MRgRT real-time target localization using foundation models for contour point tracking and promptable mask refinement.

. This study aimed to evaluate two real-time target tracking approaches for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) based on foundation artificial intelligence models..

Patient-Specific Deep Learning Tracking Framework for Real-Time 2D Target Localization in Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Radiation Therapy.

Purpose: We propose a tumor tracking framework for 2D cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on a pair of deep learning (DL) models relying on patient-specific (PS) training.

Methods And Materials: The chosen DL models are: (1) an image registration transformer and (2) an auto-segmentation convolutional neural network (CNN). We collected over 1,400,000 cine MRI frames from 219 patients treated on a 0.

Effect of mesenchymal stem cells on the host response in severe community-acquired pneumonia.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have immune regulatory properties that may ameliorate pathophysiological processes in sepsis. We determined the effect of allogeneic adipose-derived MSCs (Cx611) on the host response during sepsis due to community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) by measuring 29 plasma biomarkers and blood transcriptomes at six time points in 82 patients randomised to two intravenous infusions of Cx611 or placebo. Cx611 treatment enhanced several endothelial cell and procoagulant response plasma biomarkers, and led to increased expression of pathways related to innate immunity, haemostasis and apoptosis.

Impact of bias field correction on 0.35 T pelvic MR images: evaluation on generative adversarial network-based OARs' auto-segmentation and visual grading assessment.

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided radiotherapy enables adaptive treatment plans based on daily anatomical changes and accurate organ visualization. However, the bias field artifact can compromise image quality, affecting diagnostic accuracy and quantitative analyses. This study aims to assess the impact of bias field correction on 0.

Comparison of deep learning networks for fully automated head and neck tumor delineation on multi-centric PET/CT images.

Objectives: Deep learning-based auto-segmentation of head and neck cancer (HNC) tumors is expected to have better reproducibility than manual delineation. Positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) are commonly used in tumor segmentation. However, current methods still face challenges in handling whole-body scans where a manual selection of a bounding box may be required.

Emerging Role of Astrocyte-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Active Participants in CNS Neuroimmune Responses.

Astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (ADEVs) have garnered attention as a fundamental mechanism of intercellular communication in health and disease. In the context of neurological diseases, for which prodromal diagnosis would be advantageous, ADEVs are also being explored for their potential utility as biomarkers. In this review, we provide the current state of data supporting our understanding on the manifold roles of ADEVs in several common neurological disorders.

The safety and efficacy of stem cells for the treatment of severe community-acquired bacterial pneumonia: A randomized clinical trial.

Purpose: Evaluate the safety profile of expanded allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (eASC) for the treatment of severe community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP).

Materials And Methods: Randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1b/2a trial. Patients with severe CABP were enrolled to receive intravenous infusions of Cx611 or placebo.

Real-time motion management in MRI-guided radiotherapy: Current status and AI-enabled prospects.

MRI-guided radiotherapy (MRIgRT) is a highly complex treatment modality, allowing adaptation to anatomical changes occurring from one treatment day to the other (inter-fractional), but also to motion occurring during a treatment fraction (intra-fractional). In this vision paper, we describe the different steps of intra-fractional motion management during MRIgRT, from imaging to beam adaptation, and the solutions currently available both clinically and at a research level. Furthermore, considering the latest developments in the literature, a workflow is foreseen in which motion-induced over- and/or under-dosage is compensated in 3D, with minimal impact to the radiotherapy treatment time.

ScatterNet for projection-based 4D cone-beam computed tomography intensity correction of lung cancer patients.

In radiotherapy, dose calculations based on 4D cone beam CTs (4DCBCTs) require image intensity corrections. This retrospective study compared the dose calculation accuracy of a deep learning, projection-based scatter correction workflow (ScatterNet), to slower workflows: conventional 4D projection-based scatter correction (CBCT) and a deformable image registration (DIR)-based method (4DvCT). For 26 lung cancer patients, planning CTs (pCTs), 4DCTs and CBCT projections were available.

Planning CT Identifies Patients at Risk of High Prostate Intrafraction Motion.

Prostate motion (standard deviation, range of motion, and diffusion coefficient) was calculated from 4D ultrasound data of 1791 fractions of radiation therapy in N = 100 patients. The inner diameter of the lesser pelvis was obtained from transversal slices through the pubic symphysis in planning CTs. On the lateral and craniocaudal axes, motility increases significantly (-test, < 0.

The Toxicity of Protein Aggregates: New Insights into the Mechanisms.

The aberrant aggregation of specific peptides and proteins is the common feature of a range of more than 50 human pathologies, collectively referred to as protein misfolding diseases [...

Short-Term Soy Bread Intervention Leads to a Dose-Response Increase in Urinary Isoflavone Metabolites and Satiety in Chronic Pancreatitis.

Patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) are particularly vulnerable to nutrient malabsorption and undernutrition caused by the underlying pathology of their disease. Dietary intervention trials involving soy isoflavones in patients with CP are limited and isoflavone metabolites have not yet been reported. We hypothesized soy bread containing plant-based protein, dietary fiber, and isoflavones would be well-tolerated and restore gut functional capacity which would lead to isoflavone metabolites profiles like those of healthy populations.

Vacuum-assisted Evacuation (VAEv) of Symptomatic and/or Voluminous Breast Haematomas Following Surgeries and Percutaneous Procedures.

Background/aim: Among postoperative complications in breast surgery, postoperative hematoma is the most common occurrence. While mostly self-limited, in some cases surgical revision is mandatory. Among percutaneous procedures, preliminary studies demonstrated the efficacy of vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VAB) in evacuating postprocedural breast hematomas.

A convolutional neural network with self-attention for fully automated metabolic tumor volume delineation of head and neck cancer in [Formula: see text]F]FDG PET/CT.

Purpose: PET-derived metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis of the primary tumor are known to be prognostic of clinical outcome in head and neck cancer (HNC). Including evaluation of lymph node metastases can further increase the prognostic value of PET but accurate manual delineation and classification of all lesions is time-consuming and prone to interobserver variability. Our goal, therefore, was development and evaluation of an automated tool for MTV delineation/classification of primary tumor and lymph node metastases in PET/CT investigations of HNC patients.

Evaluation of real-time tumor contour prediction using LSTM networks for MR-guided radiotherapy.

Background And Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) with deformable multileaf collimator (MLC) tracking would allow to tackle both rigid displacement and tumor deformation without prolonging treatment. However, the system latency must be accounted for by predicting future tumor contours in real-time. We compared the performance of three artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms based on long short-term memory (LSTM) modules for the prediction of 2D-contours 500ms into the future.

Disorder of sex development: a rare case of a boy with an XY karyotype and Magnetic Resonance Imaging findings of hermaphroditism.

Disorders of sexual differentiation are rare congenital conditions in which the chromosomal, anatomic or gonadal sex development is atypical. In some of these patients, chromosomal sex is inconsistent with phenotypic sex; in other cases, the phenotype is not classifiable as either male or female, resulting in a condition known as ambiguous genitalia. These are very complex cases in which diagnostic certainty is not always possible.

The Role of Emotional Intelligence and Metacognition in Teachers' Stress during Pandemic Remote Working: A Moderated Mediation Model.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, in adapting to social and work changes and new technological methods for remote teaching, teachers were subjected to increased work pressure, which affected their well-being and led to increased negative stress and burnout. This study was designed to test whether dysfunctional outcomes resulting from adapting to new ways of teaching via technological tools can be mitigated by the protective factors of emotional intelligence and metacognition. The study involved 604 teachers in Sicily filling out a questionnaire consisting of four different scales: (1) the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SREIT); (2) the Metacognitive Functions Screening Scale (MFSS-30); (3) the Link Burnout Questionnaire (LBQ); and (4) the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale STSS-I.

Dentoskeletal effects of clear aligner vs twin block-a short-term study of functional appliances.

Purpose: The twin block (TB) is one of the most widely used functional appliances for the correction of class II malocclusions. Align Technology (San Jose, CA, USA) developed the Invisalign® mandibular advancement (MA) that replicates the mechanism of action of a functional appliance. The aim of this study was to compare the changes produced by the TB versus those by MA.

Isolated open tibial shaft fracture: a seven-hospital, prospective observational study in two Latin America countries.

Introduction: open tibial fractures are challenging due to the frequent severe bone injury associated with poor soft tissue conditions. This is relevant in low- and middle-income countries, mainly related to delayed definitive fixation and lack of adequate training in soft tissue coverage procedures. Due to these factors, open tibial fracture is an important source of disability for Latin American countries.

DeepClassPathway: Molecular pathway aware classification using explainable deep learning.

Objective: HPV-associated head and neck cancer is correlated with favorable prognosis; however, its underlying biology is not fully understood. We propose an explainable convolutional neural network (CNN) classifier, DeepClassPathway, that predicts HPV-status and allows patient-specific identification of molecular pathways driving classifier decisions.

Methods: The CNN was trained to classify HPV-status on transcriptome data from 264 (13% HPV-positive) and tested on 85 (25% HPV-positive) head and neck squamous carcinoma patients after transformation into 2D-treemaps representing molecular pathways.

18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography of Head and Neck Cancer: Location and HPV Specific Parameters for Potential Treatment Individualization.

Purpose: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is utilized for staging and treatment planning of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Some older publications on the prognostic relevance showed inconclusive results, most probably due to small study sizes. This study evaluates the prognostic and potentially predictive value of FDG-PET in a large multi-center analysis.

Deep learning based time-to-event analysis with PET, CT and joint PET/CT for head and neck cancer prognosis.

Objectives: Recent studies have shown that deep learning based on pre-treatment positron emission tomography (PET) or computed tomography (CT) is promising for distant metastasis (DM) and overall survival (OS) prognosis in head and neck cancer (HNC). However, lesion segmentation is typically required, resulting in a predictive power susceptible to variations in primary and lymph node gross tumor volume (GTV) segmentation. This study aimed at achieving prognosis without GTV segmentation, and extending single modality prognosis to joint PET/CT to allow investigating the predictive performance of combined- compared to single-modality inputs.

Anatomical aspects and technical note of a modified retropharyngeal approach and reconstruction of the anterior occipitocervical junction.

Surgery to expose the anterior occiptocervical junction (OCJ) is exacting, and optimal approaches are debatable. The close proximity of vital structures and difficult surgical access present a unique challenge to treat lesions in this area. Routine access to the upper anterior cervical spine remains limited.