REGENERATE-COBRA: A phase II randomized sham-controlled trial assessing the safety and efficacy of intracoronary administration of autologous bone marrow-derived cells in patients with refractory angina.

Aims: The REGENERATE-COBRA trial (NCT05711849) will assess the safety and efficacy of an intracoronary infusion of autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells in refractory angina patients with no revascularization options who are symptomatic despite optimal medical and device therapy.

Methods: REGENERATE-COBRA is a single site, blinded, randomized, sham-controlled, Phase II clinical trial enrolling 110 refractory angina patients with no revascularization options who are symptomatic despite optimal medical and device therapy. Patients will be randomized to either autologous bone marrow derived-mononuclear cells or a sham procedure.

The effect of CTCA guided selective invasive graft assessment on coronary angiographic parameters and outcomes: Insights from the BYPASS-CTCA trial.

Background: Computed tomography cardiac angiography (CTCA) is recommended for the evaluation of patients with prior coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The BYPASS-CTCA study demonstrated that CTCA prior to invasive coronary angiography (ICA) in CABG patients leads to significant reductions in procedure time and contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), alongside improved patient satisfaction. However, whether CTCA information was used to facilitate selective graft cannulation at ICA was not protocol mandated.

An Optical Sensory System for Assessment of Residual Cancer Burden in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) require precise and accurate evaluation of treatment response. Residual cancer burden (RCB) is a prognostic tool widely used to estimate survival outcomes in breast cancer. In this study, we introduced a machine-learning-based optical biosensor called the Opti-scan probe to assess residual cancer burden in breast cancer patients undergoing NAC.

DCM Support: cell therapy and circulatory support for dilated cardiomyopathy patients with severe ventricular impairment.

Aims: The DCM Support trial (NCT03572660) uses a percutaneous circulatory support device (Impella CP, Abiomed, Danvers, MA, USA) to improve the safety of an intracoronary cell infusion procedure in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and a severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Methods And Results: DCM Support is a single-site, single-arm Phase II trial enrolling 20 symptomatic DCM patients with an LVEF ≤ 35% despite optimal medical and device therapy. After 5 days of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapy and a subsequent bone marrow aspiration, patients undergo an intracoronary infusion of autologous bone-marrow-derived mononuclear cells.

Case report: Cytokine therapy and an intracoronary autologous bone marrow-derived cell infusion with Impella support in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy and a severely reduced ejection fraction.

Introduction: This is the first reported case of a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and severely impaired left ventricular function to receive a combined treatment of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapy and an intracoronary delivery of autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells with percutaneous circulatory assistance (the Impella CP device; Abiomed, Danvers, MA).

Main Symptoms And Outcome: Three months post-treatment, the gentleman in his early 70s demonstrated an improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (13-17%) and a reduction in New York Heart Association class from III to class I. There was also an improvement in his 6-minute walk test (147-357 meters), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide level (14,099-7,129 ng/l) and quality of life scores.

Translation of a portable diffuse optical breast scanner probe for clinical application: a preliminary study.

Most breast cancer lesions absorb higher levels of near-infrared (NIR) radiation compared to healthy breast tissue due to its increased vascularity. Oxy-hemoglobin (HbO) and deoxy-hemoglobin (Hb) primarily found in cancerous vascular lesions, absorbs higher levels of radiation in the 650 nm to 850 nm wavelength range than the surrounding fatty tissue and water in the human breast. NIR diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) provides real-time functional and compositional information based on the optical properties of biological tissues, which cannot be accomplished by other portable breast imaging modalities.

Commissioning a four-dimensional Computed Tomography Simulator for minimum target size due to motion in the Anterior-Posterior direction: a procedure and treatment planning recommendations.

The purpose of this work is to develop a procedure for commissioning four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) algorithms for minimum target reconstruction size, to quantify the effect of anterior-posterior (AP) motion artifacts on known object reconstruction for periodic and irregular breathing patterns, and to provide treatment planning recommendations for target sizes below a minimum threshold. A mechanical platform enabled AP motion of a rod and lung phantom during 4DCT acquisition. Static, artifact-free scans of the phantoms were first acquired.

Automated air kerma strength quality assurance of permanent seed implant prostate brachytherapy sources using vendor autoradiographs.

Purpose: To develop a novel quality assurance (QA) program to determine the air kerma strength (AKS) of brachytherapy seeds within preloaded needles using autoradiographs alone, without jeopardizing sterility or necessitating procedural changes either by the vendor or in the operating room.

Methods And Materials: Digital autoradiographs of QA seed orders and sterile preloaded needles were acquired. Regions of interest of each preloaded seed were determined through an iterative scanning process identifying changes from background levels to radioactivity exposure.

Validation of Three-dimensional Electronic Portal Imaging Device-based PerFRACTION™ Software for Patient-Specific Quality Assurance.

Purpose: PerFRACTION™ is a three-dimensional (3D) electronic portal imaging device-based dosimetry software. To validate the software, three phantoms with different inserts (2D array, ionization chamber, and inhomogeneity materials) were constructed to evaluate point dose and fluence map.

Materials And Methods: Phantoms underwent independent computed tomography simulation for planning and received repetitive fractions of volumetric modulated arc therapy, simulating prostate treatment.

Local crystal structure and mechanical properties of sputtered Ti-doped AlN thin films.

In this article, we predominantly report the investigation of the local crystal structure around a Ti dopant by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and the nano-mechanical properties of co-sputtered Al1-xTixN (x = 0 to 4%) thin films. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) results show that these films are crystallized with the hexagonal wurtzite structure of AlN. Surface chemical analysis and morphology analysis of Al1-xTixN films are executed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques, respectively.

Local crystal structure in the vicinity of Cr in doped AlN thin films studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

This article reports the detailed X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) study of Al1-xCrxN (x = 4, 6, 11%) thin films synthesized by the reactive magnetron co-sputtering technique. All these films were crystallized with a hexagonal wurtzite structure with preferential orientation along the a-axis without the formation of any secondary phases. Surface chemical analysis to evaluate the Cr concentration was carried out using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Tunable transport property of oxygen ion in metal oxide thin film: Impact of electrolyte orientation on conductivity.

Quest for efficient ion conducting electrolyte thin film operating at intermediate temperature (~600 °C) holds promise for the real-world utilization of solid oxide fuel cells. Here, we report the correlation between mixed as well as preferentially oriented samarium doped cerium oxide electrolyte films fabricated by varying the substrate temperatures (100, 300 and 500 °C) over anode/ quartz by electron beam physical vapor deposition. Pole figure analysis of films deposited at 300 °C demonstrated a preferential (111) orientation in out-off plane direction, while a mixed orientation was observed at 100 and 500 °C.

Template-based Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy: A Cost-effective Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Planning Procedure for Prostate Cancer.

Introduction: Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has been widely accepted for the treatment of prostate cancer. In comparison with traditional three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT), it improves local control while minimizing side effects. However, IMRT comes at a significantly higher cost.

Evaluation of the nanostructure of cervical third cementum in health and chronic periodontitis: An in vitro study.

Background: During the progression of periodontal disease, the cementum undergoes alterations in its structure and composition. Understanding the nanostructure of cementum, in terms of its mechanical properties, will provide an insight into the milieu that periodontal ligament cells encounter in health and chronic periodontitis. This study aims to analyze the nanomechanical properties of the cervical third of the cementum (transverse section) in health and chronic periodontitis.

Nanomechanical and optical properties of yttrium thin films by magnetron sputtering.

This Letter reports on nanomechanical and optical properties of yttrium thin films deposited on an Si (100) wafer. Elemental depth profiling by a secondary ion mass spectrometer revealed absence of formation of yttrium hydride, both on the surface and beneath. The optical properties were investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry, and the refractive indices extracted after suitable modeling were found to be 2.

An approach for measuring the spatial orientations of a computed-tomography simulation system.

The quality assurance tests for measuring the spatial orientations between tabletop, external patient positioning lasers, couch longitudinal moving direction, and imaging plane in a CT simulation system are a complicated and time-consuming process. We proposed a simple and efficient approach to acquire the angular deviations of spatial orientations between these components. An in-house cross-jig was used in this study.

Template-based breast IMRT planning for increased workload efficiency.

Background: To be less resource intensive, we developed a template-based breast IMRT technique (TB-IMRT). This study aims to compare resources and dose distribution between TB-IMRT and conventional breast radiation (CBR).

Methods: Twenty patients with early stage breast cancer were planned using CBR and TB-IMRT.

Poster - Thur Eve - 47: Evaluation of the ArcCHECK device for commissioning and patient-specific QA.

The most promising method of accurately verifying VMAT treatments is by direct dose measurement over the three dimensions of irradiated volume. ArcCHECK device (Sun Nuclear, Melbourne, FL) have the potential to detect delivery errors on the treatment machine due to mechanical problems resulting from gantry and MLC motion. The estimation of the dosimetric leaf gap (DLG) parameter for Varian MLC (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) was attempted using ArcCHECK.

Poster - Thur Eve - 57: Craniospinal irradiation with jagged-junction IMRT approach without beam edge matching for field junctions.

Purpose: Craniospinal irradiation were traditionally treated the central nervous system using two or three adjacent field sets. A intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plan (Jagged-Junction IMRT) which overcomes problems associated with field junctions and beam edge matching, improves planning and treatment setup efficiencies with homogenous target dose distribution was developed.

Methods And Materials: Jagged-Junction IMRT was retrospectively planned on three patients with prescription of 36 Gy in 20 fractions and compared to conventional treatment plans.

A three-isocenter jagged-junction IMRT approach for craniospinal irradiation without beam edge matching for field junctions.

Purpose: Traditionally craniospinal irradiation treats the central nervous system using two or three adjacent field sets. We propose a technique using a three-isocenter intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plan (jagged-junction IMRT) which overcomes problems associated with field junctions and beam edge matching and improves planning and treatment setup efficiencies with homogenous target dose distribution.

Methods And Materials: Treatments for 3 patients with a prescription of 36 Gy in 20 fractions were retrospectively planned with jagged-junction IMRT and compared to conventional treatment plans.

Microstructural studies of nanocomposite thin films of Ni/CrN prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering.

Synthesis and characterization of nanocomposites of Ni/CrN thin films prepared by DC magnetron sputtering from a target of 50 wt.%Ni-50 wt.%Cr is investigated.

Nanoindentation and scratch studies on magnetron sputtered Ti thin films.

Ti thin films sputter deposited on D9 steel at two different temperatures were studied for their mechanical behavior under static and sliding contact conditions using nanoindentation and scratch tests. The film hardness measured at the surface of the coatings exhibited a value of 2.5 GPa, for both conditions.