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To investigate the predictors of contralateral hypertrophy in patients treated with unilobar transarterial radioembolization (TARE) with yttrium-90-loaded resin microspheres due to unresectable right-liver tumors.Patients who underwent right unilobar TARE with resin microspheres between May 2019 and September 2021 were screened retrospectively. Contralateral hypertrophy was evaluated by calculating the kinetic growth rate (KGR) in 8-10 weeks after TARE. The predictors of increased KGR were determined with linear regression analysis.A total of 24 patients (16 with primary and 8 with metastatic liver tumors) were included in the study. After right unilobar TARE, mean volume of the left lobe increased from 368.26 to 436.16 mL, while the mean volume of the right lobe decreased from 1576.22 to 1477.89 mL. The median KGR of the left lobe was 0.28% per week. The radiation dose absorbed by the healthy parenchyma of the right lobe was significantly higher in patients with increased KGR (31.62 vs. 18.78 Gy,Patients who received right unilobar TARE for liver malignancies could develop a substantial contralateral hypertrophy, and the radiation dose absorbed by the healthy parenchyma of the right lobe was significantly associated with increased KGR in the left lobe. TARE could have a role for inducing contralateral hypertrophy as it offers the advantage of concurrent local tumor control along with its hypertrophic effect.

Cancer hallmark genes and proteins orchestrate and drive carcinogenesis to a large extent, therefore, it is important to study these features in different cancer types to understand the process of tumorigenesis and discover measurable indicators. We performed a pan-cancer analysis to map differentially interacting hallmarks of cancer proteins (DIHCP). The TCGA transcriptome data associated with 12 common cancers were analyzed and the differential interactome algorithm was applied to determine DIHCPs and DIHCP-centric modules (i.e., DIHCPs and their interacting partners) that exhibit significant changes in their interaction patterns between the tumor and control phenotypes. The diagnostic and prognostic capabilities of the identified modules were assessed to determine the ability of the modules to function as system biomarkers. In addition, the druggability of the prognostic and diagnostic DIHCPs was investigated. As a result, we found a total of 30 DIHCP-centric modules that showed high diagnostic or prognostic performance in any of the 12 cancer types. Furthermore, from the 16 DIHCP-centric modules examined, 29% of these were druggable. Our study presents candidate systems’ biomarkers that may be valuable for understanding the process of tumorigenesis and improving personalized treatment strategies for various cancers, with a focus on their ten hallmark characteristics.

In patients with mechanical aortic and mitral valves and left ventricular (LV) tachycardia (VT), catheter ablation is technically challenging due to the limited access to the LV. Promising new alternatives to radiofrequency ablation include pulsed-field electroporation, percutaneous or surgical sympathetic neuromodulation, and noninvasive stereotactic radioablation therapy (SBRT). We herein describe the effect of SBRT as a bailout therapy on the management of a challenging VT case in the presence of double left-sided mechanical valves.

Background: Stereotactic body radioablation therapy (SBRT) has recently been introduced with the ability to provide ablative energy noninvasively to arrhythmogenic substrate while reducing damage to normal cardiac tissue nearby and minimizing patients' procedural risk. There is still debate regarding whether SBRT has a predominant effect in the early or late period after the procedure. We sought to assess the time course of SBRT's efficacy as well as the value of using a blanking period following a SBRT session.Methods: Eight patients (mean age 58 ±14 years) underwent eight SBRT sessions for refractory ventricular tachycardia (VT). SBRT was given using a linear accelerator device with a total dose of 25 Gy to the targeted area.Results: During a median follow-up of 8 months, all patients demonstrated VT recurrences, however, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapies were significantly reduced with SBRT (8.46 to 0.83/per month, p=0.047; 18.50 to 3.29/per month, p=0.036, respectively). While analyzing the temporal SBRT outcomes, the two weeks to 3 months period demonstrated the most favorable outcomes. After 6 months, one patient was ICD therapy-free and the remaining patients demonstrated VT episodes. Conclusions: Our findings showed that the SBRT was associated with a marked reduction in the burden of VT and ICD interventions especially during first 3 months. Although SBRT doesn’t seem to succeed complete termination of VT in long-term period, our findings support the strategy that SBRT can be utilized for immediate antiarrhythmic palliation in critically ill patients with otherwise untreatable refractory VT and electrical storm.

To develop a nomogram based on commonly used clinical data for predicting the likelihood of metastasis in gallium-68 prostate-specific membrane antigen PET/computed tomography (Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT) scans of prostate cancer patients with confirmed biochemical recurrence (BCR).One-hundred thirty-five ( n = 135) patients who underwent Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT due to BCR were included in the study. Predictors of metastasis in Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT were determined with multivariable logistic regression analysis. Coefficients derived from the regression model were used to develop a prediction nomogram. The performance of the prediction model was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic analysis. Internal validation was performed with 50 bootstrap resamples, and the nomogram's clinical benefit was assessed with decision curve analysis.Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that ISUP group, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) before PET and PSA doubling time were independent predictors of metastasis in Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT. A prediction nomogram was developed according to this model [the area under curve: 0.866; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.788-0.944]. The best cutoff value of the nomogram-derived likelihood for predicting metastasis was 60%, with a bootstrap-corrected accuracy of 78.8%. An online version of the nomogram was implemented on pro-gram.nzm.co ( https://pro-gram.nzm.co ).The proposed nomogram provides a practical approach for predicting the likelihood of imaging-based metastasis according to Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT in patients with BCR, with results ≥60% being the most accurate cutoff for referring patients to Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT. If validated in a larger cohort, this tool can serve as a guide for the appropriate use of Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT.

In this study, the effects of Ag, ZnO, and CuO nanoparticles (NPs) on the mechanical, thermal, and biodegradability properties of the compatibilized polyethylene (PE)/thermoplastic starch (TPS) blends were investigated. Polyethylene-grafted maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA) was used as the compatibilizer. The compatibilized PE/TPS blends with different NPs were prepared by melt mixing method in a laboratory scale extruder and then pressurized in the press machine. The use of ZnO NP together with the compatibilizer in PE/TPS-based films significantly increased the tensile stress values. The use of different type NPs did not cause any significant change in the thermal stability of PE/TPS-based films. However, the effects of NPs were observed on the TPS degradation steps. The prepared films with different NPs showed an antibacterial activity between 60% and 70%. The highest crystallinity value was obtained in Ag NP containing films, among others. According to scanning electron microscopy analysis, better distribution was observed for ZnO and Ag NPs than CuO NP. In general, it can be said that the addition of NPs to PE/TPS-based blends significantly reduces the partial biodegradability of the resulting films. Kocaeli UniversityKocaeli University Kocaeli University WOS:000640617800001 2-s2.0-85104369151

The COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges to ensure a safe environment for competitive sport. While modern medicine has already developed effective protocols for the treatment and prevention of the disease, there are serious concerns about hosting a sporting event of the scale of the Olympic Games, where more than 11 000 athletes from over 200 nations are expected to participate. Accordingly, there have been many calls to cancel the Tokyo Olympic Games, also known as Tokyo 2020, in both the international press and the scientific literature. A recent perspective published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)1 highlights the complexity and risks of convening the Tokyo Olympic Games during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the many uncertainties,1 much has been learnt over the past 18 months and many policies trialled and tested to protect athletes during sports participation. To develop a rapid understanding of the perspectives from the international sports and exercise medicine community, an informal survey of the International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS) Executive Committee, Commissions, and Collaborating Centres of Sports Medicine agreed that the Tokyo Olympic Games could go ahead safely based on the plans addressing the pandemic developed by the IOC (figure 1). This international network of 26 research laboratories and clinics has a mission to promote best practice …

2020 Medical Technologies Congress (TIPTEKNO) -- NOV 19-20, 2020 -- ELECTR NETWORK, Developments in technology allow the use of different tools and methods fir educational purposes. New technologies affect the health sector quickly and provide convenience in many applications. It is expected that virtual reality will be used widely in healthcare services in the near future. With regard to nursing and other health professions, a major concern around the world is the limited opportunities available for practice in the clinical setting, mainly due to the lack of clinical placement sites and the priority of patient safety. Many studies have highlighted the theory-practice gap between the theoretical abstractions learned in academic education and the practical skills required for their application in real-world professional practice environments. User training in biomedical services is the most important step in preventing malfunctions and making the right intervention to the patient. Virtual reality is already used in many areas such as surgical planning, surgery applications, phobia treatment, stress disorders in the health sector, It is to adapt the augmented virtual reality technology to the health sector to make education healthier and more efficient with this study. We predict that this gap between theory and practice in education can be overcome with VR simulation, taking into account clinical concerns and insufficiencies., Biyomedikal ve Klinik Muhendisligi Dernegi,Izmir Ekonomi Univ,Izmir Katip Celebi Univ

Purpose: To describe the implementation of Make Your Move Experience (MYME) between 2015 and 2017. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Make Your Move Experience is a culturally sensitive worksite wellness program in South Texas designed to encourage sedentary workers to engage in physical activity. Participants: In total, 681 individuals from 19 different organizations. Intervention: UTHealth School of Public Health in Brownsville staff recruited individuals within local organizations to join MYME. At the end of the 3 months, organizations in which employees met MYME goals earned an incentive—bike rack or hydration station—selected to be permanent features of the local environment and facilitate physical activity. Measures: Participant self-reported gender, physical activity level prior to joining MYME (beginner or experienced), and weekly miles of biking, walking, or running completed. Analysis: Mean number of miles biked, walked, and ran each month were compared between (1) beginners and experienced, (2) men and women, and (3) in fall 2016 and spring 2017 using t tests. Results: Beginners initiated physical activity by walking. Men biked more miles than women did ( P < .05 all 3 years). Bike riders cycled fewer miles (20.2 miles vs 44.9 miles; P = .03) and walkers covered fewer miles (195.4 miles vs 266.7 miles; P = .04) in fall 2016 compared to spring 2017. Conclusions: Participation in MYME, a culturally appropriate intervention delivered at the worksite, facilitated an increase in physical activity levels among sedentary individuals.

A protocol for the extraction of DNA from ancient skeletal material was developed. Bone specimen samples (powder or slice), buffer, pretreatment, and extraction methodologies were compared to investigate the best conditions yielding the highest concentration of DNA. The degree of extract contamination by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) inhibitors was compared as well. Pretreatment was carried out using agitation in an incubator shaker and microwave digestion. Subsequently, DNA from bones was isolated by the classical organic phenol–chloroform extraction and silica-based spin columns. Decalcification buffer for total demineralization was required as well as lysis buffer for cell lysis to obtain DNA, whereas microwave-assisted digestion proved to be very rapid, with an incubation time of 2 min instead of 24 h at an incubator shaker without using lysis buffer. The correction of isolated DNA was detected using real-time PCR with melt curve analysis, which was 82.8 ± 0.2 °C for highly repetitive α-satellite gene region specific for human chromosome 17 (locus D17Z1). Consequently, microwave-based DNA digestion followed by silica column yielded a high-purity DNA with a concentration of 19.40 ng/μl and proved to be a superior alternative to the phenol–chloroform method, presenting an environmentally friendly and efficient technique for DNA extraction.

The effects of fabrication techniques were investigated for preparation of a chitosan based scaffold. A two-step process was used: fabrication of hydrogel which was subsequently processed either with supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) or lyophilization. Various pressures from subcritical to supercritical (70, 160, 250 bar), temperatures (35, 45, 55 °C) and durations (2–3 h) were applied in order to elicit the optimum process parameters yielding the highest porosity which were determined as 250 bar, 45 °C, 2 h of processing at 5 g/min CO2 flow rate yielding a porosity of 87.03% which was similar to lyophilization (88.68%) achieved at 55 °C for 48 h. When osteosarcoma cells possessing cellular features of osteoblasts were seeded, SC-CO2 dried scaffold proved to be a more ideal support for cell attachment owing to the presence of both nano and micropores, thereby providing a more efficient and rapid alternative for tissue engineering applications.

We aimed to define the optimal SUV(max) cut-off value in determination of mediastinal-hilar lymph node metastasis, by comparing positive PET/CT results with the results of endobronchial ultrasound guided transbronchial needle aspiration biopsy (EBUS-TBNA).Thirty-one patients with malignancy whose PET/CT imaging revealed a hypermetabolic mediastinal and/or hilar lymph node and who had undergone EBUS-TBNA were evaluated retrospectively. Histopathology was regarded as the gold standard. The diagnostic role of PET/CT in mediastinal/hilar lymph node metastasis was investigated and compared with the results of contrast-enhanced CT.When a SUV(max) value of 2.5 was used, the sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), and diagnostic accuracy of the PET/CT were 100%, 65.4%, and 65.4% respectively. In the ROC analysis, the SUV(max) cut-off value with the highest diagnostic accuracy (75%) was calculated as 6.3, and when this value was considered, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of the PET/CT were determined as 70.6%, 83.3%, 88.9%, 60%, and 75% respectively (AUC: 0.779). The sensitivity, PPV, and diagnostic accuracy of the thorax CT were calculated as 91.1%, 72%, and 71.1%, respectively.When determining mediastinal-hilar lymph node metastasis via PET/CT, although a SUV(max) cut-off value of 6.3 increases specificity and diagnostic accuracy, we think that a SUV(max) cut-off value of 2.5 and above give more optimal results in routine practice.

Battery models are necessary since the response of batteries need to be predicted for a large number of applications. In automotive, consumer electronics and other fields, the AC response needs to be modeled in addition to the DC response of the battery for a full understanding of the voltages that will be encountered throughout the current profile that discharges(and potentially charges) the battery. Current battery models used for this prediction are either based on very tedious algebraic models that are hard to follow and implement [1], or they are based on oversimplified models that fail to predict the accurate detail of the response [2]. These models can predict the response of the battery either through complicated math that requires the knowledge of a large number of parameters a priori, or through a number of assumptions regarding those parameters. Both ways of modeling require kinetic and thermodynamic parameters that describe the various interfaces within the battery. One way of obtaining these parameters is through impedance spectroscopy. Typically, impedance spectra are fit to an equivalent circuit model in order to obtain these parameters. In some cases, these parameters are then further used to calculate the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters, in others, simple models are used as the circuit components that make up the battery in order to employ a circuit model to solve for the response of the battery. The models that are complicated enough to accurately represent the impedance data are detailed and involve transmission line models that are somewhere between hard to impossible to properly represent in time domain. This is why most of the models use much more simplified models which can simply be integrated to get to time domain responses, however, these models fail to accurately represent the detailed structure of the impedance spectrum. We are going to represent a brand new modeling paradigm where impedance data is not fit to any models, simple or complicated. Instead, the response of the battery to the desired time domain charge/discharge profile is calculated in the frequency domain. The discharge profile is transformed into the frequency domain, then, the frequency domain current signal is multiplied by the impedance data measured at every frequency of relevance in order to get the voltage as a function of frequency. This frequency domain voltage response is then brought to the time domain with an inverse Fourier transform. The DC response of the battery is simply added in after the inverse Fourier transform through the use of a state-of-charge vs. DC potential curve that is measured for the battery of interest. There are a number of advantages in this approach compared to the literature models. First, there are no free parameters in this model. The response calculated does not make any assumptions, just uses the impedance data as measured. The kinetic and the thermodynamic properties of the battery are not obtained individually, instead, their implications are used through the measured impedance at different frequencies. Furthermore, the math used in this approach is simple, straightforward and computationally cheap. We will demonstrate that through the use of this approach, the response of batteries to a variety of current profiles can be calculated. The only requirement is the measured impedance values at every frequency that is relevant to the measured profile. In the figure attached, we are showing the reponse of an LFP cell to two profiles that are relevant in automotive applications. [1]Fan G; Pan K; Canova M; Marcicki J; Yang XG; JECS 163(5)A666-A676 (2016) [2]Castano S; Gauchia L; Voncila E; Sanz J; Ener. Conv. And Man., 92,396-405(2015) Figure 1

Several reports have indicated a higher incidence of absolute pitch in blind than in sighted musicians. Employing a pitch memory task, we examined whether a blind absolute pitch musician would rely on different neural correlates than a group of sighted absolute pitch musicians. The blind musician showed significantly more activation of bihemispheric visual association areas, lingual gyrus, parietal and frontal areas than the sighted musicians. Sighted musicians showed more activation of the right primary auditory cortex and the cerebellum when compared with the blind musician. These differences in the activation pattern suggest the use of a different neural network including visual association areas while performing pitch categorization and identification in this blind musician in comparison with sighted musicians.

Using a modified sparse temporal sampling fMRI technique, we examined both shared and distinct neural correlates of singing and speaking. In the experimental conditions, 10 right-handed subjects were asked to repeat intoned ("sung") and non-intoned ("spoken") bisyllabic words/phrases that were contrasted with conditions controlling for pitch ("humming") and the basic motor processes associated with vocalization ("vowel production"). Areas of activation common to all tasks included the inferior pre- and post-central gyrus, superior temporal gyrus (STG), and superior temporal sulcus (STS) bilaterally, indicating a large shared network for motor preparation and execution as well as sensory feedback/control for vocal production. The speaking more than vowel-production contrast revealed activation in the inferior frontal gyrus most likely related to motor planning and preparation, in the primary sensorimotor cortex related to motor execution, and the middle and posterior STG/STS related to sensory feedback. The singing more than speaking contrast revealed additional activation in the mid-portions of the STG (more strongly on the right than left) and the most inferior and middle portions of the primary sensorimotor cortex. Our results suggest a bihemispheric network for vocal production regardless of whether the words/phrases were intoned or spoken. Furthermore, singing more than humming ("intoned speaking") showed additional right-lateralized activation of the superior temporal gyrus, inferior central operculum, and inferior frontal gyrus which may offer an explanation for the clinical observation that patients with non-fluent aphasia due to left hemisphere lesions are able to sing the text of a song while they are unable to speak the same words.

To study the effects of depression and treatment with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on sequence learning.Prefrontal dysfunction in depression may affect sequence learning and be amenable to normalization by rTMS.The serial reaction time test (SRTT) was administered to 19 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 20 nondepressed control participants. MDD patients were examined before and following treatment with rTMS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in daily sessions of 1600 stimuli at 10 Hz and at an intensity of 110% of the motor threshold. Treatment occurred over a 2-week interval of time.MDD and nondepressed groups differed significantly with respect to baseline response speed. Following treatment with rTMS, MDD participants demonstrated significantly improved mood, improved response speed, and improved procedural learning.Findings suggest that rTMS over a 2-week period improves performance on tasks of response speed and procedural memory in patients with MDD. These cognitive effects are greater in those patients who showed a significant antidepressant effect to rTMS intervention.

A series of novel benzimidazole derivatives have been prepared and characterized by IR, H-1-NMR spectroscopic data and elemental analysis. All the final compounds were screened for their antinociceptive activities with tail flick test. Among the synthesized compounds 3a, 4a, 4c, 8a, 9a exhibited significant antinociceptive activity. Compound 9a was found to have the highest antinociceptive activity at both 60 minutes and 120 minutes. Additionally, compounds 3a, 4a, 8a and 9a showed naloxone-reversible antinociceptive activity.