Potential guidelines for cataract surgery and rehabilitation in visually impaired patients: Literature analysis.

Cataracts can reduce the quality of vision in visually impaired patients who already have a visual impairment. The most common causes of low vision include age-related macular degeneration (AMD), high myopia (HM), diabetic retinopathy (DR), glaucoma (GL), and inherited degenerative ocular diseases. The surgery aims to improve their independence, quality of life, and ability to engage in daily, social, and work activities.

The Radiosurgery Society Working Groups on GRID, LATTICE, Microbeam, and FLASH Radiotherapies: 2022 - 2023 Advancements Symposium and Subsequent Progress Made.

Purpose: Since the inaugural workshop "Understanding High-Dose, Ultra-High Dose Rate and Spatially Fractionated Radiotherapy." hosted by the NCI and sponsored by the Radiosurgery Society (RSS), growing collaborations and investigations have ensued among experts, practitioners, and researchers. The RSS GRID, Lattice, Microbeam & FLASH (GLMF) Working Groups were formed as a framework for these efforts and have focused on advancing the understanding of the biology, technical/physical parameters, trial design, and clinical practice of these new radiation therapy modalities.

A study of pre- and post-treatment hematologic markers of immune response in patients undergoing radiotherapy for soft tissue sarcoma.

Introduction: This study investigates the impact of pre- and post-treatment hematologic markers, specifically neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), on treatment outcomes in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT).

Methods: Data from 64 patients who underwent RT for curative management of STS were reviewed. Pre-RT and post-RT hematologic measures were evaluated for associations with survival outcomes.

A multi-institutional study to investigate the sparing effect after whole brain electron FLASH in mice: Reproducibility and temporal evolution of functional, electrophysiological, and neurogenic endpoints.

Background And Purpose: Ultra-high dose-rate radiotherapy (FLASH) has been shown to mitigate normal tissue toxicities associated with conventional dose rate radiotherapy (CONV) without compromising tumor killing in preclinical models. A prominent challenge in preclinical radiation research, including FLASH, is validating both the physical dosimetry and the biological effects across multiple institutions.

Materials And Methods: We previously demonstrated dosimetric reproducibility of two different electron FLASH devices at separate institutions using standardized phantoms and dosimeters.

Hallmarks of aging in age-related macular degeneration and age-related neurological disorders: novel insights into common mechanisms and clinical relevance.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and age-related neurological diseases (ANDs), such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases, are increasingly prevalent conditions that significantly contribute to global morbidity, disability, and mortality. The retina, as an accessible part of the central nervous system (CNS), provides a unique window to study brain aging and neurodegeneration. By examining the associations between AMD and ANDs, this review aims to highlight novel insights into fundamental mechanisms of aging and their role in neurodegenerative disease progression.

Novel artificial intelligence for diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema: what is new in 2024?

Purpose Of Review: Given the increasing global burden of diabetic retinopathy and the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, this review aims to summarize the current state of artificial intelligence technology in diabetic retinopathy detection and management, assessing its potential to improve care and visual outcomes in real-world settings.

Recent Findings: Most recent studies focused on the integration of artificial intelligence in the field of diabetic retinopathy screening, focusing on real-world efficacy and clinical implementation of such artificial intelligence models. Additionally, artificial intelligence holds the potential to predict diabetic retinopathy progression, enhance personalized treatment strategies, and identify systemic disease biomarkers from ocular images through 'oculomics', moving towards a more precise, efficient, and accessible care.

A gender-based analysis of retinal microvascular alterations in patients with diabetes mellitus using OCT angiography.

Purpose: To assess the difference in microvascular changes between males and females with diabetes mellitus (DM) without diabetic retinopathy (NoDR) and with mild-to-moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCT-A).

Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.

Methods: 267 DM patients, 133 females (49.

Structural plasticity of pyramidal cell neurons measured after FLASH and conventional dose-rate irradiation.

Evidence shows that ultra-high dose-rate FLASH-radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) protects against normal tissue complications and functional decrements in the irradiated brain. Past work has shown that radiation-induced cognitive impairment, neuroinflammation and reduced structural complexity of granule cell neurons were not observed to the same extent after FLASH-RT (> MGy/s) compared to conventional dose-rate (CONV, 0.1 Gy/s) delivery.

Navigating the Critical Translational Questions for Implementing FLASH in the Clinic.

The "FLASH effect" is an increased therapeutic index, that is, reduced normal tissue toxicity for a given degree of anti-cancer efficacy, produced by ultra-rapid irradiation delivered on time scales orders of magnitude shorter than currently conventional in the clinic for the same doses. This phenomenon has been observed in numerous preclinical in vivo tumor and normal tissue models. While the underlying biological mechanism(s) remain to be elucidated, a path to clinical implementation of FLASH can be paved by addressing several critical translational questions.

A second space age spanning omics, platforms and medicine across orbits.

The recent acceleration of commercial, private and multi-national spaceflight has created an unprecedented level of activity in low Earth orbit, concomitant with the largest-ever number of crewed missions entering space and preparations for exploration-class (lasting longer than one year) missions. Such rapid advancement into space from many new companies, countries and space-related entities has enabled a 'second space age'. This era is also poised to leverage, for the first time, modern tools and methods of molecular biology and precision medicine, thus enabling precision aerospace medicine for the crews.

Extracellular vesicles from GABAergic but not glutamatergic neurons protect against neurological dysfunction following cranial irradiation.

Cranial irradiation used to control brain malignancies invariably leads to progressive and debilitating declines in cognition. Clinical efforts implementing hippocampal avoidance and NMDAR antagonism, have sought to minimize dose to radiosensitive neurogenic regions while normalizing excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) tone. Results of these trials have yielded only marginal benefits to cognition, prompting current studies to evaluate the potential of systemic extracellular vesicle (EV) therapy to restore neurocognitive functionality in the irradiated brain.

4Ddosimetry for a FLASH electron beam using radiation-induced acoustic imaging.

. The primary goal of this research is to demonstrate the feasibility of radiation-induced acoustic imaging (RAI) as a volumetric dosimetry tool for ultra-high dose rate FLASH electron radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) in real time. This technology aims to improve patient outcomes by accurate measurements ofdose delivery to target tumor volumes.

Radiomics approach for identifying radiation-induced normal tissue toxicity in the lung.

Radiomic features were used in efforts to characterize radiation-induced normal tissue injury as well as identify if human embryonic stem cell (hESC) derived Extracellular Vesicle (EV) treatment could resolve certain adverse complications. A cohort of mice (n=12/group) were given whole lung irradiation (3×8Gy), local irradiation to the right lung apex (3×12Gy), or no irradiation. The hESC-derived EVs were systemically administered three times via retro-orbital injection immediately after each irradiation.

Clinical Features Related to OCT Angiography Artifacts in Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema.

Purpose: To investigate the frequency and type of artifacts on OCT angiography (OCTA) images and the relationship with clinical features in eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME).

Design: Retrospective, cross-sectional comparative study.

Subjects: One hundred ninety-two eyes of 140 patients with DME were included.

Acute Hypoxia Does Not Alter Tumor Sensitivity to FLASH Radiation Therapy.

Purpose: Tumor hypoxia is a major cause of treatment resistance, especially to radiation therapy at conventional dose rate (CONV), and we wanted to assess whether hypoxia does alter tumor sensitivity to FLASH.

Methods And Materials: We engrafted several tumor types (glioblastoma [GBM], head and neck cancer, and lung adenocarcinoma) subcutaneously in mice to provide a reliable and rigorous way to modulate oxygen supply via vascular clamping or carbogen breathing. We irradiated tumors using a single 20-Gy fraction at either CONV or FLASH, measured oxygen tension, monitored tumor growth, and sampled tumors for bulk RNAseq and pimonidazole analysis.

The Correlation Between Lymphocyte Nadir and Radiation Therapy for Soft Tissue Sarcoma: Defining Key Dosimetric Parameters and Outlining Clinical Significance.

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to identify key dosimetric parameters associated with postradiation therapy lymphopenia and uncover any effect on clinical outcomes.

Methods And Materials: This was a retrospective review of 69 patients (between April 2010 and January 2023) who underwent radiation therapy (RT) as a part of curative intent for soft tissue sarcoma (STS) at a single academic institution. All patients with treatment plans available to review and measurable absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) nadir within a year after completion of RT were included.

More May Not be Better: Enhanced Spacecraft Shielding May Exacerbate Cognitive Decrements by Increasing Pion Exposures during Deep Space Exploration.

The pervasiveness of deep space radiation remains a confounding factor for the transit of humans through our solar system. Spacecraft shielding both protects astronauts but also contributes to absorbed dose through galactic cosmic ray interactions that produce secondary particles. The resultant biological effects drop to a minimum for aluminum shielding around 20 g/cm2 but increase with additional shielding.

Exploring Patient Demographics and Presence of Retinal Vascular Disease in Paracentral Acute Middle Maculopathy.

Purpose: To investigate the sociodemographic profile, the association with retinal vascular diseases (RVD) and systemic comorbidities, and visual outcomes of patients with paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) in a large, ethnically diverse single-center cohort.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: Electronic health record query for all patients presenting with PAMM at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, was completed.

Complex 33-beam simulated galactic cosmic radiation exposure impacts cognitive function and prefrontal cortex neurotransmitter networks in male mice.

Astronauts will encounter extended exposure to galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) during deep space exploration, which could impair brain function. Here, we report that in male mice, acute or chronic GCR exposure did not modify reward sensitivity but did adversely affect attentional processes and increased reaction times. Potassium (K+)-stimulation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) elevated dopamine (DA) but abolished temporal DA responsiveness after acute and chronic GCR exposure.

Antitumor Effect by Either FLASH or Conventional Dose Rate Irradiation Involves Equivalent Immune Responses.

Purpose: The capability of ultrahigh dose rate FLASH radiation therapy to generate the FLASH effect has opened the possibility to enhance the therapeutic index of radiation therapy. The contribution of the immune response has frequently been hypothesized to account for a certain fraction of the antitumor efficacy and tumor kill of FLASH but has yet to be rigorously evaluated.

Methods And Materials: To investigate the immune response as a potentially important mechanism of the antitumor effect of FLASH, various murine tumor models were grafted either subcutaneously or orthotopically into immunocompetent mice or in moderately and severely immunocompromised mice.

A rigorous behavioral testing platform for the assessment of radiation-induced neurological outcomes.

Behavioral testing is a popular and reliable method of neurocognitive assessment of rodents but the lack of standard operating procedures has led to a high variation of protocols in use. Therefore, there exists a strong need to standardize protocols for a combined behavioral platform in order to maintain consistency across institutions and assist newcomers in the field. This paper provides details on the methodology of several behavioral tasks which have been validated in identifying radiation induced cognitive impairment as well as provide guidance on timescales and best practices.

Dosimetry of the PIM1 Pion Beam at the Paul Scherrer Institute for Radiobiological Studies of Mice.

Significant past work has identified unexpected risks of central nervous system (CNS) exposure to the space radiation environment, where long-lasting functional decrements have been associated with multiple ion species delivered at low doses and dose rates. As shielding is the only established intervention capable of limiting exposure to the dangerous radiation fields in space, the recent discovery that pions, emanating from regions of enhanced shielding, can contribute significantly to the total absorbed dose on a deep space mission poses additional concerns. As a prerequisite to biological studies evaluating pion dose equivalents for various CNS exposure scenarios of mice, a careful dosimetric validation study is required.