ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: The quality of images produced by whole slide imaging (WSI) scanners has a direct influence on the readers' performance and reliability of the clinical diagnosis. Therefore, WSI scanners should produce not only high quality but also consistent quality images. AIM: We aim to evaluate reproducibility of WSI scanners based on the quality of images produced over time and among multiple scanners. The evaluation is independent of content or context of test specimen. METHODS: The ultimate judge of image quality is a pathologist, however, subjective evaluations are heavily influenced by the complexity of a case and subtle variations introduced by a scanner can be easily overlooked. Therefore, we employed a quantitative image quality assessment method based on clinically relevant parameters, such as sharpness and brightness, acquired in a survey of pathologists. The acceptable level of quality per parameter was determined in a subjective study. The evaluation of scanner reproducibility was conducted with Philips Ultra-Fast Scanners. A set of 36 HercepTest™ slides were used in three sub-studies addressing variations due to systems and time, producing 8640 test images for evaluation. RESULTS: The results showed that the majority of images in all the sub-studies are within the acceptable quality level; however, some scanners produce higher quality images more often than others. The results are independent of case types, and they match our perception of quality. CONCLUSION: The quantitative image quality assessment method was successfully applied in the HercepTest™ slides to evaluate WSI scanner reproducibility. The proposed method is generic and applicable to any other types of slide stains and scanners.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to determine whether the defense style of hospitalized depressed adults improved over the course of treatment. Thirty-one inpatients (24 women and 7 men) with an admitting diagnosis of major depression completed the 40-item Defense Style Questionnaire and the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale. Participants completed the Defense Style Questionnaire and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale within 48 hours after admission and within 24 hours before or after discharge. The average admission and discharge Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale ratings (+/-SD) were 41.93+/-9.93 and 26.45+/-12.19, respectively. The average hospital length of stay was 7.1+/-2.8 days. Two-tailed t-test comparisons of the Defense Style Questionnaire admission and discharge ratings showed significantly higher discharge mature ratings, significantly lower discharge immature ratings, and stable neurotic ratings. We concluded that for some depressed women and men, improvement in defense style can occur within days after the initiation of standard inpatient treatment.
Subject(s)
Defense Mechanisms , Depressive Disorder/therapy , Hospitalization , Personality Inventory/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use , Combined Modality Therapy , Counseling , Depressive Disorder/diagnosis , Depressive Disorder/psychology , Female , Humans , Length of Stay , Male , Milieu Therapy , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Thirty-six patients with pathology in the area of the craniocervical junction and the cervical spine have been studied with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), using the Inversion Recovery and Spin-Echo technique. The value of MRI for diagnosis and management is compared, in retrospect, to X-ray Computer Tomography and Myelography. The conclusion is that MRI can replace CT and myelography in the clinical evaluation of many patients with pathology of the craniocervical junction and the cervical spine.
