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AI-Driven Advances in Low-Dose Imaging and Enhancement — A Review
Get PDFThe widespread use of medical imaging techniques such as X-rays and computed tomography (CT) has raised significant concerns regarding ionizing radiation exposure, particularly among vulnerable populations requiring frequent imaging. Achieving a balance between high-quality diagnostic imaging and minimizing radiation exposure remains a fundamental challenge in radiology. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative solution, enabling low-dose imaging protocols that enhance image quality while significantly reducing radiation doses. This review explores the role of AI-assisted low-dose imaging, particularly in CT, X-ray, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), highlighting advancements in deep learning models, convolutional neural networks (CNNs), and other AI-based approaches. These technologies have demonstrated substantial improvements in noise reduction, artifact removal, and real-time optimization of imaging parameters, thereby enhancing diagnostic accuracy while mitigating radiation risks. Additionally, AI has contributed to improved radiology workflow efficiency and cost reduction by minimizing the need for repeat scans. The review also discusses emerging directions in AI-driven medical imaging, including hybrid AI systems that integrate post-processing with real-time data acquisition, personalized imaging protocols tailored to patient characteristics, and the expansion of AI applications to fluoroscopy and positron emission tomography (PET). However, challenges such as model generalizability, regulatory constraints, ethical considerations, and computational requirements must be addressed to facilitate broader clinical adoption. AI-driven low-dose imaging has the potential to revolutionize radiology by enhancing patient safety, optimizing imaging quality, and improving healthcare efficiency, paving the way for a more advanced and sustainable future in medical imaging
Asia's wolves and synergies with big cats
Get PDFIn Asia, carnivore conservation is often focused on charismatic big cats. Opportunities to conserve the entire carnivore guild are frequently overlooked by channeling conservation and mitigation efforts into single‐species conservation. We synthesize experiences across Asia to explore these challenges and propose mitigations to maximize conservation benefits for the entire carnivore guild. Seven challenges for wolves (Canis lupus) in Asia are highlighted: wolves (1) have been neglected over decades of single‐species conservation, (2) receive less cultural appreciation in many regions, (3) are subject to lax legislation and law enforcement, (4) are often blamed disproportionately for livestock depredation, (5) are often considered more abundant than they are, (6), receive disproportionately little attention from the scientific and conservation communities relative to their ecological importance, and (7) are threatened ecologically and genetically by increasing feral dog populations. As a result, the status of wolves across Asia is poorly documented, there is an enhanced risk of losing significant evolutionary lineages, and it detracts from research and conservation opportunities to preserve the entire carnivore guild. We propose various remedies, such as widening the scope of existing conservation programs, building awareness and knowledge of communities and law enforcement agencies, and more research to inform conservation and legislation
Instantaneous formation of interstellar minerals and mineral quantum dots
Get PDFOur understanding of the formation pathways of interstellar mineral dust is still evolving. This study investigated the formation of astrophysical mineral dust, such as olivine, by shock processing. Low-velocity (∼1.8 km s-1) interstellar shock conditions were simulated using high-intensity shock tubes. These conditions enabled the examination of various cosmic mineral dust precursors such as the mixtures of Mg, Fe and SiO2 under a shock strength of approximately 5.6 M and temperatures around 7300 K. Analysis of the processed samples revealed the presence of Mg-rich olivine, forsterite, MgO quantum dots (QD), and magnetite. These results indicate that shockwaves can rapidly induce dust formation in interstellar space. Furthermore, we demonstrated that shock processing of mineral dust precursors could contribute to the formation of crystalline silicate dust observed in comets and the creation of chondrules, which are observed in chondritic meteorites
Evaluation of carbon based interconnects for digital signalling in printed flexible electronics on sustainable substrates
Get PDFPrinted electronics using flexible substrates are an emerging area, allowing next-generation electronics to conform and flex with different surfaces, from human skin to clothing. In the hybrid integration, or sea-of-rigids, approach, conventional microchips are mounted onto (generally) plastic substrates such as polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), with (typically) printed silver tracks for interconnections between components. An ongoing research direction is to replace plastic substrates with biodegrad able substrates and to replace silver tracks with non-heavy metal-based tracks. While the substrates and tracks form only part of an overall system, replacing them is a step towards increased sustainability and helps to meet net-zero goals for printed electronic systems. Previously, several papers have inves tigated printed carbon tracks for low-frequency analog sensing applications. This paper explores the feasibility of using printed carbon tracks on biodegradable substrates for high-frequency applications such as digital signaling over a Serial-Peripheral Interface (SPI). We investigate the printability, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity of carbon ink screen-printed onto six commercially available sustainable and flexible substrates. Our results demonstrate that multi-layer screen printing substantially reduced the electrical resistance of carbon tracks, enabling SPI communication at frequencies up to 16 MHz with three layers of carbon ink. A Natureflex™ substrate provided the best balance of printability, thermal stability, and electrical performance. Substrates such as greaseproof paper and ClearFilm PU showed potential for flexible electronics, but require further optimiza tion. This study provides valuable insights into selecting and optimizing biodegradable substrates for high-frequency digital systems, supporting the move towards more sustainable printed electronics
Transcriptional regulation of intestinal stem cells in Drosophila.
No full textTissue resident Adult Stem Cells (ASCs) are responsible for replenishing cells during homeostasis and in response to stress and tissue damage. Owing to their vital function in tissue maintenance and regeneration, ASC dysfunction is a hallmark of ageing and tumorigenesis. Despite the importance of these cells, our understanding of the pathways and gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that govern them is incomplete. We use Drosophila Intestinal Stem Cells (ISC) as a model to study conserved genes involved in the transcriptional regulation of stem cells.
During this thesis, I have utilised ISCs to expand our understanding of the GRN underlying ISCs in Drosophila. In so doing we have discovered a novel role for the transcription factor Chronophage (Cph) in ISC proliferation and enteroendocrine (EE) cell differentiation. We observed Cph expression is induced during ageing, infection and tumorigenesis in the midgut. cph knockdown in ISCs hampered proliferation and cph overexpression increased EE cells. In addition, cph knockdown in Notch loss-of-function tumours had a tumour suppressive phenotype, increasing lifespan and reducing tumour burden. DamID DNA binding data and qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated Cph directly regulates key EE regulatory genes. Overall, we have identified a hitherto unknown transcriptional regulator of ISCs thereby expanding our understanding of the GRN in ISCs.
Alongside Cph, we investigated the potential role of Dachshund, miR-279, Sema1a and Fer1as putative ISC regulators. We found aberrations in Dac expression led to alterations in the abundance of mitotic ISCs. Furthermore, we demonstrate inhibition and ectopic expression of miR-279 in ISCs impacts ISC proliferation and differentiation, potential by way of repressing regulators of ISC maintenance and proliferation Escargot (Esg) and Nerfin-1. Ultimately, while these results are preliminary, they highlight the variety of remaining factors with yet unknown functions in ISC regulation.
Finally, this thesis also endeavoured to illuminate the interactome of the stemness maintenance factor Escargot (Esg). To this end an esg-BioID line was generated for use in future pulldown experiments to identify protein interactors of Esg
US men’s liberation in the 1970s: autopsy of a movement
Get PDFIn the wake of the US feminist second-wave, a Men’s Liberation movement emerged as an ally to liberal feminism but soon fractured over its relationship to feminism, leading to the rise of the antifeminist Men’s Rights movement. Through analysis of primary sources, media accounts, academic sources, and an interview with the movement’s chief activist, this paper reviews the ideology of 1970s Men’s Liberation, as well as its demographics, key figures, and organizations. It identifies reasons for the schism in the late 1970s and reflects on explanations for its short lifespan and failure, such as ideological shortcomings, organizational weakness, and motivational incoherence. Lastly, new research avenues are suggested, including archival work, fieldwork, transnational analysis, and exploration of its contemporary legacy
Antibody-functionalized lipid nanocarriers for RNA-based cancer gene therapy: advances and challenges in targeted delivery
Get PDFDespite remarkable advances in cancer therapeutics, conventional treatments still face significant hurdles, including systemic toxicity, poor tumor specificity, multidrug resistance, and suboptimal intracellular delivery. Lipid-based nanocarriers (LBNCs) have emerged as versatile platforms for delivering therapeutic RNA molecules, offering biocompatibility and tunable properties that enhance drug stability and bioavailability. Functionalizing these nanocarriers with antibodies has unlocked new potential for achieving precise tumor targeting, leveraging the overexpression of specific receptors on cancer cells. This review provides a comprehensive and focused update on recent developments in antibody-decorated LBNCs designed for RNA-based cancer gene therapy. We discuss cutting-edge advances in conjugation chemistries, including site-specific strategies such as strain-promoted click reactions and Fc-glycan engineering, as well as the integration of emerging antibody formats, including nanobodies and single-domain antibodies. Furthermore, we present studies reporting the various LBNC formulations, including liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, lipid nanoparticles, and hybrid systems, highlighting their physicochemical characteristics, in vitro and in vivo performance, and the critical trade-offs between targeting specificity and endosomal escape efficiency. Epidemiological data underscore the pressing need for such innovations, particularly in aggressive and hard-to-treat cancers. While promising, clinical translation remains hindered by challenges in scalable manufacturing, regulatory approval, and biological complexity. Continued interdisciplinary research is essential to transform antibody-functionalized LBNCs from experimental strategies into clinically viable solutions for next-generation, RNA-based cancer therapies
Decentring narratives of (de)globalization and crisis: Uzbekistan’s ‘everyday’ political economy amidst Russia’s war in Ukraine
Get PDFRussia’s invasion of Ukraine is commonly considered a global crisis, reinforcing deglobalization. However, Uzbekistan’s experience challenges this conventional wisdom, as Uzbekistani actors have renounced both economic decoupling and geopolitical alignment. I employ a critical and constructivist ‘everyday’ International Political Economy (IPE) approach, drawing on 54 fieldwork interviews in Uzbekistan, statistics, and public opinion surveys. I argue that Uzbekistani actors challenge Eurocentric narratives of deglobalization through normative agency at three levels: state, business, and ‘everyday’. I also explore the normative conflict between these three levels in interaction with global (post)colonial capitalism, which I describe as ‘conflictual hybridity’, with a specific focus on the normative power of micro-actors, including labourers and migrants. In a context of ‘double coloniality’ between material/geographical and normative/political Russo-Uzbekistani postcolonial hybridity and Western normative power, I aim to debunk elite-centric geopolitical imaginaries of non-Western agency during crises, or lack thereof, by foregrounding the ‘everyday’ of the Global Majority
Real-time optical imaging acquisition and processing in Python: a practical guide using CAS
Get PDFReal-time data acquisition and processing is an important step in the development of new approaches to optical imaging in research laboratories. Python is increasingly used for scientific computing and allows for the straightforward application of artificial intelligence models using popular frameworks such as PyTorch. However, achieving high-speed image capture and processing in real time is challenging and requires extensive development work, a particular problem for academic labs where research teams may lack specialist expertise in software development. This note provides guidelines for achieving high performance in Python for optical imaging applications and introduces an open-source framework “CAS” for rapid prototyping of imaging system software. CAS includes a hardware abstraction layer for cameras, a ready-made GUI, which can easily be customized, as well as support for using multiple CPU cores for parallelism. By providing an open-source and flexible Python-based solution, CAS can support research teams to more quickly develop real-time imaging systems
Genome engineering in biodiversity conservation and restoration
No full textBiodiversity loss resulting from habitat destruction, climate change and other anthropogenic pressures threatens the resilience of ecosystems globally. Traditional conservation methods are critically important for immediate species survival, but they cannot restore genetic diversity that has been lost from the species’ gene pool. Advances in genome engineering offer a transformative solution by enabling the targeted restoration of genetic diversity from historical samples, biobanks and related species. In this Perspective, we explore the integration of genome editing technologies into biodiversity conservation, and discuss the benefits and risks associated with genetic rescue via genome engineering. We highlight case studies demonstrating the potential to reduce genetic load, recover lost adaptive traits, and fortify populations against emerging challenges such as disease and climate change. We also discuss ethical, societal and economic considerations, emphasizing the importance of equitable access and public engagement. When combined with habitat restoration and other traditional conservation actions, genome engineering can make species more resilient against future environmental change in the Anthropocene
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