Search Results (835)

The aim of this retrospective clinical study was to assess surgical duration and surgical and post-operative complications associated with Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) and lung biopsy in horses with severe Equine Pasture Asthma (EPA) and paired control horses. Twelve horses (6 EPA-affected, 6 control) were sex, age and breed matched. Twenty-four thoracic surgeries were performed. Surgery of each matched pair (EPA-affected and healthy) was performed during asthma exacerbation (summer) and remission (winter). Surgical times were shorter with uncomplicated thoracoscopy (85 min) and significantly longer (p < 0.001) when intra-operative complications necessitated conversion to thoracotomy (156 min). The overall surgical time of EPA-affected horses during asthma exacerbation was significantly longer than control horses at any time point, predicted mean difference of 78 min (p < 0.05). When comparing EPA-affected horses to themselves during asthma exacerbation and remission, surgical times were significantly longer (p < 0.01) with a predicted mean difference of 98 min; this effect of seasonality did not occur amongst control horses. Intra-operative surgical complications (6/24) were evenly divided between EPA and control horses, however, only severe EPA horses in exacerbation were noted to have lung hyperinflation. Post-operative complications: fever, colic, hemothorax, pneumothorax, subcutaneous emphysema, surgical site infection, and/or laminitis occurred in 13/24 surgical procedures (54%). No fatalities resulted from these procedures. Full article

Teleoperation emerged as a promising fallback for situations beyond the capabilities of automated vehicles. Nevertheless, teleoperation still faces challenges, such as reduced situational awareness. Since situational awareness is primarily built through the remote operator’s visual perception, the graphical user interface (GUI) design is critical. In addition to video feed, supplemental informational elements are crucial—not only for the predominantly studied remote driving, but also for emerging desk-based remote assistance concepts. This work develops a GUI for different teleoperation concepts by identifying key informational elements during the teleoperation process through expert interviews (N = 9). Following this, a static and dynamic GUI prototype was developed and evaluated in a click dummy study (N = 36). Thereby, the dynamic GUI adapts the number of displayed elements according to the teleoperation phase. Results show that both GUIs achieve good system usability scale (SUS) ratings, with the dynamic GUI significantly outperforming the static version in both usability and task completion time. However, the results might be attributable to a learning effect due to the lack of randomization. The user experience questionnaire (UEQ) score shows potential for improvement. To enhance the user experience, the GUI should be evaluated in a follow-up study that includes interaction with a real vehicle. Full article

Many traffic-sign detection systems are available to assist drivers with particular conditions such as small and distant signs, multiple signs on the road, objects similar to signs, and other challenging conditions. Real-time object detection is an indispensable aspect of these detection systems, with detection speed and efficiency being critical parameters. In terms of these parameters, to enhance performance in road-sign detection under diverse conditions, we proposed a comprehensive methodology, SSAM_YOLOv5, to handle feature extraction and small-road-sign detection performance. The method was based on a modified version of YOLOv5s. First, we introduced attention modules into the backbone to focus on the region of interest within video frames; secondly, we replaced the activation function with the SwishT_C activation function to enhance feature extraction and achieve a balance between inference, precision, and mean average precision (mAP@50) rates. Compared to the YOLOv5 baseline, the proposed improvements achieved remarkable increases of 1.4% and 1.9% in mAP@50 on the Tiny LISA and GTSDB datasets, respectively, confirming their effectiveness. Full article

Background/Objectives: The extensive use of computed tomography (CT) has led to a significant increase in the detection of small and non-palpable pulmonary nodules, necessitating the use of invasive methods for definitive diagnosis. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has become the preferred procedure for nodule resections; however, intraoperative localization remains challenging, especially for deep or subsolid lesions. This study explores whether SPECT/CT improves the technical and clinical outcomes of radio-guided occult lesion localization (ROLL) before uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (u-VATS). Methods: This is a retrospective study involving consecutive patients referred for the resection of pulmonary nodules who underwent CT-guided ROLL followed by u-VATS between September 2017 and December 2024. From January 2023, SPECT/CT was systematically added after planar imaging. The cohort was divided into a planar group and a planar + SPECT/CT group. The inclusion criteria involved nodules sized ≤ 2 cm, with ground glass or solid characteristics, located at a depth of <6 cm from the pleural surface. ^99mTc-MAA injected activity, timing, the classification of planar and SPECT/CT image findings (focal uptake, multisite with focal uptake, multisite without focal uptake), spillage, and post-procedure complications were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed, with continuous data expressed as the median and categorical data as the number. Comparisons were made using chi-square tests for categorical variables and the Mann–Whitney U test for procedural duration. Cohen’s kappa coefficient was calculated to assess agreement between imaging modalities. Results: In total, 125 patients were selected for CT-guided radiotracer injection followed by uniportal-VATS. The planar group and planar + SPECT/CT group comprised 60 and 65 patients, respectively. Focal uptake was detected in 68 (54%), multisite with focal uptake in 46 (36.8%), and multisite without focal uptake in 11 patients (8.8%). In comparative analyses between planar and SPECT/CT imaging in 65 patients, 91% exhibited focal uptake, revealing significant differences in classification for 40% of the patients. SPECT/CT corrected the classification of 23 patients initially categorized as multisite with focal uptake to focal uptake, improving localization accuracy. The mean procedure duration was 39 min with SPECT/CT. Pneumothorax was more frequently detected with SPECT/CT (43% vs. 1.6%). The intraoperative localization success rate was 96%. Conclusions: SPECT/CT imaging in the ROLL procedure for detecting pulmonary nodules before u-VATs demonstrates a significant advantage in reclassifying radiotracer positioning compared to planar imaging. Considering its limited impact on surgical success rates and additional procedural time, SPECT/CT should be reserved for technically challenging cases. Larger sample sizes, multicentric and prospective randomized studies, and formal cost–utility analyses are warranted. Full article

Malignant mediastinal tumors are a group representing some of the most demanding oncological challenges for early, multi-level, and successful management. The timely identification of any suspicious clinical symptomatology is urgent in achieving an accurate, staged histological diagnosis, in order to follow up with an equally detailed medical therapeutic plan (interventional or not) and determine the principal goals regarding efficient overall treatment in these patients. We report a case of a 24-year-old male patient with an incident-free prior medical history. An initial chest X-ray was performed after the patient reported short-term, consistent moderate chest pain symptomatology, early work fatigue, and shortness of breath. The following imaging procedures (chest CT, PET-CT) indicated the presence of an anterior mediastinal mass (meas. ~11 cm × 10 cm × 13 cm, SUV: 8.7), applying additional pressure upon both right heart chambers. The Alpha-Fetoprotein (aFP) blood levels had exceeded at least 50 times their normal range. Two consecutive diagnostic attempts with non-specific histological results, a negative-for-malignancy fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA-biopsy), and an additional tumor biopsy, performed via mini anterior (R) thoracotomy with “suspicious” cellular gatherings, were performed elsewhere. After admission to our department, an (R) Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) was performed, along with multiple tumor biopsies and moderate pleural effusion drainage. The tumor’s measurements had increased to DMax: 16 cm × 9 cm × 13 cm, with a severe degree of atelectasis of the Right Lower Lobe parenchyma (RLL) and a pressure-displacement effect upon the Superior Vena Cava (SVC) and the (R) heart sinus, based on data from the preoperative chest MRA. The histological report indicated elements of a combined, non-seminomatous germ-cell mediastinal tumor, posthuberal-type teratoma, and embryonal carcinoma. The imminent chemotherapeutic plan included a “BEP” (Bleomycin^®/Cisplatin^®/Etoposide^®) scheme, which needed to be modified to a “VIP” (Cisplatin^®/Etoposide^®/Ifosfamide^®) scheme, due to an acute pulmonary embolism incident. While the aFP blood levels declined, even reaching normal measurements, the tumor’s size continued to increase significantly (DMax: 28 cm × 25 cm × 13 cm), with severe localized pressure effects, rapid weight loss, and a progressively worsening clinical status. Thus, an emergency surgical intervention took place via median sternotomy, extended with a complementary “T-Shaped” mini anterior (R) thoracotomy. A large, approx. 4 Kg mediastinal tumor was extracted, with additional RML and RUL “en-bloc” segmentectomy and partial mediastinal pleura decortication. The following histological results, apart from verifying the already-known posthuberal-type teratoma, indicated additional scattered small lesions of combined high-grade rabdomyosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and osteosarcoma, as well as numerous high-grade glioblastoma cellular gatherings. No visible findings of the previously discovered non-seminomatous germ-cell and embryonal carcinoma elements were found. The patient’s postoperative status progressively improved, allowing therapeutic management to continue with six “TIP” (Cisplatin^®/Paclitaxel^®/Ifosfamide^®) sessions, currently under his regular “follow-up” from the oncological team. This report underlines the importance of early, accurate histological identification, combined with any necessary surgical intervention, diagnostic or therapeutic, as well as the appliance of any subsequent multimodality management plan. The diversity of mediastinal tumors, especially for young patients, leaves no place for complacency. Such rare examples may manifest, with equivalent, unpredictable evolution, obliging clinical physicians to stay constantly alert and not take anything for granted. Full article

Traditional navigation relies on visual alignment with leading lights, a task typically monitored by bridge officers over extended periods. This process can lead to fatigue-related human factor errors, increasing the risk of maritime accidents and environmental damage. To address this issue, this study explores the use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs), evaluating different training strategies and hyperparameter configurations to assist officers in identifying deviations from proper visual leading. Using video data captured from a navigation simulator, we trained a lightweight CNN capable of advising bridge personnel with an accuracy of 86% during night-time operations. Notably, the model demonstrated robustness against visual interference from other light sources, such as lighthouses or coastal lights. The primary source of classification error was linked to images with low bow deviation, largely influenced by human mislabeling during dataset preparation. Future work will focus on refining the classification scheme to enhance model performance. We (1) propose a lightweight CNN based on SqueezeNet for night-time ship navigation, (2) expand the traditional binary risk classification into six operational categories, and (3) demonstrate improved performance over human judgment in visually ambiguous conditions. Full article

In wind-assisted orchard spraying operations, the dynamic response of leaves—manifested through changes in their posture—critically influences droplet deposition on both sides of the leaf surface and the penetration depth into the canopy. These factors are pivotal in determining spray coverage and the spatial distribution of pesticide efficacy. However, current research lacks comprehensive quantification and correlation analysis of the temporal response characteristics of leaves under wind disturbances. To address this gap, a systematic analytical framework was proposed, integrating real-time leaf segmentation and tracking, geometric feature quantification, and statistical correlation modeling. High-frame-rate videos of fluttering leaves were acquired under controlled wind conditions, and background segmentation was performed using principal component analysis (PCA) followed by clustering in the reduced feature space. A fine-tuned Segment Anything Model 2 (SAM2-FT) was employed to extract dynamic leaf masks and enable frame-by-frame tracking. Based on the extracted masks, time series of leaf area and inclination angle were constructed. Subsequently, regression analysis, cross-correlation functions, and Granger causality tests were applied to investigate cooperative responses and potential driving relationships among leaves. Results showed that the SAM2-FT model significantly outperformed the YOLO series in segmentation accuracy, achieving a precision of 98.7% and recall of 97.48%. Leaf area exhibited strong linear coupling and directional causality, while angular responses showed weaker correlations but demonstrated localized synchronization. This study offers a methodological foundation for quantifying temporal dynamics in wind–leaf systems and provides theoretical insights for the adaptive control and optimization of intelligent spraying strategies. Full article

In the context of global demographic aging, falls among the elderly remain a major public health concern, often leading to injury, hospitalization, and loss of autonomy. This study proposes a real-time fall detection system that combines a modern computer vision model, YOLOv11 with integrated pose estimation, and an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based voice assistant designed to reduce false alarms and improve intervention efficiency and reliability. The system continuously monitors human posture via video input, detects fall events based on body dynamics and keypoint analysis, and initiates a voice-based interaction to assess the user’s condition. Depending on the user’s verbal response or the absence thereof, the system determines whether to trigger an emergency alert to caregivers or family members. All processing, including speech recognition and response generation, is performed locally to preserve user privacy and ensure low-latency performance. The approach is designed to support independent living for older adults. Evaluation of 200 simulated video sequences acquired by the development team demonstrated high precision and recall, along with a decrease in false positives when incorporating voice-based confirmation. In addition, the system was also evaluated on an external dataset to assess its robustness. Our results highlight the system’s reliability and scalability for real-world in-home elderly monitoring applications. Full article

Advances in technology and changes in the way people entertain themselves have made video games a cultural agent on a par with more traditional games, including language learning. In addition, the use of video games in education is becoming increasingly common and numerous benefits associated with their use have been discovered. The aim of this article is to analyze the search trends in studies dealing with the use of video games in language learning. To this end, a bibliometric analysis was carried out by applying the traditional laws of bibliometrics (Price’s law, Bradford’s law of concentration, Lotka’s law, Zipf’s law and h-index) to documents published in journals indexed in the Core Collection of the Web of Science (WoS). Annual publications between 2009 and 2022 show an exponential growth R2 = 86%. The journals with the most publications are Computer assisted language learning (Taylor & Francis) and Computers and Education (Elsevier). Jie Chi-Yang and Gwo Jen-Hwan were the most cited authors. The United States and Taiwan were the countries with the highest scientific output. The use of video games in language learning has been of particular interest in recent years, with benefits found for students who use them in their classes, although more research is needed to establish criteria and requirements for each video game for its intended purpose. Full article

Reproductive efficiency is a critical determinant of productivity and profitability in sheep farming. Traditional selection methods have largely relied on phenotypic traits and historical reproductive records, which are often limited by subjectivity and delayed feedback. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), including video tracking, wearable sensors, and machine learning (ML) algorithms, offer new opportunities to identify behavior-based indicators linked to key reproductive traits such as estrus, lambing, and maternal behavior. This review synthesizes the current research on AI-powered behavioral monitoring tools and proposes a conceptual model, ReproBehaviorNet, that maps age- and sex-specific behaviors to biological processes and AI applications, supporting real-time decision-making in both intensive and semi-intensive systems. The integration of accelerometers, GPS systems, and computer vision models enables continuous, non-invasive monitoring, leading to earlier detection of reproductive events and greater breeding precision. However, the implementation of such technologies also presents challenges, including the need for high-quality data, a costly infrastructure, and technical expertise that may limit access for small-scale producers. Despite these barriers, AI-assisted behavioral phenotyping has the potential to improve genetic progress, animal welfare, and sustainability. Interdisciplinary collaboration and responsible innovation are essential to ensure the equitable and effective adoption of these technologies in diverse farming contexts. Full article

Background/Objectives: The Motor Speech Hierarchy (MSH) Probe Words (PWs) have yet to be validated as effective in discriminating between children with impaired and children with typically developing speech motor control. This preliminary study first examined the effectiveness of the mandibular control subtest of the MSH-PWs in distinguishing between typically developing (TD) and speech sound-disordered (SSD) children aged between 3 years 0 months and 3 years 6 months. Secondly, we compared automatically derived kinematic measures of jaw range and control with MSH-PW consensus scoring to assist in identifying deficits in mandibular control. Methods: Forty-one children with TD speech and 13 with SSD produced the 10 words of the mandibular stage of the MSH-PWs. A consensus team of speech pathologists observed video recordings of the words to score motor speech control and phonetic accuracy, as detailed in the MSH-PW scoring criteria. Specific measures of jaw and lip movements during speech were also extracted to derive the objective measurements, with agreement between the perceptual and objective measures of jaw range and jaw control evaluated. Results: A significant difference between TD and SSD groups was found for jaw range (p = 0.006), voicing transitions (p = 0.004) and total mandibular scores (p = 0.015). SSD and TD group discrimination was significant (at alpha = 0.01) with a balanced classification accuracy of 0.79. Initial analysis indicates objective kinematic measures using facial tracking show good agreement with perceptual judgements of jaw range and jaw control. Conclusions: The preliminary data indicate the MSH-PWs can discriminate TD speech from SSD at the level of mandibular control and can be used by clinicians to assess motor speech control. Further investigation of objective measures to support perceptual scoring is indicated. Full article

Objectives: Residual postoperative pleural space (RPPS) is a common event after pulmonary lobectomy. Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy has been associated with a higher incidence of RPPS. This study aims to evaluate the incidence, the predictors, and potential clinical implications of RPPS following Uniportal VATS lobectomy. Methods: Patients who underwent Uniportal VATS lobectomy, without any previous neoadjuvant treatment, from June 2016 to March 2020, were retrospectively analyzed. RPPS was assessed using the last chest X-Ray prior to discharge and measured by Collins method (%). Results: Among 492 patients who underwent Uniportal VATS lobectomy, 325 (66.1%) developed RPPS. The mean RPPS volume measured by the Collins method was 15.46 ± 8.59% (vs. Collins = 4.2% in no-PRPS). An RPPS > 10.5% of Collins was significantly associated with a higher risk of postoperative air leak (AUC: 0.69, sensitivity: 69%, specificity: 54%, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis identified the following predictors of RPPS > 10.5%: right-sided surgery (p < 0.001), upper lobectomy (p = 0.01), and prolonged air leak (p = 0.003). Patients with RPPS had a higher risk of only radiologically visible postoperative subcutaneous emphysema on the final chest X-ray (p = 0.041) and were more frequently discharged with a chest tube connected to a Heimlich valve (p < 0.001). Within 90 days post-discharge, 24 (4.9%) patients were readmitted due to increased RPPS (1.4%, requiring drainage in 5 cases [1%]), progression of subcutaneous emphysema (1.6%), and pleural effusion (1.8%, requiring drainage in 6 cases [1.2%]). However, RPPS was not associated with an increased overall risk of postoperative complications (p = 0.31) or 90-day readmission (p = 0.43). Conclusions: RPPS is a common occurrence following Uniportal VATS lobectomy but is not associated with clinically significant complications. The current study findings identified BMI, active smoking, right-sided surgery, and prolonged air leak as significant predictors of RPPS. Full article

Objectives: Pericardial effusion is the accumulation of excess fluid in the pericardial sac. The etiology is multi-factorial and different techniques are used for management, including subxiphoid approaches, anterior and lateral thoracotomies, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), and percutaneous pericardiocentesis. We evaluate the surgical management strategies for pericardial effusion and their outcomes in this systematic review. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed to identify studies on the surgical management of pericardial effusion from inception to February 2024 using PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus. Articles were independently assessed by two reviewers, with discrepancies resolved by the senior author. Articles were considered for inclusion if they described different pericardial effusion surgical management techniques. Baseline patient characteristics and procedural and outcome variables were extracted. Results: A total of 27 studies comprising 2773 patients were evaluated. The median age was 56.2 years (interquartile range 47–62.2). The most common etiologies of pericardial effusion were malignancy (31.0%), post-cardiac surgery (18.7%), and idiopathic (15.4%). Other causes included uremia (9.6%), infection (9.6%), and autoimmune disease (4.2%). The subxiphoid pericardial window was the most common approach (82.6%), followed by anterior and lateral thoracotomy (12.0%), and median sternotomy (0.6%). At median follow-up of 24 months, the most frequent post-procedural complications were recurrence of effusion (10.5%), arrhythmias (2.7%), and pneumonia (0.7%). Conclusions: Subxiphoid pericardial window is the most common approach for draining pericardial effusions. Prognosis depends on both the underlying etiology and the chosen drainage strategy. Treatment should be tailored to individual patients, considering patient comorbidities and the specific etiology. Full article

Sport injury recognition is rapidly evolving with the integration of new emerging technologies. This systematic review aims to identify and evaluate technologies capable of detecting injuries during sports participation. A comprehensive search of PUBMED, Sport Discus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42024608964). Inclusion criteria focused on prospective studies involving athletes of all ages, evaluating tools which are utilised to identify injuries in sports settings. The review included research between 2014 and 2024; retrospective, conceptual, and fatigue-focused studies were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) tool. Of 4283 records screened, 70 full-text articles were assessed, with 21 studies meeting the final inclusion criteria. The technologies were grouped into advanced imaging (Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DFI), and Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM), with biomarkers (i.e., Neurofilament Light (NfL), Tau protein, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), Salivary MicroRNAs, and Immunoglobulin A (IgA), and sideline assessments (i.e., the King–Devick test, KD-Eye Tracking, modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS), DETECT, ImPACT structured video analysis, and Instrumented Mouth Guards (iMGs)), which demonstrated feasibility for immediate sideline identification of injury. Future research should improve methodological rigour through larger, diverse samples and controlled designs, with real-world testing environments. Following this guidance, the application of emerging technologies may assist medical staff, coaches, and national governing bodies in identifying injuries in a sports setting, providing real-time assessment. Full article

Our study explored the accuracy of Fitbit recorded step count during the use of an assistive device (two-wheeled walker and standard cane) at various body positions (wrists, hips, and ankles). Participants (n = 11) ambulated an obstacle course (50 m total, including turns and a step up/down) a total of three times (two-wheeled walker, standard cane, and a deviceless control trial). Fitbit generated step counts (at the wrists, hips, and ankles) were then compared to the individual’s “actual” step count captured through video analysis. During the cane trial and the deviceless trial, all positions were significantly correlated (r = 0.764 to 0.984; p < 0.006) with the actual step count. However, increased variability (demonstrated by increased limits of agreement) was observed when the Fitbit was worn on the wrist (compared to the hips or ankles). During the walker trial, the step count was significantly correlated to the actual step count at the ankle and hip positions (r = 0.669 to 0.888; p < 0.017) with an average error of 1.5%, while it was not statistically correlated at the wrist with a 31.2% average error. Our study suggests that Fitbits are a good predictor of actual step count, with the caveat that the location of the Fitbit should be considered if an assistive device (e.g., two-wheeled rolling walker and single-point cane) is being used. Full article