Paired and solitary ionocytes in the zebrafish olfactory epithelium.

The sense of smell is generated by electrical currents that are influenced by the concentration of ions in olfactory sensory neurons and mucus. In contrast to the extensive morphological and molecular characterization of sensory neurons, there has been little description of the cells that control ion concentrations in the zebrafish olfactory system. Here, we report the molecular and ultrastructural characterization of zebrafish olfactory ionocytes.

Stem and progenitor cell proliferation are independently regulated by cell type-specific genes.

Regeneration and homeostatic turnover of solid tissues depend on the proliferation of symmetrically dividing adult stem cells, which either remain stem cells or differentiate based on their niche position. Here we demonstrate that in zebrafish lateral line sensory organs, stem and progenitor cell proliferation are independently regulated by two genes. Loss of impairs stem cell proliferation during development, while loss of disrupts hair cell progenitor proliferation but allows normal differentiation.

Impact of Proton Irradiation Depending on Breast Cancer Subtype in Patient-Derived Cell Lines.

Research on different types of ionizing radiation's effects has been ongoing for years, revealing its efficacy in damaging cancer cells. Solid tumors comprise diverse cell types, each being able to respond differently to radiation. This study evaluated the radiobiological response of established (MDA-MB-231 (Triple negative breast cancer, TNBC), MCF-7 (Luminal A)) and patient-derived malignant cell lines, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and skin fibroblasts following proton IRR.

Environmental and molecular control of tissue-specific ionocyte differentiation in zebrafish.

Organisms cope with environmental fluctuations and maintain fitness in part via reversible phenotypic changes (acclimation). Aquatic animals are subject to dramatic seasonal fluctuations in water salinity, which affect osmolarity of their cells and consequently cellular function. Mechanosensory lateral line hair cells detect water motion for swimming behavior and are especially susceptible to salinity changes due to their direct contact with the environment.

Forecasting model for qualitative prediction of the results of patient-specific quality assurance based on planning and complexity metrics and their interrelations. Pilot study.

Background: The purpose was to analyse the interrelations between planning and complexity metrics and gamma passing rates (GPRs) obtained from VMAT treatments and build the forecasting models for qualitative prediction (QD) of GPRs results.

Materials And Method: 802 treatment arcs from the plans prepared for the head and neck, thorax, abdomen, and pelvic cancers were analysed. The plans were verified by portal dosimetry and analysed twice using the gamma method with 3%|2mm and 2%|2mm acceptance criteria.

[F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in combination with clinical data in predicting overall survival in non-small-cell lung cancer patients: A retrospective study.

Introduction: Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has an established role in evaluating patients with lung cancer. The aim of this work was to assess the predictive capability of [F]Fluorodeoxyglucose ([F]FDG) PET/CT parameters on overall survival (OS) in lung cancer patients using an artificial neural network (ANN) in parallel with conventional statistical analysis.

Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on a group of 165 lung cancer patients (98M, 67F).

Environmental and molecular control of tissue-specific ionocyte differentiation in zebrafish.

Organisms adjust their physiology to cope with environmental fluctuations and maintain fitness. These adaptations occur via genetic changes over multiple generations or through acclimation, a set of reversible phenotypic changes that confer resilience to the individual. Aquatic organisms are subject to dramatic seasonal fluctuations in water salinity, which can affect the function of lateral line mechanosensory hair cells.

The less complex temporal patterns of resting‑state EEG activity, the lower the visual temporal order threshold.

Speech understanding, watching a movie, listening to music etc., requires perception of the temporal order of at least two incoming events. A history of performing these tasks may be reflected in spontaneous brain activity.

Multivariate multiscale entropy (mMSE) as a tool for understanding the resting-state EEG signal dynamics: the spatial distribution and sex/gender-related differences.

Background: The study aimed to determine how the resting-state EEG (rsEEG) complexity changes both over time and space (channels). The complexity of rsEEG and its sex/gender differences were examined using the multivariate Multiscale Entropy (mMSE) in 95 healthy adults. Following the probability maps (Giacometti et al.

XEN-63 Compared to XEN-45 Gel Stents to Reduce Intraocular Pressure in Glaucoma.

The XEN gel stent reduces intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucoma. XEN-45 is widely used; the newer XEN-63 has a larger lumen targeting potentially lower IOP outcomes. We retrospectively compared the first 15 XEN-63 cases to 15 matched XEN-45 controls.

Optimization of the regularization parameter in the Dual Annealing method used for the reconstruction of energy spectrum of electron beam generated by the AQURE mobile accelerator.

Introduction: The shape of the energy spectrum is an essential component of any electron beam Monte Carlo model. Due to specialized equipment and the long measurement time for the direct methods for determining the energy spectrum, attractive alternatives are backward spectrum reconstructions from the measured data. One such approach is solving the first-degree Fredholm integral equation with appropriate regularization.

Adaptive phase contrast microscopy to compensate for the meniscus effect.

Phase contrast is one of the most important microscopic methods for making visible transparent, unstained cells. Cell cultures are often cultivated in microtiter plates, consisting of several cylindrical wells. The surface tension of the culture medium forms a liquid lens within the well, causing phase contrast conditions to fail in the more curved edge areas, preventing cell observation.

LIFTOSCOPE: development of an automated AI-based module for time-effective and contactless analysis and isolation of cells in microtiter plates.

Background: The cultivation, analysis, and isolation of single cells or cell cultures are fundamental to modern biological and medical processes. The novel LIFTOSCOPE technology aims to integrate analysis and isolation into one versatile, fully automated device.

Methods: LIFTOSCOPE's three core technologies are high-speed microscopy for rapid full-surface imaging of cell culture vessels, AI-based semantic segmentation of microscope images for localization and evaluation of cells, and laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) for contact-free isolation of cells and cell clusters.

The utility of F-FDG PET/CT in brain tumours diagnosis.

Background: The purpose of the study was to discuss whether 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) study protocol should include brain imaging.

Materials And Methods: Analysis of international societies recommendations compared with the original data obtained in over 1000 consecutive torso and brain F-FDG PET/CT studies collected in 2010.

Results: According to the international societies recommendations, the F-FDG should not be the radiotracer of choice considering the brain region PET/CT study.

Treatment-integrated imaging, radiomics, and personalised radiotherapy: the future is at hand.

Since the introduction of computed tomography for planning purposes in the 1970s, we have been observing a continuous development of different imaging methods in radiotherapy. The current achievements of imaging technologies in radiotherapy enable more than just improvement of accuracy on the planning stage. Through integrating imaging with treatment machines, they allow advanced control methods of dose delivery during the treatment.

Resting-state fMRI functional connectivity of the left temporal parietal junction is associated with visual temporal order threshold.

The study aimed to determine the relationship between the millisecond timing, measured by visual temporal order threshold (TOT), i.e. a minimum gap between two successive stimuli necessary to judge a before-after relation, and resting-state fMRI functional connectivity (rsFC).

An anti-inflammatory activation sequence governs macrophage transcriptional dynamics during tissue injury in zebrafish.

Macrophages are essential for tissue repair and regeneration. Yet, the molecular programs, as well as the timing of their activation during and after tissue injury are poorly defined. Using a high spatio-temporal resolution single cell analysis of macrophages coupled with live imaging after sensory hair cell death in zebrafish, we find that the same population of macrophages transitions through a sequence of three major anti-inflammatory activation states.

Prediction of Incomplete Response of Primary Tumour Based on Clinical and Radiomics Features in Inoperable Head and Neck Cancers after Definitive Treatment.

Radical treatment of patients diagnosed with inoperable and locally advanced head and neck cancers (LAHNC) is still a challenge for clinicians. Prediction of incomplete response (IR) of primary tumour would be of value to the treatment optimization for patients with LAHNC. Aim of this study was to develop and evaluate models based on clinical and radiomics features for prediction of IR in patients diagnosed with LAHNC and treated with definitive chemoradiation or radiotherapy.

Plan quality assessment in clinical practice: Results of the 2020 ESTRO survey on plan complexity and robustness.

Purpose: Plan complexity and robustness are two essential aspects of treatment plan quality but there is a great variability in their management in clinical practice. This study reports the results of the 2020 ESTRO survey on plan complexity and robustness to identify needs and guide future discussions and consensus.

Methods: A survey was distributed online to ESTRO members.

Cell Cluster Sorting in Automated Differentiation of Patient-specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Towards Blood Cells.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) represent a particularly versatile stem cell type for a large array of applications in biology and medicine. Taking full advantage of iPS cell technology requires high throughput and automated iPS cell culture and differentiation. We present an automated platform for efficient and robust iPS cell culture and differentiation into blood cells.

Criteria for Verification and Replanning Based on the Adaptive Radiotherapy Protocol "Best for Adaptive Radiotherapy" in Head and Neck Cancer.

No clear criteria have yet been established to guide decision-making for patient selection and the optimal timing of adaptive radiotherapy (ART) based on image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT). We have developed a novel protocol—the Best for Adaptive Radiotherapy (B-ART) protocol—to guide patient selection for ART. The aim of the present study is to describe this protocol, to evaluate its validity in patients with head and neck (HN) cancer, and to identify the anatomical and clinical predictors of the need for replanning.