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Augmented reality (AR) glasses may enhance neuroendoscopic training by improving visualisation and ergonomics, offering an innovative alternative to traditional fixed screen viewing systems used in neuroendoscopy. This prospective, single-group, observational study at a UK neurosurgical centre involved participants from neurosurgery and Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) disciplines. Participants performed neuroendoscopic simulation exercises using Epson MOVERIO AR glasses and subsequently assessed the system using a modified usability scale questionnaire, focusing on learnability, confidence in use, visual quality, and impact on hand-eye coordination. Nine participants reported that the AR glasses allowed quick adaptability and provided sufficient visual quality. Feedback suggested a potential enhancement in surgical performance and a reduction in operative times. The feasibility and usability of AR glasses in neuroendoscopic training were highlighted, supporting their potential integration into surgical education. Positive initial responses warrant further investigation in live surgeries to comprehensively validate the technology's usability and safety.
GAFchromic films (GAFs) are essential tools in radiotherapy dosimetry, but uncertainties in calibration methods limit their accuracy and hinder consistency across clinical practice. This study aimed to perform a comparative analysis of different calibration functions for GAFchromic EBT4 films in single- and double-channel dosimetry to quantify the uncertainty associated with their calibration and clinical use. GAFchromic EBT4 films were irradiated to doses between 0.2 and 10 Gy using a 6 MV photon beam. A custom irradiation setup in a water-equivalent phantom ensured reference conditions, with dose verified by an ionization chamber. Films were scanned on an Epson Expression 13000XL flatbed scanner at 72 dpi, with pre- and postirradiation scans taken at optimized time points (48 h postirradiation to ensure polymer growth stabilization). A custom-developed Python script was used for comprehensive film data processing, including lateral response artifact (LRA) correction. Eight calibration functions, including invertible and non-invertible forms from existing literature, were evaluated and compared. A comparison of the performance of the proposed approach with an established commercial software was performed. Among the tested functions, two of them consistently emerged as the most accurate for EBT4 film calibration, yielding also the lowest relative errors. Specifically, the 2.5th order polynomial function showed an average percentage residual error of 2.7% (ranging from 1.6-4.4%), while the same function on corrected net optical density (netODc) demonstrated a comparable 2.9% (ranging from 1.9-4.4%). In general, calibration functions relying on netODc showed larger uncertainty compared to their analog using the red channel only. The best performing function showed residual values comparable to those obtained with the commercial benchmark. The LRA was observed to cause deviations of up to 5% at scanner extreme lateral positions, reinforcing the necessity of correction for large fields. We identified an optimal calibration function that incorporates a linear term and a 2.5th-order component to accurately model the relationship between radiation dose and the netODc in the red channel. The significant variability in performance among calibration functions underscores the critical need for independent verification and transparent dosimetry tools. To address this, our study makes the full analysis code and data publicly available, facilitating independent validation and enhancing the accuracy, consistency, and reproducibility of film dosimetry in clinical practice.
Accurate in vivo dosimetry is crucial for dose monitoring of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) and for dose verification for special procedures such as total body irradiation (TBI) and total skin electron therapy (TSET). A new near real-time in vivo dosimetry system using radiochromic films (RCF) is investigated for clinical use in megavoltage external beam radiotherapy. The Pnt-Dos™ in vivo dosimetry system comprises of a new type of RCF and a dedicated software module. Each Pnt-Dos device is a small piece of RCF individually packed with a unique QR code for identification and record keeping. Different from the traditional film dosimetry workflow, where a film developing time of at least 16 hours is recommended, a near real-time dose readout can be achieved with the Pnt-Dos system using a novel calibration procedure. This involves an automated scanning process at user-specified time intervals, utilizing auto-region of interest (ROI) detection and triple-channel calibration to capture the time-resolved post-irradiation growth. Two standard Epson scanner models (V600/13000XL) were used to cross-validate readouts and accommodate users who may prefer to utilize existing 13000XL scanners rather than acquire an additional V600 for in vivo dosimetry. The dosimetric accuracy was evaluated over a range of 15-400 cGy. Angular dependence was studied in 45° increments over 360°, normalized to the response at 0°, at 250 cGy using a cylindrical phantom. Energy dependence was evaluated for four photon energies (6 MV, 6 MV FFF, 10 MV FFF, 15 MV) and five electron energies (6 MeV, 9 MeV, 12 MeV, 16 MeV, and 20 MeV). Long-term reproducibility/stability were assessed with nine devices with different doses under identical conditions, alongside daily scans of quality control (QC) devices over three months. The system provides accurate dose measurements across high- and low-dose ranges. All readings were within specification: accuracy was < ± 5 cGy for doses ≤ 80 cGy doses (max discrepancy 6.0 cGy), and < ± 5% for doses > 80 cGy on average (max discrepancy 5.1%). Angular dependence showed a maximum variation of 2.6% ± 2.1% when the beam passed through the posterior oblique side of the device. Daily QC/reproducibility tests confirmed system constancy of 0.1% average day-to-day variation. Energy dependence analysis revealed deviations of up to 4.9% ± 2.3% for all photon and electron energies compared to 6 MV photons, indicating the need for energy correction during commissioning. Film readings were compared with ion chamber measurements at 10 × 10 cm2, dmax, 100 cm SAD (photons) or 100 cm SSD (electrons). Both scanners provided comparable readouts, within 1.3 cGy for doses ≤ 80 cGy and 0.6% for doses > 80 cGy. Based on these findings, user guidelines were established to ensure optimal performance and accuracy. The new film-based in vivo dosimetry system provides an automated workflow that enables consistent, time-independent, and near real-time readout with a user-friendly design that simplifies handling and analysis, thereby streamlining in vivo dosimetry measurements. It also provides a traceable record of the patient dosimetry.
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Soybean (Glycine max L.) performs an important position as a main resource of protein in Indonesia. Its quality and productivity can be assessed based on the characteristics of its seed. Accordingly, the identification process through the observation of soybean seed traits is a crucial step in plant breeding and quality assurance. Manual approaches rely on manual observation, which is subjective, prone to human error and time-consuming. With the improvement of artificial intelligence, automated seed identification has appeared as a potential solution. However, progress is constrained by the lack of open and standardized image datasets, especially for locally bred varieties in developing countries. To address this gap, we propose an open image dataset of Indonesian soybean seeds from three widely cultivated and plant-bred varieties: Anjasmoro, Grobogan, and DEGA-1. The dataset consists of high-resolution seed images captured with an Epson L360 flatbed scanner, with the optical resolution fixed at 800 dots per inch, yielding images of 6800 × 9359 pixels. All raw images are saved in JPG format. No manually segmentation masks are released in this version, instead of using Deeplab V3+ with MobileNet as backbone to enable the automated seed image segmentation. The curated dataset is intended to support a broad range of applications, including computer vision tasks such as image classification and segmentation, as well as research in plant breeding, seed quality assessment, and agricultural informatics. By providing a standardized and publicly accessible resource, this dataset contributes to the advancement of interdisciplinary studies at the intersection of agriculture and artificial intelligence.
Group Care, here described as Pregnancy and Parenting Circles (PPC), is a holistic model of maternity care characterised by a facilitative and interactive approach. Evidence indicates positive outcomes and experiences for women who participate. Its potential to enhance women's empowerment, health and wellbeing as well as their relationships with healthcare services positions group care as an innovative model warranting further investigation. This study examined: 1). the extent to which the PPC model adhered to the core values and components of Pregnancy Circles; 2). how fidelity to the model influenced women's experiences of care; and 3) how established mechanisms of effect operated within PPC. We draw on UK data from an implementation study, Group Care in the First 1000 Days (GC_1000). Data were generated through meeting notes, group session observations, semi-structured interviews and focus groups with service providers and users. A UK group care randomised controlled trial, REACH (trial registration no: ISRCTN91977441), provided a framework of core values and components utilised in an abductive analytical approach for examining model fidelity. Findings highlight 'relational continuity' as a central component of group care. Relational continuity functioned as a key lever, enabling mechanisms such as enhanced engagement and active participation in health. Lack of fidelity to continuity disrupted the model's mechanisms, weakening its positive effects on women's experiences of care. Relational continuity is critical to operationalising the mechanisms underpinning group care. Attention to model fidelity is essential to optimise women's experiences of group care.
This study proposes a systematic solution to the motion planning challenges in dual-robot collaborative grinding and polishing systems, with its effectiveness experimentally validated. By establishing a dual-robot pose constraint model, this study innovatively integrates the "handshake" method with the seven-point calibration approach, achieving enhanced spatial mapping accuracy between the base coordinate system and tool coordinate system. Based on the modified Denavit-Hartenberg (DH) method, this study establishes kinematic modeling for EPSON C4-A901S robots on the MATLAB platform. By integrating calibration parameters, a dual-robot collaborative grinding model is constructed, with its reliability thoroughly verified through comprehensive simulations. An experimental platform integrating dual EPSON C4-series robots with grinding devices, clamping fixtures, and drive systems was established. The average error below 8 mm from 10 repeated experiments fully validates the accuracy and practical applicability of the integrated calibration method.
Motion Capture (MoCap) is rapidly growing in the sports, biomechanics, healthcare, and medicine segments, where accuracy is crucial. Current research studies are concurrently confirming that the accuracy can be determined only for the specific analyzed configuration and thus recommending performing your own accuracy verification on your specific setup. However, it is often hard to perform since it requires significant effort, time, knowledge of statistical data analysis and often equipment and tools that are not commonly available. This paper deals with this by creating a standardized setup with carefully evaluated accuracy, substituting the on-site validation process (in case of using such a setup) or providing the worst-case accuracy (when a more advanced setup is used). The setup is designed to be low-cost, easily reproducible and cover a wide range of applications - thus VICON setup with five VERO v1.3 cameras is used. The accuracy was evaluated using the robotic manipulator EPSON C3, determining that the absolute positioning accuracy of such a standardized setup is 0.65 mm on average (SD = 0.48, with maximal error of 2.47 mm) and rotation accuracy 0.40° (SD = 0.35, with maximal error of 2.0°), which is negligible considering the experimental diameter of 1.4 m and full angular span. The major source of error was specific to particular spatial and rotational positions; other systematic and other random errors were noticeably smaller. If the standardized setup is used and all its requirements are met, a similar accuracy as validated above can be expected without the need to explicitly validate the specific configuration, which is time-consuming and resource-intensive.
In radiation therapy, precise dose distribution is essential for minimizing damage to normal tissues. Gafchromic EBT3 film is widely used to assure the quality of two-dimensional dosimetry but requires frequent recalibrations due to changes in sensitivity over time. This study presents a new calibration method using a Keras-based generalized additive neural network (GANN) to address film aging. EBT3 films from four lots were calibrated with a 6 MV photon beam and scanned on Epson scanners. The GANN method achieved percentage differences between calibrated and delivered doses within 5%, comparable to traditional recalibration methods, with an overall uncertainty of approximately 2%. It demonstrated improved stability and accuracy, significantly reducing the need for frequent recalibrations and providing a robust solution for long-term film dosimetry.
Radiochromic film (RCF) is a detector that can obtain a two-dimensional dose distribution with high resolution; it is widely used in medical and industrial fields. Several types of RCFs exist based on their application. The type of RCF mainly used for mammography dose assessment has been discontinued; however, a new type of RCF (LD-V1) has been distributed as a successor. Since the medical use of LD-V1 has rarely been studied, we investigated the response characteristics of LD-V1 in mammography. Measurements were performed using Mo/Mo and Rh/Ag on a Senographe Pristina mammography device (GE, Fairfield, CT, USA). The reference air kerma was measured using a parallel-plate ionization chamber (PPIC) (C-MA, Applied Engineering Inc, Tokyo, Japan). Pieces of LD-V1 film model were irradiated at the same position where the reference air kerma in air was measured by the PPIC. Irradiation was performed using the time scale method based on the load on the equipment. Two methods of irradiation were considered: placing the detector in air and on the phantom. The LD-V1 was scanned five times at 72 dpi in RGB (48 bit) mode using a flatbed scanner (ES-G11000, Seiko Epson Corp, Nagano, Japan) 24 h following irradiation. The response ratio of the reference air kerma and the air kerma obtained from the LD-V1 were compared and examined for each beam quality and air kerma range. When the beam quality was altered, the response ratio varied from 0.8 to 1.2 with respect to the measurement value of the PPIC; however, some outliers were observed. Response ratios were highly variable in the low-dose range; however, as the air kerma increased, the ratios approached 1. Thus, LD-V1 does not need calibration for each beam quality used in mammography. LD-V1 enables air kerma evaluation by creating air kerma response curves under certain X-ray conditions used in mammography. We suggest that the dose range be limited to 12 mGy or more to keep the response variation with beam qualities below ±20%. If further measurement is required for reducing the response variation, the dose range should be shifted to a higher dose range.
To present the in vivo film detector (IVFD) designed for dose measurement for all teleradiotherapy techniques. The IVFD was made of Polylactic Acid using a 3D printing technology. The cylinder-shaped detector was constructed in two parts: a film overlay and a thin base. In the overlay in a centrally located air space two pieces of EBT-XD Gafchromic films are placed. Irradiated films were scanned using an EPSON V750PRO flatbed scanner and analyzed using FilmQA Pro (Ashland) software with triple-channel correction method. Validation of the method was performed by comparison of measurements performed with Marcus chamber and with IVFD. Single 6 MV photon static beams and IMRT/VMAT plan were used. To read the reference dose from treatment planning system (TPS) a software was developed. The influence of the presence of the IVFD on the dose distribution was checked. Doses calculated with and without detector were compared. The uncertainty of measurements performed with IVFD was 1.56 % and for dose read from TPS was 0.56 %. The average discrepancy between measurements and calculations for single beam and for IMRT/VMAT were estimated. The highest value was obtained for single, static beam: 1.6 %. The influence of the detector on the dose distribution was negligible. The maximum difference of mean PTV doses calculated with and without detector was smaller than 2.2 cGy for a 180 cGy fraction. The film detector allows measurements the dose with high accuracy for dynamic techniques. The presence of the detector has a negligible effect on the dose distribution.
Augmented reality (AR) glasses can be utilized for various medical applications. Primarily, a visual overlay on the optic screen offers additional operational information. A transfer of acoustic information via speech-to-text transcript using AR glasses presents a new non-surgical option to support patients with different forms of hearing loss. This study aimed to evaluate different AR glasses for speech-to-text transcription. We compared four different AR glasses systems (Even Realities, G1; Meizu, MYVU IMIKI; XREAL, AIR, and Epson, Moverio 40) in terms of speech-to-text transcription, design, software, microphone and connection in this laboratory based study. Speech-capturing ability was tested using free-field numbers, monosyllables, and OLSA in quiet and in noise. The AR systems achieved Freiburger monosyllabic speech recognition rates between 20 and 45% at 65 dB. OLSA in quiet results vary between 77 and 100%, with increases of +1.7 dB and +3.5 dB in noise. AR systems differ substantially in terms of design, software, microphone position, and connection. Proposed indication groups are given. AR glasses provide a potential supportive tool for patients with specific indications suffering from hearing loss. The systems show limitations in challenging hearing situations.
Different types of Gafchromic films, for radiotherapy use, are recommended for different dose ranges. Ashland Specialty Ingredients has aimed to continuously develop its products to improve their practical application. Thus, EBT3 was replaced by EBT4, intended to provide better signal to noise ratio (SNR); while MD-V3 was introduced for use at higher dose ranges, in addition to EBT-XD. At present there are limited studies on MD-V3. This study aimed to investigate some relevant characteristics of EBT4 and MD-V3, compared with those of EBT3 and EBT-XD. The parameters investigated were dose response, optical density change with post-irradiation time, orientation effect, signal to noise ratio, polarisation, and lateral response artefact (LRA). EBT4 is similar to EBT3 however it provides better SNR and larger response change with post-irradiation time. EBT-XD and MD-V3 are recommended by the suppliers for high dose range, although the sensitivity curves show that EBT3 and EBT4 could also be used for relatively high dose ranges. All films have orientation effects, with EBT3 the worst. An important characteristic of MD-V3 is that the LRA remains similar, irrespective of delivered dose. These comparative characteristics are intended to be informative for clinical practice involving Gafchromic film use in high dose therapy applications. Recommendations from this study are to use EBT4 for dosimetry in lower-dose applications, provided that both calibration and clinical timings post-irradiation are kept similar, while MD-V3 is the preferred film for high-dose procedures.
A clade I monkeypox virus (MPXV) outbreak is ongoing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; travel-associated clade I MPXV infections have been reported in non-African countries. In November 2024, San Mateo County Health in California identified an electronic laboratory report of polymerase chain reaction results suggestive of clade I MPXV infection in a male traveler who had recently returned from East Africa. After conferring with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), a county health department worker visited the patient that same day at his home and obtained skin pustule swab specimens for expedited clade I MPXV testing. Clade I MPXV was confirmed the following day by the CDPH Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory. This was the first reported clade I MPXV infection in the Americas. Among 83 identified contacts, five received JYNNEOS vaccine as postexposure prophylaxis. All contacts were monitored for 21 days; no secondary cases were identified. Patients with mpox-compatible lesions or clinical features should receive MPXV testing, and health care providers should immediately notify public health authorities of suspected clade I MPXV infections (e.g., mpox manifestations and travel history to an area with ongoing clade I MPXV transmission) or upon receiving a nonvariola orthopoxvirus DNA detected, clade II MPXV DNA undetectable test result to trigger additional testing and facilitate the rapid implementation of transmission-based precautions and other preventive public health interventions.
Advanced radiotherapy techniques are widely used for the treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer treatment often involves acute and late radiation effects on the skin. Quantification of surface dose is crucial due to its impact on skin toxicity, cosmetic outcomes, and local tumor control. In this study, the feasibility of using unlaminated Gafchromic EBT3 film (Ashland Advanced Materials, Bridgewater, NJ, USA) for quantification of surface dose during breast radiotherapy was explored. The dosimetric properties of this film, such as dose response, dose rate dependence, orientation dependence, and Ultraviolet-spectrum analysis, were also studied. A CIRS thorax phantom (CIRS Inc. Norfolk, Virginia) with a removable breast attachment was used for surface dose measurement. Tangential beam three-dimensional-conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and 7-field intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) treatment plans were generated on the computed tomography images of the CIRS thorax phantom. The unlaminated EBT3 films were positioned on the breast attachment, at medial and lateral positions, and the treatment was delivered using 6 megavoltage X-rays generated by a TrueBeam medical electron linear accelerator (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, USA). The exposed films were scanned with an EPSON 10000XL flatbed scanner, and the percentage surface dose was determined by taking the ratio of the measured dose and prescribed dose. The average percentage surface doses for 3D-CRT and IMRT techniques were found to be 43.11% and 34.78%, respectively. This study demonstrated the feasibility of using unlaminated EBT3 Gafchromic film for surface dose evaluation in breast radiotherapy, providing valuable insights to optimize treatment strategies and enhance patient outcomes.
Microbial fuel cells are expected to be applied to sustainable power generation, while substantial increases in process performances, including power output, are necessary for practical application. Here we examined the utility of bioaugmentation with electro-active bacteria for boosting power outputs from microbial fuel cell reactors. Single-chamber reactors were operated using digester effluent as an inoculum and food wastes as organic substrates, and effects of bioaugmentation with Geobacter sulfurreducens strain 60473 were examined. It has been shown that bioaugmentation with strain 60473 substantially improves organics removal and power output, and the maximum power density (per anode projection area) reaches over 1700 mW m-2, a value tenfold larger than that without bioaugmentation. Metabarcoding analyses showed that Geobacter shared more than 40% of anode bacteria in 60473-augmented reactors. These results suggest the utility of bioaugmentation with strain 60473 for improving the performance of microbial fuel cells treating food wastes.
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The present study reports the draft genome assembly of a transformable marine coccolithophore Chrysotila carterae NIES-4509. The draft genome consisted of approximately 451.7 Mbp, with 57.9 % G + C content and 9,265 contigs. This assembly is expected to be utilized for understanding the cellular physiology of marine haptophytes.
Bioaugmentation with electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) has been suggested useful for improving the performance of bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) for sustainable energy generation, while its success is dependent on EAB introduced into the systems. Here we report on the isolation of a novel EAB, Geobacter sulfurreducens strain 60473, from microbes that colonized on an anode of a sediment microbial fuel cell. This strain is highly adhesive to graphite electrodes, forms dense biofilms on electrode surfaces, and generates high current densities in BESs. When microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) inoculated with paddy-field soil and fed starch as the major organic substrate were augmented with strain 60473, Geobacter bacteria predominantly colonized on anodes, and MEC performances, including current generation, hydrogen production and organics removal, were substantially improved compared to non-bioaugmented controls. Results suggest that bioaugmentation with electrode-adhesive EAB, such as strain 60473, is a promising approach for improving the performance of BESs, including MECs treating fermentable organics and biomass wastes.
Radiochromic film, evaluated with flatbed scanners, is used for practical radiotherapy QA dosimetry. Film and scanner component effects contribute to the Lateral Response Artefact (LRA), which is further enhanced by light polarisation from both. This study investigates the scanner bed's contribution to LRA and also polarisation from the mirrors for widely used EPSON scanners, as part of broader investigations of this dosimetry method aiming to improve processes and uncertainties. Alternative scanner bed materials were compared on a modified EPSON V700 scanner. Polarisation effects were investigated for complete scanners (V700, V800, on- and off-axis, and V850 on-axis), for a removed V700 mirror system, and independently using retail-quality single mirror combinations simulating practical scanner arrangements, but with varying numbers (0-5) and angles. Some tests had no film present, whilst others included films (EBT3) irradiated to 6 MV doses of 0-11.3 Gy. For polarisation analysis, images were captured by a Canon 7D camera with 50 mm focal length lens. Different scanner bed materials showed only small effects, within a few percent, indicating that the normal glass bed is a good choice. Polarisation varied with scanner type (7-11%), increasing at 10 cm lateral off-axis distance by around a further 6%, and also with film dose. The V700 mirror system showed around 2% difference to the complete scanner. Polarization increased with number of mirrors in the single mirror combinations, to 14% for 4 and 5 mirrors, but specific values depend on angles and mirror quality. Novel film measurement methods could reduce LRA effect corrections and associated uncertainties.