Increased in vitro production of bovine embryos resulting from oocyte maturation in the presence of triciribine, a specific inhibitor of AKT.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of triciribine, a selective Akt inhibitor, on various aspects of oocyte maturation and on the IVF of bovine embryos. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were matured in vitro in medium supplemented with: 0 (control), 1, 5, 10, and 20 μM of triciribine. The nuclear maturation was assessed by staining with acetic orcein, while the cytoplasmic maturation was evaluated by mitochondrial (MitoTracker® Red CMXRos) and lipid droplets distribution (LipidTOX).

Radiation Therapy for Meningiomas - Where Do We Stand and What's on the Horizon?

Radiation therapy, including conventionally fractionated external beam radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, and fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy, is a cornerstone in the interdisciplinary management of meningiomas. Recent advances in radiation oncology and also in other fields, such as neuropathology and imaging, have various implications for meningioma radiation therapy. This review aims to summarize current and anticipated developments, as well as active clinical trials related to the use of radiation therapy for meningiomas.

Unique brain injury patterns after proton vs photon radiotherapy for WHO grade 2-3 gliomas.

Background: Central nervous system (CNS) injury following brain-directed radiotherapy remains a major challenge. Proton radiotherapy (PRT) minimizes radiation to healthy brain, potentially limiting sequelae. We characterized CNS radiotoxicity, including radiation-induced leukoencephalopathy (RIL), brain tissue necrosis (TN), and cerebral microbleeds (CMB), in glioma patients treated with PRT or photons (XRT).

PW-SMD: A Plane-Wave Implicit Solvation Model Based on Electron Density for Surface Chemistry and Crystalline Systems in Aqueous Solution.

Electron density-based implicit solvation models are a class of techniques for quantifying solvation effects and calculating free energies of solvation without an explicit representation of solvent molecules. Integral to the accuracy of solvation modeling is the proper definition of the solvation shell separating the solute molecule from the solvent environment, allowing for a physical partitioning of the free energies of solvation. Unlike state-of-the-art implicit solvation models for molecular quantum chemistry calculations, .

Modernization of safety environment for a dedicated beamline for proton ocular therapy.

Background: Proton therapy is an effective treatment for ocular melanoma, and other tumors of the eye. The fixed horizontal beamline dedicated to ocular treatments at Massachusetts General Hospital was originally commissioned in 2002, with much of the equipment, safety features, and practices dating back to an earlier implementation at Harvard Cyclotron in the 1970s.

Purpose: To describe the experience of reevaluation and enhancement of the safety environment for one of the longest continuously operating proton therapy programs.