OS was best predicted by the V45 of the lung and tumour stage. None of the cardiac dose parameters predicted OS in multivariable analyses. Conclusion Cardiac dose volume parameters predicted the risk of pericardial effusion and pulmonary dose volume parameters predicted the risk of radiation pneumonitis. However, in this patient cohort, pulmonary DVH parameters (V45) were more important for OS than cardiac DVH parameters. These results suggest that reducing the cardiac dose at the expense of the dose to the lungs might not always be a good strategy in oesophageal cancer patients.Background and purpose Assessment of dosimetric accuracy of radiosurgery on different treatment platforms. Material and methods Thirty-three single fraction treatment plans were assessed at thirty centres using an anthropomorphic head phantom with target and brainstem structures. The target being a single irregular shaped target, ~8 cc, 10 mm from the brainstem. The phantom was “immobilised”, scanned, planned and treated following the local protocols. EBT-XD films and alanine pellets were used to measure absolute dose, inside both the target and the brainstem, and compared with TPS predicted dose distributions. Results PTV alanine measurements from gantry-based linacs showed a median percentage difference to the TPS of 0.65%. Cyberknife (CK) had the highest median difference of 2.3% in comparison to the other platforms. GammaKnife (GK) showed the smallest median of 0.3%. Similar trends were observed in the OAR with alanine measurements showing median percentage differences of1.1%, 2.0% and 0.4%, for gantry-based linacs, CK and GK respectively. All platforms showed comparable gamma passing rates between axial and sagittal films. Conclusions This comparison has highlighted the dosimetric variation between measured and TPS calculated dose for each delivery platform. The results suggest that clinically acceptable agreement with the predicted dose distributions is achievable by all treatment delivery systems.Background & aims There are insufficient population-level data on effects of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). GSK2334470 price Methods We identified incident cases of IBD, with PSC (PSC-IBD) and without, from April 2006 through to April 2016 and collected data on outcomes through April 2019. We linked data from national healthcare registries maintained for all adults in England on hospital attendances, imaging and endoscopic evaluations, surgical procedures, cancer, and deaths. Our primary aim was to quantify the effects of developing PSC in patients with all subtypes of IBD and evaluate its effects on hepatopancreatobiliary disease, IBD-related outcomes, and all-cause mortality, according to sex, race, and age. Results Over 10 years, we identified 284,560 incident cases of IBD nationwide; of these 2588 developed PSC. In all, we captured 31,587 colectomies, 5608 colorectal cancers (CRCs), 173 first liver transplants, 6608 cholecystectomies and 41,055 patient deaths. Develth greater risks of CRC and all-cause mortality compared with diagnosis of IBD at older ages. Patients who receive a diagnosis of PSC at an age younger than 40 years, men, and patients of Afro-Caribbean heritage have an increased incidence of PSC-related events.Background and aims Calcineurin is a ubiquitously expressed central Ca2+-responsive signaling molecule that mediates acute pancreatitis, but little is known about its effects. We compared the effects of calcineurin expression by hematopoietic cells vs pancreas in mouse models of pancreatitis and pancreatitis-associated lung inflammation. Methods We performed studies with mice with hematopoietic-specific or pancreas-specific deletion of protein phosphatase 3, regulatory subunit B, alpha isoform (PPP3R1, also called CNB1), in mice with deletion of CNB1 (Cnb1UBC△/△), and in the corresponding controls for each deletion of CNB1. Acute pancreatitis was induced in mice by administration of caerulein or high-pressure infusion of radiocontrast into biliopancreatic ducts; some mice were also given intraductal infusions of an adeno-associated virus vector that expressed NFAT-luciferase into pancreas. Pancreas, bone marrow, liver, kidney, heart, and lung were collected and analyzed by histopathology, immunohistochemistry Blocking the interaction between calcineurin and NFAT did not reduce pancreatic acinar cell necrosis in response to caerulein or infusions of radiocontrast. Mice with hematopoietic-specific deletion of CNB1 (but not mice with pancreas-specific deletion of CNB1) had reduced infiltration of lung tissues by neutrophils. Neutrophil chemotaxis and production of ROS were decreased following incubation with a calcineurin inhibitor. Conclusion Hematopoietic and neutrophil expression of calcineurin promotes pancreatitis-associated lung inflammation, whereas pancreatic calcineurin promotes local pancreatic inflammation. The findings indicate that the protective effects of blocking or deleting calcineurin on pancreatitis are mediated by the source of its expression. This information should be used in development of strategies to inhibit calcineurin for prevention of pancreatitis and pancreatitis-associated lung inflammation.Research findings in biomedical science are often summarized in statistical plots and sophisticated data presentations. Such visualizations are challenging for people who lack the appropriate scientific background or even experts who work in other areas. Scientists have to maximize knowledge dissemination by improving the communication of their findings to the public. To address the need for compelling and successful information visualizations in biomedical science, we propose a new theoretical framework for Visual Storytelling and illustrate its potential application through two visual stories, one on vaccine safety and one on cancer immunotherapy. In both examples, we rely on solid data and combine multiple media (photographs, illustrations, choropleth maps, tables, graphs, and charts) with text to create powerful visual stories for the selected target audiences. If fully validated, the proposed theory may shed light into non-traditional techniques for building visual stories and further the agenda of creating compelling information visualizations.