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Purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a robust magnetic resonance reconstruction pipeline equipped with a deep convolutional neural network on the overall image quality, in terms of Gibbs artifact reduction, and SNR improvement. Sixteen (16) healthy volunteers enrolled in this study and were imaged at 3T. Representative images of each image series that were reconstructed through the pipeline that leverages a deep learning (DL) algorithm were retrospectively benchmarked against corresponding images reconstructed through a conventional pipeline. DL-reconstructed images showed significant SNR improvements compared to the corresponding conventionally reconstructed images. In addition to that, Gibbs artifacts were effectively eliminated, when the raw data were reconstructed through the DL pipeline. Gibbs artifact reduction was qualitatively assessed by two experienced medical physicists and two experienced radiologists. DL-based reconstruction can lead to an SNR surplus which can be further invested into either higher spatial resolution and thinner slices, or into shorter scan times., Comment: 2 tables, 7 figures

We report the updated guidelines for the management of osteoporosis in Greece, which include guidance on fracture risk assessment, diagnosis-pharmacological treatment-follow-up of osteoporosis based on updated information, and national evidence from Greek clinical practice and the healthcare setting. The purpose of this report was to update the Guidelines for the Management of Osteoporosis in Greece that was published in 2011. In line with the GRADE system, the working group initially defined the main clinical questions that should be addressed when dealing with the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in clinical practice in Greece. Following a literature review and discussion on the experience gained from the implementation of the 2011 Guidelines transmitted through the national electronic prescription network, the Hellenic Society for the Study of Bone Metabolism (HSSBM) uploaded an initial draft for an open dialogue with the relevant registered medical societies and associations on the electronic platform of the Greek Ministry of Health. After revisions, the Central Health Council approved the final document. The 2018 Guidelines provide comprehensive recommendations on the issues of the timing of fracture risk evaluation and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurement, interpretation of the DXA results, the diagnostic work-up for osteoporosis, the timing as well as the suggested medications for osteoporosis treatment, and the follow-up methodology employed during osteoporosis treatment. These updated guidelines were designed to offer valid guidance on fracture risk assessment, diagnosis-pharmacological treatment-follow-up of osteoporosis based on updated information and national evidence from clinical practice and the healthcare setting. Clinical judgment is essential in the management of every individual patient for the purpose of achieving the optimal outcome in the safest possible way.

J Hazard Mater

International audience; Superconducting low dimensional systems are the natural choice for fast and sensitive infrared detection, because of their quantum nature and the low-noise, cryogenic operation environment. On the other hand, monochromatic and coherent electron beams, emitted from superconductors and carbon-based nanostructured materials, respectively, are significant for the development of electron optical systems such as electron microscopes and electron-beam nanofabrication systems. Here we describe for the first time a simple method which yields carbon nanotubes encapsulating single crystalline superconducting tin nanowires by employing the catalytic chemical vapor deposition method over solid tin dioxide. The superconducting tin nanowires, with diameters 15-35 nm, are covered with well-graphitized carbon walls and show, due to their reduced diameters, a critical magnetic field (H-c) more than 30 times higher than the value of bulk metallic tin.

PbI2 semiconductor quantum wires have been synthesized in the interlayer space of montmorillonite organic modified clays by simple intercalation reactions. The experimental results showed that the quantum wires have been retained within the lamellar space of layer silicates exhibiting a well-defined diameter and narrow length distribution. The synthetic procedure involves chemical reactions within the clay interlayer, which are achieved through a slow mass transport between the clay platelets via a low solubility path between two different lead iodide phases. The structure and properties of the hybrid composites have been studied by means of X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy, optical absorption and photoluminescence experiments. The experimental techniques have verified that the resultant organo-clay-semiconductor composite contains within the clay platelets nano sized low dimensional semiconductor species in the form of wires that exhibit well defined energy gap absorption peaks, which are blue shifted due to quantum confinement phenomena. Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials

Layered materials (LMs) produced by liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) can be used as building blocks for optoelectronic applications. However, when compared with mechanically exfoliated flakes, or films prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), LPE-based printed optoelectronic devices are limited by mobility, defects and trap states. Here, we present a scalable fabrication technique combining CVD with LPE LMs to overcome such limitations. We use black phosphorus inks, inkjet-printed on graphene on Si/SiO2, patterned by inkjet printing based lithography, and source and drain electrodes printed with an Ag ink, to prepare photodetectors (PDs). These have an external responsivity (R ext)∼337 A W−1 at 488 nm, and operate from visible (∼488 nm) to short-wave infrared (∼2.7 µm, R ext ∼ 48 mA W−1). We also use this approach to fabricate flexible PDs on polyester fabric, one of the most common used in textiles, achieving R ext ∼ 6 mA W−1 at 488 nm for an operating voltage of 1 V. Thus, our combination of scalable CVD and LPE techniques via inkjet printing is promising for wearable and flexible applications.