Medical Imaging Applications (United States)

Earlier, we found that non-obstetrical patients developed surgical site infection for 2.0 % of cases without Staphylococcus aureus transmission through anesthesia work areas, 11 % with S. aureus transmitted susceptible to prophylactic antibiotic, and 18 % with transmission of antibiotic-resistant isolates. Pregnancy was exclusion criterion. We aimed to measure S. aureus transmission within and between anesthesia work areas of cesarean delivery cases. Microbiological sampling was performed during this case series of 81 cesarean delivery cases, May–August 2025, in the busiest operating room of a large teaching hospital. There were ≤ 15 reservoirs sampled per case (e.g., anesthetist's hands at the start and end of the cases). 18 cases (22 %) had ≥1 of 23 detected S. aureus transmission events, three between cases and four methicillin resistant. The observed transmission rate during cesarean deliveries was comparable to the 20 % observed with regular use of an infection prevention bundle before adding individualized feedback on contamination and S. aureus transmission.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) resistance to radiotherapy has prompted a need to develop adaptive radiation therapy protocols to improve patient outcomes. This study investigates the hypothesis that lipid metabolism regulates cell cycle phase-specific radiation sensitivity of HNSCC cells. Previous studies have shown that HNSCC tumors with a higher proportion of G0/G1 phase cells (low proliferative index, LPI) are more resistant to radiation compared to HNSCC tumors with a higher proportion of S/G2 phase cells (high proliferative index, HPI). RNA-seq and bioinformatics identified lipid metabolism as the major intrinsic pathway that differs between HPI and LPI HNSCC cultures. mRNA and protein levels of G0/G1 Switch 2 gene (G0S2), regulator of quiescence and lipid metabolism, were upregulated in LPI compared to HPI HNSCC cultures. G0S2 negatively regulates adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), resulting in less lipolytic activity. siG0S2 treatment of LPI cultures recruited cells into the proliferative cycle and exacerbated radiation sensitivity. To override G0S2 action, we incubated LPI cultures with the fatty acid palmitate and examined cellular metabolic stress markers. Compared to controls, LPI cultures treated with palmitate showed increased reactive oxygen species levels, lipid peroxidation and oxygen consumption rate coupled with increased mitochondrial fission. Furthermore, using the fluorescent based cell cycle real-time imaging system, we showed that palmitate treatment sustained cell proliferation (higher S/G2) compared to controls (higher G1). Palmitate treatment resulted in significant sensitization to radiation treatment and enhanced the efficacy of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. In summary, we demonstrate that G0S2-dependent lipid metabolism regulates cell cycle phase-specific radiation sensitivity of HNSCC cells and identify G0S2 and free fatty acids as novel targets for radiation therapy.

We continue the analysis of random series associated to the multidimensional harmonic oscillator $-\Delta + |x|^2$ on $\mathbb{R}^d$ with d \geq 2$$. More precisely we obtain a necessary and sufficient condition to get the almost sure uniform convergence on the whole space $\mathbb{R}^d$ . It turns out that the same condition gives the almost sure uniform convergence on the sphere $\mathbb{S}^{d-1}$ (despite $\mathbb{S}^{d-1}$ is a zero Lebesgue measure of $\mathbb{R}^d$). From a probabilistic point of view, our proof adapts a strategy used by the first author for boundaryless Riemannian compact manifolds. However, our proof requires sharp off-diagonal estimates of the spectral function of $-\Delta + |x|^2$ . Such estimates are obtained using elementary tools.

Although pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with limited treatment options and poor patient outcomes, targeted α-particle therapy (TAT) represents a promising development in the field. TAT shows potential in treating metastatic cancers, including those that have become resistant to conventional treatments. Among the most auspicious radionuclides stands the invivo α-generator 212Pb. Combined with the imaging-compatible radionuclide 203Pb, this theranostic match is a promising modality rapidly translating into the clinic. Methods: Using the pretargeting approach between a radiolabeled 1,2,4,5-tetrazine (Tz) tracer and a trans-cyclooctene (TCO) modified antibody, imaging and therapy with radiolead were performed on a PDAC tumor xenograft mouse model. For therapy, 3 cohorts received a single administration of 1.1, 2.2, or 3.7 MBq of the pretargeting agent, [212Pb]Pb-DO3A-PEG7-Tz, whereby administered activity levels were guided by dosimetric analysis. Results: The treated mice were holistically evaluated; minimal-to-mild renal tubular necrosis was observed. At the same time, median survival doubled for the highest-dose cohort (10.7 wk) compared with the control cohort (5.1 wk). Conclusion: This foundational study demonstrated the feasibility and safety of pretargeted TAT with 212Pb in PDAC while considering dose limitations and potential adverse effects.

Leishmania donovani is the causative agent of historically anthroponotic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) on the Indian subcontinent (ISC). L.donovani is transmitted by the sand fly species Phlebotomus argentipes. Our collaborative group and others have shown that sand flies trapped outside in endemic villages have fed on cattle and dogs in addition to people. Domestic animals are reservoirs for L.donovani complex spp., particularly L.infantum, in other endemic areas. Multiple studies using quantitative PCR or serological detection methods have demonstrated that goats, cattle, rats and dogs were diagnostically positive for L.donovani infection or exposure in eastern Africa, Bangladesh, Nepal and India. There is a limited understanding of the extent to which L.donovani infection of domestic animals drives transmission to other animals or humans on the ISC. Evidence from other vector-borne disease elimination strategies indicated that emerging infections in domestic species hindered eradication. The predominant lesson learned from these other situations is that non-human reservoirs must be identified, controlled and/or prevented. Massive efforts are underway for VL elimination on the Indian subcontinent. Despite these herculean efforts, residual VL incidence persists. The spectre of an animal reservoir complicating elimination efforts haunts the final push towards full VL control. Better understanding of L.donovani transmission on the Indian subcontinent and rigorous consideration of how non-human reservoirs alter VL ecology are critical to sustain elimination goals.