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Clinical applications of digital twin technology in In Vitro Fertilisation.

BACKGROUND: Digital twin technology, originating from aerospace and manufacturing industries, has emerged as a transformative tool in healthcare. In vitro fertilisation (IVF) faces persistent challenges including suboptimal embryo selection, unpredictable treatment outcomes, and limited personalisation of protocols. Despite advances in assisted reproductive technology, existing literature exhibits fragmentation: artificial intelligence applications in embryo selection, ovarian stimulation, and endometrial assessment have been developed independently without systematic integration into comprehensive treatment frameworks. Digital twin technology offers unprecedented opportunities to create virtual replicas of biological systems, enabling real-time monitoring, predictive modelling, and personalised treatment strategies. AIM: This narrative review aims to critically examine the current applications of digital twin technology in IVF, evaluate its potential benefits and limitations, synthesize existing evidence into an integrative conceptual model, and identify future directions for implementation in reproductive medicine. METHOD: A comprehensive narrative review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore databases. A narrative review approach was selected over systematic review to accommodate the heterogeneity of evidence types in this emerging field, including theoretical frameworks, simulation studies, and proof-of-concept implementations that would be excluded from systematic reviews. Search terms included "digital twin," "IVF," "in vitro fertilisation," "assisted reproductive technology," "embryo selection," and "predictive modelling." Studies published between 2015 and 2025 were included, focusing on original research articles, systematic reviews, and proof-of-concept studies describing digital twin applications in reproductive medicine. RESULTS: Digital twin technology in IVF demonstrates significant potential across multiple domains including embryo development simulation, ovarian response prediction, endometrial receptivity modelling, and personalised stimulation protocols. Current applications integrate artificial intelligence, machine learning algorithms, time-lapse imaging, and omics data to create comprehensive virtual models. Early evidence suggests improvements in embryo selection accuracy, ovarian response prediction, and treatment protocol optimization, though large-scale randomized controlled trials remain limited. Implementation challenges include data integration complexity, computational requirements, regulatory considerations, and validation requirements. CONCLUSION: Digital twin technology represents a paradigm shift in IVF practice, offering personalised, predictive, and precision medicine approaches. This review synthesizes existing evidence to propose an integrative conceptual model for digital twin implementation across the IVF treatment spectrum, identifies critical knowledge gaps, and establishes research priorities to advance clinical translation. Despite current limitations, continued advancement promises improved success rates and patient outcomes.

Humans

A multi-scale fusion model based on multi-phase contrast-enhanced CT for predicting pancreatic cancer resectability.

Purpose.Develop a multi-scale fusion model (MSFM) based on multi-phase contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) to predict pancreatic cancer (PC) resectability, thereby assisting expert decision-making.Methods.This retrospective study enrolled 280 patients with PC from four institutions, which were randomly divided into a training cohort (202 patients) and an independent test cohort (78 patients). Three-phase CECT images (arterial, venous, and delayed phases) were used for modeling. The MSFM comprises two sub-networks: (1) a multi-phase fusion network for extracting cross-phase shared fusion features, (2) a phase-specific branch network for capturing phase-specific features; and a post-fusion strategy to generate the final predictive score by integrating the shared fusion features and three groups of phase-specific features. Additionally, a human-machine fusion deep learning model (HMfDL) was constructed by fusing the predictive score of the MSFM with expert assessments.Results.In the independent test, the MSFM achieved an AUC (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) of 0.8385 (95% CI: 0.7521-0.9249), accuracy of 84.62%, sensitivity of 72.00%, and specificity of 90.57%. This performance outperformed single-phase models (AUC range: 0.7638-0.7781), two-phase models (AUC range: 0.7826-0.7864), and ten states-of-the-art classifiers (AUC range: 0.7404-0.7796). The HMfDL further improved the performance, reaching an AUC of 0.8626 (95% CI: 0.7853-0.9400), accuracy of 91.03%, sensitivity of 80.00%, and specificity of 96.23%. Notably, the HMfDL corrected 58.82% of misdiagnosis made by experts.Conclusions. The MSFM effectively fuses multi-phase CECT to enable highly accurate predictions of PC resectability, and provides valuable support for expert decision-making through HMfDL.

Humans

Rational design of high-productivity perfusion processes for CHO Cells: From growth inhibitory strategies to model-driven optimization.

While perfusion culture for Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells offers advantages such as continuous operation and flexibility, it suffers from product loss through cell bleeding and difficulties in reaching high productivity due to sustained rapid cell growth. Growth inhibitory strategies are widely used to enhance productivity in fed‑batch processes; however, their practical implementation and comparative effectiveness in perfusion processes remain insufficiently explored. Meanwhile, process development often relies on costly trial‑and‑error approaches. Here, we systematically compared three growth inhibitory strategies in perfusion culture-low cell‑specific perfusion rate (CSPR), sodium butyrate, and mild hypothermia-with respect to cell growth, metabolism, productivity, and product quality. Genome‑scale metabolic flux sampling analysis revealed that low‑CSPR and sodium butyrate induce a convergent up‑regulation of energy metabolism, correlating with greater gains in specific productivity (qp). Building on this insight, we developed a growth‑kinetic model for the combined low‑CSPR + butyrate strategy, incorporating parameter uncertainty. This model‑guided framework enabled the rational design of two distinct high‑productivity perfusion processes: a sustained mode that achieved robust long‑term stability alongside substantial productivity gains, and a high‑intensity mode that pushed qp and daily volumetric titer to their maxima, with increases of up to 108.94% and 190.36%, respectively, in a model CHO cell line with a moderate baseline productivity. Our study provides a proof‑of‑concept framework for perfusion intensification, from strategy selection to rational process design.

Animals

In situ product monitoring in heterogeneous reaction of gaseous trimethylamine on Fe2O3/Fe(NO3)3: Effect of environmental factor and particle property.

Gas-particle reactions represent an important atmospheric heterogeneous transformation process for organic amines (OAs). Environmental factors and particle properties may impact the gas-particle reaction products. Although the products from gas-particle reactions can be monitored by various in situ techniques, related data remain scarce. Here, the interfacial and gaseous products from the reaction of trimethylamine on Fe2O3/Fe(NO3)3 particles under light irradiation with mixed NO2, O2, SO2 and H2O were monitored using in-situ diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Dark reaction of gaseous trimethylamine on Fe2O3/Fe(NO3)3 generated two interfacial products types: N-containing ones (CH3NCH2, CH3NO2, (CH3)2NCHO, and CH3N(OH)CHO) and N-free ones (alcohols, aldehydes and acids), both accumulating with reaction progression. Light irradiation and O2 oxidation enhanced formation of these products, while NO2 promoted the production of CH3NO2 and (CH3)2NCHO. H2O and SO2 occupied the active sites of particles to inhibit the formation of all products. Compared to Fe(NO3)3, Fe2O3 showed absolute dominance in contribution to the formation of products. Considering the smaller particle size of Fe2O3 and excess Fe(NO3)3, the physical mixing of them reduced the generation of interfacial products. Furthermore, gaseous products of CH3OH, HCHO, CH3CHO, HCOOH and CH3COOH detection clarified the N-free interfacial products. The presence of Fe(NO3)3 inhibited the formation of HCOOH and favored the formation of CH3CHO in the gas phase. By combining product information with thermodynamic calculations, the heterogeneous reaction pathways of trimethylamine were tentatively proposed. These findings provide a guiding significance for the migration of OAs in real atmospheric environment.

Methylamines

Thoracic paravertebral block with different doses of liposomal bupivacaine versus ropivacaine for postoperative analgesia in single-port thoracoscopic lung surgery: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the analgesic efficacy of thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) with different doses of liposomal bupivacaine (LB) or ropivacaine in patients undergoing single-port thoracoscopic lung surgery. METHODS: A total of 105 patients scheduled for video-assisted single-port thoracoscopic lung surgery were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio into three groups: low-dose LB group (group LL), high-dose LB group (group HL), or ropivacaine group (group R). All received ultrasound-guided TPVB at the T5/6 level preoperatively. The primary outcome was the area under the curve (AUC) of NRS of pain at activity (AUC-aNRS) from 1 to 72&#x2009;h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included the AUC of NRS of pain at rest (AUC-rNRS) from 1 to 72&#x2009;h postoperatively, NRS of pain at rest and at activity at 1, 6, 24, 48, and 72&#x2009;h postoperatively, and the cumulative opioid consumption at 24, 48, and 72&#x2009;h postoperatively. Additionally, postoperative recovery and adverse events were assessed. RESULTS: AUC-aNRS differed significantly among groups (p = 0.0092), with high-dose LB lower than low-dose LB (p = 0.0071), but not versus ropivacaine. No significant difference was found in AUC-rNRS (p&#x2009;>&#x2009;0.05). The group-by-time interactions for NRS of pain at rest and at activity were not significant (p&#x2009;>&#x2009;0.05). Cumulative opioid consumption at 24, 48, and 72&#x202f;h was lower in group HL versus group LL (all p < 0.017), but not versus ropivacaine. Postoperative recovery and adverse events showed no differences (p&#x2009;>&#x2009;0.05). CONCLUSION: LB combined with TPVB is not superior to ropivacaine for postoperative analgesia in single-port thoracoscopic lung resection.

Humans

Misalignment between ultra-processed status and 'better for you' claims on premix alcohol products.

BACKGROUND: Premix alcohol products (also known as ready-to-drink beverages) are a rapidly expanding alcohol category and frequently marketed using 'better for you' claims (e.g., 'Low sugar', 'Natural'). Little is known about the extent to which these products are ultra-processed or whether marketing claims align with ultra-processed status. This study aimed to address this evidence gap by auditing ingredient disclosure on premix products, assessing the ultra-processed status of these products, and determining the prevalence of 'better for you' claims with a particular focus on claims relating to ultra-processed status. METHODS: 534 premix alcohol products sold in major Australian retail outlets were assessed. Products were evaluated for compliance with mandatory ingredient disclosure, classified according to ultra-processed status based on the presence of indicators of ultra-processing (additives and other industrial ingredients), and analysed to determine the prevalence and types of 'better for you' marketing claims. RESULTS: Only 79% of assessed products displayed an ingredients list. Among compliant products, 98% contained at least one additive or ingredient indicative of ultra-processing, most commonly flavours, carbonating agents, colours, and sweeteners. One-third (33%) of products containing an ultra-processing indicator displayed a claim suggesting naturalness or minimal processing. Substantially higher proportions of ultra-processed products than non-ultra-processed products carried health-related claims. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Premix beverages available in Australia are overwhelmingly ultra-processed, yet many are marketed in ways that may mislead consumers about their composition and healthfulness. Stronger regulatory oversight of ingredient disclosure and marketing claims in this sector is urgently needed to support informed consumer decision-making.

Alcoholic Beverages

Comparison of three tracking methods to assess usage of two pediatric powered mobility devices for young children with cerebral palsy.

Powered mobility devices are underutilized for promoting self-initiated mobility in young children with cerebral palsy due to prioritization of walking, caregiver effort, device characteristics, and environmental factors. Understanding device usage patterns is important to assess the impact of powered mobility interventions on child outcomes. As part of clinical trial (NCT04684576), three objective tracking methods including integrated loggers, Global Positioning System trackers (GPST), and caregiver reported activity logs (CRAL) were compared to provide insights into device usage patterns. Metrics included play session frequency, session duration, total usage minutes, and unique usage days for two powered mobility devices: Modified Ride-on Cars (MROC) and the Permobil Explorer Mini (EM). Twelve children with cerebral palsy used each device for eight consecutive weeks in home and community settings (16&#x2009;weeks total), with device ordered randomized. Results showed no significant differences among tracking methods for the MROC. For the EM, only session duration differed between GPST and CRAL. Correlation analysis revealed variable relationships amongst tracking methods for both devices. The EM was used more frequently than the MROC, with significantly greater total usage minutes and session duration via CRAL, not GPST. The findings highlight the need for reliable tracking technologies that can be used across powered mobility devices.

Child, Preschool

Artificial intelligence for anticancer drug discovery from natural products of macroalgae and sponges: A systematic review.

Marine natural products (MNPs) from macroalgae and marine sponges have inspired clinically important anticancer agents, including the cytarabine pharmacophore and the eribulin scaffold, while cyanobacterial dolastatin chemistry supplies the auristatin payloads of several marine-inspired antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) such as brentuximab vedotin. Artificial intelligence (AI) methods, encompassing both classical machine learning (ML) with hand-engineered features and modern deep learning (DL) with many-layered neural networks, are increasingly supporting key decisions in natural-product anticancer drug discovery, including bioactivity prediction, target identification, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) filtering, generative analogue design, and the selection of preclinical candidates. DL architectures relevant to this field include graph neural networks, transformer-based molecular generators, diffusion models for protein-ligand docking, and convolutional networks for mass spectrometry, while classical ML contributes interpretable fingerprint-based bioactivity models and molecular networking for dereplication. This review follows a systematic literature review methodology to organize the landscape of AI methods now applied to MNP anticancer discovery, distinguishing ML and DL approaches where relevant, situating them within the chemical context of macroalgal and sponge-derived oncology leads, and critically examining published case studies, including validation level (computational, in vitro, in vivo, clinical). The principal bottleneck for medical translation has shifted partly from algorithmic capability toward data infrastructure and experimental validation. Sparse, heterogeneous, and taxonomically biased bioactivity records limit what current models can learn and reduce the reliability of AI-prioritized candidates entering the preclinical pipeline. A roadmap is proposed that prioritizes open MNP-specific benchmarks, symbiont-aware modeling, and active learning loops with synthesizability and ADMET constraints. These AI workflows may accelerate the prioritization of marine-derived anticancer leads and support earlier, more evidence-based translational decisions in oncology drug development.

Biological Products

Natural products alleviate exercise-induced fatigue by modulating gut microbiota: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Exercise-induced fatigue critically impairs athletic performance and training quality. The gut microbiota, as a key regulator of the "gut-muscle axis," has emerged as a promising anti-fatigue target. Natural products - owing to their diverse sources, structural complexity, and favorable safety profiles - have attracted growing research interest. However, a systematic synthesis comparing their anti-fatigue effects via gut microbiota modulation across different sources is lacking. SCOPE AND APPROACH: We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and CNKI for original studies that administered natural products and concurrently assessed gut microbiota changes and anti-fatigue outcomes. Twenty-six studies (25 animal experiments and 1 human trial) were included and categorized into seven groups by source and chemical characteristics. A descriptive systematic review was conducted to identify common mechanisms and source-specific differentiations. KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: The enrichment of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria and the activation of the SCFA-AMPK/PGC-1&#x3b1; axis were shared core events across all product categories. However, source-dependent mechanistic divergences emerged: polysaccharides acted primarily as fermentable substrates with an optimal dose window; polyphenols and saponins exerted dual modulation on both microbiota and host signaling pathways; compound extracts achieved systemic synergy through functional complementation; marine- and animal-derived products exhibited unique targeting profiles and rapid action. Intestinal barrier maintenance and brain-gut axis regulation further extended the anti-fatigue repertoire. Collectively, natural products possess a solid mechanistic basis for alleviating exercise-induced fatigue via gut microbiota remodeling. The differentiated characteristics of these methods in targeting precision and pathway engagement provide a theoretical foundation for designing precision intervention strategies tailored to specific fatigue contexts.

Humans

Inducible flocculation in Komagataella phaffii enables enhanced biomass separation for biopharmaceutical production.

Biomass separation represents a critical bottleneck in Komagataella phaffii-based biopharmaceutical processes, as typically high cell densities of 40 - 50&#x202f;% create significant operational, technical and economic challenges for harvest operations. Yeast cell aggregation (flocculation) provides a solution to accelerate cell sedimentation by increasing particle size, thus allowing to improve biomass-supernatant separation efficiency during both natural gravity settling and (continuous) centrifugation operations. This study demonstrates successful engineering of K. phaffii strains with an inducible flocculation phenotype using CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing to integrate the Saccharomyces cerevisiae FLO1 (ScFLO1) gene under control of various regulatory elements, including methanol-inducible and derepressible promoters. Flocculation strength could be enhanced by implementing transcriptional positive feedback circuits based on the methanol-inducible AOX1 promoter. To address methanol-free production requirements, we developed alternative systems to retrofit PAOX1-based ScFLO1 expression and exploited the derepressible PDF promoter, offering broader compatibility with biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. Flocculating cells cultivated in a bioreactor demonstrated significantly improved sedimentation behavior, with considerably lower supernatant turbidity after short low-speed centrifugation or gravity sedimentation compared to non-flocculating controls. Crucially, cell flocculation had no negative impact on product amount and quality when expressing a multivalent NANOBODY&#xae; VHH molecule with pharmaceutical relevance. Thus, this work establishes the first genetically engineered flocculation system in K. phaffii compatible with recombinant protein production, providing the basis for an innovative approach to streamline harvest operations in biopharmaceutical processes.

Flocculation

Flux rewiring enables native D-glucosamine production in Escherichia coli.

D-Glucosamine is an industrially important amino sugar used in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and functional materials, yet its production remains dominated by chemical extraction from chitinous biomass, raising sustainability and allergen concerns. Escherichia coli natively synthesizes D-glucosamine directly from D-glucose through endogenous metabolism, revealing an underutilized amino sugar biosynthetic capability. Building on this native pathway, D-glucosamine production was enhanced through targeted genetic modifications and systematic optimization of nitrogen metabolism and cultivation conditions, reaching 9.2&#x202f;g&#x202f;L-1 under shake-flask conditions. This work extends a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation strategy previously developed for neutral rare sugars to amino sugar biosynthesis, demonstrating the broader applicability of this metabolic design principle. Phosphatase identity emerged as a key control point for product formation: YbiV was the most effective phosphatase for selective D-glucosamine production, whereas alternative phosphatases redirected flux toward D-sedoheptulose. This enzyme-dependent flux partitioning further enabled tunable co-production of D-glucosamine and D-sedoheptulose. Native amino sugar biosynthesis in E. coli provides a controllable framework for producing chemically distinct sugars through endogenous metabolism and establishes a generalizable strategy for engineering amino sugar and other nitrogen-containing metabolite biosynthesis.

Escherichia coli

Identification and formation pathways of oxidation products of chlorinated paraffins during ozonation in municipal wastewater.

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) cannot be efficiently removed by conventional water treatment processes and are continually discharged into the aqueous environment. Ozonation can effectively remove lipophilic and persistent pollutants. However, the degradation behaviors of short-chain CPs (SCCPs), medium-chain CPs (MCCPs), and long-chain CPs (LCCPs) in wastewater during the ozonation process remained unknown. In this study, ozonation treatment achieved removal efficiencies of 61 % for SCCPs, 66 % for MCCPs, and 51 % for LCCPs from wastewater within 30 min. Approximately 147 oxidative products of SCCPs, MCCPs, and LCCPs were non-targeted identified through Ph4PCl-enhanced ionization with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-Orbitrap mass spectrometry. These oxidation products were structurally classified into three categories: carbon chain breakage (53 products), HCl-elimination (27 products), and hydroxylation (67 products). Twenty-three di-hydroxylated CPs were newly identified among the products. Hydroxylation was the predominant pathway for SCCPs, producing di-hydroxylated SCCPs ((OH)&#x2082;-SCCPs) with a higher generation rate constant (KG = 22.28 &#xd7; 10&#x207b;&#xb2; min&#x207b;&#xb9;) compared to other products. MCCPs and LCCPs mainly underwent carbon chain breakage and hydroxylation, generating shorter carbon chain congeners, (OH)2-SCCPs, and di-hydroxylated MCCPs ((OH)2-MCCPs). The KG values of (OH)2-SCCPs (10.56 &#xd7; 10-2 min-1) and (OH)2-MCCPs (12.05 &#xd7; 10-2 min-1) generated from the MCCPs were the highest, and the KG values of MCCPs (6.49 &#xd7; 10-2 min-1), SCCPs (6.27 &#xd7; 10-2 min-1), and (OH)2-SCCPs (4.74 &#xd7; 10-2 min-1) generated from the LCCPs were higher than those of other products. These results comprehensively clarify the oxidation efficiencies and pathways of CPs during ozonation. Future studies must explore the potential risks associated with the oxidation products.

Water Pollutants, Chemical

Beyond da Vinci: a systematic review of next-generation multiport robotic platforms in pediatric surgery.

As robotic surgery expands beyond the da Vinci platform, the relevance of new-generation systems to pediatric patients remains uncertain. This review examined the technical characteristics, applications, and perioperative outcomes of alternative multiport robotic platforms in children. PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched through 28 February 2026 in accordance with PRISMA 2020. Owing to clinical heterogeneity, findings were synthesized narratively, with Wilson 95% confidence intervals for key binary outcomes. Six studies reported 166 patients across 27 procedure types. Senhance accounted for 164 patients, while Hugo RAS and Hinotori were each represented by one patient. Ages ranged from 15&#xa0;days to 17&#xa0;years and weights from 3.8 to more than 100&#xa0;kg. Senhance was the only platform used with 3-mm robotic instruments. Conversion or planned escalation occurred in 19 patients (11.4%; 95% CI, 7.5-17.2%). Four intraoperative complications were reported (2.4%; 95% CI, 0.9-6.0%). Across all reports, 20 patients experienced postoperative complications (12.0%; 95% CI, 7.9-17.9%). In the largest cohort, seven patients required reintervention (4.6%; 95% CI, 2.2-9.2%) and seven were readmitted (4.6%; 95% CI, 2.2-9.2%). No deaths or comparative pediatric studies were reported. Published experience remains sparse and is almost entirely limited to Senhance. Current evidence describes early clinical use without establishing comparative safety, effectiveness, or platform superiority. Prospective multicenter studies with standardized reporting are needed.

Humans

Reliability-aware hierarchical learning for Chagas disease screening from 12-lead ECGs: tackling label uncertainty and class imbalance.

Objective.Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease (NTD) with significant cardiovascular impact, remains underdiagnosed in resource-limited regions. Electrocardiogram (ECG) screening offers a low-cost tool for detecting cardiac involvement, yet algorithm development is challenged by label noise, data scarcity, and the latent nature of infection. This study proposes a robust ECG-based screening framework that explicitly addresses these constraints.Approach.We introduce aReliability-Aware Hierarchical Learningstrategy that calibrates supervision according to data provenance, prioritizing serology-confirmed labels over noisy self-reports. To mitigate data scarcity, we compare a specialized convolutional neural network (CNN) trained from scratch with a transfer learning approach based on a Spatio-Temporal ECG foundation Model (FM). Performance is evaluated across varying data scales, and the representation structure is analyzed to interpret model behavior.Main results.On the official hidden test set of the George B. Moody PhysioNet/Computing in Cardiology Challenge 2025, our approach achieved a Challenge Score of 0.163. We observe that while the specialized CNN performs competitively in data-rich regimes, the FM exhibits superior robustness in extreme low-resource settings. Furthermore, performance reaches a plateau imposed by underlying disease physiology. Bimodal score distributions suggest that models distinguish established cardiomyopathy from indeterminate infection, which remains electrophysiologically indistinguishable from healthy controls.Significance.These findings clarify both the potential and intrinsic limits of ECG-based AI screening for NTD-associated cardiac involvement. Reliability-aware supervision and data-efficient transfer learning provide a practical framework toward scalable and clinically meaningful ECG screening systems in resource-constrained environments.

Humans

Failure modes and effects analysis for clinical implementation of online adaptive radiotherapy: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The accuracy of radiotherapy is limited by anatomical variations occurring over time scales ranging from sub-seconds to days. Online Adaptive Radiotherapy (OART) addresses this by enabling daily plan adaptation based on real-time imaging. While OART offers improved dose conformity, its dynamic, time-constrained workflow introduces novel failure modes that challenge traditional quality assurance protocols. PURPOSE: This study aims to synthesize the existing literature on Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for OART to systematically catalog risks and identify mitigation strategies. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify studies applying FMEA to OART workflows. Eleven studies were included, covering MR-guided (ViewRay MRIdian, Elekta Unity), CBCT-guided (Varian Ethos), and MR-enhanced C-arm linac systems. To address heterogeneity in risk scoring methodologies (e.g., TG-100 10-point scales vs. 5-point rankings), extracted failure modes were harmonized into a standardized three-tier risk classification system (Class I: Low, Class II: Intermediate, Class III: High). RESULTS: A total of 300 unique failure modes were identified, with 49.6 percent classified as high-risk (Class III). Analysis revealed that the majority of high-risk failures were concentrated in the online treatment delivery phase, specifically within human-computer interactions and anatomical contouring steps. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the development of tailored, robust QA frameworks that prioritize human factors and process consistency to guide safe implementation in diverse clinical settings.

Humans

Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Ultrasound-Guided Mammotome Minimally Invasive Surgery and Traditional Open Surgery in the Therapy of Benign Breast Tumors.

ObjectiveTo systematically analyze the efficacy of ultrasound-guided mammotome minimally invasive surgery and traditional open surgery in the therapy of benign breast tumors.MethodsA computerized search retrieved original literature on the therapeutic effects of ultrasound-guided mammotome minimally invasive surgery and traditional open surgery for benign breast tumors from authoritative databases, including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, and Embase. The search covered from database inception to January 2024, using a strategy of subject terms combined with free terms. The retrieved literature was screened, data were extracted, and quality was evaluated. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software.ResultsA total of 8 literatures were included in the study, and a total of 1909 patients with benign breast tumors were found from 2018 to 2023. The results of meta-analysis showed that the operation time [MD = -12.79, 95%CI (-14.04, -11.55), P < 0.00001], intraoperative blood loss [MD = -11.55, 95%CI (-14.74, -8.36), P < 0.00001], healing time [MD = -2.73, 95%CI (-4.03, -1.43), P < 0.00001] and complication rate [MD = 0.17, 95%CI (0.12, 0.26), P < 0.00001] was apparently different from traditional open surgery (P < 0.05).ConclusionUltrasound-guided mammotome minimally invasive surgery can effectively shorten the operation time of patients with benign breast tumors, reduce intraoperative blood loss, promote healing, and reduce the risk of complications. The effect is better than that of traditional open surgery.

Humans

Therapeutic approaches for the treatment of bovine metritis: a systematic review of clinical, reproductive and productive outcomes.

Bovine metritis is a complex multifactorial disease associated with substantial clinical and economic impact due to reduced milk production, subfertility, and increased culling rates. Considerable uncertainty remains regarding the comparative efficacy of the many therapeutic strategies used to manage it. This systematic review aimed to summarize and critically evaluate the available evidence on therapeutic approaches for bovine metritis, with respect to clinical cure, reproductive performance, productive performance, and culling. A literature search conducted in PubMed, Web of Science and CABI Digital Library (2010-2025) identified 18 randomized controlled clinical trials eligible for inclusion. Risk of bias was assessed independently by two reviewers using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool. Given substantial clinical and methodological heterogeneity across studies, findings were synthesized narratively by outcome, without meta-analytic pooling, and the certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE for the comparisons supported by more than one study. Overall, systemic antimicrobial therapies consistently improved short-term clinical cure rates, although their effects on long-term reproductive and productive performance remained inconsistent. In selected cases, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) showed clinical outcomes comparable to antimicrobial treatments, allowing reductions in antimicrobial use ranging from 50% to 92%. Alternative approaches, such as intrauterine flavonoid, chitosan or dextrose-based therapies, produced inconsistent results that appeared to correlate with disease severity and treatment protocol. The evidence base is limited by substantial heterogeneity in disease definitions, postpartum timing of diagnosis, and cure criteria across studies, and by the near-universal absence of allocation concealment in the primary literature; these limitations restrict the certainty of most conclusions to low or moderate. Therefore, effective metritis control should move beyond symptom resolution and incorporate integrated and preventive strategies targeting inflammatory and metabolic dysregulation during the transition period.

Animals

Alignment strategies in total knee arthroplasty and the patellofemoral joint: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Different alignment strategies in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may affect the patellofemoral joint. Mechanical alignment (MA) is commonly used but may alter native anatomy. Newer strategies such as kinematic alignment (KA), restricted kinematic alignment (rKA), and functional alignment (FA) aim to better restore native joint mechanics. This study provides an overview of the effects of alignment strategies on patellofemoral outcomes after TKA. METHODS: A literature search in July 2025 identified studies comparing patellofemoral outcomes in TKA using different alignment strategies. Of 166 studies screened, eight met inclusion criteria. Three studies were considered medium quality and five studies low quality. RESULTS: KA and rKA more closely restored native trochlear morphology than MA and FA, reducing outliers in the anterior trochlear line compared with MA and FA. MA showed greater trochlear translation, suggesting worse patellar tracking. Trochlear angles were more anatomical in KA and rKA. However, KA was associated with increased internal femoral component rotation and more outliers beyond safe thresholds. FA showed more consistent rotational positioning, generally within safe limits. Lateral patellar shift and intraoperative lateral release rates did not differ significantly between KA and MA. Only one study reported patella-specific clinical outcome scores, finding no difference between FA and adjusted MA. CONCLUSION: KA and rKA better restore trochlear morphology, but risk excessive internal femoral component rotation. FA provides a more balanced approach. MA, while widely used, is linked to altered trochlear shape and worse patellar tracking. The clinical impact of these radiological differences remains unclear, and higher-quality studies are needed.

Humans