Information extraction and dynamic evaluation of soil salinization with a remote sensing method in a typical county on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China

Monitoring the dynamics of soil salinization is of great importance for agricultural production. This study selected Yucheng County, a typical county on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain (HHHP) of China, as the study area and evaluated the spatial and temporal variation of soil salinization. Three methods, consisting of principal component analysis (PCA) transformation, tasseled cap (TC) transformation, and optimal band combination (OBC), were used to extract information from an early Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) image from 1984, and their advantages were compared. In addition, OBC was used on a thematic mapper (TM) image from 2009. An iteratively self-organizing data analysis algorithm was used together with prior knowledge of likely classifications to interpret the MSS and TM images for data classification. Finally, a transfer matrix method was used to assess the spatial and temporal variability of soil salinization and analyze the driving factors of soil salinization. Compared to PCA transformation and OBC, TC transformation was a more effective method for extracting soil salinization information from the MSS sensor. The results indicate that a soil area of approximately 298 km² was affected by salinity in 1984 in Yucheng County, of which 5.40%, 11.96%, and 12.75% were classified as being subject to slight, moderate, and severe salinization, respectively. In 2009, the saline area was reduced to only 146 km², of which 10.70% and 3.75% were characterized by slight to moderate salinization and no severe salinization, respectively. The saline land decreased at an average rate of 6 km² per year. This decrease was probably a result of lower groundwater depth, increased organic fertilizer or crop straw in soil, changed land use type, and increased vegetation coverage.     

Detection and classification of Lepeophterius salmonis (Krøyer, 1837) using underwater hyperspectral imaging

Salmon louse, or sea lice, (Lepoptherius salmonis) represents practical, economical and fish welfare challenges for salmon farming (Hamre et al., 2013) and for the free-living stocks of salmon. There is an urgent need in the industry for a system that provides reliable numbers of louse on farmed salmon. Underwater hyperspectral imaging represents a potential new technique for louse counting in sea cages. In laboratory studies, the UHI technology could detect and classify pre-adults (pre-adult I and II), adult males and adult females (ovigerous) of sea lice based on the difference in their spectral characteristics. A model was built for detection of lice on the salmon and the UHI had a detection success ranging from 67 to 100 % with an average of 82%. A classification of the detected lice was performed for pre-adults, adult males and ovigerous lice and had a prediction accuracy of 85% when lice were divided into three groups (pre-adults, adult male and ovigerous lice) and 93% when lice were divided in two groups, ovigerous lice and all the other mobile lice (pre-adults and adult male). An automatic procedure for in situ measurements of louse infected salmon could deliver a data basis several times higher than the traditional counting system. The next generation of UHI louse detector should be developed with a higher spatial resolution to be able to detect also the sessile stages of lice. For succeeding with in situ classification of L. salmonis, correction algorithms to compensate for the impact of water between the UHI and lice need also to be developed.     

Evaluation of left ventricular function with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography after administration of dobutamine and esmolol in healthy beagle dogs

Unlike echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cardiac MRI) results in a near-exact assessment of cardiac structures and function. However, most veterinary studies have focused on dogs with normal cardiac function. We hypothesized that there would be significant differences in cardiac measurements between cardiac MRI and echocardiography when left ventricular (LV) function was abnormal. This study was undertaken to compare measurements of LV function produced by cardiac MRI and echocardiography in dogs whose LV function was altered by pharmacological agents. This study was conducted with six healthy beagle dogs. We increased left ventricular contractility by administration of dobutamine; we decreased cardiac contractility with esmolol. Stroke volume measurements were made by using both cardiac MRI and echocardiography under seven different conditions with general anesthesia: control, three doses of esmolol (100, 200, and 500 µg/kg/min), and three doses of dobutamine (10, 20, and 50 µg/kg/min). Experiments involving each condition were conducted at least 1 week apart. When LV contractility was normal, ejection fraction (EF) and stroke volume (SV), as measured by echocardiography and cardiac MRI, were not significantly different. However, when contractility was changed by pharmacological agents, EF and SV were overestimated by echocardiography, compared to MRI. Evaluation of cardiac function in patients treated with pharmacological agents should be conducted carefully because EF and SV measured by echocardiography can be overestimated, compared with EF and SV obtained by cardiac MRI.     

1990—2019年阿拉尔垦区植被覆盖时空变化特征分析

监测植被覆盖变化对区域生态环境评价和可持续发展具有重要意义。本文基于Landsat遥感影像和相关统计数据,运用像元二分模型和重心转移模型等方法分析阿拉尔垦区1990—2019年近30年的植被覆盖时空变化特征。结果表明：1990—2019年,阿拉尔垦区平均植被覆盖面积呈增加趋势,高和极高植被覆盖区的面积呈增加趋势,差异显著,分别增加了674 km²和1 147 km²;阿拉尔垦区植被覆盖变化存在时段性和区域性差异,时段上,2005—2010年垦区西北部开始出现植被,以中覆盖类型为主,区域上,垦区西北部植被覆盖的增加趋势最显著;近30年,垦区植被覆盖重心整体向东北方向转移;气候对阿拉尔垦区植被覆盖变化有一定的影响,但人类活动影响最直接。在未来发展中应注重保护自然植被,有计划地开垦土地,合理调整垦区农业结构,科学分配水权,保证垦区生态用水,实现可持续发展。     

Cerebrospinal fluid flow in normal beagle dogs analyzed using magnetic resonance imaging

BackgroundDiseases related to cerebrospinal fluid flow, such as hydrocephalus, syringomyelia, and Chiari malformation, are often found in small dogs. Although studies in human medicine have revealed a correlation with cerebrospinal fluid flow in these diseases by magnetic resonance imaging, there is little information and no standard data for normal dogs.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to obtain cerebrospinal fluid flow velocity data from the cerebral aqueduct and subarachnoid space at the foramen magnum in healthy beagle dogs.MethodsSix healthy beagle dogs were used in this experimental study. The dogs underwent phase-contrast and time-spatial labeling inversion pulse magnetic resonance imaging. Flow rate variations in the cerebrospinal fluid were observed using sagittal time-spatial labeling inversion pulse images. The pattern and velocity of cerebrospinal fluid flow were assessed using phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging within the subarachnoid space at the foramen magnum level and the cerebral aqueduct.ResultsIn the ventral aspect of the subarachnoid space and cerebral aqueduct, the cerebrospinal fluid was characterized by a bidirectional flow throughout the cardiac cycle. The mean ± SD peak velocities through the ventral and dorsal aspects of the subarachnoid space and the cerebral aqueduct were 1.39 ± 0.13, 0.32 ± 0.12, and 0.76 ± 0.43 cm/s, respectively.ConclusionsNoninvasive visualization of cerebrospinal fluid flow movement with magnetic resonance imaging was feasible, and a reference dataset of cerebrospinal fluid flow peak velocities was obtained through the cervical subarachnoid space and cerebral aqueduct in healthy dogs.     

CLINICAL AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FEATURES OF INFLAMMATORY VERSUS NEOPLASTIC MEDIAL RETROPHARYNGEAL LYMPH NODE MASS LESIONS IN DOGS AND CATS

Medial retropharyngeal lymph node (MRLN) mass lesions are a common cause of cranial cervical masses in dogs and cats, and are predominantly due to metastatic neoplasia, primary neoplasia, or inflammatory lymphadenitis. The purpose of this retrospective cross‐sectional study was to test the hypothesis that clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics for dogs and cats with MRLN mass lesions would differ for inflammatory vs. neoplastic etiologies. Dogs and cats with MRLN mass lesions that had undergone MRI and had a confirmed cytological or histopathological diagnosis were recruited from medical record archives. Clinical findings were recorded by one observer and MRI characteristics were recorded by two other observers who were unaware of clinical findings. A total of 31 patients were sampled, with 15 in the inflammatory lymphadenitis group and 16 in the neoplasia group. Patients with inflammatory lymphadenitis were more likely to be younger and present with lethargy (P = 0.001), pyrexia (P = 0.000), and neck pain (P = 0.006). Patients with inflammatory lymphadenitis were also more likely to have a leukocystosis (P = 0.02) and segmental neutrophilia (P = 0.001). Inflammatory masses were more likely to have moderate or marked MRI perinodal contrast enhancement (P = 0.021) and local muscle contrast enhancement (P = 0.03) whereas the neoplastic masses were more likely to have greater MRI width (P = 0.002) and height (P = 0.009). In conclusion, findings indicated that some clinical and MRI characteristics differed for dogs and cats with inflammatory vs. neoplastic medial retropharyngeal lymph node masses. Although histopathological or cytological diagnosis remains necessary for confirmation, these findings may help with the ranking of differential diagnoses of future cases.     

INVITED REVIEW—IMAGE REGISTRATION IN VETERINARY RADIATION ONCOLOGY: INDICATIONS,IMPLICATIONS, AND FUTURE ADVANCES

The field of veterinary radiation therapy (RT) has gained substantial momentum in recent decades with significant advances in conformal treatment planning, image‐guided radiation therapy (IGRT), and intensity‐modulated (IMRT) techniques. At the root of these advancements lie improvements in tumor imaging, image alignment (registration), target volume delineation, and identification of critical structures. Image registration has been widely used to combine information from multimodality images such as computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) to improve the accuracy of radiation delivery and reliably identify tumor‐bearing areas. Many different techniques have been applied in image registration. This review provides an overview of medical image registration in RT and its applications in veterinary oncology. A summary of the most commonly used approaches in human and veterinary medicine is presented along with their current use in IGRT and adaptive radiation therapy (ART). It is important to realize that registration does not guarantee that target volumes, such as the gross tumor volume (GTV), are correctly identified on the image being registered, as limitations unique to registration algorithms exist. Research involving novel registration frameworks for automatic segmentation of tumor volumes is ongoing and comparative oncology programs offer a unique opportunity to test the efficacy of proposed algorithms.     

A SURVEY OF RADIOLOGISTS AND REFERRING VETERINARIANS REGARDING IMAGING REPORTS

An imaging report is a vital communication tool between a radiologist and clinician. In a field where in‐person communication may not be readily available, it is imperative that the report clearly relays pertinent clinical information in a timely manner. The purpose of this observational study was to describe and compare opinions and expectations of small animal general practitioners, veterinary specialists, and veterinary radiologists regarding the imaging report. Online surveys were distributed, and data were collected from 202 veterinary clinicians and 123 veterinary radiologists. The majority (89%) of clinicians were satisfied with their imaging reports and stated that they read the radiology report as soon as it was available (92%). Just less than half (48%) of clinicians indicated it was standard of care that a board‐certified veterinary radiologist read all imaging studies. Radiologists and clinicians agreed that a clinical history (98% and 94%, respectively) and clinical question (82% and 68%, respectively) were needed to generate a good radiology report. Fifty‐five percent to 70% of clinicians prefer red bulleted reports, which included incidental findings (96%); while radiologists slightly favored prose reporting (37–46%). Clinicians found it helpful when additional imaging (86%), medical (71%), and surgical recommendations (73%) were made. About one‐third of specialists who had been in practice for >11 years thought they were better able to interpret imaging for their own specialty than the radiologist. Clinicians voiced discontentment with reports that were not completed in a timely manner or did not give a prioritized differential list. Further studies are warranted to provide a more in‐depth evaluation of veterinary radiology reporting structure and style.