Focal Prostate Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy With Correlative Pathological and Radiographic-Based Treatment Planning

IntroductionAdvances in multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) combining anatomic and functional imaging can accurately identify foci of adenocarcinoma within the prostate, offering the possibility of partial gland therapy. We performed tandem prospective pilot trials to investigate the feasibility of focal prostate SBRT (f-SBRT) based on correlating diagnostic mpMRI and biopsies with confirmatory pathology in treatment planning.Materials and MethodsPatients with pathologic focal Gleason 6–7 disease and a corresponding PIRADS 4–5 lesion on mpMRI underwent targeted and comprehensive biopsies using MRI/ultrasound fusion under electromagnetic sensor navigation. After rigorous analysis for imaging biopsy concordance, five of 18 patients were eligible to proceed to f-SBRT. Chi-squared test was used for differences from expected outcomes, and concordance was estimated with binomial distribution theory and Wilson’s method.ResultsSix patients had Gleason 6 and 12 had Gleason 3 + 4 disease (mean PSA: 5.8 ng/ml, range: 2.2–8.4). Absolute concordance was 43.8% (95% CI: 0.20, 0.64). Patterns of discordance included additional sites of ipsilateral disease, bilateral disease, and negative target. Five were upstaged to a new NCCN risk category necessitating treatment escalation. The five patients with concordant pathology completed three-fraction f-SBRT with sparing of the surrounding normal structures (including contralateral neurovascular bundle), with no reported grade 2+ toxicities and favorable PSA responses (mean: 41% decrease).ConclusionsOn our pilot trials of f-SBRT planning using rigorous imaging and pathology concordance, image-guided confirmatory biopsies frequently revealed additional disease, suggesting the need for caution in partial-gland therapy. For truly focal disease, f-SBRT provided excellent dosimetry, minimal toxicity, and encouraging biochemical response. Clinical Trial Registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02681614; NCT02163317.

Affective Priming With Musical Chords is Influenced by Pitch Numerosity

Previous studies using an affective priming paradigm have shown that valenced chords (e.g., consonant–positive; dissonant–negative) facilitate the evaluation of similarly valenced target words. The role of numerosity (the total number of pitches in a chord) and timbre has not yet been systematically investigated in previous priming studies using consonant/dissonant chords. An experiment was conducted in which 40 participants evaluated positive and negative target words with consonant/dissonant chords used as affective primes. Eight distinct chords (four consonant and four dissonant) were used as primes; the consonant and dissonant chords were equally divided to comprise either two (i.e., interval) or four (i.e., tetrad) pitches. Each chord was played with two distinct timbres (piano and harmonium), resulting in a total of 16 chords. Results showed that congruent chord–word pairings resulted in faster reaction times, and this finding was in line with previous research using consonant/dissonant chords as primes. However, this effect was present only with tetrad chords, suggesting that numerosity influences affective priming done with chords. There were no significant effects of timbre or the musical sophistication of the participants. Arguments are made as to why higher pitch numerosity in chords (resulting in acoustic complexity) might influence the evaluation of valenced target words.

Lignin nanoparticles modified with tall oil fatty acid for cellulose functionalization

In this study, tall oil fatty acid ester of softwood kraft lignin (TOFA-L) was used to prepare TOFA lignin nanoparticles (TLNP) in water. The average diameters for two prepared TLNPs in 0.1 mg/ml concentration were 140 nm and 160 nm. TLNPs were attached covalently onto modified and unmodified cellulose fibres to form an antimicrobial composite material. The modified cellulose fibres contained reactive allylic double bonds with a degree of substitution of 0.05. The antimicrobial properties of both TLNPs and TLNP coated fibres (TLNP-C) were studied against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using silver nanospheres (average size 10 nm) and Lignoboost lignin particles with 300 and 400 nm sizes as references. Antimicrobial activity of the samples was stronger against Gram-positive S. aureus cells than against Gram-negative target microbes E. coli and P. aeruginosa.

Generalized Grey Target Decision Method for Mixed Attributes Based on Kullback-Leibler Distance

A novel generalized grey target decision method for mixed attributes based on Kullback-Leibler (K-L) distance is proposed. The proposed approach involves the following steps: first, all indices are converted into index binary connection number vectors; second, the two-tuple (determinacy, uncertainty) numbers originated from index binary connection number vectors are obtained; third, the positive and negative target centers of two-tuple (determinacy, uncertainty) numbers are calculated; then the K-L distances of all alternatives to their positive and negative target centers are integrated by the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method; the final decision is based on the integrated value on a bigger the better basis. A case study exemplifies the proposed approach.

On the origin of negative target currents during laser ablation of polyethylene

The exposure of a target to a focused laser beam results in the occurrence of a time-varying current between the target itself and the grounded vacuum chamber. This current is composed by three distinct phases, namely the ignition phase, in which the laser pulse drives the electron emission, while electrons coming from the ground through the target holder balance the positive charge generated on the target. The active phase appears at post-pulse times and it is characterized by the presence of peaked structures in the time-resolved current, representing characteristics of the target composition. Lastly, the afterglow phase is determined by a current of electrons flowing from the target to the ground. During the active phase of the target current resulting from polymers ablation with an UV KrF laser, negative target current peaks are observed, whose origin is still unknown. We investigate the dependence of these current structures on the dimensions of the target, using ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene disks of different thickness.

Not afraid to trust you: Trustworthiness moderates gaze cueing but not in highly anxious participants

Gaze Cueing (i.e.,the shifting of person B’s attention by following person A’s gaze) is closely linked with human interaction and learning. To make the most of this connection, researchers need to investigate possible moderators enhancing or reducing the extent of this attentional shifting. In this study we used a gaze cueing paradigm to demonstrate that the perceived trustworthiness of a cueing person constitutes such a moderator for female participants. Our results show a significant interaction between perceived trustworthiness and the response time trade-off between valid and invalid gaze cues (gaze cueing effect), as manifested in greater following of a person’s gaze if this person was trustworthy as opposed to the following of an untrustworthy person’s gaze. An additional exploratory analysis showed potentially moderating influences of trait-anxiety on this interaction (p= .057). The affective background of the experiment (i.e., using positive or negative target stimuli) had no influence.