Preparation and application of biocontrol formulation of nematode-trapping fungus-Duddingtonia flagrans.

The use of nematophagous fungi as a biological control strategy for parasitic gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) in livestock holds promise as an innovative alternative approach. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of a lyophilized Duddingtonia flagrans preparation, utilized in association with the anthelmintics ivermectin or albendazole, to control GINs in Tibetan sheep on a farm based in Qinghai Province. The experimental design included five groups: D.

Study on a Pig Vocalization Classification Method Based on Multi-Feature Fusion.

To improve the classification of pig vocalization using vocal signals and improve recognition accuracy, a pig vocalization classification method based on multi-feature fusion is proposed in this study. With the typical vocalization of pigs in large-scale breeding houses as the research object, short-time energy, frequency centroid, formant frequency and first-order difference, and Mel frequency cepstral coefficient and first-order difference were extracted as the fusion features. These fusion features were improved using principal component analysis.

Comparative analysis of dose calculation algorithms for CyberKnife-based stereotactic radiotherapy in lung cancer.

Purpose: The accuracy of dose calculation is the prerequisite for CyberKnife (CK) to implement precise stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). In this study, CK-MLC treatment planning for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were compared using finite-size pencil beam (FSPB) algorithm, FSPB with lateral scaling option (FSPB_LS) and Monte Carlo (MC) algorithms, respectively. We concentrated on the enhancement of accuracy with the FSPB_LS algorithm over the conventional FSPB algorithm and the dose consistency with the MC algorithm.

Deciphering the functional landscape of phosphosites with deep neural network.

Current biochemical approaches have only identified the most well-characterized kinases for a tiny fraction of the phosphoproteome, and the functional assignments of phosphosites are almost negligible. Herein, we analyze the substrate preference catalyzed by a specific kinase and present a novel integrated deep neural network model named FuncPhos-SEQ for functional assignment of human proteome-level phosphosites. FuncPhos-SEQ incorporates phosphosite motif information from a protein sequence using multiple convolutional neural network (CNN) channels and network features from protein-protein interactions (PPIs) using network embedding and deep neural network (DNN) channels.

A potent PGK1 antagonist reveals PGK1 regulates the production of IL-1 and IL-6.

Glycolytic metabolism enzymes have been implicated in the immunometabolism field through changes in metabolic status. PGK1 is a catalytic enzyme in the glycolytic pathway. Here, we set up a high-throughput screen platform to identify PGK1 inhibitors.

(-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate is a Noncompetitive Inhibitor of NAD Kinase.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide kinase (NADK) controls the intracellular NADPH content and provides reducing power for the synthesis of macromolecules and anti-ROS. Moreover, NADK is considered to be a synthetic lethal gene for KRAS mutations. To discover NADK-targeted probes, a high-throughput screening assay was established and optimized with a factor of 0.

Using Pruning-Based YOLOv3 Deep Learning Algorithm for Accurate Detection of Sheep Face.

Accurate identification of sheep is important for achieving precise animal management and welfare farming in large farms. In this study, a sheep face detection method based on YOLOv3 model pruning is proposed, abbreviated as YOLOv3-P in the text. The method is used to identify sheep in pastures, reduce stress and achieve welfare farming.

A fast Tikhonov regularization method based on homotopic mapping for electrical resistance tomography.

Electrical resistance tomography (ERT) is considered a novel sensing technique for monitoring conductivity distribution. Image reconstruction of ERT is an ill-posed inverse problem. In this paper, an improved regularization reconstruction method is presented to solve this issue.

A preliminary investigation of re-evaluating the irradiation dose in hepatocellular carcinoma radiotherapy applying 4D CT and deformable registration.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of breathing motion on dose distribution for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients using four-dimensional (4D) CT and deformable registration.

Methods: Fifty HCC patients who were going to receive radiotherapy were enrolled in this study. All patients had been treated with transarterial chemoembolization beforehand.

Reproducibility and non-redundancy of radiomic features extracted from arterial phase CT scans in hepatocellular carcinoma patients: impact of tumor segmentation variability.

Background: The reproducibility and non-redundancy of radiomic features are challenges in accelerating the clinical translation of radiomics. In this study, we focused on the robustness and non-redundancy of radiomic features extracted from computed tomography (CT) scans in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with respect to different tumor segmentation methods.

Methods: Arterial enhanced CT images were retrospectively randomly obtained from 106 patients.

Quantification of variation in dose-volume parameters for the heart, pericardium and left ventricular myocardium during thoracic tumor radiotherapy.

Cardiac activity can induce dose-volume evaluation errors for cardiac structures. The purpose of this study was to quantify the variation in dose-volume parameters for the heart, pericardium and left ventricular myocardium (LVM) throughout the cardiac circle. The heart, pericardium and LVM of 22 patients were contoured on 20 phases of electrocardiography-gated 4D computed tomography (4DCT) images acquired during breath-hold.

Quantification of heart, pericardium, and left ventricular myocardium movements during the cardiac cycle for thoracic tumor radiotherapy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to quantify variations in the heart, pericardium, and left ventricular myocardium (LVM) caused by cardiac movement using the breath-hold technique.

Patients And Methods: In this study, the electrocardiography-gated four-dimensional computed tomography (CT) images of 22 patients were analyzed, which were sorted into 20 phases (0-95%) according to the cardiac cycle. The heart, pericardium, and LVM were contoured on each phase of the CT images.

The heterogeneous CTV-PTV margins should be given for different parts of tumors during tomotherapy.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate CTV-PTV margins of tumors for tomotherapy.

Methods: Setup errors were analyzed for 151 patients receiving helical tomotherapy treatment. 53 patients had head and neck tumors, 45 had thoracic tumors, 20 had abdominal tumors, and 33 had pelvic tumors.

Capability of leaf interdigitation with different inverse planning strategies in Monaco: an investigation of representative tumour sites.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to experimentally assess the dosimetric impact of leaf interdigitation using different inverse treatment strategies for representative tumour sites and to identify the situations in which leaf interdigitation can benefit these tumour sites.

Material And Methods: Sixty previously treated patients (15 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), 15 multiple brain metastasis (MBM), 15 cervical cancer and 15 prostate cancer) were re-planned for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), sliding window IMRT (dMLC) and step-and-shoot IMRT (ssIMRT) with and without leaf interdigitation. Various dosimetric variables, such as PTV coverage, OARs sparing, delivery efficiency and planning time, were evaluated for each plan.

A comparison of dosimetric variance for external-beam partial breast irradiation using three-dimensional and four-dimensional computed tomography.

Purpose: To investigate the potential dosimetric benefits from four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) compared with three-dimensional computed tomography (3DCT) in radiotherapy treatment planning for external-beam partial breast irradiation (EB-PBI).

Patients And Methods: 3DCT and 4DCT scan sets were acquired for 20 patients who underwent EB-PBI. The volume of the tumor bed (TB) was determined based on seroma or surgical clips on 3DCT images (defined as TB3D) and the end inhalation (EI) and end exhalation (EE) phases of 4DCT images (defined as TBEI and TBEE, respectively).

Dosimetric impact of tumor bed delineation variability based on 4DCT scan for external-beam partial breast irradiation.

This study sought to evaluate the dosimetric impact of tumor bed delineation variability (based on clips, seroma or both clips and seroma) during external-beam partial breast irradiation (EB-PBI) planned utilizing four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) scans. 4DCT scans of 20 patients with a seroma clarity score (SCS) 3~5 and ≥5 surgical clips were included in this study. The combined volume of the tumor bed formed using clips, seroma, or both clips and seroma on the 10 phases of 4DCT was defined as the internal gross target volume (termed IGTVC, IGTVS and IGTVC+S, respectively).

FDG PET-CT standardized uptake value for the prediction of radiation pneumonitis in patients with lung cancer receiving radiotherapy.

The present study aimed to determine if the standardized uptake value (SUV) determined with F-FDG PET-CT can be used to predict radiation pneumonitis (RP) in lung cancer patients who receive radiotherapy. A total of 40 patients with non-small cell lung cancer received F-FDG PET-CT examinations prior to and following radiotherapy. The average SUV of lung tissue prior to and following radiation were measured at differing radiation doses.

Different methods for target volume delineation of glandular breast tissue following breast-conserving surgery in breast cancer: A comparative study.

The present study aimed to investigate an optimal and feasible method for delineating the target volume of glandular breast tissue following breast-conserving surgery. A total of 15 patients who underwent radiotherapy following breast-conserving surgery were recruited into the study. Clinical target volume was delineated by the following three methods based on computed tomography (CT): Anatomical landmarks (CTVan), breast palpation (CTVpa) and CT scan images (CTVgl).

Gradient-based delineation of the primary GTV on FLT PET in squamous cell cancer of the thoracic esophagus and impact on radiotherapy planning.

Background: To validate a gradient-based segmentation method for gross tumor volume(GTV) delineation on (8)F-fluorothymidine (FLT)positron emission tomography (PET)/ computer tomography (CT) in esophageal squamous cell cancer through pathologic specimen, in comparison with standardized uptake values (SUV) threshold-based methods and CT. The corresponding impact of this GTV delineation method on treatment planning was evaluated.

Methods And Materials: Ten patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer were enrolled.

[Comparison of the whole breast target volume delineated according to surface marks, palpation and glandular tissue on CT images after breast-conserving surgery].

Objective: To compare the methods of delineating the whole breast target volume based on surface marks, palpation and glandular tissue on CT images, and to explore the contouring criteria after breast-conserving surgery.

Methods: In 15 patients with breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery, the whole breast target was delineated in 3D CT simulation images each by three different methods. The target volume delineated according to anatomical marks were named CTVan, according to breast palpation named CTVpa, and according to glandular mammary tissue showing by CT images named CTVgl.

Feasibility and potential benefits of defining the internal gross tumor volume of hepatocellular carcinoma using contrast-enhanced 4D CT images obtained by deformable registration.

Objective: To study the feasibility and the potential benefits of defining the internal gross tumor volume (IGTV) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using contrast-enhanced 4D CT images obtained by combining arterial-phase (AP) contrast-enhanced (CE) 3D CT and non-contrast-enhanced (NCE) 4D CT images using deformable registration (DR).

Methods: Ten HCC patients who had received radiotherapy beforehand were selected for this study. The following CT simulation images were acquired sequentially: NCE 4D CT in free breathing, NCE 3D CT and APCE 3D CT in end-expiration breath holding.

Error in the parotid contour delineated using computed tomography images rather than magnetic resonance images during radiotherapy planning for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Purpose: To analyze the intra- and interobserver variations errors in the parotid contour delineated using computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) images of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who underwent radiotherapy.

Materials And Methods: Forty-one nasopharyngeal cancer patients were selected. The patients underwent simulation with MR and CT scanning.

A comparison of liver protection among 3-D conformal radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy and RapidArc for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: The analysis was designed to compare dosimetric parameters among 3-D conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and RapidArc (RA) to identify which can achieve the lowest risk of radiation-induced liver disease (RILD) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Twenty patients with HCC were enrolled in this study. Dosimetric values for 3DCRT, IMRT, and RA were calculated for total dose of 50 Gy/25 f.

The feasibility of evaluating radiation dose to the heart by integrating kilovoltage-cone beam computed tomography in stereotactic body radiotherapy of early non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

Background: To investigate the feasibility of contouring the planning risk organ volume (PRV) for the heart, and to determine the probability of evaluating radiation dose to the heart using kilovoltage-cone beam computed tomography (kV-CBCT) in early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, who received stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT).

Materials And Methods: Seventeen NSCLC patients who received SBRT (5Gy/f × 10f dose) were enrolled and subjected to CBCT and CT imaging analyses to plan treatment. Sequential planning CBCT images of individual patient's hearts were analyzed for reproducibility of heart contouring and volume.