A Special Collection: Drones to Improve Insect Pest Management.

The Special Collection Drones to Improve Insect Pest Management presents research and development of unmanned (or uncrewed) aircraft system (UAS, or drone) technology to improve insect pest management. The articles bridge from more foundational studies (i.e., evaluating and refining abilities of drones to detect pest concerns or deliver pest management materials) to application-oriented case studies (i.e., evaluating opportunities and challenges of drone use in pest management systems). The collection is composed of a combination of articles presenting information first-time published, and a selection of articles previously published in Journal of Economic Entomology (JEE). Articles in the Collection, as well as selected citations of articles in other publications, reflect the increase in entomology research using drones that has been stimulated by advancement in drone structural and software engineering such as autonomous flight guidance; in- and post-flight data storage and processing; and companion advances in spatial data management and analyses including machine learning and data visualization. The Collection is also intended to stimulate discussion on the role of JEE as a publication venue for future articles on drones as well as other cybernectic-physical systems, big data analyses, and deep learning processes. While these technologies have their genesis in fields arguably afar from the discipline of entomology, we propose that interdisciplinary collaboration is the pathway for applications research and technology transfer leading to an acceleration of research and development of these technologies to improve pest management.

Spectral Imaging Technology-Based Evaluation of Radiation Treatment Planning to Remove Contrast Agent Artifacts.

OBJECTIVE: This study employs dual-source computed tomography single-spectrum imaging to evaluate the effects of contrast agent artifact removal and the computational accuracy of radiotherapy treatment planning improvement. METHOD: The phantom, including the contrast agent, was used in all experiments. The amounts of iodine in the contrast agent were 30, 15, 7.5, and 0.75 g/100 mL. Two images with different energy values were scanned and captured using dual-source computed tomography (80 and 140 kV). To obtain a fused image, 2 groups of images were processed using single-energy spectrum imaging technology. The Pinnacle planning system was used to measure the computed tomography values of the contrast agent and the surrounding phantom tissue. The difference between radiotherapy treatment planning based on 80 kV, 140 kV, and energy spectrum image was analyzed. RESULTS: For the image with high iodine concentration, the quality of the energy spectrum-fused image was the highest, followed by that of the 140-kV image. That of the 80-kV image was the worst. The difference in the radiotherapy treatment results among the 3 models was significant. When the concentration of iodine was 30 g/100 mL and the distance from the contrast agent at the dose measurement point was 1 cm, the deviation values (P) were 5.95% and 2.20% when image treatment planning was based on 80 and 140 kV, respectively. When the concentration of iodine was 15 g/100 mL, deviation values (P) were -2.64% and -1.69%. CONCLUSION: Dual-source computed tomography single-energy spectral imaging technology can remove contrast agent artifacts to improve the calculated dose accuracy in radiotherapy treatment planning.

Spectral imaging technique diagnosis the metastatic lymph nodes in thyroid carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma metastatic lymph nodes and lymphoma / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To explore the value of spectral imaging technique in dual-energy CT in differential diagnosis of the metastatic lymph nodes in thyroid carcinoma,squamous cell carcinoma metastatic lymph nodes and lymphoma in the neck.Methods In 30 patients with pathologically confirmed with a total of 79 cervical lymph nodes enlargement which were using dual energy scan .Then observed the change trend of the spectrum curve and comparison the three kinds of lymph node energy spectrum curve’s slope.Results In the 79 lymph nodes,the metastatic lymph nodes in thyroid carcinoma were twenty-three,squamous cell carcinoma metastatic lymph nodes were twenty-four and lymphoma were thirty-two.From 60 to 180 keV,with the increase of keV values,the three kinds of malignant lymph nodes of the corresponding CT value decreasing and the higher the keV value,the CT value decrease magnitude was small,and the spectrum curve was〞drop type〞.The slope spectrum curve of the metastatic lymph nodes of thyroid carcinoma in arterial phase and parenchymal phase were maximum,which were 1.23±0.41 and 0.85±0.33,respectively.The slope spectrum curve of lymphoma in arterial phase and parenchymal phase were least,whcih were 0.40±0.16 and 0.47 ±0.09.The slope spectrum curve of the squamous cell carcinoma metastatic lymph nodes in arterial phase and parenchymal phase were 0.88±0.10 and 0.62±0.28.The energy spectrum curve slope of the three kinds of malignant lymph nodes have statistical significance.Conclusion The energy spectrum curve slope of arterial phase and parenchymal phase has some significance lymph node metastasis of in thyroid carcinoma,the metastatic lymph nodes and lymphoma in the neck.