Background: The electronic compensation (ECOMP) technique for breast radiation therapy provides excellent dose conformity and homogeneity. However, the manual fluence painting process presents a challenge for efficient clinical operation.
Purpose: To facilitate the clinical treatment planning automation of breast radiation therapy, we utilized reinforcement learning (RL) to develop an auto-planning tool that iteratively edits the fluence maps under the guidance of clinically relevant objectives.
William Budd (1811-1880) was a pioneering British physician whose work on infectious diseases, particularly typhoid fever, significantly advanced the understanding of epidemiology and public health in the 19th century. This review examines Budd's life, medical career, and groundbreaking contributions to the study of infectious diseases, focusing on his influential research into the transmission of typhoid fever, advocacy for public health reforms, and lasting legacy in epidemiology. Through meticulous research and innovative thinking, Budd laid the groundwork for modern approaches to disease control and prevention, cementing his place as a key figure in medical history.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This article outlines the evaluation model for the Cooking with Confidence (CWC) program, developed using Bandura's Social Learning Theory as its conceptual framework. The evaluation aimed to: (1) Examine participant characteristics in the CWC program, (2) Assess changes in cooking knowledge, skill acquisition, self-efficacy, and confidence, and (3) Identify barriers and facilitators to participant engagement. CWC is a community-based educational program designed to help autistic young adults develop independent living skills and promote health through hands-on cooking classes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe dissemination of tumor cells with ensuing metastasis is responsible for most cancer-related deaths. Cancer vaccines may, by inducing tumor-specific effector T cells, offer a strategy to eliminate metastasizing tumor cells. However, several obstacles remain in the development of effective cancer vaccines, including the identification of adjuvants that enhance the evolvement and efficacy of tumor-specific T cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNoninvasive diagnosis of human diseases relies on the detection of molecular markers (probes) in a painless manner. Although extrinsic and intrinsic molecular markers are often used, intrinsic disease probes (molecular markers) are preferable because they are naturally present in our body, and deviation in their concentration from normal levels clearly indicates anomalies in human bodies, that is, diseases. In this study, we report noninvasive spectroscopic measurements of total haemoglobin (Hb), bilirubin, and the ratio of oxy- and deoxyhaemoglobin as disease markers for anaemia, jaundice, and oxygen deficiency, respectively, using a meticulously designed optical fibre probe.
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