Guidance Protocol Research Articles

Standardized Ultrasound Protocol for Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters in Neonates: A Retrospective, X-ray Controlled Observational Study.

Objectives: Ultrasound (US) has been reported to be a reliable imaging modality for locating the tip of peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICC) in neonates. However, its use requires a certain level of expertise, which may limit its application. Standardization of US examinations using designed protocols may improve their efficiency and ease of use. The objective of our study is to evaluate the effectiveness of introducing a standardized US protocol for PICC guidance. Methods: An expert panel was formed in order to develop a standardized US protocol for PICC assessment. Institutional review board agreement was obtained. This protocol was then used by participating clinicians to assess PICC position. Every assessment was followed by a radiographic control. The study group consisted of 262 US examinations of PICC lines in a level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) performed according to the designed protocol. Subsequent statistical analysis was made with the RStudio software, R version 4.3.1 (2023-06-16 ucrt). Results: Compared to the X-ray control, standardized US examinations showed 100% sensitivity, 81% specificity, an accuracy of 98% and a 98% precision for assessing catheter placement. The Cohen's Kappa value for the comparison of X-ray and US studies was 0.88, indicating good agreement between the two methods. Conclusions: Standardized US examinations have shown similar potential for evaluating the location of PICC lines when compared with radiographic studies. Implementing a standardized protocol in the NICU may facilitate the ultrasound assessment of PICC lines and reduce exposure to ionizing radiation.

Expert consensus on vestibular rehabilitation in vestibular disorders

Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is a highly effective treatment approach for addressing both peripheral and central vestibular disorders, offering the ability to significantly improve patients' coordination and control across the vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive systems, all of which are crucial factors in maintaining balance. By promoting vestibular compensation, VRT has been shown to mitigate or even eliminate symptoms of dizziness, vertigo, and instability. With the rapid development of vestibular research, VRT has evolved into a more individualized and precise treatment approach based on evidence-based medicine. Its clinical effectiveness has been increasingly validated in numerous studies. With the involvement of multidisciplinary experts, this article aims to reach a consensus on the pre-treatment evaluation, formulation/implementation of treatment plans, and evidence-based treatment recommendations for common vestibular disorders, focusing on the prospects of vestibular rehabilitation. The goal is to further standardize and update VRT protocols for different vestibular disorders, providing comprehensive and context-specific guidance primarily tailored to the Chinese healthcare landscape, with a notable emphasis on its clinical applicability. Concurrently, it aspires to present new insights and serve as a valuable reference point for forthcoming high-quality clinical research on vestibular rehabilitation in China.

Diagnosis of female genital schistosomiasis and other genital infections in young South African women: challenges in the syndromic approach

IntroductionFemale genital schistosomiasis is a common but neglected disease, which results in symptoms similar to sexually transmitted infections in Schistosoma haematobium-endemic areas of Africa and Middle East. In primary healthcare of low-income countries, healthcare professionals use syndromic management protocols for guidance when treating symptoms of genital infection, due to lack of laboratory resources. These protocols do not include treatment for female genital schistosomiasis, despite the overlap of symptoms. Women are at risk of not receiving the appropriate treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate challenges and missed opportunities when using syndromic management protocols for sexually transmitted infections in female genital schistosomiasis-endemic areas.MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of data from a large cross-sectional prevalence study conducted in 2011 in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Young women in schistosomiasis-endemic areas were asked about genital symptoms and underwent laboratory testing and gynecological examinations to look for common genital infections including female genital schistosomiasis. We used the current South African syndromic management protocols as the basis and analyzed the associations between the reported genital symptoms and the differential diagnoses with logistic regression.ResultsBy use of the syndromic approach the conditions gonorrhea, trichomoniasis and herpes could be identified. The symptom “lower abdominal pain” was significantly associated with documented female genital schistosomiasis. However, the same association was not found with gonorrhea or chlamydia. We found no significant association between reported vaginal discharge syndrome and female genital schistosomiasis or between genital ulcer syndrome and female genital schistosomiasis.DiscussionFemale genital schistosomiasis frequently co-exists with, and mimics other genital infections in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. The management protocols in schistosomiasis endemic countries should include advice on how to diagnose and manage this chronic, waterborne genital condition. There is an urgent need to upscale laboratory and diagnostic resources in low-and middle-income countries and specifically schistosomiasis-endemic areas, to diagnose these common genital infections more accurately and to treat affected women accordingly.

Assessing the adequacy of a 5-mm planning target volume margin for 4D-CT scan-based image-guided radiotherapy for locally advanced carcinoma of the lung

In developed nations, 4D-computed tomography (4D-CT)-based image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) has become the standard for treating lung carcinoma patients, with the primary goal of achieving disease cure. However, its usage in India remains limited. Here, we compared target volume delineation for radical radiation planning in patients with locally advanced lung carcinoma using helical free-breathing CT (FBCT) and 4D-CT. In addition, we assessed the adequacy of a 5-mm planning target volume (PTV) margin with 4D-CT planning. Fifty patients with locally advanced lung cancer were enrolled in the study. Each patient underwent contouring based on 4D-CT to generate an internal target volume, and a 5-mm PTV margin (PTV_4D) was added for radical radiation. Subsequently, each patient underwent two intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans with comparable planning and optimization parameters. One plan was based on the FBCT-based volume (PTV_3D), while the other was based on the 4D-CT-based volume (PTV_4D). PTV, organ at risk (OAR) dose, and PTV coverage by 95% of the prescribed dose (PTVD 95_3D vs. PTVD 95_4D) were compared between the two schemes. Results revealed that 4D-CT-based planning reduced PTV (mean PTV volume: 539 cc vs. 782 cc) and lowered OAR doses (mean lung dose: 13 Gy vs. 15 Gy; mean esophagus dose: 18.5 Gy vs. 21.15 Gy; mean spinal cord max dose: 35.59 Gy vs. 37.39 Gy). At 3 months after treatment imaging, 40% of the patients showed a complete response, 48% showed a partial response, 4% showed stable disease, and 8% showed progressive disease. In conclusion, 4D-CT-based radiation planning for locally advanced lung carcinoma with a reduced PTV margin of 5 mm can dramatically decrease the PTV and OAR doses without sacrificing PTV coverage compared to FBCT-based planning. However, daily online image guidance or at least a well-defined offline image guidance protocol is recommended when employing such a small PTV margin.

Validation of an automated dispensing system for subsequent dose dispensing of different radionuclides

BackgroundAutomated dispensing systems (ADSs) for radiopharmaceuticals have been developed to reduce the radiation exposure of personnel, to improve the accuracy of the dispensed dose and to limit the microbiological contamination. However, before implementing such systems, validation according to various applicable guidelines is necessary to ensure safety and quality. Here we present the selection, validation and implementation of the PT459R2 from manufacturer Lynax s.r.o. as a guidance protocol for validation according to GMP and GRPP guidelines. Validation included linearity accuracy and precision of the internal scintillation detector for different isotopes and microbiological validation for aseptic procedures.ResultsThe ADS can dispense accurate doses in the following linear range: 1000–10,000 MBq for lutetium-177, 20–74 MBq for zirconium-89, 100–1000 MBq for gallium-68 and 100–2000 MBq for fluorine-18. The maximum bias is 2.35% and the maximum coefficient of variation is 3.03% which meets the acceptance criteria of < 5%. Furthermore, the ADS does not affects the GMP class A environment in a laminar airflow cabinet and can dispense aseptically. In addition, radiation exposure is acceptable and data integrity is preserved.ConclusionThe PT459R2 ADS met all the requirements from our performance qualification and is therefore suitable for daily routine use in our center. Our approach can be used as a guidance for PQ of an ADS in a Radiopharmacy according to GMP and GRPP guidelines.

Protocol-Based Standardized Endocrinological Evaluation of Children With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can disrupt the hypothalamo-pituitary axis, causing neuroendocrine dysfunction. As a third of children can develop post-traumatic hypothalamo-pituitary axis dysfunction (HPAD), a longitudinal follow-up is required in children with TBI. The study comprised a pre-quality improvement (QI) phase (baseline phase) and a QI phase (post-intervention phase). Retrospective data were collected on children with TBI at our hospital during the pre-QI phase of the study to estimate the baseline data on HPAD prevalence and pediatric endocrine referral rate. Guidance protocol for standardizing the pediatric endocrine referral, evaluation, and follow-up of children with TBI was implemented. Prospective data were collected to estimate outcome measures (prevalence of HPAD, rate of initial endocrine consultation and outpatient follow-up) and process measures (protocol adherence rate). Twenty-seven children, aged ≤19 years, were admitted with TBI in the pre-QI phase. The median age was 9 years. Motor vehicle accidents predominated. Thirty percent had limited endocrine evaluation, and 4% had transient cranial diabetes insipidus (DI). The QI phase included 8 children. Demographic data were similar to those in the pre-QI phase. Both outcome and process measures increased to 75% from the pre-QI phase following the protocol implementation. A lower prevalence rate of HPAD in the current cohort may be owing to underevaluation and a smaller sample size. The QI initiative incorporating a guidance protocol-based endocrinological approach to children with TBI improved the pediatric endocrinology referral and follow-up rates.

Determining the Effectiveness of Positive Psychology on Resilience and Depression Among Master's Students at Payame Noor University of Karaj

Objective: The aim of this research was to determine the effectiveness of positive psychology on resilience and depression among master's students at Payame Noor University of Karaj. Methods and Materials: This study employed an experimental methodology with a quasi-experimental design, specifically a pretest-posttest with a control group. The statistical population comprised all master's students at Payame Noor University of Karaj. The sample size was considered to be 30 individuals. Data collection methods included both library and field approaches. The data collection instruments used in this study were two standardized questionnaires: the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory (1978), along with a protocol for group-based positive psychological training and guidance. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 21 (SPSS). Descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, were used in the pretest and posttest stages. To assess the normality of the variables, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was employed, and to examine homogeneity of variances, Levene's test was used. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was applied to compare the mean scores of the experimental and control groups and to account for the effect of pretest scores and other confounding variables on the posttest. Findings: The results indicated that positive psychology training had a significant impact on the resilience of the master's students at Payame Noor University of Karaj. Conclusion: In sum, positive psychology training improved the resilience and depression levels of the students, with a more pronounced effect on resilience compared to depression.

Assessment of Early Intervention Strategies for Management of Cytokine Release Syndrome and Neurologic Events after Brexucabtagene Autoleucel (Brexu-Cel) Treatment in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma (R/R MCL) in ZUMA-2

Introduction: Brexu-cel is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved in the United States for the treatment of adults with R/R MCL and in the European Union for adults with R/R MCL after ≥2 prior therapies, including a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi). In the Phase 2 ZUMA-2 study, with a median follow-up of 35.6 months, brexu-cel showed an objective response rate of 91%, a median duration of response of 28.2 months, and a median overall survival of 46.6 months with a manageable safety profile in treated patients (pts) with R/R MCL (N=68). Grade (Gr) ≥3 infections, cytokine release syndrome (CRS), and neurologic events (NEs) occurred in 37%, 15%, and 31% of pts, respectively (Wang et al. J Clin Oncol. 2023). In August 2018, CRS and NE management strategies for ZUMA-2 were updated to initiate treatment of these adverse events earlier at the onset of Gr 1 events to improve safety outcomes. Here, we report 4-yr safety outcomes for pts in ZUMA-2 by initial and updated CRS and NE management strategies. Methods: Pts with R/R MCL and ≤5 prior treatments, including a BTKi, underwent leukapheresis and conditioning chemotherapy followed by a single infusion of brexu-cel (2×10 6 CAR T cells/kg). For CRS, the initial toxicity management strategy was to consider tocilizumab ± corticosteroids (methylprednisolone 1 mg/kg bid or dexamethasone 10 mg q6h) for Gr 2 CRS with extensive comorbidities or older age and Gr 3 CRS, and to increase the dose of corticosteroids (methylprednisolone 1 g/day x3, followed by a rapid taper consisting of 250 mg bid x2 days, 125 mg bid x2 days and then 60 mg bid x2 days) for Gr 4 CRS. The updated guidance was to administer tocilizumab for Gr 1/2 CRS that does not improve after 24 hours, and tocilizumab + corticosteroids (only if no resolution after 24 hours) and vasopressors for Gr 2 and 3 CRS. For NEs, the initial guidance was to consider use of tocilizumab for Gr 2 NEs only if other comorbid conditions exist (8 mg/kg IV over 1 hour, not to exceed 800 mg) and to add corticosteroids (dexamethasone 10 mg IV q6h, methylprednisolone 1 mg/kg bid) for Gr ≥3 NEs. In the updated guidance, steroid treatment without concurrent CRS remained the same, but both tocilizumab + dexamethasone 10 mg IV were to be administered for Gr ≥2 NEs concurrent with CRS. Both guidance protocols recommended treatment with antibiotics for management of infections. This exploratory post hoc analysis examined safety outcomes related to CRS, NEs, and infections for pts in each management group, with descriptive statistics reported. Results: As of July 23 2022, the median follow-up in the 68 treated pts was 47.5 months (range, 37.9-68.3). Of these pts, 40 received updated guidance (early intervention group [EIG]) and 28 received initial guidance (later intervention group [LIG]). Gr ≥3 CRS events were experienced at similar rates in both groups while Gr ≥3 NEs and Gr ≥3 infections occurred less often in the EIG vs the LIG (Table). Gr 5 infections occurred in 2 pts in the EIG and 0 pts in the LIG. No Gr 5 CRS or NEs occurred in either group. The median durations of Gr ≥3 CRS and infections were shorter for the EIG than the LIG while the median duration of Gr ≥3 NEs was longer for the EIG. Any Gr CRS and NEs were resolved at similar rates in both groups, but fewer any Gr infections were resolved for the EIG (all unresolved events in both groups were due to pt death before event resolution). Concomitant medications of interest were used in 80% (n=32) and 82% (n=23) of pts in the EIG and LIG, respectively. Tocilizumab was used at similar rates in the EIG and LIG (73% vs 68%), but steroids (55% vs 68%), vasopressors (18% vs 29%), and immunoglobulins (28% vs 50%) were used at lower rates in the EIG. Median CAR T-cell peak levels and area under the curve were lower for the EIG than the LIG while median CAR T-cell levels peaked at similar times in both groups. Conclusions: With an updated safety management protocol emphasizing early intervention with tocilizumab and corticosteroids for CRS and NEs, only 20% of pts had Gr ≥3 NEs and 30% had Gr ≥3 infections. Additionally, a lower percentage of EIG pts required steroid, vasopressor, and immunoglobulin use than pts in the LIG. CAR T-cell expansion levels were numerically lower in the EIG. Although limited by small pt numbers, these findings support the current clinical guidance for safety management during brexu-cel treatment, which is close to the ZUMA-2 updated toxicity management guidance that was examined in this study.

Construction and validation of a novel prognostic model of neutrophil‑related genes signature of lung adenocarcinoma

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains an incurable disease with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to explore neutrophil‑related genes (NRGs) and develop a prognostic signature for predicting the prognosis of LUAD. NRGs were obtained by intersecting modular genes identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) using bulk RNA-seq data and the marker genes of neutrophils identified from single-cell RNA-sequencing(scRNA-seq) data. Univariate Cox regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and multivariate Cox analyses were run to construct a prognostic signature, follow by delineation of risk groups, and external validation. Analyses of ESTIMAT, immune function, Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) scores, Immune cell Proportion Score (IPS), and immune checkpoint genes between high- and low-risk groups were performed, and then analyses of drug sensitivity to screen for sensitive anticancer drugs in high-risk groups. A total of 45 candidate NRGs were identified, of which PLTP, EREG, CD68, CD69, PLAUR, and CYP27A1 were considered to be significantly associated with prognosis in LUAD and were used to construct a prognostic signature. Correlation analysis showed significant differences in the immune landscape between high- and low-risk groups. In addition, our prognostic signature was important for predicting drug sensitivity in the high-risk group. Our study screened for NRGs in LUAD and constructed a novel and effective signature, revealing the immune landscape and providing more appropriate guidance protocols in LUAD treatment.

Virtual reality games as a pain and anxiety reduction in circumcision children: A literature review

Introduction: Circumcision is a minor surgical operation that cuts the foreskin at the tip of the penis. Pain and anxiety are problems that all children who undergo surgery experience. This study aimed to review virtual reality game interventions to reduce pain and anxiety from pre, intra, and post-circumcision in children.Methods: Literature study using four databases (Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar) using quantitative research with RCT and quasi-experimental designs, using virtual reality, audio-visual and game interventions which were limited from 2018 to 2022 according to combination of keywords and using English. The framework investigation using PICOT, guidance protocol with PRISMA, and accessing the eligibility of articles systematically by checking for duplicates, titles, and abstracts and determining the eligibility of the full text according to the study of the goals.Results: Thirteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Of the thirteen articles, 1074 children were circumcised. Circumcision causes pain and anxiety in children, so non-pharmacological interventions are needed to overcome it. Virtual reality games are a distraction technique to reduce circumcision pain by diverting the child’s attention and reducing anxiety by providing interventions that children like using audio-visual media and games, with virtual reality or not.Conclusions: Virtual reality games intervention is a distraction technique to reduce pain and anxiety in circumcised children. The combination of interventions using traditional games or the latest technology must be considered to improve service quality. Keywords: anxiety; children; circumcision; distraction technique; pain

Virtual patient with temporal evolution for mechanical ventilation trial studies: A stochastic model approach

Background and objectiveHealthcare datasets are plagued by issues of data scarcity and class imbalance. Clinically validated virtual patient (VP) models can provide accurate in-silico representations of real patients and thus a means for synthetic data generation in hospital critical care settings. This research presents a realistic, time-varying mechanically ventilated respiratory failure VP profile synthesised using a stochastic model. MethodsA stochastic model was developed using respiratory elastance (Ers) data from two clinical cohorts and averaged over 30-minute time intervals. The stochastic model was used to generate future Ers data based on current Ers values with added normally distributed random noise. Self-validation of the VPs was performed via Monte Carlo simulation and retrospective Ers profile fitting. A stochastic VP cohort of temporal Ers evolution was synthesised and then compared to an independent retrospective patient cohort data in a virtual trial across several measured patient responses, where similarity of profiles validates the realism of stochastic model generated VP profiles. ResultsA total of 120,000 3-hour VPs for pressure control (PC) and volume control (VC) ventilation modes are generated using stochastic simulation. Optimisation of the stochastic simulation process yields an ideal noise percentage of 5–10% and simulation iteration of 200,000 iterations, allowing the simulation of a realistic and diverse set of Ers profiles. Results of self-validation show the retrospective Ers profiles were able to be recreated accurately with a mean squared error of only 0.099 [0.009–0.790]% for the PC cohort and 0.051 [0.030–0.126]% for the VC cohort. A virtual trial demonstrates the ability of the stochastic VP cohort to capture Ers trends within and beyond the retrospective patient cohort providing cohort-level validation. ConclusionVPs capable of temporal evolution demonstrate feasibility for use in designing, developing, and optimising bedside MV guidance protocols through in-silico simulation and validation. Overall, the temporal VPs developed using stochastic simulation alleviate the need for lengthy, resource intensive, high cost clinical trials, while facilitating statistically robust virtual trials, ultimately leading to improved patient care and outcomes in mechanical ventilation.

Effect of the machine learning-derived Hypotension Prediction Index (HPI) combined with diagnostic guidance versus standard care on depth and duration of intraoperative and postoperative hypotension in elective cardiac surgery patients: HYPE-2 – study protocol of a randomised clinical trial

IntroductionHypotension is common during cardiac surgery and often persists postoperatively in the intensive care unit (ICU). Still, treatment is mainly reactive, causing a delay in its management. The Hypotension Prediction...

Protocol for the electroencephalography guidance of anesthesia to alleviate geriatric syndromes (ENGAGES-Canada) study: A pragmatic, randomized clinical trial

Background: There is some evidence that electroencephalography guidance of general anesthesia can decrease postoperative delirium after non-cardiac surgery. There is limited evidence in this regard for cardiac surgery. A suppressed electroencephalogram pattern, occurring with deep anesthesia, is associated with increased incidence of postoperative delirium (POD) and death. However, it is not yet clear whether this electroencephalographic pattern reflects an underlying vulnerability associated with increased incidence of delirium and mortality, or whether it is a modifiable risk factor for these adverse outcomes. Methods: The Electroe ncephalography Guidance of Anesthesia to Alleviate Geriatric Syndromes ( ENGAGES-Canada) is an ongoing pragmatic 1200 patient trial at four Canadian sites. The study compares the effect of two anesthetic management approaches on the incidence of POD after cardiac surgery. One approach is based on current standard anesthetic practice and the other on electroencephalography guidance to reduce POD. In the guided arm, clinicians are encouraged to decrease anesthetic administration, primarily if there is electroencephalogram suppression and secondarily if the EEG index is lower than the manufacturers recommended value (bispectral index (BIS) or WAVcns below 40 or Patient State Index below 25). The aim in the guided group is to administer the minimum concentration of anesthetic considered safe for individual patients. The primary outcome of the study is the incidence of POD, detected using the confusion assessment method or the confusion assessment method for the intensive care unit; coupled with structured delirium chart review. Secondary outcomes include unexpected intraoperative movement, awareness, length of intensive care unit and hospital stay, delirium severity and duration, quality of life, falls, and predictors and outcomes of perioperative distress and dissociation. Discussion: The ENGAGES-Canada trial will help to clarify whether or not using the electroencephalogram to guide anesthetic administration during cardiac surgery decreases the incidence, severity, and duration of POD. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT02692300) 26/02/2016.

Telemonitoring of children with risk indicators for Autism Spectrum Disorder: preliminary findings.

monitor the development of pragmatic skills in children with clinical risk indicators for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) before and after the application of an integrated parental guidance protocol. Seven families who had children with clinical risk indicators for autism spectrum disorder and were in the diagnostic process participated in this study. The study was divided into three moments: (1) structured interview with parents and assessment of children's pragmatic skills, (2) virtual sessions with guidance to parents related to the characteristics of the condition and skills that can be developed to favor their development, and (3) reassessment of children's pragmatic skills. Statistical analysis considered occupation of communicative space, use of functions and communicative means at ground zero and post-monitoring. There was no significant difference between the two evaluation moments, but a greater number was observed in the use of communicative acts and more interactive communicative functions as an outcome. The monitoring of children's pragmatic skills suggests that they present discrete evolution, especially the more interactive ones, after the application of the integrated parental guidance protocol.

Telemonitoramento de crianças com indicadores de risco para Transtorno do Espectro do Autismo: resultados preliminares

ABSTRACT Purpose monitor the development of pragmatic skills in children with clinical risk indicators for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) before and after the application of an integrated parental guidance protocol. Methods Seven families who had children with clinical risk indicators for autism spectrum disorder and were in the diagnostic process participated in this study. The study was divided into three moments: (1) structured interview with parents and assessment of children's pragmatic skills, (2) virtual sessions with guidance to parents related to the characteristics of the condition and skills that can be developed to favor their development, and (3) reassessment of children's pragmatic skills. Statistical analysis considered occupation of communicative space, use of functions and communicative means at ground zero and post-monitoring. Results There was no significant difference between the two evaluation moments, but a greater number was observed in the use of communicative acts and more interactive communicative functions as an outcome. Conclusion The monitoring of children’s pragmatic skills suggests that they present discrete evolution, especially the more interactive ones, after the application of the integrated parental guidance protocol.

Sequential monoscopic image-guided motion compensation in tomotherapy stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer.

To manage intra-fractional motions, recent developments in tomotherapy enable a unique capability of adjusting MLC/jaw to track the moving target based on the intra-fractional motions detected by sequential monoscopic imaging. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of motion compensation with a realistic imaging rate for prostate stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). The obtained results will guide optimizing treatment parameters and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) in tomotherapy using this approach. Ten retrospective prostate cases with actual prostate motion curves previously recorded through the Calypso system were used in this study. Based on the recorded peak-to-peak motion, these cases represented either large(>5mm) or median (≤ 5mm) intra-fractional prostate motions. All the cases were re-planned on tomotherapy using 35Gy/5 fractions SBRT regimen and three different jaw settings of 1cm static, 2.5cm static, and 2.5cm dynamic jaw. Two motion compensation methods were evaluated: a complete compensation that adjusted the jaw and MLC every 0.1 s (the same rate as the Calypso motion trace), and a realistic compensation that adjusted the jaw and MLC at an average imaging interval of 6 s from sequential monoscopic images. An in-house 4D dose calculation software was then applied to calculate the dosimetric outcomes from the original motion-free plan, the motion-contaminated plan, and the two abovementioned motion-compensated plans. During the process, various imaging rates were also simulated in one case with unusually large motions to quantify the impact of the KV-imaging rate on the effectiveness of motion compensation. The effectiveness of motion compensation was evaluated based on the PTV coverage and OAR sparing. Without any motion-compensation, the PTV coverage (PTV V100%) of patients with large prostate motions decreased remarkably to 55%-82% when planning with the 1cm jaw but to a less level of 67-94% with the 2.5cm jaw. In contrast, motion compensation improved the PTV coverage(>92%) when combined with the 2.5cm jaw, but less effective, around 75%-94%, with the 1cm jaw. For OAR sparing, the bladder D1cc, bladder D10cc, and rectum D1cc all increased in the motion-contaminated plans. Motion compensation improved OAR sparing to the equivalent level of the original motion-free plans. For patients with median prostate motion, motion-induced degradation in PTV coverage was only observed when planning with the 1cm jaw. After motion compensation, the PTV coverage improved to better than 94% for all three jaw settings. Additionally, the effectiveness of motion compensation depends on the imaging rate. Motion compensation with a typical rate of two KV images per gantry rotation effectively reduces motion-induced dosimetric uncertainties. However, a higher imaging rate is recommended when planning with a 1cm jaw for patients with large motions. Our results demonstrated that the performance of sequential monoscopic imaging-guided motion compensation on tomotherapy depends on the amplitude of intra-fractional prostate motion, the plan parameter settings, especially jaw setting, gantry rotation, and the imaging rate for motion compensation. Creating a patient-specific imaging guidance protocol is essential to balance the effectiveness of motion compensation and achievable imaging rate for intra-fractional motion tracking.

Cooperative Guidance Law With Impact Angle Coordination: A Nash Approach

In this article, we investigate a cooperative guidance problem against a maneuvering target with impact angle coordination. As is well established, the main challenge is how to design a guidance law for each missile to intercept the target from specified directions with only the local information and information from its connected neighbors. Toward this, we prove that the underlying problem can be treated as a Nash equilibrium (NE) seeking problem, where each missile attempts to minimize its own performance index to achieve interception without unilaterally implicate the team objective, and then we introduce a local observer to facilitate the local implementation of the proposed guidance protocol by ensuring the seeking of NE distributive. Numerical simulations verified the performance of the proposed guidance strategy.

Reinke Edema: Factors that Interfere with Vocal Recovery after Surgery.

Introduction Dysphonia and lower pitch after surgery of Reinke edema are common. They are caused especially due to chronic smoking but, probably, other factors should be associated. Objectives To evaluate the results of laryngeal microsurgery in patients with Reinke edema, following a standardized postoperative guidance protocol in our service. Methods Retrospective study. Thirty patients (3 males; 27 females) were included, 70% between 41 and 60 years old. The parameters analyzed in the pre- and postoperative (between 4 and 6 months) of patients undergoing laryngeal microsurgery for Reinke edema were: smoking, vocal symptoms, videolaryngostroboscopy, voice therapy, perceptual and acoustic vocal evaluation, histopathological report. Results Smoking was reported by 100% of the patients and maintained in the postoperative period by 80%. Complete improvement of symptoms in the postoperative period was reported by 43% of them, partial improvement by 40%, and maintenance by 17%. There was low adherence to voice therapy in the pre- and postsurgery. Postoperative videolaryngoscopy indicated congestion (19), atrophy and bowed vocal fold (1), subepithelial edema (2), and normal findings (8). The histological findings were subepithelial edema, enlargement of vessels, inflammation, epithelial hyperplasia, and thickening of the basement membrane. The perceptual and acoustic vocal analyzes indicated improvement of the analyzed parameters. Conclusions The maintenance of some vocal symptoms and laryngeal alterations in videolaryngoscopy after microsurgery of Reinke edema is frequent, even in patients who follow the recommendations of vocal rest and control of gastroesophageal reflux. Vocal symptoms are attributed to changes in the laryngeal mucosa caused by chronic smoking, aggravated by the maintenance of addiction in the postoperative period.

Impact of immobilisation and image guidance protocol on planning target volume margins for supine craniospinal irradiation.

BackgroundThe setup errors during supine-CSI (sCSI) using single or dual immobilisation (SM, DM) subsets from two institutions were reviewed to determine if DM consistently decreased the required planning target volumes (PTV) margins and to identify the optimal image guidance environments.Materials and methodsOurs and a sister institutional cohort, each with a subset of SM or DM sCSI and daily 3-dimensional online image verification sets, were reviewed for the cranial and spinal regions translational shifts. Using descriptive statistics, scatter plots and independent sample Mann-Whitney test we compared shifts in each direction for two subsets in each cohort deriving PTV margins (Van Herk: VH, Strooms: St recipes) for the cranial and spinal regions. Three image guidance (IG) protocols were simulated for two regions on the combined cohort with SM and DM subsets to identify the most optimal option with the smallest PTV margin. The IG protocols: 3F, 5F and 5FB where the systematic error correction was done using the average error from the first three, five and in the cranium alone (applied to both the cranium and spine, otherwise) for the first five set-ups, respectively.Results6968 image sets for 179 patients showed DM could consistently reduce the PTV margin (VH/St) for the cranium from 6/5 to 4/3.5 (31.8/30.8%) and 6/4 to 4/3.5 mm (30.5/16.8%) for primary and validation cohort, respectively. Similarly, for the spine it was 10/8.5 to 6/5.5 (38.6/38.4%) and 9/7.7 to 7/6 (21.6/21.4%), respectively. The “5F-IG” resulted in the smallest margins for both the cranial (3 mm) and spinal region (5 mm) for DM with estimated 95% CTV coverage probability.ConclusionDM with 5F-IG would significantly reduce the required PTV margins for sCSI.

Retrospective study of random and systematic errors in Head and Neck cancer Patients with Image guided Helical Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy

The Precision of radiotherapy is checked based on the matching of pre-treatment 2D portal imaging/CBCT to the reference image. The objective of this study is to find inter-fractional systematic and random setup errors (mm) for head and Neck cancer patients and also find setup margin for Planning Target Volume (PTV) at Mohan Dai Oswal Cancer Hospital Ludhiana Punjab. Inter-fractional motion errors were quantified for 10 Head and neck cancer patients who underwent image guided helical intensity modulated radiation therapy with Radixact X9 machine. One hundred fan beam computed tomography scans of 2mm slice thickness, 3.5 MV average energy and flattening filter free beam has been used to collect the data for the calculation of systematic and random errors. After patient immobilization, patient accuracy is checked with registration of pre-treatment image with reference planning image with the help of Accuray Precision image guidance protocol. For every patient 10 fan beam computed tomography images has been taken. Translational errors have been calculated in X, Y and Z direction to find systematic error (∑) and random error (σ). The final PTV margin is calculated by van Herk’s equation (2.5∑ + 0.7σ). The results of this study shows that mean translational errors varies from -2.3 mm to 3.3 mm in lateral direction (X), -3.6 mm to 1.7 mm in longitudinal direction (Y), -2.7 mm to 1.5 mm in vertical direction (Z). The mean and standard deviation (SD) for systematic errors are 1.467, 0.8, 0.923 and random error 0.0595, 0.02266, 0.03824 in X, Y and Z direction has been calculated. The Total Margin for CTV to PTV which include setup margin (mm) in X, Y and Z direction are 3.7 mm, 2.02 mm and 2.33 mm. In addition to that, a PTV margin of 5.00 mm is the appropriate margin for Mohan Dai Oswal Cancer Hospital’s patients. This work conclude that CTV to PTV margin of 5.00 mm is suitable for image guided helical intensity modulated radiation therapy for Head and neck patients to ensure the minimum 95% coverage of dose to target