Endoscopic navigation in the absence of CT imaging

Clinical examinations that involve endoscopic exploration of the nasal cavity and sinuses often do not have a reference image to provide structural context to the clinician. In this paper, we present a system for navigation during clinical endoscopic exploration in the absence of computed tomography (CT) scans by making use of shape statistics from past CT scans. Using a deformable registration algorithm along with dense reconstructions from video, we show that we are able to achieve submillimeter registrations in in-vivo clinical data and are able to assign confidence to these registrations using confidence criteria established using simulated data.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, MICCAI 201

The Selective in vitro Cytotoxicity of Spirulina-Derived Nanoparticles: A Novel Biomimetic Approach to Cancer Therapy

Eliyahu Drori, Valeria Rahamim, Dhaval Patel, Yamm Anker, Sivan Meir, Gal Uzan, Chen Drori, Yaakov Anker, Aharon Azagury Department of Chemical Engineering, Ariel University, Ariel, IsraelCorrespondence: Aharon Azagury, Email [email protected]: Cancer treatment often involves significant side effects, necessitating the need for more selective therapies. Spirulina-derived nanoparticles (sNPs) have shown promise as a targeted anticancer strategy.Methods: This study evaluated the cytotoxic effects of sNPs on cancer cell lines TR-146 (buccal), Caco-2 and HT-29 (colorectal), and MCF-7 (breast), compared to the non-cancerous MCF-10A cells. Cytotoxicity was assessed using the XTT assay at concentrations of 25– 500 mg/mL over 3– 48 hours. Cellular uptake was quantified via fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and fluorescence microscopy, and endocytic inhibitors were used to investigate the uptake mechanism.Results: sNPs induced 30– 80% mortality in cancer cells, while non-cancerous MCF-10A cells exhibited negligible mortality (< 5%). Male-derived Caco-2 cells were more sensitive to sNPs than female-derived HT-29 cells, suggesting potential sex-based differences. FACS analysis showed 100% cellular uptake in all cancer cells, with TR-146 exhibiting the highest fluorescence intensity. Endocytosis inhibition studies revealed that caveolae-mediated endocytosis played a significant role in sNP uptake, particularly in TR-146 and Caco-2 cells.Discussion: These findings demonstrate the potential of sNPs as selective and potent anticancer agents, warranting further research to optimize their clinical application. Keywords: Spirulina, nanoparticles, cancer therapy, biomimetics, cellular uptake, endocytic inhibitor

SAGES consensus recommendations on an annotation framework for surgical video

Background: The growing interest in analysis of surgical video through machine learning has led to increased research efforts; however, common methods of annotating video data are lacking. There is a need to establish recommendations on the annotation of surgical video data to enable assessment of algorithms and multi-institutional collaboration. Methods: Four working groups were formed from a pool of participants that included clinicians, engineers, and data scientists. The working groups were focused on four themes: (1) temporal models, (2) actions and tasks, (3) tissue characteristics and general anatomy, and (4) software and data structure. A modified Delphi process was utilized to create a consensus survey based on suggested recommendations from each of the working groups. Results: After three Delphi rounds, consensus was reached on recommendations for annotation within each of these domains. A hierarchy for annotation of temporal events in surgery was established. Conclusions: While additional work remains to achieve accepted standards for video annotation in surgery, the consensus recommendations on a general framework for annotation presented here lay the foundation for standardization. This type of framework is critical to enabling diverse datasets, performance benchmarks, and collaboration

Enhancement strategies for transdermal drug delivery systems: current trends and applications

Transdermal drug delivery systems have become an intriguing research topic in pharmaceutical technology area and one of the most frequently developed pharmaceutical products in global market. The use of these systems can overcome associated drawbacks of other delivery routes, such as oral and parenteral. The authors will review current trends, and future applications of transdermal technologies, with specific focus on providing a comprehensive understanding of transdermal drug delivery systems and enhancement strategies. This article will initially discuss each transdermal enhancement method used in the development of first-generation transdermal products. These methods include drug/vehicle interactions, vesicles and particles, stratum corneum modification, energy-driven methods and stratum corneum bypassing techniques. Through suitable design and implementation of active stratum corneum bypassing methods, notably microneedle technology, transdermal delivery systems have been shown to deliver both low and high molecular weight drugs. Microneedle technology platforms have proven themselves to be more versatile than other transdermal systems with opportunities for intradermal delivery of drugs/biotherapeutics and therapeutic drug monitoring. These have shown that microneedles have been a prospective strategy for improving transdermal delivery systems. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]</p

A Mirroring Strategy for SANs in a Metro WDM Sectioned Ring Architecture under Different Traffic Scenarios

In this work, a novel data mirroring technique for storage area networks (SANs) is introduced in a metropolitan area wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) sectioned ring scenario. Simulation is carried out to evaluate the performance of the network with the proposed mirroring method for 16 and 24 nodes under two different traffic models– Poisson and self-similar. Simulation results show four network parameters including node throughput, queuing delay, transmission buffer packet dropping probability and receiver packet dropping probability. A modified version of the MAC protocol that improves mirroring time and bandwidth usage is also introduced and evaluated

Innovation in hemodialysis: Using the Biodesign process to identify unmet needs

There is renewed demand to accelerate innovation in nephrology; public and private sectors are creating programs to support its growth. The Stanford Biodesign innovation process, first developed in 2000, provides a roadmap for health technology and device innovation. There is insufficient published guidance on the application of the Biodesign process in the generation of novel devices to address nephrology- and/or dialysis-related clinical unmet needs. We present “needs finding,” the initial part of the identify phase in the Biodesign innovation process and how it may be utilized for nephrology- and/or dialysis-related innovation. We describe here how to apply the Biodesign process to identify unmet dialysis-related needs, with the use of specific case-based examples based on observations within a hemodialysis unit. We then explore how to develop these needs using background research, direct clinical observations, interviews, documentation of observations and interview findings, and development of multiple needs statements. We conclude that there is an opportunity for nephrology innovators to use this methodology broadly in order to identify areas for innovation and initiated the development on novel solutions to be introduced into patient care. </jats:p