Mini-Batch Alignment: A Deep-Learning Model for Domain Factor-Independent Feature Extraction for Wi-Fi-CSI Data.

Unobtrusive sensing (device-free sensing) aims to embed sensing into our daily lives. This is achievable by re-purposing communication technologies already used in our environments. Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) sensing, using Channel State Information (CSI) measurement data, seems to be a perfect fit for this purpose since Wi-Fi networks are already omnipresent.

Telemonitoring for Patients With COVID-19: Recommendations for Design and Implementation.

Despite significant efforts, the COVID-19 pandemic has put enormous pressure on health care systems around the world, threatening the quality of patient care. Telemonitoring offers the opportunity to carefully monitor patients with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 from home and allows for the timely identification of worsening symptoms. Additionally, it may decrease the number of hospital visits and admissions, thereby reducing the use of scarce resources, optimizing health care capacity, and minimizing the risk of viral transmission.

[Anticholinergic syndrome caused by contaminated herbal tea; acting swiftly to identify the source].

Background: Despite good manufacturing practice and quality control, consumer products can become contaminated. In some cases, this can result in severe and life-threatening intoxication with potentially fatal consequences.

Case Description: A 27-year-old man and a 28-year-old pregnant woman presented to the Emergency Department with severe anticholinergic syndrome after using a marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis) herbal remedy, mixed into hot chocolate drink, to reduce symptoms of common cold.

DCE-MRI and IVIM-MRI of rabbit Vx2 tumors treated with MR-HIFU-induced mild hyperthermia.

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether changes could be detected in dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) and intra-voxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MR parameters upon MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU)-induced hyperthermia in a rabbit Vx2 tumor model.

Methods: Five Vx2 tumor-bearing New Zealand white rabbits were treated with hyperthermia using a clinical MR-HIFU system. Data were acquired before and after hyperthermia.

MRI monitoring of nanocarrier accumulation and release using Gadolinium-SPIO co-labelled thermosensitive liposomes.

Encapsulation of anticancer drugs in triggerable nanocarriers can beneficially modify pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of chemotherapeutic drugs, and consequently increase tumor drug concentration and efficacy, while reducing side effects. Thermosensitive liposomes release their contents triggered by hyperthermia, which can be, for example, precisely delivered using an MR Imaging-guided focused ultrasound procedure. In such a scenario, it is attractive to demonstrate the accumulation of liposomes before applying hyperthermia, as well as to document the release of liposome content using MRI.

Holmium-lipiodol-alginate microspheres for fluoroscopy-guided embolotherapy and multimodality imaging.

Embolotherapy is a minimally invasive transcatheter technique aiming at reduction or complete obstruction of the blood flow by infusion of micro-sized particles in order to induce tumor regression. A major drawback of the current commercially available and clinically used microspheres is that they cannot be detected in vivo with medical imaging techniques, impeding intra- and post-procedural feedback. It can be expected that real-time monitoring of microsphere infusion and post-procedural imaging will result in better predictability and higher efficacy of the treatment.

Rapid dynamic R1 /R2 */temperature assessment: a method with potential for monitoring drug delivery.

Local drug delivery by hyperthermia-induced drug release from thermosensitive liposomes (TSLs) may reduce the systemic toxicity of chemotherapy, whilst maintaining or increasing its efficacy. Relaxivity contrast agents can be co-encapsulated with the drug to allow the visualization of the presence of liposomes, by means of R2 *, as well as the co-release of the contrast agent and the drug, by means of R1, on heating. Here, the mathematical method used to extract both R2 * and R1 from a fast dynamic multi-echo spoiled gradient echo (ME-SPGR) is presented and analyzed.

Triggered release of doxorubicin from temperature-sensitive poly(N-(2-hydroxypropyl)-methacrylamide mono/dilactate) grafted liposomes.

The objective of this study was to design temperature-sensitive liposomes with tunable release characteristics that release their content at an elevated temperature generated by high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) exposure. To this end, thermosensitive polymers of N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide mono/dilactate of different molecular weights and composition with a cholesterol anchor (chol-pHPMAlac) were synthesized and grafted onto liposomes loaded with doxorubicin (DOX). The liposomes were incubated at different temperatures and their release kinetics were studied.

New insights into the HIFU-triggered release from polymeric micelles.

Continuous wave (CW), low frequency, high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a promising modality to trigger release of active compounds from polymeric micelles. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether high frequency CW as well as pulsed wave (PW) HIFU can induce the release of a hydrophobic agent from non-cross-linked (NCL) and core cross-linked (CCL) poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly[N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide-lactate] (mPEG-b-p(HPMAm-Lac(n))) micelles. It was shown that high frequency CW as well as PW HIFU was able to trigger the release (up to 85%) of a hydrophobic compound (i.

Evidence for a new mechanism behind HIFU-triggered release from liposomes.

A promising approach for local drug delivery is high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)-triggered release of drugs from stimuli-responsive nanoparticles such as liposomes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether another release mechanism is involved with HIFU-triggered release from liposomes beside cavitation and temperature. Furthermore, it was studied whether this new release mechanism allows the release of lipophilic compounds.

Alginate-lanthanide microspheres for MRI-guided embolotherapy.

In cancer therapy, a promising treatment option to accomplish a high tumor-to-normal-tissue ratio is endovascular intervention with microsized particles, such as embolotherapy. In this study, alginate microspheres (ams) were prepared with the JetCutter technique, which is based on cutting a sodium alginate solution jet stream into small droplets of uniform size which are then cross-linked with different lanthanides or iron-III, resulting in microspheres of a predefined size which can be visualized by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The microspheres were investigated for their size and morphology (light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis), cation content and MRI properties.

A novel approach to identify non-palpable breast lesions combining fluorescent liposomes and magnetic resonance-guided high intensity focused ultrasound-triggered release.

The combination of fluorescein-containing liposomes (FCL) and magnetic resonance-guided high intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU)-triggered release is a promising approach for lesion demarcation and more efficient removal of non-palpable breast lesions. Exposure of FCL to ablation temperatures (60 °C) using MR-HIFU would result in palpable, stained tumors, which are more easy to identify during surgical resection. In this study, proof-of-concept concerning fluorescent FCL for MR-HIFU-triggered release and tumor demarcation of non-palpable breast lesions is presented.

Polymeric micelles in anticancer therapy: targeting, imaging and triggered release.

Micelles are colloidal particles with a size around 5-100 nm which are currently under investigation as carriers for hydrophobic drugs in anticancer therapy. Currently, five micellar formulations for anticancer therapy are under clinical evaluation, of which Genexol-PM has been FDA approved for use in patients with breast cancer. Micelle-based drug delivery, however, can be improved in different ways.