The current state of knowledge on imaging informatics: A survey among Spanish radiologists

Posted on March 15, 2022 By LabLynx Journal articles

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been discussed in many healthcare contexts over the years, and this includes within the medical imaging field. But how aware are imaging specialists of AI and machine learning (ML) methods in imaging informatics, and what knowledge gaps must be filled to address concerns about misuse of patient safety with AI and ML in medical imaging? This survey-based research by Eiroa et al. examines the responses to numerous questions related to AI and ML by Spanish radiologists and suggests there are several information gaps that must be addressed. After a brief introduction and discussion concerning the survey methods, the authors present their results in numerous tables and images, followed by a discussion of that data in the scope of current and new radiologists entering the field. They conclude that "there is a general lack of knowledge about AI, ML, and related topics among Spanish radiologists, including both members in training and attending physicians," though there was an eagerness to learn and little fear of such automated methods taking away radiology jobs. They add that "there is no doubt that a common consensus is needed to change the current training curriculum to prepare new radiologists for a future world in which AI will undoubtedly shape the profession."

Does cannabis extract obtained from cannabis flowers with maximum allowed residual level of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A have an impact on human safety and health?

Posted on March 8, 2022 By LabLynx Journal articles

Mycotoxins, toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi, have been known to be a significant concern in cannabis testing, particularly when considering medical cannabis patients. Plant material must certainly be tested for mycotoxins, but what about extractions created from that plant material? Do mycotoxins in the plant transfer to the extracts? This journal article by Serafimovska et al. provides the results of research examining that issue. The authors first provide background about mycotoxins and cannabis, and then they discuss the materials and methods (as well as their validation) used in their research. In their discussion and concluding remarks, they note that making extracts from plant materials with the maximum allowed amount of mycotoxins added to them produced extracts with mycotoxins "in an amount much higher than the amount in which we added them." They add: "With this experiment, we have shown that aflatoxins as extremely toxic secondary metabolites, can reach critical values in cannabis extracts obtained from dry cannabis flowers with the maximum allowed quantity of aflatoxins ... [and] can pose a great risk to consumers and their health, especially to those with compromised immune systems."

Emerging cybersecurity threats in radiation oncology

Posted on March 1, 2022 By LabLynx Journal articles

In this brief article published in the journal Advances in Radiation Oncology, Joyce et al. state the case for the journal's move to develop a special manuscript category dedicated to cybersecurity issues as they relate to the field of radiation oncology. They review numerous cybersecurity incidents that occurred in 2021, which disrupted healthcare efforts, sometimes severely. In one case, the authors find the effects of a ransomware attack on a cancer treatment center in New Zealand to be worse than those effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the authors address the problems that come with not being able to rapidly access patient medical records, "causing delayed treatment for thousands of patients" in some cases. The discussion of these and other similar incidents leads to a non-exhaustive list of what oncology departments can do to improve preparedness for cybersecurity incidents, including maintaining offline, encrypted back-ups and implementing a user awareness training program.