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To evaluate the accuracy and reliability of a new ultrasound technique for the automatic assessment of the head-perineum distance (HPD) during childbirth. HPD was measured on a total of 40 acquisition sessions in 30 laboring women both automatically by an innovative algorithm and manually by trained sonographers, assumed as gold standard. A significant correlation was found between manual and automatic measurements (Intra-CC = 0.994). High values of the coefficient of determination (r2=0.98) and low residual errors: RMSE = 2.01 mm (4.9%) were found. The automatic algorithm for the assessment of the HPD represents a reliable technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has been conducted on the ceramide interaction with the respiratory chain of rat heart mitochondria. The effects that have been elicited by short- and long-chain ceramides are examined.

Rationale and Objectives: Accurate assessment of fetal head station (FHS) is crucial during labor management to reduce the risk of complications and plan the mode of delivery. Although digital vaginal examination (DVE) has been associated with inaccuracies in FHS assessment, ultrasound (US) evaluation remains dependent on sonographer expertise. This study aimed at investigating the reliability and accuracy of an automatic approach to assess the FHS during labor with transperineal US (TPU)., Materials and Methods: In this prospective observational study, 27 pregnant women in the second stage of labor, with fetuses in cephalic presentation, underwent conventional labor management with additional TPU examination. A total of 45 2D B-mode TPU acquisitions were performed at different FHS, before performing DVE. The FHS was assessed by the algorithm (FHS aut ) on TPU images and by DVE (FHS dig ). The sonographic assessment of FHS by expert sonographer (FHS exp ) on the same TPU acquisition used for the automatic measurement served as gold standard. The performance and accuracy were assessed through Spearman's ρ, the coefficient of determination (R 2 ), root mean square error (RMSE), and Bland-Altman analysis., Results: A strong correlation between FHS aut and FHS exp (ρ = 0.97, p < 0.001) and a high coefficient of determination (R 2 = 0.95) were found. A lower correlation with FHS exp (ρ = 0.66, p < 0.001) and coefficient of determination (R 2 = 0.52) was found for DVE. Moreover, the RMSE reported higher accuracy of FHS aut (RMSE = 0.32 cm) compared to FHS dig (RMSE = 0.97 cm). Bland-Altman analysis showed that the algorithm performed with smaller bias and narrower limits of agreement compared to DVE., Conclusion: The proposed algorithm can evaluate FHS with high accuracy and low RMSE. This approach could facilitate the use of US in labor, supporting the clinical staff in labor management., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest F. Conversano, M. Di Paola, and S. Casciaro are shareholders of Amolab srl, a National Research Council spin-off company that may or may not benefit from the results of this study., (Copyright © 2024 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Since the recognition of disease molecular basis, it has become clear that the keystone moments of medical practice, namely early diagnosis, appropriate therapeutic treatment and patient follow-up, must be approached at a molecular level. These objectives will be in the near future more effectively achievable thanks to the impressive developments in nanotechnologies and their applications to the biomedical field, starting-up the nanomedicine era. The continuous advances in the development of biocompatible smart nanomaterials, in particular, will be crucial in several aspects of medicine. In fact, the possibility of manufacturing nanoparticle contrast agents that can be selectively targeted to specific pathological cells has extended molecular imaging applications to non-ionizing techniques and, at the same time, has made reachable the perspective of combining highly accurate diagnoses and personalized therapies in a single theranostic intervention. Main developing applications of nanosized theranostic agents include targeted molecular imaging, controlled drug release, therapeutic monitoring, guidance of radiation-based treatments and surgical interventions. Here we will review the most recent findings in nanoparticles contrast agents and their applications in the field of cancer molecular imaging employing non-ionizing techniques and disease-specific contrast agents, with special focus on recent findings on those nanomaterials particularly promising for ultrasound molecular imaging and simultaneous treatment of cancer.

The molecular mechanism of the proton pump activity by the respiratory chain bc1 complex is still unknown. This group has proposed since long time that protonation/deprotonation events in the apoproteins of the complex are cooperatively linked to the oxido-reduction reactions at the quinone catalytic centre. Protolytic residues in the apoproteins can thus provide proton transfer pathways between the bulk aqueons phases and the redox centre. A series of experiments has been carried out aimed at demonstrating a role of particular complex subunits in the pump process. In this paper recent results are reviewed which have evidenced a definite role of polypeptide carboxyl residues in the proton pump mechanism. In particular, experiments carried out with both the bovine and P. denitrificans purified enzymes have indicated a specific involvement of aspartic residue(s) in the Rieske Fe/S protein in the proton pump function.