Search Results (2,026)

Background/Objectives: Penetrating intraocular foreign bodies (IOFBs) are ocular emergencies, often leading to preventable vision loss. This case report highlights a unique presentation of a work-related penetrating IOFB that mimicked a golden hypopyon. Methods: A 35-year-old male presented to the emergency department with sudden-onset pain and vision loss in the left eye while he was cutting a tree with metallic scissors. He had a visual acuity of 20/30 in the right eye and counting fingers in the left eye. A dilated slit-lamp examination and CT scan confirmed the presence of a 6–8 mm metallic IOFB in the anterior chamber, with no involvement of the lens or the posterior segment. Surgical removal was performed. Results: The metallic IOFB was removed surgically with IOFB forceps using a single paracentesis. The patient reported resolving pain and regained baseline visual acuity of 20/20 postoperatively, which remained stable at one-month follow-up. Conclusions: This case illustrates the successful surgical management of a penetrating metallic IOFB with a unique presentation mimicking a hypopyon. Emphasis on unique presentations of IOFBs can aid in timely management, ultimately reducing the risk of complications. Full article

Due to the challenges in obtaining full-body point clouds and the time-consuming registration of parametric body models, we propose an end-to-end Front Point Cloud Parametric Body Regression Network (FPCR-Net). This network directly regresses the pose and shape parameters of a parametric body model from a single front point cloud of the human body. The network first predicts the label probabilities of corresponding body parts and the back point cloud from the input front point cloud. Then, it extracts equivariant features from both the front and predicted back point clouds, which are concatenated into global point cloud equivariant features. For pose prediction, part-level equivariant feature aggregation is performed using the predicted part label probabilities, and the rotations of each joint in the parametric body model are predicted via a self-attention layer. Shape prediction is achieved by applying mean pooling to part-invariant features and estimating the shape parameters using a self-attention mechanism. Experimental results, both qualitative and quantitative, demonstrate that our method achieves comparable accuracy in reconstructing body models from front point clouds when compared to implicit representation-based methods. Moreover, compared to previous regression-based methods, vertex and joint position errors are reduced by 43.2% and 45.0%, respectively, relative to the baseline. Full article

Background: Minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) via right minithoracotomy is a safe, reproducible approach with excellent outcomes and reduced costs compared to median sternotomy. Despite careful patient selection, conversion to sternotomy occurs in 1–3% of cases and is associated with significantly higher morbidity and mortality. Small body habitus, particularly a short anteroposterior (AP) diameter, may increase the risk of conversion, but this has not been previously studied. This study aims to identify preoperative factors associated with conversion to improve patient selection for MICS. As cardiovascular surgery becomes increasingly personalized, identifying anatomical factors that predict technical complexity is essential. Methods: This retrospective study included 254 adult patients who underwent elective MICS between 2015 and 2024 at a tertiary hospital. Patient characteristics, computed tomography (CT) scans, intraoperative parameters, and postoperative outcomes were reviewed. AP diameter was defined as the distance from the posterior sternum to the anterior vertebral body at the mitral valve level on CT. Statistical analyses included Mann−Whitney and Fisher’s exact/chi-square tests. Results: Conversion to sternotomy occurred in 1.6% of patients (n = 4). All converted patients were female. The converted group had a significantly shorter median AP diameter (100 mm vs. 124 mm, p = 0.020). Conversion was associated with higher rates of stroke and infection (25.0% vs. 0.8%, p = 0.047 for both), but no significant differences in hospital stay, bleeding, or renal failure. Conclusions: An AP diameter of less than 100 mm was associated with a higher risk of conversion to sternotomy in MICS. Incorporating simple, reproducible preoperative imaging metrics into surgical planning may advance precision-guided cardiac surgery and optimize patient outcomes. Full article

Objective: This study aims to examine the anterior chamber structure and related factors in 8-year-old children based on data from The Yamanashi Adjunct Study of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS). Methods: A total of 709 children aged 8 years (350 boys and 359 girls) who participated in the JECS Adjunct Study were included. The right eyes were primarily used for measurements. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) was utilized to scan the anterior chambers of the participants’ eyes. The following parameters were measured: Angle Opening Distance (AOD500, 750), Trabecular Iris Space Area (TISA500, 750), Anterior Chamber Angle (ACA500, 750), Peripheral Iris Thickness (IT500, 750), and Peripheral Corneal Thickness (PCT500, 750). The relationships between anterior chamber structure, axial length (AL), spherical equivalent (SE), logMAR (without correction), and body height were analyzed. Results: A significant negative correlation was found between SE and ACA (500: coefficient = −0.19; 750: −0.24), AOD (500: −0.19; 750: −0.24), and TISA (500: −0.17; 750: −0.23) (p < 0.001). Conversely, a significant positive correlation was observed between AL and ACA (500: 0.22; 750: 0.26), AOD (500: 0.25; 750: 0.30), and TISA (500: 0.24; 750: 0.29) (p < 0.001). Boys exhibited a longer AL (boys: girls = 23.30 ± 0.76 mm; girls = 22.79 ± 0.72 mm) and greater CT (500: boys = 812.82 ± 51.94 mm; girls = 784.48 ± 51.81 mm; 750: boys = 776.01 ± 48.64 mm; girls = 751.34 ± 49.63 mm) compared to girls (p < 0.001) despite no significant difference in body height. CT and IT showed no correlation with AL or SE, and visual acuity had minimal correlation with IT and CT. Conclusions: In our cohort of eight-year-old children, the anterior chamber angle structure correlates with ocular structures and refractive error, revealing notable differences between boys and girls. Full article

Carbon fiber (CF) and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are widely used in the aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors due to their high strength, stiffness, and low density. However, significant waste is generated during manufacturing and after the use of CFRPs. Traditional disposal methods like landfilling and incineration are unsustainable. CFRP machining processes, such as drilling and milling, produce fine chips and dust that are difficult to recycle due to their heterogeneity and contamination. This study investigates the oxidation behavior of CFRP drilling waste from two types of materials (tube and plate) under oxidative (non-inert) conditions. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was performed from 200 °C to 800 °C to assess weight loss related to polymer degradation and carbon fiber integrity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze morphological changes and fiber damage. The optimal range for removing the polymer matrix without significant fiber degradation has been identified as 500–600 °C. At temperatures above 700 °C, notable surface and internal fiber damage occurred, along with nanostructure formation, which may pose health and environmental risks. The results show that partial fiber recovery is possible under ambient conditions, and this must be considered regarding the harmful risks to the human body if submicron particles are inhaled. This research supports sustainable CFRP recycling and fire hazard mitigation. Full article

Consumer interest in vegetarian, ethical, and clean-label foods is reviving the use of plant-derived milk coagulants. Cardosins from Cynara cardunculus (“thistle”) are aspartic proteases with strong clotting activity, yet their technological impact in cheese remains under-explored. This study compared a commercial thistle extract (PC) with traditional bovine rennet rich in chymosin (AC) during manufacture and 60-day ripening of Caciotta cheese. Classical compositional assays (ripening index, texture profile, color, solubility) were integrated with scanning electron microscopy, three-dimensional surface reconstruction, and descriptive sensory analysis. AC cheeses displayed slower but sustained proteolysis, yielding a higher and more linear ripening index, softer body, greater solubility, and brighter, more yellow appearance. Imaging revealed a continuous protein matrix with uniformly distributed, larger pores, consistent with a dairy-like sensory profile dominated by milky and umami notes. Conversely, PC cheeses underwent rapid early proteolysis that plateaued, producing firmer, chewier curds with lower solubility and darker color. Micrographs showed a fragmented matrix with smaller, heterogeneous pores; sensory evaluation highlighted vegetal, bitter, and astringent attributes. The data demonstrate that thistle coagulant can successfully replace animal rennet but generates cheeses with distinct structural and sensory fingerprints. The optimization of process parameters is therefore required when targeting specific product styles. Full article

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced digital workflows is revolutionising full-arch implant dentistry, particularly for geriatric patients with edentulous and atrophic arches, for whom achieving both prosthetic passivity and optimal aesthetic outcomes is critical. This narrative review evaluates current challenges in intraoral scanning accuracy—such as scan distortion, angular deviation, and cross-arch misalignment—and presents how innovations like the Medit SmartX AI-guided workflow and the Scan Ladder system can significantly enhance precision in implant position registration. These technologies mitigate stitching errors by using real-time scan body recognition and auxiliary geometric references, yielding mean RMS trueness values as low as 11–13 µm, comparable to dedicated photogrammetry systems. AI-driven prosthetic design further aligns implant-supported restorations with facial symmetry and smile aesthetics, prioritising predictable midline and occlusal plane control. Early clinical data indicate that such tools can reduce prosthetic misfits to under 20 µm and lower complication rates related to passive fit, while shortening scan times by up to 30% compared to conventional workflows. This is especially valuable for elderly individuals who may not tolerate multiple lengthy adjustments. Additionally, emerging AI applications in design automation, scan validation, and patient-specific workflow adaptation continue to evolve, supporting more efficient and personalised digital prosthodontics. In summary, AI-enhanced scanning and prosthetic workflows do not merely meet functional demands but also elevate aesthetic standards in complex full-arch rehabilitations. The synergy of AI and digital dentistry presents a transformative opportunity to consistently deliver superior precision, passivity, and facial harmony for edentulous implant patients. Full article

Introduction: Obesity is a rapidly increasing condition that leads to serious health issues. The sense of smell, one of the oldest senses related to energy metabolism, has been increasingly studied in relation to obesity. Objective: This study investigates the impact of childhood obesity on the volumes of the olfactory bulb and pituitary gland, exploring the relationship between body mass index and these brain structures. Method: This study included 146 participants aged 6–18 years with different body mass indices between 2021 and 2024 at Basaksehir Cam and Sakura City Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. Participants were classified into normal weight, obese, and morbidly obese groups, and olfactory bulb and pituitary gland volumes were retrospectively analyzed. MRI scans were performed to exclude intracranial pathologies due to headache complaints, and patients with cranial pathologies were excluded from the study. Results: This study examined the olfactory bulb and pituitary gland volumes among normal weight, obese, and morbidly obese groups aged 6–18 years. In the morbidly obese group, right olfactory bulb area and right olfactory bulb volume were significantly higher compared to the other groups, while left olfactory bulb area was higher in both the obese and morbidly obese groups. Additionally, in the morbidly obese group, pituitary height was significantly lower than the other groups, and pituitary volume was also found to be reduced in morbid obesity. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that childhood obesity is linked to significant changes in the volumes of the olfactory bulb and pituitary gland. In morbidly obese children, an increase in pituitary volume and alterations in olfactory bulb volume suggest possible neuroanatomical adaptations. Full article

Aramid fibre has become a critical material for individual soft body armour due to its lightweight nature and exceptional impact resistance. To investigate its energy absorption mechanism, quasi-static and dynamic tensile experiments were conducted on Kevlar^® 29 plain-woven fabric using a universal material testing machine and a Split Hopkinson Tensile Bar (SHTB) apparatus. Tensile mechanical responses were obtained under various strain rates. Fracture morphology was characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ultra-depth three-dimensional microscopy, followed by an analysis of microstructural damage patterns. Considering the strain rate effect, a viscoelastic constitutive model was developed. The results indicate that the tensile mechanical properties of Kevlar^® 29 plain-woven fabric are strain-rate dependent. Tensile strength, elastic modulus, and toughness increase with strain rate, whereas fracture strain decreases. Under quasi-static loading, the fracture surface exhibits plastic flow, with slight axial splitting and tapered fibre ends, indicating ductile failure. In contrast, dynamic loading leads to pronounced axial splitting with reduced split depth, simultaneous rupture of fibre skin and core layers, and fibrillation phenomena, suggesting brittle fracture characteristics. The modified three-element viscoelastic constitutive model effectively captures the strain-rate effect and accurately describes the tensile behaviour of the plain-woven fabric across different strain rates. These findings provide valuable data support for research on ballistic mechanisms and the performance optimisation of protective materials. Full article

Convective updrafts are one of the main characteristics of convective clouds, responsible for the convective mass flux and the redistribution of energy and condensate in the atmosphere. During the early stages of their lifecycle, convective clouds experience rapid cloud-top ascent manifested by a decrease in the geostationary IR brightness temperature ($T{B}_{IR}$). Under the assumption that the convective cloud top behaves like a black body, the ascent rate of the convective cloud top can be estimated as (${\displaystyle \frac{\partial T{B}_{IR}}{\partial t}}$), and it can be used to infer the near cloud-top convective updraft. The temporal resolution of the geostationary IR measurements and non-uniform beam-filling effects can influence the convective updraft estimation. However, the main shortcoming until today was the lack of independent verification of the strength of the convective updraft. Here, Doppler radar observations from the ESCAPE and TRACER field experiments provide independent estimates of the convective updraft velocity at higher spatiotemporal resolution throughout the convective core column and can be used to evaluate the updraft velocity estimates from the IR cooling rate for limited samples. Isolated convective cells were tracked with dedicated radar (RHIs and PPIs) scans throughout their lifecycle. Radial Doppler velocity measurements near the convective cloud top are used to provide estimates of convective updrafts. These data are compared with the geostationary IR and VIS channels (from the GOES satellite) to characterize the convection evolution and lifecycle based on cloud-top cooling rates. Full article

A novel brain positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand, [¹¹C]HY-2-15, has potential for imaging alpha-synuclein aggregations in multiple system atrophy and misfolded tau proteins in tauopathies, based on its high binding affinity in disease brain tissue homogenates. Here, we demonstrate that [³H]HY-2-15 has the capability to bind to aggregated alpha-synuclein in multiple system atrophy brain and tau aggregations in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration brain tissues via in vitro autoradiography study. A first-in-human pilot multicenter clinical study recruited a total of 10 subjects including healthy controls and patients with Parkinson’s disease, multiple system atrophy, or progressive supranuclear palsy. The study revealed that [¹¹C]HY-2-15 has a relatively higher specific uptake in the pallidum and midbrain of patients with progressive supranuclear palsy. Total-body scans performed on the PennPET Explorer showed the radiotracer was cleared by renal excretion. However, the rapid metabolism and low brain uptake resulted in a limited signal of [¹¹C]HY-2-15 in brain. Full article

(1) Background: Evidence from non-human animal and spaceflight analog studies have suggested that traveling to outer space could have a significant impact on the structural properties of the hippocampus, a brain region within the medial temporal lobe that is critical for learning and memory. Here, we tested this hypothesis in a group of astronauts who participated in a six-month mission in the International Space Station (ISS). (2) Methods: We collected magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from a sample of 17 (9 males, 8 females) astronauts before and after the ISS mission, and calculated percent gray matter volume changes in the whole hippocampus and its (anterior, body, and posterior) subregions in both hemispheres. (3) Following the six-month mission in the ISS, we found a significantly decreased volume in the whole left hippocampus; in addition, when looking at subregions separately, we detected a significantly decreased volume in the anterior subregion of the left hippocampus and the body subregion of the right hippocampus. We also found a significantly decreased volume in the whole right hippocampus of male astronauts as compared to female astronauts. (4) Conclusions: This study, providing the very first evidence of hippocampal volumetric changes in astronauts following a six-month mission to the ISS, could have significant implications for cognitive performance during future long-duration spaceflights. Full article

Introduction: Radiomics is the extraction of non-invasive and reproducible quantitative imaging features, which may yield mineable information for clinical practice implementation. Quantification of lung function through radiomics could play a role in the management of patients with pulmonary lesions. The aim of this study is to test the capability of radiomic features to predict pulmonary function parameters, focusing on the diffusing capacity of lungs to carbon monoxide (DL_CO). Methods: Retrospective data were retrieved from electronical medical records of patients treated with Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) at a single institution. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) SBRT treatment performed for primary early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (ES-NSCLC) or oligometastatic lung nodules, (2) availability of simulation four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) scan, (3) baseline spirometry data availability, (4) availability of baseline clinical data, and (5) written informed consent for the anonymized use of data. The gross tumor volume (GTV) was segmented on 4DCT reconstructed phases representing the moment of maximum inhalation and maximum exhalation (Phase 0 and Phase 50, respectively), and radiomic features were extracted from the lung parenchyma subtracting the lesion/s. An iterative algorithm was clustered based on correlation, while keeping only those most associated with baseline and post-treatment DL_CO. Three models were built to predict DL_CO abnormality: the clinical model—containing clinical information; the radiomic model—containing the radiomic score; the clinical-radiomic model—containing clinical information and the radiomic score. For the models just described, the following were constructed: Model 1 based on the features in Phase 0; Model 2 based on the features in Phase 50; Model 3 based on the difference between the two phases. The AUC was used to compare their performances. Results: A total of 98 patients met the inclusion criteria. The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scored as the clinical variable most associated with baseline DL_CO (p = 0.014), while the most associated features were mainly texture features and similar among the two phases. Clinical-radiomic models were the best at predicting both baseline and post-treatment abnormal DL_CO. In particular, the performances for the three clinical-radiomic models at predicting baseline abnormal DL_CO were AUC₁ = 0.72, AUC₂ = 0.72, and AUC₃ = 0.75, for Model 1, Model 2, and Model 3, respectively. Regarding the prediction of post-treatment abnormal DL_CO, the performances of the three clinical-radiomic models were AUC₁ = 0.91, AUC₂ = 0.91, and AUC₃ = 0.95, for Model 1, Model 2, and Model 3, respectively. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that radiomic features extracted from healthy lung parenchyma on a 4DCT scan are associated with baseline pulmonary function parameters, showing that radiomics can add a layer of information in surrogate models for lung function assessment. Preliminary results suggest the potential applicability of these models for predicting post-SBRT lung function, warranting validation in larger, prospective cohorts. Full article

Background: Atypical carcinoid of the thymus is an exceptionally rare neuroendocrine tumor originating from neuroendocrine cells within the thymus. These tumors often present with no symptoms or with nonspecific clinical signs, making early diagnosis particularly challenging. Despite their rarity, atypical carcinoids are clinically significant due to their aggressive nature and relatively poor prognosis. Early detection and appropriate management are therefore crucial to improving patient outcomes. Results: In this report, we present the case of a 64-year-old patient in whom an atypical carcinoid of the thymus was incidentally discovered following a thoracic computed tomography scan performed for unrelated reasons. Imaging revealed a suspicious anterior mediastinal mass, which was subsequently surgically resected. Histopathological examination, supported by immunohistochemical analysis, confirmed the diagnosis of an atypical carcinoid of the thymus. The tumor demonstrated coexpression of epithelial and neuroendocrine markers, consistent with this rare entity. Conclusions: This case adds to the limited body of literature on atypical carcinoid of the thymus and highlights the importance of considering this diagnosis when evaluating anterior mediastinal masses. It also underscores the value of thorough radiological and pathological assessment in identifying early-stage disease, which may significantly influence prognosis and therapeutic strategies. Full article

This study presents a U-Net-based automatic segmentation framework for quantitative analysis of surface morphology in a PEEK-based composite following tribological testing. Controlled Pin-on-Disc tests were conducted to characterize tribological performance, worn surfaces were captured by laser scanning microscopy to acquire optical images and height maps, and the model produced pixel-level segmentation masks distinguishing different regions, enabling high-throughput, objective analysis of worn surface morphology. Sixty-three manually annotated image sets—with labels for fiber, third-body patch, and matrix regions—formed the training corpus. A 70-layer U-Net architecture with four-channel input was developed and rigorously evaluated using five-fold cross-validation. To enhance performance on the challenging patch and fiber classes, the top five model instances were ensembled through Bayesian-optimized weighted voting, achieving significant improvements in class-specific F1 metrics. Segmentation outputs on unseen data confirmed the method’s robustness and generalizability across complex surface topographies. This approach establishes a scalable, accurate tool for automated morphological analysis, with potential extensions to real-time monitoring and other composite systems. Full article