Automated robotic-assisted patient positioning method and dosimetric impact analysis for boron neutron capture therapy.

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) represents a revolutionary approach in targeted radiation treatment for cancer. While the therapy's potential in precise targeting is well-recognized, a critical bottleneck remains in the accurate positioning of patients for treatment delivery. This study proposes a novel automated robotic-assisted patient positioning system specifically engineered for BNCT applications.

A novel method for spine ultrasound and X-ray radiograph registration.

Ultrasound is a promising imaging method for scoliosis evaluation because it is radiation free and provide real-time images. However, it cannot provide bony details because ultrasound cannot penetrate the bony structure. Therefore, registration of real-time ultrasound images with the previous X-ray radiograph can help physicians understand the spinal deformity of patients.

Novel automated spinal ultrasound segmentation approach for scoliosis visualization.

Scoliosis is a 3D deformity of the spine in which one or more segments of the spine curve laterally, usually with rotation of the vertebral body. Generally, having a Cobb angle (Cobb) greater than 10° can be considered scoliosis. In spine imaging, reliable and accurate identification and segmentation of bony features are crucial for scoliosis assessment, disease diagnosis, and treatment planning.

Study on the tissue clearing process using different agents by Mueller matrix microscope.

In this paper, we monitor the in vitro tissue clearing process of mouse dorsal skin immersed into two types of agents using Mueller matrix microscope. By Mueller matrix polar decomposition, we can see that the major difference between polarization changes due to two kinds of agents is the opposite trend of phase retardance with clearing. For the insight of the connection between different agents with the microstructural and optical changes of cleared tissues, we establish various models to mimic the dynamic process of microphysical features of tissues with clearing time.

Mueller matrix polarimetry for characterizing microstructural variation of nude mouse skin during tissue optical clearing.

We investigate the polarization features corresponding to changes in the microstructure of nude mouse skin during immersion in a glycerol solution. By comparing the Mueller matrix imaging experiments and Monte Carlo simulations, we examine in detail how the Mueller matrix elements vary with the immersion time. The results indicate that the polarization features represented by Mueller matrix elements m22&m33&m44 and the absolute values of m34&m43 are sensitive to the immersion time.

Reciprocal genomic evolution in the ant-fungus agricultural symbiosis.

The attine ant-fungus agricultural symbiosis evolved over tens of millions of years, producing complex societies with industrial-scale farming analogous to that of humans. Here we document reciprocal shifts in the genomes and transcriptomes of seven fungus-farming ant species and their fungal cultivars. We show that ant subsistence farming probably originated in the early Tertiary (55-60 MYA), followed by further transitions to the farming of fully domesticated cultivars and leaf-cutting, both arising earlier than previously estimated.

Comparative genomics reveals insights into avian genome evolution and adaptation.

Birds are the most species-rich class of tetrapod vertebrates and have wide relevance across many research fields. We explored bird macroevolution using full genomes from 48 avian species representing all major extant clades. The avian genome is principally characterized by its constrained size, which predominantly arose because of lineage-specific erosion of repetitive elements, large segmental deletions, and gene loss.