke and call it Dada. And that’s very true. It has become near impossible to make art anymore, due mostly to the fear that it will be called pretentious – the result is a new breed of hipster academics presenting timid work masquerading as bold. And the king of those is Koons.
The MAC has become a cultural centre which has made the arts a very popular public face in Belfast. I doubt I need to remind anybody of the Titanic, but the new dedicated museum in Belfast has to be seen to be believed. And the streets surrounding the MAC are a hive of street art and independent spaces, lining one of the main entrances to the city. There’s every conceivable reason that Campbell and Durden would choose to twin their Bluecoat show with the MAC, and I’m unsure if I can rightly express how grateful I am that the second show gave a new side to the exhibition’s story.
What I’m about to say should in no way be a negative reflection on Bluecoat. Their version of this exhibition is utterly excellent, but MAC’s is better. The subtleties of relationships between the works provided a curatorial humour that wasn’t as apparent at Bluecoat, and the range in Belfast told a wider story. And simply put, I laughed more often in Belfast.
It wasn’t the quality of the joke that made the difference, so much as the relevance. YouTube is touched on in The Vide at Bluecoat by Kara Hearn’s Hollywood satires, but at MAC, a film by Cory Arcangel is just cats. And faintly from the other side of the room plays Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Memory, sung by Mel Brimfield, with new lyrics written for her work, He Hit Me… and it Felt Like a Kiss.
But that’s what comedy should do. Put us at ease, then steal it away with a harsh realisation. He Hit Me… and it Felt Like a Kiss was made in reference to the unbelievably poor representations of romance portrayed as clichéd simplicity throughout film and literature. Her work takes one of the most romanticised songs in Western history and turns it into a hymn to Truth. On face value, the film is a funny reworking of a classic, but look a little deeper. That’s what comedy does though, nods to the truth.
Cultural partnerships between cities, be they local to the UK or further afield, should be given much more credit from either side. I made a point of seeing this exhibition while I was away because I wanted to understand the full story, and from my experience, both sides of the Irish Sea tell a different tale here, and I wouldn’t have got the full narrative without seeing both.
It might not be worth changing your holiday plans from Tuscany to County Antrim, but if you’re in Belfast, stay in the city for the day and visit this thriving cultural hub while it’s got a brief injection of Liverpool inside.
Double Act: Art and Comedy, Belfast
Art and Comedy
Durden
MAC Theatre
Previous articleReview: 2nd Heseltine Institute Lecture, Without These Walls
Next articleReview: Body Image at The Brindley
Discovering Liverpool Central Library & Williamson Art Gallery
Season’s Greetings and some notices from ArtinLiverpool
Interview with The (Still Anonymous) Daily Sketcher
6GINS Exhibition #3 with paintings by Rose Wylie
Art Exhibition by Liverpool Artists at The Gallery Liverpool
‘incompatible’ Exhibition by Hope University Creative Practice Masters Students
Art Merseywide 2015 (1) at Editions Ltd Liverpool
Summer Arts Market at St George’s Hall
Christine Toh Open Studio at Calderstones Mansion House
Mike McCartney Luvs St George’s Hall
A N I_M A K I N G by Laura Spark...
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Moya Wood - a life in writing
Moya Wood, a force of nature in the conception, development and writing of important Australian film and television shows, has died after a long, pioneering life.
Image: The True Story of Spit MacPhee, written by Moya Wood, directed by Marcus Cole, produced by Noel Price, with Rebecca Smart and Philip Hancock as the lead children.
Moya Wood, a film and television writer and script editor, and a true custodian of excellence, died last week in palliative care. She was 83 years old, and cancer took her quickly. Her death notice tells us she was a 'loving sister to Jan, and the late Peter and Don. Devoted aunty and second mother to Matthew, Jessica, Amy, James, Alice, Michelle, Judy-Anne, Tim and Steven and loving sister in law to Robyn, Simone and Glenys. Doting great Aunt to Tom, Tilly and Bella.'
Our purpose here is to remember her through the eyes of her professional community, as her work helped to shape our national culture, starting with those rough but endearing episodes of Skippy.
Here she is, a bundle of quiet zest, at the age of 78, recorded by Susan Lever for NFSA..
At a celebration of her life on Tuesday, her friend and colleague Marcus Cole delivered a eulogy, written with some contributions from Michael Brindley. It was beautifully done, with a perceptive sense of her character, laced with insights into the life of a working writer.
'I first met Moya when I was a twenty-one year old wannabe scriptwriter. She and Lyn Bayonas had recently set up an agency in Paddington that they called The Source.
Moya thought I showed promise and offered to be my agent. Unfortunately there weren’t that many film and television writers back in 1974 and Moya and Lyn just couldn’t make a go of it. So I lost my first agent, but happily made a life-long friend in Moya.
Pretty soon I decided that writing was just too hard and I became a director. Moya forgave me for that and some years later I even had the privilege of directing a television mini-series that she wrote called The True Story of Spit MacPhee, (based on the book of the same name by James Aldridge). I mention Mr. Aldridge because I am sure she would want me to. Writers seldom receive the recognition or appreciation they are due and she was only too aware of that.
In the case of Spit MacPhee, it was the best job a director could have had. I was also working with her as her story and script editor. But editing Moya left me feeling I was not earning my money. There was so little for me to do.
I could have directed her first draft. What changes we did make were entirely cosmetic. It was clear that everything she wrote was going to work perfectly.
I also remember one time worrying that things were just going too smoothly, that working with Moya was too easy. Where was the pain - the arguments, the head-butting – that were necessary for creative success?
I needn’t have fretted. Moya knew what she was doing and, fortunately, I was smart enough to just let her do it. The show was a success and Moya won an Australian Writers’ Guild award.
But that was just some late icing on a very large cake. Moya was a pioneer in the film and television industry in this country.
In the late 1960s, she started her career in television as a script supervisor and writer on Australia’s first international hit TV show, Skippy, notching up eighty-seven episodes of the bush kangaroo.
This was followed by script editing and writing for Crawford Productions on the shows Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police and Skyways.
In the 1970s and 80s, she was a busy script consultant and script editor working on movies that began the renaissance of the Australian film industry. They included Monkey Grip, Waiting, Dawn, Weekend of Shadows, Love Letters from Teralba Road and Summerfield.
She also did uncredited work on other notable films of that time, including Sunday Too Far Away and Newsfront. If she believed in you and your project she gave generously of her time and talent.
In 1986, she wrote a fine original screenplay that was produced by Jill Robb as the movie The More Things Change. Our mutual friend and colleague, Mike Brindley, worked with her as her script editor. Moya’s script was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Original Screenplay that year.
In the world of television, as senior script-editor, she was an essential element in the success of the long-running hit TV show A Country Practice.
Mike also worked with her on that show. He says that he ‘marvelled at the way she would edit some scripts. She’d cross out six lines of dialogue and replace them with one – in the margin in her big loopy handwriting, always with a fountain pen.’ I remember her love of quality fountain pens.
After A Country Practice, there were other adaptations and original scripts that were commissioned and written, but some did not make it into production.
Notable among them was a television mini-series about Australian war hero, Nancy Wake. Moya and Mike (this time her co-writer) even got to go to France with Nancy to do historical research, see actual locations and meet old resistance fighters. After a bumpy first meeting, she and the feisty Nancy Wake hit it off. Nancy appreciated Moya’s no bullshit attitude.
It was a grand and memorable adventure for the two writers. Mike drove the car and Moya sat in the back furiously scribbling notes as Nancy revealed stuff about herself and the resistance that aren’t in any book.
I remember reading the great scripts that they wrote. Unfortunately for them, there was some kind of power struggle at the Seven Network, producer Jill Robb was removed from the project, and Moya and Mike were called to a meeting and told there was ‘too much war’ in their scripts and that since the main character was a woman, the show should obviously be ‘a love story.’ New scripts would have to be written.
Moya didn’t agree or oblige. She resigned, as did Mike. New scripts were written, a very different kind of show was made and screened. Moya and Mike received no credit.
This was a major disappointment, but Moya went on working. She was a professional and there were still more stories to tell. And she went on helping others.
Mike says that ‘maybe it went against Moya that her dialogue wasn’t flashy, so people who can’t read scripts couldn’t see that what she wrote was beautifully economic, always “played” smoothly and maintained narrative drive and pace. She was also brilliant at hiding exposition.’ Anyone who worked with her stood to learn a lot from her. Both Mike and I certainly did.
In 1991 she was given the Australian Writers’ Guild Hector Crawford Award for ‘a significant contribution to the craft of scriptwriting via a body of script editing work. She accepted the award in her usual self-deprecating style, but was thrilled at the recognition and all the congratulations from her industry colleagues.
As to her character - what I think of as the essential Moya - for me it comes down to the following things:
Apart from being a person of talent and integrity, she was funny, fearless, and like Nancy Wake, certainly feisty.
She was largely self-educated. Everything she knew was hard-won. She learned about the world and her craft from the ground up. Yes, she was a dreamer, as all creative artists are, but she was necessarily a very practical one. Showbusiness is tough, not glamorous, and you need to be disciplined and self-reliant. She was.
I know some people found her daunting at times. She liked to talk and she was a plain talker. Not arrogant, just direct and to the sometimes acerbic point. She had strong opinions on most subjects and was quite happy to speak her mind. I remember copping a serve from her on one occasion…I deserved it, she was right.
She had no time for phonies or bullies, no time for dull-witted or mean-spirited people. She appreciated people who were truthful and decent, reliable and real - as she herself was. And if you could make her laugh you stood half a chance of getting closer to her.
She didn’t like people who bluffed or blustered. If she didn’t have an answer or didn’t understand something she came straight out and said so. How else could you learn? And she was always eager to learn something new from anyone of any age.
There was a child-like quality about her – an open-ness, a delight in making new discoveries. She wasn’t interested in clichés and platitudes and she never got old in her mind.
She was curious about all things, read widely, and thought about what she read. Politics, history, biography. You name it.
She loved jazz music, particularly hard-driving Bebop –John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Jackie McLean. Handel and Mozart were also on her playlist.
She also loved swimming and the beach. My wife and I used to go to Nielsen Park with her. Just sit there in the sunshine by the water, eating fish and chips and nattering on. Glorious.
She was not a sentimental person, not given to fuzzy, touchy-feely stuff. She didn’t wear her heart on her sleeve - she could be quite guarded at times - but if she liked you, trusted you, respected you, she was your friend for life.
I sometimes felt she undersold herself in a business full of self-promoters. She was not a schmoozer. She knew all the major players, but networking and partying with the right people did not interest her. It was always about The Work and letting it speak for itself and for her.
Ultimately, in her work, what she was interested in was closely observed characters – what made them tick. What happened next in a story came from their deep inner lives. And if she believed in YOUR characters, she would help you tell your stories.
Even approaching the end she was still wanting to hear stories about her friends and family. What people were doing, how they were thinking and feeling, and what the future held for them.
She was gallant at the end. She had made up her mind how she was going to deal with her final illness and she saw it through.
I know she wasn’t religious in the conventional sense, but she was a spiritual person. A few days before she died, she told me she believed in Nature, saw herself as part of an ongoing natural process that we are all subject to - whatever the mysteries - and told me wherever she was going she would carry those she loved in her heart.
- Marcus Cole
Here's more of Moya Wood, talking about Skippy.
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Lightness/Darkness of Skin Affects Male Immigrants' Likelihood of Gaining Employment
Skin color is a significant factor in the probability of employment for male immigrants to the United States, according to a new study by two University of Kansas (KU) researchers.
Discrimination in Lending Markets: Status and the Intersections of Gender and Race
Research documents that lenders discriminate between loan applicants in traditional and peer-to-peer lending markets, yet we lack knowledge about the mechanisms driving lenders’ behavior. I offer one possible mechanism: When lenders assess borrowers, they are implicitly guided by cultural stereotypes about the borrowers’ status. This systematically steers lenders toward funding higher status groups even when applicants have the same financial histories.
An Introduction to the General Monotone Model with Application to Two Problematic Data Sets
We argue that the mismatch between data and analytical methods, along with common practices for dealing with "messy" data, can lead to inaccurate conclusions. Specifically, using previously published data on racial bias and culture of honor, we show that manifest effects, and therefore theoretical conclusions, are highly dependent on how researchers decide to handle extreme scores and nonlinearities when data are analyzed with traditional approaches.
A Critical and Comprehensive Sociological Theory of Race and Racism
This article contests the contention that sociology lacks a sound theoretical approach to the study of race and racism, instead arguing that a comprehensive and critical sociological theory of race and racism exists. This article outlines this theory of race and racism, drawing from the work of key scholars in and around the field.
Reproducing and Reworking Colorblind Racial Ideology: Acknowledging Childrens Agency in the White Habitus
What is the relationship between white children’s interpretations of racial phenomena and dominant racial ideology? Do children passively adopt dominant racial ideological positions, the result of a "deep cultural conditioning" that happens to children? Do kids assertively challenge ideologies, rejecting adults’ authoritative worldviews through enacting child agency? Or is something more dialectically complex occurring that includes both reproduction and reinvention?
"A General Separation of Colored and White": The WWII Riots, Military Segregation, and Racism(s) beyond the White/Nonwhite Binary
This article uses archival research to explore important differences in the discursive and institutional positioning of Mexican American and African American men during World War II. Through the focal point of the riots that erupted in Los Angeles and other major cities in the summer of 1943, I examine the ways in which black and Mexican "rioters" were imagined in official and popular discourses. Though both groups of youth were often constructed as deviant and subversive, there were also divergences in the ways in which their supposed racial difference was discursively configured.
Colorblindness in Black and White: An Analysis of Core Tenets, Configurations, and Complexities
The concept of colorblind racism has been developed in recent years to explain racial attitudes held by white Americans in the post–civil rights era. The authors use data from a new nationally representative survey with an oversample of black Americans to investigate the prevalence of core elements of colorblind ideology and to see the extent to which both black and white Americans adhere to three core dimensions of colorblindness theory: (1) abstract liberalism, (2) minimization of racism, and (3) cultural racism.
"I Have More in Common with Americans Than I Do with Illegal Aliens": Culture, Perceived Threat, and Neighborhood Preferences
In this article, I explore different forms of perceived threat posed by the presence of minority groups and how threat impacts residential segregation and neighborhood preferences. I extend previous research by exploring non-Hispanic white residents’ preferences regarding black and Latino neighbors using qualitative data from in-depth interviews with white adults conducted in multiple neighborhoods in Buffalo, New York, and Ogden, Utah. My findings suggest that white residents perceive threat differently for blacks and Latinos.
Digital Punishment's Tangled Web
Americans love crime. The criminal justice system is fetishized in popular culture and news media. We watch the news and scour the Internet to assess our own moral compass, take cues from others' digressions, and bear witness to justice and punishment. Historically, we learned about crime through news media and fiction. The Internet has dramatically changed this landscape: for the first time, mug shots and jailhouse rosters are available with a click.
When Change Doesn’t Matter: Racial Identity (In)consistency and Adolescent Well-being
Law enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border region has significantly changed since the 1970s. Currently, Latinas/os make up more than half of the agents who patrol the southern border region. The Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley, in particular, has transformed from a predominantly Anglo police establishment to one with a heavy presence of Mexican American agents within local and federal agencies.
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People in Their 60s Uniquely Benefit From Giving Advice Despite Fewer Chances to Offer it
A new study reveals that individuals in their 60s who give advice to a broad range of people tend to see their lives as especially meaningful. At the same time, this happens to be the age when opportunities for dispensing advice become increasingly scarce.
Prayers, Protest, and Police: How Religion Influences Police Presence at Collective Action Events in the United States, 1960 to 1995
Do police treat religious-based protest events differently than secular ones? Drawing on data from more than 15,000 protest events in the United States (1960 to 1995) and using quantitative methods, we find that law enforcement agents were less likely to show up at protests when general religious actors, actions, or organizations were present. Rather than reflecting privileged legitimacy, we find that this protective effect is explained by religious protesters’ use of less threatening tactics at events.
The Age-Graded Nature of Advice: Distributional Patterns and Implications for Life Meaning
Drawing from life course, social networks, and developmental social psychology scholarship, this article considers how advice transmission varies across age groups and examines the age-contingent associations between advice-giving and life meaning. Binomial and ordered logistic regression using the 2006 Portraits of American Life Study (n = 2,583) reveal that adults in their twenties are most likely to report offering advice to multiple social targets.
Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood? Neighborhood Age Composition and Age Discrimination
Age discrimination is pervasive in the United States, yet little is known about the social contexts in which it occurs. Older persons spend much of their time in their neighborhoods, where a density of other older persons may protect against age discrimination. Extending group density theory to age, we analyze data from 1,561 older adults from the second wave of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, using neighborhood-level data from the 2010 U.S. census.
Interreligious Contact, Perceived Group Threat, and Perceived Discrimination: Predicting Negative Attitudes among Religious Minorities and Majorities in Indonesia
This study examines the relationship between interreligious contact and negative attitudes toward the religious outgroup among minority Christians and majority Muslims in Indonesia. It answers two research questions: Does interreligious contact reduce negative outgroup attitudes equally for minority Christians and majority Muslims? Are mediation by perceived group threat and moderation by perceived discrimination equally important for religious minorities and majorities?
Field and Ecology
This article offers a theoretical comparison between field and ecology, as developed by Pierre Bourdieu and the Chicago School of sociology. While field theory and ecological theory share similar conceptualizations of actors, positions, and relations, and while they converge in their views on structural isomorphism, temporality, and social psychology, they are quite different on several other scores: power and inequality, endogeneity, heterogeneity, metaphorical sources, and abstraction.
Markets, Nature, and Society: Embedding Economic & Environmental Sociology
Social scientists have drawn on theories of embeddedness to explain the different ways legal, political, and cultural frameworks shape markets. Often overlooked, however, is how the materiality of nature also structures markets. In this article, I suggest that neo-Polanyian scholars, and economic sociologists more generally, should better engage in a historical sociology of concept formation to problematize the human exemptionalist paradigm their work upholds and recognize the role of nature in shaping markets and society.
Individualism as a Discursive Strategy of Action: Autonomy, Agency, and Reflexivity among Religious Americans
This paper reconceptualizes "individualism" as a discursive strategy of action through which everyday Americans attempt to manage the cultural dilemma of engaging in externally imposed social obligations within a broader individualistic culture.
Studying Race and Religion: A Critical Assessment
The authors provide an analytical review of the past 115 years of scholarship on race, ethnicity, and religion. Too often work in the study of race and ethnicity has not taken the influence of religion seriously enough, with the consequence being an incomplete understanding of racialization, racial and ethnic identity, and racial inequality. The authors examine key works in the field; conduct an assessment of articles published on race, ethnicity, and religion in six journals over a five-year period; and outline where scholarship should head in future years.
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Liberal Individualism and the Globalization of Education as a Human Right: The Worldwide Decline of Early Tracking, 1960–2010
This article examines global changes in tracking policies over the post–World War II period. Using a newly constructed quantitative panel data set of 139 countries from 1960 to 2010, I show that a majority of countries around the world have shifted away from sharply tracked institutions at the junior secondary level toward more formally “open” and “comprehensive” ones.
Genes, Gender Inequality, and Educational Attainment
Women’s opportunities have been profoundly altered over the past century by reductions in the social and structural constraints that limit women’s educational attainment. Do social constraints manifest as a suppressing influence on genetic indicators of potential, and if so, did equalizing opportunity mean equalizing the role of genetics? We address this with three cohort studies: the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS; birth years 1939 to 1940), the Health and Retirement Study, and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health; birth years 1975 to 1982).
The Relation between Inequality and Intergenerational Class Mobility in 39 Countries
We study the relationship between inter-class inequality and intergenerational class mobility across 39 countries. Previous research on the relationship between economic inequality and class mobility remains inconclusive, as studies have confounded intra- with between-class economic inequalities. We propose that between-class inequality across multiple dimensions accounts for the inverse relationship between inequality and mobility: the larger the resource distance between classes, the less likely it is that mobility from one to the other will occur.
Review Essay: What Should Historical Sociologists Do All Day? Starving the Beast, the Reagan Tax Cuts, and Modes of Historical Explanation
Monica Prasad, along with collaborators like Isaac Martin and Ajay Mehrotra (e.g., Martin, Mehrotra, and Prasad 2009), has made fiscal sociology—the sociology of taxation—a thriving part of the discipline. Her first book showed how different national patterns of taxation help explain the variable strength of neoliberalism across nations (Prasad 2006). Her second identified progressive taxation as key to producing both democratized credit and a weak welfare state in the United States (Prasad 2012).
Love Me Tinder, Love Me Sweet
Are “hook up” apps leading to a new kind of dating culture on college campuses? Dating apps like Tinder and Bumble are have a different impact on the lives of college students versus older daters. Many students are using these apps to circumvent the romantic gatekeeping that campus party culture has long dominated.
More than Sound: Record Stores in Majority Black Neighborhoods in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit, 1970–2010
Music consumption imbues a city's neighborhoods with a character all their own, contributing to a vibrant and dynamic map of urban cultures. Brick‐and‐mortar music retailers remain an important site for this consumption, persisting despite challenges posed by digitization. But the landscape of contemporary cultural consumption has been shaped by urban inequality over time.
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Best VPN Services For Every Situation
The Best VPNs To Protect Your Privacy, Whoever And Wherever You Are
Joel Balsam
The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.
Whether you're simply browsing the internet (the government's ISP betrayal decision), visiting a dating site you thought was safe or sharing nude pics with your partner, you just can't ignore the need to protect your internet privacy anymore.
Fortunately, there are options, although there isn't a one-size-fits-all strategy. They do all begin with choosing a safe and secure password, though, as the easiest way for someone to hack your personal information is to simply guess your weak password!
The unanimous choice if you really want to be a ghost online is to download the free Tor browser used by privacy advocates and Dark Web criminals. Tor anonymizes your IP address, so no hacker nor government can track your online activity. The problem with Tor is that it's not very fast (especially for watching videos), you can't use it to for torrenting and it can sometimes be blocked.
Another option for cyber security is to scramble your search history to throw prospective hackers, ad companies and governments off your trail. But services that do that are more of a Band-Aid fix.
The most popular and convenient option for protecting your online privacy is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service, which encrypts your browsing and shields you from creeping eyes.
But finding the right VPN for you isn't easy. There are tons of options and they come with a wide variety of features and at different price points (sadly, the free ones tend to be a get what you pay for type of thing). Picking one can be a headache, so let this list guide you.
Best VPNs For...
1 Gaming
2 Netflix And Streaming
3 School
4 Torrenting
5 Remote Browsing
6 Global Travel
7 Privacy
8 Voice Chats
1. Gaming
Whether you love to play World of Warcraft, Overwatch or Dota 2, VPNs are some of the best investments a gamer can make. A VPN can protect you from malicious DDoS attacks (competitive eSports can get real serious). Or, it can add an extra layer of protection for your payment info. A VPN can also help if a game is banned in your location (WoW is banned at some schools while Pokemon Go is a no-go in Iran) and give you the option of playing a game before it's released in your country. The problem with a VPN for gaming is all that encrypting can make your internet slower — and that's not something you want when you're grinding as Yasuo in League of Legends.
$11.95/month, 6 months $7/month, 1-year $5.75/month
NordVPN is a terrific all-around VPN and it's a great choice for gamers. Anti-DDoS servers, fast speeds, six simultaneous connections and servers in 56 countries make NordVPN a good call for pretty much anything you want to do online. Plus, last I checked, it's offering a one-year membership for $48 instead of $69 if you punch in promo code VIP70 or two years for $72 with promo code 2YSpecial2017.
Find Out More At NordVPN.com
Basic - $9.95/month, 1-year $5/month. Premium - $12.95/month, 1-year $6.67/month
Golden Frog-owned VyprVPN has eSports competitors in mind with high speeds and a commitment to blocking DDoS attacks, but it can do so much more. With more than 200,000 IP addresses to choose from, a built-in NAT Firewall to keep your privacy on lock, unlimited data usage and a three-day free trial, this VPN is great for gamers.
Find Out More At Goldenfrog.com
$10.95/month, $8.95/six months, 2 years $2.95/month
Many VPNs claim to be the fastest — but in speed tests, PureVPN often comes away as the winner. The Hong Kong-based service has specialized gaming servers that run at lightning fast speeds (which you can see before you click) and come with protection from DDoS attacks. However, despite its speed, PureVPN doesn't match up as well with some other services based on privacy and price. For instance, you need to pay extra for a NAT Firewall.
Find Out More At PureVPN.com
2. Netflix and Streaming
If you go abroad, you might be shocked to find that your favorite Netflix show isn't available outside the States. In fact, some countries get a really sad catalog (ask an expat in Hong Kong about this). Being able to stream Netflix, Hulu and BBC iPlayer is a major reason people get VPNs, but media companies are cracking down and blocking more VPN services by the day. Unfortunately, a Netflix VPN service that works today might not tomorrow, so keep that in mind and take advantage of free trials to see if your preferred streaming service works. You might also want to make sure the VPN works with devices like Chromecast, Roku or Apple TV before you get it.
$12.95/month, 6 months $9.99/month, 1-year $8.32/month
ExpressVPN operates in 94 countries and has over 145 cities to choose from, which makes it one of the most robust and popular VPN operators. It also cares about you watching the newest season of your favorite Netflix show. ExpressVPN is fast enough for HD streaming and has made it their business to combat Netflix's VPN crackdown. However, despite giving you pretty much all the security bells and whistles you could ever ask for, ExpressVPN is on the pricey side.
Find Out More At ExpressVPN.com
You'll easily be able to watch the next season of Stranger Things with Buffered when it comes out, but if you want to watch, say, a Bollywood movie, this VPN can't help you as it only works for U.S. Netflix. Buffered is also great for your Apple TV or AirPort Extreme, although it may take a little techy router maneuvering to get it going on either of those.
Find Out More At Buffered.com
$12.99/month, 6 months $8.99/month, 1-year $5.99/month, Lifetime $109.99
Hotspot Shield used to get Netflix on its free version, but now you need to pay if you want to stream House of Cards. Still, Hotspot Shield is a decent option despite having fewer servers than the others. It's quite fast, has malware protection and you can get a great deal on a lifetime subscription. But before you jump on the lifetime deal, keep in mind that Netflix may end up blocking it one day.
Find Out More At Anchorfree.com
From USC to Duke to NYU to Michigan to Harvard, there's a good chance you're using a campus email to get onto your school's VPN. However, as students know, school VPNs can be super restrictive on what they allow you to do online. Schools have been known to block porn sites, torrenting, online games and even Facebook to keep your eyes on your studies. Sadly, bypassing VPN restrictions can be tough because schools can locate popular IP addresses and block them. One way to get through this is to use your phone data with a personal hotspot to your computer, but that can get costly. Otherwise, you'll need to use some lesser-known VPNs.
Free up to 500MB, $9.99/month, 1-year $4.17/month
This Canadian VPN has been making waves lately, but it's still relatively lesser known than the others so it might not be blocked by your school just yet. The best part about Tunnelbear for students is it's budget friendly price — free. However, you'll only get 500MB a month for the free service. To get unlimited you'll need to pay up.
Find Out More At Tunnelbear.com
$6.95/month, 6 months $5.99/month, 1-year $3.33/month
With over 3,000 servers in 25 countries, Private Internet Access (PIA) makes evading school VPN blocks possible. Plus, it's got a really competitive price, especially yearly.
Find Out More At Privateinternetaccess.com
4. Torrenting
While torrenting might not be legal, what you download might very well be piracy. Still, I'm not gonna tell you what you can and can't do, except that you if you're going to download or upload torrents, you'd better protect yourself.
TorGuard
This is the VPN you want if you upload torrents and remain anonymous. TorGuard doesn't keep any logs of your activity whatsoever, lets you pay anonymously with cryptocurrencies like BitCoin and allows BitTorrent and P2P traffic on all its 1600+ servers. For more details, check out TorGuard's interview with Torrentfreak.
Find Out More At TorGuard.com
Free up to 2GB, $4.99/month up to 75GB, $9.99/month unlimited
A "no logging, ever" policy is a good start and its high speeds is a good finish for any torrent user. Hide.me's premium unlimited plan also offers five simultaneous connections, which is helpful. If you want to make sure it's right for you, having the first 2GB free is another great feature.
Find Out More At Hide.me
5. Remote Browsing
Chances are your local coffee shop is packed with people glued to their laptops. And chances are many of these people are susceptible to a man-in-the-middle attack, which could lead to anything from taking over your webcam to stealing your password info. If you're going to work from a public place like a cafe, airport or Wi-Fi hotspot in a park, you need a good VPN, period. And if you do online banking from your phone, a VPN app would be a good idea as well.
$10/month, 3 months $8.99/month, 1-year $6.46/month
It's not cheap, but IPVanish is one of the top VPN services around. It has a whopping 40,000+ IPs on 700+ servers in 60+ countries and is great on security with a no logs policy. IPVanish will work on your browser or smartphone — and if the price is bothering you, you can test it out with the 7-day trial for free.
Find Out More At IPVanish.com
6. Global Travel
Yes, the U.S. is bad for internet privacy, but many countries are worse. If you do some traveling, you're going to want a VPN with experience fighting government's spying agencies. You might also want one that has a large number of servers in the country if your job requires it. Here are some options for VPNs in China, Canada, Australia, Russia, the United Kingdom and India.
China, Japan, India:
ExpressVPN has been doing battle with The Great Firewall of China for years and it's become a trusted service in the country. It also has a great reputation in Japan and India.
Canada, U.K:
With over 60 standard VPN servers in Canada and the U.K. as well as over 260 in the U.S, this popular VPN is a great option for both Brits and Canucks.
Over 40 Australian servers make IPVanish a safe bet Down Under.
Hide My Ass
The Russian Federation has become synonymous with nefarious online activity, so when you're there you're definitely going to want to protect yourself. Hide My Ass has servers in virtually every country on the planet with over 1,000,000 IP addresses. Chew on that Kremlin!
Find Out More At HideMyAss.com
If you want a VPN to visit porn sites or do some online dating you don't want anybody to know about, aforementioned VPNs like VyprVPN, NordVPN, IPVanish and ExpressVPN will do you well. But if you're not into one of those for one reason or another, these two are terrific alternatives.
RELATED: How To Watch Porn Safely
VPNArea
Relatively new on the scene, Bulgaria-based VPNArea is getting a ton of praise for its no logs policy and the fact that it's hosted out of Switzerland. Essentially, like cash from corrupt politicians, your privacy will be safely in the vault.
Find Out More At VPNArea.com
Avast SecureLine
If you care about online privacy, there's a good chance you have antivirus software. And if you're cheap, you probably have Avast SecureLine's free antivirus. SecureLine VPN comes with Avast, although for a price, and does a solid job at keeping your online activities safe.
Find Out More At Avast.com
8. Voice Chats
Believe it or not, voice chatting software like Skype isn't permitted in every country; Saudi Arabia being one of them. If you happen to be in a country where VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is restricted and have a business call to make (or a long distance partner to keep up with), you're going to need a quality VPN.
$8.99/month, 1-year $5.99/month, $3.49/month
SaferVPN is based in Israel, so it knows about Skype blocks in the region. This VPN is a great option due to its competitive speeds, ease of use and cheap price if you commit for over a year. Iffy? You can try SaferVPN free for 24 hours.
Find Out More At safervpn.com
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Stand-Up Comedy On Netflix
Jimmy Carr & The Funniest Stand-Up On Netflix
Jimmy Carr became the first British comedian to release an original stand-up special on Netflix this week (18 March), with hour-long gig Jimmy Carr: Funny Business. But where does it figure in our countdown of the top 10 stand-up specials on the streaming service?
Zach Galifianakis – Live At The Purple Onion
Four years before The Hangover films made him a household name, this 2005 comedy special-cum-tour documentary shows the dry, self-deprecating, beardy North Carolina funnyman at the peak of his stand-up career. It flits between his intimate, semi-improvised set at the celebrated San Francisco basement club (after introducing himself, he adds "I hope I've pronounced that right”) and footage of Galifianakis travelling and goofing around.
Sample gag: "When you have sex on a Greyhound bus, it's called the 36-inch High Club.”
Show Page 3
Demetri Martin – Live (At The Time)
The nerdy New Yorker, an Edinburgh Festival award-winner and former contributor to The Daily Show, performs a 2015 set at Washington DC’s Lincoln Theater which mixes deadpan one-liners with flights of fancy and the odd musical interlude. Don’t worry, though – it’s not pretentious, just keenly observed and infectiously hilarious as Martin pokes fun at dating, cheese, hipsters, pets, road signs and social faux pas.
Sample gag: “I have an L-shaped sofa – lower case.”
Jim Gaffigan – Beyond The Pale
The pale, schlubby, deceptively skillful stand-up’s first special, shot in 2005 at The Vic Theatre in his hometown of Chicago, showcased his sarky, deadpan observational style and obsession with food – the “Hot Pocket” segment has become a cult classic. As a father-of-five (and the youngest of six children himself), Gaffigan’s especially good on fatherhood and family life. And laziness. And cake. And steak. And bacon.
Sample gag: “Birthday gifts are tricky. ‘Oh, a robe. Wow, I hope I get the flu so I can wear it. What are we, about to shoot a porno?’ ‘Hey thanks, you got me a candle. You know I have electricity, right? Look if my place smells, just let me know.’”
From Film to Finnish Spirits, Miles Teller Talks Co-Ownership of Long DrinkRead More
Jim Jefferies – Bare
Seasoned Aussie comic and “equal opportunities offender” Jefferies struck a nerve in the US with this 2014 special filmed at Boston’s Wilbur Theatre, due to the funnier-than-it-might-sound material about gun control. He compared American reaction to recent mass shootings with the response to a similar massacre in his home country, which proved both incisive and timely. But it’s not all weaponry-based lolz – there’s also near-the-knuckle riffs on fatherhood, male friendship, sex and celebrity.
Sample gag: “Do you think pandas know they’re Chinese and are taking the one-child policy a bit too seriously?”
John Mulaney – The Comeback Kid
Boyishly gawky in his snappy suit, Mulaney’s 2015 spesh at the Chicago Theater has that title because he left SNL to get his own much-hyped sitcom vehicle on Fox. It flopped and was cancelled, hence this return to stand-up. But the career blip’s no reflection on Mulaney’s slickly witty, endearingly self-deprecating style, as he confidently riffs on Back To The Future, McDonald’s, Catholicism, dogs, dads, estate agents, marriage and meeting Bill Clinton.
Sample gag: “I’m married now, so I get to say ‘my wife’, which is exciting. It’s fun to say ‘my wife’. I’m looking forward to saying it a lot. ‘Get away from my wife!’ ‘No one talk to my wife!’ ‘I didn’t kill my wife!’”
Bill Burr – I’m Sorry You Feel That Way
The blue-collar ginger Bostonian is best known here for playing Patrick Kuby, one of Saul Goodman’s hired hands in Breaking Bad, but his day job is as a ranty, perma-enraged stand-up, with a persona like the loud drunk dude in a bar. Burr specialises in crass, crude, contrarian diatribes shot through with moments of wise clarity and he’s especially strong on sexism, racism, religion, romcoms and zombies. He’s been called “a thoughtful troll” and “a self-aware YouTube comment”. This 2014 set, shot in black-and-white at the Atlanta Tabernacle, is unflinching, fresh and devastatingly funny.
Sample gag: “Any other town you go to, there's this little devil and a little angel on your shoulder. A little good advice, a little bad advice. You go to Las Vegas, there's like a devil and a devil and they're just battling it out the whole time. It's like, 'Smoke some crack!' 'Get a hooker!'"
Anthony Jeselnik – Thoughts & Prayers
The acid-tongued former Jimmy Fallon writer and ex of Amy Schumer is nicknamed “the dark prince of comedy”. With his arrogant stage persona and amoral stance, the deadpan Pittsburgh stand-up specialises in blackly funny one-liners and uncomfortable truths that you feel guilty about giggling at. This 2015 special filmed at The Fillmore in San Francisco, sees him tackle taboo topics and national tragedies – before slyly revealing the secrets behind his edgy, provocative style.
Sample gag: “My girlfriend makes me want to be a better person... so I can get a better girlfriend.”
Jimmy Carr – Funny Business
Filmed in front of a sellout audience at Hammersmith Apollo, this is something of a landmark show, as it’s the first stand-up special by a Brit comic on the streaming service’s US-dominated selection. Eyebrow permanently arched, tongue firmly in cheek, James Anthony Patrick Carr rattles through his cleverly constructed one-liners (150 of them, to be precise), remorselessly deals with hecklers and somehow manages to offend everybody – while making them laugh so much, they don’t really care.
Sample gag: "I talked to an African woman for hours, in her own language. We just clicked."
Show Page 10
Aziz Ansari – Buried Alive
This hour-plus stand-up special, shot in 2013 at Philadelphia’s Merriam Theatre, sees the star of Parks & Rec and Master Of None training his sharp observational style on such textbook 30 something subjects as online dating and dick pics. His irreverent riff on marriage is a highlight but he’s also superb on the tiny injustices of everyday life.
Sample gag: “Texting dick pics. What a bizarre thing to become so commonplace. Thirty years ago, if I went up to a woman and said, ‘Hi, I recently took some photos of my penis and just got them developed. Could I get your mailing address so I can send you a few copies?’ I’d get thrown in jail and the headline would read ‘Polaroid dick bandit busted’.
Watch Snob On Whether Any Watch Is Really 'Worth It'Read More
Louis C.K. – Live At the Beacon Theater
Self-financed, self-distributed and remarkably low-key – bare stage, grubby T-shirt and jeans – this 2011 New York gig shows Louis at the absolute top of his game. Who needs gimmicks or fancy lighting when your material’s this strong? He’s conversational and infectiously silly as he tackles sex, sweets, drugs, death, driving, elevator etiquette and air travel, in a style that’s cynical yet heartfelt. It won an Emmy, while Louis donated the proceeds to charity.
Sample gag: “Don’t text or Twitter during the show. Just live your life. Don’t keep telling people what you’re doing. Also, it lights up your big dumb face.”
The 11 Funniest Louis CK Gags
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Fuel Your Wanderlust with these Outdoorsy Accounts on the ‘Gram
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AstraZeneca enters licensing agreements with LEO Pharma in skin diseases
Datum 1 July 2016
Agreement for development and commercialisation of tralokinumab for atopic dermatitis supports sharper focus on main therapy areas
AstraZeneca also licenses European rights to LEO Pharma for brodalumab, a potential new medicine for psoriasis
AstraZeneca today announced that it has entered into agreements that support its strategic focus on three main therapy areas; Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmunity, Cardiovascular and Metabolic disease and Oncology. The agreements include two of AstraZeneca’s potential new medicines for dermatitis and psoriasis, allowing the Company to further simplify and sharpen focus on innovative new medicines in the main therapy areas.
Agreement for tralokinumab for dermatology
AstraZeneca has entered into an agreement with LEO Pharma A/S (LEO Pharma), a specialist in dermatology care, for the global licence to tralokinumab in skin diseases. Tralokinumab is a potential new medicine (an anti-IL-13 monoclonal antibody)that has completed a Phase IIb trial for the treatment of patients with atopic dermatitis, an inflammatory skin disease resulting in itchy, red, swollen and cracked skin.
Under the terms of the agreement, LEO Pharma will make an upfront payment to AstraZeneca of $115 million for the exclusive, global rights to tralokinumab in atopic dermatitis and any future additional dermatology indications. LEO Pharma will also pay AstraZeneca up to $1 billion in commercially-related milestones and up to mid-teen tiered percentage royalties on Product Sales. AstraZeneca will manufacture and supply tralokinumab to LEO Pharma. Tralokinumab is also in Phase III development for patients with severe asthma. AstraZeneca will retain all rights to tralokinumab in respiratory disease and any other indications outside of dermatology.
Luke Miels, Executive Vice President, Global Product and Portfolio Strategy, AstraZeneca, said: “This agreement allows us to concentrate our efforts on tralokinumab’s potential for patients with severe asthma, a priority area for AstraZeneca, while benefitting from LEO Pharma’s expertise in dermatology for the continued development and commercialisation of tralokinumab in atopic dermatitis and other dermatology conditions.”
Agreements for brodalumab in Europe
AstraZeneca and an affiliate of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (Valeant) have agreed to terminate the licence for Valeant’s right to develop and commercialise brodalumab in Europe. Simultaneously, AstraZeneca has entered into an agreement with LEO Pharma for the exclusive licence to brodalumab in Europe. Brodalumab is an IL-17 receptor monoclonal antibody under regulatory review for patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis (a skin disease that causes red patches of skin covered with silvery scales) and in development for psoriatic arthritis (inflammation of the joints associated with psoriasis).
In September 2015, AstraZeneca and Valeant entered an agreement granting Valeant an exclusive licence to develop and commercialise brodalumab globally, outside Japan and certain other Asian countries where the rights are held by Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. Valeant will continue to lead development and commercialisation of brodalumab in the US and all other markets included in the original agreement.
LEO Pharma will gain the European rights to brodalumab under similar terms to those agreed with Valeant. Additionally, Amgen will continue to receive a low single-digit inventor royalty.
Luke Miels added: “These agreements allow us to capitalise on LEO’s strong track record of bringing new dermatological treatments to patients in Europe, while enabling Valeant to focus on bringing brodalumab to market in the US and other key markets. We are confident that working with both partners, we can maximise the reach of this potential new medicine to help psoriasis patients across the globe.”
Gitte Aabo, President and CEO, LEO Pharma, said: “LEO Pharma has secured a unique position to help people with skin diseases as a result of our strategic partnership with AstraZeneca, a global healthcare company at the forefront of science-led innovation. By expanding our portfolio to include both biologics and topicals, LEO Pharma is set to become the world dermatology leader – offering the most diverse range of treatment solutions to meet the individual needs of people with skin diseases.”
The agreement with LEO Pharma for tralokinumab is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to complete in the third quarter of 2016. As AstraZeneca will retain a significant ongoing interest in dermatology indications for tralokinumab, the upfront consideration of $115 million, future commercial milestone and royalty payments will be reported as Externalisation Revenue in the Company’s financial statements.
The agreements with Valeant and LEO Pharma for brodalumab became effective at signing and incremental payments received from LEO Pharma will be reported as Externalisation Revenue, in line with the prior arrangement.
The agreements do not impact AstraZeneca’s financial guidance for 2016.
About LEO Pharma
LEO Pharma helps people achieve healthy skin. By offering care solutions to patients in more than 100 countries globally, LEO Pharma supports people in managing their skin conditions. Founded in 1908 and owned by the LEO Foundation, the healthcare company has devoted decades of research and development to delivering products and solutions to people with skin conditions. LEO Pharma is headquartered in Denmark and employs around 5,000 people worldwide. For more information please visit: www.leo-pharma.com
About Valeant
Valeant (NYSE/TSX:VRX) is a multinational specialty pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of pharmaceutical products primarily in the areas of dermatology, gastrointestinal disorder, eye health, neurology and branded generics. More information about Valeant can be found at www.valeant.com
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three main therapy areas – Respiratory and Autoimmunity, Cardiovascular and Metabolic disease, and Oncology. We are also active in inflammation, infection and neuroscience through collaborations. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information please visit: www.astrazeneca.com
Neil Burrows UK/Global +44 7824 350541
Vanessa Rhodes
Rob Skelding UK/Global
UK/Global +44 7880 400690
Karen Birmingham UK/Global +44 7818 524012
Thomas Kudsk Larsen +44 7818 524185
Nick Stone RIA +44 7717 618834
Henry Wheeler Oncology +44 7788 354619
Craig Marks Finance +44 7881 615764
Christer Gruvris ING +44 7827 836825
Lindsey Trickett CVMD +1 240 543 7970
Dial / Toll-Free +1 866 381 7277
Key: RIA - Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmunity, CVMD - Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease, ING - Infection, Neuroscience and Gastrointestinal
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Asus USB Drivers
Home › USB Driver
LG Leon USB Drivers For Windows
LG Leon smartphone has been launched in March 2015. The phone includes a 4.50-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 480x854 pixels in a pixel rate of 220 pixels per inch (ppi).
LG Leon is powered with a 1.2GHz quad-core chip. It comes with 1GB of RAM. The LG Leon is a portion of this newest spread of mid-range smart phones the Korean firm has declared, and I must give it a try in MWC 2015.
LG Leon Review
Not merely is your LG Leon a midsize handset, but it also sits securely in the center of the new assortment of handsets, which means you might say it is in the center of the centre, which is not an enviable place to becheap enough to describe some of the missing features, nor pricey enough to profit from some added bells and whistles.
The LG Leon runs Android 5.0 and can be powered by a 1900mAh non-removable battery. Storage space is limited to 8GB, and when I say restricted I mean it since there is no way to enlarge this small capacity via microSD. This means if you are likely to need to shoot a lot of photographs, save music and watch films, you are likely to discover that 8GB capability filling up fairly fast.
We have often complained that 16GB of storage is overly fussy for the current smartphones because of the number of programs, photographs and websites we shop on our apparatus and 8GB is much worse, especially once you believe there is no way to raise the space. A microSD slot could give us a little flexibility, but alas it's not to be.
LG Leon Features:
At the base of the handset resides the micro USB interface for transferring files off and one the LG Leon, in addition to charging it. Because of the limited storage I've a feeling you are going to use this port frequently to free up any space.
So far as the cameras are involved, the LG Leon about the trunk packs 8-megapixel camera. It sports a 0.3-megapixel camera to the front for selfies. LG's goal using the LG Leon would be to deliver a superior feel to an inexpensive handset, and to achieve so it's a plastic rear using a metallic finish that comes in five distinct colors: blue, black, black, white, silver and gold. Though made of vinyl, the body will not seem fine, and feels fairly robust.
LG Leon predicated on Android 5.0 and packs 8GB of storage that is inbuilt. The LG Leon is just one SIM (GSM) smartphone which takes a Regular-SIM card. Even though it was already released in america, LG has not confirmed when we will be visiting it in Europe and Australia, although an LG representative informed me they're planning to launch it at the subsequent two quarters (approximately six month's period in ordinary speech ). There is no news on cost .
LG Leon Specs:
Connectivity alternatives on the LG Leon contain Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, 3G, and 4G. Sensors on the telephone include accelerometer, proximity detector, and compass/ magnetometer. The LG Leon comes with a 4.5-inch broad VGA screen with a pixel density of 220ppi, together with a 1.2GHz quad-core chip, 5MP camera, VGA front camera plus a 1900 mAh removable battery.
The power button and the volume controls are also found on the rear, just under the camera. That can be quite a canny choice, since it's a lot more comfortable to achieve using a finger when holding on the telephone, in place of the side or at the very best. The buttons are slightly recessed, which can help prevent accidentally pressing .
Putting these buttons onto the trunk frees up the sides and top borders of the apparatus, providing them a great smooth texture. The plan would be much more striking if it was somewhat thinner, so as the 10.9millimeter thickness renders the LG Leon feeling (and looking) fairly posh.
Together with the 4.5-inch display the LG Leon's measurements are 129.9 x 64.9 x 10.9mm, resulting in a small and compact handset. Even though the body is comparatively little, while holding the LG Leon I tried to extend my palms to the peak of the handset at which the power button generally resides. They attained, but it had been much less comfortable than locating the button to the rear of the handset, so that I applaud LG's choice for placing them.
LG Leon USB Drivers and Support:
Windows XP / Vista 7
Windows 8 | Windows 10
Support Installer
USB Driver : Download
Size : 8.7 MB
File Name : adbdriver.zip
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Comics – A Transgressive Art: Theoretical Foundations and Intersections (GSA 2020)
CfP/CfA Veranstaltungen
Deadline Abstract
German Studies Association Annual Conference, October 1-4, 2020, Washington, D.C.
Call for Abstracts: GSA Seminar
Comics - A Transgressive Art: Theoretical Foundations and Intersections
(Sponsored by the Comics Studies Network)
Application Deadline: January 27, 2020
Seminar Description
This seminar builds on the work of the newly established Comics Studies Network of the German Studies Association. Past panels and roundtables on various historical and thematic aspects of comics provide evidence for the medium’s critical intervention in discussions of individual identity and issues of social justice. Recognizing the transgressive potential of comics to enable synergies between research and teaching and to invite dialogue among creators, consumers, and critics, we also see the demand for a more robust theoretical discussion of the affordances of comics. The seminar will thus examine foundational works of Comics Studies in order to establish a systematic theoretical framework within which to situate specific investigations. To explore the interdisciplinary possibilities of comics scholarship, we are interested in attracting scholars from a variety of disciplines and positions, including graduate students, who employ diverse approaches to questions of form, function, production, and reception with regard to German-language comics.
The Comics Studies Network has made great strides toward highlighting the role of comics and graphic novels within German Studies. This seminar will build on and intensify the discussions that have developed over the past years. While we have seen exciting case studies of German-language comics and graphic novels, we have yet to situate these specific investigations within a systematic theoretical framework. We are particularly keen to develop the interdisciplinary possibilities of bringing German Studies and Comics Studies into dialogue. By exploring intersectionality in comics from a variety of theoretical angles, this seminar will also make a contribution to the recent and urgent discussions around diversifying German Studies. We hope to attract both current network members and new participants at all career stages, including graduate students. In addition to solidifying the theoretical foundation for the future activities of the GSA Comics Studies Network, the seminar also aims to deepen ties to related research initiatives in the US and abroad, including the Graphic Narratives Network at Michigan State University, the Gesellschaft für Comicforschung (ComFor) in Germany, the Austrian Association for the Research and Promotion of Comics (OeGeC) and the Comics Studies Society (CSS). We are considering publishing an edited selection of the seminar’s outcome in Konturen.
Seminar Format
The seminar sessions will discuss theoretical and methodological readings, starting from pre-circulated position papers (ca. 1,000 words each) from all participants. In April 2020, a list of core readings will be circulated for participants to read and engage with in their position papers. In August, participants will submit their position papers to the conveners for distribution to the entire seminar.
Please submit a brief statement of interest and description of your research as it relates to the seminar topic (250-500 words) as well as a brief CV/bio-bib (500-100 words) electronically through the GSA website: https://www.xcdsystem.com/gsa The GSA seminar application portal is open from January 6, 2020 to January 27, 2020. You must be an active GSA member in order to apply.
Please contact the seminar conveners with any questions:
Lynn L. Wolff, lwolff@msu.edu, Michigan State University
Brett Sterling, bsterli@uark.edu, University of Arkansas
Elizabeth Nijdam, elizabeth.nijdam@gmail.com, University of British Columbia
John D. Benjamin, john.benjamin@westpoint.edu, United States Military Academy
Quelle der Beschreibung: Information des Anbieters
https://networks.h-net.org/node/79435/discussions/5687173/cfp-gsa-2020-seminar-comics-%E2%80%93-transgressive-art-theoretical
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.xcdsystem.com/gsa__;!!HXCxUKc!keBExo-APbRwpn-qSOD4L6tXQFTxdqyty49xH2Jz6bTZe71IXiAI0xo6L8KSNWU$
Lynn L. Wolff
Brett Sterling
Elizabeth Nijdam
John D. Benjamin
German Studies Association (GSA)
Beitrag von: Redaktion avldigital.de
Datum der Veröffentlichung: 13.01.2020
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Thu, Jan 9
+ More Issues
By Sam Baker
Good morning … Vitals won’t be publishing Monday, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so have a nice weekend and I’ll see you back here Tuesday.
Is the health care bubble about to burst?
Illustration: Rebecca Zisser / Axios
Health care companies at this year's J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference celebrated the Republican tax overhaul and trumpeted optimistic views of their future financial power.
But as more Americans become unable to afford drug prices, hospital bills, deductibles and copays — and as they voice their anger — there is a sentiment brewing in the industry that a day of reckoning will come.
"We are in the middle of a bubble in all health care asset classes," says Bijan Salehizadeh, a health care investor at NaviMed Capital. "Everyone knows it, but no one knows how it will end."
What we're hearing: Axios' Bob Herman was at the J.P. Morgan conference this week, and kept hearing attendees single out one part of the health care system as desperately in need of change: pharmaceuticals.
Many companies hike list prices on generics and brand-name drugs, game the system by extending old drug patents, and develop relatively fewer breakthroughs compared with a much higher number of "me-too" drugs that provide limited benefits over existing drugs.
Yes, but: Hospital profits are also sky-high, and many attendees also questioned whether insurers could be getting better deals in their negotiations with providers.
Go deeper: Read Bob's full report in the Axios stream.
Medicaid work requirements will face lawsuits
The new work requirements are expected to spark a new legal battle. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images
The Trump administration will have to clear some potentially difficult legal hurdles before it can fully implement the new Medicaid restrictions it announced yesterday.
The issue: As soon as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services actually approves a state’s proposed work requirements — which could happen any time — it will likely find itself in court.
CMS will be allowing work requirements using an existing waiver authority reserved for policy proposals that are “likely to assist in promoting the objectives” of the Medicaid program. Critics will say work requirements don’t meet that standard, because Medicaid is a health care program, not a work incentive.
They’ll likely argue that CMS is just trying to make a policy change, and isn’t actually making a real effort to test a hypothesis about how to improve people’s health.
The other side: CMS has a lot of flexibility to make its own determinations about what would further Medicaid’s objectives, and the courts do tend to defer to agencies’ expertise.
“I think we made it clear we feel like this is within … the waiver authority,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma told reporters yesterday.
The bottom line: “HHS has a lot of flexibility here, and I could see a world in which work requirements are sustained” says Nicholas Bagley, a health law expert at the University of Michigan. But, “the courts are going to ask hard questions.”
CHIP has become a political football
Everyone says they want to reauthorize federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program. There are bills already written to do just that. They might even save the federal government money. So, what in the world is Congress waiting for? Why hasn’t this happened?
Between the lines: CHIP is so popular, especially now that it’s a cost-saver, that lawmakers see it as powerful leverage to help pass something else, my colleague Caitlin Owens reports this morning.
“It’s a matter of, should we be adding something to it that might be just below the threshold of being passable,” Sen. Mike Rounds tells Caitlin, adding that he opposes this strategy.
Lawmakers don’t even know what they’d want to use CHIP’s leverage to help pass. Maybe next week’s spending bill. Maybe a separate package of more controversial health care items — that idea is floating around, but no such package has actually been assembled yet.
The numbers that matter: 9 million kids get their health care coverage through CHIP. It’s now been 104 days since Congress allowed the program’s funding to expire.
The partisan battle over Trump’s mental health
There’s a nuanced ethical debate going on right now about the extent to which it’s appropriate for medical professionals to speculate about the president’s mental health without ever meeting him. The symptoms some of those professionals say they see in Trump are also complicated.
But nothing’s so complicated that Americans can’t reduce it to pure partisanship.
Data: SurveyMonkey online poll conducted January 10-11 among a national sample of 1,412 adults. Margin of error +/- 3.5%. Poll Methodology; Chart: Lazaro Gamio / Axios
What’s next: Trump is getting a medical evaluation today, but it’s not expected to include any cognitive evaluations. So, more of the same reductive partisanship is what’s next. Awesome.
Trump tweet boosts sales of anti-radiation pills
Ever heard of potassium iodide? If you haven’t, it’s a drug that’s supposed to help protect people against radiation poisoning. And per Kaiser Health News, sales went through the roof after Trump tweeted about how his “nuclear button” was bigger than North Korea’s.
One distributor of the drug said he sold out of a month’s supply of the drug in about 48 hours after the tweet.
The catch: It’s not actually recommended by either the Food and Drug Administration or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It only protects against radioactive iodine, and if that’s not present, the drug is “not protective and could cause harm,” per the CDC.
The bottom line: Yes, www.nukepills.com is a thing.
What will you be watching next week? Let me know: [email protected].
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10 NPS Rangers We Love
They make the parks more accessible, more safe, and more fun. Meet 10 rangers who make the park system what it is—then hike to the places they love.
BACKPACKER Staff
A Rocky Mountain National Park ranger looking out from a fire tower (removed in 1977) on Twin Sisters Peak. photo courtesy of National Park Service Historic Photograph Collection
You may not know their names, but you know who they are. The man who just sort of appeared and happened to have with him the exact information you were looking for, the woman who singled you out in the visitor center and built a plan that turned your road-trip stop into a forever memory. The calm ones who you could tell had been everywhere, seen everything, hiked every single mile in the park. You learn to read the code of their descriptions, you understand that maybe so much regular exposure to intensely beautiful landscapes has a certain leveling-out effect. They’ll see your enthusiasm and read right through your posturing and know, just as a cop sizes you up, where in their park you belong. They’ll look at your itinerary and raise their eyebrows and look back up at you and say, “Have fun,” and it feels more like a benediction than small talk. They’re patient with questions and generous with answers. They don’t want you to have just a good time, but an unforgettable one. You’ll find them all over the park service. You know who they are, even if you never caught their names. We’ve caught a few of them for you.
74 of #NPS100
Laura Lynn DelRoss. illustrations: Ze Otavio
Laura Lynn DelRoss
THE EYE OPENER
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, CA/NV
“Laura taught me that if you truly want to do something, just do it and don’t look back.” – Bobby Kerr, reader
Death Valley has beauty in all directions, but Laura Lynn DelRoss’s favorite place to look is up. When visitors stargaze in Death Valley, they always have the same reaction, she says: “Oh no, there’s a big cloud in the sky. We can’t see the stars.” When DelRoss, an interpretive ranger, tells them that “cloud” is the Milky Way, the ensuing silence might be her favorite sound in the park. “I’ve fallen in love with the ability to inspire people with their natural surroundings,” she says.
FAVE SPOT Mosaic Canyon
Look closely at the polished, serpentine stone curves near the entrance of this desert slot canyon: The rock contains intricate patterns of multicolored mineral fragments that juxtapose 450-million-year-old and 50-million-year-old rock. DelRoss calls the resulting Mosaic Breccia “lovely chaos.” The 4-mile (round-trip) hike to a dry waterfall and back also serves up rosy-brown stone walls, winding narrows, and fun, easy canyoneering moves. Trailhead Mosaic Canyon (.3 mile west of Stovepipe Wells) Info nps.gov/deva
Mike Gauthier
THE SAVIOR
“He’s someone who is one of us—a true end-user, who just happens to be one of the country’s foremost rangers.” – Nancy Bouchard, contributor
Gauthier has been Chief of Staff at Yosemite since 2010, but for more than 20 years, he worked in Rainier, advancing from scrubbing toilets to managing SAR operations. Just about anyone who’s swung an ice axe into the mountain’s glaciers knows Mike Gauthier’s name. He built his reputa- tion as a steady hand, the calm in the storm of climbs gone wrong, and the lives he’s saved bear testament.
FAVE SPOT Eagle Peak, Mt. Rainier NP, WA
Gauthier hikes a lot in Yosemite, but still hasn’t found any- thing to unseat Eagle Peak. Scramble a spiky saddle with views of the Tatoosh Range and a string of Cascade volcanoes (including Rainier itself) on this 7.2-mile round-trip. Switchback through old-growth forest, then ascend a rocky slope to the 5,700-foot saddle. The vistas are glorious from here, but the fearless can cross the exposed .3 mile to the 5,958-foot summit. “In the winter I’d carry my snowboard up,” Gauthier says. “It kept me in shape, and gave me a place to think.” Trailhead Longmire Info nps.gov/mora
Merrill McCauley
THE HELPER
CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, CA
“My kid can’t wait to go back out there all the time to see ‘Merrill Bear.’” – Hillary Young, reader
Want to know where the fish are? Curious what kind of flower that is? Strike up a conversation with a ranger like McCauley and you’ll probably get more than you asked for. “Everyone’s on vacation doing backcountry trips and they’re really making lasting memories,” says McCauley, a protection (law enforcement) ranger. “So when you’re able to teach them about the wildlife we have here and you’re really friendly and they say, ‘Would you like to set up your tent next to mine and have dinner and have a chat?’— you’re kind of a lasting memory for their visit to the park.”
FAVE SPOT Scorpion Anchorage
If emerald-green water, frolicking seals, and yawning sea caves sound like a day well spent, jump in a kayak and paddle the shore between Scorpion Rock and Cavern Point (about a 2-mile trip). “The best time to go is early in the morning when the winds are calm,” McCauley says. “You can also snorkel through a glorious kelp forest. They call it the Galapagos of North America.” Camping Scorpion Ranch Campground ($15/night) Info nps.gov/chis
#71 of #NPS100
“The first time I ever had an in-depth interaction with an NPS ranger was with Glenn, and he lived up to everything I thought a ranger would be.” –Jerami Martin, reader
There are speakers and presenters who breeze through their material by rote. Then there are storytellers, the type who read their audiences and calibrate their material on the fly. By the time they finish, they don’t need applause. They already know: You were listening. Glenn Reynolds, an interpretive ranger, weaves tales of ancient people together with the landscape to deepen the Arches experience. “My motivation is for the moment of silence that can form from reflection or introspection about how what I’ve said relates to who they are,” Reynolds says.
FAVE SPOT Tower Arch
Get the geologic drama without the crowds on the 3.4-mile out-and-back to this distinctive arch on the park’s remote northwest side. Hoof it up a mesa with views over the knobby Klondike Bluffs, then descend through the pinksand desert to the 92-foot-long arch crowned with a thick stone spire. Trailhead Tower Arch Info nps.gov/arch
Michael Matthes
THE ROLE MODEL
“He is quiet and creative. He will take the time to have a genuine conversation about the park with you.” – Victoria Allen, reader
Growing up as a city kid in St. Louis, Michael Matthes didn’t visit his first national park until he was 23. A day trip to Arches turned into two, then three. And today, 13 years later, he works as an interpretive ranger in the park that captured his imagination. His goal: get visitors to look past their screens and connect to the park. There’s no end to that kind of work and no rule book, but there are highlights. “The visitor was probably 7 or 8 years old,” he says. “At the end of the activity book, I like to ask my junior rangers one question: What can you do to help the park? He looked up at me and said, ‘I can be just like you.’”
FAVE SPOT Park Avenue
The desert-majesty-to-effort ratio doesn’t get any better than this quiet 2-mile out-and-back through a canyon lined with Arches’ most iconic rock sculptures. “My season always begins with the song of the canyon wren while hiking Park Avenue,” Matthes says. Trailhead Park Avenue or Courthouse Towers Viewpoint Info nps.gov/arch
Sabrina Diaz
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, FL
“She helped foster a new love and appreciation toward wilderness that will be with me for the rest of my life.” – Sandeep Varry, reader
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, Diaz, a supervisory ranger of interpretation, wanted to introduce new people to the Everglades. With a little luck, she’d turn them into champions for the park. Thus was born the Everglades Wilderness Writing Expedition, which introduced 10 young writers to the backcountry, served them weekend hikes, and culminated in a four-day trip. “One of the most important things about my job and the job of any park ranger across the country is to grow stewards,” Diaz says. “Our job is to give people the information that they need to fall in love with a place and eventually become the voice of our parks and our natural areas.”
FAVE SPOT Snake Bight
This 3.2-miler to a tucked-away bay is ground zero for birders: During high tide in winter, hundreds of flamingos, roseate spoonbills, and pelicans gather near the boardwalk at trail’s end. “If you time it just right, you can witness thousands of birds,” she says. “It’s just incredible.” Trailhead Snake Bight Info nps.gov/ever
Celeste Drago
THE CHEERLEADER
WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK, SD
“Celeste was full of enthusiasm and patience as she guided us through the world’s most complex cave system.” – Aidan & Madison
There is no show of exuberance that can trump actual passion for our national parks. With rangers like Celeste Drago around, visitors will never have to wonder if their guide’s heart is really in it. Nothing dampens her spirit for the place. “Passion, and the chance to engage with someone who’s just as curious as I am, that’s what makes me so excited to come to work every day,” she says, “if you can even call it work.”
FAVE SPOT Rankin Ridge
Leave the cave-going crowds and climb into solitude on Rankin Ridge, the park’s 4,803-foot high point. A quick 1-mile loop delivers you to views of the great bison herds that roam the grass-flecked high plains. Drago recommends setting up camp anywhere .3 mile from a road or trail to enjoy supreme prairie stargazing. Trailhead Rankin Ridge Info nps.gov/wica
Bryan Bell
THE BACKCOUNTRY GURU
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, WA
“The man is an encyclopedia of backcountry knowledge.” – Michael Lanza, contributor
Bryan Bell’s first hikes were through rainforest. When he was young he used to hike to Lake Quinault, just north of where he grew up in Aberdeen, Washington, and to this day, the trek remains his favorite. Over time, Bell built a mental map of the park’s expansive backcountry—from beach to rainforest to mountaintop—and applied his knowledge to search-and-rescue ops for years. Now he uses it to match backpackers to the right places and itineraries, what he calls “preventative search and rescue.” And that, he says, is a team effort: “No one person is a super ranger.”
FAVE SPOT Lake Quinault, Enchanted Valley
Enchanted Valley is right: In this idyllic valley 13 miles up the East Fork Quinault River Trail, waterfalls careen down the sides of sheer peaks to a verdant haven frequented by black bears. On the way, you’ll hike under an electric-green canopy of enormous evergreens near a rushing cobalt river. Trailhead East Fork Quinault River Permit $5 per person per night Info nps.gov/olym
Jerry Bransford
THE LIVING HISTORY
MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KY
“Quite simply, he is the park’s history.” – Glen Everhart, reader
Jerry Bransford’s great-great-grandfather, Materson Bransford, was an explorer and tour guide of the Mammoth Cave as a slave before the Civil War. When the war ended, the Bransford men continued that tradition until private guides were banned when the NPS took over in 1941. Eleven years ago, the NPS asked Bransford to bring the family name back to the cave. His ancestors names are etched everywhere from the walls of the cave to the park’s gravestones. He says he will never get used to the feeling he gets when he passes one of those names.
FAVE SPOT Sal Hollow Loop
This 11.7-mile loop over a rolling karst landscape smothered in beech, maple, and hickory trees proves the park’s topside features are just as attractive as the caves. For a quiet overnight, trace the Sal Hollow Trail 7.1 miles to the Sal Hollow backcountry site. Next day, take the .3-mile spur to Miles-Davis Cemetery, a settler’s graveyard dating back to the mid-1800s. Return via the Buffalo Creek Trail. Trailhead Maple Springs Permit Free; pick one up at the visitor center Info nps.gov/maca
Rebecca Ouvry
THE ANIMAL LOVER
“She loves her job and it shows in the way she treats both the guests and the animals. class act.” – Judy Crockett, reader
Rebecca Ouvry didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life. But when she saw a job opening at Yellowstone in 2006, she pawned a camera, bought a one-way bus ticket, and entered the park for the first time. Now a resource education specialist, she runs wildlife interpretation programs that help visitors connect with nature. Her favorite animal behavior? Bison swimming. “Nothing is cooler than watch- ing such a big animal swim a river,” she says. “And when they get to the other side, they shake off like a big dog.”
FAVE SPOT Mt. Washburn from Dunraven Pass
Views from the top of 10,243-foot Mt. Washburn extend up to 50 miles in all directions, giving you an eagle-
eye view of Hayden Valley, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Absaroka Range, and the distant Tetons. But don’t let that distract from the up-close attractions on this 6.2-mile round-trip: abundant wildflowers in July and frequent sightings of bighorn sheep and grizzlies. Trailhead Dunraven Pass Info nps.gov/yell
Bison graze Yellowstone's sprawling valleys. photo: Ian Shive/TandemStock.com
THE FIRST 100 YEARS
The history of rangering is full of acts of valor, intelligence, and barrier-breaking. Here are three of the greats:
Harry Yount
1880: Harry Yount
This Civil War veteran and old-school mountain man is hired on as gamekeeper of Yellowstone to enforce the park’s ban on hunting. He’s a ranger before there’s an NPS and is widely considered the first of his type. He works just a year before moving on, but on his way out, he suggests an area as vast as Yellowstone be protected by a cadre of men, not just one.
1920: Ansel Hall
This Yosemite naturalist establishes interpretation as a ranger duty. The idea spreads.
1929: Charles Browne
Responding to a report of distressed climbers on Mt. Rainier, Browne mountaineers through the night to reach the stranded party, rescue four climbers, and retrieve the bodies of two others. He earns the Department of the Interior’s first valor award and helps establish rangers’ reputations as all-conditions guardian angels.
The Next 100 Years
It’s going to get harder for bad actors in the parks; their records will follow them. As tech comes to law enforcement in the national parks, rangers will deploy new tools to stay at the cutting edge of resource protection. That includes figuring out how to handle the new forms of recreation that crop up as tech infuses life. “Every time we think the regulations are keeping up with the times, we are sorely mistaken,” says Michael Nash, chief ranger at Grand Teton National Park. Rangers now spend more time than ever on training webinars and entering records into electronic databases. The upside: Technology will continue to extend the long arm of the ranger.
#NPS100
All year we’re counting down the things that make the NPS special. See our progress so far at backpacker.com/nps100.
President Obama to Replace Coin Stolen From NPS's Oldest Ranger
Betty Reid Soskin, 94, was attacked in her home last week.
The Seven Deadly Sins (And Why We Love Them)
This classic roundup appeared in the June 2003 issue of BACKPACKER
NPS Announces Free Admission Dates For 2015
Mark your calendar accordingly.
Why We Can’t Log Our Way Out of Wildfires
Trying to prevent forest fires with more logging may only make them worse, fire ecologists say. Will the federal government listen?
Ranger Randy Morgenson's Epitaph in the Sky
An obscure peak in the High Sierra preserves the legacy of a beloved ranger and beckons more to its granite summit.
What Makes a Great National Park Ranger?
The attributes that define a good ranger haven’t changed since the corps was established more than 100 years ago.
Ranger Confidential: Secrets of the National Park Rangers
True tales from the front lines--and behind the scenes--of America's national parks.
NPS Proposes Steep Fee Hikes at Popular Parks
Would more than double prime-time entrance costs, as administration seeks to cut National Park Service's budget.
So You Want to be a Park Ranger...
A Yosemite park ranger shares his tips for getting the coolest job in the outdoors.
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Theatre Review: Sister Act - King's Theatre, Glasgow ✭✭✭✭
"First rule of singing, get the rafters ringing..." Well, there can be no doubt at all that the cast of Sister Act had the roof of the King's Theatre rattling and the audience dancing through the encore of Raise Your Voice. The Glasgow audience lapped up every second of the show and leapt to their feet during the curtain call. The Hampden Roar is famous in football and certainly the King's Theatre Roar must be the loudest in all the theatres in Britain. I've never heard such loud appreciation from an audience.
Alan Menken's joyful music and Glenn Slater's clever lyrics put the soul in this stage musical based on the film of the same name. The musical is set in 70s Philadelphia with the same characters and a similar plot to the film but with new original music and lyrics different to those used in the famous film. Paying attention to the lyrics is a must in this show as some of its cleverest comic lines are wrapped in the song lyrics.
Cynthia Erivo is a remarkable leading lady and confidently heads the cast as the tour de force that is the strong-willed Deloris Van Cartier. Her voice alone could make the rafters ring with its soulfulness and power. She captures the essence of Deloris beautifully and her rebellious streak shines in the scenes where she is juxtaposed with Mother Superior, played by Denise Black. Black is brilliant as the increasingly exasperated and overwrought Mother Superior. Her character choices coupled with the fact that the Mother Superior undoubtedly has some of the funniest one-liners bring real humility to a role that could easily come across as cold in the wrong hands.
Where Sister Act really comes into a league of its own are the ensemble choir pieces. This show and its stellar cast are a perfect reminder that some of the best voices you can find in the UK belong to musical theatre performers, they are incredible. Stuff the X Factor I'll take the Nun Factor. This cast could knock any of the X Factor contestants into a cocked hat on any day of the week. The range and power of their voices ensures the soaring harmonies come alive and when Sister Mary Robert, played by the extremely talented Julie Atherton, breaks into her solo during Raise Your Voice she deservedly got an immediate roar of surprised appreciation from the audience.
Although the "Sisters" are the focus of the show, male cast members Edward Baruwa and Cavin Cornwall are scene-stealing as the hapless Eddie Souther and villain of the piece Curtis Jackson. Their rich voices are showcased beautifully in their solo pieces I Could Be That Guy & When I Find My Baby. Curtis's henchmen are the comedic triple act of Gavin Alex, Daniel Stockton and Tyrone Huntley who had the audience in fits of laughter during their masterful performance of Lady in the Long Black Dress.
Sister Act is a joyful show with a glittering finale that will deservedly sell out theatres during its tour. Head on down to the King's Theatre to join the choir while you can, it's the happiest night out in town.
Until Sat 22nd September 2012Matinees: Wed / Sat 2.30pm
Evenings: Mon - Sat 7.30pm
www.ambassadortickets.com/Glasgow (Bkg fee)
Box Office 0844 871 7648 (Bkg fee)
Labels Reviews, Scotland, Theatre, theatrereview
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by Dr. Neetha Joseph
Neha sensed a slow movement around her which could have been easily mistaken for a gentle breeze had it not begun to seep through her. She felt like she was being possessed by an unknown entity and she stiffened when the unexplainable assumed the shape or form of a hand that began to fondle her. She resisted with her will as she was incapable of pushing the invisible force away from her. Fear paralysed her as the thought that she was becoming one with the supernatural invaded her mind which commenced a bout of incessant chanting. Prayers seemed to be powerless in the face of that mystifying persistent potency which continued to maraud against her will. Fingers trailed on her supple skin and Neha could hear her deafeningly loud breathing drown every other sound in her bedroom. She could not summon enough courage to open her eyes let alone sit up and investigate or reason the origin of the unexpected intrusion that was frighteningly and strangely seductive. She was unsuccessful in her rationalisation as the roving hand was determined to terminate her digressions and left her gasping in pleasure. Manipulative fingers prodding, probing and caressing her body from head to toe made it impossible for her to harbour any sinister feelings about the freakish encounter. The inscrutable turned more demanding and urgent, which matched Neha's rapid breathing, forcing her to relax and subduing her instinct to protest. She could feel its grip tightening around her waist groping for softness embedded within her inner lips. When she struggled to appear unresponsive, Neha felt the hold slacken only to wander away to the soft swell that accentuated her femininity. Hungrily the hand clenched and unclenched over her mounds of softness making her arching body clamour for more. Neha suppressed her moans as disturbing John, who was sleeping in the adjacent room, was unthinkable during the witching hours. Wave after wave of sensual pleasure washed over her ruining the possibility of peaceful repose which would have rejuvenated her for the next day's tedious hours. Neha's attempts to surface from the tormenting sea of desires were shattered when the caresses turned into agonisingly slow penetration that engulfed her entire being in sweet ache. She quivered with delight unable to deduce the source of her enjoyment. She relished the moment when her inner lips parted welcoming the anticipated thrust wishing for the incessant tease and torment to consume her with a raging passion. She felt a tug at her fuller bottom lip and as she was succumbing to the bewitchment a melodious ascending ringtone ended the night of clandestine debauchery. Neha switched off the alarm on her mobile phone and lay staring at the ceiling struggling to differentiate between fantasy and reality. The nightmarish dream felt so real that it was impossible to dismiss it as chimera. She headed for the showers not wanting to break working days' routine and as she unwound herself in the long warm shower she reflected on how life itself was an enigma. There were so many occurrences in her life that would have appeared less abstruse had she been successful in obtaining solutions. With a sigh, Neha concluded her reminiscences as the call of duty claimed her mornings. Ensuring that John woke up on time, showered, changed in to full school uniform and had a healthy breakfast took a toll on her and by the time she hit the road she found herself ranting and raving about innumerable issues such as lack of discipline, traffic, lateness so on and so forth. Neha dropped John at his high school as usual and breathed a sigh of relief only when she had eluded the traffic bottleneck near the school zone. The smoothing vehicular flow of the Hume Highway, which was uninterrupted, untangled Neha's taut nerves and she paid some attention to Mikee and Emma's Radio show on 96.1. It usually took an hour's drive to get to her destination and as she was driving Neha thought that her decision to migrate to Australia in her advanced stages of pregnancy throwing away a substantive position in a government institution was nothing short of a gamble. She was one of the fortunate candidates, among the several hundred thousand who sat for the Teacher's Recruitment Board examination, to have emerged victorious both in the written section and the interview. Within few months, Neha received the guaranteed permanent appointment letter as lecturer in English at a Government Arts College and Neha's teaching career skyrocketed with the transition from self-financing institutions to government colleges. Industriousness being her middle name she laboured for four years to complete her doctoral thesis on existentialism, however, its submission was followed by the Australian government's grant of Permanent Resident visa at an hour that was fortuitous. Neha realised the need to focus on the road as her musings were impairing her driving skills. She swerved dangerously around the corner of Charming Rd and into the teachers' parking lot ignoring the 40kms school zone sign. As she rushed into the school building she noticed mothers with prams and fathers in work attire waiting outside the library. ‘It must be one of those PTA meetings,’ Neha ruminated as she stormed into the staffroom flinging a muffled ‘Good morning’ to the occupants engrossed with their routines. She breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed a blank, highlighted space on her timetable for period one. Pangs of hunger ravaging her reminded Neha that she had skipped breakfast. Coffee was inevitable, of course! As she watched the thin group of mothers with prams and toddlers grow into a significant cluster in the quad through the staffroom window, Neha envisioned the days when she traversed everywhere with a pram. Commuting to University was no different. Recollections of sprinting with the pram to drop her baby off at the University Kids campus and having to retrace the route to attend lectures; of facing disappointments when assignments were returned sans credit or distinction and of being a victim to tall poppy's syndrome; of exiting the lecture hall just before 7 pm to pick her son from the day care at closing time and of wondering, while looking at the tear-stained face of a traumatised child who had lost his battle to exhaustion, if the sacrifice made for a tertiary qualification was worth the grief inundated her psyche. Recollections of pushing a pram in the early hours of the morning through the nearly deserted streets of Campsie; of quickening pace to reach the residence of a family day carer who defied rules to welcome a struggling migrant's nine months old baby at the crack of dawn; of whizzing through Beamish Street and boarding a particular train to ascertain that Kuring-gai campus was reached on time via linking transportation came crowding into her mind. Neha, who was never a quitter, knew only too well that adversities often lead to accolades. She persevered holding on to moments such as a rare display of genuine affection by a few friends who claimed her succinct spare time, a word of recognition that augmented her sense of achievement, a goal-intoxicated contribution that would eventually warrant success. With great reluctance, she yanked her gaze from the quad reminding herself of the need to organise herself for the next period. As she ascended the stairs the day appeared ominous for some awful reason. She could not dismiss the foreboding feeling as insignificant. It dampened her high spirits and wrenched away her moment of basking in the glory of her accomplishments. She shoved the anxiety building within her to the back of her mind and concentrated on distributing workbooks to Year 8 students who had piled into the classroom at the knell of the bell. She was kept on toes by the queries of inquisitive children whose lively expressions betrayed their growing interest in the topic 'Media Madness' which they were determined to mask. It was their way of seeki
Publication Date : 7/24/2017
Dimensions : 6x9
Page Count : 110
Neha is an immigrant who is focused on being a successful teacher and parent. After ensuring her son, John, wakes up on time, changes into his school uniform, and eats a healthy breakfast, Neha is left exhausted and wondering if her decision to migrate to Australia was nothing short of a gamble. Even though she knows she is one of the fortunate to have passed the Teacher’s Recruitment Board examination, Neha is still searching for fulfillment. Neha, who has never been a quitter, knows all too well that adversity often leads to accolades. But as she faces both challenges and successes, her varied experiences, relationships, and circumstances contribute toward transforming her identity and ultimately hurl her into existential angst. While reliving her past and battling with the present, Neha embarks on a spiritual quest that she hopes will lead her to clarity, the discovery of her true self, and a positive future. In this charming novel, an Australian migrant must navigate through a journey of self-discovery in order to determine her true identity and where life will take her next.
CEO of Wordmagic Publishing and Author of 'Pneuma', Dr Neetha Joseph is an Australian citizen currently working in a Sydney high school as a full time permanent teacher with approximately thirteen years of teaching experience in DEC secondary schools. Born in Chennai, Tamilnadu, India on 11th April 1974 to south Indian upper middle class Roman Catholic parents and brought up in Coimbatore, Neetha Joseph migrated to Australia in 2003 with her life partner and is the proud mother of a teenager. She obtained her tertiary qualifications from University of Technology Sydney, Sydney. She was awarded Doctor of Philosophy degree in 2004 by Bharathiar University for her research on ‘Existentialism in the Select Novels of Anita Desai. Neetha Joseph is a 2017 NY Literary Magazine "Best Story Award" Nominee. She worked as a Lecturer in English for six and a half years in esteemed Indian institutions such as Tirppur Kumaran College for women, Government Arts College Ooty and L.R.G Government Arts College for Women. She commenced her teaching career at a residential school Bharathiya Vidhya Mandir Pollachi in 1996. She was schooled at Avila Convent Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Coimbatore.
I thoroughly enjoyed the great read and the awesome well timed pacing was executed to near perfection. The first 2 pages of the book were random and could startle potential future customers who read the first few pages and mistake the book for another '50 Shades Of Grey' wannabe but other than that, the piece is very well written and a spectacular debut into the competitive market.
Cem Uyanik
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Wales selected
Wales Politics
Wales Business
North East selected
£4.3m Pont y Ddraig bridge opens in Rhyl harbour
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-24620433
Media captionPont y Ddraig offers a car-free alternative to the nearby Blue Bridge
Hundreds of people have attended the opening of a £4.3m pedestrian and cycle bridge across Rhyl harbour.
Pont y Ddraig (Dragon's Bridge) provides the final link in 15 miles (24km) of traffic-free cycling across Conwy and Denbighshire.
It was named by Rhyl pupil Leon Jones following a schools competition and local children were invited to the opening.
Work was delayed earlier this year after cables were stolen from the site.
About 200m (656ft) of cable was taken in April from the bridge, which boasts a 45m-high (about 148ft) mast.
There are two sections of deck which lift up, with the underside lit up with lights that change from green to red and back.
'Into the limelight'
It provides a car-free alternative route to the nearby Blue Bridge, which Sustrans Wales said was very congested and deterred cyclists and walkers from using it.
Media captionSustrans Wales director Jane Lorimer told Chris Dearden the bridge will boost the area's fortunes
Pont-y-Ddraig now also forms part of a long-distance cycle route across the north Wales coast.
Jane Lorimer, director of Sustrans Wales, which partly financed the bridge, said it was one of 10 schemes in Wales which was bringing investment to the local area.
"Here in Rhyl the bridge is very much part of a regeneration scheme which is opening up an extension along Rhyl seafront and really putting this area, which is an area of deprivation, into the limelight as a place which is a joy to visit in its own right.
"It's unlocked the whole of the harbour areas. There has been additional investment and there will be a visitor centre and public squares.
"It's really about creating a destination where people can come and enjoy their time, spend money and get out and about."
£4.3m Rhyl harbour bridge delayed by cable theft
£4.3m Rhyl harbour bridge last link in cycle path
£4m Rhyl cycle bridge faces final planning hurdle
Planned bridge would link Denbighshire and Conwy
£9.2m revamp plan for Rhyl harbour
Harbour bridge design is revealed
Denbighshire council
Wales Sections
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Best Bible Commentaries
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Colossians – Todd D. Still – Revised Expositor’s Bible Commentary
Todd D. Still is the author of the Colossians volume in the Revised Expositor’s Bible Commentary series.
Still’s volume replaced Curtis Vaughn’s in the original EBC series.
Like Vaughn’s commentary, Still is theologically conservative.
This brief, introductory commentary is designed for pastors.
Sunday school teachers and bible study leaders will also benefit from it. It is not technical, so readers do not need to know Greek to use it.
Todd D. Still (Ph. D., University of Glasgow, Scotland) serves as the William M. Hinson Professor of Christian Scriptures (New Testament and Greek) at the George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Series: The Expositor’s Bible Commentary
Publisher: Zondervan Academic; Revised edition (2006)
Get this book on Amazon via its exact ISBN: Colossians – Todd D. Still
Expositor’s Bible Commentary Cover Designs
Originally, the EBC series were released as 12 hardback volumes.
The first volume is comprised of articles on various subjects such as the Dead Sea Scrolls.
This 12-volume hardback edition was later released with a mostly black cover design with purple striping.
Still later, a two-volume abridged edition of the original edition was published with a blue cover design. Also, New Testament volumes were published in paperback for a few years.
The Revised edition of the EBC series — in hardcopy or electronic format — has had just one cover design.
There is no volume that is comprised entirely of articles like in the original edition. To date, no revised volumes have been released in paperback format.
Not every volume in the original series was revised.
To see a full list of which were, see the main page for Expositor’s Bible Commentary series.
Based on the original twelve-volume set that has become a staple in college and seminary libraries and pastors’ studies worldwide, this revised edition of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary series once again gathers the most current evangelical scholarship and resources.
Its fifty-six contributors, thirty of whom are new, represent the best in evangelical scholarship committed to the divine inspiration, complete trustworthiness, and full authority of the Bible. This pack includes the 5 volumes covering the New Testament; 8 volumes covering the Old Testament are also available.
The thoroughly revised features include:
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A balanced and respectful approach toward marked differences of opinion
More: See the Bible Commentaries Comparison Chart to see how the Expositor’s Bible Commentary series compares to dozens of other commentary series.
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Stand up for horse health and join our survey
In just five minutes you can help to secure a healthier future for horses. The National Equine Health Survey (NEHS) is a short, snapshot survey of general horse health that is already helping to make an important difference to the health and welfare of horses and ponies. It is run by leading charity Blue Cross, in partnership with BEVA, and with the support of many of the country’s leading equestrian charities and organisations.
It takes no more than five minutes to complete the survey online and all details remain anonymous so there’s nothing to stop you registering now.
Over the past five years NEHS has developed to become one of the UK’s most significant endemic disease monitoring initiatives. The results are referenced in leading veterinary and equestrian publications and papers and are regarded as valuable benchmarks for our general knowledge of horse health. Last year survey records were returned for almost 15,000 horses ponies, donkeys and mules.
A key finding in 2015 was that lameness is three times more likely to be caused by conditions such as osteoarthritis in the limb rather than problems in the foot. In addition almost a quarter of horses were recorded as overweight or obese, continuing the upward trend shown in previous years. The consistent pattern of results year on year shows that evidence rather than opinion is now being generated by report, helping owners and experts to understand and improve the health of the country’s horses.
The six most notable disease syndromes identified in the 2015 were:
Lameness 18% with 13.5% having limb lameness such as osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) not relating to the foot,
Skin diseases 17.2% (sweet itch, mud fever and external parasites)
Back problems 7%
Recurrent Airway Obstruction 6.7%
Laminitis 6.4%
PPID (‘Equine Cushing’s Disease) 6.4% confirmed or suspected
Gemma Taylor, Education Officer at Blue Cross, said: “NEHS is helping us to steer equine welfare awareness, education and research with the sole purpose of safeguarding the future healthcare of our horses. By giving five minutes of your time to complete the survey you can help to make a lifetime of difference.”
Zoetis UK Ltd and Dodson & Horrell are generously sponsoring NEHS to help Blue Cross cover the costs of running the scheme. Equestrian organisation that have pledged their support include the ABRS, BEF, BETA, BHS, BSJA, Equestrian Needs, HAPPA, Horses4Homes, Horse Trust, LANTRA, Mare and Foal Sanctuary, Metropolitan Mounted Police, NEWC, Pet id equine, Redwings, Rossdales, RSPCA, SWHP, TBA, World Horse Welfare and WPCS.
Visit www.bluecross.org.uk/NEHS or email NEHS@bluecross.org.uk to register. Everyone who takes part will have the chance to win some amazing prizes including a pair of Lister Star clippers, a pair of tickets to the Olympia The International Horse Show in December and a pair of Ariat Skyline GTX boots. To visit the full list of prizes visit https://www.bluecross.org.uk/125014/Prizes-forNEHS.html
A third of horses recorded with health problems are lame reveals horse survey
RCVS joins forces with Doctors’ Support Network in new campaign to tackle mental health stigma in health professions
Improving communication of scientific evidence would enhance horse health and welfare, concludes survey
Stand up for horse health and take our simple survey
New simple health checklist for horse owners helps ensure responsible horse care
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Topics by WorldWideScience.org
Sample records for breast imaging system
Breast imaging and reporting data system (BIRADS): Magnetic resonance imaging
Tardivon, Anne A.; Athanasiou, Alexandra; Thibault, Fabienne; El Khoury, Carl
This article reviews the technical aspects and interpretation criteria in breast MR imaging based on the first edition of breast imaging and reporting data system (BIRADS) published by the American College of Radiology (ACR) in 2003. In a second article, practical cases will be proposed for training the readers. The major aims of using this lexicon are: first to use a logical and standardized description of MR lesions, secondly to obtain a structured MR report with a clear final impression (BIRADS assessment categories), and thirdly to help comparison between different clinical studies based on similar breast MRI terminology
CYBPET: a cylindrical PET system for breast imaging
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Karimian, A. [Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of) and Nuclear Research Center for Agriculture and Medicine (NRCAM-AEOI), P.O. BOX. (31485-498), Karaj, Iran, Islamic Republic of and Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome (Italy)]. E-mail: akarimian@nrcam.org; Thompson, C.J. [Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal QC (Canada); Sarkar, S. [Medical physics Department of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and (RCSTIM), Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Raisali, G. [Nuclear Research Center for Agriculture and Medicine (NRCAM-AEOI), P.O. BOX. (31485-498), Karaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Pani, R. [Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome (Italy); Davilu, H. [Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Sardari, D. [Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)
We propose a Cylindrical Breast PET (CYBPET) system for breast imaging with patients in the prone position. An individual pendulous breast is covered by thin plastic to provide reduced pressure fixation and surrounded by the crystals inside the CYBPET ring. Each breast is imaged separately. The rest of the body is shielded properly to minimize the contribution of scattered photons from the other breast and the rest of the body. To compare the CYBPET with whole-body PET (WB-PET) the simulations of CYBPET and a WB-PET (GE-Advance) for a 10 mm tumor inside the breast with a lesion to background (breast) activity concentration of 6 to 1 were made. The noise effective count rate (NECR) of CYBPET is about twice that of WB-PET at activity concentrations less than 3.1 {mu}Ci/cc. The spatial resolution of CYBPET is better by 25% than the WB-PET.
Karimian, A.; Thompson, C.J.; Sarkar, S.; Raisali, G.; Pani, R.; Davilu, H.; Sardari, D.
We propose a Cylindrical Breast PET (CYBPET) system for breast imaging with patients in the prone position. An individual pendulous breast is covered by thin plastic to provide reduced pressure fixation and surrounded by the crystals inside the CYBPET ring. Each breast is imaged separately. The rest of the body is shielded properly to minimize the contribution of scattered photons from the other breast and the rest of the body. To compare the CYBPET with whole-body PET (WB-PET) the simulations of CYBPET and a WB-PET (GE-Advance) for a 10 mm tumor inside the breast with a lesion to background (breast) activity concentration of 6 to 1 were made. The noise effective count rate (NECR) of CYBPET is about twice that of WB-PET at activity concentrations less than 3.1 μCi/cc. The spatial resolution of CYBPET is better by 25% than the WB-PET
Prototype of Microwave Imaging System for Breast-Cancer Screening
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Rubæk, Tonny; Zhurbenko, Vitaliy
Microwave imaging for breast-cancer detection has received the attention of a large number of research groups in the last decade. In this paper, the imaging system currently being developed at the Technical university of Denmark is presented. This includes a description of the antenna system......, the microwave hardware, and the imaging algorithm....
Digital optical tomography system for dynamic breast imaging
Science.gov (United States)
Flexman, Molly L.; Khalil, Michael A.; Al Abdi, Rabah; Kim, Hyun K.; Fong, Christopher J.; Desperito, Elise; Hershman, Dawn L.; Barbour, Randall L.; Hielscher, Andreas H.
Diffuse optical tomography has shown promising results as a tool for breast cancer screening and monitoring response to chemotherapy. Dynamic imaging of the transient response of the breast to an external stimulus, such as pressure or a respiratory maneuver, can provide additional information that can be used to detect tumors. We present a new digital continuous-wave optical tomography system designed to simultaneously image both breasts at fast frame rates and with a large number of sources and detectors. The system uses a master-slave digital signal processor-based detection architecture to achieve a dynamic range of 160 dB and a frame rate of 1.7 Hz with 32 sources, 64 detectors, and 4 wavelengths per breast. Included is a preliminary study of one healthy patient and two breast cancer patients showing the ability to identify an invasive carcinoma based on the hemodynamic response to a breath hold.
Microwave Breast Imaging System Prototype with Integrated Numerical Characterization
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mark Haynes
Full Text Available The increasing number of experimental microwave breast imaging systems and the need to properly model them have motivated our development of an integrated numerical characterization technique. We use Ansoft HFSS and a formalism we developed previously to numerically characterize an S-parameter- based breast imaging system and link it to an inverse scattering algorithm. We show successful reconstructions of simple test objects using synthetic and experimental data. We demonstrate the sensitivity of image reconstructions to knowledge of the background dielectric properties and show the limits of the current model.
Breast imaging with the SoftVue imaging system: first results
Duric, Neb; Littrup, Peter; Schmidt, Steven; Li, Cuiping; Roy, Olivier; Bey-Knight, Lisa; Janer, Roman; Kunz, Dave; Chen, Xiaoyang; Goll, Jeffrey; Wallen, Andrea; Zafar, Fouzaan; Allada, Veerendra; West, Erik; Jovanovic, Ivana; Li, Kuo; Greenway, William
For women with dense breast tissue, who are at much higher risk for developing breast cancer, the performance of mammography is at its worst. Consequently, many early cancers go undetected when they are the most treatable. Improved cancer detection for women with dense breasts would decrease the proportion of breast cancers diagnosed at later stages, which would significantly lower the mortality rate. The emergence of whole breast ultrasound provides good performance for women with dense breast tissue, and may eliminate the current trade-off between the cost effectiveness of mammography and the imaging performance of more expensive systems such as magnetic resonance imaging. We report on the performance of SoftVue, a whole breast ultrasound imaging system, based on the principles of ultrasound tomography. SoftVue was developed by Delphinus Medical Technologies and builds on an early prototype developed at the Karmanos Cancer Institute. We present results from preliminary testing of the SoftVue system, performed both in the lab and in the clinic. These tests aimed to validate the expected improvements in image performance. Initial qualitative analyses showed major improvements in image quality, thereby validating the new imaging system design. Specifically, SoftVue's imaging performance was consistent across all breast density categories and had much better resolution and contrast. The implications of these results for clinical breast imaging are discussed and future work is described.
Modeling digital breast tomosynthesis imaging systems for optimization studies
Lau, Beverly Amy
Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is a new imaging modality for breast imaging. In tomosynthesis, multiple images of the compressed breast are acquired at different angles, and the projection view images are reconstructed to yield images of slices through the breast. One of the main problems to be addressed in the development of DBT is the optimal parameter settings to obtain images ideal for detection of cancer. Since it would be unethical to irradiate women multiple times to explore potentially optimum geometries for tomosynthesis, it is ideal to use a computer simulation to generate projection images. Existing tomosynthesis models have modeled scatter and detector without accounting for oblique angles of incidence that tomosynthesis introduces. Moreover, these models frequently use geometry-specific physical factors measured from real systems, which severely limits the robustness of their algorithms for optimization. The goal of this dissertation was to design the framework for a computer simulation of tomosynthesis that would produce images that are sensitive to changes in acquisition parameters, so an optimization study would be feasible. A computer physics simulation of the tomosynthesis system was developed. The x-ray source was modeled as a polychromatic spectrum based on published spectral data, and inverse-square law was applied. Scatter was applied using a convolution method with angle-dependent scatter point spread functions (sPSFs), followed by scaling using an angle-dependent scatter-to-primary ratio (SPR). Monte Carlo simulations were used to generate sPSFs for a 5-cm breast with a 1-cm air gap. Detector effects were included through geometric propagation of the image onto layers of the detector, which were blurred using depth-dependent detector point-spread functions (PRFs). Depth-dependent PRFs were calculated every 5-microns through a 200-micron thick CsI detector using Monte Carlo simulations. Electronic noise was added as Gaussian noise as a
Microwave Breast Imaging Techniques
Zhurbenko, Vitaliy; Rubæk, Tonny
This paper outlines the applicability of microwave radiation for breast cancer detection. Microwave imaging systems are categorized based on their hardware architecture. The advantages and disadvantages of various imaging techniques are discussed. The fundamental tradeoffs are indicated between...... various requirements to be fulfilled in the design of an imaging system for breast cancer detection and some strategies to overcome these limitations....
Augmented Reality Imaging System: 3D Viewing of a Breast Cancer.
Douglas, David B; Boone, John M; Petricoin, Emanuel; Liotta, Lance; Wilson, Eugene
To display images of breast cancer from a dedicated breast CT using Depth 3-Dimensional (D3D) augmented reality. A case of breast cancer imaged using contrast-enhanced breast CT (Computed Tomography) was viewed with the augmented reality imaging, which uses a head display unit (HDU) and joystick control interface. The augmented reality system demonstrated 3D viewing of the breast mass with head position tracking, stereoscopic depth perception, focal point convergence and the use of a 3D cursor and joy-stick enabled fly through with visualization of the spiculations extending from the breast cancer. The augmented reality system provided 3D visualization of the breast cancer with depth perception and visualization of the mass's spiculations. The augmented reality system should be further researched to determine the utility in clinical practice.
Full-view 3D imaging system for functional and anatomical screening of the breast
Oraevsky, Alexander; Su, Richard; Nguyen, Ha; Moore, James; Lou, Yang; Bhadra, Sayantan; Forte, Luca; Anastasio, Mark; Yang, Wei
Laser Optoacoustic Ultrasonic Imaging System Assembly (LOUISA-3D) was developed in response to demand of diagnostic radiologists for an advanced screening system for the breast to improve on low sensitivity of x-ray based modalities of mammography and tomosynthesis in the dense and heterogeneous breast and low specificity magnetic resonance imaging. It is our working hypothesis that co-registration of quantitatively accurate functional images of the breast vasculature and microvasculature, and anatomical images of breast morphological structures will provide a clinically viable solution for the breast cancer care. Functional imaging is LOUISA-3D is enabled by the full view 3D optoacoustic images acquired at two rapidly toggling laser wavelengths in the near-infrared spectral range. 3D images of the breast anatomical background is enabled in LOUISA-3D by a sequence of B-mode ultrasound slices acquired with a transducer array rotating around the breast. This creates the possibility to visualize distributions of the total hemoglobin and blood oxygen saturation within specific morphological structures such as tumor angiogenesis microvasculature and larger vasculature in proximity of the tumor. The system has four major components: (i) a pulsed dual wavelength laser with fiberoptic light delivery system, (ii) an imaging module with two arc shaped probes (optoacoustic and ultrasonic) placed in a transparent bowl that rotates around the breast, (iii) a multichannel electronic system with analog preamplifiers and digital data acquisition boards, and (iv) computer for the system control, data processing and image reconstruction. The most important advancement of this latest system design compared with previously reported systems is the full breast illumination accomplished for each rotational step of the optoacoustic transducer array using fiberoptic illuminator rotating around the breast independently from rotation of the detector probe. We report here a pilot case studies
An X-Ray computed tomography/positron emission tomography system designed specifically for breast imaging.
Boone, John M; Yang, Kai; Burkett, George W; Packard, Nathan J; Huang, Shih-ying; Bowen, Spencer; Badawi, Ramsey D; Lindfors, Karen K
Mammography has served the population of women who are at-risk for breast cancer well over the past 30 years. While mammography has undergone a number of changes as digital detector technology has advanced, other modalities such as computed tomography have experienced technological sophistication over this same time frame as well. The advent of large field of view flat panel detector systems enable the development of breast CT and several other niche CT applications, which rely on cone beam geometry. The breast, it turns out, is well suited to cone beam CT imaging because the lack of bones reduces artifacts, and the natural tapering of the breast anteriorly reduces the x-ray path lengths through the breast at large cone angle, reducing cone beam artifacts as well. We are in the process of designing a third prototype system which will enable the use of breast CT for image guided interventional procedures. This system will have several copies fabricated so that several breast CT scanners can be used in a multi-institutional clinical trial to better understand the role that this technology can bring to breast imaging.
An Object-Oriented Simulator for 3D Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Imaging System
Saeed Seyyedi
Full Text Available Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT is an innovative imaging modality that provides 3D reconstructed images of breast to detect the breast cancer. Projections obtained with an X-ray source moving in a limited angle interval are used to reconstruct 3D image of breast. Several reconstruction algorithms are available for DBT imaging. Filtered back projection algorithm has traditionally been used to reconstruct images from projections. Iterative reconstruction algorithms such as algebraic reconstruction technique (ART were later developed. Recently, compressed sensing based methods have been proposed in tomosynthesis imaging problem. We have developed an object-oriented simulator for 3D digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT imaging system using C++ programming language. The simulator is capable of implementing different iterative and compressed sensing based reconstruction methods on 3D digital tomosynthesis data sets and phantom models. A user friendly graphical user interface (GUI helps users to select and run the desired methods on the designed phantom models or real data sets. The simulator has been tested on a phantom study that simulates breast tomosynthesis imaging problem. Results obtained with various methods including algebraic reconstruction technique (ART and total variation regularized reconstruction techniques (ART+TV are presented. Reconstruction results of the methods are compared both visually and quantitatively by evaluating performances of the methods using mean structural similarity (MSSIM values.
An object-oriented simulator for 3D digital breast tomosynthesis imaging system.
Seyyedi, Saeed; Cengiz, Kubra; Kamasak, Mustafa; Yildirim, Isa
Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is an innovative imaging modality that provides 3D reconstructed images of breast to detect the breast cancer. Projections obtained with an X-ray source moving in a limited angle interval are used to reconstruct 3D image of breast. Several reconstruction algorithms are available for DBT imaging. Filtered back projection algorithm has traditionally been used to reconstruct images from projections. Iterative reconstruction algorithms such as algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) were later developed. Recently, compressed sensing based methods have been proposed in tomosynthesis imaging problem. We have developed an object-oriented simulator for 3D digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) imaging system using C++ programming language. The simulator is capable of implementing different iterative and compressed sensing based reconstruction methods on 3D digital tomosynthesis data sets and phantom models. A user friendly graphical user interface (GUI) helps users to select and run the desired methods on the designed phantom models or real data sets. The simulator has been tested on a phantom study that simulates breast tomosynthesis imaging problem. Results obtained with various methods including algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) and total variation regularized reconstruction techniques (ART+TV) are presented. Reconstruction results of the methods are compared both visually and quantitatively by evaluating performances of the methods using mean structural similarity (MSSIM) values.
Challenges in the Design of Microwave Imaging Systems for Breast Cancer Detection
Zhurbenko, Vitaliy
community. This paper presents the survey of the ongoing research in the field of microwave imaging of biological tissues, with major focus on the breast tumor detection application. The existing microwave imaging systems are categorized on the basis of the employed measurement concepts. The advantages......Among the various breast imaging modalities for breast cancer detection, microwave imaging is attractive due to the high contrast in dielectric properties between the cancerous and normal tissue. Due to this reason, this modality has received a significant interest and attention from the microwave...... and disadvantages of the implemented imaging techniques are discussed. The fundamental tradeoffs between the various system requirements are indicated. Some strategies to overcome these limitations are outlined....
Breast cancer imaging
Funke, M.; Villena, C.
Advances in female breast imaging have substantially influenced the diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of breast cancer in the past few years. Mammography using conventional or digital technique is considered the gold standard for the early detection of breast cancer. Other modalities such as breast ultrasound and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the breast play an important role in diagnostic imaging, staging, and follow-up of breast cancer. Percutaneous needle biopsy is a faster, less invasive, and more cost-effective method than surgical biopsy for verifying the histological diagnosis. New methods such as breast tomosynthesis, contrast-enhanced mammography, and positron emission tomography promise to further improve breast imaging. Further studies are mandatory to adapt these new methods to clinical needs and to evaluate their performance in clinical practice. (orig.) [de
Augmented reality for breast imaging.
Rancati, Alberto; Angrigiani, Claudio; Nava, Maurizio B; Catanuto, Giuseppe; Rocco, Nicola; Ventrice, Fernando; Dorr, Julio
Augmented reality (AR) enables the superimposition of virtual reality reconstructions onto clinical images of a real patient, in real time. This allows visualization of internal structures through overlying tissues, thereby providing a virtual transparency vision of surgical anatomy. AR has been applied to neurosurgery, which utilizes a relatively fixed space, frames, and bony references; the application of AR facilitates the relationship between virtual and real data. Augmented Breast imaging (ABI) is described. Breast MRI studies for breast implant patients with seroma were performed using a Siemens 3T system with a body coil and a four-channel bilateral phased-array breast coil as the transmitter and receiver, respectively. The contrast agent used was (CA) gadolinium (Gd) injection (0.1 mmol/kg at 2 ml/s) by a programmable power injector. Dicom formated images data from 10 MRI cases of breast implant seroma and 10 MRI cases with T1-2 N0 M0 breast cancer, were imported and transformed into Augmented reality images. Augmented breast imaging (ABI) demonstrated stereoscopic depth perception, focal point convergence, 3D cursor use, and joystick fly-through. Augmented breast imaging (ABI) to the breast can improve clinical outcomes, giving an enhanced view of the structures to work on. It should be further studied to determine its utility in clinical practice.
Optical Imaging of the Breast
Kim, Min Jung; Kim, Eun Kyung
As the increased prevalence of breast cancer and the advances in breast evaluation awareness have resulted in an increased number of breast examinations and benign breast biopsies, several investigations have been performed to improve the diagnostic accuracy for breast lesions. Optical imaging of the breast that uses nearinfrared light to assess the optical properties of breast tissue is a novel non-invasive imaging technique to characterize breast lesions in clinical practice. This review provides a summary of the current state of optical breast imaging and it describes the basic concepts of optical imaging, the potential clinical applications for breast cancer imaging and its potential incorporation with other imaging modalities
Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) breast composition descriptors: Automated measurement development for full field digital mammography
Fowler, E. E.; Sellers, T. A.; Lu, B.; Heine, J. J.
Purpose: The Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) breast composition descriptors are used for standardized mammographic reporting and are assessed visually. This reporting is clinically relevant because breast composition can impact mammographic sensitivity and is a breast cancer risk factor. New techniques are presented and evaluated for generating automated BI-RADS breast composition descriptors using both raw and calibrated full field digital mammography (FFDM) image data.Methods: A matched case-control dataset with FFDM images was used to develop three automated measures for the BI-RADS breast composition descriptors. Histograms of each calibrated mammogram in the percent glandular (pg) representation were processed to create the new BR pg measure. Two previously validated measures of breast density derived from calibrated and raw mammograms were converted to the new BR vc and BR vr measures, respectively. These three measures were compared with the radiologist-reported BI-RADS compositions assessments from the patient records. The authors used two optimization strategies with differential evolution to create these measures: method-1 used breast cancer status; and method-2 matched the reported BI-RADS descriptors. Weighted kappa (κ) analysis was used to assess the agreement between the new measures and the reported measures. Each measure's association with breast cancer was evaluated with odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for body mass index, breast area, and menopausal status. ORs were estimated as per unit increase with 95% confidence intervals.Results: The three BI-RADS measures generated by method-1 had κ between 0.25–0.34. These measures were significantly associated with breast cancer status in the adjusted models: (a) OR = 1.87 (1.34, 2.59) for BR pg ; (b) OR = 1.93 (1.36, 2.74) for BR vc ; and (c) OR = 1.37 (1.05, 1.80) for BR vr . The measures generated by method-2 had κ between 0.42–0.45. Two of these measures were significantly
Dependency of image quality on system configuration parameters in a stationary digital breast tomosynthesis system
Tucker, Andrew W.; Lu, Jianping; Zhou, Otto
Purpose: In principle, a stationary digital breast tomosynthesis (s-DBT) system has better image quality when compared to continuous motion DBT systems due to zero motion blur of the source. The authors have developed a s-DBT system by using a linear carbon nanotube x-ray source array. The purpose of the current study was to quantitatively evaluate the performance of the s-DBT system; and investigate the dependence of imaging quality on the system configuration parameters. Methods: Physical phantoms were used to assess the image quality of each configuration including inplane resolution as measured by the modulation transfer function (MTF), inplane contrast as measured by the signal difference to noise ratio (SdNR), and depth resolution as measured by the z-axis artifact spread function. Five parameters were varied to create five groups of configurations: (1) total angular span; (2) total number of projection images; (3) distribution of exposure (mAs) across the projection images; (4) entrance dose; (5) detector pixel size. Results: It was found that the z-axis depth resolution increased with the total angular span but was insensitive to the number of projection images, mAs distribution, entrance dose, and detector pixel size. The SdNR was not affected by the angular span or the number of projection images. A decrease in SdNR was observed when the mAs was not evenly distributed across the projection images. As expected, the SdNR increased with entrance dose and when larger pixel sizes were used. For a given detector pixel size, the inplane resolution was found to be insensitive to the total angular span, number of projection images, mAs distribution, and entrance dose. A 25% increase in the MTF was observed when the detector was operating in full resolution mode (70 μm pixel size) compared to 2 × 2 binned mode (140 μm pixel size). Conclusions: The results suggest that the optimal imaging configuration for a s-DBT system is a large angular span, an intermittent
An adaptive toolkit for image quality evaluation in system performance test of digital breast tomosynthesis
Zhang, Guozhi; Petrov, Dimitar; Marshall, Nicholas; Bosmans, Hilde
Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is a relatively new diagnostic imaging modality for women. Currently, various models of DBT systems are available on the market and the number of installations is rapidly increasing. EUREF, the European Reference Organization for Quality Assured Breast Screening and Diagnostic Services, has proposed a preliminary Guideline - protocol for the quality control of the physical and technical aspects of digital breast tomosynthesis systems, with an ultimate aim of providing limiting values guaranteeing proper performance for different applications of DBT. In this work, we introduce an adaptive toolkit developed in accordance with this guideline to facilitate the process of image quality evaluation in DBT performance test. This toolkit implements robust algorithms to quantify various technical parameters of DBT images and provides a convenient user interface in practice. Each test is built into a separate module with configurations set corresponding to the European guideline, which can be easily adapted to different settings and extended with additional tests. This toolkit largely improves the efficiency for image quality evaluation of DBT. It is also going to evolve with the development of protocols in quality control of DBT systems.
SU-C-209-07: Phantoms for Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Imaging System Evaluation
Jacobson, D; Liu, Y [Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (United States)
Purpose: Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) is gaining importance in breast imaging. There is a need for phantoms that can be used for image evaluation and comparison. Existing commercially available phantoms for DBT are expensive and may lack clinically relevant test objects. The purpose of this study is to develop phantoms for DBT evaluation. Methods Four phantoms have been designed and constructed to assess the image quality (IQ) of two DBT systems. The first contains a spiral of 0.3 mm SiC beads in gelatin to measure the tomographic slice thickness profile and uniformity of coverage in a series of tomographic planes. The second contains simulated tumors inclined with respect to the phantom base to assess tomographic image quality. The third has a tilted array of discs with varying contrast and diameter. This phantom was imaged alone and in a stack of TE slabs giving 2 to 10 cm thickness. The fourth has a dual wedge of glandular and adipose simulating materials. One wedge contains discs with varying diameter and thickness; the other supports a mass with six simulated spicules of varying size and a cluster of simulated calcifications. The simulated glandular tissue material varies between 35 and 100% of the total thickness (5.5 cm). Results: All phantoms were scanned successfully. The best IQ comparison was achieved with the dual wedge phantom as demonstrated by the spiculated mass and calcifications. Images were evaluated by two radiologists and one physicist. The projection images and corresponding set of tomographic planes were comparable and the synthesized projection images were inferior to the projection images for both systems. Conclusion: Four phantoms were designed, constructed and imaged on two DBT systems. They successfully demonstrated performance differences between two systems, and between true and synthesized projection images. Future work will incorporate these designs into a single phantom.
Evaluation of a prospective scoring system designed for a multicenter breast MR imaging screening study.
Warren, Ruth M L; Thompson, Deborah; Pointon, Linda J; Hoff, Rebecca; Gilbert, Fiona J; Padhani, Anwar R; Easton, Douglas F; Lakhani, Sunil R; Leach, Martin O
To evaluate prospectively the accuracy of a lesion classification system designed for use in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging high-breast-cancer-risk screening study. All participating patients provided written informed consent. Ethics committee approval was obtained. The results of 1541 contrast material-enhanced breast MR imaging examinations were analyzed; 1441 screening examinations were performed in 638 women aged 24-51 years at high risk for breast cancer, and 100 examinations were performed in 100 women aged 23-81 years. Lesion analysis was performed in 991 breasts, which were divided into design (491 breasts) and testing (500 breasts) sets. The reference standard was histologic analysis of biopsy samples, fine-needle aspiration cytology, or minimal follow-up of 24 months. The scoring system involved the use of five features: morphology (MOR), pattern of enhancement (POE), percentage of maximal focal enhancement (PMFE), maximal signal intensity-time ratio (MITR), and pattern of contrast material washout (POCW). The system was evaluated by means of (a) assessment of interreader agreement, as expressed in kappa statistics, for 315 breasts in which both readers analyzed the same lesion, (b) assessment of the diagnostic accuracy of the scored components with receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and (c) logistic regression analysis to determine which components of the scoring system were critical to the final score. A new simplified scoring system developed with the design set was applied to the testing set. There was moderate reader agreement regarding overall lesion outcome (ie, malignant, suspicious, or benign) (kappa=0.58) and less agreement regarding the scored components. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for the overall lesion score, 0.88, was higher than the AUC for any one component. The components MOR, POE, and POCW yielded the best overall result. PMFE and MITR did not contribute to diagnostic utility
Clear-PEM: A PET imaging system dedicated to breast cancer diagnostics
Abreu, M C; Albuquerque, E; Almeida, F G; Almeida, P; Amaral, P; Auffray, Etiennette; Bento, P; Bruyndonckx, P; Bugalho, R; Carriço, B; Cordeiro, H; Ferreira, M; Ferreira, N C; Gonçalves, F; Lecoq, Paul; Leong, C; Lopes, F; Lousã, P; Luyten, J; Martins, M V; Matela, N; Rato-Mendes, P; Moura, R; Nobre, J; Oliveira, N; Ortigão, C; Peralta, L; Rego, J; Ribeiro, R; Rodrigues, P; Santos, A I; Silva, J C; Silva, M M; Tavernier, Stefaan; Teixeira, I C; Texeira, J P; Trindade, A; Trummer, Julia; Varela, J
The Clear-PEM scanner for positron emission mammography under development is described. The detector is based on pixelized LYSO crystals optically coupled to avalanche photodiodes and readout by a fast low-noise electronic system. A dedicated digital trigger (TGR) and data acquisition (DAQ) system is used for on-line selection of coincidence events with high efficiency, large bandwidth and small dead-time. A specialized gantry allows to perform exams of the breast and of the axilla. In this paper we present results of the measurement of detector modules that integrate the system under construction as well as the imaging performance estimated from Monte Carlo simulated data.
Classification System for Identifying Women at Risk for Altered Partial Breast Irradiation Recommendations After Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Kowalchik, Kristin V.; Vallow, Laura A.; McDonough, Michelle; Thomas, Colleen S.; Heckman, Michael G.; Peterson, Jennifer L.; Adkisson, Cameron D.; Serago, Christopher; McLaughlin, Sarah A.
Purpose: To study the utility of preoperative breast MRI for partial breast irradiation (PBI) patient selection, using multivariable analysis of significant risk factors to create a classification rule. Methods and Materials: Between 2002 and 2009, 712 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer underwent preoperative bilateral breast MRI at Mayo Clinic Florida. Of this cohort, 566 were retrospectively deemed eligible for PBI according to the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Protocol B-39 inclusion criteria using physical examination, mammogram, and/or ultrasound. Magnetic resonance images were then reviewed to determine their impact on patient eligibility. The patient and tumor characteristics were evaluated to determine risk factors for altered PBI eligibility after MRI and to create a classification rule. Results: Of the 566 patients initially eligible for PBI, 141 (25%) were found ineligible because of pathologically proven MRI findings. Magnetic resonance imaging detected additional ipsilateral breast cancer in 118 (21%). Of these, 62 (11%) had more extensive disease than originally noted before MRI, and 64 (11%) had multicentric disease. Contralateral breast cancer was detected in 28 (5%). Four characteristics were found to be significantly associated with PBI ineligibility after MRI on multivariable analysis: premenopausal status (P=.021), detection by palpation (P<.001), first-degree relative with a history of breast cancer (P=.033), and lobular histology (P=.002). Risk factors were assigned a score of 0-2. The risk of altered PBI eligibility from MRI based on number of risk factors was 0:18%; 1:22%; 2:42%; 3:65%. Conclusions: Preoperative bilateral breast MRI altered the PBI recommendations for 25% of women. Women who may undergo PBI should be considered for breast MRI, especially those with lobular histology or with 2 or more of the following risk factors: premenopausal, detection by palpation, and first-degree relative with a history of
Overdiagnosis in breast imaging.
Evans, Andy; Vinnicombe, Sarah
The main harm of overdiagnosis is overtreatment. However a form of overdiagnosis also occurs when foci of cancer are found by imaging in addition to the symptomatic lesion when this leads to additional treatment which does not benefit the patient. Even if overtreatment is avoided, knowledge of the diagnosis can still cause psychological harm. Overdiagnosis is an inevitable effect of mammographic screening as the benefit comes from diagnosing breast cancer prior to clinical detectability. Estimates of the rate of overdiagnosis at screening are around 10%. DCIS represents 20% of cancers detected by screening and is the main focus in the overdiagnosis debate. Detection and treatment of low grade DCIS and invasive tubular cancer would appear to represent overdiagnosis in most cases. Supplementary screening with tomosynthesis or US are both likely to increase overdiagnosis as both modalities detect predominantly low grade invasive cancers. MRI causes overdiagnosis because it is so sensitive that it detects real tumour foci which after radiotherapy and systemic therapy do not, in many cases go on and cause local recurrence if the women had had no MRI and undergone breast conservation and adjuvant therapy with these small foci left in situ. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Material-specific imaging system using energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction and spatially resolved CdZnTe detectors with potential application in breast imaging
Barbes, Damien, E-mail: damien.barbes@cea.fr [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, F-38054 Grenoble (France); Tabary, Joachim, E-mail: joachim.tabary@cea.fr [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, F-38054 Grenoble (France); Paulus, Caroline, E-mail: caroline.paulus@cea.fr [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, F-38054 Grenoble (France); Hazemann, Jean-Louis, E-mail: jean-louis.hazemann@neel.cnrs.fr [Univ.Grenoble Alpes, Inst NEEL, F-38042 Grenoble (France); CNRS, Inst NEEL, F-38042 Grenoble (France); Verger, Loïck, E-mail: loick.verger@cea.fr [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, F-38054 Grenoble (France)
This paper presents a coherent X-ray-scattering imaging technique using a multipixel energy-dispersive system. Without any translation, the technique produces specific 1D image from data recorded by a single CdZnTe detector pixel using subpixelation techniques. The method is described in detail, illustrated by a simulation and then experimentally validated. As the main considered application of our study is breast imaging, this validation involves 2D imaging of a phantom made of plastics mimicking breast tissues. The results obtained show that our system can specifically image the phantom using a single detector pixel. For the moment, in vivo breast imaging applications remain difficult, as the dose delivered by the system is too high, but some adjustments are considered for further work.
Performance characteristics of dedicated molecular breast imaging systems at low doses
Long, Zaiyang; Conners, Amy L.; Hunt, Katie N.; Hruska, Carrie B.; O’Connor, Michael K., E-mail: mkoconnor@mayo.edu [Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905 (United States)
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the system performance characteristics and lesion detection capability of two molecular breast imaging (MBI) systems: a multicrystal sodium iodide (NaI)-based single-head system and a cadmium zinc telluride (CZT)-based dual-head system at low administered doses (150–300 MBq) of Tc-99m sestamibi. Methods: System performance characteristics including count sensitivity, uniformity, energy resolution, and spatial resolution were measured using standard NEMA methods, or a modified version thereof in cases where the standard NEMA protocol could not be applied. A contrast-detail phantom with 48 lesions at varying depths from the collimator surface was used to assess lesion contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) using background count densities comparable to those observed in patient studies performed with administered doses of 150 MBq Tc-99m sestamibi. Lesions with CNR >3 were deemed to be detectable. Thirty patients undergoing MBI examinations with administered doses of 150–300 MBq were scanned for an additional view on the pixelated NaI system. CNR was calculated for lesions observed on patient images. Background count densities of patient images were measured and compared between the two systems. Results: Over the central field of view, integral and differential uniformity were 6.1% and 4.2%, respectively, for the pixelated NaI system, and 3.8% and 2.7%, respectively, for the CZT system. Count sensitivity was 10.8 kcts/min/MBq for the NaI system and 32.9 kcts/min/MBq for the CZT system. Energy resolution was 13.5% on the pixelated NaI system and 4.5% on the CZT system. Spatial resolution (full-width at half-maximum) for the pixelated NaI detector was 4.2 mm at a distance of 1.2 cm from the collimator and 5.2 mm at 3.1 cm. Spatial resolution of a single CZT detector was 2.9 mm at a distance of 1.2 cm from the collimator and 4.7 mm at 3.1 cm. Effective spatial resolution obtained with dual-head CZT was below 4.7 mm throughout
The Royal College of Radiologists Breast Group breast imaging classification
Maxwell, A.J.; Ridley, N.T.; Rubin, G.; Wallis, M.G.; Gilbert, F.J.; Michell, M.J.
Standardisation of the classification of breast imaging reports will improve communication between the referrer and the radiologist and avoid ambiguity, which may otherwise lead to mismanagement of patients. Following wide consultation, Royal College of Radiologists Breast Group has produced a scoring system for the classification of breast imaging. This will facilitate audit and the development of nationally agreed standards for the investigation of women with breast disease. This five-point system is as follows: 1, normal; 2, benign findings; 3, indeterminate/probably benign findings; 4, findings suspicious of malignancy; 5, findings highly suspicious of malignancy. It is recommended that this be used in the reporting of all breast imaging examinations in the UK.
Prototype volumetric ultrasound tomography image guidance system for prone stereotactic partial breast irradiation: proof-of-concept
Chiu, Tsuicheng D.; Parsons, David; Zhang, Yue; Hrycushko, Brian; Zhao, Bo; Chopra, Rajiv; Kim, Nathan; Spangler, Ann; Rahimi, Asal; Timmerman, Robert; Jiang, Steve B.; Lu, Weiguo; Gu, Xuejun
Accurate dose delivery in stereotactic partial breast irradiation (S-PBI) is challenging because of the target position uncertainty caused by breast deformation, the target volume changes caused by lumpectomy cavity shrinkage, and the target delineation uncertainty on simulation computed tomography (CT) images caused by poor soft tissue contrast. We have developed a volumetric ultrasound tomography (UST) image guidance system for prone position S-PBI. The system is composed of a novel 3D printed rotation water tank, a patient-specific resin breast immobilization cup, and a 1D array ultrasound transducer. Coronal 2D US images were acquired in 5° increments over a 360° range, and planes were acquired every 2 mm in elevation. A super-compounding technique was used to reconstruct the image volume. The image quality of UST was evaluated with a BB-1 breast phantom and BioZorb surgical marker, and the results revealed that UST offered better soft tissue contrast than CT and similar image quality to MR. In the evaluated plane, the size and location of five embedded objects were measured and compared to MR, which is considered as the ground truth. Objects’ diameters and the distances between objects in UST differ by approximately 1 to 2 mm from those in MR, which showed that UST offers the image quality required for S-PBI. In future work we will develop a robotic system that will be ultimately implemented in the clinic.
Imaging performance of an amorphous selenium digital mammography detector in a breast tomosynthesis system
Zhao Bo; Zhao Wei
In breast tomosynthesis a rapid sequence of N images is acquired when the x-ray tube sweeps through different angular views with respect to the breast. Since the total dose to the breast is kept the same as that in regular mammography, the exposure used for each image of tomosynthesis is 1/N. The low dose and high frame rate pose a tremendous challenge to the imaging performance of digital mammography detectors. The purpose of the present work is to investigate the detector performance in different operational modes designed for tomosynthesis acquisition, e.g., binning or full resolution readout, the range of view angles, and the number of views N. A prototype breast tomosynthesis system with a nominal angular range of ±25 deg. was used in our investigation. The system was equipped with an amorphous selenium (a-Se) full field digital mammography detector with pixel size of 85 μm. The detector can be read out in full resolution or 2x1 binning (binning in the tube travel direction). The focal spot blur due to continuous tube travel was measured for different acquisition geometries, and it was found that pixel binning, instead of focal spot blur, dominates the detector modulation transfer function (MTF). The noise power spectrum (NPS) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) of the detector were measured with the exposure range of 0.4-6 mR, which is relevant to the low dose used in tomosynthesis. It was found that DQE at 0.4 mR is only 20% less than that at highest exposure for both detector readout modes. The detector temporal performance was categorized as lag and ghosting, both of which were measured as a function of x-ray exposure. The first frame lags were 8% and 4%, respectively, for binning and full resolution mode. Ghosting is negligible and independent of the frame rate. The results showed that the detector performance is x-ray quantum noise limited at the low exposures used in each view of tomosynthesis, and the temporal performance at high frame rate (up to
Radiology residents' comprehension of the breast imaging reporting and data system: The ultrasound lexicon and final assessment category
Jeong, Sun Hye; Lee, Eun Hye; Roh, Yun Ho; Kim, Min Jung; Youk, Ji Hyun; Yoon, Jung Hyun; Kim, Sung Hun; Kim, You Me
To evaluate radiology residents' performance in interpretation and comprehension of breast ultrasonographic descriptors in the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) to suggest the adequate duration of training in breast ultrasonography. A total of 102 radiology residents working in the Department of Radiology were included in this study. They were asked to answer 16 questions about the ultrasonographic lexicon and 11 questions about the BI-RADS category. We analyzed the proportion of correct answers according to the radiology residents’ year of training and duration of breast imaging training. With respect to the duration of breast imaging training, the proportion of correct answers for lexicon descriptors ranged from 77.2% to 81.3% (p = 0.368) and the proportion of correct answers for the BI-RADS category was highest after three-four months of training compared with after one month of training (p = 0.033). The proportion of correct answers for lexicon descriptors and BI-RADS category did not differ significantly according to the year of residency training. Radiology residents' comprehension of the BI-RADS category on breast ultrasonography was not associated with their year of residency training. Based on our findings, radiology residents' assessment of the BI-RADS category was significantly improved with three-four months of training compared with one month of training
Jeong, Sun Hye; Lee, Eun Hye [Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon (Korea, Republic of); Roh, Yun Ho; Kim, Min Jung; Youk, Ji Hyun [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Jung Hyun; Kim, Sung Hun [The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, You Me [Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of)
To evaluate radiology residents' performance in interpretation and comprehension of breast ultrasonographic descriptors in the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) to suggest the adequate duration of training in breast ultrasonography. A total of 102 radiology residents working in the Department of Radiology were included in this study. They were asked to answer 16 questions about the ultrasonographic lexicon and 11 questions about the BI-RADS category. We analyzed the proportion of correct answers according to the radiology residents’ year of training and duration of breast imaging training. With respect to the duration of breast imaging training, the proportion of correct answers for lexicon descriptors ranged from 77.2% to 81.3% (p = 0.368) and the proportion of correct answers for the BI-RADS category was highest after three-four months of training compared with after one month of training (p = 0.033). The proportion of correct answers for lexicon descriptors and BI-RADS category did not differ significantly according to the year of residency training. Radiology residents' comprehension of the BI-RADS category on breast ultrasonography was not associated with their year of residency training. Based on our findings, radiology residents' assessment of the BI-RADS category was significantly improved with three-four months of training compared with one month of training.
Design, Implementation, and Characterization of a Dedicated Breast Computed Mammotomography System for Enhanced Lesion Imaging
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
McKinley, Randolph L
.... Half cone-beam orbits have been implemented and investigated and have indicated they are feasible for a wide range of breast sizes. Future studies will focus on characterizing the system in terms of dose efficiency, contrast sensitivity, and evaluation for a range of breast sizes and compositions. Patient bed optimization will also be investigated.
Imaging of the Adolescent Breast
Jones, Katie N.
The mainstay of breast imaging in the adolescent is ultrasonography. There is occasionally a need for additional imaging, particularly with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Imaging of the adolescent breast differs substantially from the adult in both the imaging modalities utilized and the relative likelihood of pathologies encountered. The majority of lesions in the adolescent are benign, but the presence of a breast lesion may cause anxiety to patients and their families due to the wide awareness of breast malignancy in the adult population. It is important to be aware of the imaging modalities available to image the adolescent breast to prevent unnecessary radiation exposure while answering the clinical question. The current recommendations for adolescent diagnostic and screening breast imaging will be reviewed. Benign breast lesions such as fibroadenomas, fibrocystic change, pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia, gynecomastia, and posttraumatic or infectious lesions with their associated imaging findings and management will be outlined. Additionally, review of breast malignancies that can affect adolescents will provide the reader with features to distinguish benign from malignant processes in the adolescent based on imaging findings and clinical presentation. PMID:24872737
Imaging-Assisted Large-Format Breast Pathology: Program Rationale and Development in a Nonprofit Health System in the United States
F. Lee Tucker
Full Text Available Modern breast imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging, provides an increasingly clear depiction of breast cancer extent, often with suboptimal pathologic confirmation. Pathologic findings guide management decisions, and small increments in reported tumor characteristics may rationalize significant changes in therapy and staging. Pathologic techniques to grossly examine resected breast tissue have changed little during this era of improved breast imaging and still rely primarily on the techniques of gross inspection and specimen palpation. Only limited imaging information is typically conveyed to pathologists, typically in the form of wire-localization images from breast-conserving procedures. Conventional techniques of specimen dissection and section submission destroy the three-dimensional integrity of the breast anatomy and tumor distribution. These traditional methods of breast specimen examination impose unnecessary limitations on correlation with imaging studies, measurement of cancer extent, multifocality, and margin distance. Improvements in pathologic diagnosis, reporting, and correlation of breast cancer characteristics can be achieved by integrating breast imagers into the specimen examination process and the use of large-format sections which preserve local anatomy. This paper describes the successful creation of a large-format pathology program to routinely serve all patients in a busy interdisciplinary breast center associated with a community-based nonprofit health system in the United States.
A portable thermal imaging device as a feedback system for breast cancer treatment
Hoffer, Oshrit A.; Ben-David, Merav A.; Katz, Eyal; Sholomov, Meny; Kelson, Itzhak; Gannot, Israel
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in the Western world. Currently, no imaging technique assesses tumor heat generation and vasculature changes during radiotherapy in viable tumor and as adjuvant therapy. Thermography is a non-ionizing, non-invasive, portable and low-cost imaging modality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of thermography in cancer treatment monitoring for feedback purposes. Six stage-IV breast cancer patients with viable breast tumor and 8 patients (9 breasts) who underwent tumor resection were monitored by a thermal camera prior to radiotherapy sessions over several weeks of radiation treatment. The thermal changes over the treated breast were calculated and analyzed for comparison with healthy surrounded breast tissue or contralateral breast. A model of a breast with a tumor was created. The COMSOL FEM software was used to carry out the analysis. The effects of tumor metabolism and breast tissue perfusion on the temperature difference were analyzed. All patients with active tumors exhibited drops in maximal temperature of the tumor during radiation therapy. The patients who underwent radiotherapy as adjuvant treatment exhibited a rise in maximal temperature over the treated breast in correlation with skin erythema during radiation. This difference between the groups was statistically significant (P=0.001). The simulated human breast cancer models analysis showed that tumor aggressiveness reduction causes decrease in the tumor temperature. Inflammation causes vasodilatation and increases tissue perfusion, resulted in an increase in breast tissue temperature. A correlation was demonstrated between the clinical outcome and the simulation. We report a method for monitoring cancer response to radiation therapy, which measures the physiological response along with clinical response. These anticipatory efficacy evaluations of radiotherapy during treatment may further promote changes in treatment regimen
Breast manifestations of systemic diseases
Dilaveri CA
Full Text Available Christina A Dilaveri, Maire Brid Mac Bride, Nicole P Sandhu, Lonzetta Neal, Karthik Ghosh, Dietlind L Wahner-RoedlerDivision of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USAAbstract: Although much emphasis has been placed on the primary presentations of breast cancer, little focus has been placed on how systemic illnesses may affect the breast. In this article, we discuss systemic illnesses that can manifest in the breast. We summarize the clinical features, imaging, histopathology, and treatment recommendations for endocrine, vascular, systemic inflammatory, infectious, and hematologic diseases, as well as for the extramammary malignancies that can present in the breast. Despite the rarity of these manifestations of systemic disease, knowledge of these conditions is critical to the appropriate evaluation and treatment of patients presenting with breast symptoms.Keywords: breast, endocrine, hematologic, infectious, vascular
SU-E-J-134: An Augmented-Reality Optical Imaging System for Accurate Breast Positioning During Radiotherapy
Nazareth, D; Malhotra, H; French, S; Hoffmann, K; Merrow, C
Purpose: Breast radiotherapy, particularly electronic compensation, may involve large dose gradients and difficult patient positioning problems. We have developed a simple self-calibrating augmented-reality system, which assists in accurately and reproducibly positioning the patient, by displaying her live image from a single camera superimposed on the correct perspective projection of her 3D CT data. Our method requires only a standard digital camera capable of live-view mode, installed in the treatment suite at an approximately-known orientation and position (rotation R; translation T). Methods: A 10-sphere calibration jig was constructed and CT imaged to provide a 3D model. The (R,T) relating the camera to the CT coordinate system were determined by acquiring a photograph of the jig and optimizing an objective function, which compares the true image points to points calculated with a given candidate R and T geometry. Using this geometric information, 3D CT patient data, viewed from the camera's perspective, is plotted using a Matlab routine. This image data is superimposed onto the real-time patient image, acquired by the camera, and displayed using standard live-view software. This enables the therapists to view both the patient's current and desired positions, and guide the patient into assuming the correct position. The method was evaluated using an in-house developed bolus-like breast phantom, mounted on a supporting platform, which could be tilted at various angles to simulate treatment-like geometries. Results: Our system allowed breast phantom alignment, with an accuracy of about 0.5 cm and 1 ± 0.5 degree. Better resolution could be possible using a camera with higher-zoom capabilities. Conclusion: We have developed an augmented-reality system, which combines a perspective projection of a CT image with a patient's real-time optical image. This system has the potential to improve patient setup accuracy during breast radiotherapy, and could possibly be
Setup errors and effectiveness of Optical Laser 3D Surface imaging system (Sentinel) in postoperative radiotherapy of breast cancer.
Wei, Xiaobo; Liu, Mengjiao; Ding, Yun; Li, Qilin; Cheng, Changhai; Zong, Xian; Yin, Wenming; Chen, Jie; Gu, Wendong
Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) plus postoperative radiotherapy has become the standard treatment for early-stage breast cancer. The aim of this study was to compare the setup accuracy of optical surface imaging by the Sentinel system with cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) imaging currently used in our clinic for patients received BCS. Two optical surface scans were acquired before and immediately after couch movement correction. The correlation between the setup errors as determined by the initial optical surface scan and CBCT was analyzed. The deviation of the second optical surface scan from the reference planning CT was considered an estimate for the residual errors for the new method for patient setup correction. The consequences in terms for necessary planning target volume (PTV) margins for treatment sessions without setup correction applied. We analyzed 145 scans in 27 patients treated for early stage breast cancer. The setup errors of skin marker based patient alignment by optical surface scan and CBCT were correlated, and the residual setup errors as determined by the optical surface scan after couch movement correction were reduced. Optical surface imaging provides a convenient method for improving the setup accuracy for breast cancer patient without unnecessary imaging dose.
Breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) lexicon for breast MRI: Interobserver variability in the description and assignment of BI-RADS category
El Khoury, Mona, E-mail: monelkhoury@gmail.com [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montréal, Breast Centre, Radiology Department, 3840 Rue Saint Urbain, Montréal, QC H2W1T8 (Canada); Lalonde, Lucie; David, Julie; Labelle, Maude [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montréal, Breast Centre, Radiology Department, 3840 Rue Saint Urbain, Montréal, QC H2W1T8 (Canada); Mesurolle, Benoit [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de McGill, Cedar Breast Centre, Radiology Department, 687 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H3A1A1 (Canada); Trop, Isabelle [Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montréal, Breast Centre, Radiology Department, 3840 Rue Saint Urbain, Montréal, QC H2W1T8 (Canada)
Highlights: • The use of BI-RADS lexicon in interpreting breast MRI examinations is beneficial. • Our study shows: (a) moderate to substantial agreement between observers and (b) better agreement in interpreting mass than non-mass enhancement (NME). • Careful analysis of the NME should be done to help detect cancer as early as possible. - Abstract: Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate interobserver variability between breast radiologists when describing abnormal enhancement on breast MR examinations and assigning a BI-RADS category using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) terminology. Materials and methods: Five breast radiologists blinded to patients’ medical history and pathologic results retrospectively and independently reviewed 257 abnormal areas of enhancement on breast MRI performed in 173 women. Each radiologist described the focal enhancement using BI-RADS terminology and assigned a final BI-RADS category. Krippendorff's α coefficient of agreement was used to asses interobserver variability. Results: All radiologists agreed on the morphology of enhancement in 183/257 (71%) lesions, yielding a substantial agreement (Krippendorff's α = 0.71). Moderate agreement was obtained for mass descriptors – shape, margins and internal enhancement – (α = 0.55, 0.51 and 0.45 respectively) and NME (non-mass enhancement) descriptors – distribution and internal enhancement – (α = 0.54 and 0.43). Overall substantial agreement was obtained for BI-RADS category assignment (α = 0.71). It was however only moderate (α = 0.38) for NME compared to mass (α = 0.80). Conclusion: Our study shows good agreement in describing mass and NME on a breast MR examination but a better agreement in predicting malignancy for mass than NME.
El Khoury, Mona; Lalonde, Lucie; David, Julie; Labelle, Maude; Mesurolle, Benoit; Trop, Isabelle
Highlights: • The use of BI-RADS lexicon in interpreting breast MRI examinations is beneficial. • Our study shows: (a) moderate to substantial agreement between observers and (b) better agreement in interpreting mass than non-mass enhancement (NME). • Careful analysis of the NME should be done to help detect cancer as early as possible. - Abstract: Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate interobserver variability between breast radiologists when describing abnormal enhancement on breast MR examinations and assigning a BI-RADS category using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) terminology. Materials and methods: Five breast radiologists blinded to patients’ medical history and pathologic results retrospectively and independently reviewed 257 abnormal areas of enhancement on breast MRI performed in 173 women. Each radiologist described the focal enhancement using BI-RADS terminology and assigned a final BI-RADS category. Krippendorff's α coefficient of agreement was used to asses interobserver variability. Results: All radiologists agreed on the morphology of enhancement in 183/257 (71%) lesions, yielding a substantial agreement (Krippendorff's α = 0.71). Moderate agreement was obtained for mass descriptors – shape, margins and internal enhancement – (α = 0.55, 0.51 and 0.45 respectively) and NME (non-mass enhancement) descriptors – distribution and internal enhancement – (α = 0.54 and 0.43). Overall substantial agreement was obtained for BI-RADS category assignment (α = 0.71). It was however only moderate (α = 0.38) for NME compared to mass (α = 0.80). Conclusion: Our study shows good agreement in describing mass and NME on a breast MR examination but a better agreement in predicting malignancy for mass than NME
Investigation of detection limits for diffuse optical tomography systems: II. Analysis of slab and cup geometry for breast imaging.
Ziegler, Ronny; Brendel, Bernhard; Rinneberg, Herbert; Nielsen, Tim
Using a statistical (chi-square) test on simulated data and a realistic noise model derived from the system's hardware we study the performance of diffuse optical tomography systems for fluorescence imaging. We compare the predicted smallest size of detectable lesions at various positions in slab and cup geometry and model how detection sensitivity depends on breast compression and lesion fluorescence contrast. Our investigation shows that lesion detection is limited by relative noise in slab geometry and by absolute noise in cup geometry.
The application of surgical navigation system using optical molecular imaging technology in orthotopic breast cancer and metastasis studies
Chi, Chongwei; Zhang, Qian; Kou, Deqiang; Ye, Jinzuo; Mao, Yamin; Qiu, Jingdan; Wang, Jiandong; Yang, Xin; Du, Yang; Tian, Jie
Currently, it has been an international focus on intraoperative precise positioning and accurate resection of tumor and metastases. The methods such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) have played an important role in preoperative accurate diagnosis. However, most of them are inapplicable for intraoperative surgery. We have proposed a surgical navigation system based on optical molecular imaging technology for intraoperative detection of tumors and metastasis. This system collects images from two CCD cameras for real-time fluorescent and color imaging. For image processing, the template matching algorithm is used for multispectral image fusion. For the application of tumor detection, the mouse breast cancer cell line 4T1-luc, which shows highly metastasis, was used for tumor model establishment and a model of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expressing breast cancer. The tumor-bearing nude mice were given tail vein injection of MMP 750FAST (PerkinElmer, Inc. USA) probe and imaged with both bioluminescence and fluorescence to assess in vivo binding of the probe to the tumor and metastases sites. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was performed to confirm the presence of tumor and metastasis. As a result, one tumor can be observed visually in vivo. However liver metastasis has been detected under surgical navigation system and all were confirmed by histology. This approach helps surgeons to find orthotopic tumors and metastasis during intraoperative resection and visualize tumor borders for precise positioning. Further investigation is needed for future application in clinics.
Design and realisation of a microwave three-dimensional imaging system with application to breast-cancer detection
Zhurbenko, Vitaliy; Rubæk, T.; Krozer, V.
An active microwave-imaging system for non-invasive detection of breast cancer based on dedicated hardware is described. Thirty-two transceiving channels are used to measure the amplitude and phase of the scattered fields in the three-dimensional (3D) imaging domain using electronic scanning. The 3...... is created within 2 h using the single-frequency reconstruction algorithm. The performance of the system is illustrated by an analysis of the standard deviations in amplitude and phase of a series of measurements as well as by a simple image reconstruction example....... is important for measurement accuracy and reproducibility as well as for patient comfort. The dedicated hardware achieves a receiver noise figure of 2.3 dB at a gain of 97 dB. The operating frequency range is from 0.3 to 3 GHz. The image acquisition time at one frequency is approximately 50 s and an image...
Tomosynthesis Breast Imaging Early Detection and Characterization of Breast Cancer
Hamberg, Leena
A digital tomosynthesis mammography method was developed with which to obtain tomographic images of the breast by acquiring a series of low radiation dose images as the x-ray tube moves in an arc above the breast...
Stormram 3: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Compatible Robotic System for Breast Biopsy
NARCIS (Netherlands)
Groenhuis, Vincent; Veltman, Jeroen; Siepel, Françoise Jeanette; Stramigioli, Stefano
Stormram 3 is an MRI-compatible robotic system that can perform MR guided breast biopsies of suspicious lesions. The base of the robot measures 160x180x90 mm and it is actuated by five custom pneumatic linear stepper motors, driven by a valve manifold outside the Faraday cage of the MRI scanner. All
Improving breast cancer outcome by preoperative systemic therapy and image-guided surgery
Mieog, Jan Sven David
This thesis consists of two parts. In part I, we have demonstrated that preoperatively administrated systemic (neoadjuvant) therapy is a feasible treatment strategy in early stage breast cancer to achieve improved surgical options and to assess tumor response. We also demonstrated that
Nazareth, D; Malhotra, H; French, S [Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY (United States); Hoffmann, K [Neurosurgery at SUNY at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY (United States); Merrow, C [Bassett Healthcare, Oneonta, NY (United States)
Purpose: Breast radiotherapy, particularly electronic compensation, may involve large dose gradients and difficult patient positioning problems. We have developed a simple self-calibrating augmented-reality system, which assists in accurately and reproducibly positioning the patient, by displaying her live image from a single camera superimposed on the correct perspective projection of her 3D CT data. Our method requires only a standard digital camera capable of live-view mode, installed in the treatment suite at an approximately-known orientation and position (rotation R; translation T). Methods: A 10-sphere calibration jig was constructed and CT imaged to provide a 3D model. The (R,T) relating the camera to the CT coordinate system were determined by acquiring a photograph of the jig and optimizing an objective function, which compares the true image points to points calculated with a given candidate R and T geometry. Using this geometric information, 3D CT patient data, viewed from the camera's perspective, is plotted using a Matlab routine. This image data is superimposed onto the real-time patient image, acquired by the camera, and displayed using standard live-view software. This enables the therapists to view both the patient's current and desired positions, and guide the patient into assuming the correct position. The method was evaluated using an in-house developed bolus-like breast phantom, mounted on a supporting platform, which could be tilted at various angles to simulate treatment-like geometries. Results: Our system allowed breast phantom alignment, with an accuracy of about 0.5 cm and 1 ± 0.5 degree. Better resolution could be possible using a camera with higher-zoom capabilities. Conclusion: We have developed an augmented-reality system, which combines a perspective projection of a CT image with a patient's real-time optical image. This system has the potential to improve patient setup accuracy during breast radiotherapy, and could
A Quantitative Diffuse Reflectance Imaging (QDRI) System for Comprehensive Surveillance of the Morphological Landscape in Breast Tumor Margins.
Nichols, Brandon S; Schindler, Christine E; Brown, Jonathon Q; Wilke, Lee G; Mulvey, Christine S; Krieger, Marlee S; Gallagher, Jennifer; Geradts, Joseph; Greenup, Rachel A; Von Windheim, Jesko A; Ramanujam, Nirmala
In an ongoing effort to address the clear clinical unmet needs surrounding breast conserving surgery (BCS), our group has developed a next-generation multiplexed optical-fiber-based tool to assess breast tumor margin status during initial surgeries. Specifically detailed in this work is the performance and clinical validation of a research-grade intra-operative tool for margin assessment based on diffuse optical spectroscopy. Previous work published by our group has illustrated the proof-of-concept generations of this device; here we incorporate a highly optimized quantitative diffuse reflectance imaging (QDRI) system utilizing a wide-field (imaging area = 17 cm(2)) 49-channel multiplexed fiber optic probe, a custom raster-scanning imaging platform, a custom dual-channel white LED source, and an astronomy grade imaging CCD and spectrograph. The system signal to noise ratio (SNR) was found to be greater than 40 dB for all channels. Optical property estimation error was found to be less than 10%, on average, over a wide range of absorption (μa = 0-8.9 cm(-1)) and scattering (μs' = 7.0-9.7 cm(-1)) coefficients. Very low inter-channel and CCD crosstalk was observed (2% max) when used on turbid media (including breast tissue). A raster-scanning mechanism was developed to achieve sub-pixel resolution and was found to be optimally performed at an upsample factor of 8, affording 0.75 mm spatially resolved diffuse reflectance images (λ = 450-600 nm) of an entire margin (area = 17 cm(2)) in 13.8 minutes (1.23 cm(2)/min). Moreover, controlled pressure application at the probe-tissue interface afforded by the imaging platform reduces repeated scan variability, providing operative time scales with improved sensitivity to regions of focal disease that may otherwise be overlooked.
The Design and Emulation of a Multiple-Camera SPECT Breast Imager
Sain, John
.... The scope of this study involved characterizing radioactivity within a human breast, building breast phantoms for imaging, modeling mean detector responses, optimizing the system geometry, collecting...
Task-Based Modeling of a 5k Ultra-High-Resolution Medical Imaging System for Digital Breast Tomosynthesis.
Zhao, Chumin; Kanicki, Jerzy
High-resolution, low-noise X-ray detectors based on CMOS active pixel sensor (APS) technology have demonstrated superior imaging performance for digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). This paper presents a task-based model for a high-resolution medical imaging system to evaluate its ability to detect simulated microcalcifications and masses as lesions for breast cancer. A 3-D cascaded system analysis for a 50- [Formula: see text] pixel pitch CMOS APS X-ray detector was integrated with an object task function, a medical imaging display model, and the human eye contrast sensitivity function to calculate the detectability index and area under the ROC curve (AUC). It was demonstrated that the display pixel pitch and zoom factor should be optimized to improve the AUC for detecting small microcalcifications. In addition, detector electronic noise of smaller than 300 e - and a high display maximum luminance (>1000 cd/cm 2 ) are desirable to distinguish microcalcifications of [Formula: see text] in size. For low contrast mass detection, a medical imaging display with a minimum of 12-bit gray levels is recommended to realize accurate luminance levels. A wide projection angle range of greater than ±30° in combination with the image gray level magnification could improve the mass detectability especially when the anatomical background noise is high. On the other hand, a narrower projection angle range below ±20° can improve the small, high contrast object detection. Due to the low mass contrast and luminance, the ambient luminance should be controlled below 5 cd/ [Formula: see text]. Task-based modeling provides important firsthand imaging performance of the high-resolution CMOS-based medical imaging system that is still at early stage development for DBT. The modeling results could guide the prototype design and clinical studies in the future.
Performance evaluation of breast image compression techniques
Anastassopoulos, G; Lymberopoulos, D [Wire Communications Laboratory, Electrical Engineering Department, University of Patras, Greece (Greece); Panayiotakis, G; Bezerianos, A [Medical Physics Department, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Greece (Greece)
Novel diagnosis orienting tele working systems manipulate, store, and process medical data through real time communication - conferencing schemes. One of the most important factors affecting the performance of these systems is image handling. Compression algorithms can be applied to the medical images, in order to minimize : a) the volume of data to be stored in the database, b) the demanded bandwidth from the network, c) the transmission costs, and to minimize the speed of the transmitted data. In this paper an estimation of all the factors of the process that affect the presentation of breast images is made, from the time the images are produced from a modality, till the compressed images are stored, or transmitted in a Broadband network (e.g. B-ISDN). The images used were scanned images of the TOR(MAX) Leeds breast phantom, as well as typical breast images. A comparison of seven compression techniques has been done, based on objective criteria such as Mean Square Error (MSE), resolution, contrast, etc. The user can choose the appropriate compression ratio in order to achieve the desired image quality. (authors). 12 refs, 4 figs.
Anastassopoulos, G.; Lymberopoulos, D.; Panayiotakis, G.; Bezerianos, A.
Novel diagnosis orienting tele working systems manipulate, store, and process medical data through real time communication - conferencing schemes. One of the most important factors affecting the performance of these systems is image handling. Compression algorithms can be applied to the medical images, in order to minimize : a) the volume of data to be stored in the database, b) the demanded bandwidth from the network, c) the transmission costs, and to minimize the speed of the transmitted data. In this paper an estimation of all the factors of the process that affect the presentation of breast images is made, from the time the images are produced from a modality, till the compressed images are stored, or transmitted in a Broadband network (e.g. B-ISDN). The images used were scanned images of the TOR(MAX) Leeds breast phantom, as well as typical breast images. A comparison of seven compression techniques has been done, based on objective criteria such as Mean Square Error (MSE), resolution, contrast, etc. The user can choose the appropriate compression ratio in order to achieve the desired image quality. (authors)
A Quantitative Diffuse Reflectance Imaging (QDRI System for Comprehensive Surveillance of the Morphological Landscape in Breast Tumor Margins.
Brandon S Nichols
Full Text Available In an ongoing effort to address the clear clinical unmet needs surrounding breast conserving surgery (BCS, our group has developed a next-generation multiplexed optical-fiber-based tool to assess breast tumor margin status during initial surgeries. Specifically detailed in this work is the performance and clinical validation of a research-grade intra-operative tool for margin assessment based on diffuse optical spectroscopy. Previous work published by our group has illustrated the proof-of-concept generations of this device; here we incorporate a highly optimized quantitative diffuse reflectance imaging (QDRI system utilizing a wide-field (imaging area = 17 cm(2 49-channel multiplexed fiber optic probe, a custom raster-scanning imaging platform, a custom dual-channel white LED source, and an astronomy grade imaging CCD and spectrograph. The system signal to noise ratio (SNR was found to be greater than 40 dB for all channels. Optical property estimation error was found to be less than 10%, on average, over a wide range of absorption (μa = 0-8.9 cm(-1 and scattering (μs' = 7.0-9.7 cm(-1 coefficients. Very low inter-channel and CCD crosstalk was observed (2% max when used on turbid media (including breast tissue. A raster-scanning mechanism was developed to achieve sub-pixel resolution and was found to be optimally performed at an upsample factor of 8, affording 0.75 mm spatially resolved diffuse reflectance images (λ = 450-600 nm of an entire margin (area = 17 cm(2 in 13.8 minutes (1.23 cm(2/min. Moreover, controlled pressure application at the probe-tissue interface afforded by the imaging platform reduces repeated scan variability, providing <1% variation across repeated scans of clinical specimens. We demonstrate the clinical utility of this device through a pilot 20-patient study of high-resolution optical parameter maps of the ratio of the β-carotene concentration to the reduced scattering coefficient. An empirical cumulative
PET imaging in breast cancer
Bombardieri, E.; Crippa, F.
The basis of tumour imaging with PET is a specific uptake mechanism of positron emitting radiopharmaceuticals. Among the potential tracers for breast cancer (fluorodeoxyglucose, methionine, tyrosine, fluoro-estradiol, nor-progesterone), 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose labelled with fluorine (FDG) is the most widely used radiopharmaceutical because breast cancer is particularly avid of FDG and 18 F has the advantages of the a relatively long physical half-life. Mammography is the first choice examination in studying breast masses, due to its very good performances, an excellent compliance and the best value regarding the cost/effectiveness aspects. The FDG uptake in tissue correlates with the histological grade and potential aggressiveness of breast cancer and this may have prognostic consequences. Besides the evaluation of breast lesions, FDG-PET shows a great efficacy in staging lymph node involvement prior surgery and this could have a great value in loco-regional staging. Whole body PET provides also information with regard to metastasis localizations both in soft tissue and bone, and plays an important clinical role mainly in detecting recurrent metastatic disease. In fact for its metabolic characteristics PET visualizes regions of enhanced metabolic activity and can complete other imaging modalities based on structural anatomic changes. Even though CT and MRI show superior resolution characteristics, it has been demonstrated that PET provides more accurate information in discriminating between viable tumour, fibrotic scar or necrosis. These statements are coming from the examination of more than 2000 breast cancer detection
TU-A-17A-02: In Memoriam of Ben Galkin: Virtual Tools for Validation of X-Ray Breast Imaging Systems
Myers, K [Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, FDA, Silver Spring, MD (United States); Bakic, P [University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Abbey, C [University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA (United States); Kupinski, M [The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Mertelmeier, T [Siemens AG, Erlangen (Germany)
This symposium will explore simulation methods for the preclinical evaluation of novel 3D and 4D x-ray breast imaging systems – the subject of AAPM taskgroup TG234. Given the complex design of modern imaging systems, simulations offer significant advantages over long and costly clinical studies in terms of reproducibility, reduced radiation exposures, a known reference standard, and the capability for studying patient and disease subpopulations through appropriate choice of simulation parameters. Our focus will be on testing the realism of software anthropomorphic phantoms and virtual clinical trials tools developed for the optimization and validation of breast imaging systems. The symposium will review the stateof- the-science, as well as the advantages and limitations of various approaches to testing realism of phantoms and simulated breast images. Approaches based upon the visual assessment of synthetic breast images by expert observers will be contrasted with approaches based upon comparing statistical properties between synthetic and clinical images. The role of observer models in the assessment of realism will be considered. Finally, an industry perspective will be presented, summarizing the role and importance of virtual tools and simulation methods in product development. The challenges and conditions that must be satisfied in order for computational modeling and simulation to play a significantly increased role in the design and evaluation of novel breast imaging systems will be addressed. Learning Objectives: Review the state-of-the science in testing realism of software anthropomorphic phantoms and virtual clinical trials tools; Compare approaches based upon the visual assessment by expert observers vs. the analysis of statistical properties of synthetic images; Discuss the role of observer models in the assessment of realism; Summarize the industry perspective to virtual methods for breast imaging.
Myers, K; Bakic, P; Abbey, C; Kupinski, M; Mertelmeier, T
This symposium will explore simulation methods for the preclinical evaluation of novel 3D and 4D x-ray breast imaging systems – the subject of AAPM taskgroup TG234. Given the complex design of modern imaging systems, simulations offer significant advantages over long and costly clinical studies in terms of reproducibility, reduced radiation exposures, a known reference standard, and the capability for studying patient and disease subpopulations through appropriate choice of simulation parameters. Our focus will be on testing the realism of software anthropomorphic phantoms and virtual clinical trials tools developed for the optimization and validation of breast imaging systems. The symposium will review the stateof- the-science, as well as the advantages and limitations of various approaches to testing realism of phantoms and simulated breast images. Approaches based upon the visual assessment of synthetic breast images by expert observers will be contrasted with approaches based upon comparing statistical properties between synthetic and clinical images. The role of observer models in the assessment of realism will be considered. Finally, an industry perspective will be presented, summarizing the role and importance of virtual tools and simulation methods in product development. The challenges and conditions that must be satisfied in order for computational modeling and simulation to play a significantly increased role in the design and evaluation of novel breast imaging systems will be addressed. Learning Objectives: Review the state-of-the science in testing realism of software anthropomorphic phantoms and virtual clinical trials tools; Compare approaches based upon the visual assessment by expert observers vs. the analysis of statistical properties of synthetic images; Discuss the role of observer models in the assessment of realism; Summarize the industry perspective to virtual methods for breast imaging
Semiautomated Multimodal Breast Image Registration
Charlotte Curtis
However, due to the highly deformable nature of breast tissues, comparison of 3D and 2D modalities is a challenge. To enable this comparison, a registration technique was developed to map features from 2D mammograms to locations in the 3D image space. This technique was developed and tested using magnetic resonance (MR images as a reference 3D modality, as MR breast imaging is an established technique in clinical practice. The algorithm was validated using a numerical phantom then successfully tested on twenty-four image pairs. Dice's coefficient was used to measure the external goodness of fit, resulting in an excellent overall average of 0.94. Internal agreement was evaluated by examining internal features in consultation with a radiologist, and subjective assessment concludes that reasonable alignment was achieved.
Noninvasive imaging of breast cancer
Medarova, Z.
With the development of molecularly targeted cancer therapies, it is highly advantageous to be able to determine their efficacy, to improve overall patient survival. Non-invasive imaging techniques are currently available for visualizing different pathological conditions of the human body, but their use for cancer monitoring is limited due to the lack of tumor-specific imaging probes. This review will attempt to summarize the current clinical diagnostic approaches for breast cancer detection, staging, and therapy assessment. In addition, I will present some novel concepts from the field of molecular imaging that form the basis of some of our research. We believe that this general imaging strategy has the potential of significantly advancing our ability to diagnose breast cancer at the earliest stages of the pathology, before any overt clinical symptoms have developed, as well as to better direct the development of molecularly-targeted individualized therapy protocols.
Breast imaging using an amorphous silicon-based full-field digital mammographic system: stability of a clinical prototype.
Vedantham, S; Karellas, A; Suryanarayanan, S; D'Orsi, C J; Hendrick, R E
An amorphous silicon-based full-breast imager for digital mammography was evaluated for detector stability over a period of 1 year. This imager uses a structured CsI:TI scintillator coupled to an amorphous silicon layer with a 100-micron pixel pitch and read out by special purpose electronics. The stability of the system was characterized using the following quantifiable metrics: conversion factor (mean number of electrons generated per incident x-ray), presampling modulation transfer function (MTF), detector linearity and sensitivity, detector signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and American College of Radiology (ACR) accreditation phantom scores. Qualitative metrics such as flat field uniformity, geometric distortion, and Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) test pattern image quality were also used to study the stability of the system. Observations made over this 1-year period indicated that the maximum variation from the average of the measurements were less than 0.5% for conversion factor, 3% for presampling MTF over all spatial frequencies, 5% for signal response, linearity and sensitivity, 12% for SNR over seven locations for all 3 target-filter combinations, and 0% for ACR accreditation phantom scores. ACR mammographic accreditation phantom images indicated the ability to resolve 5 fibers, 4 speck groups, and 5 masses at a mean glandular dose of 1.23 mGy. The SMPTE pattern image quality test for the display monitors used for image viewing indicated ability to discern all contrast steps and ability to distinguish line-pair images at the center and corners of the image. No bleeding effects were observed in the image. Flat field uniformity for all 3 target-filter combinations displayed no artifacts such as gridlines, bad detector rows or columns, horizontal or vertical streaks, or bad pixels. Wire mesh screen images indicated uniform resolution and no geometric distortion.
Assessment and Development of Microwave Imaging for Breast Cancer Detection
Jensen, Peter Damsgaard
At the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), a 3D tomographic microwave imaging system is currently being developed with the aim of using nonlinear microwave imaging for breast-cancer detection. The imaging algorithm used in the system is based on an iterative Newton-type scheme. In this algorithm...... used in the microwave tomographic imaging system is presented. Non-linear microwave tomographic imaging of the breast is a challenging computational problem. The breast is heterogeneous and contains several high-contrast and lossy regions, resulting in large differences in the measured signal levels....... This implies that special care must be taken when the imaging problem is formulated. Under such conditions, microwave imaging systems will most often be considerably more sensitive to changes in the electromagnetic properties in certain regions of the breast. The result is that the parameters might...
Validity of the breast imaging reporting and data system BI-RADS{sup TM} for clinical mammography in men; Anwendbarkeit des Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS{sup TM}) auf die klinische Mammographie des Mannes
Bock, K.; Duda, V.F.; Bonwetsch, C.; Hadji, P.; Schulz, K.D. [Marburg Univ. (Germany). Klinik fuer Gynaekologie, Gynaekologische Endokrinologie und Onkologie; Iwinska-Zelder, J.; Klose, K.J. [Marburg Univ. (Germany). Klinik fuer Diagnostische Radiologie; Rode, G. [Diagnostische Gemeinschaftspraxis Marburg (Germany)
Aim: The implementation of diagnostic standards enhances quality assurance. The American College of Radiology's breast imaging-reporting and data system (BI-RADS{sup TM}) is intended to standardize terminology in the mammography report, the assessment of the findings, and the recommendation af action to be taken. The purpose of this study was to assess the value of the standardized system for clinically apparent male breast tumors. Do the special male anatomy and physiology limit the applicability of an evaluation system designed for female screening mammograms? Methods: 4 investigators with different degrees of experience retrospectively evaluated 160 male mammograms. Our study was based on the 36 cases which could be correlated to histopathological findings: gynecomastia in the majority of cases, but also 4 invasive ductal carcinoma, 1 leiomyosarcoma and 1 ductal carcinoma in situ. Results: Assessment of the mammograms by BI-RADS{sup TM} (3{sup rd} Edition 1998) correctly placed all cases of malignancy into categories 4 and 5 without respect to the investigators's level of experience. Conclusion: Therefore, we conclude that the BI-RADS{sup TM}-classification can successfully be used to classify male mammograms with a high positive predictive value for malignancy. Knowledge of gender-specific imaging characteristics increases the specificity at a constant high level of sensitivity. (orig.) [German] Ziel: In der apparativen Diagnostik dient die Einfuehrung von Standards der Qualitaetssicherung. Das breast imaging-reporting and data system (BI-RADS{sup TM}) des American College of Radiology standardisiert den Sprachgebrauch in der Befundbeschreibung, die Befundbewertung und die resultierenden Empfehlungen in der Mammographie. Unser Interesse galt der Frage, inwieweit dieses System der Kategorisierung von Screening-Mammographien der Frau uebertragbar ist auf klinische Mammographien des Mannes. Begrenzen Anatomie und Physiologie der maennlichen Brustdruese
Activity-based costing via an information system: an application created for a breast imaging center.
Hawkins, H; Langer, J; Padua, E; Reaves, J
Activity-based costing (ABC) is a process that enables the estimation of the cost of producing a product or service. More accurate than traditional charge-based approaches, it emphasizes analysis of processes, and more specific identification of both direct and indirect costs. This accuracy is essential in today's healthcare environment, in which managed care organizations necessitate responsible and accountable costing. However, to be successfully utilized, it requires time, effort, expertise, and support. Data collection can be tedious and expensive. By integrating ABC with information management (IM) and systems (IS), organizations can take advantage of the process orientation of both, extend and improve ABC, and decrease resource utilization for ABC projects. In our case study, we have examined the process of a multidisciplinary breast center. We have mapped the constituent activities and established cost drivers. This information has been structured and included in our information system database for subsequent analysis.
Breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) or French 'classification ACR'
Dilhuydy, Marie Helene
Summary: The American College of Radiology Task Force on Breast Cancer published in 2003 Fourth edition of BI-RADS for Mammography. It is a lexicon of mammography terms including illustrations of each feature described, followed by a reporting format with assessment categories according to the degree of concern. The aim is to reduce inconsistencies in mammography reports and recommendations for assessment, to facilitate outcome monitoring and to allow each radiologist to audit his own mammography practice. In France, the Societe Francaise de Radiologie acquired the rights to translate BI-RADS, word for word and without adaptation or influence. The last edition was published in 2004. Simultaneously, French Haute Autorite de Sante and National Committee for Breast Cancer Screening proposed to all community practice mammography facilities a classification of detected abnormalities stating more clearly than BI-RADS do which feature has to be included in such and such assessment category and how to manage it. This 'classification ACR' is adapted from BI-RADS but strongly influenced by the context of the French nationwide screening programme, and by European recommendations to limitate undesirable risks of screening such as false positive and overdiagnosis. The differences between the two systems are discussed
Basic setup for breast conductivity imaging using magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography
Lee, Byung Il; Oh, Suk Hoon; Kim, Tae-Seong; Woo, Eung Je; Lee, Soo Yeol; Kwon, Ohin; Seo, Jin Keun
We present a new medical imaging technique for breast imaging, breast MREIT, in which magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) is utilized to get high-resolution conductivity and current density images of the breast. In this work, we introduce the basic imaging setup of the breast MREIT technique with an investigation of four different imaging configurations of current-injection electrode positions and pathways through computer simulation studies. Utilizing the preliminary findings of a best breast MREIT configuration, additional numerical simulation studies have been carried out to validate breast MREIT at different levels of SNR. Finally, we have performed an experimental validation with a breast phantom on a 3.0 T MREIT system. The presented results strongly suggest that breast MREIT with careful imaging setups could be a potential imaging technique for human breast which may lead to early detection of breast cancer via improved differentiation of cancerous tissues in high-resolution conductivity images
Categorization and evaluation of usefulness of breast lesions with using ultrasound BI-RADS (breast imaging reporting and data system)
Kim, Youn Jeong; Choi, Hye Young; Moon, Byung In; Lee, Shi Nae
The aim of our study was to determine the positive predictive value (PPV) and to evaluate the usefulness on ultrasound BI-RADS, as compared with the histologic results of breast lesions that were categorized and classified by the ultrasound BI-RADS lexicon. Between January and December 2004, the ultrasound features of 471 breast lesions in 368 patients were analyzed and categorized with using ultrasound BI-RADS. All of the lesions were compared with the histological results. We categorized category 2 and 3 lesions as benign lesions, and category 4 and 5 lesions as malignant lesions. We then calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive, predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy. The breast lesions were histologically diagnosed as 298 cases of category 2, 21 cases of category 3, 108 cases of category 4 and 44 cases of category 5. The categorical malignancy rate was 1% (3/298) in category 2 lesions, 4.7% (1/21) in category 3 lesions, 8.3% (9/108) in category 4 lesions and 90.9% (40/44) in category 5 lesions. Within category 4, the malignancy rate for category 4a lesions was 5.4% (5/92), the malignancy rate for category 4b lesions was 1.3% (1/8) and the malignancy rate for category 4c lesions was 50% (4/8). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 90.6%, 75.1%, 31.6% and 98.4%, respectively. The statistically valid ultrasound features that were correlated with malignancy were an ill defined margin, a microlobulated mass, an irregular mass, inhomogenic echogenicity, an echogenic halo and an older patient age. Ultrasound BI-RADS was useful in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions
MR imaging of breast implants.
Gorczyca, D P
MR imaging has proved to be an excellent imaging modality in locating free silicone and evaluating an implant for rupture, with a sensitivity of approximately 94% and specificity of 97%. Silicone has a unique MR resonance frequency and long T1 and T2 relaxation times, which allows several MR sequences to provide excellent diagnostic images. The most commonly used sequences include T2-weighted, STIR, and chemical shift imaging (Figs. 3, 13, and 14). The T2-weighted and STIR sequences are often used in conjunction with chemical water suppression. The most reliable findings on MR images for detection of implant rupture include identification of the collapsed implant shell (linguine sign) and free silicone within the breast parenchyma.
MO-DE-210-06: Development of a Supercompounded 3D Volumetric Ultrasound Image Guidance System for Prone Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI)
Chiu, T; Hrycushko, B; Zhao, B; Jiang, S; Gu, X [UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX (United States)
Purpose: For early-stage breast cancer, accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is a cost-effective breast-conserving treatment. Irradiation in a prone position can mitigate respiratory induced breast movement and achieve maximal sparing of heart and lung tissues. However, accurate dose delivery is challenging due to breast deformation and lumpectomy cavity shrinkage. We propose a 3D volumetric ultrasound (US) image guidance system for accurate prone APBI Methods: The designed system, set beneath the prone breast board, consists of a water container, an US scanner, and a two-layer breast immobilization cup. The outer layer of the breast cup forms the inner wall of water container while the inner layer is attached to patient breast directly to immobilization. The US transducer scans is attached to the outer-layer of breast cup at the dent of water container. Rotational US scans in a transverse plane are achieved by simultaneously rotating water container and transducer, and multiple transverse scanning forms a 3D scan. A supercompounding-technique-based volumetric US reconstruction algorithm is developed for 3D image reconstruction. The performance of the designed system is evaluated with two custom-made gelatin phantoms containing several cylindrical inserts filled in with water (11% reflection coefficient between materials). One phantom is designed for positioning evaluation while the other is for scaling assessment. Results: In the positioning evaluation phantom, the central distances between the inserts are 15, 20, 30 and 40 mm. The distances on reconstructed images differ by −0.19, −0.65, −0.11 and −1.67 mm, respectively. In the scaling evaluation phantom, inserts are 12.7, 19.05, 25.40 and 31.75 mm in diameter. Measured inserts’ sizes on images differed by 0.23, 0.19, −0.1 and 0.22 mm, respectively. Conclusion: The phantom evaluation results show that the developed 3D volumetric US system can accurately localize target position and determine
Cross-sectional imaging to evaluate the extent of regional nodal disease in breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant systemic therapy
Anderson, Tara L., E-mail: anderson.tara@mayo.edu [Mayo Clinic, Department of Radiology, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (United States); Glazebrook, Katrina N., E-mail: glazebrook.katrina@mayo.edu [Mayo Clinic, Department of Radiology, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (United States); Murphy, Brittany L., E-mail: murphy.brittany@mayo.edu [Mayo Clinic, Department of Surgery, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (United States); Viers, Lyndsay D., E-mail: viers.lyndsay@mayo.edu [Mayo Clinic, Department of Radiology, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (United States); Hieken, Tina J, E-mail: hieken.tina@mayo.edu [Mayo Clinic, Department of Surgery, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (United States)
Purpose: Cross-sectional imaging often is performed in breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) and may identify level III axillary and extra-axillary nodal disease. Our aim was to investigate associations of radiologic nodal staging with pathological N (pN) stage at operation and to explore how this might aid surgical and radiotherapy treatment planning. Materials and methods: With IRB approval, we reviewed pre-treatment breast MRI, PET/CT, and CT imaging and clinicopathologic data on 348 breast cancer patients with imaging available for review undergoing NST followed by operation at our institution 1/2008-9/2013. We defined abnormal lymph node findings on MRI, CT, and PET/CT to include cortical thickening, FDG-avidity and loss of fatty hilum. Patients were assigned a radiologic nodal (rN) stage based on imaging findings. Statistical analysis was performed using JMP 10.1 software Results: Pre-NST imaging included axillary ultrasound in 338 patients (97%), breast MRI in 305 (88%) and PET/CT or CT in 215 (62%). 213 patients (61%) were biopsy-proven axillary lymph node-positive (LN+) pre-treatment. cT stage was T1 in 9%, T2 in 49%, T3 in 29%, T4 in 12%; median tumor size was 4 cm. Pre-treatment rN stage across all the patients was rN0 in 86 (25%), rN1 in 173 (50%), and rN3 in 89 (26%). rN3 disease included level III axillary, supraclavicular and suspicious internal mammary lymph nodes in 47 (53%), 32 (37%) and 45 (52%), respectively. Of patients LN+ at diagnosis, 78 (37%) were rN3. After NST, 162 patients (47%) were node-positive at operation with a median (mean) of 3 (5.9 ± 0.4) positive lymph nodes including 128 of 213 (60%) LN+ at diagnosis. Pre-NST rN stage correlated with the likelihood and extent of axillary disease at operation, p = 0.002. Fifty four of 89 rN3 patients (61%) were node-positive at operation with a median (mean) of 5 (8 ± 1) positive nodes. rN3 patients had larger nodal metastases (median 9 vs 6 mm) and more
Anderson, Tara L.; Glazebrook, Katrina N.; Murphy, Brittany L.; Viers, Lyndsay D.; Hieken, Tina J
Computerized detection of breast cancer on automated breast ultrasound imaging of women with dense breasts
Drukker, Karen; Sennett, Charlene A.; Giger, Maryellen L.
Purpose: Develop a computer-aided detection method and investigate its feasibility for detection of breast cancer in automated 3D ultrasound images of women with dense breasts. Methods: The HIPAA compliant study involved a dataset of volumetric ultrasound image data, “views,� acquired with an automated U-Systems Somo•V ® ABUS system for 185 asymptomatic women with dense breasts (BI-RADS Composition/Density 3 or 4). For each patient, three whole-breast views (3D image volumes) per breast were acquired. A total of 52 patients had breast cancer (61 cancers), diagnosed through any follow-up at most 365 days after the original screening mammogram. Thirty-one of these patients (32 cancers) had a screening-mammogram with a clinically assigned BI-RADS Assessment Category 1 or 2, i.e., were mammographically negative. All software used for analysis was developed in-house and involved 3 steps: (1) detection of initial tumor candidates, (2) characterization of candidates, and (3) elimination of false-positive candidates. Performance was assessed by calculating the cancer detection sensitivity as a function of the number of “marks� (detections) per view. Results: At a single mark per view, i.e., six marks per patient, the median detection sensitivity by cancer was 50.0% (16/32) ± 6% for patients with a screening mammogram-assigned BI-RADS category 1 or 2—similar to radiologists’ performance sensitivity (49.9%) for this dataset from a prior reader study—and 45.9% (28/61) ± 4% for all patients. Conclusions: Promising detection sensitivity was obtained for the computer on a 3D ultrasound dataset of women with dense breasts at a rate of false-positive detections that may be acceptable for clinical implementation
Breast imaging: a surgeon's prospective
Wallace, Anne M.; Comstock, Christopher; Hoh, Carl K.; Vera, David R.
Mammography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, gamma camera and intraoperative gamma detection, and computed tomography are employed in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. This paper summarizes the role of each modality from the perspective of the physician responsible for management of the patient's care. An understanding of an imaging modality's current role can provide insights into the design of new applications and diagnostic agents. Moreover, knowledge of the mechanism by which each modality provides clinical information can guide the design of new imaging methods that complement and add certainty to the patient's management. The reader should note the lack of molecular information provided by the current imaging methods. The perspective concludes with a request for an imaging technique that can measure the biologic aggressiveness of a woman's cancer. The surgeon notes that basing the formation of an image on a molecular process would be compatible with current medical practice, which utilizes molecular concepts to base medical decisions. In addition, molecular imaging will enable rapid translation between basic science and medical practice
Breast-specific gamma-imaging: molecular imaging of the breast using 99mTc-sestamibi and a small-field-of-view gamma-camera.
Jones, Elizabeth A; Phan, Trinh D; Blanchard, Deborah A; Miley, Abbe
Breast-specific gamma-imaging (BSGI), also known as molecular breast imaging, is breast scintigraphy using a small-field-of-view gamma-camera and (99m)Tc-sestamibi. There are many different types of breast cancer, and many have characteristics making them challenging to detect by mammography and ultrasound. BSGI is a cost-effective, highly sensitive and specific technique that complements other imaging modalities currently being used to identify malignant lesions in the breast. Using the current Society of Nuclear Medicine guidelines for breast scintigraphy, Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital began conducting BSGI, breast scintigraphy with a breast-optimized gamma-camera. In our experience, optimal imaging has been conducted in the Breast Center by a nuclear medicine technologist. In addition, the breast radiologists read the BSGI images in correlation with the mammograms, ultrasounds, and other imaging studies performed. By modifying the current Society of Nuclear Medicine protocol to adapt it to the practice of breast scintigraphy with these new systems and by providing image interpretation in conjunction with the other breast imaging studies, our center has found BSGI to be a valuable adjunctive procedure in the diagnosis of breast cancer. The development of a small-field-of-view gamma-camera, designed to optimize breast imaging, has resulted in improved detection capabilities, particularly for lesions less than 1 cm. Our experience with this procedure has proven to aid in the clinical work-up of many of our breast patients. After reading this article, the reader should understand the history of breast scintigraphy, the pharmaceutical used, patient preparation and positioning, imaging protocol guidelines, clinical indications, and the role of breast scintigraphy in breast cancer diagnosis.
Quantitative analysis of breast echotexture patterns in automated breast ultrasound images
Chang, Ruey-Feng; Hou, Yu-Ling; Lo, Chung-Ming; Huang, Chiun-Sheng; Chen, Jeon-Hor; Kim, Won Hwa; Chang, Jung Min; Bae, Min Sun; Moon, Woo Kyung
Purpose: Breast tissue composition is considered to be associated with breast cancer risk. This study aimed to develop a computer-aided classification (CAC) system to automatically classify echotexture patterns as heterogeneous or homogeneous using automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) images. Methods: A CAC system was proposed that can recognize breast echotexture patterns in ABUS images. For each case, the echotexture pattern was assessed by two expert radiologists and classified as heterogeneous or homogeneous. After neutrosophic image transformation and fuzzy c-mean clusterings, the lower and upper boundaries of the fibroglandular tissues were defined. Then, the number of hypoechoic regions and histogram features were extracted from the fibroglandular tissues, and the support vector machine model with the leave-one-out cross-validation method was utilized as the classifier. The authors’ database included a total of 208 ABUS images of the breasts of 104 females. Results: The accuracies of the proposed system for the classification of heterogeneous and homogeneous echotexture patterns were 93.48% (43/46) and 92.59% (150/162), respectively, with an overall Az (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) of 0.9786. The agreement between the radiologists and the proposed system was almost perfect, with a kappa value of 0.814. Conclusions: The use of ABUS and the proposed method can provide quantitative information on the echotexture patterns of the breast and can be used to evaluate whether breast echotexture patterns are associated with breast cancer risk in the future
Chang, Ruey-Feng [Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan and Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Hou, Yu-Ling [Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Lo, Chung-Ming [Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Huang, Chiun-Sheng [Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Chen, Jeon-Hor [Department of Radiology, E-Da Hospital and I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 82445, Taiwan and Tu and Yuen Center for Functional Onco-Imaging and Department of Radiological Science, University of California, Irvine, California 92697 (United States); Kim, Won Hwa; Chang, Jung Min; Bae, Min Sun; Moon, Woo Kyung, E-mail: moonwk@snu.ac.kr [Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 110-744 (Korea, Republic of)
Purpose: Breast tissue composition is considered to be associated with breast cancer risk. This study aimed to develop a computer-aided classification (CAC) system to automatically classify echotexture patterns as heterogeneous or homogeneous using automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) images. Methods: A CAC system was proposed that can recognize breast echotexture patterns in ABUS images. For each case, the echotexture pattern was assessed by two expert radiologists and classified as heterogeneous or homogeneous. After neutrosophic image transformation and fuzzy c-mean clusterings, the lower and upper boundaries of the fibroglandular tissues were defined. Then, the number of hypoechoic regions and histogram features were extracted from the fibroglandular tissues, and the support vector machine model with the leave-one-out cross-validation method was utilized as the classifier. The authors’ database included a total of 208 ABUS images of the breasts of 104 females. Results: The accuracies of the proposed system for the classification of heterogeneous and homogeneous echotexture patterns were 93.48% (43/46) and 92.59% (150/162), respectively, with an overall Az (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) of 0.9786. The agreement between the radiologists and the proposed system was almost perfect, with a kappa value of 0.814. Conclusions: The use of ABUS and the proposed method can provide quantitative information on the echotexture patterns of the breast and can be used to evaluate whether breast echotexture patterns are associated with breast cancer risk in the future.
Breast cancer imaging: A perspective for the next decade
Karellas, Andrew; Vedantham, Srinivasan
Breast imaging is largely indicated for detection, diagnosis, and clinical management of breast cancer and for evaluation of the integrity of breast implants. In this work, a prospective view of techniques for breast cancer detection and diagnosis is provided based on an assessment of current trends. The potential role of emerging techniques that are under various stages of research and development is also addressed. It appears that the primary imaging tool for breast cancer screening in the next decade will be high-resolution, high-contrast, anatomical x-ray imaging with or without depth information. MRI and ultrasonography will have an increasingly important adjunctive role for imaging high-risk patients and women with dense breasts. Pilot studies with dedicated breast CT have demonstrated high-resolution three-dimensional imaging capabilities, but several technological barriers must be overcome before clinical adoption. Radionuclide based imaging techniques and x-ray imaging with intravenously injected contrast offer substantial potential as a diagnostic tools and for evaluation of suspicious lesions. Developing optical and electromagnetic imaging techniques hold significant potential for physiologic information and they are likely to be of most value when integrated with or adjunctively used with techniques that provide anatomic information. Experimental studies with breast specimens suggest that phase-sensitive x-ray imaging techniques can provide edge enhancement and contrast improvement but more research is needed to evaluate their potential role in clinical breast imaging. From the technological perspective, in addition to improvements within each modality, there is likely to be a trend towards multi-modality systems that combine anatomic with physiologic information. We are also likely to transition from a standardized screening, where all women undergo the same imaging exam (mammography), to selection of a screening modality or modalities based an
Karellas, Andrew; Vedantham, Srinivasan [Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655 (United States)
Mesenchymal Tumors of the Breast: Imaging and the Histopathologic Correlation
Kim, Bo Mi; Kim, Eun Kyung; You, Jae Kyoung; Kim, Yee Jeong
Various benign and malignant mesenchymal tumors can occur in the breast. Most radiologists are unfamiliar with the imaging features of these tumors and the imaging features have not been described in the radiologic literature. It is important that radiologists should be familiar with the broad spectrum of imaging features of rare mesenchymal breast tumors. In this pictorial review, we demonstrate the sonographic findings and the corresponding pathologic findings of various mesenchymal tumors of the breast as defined by the World Health Organization classification system
Breast Imaging: How We Manage Diagnostic Technology at a Multidisciplinary Breast Center
Alejandro Tejerina Bernal
Full Text Available This paper discusses the most important aspects and problems related to the management of breast cancer imaging, at a center specialized in breast pathology. We review the established and emerging diagnostic techniques, their indications, and peculiarities: digital mammography, CAD systems, and the recent digital breast tomosynthesis, ultrasound and complementary elastography, molecular imaging techniques, magnetic resonance imaging, advanced sequences (diffusion, and positron emission mammography (PEM. The adequate integration and rational management of these techniques is essential, but this is not always easy, in order to achieve a successful diagnosis.
A review of biomechanically informed breast image registration
Hipwell, John H; Vavourakis, Vasileios; Mertzanidou, Thomy; Eiben, Björn; Hawkes, David J; Han, Lianghao
Breast radiology encompasses the full range of imaging modalities from routine imaging via x-ray mammography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound (both two- and three-dimensional), to more recent technologies such as digital breast tomosynthesis, and dedicated breast imaging systems for positron emission mammography and ultrasound tomography. In addition new and experimental modalities, such as Photoacoustics, Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Electrical Impedance Tomography etc, are emerging. The breast is a highly deformable structure however, and this greatly complicates visual comparison of imaging modalities for the purposes of breast screening, cancer diagnosis (including image guided biopsy), tumour staging, treatment monitoring, surgical planning and simulation of the effects of surgery and wound healing etc. Due primarily to the challenges posed by these gross, non-rigid deformations, development of automated methods which enable registration, and hence fusion, of information within and across breast imaging modalities, and between the images and the physical space of the breast during interventions, remains an active research field which has yet to translate suitable methods into clinical practice. This review describes current research in the field of breast biomechanical modelling and identifies relevant publications where the resulting models have been incorporated into breast image registration and simulation algorithms. Despite these developments there remain a number of issues that limit clinical application of biomechanical modelling. These include the accuracy of constitutive modelling, implementation of representative boundary conditions, failure to meet clinically acceptable levels of computational cost, challenges associated with automating patient-specific model generation (i.e. robust image segmentation and mesh generation) and the complexity of applying biomechanical modelling methods in routine clinical practice. (topical review)
Cone-beam volume CT breast imaging: Feasibility study
Chen Biao; Ning Ruola
X-ray projection mammography, using a film/screen combination, or digital techniques, has proven to be the most effective imaging modality currently available for early detection of breast cancer. However, the inherent superimposition of structures makes a small carcinoma (a few millimeters in size) difficult to detect when it is occult or in dense breasts, leading to a high false-positive biopsy rate. Cone-beam x-ray-projection-based volume imaging using flat panel detectors (FPDs) may allow obtaining three-dimensional breast images, resulting in more accurate diagnosis of structures and patterns of lesions while eliminating the hard compression of breasts. This article presents a novel cone-beam volume computed tomographic breast imaging (CBVCTBI) technique based on the above techniques. Through a variety of computer simulations, the key issues of the system and imaging techniques were addressed, including the x-ray imaging geometry and corresponding reconstruction algorithms, x-ray characteristics of breast tissue and lesions, x-ray setting techniques, the absorbed dose estimation, and the quantitative effect of x-ray scattering on image quality. The preliminary simulation results support the proposed CVBCTBI modality for breast imaging in respect to its feasibility and practicability. The absorbed dose level is comparable to that of current mammography and will not be a prominent problem for this imaging technique. Compared to conventional mammography, the proposed imaging technique with isotropic spatial resolution will potentially provide significantly better low-contrast detectability of breast tumors and more accurate location of breast lesions
A Partnership Training Program in Breast Cancer Diagnosis: Concept Development of the Next Generation Diagnostic Breast Imaging Using Digital Image Library and Networking Techniques
Chouikha, Mohamed F
...); and Georgetown University (Image Science and Information Systems, ISIS). In this partnership training program, we will train faculty and students in breast cancer imaging, digital image database library techniques and network communication strategy...
Digital Breast Imaging Warehouse for Research and Clinical Decision Support
Zhang, Hong
Breast imaging is used intensively for breast cancer detection. As routine screening examination becomes more popular for women over 40, tremendous amount of breast imaging data has been accumulated...
Dual Energy Tomosynthesis breast phantom imaging
Koukou, V.; Martini, N.; Fountos, G.; Messaris, G.; Michail, C.; Kandarakis, I.; Nikiforidis, G.
Dual energy (DE) imaging technique has been applied to many theoretical and experimental studies. The aim of the current study is to evaluate dual energy in breast tomosynthesis using commercial tomosynthesis system in terms of its potential to better visualize microcalcifications (μCs). The system uses a tungsten target X-ray tube and a selenium direct conversion detector. Low-energy (LE) images were acquired at different tube voltages (28, 30, 32 kV), while high-energy images at 49 kV. Fifteen projections, for the low- and high-energy respectively, were acquired without grid while tube scanned continuously. Log-subtraction algorithm was used in order to obtain the DE images with the weighting factor, w, derived empirically. The subtraction was applied to each pair of LE and HE slices after reconstruction. The TORMAM phantom was imaged with the different settings. Four regions-of-interest including μCs were identified in the inhomogeneous part of the phantom. The μCs in DE images were more clearly visible compared to the low-energy images. Initial results showed that DE tomosynthesis imaging is a promising modality, however more work is required.
[Diagnostic imaging of breast cancer : An update].
Funke, M
Advances in imaging of the female breast have substantially influenced the diagnosis and probably also the therapy and prognosis of breast cancer in the past few years. This article gives an overview of the most important imaging modalities in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Digital mammography is considered to be the gold standard for the early detection of breast cancer. Digital breast tomosynthesis can increase the diagnostic accuracy of mammography and is used for the assessment of equivocal or suspicious mammography findings. Other modalities, such as ultrasound and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) play an important role in the diagnostics, staging and follow-up of breast cancer. Percutaneous needle biopsy is a rapid and minimally invasive method for the histological verification of breast cancer. New breast imaging modalities, such as contrast-enhanced spectral mammography, diffusion-weighted MRI and MR spectroscopy can possibly further improve breast cancer diagnostics; however, further studies are necessary to prove the advantages of these methods so that they cannot yet be recommended for routine clinical use.
Imaging Breast Density: Established and Emerging Modalities
Jeon-Hor Chen
Full Text Available Mammographic density has been proven as an independent risk factor for breast cancer. Women with dense breast tissue visible on a mammogram have a much higher cancer risk than women with little density. A great research effort has been devoted to incorporate breast density into risk prediction models to better estimate each individual’s cancer risk. In recent years, the passage of breast density notification legislation in many states in USA requires that every mammography report should provide information regarding the patient’s breast density. Accurate definition and measurement of breast density are thus important, which may allow all the potential clinical applications of breast density to be implemented. Because the two-dimensional mammography-based measurement is subject to tissue overlapping and thus not able to provide volumetric information, there is an urgent need to develop reliable quantitative measurements of breast density. Various new imaging technologies are being developed. Among these new modalities, volumetric mammographic density methods and three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging are the most well studied. Besides, emerging modalities, including different x-ray–based, optical imaging, and ultrasound-based methods, have also been investigated. All these modalities may either overcome some fundamental problems related to mammographic density or provide additional density and/or compositional information. The present review article aimed to summarize the current established and emerging imaging techniques for the measurement of breast density and the evidence of the clinical use of these density methods from the literature.
Microwave Imaging for Breast Cancer Detection
Rubæk, Tonny; Fhager, Andreas; Jensen, Peter Damsgaard
Still more research groups are promoting microwave imaging as a viable supplement or substitution to more conventional imaging modalities. A widespread approach for microwave imaging of the breast is tomographic imaging in which one seeks to reconstruct the distributions of permittivity and condu......Still more research groups are promoting microwave imaging as a viable supplement or substitution to more conventional imaging modalities. A widespread approach for microwave imaging of the breast is tomographic imaging in which one seeks to reconstruct the distributions of permittivity...... and conductivity in the breast. In this paper two nonlinear tomographic algorithms are compared – one is a single-frequency algorithm and the other is a time-domain algorithm....
Causes of breast lumps (image)
... breast lumps are benign (non-cancerous), as in fibroadenoma, a condition that mostly affects women under age ... with the menstrual cycle, whereas a lump from fibroadenoma does not. While most breast lumps are benign, ...
Design optimization of a breast imaging system based on silicon microstrip detectors
Stres, S.; Mikuz, M.
A mammographic imaging set-up using silicon microstrip detectors in edge-on geometry was simulated using the GEANT package. Deposited energy in tissue of various thicknesses was evaluated and shown to agree to within 10% with reference calculations. Optimal energies as well as spectra for mammography with silicon detectors were determined by maximizing the figure of merit of a realistic imaging set-up. The scattered to primary radiation ratio was studied for various detector geometries. It was found that fan-shaped detectors are needed to maintain the image quality for divergent photon beams. (author)
Appropriate Contrast Enhancement Measures for Brain and Breast Cancer Images
Suneet Gupta
Full Text Available Medical imaging systems often produce images that require enhancement, such as improving the image contrast as they are poor in contrast. Therefore, they must be enhanced before they are examined by medical professionals. This is necessary for proper diagnosis and subsequent treatment. We do have various enhancement algorithms which enhance the medical images to different extents. We also have various quantitative metrics or measures which evaluate the quality of an image. This paper suggests the most appropriate measures for two of the medical images, namely, brain cancer images and breast cancer images.
CAD in breast imaging. Application in mammography and MR mammography
Obenauer, S.; Hermann, K.P.
Computer aided diagnosis systems (CAD-systems) are evaluated in different parts of diagnostic imaging. In breast imaging double reading which is time- and cost spending is necessary. Therefore a lot of studies evaluated the use of CAD-systems in mammography. However the rate of false-positives is too high to implement CAD-systems as double reader in routine work. In the future, improvements in this technique could perhaps change the performance of CAD-systems. (orig.)
OPTIMIZATION OF DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING IN BREAST CANCER
S. A. Velichko
Full Text Available The paper presents the results of breast imaging for 47200 women. Breast cancer was detected in 862 (1.9% patients, fibroadenoma in 1267 (2.7% patients and isolated breast cysts in 1162 (2.4% patients. Different types of fibrocystic breast disease (adenosis, diffuse fibrocystic changes, local fibrosis and others were observed in 60.1% of women. Problems of breast cancer visualization during mammography, characterized by the appearance of fibrocystic mastopathy (sclerosing adenosis, fibrous bands along the ducts have been analyzed. Data on the development of diagnostic algorithms including the modern techniques for ultrasound and interventional radiology aimed at detecting early breast cancer have been presented. Â
Requirements for effective functional breast imaging
Weinberg, I.N.; Zawarzin, V.; Adler, L.P.; Pani, R.; DeVincentis, G.; Khalkhali, I.; Vargas, H.; Venegas, R.; Kim, S.C.; Bakale, G.; Levine, E.; Perrier, N.; Freimanis, R.I.; Lesko, N.M.; Newman, D.P.; Geisinger, K.R.; Berg, W.A.; Masood, S.
Most nuclear medicine physicists were trained on devices aimed at functional neuroimaging. The clinical goals of brain-centered devices differ dramatically from the parameters needed to be useful in the breast clinic. We will discuss similarities and differences that impact on design considerations, and describe our latest generation of positron emission mammography and intraoperative products. - Source of physiologic contrast: Clinical neuroimaging depends on flow agents to detect the presence of breaks in the blood-brain barrier. Breast flow agents are nonspecific, and may miss preinvasive lesions. - Resolution: Brain cancers are generally diagnosed at late stages, so resolution is not so critical. Detecting early breast cancers, and specifying margins for surgery requires 3 mm spatial resolution or better. - Prevalence: Primary brain cancer is uncommon, and lesions mimicking brain cancer are rare. Primary breast cancer is common, and benign lesions are even more common, so specificity and biopsy capability are very important. - Anatomic references: Brain structure is standard, while breast structure is highly variable, requiring immobilization/compression for physiologic imaging and biopsy. - Surgery: Complete cancer resections for brain are very rare, but are possible for breast with appropriate imaging guidance, implying the need for rapid and reliable imaging. To summarize, the breast clinic needs a rapid and highly sensitive method of assessing breast physiology, compatible with biopsy and surgery. Positron emission mammography devices, in handheld and X-ray platform based configurations, are ideal for this mission
Calibration and analysis of a multimodal micro-CT and structured light imaging system for the evaluation of excised breast tissue
McClatchy, David M., III; Rizzo, Elizabeth J.; Meganck, Jeff; Kempner, Josh; Vicory, Jared; Wells, Wendy A.; Paulsen, Keith D.; Pogue, Brian W.
A multimodal micro-computed tomography (CT) and multi-spectral structured light imaging (SLI) system is introduced and systematically analyzed to test its feasibility to aid in margin delineation during breast conserving surgery (BCS). Phantom analysis of the micro-CT yielded a signal-to-noise ratio of 34, a contrast of 1.64, and a minimum detectable resolution of 240 μm for a 1.2 min scan. The SLI system, spanning wavelengths 490 nm to 800 nm and spatial frequencies up to 1.37 mm-1 , was evaluated with aqueous tissue simulating phantoms having variations in particle size distribution, scatter density, and blood volume fraction. The reduced scattering coefficient, μs\\prime and phase function parameter, γ, were accurately recovered over all wavelengths independent of blood volume fractions from 0% to 4%, assuming a flat sample geometry perpendicular to the imaging plane. The resolution of the optical system was tested with a step phantom, from which the modulation transfer function was calculated yielding a maximum resolution of 3.78 cycles per mm. The three dimensional spatial co-registration between the CT and optical imaging space was tested and shown to be accurate within 0.7 mm. A freshly resected breast specimen, with lobular carcinoma, fibrocystic disease, and adipose, was imaged with the system. The micro-CT provided visualization of the tumor mass and its spiculations, and SLI yielded superficial quantification of light scattering parameters for the malignant and benign tissue types. These results appear to be the first demonstration of SLI combined with standard medical tomography for imaging excised tumor specimens. While further investigations are needed to determine and test the spectral, spatial, and CT features required to classify tissue, this study demonstrates the ability of multimodal CT/SLI to quantify, visualize, and spatially navigate breast tumor specimens, which could potentially aid in the assessment of tumor margin status during
Robust linearized image reconstruction for multifrequency EIT of the breast.
Boverman, Gregory; Kao, Tzu-Jen; Kulkarni, Rujuta; Kim, Bong Seok; Isaacson, David; Saulnier, Gary J; Newell, Jonathan C
Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a developing imaging modality that is beginning to show promise for detecting and characterizing tumors in the breast. At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, we have developed a combined EIT-tomosynthesis system that allows for the coregistered and simultaneous analysis of the breast using EIT and X-ray imaging. A significant challenge in EIT is the design of computationally efficient image reconstruction algorithms which are robust to various forms of model mismatch. Specifically, we have implemented a scaling procedure that is robust to the presence of a thin highly-resistive layer of skin at the boundary of the breast and we have developed an algorithm to detect and exclude from the image reconstruction electrodes that are in poor contact with the breast. In our initial clinical studies, it has been difficult to ensure that all electrodes make adequate contact with the breast, and thus procedures for the use of data sets containing poorly contacting electrodes are particularly important. We also present a novel, efficient method to compute the Jacobian matrix for our linearized image reconstruction algorithm by reducing the computation of the sensitivity for each voxel to a quadratic form. Initial clinical results are presented, showing the potential of our algorithms to detect and localize breast tumors.
A statistical, task-based evaluation method for three-dimensional x-ray breast imaging systems using variable-background phantoms
Park, Subok; Jennings, Robert; Liu Haimo; Badano, Aldo; Myers, Kyle
Purpose: For the last few years, development and optimization of three-dimensional (3D) x-ray breast imaging systems, such as digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and computed tomography, have drawn much attention from the medical imaging community, either academia or industry. However, there is still much room for understanding how to best optimize and evaluate the devices over a large space of many different system parameters and geometries. Current evaluation methods, which work well for 2D systems, do not incorporate the depth information from the 3D imaging systems. Therefore, it is critical to develop a statistically sound evaluation method to investigate the usefulness of inclusion of depth and background-variability information into the assessment and optimization of the 3D systems. Methods: In this paper, we present a mathematical framework for a statistical assessment of planar and 3D x-ray breast imaging systems. Our method is based on statistical decision theory, in particular, making use of the ideal linear observer called the Hotelling observer. We also present a physical phantom that consists of spheres of different sizes and materials for producing an ensemble of randomly varying backgrounds to be imaged for a given patient class. Lastly, we demonstrate our evaluation method in comparing laboratory mammography and three-angle DBT systems for signal detection tasks using the phantom's projection data. We compare the variable phantom case to that of a phantom of the same dimensions filled with water, which we call the uniform phantom, based on the performance of the Hotelling observer as a function of signal size and intensity. Results: Detectability trends calculated using the variable and uniform phantom methods are different from each other for both mammography and DBT systems. Conclusions: Our results indicate that measuring the system's detection performance with consideration of background variability may lead to differences in system performance
Breast cancer staging with MR imaging
Smathers, R.L.; D'Amelio, F.; Stockdale, F.
Forty-three patients with biopsy-proved breast cancer underwent MR staging of the cervicothoracic spine, lumbosacral spine, liver, and thorax. In all cases, these findings have been compared with the results of clinical staging, laboratory tests, chest radiography, and radionuclide bone scanning. MR imaging was a valuable staging tool for patients with more than minimal breast cancer and indications for radionuclide bone scanning. MR imaging had the greatest clinical importance when it identified thoracic soft-tissue abnormalities, including axillary., lateral thoracic, supraclavicular, and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. The coronal and sagittal views were very valuable for detection of chest wall invasion, sternal involvement, and internal mammary adenopathy. Negative MR staging clinically reassured patients that aggressive local therapy bad curative potential. Positive MR staging avoided inappropriate aggressive local therapy and mastectomy. MR imaging can be recommended for improved breast cancer staging in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer who have more than minimal disease
Multimodality imaging and state-of-art GPU technology in discriminating benign from malignant breast lesions on real time decision support system
Kostopoulos, S; Glotsos, D; Kalatzis, I; Asvestas, P; Cavouras, D; Sidiropoulos, K; Dimitropoulos, N
The aim of this study was to design a pattern recognition system for assisting the diagnosis of breast lesions, using image information from Ultrasound (US) and Digital Mammography (DM) imaging modalities. State-of-art computer technology was employed based on commercial Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) cards and parallel programming. An experienced radiologist outlined breast lesions on both US and DM images from 59 patients employing a custom designed computer software application. Textural features were extracted from each lesion and were used to design the pattern recognition system. Several classifiers were tested for highest performance in discriminating benign from malignant lesions. Classifiers were also combined into ensemble schemes for further improvement of the system's classification accuracy. Following the pattern recognition system optimization, the final system was designed employing the Probabilistic Neural Network classifier (PNN) on the GPU card (GeForce 580GTX) using CUDA programming framework and C++ programming language. The use of such state-of-art technology renders the system capable of redesigning itself on site once additional verified US and DM data are collected. Mixture of US and DM features optimized performance with over 90% accuracy in correctly classifying the lesions
Breast cancer in systemic lupus
Bernatsky, S.; Ramsey-Goldman, R.; Petri, M.
Objective There is a decreased breast cancer risk in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) versus the general population. We assessed a large sample of SLE patients, evaluating demographic and clinical characteristics and breast cancer risk. Methods We performed case-cohort analyses within a multi......-center international SLE sample. We calculated the breast cancer hazard ratio (HR) in female SLE patients, relative to demographics, reproductive history, family history of breast cancer, and time-dependent measures of anti-dsDNA positivity, cumulative disease activity, and drugs, adjusted for SLE duration. Results...... There were 86 SLE breast cancers and 4498 female SLE cancer-free controls. Patients were followed on average for 7.6 years. Versus controls, SLE breast cancer cases tended to be white and older. Breast cancer cases were similar to controls regarding anti-dsDNA positivity, disease activity, and most drug...
Usefulness of ultrasound elastography in reducing the number of Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System category 3 lesions on ultrasonography
Cho, Nariya; Lim, Ji He; Moon, Woo Kyung [Dept. of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)
To evaluate the negative predictive value (NPV) of ultrasound (US) elastography for non-palpable Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category 3 lesions on ultrasonography and to determine whether US elastography is helpful in reducing the number of BI-RADS category 3 lesions on ultrasonography. Two hundred seventy-six consecutive, non-palpable BI-RADS category 3 lesions in 256 women who underwent US elastography and US-guided core biopsy, and who had at least 12 months of follow-up data, comprised our study group. The BI-RADS final assessment category and elasticity score were prospectively and independently classified. The rate of malignancy and NPV according to the elasticity score were analysed. We also investigated whether there was a subset of BI-RADS category 3 lesions that were of benign histology but negative on elastography. Of the 276 non-palpable BI-RADS category 3 lesions, three lesions (1.0%) were finally confirmed as ductal carcinomas in situ. No cancers were found in the remaining 273 lesions with benign biopsy histology at a mean follow-up of 39.4 months (range, 12 to 72 months). The NPV of a negative elasticity score (elasticity score of 1) was 99.3% (165 of 166). If BI-RADS category 3 lesions showing a negative elasticity score were downgraded to BI-RADS category 2, 60.4% (165 of 273) of them with benign histology could have been safely followed without biopsy with an increased malignancy rate from 1% (3 of 276) to 1.8% (2 of 110), which is not significantly higher (P=0.626). US elastography has the potential to reduce the number of BI-RADS category 3 lesions on ultrasonography.
Digital breast tomosynthesis: observer performance of clustered microcalcification detection on breast phantom images acquired with an experimental system using variable scan angles, angular increments, and number of projection views.
Chan, Heang-Ping; Goodsitt, Mitchell M; Helvie, Mark A; Zelakiewicz, Scott; Schmitz, Andrea; Noroozian, Mitra; Paramagul, Chintana; Roubidoux, Marilyn A; Nees, Alexis V; Neal, Colleen H; Carson, Paul; Lu, Yao; Hadjiiski, Lubomir; Wei, Jun
To investigate the dependence of microcalcification cluster detectability on tomographic scan angle, angular increment, and number of projection views acquired at digital breast tomosynthesis ( DBT digital breast tomosynthesis ). A prototype DBT digital breast tomosynthesis system operated in step-and-shoot mode was used to image breast phantoms. Four 5-cm-thick phantoms embedded with 81 simulated microcalcification clusters of three speck sizes (subtle, medium, and obvious) were imaged by using a rhodium target and rhodium filter with 29 kV, 50 mAs, and seven acquisition protocols. Fixed angular increments were used in four protocols (denoted as scan angle, angular increment, and number of projection views, respectively: 16°, 1°, and 17; 24°, 3°, and nine; 30°, 3°, and 11; and 60°, 3°, and 21), and variable increments were used in three (40°, variable, and 13; 40°, variable, and 15; and 60°, variable, and 21). The reconstructed DBT digital breast tomosynthesis images were interpreted by six radiologists who located the microcalcification clusters and rated their conspicuity. The mean sensitivity for detection of subtle clusters ranged from 80% (22.5 of 28) to 96% (26.8 of 28) for the seven DBT digital breast tomosynthesis protocols; the highest sensitivity was achieved with the 16°, 1°, and 17 protocol (96%), but the difference was significant only for the 60°, 3°, and 21 protocol (80%, P .99). The conspicuity of subtle and medium clusters with the 16°, 1°, and 17 protocol was rated higher than those with other protocols; the differences were significant for subtle clusters with the 24°, 3°, and nine protocol and for medium clusters with 24°, 3°, and nine; 30°, 3°, and 11; 60°, 3° and 21; and 60°, variable, and 21 protocols (P tomosynthesis provided higher sensitivity and conspicuity than wide-angle DBT digital breast tomosynthesis for subtle microcalcification clusters. © RSNA, 2014.
Imaging diagnosis of breast tuberculosis
Shin, Hyeong Cheol; Oh, Ki Keun [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)
To evaluate the radiologic findings of breast tuberculosis. The authors evaluated the radiologic findings of five cases of surgically confirmed tuberculosis of the breast. Patients were examined with mammography (n=5), ultrasonography (n=3), and MRI (n=2). All patients were female. Four patients had unilateral lesion and the remaining one patient had bilateral breast tuberculosis. Mammographic findings were mainly radiopaque mass density without secondary signs. Two patients showed secondary signs such as skin thickening, parenchymal distortion, and nipple retraction. Ultrasonographic findings were variable but helpful in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesion, MRI findings were more helpful in differentiating abscess from malignant lesions. Radiologic findings were useful to diagnose tuberculosis of the breast, but fine needle aspiration biopsy and culture were needed for suspicious radiologic findings.
Shin, Hyeong Cheol; Oh, Ki Keun
To evaluate the radiologic findings of breast tuberculosis. The authors evaluated the radiologic findings of five cases of surgically confirmed tuberculosis of the breast. Patients were examined with mammography (n=5), ultrasonography (n=3), and MRI (n=2). All patients were female. Four patients had unilateral lesion and the remaining one patient had bilateral breast tuberculosis. Mammographic findings were mainly radiopaque mass density without secondary signs. Two patients showed secondary signs such as skin thickening, parenchymal distortion, and nipple retraction. Ultrasonographic findings were variable but helpful in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesion, MRI findings were more helpful in differentiating abscess from malignant lesions. Radiologic findings were useful to diagnose tuberculosis of the breast, but fine needle aspiration biopsy and culture were needed for suspicious radiologic findings
Automation and Preclinical Evaluation of a Dedicated Emission Mammotomography System for Fully 3-D Molecular Breast Imaging
Cutler, Spencer J
.... A retrospective study of 103 clinical MRI uncompressed breast scans was conducted to create surface renderings of the uncompressed breasts and analyze how to adapt existing acquisition orbits for varying breast shapes...
Breast Hypertrophy, Reduction Mammaplasty, and Body Image.
Fonseca, Cristiane Costa; Veiga, Daniela Francescato; Garcia, Edgard da Silva; Cabral, IsaÃas Vieira; de Carvalho, Monique Maçais; de Brito, Maria José Azevedo; Ferreira, Lydia Masako
Body image dissatisfaction is one of the major factors that motivate patients to undergo plastic surgery. However, few studies have associated body satisfaction with reduction mammaplasty. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of breast hypertrophy and reduction mammaplasty on body image. Breast hypertrophy patients, with reduction mammaplasty already scheduled between June 2013 and December 2015 (mammaplasty group, MG), were prospectively evaluated through the body dysmorphic disorder examination (BDDE), body investment scale (BIS), and breast evaluation questionnaire (BEQ55) tools. Women with normal-sized breasts were also evaluated as study controls (normal-sized breast group, NSBG). All the participants were interviewed at the initial assessment and after six months. Data were analyzed before and after six months. Each group consisted of 103 women. The MG group had a significant improvement in BDDE, BIS, and BEQ55 scores six months postoperatively (P ≤ 0.001 for the three instruments), whereas the NSBG group showed no alteration in results over time (P = 0.876; P = 0.442; and P = 0.184, respectively). In the intergroup comparison it was observed that the MG group began to invest more in the body, similarly to the NSBG group, and surpassed the level of satisfaction and body image that the women of the NSBG group had after the surgery. Reduction mammaplasty promoted improvement in body image of women with breast hypertrophy. © 2018 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Reprints and permission: journals.permissions@oup.com
Breast cancer histopathology image analysis: a review.
Veta, Mitko; Pluim, Josien P W; van Diest, Paul J; Viergever, Max A
This paper presents an overview of methods that have been proposed for the analysis of breast cancer histopathology images. This research area has become particularly relevant with the advent of whole slide imaging (WSI) scanners, which can perform cost-effective and high-throughput histopathology slide digitization, and which aim at replacing the optical microscope as the primary tool used by pathologist. Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancers among women, and image analysis methods that target this disease have a huge potential to reduce the workload in a typical pathology lab and to improve the quality of the interpretation. This paper is meant as an introduction for nonexperts. It starts with an overview of the tissue preparation, staining and slide digitization processes followed by a discussion of the different image processing techniques and applications, ranging from analysis of tissue staining to computer-aided diagnosis, and prognosis of breast cancer patients.
Multimodal breast cancer imaging using coregistered dynamic diffuse optical tomography and digital breast tomosynthesis
Zimmermann, Bernhard B.; Deng, Bin; Singh, Bhawana; Martino, Mark; Selb, Juliette; Fang, Qianqian; Sajjadi, Amir Y.; Cormier, Jayne; Moore, Richard H.; Kopans, Daniel B.; Boas, David A.; Saksena, Mansi A.; Carp, Stefan A.
Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is emerging as a noninvasive functional imaging method for breast cancer diagnosis and neoadjuvant chemotherapy monitoring. In particular, the multimodal approach of combining DOT with x-ray digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is especially synergistic as DBT prior information can be used to enhance the DOT reconstruction. DOT, in turn, provides a functional information overlay onto the mammographic images, increasing sensitivity and specificity to cancer pathology. We describe a dynamic DOT apparatus designed for tight integration with commercial DBT scanners and providing a fast (up to 1 Hz) image acquisition rate to enable tracking hemodynamic changes induced by the mammographic breast compression. The system integrates 96 continuous-wave and 24 frequency-domain source locations as well as 32 continuous wave and 20 frequency-domain detection locations into low-profile plastic plates that can easily mate to the DBT compression paddle and x-ray detector cover, respectively. We demonstrate system performance using static and dynamic tissue-like phantoms as well as in vivo images acquired from the pool of patients recalled for breast biopsies at the Massachusetts General Hospital Breast Imaging Division.
ClearPEM: prototype PET device dedicated to breast imaging
CERN Multimedia
Joao Varela
Clinical trials have begun in Portugal on a new breast imaging system (ClearPEM) using positron emission tomography (PET). The system, developed by a Portuguese consortium in collaboration with CERN and laboratories participating in the Crystal Clear collaboration, will detect even the smallest tumours and thus help avoid unnecessary biopsies.
Breast cancer histopathology image analysis : a review
Veta, M.; Pluim, J.P.W.; Diest, van P.J.; Viergever, M.A.
This paper presents an overview of methods that have been proposed for the analysis of breast cancer histopathology images. This research area has become particularly relevant with the advent of whole slide imaging (WSI) scanners, which can perform cost-effective and high-throughput histopathology
The positron emission mammography/tomography breast imaging and biopsy system (PEM/PET): design, construction and phantom-based measurements
Raylman, Raymond R.; Majewski, Stan; Smith, Mark F.; Proffitt, James; Hammond, William; Srinivasan, Amarnath; McKisson, John; Popov, Vladimir; Weisenberger, Andrew; Judy, Clifford O.; Kross, Brian; Ramasubramanian, Srikanth; Banta, Larry E.; Kinahan, Paul E.; Champley, Kyle
Tomographic breast imaging techniques can potentially improve detection and diagnosis of cancer in women with radiodense and/or fibrocystic breasts. We have developed a high-resolution positron emission mammography/tomography imaging and biopsy device (called PEM/PET) to detect and guide the biopsy of suspicious breast lesions. PET images are acquired to detect suspicious focal uptake of the radiotracer and guide biopsy of the area. Limited-angle PEM images could then be used to verify the biopsy needle position prior to tissue sampling. The PEM/PET scanner consists of two sets of rotating planar detector heads. Each detector consists of a 4 × 3 array of Hamamatsu H8500 flat panel position sensitive photomultipliers (PSPMTs) coupled to a 96 × 72 array of 2 × 2 × 15 mm3 LYSO detector elements (pitch = 2.1 mm). Image reconstruction is performed with a three-dimensional, ordered set expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithm parallelized to run on a multi-processor computer system. The reconstructed field of view (FOV) is 15 × 15 × 15 cm3. Initial phantom-based testing of the device is focusing upon its PET imaging capabilities. Specifically, spatial resolution and detection sensitivity were assessed. The results from these measurements yielded a spatial resolution at the center of the FOV of 2.01 ± 0.09 mm (radial), 2.04 ± 0.08 mm (tangential) and 1.84 ± 0.07 mm (axial). At a radius of 7 cm from the center of the scanner, the results were 2.11 ± 0.08 mm (radial), 2.16 ± 0.07 mm (tangential) and 1.87 ± 0.08 mm (axial). Maximum system detection sensitivity of the scanner is 488.9 kcps µCi-1 ml-1 (6.88%). These promising findings indicate that PEM/PET may be an effective system for the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer.
Raylman, Raymond R [Center for Advanced Imaging, Department of Radiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (United States); Majewski, Stan [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Smith, Mark F [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Proffitt, James [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Hammond, William [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Srinivasan, Amarnath [Center for Advanced Imaging, Department of Radiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (United States); McKisson, John [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Popov, Vladimir [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Weisenberger, Andrew [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Judy, Clifford O [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (United States); Kross, Brian [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Ramasubramanian, Srikanth [Center for Advanced Imaging, Department of Radiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (United States); Banta, Larry E [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV (United States); Kinahan, Paul E [Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Champley, Kyle [Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
Tomographic breast imaging techniques can potentially improve detection and diagnosis of cancer in women with radiodense and/or fibrocystic breasts. We have developed a high-resolution positron emission mammography/tomography imaging and biopsy device (called PEM/PET) to detect and guide the biopsy of suspicious breast lesions. PET images are acquired to detect suspicious focal uptake of the radiotracer and guide biopsy of the area. Limited-angle PEM images could then be used to verify the biopsy needle position prior to tissue sampling. The PEM/PET scanner consists of two sets of rotating planar detector heads. Each detector consists of a 4 x 3 array of Hamamatsu H8500 flat panel position sensitive photomultipliers (PSPMTs) coupled to a 96 x 72 array of 2 x 2 x 15 mm{sup 3} LYSO detector elements (pitch = 2.1 mm). Image reconstruction is performed with a three-dimensional, ordered set expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithm parallelized to run on a multi-processor computer system. The reconstructed field of view (FOV) is 15 x 15 x 15 cm{sup 3}. Initial phantom-based testing of the device is focusing upon its PET imaging capabilities. Specifically, spatial resolution and detection sensitivity were assessed. The results from these measurements yielded a spatial resolution at the center of the FOV of 2.01 {+-} 0.09 mm (radial), 2.04 {+-} 0.08 mm (tangential) and 1.84 {+-} 0.07 mm (axial). At a radius of 7 cm from the center of the scanner, the results were 2.11 {+-} 0.08 mm (radial), 2.16 {+-} 0.07 mm (tangential) and 1.87 {+-} 0.08 mm (axial). Maximum system detection sensitivity of the scanner is 488.9 kcps {mu}Ci{sup -1} ml{sup -1} (6.88%). These promising findings indicate that PEM/PET may be an effective system for the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer.
Automated and Clinical Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System Density Measures Predict Risk for Screen-Detected and Interval Cancers: A Case-Control Study.
Kerlikowske, Karla; Scott, Christopher G; Mahmoudzadeh, Amir P; Ma, Lin; Winham, Stacey; Jensen, Matthew R; Wu, Fang Fang; Malkov, Serghei; Pankratz, V Shane; Cummings, Steven R; Shepherd, John A; Brandt, Kathleen R; Miglioretti, Diana L; Vachon, Celine M
In 30 states, women who have had screening mammography are informed of their breast density on the basis of Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) density categories estimated subjectively by radiologists. Variation in these clinical categories across and within radiologists has led to discussion about whether automated BI-RADS density should be reported instead. To determine whether breast cancer risk and detection are similar for automated and clinical BI-RADS density measures. Case-control. San Francisco Mammography Registry and Mayo Clinic. 1609 women with screen-detected cancer, 351 women with interval invasive cancer, and 4409 matched control participants. Automated and clinical BI-RADS density assessed on digital mammography at 2 time points from September 2006 to October 2014, interval and screen-detected breast cancer risk, and mammography sensitivity. Of women whose breast density was categorized by automated BI-RADS more than 6 months to 5 years before diagnosis, those with extremely dense breasts had a 5.65-fold higher interval cancer risk (95% CI, 3.33 to 9.60) and a 1.43-fold higher screen-detected risk (CI, 1.14 to 1.79) than those with scattered fibroglandular densities. Associations of interval and screen-detected cancer with clinical BI-RADS density were similar to those with automated BI-RADS density, regardless of whether density was measured more than 6 months to less than 2 years or 2 to 5 years before diagnosis. Automated and clinical BI-RADS density measures had similar discriminatory accuracy, which was higher for interval than screen-detected cancer (c-statistics: 0.70 vs. 0.62 [P automated and clinical BI-RADS categories: fatty, 93% versus 92%; scattered fibroglandular densities, 90% versus 90%; heterogeneously dense, 82% versus 78%; and extremely dense, 63% versus 64%, respectively. Neither automated nor clinical BI-RADS density was assessed on tomosynthesis, an emerging breast screening method. Automated and clinical BI
Combined SPECT/CT and PET/CT for breast imaging
Russo, Paolo [Università di Napoli Federico II, Dipartimento di Fisica, Via Cintia, Naples I-80126 (Italy); INFN Sezione di Napoli, Via Cintia, Naples I-80126 (Italy); Larobina, Michele [Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Tommaso De Amicis, 95, Naples I-80145 (Italy); Di Lillo, Francesca [Università di Napoli Federico II, Dipartimento di Fisica, Via Cintia, Naples I-80126 (Italy); INFN Sezione di Napoli, Via Cintia, Naples I-80126 (Italy); Del Vecchio, Silvana [Università di Napoli Federico II, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche Avanzate, Via Pansini, 5, Naples I-80131 (Italy); Mettivier, Giovanni, E-mail: mettivier@na.infn.it [Università di Napoli Federico II, Dipartimento di Fisica, Via Cintia, Naples I-80126 (Italy); INFN Sezione di Napoli, Via Cintia, Naples I-80126 (Italy)
In the field of nuclear medicine imaging, breast imaging for cancer diagnosis is still mainly based on 2D imaging techniques. Three-dimensional tomographic imaging with whole-body PET or SPECT scanners, when used for imaging the breast, has performance limits in terms of spatial resolution and sensitivity, which can be overcome only with a dedicated instrumentation. However, only few hybrid imaging systems for PET/CT or SPECT/CT dedicated to the breast have been developed in the last decade, providing complementary functional and anatomical information on normal breast tissue and lesions. These systems are still under development and clinical trials on just few patients have been reported; no commercial dedicated breast PET/CT or SPECT/CT is available. This paper reviews combined dedicated breast PET/CT and SPECT/CT scanners described in the recent literature, with focus on their technological aspects.
How I report breast magnetic resonance imaging studies for breast cancer staging and screening.
Vinnicombe, Sarah
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast is the most sensitive imaging technique for the diagnosis and local staging of primary breast cancer and yet, despite the fact that it has been in use for 20 years, there is little evidence that its widespread uncritical adoption has had a positive impact on patient-related outcomes.This has been attributed previously to the low specificity that might be expected with such a sensitive modality, but with modern techniques and protocols, the specificity and positive predictive value for malignancy can exceed that of breast ultrasound and mammography. A more likely explanation is that historically, clinicians have acted on MRI findings and altered surgical plans without prior histological confirmation. Furthermore, modern adjuvant therapy for breast cancer has improved so much that it has become a very tall order to show a an improvement in outcomes such as local recurrence rates.In order to obtain clinically useful information, it is necessary to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the technique and the physiological processes reflected in breast MRI. An appropriate indication for the scan, proper patient preparation and good scan technique, with rigorous quality assurance, are all essential prerequisites for a diagnostically relevant study.The use of recognised descriptors from a standardised lexicon is helpful, since assessment can then dictate subsequent recommendations for management, as in the American College of Radiology BI-RADS (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System) lexicon (Morris et al., ACR BI-RADS® Atlas, Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System, 2013). It also enables audit of the service. However, perhaps the most critical factor in the generation of a meaningful report is for the reporting radiologist to have a thorough understanding of the clinical question and of the findings that will influence management. This has never been more important than at present, when we are in the throes of a
Three-dimensional digital breast histopathology imaging
Clarke, G. M.; Peressotti, C.; Mawdsley, G. E.; Eidt, S.; Ge, M.; Morgan, T.; Zubovits, J. T.; Yaffe, M. J.
We have developed a digital histology imaging system that has the potential to improve the accuracy of surgical margin assessment in the treatment of breast cancer by providing finer sampling and 3D visualization. The system is capable of producing a 3D representation of histopathology from an entire lumpectomy specimen. We acquire digital photomicrographs of a stack of large (120 x 170 mm) histology slides cut serially through the entire specimen. The images are then registered and displayed in 2D and 3D. This approach dramatically improves sampling and can improve visualization of tissue structures compared to current, small-format histology. The system consists of a brightfield microscope, adapted with a freeze-frame digital video camera and a large, motorized translation stage. The image of each slide is acquired as a mosaic of adjacent tiles, each tile representing one field-of-view of the microscope, and the mosaic is assembled into a seamless composite image. The assembly is done by a program developed to build image sets at six different levels within a multiresolution pyramid. A database-linked viewing program has been created to efficiently register and display the animated stack of images, which occupies about 80 GB of disk space per lumpectomy at full resolution, on a high-resolution (3840 x 2400 pixels) colour monitor. The scanning or tiling approach to digitization is inherently susceptible to two artefacts which disrupt the composite image, and which impose more stringent requirements on system performance. Although non-uniform illumination across any one isolated tile may not be discernible, the eye readily detects this non-uniformity when the entire assembly of tiles is viewed. The pattern is caused by deficiencies in optical alignment, spectrum of the light source, or camera corrections. The imaging task requires that features as small as 3.2 &mum in extent be seamlessly preserved. However, inadequate accuracy in positioning of the translation
Breast Imaging: The Face of Imaging 3.0.
Mayo, Ray Cody; Parikh, Jay R
In preparation for impending changes to the health care delivery and reimbursement models, the ACR has provided a roadmap for success via the Imaging 3.0 (®)platform. The authors illustrate how the field of breast imaging demonstrates the following Imaging 3.0 concepts: value, patient-centered care, clinical integration, structured reporting, outcome metrics, and radiology's role in the accountable care organization environment. Much of breast imaging's success may be adapted and adopted by other fields in radiology to ensure that all radiologists become more visible and provide the value sought by patients and payers. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The choice of radiopharmaceutical to image breast cancer
Capriotti, G.; Scopinaro, F.; Signore, A.; Wiele, C. van de
Breast function and development are regulated by a network of local and systemic signals which can exert either stimulatory or inhibitory effects. Many of these signals are mediated by topically produced hormones and cytokines, which are both believed to be part of complex feedback loops. These local feedback loops also play an integral part in the vascularization and invasion of malignant breast tumours. More specifically, it has been demonstrated that the disruption of physiological negative feedback loops in breast tissue may result in the loss of cell cycle control and eventually leading to local breakdown of the adjacent stroma implying interactions between breast tumour cells and their stromal environment. Novel anticancer strategies selectively interacting with breast tumour vascularization and metastasis, include blocking monoclonal antibodies, peptide hormone antagonists, peptide/toxin fusion proteins and inhibitors of signal transduction. As most of these novel drugs are cytostatic, objective response as measured by morphological imaging modalities, e.g., Computed Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) cannot be utilized as a surrogate marker for drug development, nor for clinical decision- making. Accordingly, in order to maximize the benefit from these new treatment paradigms, novel objective markers of therapeutic success are mandatory. This editorial focuses on recently developed radioligands for SPECT imaging as potential markers for the in vivo assessment of ongoing angiogenesis and metastasis in patients suffering from breast carcinoma
Automated breast segmentation in ultrasound computer tomography SAFT images
Hopp, T.; You, W.; Zapf, M.; Tan, W. Y.; Gemmeke, H.; Ruiter, N. V.
Ultrasound Computer Tomography (USCT) is a promising new imaging system for breast cancer diagnosis. An essential step before further processing is to remove the water background from the reconstructed images. In this paper we present a fully-automated image segmentation method based on three-dimensional active contours. The active contour method is extended by applying gradient vector flow and encoding the USCT aperture characteristics as additional weighting terms. A surface detection algorithm based on a ray model is developed to initialize the active contour, which is iteratively deformed to capture the breast outline in USCT reflection images. The evaluation with synthetic data showed that the method is able to cope with noisy images, and is not influenced by the position of the breast and the presence of scattering objects within the breast. The proposed method was applied to 14 in-vivo images resulting in an average surface deviation from a manual segmentation of 2.7 mm. We conclude that automated segmentation of USCT reflection images is feasible and produces results comparable to a manual segmentation. By applying the proposed method, reproducible segmentation results can be obtained without manual interaction by an expert.
Gamma-ray detectors for breast imaging
Williams, Mark B.; Goode, Allen R.; Majewski, Stan; Steinbach, Daniela; Weisenberger, Andrew G.; Wojcik, Randolph F.; Farzanpay, Farzin
Breast cancer is the most common cancer of American women and is the leading cause of cancer-related death among women aged 15 - 54; however recent years have shown that early detection using x-ray mammography can lead to a high probability of cure. However, because of mammography's low positive predictive value, surgical or core biopsy is typically required for diagnosis. In addition, the low radiographic contrast of many nonpalpable breast masses, particularly among women with radiographically dense breasts, results in an overall rate of 10% to 25% for missed tumors. Nuclear imaging of the breast using single gamma emitters (scintimammography) such as (superscript 99m)Tc, or positron emitters such as F-18- fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) for positron emission tomography (PET), can provide information on functional or metabolic tumor activity that is complementary to the structural information of x-ray mammography, thereby potentially reducing the number of unnecessary biopsies and missed cancers. This paper summarizes recent data on the efficacy of scintimammography using conventional gamma cameras, and describes the development of dedicated detectors for gamma emission breast imaging. The detectors use new, high density crystal scintillators and large area position sensitive photomultiplier tubes (PSPMTs). Detector design, imaging requirements, and preliminary measured imaging performance are discussed.
TU-EF-207-00: Advances in Breast Imaging
Breast imaging technology is advancing on several fronts. In digital mammography, the major technological trend has been on optimization of approaches for performing combined mammography and tomosynthesis using the same system. In parallel, photon-counting slot-scan mammography is now in clinical use and more efforts are directed towards further development of this approach for spectral imaging. Spectral imaging refers to simultaneous acquisition of two or more energy-windowed images. Depending on the detector and associated electronics, there are a number of ways this can be accomplished. Spectral mammography using photon-counting detectors can suppress electronic noise and importantly, it enables decomposition of the image into various material compositions of interest facilitating quantitative imaging. Spectral imaging can be particularly important in intravenously injected contrast mammography and eventually tomosynthesis. The various approaches and applications of spectral mammography are discussed. Digital breast tomosynthesis relies on the mechanical movement of the x-ray tube to acquire a number of projections in a predefined arc, typically from 9 to 25 projections over a scan angle of +/−7.5 to 25 degrees depending on the particular system. The mechanical x-ray tube motion requires relatively long acquisition time, typically between 3.7 to 25 seconds depending on the system. Moreover, mechanical scanning may have an effect on the spatial resolution due to internal x-ray filament or external mechanical vibrations. New x-ray source arrays have been developed and they are aimed at replacing the scanned x-ray tube for improved acquisition time and potentially for higher spatial resolution. The potential advantages and challenges of this approach are described. Combination of digital mammography and tomosynthesis in a single system places increased demands on certain functional aspects of the detector and overall performance, particularly in the tomosynthesis
A trial of selective imaging for the breast mass shadow by computed radiography
Muramatsu, Yukio; Anan, Mitsuhiro; Tanaka, Takashi; Matsue, Hiroto; Yamada, Tatsuya
CR has ability to make many kinds of images by several imaging processings. Especially, gradation processing is more important than frequency processing to make images in CR mammography. We developed new method to image breast masses selectively with new gradation processing and tried it for 18 patients over sixty years old with breast cancer. All of breast mass shadows were separated selectively from other parencymal shadow. So, we conclude that the auto-recognition of breast mass shadow can be possible in near future in CR system. (author)
Analysis of Morphological Features of Benign and Malignant Breast Cell Extracted From FNAC Microscopic Image Using the Pearsonian System of Curves.
Rajbongshi, Nijara; Bora, Kangkana; Nath, Dilip C; Das, Anup K; Mahanta, Lipi B
Cytological changes in terms of shape and size of nuclei are some of the common morphometric features to study breast cancer, which can be observed by careful screening of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) images. This study attempts to categorize a collection of FNAC microscopic images into benign and malignant classes based on family of probability distribution using some morphometric features of cell nuclei. For this study, features namely area, perimeter, eccentricity, compactness, and circularity of cell nuclei were extracted from FNAC images of both benign and malignant samples using an image processing technique. All experiments were performed on a generated FNAC image database containing 564 malignant (cancerous) and 693 benign (noncancerous) cell level images. The five-set extracted features were reduced to three-set (area, perimeter, and circularity) based on the mean statistic. Finally, the data were fitted to the generalized Pearsonian system of frequency curve, so that the resulting distribution can be used as a statistical model. Pearsonian system is a family of distributions where kappa (κ) is the selection criteria computed as functions of the first four central moments. For the benign group, kappa (κ) corresponding to area, perimeter, and circularity was -0.00004, 0.0000, and 0.04155 and for malignant group it was 1016942, 0.01464, and -0.3213, respectively. Thus, the family of distribution related to these features for the benign and malignant group were different, and therefore, characterization of their probability curve will also be different.
Systemic conditions affecting the breast
Abbitt, P.L.; DeParedes, E.S.
While the mammogram is most often used in the evaluation of diseases specific to the breast, manifestations of systemic conditions may also be recognized. Congenital systemic conditions such as neurofibromatosis and ectodermal dysplasia have graphic mammographic findings. The effects of diet, hormonal, and medication therapy can also have a dramatic impact on the appearance of the mammogram, as can common clinical states such as congestive heart failure or renal failure. Metastases to the breast from extramammary primaries may be seen mammographically as discrete masses, as causing diffusely increased density of the breast or as abnormal axillary adenopathy. The authors review a variety of conditions and their mammographic appearance
Mammographic evaluation of suspicious malignant lesions based on ACR(American College of Radiology) breast imaging reporting and data system(BI-RADS)
Lee, Jei Hee; Oh, Ki Keun; Chang, So Yong; Kim, Eun Kyung; Kim, Mi Hye
The purpose of this study was to assess the mammographic features and pathologic outcome of category 4 lesions using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System(BI-RADS), and to evaluate the significance of final assessment categories. Using BI-RADS, the interpretations of 8,134 mammograms acquired between January 1997 and May 1998 were categorized. From among 161 lesions categorized as '4' ('suspicious abnormality') and pathologically confirmed by surgery or biopsy, we analysed 113, found in 66 patients. The pathologic outcome of these 113 lesions was as follows:infiltrating ductal carcinoma, 17.7%(20/113); DCIS(ductal carcinoma in sitv), 8.0%(9/113); ADH(atypical ductal hyperplasia), 5.3%(6/113); DEH(ductal epithelial hyperplasia), 1.8%(2/113); ductectasia, 0.9%(1/113), FCD(fibrocystic change), 27.4%(31/113); firoadenoma, 7.1%(8/113); stromal fibrosis, 9.7%(11/113); normal parenchyma, 7.1%(8/113); other pathology, 15.0%(17/113). The most frequent mammographic features of BI-RADS category 4 lesions were irregular mass shape(41.2%), spiculated mass margin(52.3%), amorphous calcification(47.3%) and clustered calcification distribution(37.1%). Because category 4 lesions account for about 25.7% of all breast malignancies, mammographic lesions in this category ('suspicious abnormality') should be considered for supplementary study and breast biopsy rather than short-term follow-up. Initial pathologic findings can thus be confirmed
Breast Health Belief Systems Study
Williams, Mary
.... The hypothesis underlying this research is that a breast health promotion approach that is based in specific belief systems among three disparate African American rural populations of low socioeconomic status (SES...
Ultrasound Imaging Methods for Breast Cancer Detection
Ozmen, N.
The main focus of this thesis is on modeling acoustic wavefield propagation and implementing imaging algorithms for breast cancer detection using ultrasound. As a starting point, we use an integral equation formulation, which can be used to solve both the forward and inverse problems. This thesis
Breast Imaging Second Opinions Impact Surgical Management.
Spivey, Tara Lynn; Carlson, Kjirsten Ayn; Janssen, Imke; Witt, Thomas R; Jokich, Peter; Madrigrano, Andrea
Breast surgeons often see women for second opinions for abnormalities found on breast imaging. For second opinions, these images are submitted for review and interpretation by dedicated breast imagers. This study evaluated the conformity of results among interpretation of imaging submitted from outside hospitals both from tertiary care centers, as well as community programs, in an attempt to evaluate the utility of this practice for the sake of clinical management and resource utilization. A retrospective chart review was conducted on all breast patients that submitted outside imaging films for the years 2011 to 2013 at Rush University Medical Center (RUMC). The radiologic diagnosis and each patient's proposed management plan was collected and evaluated for concordance between the outside institutions and RUMC. A total of 380 patients who presented for second opinions with an interpretation of outside exams were evaluated. In 47.4 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 42.4-52.4] of cases there was distinct variance in radiologic impression. For 53.5 % (95 % CI 48.4-58.5) of patients, there was a change in recommended management plan, which included recommendations for either additional imaging or need for additional biopsy. In total, this changed the overall surgical management in 27.1 % (95 % CI 22.8-31.9) of cases. In six patients, the reinterpretation of outside imaging detected new malignancies not previously identified. Overall, 83.7 % (95 % CI 79.7-87.1) of patients who submitted imaging from outside institutions chose to complete the remainder of their treatment at RUMC. The practice of second opinion review changed overall definitive management at our specialty center in more than one in four cases. In addition, the review identified six previously unrecognized malignancies. Given this data, the practice of second opinions and interpretation of outside exams should continue despite the additional resources required.
MR imaging of the breast
Kaiser, W.A.
Among a total of 361 MR breast examinations made since March 1984, there were 205 dynamic gradient-echo sequences after injection of Gd-DTPA (0.1 mM/kg). Of 38 histologically proved carcinomas, 37 showed a sudden increase of signal intensity of > 90% within the first minutes after the injection and nearly a plateau level afterwards. Benign lesions showed a lower, slower, and progressive increase. One 6-mm carcinoma was not detected, and one fibroadenoma was misdiagnosed as a carcinoma. The author discusses a standardized examination technique is essential (infusion technique, injection place, stretched arm, section selection, transmitter and receiver adjustment, storage reservation, phase encoding direction, double breast coil, etc.)
Breast cancer imaging using radiolabelled somatostatin analogues
Dalm, Simone U.; Melis, Marleen; Emmering, Jasper; Kwekkeboom, Dik J.; Jong, Marion de
Imaging and therapy using radiolabelled somatostatin analogues are methods successfully used in patients with somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-expressing neuroendocrine tumours. Since these techniques were first introduced, many improvements have been made. SSTR expression has also been reported on breast cancer (BC). Currently mammography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound are the most frequent methods used for BC imaging. Since SSTR expression on BC was demonstrated, clinical studies examining the feasibility of visualizing primary BC using SSTR radioligands have been performed. However, to date SSTR-mediated nuclear imaging is not used clinically in BC patients. The aim of this review is to assess whether recent improvements made within nuclear medicine may enable SSTR-mediated imaging to play a role in BC management. For this we critically analysed results of past studies and discussed the potential of the improvements made within nuclear medicine on SSTR-mediated nuclear imaging of BC. Seven databases were searched for publications on BC imaging with SSTR radioligands. The papers found were analysed by 3 individual observers to identify whether the studies met the pre-set inclusion criteria defined as studies in which nuclear imaging using radiolabelled SST analogues was performed in patients with breast lesions. Twenty-four papers were selected for this review including studies on SSTR-mediated nuclear imaging in BC, neuroendocrine BC and other breast lesions. The analysed studies were heterogeneous with respect to the imaging method, imaging protocol, patient groups and the radiolabelled SST analogues used. Despite the fact that the analysed studies were heterogeneous, sensitivity for primary BC ranged from 36–100%. In a subset of the studies LN lesions were visualized, but sensitivity was lower compared to that for primary tumours. A part of the studies included benign lesions and specificity ranged from 22–100%. Furthermore, false negatives and
Breast Imaging Utilizing Dedicated Gamma Camera and (99m)Tc-MIBI: Experience at the Tel Aviv Medical Center and Review of the Literature Breast Imaging.
Even-Sapir, Einat; Golan, Orit; Menes, Tehillah; Weinstein, Yuliana; Lerman, Hedva
The scope of the current article is the clinical role of gamma cameras dedicated for breast imaging and (99m)Tc-MIBI tumor-seeking tracer, as both a screening modality among a healthy population and as a diagnostic modality in patients with breast cancer. Such cameras are now commercially available. The technology utilizing a camera composed of a NaI (Tl) detector is termed breast-specific gamma imaging. The technology of dual-headed camera composed of semiconductor cadmium zinc telluride detectors that directly converts gamma-ray energy into electronic signals is termed molecular breast imaging. Molecular breast imaging system has been installed at the Department of Nuclear medicine at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv in 2009. The article reviews the literature well as our own experience. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Compositional breast imaging using a dual-energy mammography protocol
Laidevant, Aurelie D.; Malkov, Serghei; Flowers, Chris I.; Kerlikowske, Karla; Shepherd, John A.
Purpose: Mammography has a low sensitivity in dense breasts due to low contrast between malignant and normal tissue confounded by the predominant water density of the breast. Water is found in both adipose and fibroglandular tissue and constitutes most of the mass of a breast. However, significant protein mass is mainly found in the fibroglandular tissue where most cancers originate. If the protein compartment in a mammogram could be imaged without the influence of water, the sensitivity and specificity of the mammogram may be improved. This article describes a novel approach to dual-energy mammography, full-field digital compositional mammography (FFDCM), which can independently image the three compositional components of breast tissue: water, lipid, and protein. Methods: Dual-energy attenuation and breast shape measures are used together to solve for the three compositional thicknesses. Dual-energy measurements were performed on breast-mimicking phantoms using a full-field digital mammography unit. The phantoms were made of materials shown to have similar x-ray attenuation properties of the compositional compartments. They were made of two main stacks of thicknesses around 2 and 4 cm. Twenty-six thickness and composition combinations were used to derive the compositional calibration using a least-squares fitting approach. Results: Very high accuracy was achieved with a simple cubic fitting function with root mean square errors of 0.023, 0.011, and 0.012 cm for the water, lipid, and protein thicknesses, respectively. The repeatability (percent coefficient of variation) of these measures was tested using sequential images and was found to be 0.5%, 0.5%, and 3.3% for water, lipid, and protein, respectively. However, swapping the location of the two stacks of the phantom on the imaging plate introduced further errors showing the need for more complete system uniformity corrections. Finally, a preliminary breast image is presented of each of the compositional
Magnetic resonance imaging of breast implants.
Shah, Mala; Tanna, Neil; Margolies, Laurie
Silicone breast implants have significantly evolved since their introduction half a century ago, yet implant rupture remains a common and expected complication, especially in patients with earlier-generation implants. Magnetic resonance imaging is the primary modality for assessing the integrity of silicone implants and has excellent sensitivity and specificity, and the Food and Drug Administration currently recommends periodic magnetic resonance imaging screening for silent silicone breast implant rupture. Familiarity with the types of silicone implants and potential complications is essential for the radiologist. Signs of intracapsular rupture include the noose, droplet, subcapsular line, and linguine signs. Signs of extracapsular rupture include herniation of silicone with a capsular defect and extruded silicone material. Specific sequences including water and silicone suppression are essential for distinguishing rupture from other pathologies and artifacts. Magnetic resonance imaging provides valuable information about the integrity of silicone implants and associated complications.
Magnetic resonance imaging of invasive breast cancer | Corr | SA ...
... mammographic findings, and screening for breast cancer in younger women with familial breast cancer. Interpretation of MR images requires a meticulous imaging technique including the use of contrast enhancement and fat suppression MR sequences using a good breast coil. South African Journal of Radiology Vol.
A review of breast tomosynthesis. Part I. The image acquisition process
Sechopoulos, Ioannis
Mammography is a very well-established imaging modality for the early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. However, since the introduction of digital imaging to the realm of radiology, more advanced, and especially tomographic imaging methods have been made possible. One of these methods, breast tomosynthesis, has finally been introduced to the clinic for routine everyday use, with potential to in the future replace mammography for screening for breast cancer. In this two part paper, the extensive research performed during the development of breast tomosynthesis is reviewed, with a focus on the research addressing the medical physics aspects of this imaging modality. This first paper will review the research performed on the issues relevant to the image acquisition process, including system design, optimization of geometry and technique, x-ray scatter, and radiation dose. The companion to this paper will review all other aspects of breast tomosynthesis imaging, including the reconstruction process. PMID:23298126
Imaging system
Froggatt, R.J.
The invention provides a two dimensional imaging system in which a pattern of radiation falling on the system is detected to give electrical signals for each of a plurality of strips across the pattern. The detection is repeated for different orientations of the strips and the whole processed by compensated back projection. For a shadow x-ray system a plurality of strip x-ray detectors are rotated on a turntable. For lower frequencies the pattern may be rotated with a Dove prism and the strips condensed to suit smaller detectors with a cylindrical lens. (author)
Polyvinyl chloride plastisol breast phantoms for ultrasound imaging.
de Carvalho, Isabela Miller; De Matheo, Lucas Lobianco; Costa Júnior, José Francisco Silva; Borba, CecÃlia de Melo; von Krüger, Marco Antonio; Infantosi, Antonio Fernando Catelli; Pereira, Wagner Coelho de Albuquerque
Ultrasonic phantoms are objects that mimic some features of biological tissues, allowing the study of their interactions with ultrasound (US). In the diagnostic-imaging field, breast phantoms are an important tool for testing performance and optimizing US systems, as well as for training medical professionals. This paper describes the design and manufacture of breast lesions by using polyvinyl chloride plastisol (PVCP) as the base material. Among the materials available for this study, PVCP was shown to be stable, durable, and easy to handle. Furthermore, it is a nontoxic, nonpolluting, and low-cost material. The breast's glandular tissue (image background) was simulated by adding graphite powder with a concentration of 1% to the base material. Mixing PVCP and graphite powder in differing concentrations allows one to simulate lesions with different echogenicity patterns (anechoic, hypoechoic, and hyperechoic). From this mixture, phantom materials were obtained with speed of sound varying from 1379.3 to 1397.9ms(-1) and an attenuation coefficient having values between 0.29 and 0.94dBcm(-1) for a frequency of 1MHz at 24°C. A single layer of carnauba wax was added to the lesion surface in order to evaluate its applicability for imaging. The images of the phantoms were acquired using commercial ultrasound equipment; a specialist rated the images, elaborating diagnoses representative of both benign and malignant lesions. The results indicated that it was possible to easily create a phantom by using low-cost materials, readily available in the market and stable at room temperature, as the basis of ultrasonic phantoms that reproduce the image characteristics of fatty breast tissue and typical lesions of the breast. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Role of magnetic resonance imaging in breast cancer management
Selvi Radhakrishna
Full Text Available Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI of the breast is primarily used as a supplemental tool to breast screening with mammography or ultrasound. A breast MRI is mainly used for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, to help measure the size of the cancer, look for other tumors in the breast, and to check for tumors in the opposite breast. For certain women at high risk for breast cancer, a screening MRI is recommended along with a yearly mammogram. MRI is known to give some false positive results which mean more test and/or biopsies for the patient. Thus, although breast MRI is useful for women at high risk, it is rarely recommended as a screening test for women at average risk of breast cancer. Also, breast MRI does not show calcium deposits, known as micro-calcifications which can be a sign of breast cancer.
New developments in medical imaging to detect breast cancer
been the 'gold standard' for imaging the breast since the mid-1960s.2 In ... Breast cancer is still one of the most common cancers in women. ... Engineering, and his qualifications include a BSc (Hons) in applied mathematics and physics.
Mueller matrix polarimetry imaging for breast cancer analysis (Conference Presentation)
Gribble, Adam; Vitkin, Alex
Polarized light has many applications in biomedical imaging. The interaction of a biological sample with polarized light reveals information about its biological composition, both structural and functional. The most comprehensive type of polarimetry analysis is to measure the Mueller matrix, a polarization transfer function that completely describes how a sample interacts with polarized light. However, determination of the Mueller matrix requires tissue analysis under many different states of polarized light; a time consuming and measurement intensive process. Here we address this limitation with a new rapid polarimetry system, and use this polarimetry platform to investigate a variety of tissue changes associated with breast cancer. We have recently developed a rapid polarimetry imaging platform based on four photoelastic modulators (PEMs). The PEMs generate fast polarization modulations that allow the complete sample Mueller matrix to be imaged over a large field of view, with no moving parts. This polarimetry system is then demonstrated to be sensitive to a variety of tissue changes that are relevant to breast cancer. Specifically, we show that changes in depolarization can reveal tumor margins, and can differentiate between viable and necrotic breast cancer metastasized to the lymph nodes. Furthermore, the polarimetric property of linear retardance (related to birefringence) is dependent on collagen organization in the extracellular matrix. These findings indicate that our polarimetry platform may have future applications in fields such as breast cancer diagnosis, improving the speed and efficacy of intraoperative pathology, and providing prognostic information that may be beneficial for guiding treatment.
Higher-order scene statistics of breast images
Abbey, Craig K.; Sohl-Dickstein, Jascha N.; Olshausen, Bruno A.; Eckstein, Miguel P.; Boone, John M.
Researchers studying human and computer vision have found description and construction of these systems greatly aided by analysis of the statistical properties of naturally occurring scenes. More specifically, it has been found that receptive fields with directional selectivity and bandwidth properties similar to mammalian visual systems are more closely matched to the statistics of natural scenes. It is argued that this allows for sparse representation of the independent components of natural images [Olshausen and Field, Nature, 1996]. These theories have important implications for medical image perception. For example, will a system that is designed to represent the independent components of natural scenes, where objects occlude one another and illumination is typically reflected, be appropriate for X-ray imaging, where features superimpose on one another and illumination is transmissive? In this research we begin to examine these issues by evaluating higher-order statistical properties of breast images from X-ray projection mammography (PM) and dedicated breast computed tomography (bCT). We evaluate kurtosis in responses of octave bandwidth Gabor filters applied to PM and to coronal slices of bCT scans. We find that kurtosis in PM rises and quickly saturates for filter center frequencies with an average value above 0.95. By contrast, kurtosis in bCT peaks near 0.20 cyc/mm with kurtosis of approximately 2. Our findings suggest that the human visual system may be tuned to represent breast tissue more effectively in bCT over a specific range of spatial frequencies.
Predictive and prognostic value of FDG-PET/CT imaging and different response evaluation criteria after primary systemic therapy of breast cancer.
TÅ‘kés, TÃmea; Kajáry, Kornélia; Szentmártoni, Gyöngyvér; Lengyel, Zsolt; Györke, Tamás; TorgyÃk, László; Somlai, Krisztián; TÅ‘kés, Anna-Mária; Kulka, Janina; Dank, Magdolna
(1) To predict pathological complete remission (pCR) and survival after primary systemic therapy (PST) in patients diagnosed with breast cancer by using two different PET/CT based scores: a simplified PERCIST-based PET/CT score (Method 1) and a combined PET/CT score supplemented with the morphological results of the RECIST system (Method 2) and (2) to assess the effect of different breast carcinoma subtypes on tumor response and its evaluation. Eighty-eight patients were enrolled in the study who underwent PET/CT imaging before and after PST. PET/CTs were evaluated by changes in maximum Standardized Uptake Value (SUVmax) and tumor size. Method 1 and 2 were applied to predict pathological complete remission (pCR). Kaplan-Meier analyses for survival were performed. Classification into biological subtypes was performed based on the pre-therapeutic tumor characteristics. A total of 30/88 patients showed pCR (34.1 %). Comparing pCR/non-pCR patient groups, significant differences were detected by changes in SUVmax (p evaluation with Method 2 and not with Method 1. In our study, neither clinical nor pathological CR were predictors of longer progression-free survival. Our results suggest that combined PET/CT criteria are more predictive of pCR. The effect of biological subtypes is significant on pCR rate as well as on the changes in FDG-uptake and morphological tumor response. Response evaluation with combined criteria was also able to reflect the differences between the biological behavior of breast tumor subtypes.
Imaging Management of Breast Density, a Controversial Risk Factor for Breast Cancer.
Falcon, Shannon; Williams, Angela; Weinfurtner, Jared; Drukteinis, Jennifer S
Breast density is well recognized as an independent risk factor for the development of breast cancer. However, the magnitude of risk is controversial. As the public becomes increasingly aware of breast density as a risk factor, legislation and notification laws in relation to breast density have become common throughout the United States. Awareness of breast density as a risk factor for breast cancer presents new challenges for the clinician in the approach to the management and screening of women with dense breasts. The evidence and controversy surrounding breast density as a risk factor for the development of breast cancer are discussed. Common supplemental screening modalities for breast cancer are also discussed, including tomosynthesis, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging. A management strategy for screening women with dense breasts is also presented. The American College of Radiology recognizes breast density as a controversial risk factor for breast cancer, whereas the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recognizes breast density as a modest risk factor. Neither organization recommends the routine use of supplemental screening in women with dense breasts without considering additional patient-related risk factors. Breast density is a poorly understood and controversial risk factor for the development of breast cancer. Mammography is a screening modality proven to reduce breast cancer-related mortality rates and is the single most appropriate tool for population-based screening. Use of supplemental screening modalities should be tailored to individual risk assessment.
Rushbrooke, J.G.; Ansorge, R.E.
A moving object such as a container on a conveyor belt is imaged by an optical system onto a charge coupled device array in which the lines of the array are arranged perpendicular to the direction of motion of the object. The speed of movement of the object is sensed to generate electrical signals which are processed to provide shift signals enabling the shifting of data row to row in the array in synchronism with the movement of the container. The electrical charge associated with a given point on the array is transferred from one line to the other until it appears at the last line of the array, from which it is read out in known manner in conjunction with all other electrical charges associated with the row of charge coupled devices in the last line of the array. Due to the integrating effect achieved, the aperture of the imaging system can be much smaller than otherwise would be required, and/or the level of light illumination can be reduced. The imaging system can be applied to X-ray inspection devices, aerial surveillance or scanning of moving documents in copying processes. (author)
MR images of rupture and leakage of breast implants
Fang Ling; Liu Pengcheng; Huang Rong; Hu Huaxin; Chen Zaizhong; Du Duanming; Liu Hanqiao; Feng Fei
Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging in detecting rupture and leakage of breast implants. Methods: Seventeen cases with breast implants were imaged by MR scanner. 1 normal silicone breast implant outside the body was scanned by MR as an consultative standard. MR images of silicone implants and polypropylene acyl amine implants were classified and analyzed. Results: In 7 cases, 12 single lumen silicone implants were intact, among them 8 were silicone gel-filled implants, 4 were physiological saline-filled implants. 2 physiological saline-filled implants ruptured, among them 1 belonged to intracapsular silicone implant rupture with subsided silicone gel capsule which presented as long T 1 signal and short T 2 signal on MR images; The other belonged to extracapsular silicone implant rapture with physiological saline granule outside breast on MR images. 20 breast implants in 10 cases were injected by polypropylene acyl amine, among them 2 breast implants were intact, 16 breast implants ruptured completely with pieces and nodes of long T 1 signal and long T 2 signal on MR images, 14 of 16 also presented polypropylene acyl amine granule outside breast; 2 breast implants splited inside with linguine sign. Conclusion: The magnetic resonance imaging can make clear the type and the seat of breast implants, the type of rupture of breast implants, and the distribution of leakage material. Therefore magnetic resonance imaging can be an effective guidance for clinical operation and can be an consultative standard for follow-up
Optical computed tomography for imaging the breast: first look
Grable, Richard J.; Ponder, Steven L.; Gkanatsios, Nikolaos A.; Dieckmann, William; Olivier, Patrick F.; Wake, Robert H.; Zeng, Yueping
The purpose of the study is to compare computed tomography optical imaging with traditional breast imaging techniques. Images produced by computed tomography laser mammography (CTLMTM) scanner are compared with images obtained from mammography, and in some cases ultrasound and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). During the CTLM procedure, a near infrared laser irradiates the breast and an array of photodiodes detectors records light scattered through the breast tissue. The laser and detectors rotate synchronously around the breast to acquire a series of slice data along the coronal place. The procedure is performed without any breast compression or optical matching fluid. Cross-sectional slices of the breast are produced using a reconstruction algorithm. Reconstruction based on the diffusion theory is used to produce cross-sectional slices of the breast. Multiple slice images are combined to produce a three dimensional volumetric array of the imaged breast. This array is used to derive axial and sagittal images of the breast corresponding to cranio-caudal and medio-lateral images used in mammography. Over 200 women and 3 men have been scanned in clinical trials. The most obvious features seen in images produced by the optical tomography scanner are vascularization and significant lesions. Breast features caused by fibrocystic changes and cysts are less obvious. Breast density does not appear to be a significant factor in the quality of the image. We see correlation of the optical image structure with that seen with traditional breast imaging techniques. Further testing is being conducted to explore the sensitivity and specificity of optical tomography of the breast.
Volume based DCE-MRI breast cancer detection with 3D visualization system
Chia, F.K.; Sim, K.S.; Chong, S.S.; Tan, S.T.; Ting, H.Y.; Abbas, S.F.; Omar, S.
In this paper, a computer aided design auto probing system is presented to detect breast lesions based on Dynamic contrast enhanced Magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) images. The system is proposed in order to aid the radiologists and doctors in the interpretation of MRI breast images and enhance the detection accuracy. A series of approaches are presented to enhance the detection accuracy and refine the breast region of interest (Roil) automatically. Besides, a semi-quantitative analysis is used to segment the breast lesions from selected breast Roil and classify the detected tumour is whether benign, suspicious or malignant. The entire breast Roil including the detected tumour will display in 3D. The methodology has been applied on 104 sets of digital imaging and communications in medicine (Dico) breast MRI datasets images. The biopsy results are verified by 2 radiologists from Hospital Malaysia. The experimental results are demonstrated the proposed scheme can precisely identify breast cancer regions with 93% accuracy. (author)
An introduction to microwave imaging for breast cancer detection
Conceição, Raquel Cruz; O'Halloran, Martin
This book collates past and current research on one of the most promising emerging modalities for breast cancer detection. Readers will discover how, as a standalone technology or in conjunction with another modality, microwave imaging has the potential to provide reliable, safe and comfortable breast exams at low cost. Current breast imaging modalities include X- ray, Ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and Positron Emission Tomography. Each of these methods suffers from limitations, including poor sensitivity or specificity, high cost, patient discomfort, and exposure to potentially harmful ionising radiation. Microwave breast imaging is based on a contrast in the dielectric properties of breast tissue that exists at microwave frequencies. The book begins by considering the anatomy and dielectric properties of the breast, contrasting historical and recent studies. Next, radar-based breast imaging algorithms are discussed, encompassing both early-stage artefact removal, and data independent and adaptive ...
Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast: multimodality imaging and histopathologic assessment
Choi, Bo Bae; Shu, Kwang Sun
Background Metaplastic carcinomas are ductal carcinomas that display metaplastic transformation of the glandular epithelium to non-glandular mesenchymal tissue. Metaplastic carcinoma has a poorer prognosis than most other breast cancers, so the differential diagnosis is important. Although many clinical and pathologic findings have been reported, to our knowledge, few imaging findings related to metaplastic carcinoma have been reported. Purpose To investigate whole-breast imaging findings, including mammography, sonography, MRI, and pathologic findings, including immunohistochemical studies of metaplastic carcinomas of the breast. Material and Methods We analyzed 33 cases of metaplastic carcinoma between January 2001 and January 2011. Mammography, ultrasonography, and MRI were recorded retrospectively using the American College of Radiology (ACR) breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) lexicon. Immunohistochemical studies of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), p53, and C-erbB-2 were performed. Results The most common mammographic findings were oval shape (37%), circumscribed margin (59%), and high density (74%). The most common sonogfindings were irregular shape (59.4%), microlobulated margin (41%), complex echogenicity (81%), parallel orientation (97%), and posterior acoustic enhancement (50%). Axillary lymph node metastases were noted for 25% of the sonographic examinations. On MRI, the most common findings of margin and shape were irregularity (57% and 52.4%, respectively). High signal intensity was the most common finding on T2-weighted images (57%). Immunohistochemical profile was negative for ER (91%, 29/32) and PR (81%, 26/32). Conclusion Metaplastic carcinomas might display more benign features and less axillary lymph node metastasis than IDC. High signal intensity on T2 MRI images and hormone receptor negativity would be helpful in differentiating this tumor from other breast cancers
Optical tomographic imaging for breast cancer detection
Cong, Wenxiang; Intes, Xavier; Wang, Ge
Diffuse optical breast imaging utilizes near-infrared (NIR) light propagation through tissues to assess the optical properties of tissues for the identification of abnormal tissue. This optical imaging approach is sensitive, cost-effective, and does not involve any ionizing radiation. However, the image reconstruction of diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is a nonlinear inverse problem and suffers from severe illposedness due to data noise, NIR light scattering, and measurement incompleteness. An image reconstruction method is proposed for the detection of breast cancer. This method splits the image reconstruction problem into the localization of abnormal tissues and quantification of absorption variations. The localization of abnormal tissues is performed based on a well-posed optimization model, which can be solved via a differential evolution optimization method to achieve a stable reconstruction. The quantification of abnormal absorption is then determined in localized regions of relatively small extents, in which a potential tumor might be. Consequently, the number of unknown absorption variables can be greatly reduced to overcome the underdetermined nature of DOT. Numerical simulation experiments are performed to verify merits of the proposed method, and the results show that the image reconstruction method is stable and accurate for the identification of abnormal tissues, and robust against the measurement noise of data.
Image quality control of mammography equipment -Mammography System MX-300- of the Teachers Hospital of UNSA and dose measurement in breasts with radiographic films
Quispe F, L. K.; Vega R, J.
This work is part of medical imaging for the evaluation of quality. Will have an accredited breast phantom Rmi-156 that allows evaluating the image quality of mammography equipment and through a series of techniques and processes that will submit to mammography films we obtain characteristic curves, which allows to evaluate different parameters that will serve for our study. Images were acquired with different k Vp and m As of the equipment, also with different thicknesses of the breast phantom. Also we want to use the lowest possible dose for obtaining our images. In this paper we develop a simple protocol that aims to unify the conditions under which are acquired the images for later evaluation. By obtaining these characteristic curves demonstrate that the Kodak film is the most suitable for our study because it requires lower dose for obtaining our images. (Author)
Lee, Jei Hee; Oh, Ki Keun; Chang, So Yong; Kim, Eun Kyung; Kim, Mi Hye [Yonsei Univ. College of Medicine, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)
The purpose of this study was to assess the mammographic features and pathologic outcome of category 4 lesions using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System(BI-RADS), and to evaluate the significance of final assessment categories. Using BI-RADS, the interpretations of 8,134 mammograms acquired between January 1997 and May 1998 were categorized. From among 161 lesions categorized as '4' ('suspicious abnormality') and pathologically confirmed by surgery or biopsy, we analysed 113, found in 66 patients. The pathologic outcome of these 113 lesions was as follows:infiltrating ductal carcinoma, 17.7%(20/113); DCIS(ductal carcinoma in sitv), 8.0%(9/113); ADH(atypical ductal hyperplasia), 5.3%(6/113); DEH(ductal epithelial hyperplasia), 1.8%(2/113); ductectasia, 0.9%(1/113), FCD(fibrocystic change), 27.4%(31/113); firoadenoma, 7.1%(8/113); stromal fibrosis, 9.7%(11/113); normal parenchyma, 7.1%(8/113); other pathology, 15.0%(17/113). The most frequent mammographic features of BI-RADS category 4 lesions were irregular mass shape(41.2%), spiculated mass margin(52.3%), amorphous calcification(47.3%) and clustered calcification distribution(37.1%). Because category 4 lesions account for about 25.7% of all breast malignancies, mammographic lesions in this category ('suspicious abnormality') should be considered for supplementary study and breast biopsy rather than short-term follow-up. Initial pathologic findings can thus be confirmed.
Development of anatomically and dielectrically accurate breast phantoms for microwave imaging applications
O'Halloran, M.; Lohfeld, S.; Ruvio, G.; Browne, J.; Krewer, F.; Ribeiro, C. O.; Inacio Pita, V. C.; Conceicao, R. C.; Jones, E.; Glavin, M.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. In the United States alone, it accounts for 31% of new cancer cases, and is second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of deaths in American women. More than 184,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year resulting in approximately 41,000 deaths. Early detection and intervention is one of the most significant factors in improving the survival rates and quality of life experienced by breast cancer sufferers, since this is the time when treatment is most effective. One of the most promising breast imaging modalities is microwave imaging. The physical basis of active microwave imaging is the dielectric contrast between normal and malignant breast tissue that exists at microwave frequencies. The dielectric contrast is mainly due to the increased water content present in the cancerous tissue. Microwave imaging is non-ionizing, does not require breast compression, is less invasive than X-ray mammography, and is potentially low cost. While several prototype microwave breast imaging systems are currently in various stages of development, the design and fabrication of anatomically and dielectrically representative breast phantoms to evaluate these systems is often problematic. While some existing phantoms are composed of dielectrically representative materials, they rarely accurately represent the shape and size of a typical breast. Conversely, several phantoms have been developed to accurately model the shape of the human breast, but have inappropriate dielectric properties. This study will brie y review existing phantoms before describing the development of a more accurate and practical breast phantom for the evaluation of microwave breast imaging systems.
High-Resolution Speckle-Free Ultrasound Imaging System - A Potential Solution for Detecting Missed Breast Cancer
Freedman, Matthew
.... The initiation of this project was delayed by non-approval of the human use portion of the project but we did receive US Army Human Use approval for study of human breast tissue samples and have studied 12...
SU-F-I-14: 3D Breast Digital Phantom for XACT Imaging
Tang, S; Laaroussi, R; Chen, J; Samant, P; Xiang, L [University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States); Chen, Y; Ahmad, S [University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK (United States); Yang, K [Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)
Purpose: The X-ray induced acoustic computed tomography (XACT) is a new imaging modality which combines X-ray contrast and high ultrasonic resolution in a single modality. Using XACT in breast imaging, a 3D breast volume can be imaged by only one pulsed X-ray radiation, which could dramatically reduce the imaging dose for patients undergoing breast cancer screening and diagnosis. A 3D digital phantom that contains both X-ray properties and acoustic properties of different tissue types is indeed needed for developing and optimizing the XACT system. The purpose of this study is to offer a realistic breast digital phantom as a valuable tool for improving breast XACT imaging techniques and potentially leading to better diagnostic outcomes. Methods: A series of breast CT images along the coronal plane from a patient who has breast calcifications are used as the source images. A HU value based segmentation algorithm is employed to identify breast tissues in five categories, namely the skin tissue, fat tissue, glandular tissue, chest bone and calcifications. For each pixel, the dose related parameters, such as material components and density, and acoustic related parameters, such as frequency-dependent acoustic attenuation coefficient and bandwidth, are assigned based on tissue types. Meanwhile, other parameters which are used in sound propagation, including the sound speed, thermal expansion coefficient, and heat capacity are also assigned to each tissue. Results: A series of 2D tissue type image is acquired first and the 3D digital breast phantom is obtained by using commercial 3D reconstruction software. When giving specific settings including dose depositions and ultrasound center frequency, the X-ray induced initial pressure rise can be calculated accordingly. Conclusion: The proposed 3D breast digital phantom represents a realistic breast anatomic structure and provides a valuable tool for developing and evaluating the system performance for XACT.
System of breast cancer recognition
Rozhkova, N.I.
The paper is concerned with the resUlts of the multimodality system of breast cancer recognition using methods, of clinical X-ray and cytological examinations. Altogether 1671 women were examined; breast cancer was detected in 165. Stage 1 was detected in 63 patients, Stage 2 in 34, Stage 3 in 34, and Stage 4 in 8. In 7% of the cases, tumors were inpalpable and could be detected by X-ray only. In 9.9% of the cases, the multicentric nature of tumor growth was established. In 71% tumors had a mixed histological structure. The system of breast cancer recognition provided for accurate diagnosis in 98% of the cases making it possible to avoid surgical intervention in 38%. Good diagnostic results are possible under conditions of a special mammology unit where a roentgenologist working in a close contact with surgeonns working in a close contact with surgeos and morphologists, performs the first stages of diagnosis beginning from clinical examination up to special methods that require X-ray control (paracentesis, ductography, pneumocystography, preoperative marking of the breast and marking of the remote sectors of the breast)
Improved MR breast images by contrast optimization using artificial intelligence
Konig, H.; Gohagan, J.; Laub, G.; Bachus, R.; Heywang, S.; Reinhardt, E.R.
The clinical relevance of MR imaging of the breast is mainly related to the modelity's ability to differentiate among normal, benign, and malignant tissue and to yield prognostic information. In addition to the MR imaging parameters, morphologic features of these images are calculated. Based on statistical information of a comprehensive, labeled image and knowledge of a data base system, a numerical classifier is deduced. The application of this classifier to all cases leads to estimations of specific tissue types for each pixel. The method is sufficiently sensitive for grading a recognized tissue class. In this manner images with optimal contrast appropriate to particular diagnostic requirements are generated. The discriminant power of each MR imaging parameter as well as of a combination of parameters can be determined objectively with respect to tissue discrimination
Assessment of the systemic distribution of a bioconjugated anti-Her2 magnetic nanoparticle in a breast cancer model by means of magnetic resonance imaging
Huerta-Núñez, L. F. E., E-mail: lidi-huerta@hotmail.com [Universidad del Ejercito y FAM/EMGS-Laboratorio Multidisciplinario de Investigación (Mexico); Villanueva-Lopez, G. Cleva, E-mail: villanuevacleva3@gmail.com [Instituto Politécnico Nacional-Escuela Superior de Medicina-Sección Investigación y Posgrado (Mexico); Morales-Guadarrama, A., E-mail: amorales@ci3m.mx [Centro Nacional de Investigacion en Imagenologia e Instrumentacion Medica-Universidad Autónoma (Mexico); Soto, S., E-mail: cuadrosdobles@hotmail.com; López, J., E-mail: jaimelocr@hotmail.com; Silva, J. G., E-mail: gabrielsilva173@gmail.com [Universidad del Ejercito y FAM/EMGS-Laboratorio Multidisciplinario de Investigación (Mexico); Perez-Vielma, N., E-mail: nadiampv@gmail.com [Instituto Politécnico Nacional - Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias de la Salud Unidad Santo Tomás (CICS-UST) (Mexico); Sacristán, E., E-mail: esacristan@ci3m.mx [Centro Nacional de Investigacion en Imagenologia e Instrumentacion Medica-Universidad Autónoma (Mexico); Gudiño-Zayas, Marco E., E-mail: gudino@unam.mx [UNAM, Departamento de Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina (Mexico); González, C. A., E-mail: cgonzalezd@ipn.mx [Universidad del Ejercito y FAM/EMGS-Laboratorio Multidisciplinario de Investigación (Mexico)
The aim of this study was to determine the systemic distribution of magnetic nanoparticles of 100 nm diameter (MNPs) coupled to a specific monoclonal antibody anti-Her2 in an experimental breast cancer (BC) model. The study was performed in two groups of Sprague–Dawley rats: control (n = 6) and BC chemically induced (n = 3). Bioconjugated “anti-Her2-MNPs� were intravenously administered, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) monitored its systemic distribution at seven times after administration. Non-heme iron presence associated with the location of the bioconjugated anti-Her2-MNPs in splenic, hepatic, cardiac and tumor tissues was detected by Perl’s Prussian blue (PPB) stain. Optical density measurements were used to semiquantitatively determine the iron presence in tissues on the basis of a grayscale values integration of T1 and T2 MRI sequence images. The results indicated a delayed systemic distribution of MNPs in cancer compared to healthy conditions with a maximum concentration of MNPs in cancer tissue at 24 h post-infusion.
Hypofractionated Image Guided Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IV Breast Cancer
Central Nervous System Metastases; Invasive Ductal Breast Carcinoma; Invasive Ductal Breast Carcinoma With Predominant Intraductal Component; Invasive Lobular Breast Carcinoma; Invasive Lobular Breast Carcinoma With Predominant in Situ Component; Liver Metastases; Lobular Breast Carcinoma in Situ; Lung Metastases; Male Breast Cancer; Medullary Ductal Breast Carcinoma With Lymphocytic Infiltrate; Mucinous Ductal Breast Carcinoma; Papillary Ductal Breast Carcinoma; Recurrent Breast Cancer; Stage IV Breast Cancer; Tubular Ductal Breast Carcinoma; Tumors Metastatic to Brain
Imaging features of breast echinococcus granulosus
Zeng Li; Liu Fanming; Gong Yue; Ge Jinmei; Li Xianjun; Shi Minxin; Guo Yongzhong
Objective: To demonstrate the X-ray and CT features of breast hydatid disease. Methods: Of 11 patients with pathologically confirmed breast Echinococcus hydatid disease were collected and the X-ray and CT image data were analyzed. Results: Of 11 patients with hydatid cysts,single cyst was found in 9 patients which one cyst was ruptured due to trauma, multiple cyst in 2 patients. Mammography showed small or large shadow in different size, with low or high density and smooth margin. Calcification was found in 5 and 2 patients with egg shell-like calcification along the wall of cyst, 3 patients with spotted calcification within cyst. One case had cavity-like change (annular solar eclipse sign). Cystic lesion with a complete capsule was demonstrated on CT scan in 1 patient. Conclusion: Molybdenum target mammography can accurately display the imaging characteristics of hydatid cyst and improve the diagnostic ability of breast hydatid cyst in combination with clinical and epidemiological data. (authors)
Breast cancer imaging with mouse monoclonal antibodies
Major, P.; Wang Taqui; Unger, M.; Rosenthall, L.
The localization of /sup 111/In-labelled MA5 monoclonal antibody, reactive with a breast tumor associated antigen, was studied in 17 patients. MA5 was selected because (1) it reacts with >95% of primary and metastatic lesions, (2) the recognized antigen is present on the cell surface in vivo and (3) MA5 gives excellent localization in human breast tumor xenografts. Each patient received 2 mg antibody labeled with 5 mCi /sup 111/In and in some cases, 3 mg or 18 mg unlabeled carrier antibody. No serious allergic reactions were noted. There was a large uptake in the liver, less significant uptake in the spleen and bone and minimal accumulation in the bowel. Bone lesions, primary tumors, soft tissue recurrences and lung metastases larger than 3 cm diameter were imaged, while only 1 lesion smaller than 3 cm was detected. Non specific accumulation of tracer was noted at the site of a port-a-cath, in a hematoma, in fibrocystic lesions, and at sites of previous radiation treatment. Extensive fibrosis and poor vascularization characteristic of breast tumors may explain in part the limited sensitivity of the imaging. (orig.).
Acousto-Mechanical Imaging for Breast Cancer Detection
Emelianov, Stanislav Y
The underlying hypothesis of our study is that quantitative breast elasticity imaging is possible and provides unique information, which could increase the detection, characterization and monitoring...
Issues to consider before implementing digital breast tomosynthesis into a breast imaging practice.
Hardesty, Lara A
OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to discuss issues surrounding the implementation of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) into a clinical breast imaging practice and assist radiologists, technologists, and administrators who are considering the addition of this new technology to their practices. CONCLUSION. When appropriate attention is given to image acquisition, interpretation, storage, technologist and radiologist training, patient selection, billing, radiation dose, and marketing, implementation of DBT into a breast imaging practice can be successful.
TH-A-18A-01: Innovation in Clinical Breast Imaging
Liu, B; Yang, K; Yaffe, M; Chen, J
Several novel modalities have been or are on the verge of being introduced into the breast imaging clinic. These include tomosynthesis imaging, dedicated breast CT, contrast-enhanced digital mammography, and automated breast ultrasound, all of which are covered in this course. Tomosynthesis and dedicated breast CT address the problem of tissue superimposition that limits mammography screening performance, by improved or full resolution of the 3D breast morphology. Contrast-enhanced digital mammography provides functional information that allows for visualization of tumor angiogenesis. 3D breast ultrasound has high sensitivity for tumor detection in dense breasts, but the imaging exam was traditionally performed by radiologists. In automated breast ultrasound, the scan is performed in an automated fashion, making for a more practical imaging tool, that is now used as an adjunct to digital mammography in breast cancer screening. This course will provide medical physicists with an in-depth understanding of the imaging physics of each of these four novel imaging techniques, as well as the rationale and implementation of QC procedures. Further, basic clinical applications and work flow issues will be discussed. Learning Objectives: To be able to describe the underlying physical and physiological principles of each imaging technique, and to understand the corresponding imaging acquisition process. To be able to describe the critical system components and their performance requirements. To understand the rationale and implementation of quality control procedures, as well as regulatory requirements for systems with FDA approval. To learn about clinical applications and understand risks and benefits/strength and weakness of each modality in terms of clinical breast imaging
Medico-legal issues in breast imaging
Purushothaman, H.N., E-mail: hema.purushothaman@bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk [Department of Radiology, St Bartholomew' s Hospital, London (United Kingdom); Wilson, R. [Department of Radiology, The Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey (United Kingdom); Michell, M.J. [Department of Radiology, King' s College Hospital, London (United Kingdom)
Aim: To identify medico-legal issues that occur in the diagnosis and radiological management of breast disease and to propose measures to reduce the risk of patient complaints and legal action in breast radiology and diagnosis. Materials and methods: Institutional review board approval was not applicable for this study. A retrospective study was undertaken and records of 120 medico-legal investigations over a 10 year period were examined. The reports were compiled by two consultant breast radiologists. Results: The mean age of the patients represented in this study was 48.3 years. The main complaint in this series was a delay in diagnosis (92%) followed by inappropriate or inadequate treatment (8%). 81% of cases were patients who had presented to the symptomatic clinic. The main presenting symptom was a palpable lump (65%). Substandard care was cited in 49/120 cases (41%). The mean average delay in diagnosis was 15.6 months. Of the cases cited as substandard care, 61% were considered the fault of the radiologist and 14% considered the fault of the breast surgeon. Of the cases where the radiologist was considered to be at fault, microcalcification was the most common mammographic sign to be missed or misinterpreted (12/26 cases, 46%). Conclusion: The most common complaint in this series was delay in diagnosis with microcalcification being the main mammographic sign that was either not seen or misinterpreted by the radiologist. Clear and precise written protocols are recommended for all breast imaging practice to ensure that medico-legal investigations will be greatly reduced.
Purushothaman, H.N.; Wilson, R.; Michell, M.J.
(Re) Imaging the breast: An analysis of a cultural obsession
Domshy, H.C.
This article is a brief resume of the work done for an academic thesis to explore any possible relationship between historical images of the female breast, and the subsequent development of positive or negative self-imaging for modern women. Using historical images of the breast from pre-Christian times to the pre ent, the many uses of breast imaging are explored. The research was conducted by the use of eleven interviews, as well as survey forms that targeted two different groups of women. One survey was given to the general female population, and the other targeted mammographic technologists. The findings were varied and provided an interesting examination of the ambiguity inherent in women's perception of their breasts and the breasts of other women. The research clearly indicated a need for farther study involving mammographic technologists. Radiographers combine the requirements of the job with their personal viewpoints, which have been impacted by both past and present breast imaging. (author)
High resolution PET breast imager with improved detection efficiency
Majewski, Stanislaw
A highly efficient PET breast imager for detecting lesions in the entire breast including those located close to the patient's chest wall. The breast imager includes a ring of imaging modules surrounding the imaged breast. Each imaging module includes a slant imaging light guide inserted between a gamma radiation sensor and a photodetector. The slant light guide permits the gamma radiation sensors to be placed in close proximity to the skin of the chest wall thereby extending the sensitive region of the imager to the base of the breast. Several types of photodetectors are proposed for use in the detector modules, with compact silicon photomultipliers as the preferred choice, due to its high compactness. The geometry of the detector heads and the arrangement of the detector ring significantly reduce dead regions thereby improving detection efficiency for lesions located close to the chest wall.
Correlation of breast image alignment using biomechanical modelling
Lee, Angela; Rajagopal, Vijay; Bier, Peter; Nielsen, Poul M. F.; Nash, Martyn P.
Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer death among women around the world. Researchers have found that a combination of imaging modalities (such as x-ray mammography, magnetic resonance, and ultrasound) leads to more effective diagnosis and management of breast cancers because each imaging modality displays different information about the breast tissues. In order to aid clinicians in interpreting the breast images from different modalities, we have developed a computational framework for generating individual-specific, 3D, finite element (FE) models of the breast. Medical images are embedded into this model, which is subsequently used to simulate the large deformations that the breasts undergo during different imaging procedures, thus warping the medical images to the deformed views of the breast in the different modalities. In this way, medical images of the breast taken in different geometric configurations (compression, gravity, etc.) can be aligned according to physically feasible transformations. In order to analyse the accuracy of the biomechanical model predictions, squared normalised cross correlation (NCC2) was used to provide both local and global comparisons of the model-warped images with clinical images of the breast subject to different gravity loaded states. The local comparison results were helpful in indicating the areas for improvement in the biomechanical model. To improve the modelling accuracy, we will need to investigate the incorporation of breast tissue heterogeneity into the model and altering the boundary conditions for the breast model. A biomechanical image registration tool of this kind will help radiologists to provide more reliable diagnosis and localisation of breast cancer.
Image to physical space registration of supine breast MRI for image guided breast surgery
Conley, Rebekah H.; Meszoely, Ingrid M.; Pheiffer, Thomas S.; Weis, Jared A.; Yankeelov, Thomas E.; Miga, Michael I.
Breast conservation therapy (BCT) is a desirable option for many women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and involves a lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy. However, approximately 50% of eligible women will elect for mastectomy over BCT despite equal survival benefit (provided margins of excised tissue are cancer free) due to uncertainty in outcome with regards to complete excision of cancerous cells, risk of local recurrence, and cosmesis. Determining surgical margins intraoperatively is difficult and achieving negative margins is not as robust as it needs to be, resulting in high re-operation rates and often mastectomy. Magnetic resonance images (MRI) can provide detailed information about tumor margin extents, however diagnostic images are acquired in a fundamentally different patient presentation than that used in surgery. Therefore, the high quality diagnostic MRIs taken in the prone position with pendant breast are not optimal for use in surgical planning/guidance due to the drastic shape change between preoperative images and the common supine surgical position. This work proposes to investigate the value of supine MRI in an effort to localize tumors intraoperatively using image-guidance. Mock intraoperative setups (realistic patient positioning in non-sterile environment) and preoperative imaging data were collected from a patient scheduled for a lumpectomy. The mock intraoperative data included a tracked laser range scan of the patient's breast surface, tracked center points of MR visible fiducials on the patient's breast, and tracked B-mode ultrasound and strain images. The preoperative data included a supine MRI with visible fiducial markers. Fiducial markers localized in the MRI were rigidly registered to their mock intraoperative counterparts using an optically tracked stylus. The root mean square (RMS) fiducial registration error using the tracked markers was 3.4mm. Following registration, the average closest point distance between the MR
Breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) US lexicon and final assessment category for solid breast masses: the rates of inter-and intraobserver agreement
Lee, Eun Hye; Cha, Joo Hee; Koh, Young Hwan; Youn, Byung Jae; Cho, Byung Jae; Moon, Woo Kyung
To evaluate the rates of inter-and intraobserver agreement of the BI-RADS US lexicon. Two radiologists reviewed 60 sonograms of solid breast masses to evaluate interobserver agreement. After four weeks, the radiologists reinterpreted the series to evaluate the intraobserver agreement. The radiologists described shape, orientation, margin, lesion boundary, echo pattern, posterior acoustic features and microcalcifications. Final assessment categories and management plans were suggested for each case. The rates of inter-and intraobserver agreements were measured by the use of kappa statistics. Interobserver agreement ranged from the highest for orientation (κ = 0.65) and shape (κ = 0.61) to the lowest for posterior acoustic features (κ = 0.42). For the final assessment categories (κ = 0.46) and management (κ = 0.49), interobserver agreement were moderate. Intraobserver agreement ranged from the highest for microcalcifications in mass (κ = 0.90, 0.82) and orientation (κ 0.87, 0.83) and the lowest for echo patterns (κ = 0.62, 0.57) and posterior acoustic features (κ = 0.59, 0.65). In the final assessment category and management, intraobserver agreements were substantial or nearly complete (κ = 0.65-0.83). There were variable raged inter-and intraobserver agreements in the description of the BI-RADS US lexicon of solid breast masses. Among them, margin and lesion boundary showed lower agreements. A modification of the BI-RADS US lexicon with more detailed guidelines, followed by continuous education, are suggested
Processed images in human perception: A case study in ultrasound breast imaging
Yap, Moi Hoon [Department of Computer Science, Loughborough University, FH09, Ergonomics and Safety Research Institute, Holywell Park (United Kingdom)], E-mail: M.H.Yap@lboro.ac.uk; Edirisinghe, Eran [Department of Computer Science, Loughborough University, FJ.05, Garendon Wing, Holywell Park, Loughborough LE11 3TU (United Kingdom); Bez, Helmut [Department of Computer Science, Loughborough University, Room N.2.26, Haslegrave Building, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU (United Kingdom)
Two main research efforts in early detection of breast cancer include the development of software tools to assist radiologists in identifying abnormalities and the development of training tools to enhance their skills. Medical image analysis systems, widely known as Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CADx) systems, play an important role in this respect. Often it is important to determine whether there is a benefit in including computer-processed images in the development of such software tools. In this paper, we investigate the effects of computer-processed images in improving human performance in ultrasound breast cancer detection (a perceptual task) and classification (a cognitive task). A survey was conducted on a group of expert radiologists and a group of non-radiologists. In our experiments, random test images from a large database of ultrasound images were presented to subjects. In order to gather appropriate formal feedback, questionnaires were prepared to comment on random selections of original images only, and on image pairs consisting of original images displayed alongside computer-processed images. We critically compare and contrast the performance of the two groups according to perceptual and cognitive tasks. From a Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) analysis, we conclude that the provision of computer-processed images alongside the original ultrasound images, significantly improve the perceptual tasks of non-radiologists but only marginal improvements are shown in the perceptual and cognitive tasks of the group of expert radiologists.
Yap, Moi Hoon; Edirisinghe, Eran; Bez, Helmut
TU-CD-207-09: Analysis of the 3-D Shape of Patients’ Breast for Breast Imaging and Surgery Planning
Agasthya, G; Sechopoulos, I [Emory University, Atlanta, GA (United States)
Purpose: Develop a method to accurately capture the 3-D shape of patients’ external breast surface before and during breast compression for mammography/tomosynthesis. Methods: During this IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant study, 50 women were recruited to undergo 3-D breast surface imaging during breast compression and imaging for the cranio-caudal (CC) view on a digital mammography/breast tomosynthesis system. Digital projectors and cameras mounted on tripods were used to acquire 3-D surface images of the breast, in three conditions: (a) positioned on the support paddle before compression, (b) during compression by the compression paddle and (c) the anterior-posterior view with the breast in its natural, unsupported position. The breast was compressed to standard full compression with the compression paddle and a tomosynthesis image was acquired simultaneously with the 3-D surface. The 3-D surface curvature and deformation with respect to the uncompressed surface was analyzed using contours. The 3-D surfaces were voxelized to capture breast shape in a format that can be manipulated for further analysis. Results: A protocol was developed to accurately capture the 3-D shape of patients’ breast before and during compression for mammography. Using a pair of 3-D scanners, the 50 patient breasts were scanned in three conditions, resulting in accurate representations of the breast surfaces. The surfaces were post processed, analyzed using contours and voxelized, with 1 mm{sup 3} voxels, converting the breast shape into a format that can be easily modified as required. Conclusion: Accurate characterization of the breast curvature and shape for the generation of 3-D models is possible. These models can be used for various applications such as improving breast dosimetry, accurate scatter estimation, conducting virtual clinical trials and validating compression algorithms. Ioannis Sechopoulos is consultant for Fuji Medical Systems USA.
Magnetic resonance imaging of breast prostheses | Corr | SA ...
Breast MR imaging is the most accurate imaging investigation to detect breast prosthesis rupture. Rupture is common in older prostheses (> 10 years post implantation) and is often asymptomatic. The radiological signs of rupture are due to collapse of the elastomer shell which is eneveloped by silicone gel and when the ...
Normalized glandular dose (DgN) coefficients for flat-panel CT breast imaging
Thacker, Samta C; Glick, Stephen J
The development of new digital mammography techniques such as dual-energy imaging, tomosynthesis and CT breast imaging will require investigation of optimal camera design parameters and optimal imaging acquisition parameters. In optimizing these acquisition protocols and imaging systems it is important to have knowledge of the radiation dose to the breast. This study presents a methodology for estimating the normalized glandular dose to the uncompressed breast using the geometry proposed for flat-panel CT breast imaging. The simulation uses the GEANT 3 Monte Carlo code to model x-ray transport and absorption within the breast phantom. The Monte Carlo software was validated for breast dosimetry by comparing results of the normalized glandular dose (DgN) values of the compressed breast to those reported in the literature. The normalized glandular dose was then estimated for a range of breast diameters from 10 cm to 18 cm using an uncompressed breast model with a homogeneous composition of adipose and glandular tissue, and for monoenergetic x-rays from 10 keV to 120 keV. These data were fit providing expressions for the normalized glandular dose. Using these expressions for the DgN coefficients and input variables such as the diameter, height and composition of the breast phantom, the mean glandular dose for any spectra can be estimated. A computer program to provide normalized glandular dose values has been made available online. In addition, figures displaying energy deposition maps are presented to better understand the spatial distribution of dose in CT breast imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging of breast. Actual technique and indications
Tardivon, Anne
Optimal breast MRI protocols are required using dedicated breast coils, high spatial resolution dynamic sequences (morphologic criteria are significantly more accurate than kinetic criteria) and bolus injection of contrast medium. Any abnormal MR enhancement must be described using BI-RADSMRI lexicon. Main indications of breast MRI are: suspicion of intra-capsular rupture (silicone implants), local relapse in a treated breast, search for breast cancer (metastatic axillary lymph nodes), locals staging of a breast cancer (dense breasts), follow-up of cancer under neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and screening in high-risk patients (gene mutation background). MRI is also useful for patients with unresolved problems at standard imaging (high negative predictive value of MRI). In patients with breast cancer, it is important to underline the need for radiologists to work with the multidisciplinary team and the ability to perform MR-guided biopsies for additional suspicious enhancements. (author) [es
Imaging Spectrums of the Male Breast Diseases: A Pictorial Essay
Kim, Hye Jeong; Choi, Seon Hyeong; Ahn, Hye Kyung; Chung, Soo Young [Dept. of Radiology, Kangnam Scred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yang Ik [Dept. of Radiology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Ah young [Dept. of Pathology, Kangnam Scred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)
Most described male breast lesions, such as gynecomastia, are benign. The overall incidence of male breast cancer is less than 3%. Like women, common presentations of male breast diseases are palpable lumps or tenderness. Physical examination, mammography and ultrasound are generally used for work-up of breast diseases in both women and men. However, men do not undergo screening mammograms; all male patients are examined in symptomatic cases only. Therefore, all male breast examinations are diagnostic, whereas the majority of the examinations for women are for screening purpose. The differentiation between benign and malignant breast lesions is important, especially for men, because the reported prognosis of male breast cancer is poor due to delayed diagnosis. In this article, we review the spectrum of male breast diseases, from benign to malignant, and illustrate their ultrasonographic and mammographic imaging features.
Kim, Hye Jeong; Choi, Seon Hyeong; Ahn, Hye Kyung; Chung, Soo Young; Yang Ik; Jung, Ah young
1000-Case Reader Study of Radiologists' Performance in Interpretation of Automated Breast Volume Scanner Images with a Computer-Aided Detection System.
Xu, Xiaojing; Bao, Lingyun; Tan, Yanjuan; Zhu, Luoxi; Kong, Fanlei; Wang, Wei
The objective of our study was to assess, in a reader study, radiologists' performance in interpretation of automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) images with the aid of a computer-aided detection (CADe) system. Our study is a retrospective observer study with the purpose of investigating the effectiveness of using a CADe system as an aid for radiologists in interpretation of ABVS images. The multiple-reader, multiple-case study was designed to compare the diagnostic performance of radiologists with and without CADe. The study included 1000 cases selected from ABVS examinations in our institution in 2012. Among those cases were 206 malignant, 486 benign and 308 normal cases. The cancer cases were consecutive; the benign and normal cases were randomly selected. All malignant and benign cases were confirmed by biopsy or surgery, and normal cases were confirmed by 2-y follow-up. Reader performance was compared in terms of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity and specificity. Additionally, the reading time per case for each reader was recorded. Nine radiologists from our institution participated in the study. Three had more than 8 y of ultrasound experience and more than 4 y of ABVS experience (group A); 3 had more than 5 y of ultrasound experience (group B), and 3 had more than 1 y of ultrasound experience (group C). Both group B and group C had no ABVS experience. The CADe system used was the QVCAD System (QView Medical, Inc., Los Altos, CA, USA). It is designed to aid radiologists in searching for suspicious areas in ABVS images. CADe results are presented to the reader simultaneously with the ABVS images; that is, the radiologists read the ABVS images concurrently with the CADe results. The cases were randomly assigned for each reader into two equal-size groups, 1 and 2. Initially the readers read their group 1 cases with the aid of CADe and their group 2 cases without CADe. After a 1-mo washout period, they re-read their group 1
A computer simulation study comparing lesion detection accuracy with digital mammography, breast tomosynthesis, and cone-beam CT breast imaging
Gong Xing; Glick, Stephen J.; Liu, Bob; Vedula, Aruna A.; Thacker, Samta
Although conventional mammography is currently the best modality to detect early breast cancer, it is limited in that the recorded image represents the superposition of a three-dimensional (3D) object onto a 2D plane. Recently, two promising approaches for 3D volumetric breast imaging have been proposed, breast tomosynthesis (BT) and CT breast imaging (CTBI). To investigate possible improvements in lesion detection accuracy with either breast tomosynthesis or CT breast imaging as compared to digital mammography (DM), a computer simulation study was conducted using simulated lesions embedded into a structured 3D breast model. The computer simulation realistically modeled x-ray transport through a breast model, as well as the signal and noise propagation through a CsI based flat-panel imager. Polyenergetic x-ray spectra of Mo/Mo 28 kVp for digital mammography, Mo/Rh 28 kVp for BT, and W/Ce 50 kVp for CTBI were modeled. For the CTBI simulation, the intensity of the x-ray spectra for each projection view was determined so as to provide a total average glandular dose of 4 mGy, which is approximately equivalent to that given in conventional two-view screening mammography. The same total dose was modeled for both the DM and BT simulations. Irregular lesions were simulated by using a stochastic growth algorithm providing lesions with an effective diameter of 5 mm. Breast tissue was simulated by generating an ensemble of backgrounds with a power law spectrum, with the composition of 50% fibroglandular and 50% adipose tissue. To evaluate lesion detection accuracy, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) study was performed with five observers reading an ensemble of images for each case. The average area under the ROC curves (A z ) was 0.76 for DM, 0.93 for BT, and 0.94 for CTBI. Results indicated that for the same dose, a 5 mm lesion embedded in a structured breast phantom was detected by the two volumetric breast imaging systems, BT and CTBI, with statistically
Magnetic resonance imaging of the breast: current indications
Lalonde, L.; David, J.; Trop, I.
Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an increasing role in the management of selecting breast cancer patients. MRI is recognized as the most sensitive modality for the detection of invasive breast cancer. Several valuable clinical applications of MRI have emerged for breast cancer detection and diagnosis from clinical investigations. Breast MRI is helpful for women diagnosed with breast cancer who contemplate breast conserving surgery; it provides valuable information on the extent of the disease. MRI can also help assess for residual invasive cancer in patients who have undergone lumpectomy with positive margins at pathology. It is very reliable in differentiating scar tissue from recurrence at the lumpectomy site. MRI is also reliable in finding a breast cancer in women with axillary nodal metastases and unknown primary tumour. MRI can help to monitor the response to chemotherapy. Breast MRI could be a better screening tool than mammography in women with very high risks of developing breast cancer, such as breast cancer gene carriers and patients treated with chest radiation. Other potential uses of MRI include evaluation of the integrity of silicone breast implants and evaluation of the parenchyma in women with silicone gel implants or free injection of silicone gel. However, like any other technique, breast MRI has some drawbacks, including low-to-moderate specificity, high costs, and variability in technique and interpretation. Radiologists must have a clear understanding of valid indications and selection criteria to use this technique appropriately. (author)
Image-guided focal therapies for breast cancer
Marqa, Mohamad-Feras
Breast cancer is the most common in women, affecting one in ten women, by geographic area. Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI) is a new concept of postoperative irradiation after breast conserving surgery for cancer at low risk of local recurrence. In the first chapter of this thesis, we present the rational use of the APBI method as an alternative to the whole breast irradiation and then we discuss the principles, the benefits, and the drawbacks of the different techniques used. One of these techniques is the multi catheters high dose rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy. Multi catheter interstitial brachytherapy was the originally employed APBI technique and as a consequence has generated clinical experience with the longest follow-up duration, and with encouraging results. The accuracy of treatment planning system (TPS) in the source location and the dose calculation is absolutely necessary to ensure the planned dose. Sievert Integral and TG43 formalism provide quick and easy methods to check and to verify the dose calculated by the TPS. In the second chapter, we discuss a dose calculation and optimization tool for the APBI method using HDR sources. This tool simulates the dose from the parameters defined by the physicist. Often, the radiotherapist performs during the procedure a mental re-adjustment of catheters positions simulated on the CT images. This operation could lead to errors due to differences in breast form and catheters positions on the intra-operative ultrasound images compared to the planed one on CT images. In chapter three of this thesis, we propose a registration method between data from planning and the one from intra-operative ultrasound images as a solution that will allow to the radiotherapist to report planning data automatically on the brachytherapy template to visualize all data on the computer monitor. The APBI technique is considered an invasive and expensive method due to radiation protection reasons. Laser Interstitial
The current status of imaging diagnosis of breast cancer
Liu Fang; Tang Guangcai
In recent years, the incidence and the mortality rate of female breast cancer in our country is increasing, Early diagnosis of breast cancer is particularly important. Precious preoperative staging in the breast cancer is advantageous for the treatment planning. Evaluating the efficacy of chemotherapy is beneficial for adjusting the follow-up plan. Imaging examination has become an important role in breast cancer management. At present, commonly used equipment include mammography, ultrasound, CT, and MRI, etc. This article reviews the present study status of these tools in diagnosis of breast cancer. A reasonable and effective choice of those tools can facilitate clinic diagnosis and treatment. (authors)
Mouse Models of Breast Cancer: Platforms for Discovering Precision Imaging Diagnostics and Future Cancer Medicine.
Manning, H Charles; Buck, Jason R; Cook, Rebecca S
Representing an enormous health care and socioeconomic challenge, breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world and the second most common cause of cancer-related death. Although many of the challenges associated with preventing, treating, and ultimately curing breast cancer are addressable in the laboratory, successful translation of groundbreaking research to clinical populations remains an important barrier. Particularly when compared with research on other types of solid tumors, breast cancer research is hampered by a lack of tractable in vivo model systems that accurately recapitulate the relevant clinical features of the disease. A primary objective of this article was to provide a generalizable overview of the types of in vivo model systems, with an emphasis primarily on murine models, that are widely deployed in preclinical breast cancer research. Major opportunities to advance precision cancer medicine facilitated by molecular imaging of preclinical breast cancer models are discussed. © 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.
Classification of breast cancer histology images using Convolutional Neural Networks.
Teresa Araújo
Full Text Available Breast cancer is one of the main causes of cancer death worldwide. The diagnosis of biopsy tissue with hematoxylin and eosin stained images is non-trivial and specialists often disagree on the final diagnosis. Computer-aided Diagnosis systems contribute to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of this process. Conventional classification approaches rely on feature extraction methods designed for a specific problem based on field-knowledge. To overcome the many difficulties of the feature-based approaches, deep learning methods are becoming important alternatives. A method for the classification of hematoxylin and eosin stained breast biopsy images using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs is proposed. Images are classified in four classes, normal tissue, benign lesion, in situ carcinoma and invasive carcinoma, and in two classes, carcinoma and non-carcinoma. The architecture of the network is designed to retrieve information at different scales, including both nuclei and overall tissue organization. This design allows the extension of the proposed system to whole-slide histology images. The features extracted by the CNN are also used for training a Support Vector Machine classifier. Accuracies of 77.8% for four class and 83.3% for carcinoma/non-carcinoma are achieved. The sensitivity of our method for cancer cases is 95.6%.
Primary Neuroendocrine Tumor of the Breast: Imaging Features
Chang, Eun Deok; Kim, Min Kyun; Kim, Jeong Soo; Whang, In Yong
Focal neuroendocrine differentiation can be found in diverse histological types of breast tumors. However, the term, neuroendocrine breast tumor, indicates the diffuse expression of neuroendocrine markers in more than 50% of the tumor cell population. The imaging features of neuroendocrine breast tumor have not been accurately described due to extreme rarity of this tumor type. We present a case of a pathologically confirmed, primary neuroendocrine breast tumor in a 42-year-old woman, with imaging findings difficult to be differentiated from that of invasive ductal carcinoma
Computerized image analysis: estimation of breast density on mammograms
Zhou, Chuan; Chan, Heang-Ping; Petrick, Nicholas; Sahiner, Berkman; Helvie, Mark A.; Roubidoux, Marilyn A.; Hadjiiski, Lubomir M.; Goodsitt, Mitchell M.
An automated image analysis tool is being developed for estimation of mammographic breast density, which may be useful for risk estimation or for monitoring breast density change in a prevention or intervention program. A mammogram is digitized using a laser scanner and the resolution is reduced to a pixel size of 0.8 mm X 0.8 mm. Breast density analysis is performed in three stages. First, the breast region is segmented from the surrounding background by an automated breast boundary-tracking algorithm. Second, an adaptive dynamic range compression technique is applied to the breast image to reduce the range of the gray level distribution in the low frequency background and to enhance the differences in the characteristic features of the gray level histogram for breasts of different densities. Third, rule-based classification is used to classify the breast images into several classes according to the characteristic features of their gray level histogram. For each image, a gray level threshold is automatically determined to segment the dense tissue from the breast region. The area of segmented dense tissue as a percentage of the breast area is then estimated. In this preliminary study, we analyzed the interobserver variation of breast density estimation by two experienced radiologists using BI-RADS lexicon. The radiologists' visually estimated percent breast densities were compared with the computer's calculation. The results demonstrate the feasibility of estimating mammographic breast density using computer vision techniques and its potential to improve the accuracy and reproducibility in comparison with the subjective visual assessment by radiologists.
MR Imaging Features of Fibrocystic Change of the Breast
Chen, Jeon-Hor; Liu, Hui; Baek, Hyeon-Man; Nalcioglu, Orhan; Su, Min-Ying
Purpose Studies specifically reporting MR imaging of fibrocystic change (FCC) of the breast are very few and its MR imaging features are not clearly known. The purpose of this study was to analyze the MR imaging features of FCC of the breast. Materials and Methods Thirty one patients of pathologically proved FCC of the breast were retrospectively reviewed. The MRI study was performed using a 1.5 T MR scanner with standard bilateral breast coil. The imaging protocol consisted of pre-contrast T1W imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced axial T1W imaging. The MRI features were interpreted based on the morphologic and enhancement kinetic descriptors defined on ACR BIRADS-MRI lexicon. Results FCC of the breast had a wide spectrum of morphologic and kinetic features on MRI. Two types of FCC were found, including a more diffuse type of non-mass lesion (12/31, 39%) showing benign enhancement kinetic pattern with medium wash-in in early phase (9/10, 90%) and a focal mass type lesion (11/31, 35%) with enhancement kinetic usually showing rapid up-slope mimicking a breast cancer (8/11, 73%). Conclusion MRI is able to elaborate the diverse imaging features of fibrocystic change of the breast. Our result showed that FCC presenting as focal mass type lesion were usually over-diagnosed as malignancy. Understanding MR imaging of FCC is important to determine which cohort of patients should be followed up alone or receive aggressive management. PMID:18436406
Positive predictive value of additional synchronous breast lesions in whole-breast ultrasonography at the diagnosis of breast cancer: clinical and imaging factors
Kim, Ah Hyun; Kim, Min Jung; Kim, Eun Kyung; Moon, Hee Jung; Park, Hee Jung
To evaluate the positive predictive value (PPV) of bilateral whole-breast ultrasonography (BWBU) for detection of synchronous breast lesions on initial diagnosis of breast cancer and evaluate factors affecting the PPV of BWBU according to varying clinicoimaging factors. A total of 75 patients who had synchronous lesions with pathologic confirmation at the initial diagnosis of breast cancer during January 2007 and December 2007 were included. The clinical factors of the patients were evaluated. One observer retrospectively reviewed the imaging studies of the index breast cancer lesion and the synchronous lesion. The PPV for additional biopsy was calculated for BWBU and various clinical and imaging factors affecting the PPV for BWBU were evaluated. The overall PPV for additional biopsy was 25.7% (18 of 70). The PPV for synchronous lesions detected both on mammography and BWBU, and detected only on BWBU, was 76.9% (10 of 13) and 14.3% (7 of 49), respectively. There was no clinical factor affecting the PPV for BWBU. Among the imaging factors, ipsilateral location of the synchronous lesion to the index lesion (P=0.06) showed a marginal statistically significant correlation with malignancy in the synchronous breast lesion. A mass with calcification on mammography presentation (P<0.01), presence of calcification among the ultrasonography findings (P<0.01), and high Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System final assessment (P<0.01) were imaging factors that were associated with malignancy in the additional synchronous lesion. BWBU can detect additional synchronous malignancy at the diagnosis of breast cancer with a relatively high PPV, especially when mammography findings are correlated with ultrasonographic findings.
Terahertz Imaging of Three-Dimensional Dehydrated Breast Cancer Tumors
Bowman, Tyler; Wu, Yuhao; Gauch, John; Campbell, Lucas K.; El-Shenawee, Magda
This work presents the application of terahertz imaging to three-dimensional formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human breast cancer tumors. The results demonstrate the capability of terahertz for in-depth scanning to produce cross section images without the need to slice the tumor. Samples of tumors excised from women diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma and lobular carcinoma are investigated using a pulsed terahertz time domain imaging system. A time of flight estimation is used to obtain vertical and horizontal cross section images of tumor tissues embedded in paraffin block. Strong agreement is shown comparing the terahertz images obtained by electronically scanning the tumor in-depth in comparison with histopathology images. The detection of cancer tissue inside the block is found to be accurate to depths over 1 mm. Image processing techniques are applied to provide improved contrast and automation of the obtained terahertz images. In particular, unsharp masking and edge detection methods are found to be most effective for three-dimensional block imaging.
Breast Cancer Detection: Mammography and other methods in breast imaging, second edition
Bassett, L.W.; Gold, R.H.
The text addresses mammography and the advantages and limitations of other breast imaging methods presently available. The establishment of X-ray mammography as the safest and most accurate noninvasive method of early, nonpalpable breast cancer detection is addressed in the first section of the book. The second section emphasizes the signs of early cancer, the complete mammographic examination, and the team approach to diagnosis. The advantages and limitations of film-screen mammography, zero mammography, breast ultrasound, thermography, light scanning, magnetic resonance imaging, and ductography are highlighted as alternate methods of detection. The benefits of mammography, and its unmatched value in screeening for breast cancer, are presented in the final section
Spectral imaging of breast fibroadenoma using second-harmonic generation
Zheng, Liqin; Wang, Yuhua
Fibroadenoma (FA), typically composed of stroma and epithelial cells, is a very common benign breast disease. Women with FA are associated with an increased risk of future breast cancer. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the potential of multiphoton laser scanning microscopy (MPLSM) for characterizing the morphology of collagen in the human breast fibroadenomas. In the study, high-contrast SHG images of human normal breast tissues and fibroadenoma tissues were obtained for comparison. The morphology of collagen was different between normal breast tissue and fibroadenoma. This study shows that MPLSM has the ability to distinguish fibroadenoma tissues from the normal breast tissues based on the noninvasive SHG imaging. With the advent of the clinical portability of miniature MPLSM, we believe that the technique has great potential to be used in vivo studies and for monitoring the treatment responses of fibroadenomas in clinical.
Near-infrared laser, time domain, breast tumour detection system
Joblin, A.J.
Full text: The use of near-infrared laser, time domain techniques have been proposed for some time now as an alternative to X-ray mammography, as a means of mass screening for breast disease. The great driving force behind this research has been that near-infrared photons are a non-ionising radiation, which affords a greater degree of patient safety than when using X-rays. This would mean that women at risk of breast disease could be screened with a near-infrared laser imaging system, much more regularly than with an X-ray mammography system, which should allow for the earlier detection and treatment of breast disease. This paper presents a theoretical investigation of the performance of a near-infrared, time domain breast imaging system. The performance of the imaging system is characterised by the resolution and contrast parameters, which were studied using a numerical finite difference calculation method. The finite difference method is used to solve the diffusion equation for the photon transport through the inhomogeneous breast tissue medium. Optimal performance was found to be obtained with short photon times of flight. However the signal to noise ratio decreases rapidly as the photon time of flight is decreased. The system performance will therefore be limited by the noise equivalent power of the time resolved detection system, which is the signal incident on the time resolved detection system which gives a signal to noise ratio of 1:1. Photon times of flight shorter than 500 ps are not practical with current technology, which places limits on the resolution and contrast. The photon signal throughput can be increased by increasing the size of the laser beam width, by increasing the size of the aperture stop of the detector, by increasing the laser pulse duration or decreasing the detector time resolution. Best system performance is found by optimising these parameters for a given time gating and detector system characteristic (NEP). It was found that the
Enhanced imaging of microcalcifications in digital breast tomosynthesis through improved image-reconstruction algorithms
Sidky, Emil Y.; Pan Xiaochuan; Reiser, Ingrid S.; Nishikawa, Robert M.; Moore, Richard H.; Kopans, Daniel B.
Purpose: The authors develop a practical, iterative algorithm for image-reconstruction in undersampled tomographic systems, such as digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). Methods: The algorithm controls image regularity by minimizing the image total p variation (TpV), a function that reduces to the total variation when p=1.0 or the image roughness when p=2.0. Constraints on the image, such as image positivity and estimated projection-data tolerance, are enforced by projection onto convex sets. The fact that the tomographic system is undersampled translates to the mathematical property that many widely varied resultant volumes may correspond to a given data tolerance. Thus the application of image regularity serves two purposes: (1) Reduction in the number of resultant volumes out of those allowed by fixing the data tolerance, finding the minimum image TpV for fixed data tolerance, and (2) traditional regularization, sacrificing data fidelity for higher image regularity. The present algorithm allows for this dual role of image regularity in undersampled tomography. Results: The proposed image-reconstruction algorithm is applied to three clinical DBT data sets. The DBT cases include one with microcalcifications and two with masses. Conclusions: Results indicate that there may be a substantial advantage in using the present image-reconstruction algorithm for microcalcification imaging.
Multicenter prospective study of magnetic resonance imaging prior to breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer.
Liu, Qian; Liu, Yinhua; Xu, Ling; Duan, Xuening; Li, Ting; Qin, Naishan; Kang, Hua; Jiang, Hongchuan; Yang, Deqi; Qu, Xiang; Jiang, Zefei; Yu, Chengze
This multicenter prospective study aimed to assess the utility of dynamic enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer. The research subjects were drawn from patients with primary early resectable breast cancer treated in the breast disease centers of six three-level hospitals in Beijing from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2012. The participants were allocated to a breast-conserving surgery group (breast-conserving group) or a total mastectomy group (total mastectomy group). Enhanced MRI was used to measure breast volume, longest diameter of tumor and tumor volume. The correlations between these measurements and those derived from histopathologic findings were assessed. The relationships between the success rate of breast-conserving surgery and MRI- and pathology-based measurement results were statistically analyzed in the breast-conserving group. The study included 461 cases in the total mastectomy group and 195 in the breast-conserving group. Allocation to these groups was based on clinical indications and patient preferences. The cut-off for concurrence between MRI- and pathology-based measurements of the longest diameter of tumor was set at 0.3 cm. In the total mastectomy group, the confidence interval for 95% concurrence of these measurements was 35.41%-44.63%. Correlation coefficients for MRI and histopathology-based measurements of breast volume, tumor volume and tumor volume/breast volume ratio were r = 0.861, 0.569, and 0.600, respectively (all P surgery were 100% and 88.54%, respectively. There were significant correlations between dynamic enhanced MRI- and histopathology-based measurements of the longest diameter of breast lesions, breast and tumor volumes, and breast volume/tumor volume ratios. Preoperative MRI examination improves the success rate of breast-conserving surgery.
High-Resolution Speckle-Free Ultrasound Imaging System-A Potential Solution for Detecting Missed Breast Cancer
Freedman, Matthew T
.... We have received US Army Human Use approval for study of tissue samples. We provided technical advice to Imperium, and have performed physics tests and in imaging of pieces of animal tissue obtained in a supermarket...
.... We have received US Army Human Use approval for study of tissue samples. During this past year, we provided technical advice to Imperium, and have performed physics tests and in imaging of pieces of animal tissue obtained in a supermarket...
Micropapillary Lung Cancer with Breast Metastasis Simulating Primary Breast Cancer due to Architectural Distortion on Images
Ko, Kyung Ran; Hong, Eun Kyung; Lee, See Yeon [Center for Breast Cancer, National Cancer Center, Goyang (Korea, Republic of); Ro, Jae Yoon [The Methodist Hospital, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Houston (United States)
A 47-year-old Korean woman with right middle lobe lung adenocarcinoma, malignant pleural effusion, and multiple lymph node and bone metastases, after three months of lung cancer diagnosis, presented with a palpable right breast mass. Images of the right breast demonstrated architectural distortion that strongly suggested primary breast cancer. Breast biopsy revealed metastatic lung cancer with a negative result for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and mammaglobin, and a positive result for thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1). We present a case of breast metastasis from a case of lung cancer with an extensive micropapillary component, which was initially misinterpreted as a primary breast cancer due to unusual image findings with architectural distortion.
Development of breast phantom for quality assessment of mammographic images
Arvelos, Jeniffer Miranda; Flores, Mabel Bustos; Amaral, Fernando; Rio, Margarita Chevalier del; Mourao, Arnaldo Prata, E-mail: jenifferarvelos00@gmail.com [Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Centro de Engenharia Biomedica; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia Nuclear; Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid (Spain). Faculdad de Medicina. Departmento de Radiologia
Diagnosis of breast cancer in young women may be impaired by the tissue composition of breast in this age group, as fibroglandular tissue is present in greater amount in young women and it has higher density than fibrous and fatty tissues which predominate in women older than 40 years old. The higher density of breast tissue makes it difficult to identify nodules in two-dimensional techniques, due to the overlapping of dense layers. Breast phantoms are used in evaluation and quality control of clinical images, and therefore, it is important to develop non-homogeneous phantoms that may better simulate a real breast. Grouped microcalcifications are often the earliest changes associated with malignant neoplasm of breast. In this work, a phantom was developed in the form of a compressed breast using acrylic resin blend. The resin blend used to fulfill the interior of the phantom has similar mammographic density to the one in fibroglandular tissue, representing a dense breast. The lesions were made of acrylic resin blend and calcium compounds that might simulate breast abnormalities, representing nodules, macrocalcifications and microcalcifications of different dimensions and densities. They were distributed into the ma-terial representing fibroglandular tissue. The developed phantom has a thickness of 1 cm, and it may be matched with other plates to represent a dense breast of thickness between 5 and 6 cm. The main goal of the project is to evaluate the sensitivity of detection of these calcifications in relation to their density and location in the breast in two-dimensional images generated in mammography equipment. Mammographic images allow the visualization of the changes implemented in the phantom. The developed phantom may be used in evaluation of diagnostic images generated through two-dimensional and three-dimensional images. (author)
Arvelos, Jeniffer Miranda; Flores, Mabel Bustos; Amaral, Fernando; Rio, Margarita Chevalier del; Mourao, Arnaldo Prata; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Molecular Imaging and Precision Medicine in Breast Cancer.
Chudgar, Amy V; Mankoff, David A
Precision medicine, basing treatment approaches on patient traits and specific molecular features of disease processes, has an important role in the management of patients with breast cancer as targeted therapies continue to improve. PET imaging offers noninvasive information that is complementary to traditional tissue biomarkers, including information about tumor burden, tumor metabolism, receptor status, and proliferation. Several PET agents that image breast cancer receptors can visually demonstrate the extent and heterogeneity of receptor-positive disease and help predict which tumors are likely to respond to targeted treatments. This review presents applications of PET imaging in the targeted treatment of breast cancer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Balancing dose and image registration accuracy for cone beam tomosynthesis (CBTS) for breast patient setup
Winey, B. A.; Zygmanski, P.; Cormack, R. A.; Lyatskaya, Y.
Purpose: To balance dose reduction and image registration accuracy in breast setup imaging. In particular, the authors demonstrate the relationship between scan angle and dose delivery for cone beam tomosynthesis (CBTS) when employed for setup verification of breast cancer patients with surgical clips. Methods: The dose measurements were performed in a female torso phantom for varying scan angles of CBTS. Setup accuracy was measured using three registration methods: Clip centroid localization accuracy and the accuracy of two semiautomatic registration algorithms. The dose to the organs outside of the ipsilateral breast and registration accuracy information were compared to determine the optimal scan angle for CBTS for breast patient setup verification. Isocenter positions at the center of the patient and at the breast-chest wall interface were considered. Results: Image registration accuracy was within 1 mm for the CBTS scan angles θ above 20 deg. for some scenarios and as large as 80 deg. for the worst case, depending on the imaged breast and registration algorithm. Registration accuracy was highest based on clip centroid localization. For left and right breast imaging with the isocenter at the chest wall, the dose to the contralateral side of the patient was very low (<0.5 cGy) for all scan angles considered. For central isocenter location, the optimal scan angles were 30 deg. - 50 deg. for the left breast imaging and 40 deg. - 50 deg. for the right breast imaging, with the difference due to the geometric asymmetry of the current clinical imaging system. Conclusions: The optimal scan angles for CBTS imaging were found to be between 10 deg. and 50 deg., depending on the isocenter location and ipsilateral breast. Use of the isocenter at the breast-chest wall locations always resulted in greater accuracy of image registration (<1 mm) at smaller angles (10 deg. - 20 deg.) and at lower doses (<0.1 cGy) to the contralateral organs. For chest wall isocenters, doses
Association Between Imaging Characteristics and Different Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer.
Wu, Mingxiang; Ma, Jie
Breast cancer can be divided into four major molecular subtypes based on the expression of hormone receptor (estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, HER2 status, and molecular proliferation rate (Ki67). In this study, we sought to investigate the association between breast cancer subtype and radiological findings in the Chinese population. Medical records of 300 consecutive invasive breast cancer patients were reviewed from the database: the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. The imaging characteristics of the lesions were evaluated. The molecular subtypes of breast cancer were classified into four types: luminal A, luminal B, HER2 overexpressed (HER2), and basal-like breast cancer (BLBC). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between the subtype (dependent variable) and mammography or 15 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicators (independent variables). Luminal A and B subtypes were commonly associated with "clustered calcification distribution," "nipple invasion," or "skin invasion" (P cancers showed association with persistent enhancement in the delayed phase on MRI and "clustered calcification distribution" on mammography (P breast tumor, which are potentially useful tools in the diagnosis and subtyping of breast cancer. Copyright © 2017 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Imaging tumor vascularization for detection and diagnosis of breast cancer
Heijblom, M.; Klaase, J. M.; van den Engh, F. M.; van Leeuwen, T. G.; Steenbergen, W.; Manohar, S.
Breast cancer is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in western women. Current screening and diagnostic imaging modalities, like x-ray mammography and ultrasonography, focus on morphological changes of breast tissue. However, these techniques still miss some cancers and often falsely
Breast tissue classification in digital breast tomosynthesis images using texture features: a feasibility study
Kontos, Despina; Berger, Rachelle; Bakic, Predrag R.; Maidment, Andrew D. A.
Mammographic breast density is a known breast cancer risk factor. Studies have shown the potential to automate breast density estimation by using computerized texture-based segmentation of the dense tissue in mammograms. Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is a tomographic x-ray breast imaging modality that could allow volumetric breast density estimation. We evaluated the feasibility of distinguishing between dense and fatty breast regions in DBT using computer-extracted texture features. Our long-term hypothesis is that DBT texture analysis can be used to develop 3D dense tissue segmentation algorithms for estimating volumetric breast density. DBT images from 40 women were analyzed. The dense tissue area was delineated within each central source projection (CSP) image using a thresholding technique (Cumulus, Univ. Toronto). Two (2.5cm)2 ROIs were manually selected: one within the dense tissue region and another within the fatty region. Corresponding (2.5cm)3 ROIs were placed within the reconstructed DBT images. Texture features, previously used for mammographic dense tissue segmentation, were computed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate feature classification performance. Different texture features appeared to perform best in the 3D reconstructed DBT compared to the 2D CSP images. Fractal dimension was superior in DBT (AUC=0.90), while contrast was best in CSP images (AUC=0.92). We attribute these differences to the effects of tissue superimposition in CSP and the volumetric visualization of the breast tissue in DBT. Our results suggest that novel approaches, different than those conventionally used in projection mammography, need to be investigated in order to develop DBT dense tissue segmentation algorithms for estimating volumetric breast density.
Medical Imaging System
The MD Image System, a true-color image processing system that serves as a diagnostic aid and tool for storage and distribution of images, was developed by Medical Image Management Systems, Huntsville, AL, as a "spinoff from a spinoff." The original spinoff, Geostar 8800, developed by Crystal Image Technologies, Huntsville, incorporates advanced UNIX versions of ELAS (developed by NASA's Earth Resources Laboratory for analysis of Landsat images) for general purpose image processing. The MD Image System is an application of this technology to a medical system that aids in the diagnosis of cancer, and can accept, store and analyze images from other sources such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Imaging breast tumor vascularization for detection and diagnosis of breast cancer
Heijblom, M.; Klaase, J.M.; van den Engh, F.M.; van Leeuwen, Ton; Steenbergen, Wiendelt; Manohar, Srirang
Ontology based decision system for breast cancer diagnosis
Trabelsi Ben Ameur, Soumaya; Cloppet, Florence; Wendling, Laurent; Sellami, Dorra
In this paper, we focus on analysis and diagnosis of breast masses inspired by expert concepts and rules. Accordingly, a Bag of Words is built based on the ontology of breast cancer diagnosis, accurately described in the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. To fill the gap between low level knowledge and expert concepts, a semantic annotation is developed using a machine learning tool. Then, breast masses are classified into benign or malignant according to expert rules implicitly modeled with a set of classifiers (KNN, ANN, SVM and Decision Tree). This semantic context of analysis offers a frame where we can include external factors and other meta-knowledge such as patient risk factors as well as exploiting more than one modality. Based on MRI and DECEDM modalities, our developed system leads a recognition rate of 99.7% with Decision Tree where an improvement of 24.7 % is obtained owing to semantic analysis.
Image-guided breast biopsy: state-of-the-art
O' Flynn, E.A.M., E-mail: lizoflynn@doctors.org.u [South East London Breast Screening Programme and National Breast Screening Training Centre, Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London SE5 9RS (United Kingdom); Wilson, A.R.M.; Michell, M.J. [South East London Breast Screening Programme and National Breast Screening Training Centre, Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London SE5 9RS (United Kingdom)
Percutaneous image-guided breast biopsy is widely practised to evaluate predominantly non-palpable breast lesions. There has been steady development in percutaneous biopsy techniques. Fine-needle aspiration cytology was the original method of sampling, followed in the early 1990s by large core needle biopsy. The accuracy of both has been improved by ultrasound and stereotactic guidance. Larger bore vacuum-assisted biopsy devices became available in the late 1990s and are now commonplace in most breast units. We review the different types of breast biopsy devices currently available together with various localization techniques used, focusing on their advantages, limitations and current controversial clinical management issues.
Visualization and tissue classification of human breast cancer images using ultrahigh-resolution OCT (Conference Presentation)
Yao, Xinwen; Gan, Yu; Chang, Ernest W.; Hibshoosh, Hanina; Feldman, Sheldon; Hendon, Christine P.
We employed a home-built ultrahigh resolution (UHR) OCT system at 800nm to image human breast cancer sample ex vivo. The system has an axial resolution of 2.72µm and a lateral resolution of 5.52µm with an extended imaging range of 1.78mm. Over 900 UHR OCT volumes were generated on specimens from 23 breast cancer cases. With better spatial resolution, detailed structures in the breast tissue were better defined. Different types of breast cancer as well as healthy breast tissue can be well delineated from the UHR OCT images. To quantitatively evaluate the advantages of UHR OCT imaging of breast cancer, features derived from OCT intensity images were used as inputs to a machine learning model, the relevance vector machine. A trained machine learning model was employed to evaluate the performance of tissue classification based on UHR OCT images for differentiating tissue types in the breast samples, including adipose tissue, healthy stroma and cancerous region. For adipose tissue, grid-based local features were extracted from OCT intensity data, including standard deviation, entropy, and homogeneity. We showed that it was possible to enhance the classification performance on distinguishing fat tissue from non-fat tissue by using the UHR images when compared with the results based on OCT images from a commercial 1300 nm OCT system. For invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and normal stroma differentiation, the classification was based on frame-based features that portray signal penetration depth and tissue reflectivity. The confusing matrix indicated a sensitivity of 97.5% and a sensitivity of 77.8%.
The value of imaging examinations in diagnosis and curative effect evaluation of breast cancer
Xia Xiaotian; Zhang Yongxue
Breast cancer is a serious impact on women's physical and mental health and a life-threatening common disease. Imaging examinations have great significances in diagnosing and evaluating curative effect on breast cancer. This article aims to introduce and comprehensive the value of diagnosis and curative effect evaluation of breast cancer in the context of imaging examinations (ultrasonography, mammography, breast CT, breast MRI, breast 99 Tc m -MIBI imaging, PET, PET-CT, etc). (authors)
Computerized Analysis of MR and Ultrasound Images of Breast Lesions
Giger, Maryellen Lissak
...) images of breast lesions to aid radiologists in their workup of suspect lesions. We currently have retrospectively collected over 400 ultrasound cases of mass lesions, all that had gone on to either biopsy or cyst aspiration...
Automated Spot Mammography for Improved Imaging of Dense Breasts
Goodsitt, Mitchell M
... image that better distinguishes masses from overlapping tissues. Preliminary studies with a prototype device and breast simulating test objects showed promise, but spot compression didn't always separate the tissues as much as desired...
Breast Cancer in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Tessier Cloutier, B; Clarke, A E; Ramsey-Goldman, R
Evidence points to a decreased breast cancer risk in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We analyzed data from a large multisite SLE cohort, linked to cancer registries.......Evidence points to a decreased breast cancer risk in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We analyzed data from a large multisite SLE cohort, linked to cancer registries....
Computational simulation of breast compression based on segmented breast and fibroglandular tissues on magnetic resonance images
Shih, Tzu-Ching [Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan (China); Chen, Jeon-Hor; Nie Ke; Lin Muqing; Chang, Daniel; Nalcioglu, Orhan; Su, Min-Ying [Tu and Yuen Center for Functional Onco-Imaging and Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Liu Dongxu; Sun Lizhi, E-mail: shih@mail.cmu.edu.t [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States)
This study presents a finite element-based computational model to simulate the three-dimensional deformation of a breast and fibroglandular tissues under compression. The simulation was based on 3D MR images of the breast, and craniocaudal and mediolateral oblique compression, as used in mammography, was applied. The geometry of the whole breast and the segmented fibroglandular tissues within the breast were reconstructed using triangular meshes by using the Avizo (registered) 6.0 software package. Due to the large deformation in breast compression, a finite element model was used to simulate the nonlinear elastic tissue deformation under compression, using the MSC.Marc (registered) software package. The model was tested in four cases. The results showed a higher displacement along the compression direction compared to the other two directions. The compressed breast thickness in these four cases at a compression ratio of 60% was in the range of 5-7 cm, which is a typical range of thickness in mammography. The projection of the fibroglandular tissue mesh at a compression ratio of 60% was compared to the corresponding mammograms of two women, and they demonstrated spatially matched distributions. However, since the compression was based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which has much coarser spatial resolution than the in-plane resolution of mammography, this method is unlikely to generate a synthetic mammogram close to the clinical quality. Whether this model may be used to understand the technical factors that may impact the variations in breast density needs further investigation. Since this method can be applied to simulate compression of the breast at different views and different compression levels, another possible application is to provide a tool for comparing breast images acquired using different imaging modalities--such as MRI, mammography, whole breast ultrasound and molecular imaging--that are performed using different body positions and under
3. Erasmus course on magnetic resonance imaging: breast module. Proceedings
The third Erasmus Course provides an overwiew of the NMR imaging success of mammary gland cancers. Emphasis is taken on contrast media, postprocessing, technocal problems and pitfalls, as well as the clinical relevance of tumor angiogenesis, histopathology, diagnostic criteria of fast imaging and ultrafast imaging, benign and malignant lesions, prognosis, prosthesis, metastases, multicentricity, chemotherapy and indications of breast cancer
Imaging dose in breast radiotherapy: does breast size affect the dose to the organs at risk and the risk of secondary cancer to the contralateral breast?
Batumalai, Vikneswary; Quinn, Alexandra; Jameson, Michael; Delaney, Geoff; Holloway, Lois
Correct target positioning is crucial for accurate dose delivery in breast radiotherapy resulting in utilisation of daily imaging. However, the radiation dose from daily imaging is associated with increased probability of secondary induced cancer. The aim of this study was to quantify doses associated with three imaging modalities and investigate the correlation of dose and varying breast size in breast radiotherapy. Planning computed tomography (CT) data sets of 30 breast cancer patients were utilised to simulate the dose received by various organs from a megavoltage computed tomography (MV-CT), megavoltage electronic portal image (MV-EPI) and megavoltage cone-beam computed tomography (MV-CBCT). The mean dose to organs adjacent to the target volume (contralateral breast, lungs, spinal cord and heart) were analysed. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to determine the relationship between imaging dose and primary breast volume and the lifetime attributable risk (LAR) of induced secondary cancer was calculated for the contralateral breast. The highest contralateral breast mean dose was from the MV-CBCT (1.79 Gy), followed by MV-EPI (0.22 Gy) and MV-CT (0.11 Gy). A similar trend was found for all organs at risk (OAR) analysed. The primary breast volume inversely correlated with the contralateral breast dose for all three imaging modalities. As the primary breast volume increases, the likelihood of a patient developing a radiation-induced secondary cancer to the contralateral breast decreases. MV-CBCT showed a stronger relationship between breast size and LAR of developing a radiation-induced contralateral breast cancer in comparison with the MV-CT and MV-EPI. For breast patients, imaging dose to OAR depends on imaging modality and treated breast size. When considering the use of imaging during breast radiotherapy, the patient's breast size and contralateral breast dose should be taken into account
In vivo breast sound-speed imaging with ultrasound tomography
Huang, Lianjie [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Li, Cuiping [KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE; Duric, Neb [KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE; Littrup, Peter [KARMONOS CANCER INSTITUTE
We discuss a bent-ray ultrasound tomography algorithm with total-variation (TV) regularization. We have applied this algorithm to 61 in vivo breast datasets collected with our in-house clinical prototype for imaging sound-speed distributions in the breast. Our analysis showed that TV regularization could preserve sharper lesion edges than the classic Tikhonov regularization. Furthermore, the image quality of our TV bent-ray sound-speed tomograms was superior to that of the straight-ray counterparts for all types of breasts within BI-RADS density categories 1-4. For all four breast types from fatty to dense, the improvements for average sharpness (in the unit of (m{center_dot} s) {sup -1}) of lesion edges in our TV bent-ray tomograms are between 2.1 to 3.4 fold compared to the straight ray tomograms. Reconstructed sound-speed tomograms illustrated that our algorithm could successfully image fatty and glandular tissues within the breast. We calculated the mean sound-speed values for fatty tissue and breast parenchyma as 1422 {+-} 9 mls (mean{+-} SD) and1487 {+-} 21 mls, respectively. Based on 32 lesions in a cohort of 61 patients, we also found that the mean sound-speed for malignant breast lesions (1548{+-}17 mls) was higher, on average, than that of benign ones (1513{+-}27 mls) (one-sided pbreast density (, and therefore, breast cancer risk), as well as detect and help differentiate breast lesions. Finally, our sound-speed tomograms may also be a useful tool to monitor clinical response of breast cancer patients to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy.
Practicalities of developing a breast magnetic resonance imaging screening service for women at high risk for breast cancer.
Kiely, Belinda E; Hossack, Lucinda K; Shadbolt, Clair L; Davis, Anna; Cassumbhoy, Robin; Moodie, Kate; Antill, Yoland; Mitchell, Gillian
Demand for screening breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for women with a hereditary predisposition to breast cancer has increased since the introduction of a medicare item number. To aid future service planning, we examined the practicalities of establishing and running a breast MRI screening programme for high risk women and to describe the early outcomes of our screening programme. We undertook a retrospective audit of prospectively collected data. Women detection rate; and patient satisfaction via questionnaire. From 2006 to 2009, 82 women completed a round one screening MRI and 45, 21 and one women completed second, third and fourth round annual MRI studies, respectively. Median MRI process times were: booking 20 min; attendance in radiology department 90 min; imaging duration 45 min; reporting by one radiologist 30 min. Of the 82 round one studies, 23 (28%) were reported as ≥Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System three requiring further investigation. Of the round two and three studies completed, 13/45 (28%) and 2/21 (9%) have been recalled, respectively. Seven malignancies were detected. Questionnaires revealed women were satisfied with the service. Significant time, staff and equipment is required to run an effective breast MRI screening programme and this must be considered by future service providers.
Evaluating Surveillance Breast Imaging and Biopsy in Older Breast Cancer Survivors
Tracy Onega
Full Text Available Background. Patterns of surveillance among breast cancer survivors are not well characterized and lack evidence-based practice guidelines, particularly for imaging modalities other than mammography. We characterized breast imaging and related biopsy longitudinally among breast cancer survivors in relation to women’s characteristics. Methods. Using data from a state-wide (New Hampshire breast cancer screening registry linked to Medicare claims, we examined use of mammography, ultrasound (US, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, and biopsy among breast cancer survivors. We used generalized estimating equations (GEE to model associations of breast surveillance with women’s characteristics. Results. The proportion of women with mammography was high over the follow-up period (81.5% at 78 months, but use of US or MRI was much lower (8.0%—first follow-up window, 4.7% by 78 months. Biopsy use was consistent throughout surveillance periods (7.4%–9.4%. Surveillance was lower among older women and for those with a higher stage of diagnosis. Primary therapy was significantly associated with greater likelihood of breast surveillance. Conclusions. Breast cancer surveillance patterns for mammography, US, MRI, and related biopsy seem to be associated with age, stage, and treatment, but need a larger evidence-base for clinical recommendations.
Indications for breast imaging in women under age 35
Harris, V.J.; Jackson, V.P.
Many women under age 35 years undergo breast imaging, and the vast majority of studies are normal or compatible with benign disease. In our series of 649 patients aged 13 - 34, the only significant indicators were a palpable mass or infection. In the 383 patients with either of these indications, mammographic and/or US findings were normal in 53%, compatible with benign disease in 14%, and suggestive of malignancy in 33%. Biopsy performed in 80 of these women revealed breast cancer in five (6%). None of the 266 women with low-yield indications (pain, modularity, galactorrhea, fibrocystic disease, screening) had significant imaging findings or clinical or surgical evidence of breast cancer
Magnetic resonance imaging features of fibrocystic change of the breast.
Studies specifically reporting MRI of fibrocystic change (FCC) of the breast are very few and its MRI features are not clearly known. The purpose of this study was to analyze the MRI features of FCC of the breast. Thirty-one patients with pathologically proven FCC of the breast were retrospectively reviewed. The MRI study was performed using a 1.5-T MR scanner with standard bilateral breast coil. The imaging protocol consisted of pre-contrast T1-weighed imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced axial T1-weighed imaging. The MRI features were interpreted based on the morphologic and enhancement kinetic descriptors defined on ACR BIRADS-MRI lexicon. FCC of the breast had a wide spectrum of morphologic and kinetic features on MRI. Two types of FCC were found, including a more diffuse type of nonmass lesion (12/31, 39%) showing benign enhancement kinetic pattern with medium wash-in in early phase (9/10, 90%) and a focal mass-type lesion (11/31, 35%) with enhancement kinetic usually showing rapid up-slope mimicking a breast cancer (8/11, 73%). MRI is able to elaborate the diverse imaging features of FCC of the breast. Our result showed that FCC presenting as a focal mass-type lesion was usually overdiagnosed as malignancy. Understanding MRI of FCC is important to determine which cohort of patients should be followed up alone or receive aggressive management.
Stormram 4: An MR Safe Robotic System for Breast Biopsy
Groenhuis, Vincent; Siepel, Françoise Jeanette; Veltman, Jeroen; van Zandwijk, Jordy Kristian; Stramigioli, Stefano
Suspicious lesions in the breast that are only visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) need to be biopsied under MR guidance with high accuracy and efficiency for accurate diagnosis. The aim of this study is to present a novel robotic system, the Stormram 4, and to perform preclinical tests in
Body Image in Younger Breast Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review
Paterson, Carly; Lengacher, Cecile A.; Donovan, Kristine A.; Kip, Kevin E.; Tofthagen, Cindy S.
Background Body image is a complex issue with the potential to impact many aspects of cancer survivorship, particularly for the younger breast cancer survivor. Objective The purpose of this review is to synthesize the current state of the science for body image in younger women with breast cancer. Intervention/Methods Combinations of the terms “body image,� “sexuality intervention,� “women,� “younger women,� and “breast cancer� were searched in the PubMed, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Web of Knowledge and Science Direct databases through January 2014. Inclusion criteria for this review were: 1) original research; 2) published in English from the year 2000 forward; 3) measuring body image as an outcome variable; and 4) results included reporting of age-related outcomes. Results Thirty-six articles met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies were cross-sectional, with extensive variation in body image assessment tools. Age and treatment type had a significant impact on body image, and poorer body image was related to physical and psychological distress, sex and intimacy, and the partnered relationship among younger women. Only one intervention study found a significant improvement in body image post-intervention. Conclusions Findings suggest body image is a complex post-treatment concern for breast cancer survivors, particularly younger women. The findings of this review are limited by the high level of variation in the methods for assessing body image. Implications for Practice Further research of interventions to address body image concerns following treatment for breast cancer is warranted. Improvement of body image may improve the quality of life of younger breast cancer survivors. PMID:25881807
Automated Segmentation of Nuclei in Breast Cancer Histopathology Images.
Paramanandam, Maqlin; O'Byrne, Michael; Ghosh, Bidisha; Mammen, Joy John; Manipadam, Marie Therese; Thamburaj, Robinson; Pakrashi, Vikram
The process of Nuclei detection in high-grade breast cancer images is quite challenging in the case of image processing techniques due to certain heterogeneous characteristics of cancer nuclei such as enlarged and irregularly shaped nuclei, highly coarse chromatin marginalized to the nuclei periphery and visible nucleoli. Recent reviews state that existing techniques show appreciable segmentation accuracy on breast histopathology images whose nuclei are dispersed and regular in texture and shape; however, typical cancer nuclei are often clustered and have irregular texture and shape properties. This paper proposes a novel segmentation algorithm for detecting individual nuclei from Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stained breast histopathology images. This detection framework estimates a nuclei saliency map using tensor voting followed by boundary extraction of the nuclei on the saliency map using a Loopy Back Propagation (LBP) algorithm on a Markov Random Field (MRF). The method was tested on both whole-slide images and frames of breast cancer histopathology images. Experimental results demonstrate high segmentation performance with efficient precision, recall and dice-coefficient rates, upon testing high-grade breast cancer images containing several thousand nuclei. In addition to the optimal performance on the highly complex images presented in this paper, this method also gave appreciable results in comparison with two recently published methods-Wienert et al. (2012) and Veta et al. (2013), which were tested using their own datasets.
Maqlin Paramanandam
Full Text Available The process of Nuclei detection in high-grade breast cancer images is quite challenging in the case of image processing techniques due to certain heterogeneous characteristics of cancer nuclei such as enlarged and irregularly shaped nuclei, highly coarse chromatin marginalized to the nuclei periphery and visible nucleoli. Recent reviews state that existing techniques show appreciable segmentation accuracy on breast histopathology images whose nuclei are dispersed and regular in texture and shape; however, typical cancer nuclei are often clustered and have irregular texture and shape properties. This paper proposes a novel segmentation algorithm for detecting individual nuclei from Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E stained breast histopathology images. This detection framework estimates a nuclei saliency map using tensor voting followed by boundary extraction of the nuclei on the saliency map using a Loopy Back Propagation (LBP algorithm on a Markov Random Field (MRF. The method was tested on both whole-slide images and frames of breast cancer histopathology images. Experimental results demonstrate high segmentation performance with efficient precision, recall and dice-coefficient rates, upon testing high-grade breast cancer images containing several thousand nuclei. In addition to the optimal performance on the highly complex images presented in this paper, this method also gave appreciable results in comparison with two recently published methods-Wienert et al. (2012 and Veta et al. (2013, which were tested using their own datasets.
High frame-rate MR-guided near-infrared tomography system to monitor breast hemodynamics
Li, Zhiqiu; Jiang, Shudong; Krishnaswamy, Venkataramanan; Davis, Scott C.; Srinivasan, Subhadra; Paulsen, Keith D.; Pogue, Brian W.
A near-infrared (NIR) tomography system with spectral-encoded sources at two wavelength bands was built to quantify the temporal contrast at 20 Hz bandwidth, while imaging breast tissue. The NIR system was integrated with a magnetic resonance (MR) machine through a custom breast coil interface, and both NIR data and MR images were acquired simultaneously. MR images provided breast tissue structural information for NIR reconstruction. Acquisition of finger pulse oximeter (PO) plethysmogram was synchronized with the NIR system in the experiment to offer a frequency-locked reference. The recovered absorption coefficients of the breast at two wavelengths showed identical temporal frequency as the PO output, proving this multi-modality design can recover the small pulsatile variation of absorption property in breast tissue related to the heartbeat. And it also showed the system's ability on novel contrast imaging of fast flow signals in deep tissue.
THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF 99mTc-MIBI BREAST IMAGING IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF EARLY BREAST CANCER
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
任长�; 金少津; 邹强; 朱汇庆; 王红鹰; �春立
Objective: To find an effective, sensitive, specific and noninvasive diagnostic method of breast cancer. Methods: 109 masses of 102 patients with breast lesions smaller than 2 cm in diameter were divided into three groups to undergo 99mTc-MIBI imaging and compared with the results of pathology examination. 20 cases without breast lesions were selected as control. Abnormal condensation of 99mTc-MIBI in the breast reaching 10% higher than that in the counterpart of the healthy breast was regarded as positive. Results: Of 32 breast cancers, positive imaging appeared in 25. Negative imaging were found in 31 of 38 benign breast lesions. Of 39 occult breast lesions, positive imaging appeared in 6 and 3 of them were breast cancer, 2 of 3 patients with slightly increased 99mTc-MIBI imaging threshold were breast cancer also. No positive imaging was found in the control group. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of 99mTc-MIBI was 88.4%, 89.2%, 88.0%, 75.0% and 95.3%, respectively. Conclusion: 99mTc-MIBI imaging had higher sensitivity and accuracy in the diagnosis of breast cancer and differentiation between benign and malignant breast lesions. It could provide useful information for the diagnosis of clinically suspected breast cancer.
Automated detection of breast cancer in resected specimens with fluorescence lifetime imaging
Phipps, Jennifer E.; Gorpas, Dimitris; Unger, Jakob; Darrow, Morgan; Bold, Richard J.; Marcu, Laura
Re-excision rates for breast cancer lumpectomy procedures are currently nearly 25% due to surgeons relying on inaccurate or incomplete methods of evaluating specimen margins. The objective of this study was to determine if cancer could be automatically detected in breast specimens from mastectomy and lumpectomy procedures by a classification algorithm that incorporated parameters derived from fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm). This study generated a database of co-registered histologic sections and FLIm data from breast cancer specimens (N  =  20) and a support vector machine (SVM) classification algorithm able to automatically detect cancerous, fibrous, and adipose breast tissue. Classification accuracies were greater than 97% for automated detection of cancerous, fibrous, and adipose tissue from breast cancer specimens. The classification worked equally well for specimens scanned by hand or with a mechanical stage, demonstrating that the system could be used during surgery or on excised specimens. The ability of this technique to simply discriminate between cancerous and normal breast tissue, in particular to distinguish fibrous breast tissue from tumor, which is notoriously challenging for optical techniques, leads to the conclusion that FLIm has great potential to assess breast cancer margins. Identification of positive margins before waiting for complete histologic analysis could significantly reduce breast cancer re-excision rates.
Novelty detection for breast cancer image classification
Cichosz, Pawel; Jagodziński, Dariusz; Matysiewicz, Mateusz; Neumann, �ukasz; Nowak, Robert M.; Okuniewski, Rafał; Oleszkiewicz, Witold
Using classification learning algorithms for medical applications may require not only refined model creation techniques and careful unbiased model evaluation, but also detecting the risk of misclassification at the time of model application. This is addressed by novelty detection, which identifies instances for which the training set is not sufficiently representative and for which it may be safer to restrain from classification and request a human expert diagnosis. The paper investigates two techniques for isolated instance identification, based on clustering and one-class support vector machines, which represent two different approaches to multidimensional outlier detection. The prediction quality for isolated instances in breast cancer image data is evaluated using the random forest algorithm and found to be substantially inferior to the prediction quality for non-isolated instances. Each of the two techniques is then used to create a novelty detection model which can be combined with a classification model and used at the time of prediction to detect instances for which the latter cannot be reliably applied. Novelty detection is demonstrated to improve random forest prediction quality and argued to deserve further investigation in medical applications.
Inverse scattering and refraction corrected reflection for breast cancer imaging
Wiskin, J.; Borup, D.; Johnson, S.; Berggren, M.; Robinson, D.; Smith, J.; Chen, J.; Parisky, Y.; Klock, John
Reflection ultrasound (US) has been utilized as an adjunct imaging modality for over 30 years. TechniScan, Inc. has developed unique, transmission and concomitant reflection algorithms which are used to reconstruct images from data gathered during a tomographic breast scanning process called Warm Bath Ultrasound (WBU™). The transmission algorithm yields high resolution, 3D, attenuation and speed of sound (SOS) images. The reflection algorithm is based on canonical ray tracing utilizing refraction correction via the SOS and attenuation reconstructions. The refraction correction reflection algorithm allows 360 degree compounding resulting in the reflection image. The requisite data are collected when scanning the entire breast in a 33° C water bath, on average in 8 minutes. This presentation explains how the data are collected and processed by the 3D transmission and reflection imaging mode algorithms. The processing is carried out using two NVIDIA® Tesla™ GPU processors, accessing data on a 4-TeraByte RAID. The WBU™ images are displayed in a DICOM viewer that allows registration of all three modalities. Several representative cases are presented to demonstrate potential diagnostic capability including: a cyst, fibroadenoma, and a carcinoma. WBU™ images (SOS, attenuation, and reflection modalities) are shown along with their respective mammograms and standard ultrasound images. In addition, anatomical studies are shown comparing WBU™ images and MRI images of a cadaver breast. This innovative technology is designed to provide additional tools in the armamentarium for diagnosis of breast disease.
Emotional distress in women presenting for breast imaging
Gupta, R.; Roy, S.; Nayak, Madhabika B.; Khoursheed, M.
The aim of this study was to assess anxiety and depression in a sample of women presenting for imaging of breast following a clinical referral. Emotional distress in the women was also assessed in relation to demographic factors, reason for referral, presence for breast symptoms, type of imaging procedure performed and self-reported pain and discomfort during imaging. The study comprised 167 patients. The Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25) and a discomfort rating scale were used to assess emotional distress and discomfort or pain experienced during the imaging. While less than 10% of all subjects scored above psychiatric cut-off points for anxiety and depression, 25% and 20% reported significant distress associated with anxiety and depression symptoms respectively. Education alone was associated with higher anxiety scores, while the presence of breast symptoms significantly increased depression scores and reports of specific nonsomatic symptoms of depression. Higher anxiety and depression scores were also associated with pain experienced during the imaging procedure. Emotional distress may negatively impact women's experience of breast imaging. Screening for emotional distress is important within the context of breast imaging. (author)
Subtraction and dynamic MR images of breast cancer
Murakami, Yoshitaka; Aoki, Manabu; Harada, Junta (Jikei Univ., Tokyo (Japan). School of Medicine)
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of subtraction and dynamic MR imaging in patients with breast masses. In 23 breast cancers and six fibroadenomas, spin echo T1 images were obtained at 0.2 Tesla before and every minute after intravenous injection of Gd-DTPA (0.1 or 0.2 mmol/kg). Subtraction images were obtained sequentially on the CRT monitor. All breast masses were enhanced after gadolinium and stood out as bright lesions on subtraction images. The tumor margin and its extension were more precisely evaluated on subtraction MR images than on conventional postcontrast MR images. Breast cancer showed a characteristic time-intensity curve with an early peak, in contrast to fibroadenoma, which showed a gradual increase in signal intensity. Subtraction MR imaging is a simple method for the evaluation of breast masses, and further, the time-intensity curve obtained by dynamic study is helpful in the differential diagnosis of lesions. (author).
Fibrocystic change of the breast presenting as a focal lesion mimicking breast cancer in MR imaging.
Chen, Jeon-Hor; Nalcioglu, Orhan; Su, Min-Ying
Focal fibrocystic change (FCC) of the breast is a rare form of FCC. Imaging presentations of focal FCC are not well known. This study aimed to analyze its MR imaging features. Eleven patients of pathology-proven focal FCC were retrospectively studied. Of the 11 patients, seven were mass (>or=5 mm), two showed multiple foci, and two were focus (Breast sonography suspected malignancy in seven patients (7/10, 70%). No statistically significant difference was found in the three diagnostic methods. In pathology, all 11 patients showed the typical pathological features of fibrocystic change, with mixed components of stromal fibrosis, cyst formation, apocrine metaplasia, adenosis, and/or focal sclerosing adenosis. In conclusion, MR imaging features of focal FCC usually present as a mass or focus lesion with rapid enhancement and washout kinetics that mimic a malignant breast lesion and lead to unnecessary operation, especially in patients with contralateral malignant breast cancer. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Feasibility of spatial frequency-domain imaging for monitoring palpable breast lesions
Robbins, Constance M.; Raghavan, Guruprasad; Antaki, James F.; Kainerstorfer, Jana M.
In breast cancer diagnosis and therapy monitoring, there is a need for frequent, noninvasive disease progression evaluation. Breast tumors differ from healthy tissue in mechanical stiffness as well as optical properties, which allows optical methods to detect and monitor breast lesions noninvasively. Spatial frequency-domain imaging (SFDI) is a reflectance-based diffuse optical method that can yield two-dimensional images of absolute optical properties of tissue with an inexpensive and portable system, although depth penetration is limited. Since the absorption coefficient of breast tissue is relatively low and the tissue is quite flexible, there is an opportunity for compression of tissue to bring stiff, palpable breast lesions within the detection range of SFDI. Sixteen breast tissue-mimicking phantoms were fabricated containing stiffer, more highly absorbing tumor-mimicking inclusions of varying absorption contrast and depth. These phantoms were imaged with an SFDI system at five levels of compression. An increase in absorption contrast was observed with compression, and reliable detection of each inclusion was achieved when compression was sufficient to bring the inclusion center within ˜12 mm of the phantom surface. At highest compression level, contrasts achieved with this system were comparable to those measured with single source-detector near-infrared spectroscopy.
Enhancement and denoising of mammographic images for breast disease detection
Yazdani, S.; Yusof, R.; Karimian, A.; Hematian, A.; Yousefi, M.
In these two decades breast cancer is one of the leading cause of death among women. In breast cancer research, Mammographic Image is being assessed as a potential tool for detecting breast disease and investigating response to chemotherapy. In first stage of breast disease discovery, the density measurement of the breast in mammographic images provides very useful information. Because of the importance of the role of mammographic images the need for accurate and robust automated image enhancement techniques is becoming clear. Mammographic images have some disadvantages such as, the high dependence of contrast upon the way the image is acquired, weak distinction in splitting cyst from tumor, intensity non uniformity, the existence of noise, etc. These limitations make problem to detect the typical signs such as masses and microcalcifications. For this reason, denoising and enhancing the quality of mammographic images is very important. The method which is used in this paper is in spatial domain which its input includes high, intermediate and even very low contrast mammographic images based on specialist physician's view, while its output is processed images that show the input images with higher quality, more contrast and more details. In this research, 38 mammographic images have been used. The result of purposed method shows details of abnormal zones and the areas with defects so that specialist could explore these zones more accurately and it could be deemed as an index for cancer diagnosis. In this study, mammographic images are initially converted into digital images and then to increase spatial resolution power, their noise is reduced and consequently their contrast is improved. The results demonstrate effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed methods. (authors)
Women’s experiences and preferences regarding breast imaging after completing breast cancer treatment
Brandzel S
Full Text Available Susan Brandzel,1 Dori E Rosenberg,1 Dianne Johnson,1 Mary Bush,1 Karla Kerlikowske,2–5 Tracy Onega,6,7 Louise Henderson,8 Larissa Nekhlyudov,9,10 Wendy DeMartini,11 Karen J Wernli1 1Group Health Research Institute, Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, WA, 2Department of Medicine, 3Department of Epidemiology, 4Department of Biostatistics, 5Department of Veterans Affairs, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 6Department of Biomedical Data Science, 7Department of Epidemiology, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, 8Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 9Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 10Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, 11Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA Background: After treatment for breast cancer, most women receive an annual surveillance mammography to look for subsequent breast cancers. Supplemental breast MRI is sometimes used in addition to mammography despite the lack of clinical evidence for it. Breast imaging after cancer treatment is an emotionally charged experience, an important part of survivorship care, and a topic about which limited patient information exists. We assessed women’s experiences and preferences about breast cancer surveillance imaging with the goal of determining where gaps in care and knowledge could be filled. Participants and methods: We conducted six focus groups with a convenience sample of 41 women in California, North Carolina, and New Hampshire (USA. Participants were aged 38–75 years, had experienced stage 0–III breast cancer within the previous 5 years, and had completed initial treatment. We used inductive thematic analysis to identify key themes from verbatim transcripts. Results: Women reported various types and frequencies of surveillance imaging and a range of surveillance imaging
Pulsed terahertz imaging of breast cancer in freshly excised murine tumors
Bowman, Tyler; Chavez, Tanny; Khan, Kamrul; Wu, Jingxian; Chakraborty, Avishek; Rajaram, Narasimhan; Bailey, Keith; El-Shenawee, Magda
This paper investigates terahertz (THz) imaging and classification of freshly excised murine xenograft breast cancer tumors. These tumors are grown via injection of E0771 breast adenocarcinoma cells into the flank of mice maintained on high-fat diet. Within 1 h of excision, the tumor and adjacent tissues are imaged using a pulsed THz system in the reflection mode. The THz images are classified using a statistical Bayesian mixture model with unsupervised and supervised approaches. Correlation with digitized pathology images is conducted using classification images assigned by a modal class decision rule. The corresponding receiver operating characteristic curves are obtained based on the classification results. A total of 13 tumor samples obtained from 9 tumors are investigated. The results show good correlation of THz images with pathology results in all samples of cancer and fat tissues. For tumor samples of cancer, fat, and muscle tissues, THz images show reasonable correlation with pathology where the primary challenge lies in the overlapping dielectric properties of cancer and muscle tissues. The use of a supervised regression approach shows improvement in the classification images although not consistently in all tissue regions. Advancing THz imaging of breast tumors from mice and the development of accurate statistical models will ultimately progress the technique for the assessment of human breast tumor margins.
Effect of the glandular composition on digital breast tomosynthesis image quality and dose optimisation
Marques, T.; Di Maria, S.; Vaz, P.; Ribeiro, A.; Belchior, A.; Cardoso, J.; Matela, N.; Oliveira, N.; Almeida, P.; Janeiro, L.
In the image quality assessment for digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), a breast phantom with an average percentage of 50 % glandular tissue is seldom used, which may not be representative of the breast tissue composition of the women undergoing such examination. This work aims at studying the effect of the glandular composition of the breast on the image quality taking into consideration different sizes of lesions. Monte Carlo simulations were performed using the state-of-the-art computer program PENELOPE to validate the image acquisition system of the DBT equipment as well as to calculate the mean glandular dose for each projection image and for different breast compositions. The integrated PENELOPE imaging tool (PenEasy) was used to calculate, in mammography, for each clinical detection task the X-ray energy that maximises the figure of merit. All the 2D cranial-caudal projections for DBT were simulated and then underwent the reconstruction process applying the Simultaneous Algebraic Reconstruction Technique. Finally, through signal-to-noise ratio analysis, the image quality in DBT was assessed. (authors)
Characterization of human breast cancer tissues by infrared imaging.
Verdonck, M; Denayer, A; Delvaux, B; Garaud, S; De Wind, R; Desmedt, C; Sotiriou, C; Willard-Gallo, K; Goormaghtigh, E
Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy coupled to microscopy (IR imaging) has shown unique advantages in detecting morphological and molecular pathologic alterations in biological tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of IR imaging as a diagnostic tool to identify characteristics of breast epithelial cells and the stroma. In this study a total of 19 breast tissue samples were obtained from 13 patients. For 6 of the patients, we also obtained Non-Adjacent Non-Tumor tissue samples. Infrared images were recorded on the main cell/tissue types identified in all breast tissue samples. Unsupervised Principal Component Analyses and supervised Partial Least Square Discriminant Analyses (PLS-DA) were used to discriminate spectra. Leave-one-out cross-validation was used to evaluate the performance of PLS-DA models. Our results show that IR imaging coupled with PLS-DA can efficiently identify the main cell types present in FFPE breast tissue sections, i.e. epithelial cells, lymphocytes, connective tissue, vascular tissue and erythrocytes. A second PLS-DA model could distinguish normal and tumor breast epithelial cells in the breast tissue sections. A patient-specific model reached particularly high sensitivity, specificity and MCC rates. Finally, we showed that the stroma located close or at distance from the tumor exhibits distinct spectral characteristics. In conclusion FTIR imaging combined with computational algorithms could be an accurate, rapid and objective tool to identify/quantify breast epithelial cells and differentiate tumor from normal breast tissue as well as normal from tumor-associated stroma, paving the way to the establishment of a potential complementary tool to ensure safe tumor margins.
Study Manual for breast imaging for radiology residents
Ramirez Benavides, Rebeca
Breast cancer is a disease that affects women worldwide. This cancer has become a public health problem, currently holding the first incidence and mortality from neoplasms in women of Costa Rica. That's why early detection makes it so important, so you should educate patients about the importance of annual mammograms, regular breast self-examination and consult immediately with the appearance of any abnormality in the breast. Mammography has been the only continuous proven method of screening for breast cancer. However, breast ultrasound is a valuable and effective tool for the evaluation and diagnosis of breast disease. The country lacks a picture book in the breast that fits entirely on the conditions of post-degree program, be practical and use the own methodology of the health system; therefore, the objective of this research is to organize a manual with the review of recent literature on the radiologic evaluation of the breast, with guidance on the methodology and the own resources of the country. This manual aims to provide a guide or basis for the radiologist in training, the important task of obtaining the knowledge, skill and ability to meet the enormous responsibility to participate in early detection of breast cancer. It also may help prevent the development and progression of the dreaded breast cancer in patients during their subsequent professional performance. (author) [es
High-Spatial- and High-Temporal-Resolution Dynamic Contrast-enhanced MR Breast Imaging with Sweep Imaging with Fourier Transformation: A Pilot Study
Benson, John C.; Idiyatullin, Djaudat; Snyder, Angela L.; Snyder, Carl J.; Hutter, Diane; Everson, Lenore I.; Eberly, Lynn E.; Nelson, Michael T.; Garwood, Michael
Purpose To report the results of sweep imaging with Fourier transformation (SWIFT) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for diagnostic breast imaging. Materials and Methods Informed consent was obtained from all participants under one of two institutional review board–approved, HIPAA-compliant protocols. Twelve female patients (age range, 19–54 years; mean age, 41.2 years) and eight normal control subjects (age range, 22–56 years; mean age, 43.2 years) enrolled and completed the study from January 28, 2011, to March 5, 2013. Patients had previous lesions that were Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System 4 and 5 based on mammography and/or ultrasonographic imaging. Contrast-enhanced SWIFT imaging was completed by using a 4-T research MR imaging system. Noncontrast studies were completed in the normal control subjects. One of two sized single-breast SWIFT-compatible transceiver coils was used for nine patients and five controls. Three patients and five control subjects used a SWIFT-compatible dual breast coil. Temporal resolution was 5.9–7.5 seconds. Spatial resolution was 1.00 mm isotropic, with later examinations at 0.67 mm isotropic, and dual breast at 1.00 mm or 0.75 mm isotropic resolution. Results Two nonblinded breast radiologists reported SWIFT image findings of normal breast tissue, benign fibroadenomas (six of six lesions), and malignant lesions (10 of 12 lesions) concordant with other imaging modalities and pathologic reports. Two lesions in two patients were not visualized because of coil field of view. The images yielded by SWIFT showed the presence and extent of known breast lesions. Conclusion The SWIFT technique could become an important addition to breast imaging modalities because it provides high spatial resolution at all points during the dynamic contrast-enhanced examination. © RSNA, 2014 PMID:25247405
Elastography of the Breast: Imaging Techniques and Pitfalls in Interpretation
Moon, Woo Kyung; Chang, Jung Min; Cho, Nariya
Ultrasound (US) elastography is a tool that indicates the hardness of a lesion. Recent studies using elastography with freehand compression have shown similar diagnostic performance to conventional US in differentiating benign lesions from malignant breast masses. On the other hand, the acquired information is not quantitative, and the reliability of the imaging technique to correctly compress the tissue depends on the skill of the operator, resulting in substantial interobserver variability during data acquisition and interpretation. To overcome this, shear wave elastography was developed to provide quantitative information on the tissue elasticity. The system works by remotely inducing mechanical vibrations through the acoustic radiation force created by a focused US beam. This review discusses the principles and examination techniques of the two types of elastography systems and provides practical points to reduce the interobserver variability or errors during data acquisition and interpretation
Moon, Woo Kyung; Chang, Jung Min; Cho, Nariya [Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)
Body image dissatisfaction in patients undergoing breast reconstruction: Examining the roles of breast symmetry and appearance investment.
Teo, Irene; Reece, Gregory P; Huang, Sheng-Cheng; Mahajan, Kanika; Andon, Johnny; Khanal, Pujjal; Sun, Clement; Nicklaus, Krista; Merchant, Fatima; Markey, Mia K; Fingeret, Michelle Cororve
Reconstruction as part of treatment for breast cancer is aimed at mitigating body image concerns after mastectomy. Although algorithms have been developed to objectively assess breast reconstruction outcomes, associations between objectively quantified breast aesthetic appearance and patient-reported body image outcomes have not been examined. Further, the role of appearance investment in explaining a patient's body image is not well understood. We investigated the extent to which objectively quantified breast symmetry and patient-reported appearance investment were associated with body image dissatisfaction in patients undergoing cancer-related breast reconstruction. Breast cancer patients in different stages of reconstruction (n = 190) completed self-report measures of appearance investment and body image dissatisfaction. Vertical extent and horizontal extent symmetry values, which are indicators of breast symmetry, were calculated from clinical photographs. Associations among breast symmetry, appearance investment, body image dissatisfaction, and patient clinical factors were examined. Multi-variable regression was used to evaluate the extent to which symmetry and appearance investment were associated with body image dissatisfaction. Vertical extent symmetry, but not horizontal extent symmetry, was associated with body image dissatisfaction. Decreased vertical extent symmetry (β = -.19, P image dissatisfaction while controlling for clinical factors. Breast symmetry and patient appearance investment both significantly contribute to an understanding of patient-reported body image satisfaction during breast reconstruction treatment. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
System delays in breast cancer
registry with an audit capability. We suggest targeting an 8-week period for the work-up and staging of every patient with breast cancer. The establishment of ... or less' and 'women with symptoms and signs suggestive of breast cancer must be ...
Magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of fibrocystic change of the breast.
van den Bosch, Maurice A A J; Daniel, Bruce L; Mariano, Michelle N; Nowels, Kent N; Birdwell, Robyn L; Fong, Kathy J; Desmond, Pam S; Plevritis, Sylvia; Stables, Lara A; Zakhour, Marowan; Herfkens, Robert J; Ikeda, Debra M
The objective of this study was to identify magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of fibrocystic change (FCC) of the breast. Fourteen patients with a histopathologic diagnosis of solitary FCC of the breast underwent x-ray mammography and MRI of the breast. Three experienced breast imaging radiologists retrospectively reviewed the MRI findings and categorized the lesions on morphologic and kinetic criteria according to the ACR BI-RADS-MRI Lexicon. The most striking morphologic feature of fibrocystic change was nonmass-like regional enhancement found in 6 of 14 (43%) FCC lesions. Based on morphologic criteria alone, 12 of 14 (86%) lesions were correctly classified as benign. According to analysis of the time-intensity curves, 10 of 14 (71%) FCC lesions were correctly classified as benign. Although FCC has a wide spectrum of morphologic and kinetic features on MRI, it most often presents as a mass or a nonmass-like regional enhancing lesion with benign enhancement kinetics.
Brca1/p53 deficient mouse breast tumor hemodynamics during hyperoxic respiratory challenge monitored by a novel wide-field functional imaging (WiFI) system
Moy, Austin; Kim, Jae G.; Lee, Eva Y. H. P.; Tromberg, Bruce; Cerussi, Albert; Choi, Bernard
Current imaging modalities allow precise visualization of tumors but do not enable quantitative characterization of the tumor metabolic state. Such quantitative information would enhance our understanding of tumor progression and response to treatment, and to our overall understanding of tumor biology. To address this problem, we have developed a wide-field functional imaging (WiFI) instrument which combines two optical imaging modalities, spatially modulated imaging (MI) and laser speckle imaging (LSI). Our current WiFI imaging protocol consists of multispectral imaging in the near infrared (650-980 nm) spectrum, over a wide (7 cm × 5 cm) field of view. Using MI, the spatially-resolved reflectance of sinusoidal patterns projected onto the tissue is assessed, and optical properties of the tissue are estimated using a Monte Carlo model. From the spatial maps of local absorption and reduced scattering coefficients, tissue composition information is extracted in the form of oxy-, deoxy-, and total hemoglobin concentrations, and percentage of lipid and water. Using LSI, the reflectance of a 785 nm laser speckle pattern on the tissue is acquired and analyzed to compute maps of blood perfusion in the tissue. Tissue metabolism state is estimated from the values of blood perfusion, volume and oxygenation state. We currently are employing the WiFI instrument to study tumor development in a BRCA1/p53 deficient mice breast tumor model. The animals are monitored with WiFI during hyperoxic respiratory challenge. At present, four tumors have been measured with WiFI, and preliminary data suggest that tumor metabolic changes during hyperoxic respiratory challenge can be determined.
Diagnosis and staging of breast cancer by SPECT images fused with CT images
Li Yanjing; Zhu Qiaomei
Objective: To evaluate the TNM staging value of 99mTc-MIBI scintimammotraphy with SPECT-CT images fusing for the diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods: 10 patients with breast cancer underwent scintimammography with 99mTc-MIBI, and SPECT images were fused with CT images. Images were compared with final diagnosis confirmed by histopathology. Results: Of the 19 breast cancer patients, one case of invasive ductal carcinoma showed false-negative. Among 18 cases of positive lesions, axillary metastases were involved in 10, supraclavicular nodes were also defined in 3, para-sternum nodes were involved in 2, 2 were missed and 1 cases without metastatic node. The axillary lymph nodes were divided into three levels with respect to their position relative to the pectoralis minor muscle by fused images. Conclusion: 99mTc-MIBI scintimammotraphy combined with SPECT-CT images fusing is of some clinical value in TNM staging of breast cancer. (authors)
The evolving role of new imaging methods in breast screening.
Houssami, Nehmat; Ciatto, Stefano
The potential to avert breast cancer deaths through screening means that efforts continue to identify methods which may enhance early detection. While the role of most new imaging technologies remains in adjunct screening or in the work-up of mammography-detected abnormalities, some of the new breast imaging tests (such as MRI) have roles in screening groups of women defined by increased cancer risk. This paper highlights the evidence and the current role of new breast imaging technologies in screening, focusing on those that have broader application in population screening, including digital mammography, breast ultrasound in women with dense breasts, and computer-aided detection. It highlights that evidence on new imaging in screening comes mostly from non-randomised studies that have quantified test detection capability as adjunct to mammography, or have compared measures of screening performance for new technologies with that of conventional mammography. Two RCTs have provided high-quality evidence on the equivalence of digital and conventional mammography and on outcomes of screen-reading complemented by CAD. Many of these imaging technologies enhance cancer detection but also increase recall and false positives in screening. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Online advertising by three commercial breast imaging services: message takeout and effectiveness.
Johnson, Rebecca; Jalleh, Geoffrey; Pratt, Iain S; Donovan, Robert J; Lin, Chad; Saunders, Christobel; Slevin, Terry
Mammography is widely acknowledged to be the most cost-effective technique for population screening for breast cancer. Recently in Australia, imaging modalities other than mammography, including thermography, electrical impedance, and computerised breast imaging, have been increasingly promoted as alternative methods of breast cancer screening. This study assessed the impact of three commercial breast imaging companies' promotional material upon consumers' beliefs about the effectiveness of the companies' technology in detecting breast cancer, and consumers' intentions to seek more information or consider having their breasts imaged by these modalities. Results showed 90% of respondents agreed that the companies' promotional material promoted the message that the advertised breast imaging method was effective in detecting breast cancer, and 80% agreed that the material promoted the message that the imaging method was equally or more effective than a mammogram. These findings have implications for women's preference for and uptake of alternative breast imaging services over mammography. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Ectopic Axillary Breast during Systemic Lupus
Besma Ben Dhaou
Full Text Available Many breast changes may occur in systemic lupus erythematosus. We report a 41-year-old woman with lupus who presented three years after the onset of lupus an ectopic mammary gland confirmed by histological study.
Medical imaging systems
Frangioni, John V
A medical imaging system provides simultaneous rendering of visible light and diagnostic or functional images. The system may be portable, and may include adapters for connecting various light sources and cameras in open surgical environments or laparascopic or endoscopic environments. A user interface provides control over the functionality of the integrated imaging system. In one embodiment, the system provides a tool for surgical pathology.
Automatic breast tissue density estimation scheme in digital mammography images
Menechelli, Renan C.; Pacheco, Ana Luisa V.; Schiabel, Homero
Cases of breast cancer have increased substantially each year. However, radiologists are subject to subjectivity and failures of interpretation which may affect the final diagnosis in this examination. The high density features in breast tissue are important factors related to these failures. Thus, among many functions some CADx (Computer-Aided Diagnosis) schemes are classifying breasts according to the predominant density. In order to aid in such a procedure, this work attempts to describe automated software for classification and statistical information on the percentage change in breast tissue density, through analysis of sub regions (ROIs) from the whole mammography image. Once the breast is segmented, the image is divided into regions from which texture features are extracted. Then an artificial neural network MLP was used to categorize ROIs. Experienced radiologists have previously determined the ROIs density classification, which was the reference to the software evaluation. From tests results its average accuracy was 88.7% in ROIs classification, and 83.25% in the classification of the whole breast density in the 4 BI-RADS density classes - taking into account a set of 400 images. Furthermore, when considering only a simplified two classes division (high and low densities) the classifier accuracy reached 93.5%, with AUC = 0.95.
Monte Carlo simulation for the estimation of the glandular breast dose for a digital breast tomosynthesis system
Rodrigues, Leonardo; Braz, Delson; Goncalves Magalhaes, Luis Alexandre
Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is a screening and diagnostic modality that acquires images of the breast at multiple angles during a short scan. The Selenia Dimensions (Hologic, Bedford, Mass) DBT system can perform both full-field digital mammography and DBT. The system acquires 15 projections over a 15 deg. angular range (from -7.5 deg. to +7.5 deg.). An important factor in determining the optimal imaging technique for breast tomosynthesis is the radiation dose. In breast imaging, the radiation dose of concern is that deposited in the glandular tissue of the breast because this is the tissue that has a risk of developing cancer. The concept of the normalised mean glandular dose (DgN) has been introduced as the metric for the dose in breast imaging. The DgN is difficult to measure. The Monte Carlo techniques offer an alternative method for a realistic estimation of the radiation dose. The purpose of this work was to use the Monte Carlo code MCNPX technique to generate monoenergetic glandular dose data for estimating the breast tissue dose in tomosynthesis for arbitrary spectra as well as to observe the deposited radiation dose by projection on the glandular portion of the breast in a Selenia Dimensions DBT system. A Monte Carlo simulation of the system was developed to compute the DgN in a craniocaudal view. Monoenergetic X-ray beams from 10 to 49 keV in 1-keV increments were used. The simulation utilised the assumption of a homogeneous breast composition and three compositions (0 % glandular, 50 % glandular and 100 % glandular). The glandular and adipose tissue compositions were specified according ICRU Report 44. A skin layer of 4 mm was assumed to encapsulate the breast on all surfaces. The breast size was varied using the chest wall-to-nipple distance (CND) and compressed breast thickness (t). In this work, the authors assumed a CND of 5 cm and the thicknesses ranged from 2 to 8 cm, in steps of 2 cm. The fractional energy absorption increases (up to 44
Classification of breast masses by ultrasonic Nakagami imaging: a feasibility study
Tsui, Po-Hsiang; Yeh, Chih-Kuang; Chang, Chien-Cheng; Liao, Yin-Yin
Ultrasound is an important clinical tool in noninvasive diagnoses of breast cancer. The Nakagami statistical parameter estimated from the ultrasonic backscattered envelope has been demonstrated to be useful in complementing conventional B-mode scans when classifying breast masses. However, the shadowing effect caused by certain high-attenuation tumors in the B-mode image makes the tumor contour unclear, and thus it is more difficult to choose an appropriate region of interest from which to collect tumor data for estimating the Nakagami parameter. This study explored the feasibility of using the Nakagami parametric image to overcome the shadowing effect for visualizing the properties of breast masses. Experiments were performed on a breast-mimicking phantom and on some typical clinical cases for cysts, fat and tumors (fibroadenoma) (n = 18) in order to explore the performance of the Nakagami image under ideal and practical conditions. The experimental results showed that the Nakagami image pixels (i.e. the local Nakagami parameter) in the cyst, tumor and fat are 0.21 ± 0.01, 0.65 ± 0.05 and 0.98 ± 0.07, respectively, for six independent phantom measurements, and 0.14 ± 0.03, 0.67 ± 0.11 and 0.89 ± 0.08, respectively, for clinical experiments. This suggests that the Nakagami image is able to classify various breast masses (p < 0.005) although the clinical results from tumors of different cases have a larger variance that may be caused by the complexity of real breast tissues. In particular, unlike the B-mode image, the Nakagami image is not subject to significant shadowing effects, making it useful to complement the B-mode image to describe the tumor contour for identifying the tumor-related region when the shadowing effect is stronger or a low system gain is used.
Tsui, P-H; Chang, C-C [Division of Mechanics, Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, 128, Section 2, Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan (China); Yeh, C-K; Liao, Y-Y [Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: mechang@gate.sinica.edu.tw, E-mail: ckyeh@mx.nthu.edu.tw
Ultrasound is an important clinical tool in noninvasive diagnoses of breast cancer. The Nakagami statistical parameter estimated from the ultrasonic backscattered envelope has been demonstrated to be useful in complementing conventional B-mode scans when classifying breast masses. However, the shadowing effect caused by certain high-attenuation tumors in the B-mode image makes the tumor contour unclear, and thus it is more difficult to choose an appropriate region of interest from which to collect tumor data for estimating the Nakagami parameter. This study explored the feasibility of using the Nakagami parametric image to overcome the shadowing effect for visualizing the properties of breast masses. Experiments were performed on a breast-mimicking phantom and on some typical clinical cases for cysts, fat and tumors (fibroadenoma) (n = 18) in order to explore the performance of the Nakagami image under ideal and practical conditions. The experimental results showed that the Nakagami image pixels (i.e. the local Nakagami parameter) in the cyst, tumor and fat are 0.21 {+-} 0.01, 0.65 {+-} 0.05 and 0.98 {+-} 0.07, respectively, for six independent phantom measurements, and 0.14 {+-} 0.03, 0.67 {+-} 0.11 and 0.89 {+-} 0.08, respectively, for clinical experiments. This suggests that the Nakagami image is able to classify various breast masses (p < 0.005) although the clinical results from tumors of different cases have a larger variance that may be caused by the complexity of real breast tissues. In particular, unlike the B-mode image, the Nakagami image is not subject to significant shadowing effects, making it useful to complement the B-mode image to describe the tumor contour for identifying the tumor-related region when the shadowing effect is stronger or a low system gain is used.
A novel method based on learning automata for automatic lesion detection in breast magnetic resonance imaging.
Salehi, Leila; Azmi, Reza
Breast cancer continues to be a significant public health problem in the world. Early detection is the key for improving breast cancer prognosis. In this way, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is emerging as a powerful tool for the detection of breast cancer. Breast MRI presently has two major challenges. First, its specificity is relatively poor, and it detects many false positives (FPs). Second, the method involves acquiring several high-resolution image volumes before, during, and after the injection of a contrast agent. The large volume of data makes the task of interpretation by the radiologist both complex and time-consuming. These challenges have led to the development of the computer-aided detection systems to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the interpretation process. Detection of suspicious regions of interests (ROIs) is a critical preprocessing step in dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI data evaluation. In this regard, this paper introduces a new automatic method to detect the suspicious ROIs for breast DCE-MRI based on region growing. The results indicate that the proposed method is thoroughly able to identify suspicious regions (accuracy of 75.39 ± 3.37 on PIDER breast MRI dataset). Furthermore, the FP per image in this method is averagely 7.92, which shows considerable improvement comparing to other methods like ROI hunter.
Breast US as primary imaging modality for diagnosing gynecomastia.
Telegrafo, M; Introna, T; Coi, L; Cornacchia, I; Rella, L; Stabile Ianora, A A; Angelelli, G; Moschetta, M
To assess the role of breast US in diagnosing and classifying gynecomastia as the primary imaging modality and to compare US findings and classification system with the mammographic ones. 48 patients suspected of having gynecomastia underwent mammography and US. Two radiologists in consensus retrospectively evaluated mammograms and sonograms. Both US and mammographic images were evaluated categorizing gynecomastia into non-mass, nodular and flame shaped patterns. The two category assignations were compared in order to find any difference. The reference standard for both the classification systems was represented by the cytological examination in 18 out of 44 cases (41%) and the six-month US follow-up in the remaining cases. The US examination revealed pseudo-gynecomastia in 4/48 (8%) and true gynecomastia in the remaining 44 (92%). Gynecomastia was bilateral in 25/44 cases (57%) and unilateral in the remaining 19 (43%). The cases of true gynecomastia included non mass shape in 26/44 cases (59%), nodular shape in 12 (27%) and flame shape in 6 (14%). The mammographic examination revealed the same results as compared with US findings. 18/44 (41%) patients affected by nodular or dendritic gynecomastia underwent cytological examination confirming the presence of glandular tissue and the benign nature of the clinical condition. US could be proposed as the primary imaging tool for diagnosing and classifying gynecomastia, avoiding unnecessary Xray examinations or invasive procedures in case of diffuse gynecomastia. In case of nodular or dendritic patterns, biopsy remains mandatory for a definitive diagnosis.
Breast vasculitis in association with breast gigantism in a pregnant patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Propper, D J; Reid, D M; Stankler, L; Eastmond, C J
A 24 year old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) developed widespread necrotic skin ulceration and gigantism of both breasts during an exacerbation of SLE in the last trimester of her second pregnancy. Over the remainder of the pregnancy the ulceration was only controlled by high dose corticosteroids. After parturition, however, it was possible to reduce the steroid dose without recurrence of the ulceration. Images PMID:1888201
... (200 at each of 3 sites) who have not received a diagnosis of breast cancer, and (3) quantitatively test the effectiveness of an educational approach that utilizes an existing network of lay workers who are indigenous to the target communities...
Imaging of breast tumors using MR-elastography
Lorenzen, J.; Sinkus, R.; Leussler, C.; Dargatz, M.; Roeschmann, P.; Schrader, D.; Lorenzen, M.
Purpose: Imaging of breast tumors using MR-Elastography. Material and method: Low-frequency mechanical waves are transmitted into breast-tissue by means of an oscillator. The local characteristics of the mechanical wave are determined by the elastic properties of the tissue. By means of a motion-sensitive spin-echo-sequence these waves can be displayed within the phase of the MR image. Subsequently, these images can be used to reconstruct the local distribution of elasticity. In-vivo measurements were performed in 3 female patients with malignant tumors of the breast. Results: All patients tolerated the measurement set-up without any untoward sensation in the contact area of skin and oscillator. The waves completely penetrated the breast, encompassing the axilla and regions close to the chest wall. All tumors were localized by MRE as structures of markedly stiffer tissue when compared to the surrounding tissue. Furthermore, in one patient, a metastasis in an axillary lymph node was detected. In all patients, local regions of increased elasticity were found in the remaining parenchyma of the breast, which, however, did not reach the high levels of elasticity found in the tumors. Conclusion: MRE is an imaging modality enabling adjunct tissue differentiation of mammary tumors. (orig.) [de
TU-EF-207-01: Introductory Remarks on Recent Advances in Breast Imaging
Karellas, A. [University of Massachusetts Medical School (United States)
Karellas, A.
Hard X-ray Microscopic Imaging Of Human Breast Tissues
Park, Sung H.; Kim, Hong T.; Kim, Jong K.; Jheon, Sang H.; Youn, Hwa S.
X-ray microscopy with synchrotron radiation will be a useful tool for innovation of x-ray imaging in clinical and laboratory settings. It helps us observe detailed internal structure of material samples non-invasively in air. And, it also has the potential to solve some tough problems of conventional breast imaging if it could evaluate various conditions of breast tissue effectively. A new hard x-ray microscope with a spatial resolution better than 100 nm was installed at Pohang Light Source, a third generation synchrotron radiation facility in Pohang, Korea. The x-ray energy was set at 6.95 keV, and the x-ray beam was monochromatized by W/B4C monochromator. Condenser and objective zone plates were used as x-ray lenses. Zernike phase plate next to condenser zone plate was introduced for improved contrast imaging. The image of a sample was magnified 30 times by objective zone plate and 20 times by microscope objective, respectively. After additional 10 times digital magnification, the total magnifying power was up to 6000 times in the end. Phase contrast synchrotron images of 10-μm-thick female breast tissue of the normal, fibroadenoma, fibrocystic change and carcinoma cases were obtained. By phase contrast imaging, hard x-rays enable us to observe many structures of breast tissue without sample preparations such as staining or fixation.
X-ray microscopy with synchrotron radiation will be a useful tool for innovation of x-ray imaging in clinical and laboratory settings. It helps us observe detailed internal structure of material samples non-invasively in air. And, it also has the potential to solve some tough problems of conventional breast imaging if it could evaluate various conditions of breast tissue effectively. A new hard x-ray microscope with a spatial resolution better than 100 nm was installed at Pohang Light Source, a third generation synchrotron radiation facility in Pohang, Korea. The x-ray energy was set at 6.95 keV, and the x-ray beam was monochromatized by W/B4C monochromator. Condenser and objective zone plates were used as x-ray lenses. Zernike phase plate next to condenser zone plate was introduced for improved contrast imaging. The image of a sample was magnified 30 times by objective zone plate and 20 times by microscope objective, respectively. After additional 10 times digital magnification, the total magnifying power was up to 6000 times in the end. Phase contrast synchrotron images of 10-μm-thick female breast tissue of the normal, fibroadenoma, fibrocystic change and carcinoma cases were obtained. By phase contrast imaging, hard x-rays enable us to observe many structures of breast tissue without sample preparations such as staining or fixation
Development of an Anthropomorphic Breast Phantom for Combined PET, B-Mode Ultrasound and Elastographic Imaging
Dang, Jun; Frisch, Benjamin; Lasaygues, Philippe; Zhang, Dachun; Tavernier, Stefaan; Felix, Nicolas; Lecoq, Paul; Auffray, Etiennette; Varela, Joao; Mensah, Serge; Wan, Mingxi
Combining the advantages of different imaging modalities leads to improved clinical results. For example, ultrasound provides good real-time structural information without any radiation and PET provides sensitive functional information. For the ongoing ClearPEM-Sonic project combining ultrasound and PET for breast imaging, we developed a dual-modality PET/Ultrasound (US) phantom. The phantom reproduces the acoustic and elastic properties of human breast tissue and allows labeling the different tissues in the phantom with different concentrations of FDG. The phantom was imaged with a whole-body PET/CT and with the Supersonic Imagine Aixplorer system. This system allows both B-mode US and shear wave elastographic imaging. US elastography is a new imaging method for displaying the tissue elasticity distribution. It was shown to be useful in breast imaging. We also tested the phantom with static elastography. A 6D magnetic positioning system allows fusing the images obtained with the two modalities. ClearPEM-Sonic is a project of the Crystal Clear Collaboration and the European Centre for Research on Medical Imaging (CERIMED).
Comprehensive Reproductive System Care Program - Clinical Breast Care Project (CRSCP-CBCP)
biomedical informatics group here, the ProLogic team, and the MDR Global leader. This Pathology Checklist tablet data capturing system development with...initiative in developing a prototype tablet application using the Pathology Checklist as the first example following a decision made at the last CBCP...enabling surgery within the center. The Breast Imaging Center has a designated Aurora Breast MRI machine. The merging of the Army and Navy Breast
Estimation of T2 relaxation time of breast cancer: Correlation with clinical, imaging and pathological features
Seo, Mirinae; Sohn, Yu Mee [Dept. of Radiology, Kyung Hee University Hospital, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Ryu, Jung Kyu; Jahng, Geon Ho; Rhee, Sun Jung; Oh, Jang Hoon; Won, Kyu Yeoun [Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)
The purpose of this study was to estimate the T2* relaxation time in breast cancer, and to evaluate the association between the T2* value with clinical-imaging-pathological features of breast cancer. Between January 2011 and July 2013, 107 consecutive women with 107 breast cancers underwent multi-echo T2*-weighted imaging on a 3T clinical magnetic resonance imaging system. The Student's t test and one-way analysis of variance were used to compare the T2* values of cancer for different groups, based on the clinical-imaging-pathological features. In addition, multiple linear regression analysis was performed to find independent predictive factors associated with the T2* values. Of the 107 breast cancers, 92 were invasive and 15 were ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The mean T2* value of invasive cancers was significantly longer than that of DCIS (p = 0.029). Signal intensity on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and histologic grade of invasive breast cancers showed significant correlation with T2* relaxation time in univariate and multivariate analysis. Breast cancer groups with higher signal intensity on T2WI showed longer T2* relaxation time (p = 0.005). Cancer groups with higher histologic grade showed longer T2* relaxation time (p = 0.017). The T2* value is significantly longer in invasive cancer than in DCIS. In invasive cancers, T2* relaxation time is significantly longer in higher histologic grades and high signal intensity on T2WI. Based on these preliminary data, quantitative T2* mapping has the potential to be useful in the characterization of breast cancer.
Automatic correspondence detection in mammogram and breast tomosynthesis images
Ehrhardt, Jan; Krüger, Julia; Bischof, Arpad; Barkhausen, Jörg; Handels, Heinz
Two-dimensional mammography is the major imaging modality in breast cancer detection. A disadvantage of mammography is the projective nature of this imaging technique. Tomosynthesis is an attractive modality with the potential to combine the high contrast and high resolution of digital mammography with the advantages of 3D imaging. In order to facilitate diagnostics and treatment in the current clinical work-flow, correspondences between tomosynthesis images and previous mammographic exams of the same women have to be determined. In this paper, we propose a method to detect correspondences in 2D mammograms and 3D tomosynthesis images automatically. In general, this 2D/3D correspondence problem is ill-posed, because a point in the 2D mammogram corresponds to a line in the 3D tomosynthesis image. The goal of our method is to detect the "most probable" 3D position in the tomosynthesis images corresponding to a selected point in the 2D mammogram. We present two alternative approaches to solve this 2D/3D correspondence problem: a 2D/3D registration method and a 2D/2D mapping between mammogram and tomosynthesis projection images with a following back projection. The advantages and limitations of both approaches are discussed and the performance of the methods is evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively using a software phantom and clinical breast image data. Although the proposed 2D/3D registration method can compensate for moderate breast deformations caused by different breast compressions, this approach is not suitable for clinical tomosynthesis data due to the limited resolution and blurring effects perpendicular to the direction of projection. The quantitative results show that the proposed 2D/2D mapping method is capable of detecting corresponding positions in mammograms and tomosynthesis images automatically for 61 out of 65 landmarks. The proposed method can facilitate diagnosis, visual inspection and comparison of 2D mammograms and 3D tomosynthesis images for
MR imaging of the augmented and reconstructed breast
Ivanov, V.; Kirova, G.
Full text: Introduction: Various diagnostic methods are used to assess the changes in both the integrity of the implant, and the fibrous capsule of breast parenchyma. MRI has advantages over other diagnostic methods providing high tissue contrast, multi-faceted imaging and lack of ionizing radiation. What you will learn: MRI evaluation of breast augmentation approaches and their complications, MRI assessment of disease with malignant and benign characteristics in patients with breast implants, MRI assessment of breast reconstruction with autologous tissue. Discussion: Mammography after augmentation and reconstructive mammoplasty is hampered by the deformation of the breast parenchyma of the implant and the reduced compression. Postoperative scarring is also difficult to assess. MRI evaluation of implant rupture is accurate using the findings specific to it - linguine sign, teardrop sign or siliconomas. According to Gorczyca et al. MRI has a sensitivity 94% and specificity 97% in the evaluation of rupture. MRI mammography is highly sensitive - between 90 and 95%, in the detection of malignant, but it has limited specificity, which is its disadvantage. Malignant lesions can be represented as fibroadenomas, postoperative and inflammatory changes. Conclusion: Difficulties in the diagnosis of rupture of the implant, the primary and recurrent carcinoma based on clinical examination and inconclusive data from mammography and ultrasound imaging make MRI the method of choice in the evaluation of patients with breast implants
A new test phantom with different breast tissue compositions for image quality assessment in conventional and digital mammography
Pachoud, Marc; Lepori, D; Valley, Jean-Francois; Verdun, Francis R
Our objective is to describe a new test phantom that permits the objective assessment of image quality in conventional and digital mammography for different types of breast tissue. A test phantom, designed to represent a compressed breast, was made from tissue equivalent materials. Three separate regions, with different breast tissue compositions, are used to evaluate low and high contrast resolution, spatial resolution and image noise. The phantom was imaged over a range of kV using a Contour 2000 (Bennett) mammography unit with a Kodak MinR 2190-MinR L screen-film combination and a Senograph 2000D (General Electric) digital mammography unit. Objective image quality assessments for different breast tissue compositions were performed using the phantom for conventional and digital mammography. For a similar mean glandular dose (MGD), the digital system gives a significantly higher contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) than the screen-film system for 100% glandular tissue. In conclusion, in mammography, a range of exposure conditions is used for imaging because of the different breast tissue compositions encountered clinically. Ideally, the patient dose-image quality relationship should be optimized over the range of exposure conditions. The test phantom presented in this work permits image quality parameters to be evaluated objectively for three different types of breast tissue. Thus, it is a useful tool for optimizing the patient dose-image quality relationship
Sentinel lymph node imaging in breast cancer
Kim, Byung Tae
Currently, dissection of the axillary or regional lymph nodes is considered the standard staging procedure in breast cancer. However, accumulating evidence is becoming available that the sentinel node concept may provide the same or even better staging information. In the case of melanoma, it is proven that the histological characteristics of the sentinel node reflect the histological characteristics of the distal part of the lymphatic basin. Morbidity can be reduced significantly by the use of sentinel node dissection as several authors have reported successful introduction of this technique into clinical practice. But in breast cancer patients, there are significant differences in practice relating to the technology, such as radiopharmaceuticals, injection sites, volume of injectate, combination with vital blue dye, preoperative lymphoscintigraphy, etc. Valuable reports on these topics appeared in recent journals. This review is a summary of those reports for nuclear physicians interested in sentinel node detection by lymphoscintigraphy in breast cancer patients
Early detection of breast cancer mass lesions by mammogram segmentation images based on texture features
Mahmood, F.H.
Mammography is at present one of the available method for early detection of masses or abnormalities which is related to breast cancer.The calcifications. The challenge lies in early and accurate detection to overcome the development of breast cancer that affects more and more women throughout the world. Breast cancer is diagnosed at advanced stages with the help of the digital mammogram images. Masses appear in a mammogram as fine, granular clusters, which are often difficult to identify in a raw mammogram. The incidence of breast cancer in women has increased significantly in recent years. This paper proposes a computer aided diagnostic system for the extraction of features like mass lesions in mammograms for early detection of breast cancer. The proposed technique is based on a four-step procedure: (a) the preprocessing of the image is done, (b) regions of interest (ROI) specification, (c) supervised segmentation method includes two to stages performed using the minimum distance (M D) criterion, and (d) feature extraction based on Gray level Co-occurrence matrices GLC M for the identification of mass lesions. The method suggested for the detection of mass lesions from mammogram image segmentation and analysis was tested over several images taken from A L-llwiya Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq.The proposed technique shows better results.
Pilot study of quantitative analysis of background enhancement on breast MR images: association with menstrual cycle and mammographic breast density.
Scaranelo, Anabel M; Carrillo, Maria Claudia; Fleming, Rachel; Jacks, Lindsay M; Kulkarni, Supriya R; Crystal, Pavel
To perform semiautomated quantitative analysis of the background enhancement (BE) in a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer and to correlate it with mammographic breast density and menstrual cycle. Informed consent was waived after the research ethics board approved this study. Results of 177 consecutive preoperative breast magnetic resonance (MR) examinations performed from February to December 2009 were reviewed; 147 female patients (median age, 48 years; range, 26-86 years) were included. Ordinal values of BE and breast density were described by two independent readers by using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System lexicon. The BE coefficient (BEC) was calculated thus: (SI2 · 100/SI1) - 100, where SI is signal intensity, SI2 is the SI enhancement measured in the largest anteroposterior dimension in the axial plane 1 minute after the contrast agent injection, and SI1is the SI before contrast agent injection. BEC was used for the quantitative analysis of BE. Menstrual cycle status was based on the last menstrual period. The Wilcoxon rank-sum or Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare quantitative assessment groups. Cohen weighted κ was used to evaluate agreement. Of 147 patients, 68 (46%) were premenopausal and 79 (54%) were postmenopausal. The quantitative BEC was associated with the menstrual status (BEC in premenopausal women, 31.48 ± 20.68 [standard deviation]; BEC in postmenopausal women, 25.65 ± 16.74; P = .02). The percentage of overall BE was higher when the MR imaging was performed in women in the inadequate phase of the cycle (quantitative BE than postmenopausal women. No association was found between BE and breast density.
Tomosynthesis Breast Imaging: Early Detection and Characterization of Breast Cancer
Our aim for the second year of this grant was to investigate the tomosynthetic image quality by performing experimental studies using the specially developed phantoms and to quantitate tomosynthesis...
Automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) in assessing breast cancer size. A comparison with conventional ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging
Girometti, Rossano; Zanotel, Martina; Londero, Viviana; Linda, Anna; Lorenzon, Michele; Zuiani, Chiara [University of Udine, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata di Udine, Institute of Radiology, Department of Medicine, Udine (Italy)
To compare automated breast volume scanner (ABVS), ultrasound (US) and MRI in measuring breast cancer size, and evaluate the agreement between ABVS and US in assessing lesion location and sonographic features. We retrospectively included 98 women with 100 index cancers who had undergone US and ABVS followed by 1.5T MRI. Images were interpreted by a pool of readers reporting lesion size, location and breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) features. Bland-Altman analysis (with logarithmic data transformation), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cohen's kappa statistic were used for statistical analysis. MRI showed the best absolute agreement with histology in measuring cancer size (ICC 0.93), with LOA comparable to those of ABVS (0.63-1.99 vs. 0.52-1.73, respectively). Though ABVS and US had highly concordant measurements (ICC 0.95), ABVS showed better agreement with histology (LOA 0.52-1.73 vs. 0.45-1.86, respectively), corresponding to a higher ICC (0.85 vs. 0.75, respectively). Except for posterior features (k=0.39), the agreement between US and ABVS in attributing site and BI-RADS features ranged from substantial to almost perfect (k=0.68-0.85). ABVS performs better than US and approaches MRI in predicting breast cancer size. ABVS performs comparably to US in sonographic assessment of lesions. (orig.)
Local breast density assessment using reacquired mammographic images.
GarcÃa, Eloy; Diaz, Oliver; MartÃ, Robert; Diez, Yago; Gubern-Mérida, Albert; SentÃs, Melcior; MartÃ, Joan; Oliver, Arnau
The aim of this paper is to evaluate the spatial glandular volumetric tissue distribution as well as the density measures provided by Volpara™ using a dataset composed of repeated pairs of mammograms, where each pair was acquired in a short time frame and in a slightly changed position of the breast. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 99 pairs of repeatedly acquired full-field digital mammograms from 99 different patients. The commercial software Volpara™ Density Maps (Volpara Solutions, Wellington, New Zealand) is used to estimate both the global and the local glandular tissue distribution in each image. The global measures provided by Volpara™, such as breast volume, volume of glandular tissue, and volumetric breast density are compared between the two acquisitions. The evaluation of the local glandular information is performed using histogram similarity metrics, such as intersection and correlation, and local measures, such as statistics from the difference image and local gradient correlation measures. Global measures showed a high correlation (breast volume R=0.99, volume of glandular tissue R=0.94, and volumetric breast density R=0.96) regardless the anode/filter material. Similarly, histogram intersection and correlation metric showed that, for each pair, the images share a high degree of information. Regarding the local distribution of glandular tissue, small changes in the angle of view do not yield significant differences in the glandular pattern, whilst changes in the breast thickness between both acquisition affect the spatial parenchymal distribution. This study indicates that Volpara™ Density Maps is reliable in estimating the local glandular tissue distribution and can be used for its assessment and follow-up. Volpara™ Density Maps is robust to small variations of the acquisition angle and to the beam energy, although divergences arise due to different breast compression conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Reproducing 2D breast mammography images with 3D printed phantoms
Clark, Matthew; Ghammraoui, Bahaa; Badal, Andreu
Mammography is currently the standard imaging modality used to screen women for breast abnormalities and, as a result, it is a tool of great importance for the early detection of breast cancer. Physical phantoms are commonly used as surrogates of breast tissue to evaluate some aspects of the performance of mammography systems. However, most phantoms do not reproduce the anatomic heterogeneity of real breasts. New fabrication technologies, such as 3D printing, have created the opportunity to build more complex, anatomically realistic breast phantoms that could potentially assist in the evaluation of mammography systems. The primary objective of this work is to present a simple, easily reproducible methodology to design and print 3D objects that replicate the attenuation profile observed in real 2D mammograms. The secondary objective is to evaluate the capabilities and limitations of the competing 3D printing technologies, and characterize the x-ray properties of the different materials they use. Printable phantoms can be created using the open-source code introduced in this work, which processes a raw mammography image to estimate the amount of x-ray attenuation at each pixel, and outputs a triangle mesh object that encodes the observed attenuation map. The conversion from the observed pixel gray value to a column of printed material with equivalent attenuation requires certain assumptions and knowledge of multiple imaging system parameters, such as x-ray energy spectrum, source-to-object distance, compressed breast thickness, and average breast material attenuation. A detailed description of the new software, a characterization of the printed materials using x-ray spectroscopy, and an evaluation of the realism of the sample printed phantoms are presented.
Dang, J; Tavernier, S; Lasaygues, P; Mensah, S; Zhang, D C; Auffray, E; Frisch, B; Varela, J; Wan, M X; Felix, N
Combining the advantages of different imaging modalities leads to improved clinical results. For example, ultrasound provides good real-time structural information without any radiation and PET provides sensitive functional information. For the ongoing ClearPEM-Sonic project combining ultrasound and PET for breast imaging, we developed a dual-modality PET/Ultrasound (US) phantom. The phantom reproduces the acoustic and elastic properties of human breast tissue and allows labeling the different tissues in the phantom with different concentrations of FDG. The phantom was imaged with a whole-body PET/CT and with the Supersonic Imagine Aixplorer system. This system allows both B-mode US and shear wave elastographic imaging. US elastography is a new imaging method for displaying the tissue elasticity distribution. It was shown to be useful in breast imaging. We also tested the phantom with static elastography. A 6D magnetic positioning system allows fusing the images obtained with the two modalities. ClearPEM-Soni...
Lymphoscintigraphy and breast cancer: early and/or late image?
Rousseau, C.; Campion, L.; Curtet, C.; Classe, J.M.; Dravet, F.; Fiche, M.; Sagan, C.; Chatal, J.F.; Resche, I.
As the performance of early (H+1 to 4) and late (D1) lympho-scintigraphic images raises organisational problems in outpatient surgery for breast cancer, only early images are generally obtained. The present study evaluated whether two series of images are better than one and defined the advantages of both methodologies On hundred and eighteen patients with infiltrating breast carcinoma (T0, T1 and T2) were included in the study : 87 in group A (early and late images) and 31 in group B (only early images). All patients received two peritumoral injections of 99m Tc-sulphur colloid: 15-18 MBq (group A) and < 15 MBq (group B). During the operation, the patent blue technique was associated with radioactivity detection. The two groups were comparable for histological type and tumour size and localization. Successful localisation of sentinel-nodes on early lympho-scintigraphic images was significantly greater for group B. The sensitivity of early lymphoscintigraphy increased by 10% during the study. Sentinel node detection by the isotopic method alone or the two methods combined was comparable for both groups. In radioactivity detection, the count rate for sentinel nodes versus background (contralateral breast) was superposable for the two groups. During the learning phase, two series of images gave a definite advantage. Subsequently, lymphoscintigraphy performed at + 2 h was sufficient (the results for the two groups became superposable). (author)
Comparisons of three alternative breast modalities in a common phantom imaging experiment
Li Dun; Meaney, Paul M.; Tosteson, Tor D.; Jiang Shudong; Kerner, Todd E.; McBride, Troy O.; Pogue, Brian W.; Hartov, Alexander; Paulsen, Keith D.
Four model-based imaging systems are currently being developed for breast cancer detection at Dartmouth College. A potential advantage of multimodality imaging is the prospect of combining information collected from each system to provide a more complete diagnostic tool that covers the full range of the patient and pathology spectra. In this paper it is shown through common phantom experiments on three of these imaging systems that it was possible to correlate different types of image information to potentially improve the reliability of tumor detection. Imaging experiments were conducted with common phantoms which mimic both dielectric and optical properties of the human breast. Cross modality comparison was investigated through a statistical study based on the repeated data sets of reconstructed parameters for each modality. The system standard error between all methods was generally less than 10% and the correlation coefficient across modalities ranged from 0.68 to 0.91. Future work includes the minimization of bias (artifacts) on the periphery of electrical impedance spectroscopy images to improve cross modality correlation and implementation of the multimodality diagnosis for breast cancer detection
Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging of breast lesions: Initial ...
Hebatallah Hassan Mamdouh Hassan
Mar 31, 2013 ... breast cancer.2 Additional lesions seen by MRI that are not visible on ... characterization of lesions as benign or malignant on the basis ... lular density associated with numerous intact cell ..... ence for ADC values between the two MRI devices, the lesions .... Magnetic resonance imaging of brain and spine.
Fast, fat-suppressed diagnostic imaging of the breast
Metzger, G.J.; Weatherall, P.
Maximum sensitivity and diagnostic precision of MR imaging of the breast can be achieved only with fat-suppressed diagnostic scans with high resolution. Optimal results were obtained with a 3D-FFE sequence and excitation by a binomial pulse and an amplitude-modulated binomial pulse. (orig./CB) [de
Heterogeneous Breast Phantom Development for Microwave Imaging Using Regression Models
Camerin Hahn
Full Text Available As new algorithms for microwave imaging emerge, it is important to have standard accurate benchmarking tests. Currently, most researchers use homogeneous phantoms for testing new algorithms. These simple structures lack the heterogeneity of the dielectric properties of human tissue and are inadequate for testing these algorithms for medical imaging. To adequately test breast microwave imaging algorithms, the phantom has to resemble different breast tissues physically and in terms of dielectric properties. We propose a systematic approach in designing phantoms that not only have dielectric properties close to breast tissues but also can be easily shaped to realistic physical models. The approach is based on regression model to match phantom's dielectric properties with the breast tissue dielectric properties found in Lazebnik et al. (2007. However, the methodology proposed here can be used to create phantoms for any tissue type as long as ex vivo, in vitro, or in vivo tissue dielectric properties are measured and available. Therefore, using this method, accurate benchmarking phantoms for testing emerging microwave imaging algorithms can be developed.
Digital image analysis in breast pathology-from image processing techniques to artificial intelligence.
Robertson, Stephanie; Azizpour, Hossein; Smith, Kevin; Hartman, Johan
Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease in women worldwide. In recent decades, earlier diagnosis and better adjuvant therapy have substantially improved patient outcome. Diagnosis by histopathology has proven to be instrumental to guide breast cancer treatment, but new challenges have emerged as our increasing understanding of cancer over the years has revealed its complex nature. As patient demand for personalized breast cancer therapy grows, we face an urgent need for more precise biomarker assessment and more accurate histopathologic breast cancer diagnosis to make better therapy decisions. The digitization of pathology data has opened the door to faster, more reproducible, and more precise diagnoses through computerized image analysis. Software to assist diagnostic breast pathology through image processing techniques have been around for years. But recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) promise to fundamentally change the way we detect and treat breast cancer in the near future. Machine learning, a subfield of AI that applies statistical methods to learn from data, has seen an explosion of interest in recent years because of its ability to recognize patterns in data with less need for human instruction. One technique in particular, known as deep learning, has produced groundbreaking results in many important problems including image classification and speech recognition. In this review, we will cover the use of AI and deep learning in diagnostic breast pathology, and other recent developments in digital image analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Imaging findings of papillary breast lesions: A pictorial review
Kestelman, F.P.; Gomes, C.F.A.; Fontes, F.B.; Marchiori, E.
The aim of this review is to describe the different imaging appearances of benign and malignant papillary breast lesions on mammography, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging, according to the World Health Organization histopathological classifications. The classification and morphological imaging characteristics of papillary lesions remain challenging for pathologists and radiologists. Despite the difficulty of classifying these lesions, our review and those of others suggest that morphology is associated with clinically meaningful staging and outcome implications. Imaging can help to differentiate the forms of papillary lesion, but surgical specimens are required for definitive diagnosis in the majority of cases
Impact of real-time virtual sonography, a coordinated sonography and MRI system that uses an image fusion technique, on the sonographic evaluation of MRI-detected lesions of the breast in second-look sonography.
Nakano, Shogo; Kousaka, Junko; Fujii, Kimihito; Yorozuya, Kyoko; Yoshida, Miwa; Mouri, Yukako; Akizuki, Miwa; Tetsuka, Rie; Ando, Takahito; Fukutomi, Takashi; Oshima, Yukihiko; Kimura, Junko; Ishiguchi, Tsuneo; Arai, Osamu
The aim of this study was to verify the utility of second-look sonography using real-time virtual sonography (RVS)-a coordinated sonography with an MRI system that uses an image fusion technique with magnetic navigation-on the sonographic evaluation of MRI-detected lesions of the breast. Of the 196 consecutive patients who were examined with breast MRI in our hospital from 2006 to 2009, those patients who underwent second-look sonography to identify MRI-detected lesions were enrolled in this study. MRI was performed using a 1.5-T imager with the patient in a supine position. To assess the efficacy benefits of RVS, the correlations between lesion detection rates, MRI features, distribution, and histopathological classification on second-look sonography using conventional B-mode or RVS were analyzed. Of the 196 patients, 55 (28 %) demonstrated 67 lesions initially detected by MRI, followed by second-look sonography. Of the 67 MRI-detected lesions, 18 (30 %) were identified with second-look sonography using conventional B-mode alone, whereas 60 (90 %) lesions were detected with second-look sonography using RVS (p use of RVS on second-look sonography significantly increases the sonographic detection rate of MRI-detected lesions without operator dependence.
Immunophenotyping invasive breast cancer: paving the road for molecular imaging
Vermeulen, Jeroen F; Brussel, Aram SA van; Groep, Petra van der; Morsink, Folkert HM; Bult, Peter; Wall, Elsken van der; Diest, Paul J van
Mammographic population screening in The Netherlands has increased the number of breast cancer patients with small and non-palpable breast tumors. Nevertheless, mammography is not ultimately sensitive and specific for distinct subtypes. Molecular imaging with targeted tracers might increase specificity and sensitivity of detection. Because development of new tracers is labor-intensive and costly, we searched for the smallest panel of tumor membrane markers that would allow detection of the wide spectrum of invasive breast cancers. Tissue microarrays containing 483 invasive breast cancers were stained by immunohistochemistry for a selected set of membrane proteins known to be expressed in breast cancer. The combination of highly tumor-specific markers glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF1-R), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), hepatocyte growth factor receptor (MET), and carbonic anhydrase 9 (CAIX) 'detected' 45.5% of tumors, especially basal/triple negative and HER2-driven ductal cancers. Addition of markers with a 2-fold tumor-to-normal ratio increased the detection rate to 98%. Including only markers with >3 fold tumor-to-normal ratio (CD44v6) resulted in an 80% detection rate. The detection rate of the panel containing both tumor-specific and less tumor-specific markers was not dependent on age, tumor grade, tumor size, or lymph node status. In search of the minimal panel of targeted probes needed for the highest possible detection rate, we showed that 80% of all breast cancers express at least one of a panel of membrane markers (CD44v6, GLUT1, EGFR, HER2, and IGF1-R) that may therefore be suitable for molecular imaging strategies. This study thereby serves as a starting point for further development of a set of antibody-based optical tracers with a high breast cancer detection rate
Vermeulen Jeroen F
Full Text Available Abstract Background Mammographic population screening in The Netherlands has increased the number of breast cancer patients with small and non-palpable breast tumors. Nevertheless, mammography is not ultimately sensitive and specific for distinct subtypes. Molecular imaging with targeted tracers might increase specificity and sensitivity of detection. Because development of new tracers is labor-intensive and costly, we searched for the smallest panel of tumor membrane markers that would allow detection of the wide spectrum of invasive breast cancers. Methods Tissue microarrays containing 483 invasive breast cancers were stained by immunohistochemistry for a selected set of membrane proteins known to be expressed in breast cancer. Results The combination of highly tumor-specific markers glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF1-R, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2, hepatocyte growth factor receptor (MET, and carbonic anhydrase 9 (CAIX 'detected' 45.5% of tumors, especially basal/triple negative and HER2-driven ductal cancers. Addition of markers with a 2-fold tumor-to-normal ratio increased the detection rate to 98%. Including only markers with >3 fold tumor-to-normal ratio (CD44v6 resulted in an 80% detection rate. The detection rate of the panel containing both tumor-specific and less tumor-specific markers was not dependent on age, tumor grade, tumor size, or lymph node status. Conclusions In search of the minimal panel of targeted probes needed for the highest possible detection rate, we showed that 80% of all breast cancers express at least one of a panel of membrane markers (CD44v6, GLUT1, EGFR, HER2, and IGF1-R that may therefore be suitable for molecular imaging strategies. This study thereby serves as a starting point for further development of a set of antibody-based optical tracers with a high breast cancer detection rate.
Imaging findings of primary breast sarcoma: Results of a first multicenter study
Wienbeck, Susanne, E-mail: susanne.wienbeck@med.uni-goettingen.de [University of Göttingen, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Robert- Koch-Str. 40, 37075 Göttingen (Germany); Meyer, Hans Jonas [University Hospital Halle, Department of Radiology, Ernst-Grube-Str. 40, 06120 Halle (Germany); Herzog, Aimee [University of Jena, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747 Jena (Germany); Nemat, Sogand [University of Saarland, Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Kirrberger Str. 100, 66424 Homburg (Germany); Teifke, Andrea [University of Mainz, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz (Germany); Heindel, Walter [University of Münster, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 33, 48149 Münster (Germany); Schäfer, Fritz [University of Kiel, Institute of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Arnold-Heller-Str. 3, 24105 Kiel (Germany); Kinner, Sonja [University of Essen, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147 Essen (Germany); Müller-Schimpfle, Markus [Clinic Frankfurt Höchst, Department of Radiology, Gotenstr. 6, 65929 Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Surov, Alexey [University Hospital Halle, Department of Radiology, Ernst-Grube-Str. 40, 06120 Halle (Germany); University of Leipzig, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Liebigstr. 20, 04103 Leipzig (Germany)
Purpose: To investigate imaging findings in patients with primary breast sarcoma (PBS). Materials and methods: A retrospective search in the databases of 10 radiological departments in Germany from 2000 to 2011 was performed. Only histologically proven cases of PBS were included into the study. Mammography was available in 31 patients (33 lesions), ultrasound images in 24 patients (24 lesions), and for 10 patients (14 lesions) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast was performed. The breast findings were classified according to the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (BI-RADS) 5th edition categories. Collected data were evaluated by means of descriptive statistics. Results: Forty-two female patients (mean age 62.0 years, range, 30–86 years) were included in the study. Clinically, all women had painless lumps. Irregular (53.3% [16/30]) or oval (30.0% [9/30]) mass with indistinct (73.3% [22/30]) or microlobulated (10% [3/30]) margins were common findings on mammograms. Ultrasound revealed typically an irregular (79.2% [19/24]), hypoechoic (62.5% [15/24]) mass, with indistinct margins (79.2% [19/24]), and posterior acoustic shadowing (79.2% [19/24]). MRI showed irregular masses (81.8% [9/11]) with irregular or spiculated margins, and a rapid initial signal increase with a delayed washout in kinetic analysis. Conclusion: Overall, PBS has no pathognomonic imaging features and can mimic those of invasive mammary carcinoma. Breast sarcoma should be taken into the differential diagnosis of breast findings described above.
Anatomic breast coordinate system for mammogram analysis
Karemore, Gopal; Brandt, S.; Karssemeijer, N.
was represented by geodesic distance (s) from nipple and parametric angle (¿) as shown in figure 1. The scoring technique called MTR (mammographic texture resemblance marker) used this breast coordinate system to extract Gaussian derivative features. The features extracted using the (x,y) and the curve......Purpose Many researchers have investigated measures also other than density in the mammogram such as measures based on texture to improve breast cancer risk assessment. However, parenchymal texture characteristics are highly dependent on the orientation of vasculature structure and fibrous tissue...... methodologies as seen from table 2 in given temporal study. Conclusion The curve-linear anatomical breast coordinate system facilitated computerized analysis of mammograms. The proposed coordinate system slightly improved the risk segregation by Mammographic Texture Resemblance and minimized the geometrical...
Mammography combined with breast dynamic contrast-enhanced-magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of early breast cancer
Yakun He; Guohui Xu; Jin Ren; Bin Feng; Xiaolei Dong; Hao Lu; Changjiu He
Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the application of mammography combined with breast dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) for the diagnosis of early breast cancer. Methods Mammography and DCE-MRI were performed for 120 patients with breast cancer (malignant, 102; benign; 18). Results The sensitivity of mammography for early diagnosis of breast cancer was 66.67%, specificity was 77.78%, and accuracy was 68.33%. The sensitivity of MRI for early diagnosis of breast cancer was 94.12%, specificity was 88.89%, and accuracy was 93.33%. However, the sensitivity of mammography combined with DCE-MRI volume imaging with enhanced water signal (VIEWS) scanning for early diagnosis of breast cancer was 97.06%, specificity was 94.44%, and accuracy was 96.67%. Conclusion Mammography combined with DCE-MRI increased the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of diagnosing early breast cancer.
Direct-Conversion Molecular Breast Imaging of Invasive Breast Cancer: Imaging Features, Extent of Invasive Disease, and Comparison Between Invasive Ductal and Lobular Histology.
Conners, Amy Lynn; Jones, Katie N; Hruska, Carrie B; Geske, Jennifer R; Boughey, Judy C; Rhodes, Deborah J
The purposes of this study were to compare the tumor appearance of invasive breast cancer on direct-conversion molecular breast imaging using a standardized lexicon and to determine how often direct-conversion molecular breast imaging identifies all known invasive tumor foci in the breast, and whether this differs for invasive ductal versus lobular histologic profiles. Patients with prior invasive breast cancer and concurrent direct-conversion molecular breast imaging examinations were retrospectively reviewed. Blinded review of direct-conversion molecular breast imaging examinations was performed by one of two radiologists, according to a validated lexicon. Direct-conversion molecular breast imaging findings were matched with lesions described on the pathology report to exclude benign reasons for direct-conversion molecular breast imaging findings and to document direct-conversion molecular breast imaging-occult tumor foci. Associations between direct-conversion molecular breast imaging findings and tumor histologic profiles were examined using chi-square tests. In 286 patients, 390 invasive tumor foci were present in 294 breasts. A corresponding direct-conversion molecular breast imaging finding was present for 341 of 390 (87%) tumor foci described on the pathology report. Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) tumor foci were more likely to be a mass (40% IDC vs 15% invasive lobular carcinoma [ILC]; p < 0.001) and to have marked intensity than were ILC foci (63% IDC vs 32% ILC; p < 0.001). Direct-conversion molecular breast imaging correctly revealed all pathology-proven foci of invasive disease in 79.8% of cases and was more likely to do so for IDC than for ILC (86.1% vs 56.7%; p < 0.0001). Overall, direct-conversion molecular breast imaging showed all known invasive foci in 249 of 286 (87%) patients. Direct-conversion molecular breast imaging features of invasive cancer, including lesion type and intensity, differ by histologic subtype. Direct-conversion molecular
Feature extraction using convolutional neural network for classifying breast density in mammographic images
Thomaz, Ricardo L.; Carneiro, Pedro C.; Patrocinio, Ana C.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women in most countries. The high levels of mortality relate mostly to late diagnosis and to the direct proportionally relationship between breast density and breast cancer development. Therefore, the correct assessment of breast density is important to provide better screening for higher risk patients. However, in modern digital mammography the discrimination among breast densities is highly complex due to increased contrast and visual information for all densities. Thus, a computational system for classifying breast density might be a useful tool for aiding medical staff. Several machine-learning algorithms are already capable of classifying small number of classes with good accuracy. However, machinelearning algorithms main constraint relates to the set of features extracted and used for classification. Although well-known feature extraction techniques might provide a good set of features, it is a complex task to select an initial set during design of a classifier. Thus, we propose feature extraction using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for classifying breast density by a usual machine-learning classifier. We used 307 mammographic images downsampled to 260x200 pixels to train a CNN and extract features from a deep layer. After training, the activation of 8 neurons from a deep fully connected layer are extracted and used as features. Then, these features are feedforward to a single hidden layer neural network that is cross-validated using 10-folds to classify among four classes of breast density. The global accuracy of this method is 98.4%, presenting only 1.6% of misclassification. However, the small set of samples and memory constraints required the reuse of data in both CNN and MLP-NN, therefore overfitting might have influenced the results even though we cross-validated the network. Thus, although we presented a promising method for extracting features and classifying breast density, a greater database is
A case-oriented web-based training system for breast cancer diagnosis.
Huang, Qinghua; Huang, Xianhai; Liu, Longzhong; Lin, Yidi; Long, Xingzhang; Li, Xuelong
Breast cancer is still considered as the most common form of cancer as well as the leading causes of cancer deaths among women all over the world. We aim to provide a web-based breast ultrasound database for online training inexperienced radiologists and giving computer-assisted diagnostic information for detection and classification of the breast tumor. We introduce a web database which stores breast ultrasound images from breast cancer patients as well as their diagnostic information. A web-based training system using a feature scoring scheme based on Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) US lexicon was designed. A computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) subsystem was developed to assist the radiologists to make scores on the BI-RADS features for an input case. The training system possesses 1669 scored cases, where 412 cases are benign and 1257 cases are malignant. It was tested by 31 users including 12 interns, 11 junior radiologists, and 8 experienced senior radiologists. This online training system automatically creates case-based exercises to train and guide the newly employed or resident radiologists for the diagnosis of breast cancer using breast ultrasound images based on the BI-RADS. After the trainings, the interns and junior radiologists show significant improvement in the diagnosis of the breast tumor with ultrasound imaging (p-value  .05). The online training system can improve the capabilities of early-career radiologists in distinguishing between the benign and malignant lesions and reduce the misdiagnosis of breast cancer in a quick, convenient and effective manner. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Diffuse optical tomography for breast cancer imaging guided by computed tomography: A feasibility study.
Baikejiang, Reheman; Zhang, Wei; Li, Changqing
Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) has attracted attentions in the last two decades due to its intrinsic sensitivity in imaging chromophores of tissues such as hemoglobin, water, and lipid. However, DOT has not been clinically accepted yet due to its low spatial resolution caused by strong optical scattering in tissues. Structural guidance provided by an anatomical imaging modality enhances the DOT imaging substantially. Here, we propose a computed tomography (CT) guided multispectral DOT imaging system for breast cancer imaging. To validate its feasibility, we have built a prototype DOT imaging system which consists of a laser at the wavelength of 650 nm and an electron multiplying charge coupled device (EMCCD) camera. We have validated the CT guided DOT reconstruction algorithms with numerical simulations and phantom experiments, in which different imaging setup parameters, such as projection number of measurements and width of measurement patch, have been investigated. Our results indicate that an air-cooling EMCCD camera is good enough for the transmission mode DOT imaging. We have also found that measurements at six angular projections are sufficient for DOT to reconstruct the optical targets with 2 and 4 times absorption contrast when the CT guidance is applied. Finally, we have described our future research plan on integration of a multispectral DOT imaging system into a breast CT scanner.
Multipurpose Hyperspectral Imaging System
Mao, Chengye; Smith, David; Lanoue, Mark A.; Poole, Gavin H.; Heitschmidt, Jerry; Martinez, Luis; Windham, William A.; Lawrence, Kurt C.; Park, Bosoon
A hyperspectral imaging system of high spectral and spatial resolution that incorporates several innovative features has been developed to incorporate a focal plane scanner (U.S. Patent 6,166,373). This feature enables the system to be used for both airborne/spaceborne and laboratory hyperspectral imaging with or without relative movement of the imaging system, and it can be used to scan a target of any size as long as the target can be imaged at the focal plane; for example, automated inspection of food items and identification of single-celled organisms. The spectral resolution of this system is greater than that of prior terrestrial multispectral imaging systems. Moreover, unlike prior high-spectral resolution airborne and spaceborne hyperspectral imaging systems, this system does not rely on relative movement of the target and the imaging system to sweep an imaging line across a scene. This compact system (see figure) consists of a front objective mounted at a translation stage with a motorized actuator, and a line-slit imaging spectrograph mounted within a rotary assembly with a rear adaptor to a charged-coupled-device (CCD) camera. Push-broom scanning is carried out by the motorized actuator which can be controlled either manually by an operator or automatically by a computer to drive the line-slit across an image at a focal plane of the front objective. To reduce the cost, the system has been designed to integrate as many as possible off-the-shelf components including the CCD camera and spectrograph. The system has achieved high spectral and spatial resolutions by using a high-quality CCD camera, spectrograph, and front objective lens. Fixtures for attachment of the system to a microscope (U.S. Patent 6,495,818 B1) make it possible to acquire multispectral images of single cells and other microscopic objects.
Breast image feature learning with adaptive deconvolutional networks
Jamieson, Andrew R.; Drukker, Karen; Giger, Maryellen L.
Feature extraction is a critical component of medical image analysis. Many computer-aided diagnosis approaches employ hand-designed, heuristic lesion extracted features. An alternative approach is to learn features directly from images. In this preliminary study, we explored the use of Adaptive Deconvolutional Networks (ADN) for learning high-level features in diagnostic breast mass lesion images with potential application to computer-aided diagnosis (CADx) and content-based image retrieval (CBIR). ADNs (Zeiler, et. al., 2011), are recently-proposed unsupervised, generative hierarchical models that decompose images via convolution sparse coding and max pooling. We trained the ADNs to learn multiple layers of representation for two breast image data sets on two different modalities (739 full field digital mammography (FFDM) and 2393 ultrasound images). Feature map calculations were accelerated by use of GPUs. Following Zeiler et. al., we applied the Spatial Pyramid Matching (SPM) kernel (Lazebnik, et. al., 2006) on the inferred feature maps and combined this with a linear support vector machine (SVM) classifier for the task of binary classification between cancer and non-cancer breast mass lesions. Non-linear, local structure preserving dimension reduction, Elastic Embedding (Carreira-Perpiñán, 2010), was then used to visualize the SPM kernel output in 2D and qualitatively inspect image relationships learned. Performance was found to be competitive with current CADx schemes that use human-designed features, e.g., achieving a 0.632+ bootstrap AUC (by case) of 0.83 [0.78, 0.89] for an ultrasound image set (1125 cases).
Magnetic resonance imaging in the detection of breast cancer
Olcucuoglu, E.; Tuncbilek, I.; Oztekin, P.; Asal, N.; Yilmaz, O.; Kosar, U.
Full text: Purpose: The aim of the study is to state breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) diagnostic value of examination of MG (MG), ultrasonography (U.S.) by comparing with the results of a biopsy revealed, and emphasize the value of detecting breast cancer. Materials and methods: 327 patients were included in the breast MRI examination. MG breast MRI and U.S. were performed before the cases, respectively. All tests which are in fact planned no later than two months in between and evaluation were performed by two radiologists. BI-RADS classification was evaluated according to the investigations. As a result of MRI BIRADS 4 and 5 cases that were diagnosed in a biopsy was recommended. Following the recommended BI-RADS 3 biopsies diagnosed as those of the cases were due to the physical examination findings. MG with the results of a biopsy, U.S., and MRI results were compared. Results: The study recommended a biopsy of BIRADS 4 and 5 group, 36 out of 63 cases of breast cancer (32 invasive ductal carcinomas, 2 invasive lobular carcinoma, 1 lymphoma, 1 angiosarcoma) were diagnosed. 16% of patients with BI-RADS 4 group, 94% of BI-RADS 5 group of patients were diagnosed as breast cancer. BI-RADS is a group of breast cancer with axillary adenopathy in a patient with the diagnosis of MRI examination was no diagnostic. False-positive cases in our study were counted for the majority of cases as fibrocystic. Conclusion: MRI sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of tests with the highest rates, while the combination of MG and MRI, were found to be the best non-invasive examination methods
Innovative biomagnetic imaging sensors for breast cancer: A model-based study
Deng, Y.; Golkowski, M.
Breast cancer is a serious potential health problem for all women and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The current screening procedures and imaging techniques, including x-ray mammography, clinical biopsy, ultrasound imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging, provide only 73% accuracy in detecting breast cancer. This gives the impetus to explore alternate techniques for imaging the breast and detecting early stage tumors. Among the complementary methods, the noninvasive biomagnetic breast imaging is attractive and promising, because both ionizing radiation and breast compressions that the prevalent x-ray mammography suffers from are avoided. It furthermore offers very high contrast because of the significant electromagnetic properties' differences between the cancerous, benign, and normal breast tissues. In this paper, a hybrid and accurate modeling tool for biomagnetic breast imaging is developed, which couples the electromagnetic and ultrasonic energies, and initial validations between the model predication and experimental findings are conducted.
Breast augmentation and reconstructive surgery: MR imaging of implant rupture and malignancy
Herborn, Christoph U. [Institute of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital, Zuerich (Switzerland); Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45128 Essen (Germany); Marincek, Borut; Erfmann, Daniel; Kubik-Huch, Rahel A. [Institute of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital, Zuerich (Switzerland); Meuli-Simmen, Claudia; Wedler, Volker [Department of Surgery, Clinic for Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital, Zurich (Switzerland); Bode-Lesniewska, Beate [Department of Pathology, University Hospital, Zurich (Switzerland)
The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of MRI in detecting prosthesis integrity and malignancy after breast augmentation and reconstruction. Forty-one implants in 25 patients were analyzed by MRI before surgical removal. Imaging results were compared with ex vivo findings. Magnetic resonance imaging of the breast was performed on a 1.5-T system using a dedicated surface breast coil. Axial and sagittal T2-weighted fast spin-echo as well as dynamic contrast-enhanced T1-weighted gradient-recalled-echo sequences were acquired. The linguine sign indicating collapse of the silicone shell or siliconomas indicating free silicone proved implant rupture, whereas early focal contrast enhancement of a lesion was suspicious for malignancy. The sensitivity for detection of implant rupture was 86.7% with a specificity of 88.5%. The positive and negative predictive values were 81.3 and 92.0%, respectively. The linguine sign as a predictor of intracapsular implant rupture had a sensitivity of 80% with a specificity of 96.2%. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed two lesions with suspicious contrast enhancement (one carcinoma, one extra-abdominal fibromatosis). Magnetic resonance imaging is a reliable and reproducible technique for diagnosing both implant rupture and malignant lesions in women after breast augmentation and reconstruction. (orig.)
Herborn, Christoph U.; Marincek, Borut; Erfmann, Daniel; Kubik-Huch, Rahel A.; Meuli-Simmen, Claudia; Wedler, Volker; Bode-Lesniewska, Beate
Breast augmentation and reconstructive surgery: MR imaging of implant rupture and malignancy.
Herborn, Christoph U; Marincek, Borut; Erfmann, Daniel; Meuli-Simmen, Claudia; Wedler, Volker; Bode-Lesniewska, Beate; Kubik-Huch, Rahel A
The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of MRI in detecting prosthesis integrity and malignancy after breast augmentation and reconstruction. Forty-one implants in 25 patients were analyzed by MRI before surgical removal. Imaging results were compared with ex vivo findings. Magnetic resonance imaging of the breast was performed on a 1.5-T system using a dedicated surface breast coil. Axial and sagittal T2-weighted fast spin-echo as well as dynamic contrast-enhanced T1-weighted gradient-recalled-echo sequences were acquired. The linguine sign indicating collapse of the silicone shell or siliconomas indicating free silicone proved implant rupture, whereas early focal contrast enhancement of a lesion was suspicious for malignancy. The sensitivity for detection of implant rupture was 86.7% with a specificity of 88.5%. The positive and negative predictive values were 81.3 and 92.0%, respectively. The linguine sign as a predictor of intracapsular implant rupture had a sensitivity of 80% with a specificity of 96.2%. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed two lesions with suspicious contrast enhancement (one carcinoma, one extra-abdominal fibromatosis). Magnetic resonance imaging is a reliable and reproducible technique for diagnosing both implant rupture and malignant lesions in women after breast augmentation and reconstruction.
Diagnostic value of the stand-alone synthetic image in digital breast tomosynthesis examinations.
Garayoa, Julia; Chevalier, Margarita; Castillo, Maria; Mahillo-Fernández, Ignacio; Amallal El Ouahabi, Najim; Estrada, Carmen; Tejerina, Alejandro; Benitez, Olivia; Valverde, Julio
To demonstrate the non-inferiority of synthetic image (SI) mammography versus full-field digital mammography (FFDM) in breast tomosynthesis (DBT) examinations. An observational, retrospective, single-centre, multireader blinded study was performed, using 2384 images to directly compare SI and FFDM based on Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BIRADS) categorisation and visibility of radiological findings. Readers had no access to digital breast tomosynthesis slices. Multiple reader, multiple case (MRMC) receiver operating characteristic (ROC) methodology was used to compare the diagnostic performance of SI and FFDM images. The kappa statistic was used to estimate the inter-reader and intra-reader reliability. The area under the ROC curves (AUC) reveals the non-inferiority of SI versus FFDM based on BIRADS categorisation [difference between AUC (ΔAUC), -0.014] and lesion visibility (ΔAUC, -0.001) but the differences were not statistically significant (p=0.282 for BIRADS; p=0.961 for lesion visibility). On average, 77.4% of malignant lesions were detected with SI versus 76.5% with FFDM. Sensitivity and specificity of SI are superior to FFDM for malignant lesions scored as BIRADS 5 and breasts categorised as BIRADS 1. SI is not inferior to FFDM when DBT slices are not available during image reading. SI can replace FFDM, reducing the dose by 45%. • Stand-alone SI demonstrated performance not inferior for lesion visibility as compared to FFDM. • Stand-alone SI demonstrated performance not inferior for lesion BIRADS categorisation as compared to FFDM. • Synthetic images provide important dose savings in breast tomosynthesis examinations.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI and Spectroscopy (MRS in Breast Cancer
Uma Sharma
Full Text Available Breast cancer is a major health problem in women and early detection is of prime importance. Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI provides both physical and physiologic tissue features that are useful in discriminating malignant from benign lesions. Contrast enhanced MRI is valuable for diagnosis of small tumors in dense breast and the structural and kinetic parameters improved the specificity of diagnosing benign from malignant lesions. It is a complimentary modality for preoperative staging, to follow response to therapy, to detect recurrences and for screening high risk women. Diffusion, perfusion and MR elastography have been applied to breast lesion characterization and show promise.In-vivo MR spectroscopy (MRS is a valuable method to obtain the biochemical status of normal and diseased tissues. Malignant tissues contain high concentration of choline containing compounds that can be used as a biochemical marker. MRS helps to increase the specificity of MRI in lesions larger than 1cm and to monitor the tumor response. Various MR techniques show promise primarily as adjunct to the existing standard detection techniques, and its acceptability as a screening method will increase if specificity can be improved. This review presents the progress made in different MRI and MRS techniques in breast cancer management.
Detection of Breast Microcalcifications Under Ultrasound Using Power Doppler and Acoustic Resonance Imaging
Weinstein, Susan
.... Our goal with our current project was to utilize breast sonography coupled with the technique of acoustic resonance to image and evaluate the breast micorcalcifications in patients prior to biopsy...
Breast MR imaging in women at high-risk of breast cancer. Is something changing in early breast cancer detection?
Sardanelli, Francesco; Podo, Franca
In the last few years, several papers have addressed the introduction of contrast-enhanced MR imaging for screening women at high risk for breast cancer. Taking in consideration five prospective studies, on 3,571 screened women with hereditary predisposition to the disease and 9,652 rounds, we found that 168 patients were diagnosed with breast cancer (155 screen-detected, eight interval, and five cancers excluded from analysis) with a detection rate per year of 1.7%. These cancers were small (49% equal to or less than 10 mm in diameter) but aggressive, 82% being invasive and 49% with histologic grade 3; however, only 19% of these invasive cancers were associated with nodal involvement. The pooled sensitivity was 16% for clinical breast examination, 40% for mammography, 43% for ultrasound, and 81% for MR. The positive predictive value (calculated on the basis of the number of invasive diagnostic procedures due to false positives) was 33%, 47%, 18%, and 53%, respectively. Aim of the present article is to present the historical development of MR imaging of breast tumors that made this application theoretically and technically possible, to explain what strategic problems we face in the presence of a hereditary predisposition to the disease, to review the main results of the published studies, and to outline open problems and future perspectives. (orig.)
Frangioni, John V [Wayland, MA
A medical imaging system provides simultaneous rendering of visible light and fluorescent images. The system may employ dyes in a small-molecule form that remains in a subject's blood stream for several minutes, allowing real-time imaging of the subject's circulatory system superimposed upon a conventional, visible light image of the subject. The system may also employ dyes or other fluorescent substances associated with antibodies, antibody fragments, or ligands that accumulate within a region of diagnostic significance. In one embodiment, the system provides an excitation light source to excite the fluorescent substance and a visible light source for general illumination within the same optical guide that is used to capture images. In another embodiment, the system is configured for use in open surgical procedures by providing an operating area that is closed to ambient light. More broadly, the systems described herein may be used in imaging applications where a visible light image may be usefully supplemented by an image formed from fluorescent emissions from a fluorescent substance that marks areas of functional interest.
Magnetic resonance imaging texture analysis classification of primary breast cancer
Waugh, S.A.; Lerski, R.A.; Purdie, C.A.; Jordan, L.B.; Vinnicombe, S.; Martin, P.; Thompson, A.M.
Patient-tailored treatments for breast cancer are based on histological and immunohistochemical (IHC) subtypes. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) texture analysis (TA) may be useful in non-invasive lesion subtype classification. Women with newly diagnosed primary breast cancer underwent pre-treatment dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MRI. TA was performed using co-occurrence matrix (COM) features, by creating a model on retrospective training data, then prospectively applying to a test set. Analyses were blinded to breast pathology. Subtype classifications were performed using a cross-validated k-nearest-neighbour (k = 3) technique, with accuracy relative to pathology assessed and receiver operator curve (AUROC) calculated. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess raw entropy feature values. Histological subtype classifications were similar across training (n = 148 cancers) and test sets (n = 73 lesions) using all COM features (training: 75 %, AUROC = 0.816; test: 72.5 %, AUROC = 0.823). Entropy features were significantly different between lobular and ductal cancers (p < 0.001; Mann-Whitney U). IHC classifications using COM features were also similar for training and test data (training: 57.2 %, AUROC = 0.754; test: 57.0 %, AUROC = 0.750). Hormone receptor positive and negative cancers demonstrated significantly different entropy features. Entropy features alone were unable to create a robust classification model. Textural differences on contrast-enhanced MR images may reflect underlying lesion subtypes, which merits testing against treatment response. (orig.)
Waugh, S.A.; Lerski, R.A. [Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Department of Medical Physics, Dundee (United Kingdom); Purdie, C.A.; Jordan, L.B. [Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Department of Pathology, Dundee (United Kingdom); Vinnicombe, S. [University of Dundee, Division of Imaging and Technology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee (United Kingdom); Martin, P. [Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Department of Clinical Radiology, Dundee (United Kingdom); Thompson, A.M. [University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Surgical Oncology, Houston, TX (United States)
Molecular Imaging of Breast Cancer: Present and future directions
David eAlcantara
Full Text Available Medical imaging technologies have undergone explosive growth over the past few decades and now play a central role in clinical oncology. But the truly transformative power of imaging in the clinical management of cancer patients lies ahead. Today, imaging is at a crossroads, with molecularly targeted imaging agents expected to broadly expand the capabilities of conventional anatomical imaging methods. Molecular imaging will allow clinicians to not only see where a tumour is located in the body, but also to visualize the expression and activity of specific molecules (e.g. proteases and protein kinases and biological processes (e.g. apoptosis, angiogenesis, and metastasis that influence tumour behavior and/or response to therapy. Breast cancer, the most common cancer among women and a research area where our group is actively involved, is a very heterogeneous disease with diverse patterns of development and response to treatment. Hence, molecular imaging is expected to have a major impact on this type of cancer, leading to important improvements in diagnosis, individualized treatment, and drug development, as well as our understanding of how breast cancer arises.
Involvement of Machine Learning for Breast Cancer Image Classification: A Survey
Nahid, Abdullah-Al; Kong, Yinan
Breast cancer is one of the largest causes of women’s death in the world today. Advance engineering of natural image classification techniques and Artificial Intelligence methods has largely been used for the breast-image classification task. The involvement of digital image classification allows the doctor and the physicians a second opinion, and it saves the doctors’ and physicians’ time. Despite the various publications on breast image classification, very few review papers are available w...
Imaging Surveillance of Patients with Breast Cancer after Primary Treatment: Current Recommendations
Yoon, Jung Hyun; Kim, Min Jung; Kim, Eun-Kyung; Moon, Hee Jung [Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752 (Korea, Republic of)
Women who have been treated for breast cancer are at risk for second breast cancers, such as ipsilateral recurrence or contralateral metachronous breast cancer. As the number of breast cancer survivors increases, interest in patient management and surveillance after treatment has also increased. However, post-treatment surveillance programs for patients with breast cancer have not been firmly established. In this review, we focus on the imaging modalities that have been used in post-treatment surveillance for patients with breast cancer, such as mammography, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography, the effectiveness of each modality for detecting recurrence, and how they can be applied to manage patients.
Yoon, Jung Hyun; Kim, Min Jung; Kim, Eun-Kyung; Moon, Hee Jung
Women who have been treated for breast cancer are at risk for second breast cancers, such as ipsilateral recurrence or contralateral metachronous breast cancer. As the number of breast cancer survivors increases, interest in patient management and surveillance after treatment has also increased. However, post-treatment surveillance programs for patients with breast cancer have not been firmly established. In this review, we focus on the imaging modalities that have been used in post-treatment surveillance for patients with breast cancer, such as mammography, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography, the effectiveness of each modality for detecting recurrence, and how they can be applied to manage patients
Multi-Resolution Wavelet-Transformed Image Analysis of Histological Sections of Breast Carcinomas
Hae-Gil Hwang
Full Text Available Multi-resolution images of histological sections of breast cancer tissue were analyzed using texture features of Haar- and Daubechies transform wavelets. Tissue samples analyzed were from ductal regions of the breast and included benign ductal hyperplasia, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS, and invasive ductal carcinoma (CA. To assess the correlation between computerized image analysis and visual analysis by a pathologist, we created a two-step classification system based on feature extraction and classification. In the feature extraction step, we extracted texture features from wavelet-transformed images at 10× magnification. In the classification step, we applied two types of classifiers to the extracted features, namely a statistics-based multivariate (discriminant analysis and a neural network. Using features from second-level Haar transform wavelet images in combination with discriminant analysis, we obtained classification accuracies of 96.67 and 87.78% for the training and testing set (90 images each, respectively. We conclude that the best classifier of carcinomas in histological sections of breast tissue are the texture features from the second-level Haar transform wavelet images used in a discriminant function.
Nonlinear 3-D Microwave Imaging for Breast-Cancer Screening: Log, Phase, and Log-Phase Formulation
Jensen, Peter Damsgaard; Rubæk, Tonny; Mohr, Johan Jacob
The imaging algorithm used in the 3-D microwave imaging system for breast cancer screening, currently being developed at the Technical University of Denmark, is based on an iterative Newton-type algorithm. In this algorithm, the distribution of the electromagnetic constitutive parameters is updat...
Isolated breast vasculitis manifested as breast edema with suggestive sonographic findings: a case report with imaging findings.
Lee, Ji Young; Joo, Mee
Early diagnosis of breast vasculitis (BV) is difficult because this condition is rare and occasionally mimics breast cancer clinically or radiologically. It may present as systemic disease or as an isolated lesion in the breast, without systemic evidence. When vasculitis appears in the breast, it also might manifest as a tumor-like lesion, and in previous cases, tissue acquisition was needed for confirmation of the diagnosis because of BV's resemblance to inflammatory breast cancer. We report a case of isolated BV that was suspected of being inflammatory breast cancer clinically, but manifested as bilateral breast edema on mammography. In this case, sonographic findings included not only nonspecific edema findings that might be seen in other cases, but also suggestive findings of hypoechoic circumferential arterial wall thickening with perivascular fat infiltrations that are similar to the halo sign in large arteries but have not been reported in the breast. These are helpful for presumptive diagnosis of BV using ultrasound.
Contrast-enhanced MR imaging of the breast in patients with breast implants after cancer surgery
Bone, B.; Aspelin, P.; Isberg, B.; Perbeck, L.; Veress, B.
The purpose of the study was to determine the value of contrast-enhanced MR imaging in the assessment of local recurrence in breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy and breast reconstruction with an implant. Eighty-three patients have been evaluated by semidynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging. The T1-weighted FLASH 3-D sequence was repeated twice postcontrast for evaluation of the entire breast bilaterally. The findings were compared to physical examination, mammography and histopathology. Recurrence verified by histopathology occurred in 14 of 83 patients (17%). Contrast-enhanced MR imaging was superior to palpation and mammography in revealing recurrences, especially when these were located close to the chest wall. MR was also more sensitive in detecting multiple foci of cancers. Our study revealed that MR imaging was influenced by size, type and composition of the tumor, as illustrated by the false-negative results. Therefore, the use of all 3 investigation methods is necessary for detecting recurrence at an early stage during the postoperative follow-up. (orig.)
Imaging features of automated breast volume scanner: Correlation with molecular subtypes of breast cancer
Zheng, Feng-Yang, E-mail: fyzheng16@fudan.edu.cn [Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai 200032 (China); Lu, Qing, E-mail: lu.qing@zs-hospital.sh.cn [Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Huang, Bei-Jian, E-mail: huang.beijian@zs-hospital.sh.cn [Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai 200032 (China); Xia, Han-Sheng, E-mail: zs12036@126.com [Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Yan, Li-Xia, E-mail: dndyanlixia@163.com [Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Wang, Xi, E-mail: wang.xi@zs-hospital.sh.cn [Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai 200032 (China); Yuan, Wei, E-mail: yuan.wei@zs-hospital.sh.cn [Department of Pathology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Wang, Wen-Ping, E-mail: wang.wenping@zs-hospital.sh.cn [Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai 200032 (China)
Highlights: • ABVS imaging features have a strong correlation with breast cancer molecular subtypes. • Retraction phenomenon on the coronal planes was the most important predictor for Luminal A and Triple Negative subtypes. • ABVS expand the scope of ultrasound in identifying breast cancer molecular subtypes. - Abstract: Objectives: To investigate the correlation between the imaging features obtained by an automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) and molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Methods: We examined 303 malignant breast tumours by ABVS for specific imaging features and by immunohistochemical analysis to determine the molecular subtype. ABVS imaging features, including retraction phenomenon, shape, margins, echogenicity, post-acoustic features, echogenic halo, and calcifications were analysed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to determine the significant predictive factors of the molecular subtypes. Results: By univariate logistic regression analysis, the predictive factors of the Luminal-A subtype (n = 128) were retraction phenomenon (odds ratio [OR] = 10.188), post-acoustic shadowing (OR = 5.112), and echogenic halo (OR = 3.263, P < 0.001). The predictive factors of the Human-epidermal-growth-factor-receptor-2-amplified subtype (n = 39) were calcifications (OR = 6.210), absence of retraction phenomenon (OR = 4.375), non-mass lesions (OR = 4.286, P < 0.001), absence of echogenic halo (OR = 3.851, P = 0.035), and post-acoustic enhancement (OR = 3.641, P = 0.008). The predictors for the Triple-Negative subtype (n = 47) were absence of retraction phenomenon (OR = 5.884), post-acoustic enhancement (OR = 5.255, P < 0.001), absence of echogenic halo (OR = 4.138, P = 0.002), and absence of calcifications (OR = 3.363, P = 0.001). Predictors for the Luminal-B subtype (n = 89) had a relatively lower association (OR ≤ 2.328). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, retraction phenomenon was the strongest independent predictor for
Zheng, Feng-Yang; Lu, Qing; Huang, Bei-Jian; Xia, Han-Sheng; Yan, Li-Xia; Wang, Xi; Yuan, Wei; Wang, Wen-Ping
Preliminary Clinical Experience with a Combined Automated Breast Ultrasound and Digital Breast Tomosynthesis System.
Larson, Eric D; Lee, Won-Mean; Roubidoux, Marilyn A; Goodsitt, Mitchell M; Lashbrook, Chris; Davis, Cynthia E; Kripfgans, Oliver D; Carson, Paul L
We analyzed the performance of a mammographically configured, automated breast ultrasound (McABUS) scanner combined with a digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) system. The GE Invenia ultrasound system was modified for integration with GE DBT systems. Ultrasound and DBT imaging were performed in the same mammographic compression. Our small preliminary study included 13 cases, six of whom had contained invasive cancers. From analysis of these cases, current limitations and corresponding potential improvements of the system were determined. A registration analysis was performed to compare the ease of McABUS to DBT registration for this system with that of two systems designed previously. It was observed that in comparison to data from an earlier study, the McABUS-to-DBT registration alignment errors for both this system and a previously built combined system were smaller than those for a previously built standalone McABUS system. Copyright © 2018 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
[Body image disorder in 100 Tunisian female breast cancer patients].
Faten, Ellouze; Nader, Marrakchi; Raies, Hend; Sana, Masmoudi; Amel, Mezlini; Fadhel, M'rad Mohamed
This study aimed at tracking the prevalence of body image disorder in a population of Tunisian women followed for breast cancer and the factors associated with it. The cross-sectional study was conducted at Salah-Azaiez Institute in Tunis, over a period of four months. One hundred outpatients followed for confirmed breast cancer were recruited. The questionnaire targeted the women's sexuality and their couple relationships, along with their socio-demographic, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics. The scales used were BIS, HADS, and FSFI. The prevalence of body image disorder according to BIS was 45% with an average of 11.5±11.2 among the interrogated patients, 24.7% of which reported an alteration in their couple relationships and 47% in their sexual relations. In univariate analysis, body image disorder was associated with family support, change in couple relationship, depression and anxiety. Body image disorder and sexual dysfunction were interrelated: each of them fostered the prevalence of the other. Multivariate analysis showed that occupational activity was an independent predictor and the absence of anxiety an independent protective factor. Body image disorder was an independent predictive factor of depression and anxiety. The quality of couple relation and sexuality, along with the impact of the patient's surrounding are decisive for the protection or alteration of her body image. Copyright © 2018 Société Française du Cancer. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
MR imaging of the breast with Gd-DTPA enhancement
Hachiya, Junichi; Seki, Tsuneaki; Okada, Minoru; Nitatori, Toshiaki; Korenaga, Tateo; Furuya, Yoshiro
The accuracy of MR imaging with Gd-DTPA enhancement was compared with mammography and ultrasonography in 52 patients with clinically palpable benign and malignant breast masses (36 carcinomas, 2 malignant phyllodes tumors, 7 fibroadenomas, 7 cysts). On dynamic MR imaging, carcinomas and fibroadenomas were discriminated by their different dynamic enhancement profiles. In carcinomas, signal intensity increased rapidly, reaching a peak or plateau within 2 min after the injection of contrast medium. In fibroadenomas, signal intensity showed a much slower continuous increase without ceasing until about 8 min after injection. Malignant phyllodes tumors showed a dynamic enhancement profile identical to that of benign fibroadenomas. MR imaging correctly identified 84% of malignant tumors, 86% of fibroadenomas, and 100% of cysts, and was substantially more accurate in tissue characterization than mammography. The results of ultrasonography were highly similar to those of MR imaging. However, no single modality was infallible, and the three modalities were complementary rather than competitive. Considering the high cost and long examination time of MR imaging, mammography supplemented by ultrasonography seems to be the method of choice in the diagnosis of breast lesions. Nevertheless, MR imaging can add important information when the results of mammography and ultrasonography are insufficient or contradictory. (author)
A Modified Harris Corner Detection for Breast IR Image
Chia-Yen Lee
Full Text Available Harris corner detectors, which depend on strong invariance and a local autocorrelation function, display poor detection performance for infrared (IR images with low contrast and nonobvious edges. In addition, feature points detected by Harris corner detectors are clustered due to the numerous nonlocal maxima. This paper proposes a modified Harris corner detector that includes two unique steps for processing IR images in order to overcome the aforementioned problems. Image contrast enhancement based on a generalized form of histogram equalization (HE combined with adjusting the intensity resolution causes false contours on IR images to acquire obvious edges. Adaptive nonmaximal suppression based on eliminating neighboring pixels avoids the clustered features. Preliminary results show that the proposed method can solve the clustering problem and successfully identify the representative feature points of IR breast images.
Automatic detection and classification of breast tumors in ultrasonic images using texture and morphological features.
Su, Yanni; Wang, Yuanyuan; Jiao, Jing; Guo, Yi
Due to severe presence of speckle noise, poor image contrast and irregular lesion shape, it is challenging to build a fully automatic detection and classification system for breast ultrasonic images. In this paper, a novel and effective computer-aided method including generation of a region of interest (ROI), segmentation and classification of breast tumor is proposed without any manual intervention. By incorporating local features of texture and position, a ROI is firstly detected using a self-organizing map neural network. Then a modified Normalized Cut approach considering the weighted neighborhood gray values is proposed to partition the ROI into clusters and get the initial boundary. In addition, a regional-fitting active contour model is used to adjust the few inaccurate initial boundaries for the final segmentation. Finally, three textures and five morphologic features are extracted from each breast tumor; whereby a highly efficient Affinity Propagation clustering is used to fulfill the malignancy and benign classification for an existing database without any training process. The proposed system is validated by 132 cases (67 benignancies and 65 malignancies) with its performance compared to traditional methods such as level set segmentation, artificial neural network classifiers, and so forth. Experiment results show that the proposed system, which needs no training procedure or manual interference, performs best in detection and classification of ultrasonic breast tumors, while having the lowest computation complexity.
Usefulness of breast-specific gamma imaging as an adjunct modality in breast cancer patients with dense breast. A comparative study with MRI
Kim, Bom Sahn
The aim of this study was to evaluate the adjunctive benefits of breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) versus magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in breast cancer patients with dense breasts. This study included a total of 66 patients (44.1±8.2 years) with dense breasts (breast density >50%) and already biopsy-confirmed breast cancer. All of the patients underwent BSGI and MRI as part of an adjunct modality before the initial therapy. Of 66 patients, the 97 undetermined breast lesions were newly detected and correlated with the biopsy results. Twenty-six of the 97 breast lesions proved to be malignant tumors (invasive ductal cancer, n=16; ductal carcinoma in situ, n=6; mixed or other malignancies, n=4); the remaining 71 lesions were diagnosed as benign tumors. The sensitivity and specificity of BSGI were 88.8% (confidence interval (CI), 69.8-97.6%) and 90.1% (CI, 80.7-95.9%), respectively, while the sensitivity and specificity of MRI were 92.3% (CI, 74.9-99.1%) and 39.4% (CI, 28.0-51.7%), respectively (p<0.0001). MRI detected 43 false-positive breast lesions, 37 (86.0%) of which were correctly diagnosed as benign lesions using BSGI. In 12 malignant lesions <1 cm, the sensitivities of BSGI and MR imaging were 83.3% (CI, 51.6-97.9%) and 91.7% (CI, 61.5-99.8%), respectively. BSGI showed an equivocal sensitivity and a high specificity compared to MRI in the diagnosis of breast lesions. In addition, BSGI had a good sensitivity in discriminating breast cancers ≤1 cm. The results of this study suggest that BSGI could play a crucial role as an adjunctive imaging modality which can be used to evaluate breast cancer patients with dense breasts. (author)
Quantitative luminescence imaging system
Erwin, David N.; Kiel, Johnathan L.; Batishko, Charles R.; Stahl, Kurt A.
The QLIS images and quantifies low-level chemiluminescent reactions in an electromagnetic field. It is capable of real time nonperturbing measurement and simultaneous recording of many biochemical and chemical reactions such as luminescent immunoassays or enzyme assays. The system comprises image transfer optics, a low-light level digitizing camera with image intensifying microchannel plates, an image process or, and a control computer. The image transfer optics may be a fiber image guide with a bend, or a microscope, to take the light outside of the RF field. Output of the camera is transformed into a localized rate of cumulative digitalized data or enhanced video display or hard-copy images. The system may be used as a luminescent microdosimetry device for radiofrequency or microwave radiation, as a thermal dosimeter, or in the dosimetry of ultra-sound (sonoluminescence) or ionizing radiation. It provides a near-real-time system capable of measuring the extremely low light levels from luminescent reactions in electromagnetic fields in the areas of chemiluminescence assays and thermal microdosimetry, and is capable of near-real-time imaging of the sample to allow spatial distribution analysis of the reaction. It can be used to instrument three distinctly different irradiation configurations, comprising (1) RF waveguide irradiation of a small Petri-dish-shaped sample cell, (2) RF irradiation of samples in a microscope for the microscopie imaging and measurement, and (3) RF irradiation of small to human body-sized samples in an anechoic chamber.
Quantitative breast tissue characterization using grating-based x-ray phase-contrast imaging
Willner, M.; Herzen, J.; Grandl, S.; Auweter, S.; Mayr, D.; Hipp, A.; Chabior, M.; Sarapata, A.; Achterhold, K.; Zanette, I.; Weitkamp, T.; Sztrókay, A.; Hellerhoff, K.; Reiser, M.; Pfeiffer, F.
X-ray phase-contrast imaging has received growing interest in recent years due to its high capability in visualizing soft tissue. Breast imaging became the focus of particular attention as it is considered the most promising candidate for a first clinical application of this contrast modality. In this study, we investigate quantitative breast tissue characterization using grating-based phase-contrast computed tomography (CT) at conventional polychromatic x-ray sources. Different breast specimens have been scanned at a laboratory phase-contrast imaging setup and were correlated to histopathology. Ascertained tumor types include phylloides tumor, fibroadenoma and infiltrating lobular carcinoma. Identified tissue types comprising adipose, fibroglandular and tumor tissue have been analyzed in terms of phase-contrast Hounsfield units and are compared to high-quality, high-resolution data obtained with monochromatic synchrotron radiation, as well as calculated values based on tabulated tissue properties. The results give a good impression of the method’s prospects and limitations for potential tumor detection and the associated demands on such a phase-contrast breast CT system. Furthermore, the evaluated quantitative tissue values serve as a reference for simulations and the design of dedicated phantoms for phase-contrast mammography.
Metabolic imaging for breast cancer detection and treatment: a role for mitochondrial Complex I function
Ramanujan, V. Krishnan
Cancer cells are known to display a variety of metabolic reprogramming strategies to fulfill their own growth and proliferative agenda. With the advent of high resolution imaging strategies, metabolomics techniques etc., there is an increasing appreciation of critical role that tumor cell metabolism plays in the overall breast cancer (BC) growth. A recent study from our laboratory demonstrated that the development of invasive cancers could be causally connected to deficits in mitochondrial function. Using this study as a rationale, we hypothesize that the widely accepted multistep tumor growth model might have a strong metabolic component as well. In this study, we explore the possibility of targeting mitochondrial Complex I enzyme system for not only metabolic detection of cancer-associated redox changes but also for modulating breast cancer cell growth characteristics. As a proof-of-principle, we demonstrate two approaches (pharmacological and genetic) for modulating mitochondrial Complex I function so as to achieve breast cancer control.
Computer-aided prognosis on breast cancer with hematoxylin and eosin histopathology images: A review.
Chen, Jia-Mei; Li, Yan; Xu, Jun; Gong, Lei; Wang, Lin-Wei; Liu, Wen-Lou; Liu, Juan
With the advance of digital pathology, image analysis has begun to show its advantages in information analysis of hematoxylin and eosin histopathology images. Generally, histological features in hematoxylin and eosin images are measured to evaluate tumor grade and prognosis for breast cancer. This review summarized recent works in image analysis of hematoxylin and eosin histopathology images for breast cancer prognosis. First, prognostic factors for breast cancer based on hematoxylin and eosin histopathology images were summarized. Then, usual procedures of image analysis for breast cancer prognosis were systematically reviewed, including image acquisition, image preprocessing, image detection and segmentation, and feature extraction. Finally, the prognostic value of image features and image feature-based prognostic models was evaluated. Moreover, we discussed the issues of current analysis, and some directions for future research.
Multiple Image Radiography With Diffraction Enhanced Imaging For Breast Specimen
Oltulu, Oral; Zhong Zhong; Hasnah, Moumen; Chapman, Dean
Biological samples are of great interest for many imaging techniques. The samples usually contain small structures and weak absorption properties. The combinations of weak signals with overlying structures make feature recognition difficult in many cases. In the x-ray regime, a relatively new imaging technique Diffraction Enhanced Imaging (DEI) has superior tissue contrast over conventional radiography and is proven to be very sensitive method. Multiple images taken by DEI are called Multiple Image Radiography (MIR). The purpose of this study is to validate the potential application of the method and to show that MIR-DEI method may give more information about the sample
Multiparametric and molecular imaging of breast tumors with MRI and PET/MRI
Pinker, K.; Marino, M.A.; Meyer-Baese, A.; Helbich, T.H.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast is an indispensable tool in breast imaging for many indications. Several functional parameters with MRI and positron emission tomography (PET) have been assessed for imaging of breast tumors and their combined application is defined as multiparametric imaging. Available data suggest that multiparametric imaging using different functional MRI and PET parameters can provide detailed information about the hallmarks of cancer and may provide additional specificity. Multiparametric and molecular imaging of the breast comprises established MRI parameters, such as dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), MR proton spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRSI) as well as combinations of radiological and MRI techniques (e.g. PET/CT and PET/MRI) using radiotracers, such as fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Multiparametric and molecular imaging of the breast can be performed at different field-strengths (range 1.5-7 T). Emerging parameters comprise novel promising techniques, such as sodium imaging ( 23 Na MRI), phosphorus spectroscopy ( 31 P-MRSI), chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging, blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) and hyperpolarized MRI as well as various specific radiotracers. Multiparametric and molecular imaging has multiple applications in breast imaging. Multiparametric and molecular imaging of the breast is an evolving field that will enable improved detection, characterization, staging and monitoring for personalized medicine in breast cancer. (orig.) [de
Diagnostic accuracy of new imaging techniques in breast diseases
Gordenne, W; Bauduin, E [Liege Univ. (Belgium)
During the last decade, the hypothetical carcinogenic effects of mammography have lead to new technical developments in X-ray diagnosis and to use of other imaging techniques such as ultrasonography (US), transillumination, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Many preliminary studies were published but few clinical trials are really convincing. According to the definition of a diagnostic tool, none of these new modalities is supposed to supplant mammography in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Improvements are expected by digital mammography in the near future. (Authors).
An imaging evaluation of the simultaneously integrated boost breast radiotherapy technique
Turley, Jessica; Claridge Mackonis, Elizabeth [Department of Radiation Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales (Australia)
To evaluate in-field megavoltage (MV) imaging of simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) breast fields to determine its feasibility in treatment verification for the SIB breast radiotherapy technique, and to assess whether the current-imaging protocol and treatment margins are sufficient. For nine patients undergoing SIB breast radiotherapy, in-field MV images of the SIB fields were acquired on days that regular treatment verification imaging was performed. The in-field images were matched offline according to the scar wire on digitally reconstructed radiographs. The offline image correction results were then applied to a margin recipe formula to calculate safe margins that account for random and systematic uncertainties in the position of the boost volume when an offline correction protocol has been applied. After offline assessment of the acquired images, 96% were within the tolerance set in the current department-imaging protocol. Retrospectively performing the maximum position deviations on the Eclipseâ„¢ treatment planning system demonstrated that the clinical target volume (CTV) boost received a minimum dose difference of 0.4% and a maximum dose difference of 1.4% less than planned. Furthermore, applying our results to the Van Herk margin formula to ensure that 90% of patients receive 95% of the prescribed dose, the calculated CTV margins were comparable to the current departmental procedure used. Based on the in-field boost images acquired and the feasible application of these results to the margin formula the current CTV-planning target volume margins used are appropriate for the accurate treatment of the SIB boost volume without additional imaging.
Turley, Jessica; Claridge Mackonis, Elizabeth
To evaluate in-field megavoltage (MV) imaging of simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) breast fields to determine its feasibility in treatment verification for the SIB breast radiotherapy technique, and to assess whether the current-imaging protocol and treatment margins are sufficient. For nine patients undergoing SIB breast radiotherapy, in-field MV images of the SIB fields were acquired on days that regular treatment verification imaging was performed. The in-field images were matched offline according to the scar wire on digitally reconstructed radiographs. The offline image correction results were then applied to a margin recipe formula to calculate safe margins that account for random and systematic uncertainties in the position of the boost volume when an offline correction protocol has been applied. After offline assessment of the acquired images, 96% were within the tolerance set in the current department-imaging protocol. Retrospectively performing the maximum position deviations on the Eclipseâ„¢ treatment planning system demonstrated that the clinical target volume (CTV) boost received a minimum dose difference of 0.4% and a maximum dose difference of 1.4% less than planned. Furthermore, applying our results to the Van Herk margin formula to ensure that 90% of patients receive 95% of the prescribed dose, the calculated CTV margins were comparable to the current departmental procedure used. Based on the in-field boost images acquired and the feasible application of these results to the margin formula the current CTV-planning target volume margins used are appropriate for the accurate treatment of the SIB boost volume without additional imaging
TU-AB-204-04: Advances in CBCT for Breast Imaging
Boone, J.
This symposium highlights advanced cone-beam CT (CBCT) technologies in four areas of emerging application in diagnostic imaging and image-guided interventions. Each area includes research that extends the spatial, temporal, and/or contrast resolution characteristics of CBCT beyond conventional limits through advances in scanner technology, acquisition protocols, and 3D image reconstruction techniques. Dr. G. Chen (University of Wisconsin) will present on the topic: Advances in C-arm CBCT for Brain Perfusion Imaging. Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, and a fraction of people having an acute ischemic stroke are suitable candidates for endovascular therapy. Critical factors that affect both the likelihood of successful revascularization and good clinical outcome are: 1) the time between stroke onset and revascularization; and 2) the ability to distinguish patients who have a small volume of irreversibly injured brain (ischemic core) and a large volume of ischemic but salvageable brain (penumbra) from patients with a large ischemic core and little or no penumbra. Therefore, “time is brain� in the care of the stroke patients. C-arm CBCT systems widely available in angiography suites have the potential to generate non-contrast-enhanced CBCT images to exclude the presence of hemorrhage, time-resolved CBCT angiography to evaluate the site of occlusion and collaterals, and CBCT perfusion parametric images to assess the extent of the ischemic core and penumbra, thereby fulfilling the imaging requirements of a “one-stop-shop� in the angiography suite to reduce the time between onset and revascularization therapy. The challenges and opportunities to advance CBCT technology to fully enable the one-stop-shop C-arm CBCT platform for brain imaging will be discussed. Dr. R. Fahrig (Stanford University) will present on the topic: Advances in C-arm CBCT for Cardiac Interventions. With the goal of providing functional information during cardiac interventions
Boone, J. [University of California Davis School of Medicine (United States)
Three-dimensional imaging, an important factor of decision in breast augmentation.
de Runz, A; Boccara, D; Bertheuil, N; Claudot, F; Brix, M; Simon, E
Since the beginning of the 21st century, three-dimensional imaging systems have been used more often in plastic surgery, especially during preoperative planning for breast surgery and to simulate the postoperative appearance of the implant in the patient's body. The main objective of this study is to assess the patients' attitudes regarding 3D simulation for breast augmentation. A study was conducted, which included women who were operated on for primary breast augmentation. During the consultation, a three-dimensional simulation with Crisalix was done and different sized implants were fitted in the bra. Thirty-eight women were included. The median age was 29.4, and the median prosthesis volume was 310mL. The median rank given regarding the final result was 9 (IQR: 8-9). Ninety percent of patients agreed (66% absolutely agreed, and 24% partially agreed) that the final product after breast augmentations was similar to the Crisalix simulation. Ninety-three percent of the patients believed that the three-dimensional simulation helped them choose their prosthesis (61% a lot and 32% a little). After envisaging a breast enlargement, patients estimated that the Crisalix system was absolutely necessary (21%), very useful (32%), useful (45%), or unnecessary (3%). Regarding prosthesis choice, an equal number of women preferred the 3D simulation (19 patients) as preferred using different sizes of implants in the bra (19 patients). The present study demonstrated that 3D simulation is actually useful for patients in order to envisage a breast augmentation. But it should be used as a complement to the classic method of trying different sized breast implants in the bra. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Imaging of common breast implants and implant-related complications: A pictorial essay.
Shah, Amisha T; Jankharia, Bijal B
The number of women undergoing breast implant procedures is increasing exponentially. It is, therefore, imperative for a radiologist to be familiar with the normal and abnormal imaging appearances of common breast implants. Diagnostic imaging studies such as mammography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging are used to evaluate implant integrity, detect abnormalities of the implant and its surrounding capsule, and detect breast conditions unrelated to implants. Magnetic resonance imaging of silicone breast implants, with its high sensitivity and specificity for detecting implant rupture, is the most reliable modality to asses implant integrity. Whichever imaging modality is used, the overall aim of imaging breast implants is to provide the pertinent information about implant integrity, detect implant failures, and to detect breast conditions unrelated to the implants, such as cancer.
Imaging of common breast implants and implant-related complications: A pictorial essay
Amisha T Shah
Full Text Available The number of women undergoing breast implant procedures is increasing exponentially. It is, therefore, imperative for a radiologist to be familiar with the normal and abnormal imaging appearances of common breast implants. Diagnostic imaging studies such as mammography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging are used to evaluate implant integrity, detect abnormalities of the implant and its surrounding capsule, and detect breast conditions unrelated to implants. Magnetic resonance imaging of silicone breast implants, with its high sensitivity and specificity for detecting implant rupture, is the most reliable modality to asses implant integrity. Whichever imaging modality is used, the overall aim of imaging breast implants is to provide the pertinent information about implant integrity, detect implant failures, and to detect breast conditions unrelated to the implants, such as cancer.
Full Text Available Breast cancer is a major health problem in women and early detection is of prime importance. Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI provides both physical and physiologic tissue features that are useful in discriminating malignant from benign lesions. Contrast enhanced MRI is valuable for diagnosis of small tumors in dense breast and the structural and kinetic parameters improved the specificity of diagnosing benign from malignant lesions. It is a complimentary modality for preoperative staging, to follow response to therapy, to detect recurrences and for screening high risk women. Diffusion, perfusion and MR elastography have been applied to breast lesion characterization and show promise. In-vivo MR spectroscopy (MRS is a valuable method to obtain the biochemical status of normal and diseased tissues. Malignant tissues contain high concentration of choline containing compounds that can be used as a biochemical marker. MRS helps to increase the specificity of MRI in lesions larger than 1cm and to monitor the tumor response. Various MR techniques show promise primarily as adjunct to the existing standard detection techniques, and its acceptability as a screening method will increase if specificity can be improved. This review presents the progress made in different MRI and MRS techniques in beast cancer management.
Raster images vectorization system
GenytÄ—, Jurgita
The problem of raster images vectorization was analyzed and researched in this work. Existing vectorization systems are quite expensive, the results are inaccurate, and the manual vectorization of a large number of drafts is impossible. That‘s why our goal was to design and develop a new raster images vectorization system using our suggested automatic vectorization algorithm and the way to record results in a new universal vectorial file format. The work consists of these main parts: analysis...
Diffusion-weighted imaging features of breast tumours and the surrounding stroma reflect intrinsic heterogeneous characteristics of molecular subtypes in breast cancer
KAUST Repository
Fan, Ming
Breast cancer heterogeneity is the main obstacle preventing the identification of patients with breast cancer with poor prognoses and treatment responses; however, such heterogeneity has not been well characterized. The purpose of this retrospective study was to reveal heterogeneous patterns in the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) signals in tumours and the surrounding stroma to predict molecular subtypes of breast cancer. A dataset of 126 patients with breast cancer, who underwent preoperative diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) on a 3.0-T image system, was collected. Breast images were segmented into regions comprising the tumour and surrounding stromal shells in which features that reflect heterogeneous ADC signal distribution were extracted. For each region, imaging features were computed, including the mean, minimum, variance, interquartile range (IQR), range, skewness, kurtosis and entropy of ADC values. Univariate and stepwise multivariate logistic regression modelling was performed to identify the magnetic resonance imaging features that optimally discriminate luminal A, luminal B, human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-enriched and basal-like molecular subtypes. The performance of the predictive models was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the skewness in the tumour boundary achieved an AUC of 0.718 for discrimination between luminal A and non-luminal A tumours, whereas the IQR of the ADC value in the tumour boundary had an AUC of 0.703 for classification of the HER2-enriched subtype. Imaging features in the tumour boundary and the proximal peritumoral stroma corresponded to a higher overall prediction performance than those in other regions. A multivariate logistic regression model combining features in all the regions achieved an overall AUC of 0.800 for the classification of the four tumour subtypes. These findings suggest that features in the tumour
Fan, Ming; He, Ting; Zhang, Peng; Cheng, Hu; Zhang, Juan; Gao, Xin; Li, Lihua
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: correlation between the baseline MR imaging findings and responses to therapy
Uematsu, Takayoshi; Yuen, Sachiko; Kasami, Masako
To retrospectively evaluate the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings of breast cancer before neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and to compare findings of chemosensitive breast cancer with those of chemoresistant breast cancer. The MR imaging findings before NAC in 120 women undergoing NAC were reviewed. The MR imaging findings were compared with the pathological findings and responses. A complete response (pCR) and marked response were achieved in 12 and 35% of 120 breast cancers in 120 women respectively. Breast cancers with a pCR or marked response were classified as chemosensitive breast cancer. The remaining 64 breast cancers (53%) were classified as chemoresistant breast cancer. Large tumour size, a lesion without mass effect, and very high intratumoural signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images were significantly associated with chemoresistant breast cancer. Lesions with mass effect and washout enhancement pattern were significantly associated with chemosensitive breast cancer. Areas with very high intratumoural signal intensity on T2-weighted images corresponded pathologically to areas of intratumoural necrosis. Several MR imaging features of breast cancer before NAC can help predict the efficacy of NAC. (orig.)
Uematsu, Takayoshi; Yuen, Sachiko [Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Breast Imaging and Breast Intervention Section, Naga-izumi, Shizuoka (Japan); Kasami, Masako [Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Department of Pathology, Naga-izumi, Shizuoka (Japan)
Screen-detected versus interval cancers: Effect of imaging modality and breast density in the Flemish Breast Cancer Screening Programme.
Timmermans, Lore; Bleyen, Luc; Bacher, Klaus; Van Herck, Koen; Lemmens, Kim; Van Ongeval, Chantal; Van Steen, Andre; Martens, Patrick; De Brabander, Isabel; Goossens, Mathieu; Thierens, Hubert
To investigate if direct radiography (DR) performs better than screen-film mammography (SF) and computed radiography (CR) in dense breasts in a decentralized organised Breast Cancer Screening Programme. To this end, screen-detected versus interval cancers were studied in different BI-RADS density classes for these imaging modalities. The study cohort consisted of 351,532 women who participated in the Flemish Breast Cancer Screening Programme in 2009 and 2010. Information on screen-detected and interval cancers, breast density scores of radiologist second readers, and imaging modality was obtained by linkage of the databases of the Centre of Cancer Detection and the Belgian Cancer Registry. Overall, 67% of occurring breast cancers are screen detected and 33% are interval cancers, with DR performing better than SF and CR. The interval cancer rate increases gradually with breast density, regardless of modality. In the high-density class, the interval cancer rate exceeds the cancer detection rate for SF and CR, but not for DR. DR is superior to SF and CR with respect to cancer detection rates for high-density breasts. To reduce the high interval cancer rate in dense breasts, use of an additional imaging technique in screening can be taken into consideration. • Interval cancer rate increases gradually with breast density, regardless of modality. • Cancer detection rate in high-density breasts is superior in DR. • IC rate exceeds CDR for SF and CR in high-density breasts. • DR performs better in high-density breasts for third readings and false-positives.
Image quality of microcalcifications in digital breast tomosynthesis: Effects of projection-view distributions
Lu, Yao; Chan, Heang-Ping; Wei, Jun; Goodsitt, Mitch; Carson, Paul L.; Hadjiiski, Lubomir; Schmitz, Andrea; Eberhard, Jeffrey W.; Claus, Bernhard E. H.
Purpose: To analyze the effects of projection-view (PV) distribution on the contrast and spatial blurring of microcalcifications on the tomosynthesized slices (X-Y plane) and along the depth (Z) direction for the same radiation dose in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT).Methods: A GE GEN2 prototype DBT system was used for acquisition of DBT scans. The system acquires PV images from 21 angles in 3° increments over a ±30° range. From these acquired PV images, the authors selected six subsets of...
The number of women undergoing breast implant procedures is increasing exponentially. It is, therefore, imperative for a radiologist to be familiar with the normal and abnormal imaging appearances of common breast implants. Diagnostic imaging studies such as mammography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging are used to evaluate implant integrity, detect abnormalities of the implant and its surrounding capsule, and detect breast conditions unrelated to implants. Magnetic resonance i...
Integrated PET/MR breast cancer imaging: Attenuation correction and implementation of a 16-channel RF coil
Oehmigen, Mark, E-mail: mark.oehmigen@uni-due.de; Lindemann, Maike E. [High Field and Hybrid MR Imaging, University Hospital Essen, Essen 45147 (Germany); Lanz, Titus [Rapid Biomedical GmbH, Rimpar 97222 (Germany); Kinner, Sonja [Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen 45147 (Germany); Quick, Harald H. [High Field and Hybrid MR Imaging, University Hospital Essen, Essen 45147, Germany and Erwin L. Hahn Institute for MR Imaging, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen 45141 (Germany)
Purpose: This study aims to develop, implement, and evaluate a 16-channel radiofrequency (RF) coil for integrated positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) imaging of breast cancer. The RF coil is designed for optimized MR imaging performance and PET transparency and attenuation correction (AC) is applied for accurate PET quantification. Methods: A 16-channel breast array RF coil was designed for integrated PET/MR hybrid imaging of breast cancer lesions. The RF coil features a lightweight rigid design and is positioned with a spacer at a defined position on the patient table of an integrated PET/MR system. Attenuation correction is performed by generating and applying a dedicated 3D CT-based template attenuation map. Reposition accuracy of the RF coil on the system patient table while using the positioning frame was tested in repeated measurements using MR-visible markers. The MR, PET, and PET/MR imaging performances were systematically evaluated using modular breast phantoms. Attenuation correction of the RF coil was evaluated with difference measurements of the active breast phantoms filled with radiotracer in the PET detector with and without the RF coil in place, serving as a standard of reference measurement. The overall PET/MR imaging performance and PET quantification accuracy of the new 16-channel RF coil and its AC were then evaluated in first clinical examinations on ten patients with local breast cancer. Results: The RF breast array coil provides excellent signal-to-noise ratio and signal homogeneity across the volume of the breast phantoms in MR imaging and visualizes small structures in the phantoms down to 0.4 mm in plane. Difference measurements with PET revealed a global loss and thus attenuation of counts by 13% (mean value across the whole phantom volume) when the RF coil is placed in the PET detector. Local attenuation ranging from 0% in the middle of the phantoms up to 24% was detected in the peripheral regions of the phantoms at
Characterization of benign and malignant solid breast masses in harmonic 3D power Doppler imaging
Hsiao, Y.-H.; Huang, Y.-L.; Kuo, S.-J.; Liang, W.-M.; Chen, S.-T.; Chen, D.-R.
Purpose: The authors assessed the characteristics of benign and malignant solid breast tumors in harmonic three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler imaging and proposed decision models to classify benign and malignant breast tumors. Materials and methods: A total of 86 malignant and 97 benign harmonic 3D power Doppler US images were analyzed. All the harmonic 3D power Doppler images were obtained using a Voluson730 US system (GE, Zipf, Austria) equipped with a RSP 6-12 transducer and tissue harmonic imaging modalities. Imaging analysis was performed using the Virtual Organ Computer-aided Analysis (VOCAL)-imaging program. Histogram indices, the vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularization-flow index (VFI), were calculated for the intra-tumor and for shells with an outside thickness of 3 mm surrounding the breast tumors. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated to estimate the diagnostic performances. Results: The results revealed that the choice of decision model comprised the parameters of patient age, intra-tumor VI, and tumor volume to classify benign and malignant breast tumors. The area under the ROC curve (Az) was 0.910, accuracy was 81.4%, and sensitivity and specificity were 81.4% and 81.4%, respectively. The parameter intra-tumor VI was the choice for all of the histogram indices in differentiating between malignant and benign lesions. Conclusion: The decision model, which was composed of patient age, tumor volume and intra-tumor VI, and a cut-off value for intra-tumor VI at the upper end of patient age and tumor volume, was recommended in clinical application.
Avoiding preoperative breast MRI when conventional imaging is sufficient to stage patients eligible for breast conserving therapy
Pengel, Kenneth E., E-mail: k.pengel@nki.nl [Department of Radiology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam (Netherlands); Loo, Claudette E. [Department of Radiology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam (Netherlands); Wesseling, Jelle [Department of Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam (Netherlands); Pijnappel, Ruud M. [Department of Radiology/Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht (Netherlands); Rutgers, Emiel J.Th. [Department of Surgical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam (Netherlands); Gilhuijs, Kenneth G.A. [Department of Radiology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam (Netherlands); Department of Radiology/Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht (Netherlands)
Aim: To determine when preoperative breast MRI will not be more informative than available breast imaging and can be omitted in patients eligible for breast conserving therapy (BCT). Methods: We performed an MRI in 685 consecutive patients with 692 invasive breast tumors and eligible for BCT based on conventional imaging and clinical examination. We explored associations between patient, tumor, and conventional imaging characteristics and similarity with MRI findings. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed to compute the area under the curve (AUC). Results: MRI and conventional breast imaging were similar in 585 of the 692 tumors (85%). At univariate analysis, age (p < 0.001), negative preoperative lymph node status (p = 0.011), comparable tumor diameter at mammography and at ultrasound (p = 0.001), negative HER2 status (p = 0.044), and absence of invasive lobular cancer (p = 0.005) were significantly associated with this similarity. At multivariate analysis, these factors, except HER2 status, retained significant associations. The AUC was 0.68. Conclusions: It is feasible to identify a subgroup of patients prior to preoperative breast MRI, who will most likely show similar results on conventional imaging as on MRI. These findings enable formulation of a practical consensus guideline to determine in which patients a preoperative breast MRI can be omitted.
Pengel, Kenneth E.; Loo, Claudette E.; Wesseling, Jelle; Pijnappel, Ruud M.; Rutgers, Emiel J.Th.; Gilhuijs, Kenneth G.A.
Aim: To determine when preoperative breast MRI will not be more informative than available breast imaging and can be omitted in patients eligible for breast conserving therapy (BCT). Methods: We performed an MRI in 685 consecutive patients with 692 invasive breast tumors and eligible for BCT based on conventional imaging and clinical examination. We explored associations between patient, tumor, and conventional imaging characteristics and similarity with MRI findings. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed to compute the area under the curve (AUC). Results: MRI and conventional breast imaging were similar in 585 of the 692 tumors (85%). At univariate analysis, age (p < 0.001), negative preoperative lymph node status (p = 0.011), comparable tumor diameter at mammography and at ultrasound (p = 0.001), negative HER2 status (p = 0.044), and absence of invasive lobular cancer (p = 0.005) were significantly associated with this similarity. At multivariate analysis, these factors, except HER2 status, retained significant associations. The AUC was 0.68. Conclusions: It is feasible to identify a subgroup of patients prior to preoperative breast MRI, who will most likely show similar results on conventional imaging as on MRI. These findings enable formulation of a practical consensus guideline to determine in which patients a preoperative breast MRI can be omitted
Development and Feasibility Testing of Image-Guided Minimally Invasive Tissue for Diagnosis Treatment of Benign and Malignant Breast Disease
Jeffrey, Stefanie S.
Dr. Robert Mah and Dr. Stefanie Jeffrey worked on the development of the NASA Smart Probe in its application as a device to measure and interpret physiologic and image-based parameters of breast tissue. To date the following has been achieved: 1 . Choice of candidate sensors to be tested in breast tissue. 2. Preliminary designs for probe tip, specifically use of different tip shapes, cutting edges, and sensor configuration. 3. Design of sonographic guidance system. 4. Design of data extraction and analysis tool using scanned information of images of the breast tissue to provide a higher dimension of information for breast tissue characterization and interpretation. 5. Initial ex-vivo (fruit and tofu) and in-vivo (rodent) testing to confirm unique substance and tissue characterization by the Smart Probe software.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the breast: recommendations from the EUSOMA working group
Sardanelli, Francesco; Boetes, Carla; Borisch, Bettina; Decker, Thomas; Federico, Massimo; Gilbert, Fiona J.; Helbich, Thomas; Heywang-Köbrunner, Sylvia H.; Kaiser, Werner A.; Kerin, Michael J.; Mansel, Robert E.; Marotti, Lorenza; Martincich, Laura; Mauriac, Louis; Meijers-Heijboer, Hanne; Orecchia, Roberto; Panizza, Pietro; Ponti, Antonio; Purushotham, Arnie D.; Regitnig, Peter; del Turco, Marco Rosselli; Thibault, Fabienne; Wilson, Robin
The use of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is rapidly increasing. EUSOMA organised a workshop in Milan on 20-21st October 2008 to evaluate the evidence currently available on clinical value and indications for breast MRI. Twenty-three experts from the disciplines involved in breast disease
An anatomically oriented breast coordinate system for mammogram analysis
Brandt, Sami; Karemore, Gopal; Karssemeijer, Nico
and the shape of the breast boundary because these are the most robust features independent of the breast size and shape. On the basis of these landmarks, we have constructed a nonlinear mapping between the parameter frame and the breast region in the mammogram. This mapping makes it possible to identify...... the corresponding positions and orientations among all of the ML or MLO mammograms, which facilitates an implicit use of the registration, i.e., no explicit image warping is needed. We additionally show how the coordinate transform can be used to extract Gaussian derivative features so that the feature positions...... and orientations are registered and extracted without non-linearly deforming the images. We use the proposed breast coordinate transform in a cross-sectional breast cancer risk assessment study of 490 women, in which we attempt to learn breast cancer risk factors from mammograms that were taken prior to when...
Fourier domain image fusion for differential X-ray phase-contrast breast imaging
Coello, Eduardo; Sperl, Jonathan I.; Bequé, Dirk; Benz, Tobias; Scherer, Kai; Herzen, Julia; Sztrókay-Gaul, Anikó; Hellerhoff, Karin; Pfeiffer, Franz; Cozzini, Cristina; Grandl, Susanne
X-Ray Phase-Contrast (XPC) imaging is a novel technology with a great potential for applications in clinical practice, with breast imaging being of special interest. This work introduces an intuitive methodology to combine and visualize relevant diagnostic features, present in the X-ray attenuation, phase shift and scattering information retrieved in XPC imaging, using a Fourier domain fusion algorithm. The method allows to present complementary information from the three acquired signals in one single image, minimizing the noise component and maintaining visual similarity to a conventional X-ray image, but with noticeable enhancement in diagnostic features, details and resolution. Radiologists experienced in mammography applied the image fusion method to XPC measurements of mastectomy samples and evaluated the feature content of each input and the fused image. This assessment validated that the combination of all the relevant diagnostic features, contained in the XPC images, was present in the fused image as well.
Coello, Eduardo, E-mail: eduardo.coello@tum.de [GE Global Research, Garching (Germany); Lehrstuhl für Informatikanwendungen in der Medizin & Augmented Reality, Institut für Informatik, Technische Universität München, Garching (Germany); Sperl, Jonathan I.; Bequé, Dirk [GE Global Research, Garching (Germany); Benz, Tobias [Lehrstuhl für Informatikanwendungen in der Medizin & Augmented Reality, Institut für Informatik, Technische Universität München, Garching (Germany); Scherer, Kai; Herzen, Julia [Lehrstuhl für Biomedizinische Physik, Physik-Department & Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, Garching (Germany); Sztrókay-Gaul, Anikó; Hellerhoff, Karin [Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital, Munich (Germany); Pfeiffer, Franz [Lehrstuhl für Biomedizinische Physik, Physik-Department & Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, Garching (Germany); Cozzini, Cristina [GE Global Research, Garching (Germany); Grandl, Susanne [Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital, Munich (Germany)
Image quality of digital mammography images produced using wet and dry laser imaging systems
Al Khalifah, K.; Brindhaban, A.; AlArfaj, R.; Jassim, O.
Introduction: A study was carried out to compare the quality of digital mammographic images printed or processed by a wet laser imaging system and a dedicated mammographic dry laser imaging system. Material and methods: Digital images of a tissue equivalent breast phantom were obtained using a GE Senographe 2000D digital mammography system and different target/filter combinations of the X-ray tube. These images were printed on films using the Fuji FL-IM D wet laser imaging system and the Kodak DryView 8600 dry laser imaging system. The quality of images was assessed in terms of detectability of microcalcifications and simulated tumour masses by five radiologists. In addition, the contrast index and speed index of the two systems were measured using the step wedge in the phantom. The unpaired, unequal variance t-test was used to test any statistically significant differences. Results: There were no significant (p < 0.05) differences between the images printed using the two systems in terms of microcalcification and tumour mass detectability. The wet system resulted in slightly higher contrast index while the dry system showed significantly higher speed index. Conclusion: Both wet and dry laser imaging systems can produce mammography images of good quality on which 0.2 mm microcalcifications and 2 mm tumour masses can be detected. Dry systems are preferable due to the absence of wet chemical processing and solid or liquid chemical waste. The wet laser imaging systems, however, still represent a useful alternative to dry laser imaging systems for mammography studies
Screen-detected versus interval cancers: Effect of imaging modality and breast density in the Flemish Breast Cancer Screening Programme
Timmermans, Lore; Bacher, Klaus; Thierens, Hubert [Ghent University, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, QCC-Gent, Ghent (Belgium); Bleyen, Luc; Herck, Koen van [Ghent University, Centrum voor Preventie en Vroegtijdige Opsporing van Kanker, Ghent (Belgium); Lemmens, Kim; Ongeval, Chantal van; Steen, Andre van [University Hospitals Leuven, Department of Radiology, Leuven (Belgium); Martens, Patrick [Centrum voor Kankeropsporing, Bruges (Belgium); Brabander, Isabel de [Belgian Cancer Registry, Brussels (Belgium); Goossens, Mathieu [UZ Brussel, Dienst Kankerpreventie, Brussels (Belgium)
To investigate if direct radiography (DR) performs better than screen-film mammography (SF) and computed radiography (CR) in dense breasts in a decentralized organised Breast Cancer Screening Programme. To this end, screen-detected versus interval cancers were studied in different BI-RADS density classes for these imaging modalities. The study cohort consisted of 351,532 women who participated in the Flemish Breast Cancer Screening Programme in 2009 and 2010. Information on screen-detected and interval cancers, breast density scores of radiologist second readers, and imaging modality was obtained by linkage of the databases of the Centre of Cancer Detection and the Belgian Cancer Registry. Overall, 67% of occurring breast cancers are screen detected and 33% are interval cancers, with DR performing better than SF and CR. The interval cancer rate increases gradually with breast density, regardless of modality. In the high-density class, the interval cancer rate exceeds the cancer detection rate for SF and CR, but not for DR. DR is superior to SF and CR with respect to cancer detection rates for high-density breasts. To reduce the high interval cancer rate in dense breasts, use of an additional imaging technique in screening can be taken into consideration. (orig.)
Timmermans, Lore; Bacher, Klaus; Thierens, Hubert; Bleyen, Luc; Herck, Koen van; Lemmens, Kim; Ongeval, Chantal van; Steen, Andre van; Martens, Patrick; Brabander, Isabel de; Goossens, Mathieu
Imaging findings in phyllodes tumors of the breast
Tan Hongna; Zhang Shengjian; Liu Haiquan; Peng Weijun; Li Ruimin; Gu Yajia; Wang Xiaohong; Mao Jian; Shen Xigang
Purpose: To study the radiological appearance and pathological features of breast phyllodes tumors (PTs), and to enhance the recognition of the tumor. Materials and methods: Clinical and imaging findings were retrospectively reviewed in 24 women with PTs confirmed by surgical pathology. All of the 24 patients had preoperative MRI and sonography, and 10 had preoperative mammography. Results: The histologic findings were benign, borderline and malignant PTs in 16.7% (4/24), 45.8% (11/24) and 37.5% (9/24) of cases, respectively. The tumor size (p = 0.001), irregular shape on sonographic imaging (p = 0.039), internal non-enhanced septations (p = 0.009), silt-like changes in enhanced images (p = 0.006) and signal changes from T2-weighted to enhanced images on MRI (p = 0.001) correlated significantly with the histologic grade; the BI-RADS category of the MRI could reflect the PT's histologic grade with a correlation coefficient of 0.440 (p = 0.031). If the category BI-RADS ≥4a was considered to be a suspicious malignant lesion, the diagnostic accuracy of mammography, US and MRI would be 70% (7/10), 62.5% (15/24) and 95.8% (23/24), respectively. Conclusion: The tumor size and several US and MRI findings can be used to help preoperatively determine the histologic grade of breast PTs. When a patient presents with a progressively enlarging, painless breast mass, MRI should be recommended first.
Automated planning of breast radiotherapy using cone beam CT imaging
Amit, Guy; Purdie, Thomas G.
Purpose: Develop and clinically validate a methodology for using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging in an automated treatment planning framework for breast IMRT. Methods: A technique for intensity correction of CBCT images was developed and evaluated. The technique is based on histogram matching of CBCT image sets, using information from “similar� planning CT image sets from a database of paired CBCT and CT image sets (n = 38). Automated treatment plans were generated for a testing subset (n = 15) on the planning CT and the corrected CBCT. The plans generated on the corrected CBCT were compared to the CT-based plans in terms of beam parameters, dosimetric indices, and dose distributions. Results: The corrected CBCT images showed considerable similarity to their corresponding planning CTs (average mutual information 1.0±0.1, average sum of absolute differences 185 ± 38). The automated CBCT-based plans were clinically acceptable, as well as equivalent to the CT-based plans with average gantry angle difference of 0.99°±1.1°, target volume overlap index (Dice) of 0.89±0.04 although with slightly higher maximum target doses (4482±90 vs 4560±84, P < 0.05). Gamma index analysis (3%, 3 mm) showed that the CBCT-based plans had the same dose distribution as plans calculated with the same beams on the registered planning CTs (average gamma index 0.12±0.04, gamma <1 in 99.4%±0.3%). Conclusions: The proposed method demonstrates the potential for a clinically feasible and efficient online adaptive breast IMRT planning method based on CBCT imaging, integrating automation
Body image of Greek breast cancer patients treated with mastectomy or breast conserving surgery.
Anagnostopoulos, Fotios; Myrgianni, Spyridoula
The aim of this study was to assess and compare the body image of breast cancer patients (n = 70) whom underwent breast conserving surgery or mastectomy, as well as to compare patients' scores with that of a sample of healthy control women (n = 70). A secondary objective of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the 10-item Greek version of the Body Image Scale, a multidimensional measure of body image changes and concerns. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on the items of this scale resulted in a two factor solution, indicating perceived attractiveness, and body and appearance satisfaction. Comparison of the two surgical groups revealed that women treated with mastectomy felt less attractive and more self-conscious, did not like their overall appearance, were dissatisfied with their scar, and avoided contact with people. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that more general body image concerns were associated with belonging to the mastectomy group, compared to the cancer-free group of women. Implications for clinical practice and recommendations for future investigations are discussed.
Scorpion image segmentation system
Joseph, E.; Aibinu, A. M.; Sadiq, B. A.; Bello Salau, H.; Salami, M. J. E.
Death as a result of scorpion sting has been a major public health problem in developing countries. Despite the high rate of death as a result of scorpion sting, little report exists in literature of intelligent device and system for automatic detection of scorpion. This paper proposed a digital image processing approach based on the floresencing characteristics of Scorpion under Ultra-violet (UV) light for automatic detection and identification of scorpion. The acquired UV-based images undergo pre-processing to equalize uneven illumination and colour space channel separation. The extracted channels are then segmented into two non-overlapping classes. It has been observed that simple thresholding of the green channel of the acquired RGB UV-based image is sufficient for segmenting Scorpion from other background components in the acquired image. Two approaches to image segmentation have also been proposed in this work, namely, the simple average segmentation technique and K-means image segmentation. The proposed algorithm has been tested on over 40 UV scorpion images obtained from different part of the world and results obtained show an average accuracy of 97.7% in correctly classifying the pixel into two non-overlapping clusters. The proposed 1system will eliminate the problem associated with some of the existing manual approaches presently in use for scorpion detection.
Evaluation of the clinical performance by using the effective DQE for a prototype digital breast tomosynthesis system
Choi, Jae-Gu; Choi, Young-Wook; Ham, Tae-Hee; Kim, Ye-Seul; Park, Hye-Suk; Kim, Hee-Joung
Early experience with the application of tomosynthesis to breast imaging has shown the potential of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), which can improve the specificity of mammography with improved marginal visibility of the lesion and early breast cancer detection, especially for women with dense breasts. The purpose of this study is to characterize the physical properties of the DBT system and to optimize the exposure conditions by using the modulation transfer function (MTF), the noise power spectrum (NPS), the scatter fraction, the transmission fraction and the effective detective quantum efficiency (eDQE) for different breast thicknesses. The first-generation KERI prototype digital tomosynthesis system for breast imaging using a CMOS flat panel detector was used in this study. The spatial frequency depend on metrics depend on both the inherent properties of the detector and the imaging geometry including breast thickness. For a thicker breast, the eDQE decreases as the scatter fraction increases at a fixed tube voltage. Moreover, the MTF shows no significant difference with changing tube voltage while the eDQE at 27 kVp is slightly degraded. Consequently, the above critical properties of the DBT system for different exposure conditions and breast thicknesses should be fully considered before building the system and using it application in clinical applications.
Sensitivity of imaging for multifocal-multicentric breast carcinoma
Viale Giuseppe
Full Text Available Abstract Background This retrospective study aims to determine: 1 the sensitivity of preoperative mammography (Mx and ultrasound (US, and re-reviewed Mx to detect multifocal multicentric breast carcinoma (MMBC, defined by pathology on surgical specimens, and 2 to analyze the characteristics of both detected and undetected foci on Mx and US. Methods Three experienced breast radiologists re-reviewed, independently, digital mammography of 97 women with MMBC pathologically diagnosed on surgical specimens. The radiologists were informed of all neoplastic foci, and blinded to the original mammograms and US reports. With regards to Mx, they considered the breast density, number of foci, the Mx characteristics of the lesions and their BI-RADS classification. For US, they considered size of the lesions, BI-RADS classification and US pattern and lesion characteristics. According to the histological size, the lesions were classified as: index cancer, 2nd lesion, 3rd lesion, and 4th lesion. Any pathologically identified malignant foci not previously described in the original imaging reports, were defined as undetected or missed lesions. Sensitivity was calculated for Mx, US and re-reviewed Mx for detecting the presence of the index cancer as well as additional satellite lesions. Results Pathological examination revealed 13 multifocal and 84 multicentric cancers with a total of 303 malignant foci (282 invasive and 21 non invasive. Original Mx and US reports had an overall sensitivity of 45.5% and 52.9%, respectively. Mx detected 83/97 index cancers with a sensitivity of 85.6%. The number of lesions undetected by original Mx was 165/303. The Mx pattern of breasts with undetected lesions were: fatty in 3 (1.8%; scattered fibroglandular density in 40 (24.3%, heterogeneously dense in 91 (55.1% and dense in 31 (18.8% cases. In breasts with an almost entirely fatty pattern, Mx sensitivity was 100%, while in fibroglandular or dense pattern it was reduced to 45
Ultra high spatial and temporal resolution breast imaging at 7T.
van de Bank, B L; Voogt, I J; Italiaander, M; Stehouwer, B L; Boer, V O; Luijten, P R; Klomp, D W J
There is a need to obtain higher specificity in the detection of breast lesions using MRI. To address this need, Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced (DCE) MRI has been combined with other structural and functional MRI techniques. Unfortunately, owing to time constraints structural images at ultra-high spatial resolution can generally not be obtained during contrast uptake, whereas the relatively low spatial resolution of functional imaging (e.g. diffusion and perfusion) limits the detection of small lesions. To be able to increase spatial as well as temporal resolution simultaneously, the sensitivity of MR detection needs to increase as well as the ability to effectively accelerate the acquisition. The required gain in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be obtained at 7T, whereas acceleration can be obtained with high-density receiver coil arrays. In this case, morphological imaging can be merged with DCE-MRI, and other functional techniques can be obtained at higher spatial resolution, and with less distortion [e.g. Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI)]. To test the feasibility of this concept, we developed a unilateral breast coil for 7T. It comprises a volume optimized dual-channel transmit coil combined with a 30-channel receive array coil. The high density of small coil elements enabled efficient acceleration in any direction to acquire ultra high spatial resolution MRI of close to 0.6 mm isotropic detail within a temporal resolution of 69 s, high spatial resolution MRI of 1.5 mm isotropic within an ultra high temporal resolution of 6.7 s and low distortion DWI at 7T, all validated in phantoms, healthy volunteers and a patient with a lesion in the right breast classified as Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) IV. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of errors in experimental parameters on reconstructed breast images using diffuse optical tomography.
Deng, Bin; Lundqvist, Mats; Fang, Qianqian; Carp, Stefan A
Near-infrared diffuse optical tomography (NIR-DOT) is an emerging technology that offers hemoglobin based, functional imaging tumor biomarkers for breast cancer management. The most promising clinical translation opportunities are in the differential diagnosis of malignant vs. benign lesions, and in early response assessment and guidance for neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Accurate quantification of the tissue oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin concentration across the field of view, as well as repeatability during longitudinal imaging in the context of therapy guidance, are essential for the successful translation of NIR-DOT to clinical practice. The ill-posed and ill-condition nature of the DOT inverse problem makes this technique particularly susceptible to model errors that may occur, for example, when the experimental conditions do not fully match the assumptions built into the image reconstruction process. To evaluate the susceptibility of DOT images to experimental errors that might be encountered in practice for a parallel-plate NIR-DOT system, we simulated 7 different types of errors, each with a range of magnitudes. We generated simulated data by using digital breast phantoms derived from five actual mammograms of healthy female volunteers, to which we added a 1-cm tumor. After applying each of the experimental error types and magnitudes to the simulated measurements, we reconstructed optical images with and without structural prior guidance and assessed the overall error in the total hemoglobin concentrations (HbT) and in the HbT contrast between the lesion and surrounding area vs. the best-case scenarios. It is found that slight in-plane probe misalignment and plate rotation did not result in large quantification errors. However, any out-of-plane probe tilting could result in significant deterioration in lesion contrast. Among the error types investigated in this work, optical images were the least likely to be impacted by breast shape inaccuracies but suffered the
Role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), MR spectroscopy (MRS) and other imaging modalities in breast cancer
Sharma, Uma; Virendra Kumar; Jagannathan, N.R.
Breast cancer is the commonest cancer among women world over and the diagnosis continues to generate fear and turmoil in the life of patients and their families. This article describes the currently available techniques used for screening primary and recurrent breast cancers and the evaluation of therapeutic response of breast cancer with special emphasis on MRI and MRS techniques. MRI, a noninvasive technique, provides anatomic images in multiple planes enabling tissue characterization. Contrast enhanced MR studies have been found to be useful in the diagnosis of small tumors in dense breast benign diseases from malignant ones. In vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is another useful technique for diagnosis and for assessing the biochemical status of normal and diseased tissues. Being noninvasive, MR techniques can be used repetitively for assessment of response of the tumor to various therapeutic regimens and for evaluating the efficacy of drugs at both the structural and molecular level. An overview of the various aspects of different imaging modalities used in breast cancer research including various in vivo MR methodologies with clinical examples is presented in this review. (author)
Surface scanning through a cylindrical tank of coupling fluid for clinical microwave breast imaging exams
Pallone, Matthew J.; Meaney, Paul M.; Paulsen, Keith D.
Purpose: Microwave tomographic image quality can be improved significantly with prior knowledge of the breast surface geometry. The authors have developed a novel laser scanning system capable of accurately recovering surface renderings of breast-shaped phantoms immersed within a cylindrical tank of coupling fluid which resides completely external to the tank (and the aqueous environment) and overcomes the challenges associated with the optical distortions caused by refraction from the air, tank wall, and liquid bath interfaces. Methods: The scanner utilizes two laser line generators and a small CCD camera mounted concentrically on a rotating gantry about the microwave imaging tank. Various calibration methods were considered for optimizing the accuracy of the scanner in the presence of the optical distortions including traditional ray tracing and image registration approaches. In this paper, the authors describe the construction and operation of the laser scanner, compare the efficacy of several calibration methods—including analytical ray tracing and piecewise linear, polynomial, locally weighted mean, and thin-plate-spline (TPS) image registrations—and report outcomes from preliminary phantom experiments. Results: The results show that errors in calibrating camera angles and position prevented analytical ray tracing from achieving submillimeter accuracy in the surface renderings obtained from our scanner configuration. Conversely, calibration by image registration reliably attained mean surface errors of less than 0.5 mm depending on the geometric complexity of the object scanned. While each of the image registration approaches outperformed the ray tracing strategy, the authors found global polynomial methods produced the best compromise between average surface error and scanner robustness. Conclusions: The laser scanning system provides a fast and accurate method of three dimensional surface capture in the aqueous environment commonly found in microwave
WE-FG-207A-05: Dedicated Breast CT as a Diagnostic Imaging Tool: Physics and Clinical Feasibility
Mammography-based screening has been a valuable imaging tool for the early detection of non-palpable lesions and has contributed to significant reduction in breast cancer associated mortality. However, the breast imaging community recognizes that mammography is not ideal, and in particular is inferior for women with dense breasts. Also, the 2-D projection of a 3-D organ results in tissue superposition contributing to false-positives. The sensitivity of mammography is breast-density dependent. Its sensitivity, especially in dense breasts, is low due to overlapping tissue and the fact that normal breast tissue, benign lesions and breast cancers all have similar “densities�, making lesion detection more difficult. We ideally need 3-D imaging for imaging the 3-D breast. MRI is 3-D, whole breast ultrasound is 3-D, digital breast tomosynthesis is called 3-D but is really “pseudo 3-D� due to poor resolution along the depth-direction. Also, and importantly, we need to be able to administer intravenous contrast agents for optimal imaging, similar to other organ systems in the body. Dedicated breast CT allows for 3-D imaging of the uncompressed breast. In current designs, the patient is positioned prone on the table and the breast is pendant through an aperture and the scan takes approximately 10 seconds [O’Connell et al., AJR 195: 496–509, 2010]. Almost on the heels of the invention of CT itself, work began on the development of dedicated breast CT. These early breast CT systems were used in clinical trials and the results from comparative performance evaluation of breast CT and mammography for 1625 subjects were reported in 1980 [Chang et al., Cancer 46: 939–46, 1980]. However, the technological limitations at that time stymied clinical translation for decades. Subsequent to the landmark article in 2001 [Boone et al., Radiology 221: 657–67, 2001] that demonstrated the potential feasibility in terms of radiation dose, multiple research groups are actively
X-ray scatter signatures for enhanced breast imaging
Kidane, Ghirmay; Speller, Robert; Royle, Gary [Medical Physics and Bioengineering Department, University College Landon, 11-20 Capper Street, London WC1E 6JA (United Kingdom)
Conventional mammographic imaging suffers from a low specificity. The main cause is the small difference in the x-ray attenuation properties of healthy and diseased tissue leading to poor contrast in the image. It has been observed that additional information on breast tissue type can be obtained from x-ray diffraction effects. A study of excised normal and neoplastic breast tissue samples using x-ray diffraction apparatus has been observed that significant differences exist in the measured spectra between carcinoma and healthy tissue adjacent to the carcinoma. Such a difference allows tissue type to be characterised according to is diseased state. Furthermore the information can be applied to improve diagnosis. It is proposed that collection and analysis of the scattered x-rays present during a mammographic procedure can supply the additional information and be used to improve the image contrast. The ultimate aim of the project is to improve the specificity of x-ray mammography. (authors) 10 refs., 3 figs.
Mammographic Image Analysis of Breast Using Neural Network
Lesa MAMBWE
Full Text Available This paper discusses the various stages of detecting tumours of the breast mammogram images. A Neural Network algorithm is applied for obtaining the complete classification of the tumour into normal or abnormal. The most important procedure or technique for obtaining the classification is the feature extraction, by extracting a few of discriminative features, first-order statistical intensities and gradients. The Image Pre-processing technique is essential prior to Image Segmentation in order to obtain accurate segmentation. Thus mass detection can be carried out. The processes involved in achieving the three techniques mentioned above include global equalization transformation, denoising, binarization, breast orientation determination and the pectoral muscle suppression. The presented feature difference matrices could be created by five features extracted from a suspicious region of interest (ROI. Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM aids the obtaining of statistical features such as correlation, energy, entropy and homogeneity. The other statistical to features to obtain are area, moment, variance, entropy, standard deviation and moment. The Neural network technique yields results of abnormal mammograms.
Image analysis software versus direct anthropometry for breast measurements.
Quieregatto, Paulo Rogério; Hochman, Bernardo; Furtado, Fabianne; Machado, Aline Fernanda Perez; Sabino Neto, Miguel; Ferreira, Lydia Masako
To compare breast measurements performed using the software packages ImageTool(r), AutoCAD(r) and Adobe Photoshop(r) with direct anthropometric measurements. Points were marked on the breasts and arms of 40 volunteer women aged between 18 and 60 years. When connecting the points, seven linear segments and one angular measurement on each half of the body, and one medial segment common to both body halves were defined. The volunteers were photographed in a standardized manner. Photogrammetric measurements were performed by three independent observers using the three software packages and compared to direct anthropometric measurements made with calipers and a protractor. Measurements obtained with AutoCAD(r) were the most reproducible and those made with ImageTool(r) were the most similar to direct anthropometry, while measurements with Adobe Photoshop(r) showed the largest differences. Except for angular measurements, significant differences were found between measurements of line segments made using the three software packages and those obtained by direct anthropometry. AutoCAD(r) provided the highest precision and intermediate accuracy; ImageTool(r) had the highest accuracy and lowest precision; and Adobe Photoshop(r) showed intermediate precision and the worst accuracy among the three software packages.
TH-AB-209-10: Breast Cancer Identification Through X-Ray Coherent Scatter Spectral Imaging
Kapadia, A; Morris, R; Albanese, K; Spencer, J; McCall, S; Greenberg, J [Duke University, Durham, NC (United States)
Purpose: We have previously described the development and testing of a coherent-scatter spectral imaging system for identification of cancer. Our prior evaluations were performed using either tissue surrogate phantoms or formalin-fixed tissue obtained from pathology. Here we present the first results from a scatter imaging study using fresh breast tumor tissues obtained through surgical excision. Methods: A coherent-scatter imaging system was built using a clinical X-ray tube, photon counting detectors, and custom-designed coded-apertures. System performance was characterized using calibration phantoms of biological materials. Fresh breast tumors were obtained from patients undergoing mastectomy and lumpectomy surgeries for breast cancer. Each specimen was vacuum-sealed, scanned using the scatter imaging system, and then sent to pathology for histological workup. Scatter images were generated separately for each tissue specimen and analyzed to identify voxels containing malignant tissue. The images were compared against histological analysis (H&E + pathologist identification of tumors) to assess the match between scatter-based and histological diagnosis. Results: In all specimens scanned, the scatter images showed the location of cancerous regions within the specimen. The detection and classification was performed through automated spectral matching without the need for manual intervention. The scatter spectra corresponding to cancer tissue were found to be in agreement with those reported in literature. Inter-patient variability was found to be within limits reported in literature. The scatter images showed agreement with pathologist-identified regions of cancer. Spatial resolution for this configuration of the scanner was determined to be 2–3 mm, and the total scan time for each specimen was under 15 minutes. Conclusion: This work demonstrates the utility of coherent scatter imaging in identifying cancer based on the scatter properties of the tissue. It
Real-time intraoperative detection of breast cancer using near-infrared fluorescence imaging and Methylene Blue.
Tummers, Q R J G; Verbeek, F P R; Schaafsma, B E; Boonstra, M C; van der Vorst, J R; Liefers, G-J; van de Velde, C J H; Frangioni, J V; Vahrmeijer, A L
Despite recent developments in preoperative breast cancer imaging, intraoperative localization of tumor tissue can be challenging, resulting in tumor-positive resection margins during breast conserving surgery. Based on certain physicochemical similarities between Technetium((99m)Tc)-sestamibi (MIBI), an SPECT radiodiagnostic with a sensitivity of 83-90% to detect breast cancer preoperatively, and the near-infrared (NIR) fluorophore Methylene Blue (MB), we hypothesized that MB might detect breast cancer intraoperatively using NIR fluorescence imaging. Twenty-four patients with breast cancer, planned for surgical resection, were included. Patients were divided in 2 administration groups, which differed with respect to the timing of MB administration. N = 12 patients per group were administered 1.0 mg/kg MB intravenously either immediately or 3 h before surgery. The mini-FLARE imaging system was used to identify the NIR fluorescent signal during surgery and on post-resected specimens transferred to the pathology department. Results were confirmed by NIR fluorescence microscopy. 20/24 (83%) of breast tumors (carcinoma in N = 21 and ductal carcinoma in situ in N = 3) were identified in the resected specimen using NIR fluorescence imaging. Patients with non-detectable tumors were significantly older. No significant relation to receptor status or tumor grade was seen. Overall tumor-to-background ratio (TBR) was 2.4 ± 0.8. There was no significant difference between TBR and background signal between administration groups. In 2/4 patients with positive resection margins, breast cancer tissue identified in the wound bed during surgery would have changed surgical management. Histology confirmed the concordance of fluorescence signal and tumor tissue. This feasibility study demonstrated an overall breast cancer identification rate using MB of 83%, with real-time intraoperative guidance having the potential to alter patient management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All
Task-based strategy for optimized contrast enhanced breast imaging: analysis of six imaging techniques for mammography and tomosynthesis
Ikejimba, Lynda; Kiarashi, Nooshin; Lin, Yuan; Chen, Baiyu; Ghate, Sujata V.; Zerhouni, Moustafa; Samei, Ehsan; Lo, Joseph Y.
Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is a novel x-ray imaging technique that provides 3D structural information of the breast. In contrast to 2D mammography, DBT minimizes tissue overlap potentially improving cancer detection and reducing number of unnecessary recalls. The addition of a contrast agent to DBT and mammography for lesion enhancement has the benefit of providing functional information of a lesion, as lesion contrast uptake and washout patterns may help differentiate between benign and malignant tumors. This study used a task-based method to determine the optimal imaging approach by analyzing six imaging paradigms in terms of their ability to resolve iodine at a given dose: contrast enhanced mammography and tomosynthesis, temporal subtraction mammography and tomosynthesis, and dual energy subtraction mammography and tomosynthesis. Imaging performance was characterized using a detectability index d', derived from the system task transfer function (TTF), an imaging task, iodine contrast, and the noise power spectrum (NPS). The task modeled a 5 mm lesion containing iodine concentrations between 2.1 mg/cc and 8.6 mg/cc. TTF was obtained using an edge phantom, and the NPS was measured over several exposure levels, energies, and target-filter combinations. Using a structured CIRS phantom, d' was generated as a function of dose and iodine concentration. In general, higher dose gave higher d', but for the lowest iodine concentration and lowest dose, dual energy subtraction tomosynthesis and temporal subtraction tomosynthesis demonstrated the highest performance.
Imaging Proteolysis by Living Human Breast Cancer Cells
Mansoureh Sameni
Full Text Available Malignant progression is accompanied by degradation of extracellular matrix proteins. Here we describe a novel confocal assay in which we can observe proteolysis by living human breast cancer cells (BT20 and BT549 through the use of quenchedfluorescent protein substrates. Degradation thus was imaged, by confocal optical sectioning, as an accumulation of fluorescent products. With the BT20 cells, fluorescence was localized to pericellular focal areas that coincide with pits in the underlying matrix. In contrast, fluorescence was localized to intracellular vesicles in the BT549 cells, vesicles that also label for lysosomal markers. Neither intracellular nor pericellular fluorescence was observed in the BT549 cells in the presence of cytochalasin B, suggesting that degradation occurred intracellularly and was dependent on endocytic uptake of substrate. In the presence of a cathepsin 13-selective cysteine protease inhibitor, intracellular fluorescence was decreased ~90% and pericellular fluorescence decreased 67% to 96%, depending on the protein substrate. Matrix metallo protease inhibitors reduced pericellular fluorescence ~50%, i.e., comparably to a serine and a broad spectrum cysteine protease inhibitor. Our results suggest that: 1 a proteolytic cascade participates in pericellular digestion of matrix proteins by living human breast cancer cells, and 2 the cysteine protease cathepsin B participates in both pericellular and intracellular digestion of matrix proteins by living human breast cancer cells.
System geometry optimization for molecular breast tomosynthesis with focusing multi-pinhole collimators
van Roosmalen, Jarno; Beekman, Freek J.; Goorden, Marlies C.
Imaging of 99mTc-labelled tracers is gaining popularity for detecting breast tumours. Recently, we proposed a novel design for molecular breast tomosynthesis (MBT) based on two sliding focusing multi-pinhole collimators that scan a modestly compressed breast. Simulation studies indicate that MBT has the potential to improve the tumour-to-background contrast-to-noise ratio significantly over state-of-the-art planar molecular breast imaging. The aim of the present paper is to optimize the collimator-detector geometry of MBT. Using analytical models, we first optimized sensitivity at different fixed system resolutions (ranging from 5 to 12 mm) by tuning the pinhole diameters and the distance between breast and detector for a whole series of automatically generated multi-pinhole designs. We evaluated both MBT with a conventional continuous crystal detector with 3.2 mm intrinsic resolution and with a pixelated detector with 1.6 mm pixels. Subsequently, full system simulations of a breast phantom containing several lesions were performed for the optimized geometry at each system resolution for both types of detector. From these simulations, we found that tumour-to-background contrast-to-noise ratio was highest for systems in the 7 mm-10 mm system resolution range over which it hardly varied. No significant differences between the two detector types were found.
High-resolution breast tomography at high energy: a feasibility study of phase contrast imaging on a whole breast
Sztrókay, A; Schlossbauer, T; Bamberg, F; Reiser, M F; Coan, P; Diemoz, P C; Brun, E; Bravin, A; Mayr, D
Previous studies on phase contrast imaging (PCI) mammography have demonstrated an enhancement of breast morphology and cancerous tissue visualization compared to conventional imaging. We show here the first results of the PCI analyser-based imaging (ABI) in computed tomography (CT) mode on whole and large (>12 cm) tumour-bearing breast tissues. We demonstrate in this work the capability of the technique of working at high x-ray energies and producing high-contrast images of large and complex specimens. One entire breast of an 80-year-old woman with invasive ductal cancer was imaged using ABI-CT with monochromatic 70 keV x-rays and an area detector of 92×92 µm 2 pixel size. Sagittal slices were reconstructed from the acquired data, and compared to corresponding histological sections. Comparison with conventional absorption-based CT was also performed. Five blinded radiologists quantitatively evaluated the visual aspects of the ABI-CT images with respect to sharpness, soft tissue contrast, tissue boundaries and the discrimination of different structures/tissues. ABI-CT excellently depicted the entire 3D architecture of the breast volume by providing high-resolution and high-contrast images of the normal and cancerous breast tissues. These results are an important step in the evolution of PCI-CT towards its clinical implementation. (paper)
Sztrókay, A.; Diemoz, P. C.; Schlossbauer, T.; Brun, E.; Bamberg, F.; Mayr, D.; Reiser, M. F.; Bravin, A.; Coan, P.
Previous studies on phase contrast imaging (PCI) mammography have demonstrated an enhancement of breast morphology and cancerous tissue visualization compared to conventional imaging. We show here the first results of the PCI analyser-based imaging (ABI) in computed tomography (CT) mode on whole and large (>12 cm) tumour-bearing breast tissues. We demonstrate in this work the capability of the technique of working at high x-ray energies and producing high-contrast images of large and complex specimens. One entire breast of an 80-year-old woman with invasive ductal cancer was imaged using ABI-CT with monochromatic 70 keV x-rays and an area detector of 92×92 µm2 pixel size. Sagittal slices were reconstructed from the acquired data, and compared to corresponding histological sections. Comparison with conventional absorption-based CT was also performed. Five blinded radiologists quantitatively evaluated the visual aspects of the ABI-CT images with respect to sharpness, soft tissue contrast, tissue boundaries and the discrimination of different structures/tissues. ABI-CT excellently depicted the entire 3D architecture of the breast volume by providing high-resolution and high-contrast images of the normal and cancerous breast tissues. These results are an important step in the evolution of PCI-CT towards its clinical implementation.
Image Based Biomarker of Breast Cancer Risk: Analysis of Risk Disparity Among Minority Populations
cluster locations. In the undirected strategy, the PDF is uniform within the entire volume of the breast , while in...stereoscopic breast biopsy images (13, 14). Each cluster in the database is stored as a 3D binary volume, with a voxel value of ‘1’ representing...AD_________________ Award Number: W81XWH-09-1-0062 TITLE: Image Based Biomarker of Breast Cancer
Use of magnetic resonance imaging in detection of breast cancer recurrence: a systematic review.
LENUS (Irish Health Repository)
Quinn, Edel Marie
Diagnosis of breast cancer recurrence can be difficult as a result of the presence of scar tissue in the breast. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be superior to traditional imaging in diagnosis of recurrence because of its ability to differentiate malignancy from scarring. Current guidelines on investigation of suspected breast cancer recurrence recommend MRI when other investigations have equivocal findings. We performed the first systematic review on this topic.
Overuse of Imaging the Male Breast-Findings in 557 Patients
Lapid, Oren; Siebenga, Pieter; Zonderland, Harmien M.
Gynecomastia is the most common abnormality of the male breast. However, breast cancer may occur, albeit with a significantly lower incidence than in females. Imaging is often used as part of the diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the utilization and outcome of imaging with mammography
Molecular markers in breast cancer: new tools in imaging and prognosis
Vermeulen, J.F.
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. Although breast cancer is mainly diagnosed by mammography, other imaging modalities (e.g. MRI, PET) are increasingly used. The most recent developments in the field of molecular imaging comprise the application of near-infrared
The usefulness of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of breast cancer
Rugala, A.
The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of dynamic MR in evaluation of breast cancer and to compare it with conventional mammography and US. The findings in 103 women were analyzed. MR examinations were performed on 0.5 Tesla system, using a dynamic sequence. All images were digitally subtracted. Histologic findings were correlated with preoperative mammographic, US and MR results.The combination of dynamic MR examination with mammography and sonography had the highest sensitivity: 87 from 90 focuses of cancer were correctly diagnosed. Malignant lesions in the standard method were found in 66 cases. Contrast enhanced MR imaging was superior to mammography and US when cancer was located close to the chest wall. Mammography and US were less accurate in identifying multifocal and multicentric cancer, when additional lesions were less then 2 cm. MR results proved to be the most accurate for the tumor size assessment. The combined method can be recommended where the highest possible sensitivity is desired. For correct diagnosis the digital subtraction technique of dynamic study is essential. MR imaging can facilitate the decision on the therapeutic approach in women with breast cancer, especially, when breast conserving therapy is considered. (author)
Scintimammography: The new role of Technetium-99 m Sestamibi imaging for the diagnosis of breast carcinoma
Khalkhali, I.; Diggles, L. E.; Cutrone, J. A.; Mishkin, F. S. [Los Angeles Medical Center, Torrance (United States). Dept. of Radiology; Iraniha, S. [Los Angeles Medical Center, Torrance (United States). Surgery
Technetium-99-Sestamibi scintimammography has emerged as a new procedure for the imaging of breast tumors, Currently, a large clinical experience has been developed and the results published. At the present time, the major drawback of this procedure appears to be its low sensitivity for the detection of breast carcinomas smaller than 1 cm in diameter. There are other biologic and technical issues that remain to be overcome to optimally image the breasts. Some of these include: development of a dedicated breast imager using nuclear medicine techniques, development of stereotactic needle localization of the abnormalities that demonstrate focal increase uptake in women with normal mammogram and breast physical examination, manufacturing of a breast compression device so that they can immobilize the breast in place for more adequate imaging, overcoming the issue of unilateral or bilateral diffuse breast uptake that is noted in 7 - 10 percent of the cases and finally determination of optimal dose and imaging factors. This review includes their experience at Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center with the use of this agent for breast imaging since 1992.
Khalkhali, I.; Diggles, L. E.; Cutrone, J. A.; Mishkin, F. S.; Iraniha, S.
Technetium-99-Sestamibi scintimammography has emerged as a new procedure for the imaging of breast tumors, Currently, a large clinical experience has been developed and the results published. At the present time, the major drawback of this procedure appears to be its low sensitivity for the detection of breast carcinomas smaller than 1 cm in diameter. There are other biologic and technical issues that remain to be overcome to optimally image the breasts. Some of these include: development of a dedicated breast imager using nuclear medicine techniques, development of stereotactic needle localization of the abnormalities that demonstrate focal increase uptake in women with normal mammogram and breast physical examination, manufacturing of a breast compression device so that they can immobilize the breast in place for more adequate imaging, overcoming the issue of unilateral or bilateral diffuse breast uptake that is noted in 7 - 10 percent of the cases and finally determination of optimal dose and imaging factors. This review includes their experience at Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center with the use of this agent for breast imaging since 1992
Stormram 4: An MR Safe Robotic System for Breast Biopsy.
Groenhuis, Vincent; Siepel, Françoise J; Veltman, Jeroen; van Zandwijk, Jordy K; Stramigioli, Stefano
Suspicious lesions in the breast that are only visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) need to be biopsied under MR guidance with high accuracy and efficiency for accurate diagnosis. The aim of this study is to present a novel robotic system, the Stormram 4, and to perform preclinical tests in an MRI environment. Excluding racks and needle, its dimensions are 72 × 51 × 40 mm. The Stormram 4 is driven by two linear and two curved pneumatic stepper motors. The linear motor is capable of exerting 63 N of force at a pressure of 0.65 MPa. In an MRI environment the maximum observed stepping frequency is 30 Hz (unloaded), or 8 Hz when full force is needed. The Stormram 4's mean positioning error is 0.73 ± 0.47 mm in free air, and 1.29 ± 0.59 mm when targeting breast phantoms in MRI. Excluding the off-the-shelf needle, the robot is inherently MR safe. The robot is able to accurately target lesions under MRI guidance, reducing tissue damage and risk of false negatives. These results are promising for clinical experiments, improving the quality of healthcare in the field of MRI-guided breast biopsies.
Breast calcifications. A standardized mammographic reporting and data system to improve positive predictive value
Perugini, G.; Bonzanini, B.; Valentino, C.
The purpose of this work is to investigate the usefulness of a standardized reporting and data system in improving the positive predictive value of mammography in breast calcifications. Using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System lexicon developed by the American College of Radiology, it is defined 5 descriptive categories of breast calcifications and classified diagnostic suspicion of malignancy on a 3-grade scale (low, intermediate and high). Two radiologists reviewed 117 mammographic studies selected from those of the patients submitted to surgical biopsy for mammographically detected calcifications from January 1993 to December 1997, and classified them according to the above criteria. The positive predictive value was calculated for all examinations and for the stratified groups. Defining a standardized system for assessing and describing breast calcifications helps improve the diagnostic accuracy of mammography in clinical practice [it
Iterative reconstruction using a Monte Carlo based system transfer matrix for dedicated breast positron emission tomography
Saha, Krishnendu [Ohio Medical Physics Consulting, Dublin, Ohio 43017 (United States); Straus, Kenneth J.; Glick, Stephen J. [Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655 (United States); Chen, Yu. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032 (United States)
To maximize sensitivity, it is desirable that ring Positron Emission Tomography (PET) systems dedicated for imaging the breast have a small bore. Unfortunately, due to parallax error this causes substantial degradation in spatial resolution for objects near the periphery of the breast. In this work, a framework for computing and incorporating an accurate system matrix into iterative reconstruction is presented in an effort to reduce spatial resolution degradation towards the periphery of the breast. The GATE Monte Carlo Simulation software was utilized to accurately model the system matrix for a breast PET system. A strategy for increasing the count statistics in the system matrix computation and for reducing the system element storage space was used by calculating only a subset of matrix elements and then estimating the rest of the elements by using the geometric symmetry of the cylindrical scanner. To implement this strategy, polar voxel basis functions were used to represent the object, resulting in a block-circulant system matrix. Simulation studies using a breast PET scanner model with ring geometry demonstrated improved contrast at 45% reduced noise level and 1.5 to 3 times resolution performance improvement when compared to MLEM reconstruction using a simple line-integral model. The GATE based system matrix reconstruction technique promises to improve resolution and noise performance and reduce image distortion at FOV periphery compared to line-integral based system matrix reconstruction.
Deep learning and three-compartment breast imaging in breast cancer diagnosis
Drukker, Karen; Huynh, Benjamin Q.; Giger, Maryellen L.; Malkov, Serghei; Avila, Jesus I.; Fan, Bo; Joe, Bonnie; Kerlikowske, Karla; Drukteinis, Jennifer S.; Kazemi, Leila; Pereira, Malesa M.; Shepherd, John
We investigated whether deep learning has potential to aid in the diagnosis of breast cancer when applied to mammograms and biologic tissue composition images derived from three-compartment (3CB) imaging. The dataset contained diagnostic mammograms and 3CB images (water, lipid, and protein content) of biopsy-sampled BIRADS 4 and 5 lesions in 195 patients. In 58 patients, the lesion manifested as a mass (13 malignant vs. 45 benign), in 87 as microcalcifications (19 vs. 68), and in 56 as (focal) asymmetry or architectural distortion (11 vs. 45). Six patients had both a mass and calcifications. For each mammogram and corresponding 3CB images, a 128x128 region of interest containing the lesion was selected by an expert radiologist and used directly as input to a deep learning method pretrained on a very large independent set of non-medical images. We used a nested leave-one-out-by-case (patient) model selection and classification protocol. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the task of distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions was used as performance metric. For the cases with mammographic masses, the AUC increased from 0.83 (mammograms alone) to 0.89 (mammograms+3CB, p=.162). For the microcalcification and asymmetry/architectural distortion cases the AUC increased from 0.84 to 0.91 (p=.116) and from 0.61 to 0.87 (p=.006), respectively. Our results indicate great potential for the application of deep learning methods in the diagnosis of breast cancer and additional knowledge of the biologic tissue composition appeared to improve performance, especially for lesions mammographically manifesting as asymmetries or architectural distortions.
Differentiating cancerous from normal breast tissue by redox imaging
Xu, He N.; Tchou, Julia; Feng, Min; Zhao, Huaqing; Li, Lin Z.
Abnormal metabolism can be a hallmark of cancer occurring early before detectable histological changes and may serve as an early detection biomarker. The current gold standard to establish breast cancer (BC) diagnosis is histological examination of biopsy. Previously we have found that pre-cancer and cancer tissues in animal models displayed abnormal mitochondrial redox state. Our technique of quantitatively measuring the mitochondrial redox state has the potential to be implemented as an early detection tool for cancer and may provide prognostic value. We therefore in this present study, investigated the feasibility of quantifying the redox state of tumor samples from 16 BC patients. Tumor tissue aliquots were collected from both normal and cancerous tissue from the affected cancer-bearing breasts of 16 female patients (5 TNBC, 9 ER+, 2 ER+/Her2+) shortly after surgical resection. All specimens were snap-frozen with liquid nitrogen on site and scanned later with the Chance redox scanner, i.e., the 3D cryogenic NADH/oxidized flavoprotein (Fp) fluorescence imager. Our preliminary results showed that both NADH and Fp (including FAD, i.e., flavin adenine dinucleotide) signals in the cancerous tissues roughly tripled to quadrupled those in the normal tissues (pcancerous tissues than in the normal ones (pcancer and non-cancer breast tissues in human patients and this novel redox scanning procedure may assist in tissue diagnosis in freshly procured biopsy samples prior to tissue fixation. We are in the process of evaluating the prognostic value of the redox imaging indices for BC.
Molecular subtypes and imaging phenotypes of breast cancer
Cho, Nariya
During the last 15 years, traditional breast cancer classifications based on histopathology have been reorganized into the luminal A, luminal B, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and basal-like subtypes based on gene expression profiling. Each molecular subtype has shown varying risk for progression, response to treatment, and survival outcomes. Research linking the imaging phenotype with the molecular subtype has revealed that non-calcified, relatively circumscribed masses with posterior acoustic enhancement are common in the basal-like subtype, spiculated masses with a poorly circumscribed margin and posterior acoustic shadowing in the luminal subtype, and pleomorphic calcifications in the HER2-enriched subtype. Understanding the clinical implications of the molecular subtypes and imaging phenotypes could help radiologists guide precision medicine, tailoring medical treatment to patients and their tumor characteristics
Nariya Cho
Full Text Available During the last 15 years, traditional breast cancer classifications based on histopathology have been reorganized into the luminal A, luminal B, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2, and basal-like subtypes based on gene expression profiling. Each molecular subtype has shown varying risk for progression, response to treatment, and survival outcomes. Research linking the imaging phenotype with the molecular subtype has revealed that non-calcified, relatively circumscribed masses with posterior acoustic enhancement are common in the basal-like subtype, spiculated masses with a poorly circumscribed margin and posterior acoustic shadowing in the luminal subtype, and pleomorphic calcifications in the HER2-enriched subtype. Understanding the clinical implications of the molecular subtypes and imaging phenotypes could help radiologists guide precision medicine, tailoring medical treatment to patients and their tumor characteristics.
Cho, Nariya [Dept. of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)
During the last 15 years, traditional breast cancer classifications based on histopathology have been reorganized into the luminal A, luminal B, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and basal-like subtypes based on gene expression profiling. Each molecular subtype has shown varying risk for progression, response to treatment, and survival outcomes. Research linking the imaging phenotype with the molecular subtype has revealed that non-calcified, relatively circumscribed masses with posterior acoustic enhancement are common in the basal-like subtype, spiculated masses with a poorly circumscribed margin and posterior acoustic shadowing in the luminal subtype, and pleomorphic calcifications in the HER2-enriched subtype. Understanding the clinical implications of the molecular subtypes and imaging phenotypes could help radiologists guide precision medicine, tailoring medical treatment to patients and their tumor characteristics.
Effects of silicone expanders and implants on echocardiographic image quality after breast reconstruction.
Pignatti, Marco; Mantovani, Francesca; Bertelli, Luca; Barbieri, Andrea; Pacchioni, Lucrezia; Loschi, Pietro; De Santis, Giorgio
Use of silicone expanders and implants is the most common breast reconstruction technique after mastectomy. Postmastectomy patients often need echocardiographic monitoring of potential cardiotoxicity induced by cancer chemotherapy. The impairment of the echocardiographic acoustic window caused by silicone implants for breast augmentation has been reported. This study investigates whether the echocardiographic image quality was impaired in women reconstructed with silicone expanders and implants. The records of 44 consecutive women who underwent echocardiographic follow-up after breast reconstruction with expanders and implants at the authors' institution from January of 2000 to August of 2012 were reviewed. The population was divided into a study group (left or bilateral breast expanders/implants, n=30) and a control group (right breast expanders/implants, n=14). The impact of breast expanders/implants on echocardiographic image quality was tested (analysis of covariance model). Patients with a breast expander/implant (left or bilateral and right breast expanders/implants) were included. The mean volume of the breast devices was 353.2±125.5 cc. The quality of the echocardiographic images was good or sufficient in the control group; in the study group, it was judged as adequate in only 50 percent of cases (15 patients) and inadequate in the remaining 15 patients (pimplants in postmastectomy left breast reconstruction considerably reduce the image quality of echocardiography. This may have important clinical implications, given the need for periodic echocardiographic surveillance before and during chemotherapy. Therapeutic, III.
Definitive diagnosis of breast implant rupture using magnetic resonance imaging.
Ahn, C Y; Shaw, W W; Narayanan, K; Gorczyca, D P; Sinha, S; Debruhl, N D; Bassett, L W
Breast implant rupture is an important complication of augmented and reconstructed breasts. Although several techniques such as mammography, xeromammography, ultrasound, thermography, and computed tomographic (CT) scanning have been proven to be useful to detect implant rupture, they have several disadvantages and lack specificity. In the current study, we have established magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a definitive, reliable, and reproducible technique to diagnose both intracapsular and extracapsular ruptures. The study was conducted in 100 symptomatic patients. Our imaging parameters were able to identify ruptures in implants with silicone shells. All the ruptures showed the presence of wavy lines, free-floating silicone shell within the gel ("free-floating loose-thread sign" or "linguine sign"). We had a 3.75 percent incidence of false-positive and false-negative results. The sensitivity for detection of silicone implant rupture was 76 percent, with a specificity of 97 percent. In addition, we also were able to identify the artifacts that may interfere with the definitive diagnosis of implant rupture.
Large-scale computations on histology images reveal grade-differentiating parameters for breast cancer
Katsinis Constantine
Full Text Available Abstract Background Tumor classification is inexact and largely dependent on the qualitative pathological examination of the images of the tumor tissue slides. In this study, our aim was to develop an automated computational method to classify Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E stained tissue sections based on cancer tissue texture features. Methods Image processing of histology slide images was used to detect and identify adipose tissue, extracellular matrix, morphologically distinct cell nuclei types, and the tubular architecture. The texture parameters derived from image analysis were then applied to classify images in a supervised classification scheme using histologic grade of a testing set as guidance. Results The histologic grade assigned by pathologists to invasive breast carcinoma images strongly correlated with both the presence and extent of cell nuclei with dispersed chromatin and the architecture, specifically the extent of presence of tubular cross sections. The two parameters that differentiated tumor grade found in this study were (1 the number density of cell nuclei with dispersed chromatin and (2 the number density of tubular cross sections identified through image processing as white blobs that were surrounded by a continuous string of cell nuclei. Classification based on subdivisions of a whole slide image containing a high concentration of cancer cell nuclei consistently agreed with the grade classification of the entire slide. Conclusion The automated image analysis and classification presented in this study demonstrate the feasibility of developing clinically relevant classification of histology images based on micro- texture. This method provides pathologists an invaluable quantitative tool for evaluation of the components of the Nottingham system for breast tumor grading and avoid intra-observer variability thus increasing the consistency of the decision-making process.
Evaluation of a breast software model for 2D and 3D X-ray imaging studies of the breast.
Baneva, Yanka; Bliznakova, Kristina; Cockmartin, Lesley; Marinov, Stoyko; Buliev, Ivan; Mettivier, Giovanni; Bosmans, Hilde; Russo, Paolo; Marshall, Nicholas; Bliznakov, Zhivko
In X-ray imaging, test objects reproducing breast anatomy characteristics are realized to optimize issues such as image processing or reconstruction, lesion detection performance, image quality and radiation induced detriment. Recently, a physical phantom with a structured background has been introduced for both 2D mammography and breast tomosynthesis. A software version of this phantom and a few related versions are now available and a comparison between these 3D software phantoms and the physical phantom will be presented. The software breast phantom simulates a semi-cylindrical container filled with spherical beads of different diameters. Four computational breast phantoms were generated with a dedicated software application and for two of these, physical phantoms are also available and they are used for the side by side comparison. Planar projections in mammography and tomosynthesis were simulated under identical incident air kerma conditions. Tomosynthesis slices were reconstructed with an in-house developed reconstruction software. In addition to a visual comparison, parameters like fractal dimension, power law exponent β and second order statistics (skewness, kurtosis) of planar projections and tomosynthesis reconstructed images were compared. Visually, an excellent agreement between simulated and real planar and tomosynthesis images is observed. The comparison shows also an overall very good agreement between parameters evaluated from simulated and experimental images. The computational breast phantoms showed a close match with their physical versions. The detailed mathematical analysis of the images confirms the agreement between real and simulated 2D mammography and tomosynthesis images. The software phantom is ready for optimization purpose and extrapolation of the phantom to other breast imaging techniques. Copyright © 2017 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Ikejimba, Lynda C.; Kiarashi, Nooshin; Ghate, Sujata V.; Samei, Ehsan; Lo, Joseph Y.
Purpose: The use of contrast agents in breast imaging has the capability of enhancing nodule detectability and providing physiological information. Accordingly, there has been a growing trend toward using iodine as a contrast medium in digital mammography (DM) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). Widespread use raises concerns about the best way to use iodine in DM and DBT, and thus a comparison is necessary to evaluate typical iodine-enhanced imaging methods. This study used a task-based observer model to determine the optimal imaging approach by analyzing six imaging paradigms in terms of their ability to resolve iodine at a given dose: unsubtracted mammography and tomosynthesis, temporal subtraction mammography and tomosynthesis, and dual energy subtraction mammography and tomosynthesis. Methods: Imaging performance was characterized using a detectability index d′, derived from the system task transfer function (TTF), an imaging task, iodine signal difference, and the noise power spectrum (NPS). The task modeled a 10 mm diameter lesion containing iodine concentrations between 2.1 mg/cc and 8.6 mg/cc. TTF was obtained using an edge phantom, and the NPS was measured over several exposure levels, energies, and target-�lter combinations. Using a structured CIRS phantom, d′ was generated as a function of dose and iodine concentration. Results: For all iodine concentrations and dose, temporal subtraction techniques for mammography and tomosynthesis yielded the highest d′, while dual energy techniques for both modalities demonstrated the next best performance. Unsubtracted imaging resulted in the lowest d′ values for both modalities, with unsubtracted mammography performing the worst out of all six paradigms. Conclusions: At any dose, temporal subtraction imaging provides the greatest detectability, with temporally subtracted DBT performing the highest. The authors attribute the successful performance to excellent cancellation of inplane structures and
A comparison of body image, marital satisfaction, and public health among breast cancer patients with breast evacuation, breast keeping and normal people in Tehran
Zahra Esfandiari
Full Text Available Abstract Purpose and background: despite outstanding breakthroughs in medical sciences, breast cancer is still considered one of the most important disease and the most prevalent women cancer and the second reason of death among them. The present study was conducted aiming to compare public health and marital satisfaction among breast cancer patients with breast evacuation, breast keeping and normal women in Tehran. Material and methods: the method of the present study, due to the lack of interference to alter the research variables, was causal comparative. The statistical population included all women with breast cancer and normal women in the city of Tehran. From these people in each group (breast cancer patients with breast evacuation, breast keeping and normal people 80 individuals were selected through available sampling from clients of medical centers and special hospitals in Tehran during October 2012 to December 2013. The applied instruments were the questionnaires of public health, body image, and marital satisfaction. The achieved data were analyzed via one-way ANOVA and Tukey test by SPSS software. Findings: the results of the analysis showed that there is a significant difference between the mean scores of marital satisfaction, body image and public health in three groups (women with cancer who evacuated their breast, those who didn't and normal ones(p<0.01. Conclusion: according to the findings of the present study the women with breast cancer are in more different state in variables of marital satisfaction, mental health and body image comparing to normal group. So it seems necessary for cancer treatment centers to consider psychological treatment courses for these people.
Ultrasound breast imaging using frequency domain reverse time migration
Roy, O.; Zuberi, M. A. H.; Pratt, R. G.; Duric, N.
Conventional ultrasonography reconstruction techniques, such as B-mode, are based on a simple wave propagation model derived from a high frequency approximation. Therefore, to minimize model mismatch, the central frequency of the input pulse is typically chosen between 3 and 15 megahertz. Despite the increase in theoretical resolution, operating at higher frequencies comes at the cost of lower signal-to-noise ratio. This ultimately degrades the image contrast and overall quality at higher imaging depths. To address this issue, we investigate a reflection imaging technique, known as reverse time migration, which uses a more accurate propagation model for reconstruction. We present preliminary simulation results as well as physical phantom image reconstructions obtained using data acquired with a breast imaging ultrasound tomography prototype. The original reconstructions are filtered to remove low-wavenumber artifacts that arise due to the inclusion of the direct arrivals. We demonstrate the advantage of using an accurate sound speed model in the reverse time migration process. We also explain how the increase in computational complexity can be mitigated using a frequency domain approach and a parallel computing platform.
Task-based optimization of image reconstruction in breast CT
Sanchez, Adrian A.; Sidky, Emil Y.; Pan, Xiaochuan
We demonstrate a task-based assessment of image quality in dedicated breast CT in order to optimize the number of projection views acquired. The methodology we employ is based on the Hotelling Observer (HO) and its associated metrics. We consider two tasks: the Rayleigh task of discerning between two resolvable objects and a single larger object, and the signal detection task of classifying an image as belonging to either a signalpresent or signal-absent hypothesis. HO SNR values are computed for 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 projection view images, with the total imaging radiation dose held constant. We use the conventional fan-beam FBP algorithm and investigate the effect of varying the width of a Hanning window used in the reconstruction, since this affects both the noise properties of the image and the under-sampling artifacts which can arise in the case of sparse-view acquisitions. Our results demonstrate that fewer projection views should be used in order to increase HO performance, which in this case constitutes an upper-bound on human observer performance. However, the impact on HO SNR of using fewer projection views, each with a higher dose, is not as significant as the impact of employing regularization in the FBP reconstruction through a Hanning filter.
Nuclear imaging system
Barrett, H.H.; Horrigan, F.A.
This invention relates to a nuclear imaging system for mapping the source of high energy nuclear particles from a living organ which has selectively absorbed a radioactive compound by spatially coding the energy from the source in a Fresnel pattern on a detector and decoding the detector output to prouce an image of the source. The coding is produced by a Fresnel zone plate interposed between the nuclear energy source and the detector whose position is adjustable with respect to the detector to focus the slices of the nuclear source on the detector. By adjusting the zone plate to a plurality of positions, data from a plurality of cross-sectional slices are produced from which a three-dimensional image of the nuclear source may be obtained. (Patent Office Record)
Optimized image acquisition for breast tomosynthesis in projection and reconstruction space
Chawla, Amarpreet S.; Lo, Joseph Y.; Baker, Jay A.; Samei, Ehsan
Breast tomosynthesis has been an exciting new development in the field of breast imaging. While the diagnostic improvement via tomosynthesis is notable, the full potential of tomosynthesis has not yet been realized. This may be attributed to the dependency of the diagnostic quality of tomosynthesis on multiple variables, each of which needs to be optimized. Those include dose, number of angular projections, and the total angular span of those projections. In this study, the authors investigated the effects of these acquisition parameters on the overall diagnostic image quality of breast tomosynthesis in both the projection and reconstruction space. Five mastectomy specimens were imaged using a prototype tomosynthesis system. 25 angular projections of each specimen were acquired at 6.2 times typical single-view clinical dose level. Images at lower dose levels were then simulated using a noise modification routine. Each projection image was supplemented with 84 simulated 3 mm 3D lesions embedded at the center of 84 nonoverlapping ROIs. The projection images were then reconstructed using a filtered backprojection algorithm at different combinations of acquisition parameters to investigate which of the many possible combinations maximizes the performance. Performance was evaluated in terms of a Laguerre-Gauss channelized Hotelling observer model-based measure of lesion detectability. The analysis was also performed without reconstruction by combining the model results from projection images using Bayesian decision fusion algorithm. The effect of acquisition parameters on projection images and reconstructed slices were then compared to derive an optimization rule for tomosynthesis. The results indicated that projection images yield comparable but higher performance than reconstructed images. Both modes, however, offered similar trends: Performance improved with an increase in the total acquisition dose level and the angular span. Using a constant dose level and angular
A multicenter hospital-based diagnosis study of automated breast ultrasound system in detecting breast cancer among Chinese women.
Zhang, Xi; Lin, Xi; Tan, Yanjuan; Zhu, Ying; Wang, Hui; Feng, Ruimei; Tang, Guoxue; Zhou, Xiang; Li, Anhua; Qiao, Youlin
The automated breast ultrasound system (ABUS) is a potential method for breast cancer detection; however, its diagnostic performance remains unclear. We conducted a hospital-based multicenter diagnostic study to evaluate the clinical performance of the ABUS for breast cancer detection by comparing it to handheld ultrasound (HHUS) and mammography (MG). Eligible participants underwent HHUS and ABUS testing; women aged 40-69 years additionally underwent MG. Images were interpreted using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). Women in the BI-RADS categories 1-2 were considered negative. Women classified as BI-RADS 3 underwent magnetic resonance imaging to distinguish true- and false-negative results. Core aspiration or surgical biopsy was performed in women classified as BI-RADS 4-5, followed by a pathological diagnosis. Kappa values and agreement rates were calculated between ABUS, HHUS and MG. A total of 1,973 women were included in the final analysis. Of these, 1,353 (68.6%) and 620 (31.4%) were classified as BI-RADS categories 1-3 and 4-5, respectively. In the older age group, the agreement rate and Kappa value between the ABUS and HHUS were 94.0% and 0.860 (P<0.001), respectively; they were 89.2% and 0.735 (P<0.001) between the ABUS and MG, respectively. Regarding consistency between imaging and pathology results, 78.6% of women classified as BI-RADS 4-5 based on the ABUS were diagnosed with precancerous lesions or cancer; which was 7.2% higher than that of women based on HHUS. For BI-RADS 1-2, the false-negative rates of the ABUS and HHUS were almost identical and were much lower than those of MG. We observed a good diagnostic reliability for the ABUS. Considering its performance for breast cancer detection in women with high-density breasts and its lower operator dependence, the ABUS is a promising option for breast cancer detection in China.
Mammographic quantitative image analysis and biologic image composition for breast lesion characterization and classification
Drukker, Karen, E-mail: kdrukker@uchicago.edu; Giger, Maryellen L.; Li, Hui [Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 (United States); Duewer, Fred; Malkov, Serghei; Joe, Bonnie; Kerlikowske, Karla; Shepherd, John A. [Radiology Department, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143 (United States); Flowers, Chris I. [Department of Radiology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612 (United States); Drukteinis, Jennifer S. [Department of Radiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612 (United States)
Purpose: To investigate whether biologic image composition of mammographic lesions can improve upon existing mammographic quantitative image analysis (QIA) in estimating the probability of malignancy. Methods: The study population consisted of 45 breast lesions imaged with dual-energy mammography prior to breast biopsy with final diagnosis resulting in 10 invasive ductal carcinomas, 5 ductal carcinomain situ, 11 fibroadenomas, and 19 other benign diagnoses. Analysis was threefold: (1) The raw low-energy mammographic images were analyzed with an established in-house QIA method, “QIA alone,� (2) the three-compartment breast (3CB) composition measure—derived from the dual-energy mammography—of water, lipid, and protein thickness were assessed, “3CB alone�, and (3) information from QIA and 3CB was combined, “QIA + 3CB.� Analysis was initiated from radiologist-indicated lesion centers and was otherwise fully automated. Steps of the QIA and 3CB methods were lesion segmentation, characterization, and subsequent classification for malignancy in leave-one-case-out cross-validation. Performance assessment included box plots, Bland–Altman plots, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions (invasive and DCIS) was 0.81 (standard error 0.07) for the “QIA alone� method, 0.72 (0.07) for “3CB alone� method, and 0.86 (0.04) for “QIA+3CB� combined. The difference in AUC was 0.043 between “QIA + 3CB� and “QIA alone� but failed to reach statistical significance (95% confidence interval [–0.17 to + 0.26]). Conclusions: In this pilot study analyzing the new 3CB imaging modality, knowledge of the composition of breast lesions and their periphery appeared additive in combination with existing mammographic QIA methods for the distinction between different benign and malignant lesion types.
Calibrating the imaging and therapy performance of magneto-fluorescent gold nanoshells for breast cancer
Dowell, Adam; Chen, Wenxue; Biswal, Nrusingh; Ayala-Orozco, Ciceron; Giuliano, Mario; Schiff, Rachel; Halas, Naomi J.; Joshi, Amit
Gold nanoshells with NIR plasmon resonance can be modified to simultaneously enhance conjugated NIR fluorescence dyes and T2 contrast of embedded iron-oxide nanoparticles, and molecularly targeted to breast and other cancers. We calibrated the theranostic performance of magneto-fluorescent nanoshells, and contrasted the performance of molecularly targeted and untargeted nanoshells for breast cancer therapy, employing MCF-7L and their HER2 overexpressing derivative MCF-7/HER2-18 breast cancer cells as in vitro model systems. Silica core gold nanoshells with plasmon resonance on ~810 nm were doped with NIR dye ICG and ~10 nm iron-oxide nanoparticles in a ~20 nm epilayer of silica. A subset of nanoshells was conjugated to antibodies targeting HER2. Cell viability with varying laser power levels in presence and absence of bare and HER2-targeted nanoshells was assessed by calcein and propidium iodide staining. For MCF-7L cells, increasing power resulted in increased cell death (F=5.63, p=0.0018), and bare nanoshells caused more cell death than HER2-targeted nanoshells or laser treatment alone (F=30.13, pmagneto-fluorescent nanocomplexes for imaging and therapy of breast cancer cells, and the advantages of targeting receptors unique to cancer cells.
The Contribution of Three-Dimensional Power Doppler Imaging in the Preoperative Assessment of Breast Tumors: A Preliminary Report
K. Kalmantis
Methods. One hundred and twenty five women with clinically or mammographically suspicious findings were referred for 3D Power Doppler ultrasound prior to surgery. Histological diagnosis was conducted after surgery and compared with ultrasound findings. Sonographic criteria used for breast cancer diagnosis were based on a system that included morphological characteristics and criteria of the vascular pattern of a breast mass by Power Doppler imaging. Results. Seventy-two lesions were histopathologically diagnosed as benign and 53 tumors as malignant. Three-dimensional ultrasound identified 49 out of 53 histologically confirmed breast cancers resulting in a sensitivity of 92.4% and a specificity of 86.1% in diagnosing breast malignancy (PPV: 0.83, NPV:0.94. Conclusions. 3D ultrasonography is a valuable tool in identifying preoperatively the possibility of a tumor to be malignant.
Coherent scattering X-ray imaging at the Brazilian National Synchrotron Laboratory: Preliminary breast images
Castro, C.R.F. [Nuclear Instrumentation Laboratory-COPPE/UFRJ, P.O. Box 68509, Rio de Janeiro 21945-970 (Brazil); Barroso, R.C. [Physics Institute-University of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro 20559-900 (Brazil)]. E-mail: cely@uerij.br; Oliveira, L.F. de [Physics Institute-University of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro 20559-900 (Brazil); Lopes, R.T. [Nuclear Instrumentation Laboratory-COPPE/UFRJ, P.O. Box 68509, Rio de Janeiro 21945-970 (Brazil)
The angular distribution of coherent scatter (low-momentum transfer) carries information about atomic structures, resulting in a pattern, which can be used to reconstruct a series of images. Coherent-scatter computed tomography is a novel imaging method developed to produce cross-sectional images based on the X-ray diffraction properties of an object. A different approach to coherent X-ray imaging is possible by fixing the detector at a given scatter angle {theta}, which produces an interference peak and then, carried out a tomography in the standard way. The cross-sectional images obtained allow determining the spatial dependence of coherent scatter cross-section of selected volume elements of inhomogeneous, extend objects for a single predetermined value of {theta} of interest, leading to a simplification of the data processing and the complexity of the apparatus. This work presents preliminary coherent scattering images carried out at the X-ray Diffraction beamline of the National Synchrotron Light Laboratory in Campinas, Brazil. The specimens were excised human breast tissues fixed in formaline. No frozen procedure was used in order to minimize preferred orientation during sample preparation. About 1mm thick slices cut from each of the fresh samples were mounted in frames without windows and placed on a translator to allow acquisition of scattering spectra. Cylinders containing healthy and cancerous (infiltrating ductal carcinoma) breast tissues were imagined at the characteristic angle for adipose tissue. Transmission and coherent scatter images are compared.
Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) versus breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): A retrospective comparison in 66 breast lesions.
Li, L; Roth, R; Germaine, P; Ren, S; Lee, M; Hunter, K; Tinney, E; Liao, L
The purpose of this study was to retrospectively compare the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) with that of breast magnetic resonance imaging (BMRI) in breast cancer detection using parameters, including sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), lesion size, morphology, lesion and background enhancement, and examination time. A total of 48 women (mean age, 56years±10.6 [SD]) with breast lesions detected between October 2012 and March 2014 were included. Both CESM and BMRI were performed for each patient within 30 days. The enhancement intensity of lesions and breast background parenchyma was subjectively assessed for both modalities and was quantified for comparison. Statistical significance was analyzed using paired t-test for mean size of index lesions in all malignant breasts (an index lesion defined as the largest lesion in each breast), and a mean score of enhancement intensity for index lesions and breast background. PPV, sensitivity, and accuracy were calculated for both CESM and BMRI. The average duration time of CESM and MRI examinations was also compared. A total of 66 lesions were identified, including 62 malignant and 4 benign lesions. Both CESM and BMRI demonstrated a sensitivity of 100% for detection of breast cancer. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean size of index lesions (P=0.108). The enhancement intensity of breast background was significantly lower for CESM than for BMRI (P0.05). The average examination time for CESM was significantly shorter than that of BMRI (P<0.01). CESM has similar sensitivity than BMRI in breast cancer detection, with higher PPV and less background enhancement. CESM is associate with significantly shorter exam time thus a more accessible alternative to BMRI, and has the potential to play an important tool in breast cancer detection and staging. Copyright © 2016 Éditions françaises de radiologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights
Radiographic imaging system
Davis, L. Jr.; Barrett, H.H.
This invention describes a system for imaging a subject, such as a human being, in which there has been injected a contrast agent which absorbs radiation of a predetermined frequency. The system utilizes a source of high energy radiation such as X or gamma radiation. The source is a composite of first and second radiating materials each of which is arranged in a predetermined pattern or code, each pattern having both luminous and dark regions. In one embodiment, the luminous regions of one pattern are in registration with the dark regions of the other pattern, these regions being spaced apart in an alternative embodiment. The characteristic frequencies of radiation emitted by the first and second materials are respectively lower and higher than the predetermined absorption frequency. A detector of radiation is positioned relative to the subject and the source such that radiation propagating through the subject is incident upon the detector. Since the absorption edge of the contrast agent lies between the two characteristic frequencies of radiation, radiation from the second material is preferentially absorbed by the contrast agent with the result that the contrast agent appears to be illuminated by a coded source while the remainder of the subject may be regarded as illuminated essentially by a uniform uncoded source. Imaging is accomplished by a decoding of a detected coded image. Substances within the subject having other absorption frequencies are not imaged since the radiations of both materials are essentially equally absorbed by the subject so that the source appears uncoded
Phase-contrast enhanced mammography: A new diagnostic tool for breast imaging
Wang Zhentian; Thuering, Thomas; David, Christian; Roessl, Ewald; Trippel, Mafalda; Kubik-Huch, Rahel A.; Singer, Gad; Hohl, Michael K.; Hauser, Nik; Stampanoni, Marco
Phase contrast and scattering-based X-ray imaging can potentially revolutionize the radiological approach to breast imaging by providing additional and complementary information to conventional, absorption-based methods. We investigated native, non-fixed whole breast samples using a grating interferometer with an X-ray tube-based configuration. Our approach simultaneously recorded absorption, differential phase contrast and small-angle scattering signals. The results show that this novel technique - combined with a dedicated image fusion algorithm - has the potential to deliver enhanced breast imaging with complementary information for an improved diagnostic process.
Wang Zhentian; Thuering, Thomas; David, Christian; Roessl, Ewald; Trippel, Mafalda; Kubik-Huch, Rahel A.; Singer, Gad; Hohl, Michael K.; Hauser, Nik; Stampanoni, Marco [Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen (Switzerland); Laboratory for Micro and Nanotechnology, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen (Switzerland); Philips Technologie GmbH, Roentgenstrasse 24, 22335 Hamburg (Germany); Institute of Pathology, Kantonsspital Baden, 5404 Baden (Switzerland); Department of Radiology, Kantonsspital Baden, 5404 Baden (Switzerland); Institute of Pathology, Kantonsspital Baden, 5404 Baden (Switzerland); Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Interdisciplinary Breast Center Baden, Kantonsspital Baden, 5404 Baden (Switzerland); Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland and Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zuerich, 8092 Zuerich (Switzerland)
A minimum spanning forest based classification method for dedicated breast CT images
Pike, Robert; Sechopoulos, Ioannis; Fei, Baowei
Purpose: To develop and test an automated algorithm to classify different types of tissue in dedicated breast CT images. Methods: Images of a single breast of five different patients were acquired with a dedicated breast CT clinical prototype. The breast CT images were processed by a multiscale bilateral filter to reduce noise while keeping edge information and were corrected to overcome cupping artifacts. As skin and glandular tissue have similar CT values on breast CT images, morphologic processing is used to identify the skin based on its position information. A support vector machine (SVM) is trained and the resulting model used to create a pixelwise classification map of fat and glandular tissue. By combining the results of the skin mask with the SVM results, the breast tissue is classified as skin, fat, and glandular tissue. This map is then used to identify markers for a minimum spanning forest that is grown to segment the image using spatial and intensity information. To evaluate the authors’ classification method, they use DICE overlap ratios to compare the results of the automated classification to those obtained by manual segmentation on five patient images. Results: Comparison between the automatic and the manual segmentation shows that the minimum spanning forest based classification method was able to successfully classify dedicated breast CT image with average DICE ratios of 96.9%, 89.8%, and 89.5% for fat, glandular, and skin tissue, respectively. Conclusions: A 2D minimum spanning forest based classification method was proposed and evaluated for classifying the fat, skin, and glandular tissue in dedicated breast CT images. The classification method can be used for dense breast tissue quantification, radiation dose assessment, and other applications in breast imaging
Using x-ray mammograms to assist in microwave breast image interpretation.
Curtis, Charlotte; Frayne, Richard; Fear, Elise
Current clinical breast imaging modalities include ultrasound, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and the ubiquitous X-ray mammography. Microwave imaging, which takes advantage of differing electromagnetic properties to obtain image contrast, shows potential as a complementary imaging technique. As an emerging modality, interpretation of 3D microwave images poses a significant challenge. MR images are often used to assist in this task, and X-ray mammograms are readily available. However, X-ray mammograms provide 2D images of a breast under compression, resulting in significant geometric distortion. This paper presents a method to estimate the 3D shape of the breast and locations of regions of interest from standard clinical mammograms. The technique was developed using MR images as the reference 3D shape with the future intention of using microwave images. Twelve breast shapes were estimated and compared to ground truth MR images, resulting in a skin surface estimation accurate to within an average Euclidean distance of 10 mm. The 3D locations of regions of interest were estimated to be within the same clinical area of the breast as corresponding regions seen on MR imaging. These results encourage investigation into the use of mammography as a source of information to assist with microwave image interpretation as well as validation of microwave imaging techniques.
Using X-Ray Mammograms to Assist in Microwave Breast Image Interpretation
Full Text Available Current clinical breast imaging modalities include ultrasound, magnetic resonance (MR imaging, and the ubiquitous X-ray mammography. Microwave imaging, which takes advantage of differing electromagnetic properties to obtain image contrast, shows potential as a complementary imaging technique. As an emerging modality, interpretation of 3D microwave images poses a significant challenge. MR images are often used to assist in this task, and X-ray mammograms are readily available. However, X-ray mammograms provide 2D images of a breast under compression, resulting in significant geometric distortion. This paper presents a method to estimate the 3D shape of the breast and locations of regions of interest from standard clinical mammograms. The technique was developed using MR images as the reference 3D shape with the future intention of using microwave images. Twelve breast shapes were estimated and compared to ground truth MR images, resulting in a skin surface estimation accurate to within an average Euclidean distance of 10 mm. The 3D locations of regions of interest were estimated to be within the same clinical area of the breast as corresponding regions seen on MR imaging. These results encourage investigation into the use of mammography as a source of information to assist with microwave image interpretation as well as validation of microwave imaging techniques.
Mammogram synthesis using a 3D simulation. I. Breast tissue model and image acquisition simulation
Bakic, Predrag R.; Albert, Michael; Brzakovic, Dragana; Maidment, Andrew D. A.
A method is proposed for generating synthetic mammograms based upon simulations of breast tissue and the mammographic imaging process. A computer breast model has been designed with a realistic distribution of large and medium scale tissue structures. Parameters controlling the size and placement of simulated structures (adipose compartments and ducts) provide a method for consistently modeling images of the same simulated breast with modified position or acquisition parameters. The mammographic imaging process is simulated using a compression model and a model of the x-ray image acquisition process. The compression model estimates breast deformation using tissue elasticity parameters found in the literature and clinical force values. The synthetic mammograms were generated by a mammogram acquisition model using a monoenergetic parallel beam approximation applied to the synthetically compressed breast phantom
MR imaging of the breast. Localization of focal breast lesions with the magnetom open at 0.2 T
Sittek, H.; Perlet, C.; Herrmann, K.; Linsmeier, E.; Kessler, M.; Reiser, M.; Kolem, H.; Untch, M.
Purpose: To answer the following questions: Whether reliable detection of lesions is possible in low-field-MRI-system (Magnetom Open 0.2 T) equipped with currently available hard- and software components in comparison to high field system (Magnetom Impact 1.0 T). Furthermore, whether localization of lesions suspect in MR-mammography can be realized in MR system of low field (Magnetom Open 0.2 T). Patients and Methods: In 11 patients, suspect lesions were diagnosed in diagnostic MR-mammography acquired with high field system (Magnetom Impact 1.0 T) and were compared to low field MR-mammographies of 0.2 T (Magnetom Open 0.2 T). In six of the 11 patients a suspect lesion was localized using wire marking. Results: All lesions considered suspect in diagnostic MR-mammography (Magnetom Impact 1.0 T) were also clearly identified in the 0.2 T system (Magnetom Open). In six cases wire marking was performed without any complications and with an accuracy of≤0.5 cm distance to the lesion. Conclusion: Although studies in the 0.2 T system clearly showed inferior SNR (34.6 vs. 83.1) and CNR (14.6 vs. 43.5) compared to studies with the high field system, all lesions considered suspect in diagnostic MR-mammography were reliably identified also in 0.2 T studies. Due to its open construction permitting permanent access to the breast and due to sufficient image quality, the Magnetom Open is suitable for interventions on the breast. (orig.) [de
Label-Free Raman Imaging to Monitor Breast Tumor Signatures.
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Home » Washington, DC News » 1 year after first…
Neal Augenstein | @AugensteinWTOP
One year after the first fatal electric scooter crash in D.C., police and local lawmakers returned to Dupont Circle to remind about the importance of safety in areas where vehicles and pedestrians coexist.
About a year after 20-year-old Carlos Sanchez-Martin died — the first person in D.C. to be killed while riding an electric scooter — local officials gathered at busy Dupont Circle to remind people about safety on roads and sidewalks.
“Carlos was killed while crossing Dupont Circle on a scooter, by a car that had made an illegal turn,” said Area Neighborhood Commissioner Mike Silverstein, standing near the spot where Sanchez-Martin, of Silver Spring, Maryland, had been killed on Sept. 21, 2018.
“Carlos was one of five people who have been killed in the past 37 months, in or adjacent to my district, all of them killed by cars or trucks,” Silverstein said.
During the Friday morning rush, D.C. police officers in yellow vests warned pedestrians crossing on red lights, and increased enforcement of vehicles navigating through the maze of islands, turn lanes, signage and pedestrians.
“We have so many cars, so many scooters, so many bicycles and other means of transportation,” Silverstein said. “There’s so many visual cues that people have to pick up in the circle itself, that we all have to take care of others and also be careful for ourselves.”
Many of those walking through and around the circle crossed in front of traffic, as if by rote. “Pedestrians need to know it’s a good idea not to be staring into your smartphone as you’re crossing the street,” Silverstein said.
With several dockless e-scooter rental services in the District, Silverstein said they pose a challenge: “The scooter situation is a very difficult one, because it’s dangerous for pedestrians if scooters are on the sidewalk, but it’s also dangerous for scooter riders to be on the street.”
“How do you balance this?” Silverstein asked. “We’re going to need to improve our infrastructure, and that’s not something you can do overnight.”
Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to engage in conversation about this article and others.
© 2019 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
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Traffic halted through Dupont Circle in vigil for man killed on scooter
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carlos sanchez-martin d.c. police dupont circle mike silverstein neal augenstein pedestrian scooter safety
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Wouldn't be surprised if this sparked whomever owns the property to completely demolish the house... Vandalism is becoming more and more popular as videos of the site become more well known to the public... If no action is taken I can see this becoming more of an issue as people become more daring...
Also as much as it's heartbreaking to see the house in this state IMO it's probably for the best... A future rival needed to step away from Dreamworld anyways... Complete destruction means will open the door to other and hopefully better options...
Reactions: timmydownawell
up_all_night said:
Hmmmmz
Ironic...
SepiaBird said:
Wow what a difference between the most recent video... Like I said I wouldn't be surprised if complete demolition was imminent... Not sure when the video you posted was actually shot but judging by the dates the videos were posted they seem to be only weeks apart... Destruction by vandals seems to be growing and if the recent fire was set deliberately it's only a matter of time before someone is successful in setting another...
The urban exploring videos of the house were interesting.
I didn't do it! Lol, at least I have a good alibi, being 6000km away.
I suspect someone might have been inspired to do it after seeing those videos.
oddjob
Battle with monsters, lest ye become a monster
With people easily tramping through it and setting fires it’s a health and safety concern now.
oddjob said:
They've know for months now at least that this was a spot that explorers were flocking to... The only thing that will lead to demolition at this point is the fact that vandals are becoming more and more daring and putting surrounding property at risk... If "health and safety" were concerns for the property owners more would have been done when trips up there first became a thing...
I'm no legal expert, but surely there's no OH&S liability when someone is trespassing into your property?
Like it's not set up as something that's meant to be publicly accessible, so why should anyone give a shit if it's actually safe to be there?
beardymac said:
While I'm not going to claim to be a legal expert, I did pay attention my very basic tort law class... Invited or not trespassers are still owed a duty of care from property owners... Meaning property owners cannot knowing keep an unsafe property... Which is why I've been saying that the most likely action in this case is that they'll tear down the house sooner rather than later...
Also the O in OH&S is Occupational... It only applies to risks in an occupational capacity... Therefore a trespasser would not be covered by such legislation...
Jake Young
Apparently Dreamworld sold off the property/land not long after 2014, sold it to West Farmers I believe. It's a shame really, I think this will destroy all remaining hope of a revival of the series.
That video got a brief plug on The Project tonight, no word about the fire though.
https://junkee.com/big-brother-australia-house/207336
While the fire services say the cause is currently unknown, the owners of the property — the government-owned Queensland Investment Corporation — telling 7News.com.au they believed it was ‘deliberately lit’.
If over 300.000 (wait, now 578,365) people have watched that video why couldn't 10,000 people retweet that tweet about bringing the show back? Maybe we should have thought of that at the time?
Reactions: gregory.opera
Because they knew Ten were just messing with you.
Must say though that although Youtube video views do not in any way equate to ratings getting over half a million views certainly shows there is some interest there. And although I think a new site would be best for the show in a way the worst state the house is in the cheaper it will be for a broadcaster to buy it back and revive it.
Pfft you know full well they can build a house in a warehouse if they want.
Oh, and it's possible 578,365 pepople only watched the video to make sure the house was trashed.
While I'm not going to claim to be a legal expert, I did pay attention my very basic tort law class...
Good thing at least one of us did, then
Invited or not trespassers are still owed a duty of care from property owners... Meaning property owners cannot knowing keep an unsafe property... Which is why I've been saying that the most likely action in this case is that they'll tear down the house sooner rather than later...
Huh, TIL. Just did a quick google and all I could come up with is the balance of "common humanity". Like if someone scales a fence and injures themselves, courts may say there is no duty of care. Interesting that they could still be pinged though. And yeah, you're right. We can probably say goodbye to the Dreamworld Compound after these latest developments. Really disappointed I only got to vicariously tour the BB houses.
SepiaBird
The SepiaBird!!!
Mike Goldman talking about it on FB:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1092587947531496
Jake Young said:
I already knew this... Prior to the 2012 BB revival it was announced that Dreamworld had intended on selling off their excess property for use in the Town Centre project... When the actual transaction took place I have no clue...
That said I wouldn’t base the chances of a revival on this alone... Given that BB Canada has changed locations and constructed new sets several times and often with only months between air dates it would be relatively simple and cost effective process to secure something new if there was legitimate interest in reviving BB for a second time.
Also with improvements in technology BB no longer requires a purpose built space. The recent revived series of BB was filmed from a house previously used for Poland’s Next Too Model. Not to say this is ideal as I still think a purpose build facility is the most ideal option but that there are alternatives out there.
So while not having the house standing adds a level of complexity to any potential revival I don’t believe it would make or break any plan to revive the show.
No one cares what he has to say
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Phils fire Kapler after 2 seasons without playoffs
October 10, 2019 Benjamin Tucker 0 Comments
When he was introduced as Philadelphia Phillies manager in 2017, Gabe Kapler said his goal was to bring a World Series title to team owner John Middleton.
After two seasons without a playoff berth, the Phillies on Thursday fired Kapler, whose team (81-81) underachieved even with the addition of big-money free agent Bryce Harper and whose nontraditional, analytical style irritated many of the franchise’s passionate fans.
“Several years ago, I promised our loyal fans that I would do everything in my power to bring a world championship team to our city,” Middleton said in a statement. “I will never waver from that commitment. … I have decided that some changes are necessary to achieve our ultimate objective. Consequently, we will replace our manager.
“I am indebted to Gabe for the steadfast effort, energy and enthusiasm that he brought to our club, and we are unquestionably a better team and organization as a result of his contributions.”
For your passion and dedication to the Phillies and the city of Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/e5t6XomuxF
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 10, 2019
Kapler is the third consecutive Phillies manager to be fired after no more than two full seasons, joining Pete Mackanin and Ryne Sandberg. Middleton said general manager Matt Klentak will lead the team’s search for a new manager.
The team also announced that pitching coach Chris Young, head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan and assistant athletic trainer Chris Mudd will not return. Hitting coach Charlie Manuel will return to his role as a senior adviser. The new manager will inherit the remainder of the coaching staff.
The Phillies have had internal conversations about Buck Showalter and Joe Girardi, among others, as potential replacements for Kapler, sources told ESPN’s Buster Olney. Some executives have speculated that former Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon could also be a candidate, according to Olney.
Showalter used to work under Phillies president Andy MacPhail and with Klentak when all were with the Baltimore Orioles.
The Phillies are the eighth team seeking a new manager this offseason, joining the Angels, Cubs, Giants, Mets, Padres, Pirates and Royals.
“I have tremendous respect for this organization, this franchise and this city,” Kapler said in a statement. “We came into 2019 with very high hopes. We fell short of those, and that responsibility lies with me. The next Phillies manager will inherit a team of talented, dedicated and committed players. There has been nothing more fulfilling in my professional career than the opportunity to work with the players on this team.
“… As I move on, I know that this organization is in a great spot and will see a lot of success going forward. My hope is that I helped contribute to a developing culture in the organization that flourishes in the years to come.”
Rival executives have wondered if Kapler might emerge as a managerial candidate with the Giants because of his ties with San Francisco’s Farhan Zaidi, according to Olney. Zaidi, the Giants’ head of baseball operations, used to work with Kapler in the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ front office.
Philly took a gamble when it made Kapler the 54th manager in team history in November 2017, hoping a former big leaguer short on managerial experience — he previously had managed only one season in the minors (2007) — could lead the Phillies back to October baseball for the first time since 2011.
But the Kapler era in Philadelphia never took off.
In his first game, the Atlanta Braves rallied from a five-run deficit, winning on a three-run homer in the ninth inning. Kapler faced immediate scrutiny for lifting starter Aaron Nola with the Phillies up 5-0 and one out in the sixth inning. When Philly returned home after a season-opening 1-4 road trip, Kapler was booed resoundingly by Phillies fans.
A historic contract given to Harper and big trades for catcher J.T. Realmuto and infielder Jean Segura didn’t help much in 2019. Although the Phillies spent much of April and May in first place, a seven-game losing skid in June stalled any momentum. And while they stayed in the National League wild-card race, they lost eight of nine in late September and ultimately were eliminated from the postseason by Harper’s former team, the Nationals.
Injuries were a big reason the Phillies couldn’t record their first winning record since 2011. They lost leadoff hitter Andrew McCutchen for the season in June, and six of their top seven relievers missed significant time. Free-agent addition David Robertson pitched just 6⅔ innings, and Pat Neshek and Tommy Hunter threw a combined 23⅓ innings. Also, starting center fielder Odubel Herrera played just 39 games before he was suspended for the rest of the season under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.
The Phillies finished fourth in the NL East — 16 games behind the first-place Braves and eight games behind Milwaukee for the second wild-card spot. In 2018, the Phillies were third at 80-82, finishing 10 games behind the Braves.
“I want to thank Kap for his tireless commitment to the Phillies over the last two years,” Klentak said in a statement. “When we hired Kap, it was our goal to develop a positive, forward-thinking and collaborative culture throughout the organization that would allow us to compete with the best teams in the league year in and year out.
“While we have fallen short in the win column for the last two years, I can confidently say that Kap’s efforts have established a strong and sustainable foundation for this organization moving forward.”
Kapler, 44, hit .268 in 12 major league seasons as an outfielder with the Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and four other clubs. Before managing the Phillies, he spent several years as the Dodgers’ director of player development.
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I am Benjamin Tucker and I’m passionate about business and finance news with over 4 years in the industry starting as a writer working my way up into senior positions. I am the driving force behind Block Chains Job with a vision to broaden the company’s readership throughout 2016. I am an editor and reporter of “Services” category.
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Angebote zu "Commercial" (16 Treffer)
Analysis of a Commercial Thermophilic Biogas Plant
The book Analysis of a Commercial Thermophilic Biogas Plant is a product of a research that identified biodegradable waste materials like domestic/municipal effluence as economically viable alternative source of energy. The proposed Commercial biogas plant was mathematically modeled for urban area clean energy requirement. The capacity of the plant was estimated for a given cycle of operation. A nominal 1500m3 power gas plant was studied characteristically and its performance efficiency evaluated. It was observed that the rate of biogas production is a function of the reactor temperature, pH, substrate concentration, rate of degradation of biomass, and the accumulation of matter in the system due to bacteria growth.
Solar PV-Biogas Hybrid Power System for Rural Electrification
In this study, a solar PV-biogas hybrid power system for electrification is designed for Mankramso community located in the Offinso-North district in Ghana. The daily electric load demand in Mankramso community was estimated at 262.05 kWh/d, for 400 households, school, health clinic, commercial loads (flour mills, cold store, and small businesses), church buildings and streetlights. Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable (HOMER) software was used to perform technical, economic and greenhouse gas emission analysis of the hybrid power system. The findings show that the system configuration which comprises of 18.6 kW of PV panels, 45 kW of biogas generator, 62 kWh of battery storage and 15.7 kW of converter is the most optimal hybrid power system configuration to meet the daily electric load. This optimal hybrid power system had a levilized cost of energy (LCOE) of US$ 0.188/kWh with an initial capital cost of US$ 102,247. This LCOE is only 10.6% higher than current LCOE (US$ 0.17/kWh) for residential tariffs in Ghana at the time of this study.
Green Economy Baseline Report for Ghana
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with the German International Development (GIZ) is implementing a project entitled "Operationalizing Green Economy (GE) Transition in Africa" in five selected countries: Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Rwanda. As part of the GE project implementation activities in Ghana, this baseline survey was conducted in the three selected planning units in Ghana namely, Tolon District (Agriculture Sector), Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (Energy Sector) and Tema Metropolitan Assembly (Waste Sector). The proposed GE options for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) are (1) Generation of energy from biomass waste such as pellets, briquettes and biogas from organic waste (2) Utilization of energy efficient cook stoves such as Eco-stove at institutional, commercial and household level. Current quantity of biomass waste converted into pellets and briquettes are: Abellon - 25,000 MT per year, Esereso Carbon Products - 4,000MT/year) and Sustainable Energy Solutions - 100 MT of wood off cuts into 30MT of kindling wood sticks per month.
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Lagos Metropolis
Urbanisation and industrialisation are accelerating simultaneously in Lagos State, resulting in a concentration of people leading to pollution from uncontrolled and indiscriminate dumping of solid waste that disrupts the beauty of the city. Available resources are not maximally utilised due to lack of adequate information on the quality and the pattern of wastes generated. Waste characteristics are essential for waste disposal, facility planning and waste management policy formulation. This work examined the daily household/commercial waste generation rate, the per capita per day and characterized its composition and concluded that, over 80% of the waste components in Lagos Metropolis are biodegradable, which can be converted to organic manure and also for the generation of biogas. Waste generation is higher than collection, which may result into waste accumulation over time, thereby degrading the environment. The analysis should be especially useful to governments, stakeholders and researchers in environmental management for improved and efficient waste management strategy, programme and implementation.
Sorghum Genetic Diversity for Lignocellulosic Biofuel Production
Producing energy from biomass can be cost competitive today, in particular heat. However, in many cases, economic incentives are currently needed to off-set cost differences between bio-energy and fossil fuel-generated electricity and heat. Support measures should be backed by a strong policy framework which balances the need for energy with other important objectives such greenhouse-gas reduction, food security, biodiversity, and socio-economic development. In addition, new dedicated bio-energy plants are becoming increasingly important to meet growing demand for bio-energy electricity and heat. Conventional biofuel technologies include well-established processes that are already producing biofuels on a commercial scale. These biofuels, commonly referred to as first-generation, include sugar- and starch-based ethanol, oil-crop based biodiesel and straight vegetable oil, as well as biogas derived through anaerobic digestion. Advanced biofuel technologies are conversion technologies which are still in the research and development (R&D), pilot or demonstration phase, commonly referred to as second- or third- generation.
Lignocellulosic
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Macroevolution
Part of the Biology series on
Mechanisms and processes
Genetic drift
Gene flow
Research and history
Evolutionary history of life
Modern synthesis
Social effect / Objections
Evolutionary biology fields
Cladistics
Ecological genetics
Molecular evolution
Biology Portal · v • d • e
Macroevolution is a scale of analysis of evolution in separated gene pools.[1] Macroevolutionary studies focus on change that occurs at or above the level of species, in contrast with microevolution,[2] which refers to smaller evolutionary changes (typically described as changes in allele frequencies) within a species or population. The process of speciation may fall within the purview of either, depending on the forces thought to drive it. Paleontology, evolutionary developmental biology, comparative genomics and genomic phylostratigraphy contribute most of the evidence for the patterns and processes that can be classified as macroevolution. An example of macroevolution is the appearance of feathers during the evolution of birds from one group of dinosaurs.
Within the Modern Synthesis school of thought, macroevolution is thought of as the compounded effects of microevolution. Thus, the distinction between micro- and macroevolution is not a fundamental one - the only difference between them is of time and scale. This understanding is disputed by some biologists, who claim that there may be macroevolutionary processes that cannot be described by strictly gradual phenotypic change, of the type studied by classical population genetics.
Some creationists have also adopted the term "macroevolution" to describe the form of evolution that they reject. They may accept that evolutionary change is possible within species ("microevolution"), but deny that one species can evolve into another ("macroevolution").[1] These arguments are rejected by mainstream science, which holds that there is ample evidence that macroevolution has occurred in the past.[3][4]
1 Research topics
2 Origin of the Term
3 Response to criticisms of macroevolution
Some examples of subjects whose study falls within the realm of macroevolution:
The debate between punctuated equilibrium and gradualism
Speciation and extinction rates
Mass extinctions
Adaptive radiations such as The Cambrian Explosion
Changes in biodiversity through time
The role of development in shaping evolution, particularly such topics as heterochrony and developmental plasticity
Genomic evolution, like horizontal gene transfer, genome fusions in endosymbioses, and adaptive changes in genome size
Origin of the Term
Russian Entomologist Yuri Filipchenko (or Philipchenko, depending on the transliteration) first coined the terms "macroevolution" and "microevolution" in 1927 in his German language work, "Variabilität und Variation"[3].
Since the inception of the two terms, their meanings have been revised several times and even fallen into disfavour amongst scientists who prefer to speak of biological evolution as one process.[3]
Response to criticisms of macroevolution
While details of macroevolution are continuously studied by the scientific community, the overall theory behind macroevolution (i.e. common descent) has been overwhelmingly consistent with empirical data. Predictions of empirical data from the theory of common descent have been so consistent that biologists often refer to it as the "fact of evolution" (Theobald 2004). Nevertheless, macroevolution is sometimes disputed by religious groups. Generally speaking, these groups attempt to differentiate between microevolution and macroevolution, asserting various hypotheses which are considered to have no scientific basis by any mainstream scientific organization, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science[5].
When discussing the topic, creationists use "strategically elastic" definitions of micro- and macroevolution.[1] Macroevolution, by their definition, cannot be attained. Any observed evolutionary change is described by them as being "just microevolution".[1]
Transitional fossil
List of transitional fossils
^ a b c d Matzke, Nicholas J. and Paul R. Gross. 2006. Analyzing Critical Analysis: The Fallback Antievolutionist Strategy. In Eugenie Scott and Glenn Branch, Not in Our Classrooms: Why Intelligent Design is Wrong for Our Schools, Beacon Press, Boston ISNB:0807032786
^ Dobzhansky, Theodosius Grigorievich (1937). Genetics and the origin of species. LC QH366 .D6. , p12
^ a b c http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/macroevolution.html
^ http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CB/CB901.html
^ AAAS press release news-links and resources
Basic topics in evolutionary biology
Evidence of evolution
Processes of evolution
Adaptation · Macroevolution · Microevolution · Speciation
Population genetic mechanisms
Natural selection · Genetic drift · Gene flow · Mutation
Evolutionary developmental biology
(Evo-devo) concepts
Phenotypic plasticity · Canalisation · Modularity
Modes of evolution
Anagenesis · Catagenesis · Cladogenesis
History of evolutionary thought · Charles Darwin · On the Origin of Species · Modern evolutionary synthesis · Evolutionary history of life · Life (classification trees)
Other subfields
Ecological genetics · Human evolution · Molecular evolution · Phylogenetics · Systematics
List of evolutionary biology topics · Timeline of evolution
Category: Evolutionary biology
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Macroevolution". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.
https://www.bionity.com/en/encyclopedia/Macroevolution.html
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Flights to the United Kingdom>
Flight to Bristol
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See more destinations Select city Birmingham Bristol Edinburgh London Manchester -----Other----- Abidjan Abu Dhabi Abuja Accra Agadir Ajaccio Albany Alicante Almería Amsterdam Antalya Athens Atlanta Austin Bangkok Banjul Barcelona Basel Bastia Beijing Berlin Bilbao Billund Bogota Bologna Bordeaux Boston Breda Brussels Bucharest Budapest Buenos Aires Buffalo Bujumbura Cairo Calgary Calvi Cancun Cape Town Caracas Casablanca Catania Charleston Charlotte Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland Cologne Columbia Comiso Conakry Copenhagen Cotonou Crete Chania Dakar Dallas Dar es Salaam Dayton Denver Detroit Douala Dubrovnik Düsseldorf Edmonton Entebbe Faro Figari Florence Fort Lauderdale Frankfurt Freetown Fuerteventura Funchal Geneva Gothenburg Gran Canaria Greensboro Greenville Halifax Hamburg Hannover Helsinki Heraklion Hong Kong Houston Hurghada Ibiza Indianapolis Jacksonville Jakarta Johannesburg Kansas City Kiev Kigali Kinshasa Knoxville Kos Krakow Kuala Lumpur Lagos Lanzarote Las Vegas Lisbon Ljubljana Lomé Los Angeles Luanda Lyon Madrid Malaga Malta Marrakech Marseille Menorca Mexico Miami Milan Milan Linate Minneapolis Moncton Monrovia Montreal Moscow Munich Nairobi Naples Nashville New Orleans New York Newark Nice Norfolk Olbia Orlando Osaka Oslo Ottawa Ouagadougou Palermo Palma de Mallorca Paris Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Port Columbus Port Harcourt Portland Porto Prague Providence Quebec Raleigh Durham Rhodes Richmond Riga Rio de Janeiro Roanoke Rochester Rome Rotterdam Sacramento Salzburg San Antonio San Diego San Francisco San Juan Santa Ana Santorini Sao Paulo Savannah Seattle Seoul Seville Singapore Split St. Louis St. Petersburg Stockholm Strasbourg Stuttgart Syracuse Tallinn Tampa Tel Aviv Tenerife The Hague Tokyo (Haneda) Tokyo (Narita) Toronto Toulouse Turin Valencia Vancouver Venice Vienna Vilnius Warsaw Washington D.C. Winnipeg Yaoundé Yerevan Zadar Zagreb Zakynthos Zurich
The Clifton Suspension Bridge has surprised more than one. True symbol of Bristol, this monument 70 meters above the sea offers a spectacular view from the Observatory Hill. You can get a free tour every Saturday and Sunday.
Cliftonwood, Bristol
This peaceful neighbourhood overlooking Bristol Harbourside is a must-see. Famous for its colourful houses, enjoy a lovely walk in a unique area.
Flights to Bristol:
Bristol, voted the UK’s most pleasant city, is unique. If you think Bristol has nothing to offer, you are clearly mistaken. Between its ports, museums, monuments, green spaces, street art and nightlife, you won’t have time to be bored. The kindness of its residents and the vibrancy of the city can only enchant you. So, what are you waiting for – fly to Bristol with Brussels Airlines.
What to do in Bristol:
Visit the SS Great Britain: this ship was built in 1843 by I.K. Brunel and was at that time the largest boat ever built. It changed history by combining size, power and innovative technology.
Walk around Strokes Croft, which is reputed to be the cultural and bohemian district of Bristol. Open your eyes while walking around, because it is also the neighbourhood of street-art murals. Unlike in other cities, street artists are not prosecuted for vandalism, they are actually considered innovative artists.
The Millennium Square is the main square in the city centre. This square is distinguished by large water features and giant screens. It is one of the most beautiful outdoor spaces in the city.
There are 450 green spaces in the city of Bristol. You have to see at least one, the Castel Park. This is where you can see the ruins of St Peter’s Church, destroyed during the Second World War.
For animal lovers, there is the Zoological and Botanical Garden. This zoo houses more than 400 animal species, with a focus on rare exotic plants and animals. It has everything you need to entertain the children as well as the parents.
If you want to know more about the history of Bristol, you should go to the “M-Shed” museum. It is located in a former harbour hangar. Thanks to its interactive and lively exhibits, your visit may take a good part of the day. Admission is free.
The British Museum and Art Gallery houses an unrivalled collection of art from around the world. It exhibits ancient relics, antique collections, fossils, a museum of natural science and paintings from various centuries. You can find out about the last billion years of Earth’s history.
The Cathedral of Bristol: this magnificent church is the result of many centuries of construction, which is why its architecture is a mixture of Roman, Gothic and neo-Gothic style.
The Clifton Bridge: this is the symbol of Bristol. This bridge is suspended 75 metres above the sea. It offers a breathtaking view of the surroundings. Free guided tours are also available.
Practical information for Bristol
Brussels Airlines flies to Bristol Airport, located 11 km outside of the city centre. You can take a shuttle bus which takes 30 minutes. Taxis and Uber are also available.
Current local time in Bristol:
Currency: The local currency is the Pound sterling. You won’t have any trouble finding a cash machine (Visa, MasterCard, and AM).
Phone calls and Wi-Fi: The Bristol area code is 0117, and the international country code is +44. Wi-Fi networks are widely available in the city centre, the airport, and in many of Bristol’s hotels, restaurants, and cafés.
Electric sockets: Sockets have a standard voltage of 230 V and are type G (European standard). If you use American or other European plugs, you’ll need an adaptor.
Travel information: Citizens from European Economic Area countries don’t need a visa for a trip to Bristol. All they need is a passport or identity card. To find out if you need a UK visa, visit https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
Vaccination: European travellers don’t need any vaccinations for travel to Bristol. For more health information, visit www.iatatravelcentre.com.
Dos and don’ts in Bristol
If you’re thinking about taking a car, remember that they drive on the left in the UK.
Always stand in line. People from the UK take queuing very seriously. Whether it’s to board a bus or buy tickets at a kiosk, never attempt to jump the queue, as this will only result in arguments with the locals.
People in the UK are constantly apologising for the smallest mistake, even if they’re not at fault. Don’t forget to say ‘sorry’ if you accidentally bump into someone. They probably will too, even if it was your fault.
British people are quite reserved, so a handshake is the most appropriate form of greeting.
Avoid talking loudly in public, as this can be considered offensive or embarrassing.
Don’t stare, because privacy is very important in the UK, and British people consider this rude.
Bristol international balloon fiesta: Ashton Court, in the suburbs of Bristol, hosts the world’s largest hot air balloon festival. For three days in August, spectators can admire some 130 balloons in the sky and can even take a ride in their favourite balloon.
River Town: for 6 weeks between June and July, concerts such as blues, country, gospel and more take place in different parts of the city.
For beer lovers, the “Bristol Craft Beer Festival” takes place mid-September. You can taste the best beers in a musical atmosphere.
The “Bristol Harbour Festival” takes place on the harbour side in late July. You will find ship shows along with circus performances, exhibitions, concerts, dances, restaurants and more.
The “Submerge Festival” is an international festival of digital art and electronic music. Creative, inspiring, fresh and exciting are the words that represent this festival well.
When to visit Bristol
A steady volume of precipitation characterizes the Bristol weather throughout the year. Bristol can be visited all year long, as temperatures never go very high or very low. However, it is a little bit warmer from May to September.
What to eat in Bristol
Bristol has a well-known reputation for food, and a wide range of nationalities are represented in its restaurants. It’s no surprise that with such a rich culture of flavours, Bristol has many traditional dishes that are specific to the area.
a solid favourite, sprinkled with salt and vinegar and often served with mushy peas.
Brummie bacon cakes
These savoury scones have cheese and crispy bacon added to them and were rediscovered in an old woman’s cookery book. The cakes also include tomato ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to give them extra spiciness.
a small unsweetened or lightly sweetened cake made from flour, fat and milk. Sometimes they add fruit or some cream.
Frumenty
Frumenty is the oldest known dish in England and it’s the ultimate comfort food. It’s a porridge meal made with boiled wheat, sugar, milk, almonds, plums, and currants.
This bizarrely named drink is a sweet spicy punch made with baked apples. The drink was originally made with ale, but nowadays it’s made with cider. Baked apple, nutmeg, and ginger are also added to the brew to give this drink an extra punch.
drinking tea in the afternoon while eating cakes is a tradition still deeply rooted in British daily life.
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‘Coming Home’ by Annabel Kantaria – Review
If you were to ask expatriates what their biggest worry is, you’d possibly find that penciled high up on the list, if not at the very top, is the dreaded phone call that conveys the loss of a loved one back home.
Ten years ago, an expatriate myself, on a beautiful spring day while out shopping, I received one such phone call. It was my sister telling me that my dad had had a stroke and was alive, yet unconscious. I did make it back in time to say my goodbyes. I have been blessed that way. But, I don’t think that I have ever felt as I did on the morning of ‘that’ call.
With the passing of the years, I have come to accept these ‘moments’ as part of the deal that comes with living abroad, and if anything, they serve as reminders of how fleeting life can be and how treasured the time we spend with those we love. And, ultimately, it is not all doom and gloom, for with a repertoire of memories to choose from we are transported, as if in a time vessel, to instances and occasions where those who have left seem as if to exist for eternity. ‘Memories’, said novelist Jennifer Armentrout, ‘even bittersweet, are better than nothing’, or are they?
Twenty-Eight year-old Evie, a resident of Dubai, in Annabel Kantaria’s novel, ‘Coming Home’ receives a phone call from her mum telling her that her dad has died, in his sleep, of heart failure. In shock and disbelief at the news - she’d only seen him in the summer and he’d been fine, even planning a visit to Dubai - she packs her bags, hops on the earliest plane and makes her way to the family home in Woodside, ‘a functional commuter town that couldn’t decide if it was part of South London or north-west Kent’.
Evie realises that she hasn’t been home during the winter in the six years she’s been away. She is quite unprepared for how cold it is and this gives the reader the first hint that this may only be the first of many more things that Evie is unprepared for during her stay home at this difficult time.
From the beginning of the novel, it is apparent that Evie does neither come from a happy home nor one that is forthcoming with its feelings. We discover the family tragedy of long ago that rendered Evie's mum as if ‘an iceberg’, and leading her to sum up their relationship as ‘an exchange of huge quantities of useless information in a literary ballet that meant little’. Her father, on the other hand, had, since she was eight years old, ‘not only been physically absent most of the time, but emotionally unavailable as well’. That summer though, he'd seemed changed, more interested in her life. With such intense, emotionally bottled relationships defining her upbringing, she wonders whether her father's death will be ‘the earthquake that triggers the tsunami’.
'They say every expat is running away from something. I don't want to believe it about myself but somewhere, in a dark place where I try never to look, I know it's probably true' -- Evie
The entire novel centres around what we choose to conjure up from our past and how we decide what memories to suppress as if they never happened. The family’s tragic past comes to light by means of Evie’s flashback conversations between her 8-year-old self and Miss Dawson, her grief counsellor. As the sessions progress, the reader not only learns the details of the accident but an uncomfortable realisation starts to emerge about the deeper, invisible, repercussions it has had on the individuals left in its aftermath.
Evie is a character wracked by a huge amount of guilt and blame. There is also a thin vein of fear that feeds her recollections which readers soon come to realise may stem from darker and sinister events she has witnessed in the past; Events that she conceals even from the trustworthy Miss Dawson.
What is most poignant, and interesting to follow, in the novel is that Evie feels responsible for her mum and that, come what may, protecting her mother is ‘tattooed on her soul’. However, contrary to what Evie thinks of her mum, the readers are introduced to an independent, strong-willed, if self-centred individual who knows exactly what she wants and goes about getting it. It worries Evie though that her mum seems to have moved on too quickly; arranging for a swift cremation, throwing out her dad’s belongings, putting in an offer for a new house and spending very long hours with the widower next door; All signs that her mum is possibly, yet again, running away from having to deal with loss and grief.
'My mother was all I had left, and she was the mistress - the guardian - of The Gap' -- Evie
As Evie goes through her father’s papers, she stumbles upon a long hidden secret that threatens to shatter everything she once held dear. A chance encounter with her high school sweetheart, Luca, adds the touch of romance needed to complete Kantaria’s novel as Evie enlists his assistance in uncovering more of the mystery surrounding her latest discovery. Soon, all secrets, are out in the open and it is left to Evie to decide how she will rebuild a life amongst the debris of the explosive revelations.
Annabel Kantaria is a British-trained editor and journalist and the former editor of the 'Emirates Woman' magazine based in Dubai. She has written prolifically for publications in the UK and across the Middle East and currently works as the 'Telegraph’s' Dubai-based ‘Expat’ blogger (see HERE). In 2013, she won the inaugural Montegrappa First Fiction Competition at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. ‘Coming Home’ is her debut novel.
The Weekend: New Book Releases & A Book Signing!
'Coming Home' by Annabel Kantaria
Evie has been away from home long enough to bury the pain that shaped her childhood. Now, with the sudden death of her father, she must return. Back to the same house. Back to the memories. Back to her mother.
At first, coming home feels unexpectedly comforting. But, as she goes through her father’s files, Evie uncovers a secret that opens old wounds and changes her life forever. That’s only the beginning. As Evie’s world starts to shatter around her, she realises that those she loves most are also those capable of the deepest betrayal.
A powerful, poignant novel, Coming Home is perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult and Liane Moriarty.
Extra: World Exclusive!
Come and meet Annabel Kantaria author of 'Coming Home' a gripping new novel that also features Dubai! Annabel will be at Magrudy's Al Wahda store, Abu Dhabi this Saturday May 2, from 3-4pm for book signing. This is an event not to be missed!
'The Gulf Wife: A Memoir' by Jocelyn Henderson
Since she first arrived in the Trucial States with her husband, British diplomat Edward Henderson, Jocelyn Henderson has seen the region transform beyond all recognition. Set against the backdrop of cataclysmic wars and events that came to shape her life, 'The Gulf Wife' tells the story of Jocelyn’s remarkable life, her relationships with the families of the ruling Sheikhs, and the people she met along the way.
From tumultuous political developments to meetings with celebrities and international statesmen, The Gulf Wife is a window into the life of one of the UAE’s most prominent expatriates and an intimate look at life in the UAE and all that has changed.
'Generation Z: Their Voices Their Lives' by Chloe Combi
Generation Z have never had to save their pocket money to buy an album. They laugh when you tell them there used to be four channels on TV. Not many of them have grandparents that fought in a war. They've never known a world without the internet and have grown up with violence and porn at their fingertips with an object barely known to just one generation before them: a mobile phone.
Generation Z are growing up in a world of widening social inequality, political apathy and economic uncertainty. They join gangs, are obese, have underage sex, drink, commit crime and are a menace to society - or so the media leads us to believe.
Chloe Combi has interviewed hundreds of teenagers and children born between 1994 and 2005. She has talked to some of the richest and poorest in kids in the country. She has travelled on night buses with gangs, gone on a post-GCSE trip to Glastonbury, hung out in crack houses where teenagers get high, rehabilation centres where they get help and churches where they find God.
Chloe has found that Generation Z are selfish, violent, scared, sex-obsessed and apathetic. She has also found them delightful, curious, kind, and worried about their futures.
Generation Z is an emotional, illuminating, sometimes dark, sometimes hilarious odyssey through the lives of this generation told in their own voices.
Extra Reading: Hard-core porn, violent YouTube videos and live sex shows: A devastating new book reveals the terrifying truth about what teens really get up to on their laptops and smart phones (by Chloe Combi for The Daily Mail)
'Love & Justice: A Compelling True Story Of Triumph Over Tragedy' by Diana Morgan Hill
At the age of 29, Diana Hill fell under a London train. In 7 seconds the tall, glamorous businesswoman went from busy woman of the world with everything to live for to double-leg-amputee, her life in ruins.
Then it got worse. A few days after her accident, as she lay in hospital, traumatised and heavily sedated, she learnt via a newspaper article that the railway's Transport Police were to interview "The Fall Girl", as the Press had labelled her, with a view to prosecution. She had boarded a moving train, they said, and trespassed onto their railway line.
Her fight for justice took five years and was, she declares with no hesitation, a more harrowing experience than having both of her legs 'stolen' from her. As any young, single woman would be, Diana was shocked to the core by the sudden, catastrophic change in her body image. What man would ever love her now?
The issues surrounding sexuality and disability are explored here with stark honesty as she recalls her complicated love life, the High Court dramas, and the rawness of her pain amidst a turmoil of emotion, all told with tremendous humour, charm and heart. For Diana loves to tell stories. Especially true ones. A brutally honest, heartwarming memoir that shocks and delights in equal measure - when you're not crying for her you're laughing with her.
Extra Reading: 'I lost both my legs under a train - then the rail company sued me!' Diana Morgan-Hill was rushing to meet a friend when, in a split second, her life changed forever
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Carole Bos
Bradley Glazier
Robert Howard
Tim Taylor - Of Counsel
Family Size can be a civil right
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Timothy L. Taylor has a wide range of experience in numerous legal fields. A practicing lawyer for nearly 30 years, Mr. Taylor's primary focus is in civil litigation, including commercial disputes, medical malpractice, personal injury, other complex civil litigation, and bankruptcy.
Mr. Taylor has had numerous jury trials and judge trials in state and federal courts during the course of his practice. He has also been involved in dozens of appeals.
Mr. Taylor has had the benefit of both prosecuting and defending each of the types of cases that he handles. This provides a breadth of experience that many lawyers do not have.
Mr. Taylor graduated from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and graduated with distinction from the University of the Pacific Law School, in Sacramento, California. He then served a one-year clerkship in the trial courts in Bennington, Vermont.
Mr. Taylor is admitted to practice law in all state and federal courts in Michigan and Vermont, in the United States Circuit Courts for the Sixth and Second Circuits, and also in the United States District Courts for the Southern District of New York, the Northern District of Ohio, and the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
He has been married for 32 years to Julie Hoogland, a journalist. They have two daughters, Emily and Molly, both of of whom are graduates of Grandville High School and the University of Michigan.
Mr. Taylor is Of Counsel to Bos & Glazier. Therefore, he also spends some of his professional time in his own practice.
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[Mar 20, 2003, 05:57 am ET] – Share – Viewing Comments
Play Time: Move Your Feet (Shockwave required). Thanks Nick Brigden.
Links of the Day: Cannot find server make your time. Thanks Berklee. All your 404 error belong to us.
Stories of the Day: Smothers Brother's son is porn star. Thanks Chuck!
A web of cheating. Thanks Mike Martinez.
Iraq war could send German cars in wrong direction. Thanks Mike Martinez.
Wild Science: Riddle of 'Baghdad's batteries'. Thanks crazy0ne.
Cat on the Cutting Edge. Thanks Mike Martinez.
Weird Science: Secret to sleep is to have sex about five times a week. Thanks Bob James.
Images of the Day: Bubbacomp. Thanks Mike Martinez.
Digital Eel GDC Mystery Tour 2003.
412 Replies. 21 pages. Viewing page 1.
< Newer [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ] Older >
412. Re: The last word... Apr 28, 2006, 23:35 lazydog
I have been questioned for posting the alleged Sharon quote on a local forum. The "questioner" used the same CAMERA site as a reference. So, in turn I had to look around some too.
I found the CAMERA site to be a pro-Israeli site, even maligning Rachel Corrie. On that site all Palestinian action is "terrorist" and Israeli action is "justified".
So... in these muddied waters, with lies flying so often from all sides, it really is difficult to see the subjective
"truth".
411. No subject Jun 3, 2005, 19:18 space captain
music from space captain:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/6/errantways_music.htm
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/4/invisibleacropolis_music.htm
410. Re: The PROOF Jul 19, 2004, 02:07 JoeCool
Well its been over a year nad there have been no WMD found. The Senate has said it and the UN has said it. The 9/11 comission also said there is no connection between OBL and Iraq. Looks like all the reasons for the war have been proven wrong yet we still are stuck in this mess. So [SPZ]SPANKER and company it turns out babar, the UN, the "peace-necks", The liberals and oh yes the french were all right.
[SPZ]SPANKER and the reast of the rest of you who supported the war because there was wmd are you going to apologize to babar?
409. Re: The PROOF Jun 27, 2004, 17:25 JoeCool
Well its been a while but it looks like Bush is a failure and the Iraq war was based on lies.
408. Re: The PROOF Jul 2, 2003, 13:22 babar
>Hey babar, you still sore over the Florida votes ey?
What does that have to do with the fact that Bush lied about Iraq having WMD?
http://www.votetoimpeach.org/
407. Re: The PROOF Jul 2, 2003, 08:28 Plissken
Hey babar, you still sore over the Florida votes ey?
406. Re: The PROOF Jun 26, 2003, 17:48 babar
> They were planning to rebuild nukes in the future....
We illegally invaded Iraq because according to Bush they had WMD and they were an immediate threat to our way of life, not that they planed to make WMD in the future and when that time came they would be a threat. HUGE difference.
It amazes me that after all this time there are still people out there that believe anything and everything the Bush Administration says. It's kinda sad, if you really think about it.
On August 26, 2002, the Vice President said, "Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction."
In early January of this year, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer stated, "We know for a fact that there are weapons there."
Just two days before the U.S. launched its first attacks on Iraq, the President told the nation, “Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised.”
Yet, all we've been able to find is a few pieces of 1 gas centrifuge system buried under a rose bush in some guys back yard.
This http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/uscentrifuge.jpg is a picture of an actual complete gas centrifuge facility in the United States, covering 750 acres. The reason it is so big is because it takes HUNDREDS of gas centrifuges, shown here http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/centri.jpg, to produce even miniscule amounts of uranium 235. Facilities for producing uranium 235 for power reactors or weapons are therefore huge. A single gas centrifuge is useless except for laboratory experiments involving microscopic amounts of materials.
Where's the factory? Buried under a neighbors rose bush? ROFL!
Until we find tons of anthrax, tons of nerve gas, and nuclear missles that are assembled and ready launch, I stand by my statement that Bush lied and Iraq did not have WMD and were not a threat to our way of life.
Bush, and his entire administration, need to be impeached ASAP before they start more illegal wars where innocent people die.
405. Re: The PROOF Jun 26, 2003, 17:23 [SPZ]SPANKER
Obeidi told CNN that the parts of a gas centrifuge system for enriching uranium were part of a highly sophisticated system that he was ordered to hide, so as to be ready to rebuild the bomb program at some time in the future. (Interactive: How uranium is enriched)
CNN Security Correspondent David Ensor reports that under United Nations sanctions in place in 1991, the concealment of such materials -- and failure to disclose their presence -- would have constituted violations of Security Council regulations.
Yeah babar, what the hell, it's just another broken resolution. They were planning to rebuild nukes in the future, but don't worry they're no threat, it's cool.
>how about them cookies?
Taken from your link:
"U.S. officials: Find is not smoking gun"
Close, but no cigar. Keep trying and please let me know when they find all the tons of anthrax and nerve gas, and the nuclear weapons that are actually assembled and ready to launch.
Well, well, babar, looks like we found proof in your buddies backyard.......
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/06/25/sprj.irq.centrifuge/index.html
how about them cookies? You shlong-donger!!!!
-Spanker has Spankend
This comment was edited on Jun 25, 18:36.
402. Re: The U.N. is useless and pathetic...r Jun 6, 2003, 14:41 babar
Too bad they don't have oil. If they did, we'd already be there "liberating" them. :-(
BTW, still no WMD have been found in Iraq. :-)
401. The U.N. is useless and pathetic...read. Jun 6, 2003, 13:28 [SPZ]SPANKER
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/06/05/congo.genocide/index.html
400. Re: More atrocities no thanks to Babar/type May 14, 2003, 13:51 Heretic_QPF
Number 400????
When the going gets tough...the tough get gibbed!
399. More atrocities no thanks to Babar/type May 14, 2003, 13:27 [SPZ]SPANKER
The liberals are so pathetic.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/05/14/sprj.irq.main/index.html
398. Comedic Relief May 7, 2003, 14:58 Ty
Couple of good reads from both sides.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1072-662789,00.html
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110003453
An example of how the paleo-liberal left has fallen so deeply into self-parody that any comedian with a shred of common sense need look no further for political material for years to come.
The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "As You Like It", Act 5 scene 1
397. Re: OK small change of subject then... Apr 28, 2003, 20:13 babar
>How about North Korea? Should we not go in and bomb them into the stone age?
Problem almost solved without having to bomb them into the stone age. I told you that war wasn't the answer to everything. You ready to change your mind on this one?
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&ncid=514&e=3&u=/ap/20030428/ap_on_re_as/us_koreas_nuclear
A small part of the article:
"The North Korean offer to swap their military might in exchange for economic benefits echoed a similar proposal three months ago by President Bush (news - web sites).
Bush said then that if North Korea dismantles its nuclear weapons programs, the United States would be willing to assist the country with its food and energy needs."
396. Re: Robin Williams Apr 26, 2003, 17:51 Pedle Zelnip
I follow a strict code of if it's a forward or e-mail from someone I don't know to not believe it.
I take that a step further, even if it's from someone I know I usually don't believe it.
Currently Reading: Bertrand Russell's "The Problems of Philosophy" -- Last Read: Mike Godwin's "Cyber Rights"
395. Re: Robin Williams Apr 26, 2003, 02:50 ExcessDan
Seeing how it's spam mail it could have came from anywhere. I follow a strict code of if it's a forward or e-mail from someone I don't know to not believe it.
"The" Dan
Intel 486SX, Trident video, 8MB RAM, 14" Generic Monitor, 100 MB HDD, Windows 3.11
Say NO to LOLi LOLersons
ExcessDan
Robin William's plan...(hard to argue withthis logic!)
Wow, I can't believe Robin Williams said that, it actually seems completely unlike him. I actually wonder if it is in fact the words of Robin Williams or not.
These are the things I automatically delete in my inbox.
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Last Updated 20.01.2020 | 7:00 AM IST
Home » News » Bollywood News » Aamir Khan to start shooting for Thugs of Hindostan in May 2017
Aamir Khan to start shooting for Thugs of Hindostan in May 2017
Faridoon Shahryar
ByFaridoon Shahryar
Created: Feb 5, 2017 - 8:15 am IST
While speaking to a couple of journalists (including Bollywood Hungama’s Faridoon Shahryar) at the success party of Dangal in Mumbai yesterday, Aamir Khan informed that he shall start shooting for Vijay Krishna Acharya’s ‘Thugs Of Hindostan‘ in May this year. Aamir has been training hard for the film and he looked lean and fit in traditional Indian attire. Mr Khan excitedly spoke about the second Paani Cup. It was very apparent that this was a subject extremely close to his heart. He said that this year he and his Paani Foundation will cover far many more Talukas in Maharashtra than last year. Aamir also informed that all the Marathi channels will actively spread awareness about this initiative.
Dangal success party was attended by the who’s who of Bollywood. It was wonderful to see the industry veterans like Asha Bhosle ji, Rekha ji and Mr Danny Denzongpa who are rarely seen at film events, grace the occasion with their presence. In an era when films in a competitive streak celebrate success parties on the third day of the release, more as a PR stunt rather than being anywhere near the box office ‘success’, Dangal‘s success party has a different relevance. The team comprising of Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao and Siddharth Roy Kapoor have created history by notching the highest box office collections in India ever and that too at the time when the impact of Demonetisation was still being palpably felt. The film went from strength to strength and has had a prolonged stay in the cinema halls. It is not the end of the story. As per reports from reliable sources, Dangal will also witness a historic release in the lucrative Chinese market. Aamir is extremely popular in China with ‘3 Idiots‘ and ‘PK‘ doing phenomenal business. China has over 25000 screens and ‘Dangal‘ is expected to witness a bigger release in China than what it has done in India. In other words, ‘picture abhi baakhi hai’.
The Dangal success party stood out for its simplicity. It was held in the lawns of Taj Lands End hotel in Bandra, Mumbai. Live musicians played instrumental versions of the classics of 1960s and 70s. The air was charged with personalised one to one interactions. In other words, time well spent.
More Pages: Thugs Of Hindostan Box Office Collection , Thugs Of Hindostan Movie Review
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Vermont Holidays
Choose a destinationStowe HolidaysBurlington HolidaysKillington HolidaysWoodstock Holidays
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Experiencing the alpine zone of the White Mountains of New Hampshire is a special treat. Join us on this 3 night fully guided hiking adventure as we explore this challenging yet stunning part of New England.
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Embark on a colourful autumnal journey through this picturesque corner of the USA and experience an Indian Summer in all its glory. Think glorious orange and red hues set against lush forests and tranquil lakes. Along the way you'll delve into...
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Ice Cream Graveyard
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Broadband in Douglas, Co. Cork
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Covering plastics markets and technologies
Canadian Plastics
CanPlastics TV
Smells like progress: Making sustainable polymers from fragrant molecules
British researchers have developed a technique for extracting molecules found in the essential oils of a wide variety of plants to produce organic polymers to replace plastics made from petrochemicals.
October 19, 2019 by Canadian Plastics
On a sustainability scale of one to 10, using molecules found in plants to formulate resins is an 11.
And according to researchers at the University of Birmingham’s School of Chemistry in England, it’s doable. The research team has developed a technique for extracting molecules found in the essential oils of a wide variety of plants – particularly conifers and fruit trees – to produce organic polymers to replace plastics made from petrochemicals.
Photo Credit: University of Birmingham
Called terpenes, these molecules have often traditionally been used in fragrances, cosmetics, and other household products. But even with these, because they’re tricky to extract and process, synthetic versions are often substituted. The researchers believe they’ve devised a technique for extracting the molecules and converting them into stable resins, however, by combining them with sulfur-based organic compounds called thiols, which causes the resins to be activated by light into forming a solid material.
“We need to find sustainable ways of making polymer products that do not rely on petrochemicals,” lead researcher Professor Andrew Dove said. “Terpenes have been recognized as having real potential in this search and our work is a promising step towards being able to harness these natural products.”
Processing the terpenes in this way makes them particularly useful in a 3D printing process called stereolithography, where objects are built up in multiple layers and fused together under UV light to form 3D objects. “We have successfully 3D printed [terpenes] in a vat polymerisation process, with minimal shrinkage but with a wide spectrum of thermomechanical behaviours possible through the tuning of the material composition and thermal curing profiles utilized,” the team said in a report published in the September 2019 issue of Polymer Chemistry. “Possible further avenues of exploration indicates that these materials have potential as biomedical or commercial materials with environmentally-friendly qualities…[including] 3D printable antimicrobial agents, recyclable printing resins, optically transparent printed parts, and even biomaterials with tunable thermomechanical and surface properties.” And they could also be ideal for part prototyping, the team added.
Challenges remain, however. Since different terpenes produce different material properties, the next step for the team is to investigate those properties more fully to better control them.
But if the research has a ways to go before commercialization, the idea of making sustainable polymers from fragrant molecules definitely passes the smell test so far.
Sustainable polymers for packaging applications
Evonik acquires 3D printing materials supplier Structured Polymers
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Compounding rewards: CPIA Leader of the Year Bill Dickson
Canadians at K 2019: Oh, Canada!
Covestro sells its remaining PC sheet operations
Plastics Pipe Institute names David Fink as new president
French MPs vote to ban all single-use plastic by 2040
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Dyche Hails Deserved Point
Sean Dyche believes that goal-line technology should be introduced in the Championship after almost being robbed of a point at Brighton.
Michael Keane’s 88th minute header crossed the line, but was not given as the Clarets looked to find a second equaliser in a gripping top of the table clash.
Michael Keane's 'goal' is ruled out...
Justice was sensationally served as Keane earned a precious draw three minutes later with a virtual replica of his disallowed effort.
Keane celebrates the dramatic equaliser
But the Burnley boss rightly questioned the introduction of goal-line technology, with the prestige and riches of top flight football at stake.
He said: “I would be surprised over the next few years, with all that’s on offer in the Championship, we don’t see technology being drip-fed down.
“That’s no disrespect to Leagues One and Two, because I played there, but with the enormity of the Championship and the finances is generates, I would be surprised if they don’t start looking at it.
“On days like today, when it was that obvious that the ball was over the line and it doesn’t get given, you have no choice but to question the officials.
“Therefore, you obviously need help and I think it’s appropriate at this level of the market that it comes into play.”
The Clarets trailed to Dale Stephens effort before Andre Gray’s 23rd goal of the season restored parity.
Anthony Knockaert restored the hosts’ lead on the stroke of half time, before the breathtaking finale kept Burnley four points ahead of third placed Albion.
Dyche added: “Overall I think it was a well-deserved point. I thought they played well in the first half and got their noses in front.
“But I felt we were strong in the second half and we always knew we had a chance.
“They have conceded 26% of their goals from set-pieces, so we worked on that area and with a scratch of luck, if a linesman does his job properly, we could have nicked all three points.
“I clearly couldn’t see the goal that wasn’t given from where I am, but what I could see is a group of players that was so instant.
“We all know you can’t always judge a player’s reaction to an incident, but when it is that instant and literally every player acts in that way within a millisecond, then usually that’s a sign.
“I am very disappointed that wasn’t officiated in the correct manner.
“After that I was really pleased with the mentality of the players. We know how strong we are mentally, but that was a fantastic reaction to not be disappointed in the moment and keep plugging away.”
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Build Your Career Get the Job
5 Scientific Ways to Make a Good First Impression
By Brittney Morgan, Writer June 12, 2015 01:42 pm EST
Credit: Saklakova/Shutterstock
Have you ever heard the phrase "snap judgment"? As it turns out, it may be a whole lot more than an expression.
In fact, it takes people only one-tenth of a second to make a judgment about another person based on his or her facial appearance, according to a 2006 study from Princeton University. Because other people will make quick judgments of you based on your appearance, it's important (especially in a professional setting) to put forth the image that you want others to see. This means following the age-old advice of dressing appropriately for the occasion, and making sure you look put together and well groomed.
But aside from the obvious — dressing the part — how can you make a better first impression? Here are five scientifically proven ways.
Watch your tone.
"Watch your tone" may sound like a command from a frustrated parent, but it's actually very important advice for making a good first impression. Just as people will make a snap judgment of you based on your face and appearance, your tone of voice can have a huge impact on what others think of you.
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Glasgow in Scotland recorded 32 female undergraduate students and 32 male undergraduates saying the word "Hello" and then played the recordings for 320 different students. Students listening to the recordings were "asked to rank the voice according to 10 personality traits, including trustworthiness, dominance, attractiveness and warmth," ScienceMag.org reported.
Women who alternated the pitch of their voices as they spoke were considered more trustworthy by listeners, as were men who raised the tone of their voices, researchers found. And men with lower voices were considered dominant, as were women with higher voices.
Perfect your handshake.
You've probably heard this advice before, but shaking hands is such a common activity that you may not realize just how significant it can be. A handshake is usually the first physical interaction you have with another person, so it's important to make sure that your handshake is on point.
A study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that a handshake can make you seem more approachable and give off a more positive vibe.
Sanda Dolcos, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Illinois' psychology department and one of the researchers behind the study, said people should "be aware of the power of the handshake."
"Many of our social interactions may go wrong for [one] reason or another, and a simple handshake preceding them can give us a boost and attenuate the negative impact of possible misunderstandings," Dolcos said.
But not just any handshake will do — it's important that your handshake be firm, confident and friendly, the researchers found. [10 Body Language Mistakes to Avoid in Job Interviews ]
Avoid a video meeting.
If you have the choice between having a meeting or interview in person or through video, you should always choose to meet in person. Why? Because the impression you make over video may automatically be more negative.
A study by researchers at the University of British Columbia found that, although people who met another person over video were able to assess their personality traits as accurately as they could when meeting them in person, the impressions they got from watching videos were much more negative, Science Daily reported. The study had participants meet each other either during a 3-minute speed-dating-style interview or by watching a video of the other person.
"If you want to make a good impression, it is critical that it is done in person," Jeremy Biesanz, one of the researchers on the study, told Science Daily.
So, if you really want to get a positive reaction, avoid sending a video résumé or application, skip Skype and try to meet in person first if possible.
Let the other person speak first.
Part of making a good first impression means establishing that you're respectful and trustworthy. So how do you quickly convey that you're worth trusting?
According to social psychologist Amy Cuddy, one way to show that you're trustworthy right away is by letting the other person have the floor first. A great way to encourage this is by asking the other person a question, she told Wired.
"I think people make the mistake, especially in business settings, of thinking that everything is a negotiation," Cuddy said. "They think, 'I better get the floor first so that I can be in charge of what happens.'"
When you take over and go first, others may feel like you don't understand them and that you're not a warm person, Cuddy said. It can be difficult to take a step back, especially if you're naturally a leader or a dominant person, but doing so may be the key to a better first impression.
Make eye contact while speaking.
Making eye contact sounds like pretty obvious advice, but you may not realize just how important it is in evoking a positive reaction from the people you meet — and not just because failure to make eye contact can be perceived as rude or give off the impression that you're shy or introverted.
As it turns out, making eye contact while speaking is one of the keys to making others think you're smarter. A study in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found a significant correlation between people looking while they spoke and how others judged their intelligence.
Interviews and public speaking engagements are nerve-wracking, but if you can look up and make eye contact, it can totally change the way others see you — no pun intended.
Brittney Morgan
Brittney Q. Morgan is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor, as well as a graduate of Drew University, where she majored in History. Her work can be found all across the web at Apartment Therapy, HuffPost, and more. You can also find her on Twitter at @brittneyplz.
Your Complete Guide to a Successful Job Interview
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FileHold Review: Best Document Management Software for Windows
Workable Review: Best Recruiting Software for Small Business
Osclass Review: Best Free Recruiting Software
build-your-career
After the Interview: Sample Thank-You Letters
7 Challenges Women Entrepreneurs Face (and How to Overcome Them)
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Categories: Car News
BMW Opens BMW i Electric Car Store In London
With an inspiring motto like “Born Electric”, BMW launched its all-electric sub-brand BMW i a while back. This brand is special for the Bavarian giant as it is one of the brands that will develop electric vehicles only and the very first products to come out of BMW i’s stable were BMW i3 hatchback and BMW i8 sedan. The i8 was recently featured in Tom Cruise starrer latest Mission Impossible sequel as well. The i-series if electric cars are very forward looking both in terms of styling and features.
A while back Apple summoned BMW for using the “i” trademark but this has not stopped BMW from opening an exclusive BMW i store in London where it will showcase entire electric vehicle range including the current and its future vehicles.
BMW has implemented an interesting strategy and has opened the store in the heart of London, in Park Lane. Being in the Park Lane, the store would have a lot of advantages in terms of number of visitors and therefore such visitors will be able to know more about what the brand is all about and what plans it has when it comes to future mobility.
image – BMW i Store London
Another reason for opening the store at this point in time is that the London Olympics are going to take place soon and it would one of the best times to make visitors aware about the brand and its electric and plug-in hybrid product line-up.
But unfortunately the company is struggling hard for the sustenance of the i brand as there is not enough consumer response. Other major factors going against the brand’s success is inadequate supporting infrastructure for electric cars, less interest towards such vehicles and billions of dollars that are at stake.
As expected BMW is really calm about the dull response in the market and is sure that the hard work will eventually be paid off and soon we will see a larger number of BMW i vehicles on the roads. As of now the i3 has a tentative launch in 2013 while the i8 will be launched in 2014. We will keep you posted on the same, stay tuned.
Car Blog India Team
Automobile Tips
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https://www.careersinfosecurity.com/
Randy Sabett
David Pommerehn
Consumer Bankers Association
The State of Patient Identity Management: 2019 Survey Results Report
The New Faces of Fraud: Survey Report Handbook
Electronic Healthcare Records , Governance , Healthcare
Another Fine Tied to Patient Access to Records Announced
This Is Second Case Since OCR Launched Initiative in April Marianne Kolbasuk McGee (HealthInfoSec) • December 13, 2019
For the second time in recent months, federal regulators have slapped a healthcare provider with a HIPAA financial settlement in a case involving patients' rights to access their health information.
The Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights said Thursday it signed a $85,000 settlement with Korunda Medical, a Naples, Florida-based company that provides comprehensive primary care and interventional pain management to approximately 2,000 patients annually.
The HIPAA rules generally require healthcare providers to provide medical records within 30 days of the request in the format requested by the patient, and providers can only charge a reasonable cost-based fee.
OCR says that in March 2019, it received a complaint that Korunda failed to forward a patient's medical records in electronic format to a third party despite repeated requests.
"Not only did Korunda fail to timely provide the records to the third party, but Korunda also failed to provide them in the requested electronic format and charged more than the reasonably cost-based fees allowed under HIPAA," OCR says.
OCR says it initially provided Korunda with technical assistance on how to correct these matters and closed the complaint. "Despite OCR's assistance, Korunda continued to fail to provide the requested records, resulting in another complaint to OCR. As a result of OCR's second intervention, the requested records were provided for free in May 2019, and in the format requested," the HIPAA enforcement agency says.
"For too long, healthcare providers have slow-walked their duty to provide patients their medical records out of a sleepy bureaucratic inertia," says Roger Severino, OCR director, in the statement. "We hope our shift to the imposition of corrective actions and settlements under our right of access initiative will finally wake up healthcare providers to their obligations under the law," he says.
OCR did not reveal the records fee Korunda initially charged the patient in the case. Korunda Medical did not immediately respond to Information Security Media Group's request for comment on the settlement.
The enforcement action against Korunda follows a similar $85,000 HIPAA settlement in September with another Florida healthcare entity, Bayfront Health St. Petersburg. That was the agency's first enforcement action in its new "HIPAA right of access initiative" launched in April (see HHS Lowers Some HIPAA Fines).
"This is an important issue and indicative of the larger, national failure to comply with HIPAA privacy regulations that endangers medical identity and patient safety," notes independent HIPAA attorney Paul Hales. "The Korunda settlement, following on the heels of the Bayfront Health St. Petersburg settlement, is extremely important. It's another shot across the bows of all covered entities."
Serious Problem?
Compliance with the HIPAA right of access mandate has been an ongoing problem in the healthcare sector, some observers say.
"Failure to provide access to PHI is a well-known, widespread violation of individual rights guaranteed by HIPAA," Hales notes. "OCR's repeated warnings, internet-based education and guidance clearly have not convinced covered entities to follow correct right of access procedures. OCR now is using its enforcement power to make covered entities pay attention."
"OCR is not just investigating cases involving delays in getting patients their records - they are looking at all aspects of the right of access."
—Deven McGraw, Ciitizen
Privacy attorney Deven McGraw, chief regulatory officer at Ciitizen, a consumer health technology company that is building a platform to help provide patients better control of their health records, offers a similar assessment.
"OCR is not just investigating cases involving delays in getting patients their records - they are looking at all aspects of the right of access, including whether any fees charged were reasonable and whether the patient's requested format - electronic - and destination - designated third party- were honored," she tells ISMG.
Corrective Action Plan
In addition to paying a financial settlement, Korunda's resolution agreement with OCR includes a corrective action plan in which the healthcare provider has agreed to:
Review and revise its policies and procedures for individual access to protected health information, including methods for calculating a reasonable cost-based fee for access to PHI.
Provide its workforce with privacy training on individual access to PHI.
Submit to HHS a list of requests for access to PHI it has received and all related details, plus information on whether it denied any requests.
Privacy attorney Kirk Nahra of the law firm WilmerHale predicts that OCR will announce similar settlements regarding access to records in the year ahead.
Pointing to the details in the Korunda case, he notes: "Companies should realize that, in addition to their regular obligations, they should seldom ignore direct instructions from OCR about what is required by the HIPAA rules."
McGraw tells ISMG that she's impressed with how quickly OCR is getting right of access complaint cases resolved. "It shows that this enforcement initiative is a major focus for the office, and they are actively using their enforcement authorities to try to improve compliance with the right of access across the board," she says.
The agency's very first HIPAA civil monetary penalty case in 2011 revolved around a healthcare provider's failure to provide 41 patients with access to their medical records and then failing to cooperate with federal investigators.
OCR levied a $4.3 million fine against Cignet Health of Prince George's County, Maryland. But OCR later confirmed that the fine was never collected because Cignet eventually filed for bankruptcy.
The settlement with Korunda is OCR's eighth HIPAA enforcement action so far in 2019. That include six settlements and two civil monetary penalty cases - containing a combined total of about $13 million in fines.
Korunda's settlement is OCR's second HIPAA enforcement action so far in December. Earlier this month, OCR announced a $2.2 million settlement with Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Hospitals in a case involving improperly reporting a breach and lacking a business associate agreement.
Electronic Healthcare Records
Securing the 2020 Election
Keybase Nixes Stellar Airdrop After Spam, Fake Accounts
Marianne Kolbasuk McGee
Executive Editor, HealthcareInfoSecurity
McGee is executive editor of Information Security Media Group's HealthcareInfoSecurity.com media site. She has about 30 years of IT journalism experience, with a focus on healthcare information technology issues for more than 15 years. Before joining ISMG in 2012, she was a reporter at InformationWeek magazine and news site, and played a lead role in the launch of InformationWeek's healthcare IT media site.
© 2020 Information Security Media Group, Corp. https://www.careersinfosecurity.com/ Toll Free: (800) 944-0401
https://www.careersinfosecurity.com/another-fine-tied-to-patient-access-to-records-announced-a-13499
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SHORT SHOTS
IN BRIEF - THE LATEST AIR CARGO INDUSTRY NEWS
EL AL ceases B747F operations
EL AL Israel Airlines which has been operating B747-400 freighter services since 2010 has decided to phase out the aircraft and to compensate have formed a partnership with AirBridgeCargo Airlines and ASL Airlines.
The company reports that during the nine years of their B747F operations that they have flown a total of 275,000 tons - which gave an average utilization of around 2,500 tons per month. The last flight was between Liege and Tel Aviv where the aircraft was then handed back to the lessor. The new partnership with ASL and AirBridgeCargo was celebrated at a special event held recently at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport attended among others by the Russian Ambassador to Israel, ABC’s CEO Sergey Lazarev and EL AL Chairman Eli Defes. It has not yet been revealed as to which routes will be operated for EL AL in the new partnership although it is reported that the carrier would like to introduce services to Moscow, using ABC aircraft.
Staff and ground personnel gave Cargolux a warm welcome after landing of the third weekly Xiamen flight - picture: CV
Cargolux ups Xiamen flights
The Luxembourg-based all cargo carrier, Cargolux, has announced that as of 1. July, they have added a third weekly B747F service to the Chinese city of Xiamen. The aircraft departs Luxembourg on Monday mornings and arrives in Xiamen early Tuesday morning. The return flight is routed across the Pacific to Los Angeles before returning to Luxembourg.
CV has been operating regular services to Xiamen since 2006 and the third frequency provides the only direct freighter flight between Xiamen and the USA. On this sector to Los Angeles the aircraft will mainly carry garments and electronic goods.
SEKO opens additional Chicago gateway
Illinois, USA-headquartered SEKO Logistics has tripled the size of their Chicago hub by adding a third new facility with the acquisition of GoodShip International, a Chicago-based customs broker and freight forwarder.
GoodShip was acquired earlier this year along with Omni-Channel Logistics, another Chicago-based operator. SEKO has announced that the new facility created by the takeover will be used as a cross border e-commerce parcel processing hub which is needed in order to cater for their fast growing domestic, international and return parcels solutions. The new facility created offers just over 10,000 square meters of handling space and has a total of 17 dock and ramp doors as well as a pallet racking storage system.
The B777F operated Chongqing flights are part of ET’s Vision 2025 scheme
Ethiopian Cargo starts to Chongqing
Addis Ababa-based Ethiopian Cargo which has established itself over the past few years as Africa’s number one passenger and cargo airline, has now added a new Boeing 777F service to the large Chinese city of Chongqing.
The return flight from Chongqing routes via Shanghai and Delhi to Addis Ababa. From there it continues onto Lagos, Sao Paulo, Quito and Miami. This new service gives Chinese exporters access to African, South American and North American markets via Addis Ababa.
Ethiopian Cargo continues to expand their freighter operations as part of the carrier’s Vision 2025 planning. The aim is to have nineteen dedicated freighters in operation by then, serving almost 60 destinations around the world.
Unmanned small aircraft operated by Wings for Aid for delivery of relief goods - credit: Wings For Aid
Rhenus joins with Wings for Aid
Germany-based Rhenus Air & Ocean have joined forces with Dutch start-up humanitarian organization Wings for Aid, with the aim of setting up a strategic alliance for the so called ‘last mile’ delivery of relief goods into areas which have been hit by disasters.
At the signing of the agreement earlier this month both parties stressed the logistical problems involved in bridging the ‘last mile’ in many of the outlying areas which have been hit with such disasters. Rhenus and Wings for Aid estimate that there are up to 100 million people in disaster areas in need of emergency aid each year. Of these, around 20 percent are extremely hard to reach, and this is where both companies will work closely together.
Work for Aid uses a fleet of unmanned small airplanes which are fitted with smart technology to allow ‘self-landing’ of cargo containing emergency aid items such as medicines into remote areas. Rhenus Air & Ocean will take care of the logistics necessary in order to set up the delivery system needed to ensure fast delivery anywhere in the world.
Cool Chain readies for 7th Pharma Conference
The 7th Pharma & Biosciences Conference will be held in Paris from 23rd - 24th September this year. The Cool Chain Association (CCA) Airfreight Pharma Conference which will also be part of the venue is presently setting up their final programme for the event. There will be much emphasis on collaborative solutions to the final mile challenges, CCA spokesmen say.
CCA Chairman Stavros Evangelakakis, who is also Global Product Manager for Cargolux, is hoping for a good turnout at this year’s event. He states that: “Cool Chain partners are seeking new ways whereby stakeholder collaboration delivers a cost-effective, and high-quality service in a rapidly changing pharma landscape.”
There will be an interesting list of panelists at the Pharma Conference who will debate how best to embrace new innovations and technology to help keep ahead of the problems the industry will experience in the ever-changing pharma handling scene.
Image of Swissport’s new Pharma Center at Brussels Airport - courtesy Swissport
Swissport pushes pharma handling ahead at BRU
Ground handler Swissport aims to take its cargo service delivery at Belgium’s Zaventem Airport to the next level by operating a state-of-the-art cargo facility. The premises will consist of a 25,000 sqm warehouse, a four-story office building for Swissport and its customers and dedicated pharma space of 2,620 sqm. Additional-ly, a 1,000 sqm cooling facility (+2° to +8°C) will be available for customers. With its new end-to-end cool chain, Swissport intends to further grow its share in the phar-ma air transport business in Brussels as well as worldwide, reads their press re-lease. “Our new warehouse and the state-of-the-art Swissport Pharma Center will be the benchmark for modern and efficient air cargo and pharma logistics,” says Luzius Wirth, Executive Vice President Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) for Swissport. “The investment underlines our commitment to the Belgian market. In parallel we are working to improve the profitability of our Belgian business activities in order to cre-ate long-term job security for our staff.”
The building is being constructed by Brussels Airport Company and will be opera-tional in about 1.5 years from today. Swissport has signed a long-term lease and is investing several million euros in equipment and fittings for the new facility. The company handles more than 550,000 tons of cargo annually in Belgium and em-ploys some 2,000 staff in the country. The global tonnage handled by Swissport amounted to 4.8 million tons in 2018.
Fraport cargo figures drop again
Germany’s largest airport operator Fraport has published their June and first half-year results. Whereas the passenger business continues to flourish, the air cargo figures dropped considerably in June of this year.
Fraport cargo throughput at Frankfurt Airport dropped by 4.7% last month to just 174,392 tons. In their statement Fraport put the blame for this on the continuing weak global economy as well as two public holidays which fell in June this year. The cumulative air cargo figure from January to June was 1.1 million tons which represents an almost -3% drop compared to the first half-year 2018.
Passenger figures at FRA rose by 3% to reach 33.6 million for the period January to June. Fraport’s other international Group activities which are mainly related to the passenger business, almost all performed well during June and the first six months.
Fell from heaven but didn’t cause harm on earth - flap of a KLM Boeing 747-400
KLM B747F near miss flap drop
A KLM Boeing 747-400 freighter had a lucky escape last week when it was on final approach to Zimbabwe’s Harare International Airport. The aircraft lost a large section of an inboard flap but was able to continue for a safe landing.
The aircraft which was en-route from Johannesburg is said to be still in Harare awaiting repairs.
The inhabitants of the small village of Chitungwiza which lies under the flight path to Harare, were even luckier. Thankfully nobody was injured or killed as the flap section landed heavily in the village narrowly missing one of the houses.
Loss of small or larger flap sections although not a common occurrence, do happen from time to time. In September 2018 Turkish operator ACT Airlines also lost a large part of an inboard flap section from their B747F when on final approach to Frankfurt Airport. The section was later found next to the runway.
John Mc Donagh
Rayhan ahmed (Monday, 15 July 2019 00:30)
Question .. when did this KLM 747
Freighter have a last heavy
D check .
KLM as far as I know carry out there
Own D check but do not have a third
Part maintenance facilities.
I am very sad to see the last EL AL
747 freighters which operated in to
Heathrow very moons ago . I have loaded baggage and cargo on EL AL
767 777 and 747 while at swissport
2002/2004 were the 767 had floor
Boards which you could lift by hand and it turn into a containerised aircraft and drop the floor boards it would
Turn into a bulk loader .. what
a great idea .
ABC cargo will be very busy taking
Over EL AL freighter slots which we are
Further advancement for this Russian
Cargo airline
Martinair Cargo CorpCom (Tuesday, 16 July 2019 16:57)
Last D-check of PH-CKA has been performed in June 2018 at HAECO Xiamen.
Heiner Siegmund (Tuesday, 16 July 2019 17:03)
Reply Appreciated.
We like to thank the media colleagues from KLM-Martinair for delivering this information asked for by our reader Rayhan Ahmed.
Kind greets, Heiner
Rayhan ahmed (Tuesday, 16 July 2019 17:56)
Thank for your information
I don't think HAECO has performed
The heavy D check correctly of
PH CKA.
We even report drive systems in the cargo hold as non operational were we can not drive pallets and bins in and
Off the aircraft ... but maintenance
Do not resolve but again these
Systems are apart of the d check
We do not participate in speculations involving techical issues or maintenance services rendered by an MRO provider.
Hope for your understanding. H
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The Campaign for Philosophical Freedom
Sam Nicholls holds an MSc in Astrophysics from Leeds University.
James Randi - His Amazing Role in the Great Psi Media Circus
by Sam Nicholls (1991)
Of all the powerful establishment mechanisms opposing paranormal phenomena the scientists' case would seem to have the most credence, and it is interesting to study the tactics used in some detail. With the advent of innovative theories from disciplines such as physics, biology and information science, the feasibility of forming a framework for Psi is increasing and thus the main attack has been redirected to 'exposing' sensitives as mere charlatans who use standard conjuring tricks to hoodwink researchers. Thus academic sceptics rely increasingly on professional magicians to do their 'dirty work'. The most prominent of these is the American illusionist, James 'The Amazing' Randi, whose books, articles and TV appearances have earned him much kudos within the scientific community, as well as, presumably, considerable wealth.
A Young Pseudo-Psychic
Born Randall Zwinge in Toronto in 1928, 'Randi' was a child prodigy who devoted his teenage years exclusively to the art of deception. In his early twenties he achieved local celebrity status by posing briefly as a psychic, imitating telepathic, clairvoyant and precognitive abilities; whether he was exposed or not is uncertain, but it is clear that he became a regular magician and within ten years was renowned as one of the best escapologists in the world, following in the footsteps of his idol, Houdini. Like the latter, he developed an unquenchable distrust towards mediums - he has since expended a large part of his energies endeavouring to expose them all as fraudulent.
A Compilation of Con Tricks
Whereas earlier magicians such as Houdini, Maskelyne and Goldstone had reluctantly admitted that some mediumship was indeed genuine, Randi has exhibited an almost fanatical dislike and used unprecedented tactics to deny the existence of any paranormal occurrences. His first book contained an appalling catalogue of misrepresentations, bogus media articles, deceptive accounts of sham duplications and outright fabrications: comparing his accounts with those of the researchers and psychics he maligns, it seems he either quotes fabricated stories from other sources (very often his own friends) or makes them up himself.
Psi-Cops on the Beat
In the 1970's scientists became alarmed at the growth of belief in the occult, particularly with the emergence of TV personalities such as Uri Geller and Doris Stokes. Gradually their colleagues were confirming in laboratory trials that psychic feats were absolutely genuine. In James Randi they found a superb 'hatchet man', capable and eager to destroy performers and their scientific investigators alike. In an interview Randi confessed that he had lost $15,000 in one year alone because colleges openly backed out of contracts when their students preferred to watch Geller. Soon a bizarre organisation had been formed with the unusual mixture of scientists and magicians - it was called the CSICOP (Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal) and Randi, as one of the ultra hard-liners, was given a place on the Inner Council.
In spite of a whole series of suppressions, distortions and outright cover-ups the organisation remains a real factor to be reckoned with, both in the scientific literature and in media coverage. One of the stated aims was to pressurise producers into allowing at least one of their members to take part in any televised discussion programmes on the paranormal, with the aim of using scientific knowledge to bombard the guest psychic and thus obscure the issues in the public mind - in this they have been outstandingly successful.
According to Keith 'Blue' Harary, who is both a proven psychic and a scientist, their aim is to
'control your access to information and interpretation, to walk a beat upon your mind.'
The conclusion is obvious: CSICOP is controlled by people who regard the issues as political rather than scientific.
Lab-Sabber
Randi himself has enjoyed the widest exposure of them all; so successful has been his bag of tricks that he has even played an indirect role in closing down one parapsychological laboratory (MACLAB). He has frequently boasted that he can copy all psychic abilities and has done so in front of scientists. However, those who have studied his 'duplications' closely have noted that he rarely makes any attempt to do them under the same conditions as the psychic had; furthermore, his 'demonstrations' in front of scientists were done in very relaxed conditions, indeed in front of non-specialists. Worse still, he claims to be a journalist and then performs his rather childish tricks without the scientists even watching - and then claims that he has fooled them!
A Self-Confessed Liar
To be fair, he has never claimed to be anything other than a showman, best expressed by his own remark,
'I am a charlatan, a liar, a thief and a fake altogether.'
However, those he has maligned find it less amusing and persistent rumours of forthcoming libel cases would seem to be entirely justified. Perhaps more importantly still, the mischief caused by his unsupported explanations can be profound; the effect is to cloud the issues as his 'debunkings' become part of the public lore. It is thus particularly unfortunate that so many top-ranking scientists, desperate to ignore evidence to the extent that they will believe almost anyone who opposes the paranormal, still appear to take his views seriously, quoting his research as if it were really credible.
$1O,OOO Psychic Challenge
In 1964 parapsychologists, bored with Randi's denunciations of psychics, challenged him to 'put his money where his mouth was.' There followed his offer of a $10,000 reward to anyone who could succeed in conditions of his choosing - it has become a most effective gimmick. Over the years he has shown some swift footwork in adjusting conditions to hold on to his money. His present offer guarantees this with several special clauses - translated, the psychic must allow Randi to:
selectively report all the results and records in order to ensure that he keeps his money;
seriously harm them emotionally, physically and financially, where necessary, with impunity: when asked recently if he would apologise in the event of a psychic being killed under his control, Randi snarled facetiously, 'I'd say a little more than that (sorry)';
finally, the psychic must 'agree upon what will constitute a conclusion that he/she does not possess the claimed ability or powers. This will be a major consideration in accepting or rejecting claimants.' Does this mean that the performer must agree to being declared fraudulent even if he/she succeeds in the tests? If not, why use such ambiguous wording in a legal document?
It is thus not too surprising that all contenders have failed to obtain Randi's cash over twenty-five years, although a great deal of their own time, money and reputations have been lost.
The 'Open Media' Shambles (1991)
In recent years Randi has found it increasingly hazardous to obtain television airtime, as his methods have become widely known. A couple of years ago, one prime-time British television appearance was abruptly cancelled when knowledgeable paranormal enthusiasts managed to infiltrate the audience. So childishly obvious was his duplication of metal-bending that some of them erupted on to the stage, demanding a right of reply; when this plea was rejected, they stopped the show, causing Randi to beat a humiliating retreat back across the Atlantic.
The return of Randi has been facilitated by the Open Media team, who have produced programmes about magicians recently. They were allowed to film much of the series in the Granada Television studios - what a fabulous setting in which to trap the best of British psychics! The set-up was ideal: he could claim to be the chosen investigator, designing and executing 'scientific' tests. Banking on the general level of disinterest within the psychic community about scientific investigators, he could destroy all the leading British psychics in one fell swoop! As an extra safeguard, the guest psychics would be kept in ignorance about the level of Randi's participation until the last moment: most would be invited by telephone so that no incriminating written evidence would be available - in this way even those aware of his appalling career would be lured into the lion's den.
Film-Flam! Randi's TV Tricks
My opportunity to study the tactics at close quarters occurred during a recorded session of 'James Randi - Psychic Investigator' recently at Granada's Manchester studios, in the excellent company of veteran researcher and healer George Cranley, medium Sandy Thompson and her husband Dennis. Old James did not seem especially pleased to see us, ignoring our greetings before the show; he had obviously tried hard to keep his audience free of real enthusiasts but we were right in on the action. The following lists some of our observations on what Granada say is a series which 'allows psychics to take part in agreed (scientific) tests to test their psychic ability' and in which 'discussion will be properly balanced'.
Studio audience filled with school and college parties, suitably buttered up before and during the show; in this way he gets a grateful reception and keeps out too many knowledgeable enthusiasts who can see through the facade. In addition, a smattering of young cheerleaders (presumably aspiring magicians or hired by Open Media) were placed strategically to ask prepared questions, shout down anyone who disagreed with Randi, applaud as if in ecstasy, etc. Thus the atmosphere was a curious mixture of a children's TV show on the one hand and a perverse religious ceremony on the other, with Randi playing the High Priest of Orthodoxy sacrificing the reputations of his 'guests' one by one.
Ensure that the panel of experts contain his friends, who can be relied upon to supply punchy derogatory quotes, seemingly worked out in advance.
Where pro-paranormal experts are invited, their answers can be limited by asking brief, loaded questions designed to elicit sceptical answers - should this fail there is always the possibility of either ridiculing their answers or leaving them out at the editing stage. Better still, they can simply be misquoted: at a previous session Professor Arthur Ellison had investigated a psycho-surgeon at work and found 'no evidence of trickery'. But with the cameras on, Randi declared that Ellison had found 'evidence of trickery' - by simply omitting the word 'no' from the autocue Randi had utilised a most economical means of rewriting history.
'Everyone looks for complicated explanations and the explanations are always simple. That's why you don't see them.' - James Randi (1975).
Should a psychic succeed partially, Randi presents a series of rapid-fire questions laying emphasis on the poor aspects of the performance. After an aura-reader had scored only slightly above chance levels during a test, he was immediately hustled into answering 'Why do you think you failed?'
Never let the psychic get comfortable enough to feel settled; the guests were more or less dragged on stage with barely an introduction and then expected to exhibit psychic marvels. There was one exception: a man called Norman Knight, who claimed to have developed a device which could detect thought energy. Having some familiarity with George Meck's Spiricom technology, I was suspicious, especially when he nervously refused to reveal details of the circuit design. Was this a send-up of electronic communications work? I'd put money on it.
According to Randi the experiments were designed by Stanley Krippner, Persi Diaconis, Ray Hyman, Sue Blackmore and himself. But when I pointed out that four of these were active CSICOP members with a track record of destroying paranormal claims, Randi was outraged: 'What is wrong with my experiments?' he protested.
Well, nothing really, except that they were under the control of a professed liar.
The tests themselves demanded a level of ability which would astound most researchers, e.g. one aura reader was asked to read the auras of five people from a distance of several metres, behind a screen! In addition, there was also the possibility of making a last-minute switch, unknown to the audience (this would eliminate the possibility of cheating, using a confederate), yet this seemed to be ruled out subsequently; that makes the experiment either flawed or deceitful. So if the performer fails, Randi wins and if he succeeds, Randi also wins.
When Open Media invited a psycho-surgeon onto the show, no mention was made of the rave reviews he had attracted - even their own investigators were impressed. Mr Randi's solution was simple: he effected one of his specious 'duplications', using, animal organs and blood - of course, he conveniently forgot to point out one crucial fact: it actually works.
Living for Applause
James Randi is a skilled and courageous entertainer; if his involvement in the paranormal was billed as comedy, he would be respected by all and sundry. Instead he has chosen to take on the mantle of a scientific investigator for business reasons; in doing so he has ruthlessly damaged the careers of scores of honest psychics and their researchers. He has survived because of the high level of intolerance among the scientific community and other establishment bodies towards these matters (one agency gave him a grant of nearly $300,000 after he had helped to sabotage the MacDonnell Laboratory).
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the Open Media performance was just how many of the bright and youthful audience had been taken in by him. After the show (off camera, of course!) Randi agreed to answer some antagonistic questions; he simply repeated the same tired old lines which have long since been exposed - most of the audience gave him a great round of applause.
Source Material
Targ & Puthoff: Mind-Reach, Jonathon Cape (1977)
Brian Inglis: 'The Hidden Power, Jonathon Cape (1986)
Targ & Harary: The Mind-Race, Villard (1984)
James Randi: The Magic of Uri Geller, Ballantine Books (1975)
James Randi: Flim-Flam!, Prometheus Books (1982)
Victor Stenger: Physics & Psychics, Prometheus Books (1990)
The Skeptical Inquirer Magazine (various issues), private communications.
www.cfpf.org.uk
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Coventry City's Adam Armstrong scores for England Under-19s in win over Macedonia
Matt Joyce
The Sky Blues striker took his tally to nine for the season for club and country...
Coventry City striker Adam Armstrong netted as the England Under-19s beat Macedonia 2-0 away from home.
The City striker netted the opener in the 67th minute before Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles ensured the young Lions started their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with three points.
Armstrong now has nine goals for club and country this season after a stellar start to the campaign.
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Jackson (Andrew) Park
Map & Facilities
Jackson Park Fieldhouse
Garden of The Phoenix (formerly Osaka Garden)
Museum of Science and Industry
Wooded Island in Jackson Park
6401 S. Stony Island Ave.
Supervisor: Bobbie Beckam
Features: Parks
Sunday: 6:00 am-9:00 pm
Fieldhouse Hours
Monday 9:00 am-10:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am-10:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am-10:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am-10:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am-10:00 pm
Saturday 5:00 pm-10:00 pm
Located in the Woodlawn community, Jackson Park totals 551.52 acres and features a gymnasium, three multi-purpose rooms, and fitness center. Green features of the park include Wooded Island - which includes the Japanese styled Osaka Garden - Bobolink Meadows, and a vegetable and flower garden. Outside, the park offers three harbors, 63rd St. Beach, basketball/tennis courts, multi-purpose fields, golf course, golf driving range and an artificial turf field. Many of these spaces are available for rental including our multi-purpose fields, gymnasium and multi-purpose clubrooms.
Park-goers can participate in Park Kids, seasonal sports, arts & crafts, and tennis lessons. After school programs are offered throughout the school year, and in the summer youth attend the Park District’s popular six-week day camp.
In addition to programs, Jackson Park hosts fun special events throughout the year for the entire family such as holiday-themed events.
After the state legislature created the South Park Commission in 1869, the renowned designers of New York's Central Park, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, were hired to lay out the 1055-acre park. Known originally as South Park, the landscape had eastern and western divisions connected by a grand boulevard named the Midway Plaisance. The eastern division became known as Lake Park; however, in 1880 the commission asked the public to suggest official names for both the eastern and western Divisions. Jackson and Washington were proposed, and the following year, Lake Park was renamed Jackson Park to honor Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), the seventh president of the United States.
In 1890, Chicago won the honor of hosting the World's Columbian Exposition, and Jackson Park was selected as its site. Olmsted and Chicago's famous architect and planner Daniel H. Burnham laid out the fairgrounds. A team of the nation's most significant architects and sculptors created the "White City" of plaster buildings and artworks. The monumental World's Fair opened to visitors on May 1, 1893. After it closed six months later, the site was transformed back into parkland. Jackson Park featured the first public golf course west of the Alleghenies, which opened in 1899. Today, two structures remain as impressive symbols of the World's Columbian Exposition. The "Golden Lady" sculpture is a smaller version of Daniel Chester French's Statue of the Republic which originally stood at the foot of the Court of Honor. The original Fine Arts Palace now houses Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.
Parking Directions
Metered parking is available in nearby lots. Get rates and additional information.
For directions using public transportation visit www.transitchicago.com.
Contact: Louise Mc Curry, President
Email: commissioner751@comcast.net
2nd Monday of the month at 7p.m.
Jackson Track
Jackson Football/Soccer Field
Jackson Tennis Courts
Jackson Football/Soccer Field (Artificial Turf)
Jackson Sandboxes
Jackson Fitness Center
Jackson Playground - 64th & Stony Island
Jackson Fishing Area
Jackson Playground - Park Shore & Stony Island
Jackson Park - Bobolink Meadow
At 61st St. between S. Cornell Dr. and South Shore Drive
Jackson Playground - 67th & Ridgeland
Jackson Clubroom
Jackson Park - Columbia Basin
Jackson Playground - 67th & Jeffery
Jackson Basketball Court
Jackson Park - 63rd St. Beach Dunes
6379 South Lake Shore Drive
Jackson Playground - 6401 S Lake Shore Dr.
6401 S. Lake Shore Dr.
Jackson Baseball Field
Jackson Park - Wooded Island
6147 South Evans Avenue
Jackson 18-Hole Golf Course
5700 S Lake Shore Dr
Jackson Playground - 56th & Cornell
Jackson Picnic Groves
Fishing Eagle
6401 S Stony Island Ave
Statue of the Republic
Jackson Park Perennial Garden
Cornell Dr. & Lake Shore Dr.
A Remembrance
Sky Landing
Jackson Park Outer Harbor
6400 S. Coast Guard Drive
59th Street Harbor
5900 S. Lake Shore Drive
Progress > (Product)
(Product)" name="#marker9398">
Jackson Park Inner Harbor
57th Street Underpass Mural
Jackson Water Play Area
Jackson Gymnasium
63rd Street Beach
312-742-PLAY
Jackson Volleyball Court
Jackson Garden
57th Street Beach
(312) 74-BEACH
Jackson Fieldhouse
= Featured Locations
WGN 9: When public pianos come to Chicago parks, music fills the air
Chicago-Women Magazine: 8 Picnic spots in Chicago
Registration dates vary by park. The dates listed below are specific to this park.
2020 Winter: Zone 2: East of California
Most programs run from Monday, January 06 to Sunday, March 15.
Online registration begins Tuesday, December 03.
In-person registration begins Saturday, December 07.
2020 Spring: Zone 2: East of California
Most programs run from Monday, March 30 to Sunday, June 07.
Online registration begins Tuesday, February 25.
In-person registration begins Saturday, February 29.
Click on a program name below for description, availability and to add to your wish list or register online (if available). For activities that have already begun, registration is ongoing while spots are available. Resident fees are listed below. Non-resident fees are double.
Park Kids - Winter at Jackson 287181 Instruction After School At least 6 but less than 13 Coed From January 6, 2020 to March 20, 2020
Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday from 3pm to 6pm $38.00
Arts & Crafts at Jackson 285373 Instruction Decorative Arts At least 2 but less than 6 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 12, 2020
Each Tuesday,Thursday from 1pm to 1:45pm $7.00
Baseball at Jackson 285442 Instruction Baseball At least 9 but less than 13 Coed From January 10, 2020 to March 13, 2020
Each Friday from 4:30pm to 6pm Free
Conditioning at Jackson 286032 Instruction Fitness At least 13 but less than 18 Coed From January 6, 2020 to March 13, 2020
Each Monday,Wednesday,Friday from 6:30pm to 7:30pm Free
Crocheting at Jackson 286068 Instruction Textiles 18 and up Coed From January 6, 2020 to March 13, 2020
Each Monday,Wednesday,Friday from 10am to 12pm $15.00
Pickleball at Jackson 287279 Instruction Pickleball 60 and up Coed From January 6, 2020 to March 11, 2020
Each Monday,Wednesday from 10am to 1pm Free
Table Tennis at Jackson 287901 Instruction Table Tennis 18 and up Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 12, 2020
Each Tuesday,Thursday from 10am to 1pm $15.00
Tiny Tot Tumbling at Jackson 288252 Instruction Tumbling At least 3 but less than 6 Coed From January 6, 2020 to March 11, 2020
Each Monday,Wednesday from 1pm to 1:45pm $7.00
Track & Field at Jackson 288323 Instruction Track & Field At least 9 but less than 13 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 10, 2020
Each Tuesday from 4:30pm to 6pm Free
Teen Club at Jackson 298942 Open Clubs At least 13 but less than 18 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 12, 2020
Each Tuesday,Thursday from 6pm to 7:30pm Free
Inner City Basketball at Jackson 286576 League (Individual) Basketball At least 9 but less than 13 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 26, 2020
Each Tuesday,Thursday from 4:30pm to 6:30pm Free
Go Girl Go at Jackson 286442 Instruction Fitness At least 9 but less than 13 Female From January 8, 2020 to March 11, 2020
Each Wednesday from 4pm to 5:30pm Free
Basketball - Open at Jackson 285506 Open Basketball At least 13 but less than 18 Male From January 6, 2020 to March 14, 2020
Each Monday,Wednesday,Friday from 2pm to 4pm
Each Friday,Saturday from 6pm to 8pm $61.00
Park Kids - Spring at Jackson 293176 Instruction After School At least 6 but less than 13 Coed From March 30, 2020 to June 12, 2020
South Lakefront Framework Plan44.39 MB 44.39 MB
Jackson Park Cherry Blossoms
Date Posted: May 30, 2019 - A few flowers can be seen on a limited amount of Cherry Blossom trees in Jackson…
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Rights groups appeal Arizona immigration provision
PHOENIX, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Civil and immigrant rights
activists on Friday appealed a federal court decision allowing a
controversial Arizona "show-your-papers" immigration provision
upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court from taking effect.
The appeal, with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in
San Francisco, was filed eight days after U.S. District Court
Judge Susan Bolton denied a request to block the
"show-your-papers" provision of the Arizona law, known as S.B.
1070, from going into effect later this month.
The coalition, including the American Civil Liberties Union
and the Mexican American Legal and Educational Defense Fund,
also asked the appellate court to suspend the provision for the
duration of its appeal.
The provision requires police to verify the citizenship or
immigration status of people arrested, stopped or detained if
there is a reasonable suspicion that they are in the country
unlawfully.
In June, the Supreme Court confirmed that three other key
provisions of S.B. 1070 were unconstitutional, but declined to
block the "show me your papers" provision. Several other parts
of SB 1070 are blocked by separate injunctions issued by the
district court.
Arizona Republican Governor Jan Brewer, a major White House
foe in the battle over illegal immigration, signed the state
crackdown on illegal immigrants into law in April 2010,
complaining that the federal government had failed to secure the
state's border with Mexico.
The administration of President Barack Obama challenged
Arizona's tough immigration law in court two years ago, saying
the U.S. Constitution gives the federal government sole
authority over immigration policy.
(Reporting by Tim Gaynor; Editing by Tom Brown and Eric Walsh)
Commentary: ‘She’s in a better place,’ and other things you shouldn’t say when someone dies
What Doctors Know: Lower your blood pressure naturally overnight
Ask Amy: In-laws seek a favor and are shown the door
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Worlds will collide when Bulls, Doug McDermott play in Nebraska
By K.C. Johnson
Coach Fred Hoiberg said he's considering starting Doug McDermott in Thursday's exhibition finale against the Hawks in Omaha, Neb., a move that would satisfy the masses thirsty to see the former Creighton product.
If so, McDermott could be matched against fellow Creighton product and former Bull Kyle Korver.
But that won't be the only shared connection.
Hoiberg succeeded Creighton coach Greg McDermott at Iowa State and both, obviously, have coached Doug, who played at Ames (Iowa) High School just like Hoiberg did. Got all that?
"It's crazy how this game works," Doug McDermott said, laughing. "It can be a small world."
What's equally wild is that Hoiberg said he has never talked to Greg about how to coach his son.
Michael Carter-Williams switches numbers, flashes eloquence
Michael Carter-Williams has scored his first points before ever playing a game for the Bulls.
Michael Jordan's 'Space Jam' heading back to theaters for limited time
"Space Jam," which stars Bulls legend Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny, is heading back to theaters for its 20th anniversary.
"He knows I've got a job to do and do it the way I need to," Hoiberg said. "So those conversations really don't happen."
The conversations that did occur, according to Doug, involved advice on how to motivate that 2010-11 Iowa State team that McDermott recruited before leaving for Creighton and being replaced by Hoiberg.
"Fred had questions because it was his first coaching job," Doug said of Fred returning to his alma mater. "So he'd lean on Dad pretty heavy. I know they have a great relationship still."
Hoiberg agreed.
"I've always had a good relationship with Greg," Hoiberg said. "When I was working in the (Timberwolves) front office, which I was doing before taking the Iowa State job, I would always go down and watch practices and get together with Greg."
Hoiberg said it isn't awkward coaching Doug after replacing Greg, who bolted for Creighton after posting a 59-68 record in four non-tournament seasons. That decision changed Doug's life because he initially had committed to play at Northern Iowa and leave Ames, where his dad had been on the hot seat.
"It was a rough year for my family, even though (Mavericks forward) Harrison Barnes and I were playing well at Ames High," Doug said. "There were times going to school where people looked at you different because of the way your dad's team is playing. And I just really wanted to kind of bring him back and lift his spirits. That motivated me when he took the Creighton job to follow him."
Doug said Greg coached him harder than anybody else.
"That's the only way I think it can work," Doug said. "I don't think you can show favoritism."
[Most read in Sports] 4 takeaways from Cubs Convention, including Lee Smith’s return to the organization »
Creighton averaged 26.8 victories in Doug's four seasons, with three NCAA tournament trips. That's why Thursday will be so fun.
Latest Chicago Bulls
3 takeaways from the Bulls’ 118-116 comeback win over the Cavaliers, including Zach LaVine’s 4th-quarter heroics
Weather forces Bulls and Cavaliers to delay flights to Chicago for Saturday’s game at the United Center
3 takeaways from the Bulls’ 100-89 loss to the 76ers, including another quiet night for Lauri Markkanen
Former Bull Eddy Curry discusses the trials and tragedies of his NBA career in video interview: ‘It’s not meant to end like this’
Lauri Markkanen shares his plan to raise awareness for climate change, starting with the ‘blizzard dunk’
"He's already got a lot of people lined up to see me before and after the game," Doug said of Greg. "He's really excited."
Health watch: Neither Nikola Mirotic (lower back strain) nor Denzel Valentine (sprained left ankle) will play Thursday. Hoiberg said he won't hesitate to use Valentine in the season opener despite missing all but one exhibition to injury.
kcjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcjhoop
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Chinese Economy 2020: A Stable Ship
Xu Hongcai Deputy Director, Economic Policy Commission
A resilient China has held up well against external stresses, and the economy continues to perform well. Rural and surburban areas have the greatest potential for economic growth.
China’s EconomyChina’s ReformReform and Opening UpEconomic Reform
China’s Damaging Policy Disruptions
Zhang Jun Dean, School of Economics, Fudan University
China’s economic growth is expected to have slowed to just over 6% this year, and it is unlikely to accelerate anytime soon. In fact, economic commentators generally agree that China’s economic performance in 2019 – the worst in nearly 30 years – could be the best for at least a decade. What observers can’t seem to agree on is how worried China should be, or what policymakers can do to improve growth prospects.
Economic ReformChina’s ReformReform and Opening UpChina’s Economy
China-US Trade Spat Accelerates Economic Transition
Zhang Monan Senior Fellow, China Center for International Economic Exchanges
New growth engines often evolve slower than the old growth drivers fade away, but they’re coming, even though the economy may linger at the low end for a while.
Economic ReformReform and Opening Up
Global Changes Require China to Open Further
He Yafei Former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
Its new ideas and approaches are broadly beneficial and have already involved many countries, even as the United States and others have tried to impede progress for selfish reasons.
GlobalizationReform and Opening UpEconomic ReformChina’s RiseWorld Economy
Sustainability with Chinese Characteristics
Stephen Roach Faculty Member, Yale University
In the here and now of climate change, it is easy to lose sight of important signs of progress. China, the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, is a case in point. By changing its economic model, shifting its sources of fuel, developing new transportation systems, and embracing eco-friendly urbanization, China’s sustainability strategy is an example of global leadership that the rest of the world should consider very carefully. In the rush to demonize China over trade, the West has missed this point altogether.
China’s ReformEconomic ReformChina’s RiseSustainable Development
Upgrading China’s Free Trade Zone Strategy
The elimination of tariffs, barriers and subsidies will not only promote fair market competition and end policy distortions but will also greatly enhance the competitive advantage of enterprises. China’s free trade zones should pay heed and embrace such reform.
Free Trade ZoneEconomic ReformForeign Investment in ChinaChina’s Economy
Chinese Earnings Reports Reveal That New Technologies Are Where It’s At
Sara Hsu CEO, China Rising Capital Forecast
China’s latest earnings reports show that new technologies are at the center of national growth despite its slowing economy, with new energy vehicles and 5G communications equipment sellers performing especially well. Even so, China’s economy continues to suffer from softer global demand and the ongoing trade war with the U.S.
China’s EconomyEconomic Reform5G
Balancing Growth and Structural Adjustment in China
Yu Yongding Former President, China Society of World Economics
After a disappointing performance in 2018, China’s economy appears to be stabilizing. In the first quarter of 2019, GDP growth, at 6.4% year-on-year, matched that of the previous quarter. But growth in industrial production exceeded expectations, expanding by 6.5% year on year (and by 8.5% in March). Even exports growth was positive, albeit weak, despite the ongoing trade war with the United States.
China’s EconomyEconomic Reform
From Population Dividend to Reform Dividend
Cai Fang VP, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Citing the forecast by the United Nations’ Population Division, recently published Green Book of Population and Labor (2019) edited by Institute of Population and Labor Economics, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences announced that China’s population will reach its peak in 2029 with 1.44 billion people.
Population PolicyOne Child PolicyEconomic Reform
Making China’s Tax Cuts Fiscally Sustainable
Shang-Jin Wei Professor, Finance and Economics at Columbia University
China is about to slash the employer contribution rate to the social-security fund from 18-20% (with some variation across regions) to 16%, and cut the value-added tax (VAT) rate from 16% to 13% (for most enterprises). This is on top of a previously announced reduction in the corporate income tax charged on the first CN¥3 million ($447,000) of taxable income.
China’s EconomyTax ReformEconomic Reform
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County: Gwinnett County, GA
Gwinnett County, GA Moves to CivicRec for Modern Rec Management Tool
Managing the parks, facilities, classes, and activities in Gwinnett County, GA is no small task, especially in a county that is one of the largest in the state of Georgia and home to over 900,000 residents. According to John Register, CPRP, Gwinnett County Community Services Manager, he is proud to call Gwinnett home.
“I have lived here all of my life and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,” said Register. “It’s where I was raised, and it’s where my wife and I are raising our children. I love living and working in Gwinnett.”
As someone who is passionate and committed to serving his community, it is crucial to Register to offer residents the very best of everything. That’s why, when the parks and rec leaders in Gwinnett realized their former parks and rec management software was outdated, it sought out a solution provider that offered intuitive usability, robust features, and a modern design, all backed by an accessible, strategic service team.
“Getting citizens engaged via the Internet and mobile devices was a challenge,” said Register. “Our previous system wasn’t capable of allowing citizens to register online. The only information we were able to post online were classes, activities, and special events. There were no facility rentals. We knew the day was coming when we needed to offer that kind of functionality.”
— John Register, CPRP, Gwinnett County Community Services Manager
Before CivicRec®
Before CivicRec (formerly Rec1), Gwinnett County utilized a parks and rec management software with limited functionality that in turn limited citizens’ ability to engage with available programs and activities.
The system that Gwinnett County utilized required installation on individual computers and his team quickly exceeded its software license limit, which hindered his team’s efficiency.
“We only had 60 seats, and we had way more people using the system than that,” said Register.”
The County’s parks and rec staff were also frustrated by system inefficiencies caused by the amount of data maintained in the system.
“We had a lot of data, and so the system kept getting bogged down,” said Register.
Choosing a Solution with Limitless Possibilities
When Register and his team wanted to make improvements to their current offering by expanding online functionality, they hit a roadblock with their previous vendor.
“We told the vendor we wanted to add online registrations for classes and activities and then eventually pavilions and facility rentals,” said Register. “They refused.”
Since then, the software Gwinnett County was using has been sunset and is no longer supporting system enhancements.
“They weren’t going to upgrade the system anymore,” said Register. “It was stagnant. We needed an upgrade and a new product to move ahead with the times.”
Register worked for a year crafting the request for proposal (RFP) for the County’s new parks and rec management system.
“We outlined the requirements that we had to have, like Web-based access rather than a hardware/software program,” said Register. “The proposal we released was several pages long. We received six responses, and we invited three to come in and give a one-hour presentation. Two did it over the phone and one presented in person.” Register adds with a smile, “Who do you think won?”
Not only did Register and his team appreciate that the CivicRec team made the effort to meet with his team in person, they were confident that in choosing CivicRec, they were choosing the best available product.
“If you compare each offering’s features side-by-side, CivicRec was the better system,” said Register. “It has better functionality. It’s Web-based, so as long as you have an Internet connection, you can get to it. Plus, the price was something we could afford. In the end, the committee chose CivicRec. It was the best option for us.”
A Strategic Partner and Committed Supporter
It was not only during the RFP process that the CivicRec team proved their commitment to being a present, accessible solution partner to Gwinnett County.
“During the implementation process, our CivicRec contact came to our offices several times to provide training to our team,” said Register. “Our CivicRec contact kept in touch with us weekly to keep us informed about his team’s implementation progress. I believe what makes the product better has to do with CivicRec’s leadership and its staff. We have always been made to feel that we are CivicRec’s best client. We know we have a diverse financial recording system and a lot of data and requirements, and if CivicRec can be customized for us to fir our needs, it will work for anyone.”
After CivicRec
With the CivicRec solution as the foundation for its digital engagement strategy, Gwinnett County is confident it is providing the easy-to-use, high-quality registration and reservation experience it aimed to offer its citizens.
“We have over $5 million that comes through the system,” said Register. “There are lots of citizens who are signed up to use our CivicRec system, and we help troubleshoot very few requests. When we do, it’s mostly user error—things like trying to pay with a credit card type we don’t accept. It’s not because of the system.”
Register believes what makes CivicRec an easy-to-use solution for citizens is its convenient search functionality and the manner in which the County has color-coded its activity types to correspond to its Gwinnett County lifestyle magazine, Leisure is for Everyone.
“Green is for camps, brown is for historic activities,” said Register, “So, citizens can narrow down the list of opportunities to find just what interests them.”
Not only does CivicRec offer convenient usability for citizens, it provides robust functionality for the County’s administrative staff.
“The canned reports are great, and the data is available any time. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in those reports, you’re not looking for the right thing,” said Register. “We appreciate the system’s flexibility and the 24/7 access. If the system is ever going to be down, we receive an email a week in advance that the system will be down for routine maintenance for five minutes between 11:30 and midnight,” he adds with a laugh. “You just can’t go wrong using system.”
If you're ready to trade in your outdated parks and rec management software for a modern, intuitive, user-friendly system, click below to demo our powerful CivicRec solution.
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Clinipace Clinical Research
Phase I-III Clinical Research
Phase IV Clinical Research
Clinical Technology
Functional Services
Getting up to speed on EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
Home / Blog / Getting up to speed on EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
Although enforcement is a little more than a year away, now is the time for companies to start understanding how to comply with the new European Union General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
More than 1,100 attendees took the first step on April 6 during our complimentary webcast, “GDPR Overview: What You Need to Know.” Led by Clinipace Global Data Protection Officer and Senior Inside Counsel Elizabeth Youngkin, the webcast offered a glimpse into upcoming key changes to data protection rules and provided organizational recommendations for establishing a privacy program to ensure compliance.
“The first thing we recommend is to appoint a data protection officer or privacy leader who can spearhead efforts to get your privacy program off the ground,” Youngkin said.
During the webcast Youngkin also covered:
the material and territorial scope of the new regulations,
how certain definitions have been revised under the GDPR,
updated rights and obligations for data subjects and controllers, and
the legal, monetary and reputational consequences for non-compliance.
Youngkin took numerous questions from the audience and plans to entertain other questions which time did not permit. Look for those questions and answers in a future blog.
In the meantime, a recording of the webcast and accompanying slide deck are available at no cost. You can download the material here.
Want to learn more about this blog post?
About Clinipace
At Clinipace, a global, full-service contract research organization (CRO), our approach to clinical research is personal. We deliver a level of collaboration and flexibility not possible in a traditional CRO environment. With personalized services and solutions, local regulatory expertise and therapeutic leadership, we overcome the most difficult industry challenges across all major therapeutic areas including oncology, gastroenterology, nephrology and urology, rare disease, and women’s health. We strive to improve the way clinical research is performed and impact the future of health care using the most advanced technology and a CHALLENGE ACCEPTED approach.
3800 Paramount Pkwy, Suite 100
Morrisville, NC 27560 USA
© 2020 Clinipace. All rights reserved.
GDPR Compliance Commitment
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Couch Co-Op: 2 Players
+ Co-Op Modes
Fable 2 See the Future, Seeing Puppies Now
News 5/12/2009 at 10:37 AM by Nick Puleo 1
Awwwwwwwwww, look at the puppy! Screw seeing the future in the latest Fable 2 DLC, I want to see more PUPPIES!
On a more serious note, the latest Fable 2 content is available today on Xbox Live Marketplace. The See the Future DLC comes in two flavors for cooperative players. The free version is required if you want to co-op with someone who has ponied up for the premium version.
See the Future offers players a glimpse at what is to come in the Fable universe, as well as new items, quests, and the ability to choose a new dog breed from a handful of selections. The content will set you back 560 and is available now.
Joystiq has their impressions of the content.
If you've skipped ahead to this paragraph, you'll note that I've yet to mention the "See the Future" quest. What could have been a tantalizing quest far removed from the rest of the game instead turns out be little more than a brief and barely interactive cutscene. The vision you're given is so slight and anticlimactic, you might wonder if a static screen declaring, "Fable 3: Coming Eventually!" might not have been more effective. The consolation prize (two to three hours later) comes in the form of the fun but underwhelming Colosseum, a brawling arena that can be stripped of most of its prizes within minutes.
Slightly disappointing, but for the hardcore fan it's probably worth it. I'm still waiting for the "See the Co-Op Partner the Way he Should Be" DLC.
2 player co-op
New Fable 2 Site Unlocks In Game Items, Your Friends will be Jealous
Fable 2 "Knothole Island" DLC Dated...Again...For Real
"Big" Fable II Announcement Coming Next Week
Fable 2 Featuring Seemless Online Co-Op and Screenshots
Fable 2 "Knothole Island" Out now
Co-Op Release Alert: Fable 2 - Sci Fi Special, Patch Confirmed
Buy This Game!
(Xbox 360)
Amazon.com - $28.61
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WWDC: Live updates
WWDC 2012: Retina Display reaches MacBook Pro
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WWDC: Cook unveils iOS 6, new OS X, Retina display MacBook Pro
Apple can still generate 'ton of anticipation' about upcoming products without former CEO Steve Jobs, says analyst
Senior Reporter, Computerworld |
Apple CEO Tim Cook and a trio of top executives took the stage today at the company's annual developers conference to outline the new iOS 6, talk up this year's Mountain Lion upgrade for OS X and unveil a new MacBook Pro laptop with a high-resolution "Retina" display.
"The products we make combined with the apps that you create, can fundamentally change the world," said Cook near the end of the keynote. "Really, I can't think of a better reason to get up in the morning."
As expected, Monday's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote focused on software -- the venue, after all, was for developers who build apps and applications for the iOS mobile operating system and OS X on the desktop -- but it also included a large dose of hardware.
[ Get certified as an Apple Technical Coordinator with this seven-part online course from PluralSight. ]
Apple refreshed its notebooks today, revamping both its existing MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lines but more importantly, introducing a new model in the latter, which the company's head of marketing, Philip Schiller, dubbed "next generation MacBook Pro."
"The next generation MacBook Pro is the most beautiful computer we've ever made," said Schiller, who walked attendees through the hardware refresh part of the keynote. "It's dominated by an amazing, magnificent new display."
As many pundits had expected, the new MacBook Pro features a higher resolution screen than its predecessors. Schiller called it a "Retina" display, the term Apple uses to describe the pixel-dense screens on its iPhone and iPad.
The 15-in. display provides a resolution of 2880 x 1880 pixels, or approximately 220 pixels per inch (ppi). The total number of pixels is four times that of existing MacBook Pros.
[ Further reading: 40 tips to get the most from your Mac (and macOS 'High Sierra') ]
"This is the world's highest-resolution notebook display," Schiller claimed.
The next generation MacBook Pro comes stock with a quad-core third-generation Intel processor, the architecture code-named "Ivy Bridge;" Nvidia's newest graphics processor, called "Kepler" but officially designated the GeForce GT 650M; and can be ordered with as much as 768GB of flash-based storage.
The form factor is reminiscent of the MacBook Air, but somewhat thicker, and at 4.5-lbs., heavier. It ships with Lion and several Apple-made apps, including Mail and Safari, that have been updated to show off the higher resolution.
Prices start at $2,199 with a 2.3GHz quad-core i7 CPU, 8GB of memory and 256GB of space on the flash memory-based SSD (solid-state drive). The new model is available today.
"This will bring a lot of excitement back to the personal computer," said Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, in a Monday interview. "It puts new life, actually buckets of life, into their $2,000-plus tier, which has been pretty moribund of late.
Keith Shaw talks with Computerworld News Editor Ken Mingis about today's Apple announcements at the Worldwide Developer Conference, which included new MacBook Pro hardware, MacBook Air notebooks and updates to OS X and iOS 6.
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Daily Call on Facebook
Daily Call on Twitter
Posted on May 28, 2019 by Piqua Daily Call
Troy woman sentenced for stealing drugs from IF
Keetin stole sleeping pills from jail facility
By Melanie Yingst - Miami Valley Today
MIAMI COUNTY — A Troy woman will spend a year in prison for stealing sleeping pills from the Incarceration Facility last November.
In Miami County Common Pleas Court, Sara Keeton, 27, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison for fourth-degree felony theft of drugs on Tuesday. Prior to sentencing, Keeton said her time in jail has been the longest period she’s been sober since becoming a drug addict. She asked the court to consider treatment for her addiction.
Miami County Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Spitzer reported Keeton had a history of poor supervision and lacked compliance while on community control in prior offenses and requested a prison sentence.
Judge Jeannine Pratt told Keeton she was thinking as a criminal while she was in jail. Keeton stole 25 pills of 50 milligram Seroquel from the Incarceration Facilities’ pharmacy and was passing them out to fellow inmates. The offense occurred while Keeton was on post-release control and arrested for possession of a drug abuse instrument. Judge Pratt also noted Keeton picked up a new drug charge for possession of methamphetamine in March.
Keeton said her drug abuse began after her father’s passing.
“You need a plan,” Pratt said. “Meth isn’t something you want to fool around with.” Pratt sentenced Keeton and urged her to seek drug treatment in prison.
Keeton was granted 88 days of jail credit.
Charges of inducing panic, possession of drug paraphernalia, and fifth-degree felony receiving stolen property were dismissed as part of the plea agreement with the state. She reportedly stole 25 pills of 50 milligram Seroquel, a sleep aid, from the pharmacy at the Incarceration Facility on Nov. 21, 2018.
Keeton was previously convicted of fourth-degree felony grand theft for stealing coins worth up to $35,000 from a Troy man in 2016. She was granted community control and then violated conditions after trying to use fake urine during a drug screen a month after her conviction.
By Melanie Yingst
Miami Valley Today
1001 N CR25a,
Follow @TheDailyCall
Hi! A visitor to our site felt the following article might be of interest to you: Troy woman sentenced for stealing drugs from IF. Here is a link to that story: https://www.dailycall.com/uncategorized/59567/troy-woman-sentenced-for-stealing-drugs-from-if
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Final vitalization project recommendations to be posted on website in January
Molly Dotson | The Daily Eastern News Eastern President David Glassman explains his role in the implementation of changes following the final Workgroup recommendations, which will be submitted Thursday Dec. 15, during the all Taskforce meeting Wednesday in Coleman Auditorium.
Cassie Buchman, News Editor
Final recommendations from vitalization project Workgroups no.1-7 will be posted on the project’s webpage at the onset of the spring semester in January, Eastern President David Glassman announced at a meeting for the entire Task Force.
“As soon as everybody comes back for spring they will be up there,” he said.
The Spring term opens Wednesday, Jan. 4,2017, and the first day of classes will be Monday, Jan.9,2017.
All recommendations will be posted as they come in, Glassman said.
However, any recommendations by a Workgroup considered by the president or Task Force Chair Ryan Hendrickson to be “egregious or harmful to the university” will be retracted from the recommendation list before it is posted.
“If there’s something that’s never going to happen and it’s not anything that I believe would be in the best interest of the university to put in our website as far as recommendations, the two of us will retract that,” he said.
While Glassman said he does not anticipate this being the case, he decided to state is as a safety clause.
The recommendations posted will have the name of the Workgroup along with what the group is recommending.
The names of the people who made the recommendations or voted for or against them will not be included.
A prioritized list of final recommendations from Workgroups no.1-7 are due Thursday, Dec. 15. Their preliminary recommendations were due on Tuesday, Nov.1.
When these groups submit their final recommendations, their official charge will be over. Workgroups no.8 and 9 will keep working into the spring semester, and can ask for feedback from Workgroups no.1-7.
Glassman has also asked Lynette Drake, interim vice president of student affairs, Paul McCann, interim vice president of business affairs and Blair Lord, vice president of academic affairs, to provide a list of their own recommendations for programs and services in their area by Thursday, Dec. 15.
Neither the vice presidents’ nor the Workgroup’s recommendations will be weighted higher than the other, Glassman said.
Any recommendation that suggests the deletion, consolidation or outsourcing of an academic or non-academic service or program will lead to Glassman meeting with the leaders of the impacted unit or department.
The affected areas will have the opportunity to provide information they believe is important for the consideration of the administration.
He said the administrative decision making and prioritizing process will also begin in January, as they begin looking at the recommendations.
Not every recommendation will be implemented, Glassman said, and the ones implemented will be based on what the administration thinks will have the greatest positive impact on the university.
“The implementations of decisions will occur on an ongoing manner based on prioritization, timing and available resources,” he said. “It has to be a strategic, thoughtful reflection on what the vitalization project all about- efficiency in operations, making ourselves marketable and increasing enrollment.”
Glassman said the university community will be updated on all of the administration’s decisions on the vitalization project’s website.
“You will be able to follow along as decisions are implemented (and) which recommendations were essentially accepted by administration in making a decision and what decision was made relative to that recommendation,” he said.
The Board of Trustees will be informed on the decisions. Any eliminations of academic programs have to have their approval, per a contractual agreement, but they will not necessarily have to vote on other decisions.
Billy Hung, a member of Workgroup no.2, looking at university technology, asked if Glassman plans on setting up formal channels for public feedback before decisions are made.
“So far preliminary (recommendations) have gone out through the VP’s to the impacted units,” Hung said. “The time frame is pretty tight and not everyone even in the impacted units have had chance to provide the feedback they wanted to.”
Glassman said anybody can review the final recommendations and provide responses individually or as a group.
Now, in the final weeks of the semester, Workgroups no.1-7 will begin to review responses prepared by impacted departments after they saw the preliminary recommendations.
The groups will then reassess their recommendations based on these responses and can request more data or information that will assist them.
Workgroups will then consider whether to reaffirm their preliminary recommendation, modify it based on the additional information or delete it all together.
The Workgroups are also able to add new recommendations, but they will need to list these on a new page of their report.
“That page has to be marked clearly that these are new recommendations, not one’s first developed at the preliminary stages,” Glassman said.
Cassie Buchman can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]
David Glassman
Vitalization Project
Cassie Buchman, Editor in Chief
My name is Cassie and I'm a senior journalism major. I am the current Editor in Chief at the DEN. My former positions include administration editor,...
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Sentencing in Highland Park huffing crash delayed again
Carly Rousso
Lee Filas
Updated 7/16/2014 1:50 PM
A Lake County prosecutor requested, then withdrew a motion to revoke the bond a Highland Park woman convicted of running over and killing a 5-year-old girl while "huffing" computer dust cleaner.
Assistant State's Attorney Michael Ori initially asked that Carly Rousso's bond be revoked and that she be taken into custody, after her sentencing hearing was delayed by Judge James Booras until Sept. 17.
Ori said Wednesday he was ready for sentencing to take place this week, but defense attorney Douglas Zeit said he would not be able to produce witnesses in defense of the 20-year-old Rousso on such short notice.
After a heated discussion, Ori withdrew the request just as Booras was preparing to deny it.
"I'm not going to order a defendant to begin their sentence before a sentencing hearing is completed," Booras said, prompting Ori to reply "It happens all the time ..."
Ori did not comment after the hearing.
Rousso faces 3 to 14 years in prison after she was convicted May 29 on four counts of aggravated driving under the influence of an intoxicating substance. The law also allows for a person to be sentenced to probation should "extraordinary circumstances" exist.
Authorities said Rousso was "huffing" computer dust cleaner while driving her family-owned Lexus east in the 700 block of Central Avenue in Highland Park when she blacked out, swerved across traffic and hit Jaclyn Santos-Sacramento, of Highland Park. The girl was killed in the crash, while her mother and two brothers -- who were also hit by Rousso's vehicle -- were injured and treated at a hospital.
Rousso pleaded guilty to reckless homicide just before to the start of her trial. She will also be sentenced on that charge during the September hearing.
Rousso has relinquished her passport while remaining free on bond, as ordered by Booras at a previous hearing.
Highland Park woman sentenced to 5 years for huffing crash that killed child
Defense attorney says 'extraordinary circumstances' exist to sentence Rousso to probation
Rousso guilty of aggravated DUI in death of 5-year-old Highland Park girl
Highland Park teen pleads not guilty in fatal crash
Teen driver charged in death of 5-year-old
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This Super Bowl Cheerleader Is Also Getting Her Ph.D. in Neuroscience
And she's part of a group of cheerleaders/science nerds who are actively breaking stereotypes.
By Lane Moore
Kelly Bennion, 26, may be a cheerleader for this year's Super Bowl XLIX, but she's also a Harvard-educated person who is four years into a doctorate in neuroscience at Boston College, and she's not the only one who's setting out to break the idiotic stereotype that cheerleaders are dumb [via Daily Mail.
Bennion is part of a group called Science Cheerleaders, which includes 250 current and former cheerleaders, who are all trying to change the world in their own way.
"[The group] works to combat the negative stereotype that they're only pretty faces. It shows that cheerleaders are very hard-working and are pursuing advanced educations in engineering, math, biology and other great things...I also love seeing the other girls on the team because they're my best friends. It's also great because we do workouts at every practice. So instead of going to the gym, I go to the stadium."
Cheerleaders who love science and are all supportive of each other because they genuinely like and respect other women? Bring it on.
Follow Lane on Twitter and Instagram.
Lane Moore Sex & Relationships Editor I'm Lane Moore, sex & relationships editor at Cosmopolitan.com.
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Chambers lead the way on Sustainable Development Goals
September 26, 2019 Chamber News, Latest News, Members News, Press ReleasesBy Jennifer Forster
County Kildare Chamber, Chambers Ireland and ICC Ireland have announced that they have signed up to a new charter to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to reflect the objectives of relevant Goals in undertaking their activities in the future.
Chambers Ireland chief executive Ian Talbot commented on this new pledge,
“To mark this four-year anniversary of the launch of the SDGs initiative, Chambers Ireland, ICC Ireland and our affiliated Chambers together have committed to this pledge to support the SDGs. Our network values the necessity of driving sustainable development and advocating for economic growth, social equality and environmental protection.
Allan Shine, Chief Executive of County Kildare Chamber said “ We will now form a new Sustainable Business Council, made up of experts from a range of companies in Kildare to support achieving these goals and to encourage businesses and other organisations to engage with the SDGs.”
Five specific goals have been identified which County Kildare Chamber and the Chamber network across the country will advocate for in their work;
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Jennifer Forster
Masquerade Ball @ Palmerstown House Estate
Permanent TSB – Mortgage Clinic
Destination Newbridge Event
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Anthony Dixon antnee17
I am a singer/musician/songwriter who resides in Birmingham, Alabama. I love all genres of music and love playing the piano and going to church.
Cover version of the hit Commodores song, Easy (Like Sunday Morning) by Anthony Dixon
WRITERS: LIONEL RICHIE
PRODUCERS: JAMES ANTHONY CARMICHAEL
FROM THEIR FIFTH STUDIO ALBUM : COMMODORES
US BILLBOARD HOT SOUL SINGLES #1
US BILLBOARD HOT 100 #4
Lionel Richie - Easy Like Sunday Morning
Pop cover by Anthony Dixon
Anthony Dixon
North America 66 United States 66 Alabama 32 Cover 91 Lionel Richie 1 Pop 32 Live 16 Man 66 Piano 32
Singer Musician
19 1,079 59 1
TLC - Waterfalls
Chaka Khan - Through The Fire
Patti LaBelle - On My Own
Alanis Morissette - You Learn
Mariah Carey - Love Takes Time
Madonna - Crazy For You
Mariah Carey - Vision Of Love
Stevie Wonder - Signed Sealed Delivered I'm Yours
Deborah Cox - Nobody's Supposed To Be Here
Whitney Houston - I Have Nothing
Nina Simone - I Wish I Knew How It Feels To Be Free
Fleetwood Mac - Dreams
Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You
Lionel Richie - You Are
Carole King - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
Aretha Franklin - Dr Feelgood Love Is A Serious Business
Stevie Wonder - Do I Do
Natalie Cole - Inseperable
Babyface - Whip Appeal
Whitney Houston - You Give Good Love
SWV - Weak
Aretha Franklin - Ain't No Way
George Benson - Turn Your Love Around
Aretha Franklin - Do Right Woman Do Right Man
Robert John - Sad Eyes
Carly Simon - You're So Vain
Aretha Franklin - A Natural Woman
Maren Morris - The Middle
Minnie Riperton - Lovin' You
Heather Headley - I Wish I Wasn't
Stevie Wonder - Part Time Lover
Nicolette Larson - Lotta Love
Sade - Smooth Operator
Whitney Houston - All The Man I Need
Chaka Khan - What Cha Gonna Do For Me
William DeVaughn - Be Thankful For What You Got
Whitney Houston - The Greatest Love Of All
Bee Gees - Love You Inside And Out
Whitney Houston - Why Does It Hurt So Bad
Céline Dion - That's The Way It Is
Jackie DeShannon - What The World Needs Now Is Love
Louis Armstrong - Hello Dolly
Aretha Franklin - Daydreaming
Ronnie Milsap - There's No Getting Over Me
Sade - Your Love Is King
Gary Portnoy - Theme From Cheers Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Ella Fitzgerald - Stairway To The Stars
Stevie Wonder - That Girl
Dean Martin - Winter Wonderland
Mariah Carey - O Holy Night
Kathy Mattea - Mary Did You Know
Donny Hathaway - This Christmas
Vince Guaraldi - Christmas Time Is Here
Julie Andrews - My Favorite Things
Jackson Browne - Somebody's Baby
Sade - The Sweetest Taboo
Larry Graham - One In A Million
Michael Jackson - Rock With You
Culture Club - Time Clock Of The Heart
The Isley Brothers - For The Love Of You
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
Lou Rawls - You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine
Frankie Valli - Native New Yorker
Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly
Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It
Aretha Franklin - Don't Play That Song You Lied
Aretha Franklin - Yield Not To Tempation
Anita Baker - Body And Soul
Dionne Warwick - I Saw A Little Prayer
Chris Tomlin - How Great Is Our God
Anita Baker - No One In The World
Toni Braxton - Let It Flow
Quincy Jones - Miss Celie Blues
Eagles - I Can't Tell You Why
Pray For A Brighter Day
Frank Sinatra - Send In The Clowns
Anita Baker - Caught Up In The Rapture
Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time
Marvin Sapp - Let The Church Say Amen
Aretha Franklin - Angel
Tamela Mann - Take Me To The King
Donnie McClurkin - We Fall Down
Jim Reeves - Near The Cross
Al Wilson - Show And Tell
Human League - Human
Alan Jackson - In The Garden
Mahalia Jackson - I Found The Answer
Alan Jackson - Blessed Assurance
Hillary Scott - Thy Will
Starship - Sara
Dionne Warwick - Heartbreaker
Lisa Stansfield - All Around The World
Stevie Wonder - All I Do
Gladys Knight - Neither One Of Us
Luther Vandross - Never Too Much
Anita Baker - I Apologize
Dionne Warwick - Deja Vu
Stevie Wonder - My Cherie Amour
Aretha Franklin - Until You Come Back To Me That's What I'm Gonna Do
Oleta Adams - Get Here
Whitney Houston - All At Once
Steve Perry - Foolish Heart
Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World
Al Green - Lets Stay Together
Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
The Carpenters - Close To You
Natalie Cole - I've Got Love On My Mind
Andrew Gold - Thank You For Being A Friend
Freddie Jackson - You Are My Lady
Elton John - Border Songholy Moses
Madonna - Borderline
Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love
Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor. His recordings with the Commodores and in his solo career made him one of the most successful balladeers of the 1980s. Beginning in 1968, Richie was a member of the funk and soul band the Commodores. The Commodores became established as a popular soul group; their first several albums had a danceable, funky sound, as in such tracks as "Machine Gun" and "Brick House." Over time, Richie wrote and sang more romantic, easy-listening ballads such as "Easy", "Three Times a Lady", "Still", and the breakup ballad "Sail On". Richie launched a solo career in 1982 and his 1982 debut solo album, Lionel Richie, contained three hit singles: the U.S. number-one song "Truly", and the top five hits "You Are" and "My Love". The album hit No. 3 on the music charts and sold over 4 million copies. His 1983 follow-up album, Can't Slow Down, sold over twice as many copies, propelling him into the first rank of international superstars. He also co-wrote the 1985 charity single "We Are the World" with Michael Jackson, which sold over 20 million copies.Over the course of his career, Richie has sold over 90 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. He won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Can't Slow Down, and his other Grammy Awards include Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) in 1985 and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Truly" in 1983. Richie has also been nominated for two Golden Globe awards and won one. In 1982 he was nominated for Best Original Song for the film Endless Love. In 1986 he won the Golden Globe award for Best Original Song for "Say You, Say Me", featured in the film White Nights. The song also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. In 2016, Richie received the Songwriters Hall of Fame's highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award.
Eminem - Lose Yourself
Vocal cover by JFlaMusic
Vocal cover by Helen Olivas
Christopher Cross - Sailing
Live cover by Lori
Alan Walker - Alone
Instrumental cover by TheKays
Ed Sheeran - Beautiful People
Vocal cover by First To Eleven
Ezgi Erdoğan - Bir Sana (Lyrics Video)
Vocal original by Ezgi Erdoğan
Vocal cover by Davina Michelle
Vocal cover by Sara'h Officiel
Vocal cover by Ronnie Lewis
鄧紫棋 - 愛你
Vocal cover by Alvin 譚緯詮
Lionel Richie - Stuck On You
Instrumental cover by Vinodj Sital
Lionel Richie - My Love
Live cover by Gregg Sgar
Lionel Richie - Hello
Vocal cover by Holly Henry
Live cover by Alexis
Lionel Richie - Endless Love
Live cover by Stefano Fusco
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6 Harmless Things With Insanely Disturbing Origin Stories
Ryan Menezes ·
Julia Lange ·
Tolly Vellis ·
Many of the fun, innocent things that we find so entertaining have shockingly dark origins. So really, the old saying has it backwards. First someone gets hurt, then it's all fun and games. Just consider how ...
Nintendo Miis Are Memorials To Infanticide
The Nintendo Wii introduced the general public to many gaming innovations, like motion controls, wrist problems, and Miis. You know, those cutesy avatars with giant heads and cylindrical bodies? The nicest thing we can say about them is that they look like vibrators.
NintendoThe meanest thing is that they look like the PlayStation Move -- the motion control no one wanted.
You probably assumed the Miis were made so simplistic to ensure everyone from a toddler to your half-blind grandpa can tell what they're looking at, but there's another inspiration behind the design. According to Mario's dad, Shigeru Miyamoto, the Miis are based on kokeshi, a type of Japanese doll ... although "doll" feels like a generous word here, since they're pretty much straight tubes of wood. But what does "kokeshi" mean? Uhh, "erasing children." And one theory says that's because they're reminders of child murder.
Batholith / Wikimedia Commons"Pass the child murder, please."
Back in the Edo Period, families found themselves in a bit of a pickle whenever they birthed a child they could not take care of. The solution was often a form of belated family planning which involved killing or selling the babies. Parents then carved kokeshi to represent those children. They put the dolls in shrines in the home, to serve as memorials or grim reminders of what they'd done.
Today, kokeshi are sold as souvenirs, and the meaning of the word is generally forgotten. In fact, "kokeshi" is now more often used as a slang term for vibrator. And now that you know their history, that really is the nicest thing we can say about Miis.
Related: 7 Shockingly Dark Origins Of Lovable Children's Characters
Candy Land Was Made For Kids With Polio
Candy Land was America's preferred method of distracting young children back before we had smartphones. It's a basic board game full of bright colors and whimsical characters, and it was inspired by ... uh, the polio epidemic?
HasbroWe would have guessed "someone falling into a diabetic coma."
It all started in 1948, when a retired schoolteacher named Eleanor Abbott contracted the disease and ended up stuck in a polio ward in San Diego. Soon the novelty of watching partly incapacitated children cry all day wore off, and Abbott got bored. So to pass the time and distract the children from their loneliness and pain, she grabbed some crayons and sketched out a straightforward board game she called Candy Land. (Please Let Me Sleep, Come On, I've Got Polio Too was already taken.)
The game became popular among the polio-ridden youngsters, which is always a sure sign that you've got a big hit on your hands. Emboldened by this feedback, Abbott later pitched the game to Milton Bradley, who in a keen business move omitted the "It's for children with polio!" part from the marketing materials.
Candy Land remains a favorite to this day. They might even make a movie out of it, possibly starring every child's favorite actor, Adam Sandler! So if there's an upside to the current anti-vaccination movement, it's that we might get some more classic children's entertainment out of it.
Related: 5 Classic Board Games With Disturbing Origin Stories
Dance Marathons Were Grueling, Sometimes Deadly Affairs
Today, dance marathons are seen as a fun, corny way to raise money or awareness, but during the Great Depression, they were more about not starving to death. It was like the 1930s version of reality TV: a place where the morbidly curious went to find out how desperate other people could get.
At first it was cheap entertainment. Dancers would be provided with food, shelter, and medical care as long as they kept dancing, with the most durable couple taking a cash price -- a deal that became very enticing to a lot of people when almost a quarter of America found itself without a job. Suddenly the marathons got intense. People would dance for days, weeks, or even months, sleeping in 15-minute breaks here and there, often eating or bathing while shaking their booties.
As a marathon advanced, contestants began dropping like flies ... sometimes for good. One lady tried to kill herself when she ranked fifth in an event after 19 days of dancing. Another time, a man named Homer Morehouse died from a heart attack after he and his partner danced for 87 hours straight. Sadly, death was against rules, so they were disqualified.
Eventually, cities like Seattle began seeing danceathons as public health hazards and outlawing them. These illegal, deadly events are a far cry from the church basement dance marathons of today. You'd be lucky to die at one of those.
Related: 7 Popular Old-Timey 'Hobbies' That Will Give You Nightmares
The First Olympics In The U.S. Involved A Racist "Experiment"
The Olympics are a magical time when we all stop our petty squabbling to marvel at the rock-solid butts of the greatest athletes in the world. Here's a weird fact: Did you know that it took until 1904 for the games to be held in the U.S.? And did you know that as soon as that happened, things got very racist, very fast?
University of Nebraska Press(This is where you act surprised.)
The first non-European Olympics were supposed to take place in Chicago, but then St. Louis threw a hissy fit, arguing that the event might upstage the upcoming World's Fair. So the location was changed to St. Louis ... but most European players were like "Saint who?" and decided to skip the games. This left the event with a troubling lack of athletes / rock-hard butts. Enter William McGee, the Fair's chair of anthropology and a racist prick who ran a "human zoo" featuring Native Americans and people from places like Congo or the Philippines. His solution: getting these "savages" to compete in a sort of pseudo-Olympics alongside the real games ... and taking the opportunity to conduct a little anthropological experiment.
Of course, by "experiment," he actually meant "messing with people." With significant language and cultural barriers and little time/effort put into the event, the "savages" couldn't learn the rules on time. For instance, many didn't understand the purpose of the gunshots during the quarter-mile race -- which, to be fair, is a weird practice. Others stopped near the end of the race to wait for friends, not grasping the whole "race" part.
The event was a disaster. Very few people attended, and McGee didn't get the data he needed. So he repeated the experiment a few years later, this time obtaining the numbers he wanted, and surprise! It was a flawed, racist conclusion. McGee determined that whites were clearly superior compared to the other races in physicality. Welp, you heard the expert. Please return all those medals, Mr. Bolt.
Related: 6 Fun Activities That Were Horrifying Throughout History
Cooties Were A Parasitic Bug That Tortured Soldiers In WWI
You might remember "cooties" as that dastardly disease contracted whenever a child violated the "no boys/girls allowed" sign on the treehouse. For most of us, it was just a bit of silly childhood fun. But for soldiers fighting in World War I, cooties were very real, and the cause of a lot of pain and misery (maybe not the main one, but still).
The word "cootie" was used by British soldiers to refer to battlefield lice, which ravaged men in the trenches of the Western Front. The lice would suck blood and spread diseases such as trench fever, which causes severe headaches and can lead to heart failure. Because WWI didn't suck enough on its own.
American Red CrossIf this was WWII, we'd assume they were genetically engineered by the Nazis.
So when did the term start to make the leap from "nightmarish infestation" to "wholesome childhood fun"? It may have been thanks to a series of children's board games of the same name. Still, it didn't really take off in America until servicemen returned from the Pacific after WWII, where they likely picked it up from the Commonwealth soldiers they fought with (the term, not the bugs).
Related: 5 Innocent Phrases With Surprisingly Dark Origins
The Ferris Wheel Completely Ruined Its Inventor's Life
George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. was the man who invented Ferris wheels (so they should technically be called Junior Wheels, we guess). Ironically, his life was more of a roller coaster ride, which is probably a line of work he wished he'd gone into.
When the Eiffel Tower made its debut in 1881, America got a bit of tower envy and started looking for something even more impressive to debut at the Chicago World Fair. Ferris accepted the challenge and proposed building a 264-feet, 71-ton rotating wheel that could carry over 2,000 passengers. The Fair's board laughed off the idea as ridiculous, because, well, it was. Still, they generously allowed Ferris to go ahead with his monstrous contraption, as long as he financed the whole thing himself and shouldered the entire responsibility. He took this sweet deal.
C.E. Waterman / Wikimedia CommonsIf all else failed, he could turn it into an oddly shaped apartment building.
The wheel was a huge success, in that no one died while riding it and it raked in a crapload of money. Unfortunately, most of that money went to the Fair, and Ferris' small cut soon evaporated as people sued him for ripping off his own wheel. Turns out he never patented the idea, so others tried to scoop it up for themselves. He ended up bankrupt, was abandoned by his wife, turned into a drunk, and contracted typhoid fever. He died only three years after his invention's debut, at age 37, although his body stayed at the morgue for an extra 15 months as his brother scrounged up enough funds to pay for the funeral debt. Even in death, the dude still couldn't catch a break.
Ferris' ghost got the last laugh on the cursed invention that ruined his life when the original wheel was dynamited into scrap a decade later. If you ever feel strange while riding in one of those things, that's probably him flipping you off from the other side.
Follow Ryan Menezes on Twitter for bits cut from this article and other stuff no one should see.
For more, check out The Horrifying True Story Of St. Patrick's Day:
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Hyundai gears up for new i20 WRC unveil
Ollie Barstow
Hyundai is finishing off the final stages of development for its new i20 WRC ahead of its official reveal next week.
Hyundai says it is nearing the final stages of development for its much anticipated all-new i20WRC challenger, which will make its debut in January's Rallye Monte Carlo.
The new car, which is based on the latest generation Hyundai i20, was supposed to make its competition debut mid-way through the 2015 season but it was later decided to postpone this until the start of 2016.
Following an extensive development programme across various surfaces, Hyundai revealed it has accumulated 8,000km worth of testing miles and is now ready to homologate the machine.
"We are approaching the final phase of preparation for our New Generation i20 WRC ahead of its debut in the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship," said team principal Michel Nandan. "Since March, we have completed around 8,000km in stage conditions with the car, on both gravel and tarmac.
"We have carried out an average of one test per month with the new car, including a test this week in France, which ends tomorrow. For a young team like ours, to run an intensive testing programme alongside a heightened WRC campaign has been quite an achievement but we now embark on some important milestones.
"We all look forward to officially unveiling the new car in Alzenau next week, before concluding the all-important homologation process with the FIA. From there, we can really start the 2016 season. We have covered different types of terrain and rally conditions in testing so far, but we haven't yet run the car on snow, so that's something we will carry out later this month, both as part of the car development but also as a pre-event test for Rally Sweden.
"These are exciting times for Hyundai Motorsport as we conclude final preparations for the debut of the New Generation i20 WRC in Rallye Monte-Carlo next month."
Hyundai returned to the WRC in 2014 and scored a surprise 1-2 finish with Thierry Neuville and Dani Sordo in its return year. The duo, plus new signing Hayden Paddon, all scored more podiums in 2015 and will continue to form the team's driver line-up in 2016, along with Kevin Abbring.
Solberg claims second World RX title
M-Sport confirms Ostberg and 'surprise' Camilli
Rally Argentina - Top 15 classification after SS15
Evans suffers final stage tyre blow to hand Neuville Tour de Corse win
Tour de Corse - Results
Mikkelsen leads Rally Mexico, Suninen crashes out
Rally Mexico - Classification SS4
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Send Flowers for Arlee
Arlee Joyce (Robie) Hupfer
Arlee Joyce Hupfer, 83, a longtime resident of Fairfield, Idaho on the Camas Prairie, passed away on January 6, 2020, at Fairwinds Assisted Living in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Arlee was born on February 29, 1936 in Yakima, Washington, to Royal and Lucille Robie. Arlee and her beloved siblings - Wesley, Dennis, and Barbara Ann, were raised throughout Idaho and Nevada, due to their father’s employment in large road construction projects. Arlee attended and graduated from Inkom High School in 1954.
Arlee married Lyle Hupfer on August 14, 1955 at the Salt Lake City Park. At that time, she also became a mother to Lyle's two young children - Vickie and Terry, ages four and six. For a few years, Lyle worked on various road construction projects around Idaho, moving the family as needed. While living in Inkom, Idaho, Arlee and Lyle welcomed the birth of their daughter - Tenna. The family settled on the Camas Prairie, Fairfield, Idaho in 1961. There, Lyle worked on Everett Coates' ranch on Willow Creek and Arlee went to work at the Market Basket in Fairfield. In 1966 the family moved into Fairfield where Arlee continued to work for Bill Stewart at the Market Basket and Corral Store. She later worked for Prairie Power, which became part of Idaho Power, and retired in 1997. Lyle passed away in 1996.
Arlee fell in love with Derral Hupfer and they married in 1998. They spent their golden years together traveling and enjoying the family cabin on Emma Creek.
Arlee was an active member of the Fairfield Community Church, American Legion Auxiliary, and the Rebekah's Lodge. Through the years she held several offices in these organizations.
Arlee touched the lives of many people with her gentle kindness and easy laughter; she was truly loved by so many other people besides her family. She will be greatly missed.
Arlee is survived by: her son - Terry (Robert) Hupfer of Santa Ana, California; three daughters - Vickie (Marvon) Chess of Blackfoot, Idaho, Tenna (Jay) Biggs of Swan Valley, Idaho and Janie (Todd) Johnson of Twin Falls, Idaho; one brother - Wesley Robie of Sadona, Arizona; eight grandchildren - Brandy, Camas, Shana, Lindsay, Rod, Levi, Joel, Libby; 12 great grandchildren; 4 nieces; and 2 nephews.
Arlee was preceded in death by her parents - Royal and Lucille; brother - Dennis; sister - Barbara; husband - Lyle; husband - Derral; daughter - Susan; granddaughter - Danielle.
Cremation arrangements were under the direction of Wood Funeral Home of Idaho Falls and Demaray Funeral Service – Gooding Chapel.
A graveside memorial service will be held at the Mountain View Cemetery, Fairfield, Idaho, July 18, 2020 at 2:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Camas County Senior Center.
To send flowers to Arlee's family, please visit our floral section.
Memorial Graveside Service
Mountain View Cemetery Rd.
Fairfield, Idaho 83327
Send Flowers to Arlee's Memorial Graveside Service
Guaranteed delivery before the Memorial Graveside Service begins
Image: Tom Curtis / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Tag: Kornely Kakachia
Georgia’s status as post-Soviet democratic leader challenged
Georgia’s status as a post-Soviet democratic leader is under challenge, according to analysts Denis Corboy, William Courtney, Kenneth Yalowitz. A flawed presidential election, use of force against protesters, and political manipulations… Read more »
Analysis, Central/Eastern Europe, Civil Society, Democracy Assistance and Promotion, Democratic Backsliding, Eurasia, Georgia, International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute, National Endowment for Democracy, Russia and Dr Bidzina Lebanidze, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Daniel Twining, Denis Corboy, director of the Georgian Institute of Politics, Foreign Policy Centre, Georgia’s Dangerous Slide Away From Democracy, Georgian democracy 'crumbling'?, International Republican Institute (IRI), Kenneth Yalowitz, Kornely Kakachia, Mariam Uberi, National Democratic Institute (NDI), National Endowment for Democracy (NED)., Representative Eliot L. Engel, William Courtney
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Home > Presidential > Democratic Primaries > Debates > TV & Online
Democratic Presidential Debates TV & Online
Democratic Presidential Debate - TV & Online Viewing Guide
Hillary Clinton speaking at the Confederação Nacional da Indústria on April 21, 2012By: Antônio Cruz
Democratic Debate TV Schedule | Dates, Times & Channels
Democratic debate schedule for the Presidential primaries with dates, times, TV channels, full videos, transcripts and profiles of the candidates
Latest Forum Threads on Democratic Presidential Debates TV & Online
Two words you didn't hear in the Democratic debate
Clinton, Sanders, and Three Others Set for First Democratic Debate
Latest Member Blog Articles on Democratic Presidential Debates TV & Online
Clinton v Sanders Part 1: Will They Play Nice or Take The Gloves Off Early?
The top two contenders for the Democratic Presidential nomination are about as different as they come. Secretary Clinton, the unquestioned front runner, is a true politician. Senator Sanders, a formidable challenger, is an unabashed Democratic-Socialist and refuses to participate in the typical mud-slinging that has defined our politics for decades.
the Democratic debates
that guy in AZ
Last: 4d
dems debates
Comments made by Kamala Harris during the 06/27/2019 Democratic debate
Judging the debate.
Democratic Debate Schedule is Designed to Give Clinton the Nomination
Saturday is the Worst Possible Day for a Presidential Debate
Caucus Elections Are Undemocratic and Should Be Scrapped
Bernie Sanders won the Washington state Democratic caucus by a “yuge” margin of 46 points, his largest margin of victory in his campaign. However, what is less known is that the highly publicized record voter turnout of 244,458 for the caucus was still relatively small compared to the much higher voter turn-outs for primaries and general elections.
5 Reasons Clinton Should Pick Biden as Her Running Mate
Hillary Clinton extending an olive branch to loyal Obama supporters by choosing to keep Vice President Biden on her ticket in would all but guarantee her winning the Presidency in November.Think about it for a second.
Hillary Rodham Clinton has been a progressive champion her entire life
“One of the most tragic things that happened yesterday, a beautiful day, was that I was talking to a woman who said that she wouldn't want to be me for anything in the world. She wouldn't want to live today and look ahead to what it is she sees because she's afraid. Fear is always with us but we just don't have time for it. Not now.
Democratic Presidential Debates Watching News & Opinion Articles
Bernie Sanders campaign's data breach jolts Democratic debateBernie Sanders campaign's data breach jolts Democratic debate
Sat Dec 19, 2015 | cnn.com
Just in time for Saturday night's debate, the Democratic presidential race is being jolted by another computer-related scandal.
Democratic debate 2015 live stream: time, TV schedule, and how to watch on...Democratic debate 2015 live stream: time, TV schedule, and how to watch on...
Sat Dec 19, 2015 | vox.com
Tonight's third Democratic debate will air on ABC at 8 pm Eastern time. But don't worry, if you don't have a TV, you'll still be able to tune in — an online live stream...
How to Watch Tonight’s ABC News Democratic Debate Live-Streaming OnlineHow to Watch Tonight’s ABC News Democratic Debate Live-Streaming Online
Sat Dec 19, 2015 | mediaite.com
On Saturday night, ABC News will host the third Democratic Party debate for the 2016 primary season. Establishment frontrunner Hillary Clinton will be challenged by former...
How to watch tonight's Democratic debateHow to watch tonight's Democratic debate
Sat Dec 19, 2015 | cbsnews.com
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley will take the stage at 8pm ET for the ABC News-hosted...
Democratic Debate: Watch Live Stream Online for FreeDemocratic Debate: Watch Live Stream Online for Free
Tue Oct 13, 2015 | time.com
Tuesday’s debate between the Democratic presidential candidates, including Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, will be streamed online for free. CNN, which is hosting...
Tue Oct 13, 2015 | vox.com
The first Democrat presidential debate of the 2016 campaign season is at 8:30 pm Eastern tonight. If you have a cable account, you can watch it on CNN, and a free internet...
Six things to watch for in the Las Vegas Democratic debateSix things to watch for in the Las Vegas Democratic debate
Mon Oct 12, 2015 | onpolitics.usatoday.com
Two hours on a live debate stage Tuesday should be ample time for the Democratic underdogs battling front-runner Hillary Clinton to make a beneficial impression on voters —...
When is the Democratic Debate? (And everything else you need to know)When is the Democratic Debate? (And everything else you need to know)
Sat Oct 10, 2015 | cnn.com
Much is up in the air for the candidates heading into the first Democratic debate — questions over Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server during her tenure as...
Democratic Presidential Debates TV & Online Videos
Hillary Clinton's VP Lists Narrows As Democrati...Hillary Clinton's VP Lists Narrows As Democrati...
Wed Jul 13, 2016
Rachel Maddow looks at some of the clues that might be indicating how Democratic candidate for president,...
History MadeHistory Made
Tue Jun 07, 2016
Hillary Clinton has served as Secretary of State, Senator from New York, First Lady of the United States,...
How To Watch The Democratic Debate LIVE With Th...How To Watch The Democratic Debate LIVE With Th...
Fri Dec 18, 2015
This Saturday, December 19, at 7:45pm eastern The Young Turks will be covering the ABC News Democratic...
Waiting For Joe-dotWaiting For Joe-dot
Tue Oct 13, 2015
CNN's upcoming Democratic debate could be really exciting, especially if you use your imagination.
Clinton, Sanders to Face Off in 1st Democrat De...Clinton, Sanders to Face Off in 1st Democrat De...
The Democratic presidential candidates are holding their first debate Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
Jorge Ramos and Alicia Menendez talk first Demo...Jorge Ramos and Alicia Menendez talk first Demo...
The first Democratic Presidential Debate is coming, and Jorge Ramos and Alicia Menendez dissect would we...
What to expect from the first Democratic debateWhat to expect from the first Democratic debate
Watch Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Peter J Johnson Jr talk about Democrats, Elections, Presidential Debates,...
Democratic debate a breakout chance for O'Malle...Democratic debate a breakout chance for O'Malle...
Stuck far behind Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bernie Sanders in the race for the Democratic presidential...
Challenges Clinton will face in first Democrati...Challenges Clinton will face in first Democrati...
Democratic presidential candidates face off Tuesday night for their first debate. According to polls,...
Rivals to target Clinton in first Democratic de...Rivals to target Clinton in first Democratic de...
Five candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination meet on stage Tuesday night for the first...
Why Sanders' supporters 'feel the Bern'Why Sanders' supporters 'feel the Bern'
Mon Oct 12, 2015
CNN's Randi Kaye hears from Bernie Sanders and his supporters in Boulder, Colorado.
Inside look at CNN #DemDebateInside look at CNN #DemDebate
Forget Vegas showgirls. CNN has the biggest attraction on the strip; tomorrow night's Democratic...
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Home > Liberals > Liberal Media > Liberal Media Outlets > Liberal TV > Joy Behar: Say Anything!
Joy Behar: Say Anything!
Liberal TV Show
Latest Forum Threads on Joy Behar: Say Anything!
New Joy Behar show 'Say Anything!' on Current TV
Sep 03, 2012 11:19 PM
Rachel Maddow Show 4/17/15
Omar 911912
NASA Says California Only Has One Year's Worth of Water Left
John Stewart Debate's Bill O'Reilly on White Privilege
ClayTaylorNC
Fox News baseless attacks Jon Stewart.
Alabama HB 494
Colbert Report Airing Final Episode Tonight
Where is Rachel Maddow?
Study Confirms that watching no news is better than watching Fox News.
Zach F
Larry Wilmore to replace Stephen Colbert with 'The Minority Report'
Bill Maher Brings on Obama Impersonator to Read Trump Quotes
"Real Time" host Bill Maher has had it with how Republicans have a different set of rules when it comes to how they respond to what the President says now that he is a member of their own party, so he brought out Obama impersonator Reggie Brown to read some of Trump's most memorable quotes. What followed is eight minutes of cringe worthy hilarity.
Who Said It? Alec Baldwin or Donald Trump?
Alec Baldwin debuted his inner Donald Trump in a way only he could during Saturday Night Live's season opener and he did not disappoint. He, along with Kate McKinnon playing the par of Hillary Clinton, relived the first Presidential Debate that showed nearly 100 million viewers that Donald Trump is, in fact, a man baby. (Credit to Jon Stewart for coming up with that description.
The Politics of Exactitude...when applied to President Obama
Obama said... Obama promised... Obama lied... Obama should have... Blame Obama... If only Obama would... Obama is a wuss... Obama overshot... I'm so disappointed in Obama... Obama is the lesser of two evils...
'The View' Cast All Fired, Except For Whoopi
Barbara Walters retired in May of 2014 from 'The View', and television hosting in general. Now, 2 of the 3 remaining hosts of 'The View' have been reportedly fired from the lineup, leaving only host Whoopi Goldberg with a job. Sherri Shepherd had been a host on the program for 7 years.
Lawrence O'Donnell Hopes to Return to MSNBC in June
Lawrence O'Donnell recently called into his show one month after a car accident that put him on an extended leave of absence to update his viewers about his ongoing recovery and inform them that he hopes to return to air this June.
The Joy Behar Show News & Opinion Articles
Jon Stewart Leaves ‘The Daily Show’ With a Big Smile, Hugs, and a SermonJon Stewart Leaves ‘The Daily Show’ With a Big Smile, Hugs, and a Sermon
Fri Aug 07, 2015 | thedailybeast.com
Jon Stewart ended his 16½–year reign on The Daily Show Thursday night with laughter and dancing—and, yes, a fire-and-brimstone sermon against something he called “The...
Jon Stewart says farewell as 'The Daily Show' hostJon Stewart says farewell as 'The Daily Show' host
Thu Aug 06, 2015 | bigstory.ap.org
Jon Stewart says goodbye on Thursday, after 16 years on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" that established him as America's foremost satirist of politicians and the media....
Jon Stewart Reveals Why He's Leaving The Daily ShowJon Stewart Reveals Why He's Leaving The Daily Show
Mon Apr 20, 2015 | i4u.com
Jon Stewart left his place at The Daily Show desk for one simple reason according to The Guardian, he didn't like coming to work anymore. He stated that the constant...
Jon Stewart: why I quit The Daily ShowJon Stewart: why I quit The Daily Show
Sat Apr 18, 2015 | theguardian.com
There was no one moment when Jon Stewart knew it was time for him to leave what he describes as “the most perfect job in the world”; no epiphany, no flashpoint. “Life,” he...
Trevor Noah will replace Jon Stewart on ‘The Daily Show’Trevor Noah will replace Jon Stewart on ‘The Daily Show’
Mon Mar 30, 2015 | washingtonpost.com
When Jon Stewart leaves “The Daily Show” anchor desk later this year, his replacement will be Trevor Noah, a 31-year-old South African comedian with a short but memorable...
Jon Stewart's 'Daily Show' Segment Leads To Huge Change For VeteransJon Stewart's 'Daily Show' Segment Leads To Huge Change For Veterans
Wed Mar 25, 2015 | huffingtonpost.com
"The Daily Show" has just made a huge difference in the lives of veterans, helping many gain access to a program they were unfairly kept from using. The Choice Program,...
The Stephen Colbert we all know will cease to exist tonight. Here are 11 o...The Stephen Colbert we all know will cease to exist tonight. Here are 11 o...
Thu Dec 18, 2014 | washingtonpost.com
On Thursday night, the last episode of "The Colbert Report" will air, and the faux-conservative character "Stephen Colbert" will end with the show. The next time Colbert...
Appreciation: The man who was 'Stephen Colbert'Appreciation: The man who was 'Stephen Colbert'
Thu Dec 18, 2014 | cnn.com
Goodbye, Stephen Colbert. We hardly knew you. In fact, that was the idea, wasn't it? Obama goes head-to-head with Colbert Colbert: First Lady has 'courage' Political...
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Last orders for pubs in Crewe?
FEARS for the future of Crewe’s pubs have been raised after three more called time.
Within the space of a fortnight The Cross Keys in Remer Street, the Raven Inn on Brookhouse Drive and the Earl of Chester in Wistaston Road all closed their doors, with the search for new tenants under way if they are to reopen.
The closures follow a recent trend of pubs calling time across South Cheshire.
Former Crewe and Nantwich mayor and local historian Howard Curran believes ‘the Crewe pub’ is dying a slow death.
He said: “They are going in the same direction as corner shops went. A few years ago I said to people that the supermarkets would be the end of corner shops. The same is happening with pubs.
“But I also think there’s a fear factor. A lot of people don’t feel safe in pubs. I don’t know why, because Crewe isn’t all that bad.”
Cllr Curran has lamented the shift in social attitudes toward pubs, which he says were once at the heart of a community.
But he also believes the disappearance of the traditional landlord has dramatically affected pubs, with licensees coming and going.
He added: “I can see in 10 years’ time there being no pubs left in Crewe. You just can’t keep up with all the ones closing and up for sale at the moment.”
But John Hennessey, landlord of The Angel in Victoria Street, says the town’s pub industry is battling to ride out the storm brought on by the credit crunch.
He said: “To say there won’t be a Crewe pub in 10 years is a bit extreme. A lot of them are suffering from breweries raising the rent when they should be putting them down.”
Wistaston
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Crocodile Video Goes Viral for GoPro and Everglades Outpost
By CM Marketing March 24, 2014 July 30th, 2019 Media Monitoring
GoPro receives a lot of earned media coverage from antics involving their cameras. So when a volunteer at the Everglades Outpost in Florida strapped his GoPro onto an eleven-foot pool, the chances of his footage being viewed online were fair.
That was until a monster crocodile started attacking the GoPro.
Since that video was uploaded online, it has gone viral, making its way across online, social and TV:
GoPro + Crocodile have been mentioned more than 262 times on TV since March 19, 2014. The first mention was from Raleigh-Durham, NC at around 11:16 PM EST.
In that same time period, GoPro + Everglades has been mentioned more than 202 times on TV.
Sports Authority has also been mentioned 49 times, since the GoPro was purchased at one of their stories.
Even though this is an earned media success for the public relations team over at GoPro, there are several marketing insights to be pulled from the local news coverage. Many of the anchors covering and commenting on the story had great taglines and testimonials to share. In sum, the GoPro can go just about anywhere.
A few other gems:
“Put them on just about anything”
“You can take them places any other camera can’t go”
“It’s an action camera!”
Here’s sample TV coverage mentioning GoPro, Everglades Outpost and Sports Authority:
Media monitoring services provided by Critical Mention.
5 SEO Strategies for 2020
How to Turn Earned Media into Brand Endorsements
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Understand How Online News Tracking Improves Businesses
Most Talked About 77th Golden Globe Nominations for 2020
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Boston Weather in January
by Liz Osborn CurrentResults.com
January brings the year's coldest and snowiest weather to Boston, Massachusetts.
This page gives detailed information on the typical January weather for Boston.
You can jump directly to data and descriptions for:
Temperature Precipitation Snow Sun Humidity Wind Storms
The numbers here are historical averages based on climate data gathered at Boston's Logan International Airport, located on the waterfront next to Boston Harbor.
36 °F January average high 2 °C
22 °F January average low -5 °C
In most years, Boston averages a daily maximum temperature for January that's between 31 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit (0 to 5 degrees Celsius). The minimum temperature usually falls between 17 and 27 °F (-8 to -3 °C).
January is the coldest month overall for Boston and the 17th to 20th are its chilliest days. They have daily highs averaging 35.4 °F (1.9 °C) and lows of 21.7 °F (-5.7 °C).
10 days 40 °F max. or more (4 °C)
12 days 20 °F min. or less (-8 °C)
Boston averages 3 days in January when the thermometer reaches into the 50s °F (over 10 °C). Temperatures above 60 °F (16 °C) happen occasionally, although not every year. Typically on 11 days the mercury remains below freezing for the entire day.
At night, the thermometer dips to 10 °F (-12 °C) or below on 4 days. But most years, January does not get temperatures as cold as 0 °F (-18 °C).
3.4 in total precipitation 85 mm
11 days of rain or snowfall
Half the time, Boston receives 2 to 5 inches (59 to 117 mm) of precipitation in January. One in four years has drier weather, while another one in four is wetter.
12.9 in total snowfall 32.8 cm
7 days with new snow
While January is generally the month with the most snowfall in Boston, the amount that the city gets this month does vary a lot from year to year. Between 5 and 17 inches (12 to 43 cm) of fresh snow arrives in half the years. Less new snow lands in one out of four Januaries, while another twenty-five percent are snowier.
Boston typically has at least an inch (2.5 cm) of snow on the ground for 11 days this month. The snow normally accumulates to 10 inches (25 cm) or deeper on two days.
53 % sunshine
9 days clear skies
The sun's rays reach the ground in Boston during 53 percent of daylight hours on average in January, for a total of 155 hours in the month. Typically on 9 days this month the sky is mainly clear, with at most 30 percent cloud cover.
Sunlight in January at Boston lasts for 9 hours and 29 minutes a day on average. The shortest day of the month is the 1st with 9 hours and 9 minutes of daylight. By the end of the month, the days have lengthened to 9:58 from sunrise to sunset. These durations of daylight can vary by a minute or two from year to year.
62 % January average humidity
The relative humidity in Boston during January usually peaks at 67 percent in the morning then drops to 57 percent by early afternoon.
Local Time 1 am 4 am 7 am 10 am 1 pm 4 pm 7 pm 10 pm
Humidity % 65 66 67 62 57 57 61 63
13.6 mph January wind speed average 21.9 kph
January is a little windier than most other months in Boston.
4 days snowfall of 5 inches (13 cm) or more
0 days with thunderstorms in January
Boston has a total of 4 days this month when it snows at least an inch (2.5 cm), more often than any other month.
About once in five years, a January thunderstorm passes over Boston.
These weather data are long-term historical averages provided by the National Climatic Data Center of the United States. The temperature and precipitation numbers are 1981-2010 normals while the humidity and thunderstorm statistics are 1961-1990 normals.
More Climate Information
Boston Weather in December
Boston Weather in February
Boston Temperatures: Averages by Month
Boston Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages
Massachusetts Weather Averages
USA > Massachusetts >
Boston Weather
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Your Case Tracker
» Visit Our Family Law Website
The stereotype of the 'deadbeat dad'
On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Support on Wednesday, October 2, 2019.
In Illinois and across the United States, many people are familiar with the term "deadbeat dad." However, the phrase is not always used correctly. Even though the word appears in regulations representing some states, parents are not automatically "deadbeats" because they cannot make child support payments. Furthermore, the term "deadbeat" does not only apply to dads. Moms can also fall behind in their child support payments.
However, those who cannot meet child support obligations because they lost employment or met with other unexpected financial difficulties are not automatically classified as "deadbeat" moms or dads. A parent who is willing to pay child support without having the necessary financial means may qualify for a child support modification endorsed by the court. The definition of a "deadbeat parent" is a person who doesn't pay child support on a regular basis even though the court previously ordered them to make said payments.
The phrase "deadbeat" applies to parents who do not care enough about their children to support them financially even though they have plenty of money. Any father or mother can refuse to support their child despite their ability to make payments. Consequently, the term "deadbeat" is not strictly about men or women. The court can punish parents who ignore their financial responsibilities by garnishing their wages, preventing them from getting passports, offsetting their income tax refunds or even sending them to jail.
A custodial parent who receives either delinquent payments or no support from their ex-spouse may want to speak with an attorney. Legal counsel could take measures that will compel a noncustodial parent to meet their child support obligations.
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MasterCard faces £19bn legal battle over illegal card charges
By Jaclyn Jaeger2016-07-06T10:15:00+01:00
MasterCard is facing a £19 billion (US$24.5 billion) class-action lawsuit for anticompetitive conduct, making it the biggest claim in U.K. history. The landmark case is notable for another reason, as well: It will be the first case filed under the Consumer Rights Act, enacted in October 2015, which expands consumers’ right of redress for losses caused by anti-competitive behavior by advocating the use of private actions.
As Compliance Week previously reported, the law dials up the litigation risk for global businesses, paving the way for more American-style class-action lawsuits in cases where companies might have violated competition law. It also designates the Competition Appeal Tribunal as the primary court for competition claims in the United Kingdom, rather than the High Court.
Following a long-running legal battle with the European Commission that ended in 2014, MasterCard was found to have infringed EU law by imposing charges known as “interchange” fees, on the use of MasterCard debit and credit cards.
Interchange fees work like this: each time a consumer makes a purchase using a credit, debit or prepaid card, the retailer’s bank pays an interchange fee to the cardholder’s bank that issued the card. The retailer’s bank then charges the retailer a cost to recover, amongst other things, the amount it has paid to the cardholder’s bank. These costs are incorporated by retailers into the prices they charge consumers, which increases the price of their goods and services.
In 2007, the European Commission (EC) issued a decision against MasterCard finding that it had broken competition law through its interchange fees for 15 years between 1992 and 2007. It was ordered to bring an end to the practice within six months. MasterCard reduced the level of its fees in 2008, but then challenged the legality of the EC decision in an unsuccessful, seven-year long set of appeals that ended two years ago.
According to a statement issued by Quinn Emanuel, the law firm representing the consumer class, MasterCard had the option to reach a settlement with the EC to lower its fees. “It chose not to do that and instead imposed unlawfully high card fees for nearly 16 years and engaged in a legal battle for nearly 10 years,” the law firm stated. “MasterCard lost this battle at every level and showed complete disregard for its cardholders and consumers at large, focusing instead on generating unlawful profits.”
Because the EC has already found MasterCard’s fees to be illegal, this follow-on claim need only prove the damage consumers suffered as a result of MasterCard’s anticompetitive behavior, which could reach as much as £19 billion.
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App firms, adtech industry in firing line over possible GDPR violations
The Norwegian Consumer Council, a consumer rights champion, has uncovered a serious no-no in the world of GDPR: popular apps sharing user data, such as religious beliefs and sexual preferences, to advertising and marketing firms in order to drive their own revenue.
Germany hits pesticides wholesalers with large fines
Seven pesticide wholesalers have been fined a total of €155 million (U.S. $173 million) for operating a 17-year price-fixing cartel.
British retailer Dixons fined for pre-GDPR breach
The ICO has fined Dixons Carphone for failing to take “basic, commonplace” security measures that would have alerted it to one of the country’s worst cyber-attacks.
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NTT Partners with Vigilent to Cut Energy Costs
NTT America is set to collectively reduce the energy required to cool its two largest North American data centers by over 7.6 million kWh. NTT has selected Vigilent as its energy management partner after a successful pilot project at the NTT San Jose Data Center.
Michael Potts | Nov 18, 2011
NTT America is set to collectively reduce the energy required to cool its two largest North American data centers by over 7.6 million kWh. The two data centers, located in Sterling, Virginia and San Jose, California will also reduce carbon emissions by over 10 million pounds a year, while saving the company a projected $630,000 annually. NTT has selected Vigilent as its energy management partner after a successful pilot project at the NTT San Jose Data Center.
NTT America said the Vigilent system was chosen based on its operational benefits, which include uptime protection through load balancing of cooling resources, improved thermal stability and a reduction in the number of hot and cold spots throughout the data center. It is able to deliver automated control of complex cooling environments utilizing artificial intelligence technology. The Vigilent system employs a wireless mesh network or sensors which provide real-time feedback from thousands of data points throughout the data center to an artificial intelligence engine. The engine incorporates this data, along with thousands of other variables, to dynamically adjust air cooling.
"We recognize the importance of reducing the amount of energy required to cool the data centers NTT America operates," said Kazuhiro Gomi, president and CEO of NTT America. "Equally important is our enterprise customers’ interest in, and support of, energy efficiency both from the environmental and cost reduction avenues. As a key driver for the future of the data center, NTT America will continue to evaluate, support and deploy technologies that can be environmentally sound and cost effective for our customers."
For more information, see NTT America Employs Vigilent Systems to Cut Energy Costs
Google’s Solar Deal for Nevada Data Center Would Be Largest of Its Kind
Greenpeace Calls Out Alibaba, Tencent in First China "Clean Cloud" Ranking
Shell-Backed Developer Completes Georgia Solar Farm for Facebook
Why Bitcoin Mining Is Being Touted as a Solution to Gas Flaring
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Home > Cities > Miami, FL
9 Ways to Meet Singles in Miami, FL (Dating Guide)
One of my best friends moved to Miami for a consulting gig and soon found herself swallowed up by a trendy, beachy, party culture. From her apartment on Biscayne Boulevard, she could see people running marathons, going on shopping sprees, attending outdoor concerts, and enjoying the sunshine, but she didn’t have anyone to invite her on those adventures and help her get in step with the city.
That is, until she joined a local book club and made friends who shared her interests. Now she goes out all the time with her newfound friends, and she even met her current girlfriend through this bookish clique.
It took my friend several months to gain her footing in such a big city, but now she loves living in the 305 and couldn’t imagine being in a city without 24-hour food delivery and world-class beaches. If you’re looking for your Miami compadres, read on to learn about the top nine ways to meet someone special in South Florida.
Dating Sites | Apps | Bars | Speed Dating | Events | Clubs | Chat Rooms | Personals | Meetup
Miami Dating Sites
The best way to meet singles in Miami also happens to be the best way to meet singles anywhere — join a dating site. Millions of singles browse the web every day in search of a new friend, a hot date, or a long-term relationship. Of course, you’re not going to be successful on just any dating site. We’ve highlighted our five favorite dating sites for South Floridians in the dating scene to help you have a good experience online.
Match.com has been at the top of the dating-site food chain since it launched in 1995. You’ve probably seen its commercials and probably know at least one couple who met on this site. Match.com has been around so long because its values-based matching system works. While other dating companies constantly change branding, features, and message, Match has been steady as a rock and has maintained a solid reputation for building quality relationships.
Miami is home to many industry leaders, not to mention the University of Miami and Florida International University, so it has a healthy population of well-educated white-collar professionals. EliteSingles brings these individuals together in an elite dating atmosphere. This international dating site is proud of its high-quality singles network and intelligent matching system, which facilitates 2,500 matches each month.
Florida definitely has its fair share of retirees looking to while away their golden years in the sun. These singles can often feel overlooked on dating sites and apps, so niche communities like OurTime formed to give senior singles a place they can call their own. OurTime’s simple layout and straightforward tools help singles connect even if they aren’t all that tech-savvy.
When you think of cultural diversity in Miami, you probably think of its abundant Spanish-speaking population, but it actually has a significant Afro-Caribbean population as well. In the 2010 census, 19.2% of Miami’s population claimed to be of African descent. Whether you’re from Haiti or the Bahamas, you can meet Miami singles from similar backgrounds by joining a black dating site like BlackPeopleMeet. This African-American community is one of the largest of its kind.
Miami is a fast-paced city (I’m always white-knuckled driving down those highways), so it’s no wonder that it has so many fast-paced daters eager to skip the small talk and head straight to bed. Singles looking for a no-strings-attached hookup would do well to skip the general dating sites and sign up for a hookup site. Adult Friend Finder promises a raunchy adventure for singles (and couples) willing to explore their desires with people they meet online.
Whether they’re taking public transit or braving the city streets, Miami singles are almost always on the move, so it makes sense that they’d need a dating app to keep up with them. The ability to connect with dates using a smartphone is invaluable to active daters in the Sixth Borough. Because that means they can swipe for matches while working on their suntan! Check out our top-reviewed dating apps for singles on the go in Miami.
Miami Singles Bars
Miami’s downtown scene is known for its salsa clubs, rooftop bars, retro speakeasies, and high-end lounge. It seems like every time I visit my friend, there’s a new club opening or some new trendy drink to try. We’ve gone on Harry-Potter-themed bar crawls, and we’ve stood in a crowd of people hoping to get the attention of an up-and-coming mixologist. Wherever the night leads, it’s always a fun and memorable journey. Here are some of our favorite bars where singles can mix and mingle over good drinks and delicious food.
1513 SW 8th St • Miami, FL 33135 (305) 643-7820 Visit Website
In the heart of Little Havana is an old-fashioned bar with a Cuban flair. The Ball & Chain started out as a night club in the 1930s, and today it's an iconic bar known for its authentic Cuban food and drinks. And salsa dancing! The Ball & Chain often hosts live music that gets everyone moving — even on a weekday. If you really want to spice up your love life, check out its annual music festival in the fall. The Ball & Chain knows how to throw a fiesta that welcomes the young, the old, and everyone in between.
The Anderson
709 NE 79th St • Miami, FL 33138 (305) 757-3368 Visit Website
The Anderson prides itself on being a neighborhood bar in a big city. Since 2016, the retro bar has made a name for itself by serving high-quality cocktails and delicious grub. So far, it has served up over 9,400 drinks and made over 3,000 chicken sandwiches. At the Anderson, it's always Throwback Thursday. Movie posters from 1980s blockbusters line the walls, and old-school hits from the Spice Girls and Duran Duran often play on the speakers. The Thrillist called this bar "as close to the '90s as you're getting without having to give up your cell phone."
788 Brickell Plaza • Miami, FL 33131 (786) 805-4655 Visit Website
Sugar is a pretty sweet place to hang out in Brickell, Miami's financial center. For one thing, it's a rooftop bar on the 40th floor of a hotel. And for another thing, it's got some seriously addictive drinks on its menu. The bar is known for its sugary concoctions, which have been inspired by the owners' Chinese roots. The chic cocktail bar has a tropical theme and is frequently packed with patrons. You can enjoy a panoramic view of Miami while sipping on a handcrafted cocktail in a lush rooftop garden, and what could be better than that?
Sweet Liberty
237 20th St Ste B • Miami Beach, FL (305) 763-8217 Visit Website
The Sweet Liberty Drink and Supply Company (or Sweet Liberty, for short) is a favorite haunt for singles in South Beach. The sophisticated bar serves world-class cocktails and American dishes with a modern twist. Established in 2015, this is one of Miami's newest and hottest bars. It stays open seven days a week (including for Sunday brunch) and serves food from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. every day. Whether you're craving oysters, tater tots, or skirt steak, you are free to put in a late-night order at Sweet Liberty.
1625 Michigan Ave • Miami Beach, FL 33139 (786) 275-6324 Visit Website
The Jezebel Bar & Kitchen is a beautiful and cozy place to chill out with friends or on your own. The open and inviting atmosphere encourages singles to mingle at the bar or on the leather couches. You won't find soda guns at this upscale bar. The servers take pride in the quality of every drink and every bite served here. As the website says, "Each detail of the bar is carefully curated to create an environment where guests can feel comfortable to sip and savor."
2727 Indian Creek Dr • Miami Beach, FL (305) 531-2727 Visit Website
The Broken Shaker opened its doors in 2012, and it has delighted bar hoppers ever since with original cocktails and a poolside patio where people regularly play board games and Jenga. This is a casual spot for singles who don't want to rub elbows in a posh lounge or snooty speakeasy. Patrons can take a load off their minds at the Shaker and relax at this low-key spot. You can make fast friends by ordering a fruity shareable punch and inviting people to help you drink it down.
The Matador Bar
2901 Collins Ave • Miami Beach, FL 33140 (786) 257-4600 Visit Website
The Matador Bar stands out for its bold decor and hard-hitting drinks. Paintings of Spanish matadors cover the walls to pay tribute to the bullfighting spirit this bar embodies. The floor-to-ceiling windows opposite the wall of art gives patrons an unobstructed view of Miami Beach. Everything in this bar is carefully designed to please Miami locals who have a deep appreciation for Spanish culture. Stop by this bar if you're ever in the mood for a good drink with Latin flavor.
Miami Speed Dating
Miami residents often work long hours, and their bumper-to-bumper commutes can be another huge time suck, so it’s no wonder many singles are too exhausted at the end of a long day to search dating sites, dating apps, and bars for a date. These singles need a time-saving solution to the dating scene, and speed dating is that solution. Speed dating offers a casual environment where participants meet dozens of date prospects within one evening. It’s a fun and efficient way to meet new people, and Speed Miami Dating is among the top speed date event organizers in town.
Miami Speed Dating — Speed Miami Dating
Miami Singles Events
Singles events are pretty much big parties where everyone in attendance is unattached and super flirtatious. Sound like fun? Then you should look up the nearest singles event in Miami using Eventbrite. This online events calendar will let you know about any upcoming bashes you can’t miss out on. While some companies host large singles gatherings for holidays — Valentine’s Day plans, anyone? — some also host more intimate soirees in bars and restaurants throughout the city.
Miami Singles Events — Eventbrite
Miami Singles Clubs
Miami is known for its raging nightlife and vacation vibes. There are so many songs about Miami’s party scene from “Move to Miami” by Enrique Iglesias to “I’m in Miami Bitch” by LMFAO. You can bet when these songs play at the club, everyone goes wild. If you’re looking for a date and you love to dance, you should absolutely look for a nightclub with a crowded dance floor. The Thrillist ranked its favorite clubs based on popularity and general awesomeness. One of them has a bowling alley AND a skating rink attached!
Miami Singles Clubs — Thrillist
Miami Chat Rooms
Chat rooms were huge in the early days of the internet, and they remain surprisingly popular today. It’s like the kiddie pool of socializing. You don’t have to go very far outside your comfort zone, and it doesn’t cost very much time, effort, or money to join. You can sign up, have a look around, and see if there’s anyone worth messaging. If not, you can just click exit. Chat rooms provide a low-risk and stress-free environment where singles can practice starting conversations and building relationships on the web.
Miami Personals
Next on our list, we have Miami dating personals. No, that doesn’t mean you have to place an ad with the “Miami Herald.” You can go online to post a profile and seek a partner. Many hassle-free personals websites allow men and women of all ages and orientations to find one another within a few clicks. You don’t have to deal with complicated matching systems or limited communication filters. Personals websites put you in front of date prospects, and let you take it from there.
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Find a Meetup That Sparks Your Interests
Though my friend has made some acquaintances at work, 100% of her closest Miami friends met her because of Meetup. She not only joined the book club; she joined a Spanish-speaking meetup, a lesbian singles meetup, a business networking meetup, and I’d guess at least 12 other groups she didn’t even tell me about. She was determined to make friends in Miami. And it worked.
Meetup is an undeniably popular social tool for anyone who’s new in town and looking for friends. But it’s also a great dating tool for singles who want to meet date prospects. Miami’s Meetups can satisfy any hobby or interest you have.
You can search for Meetup groups by category, distance, or keyword.
Whether you’re into surfing, volunteering, painting, knitting, or kickboxing, there’s a Meetup for that. Join one that speaks to your interest to meet people who share similar values and passions.
You can even target Meetups that cater to local singles if you want to really hone in on the date-worthy folks out there. Singles groups can be very popular and efficient ways to meet people. The Broward Young Single Professionals group, for instance, has over 1,400 members and hosts events every other Friday.
Miami Can Be a Dating Paradise If You Know Where to Look
My friend didn’t start out loving Miami, but she found her place by making an effort to expand her social circle and connect with as many people as possible. Now she’s head over heels in love and surrounded by friends who go bar hopping downtown and plan trips to the Keys together. In just a few years, she has made a home in the Sunshine State.
Should you find yourself with few friends and fewer date prospects in Miami, don’t despair, because the city is full of opportunities to get involved and meet great people. You can make headway in the dating scene by going a little outside your comfort zone and making conversation with folks online and in social settings. Hopefully, our list of ways to meet singles in Miami has given you a few ideas so you can get off to a running start. Buena suerte!
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AS a sign of respect, students of SE college wrote messages of love on the door of the office where Professor Khalid Hameed was stabbed to death.—Photo by writer
Student behind stabbing of Bahawalpur professor may have had help from outsider
Alarming picture emerges of boy who was inspired by Khadim Hussain Rizvi and possibly radicalised through social media.
Atika RehmanUpdated May 27, 2019 03:10pm
A view of the Government Sadiq Egerton College in Bahawalpur — photo by author
There is perhaps only one person whom Khateeb Hussain had informed before he decided to kill his English professor on March 20. On that ill-fated day, the 21-year-old Bachelor of Science student stabbed Professor Khalid Hameed to death in a small office next to the English Department staff room at the Government Sadiq Egerton College, over reservations about a farewell event scheduled to be held the following day. "No one in my family or at the college knew what was going to happen," Hussain told Dawn from the lock-up where he is currently being held.
Read: Student stabs professor to death in Bahawalpur over 'anti-Islam' remarks
An old photo of Professor Hameed and his gold medal in Library Sciences
Bahawalpur police have stumbled upon one individual with whom Hussain shared his sinister plot. The man is Layyah-based lawyer Zafar Hussain Shah Gilani, an active senior Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) leader who was picked up by the district police this week in connection with Professor Hameed's murder. In the course of their investigation, authorities arrested Gilani when Hussain's mobile phone records revealed that the student had constantly been in touch with him through phonecalls and social media. Three mobile phones linked to this case are now being analysed by digital experts at the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA).
Hussain's eagerness to take credit for the murder paints an alarming picture of a boy who was inspired by videos of preacher Khadim Hussain Rizvi and possibly radicalised through social media. Even a few days after being in police custody, Hussain said he had no qualms about taking the law into his hands. "I am not from a maulvi family and I am not a Hafiz-e-Quran either. My father owns a motorcycle showroom in Bahawalpur," he said, eager to take credit for Professor Hameed's murder. He confirmed his friendship with Gilani and hinted that he had shared his desire to kill the professor with him on at least two occasions.
A photo from Gilani's Twitter account shows him with TLP leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi
Although he was unable to give clear reasons for his growing resentment towards the professor other than some vague discussions held in their Literature classes, when Hussain talked about Gilani, his face softened and his voice lowered out of respect. He said they connected over Whatsapp when Hussain joined groups which primarily discussed religious topics. They had never met in person. "We were in touch almost daily. I offered to help him manage his social media accounts so I used to create basic photo shares and pictures for him.I have basic skills." The night before the murder, Hussain via private Facebook messages told his confidante Gilani what he was about to do. Hussain claims he did not see his friend's response, but that authorities who saw his mobile phone have informed him that Gilani gave him the go-ahead.
DSP Shams Khan, who is supervising this investigation, does not name the group Gilani is linked to, but says he is an admin on 15 or so groups on Whatsapp. "On Twitter, Zafar Hussain Gilani has 8 accounts through which he propagates his campaign for a religious group. He is very active. After the murder of the professor, some messages have been deleted from his social media accounts." Khan confirms that Gilani was informed by Hussain about his plans, and that he responded saying that the professor should be punished.
Gilani's Twitter profile photo
Gilani's profile photos on his various Twitter accounts bear the unmistakable TLP branding. In one of the public photos, he is seen meeting with TLP leader Khadim Rizvi. Gilani contested the 2018 election on the party's ticket for NA 187, securing 7,425 votes and coming fifth place. He was arrested a few months ago when he staged a sit-in in Layyah and blocked roads over the Supreme Court's dismissal of a petition against Aasia Bibi's acquittal. He was later released on bail. In December last year, he petitioned the Lahore High Court for the acquittal of Rizvi.
DPO Amir Taimoor Buzdar is reluctant to link any group to the crime. "It is the act of one individual but we are not treating it as a routine murder case as section 7 ATA has been applied. We are hoping for a speedy trial in a special court."
A poster made by students has been put outside the door of the office where Professor Hameed was murdered — Photo by author
Goodbyes and questions
The family and well-wishers of Professor Hameed are devastated by his shocking death. At the college, a row of floral bouquets tagged with names of students who gifted them are kept outside the locked door of the office in which he was brutally stabbed — 13 times, according to the autopsy report. No one can understand what offended Hussain or how someone could hate Professor Hameed so much.
Read: Death of dialogue
Professor Mohammad Yousaf shared that, after the incident, some students reported to the faculty that Hussain had been going into isolation. "He was speaking against 'liberals' and was becoming extremist minded."
According to Professor Hameed's family, he earned a gold medal in his Masters Programme in Library Sciences, which is what helped him get a job as a professor.
"Why are we having to prove ourselves as Muslims?" asks one family member. “We are in unimaginable pain but society's mentality is making it worse. There is a video being shared which is wrongly attributed to him which is hurting us — that video is not of him [Hameed]."
"If he had said something so controversial, wouldn't other students have spoken against him?' said Professor Waseem of the English Dept. "The entire student body has condemned his murder in the strongest terms."
On Tuesday, the male staff room where Professor Hameed used to sit was packed with professors. They talked about their late friend and greeted visiting professors from the university as well as other colleges who had come to offer their condolences. Several felt the need to mention how often Hameed performed Haj and how disciplined he was about prayers.
"He was so soft spoken and wonderful," said his colleague, Professor Asif Dewan. "He was one of those lenient teachers who would find a way to pass a student so his academic life is not derailed. We often shared jokes together over a cup of tea." Dewan says he is perplexed as to why Khateeb targeted Khalid Hameed specifically.
As they sat together, they thought of what could have angered this misguided youth. “If you are discussing Milton’s Paradise Lost, students may have objections [as it includes stories of the rebellion of Satan],” said one English professor. “In our classrooms, we don't discuss religion or sexuality — even though these themes very much exist in literature.”
Another chimed in: “In Doctor Faustus, he sells his soul to the devil; now, someone can feel offended by this notion but then they should raise an objection. This boy never brought anything to the attention of anyone at school.”
Assistant professor Rashid added, “All I can say is that we are in utter pain. Today, I tried my best to speak and deliver my lecture but I couldn't utter a single word. I had to say sorry to my students and leave the class.”
The mysterious circular
A day prior to the murder, an anonymous letter was posted on various bulletin boards across campus. Addressed to the DCO, the letter undersigned by “SE college students” objects to the scheduled farewell event on account of “being immodest” but does not mention any teacher or student. Khateeb denies being behind the letter.
DPO Taimoor says there was resentment within the faculty about the event as well. “The principal was aware of the resentment. There was an issue in the staff room which we are investigating. We have written to the vice principal to conduct a high profile inquiry.” He adds: “If the college was aware that this hostile environment exists, then what was their action?”
In response to criticism, Principal Haji Wali Mohammad said, “People who put the pamphlets never tell anyone when they are doing it. I was aware of the pamphlet - but it had no name and the event had been postponed in its aftermath.”
“Now you tell me, there are 6,000 students here — how can the principal know what is going on in someone's mind without any complaint?”
College names dept after slain professor
Bahawalpur student stabs professor to death over 'anti-Islam' remarks
Extremist minds on campus
Gordon D. Walker
The student has been radicalized... What nonsense is this? The guy is a murderer and will pay the price! Gordon D. Walker Canada
Both Rizvi and Gilani should be charged with aiding and abetting Hussein in this horrific crime.
Exemplary investigation. Neighbour to shun hate and note how it's done.
Syed Irfan ali
Murderer and those behind him should be given exemplary punishments.. They deserve no mercy at all.
Great investigation. This student needs to suffer the consequences of his actions and be charged with murder. Also the TLP is a venomous illiterate group of miscreants that needs to be hunted down. This Gilani individual should be arrested as an accomplished and and made an example of. TLP needs to be hunted down and destroyed as it is clearly a terrorist groupie.
Maaz
Very Sad and agonizing.
baakhlaq
Principal must be transferred for fair and impartial inquiry.
WASEEM ASHRAF
@Dawn, Yes , very true both should be punished and if possible TLP leader should also be punished for indirect involvement in murder.
This murder is just a mild symptom of a deep rooted disease called intolerance.
Sad. A young man went astray. Ruined by people who wrongly interpreted a noble religion and a society helplessly watching the proceedings. Very sad
Nazir Ahmed
Mar 27, 2019 12:51pm
Very well and boldly written articles. A handful of ill minded persons are kept free to kidnap the whole country.
@Gordon D. Walker, I agree he is a murderer but the motive for his actions is the radicalization of his by a concern political party. Never the less there are no leniency for murder and that this person will be dealt in accordance to the laws pertaining to murder.
A loss of human life, loss of a father, husband, a son and nation loses a good citizen. But for what?
Sher Yar Afzal
I think Islam puts tolerance at the top of all good deeds the perpetrator could have told the law enforcement agencies or suppose if he had any actionable evidences he should have taken legal action rather than taking law in hands ;we are sorry for this unrecoverable loss ;(
Can you tackle root-cause? The intolerant of society, The taboo of questioning. Prohibition of Rational Thinking? If not there will be more
Li-N-Ja
The Student is just a puppet. Who will punish the real culprits? When this radicalization of young minds will stop?
@Gordon D. Walker, But those who influenced him to this murder should also be held accountable.
wellwisher
all colleges should be taken over by Army officers.
They are most dangerous enemy of our religion than any other. Very sad moment, when we will be civilized.
K K. Mandokhel
And the grandchildren of the leaders of ‘Islamisation’ of Muslims of Pakistan study in posh Universities abroad!
Teachers are the one who build the foundations of a nation and generation to come. I wish Pakistan and Pakistani realize it and do all needful changes to help the nation mindset, not only student but the one who gave them wrong teaching should become an examples and lesson that no one dare to do that every again. #teachersarenationbuilder
AZAM AKBAR
@Dawn, Mr. Dawn, One thing more extremism got strength during the era of General Zia Ul Haque. And Pakistan is still suffering.
ALI TUNIO
This student should be punished for what he has done
Abdel Rahman
@Gordon D. Walker, fully agree. It does not matter who influenced him. His hand slew the professor. He must receive the full and exemplary punishment .
Jamshed
All radical outfits should be dismantled permanently. This is for the good of future generations.
The student chose to take a weapon and murder the professor. HIS choice. He could have chosen to seek help, not go to uni. But he did. His fault alone. However we do need to look at these mullahs and whether they incite violence or murder. If they do then that is not protected by free speech. Taking a human life is blasphemy of the highest degree.
Why can't we prosecute the real perpetrators who are radicalizing lost souls
M. Siddique
This extremists network headed by Khadim Hussain Rizvi should be eliminated and quickly. This cancer must be eradicated or Pakistan will be in self destruction mode.
Altaf Noor Ali
Make our campuses safe for all. Investigate this incidence further to learn and apply the lessons to prevent such gory happenings at campuses. I feel very sorry for the family of the Professor and for all of us.
suchbaath
All social media needs to be in watch for any subtle messages to create hatred and should be removed, and make Technology companies owners responsible like EU decided today.
Every adult is fully responsible for his own actions. Influencing is not a crime but abetting is!
No ifs and buts. Gilani and TLP and the perpetrator should be punished to the full extent of the law. We are talking about Naya Pakistan and we need speedy justice here.
Azfar Siddiqi
All students should be medically examined before given admission in colleges and Universities, if they are mentally fit then allow them for admission
You can't fight ideology with punishment. A counter ideology must be pushed within the radicalized section.
@Azfar Siddiqi, What if they develop mental problems During or After their enrolementt? Nothing indicates this man has mental problems. He clearly believes that's how you oppose dissenting views. He doesn't understand that you cannot kill people you disagree with. Many people in our country don't understand that...
Gordon D. Walker Mar 27, 2019 07:53am
Dawn Mar 27, 2019 08:27am
Fastrack Mar 27, 2019 08:38am
Syed Irfan ali Mar 27, 2019 10:04am
Omar Mar 27, 2019 10:08am
Maaz Mar 27, 2019 10:20am
baakhlaq Mar 27, 2019 10:27am
WASEEM ASHRAF Mar 27, 2019 10:43am
Ahmed Mar 27, 2019 11:27am
Vasudevan Mar 27, 2019 11:58am
Nazir Ahmed Mar 27, 2019 12:51pm
AAM Mar 27, 2019 12:59pm
Yadav Mar 27, 2019 01:14pm
Sher Yar Afzal Mar 27, 2019 01:32pm
kp Mar 27, 2019 01:56pm
Li-N-Ja Mar 27, 2019 02:01pm
saeed Mar 27, 2019 02:06pm
wellwisher Mar 27, 2019 02:06pm
Moon Mar 27, 2019 02:48pm
K K. Mandokhel Mar 27, 2019 03:09pm
Rehan Mar 27, 2019 03:15pm
AZAM AKBAR Mar 27, 2019 04:05pm
ALI TUNIO Mar 27, 2019 04:19pm
Abdel Rahman Mar 27, 2019 04:44pm
Jamshed Mar 27, 2019 05:04pm
Laila Mar 27, 2019 05:24pm
Kashif Mar 27, 2019 07:49pm
M. Siddique Mar 27, 2019 08:08pm
Altaf Noor Ali Mar 27, 2019 10:18pm
suchbaath Mar 27, 2019 11:13pm
tuk Mar 28, 2019 12:14am
Nadir Mar 28, 2019 07:00am
Azfar Siddiqi Mar 28, 2019 09:00am
Rakesh Mar 28, 2019 01:38pm
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Posts Tagged ‘Compliance’
Distributor Personal Websites
Powerful Marketing Tool or Compliance Nightmare? Personal websites are one of the most effective online marketing tools independent direct sellers use today. These websites, which are separate from company-provided replicated sites, allow direct sellers to build a personal brand and utilize their marketing and communications strengths to attract people to their business. Written content, as…
Mannatech: Sound Science Yields Value & Growth
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Posts Tagged ‘#Stand4Her’
Avon Foundation for Women Donates $100,000 to Malala Fund
Avon Products, Inc. announced that the Avon Foundation for Women is donating $100,000 to Malala Fund, a charity that champions every girl’s right to 12 years of free, safe, quality education. The donation will be channeled directly to advance education for girls in Brazil, Avon’s largest market. Breaking down the barriers holding women and girls back, to create a better…
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Avon Product Inc. has been awarded its first Cannes Lions award for the “You’re Not Alone” campaign from the Avon Institute in Brazil. The campaign features domestic objects like pots and pans and cushions speaking out for the women experiencing violence to reinforce how invisible the problem can be when the only witnesses can’t tell…
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Avon Products Inc. Launches stand4her
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Avon Products Inc. recently launched stand4her, a global plan to tackle some of the greatest barriers holding women back from achieving their full potential. As part of the business strategy to “Open Up Avon,” stand4her aims to improve the lives of 100 million women a year by standing for: the freedom to work on…
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hussein chalayan at design week turkey: interview with the fashion designer
hussein chalayan (5 articles)
hussein chalayan is an internationally renowned fashion designer and artist whose collections are known for innovative design, bold use of technology and elegant minimalism.
hussein chalayan x puma: a/w 2011+ s/s 2012
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hussein chalayan at the design museum
hussein chalayan: 'level tunnel' installation
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international designers have gathered in istanbul for the debut of design week turkey at lütfi kırdar convention and exhibition center -- as part of the 10th istanbul design week event.
trophy lamps by patrick rampelotto at design week turkey
at design week turkey‘s conference in istanbul, the prominent fashion designer hussein chalayan has presented his work to an international creative audience. on this occasion, designboom sat with the british/cypriot designer to talk about his approach to fashion and technology. technology isn’t normally the first thing you think about when it comes to fashion, but chalayan has long experimented with the relationship between his garments and the role technology can play. in his collections dresses embedded with 15,000 LEDs (to recreate a pixelated screen), blow-up garments, looks that changed shape thanks to microchips and animatronics, appeared.
hussein chalayan celebrates 21 years in the fashion business with the opening of his first retail store in september 2015. for designboom hussein chalayan reflects on his most memorable moments.
portrait © designboom
designboom: throughout your career, you developed a unique futuristic vision that put you at the forefront of the fashion world. where would you say that originates from?
hussein chalayan: my greatest passion has always been the body and its language, so I began working with this concept in my mind and trying to understand the human organism and its movement — which is a key factor in my creations.
I am considered as one of the fashion world’s outsider, as I am delightedly experiment with art, design, film, commerce and everything in between. as an immigrant I embrace dualities in my life and my work – I am an immigrant within various disciplines (laughs).
DB: you continually push the boundaries of what is wearable with groundbreaking materials and an innovative mix of technologies, your collections contain moving airplane parts and tyvek garments, robot dresses loaded with swarovski crystals,… in what was one of the most spellbinding moments of SS16 at paris fashion week, you closed your show with two models standing under a shower, their clothes completely dissolving?
HC: it was a spectacle that bordered on performance art, but was actually a scientific experiment. in front of a live audience, these water soluble white garments disintegrated to reveal two different designs, decorated with thick black stitching and white appliqué petals embellished with swarovski crystals.
DB: will we ever see a redefinition of haute couture to incorporate technology?
HC: it goes beyond ‘wearable tech’, it starts with how fabrics are made, they could be interactive or change characteristics depending on the situation. as the technology advances, especially around soft computing awe will be able to deliver fabric like capabilities, the industries will work more together, and we will see much more adoption in the near future. to create a fabric like this (points at screen) takes hours, and this makes up a big part of my work. I believe fashion and technology are at the heart of modern culture.
‘gravity fatigue’ show
image by hugo glendinning
DB: in your first theatrical work, ‘gravity fatigue’, you combine the visual creativity of your designs and concepts with contemporary dance to bring to life a transformational imaginary world.
HC: yes, one of my most recent ‘catwalks’ actually have been created in collaboration with the belgian choreographer damien jalet. it is a dance performance, entitled ‘gravity fatigue’ shown in 2015 at sadler’s wells theatre in london.
dancers appear on the stage wearing plain-coloured garments, before unbuttoning them to reveal their second skin sequinned cloths. the production takes its inspiration from themes of ‘identity’ and ‘displacement’ and the ‘disconnection’ we experience in public spaces at moments of ‘transition’.
DB: your audiences have witnessed garments that transform before their eyes, and you’ve created fashion that integrates furniture, can you elaborate why, for example a coffee table transformed into a wooden skirt at your AW00 show?
HC: I entitled it ‘displacement’, maybe the idea reconnects to my own biography. in times of war my mother kept mainly old photographs and food. I looked into the project of how you could carry your possessions with you ‘quickly’…
DB: you spend a lot of time in fittings, as a compositional designer, industry-renowned for your masterful pattern cutting and draping, you are far more than just a showman.
HC: well, in order to create really ‘inspired’ clothes, I create stories. in my stories I am interested in transformation and technology mainly, and I like creating what I call ‘bionic dresses’.
for the finale of ‘one hundred and eleven’ in 2007, I created 6 dresses that moved mechanically to actually mark ‘change’ symbolically. this ‘showmanship’ is underpinned by skilled craftsmanship and an ability to translate narrative.
DB: what influences you outside of fashion?
HC: I think it’s partly to do with my own innate curiosity and partly to do with the fact that I’m from a multiple cultural background. I’m interested in behavior, in how different people think depending on where they are from. creating a dialogue with people that are different to you. a multitude of cultures are coexisting, and that definitely opens my mind…
and I’ve directed films before and I’ve made exhibitions and installations for me it felt very natural to be working within these realms.
DB: body language is important for you?
HC: everything around us is an amplification of the body. I think it’s magical how it can renew itself when you cut yourself, or give birth, and then you recover or heal.
DB: being in the spotlight for so long has caused people to start labeling you in a certain way. is this categorization important for you, professionally?
HC: no not really. for me, the ideas are the most important part — they are what define my work. fashion for example is a wearable idea. so on one side I can design something for a museum collection, and on the other I can create a piece to be sold in stores. these two facets were always connected for me, I never set them apart. I find it to be a natural process. but yes, people do want to categorize me: is he a designer or an artist? if you mix both — your value will be questioned. people don’t really understand this concept. but in the end, it is the idea that is important — not the person and whether they are a designer or not. I’ve been in this field for 21 years and design is the only reason I am able to go on ‘sustainably’. the artistic side is more like a support, it influences my designer’s side.
table skirt for the fall/winter 2000 collection of hussein chalayan
image courtesy of hussein chalayan
DB: and how does your approach manifest itself during the creation of a fashion collection?
HC: for my fashion lines, I always try to create different collections with various ideas. in this field, there are pre-collections and main ones. for the pre- collections, continuity is essential: your clients are used to a certain style and look. so you can re-create a previous collection with the same cut but different colors. however at the shows, creativity is crucial; it offers a momentum for your clients to come back to you. in the first ten years, I didn’t do pre-collections because I was so focused on creating new things. for example, the table skirt was highly influential for editors — thanks to digital technology which affected the world of fashion. we used to wait six months to get the pictures of the show and now, before we even leave paris, the pictures are already seen by everyone. what I’m trying to say is that, back then, editors could easily define you as an ‘avant-gardiste’ but now the digital world made everything accessible — so the viewers get to decide for themselves and this completely changes our business. we’ve been living with this change for over 10-15 years.
DB: speaking of the digital world, your last collection was in collaboration with INTEL — a multinational technological corporation.
could you explain to us what was the concept behind this fashion show?
HC: basically, there is a chip that intel created and wants to market right now — it channels all data. and personally, I have always been drawn to interactive design. for this show, my goal was to bring mind and image together, so I told myself I wanted the visuals to be modified by brain power — hence the concept of wearable technology. during the runway, the pixels in the background are changing according to the model’s pulse — so if she is stressed, the pixels get bigger. this collection took me six months to complete and this duality was actually a coincidence, their product met with my dreams. it usually happens to me this way. from this project we’ve identified the sensors that are commercially ready and were able to integrate them into other product lines. INTEL’s commitment to innovation, and level of perfection has made this project one of the most valuable and exciting collaborations for me in recent years.
DB: you mentioned earlier that you collaborated with a turkish pop singer, is music also a passion of yours?
HC: if I weren’t a fashion designer, I would definitely work in music. what I want to create in my work has to have the same effects as music has on people. if you look at my work and have the same impression as music offers you, then that’s a success for me.
screening of the wearable technology collection
DB: … and at this stage of your career, what do you consider to be essential for a successful outcome?
HC: right now, the most important thing for me is to get to know my clients, their needs, their likes etc… it is a great feedback mechanism. in other words, we’re sales-oriented and not looking for applause. this has been my approach for over 15 years. also, there’s also the importance of technicality and precision — especially in fashion.
model with INTEL connected accessories on the runway at paris fashion week
image credit INTEL, courtesy of hussein chalayan
DB: so what would you say is the philosophy that best describes you as a creative?
HC: basically at the end we are creating a product that has to be used, something wearable. whatever the idea may be, if it is not practical it has to be thrown away. when I started working, I never pursued fame. I had ideas, I wanted to realize them. I do get the applause, yes, but I do not find it fulfilling. sometimes the hype of fame and expectations are tiring. in other words, I am doing this as an homage to design and art, and not for personal gain.
DB: knowing that your passion got you this far, how does it feel being awarded a number of times as one of the greatest designers ?
HC: of course, awards give you credit and make you more confident — it’s humbling to know that your work has had such a big impact on the world and I am very grateful for that. but it was never my goal to pursue them. my first important award was the designer of the year in the UK, which I got two times in a row. this was very important because you don’t have to be british to earn one, you can protect your own identity. then came the 2006 venice biennale which was also a big deal (he represented turkey at the 51st venice biennale in 2005). I was also named one of the 20 most influential people, but it all really happened on its own…
hussein chalayan presented at design week turkey in istanbul
image © designboom
is an internationally renowned fashion designer and artist whose collections are known for innovative design, bold use of technology and elegant minimalism. he was born in nicosia, cyprus and was graduated from london’s central saint martins school of art and design in 1993. the following year he started his own label. chalayan was named british designer of the year in 1999 and 2000 and has designed costumes for sidi larbi cherkaoui’s faun, michael clark’s current/SEE and sasha waltz & guests’ passion with pascal dusapin. in 1998 chalayan was appointed as creative director of TSE NY with his inaugural sportswear collection for the brand. shortly after the designer was appointed as creative director of jewellery brand asprey. in 2008, he was appointed as creative director of puma AG, having sold a majority share-holding in his label to the sportswear company. in 2010 the designer bought back puma’s stake in his label, remaining as creative director of the brand, and reintroducing his namesake brand simply as ‘chalayan’. in 2016 chalayan debuted his inaugural collection for french house vionnet. in his practice as a visual artist his work is regularly shown in major galleries including the V&A museum in london, le musée des arts décoratifs at the louvre, the london design museum, the metropolitan museum of art and MoMA in NY and the national museum of modern art in tokyo.
istanbul design week returned for its tenth edition with a new theme entitled ‘connections’. istanbul is a huge metropolis that connects europe and asia, the black sea with the sea of marmara, and different cultures. with its first edition, design week turkey asserts itself as meeting-point where designers and industries can connect.from october 18th to 23rd 2016, more than 60 international designers, design studios, brands and institutions came together right in the city centre — taksim square. the programme also hosted exhibitions featuring the latest work of promising turkish designers, graffiti artist’s themed installations in taksim square, as well as off-site events and kiosks where visitors could explore the city’s creative scene. this year was also a first for local design, as turkish ministry of economy and turkish exporters assembly (TIM) inaugurates design week turkey. taking place in the lütfi kırdar ICEC, the first edition of the event brought together the industry and designers, featuring the fifth design turkey awards recognizing excellence in turkish product design in 13 categories, along with a full programme of design talks and exhibitions from around the world.
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Federal tax credits could bring senior living to Beaverdale if current plan for property falls through
The property is currently under contract to Jeff Young, who is converting Franklin Junior High School across the street into a quirky entertainment district
Federal tax credits could bring senior living to Beaverdale if current plan for property falls through The property is currently under contract to Jeff Young, who is converting Franklin Junior High School across the street into a quirky entertainment district Check out this story on desmoinesregister.com: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2019/10/18/vacant-beaverdale-hospital-site-gets-federal-tax-credits/4026166002/
Tyler Jett, Des Moines Register Published 8:45 p.m. CT Oct. 18, 2019
A prominent Des Moines real estate development company has received tax credits to bring a senior-living center to Beaverdale — but only if another project falls through.
The Iowa Economic Development Authority on Friday awarded Hubbell Realty $750,000 in federal tax credits to turn the vacant Northwest Community Hospital into 60 age-restricted condos. The proposed development would cost $12.4 million.
But Hubbell already is under contract to sell the property to developer Jeff Young, who plans to turn the building into a mixed-use site. Young said the $525,000 purchase is scheduled to close within three weeks.
The benefit to Hubbell was one of 19 awards the authority handed out Friday under the federal Redevelopment Tax Credit Program. The program gives tax break to developments in two types of locations: places with real or perceived environmental contamination, and properties with outdated buildings.
The old hospital falls into the latter category. But if Hubbell sells the property to Young, it will not get the tax credit. Young, owner of We Can Build It, said he thinks Hubbell applied for the benefit as a back-up because the authority only hands out the tax credits once a year.
"They're just making sure they've got more than one egg in their basket," he said.
Hubbell spokeswoman Claire Brehmer confirmed that the property is under contract to Young. She provided few details about the alternative plan for the site.
"We'd rather not comment given we are working with an interested party," she said.
Photos: Franklin Junior High in store for an $8 million renovation
Jeff Young, owner of the Franklin Jr. High building in Des Moines stands for a photo in front of the building Monday, May 6, 2019. Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register
Jeff Young, owner of the Franklin Jr. High building in Des Moines stands for a photo at the building Monday, May 6, 2019. Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register
Jeff Young, owner of Franklin Jr. High in Des Moines plans to convert the former science lab into a bar in the second floor hotel area planned for the building. Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register
A 4200 seat auditorium in the Franklin Jr. High building in Des Moines Monday, May 6, 2019. Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register
The Franklin Jr. High building in Des Moines Monday, May 6, 2019. Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register
Young is already working to transform the abandoned Franklin Junior High School across the street from the hospital. After buying the 213,000-square-foot building for $2 million last year, he unveiled his plans to turn it into a quirky entertainment district.
He said he will convert the old classrooms into hotel rooms, keeping the blackboards and wall-mounted pencil sharpeners in place. He wants to turn the cafeteria into a restroom, the science classroom into a bar and the auditorium into a concert venue.
If the purchase of Northwest Community Hospital goes through, Young said, he will turn the first floor of the 55,000-square-foot building into retail space, erect a second floor and sell condos. The property also has 160 parking spaces, which Young said he wants to make available to any visitors to the converted junior high.
"We would like to be able to not be a burden to the neighborhood and have vehicles parking on the street for bigger events," he said.
The federal government gives Iowa $10 million to distribute to projects through the Redevelopment Tax Credit Program. Authority spokeswoman Jacque Matsen said benefits that any company does not use will go back into the state's pot. The Authority can then award them to another project.
If Hubbell does not accept the tax credits, it will be the second award to fall through. The Authority also planned to give an $800,000 credit to Banjo Apartments, which was going to pour $33 million into a vacated city block in Cedar Rapids. But last week, the investor behind the project announced he was not going through with the project.
Among other companies that received tax credits under the program Friday:
5th and Court LC got an $800,000 credit to build a five-story building in downtown Des Moines, which will house an Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
Neighborhood Development Corp. received a $400,000 credit to convert an old automotive service station into retail space in Des Moines.
101 3rd LLC got a $1 million credit to turn three flood-damaged buildings in Cedar Rapids into a grocery store, a 120-unit apartment complex and a parking garage.
LAMB Arts LTD got a $800,000 tax credit to redevelop the Sioux City Auditorium.
Forest and Fish Development got a $750,000 credit to build 29 condos in Cedar Rapids.
Tyler Jett covers jobs and the economy for the Register. Contact him at 515-284-8215 and tjett@registermedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LetsJett.
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Your guide: Follow the coverage and photos from the Democratic debate
Piglets rescued after truck turns over on I-35
More snow, freezing rain expected Friday
Firetrucker Brewery announces death of founder, brewmaster
Man requests 'trial by combat' to settle dispute
Police identify two men killed in Des Moines shooting
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Embassy of Ireland, Germany
Irish Friday Club January 2020
Jonny Tiernan
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of LOLA Magazine
Our networking breakfast on Friday 10 January 2020, saw guest speaker Jonny Tiernan, a journalist from Belfast, Northern Ireland speak of his life and times to date in his adopted city of Berlin.
The publisher and Editor-in-Chief of LOLA Magazine, an English-language cultural magazine about the people and stories that make Berlin unique, Jonny spoke of how he is targetting LOLA to promote the best of Berlin’s diverse culture, through focusing its articles on music, art and human interest stories. LOLA places a special emphasis on stories with a strong social value.
With seven print issues of LOLA magazine printed to date, each issue features a prominent Berlin figure as the cover star, such as artists like Nils Frahm, Peaches and Moderat. Jonny spoke of how, alongside these bigger names, LOLA runs stories on lesser-known heroes from the city, for example Herbert Schmidt, the Frisbee Jesus of Görlitzer Park or Robot Bennett, the 70-year-old techno DJ on a mission. Jonny even opened up and told the audience about his two dogs, one of which is an adorable rescue-dog named "Bean" who is toothless and on medication-for-life but who is genuinely adorable.
Jonny spoke of his love for Berlin, his work here and vision for the future of LOLA magazine. It was a really great morning, full of informative insights and fun facts delivered in a very cheerful and friendly manner.
We thank you Jonny for making it a great start to our day.
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Roseanne Lynch- Forgetting’s Trace
“The Future of Europe: Re-Balancing Ecology, Economics and Ethics”- Lecture by Michael D. Higgins
Roseanne Lynch
Irish Friday Club January 2020 - editor-in-chief of Lola magazine, Jonny Tiernan spoke of his experiences establishing a company in Berlin as well as his very colourful life here.
Jahresempfang des Club der Agrardiplomaten 2019
Agricultural counsellors club
Embassy Berlin participated in the annual agricultural counsellors' club in Berlin
Der irische Finanzminister Paschal Donohoe auf Deutschlandbesuch
Minister Donohoe visits Germany
Ireland's Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure & Reform, Minister Paschal Donohoe T.D. visit to Germany, November 2019
Media of State Visit by President Michael D. Higgins and Sabina Higgins
Opinion piece by President Michael D. Higgins
Opinion piece by President Michael D. Higgins On the occasion of the State Visit to the Federal Republic of Germany As published by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 3 July 2019
“The Future of Europe: Re-Balancing Ecology, Economics and Ethics” - Lecture by Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland University of Leipzig, Thursday 4th July 2019
Last Rose of Summer - Lunch Concert Festival
David Hedderman exhibition opening
Press briefing ahead of State Visit
Press briefing by Ambassador Collins
President Higgins to pay State Visit to Germany
President Michael D. Higgins to pay State Visit to Germany
German-Irish Council video message
Video message from Ambassador Collins on the recent formation of the German-Irish Council
Colloquium 90th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Germany and Ireland
Colloquium- 90th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Germany and Ireland
Irish Parent Café
Irish Parent Café meeting at the Embassy of Ireland in Berlin
David, Edward & Joanna O'Kane art exhibtion
The Embassy of Ireland in Berlin will be proud to host the artistic O'Kane family of Edward & Joanna, alongside their son David, who will exhibit their artworks on the subject of Flann O'Brien, at the embassy from 07 May.
Chancellor Merkel to visit Dublin
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced that he will meet with Chancellor Merkel next week in Dublin to discuss a range of issues, including the unique challenges facing Ireland in the light of Brexit.
Join the Embassy of Ireland & Silicon Allee on 5 April for our Irish Friday Club Start-Up Breakfast
Join the Embassy of Ireland & Silicon Allee on 5 April for our Irish Friday Club Start-Up Breakfast and meet Dublin & Berlin based Advisable.com who raised €1 million in funding.
+49-(0)30-22 07 20
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History Vignettes
Notes on Culture
The Dharma Dispatch
www.dharmadispatch.in
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Portraits and Facets of Rootlessness that is the Indian Education System
Team Dharma Dispatch
If the performance of key ministries in the Narendra Modi government is evaluated beginning with the worst, the Human Resources Development ministry tops the charts. If it is some consolation, one must laud HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar for coming out in the open and admitting that “not a single history chapter has been rewritten in four years.” Actually rewriting, rather, cleansing our history books of industrial-scale Leftist distortions is a minor reform compared to the overall breakdown of education in India at all levels. In this respect, it appears that the mammoth mandate of 2014 has been squandered with elan by the HRD Ministry. The urgent need for comprehensive decolonisation of India which was paid lip service after independence remains as urgent as ever. The consequence meanwhile, has been that larger and larger sections of the Indian population are becoming colonised to the extent that they wear it as a badge of honour.
Here is a random selection of warnings issued for at least a century on the long-term cultural damage inflicted by such mental colonisation. Emphases added.
More English than Hindu
Educated in the same way, interested in the same objects, engaged in the same pursuits with ourselves, they become more English than Hindu… The young men brought up in our seminaries, turn with contempt from the barbarous despotisms under which their ancestors groaned… Instead of regarding us with dislike, they court our society, … the summit of their ambition is, to resemble us.
Charles Trevelyan wrote this in 1838, nearly 200 years ago. And as this piece shows, globalised Hindus know more about American politics and laws than they do the lives of their own grandparents. Their idea of India’s economic development is a hazy and unattainable dream of having perfectly manicured lawns and tree-lined avenues of suburban America. Back then, middle and the wealthy class Hindus fiercely competed to become a Brown Sahib. Today, the competition is to become, if not a US citizen, at least a clone who got unlucky enough to stay back in India.
Avoiding Intellectual Leadership
What directly flows from this deep mental and psychological colonisation is a shattered and demoralised Hindu spirit which simply avoids intellectual leadership because it is scared of the responsibility and the real possibility of facing harsh criticism that accompanies it. Needless, this is the direct result of an education system that actually trains them to develop such a servile attitude.
This is not education, it is spiritual emasculation. The conduct of [our intellectual elite] avoiding leadership, but desperately eager to serve in the family court of Smt Sonia Gandhi, is testimony to this…The people who want to serve as servile courtiers of this foreign woman are products of India’s elite institutions! Just go to 10 Janpath where Smt Sonai Gandhi holds court, and you will see a glut of convent school and Doon School products. Many of them boast degrees from St Stephen’s College and other holdovers from the colonial era, but not one of them seems to have the courage or the character to assume leadership. Their highest aspiration is to serve this foreign woman with barely a high school education! … When we look at… the civil service, the English language media and higher education are the monopoly of this urban, upper class educated at convents and similar elite institutions. They are in fact a colonial elite. They form the core of support for Smt Sonia Gandhi…they want to not lead but serve.
That is Dr. N S Rajaram writing about distortions in our history textbooks. What is surprising is the fact that the subject of criticising Sonia Gandhi still remains taboo in our public discourse–this after her party was shredded to just 44 Lok Sabha seats in the 2014 elections.
The Downfall of India as Indian History
The histories of our country written by English [and other Western] writers cannot but be weakening to our minds, for they talk only of our downfall. How can foreigners, who understand very little of our manners and customs, or religion and philosophy, write faithful and unbiased histories of India? Naturally, many false notions and wrong inferences have found their way into them.
Nevertheless they have shown us how to proceed making researches into our ancient history. Now it is for us to strike out an independent path of historical research for ourselves, to study the Vedas and the Puranas, and the ancient annals of India, and from them make it your life’s sadhana to write accurate and soul-inspiring history of the land. It is for Indians to write Indian history.
That was none other than Swami Vivekananda in a rousing speech given to a group of students in the mid-late 1890s. His inspiration was indeed taken up by legions of extraordinary minds like R C Majumdar, Jadunath Sarkar, K M Munshi and others who wrote such accurate histories. But it appears that India has been permanently struck by an interminable curse of sorts. The same Bengal that produced Swami Vivekananda also became the vanguard of wholesale lies and vandalism of our history as documented by Arun Shourie in his classic, Eminent Historians.
Bashing Hinduism Establishes Academic Credentials
It [the Rigveda] is the root of their religion [Hinduism] and to show them what the root is, I feel sure, is the only way of uprooting all that has sprung from it during the last three thousand years. [Max Mueller in an 1866 letter to his wife]
The ancient religion of India is doomed. And if Christianity does not take its place, whose fault will it be?” [Duke of Argyle, then acting Secretary of State for India]
The Anglo-Saxon race is the first race in the world…the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race…the native is to be treated as a child and denied the franchise. We must adopt a system of despotism, such as works in India [Cecil Rhodes]
These quotes date back to more than a century. And today, they have unfortunately, prophetically turned true to say the least.
On the subject of the arch-Hindu hater Max Mueller, we see how the 31 August 2018 headline of an India Today report gloats that “4500-year-old DNA from Rakhigarhi reveals evidence that will unsettle Hindutva nationalists.” The latest continuation of the said Max Mueller Project. In the same period under consideration, hundreds of academic careers have flourished premised upon Veda and Hinduism-bashing. It is indeed a travesty of sorts that even well-meaning Hindus even today think that Max Mueller did great service to Hinduism by translating the Vedas. It is also quite ironical that the Max Mueller Bhavans that dot the Indian landscape have acquired almost a halo of reverence. The Duke of Argyle’s statement is simply the political and imperial echo of Max Mueller’s academic bigotry.
Perhaps few people in the history of mankind exemplify naked racism as the single personality named Cecil Rhodes. In many ways, Rhodes is also the father of the infamous De Beers diamond brand, the indirect cause of numerous genocides. In this bloody but highly profitable criminal endeavour, Cecil Rhodes was funded by the far more notorious N M Rothschild & Sons Limited.
It was the same Cecil Rhodes who in 1902, established the Rhodes Scholarship. Here is a partial list of Indians who secured the Rhodes Scholarship:
Montek Singh Ahluwalia: Former Deputy Chairman of the now-defunct Planning Commission
Mahesh Rangarajan: Academic at Ashoka University
Prabhat Patnaik: Marxist Professor, JNU
Sagarika Ghose: Former TV News Anchor and alleged journalist
Girish Karnad: Actor and Communist Playwright
Sanjeev Sanyal: Principal Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance
The irony is cruel. Indians obtaining scholarship set up by an unapologetic and brazen racist who made his fortunes literally by spilling rivers of blood and openly advocating the despotism of colonised people. Of India, among other countries. This is not to find fault with these scholars but the horribly twisted attitude that our education system inculcates within ourselves.
The question remains: would Indians accept an Ala-ud-din Khalji or Babar or Aurangzeb Scholarship established in say, Pakistan? If not, why not? And why do Indians continue to avidly seek the Rhodes Scholarship?
Decolonise India. There’s still time.
The Dharma Dispatch is now available on Telegram! For original and insightful narratives on Indian Culture and History, subscribe to us on Telegram.
Indian Education SystemSwami VivekanandaMacualaySonia GandhiCecil RhodesDe BeersDecolonisationEnglish EducationMax MuellerPrakash JavadekarRewriting History TextbooksRhodes Scholarship
About The Dharma Dispatch
© Copyright 2019 - The Dharma Dispatch
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CARROLLTON EXEMPTED VILLAGE SCHOOLS EXPERIENCES SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Leigh Ann McCray, Carrollton Schools
leighann.mccray@carrolltonschools.org
– Ohio School District Jumped from 507th to Third in State Rankings –
Silver Spring, Md. (Dec. 19, 2011) – Supported by the use of Discovery Education Assessment, Carrollton Exempted Village Schools in Ohio dramatically improved student achievement from 2010 to 2011. Based on findings from Ohio Achievement Assessment (OAA), the district jumped to third in the state for academic performance, up from 507th, and outpaced the state average by nearly 10 percent in math and reading proficiency scores.
Discovery Education Assessment provided Carrollton educators with the tools needed to inform instruction and drive student achievement with a combination of interim and formative assessments. Discovery Education Assessment is an assessment tool which accurately forecasts performance on OAA based on students’ continued learning throughout the year helping teachers identify those students most in need and targets specific instructional areas for remediation or advancement. The periodic interim assessments are reinforced with formative evaluation tools to support effective instruction and monitor student progress. More recently, Carrollton has expanded use of Discovery Education within the district to include, Discovery Education streaming, a digital content service with a library of over 150,000 digital assets.
Students at Carrollton schools completed the Discovery Education Assessment interim benchmarks throughout the school year. Each benchmark was customized to measure skills tested by the OAA. The results of the benchmarks measure academic growth, predict proficiency in reading and math and analyze student performance by highlighting their aptitude and content mastery.
“Discovery Education Assessment is one of the most effective practices we implemented last year, and the results undoubtedly show how our students benefited,” said Leigh Ann McCray, assistant superintendent at the Carrollton district. “The improvement of our OAA scores is a true testament to the hard work and dedication of Carrollton educators and students.”
To further showcase the district’s remarkable success, Discovery Education Assessment conducted a study examining Carrollton Exempted Village Schools 2010 and 2011 OAA reading and math proficiency scores for grades three through eight. Math scores for students improved by 11.3 percent, a significantly higher gain than the 2.5 percent increase reported statewide. For reading, students increased scores by an average of 3.9 percent, while the rest of the state increased reading scores by 1.3 percent.
“By accurately measuring and forecasting students’ academic performance, educators are able to tailor their instruction to meet the specific needs of their students,” said Hardin Daniel, vice president, Discovery Education. “We appreciate the partnership supporting Carrollton educators and congratulate their success.”
About Carrollton Schools
Carrollton School District has approximately 2,500 students in grades K-12, with one high school (Carrollton High School), one middle school (Bell-Herron Middle School) , and three K-5 elementary buildings, with our largest (Carrollton Elementary) housing 650 students in a 100 year old school building (Augusta Elementary 185 students k-5, and Dellroy Elementary 180 students K-5).
Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) revolutionized television with Discovery Channel and is now transforming classrooms through Discovery Education. Powered by the number one nonfiction media company in the world, Discovery Education combines scientifically proven, standards-based digital media and a dynamic user community in order to empower teachers to improve student achievement. Already, more than half of all U.S. schools access Discovery Education digital services. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
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DRIVE AWAY PRICE
BASIC SPEC
10 Oct 2014 Andrew Maclean
3.6litre
1 reading now
We drive Craig Lowndes' Commodores
Craig Lowndes hands us the keys to his signature Commodore - and his Red Bull Racing V8 Supercar.
(1) Reading now
There's a thick, grey blanket of cloud hanging low in the sky and a wind cold enough to freeze a penguin is keeping the temperature in single figures.
It's bitterly cold but there's a hive of activity in the paddock area behind Sandown Raceway's pit lane as an army of worker bees in hi-viz uniforms dismantle a village of temporary structures.
There's a buzz in a few of the garages too, as a league of sponsor-clad personnel from Red Bull Racing Australia prepare to give those who pay their wages – and others who have paid for the privilege – the ride of their life in a ridgy-didge V8 Supercar alongside either five-time champion Jamie Whincup, Bathurst legend Craig Lowndes or his co-driver, Steven Richards.
Two days ago, it was a different story altogether. The paddock was lined end-to-end with transporters and marquees, the garages were nests of stress and strategy and the circuit was bathed in glorious spring sunshine for the Sandown 500, the first of three endurance races in the V8 Supercar championship and the warm-up to this weekend's Bathurst 1000.
Craig's Commodore: Red Bull racer meets Lowndes Edition road car. Photo: Cristian Brunelli
At the end of its 161 laps, Lowndes joined his Red Bull crew in yet another shower of champagne from race winner Whincup (and co-driver Paul Dumbrell) after the veterans narrowly missed out on joining the podium antics with a hard-fought fourth place.
Today though, in spite of the chill and his result, the 40-year old arrives back at the circuit with his unflappable cheer and wearing his trademark ear-to-ear grin.
Among a collective of racing robots full of self-importance, there is something special about Lowndes that has made him the unequivocal fans' favourite.
Few drivers have managed to journey across the crevasse that divides Ford and Holden supporters and survive. Even fewer have ever successfully made it back again.
Lowndes has. And so did Peter Brock, the King of the Mountain who mentored the early part of his career when he was known as "The Kid".
There is an uncanny familiarity about the path both drivers have walked to achieve their places among legends of Australian touring car racing.
There is also now an uncanny familiarity about their involvement with Holden away from the racetrack as clearly the Aussie car maker thinks Lowndes is a little bit special too and, in celebration of his 20-year career in V8 Supercars, it has created a limited run of Craig Lowndes signature edition Commodores based on the range-topping, high-performance SS-V Redline.
It is the first time Holden has done anything similar since the demise of Brock's Holden Dealer Team division in the late 1980s, and it is the reason why I'm here today ... to find out whether Lowndes feels even more like his idol, and to be among the first in the country to drive his car.
It's the first question I ask moments after joining him in the heavily bolstered, leather-clad front seats as he gives the starter button a quick one-finger punch to fire the 6.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 into life.
"I'm hugely proud, and honoured," Lowndes says.
"I grew up idolising him [Brock] and I'm lucky to have been a part of a team with him. I still admire those cars that he created with HDT back in the day, so for me to do the same in the next generation is really quite special."
Holden will build 230-odd Craig Lowndes Edition Commodores, each costing $57,990 plus on-road costs (or $60,190 for the six-speed auto) and only available in either Heron White or the Red Hot of our test car.
All of them will be hand-finished by a group of specialists within its South Australian factory, where some of the unique visual highlights will be fitted, including the three-panel black bonnet graphic that links to the black roof panel, bootlid spoiler and rear diffuser.
While there are no power upgrades for the V8 (which produces 260kW/513Nm in automatic form or 270kW/530Nm when fitted with the six-speed manual), the Lowndes Edition does come with top-shelf Brembo brakes and unique 20-inch alloy wheels that are staggered with wider rear tyres for extra traction and overall grip.
Most – if not all of them – have already been snapped up by enthusiast owners who secured their place on the grid before the car was even officially revealed, and each of them will also receive a host of exclusive experiences including two VIP tickets to their nearest V8 Supercar event and a personal meet-and-greet event as well as a signed certificate of authenticity for their car.
After Lowndes and I return to Sandown, he throws me the keys to his eponymous beast when he is called back to work behind the wheel of his other Commodore.
Not surprisingly, as I head out on the road, there's very little that defines the everyday driving experience beyond the regular SS-V.
The big V8 delivers its generous slab of torque effortlessly and does so producing a deep – albeit slightly muted – exhaust note befit of a classic muscle car.
The steering is well weighted and there's no degradation in the level comfort despite it wearing lower-profile 20-inch tyres.
The upgrades, however, come to the fore at the other end of the driving spectrum when, after a couple of hot laps at the (thankfully warmer) end of the day, it becomes clearer there's a marginal increase in grip from the larger rubber – at both ends of the car – as it turns in sharper, holds its line longer and feels more stable under heavy acceleration.
The extra stopping power from the bigger Brembos is also appreciated at the end of each of Sandown's long straights, particularly after I see 205km/h flash on the head-up display while approaching the crest before the quick, downhill esses into the Dandenong Rd corner.
The most obvious difference is how you help it get up to that speed – and back – as the Lowndes Edition arrives in-line with a minor product upgrade across the entire Commodore range (see breakout) and our automatic test car featured the new-for-2015 paddle shifters on the steering wheel, which respond quickly to inputs and are much more intuitive to use than the manual-shift mode on the gear lever.
For the small group of owners there is no doubt they will relish the rarity of the Lowndes Commodore and revel in the fact it is the closest they can get to a road-legal V8 Supercar.
But it is nothing like the real thing as I am about the relish the rarity of driving not one, but get the opportunity of slipping behind the wheel of two Commodores that bear Lowndes' name – hopping straight out of the bullish, red road car into the seat of the Red Bull racer he is belting around Mount Panorama this weekend.
In reality there are very few direct links between the two, save for the general look of the body panels that are draped over a purpose-built race car skeleton and the generic rear-drive, V8-powered configuration.
That much becomes obvious as I contort myself through the roll cage and drop into the tight-fitting bucket seat that sits low enough to have your legs stretched almost straight into the pedal box and is positioned behind the B-pillar and more towards the centre line of the car for optimum weight distribution and better protection for the driver in an accident.
After I am secured tightly in the six-point racing harness, I look up and familiarise myself with the sparsity of the cockpit and the foreign nature of its controls such as the gear lever for the rear-mounted sequential transmission that is mounted high and close enough to the steering wheel for quick shifts, and the digital dash that is about the size of a cigarette packet and sits behind the small-diameter, suede-covered steering wheel.
Like the Lowndes Edition, the Red Bull racer has a starter button to fire its 5.0-litre V8 into action, but it is housed on a small box of buttons beside the adjustable roll bars in the centre console and can only be activated after a jet-fighter-type switch is flicked to arm the car's electrical system.
After all the preflight preparation is done, I press the button and the engine cranks into life, initially whirring away on its starter motor before erupting into a cacophony of unbridled horsepower. I then press the bottom-hinged clutch to the floor, pull back on the gear lever to engage first gear (which it does instantly and with a positive thunk) and gently balance my feet on the pedals, applying just enough pressure on the lightlysprung throttle to build up revs while releasing an equal amount on the clutch pedal to find the bite point and get moving – hoping not to embarrass myself and stall it in the pit lane
Thankfully I don't as surprisingly, for such a highly-tuned race engine with a small flywheel and multi-plate race clutch on the back of it, there is a decent amount of feel through the pedal.
Things suddenly get a little more animated as I exit the pit lane, give it a bit of gas and the stone-cold rear tyres are overcome by 470kW of power being sent through the transaxle gearbox and they instantly erupt into wheelspin.
I quickly lift off a little, grab second gear well before the full line of shift lights burst into a rainbow of colour, and do the same with third and fourth gear down the front straight before braking early and coasting through the opening sequence of corners.
As the tyres build up heat, so does my confidence and, on the next lap, I start stomping the throttle all the way to the floor out of the corners and unleashing the brutal force of the engine, revving it all the way to its 7500rpm redline in each gear.
Unlike the road car, it doesn't have a heads-up display or a speedo so I can't compare the top speeds, but needless to say it feels a hell of a lot faster as the crest of the hill on the back straight arrives a lot quicker in the V8 Supercar.
It also does everything else better, carving through the corners with immense grip, riding the bumps with an amazing degree of composure and providing an almost telepathic level of feedback through the steering wheel - as well as the seat of my pants – to alert me to what each corner of the car is doing.
But it doesn't do anything radically different; carry too much speed through the corners and the front end will push wide, stomp too hard on the gas pedal and the rear tyres will spin up, brake too late and you'll end up in the kitty litter. Simple, really ... except it doesn't have the road car's electronic safety net to save me if I do push it too far. Even just a little bit.
I manage to save myself from any slip-ups – and a big repair bill – and, after completing four laps, the crawl through the pit lane seems completely pedestrian and highlights that V8 Supercars aren't built for going slow, as the engine chugs and splutters at low revs, the throttle pedal is ultra-sensitive to small inputs, the brakes feel wooden with anything less than 120kg of pressure on them and there's not enough steering lock to manoeuvre it around the pit lane.
As I scramble out on a wave of adrenaline, one thing becomes certain; although there is nothing that physically links Lowndes' road and racegoing Commodores, they have something in common more than just his name on the side – the ability to put a smile on your dial. A big one, just like his.
2015 Holden Commodore SS-V Craig Lowndes Edition
Price: $57,990 (plus on-road costs)
Onsale: October 2015
Engine: 6.0-litre V8 petrol
Power: 270kW at 5600rpm
Torque: 533Nm at 4400rpm
Transmission: 6-spd manual or automatic, RWD
Consumption: 11.3L/100km
Performance: 5.5 seconds (0-100km/h), 250km/h (top speed)
2015 Red Bull Racing Holden Commodore V8 Supercar
Price: $450,000 (estimated)
On-sale: POA
Torque: N/A
Transmission: 6-spd sequential manual, RWD
Consumption: N/A
The Craig Lowndes Edition is the big news among a number of revisions introduced across the entire Commodore range this month.
On the strength of the popularity for V8-powered models, the standard SS-V receives the most enhancements with the adoption of the steering wheel paddle shifters on automatic models, a new black interior trim with titanium highlights and new-look split-rim 19-inch alloy wheels.
All Commodore models now feature a gloss-black rear valance while the electric power steering has also been retuned to improve its on-centre feel and the reverse camera has been updated with curved target lines for guidance during parking.
Holden has also replaced the temporary tyre sealant and air compressor kit that was standard in SV6 and Calais models with a full-sized alloy spare wheel.
GET CLICKING
Watch a video review and interview with Craig Lowndes at drive.com.au/video
Interested in buying Holden Commodore? Visit our Holden showroom for more information.
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2019 Holden Commodore LT
$35,990 SPECIAL OFFER Save $1,698
REPAYMENTS FROM
$117 p/w
5 Door Liftback, 5 Seat, 2.0 Litre, P/ULP, Sports Automatic.
Holden Commodore Summary See other Holden Commodore models
5 seater Sedan
Petrol - Unleaded ULP
9/100km
3.6L, 6 cylinder Aspirated
Power: 210 Kw@6700rpm Torque: 350 Nm@2800rpm
Drive Ratings
2015 Holden Commodore SV6
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Jim G.M
Harvey S.
Perhaps, but that letter he wrote when Lydia ran away seemed pretty mean-spirited.
Assuredly, but he was only as J.A made him. I confess I do wonder what her own father, a real-life Mr Collins (in profession if not in nature) would have made of Lydia's actions? Society itself was only too happy to blacken her character before the wedding. Not just Mr Collins, but anyone in the church would take a very dim view of it.
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Build a British voter
Profiles of a divided country
Hostility to the prime minister’s Brexit deal is one thing that unites Britain
Feb 22nd 2019
EVER SINCE Britain voted 52% to 48% in 2016 to sever ties with the EU, the country has been split between “Leavers” and “Remainers”. Nearly three years after that referendum Theresa May, the embattled prime minister, has negotiated what she considers to be the “best possible deal” for Britain. Her hope was that the plan would unite the country. It has done, but not in the way she would have wished. Not only was it comprehensively thrown out by MPs at Westminster in January, it appears to have united the public in opposition, too.
YouGov, a pollster, asked 90,000 British adults late last year what they thought about Brexit. As our print article this week explains, The Economist built a demographic model using these data to calculate an individual’s probable attitude to each of three possible Brexit options: no deal, Mrs May’s deal or remaining in the EU.
Unsurprisingly, the younger, wealthier and more educated an individual is, the more likely he or she is to want to remain in the EU. Disentangling the preferences of Leavers is harder. We found that male political junkies are most likely to support “no deal”; women who are indifferent to day-to-day political machinations are more supportive of Mrs May’s agreement.
In the graphic above we have produced a sample of 2,500 individual profiles, which together represent approximately one quarter of the British electorate. The likelihood that an individual who fits each profile will support one of the three Brexit options is displayed in the triangular scatter plot. Mrs May’s deal is clearly the least popular of all three options. Click the dropdown boxes to see how different variables affect the probability that British voters will hold a particular view on Brexit, and to see what our model says about you.
Sources: YouGov; The Economist
More from Graphic detail
Smoking-gun evidence emerges for racial bias in American courts
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Alphabet joins the $1trn club
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14 Gulls Earn CCC Football All-Conference Honors; McGonagle, Goodman Claim Major Awards
ENDICOTT TO HOST NEW ENGLAND BOWL GAME THIS SATURDAY | CCC FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE RELEASE
BEVERLY, Mass. – Fifteen members of the Endicott football program have received Commonwealth Coast Football (CCC Football) postseason honors, as announced by the league earlier today.
First-year head coach Paul McGonagle and junior right tackle Kha-lil Goodman (Bellmore, N.Y.) headlined the group as the duo received CCC Football Coach of the Year and CCC Football Offensive Lineman of the Year honors, respectively.
The Gulls also saw Kyle Brennan (New Fairfield, Conn.), Christian Cole (Goshen, N.Y.), Nick DiCairano (Trumbull, Conn.), Hakim Fleming (Bridgeport, Conn.), Isaiah Gibbs (Teaneck, N.J.), Goodman, Sam Opont (Bridgeport, Conn.), William Rivera (Orangeburg, N.Y.), and Riley Shanley (Simsbury, Conn.) all claim CCC Football All-Conference First Team accolades.
Meanwhile, Allen Gibson (Seymour, Conn.), Matt Hughes (Hanover, Mass.), Joe Kalosky (Plymouth, Conn.), Shea McManaway (Lisbon, Conn.) and Connor Schinderman (Chappaqua, N.Y.) all garnered CCC Football All-Conference Second Team honors for the Blue and Green.
Endicott's nine all-conference first team honorees and its 14 total all-conference award winners (student-athletes only) are the most in each category since 2013.
PAUL MCGONAGLE - CCC FOOTBALL COACH OF THE YEAR
In his first year at the helm of the program, McGonagle has led Endicott to its first winning season since 2013 (8-3) via a 7-3 overall record and 5-1 mark in conference play. The Gulls' seven wins this season ranks tied for fourth all-time in program history, while their six-game winning streak that spanned from September 22 to November 3 marks the longest winning streak for the program since 2013 (7 wins, 9/27/13 – 11/16/13).
McGonagle has accomplished all of this despite seeing his Gulls face the No. 18 ranked (tied) toughest schedule in all of NCAA Division III football this year, according to D3football.com.
KHA-LIL GOODMAN - CCC FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR | ALL-CONF. FIRST TEAM
Goodman is the first student-athlete in program history to claim CCC Football Offensive Lineman of the Year honors.
His play at right tackle this year guided Endicott to the highest total passing yards (2,396) and passing yards per game (239.6) figures in conference regular season play and the second-most points per game (36.9), rushing yards (2,042), total offense (4,438) and yards per game (443.8) totals in the league (as of 11/13/18).
Meanwhile, as a unit, the Gulls' offensive line currently ranks first in the conference and eighth overall (tied) among all NCAA Division III programs in fewest sacks allowed (seven total).
CCC FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
KYLE BRENNAN | SO. | TACKLE | NEW FAIRFIELD, CONN.
Brennan played a key role in helping Endicott's offense currently rank first in the conference in total passing yards, passing yards per game and fewest sacks allowed (eighth nationally), and second in points per game, rushing yards, total offense and yards per game.
CHRISTIAN COLE | SR. | WIDE RECEIVER | GOSHEN, N.Y.
In six games played this season, Cole leads all Endicott receivers in catches (36, tied), catches per game (6.0), yards (620), yards per game (103.3), and average yards per catch (17.2). He also ranks second on the squad in touchdowns (8). Among the conference, Cole ranks fifth in receptions, fourth in yards, and third in TDs. In conference-only games, Cole is second in receptions, first in yards and yards per game, third in yards per catch, and second in touchdowns.
NICK DICAIRANO | JR. | KICKER | TRUMBULL, CONN.
DiCairano paces the conference in nearly every category this season. The junior currently ranks first in field goals made (12), field goals attempted (13), field goal percentage (92%, min. 5 attempts), longest field goal (45 yards), and points (79). His 79 points also ranks second overall in the conference among all student-athletes.
DiCairano also is second in the league in PATs made (43) and PATs attempted (45) and third in PAT% (96%).
Nationally, DiCairano is third overall in field goal percentage and eighth in field goals made per game (186 ranked), and No. 54 in scoring (148 ranked).
HAKIM FLEMING | JR. | FULL BACK | BRIDGEPORT, CONN.
Fleming compiled 389 yards and four touchdowns on 70 rushes for the Gulls in seven games played. Fleming also averaged 55.6 yards per game and 5.6 yards per rush. His four rushing touchdowns ranks ninth in the conference, while his yards and rush attempt totals rank No. 10 and No. 13, respectively.
Along with his rushing numbers, Fleming also played a key role for the Gulls in the backfield as a run/pass blocker.
ISAIAH GIBBS | JR. | GUARD | TEANECK, N.J.
Gibbs has been instrumental to Endicott's success offensively this season, which includes the following rankings: first in the conference in total passing yards, passing yards per game and fewest sacks allowed (eighth nationally), and second in points per game, rushing yards, total offense and yards per game.
SAM OPONT | SO. | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | BRIDGEPORT, CONN.
In eight games played this season, Opont has registered 42.0 tackles (14 solo, 28 assisted, 5.3 tackles per game) and three sacks. He currently ranks eighth in the conference in sacks and No. 24 in tackles per game. His 28 assisted tackles are also positioned 12th in the conference.
WILLIAM RIVERA | SR. | LINEBACKER | ORANGEBURG, N.Y.
Rivera shined all season long on defense for the Gulls as the senior linebacker accumulated 101.0 tackles (57 solo, 44 assisted, 10.1 tackles per game), two sacks and a fumble recovery in 10 games. Rivera's total tackles currently rank No. 37 in the country, while his 57 solo tackles are positioned No. 40 overall. In the conference, Rivera ranks first in assisted tackles and total tackles, and second in solo tackles and tackles per game.
Along with those merits, Rivera also ranks second all-time in program history in total tackles (328), unassisted tackles (177), and assisted tackles (151).
RILEY SHANLEY | SO. | TIGHT END/H-BACK | SIMSBURY, CONN.
Shanley notched 25 receptions, 384 yards (42.7 per game/15.4 per catch) and five touchdowns in nine games played. His 25 catches rank No. 15 in the conference, while his yards, yards per game, and touchdowns rank No. 11, No. 10, and No. 8, respectively.
CCC FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
ALLEN GIBSON | SR. | DEFENSIVE BACK | SEYMOUR, CONN.
Gibson, who played multiple positions defensively for the Gulls this season, registered 40.0 tackles (18 solo, 22 assisted, 4.0 per game), one interception, one fumble recovery, and scored two touchdowns (kick return | fumble recovery) in 10 games played.
Gibson also ranks third in the conference in kick return yards (414) and average (23.0) and second in kick return touchdowns (1). His 94-yard kickoff return TD this season is the longest play in Endicott program history and the longest kickoff or punt return in the conference this season.
MATT HUGHES | SO. | GUARD | HANOVER, MASS.
Hughes played a key role in helping Endicott's offense currently rank first in the conference in total passing yards, passing yards per game and fewest sacks allowed (eighth nationally), and second in points per game, rushing yards, total offense and yards per game.
JOE KALOSKY | JR. | QUARTERBACK | PLYMOUTH, CONN.
Headed into this Saturday's New England Bowl Game versus Merchant Marine, Kalosky is 142-for-251 passing (56.6%) to go along with 1,876 yards passing (243.5 per game/7.5 per attempt) and 22 touchdowns. Kalosky also has compiled 361 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 39 attempts (9.3 average).
Among conference quarterbacks, Kalosky ranks third in completions, attempts, and completion percentage, second in yards, first in yards per game, sixth in yards per attempt, first in touchdowns, and first in pass efficiency (141.9).
Nationally, Kalosky is No. 55 in completions per game (17.75), No. 58 in pass efficiency, No. 41 in pass TDs, No. 86 in passing yards, No. 49 in passing yards per game, No. 66 in passing yards per completion (13.21), No. 57 in points responsible for (146), No. 34 in points responsible for game (18.3), and No. 30 in total offense (279.6).
SHEA MCMANAWAY | FR. | WIDE RECEIVER | LISBON, CONN.
In nine games played this season, McManaway has hauled in 36 catches for 477 yards (53.0 per game/13.3 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns. McManaway ranks first in the conference and No. 51 nationally in receiving TDs, and fifth in the league in receptions, fourth in yards per game, and third in yards per catch.
CONNOR SCHINDERMAN | SR. | DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | CHAPPAQUA, N.Y.
Schinderman has amassed 42.0 tackles (24 solo, 18 assisted, 4.2 per game), three sacks, one fumble recovery, and a fumble recovery touchdown in 10 games played this season. His three sacks this season also rank eighth overall in the conference, while his 42.0 tackles are tied with Opont for eighth on the team.
Endicott (7-3, 5-1 CCC Football) hosts U.S. Merchant Marine Academy on Saturday, November 17 in the third annual New England Bowl Series at 12 PM.
May 29, 2019 Six Gulls Named 2019 Football Captains
May 6, 2019 Endicott Football 2019 Clinic Registration Now Open
January 17, 2019 Endicott Places 68 Student-Athletes On Fall Academic All-Conference Team And 25 Student-Athletes Earn CCC Football Academic All-Conference Honors
December 15, 2018 Nick DiCairano Claims D3football.com All-America Accolades
December 13, 2018 Nick DiCairano Earns Associated Press (AP) Division III All-America Football Honors
December 6, 2018 Nick DiCairano, Kha-lil Goodman Claim D3football.com All-Region Honors
November 21, 2018 Paul McGonagle Named Gridiron Club Of Greater Boston NCAA Division II/III Coach Of The Year
November 20, 2018 DiCairano, Goodman, & Rivera Earn NEFW College Division All-New England Team Honors
November 17, 2018 Merchant Marine Tops Endicott In New England Bowl, 38-22
November 15, 2018 GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Endicott Hosts Merchant Marine This Saturday In New England Bowl (12 PM)
November 13, 2018 14 Gulls Earn CCC Football All-Conference Honors; McGonagle, Goodman Claim Major Awards
November 12, 2018 Endicott Selected To Play In Third Annual New England Bowl Series
November 12, 2018 Endicott Ranked Tenth In Final Grinold Chapter New England Division III Football Poll
November 10, 2018 Salve Regina Defeats Endicott In Shootout On Senior Day, 47-34
November 9, 2018 #ThisIsEndicott – Chris Lipscomb ’17, M’18
November 8, 2018 GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Endicott Hosts Salve Regina This Saturday On Senior Day (1 PM)
November 6, 2018 Riley Shanley Named To D3football.com Team Of The Week
November 5, 2018 Endicott Moves Up To No. 5 On Latest Grinold Chapter New England Division III Football Poll
November 4, 2018 Riley Shanley, Allen Gibson Collect CCC Football Weekly Awards
November 3, 2018 Endicott Finishes Off Western New England, 41-38
November 2, 2018 GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Conference Unbeatens, Endicott & Western New England Clash On Saturday (12 PM)
October 29, 2018 Endicott Ranked Eighth In Latest Grinold Chapter New England Division III Football Poll
October 22, 2018 Endicott Positioned Seventh In Grinold Chapter New England Division III Football Poll
October 20, 2018 Endicott Remains Unbeaten In Conference Play With 45-13 Win Over Becker
October 18, 2018 GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Endicott Takes On Becker This Saturday (12 PM)
October 15, 2018 Endicott Moves Up To Sixth In Grinold Chapter New England Division III Football Poll
October 14, 2018 McManaway, DiCairano Pick Up CCC Football Weekly Awards
October 13, 2018 Football Thumps UNE, 66-38
October 11, 2018 GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Endicott Visits UNE On Saturday (2 PM)
October 8, 2018 Endicott Ranked Ninth In Grinold Chapter New England Division III Football Poll
October 6, 2018 Endicott Gashes Nichols, 45-14
October 4, 2018 GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Endicott Takes On Nichols This Saturday (12 PM)
September 30, 2018 McManaway, Rivera, DiCairano Earn CCC Football Weekly Awards
September 29, 2018 Endicott Outduels Curry, 52-22
September 27, 2018 GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Endicott Travels To Curry On Saturday For CCC Football Opener (1 PM)
September 25, 2018 Nick DiCairano Named To D3football.com Team Of The Week
September 24, 2018 Kenney, Balian, DiCairano Collect CCC Football Weekly Awards
September 22, 2018 Endicott Turns Away Hobart Behind Stalwart Defense, 27-24
September 21, 2018 GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Endicott Hosts Hobart On Homecoming Weekend (12 PM)
September 15, 2018 MIT Edges Endicott In Barn-Burner, 31-29
September 13, 2018 GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Endicott Clashes With MIT On Saturday (12 PM)
September 9, 2018 Nick DiCairano Named CCC Football Special Teams Player Of The Week
September 7, 2018 Timely Offense, Stalwart Defense Leads Endicott Past Bridgewater State, 17-3
September 5, 2018 GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Endicott Hosts Bridgewater State On Friday Night
September 1, 2018 Framingham State Tops Endicott In Season Opener, 34-13
August 30, 2018 GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Endicott Squares Off Against Framingham State This Saturday
August 29, 2018 Endicott Football Picked Third In CCC Football Poll
August 16, 2018 Paul McGonagle Announces 2018 Endicott Football Roster
August 13, 2018 Erik Bell Joins Endicott Football Program Through Team IMPACT
July 26, 2018 Paul McGonagle Finalizes 2018 Endicott Football Coaching Staff
May 30, 2018 Pizzotti, Rivera, Schinderman, & Toland Named 2018 Football Captains
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