Quantitative Perfusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Uveal Melanoma.

Purpose: Perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI; magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) has been shown to provide valuable biological tumor information in uveal melanoma (UM). Clinically used semiquantitative methods do not account for tumor pigmentation and eye movement. We hypothesize that a quantitative PWI method that incorporates these, provides a more accurate description of tumor perfusion than the current clinical method.

Geometrical accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging for ocular proton therapy planning.

Background & Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used in treatment preparation of ocular proton therapy, but its spatial accuracy might be limited by geometric distortions due to susceptibility artefacts. A correct geometry of the MR images is paramount since it defines where the dose will be delivered. In this study, we assessed the geometrical accuracy of ocular MRI.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Clinical Care for Uveal Melanoma Patients-A Systematic Review from an Ophthalmic Perspective.

Conversely to most tumour types, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was rarely used for eye tumours. As recent technical advances have increased ocular MRI's diagnostic value, various clinical applications have been proposed. This systematic review provides an overview of the current status of MRI in the clinical care of uveal melanoma (UM) patients, the most common eye tumour in adults.

MR-based follow-up after brachytherapy and proton beam therapy in uveal melanoma.

Purpose: MRI is increasingly used in the diagnosis and therapy planning of uveal melanoma (UM). In this prospective cohort study, we assessed the radiological characteristics, in terms of anatomical and functional imaging, of UM after ruthenium-106 plaque brachytherapy or proton beam therapy (PBT) and compared them to conventional ultrasound.

Methods: Twenty-six UM patients were evaluated before and 3, 6 and 12 months after brachytherapy (n = 13) or PBT (n = 13).

Inter-Observer Variability in MR-Based Target Volume Delineation of Uveal Melanoma.

Purpose: Several efforts are being undertaken toward MRI-based treatment planning for ocular proton therapy for uveal melanoma (UM). The interobserver variability of the gross target volume (GTV) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the important parameters to design safety margins for a reliable treatment. Therefore, this study assessed the interobserver variation in GTV delineation of UM on MRI.

Automatic Three-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance-based measurements of tumour prominence and basal diameter for treatment planning of uveal melanoma.

Background And Purpose: Three-dimensional (3D) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is increasingly used to complement conventional two-dimensional ultrasound in the assessment of tumour dimension measurement of uveal melanoma. However, the lack of definitions of the 3D measurements of these tumour dimensions hinders further adaptation of MRI in ocular radiotherapy planning. In this study, we composed 3D MR-based definitions of tumour prominence and basal diameter and compared them to conventional ultrasound.

Harmonizing corporate carbon footprints.

Global greenhouse gas emissions need to reach net-zero around mid-century to limit global warming to 1.5 °C. This decarbonization challenge has, inter alia, increased the political and societal pressure on companies to disclose their carbon footprints.

Effect of breathing motion on robustness of proton therapy plans for left-sided breast cancer patients with indication for locoregional irradiation.

Purpose: To investigate the dosimetric impact of breathing motion on robustly optimized proton therapy treatment plans for left-sided breast cancer patients with an indication for locoregional irradiation.

Materials And Methods: Clinical Target Volumes (CTVs) (left-sided breast, level 1 to 4 axillary lymph nodes, interpectoral and internal mammary lymph node regions) and organs at risk were delineated on 4 D-CTs of ten female patients. After treatment planning to a prescribed dose of 40.

Energy Consumption of Cryptocurrencies Beyond Bitcoin.

Ulrich Gallersdörfer is a research associate in the Department of Informatics at the Technical University of Munich. His research focuses on identity management in blockchains. His interest extends to further aspects of the technology, ranging from environmental implications to data analytics applications.

Perceived facilitating and limiting factors for healthcare professionals to adopting a patient decision aid for breast cancer aftercare: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: Effective healthcare innovations are often not adopted and implemented. An implementation strategy based on facilitators and barriers for use as perceived by healthcare professionals could increase adoption rates. This study therefore aimed to identify the most relevant facilitators and barriers for use of an innovative breast cancer aftercare decision aid (PtDA) in healthcare practice.

Transmission and Reflection Mode Macroscopic X-ray Powder Diffraction Imaging for the Noninvasive Visualization of Paint Degradation in Still Life Paintings by Jan Davidsz. de Heem.

The use of noninvasive chemical imaging techniques is becoming more widespread for the study of cultural heritage artifacts. Recently a mobile instrument for macroscopic X-ray powder diffraction (MA-XRPD) scanning was developed, which is capable of visualizing the distribution of crystalline (pigment) phases in quasi-flat-painted artifacts. In this study, MA-XRPD is used in both transmission and reflection mode for the analysis of three 17th century still life paintings, two paintings by Jan Davidsz.

A novel patient decision aid for aftercare in breast cancer patients: A promising tool to reduce costs by individualizing aftercare.

Objective: A patient decision aid (PtDA), was developed to support breast cancer patients making choices about their aftercare. The aim of this pilot was to test the effects of the PtDA on Shared Decision Making (SDM), Decision Evaluation (DES) in patients, consultation time, choice of aftercare and hospital costs.

Methods: A prospective before-and-after study including a control (no PtDA-usage) and experimental group (PtDA-usage during consultation) was conducted in six hospitals.

An Alternative Splice Variant of Zebrafish Cx52.6 is Expressed in Retinal Horizontal Cells.

Retinal horizontal cells (HCs) are inhibitory neurons, which modulate the transmission of light-elicited signals from photoreceptors to bipolar cells in the outer retina. HCs of the same physiological type are extensively coupled via gap junctions. In the zebrafish retina, the population of HCs comprises up to four morphologically distinct subtypes.

[Outcome of surgery for Crohn's colitis. Review of 28 cases].

Background: Exclusive involvement of the colon or rectum in Crohn's disease, called Crohn's colitis, (CC) occurs in about 25% of these patients.

Aim: To analyze early surgical results and long-term outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for CC.

Material And Methods: Review of a prospective database, identifying patients with Crohn's disease operated between 2003 and 2015 and excluding those with ileocecal disease.

Developing an aftercare decision aid; assessing health professionals' and patients' preferences.

Personalising aftercare for curatively treated breast cancer patients is expected to improve patient satisfaction with care. A patient decision aid can support women in making decisions about their aftercare trajectory, but is currently not available. The aim of this study was to assess the needs of patients and health professionals with regard to an aftercare decision aid to systematically develop such a decision aid.

Extracellular ATP hydrolysis inhibits synaptic transmission by increasing ph buffering in the synaptic cleft.

Neuronal computations strongly depend on inhibitory interactions. One such example occurs at the first retinal synapse, where horizontal cells inhibit photoreceptors. This interaction generates the center/surround organization of bipolar cell receptive fields and is crucial for contrast enhancement.

Ephaptic communication in the vertebrate retina.

In the vertebrate retina, cones project to the horizontal cells (HCs) and bipolar cells (BCs). The communication between cones and HCs uses both chemical and ephaptic mechanisms. Cones release glutamate in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner, while HCs feed back to cones via an ephaptic mechanism.

Action spectra of zebrafish cone photoreceptors.

Zebrafish is becoming an increasingly popular model in the field of visual neuroscience. Although the absorption spectra of its cone photopigments have been described, the cone action spectra were still unknown. In this study we report the action spectra of the four types of zebrafish cone photoreceptors, determined by measuring voltage responses upon light stimulation using whole cell patch clamp recordings.

Connexin hemichannel mediated ephaptic inhibition in the retina.

Connexins are the building blocks of gap-junctions; sign conserving electrical synapses. Recently it has been shown that connexins can also function as hemichannels and can mediate a sign inverting inhibitory synaptic signal from horizontal cells to cones via an ephaptic mechanism. In this review we will discuss the critical requirements for such an ephaptic interaction and relate these to the available experimental evidence.

Synaptic transmission from horizontal cells to cones is impaired by loss of connexin hemichannels.

In the vertebrate retina, horizontal cells generate the inhibitory surround of bipolar cells, an essential step in contrast enhancement. For the last decades, the mechanism involved in this inhibitory synaptic pathway has been a major controversy in retinal research. One hypothesis suggests that connexin hemichannels mediate this negative feedback signal; another suggests that feedback is mediated by protons.

[Serial transverse enteroplasty for short bowel syndrome. Case report].

Among patients with short bowel syndrome, surgical small intestine lengthening techniques are employed to increase the absorptive surface. Among these, serial transverse enteroplasty involves transecting the bowel transversally, preserving the blood supply of the small intestine and creating a longer segment of bowel. We report a 51-year-old woman with a short bowel syndrome and multiple hospital admissions for complications.

Pre-dilution on-line haemofiltration vs low-flux haemodialysis: a randomized prospective study.

Background: Accumulation of larger molecular weight uraemic toxins molecules may have a negative effect on the cardiovascular and nutritional state of dialysis patients and influence uraemic symptomatology. Their clearance can be enhanced by the use of haemofiltration (HF).

Methods: The effects of low-flux haemodialysis (HD) (ultrapure dialysate; polyamide membranes) and pre-dilution on-line HF (1:1 blood/substitution ratio; target filtration volume: 1.

Recovery of neuroendocrine cells after injury in the aging brain of a mollusc.

Recovery after crush of neuroendocrine caudodorsal cells (CDCs) in the aging brain of the mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis, was determined as a measure of neuronal plasticity. Neuronal plasticity was determined in differently aged animals containing intact (young: 170 days) or morphologically and physiologically degraded (middle-aged: 305 days and old: 443 days) CDCs. Branching patterns and electrical and chemical connectivity and afterdischarge activity of CDCs were studied.