Reply to 'Sources of uncertainties in cod distribution models'

Ingvaldsen et al. comment on our study assessing global fish interchanges between the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans for more than 500 species during the entire 21st century. They propose that discrepancies between our model projections and observed data for cod in the Barents Sea are the result of the choice of Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCMs). We address this assertion here, re-running the cod model with additional observation data from the Barents Sea1, 3, and show that the lack of open-access, archived data for the Barents Sea was the primary cause of local prediction mismatch. This finding recalls the importance of systematic deposit of biodiversity data in global databases

CTP in Transient Global Amnesia: A Single-Center Experience of 30 Patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Medial temporal lobe abnormalities on DWI and functional imaging are occasionally observed in patients with transient global amnesia. We used CTP to study these patients during or briefly after resolution of their amnesic syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2002 onward, patients satisfying clinical criteria for transient global amnesia who underwent CTP were included. Patients with additional clinical features suggesting transient ischemic attack or stroke and those with an ischemic lesion on subsequent DWI were excluded. If deemed necessary by the clinician, DWI was performed within 10 days. RESULTS: Thirty patients with transient global amnesia underwent CTP at a median latency of 5.9 hours (interquartile range, 4.3-9.7 hours) after symptom onset. All findings, except for those in 1 patient, were normal, including those in the 14 patients with well-imaged hippocampi. In the patient with abnormal findings, CTP and PWI showed hypoperfusion in both lentiform nuclei extending into the insulae, with normalization on the repeat CTP 6 days later. In 10 patients, DWI was performed at a median latency of 2 days (interquartile range, 0-9 days). Of these, 2 showed punctate hippocampal lesions, often seen in transient global amnesia. In 2 patients excluded because of mildly atypical transient global amnesia and ischemic lesions on subsequent DWI, acute CTP findings were also normal. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with transient global amnesia had normal CTP findings in the acute phase with the exception of 1 patient with transient hypoperfusion in both basal ganglia. If imaging is performed for typical and atypical transient global amnesia, DWI should be the preferred method.

Importance of early weight changes to predict long-term weight gain during psychotropic drug treatment.

BACKGROUND: Psychotropic drugs can induce substantial weight gain, particularly during the first 6 months of treatment. The authors aimed to determine the potential predictive power of an early weight gain after the introduction of weight gain-inducing psychotropic drugs on long-term weight gain. METHOD: Data were obtained from a 1-year longitudinal study ongoing since 2007 including 351 psychiatric (ICD-10) patients, with metabolic parameters monitored (baseline and/or 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 months) and with compliance ascertained. International Diabetes Federation and World Health Organization definitions were used to define metabolic syndrome and obesity, respectively. RESULTS: Prevalences of metabolic syndrome and obesity were 22% and 17%, respectively, at baseline and 32% and 24% after 1 year. Receiver operating characteristic analyses indicated that an early weight gain > 5% after a period of 1 month is the best predictor for important long-term weight gain (≥ 15% after 3 months: sensitivity, 67%; specificity, 88%; ≥ 20% after 12 months: sensitivity, 47%; specificity, 89%). This analysis identified most patients (97% for 3 months, 93% for 12 months) who had weight gain ≤ 5% after 1 month as continuing to have a moderate weight gain after 3 and 12 months. Its predictive power was confirmed by fitting a longitudinal multivariate model (difference between groups in 1 year of 6.4% weight increase as compared to baseline, P = .0001). CONCLUSION: Following prescription of weight gain-inducing psychotropic drugs, a 5% threshold for weight gain after 1 month should raise clinician concerns about weight-controlling strategies.

Optimization of Radiation Dose and Image Quality in Musculoskeletal CT: Emphasis on Iterative Reconstruction Techniques (Part 1).

Computed tomography (CT) is a modality of choice for the study of the musculoskeletal system for various indications including the study of bone, calcifications, internal derangements of joints (with CT arthrography), as well as periprosthetic complications. However, CT remains intrinsically limited by the fact that it exposes patients to ionizing radiation. Scanning protocols need to be optimized to achieve diagnostic image quality at the lowest radiation dose possible. In this optimization process, the radiologist needs to be familiar with the parameters used to quantify radiation dose and image quality. CT imaging of the musculoskeletal system has certain specificities including the focus on high-contrast objects (i.e., in CT of bone or CT arthrography). These characteristics need to be taken into account when defining a strategy to optimize dose and when choosing the best combination of scanning parameters. In the first part of this review, we present the parameters used for the evaluation and quantification of radiation dose and image quality. In the second part, we discuss different strategies to optimize radiation dose and image quality at CT, with a focus on the musculoskeletal system and the use of novel iterative reconstruction techniques.

Optimization of Radiation Dose and Image Quality in Musculoskeletal CT: Emphasis on Iterative Reconstruction Techniques (Part 2).

Computed tomography (CT) is a modality of choice for the study of the musculoskeletal system for various indications including the study of bone, calcifications, internal derangements of joints (with CT arthrography), as well as periprosthetic complications. However, CT remains intrinsically limited by the fact that it exposes patients to ionizing radiation. Scanning protocols need to be optimized to achieve diagnostic image quality at the lowest radiation dose possible. In this optimization process, the radiologist needs to be familiar with the parameters used to quantify radiation dose and image quality. CT imaging of the musculoskeletal system has certain specificities including the focus on high-contrast objects (i.e., in CT of bone or CT arthrography). These characteristics need to be taken into account when defining a strategy to optimize dose and when choosing the best combination of scanning parameters. In the first part of this review, we present the parameters used for the evaluation and quantification of radiation dose and image quality. In the second part, we discuss different strategies to optimize radiation dose and image quality of CT, with a focus on the musculoskeletal system and the use of novel iterative reconstruction techniques.