This work describes a method to improve the detection efficiency for continuous gravitational waves by combining information from known pulsars, which emission is too low to be individually detectable. We propose a new ensemble statistic t , which combines statistics from individual pulsars, defined through the five-vector method. Using a collection of band sample data files from the LIGO science run O2, we test the method with software injections in order to study the statistical properties of t . We also study the performance of our method by varying the number of injected signals and their amplitude. We propose and test a possible strategy for the application of the ensemble method to a set of real pulsars.

This work provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of lung cancer, emphasizing the global significance of the disease and the challenges associated with its diagnosis and treatment. The authors highlight the prevalence of lung cancer, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCC) being the predominant histological subtypes. Advanced-stage diagnosis is common due to the asymptomatic nature of the disease, leading to a systemic treatment approach involving chemotherapy and radiotherapy.The authors discuss the evolution of treatment strategies, with a focus on the emergence of targeted therapies for advanced-stage NSCLC. A panel of predictive biomarkers, both DNA-based (e.g., EGFR, BRAF, KRAS) and RNA-based (e.g., ALK, ROS1, RET, MET), is highlighted as crucial for molecular analysis in diagnostic specimens. While advanced NSCLC patients benefit from targeted therapy, early-stage patients may undergo surgery followed by adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy or stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). The work emphasizes the importance of screening programs for early detection, with a particular focus on the Italian Lung Cancer Screening Network (RISP). RISP aims to recruit high-risk individuals for screening using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) and implements primary prevention interventions, such as smoking cessation support. The program's objectives include reducing lung cancer mortality, developing a recruitment system for suitable candidates, and integrating radiological, clinical, and molecular data for individual risk profiling. The review also delves into the perspectives of clinicians, physicists, and biologists in the management of lung cancer. Clinicians focus on risk stratification and treatment options, physicists discuss the role of medical physicists in SBRT, and biologists explore precision medicine, biomarkers, and challenges inearly detection.The comparison between surgery and SBRT for early-stage NSCLC patients is discussed, emphasizing the efficacy of SBRT as a non-invasive approach for patients ineligible for surgery. The authors also touch upon ongoing trials addressing the clinical performance of SBRT in comparison to surgery and the challenges posed by preexisting treatment preferences. The physicist's perspective emphasizes the role of medical physicists in lung SBRT, covering aspects from treatment planning to quality assurance. The importance of radiation physics expertise, advanced imaging techniques, image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), and adaptive radiotherapy is highlighted. Customized models for tumor control and toxicity evaluation, derived from dosimetric analysis, contribute to treatment optimization and patient care. The biologist's viewpoint explores precision medicine in advanced NSCLC treatment, emphasizing the role of somatic alterations as predictive biomarkers. Challenges in early detection are discussed, and the ideal screening tool is proposed to integrate radiological, pathological, and clinical data. Various blood-derived biomarkers and diagnostic assays, such as EarlyCDT-Lung, Nodify XL2, and miRNA-based signatures, are presented as potential tools for early-stage lung cancer detection. In conclusion, the review underscores the multidisciplinary approach required for effective lung cancer management. Advances in early detection, personalized treatment, and the integration of technology and biomarkers offer hope for improving outcomes and reducing the global burden of lung cancer.

Treatment-induced cardiac toxicity represents an important issue in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, and no biomarkers are currently available in clinical practice. A novel and easy-to-calculate marker is the quantitative analysis of calcium plaque in the coronary, calculated on CT. It is called the Agatston score (or CAD score). At the same time, other potential predictors include cardiac ultrasonography and anamnesis of the patients. Our work aimed to correlate cardiac biomarkers with overall survival (OS) in NSCLC patients. We retrospectively analyzed patients with NSCLC discussed in the Multidisciplinary Tumor Board of our Institute for the present analysis between January 2018 and July 2022. Inclusion criteria were the availability of basal CT imaging of the thorax, cardiac ultrasonography with the calculation of ejection fraction (EF), and complete anamnesis, including assessment of co-pathologies and pharmacological drugs. The clinical data of the patients were retrospectively collected, and the CAD scores was calculated on a CT scan. All of these parameters were correlated with overall survival (OS) with univariate analysis (Kaplan–Meier analysis) and multivariate analysis (Cox regression analysis). Following the above-mentioned inclusion criteria, 173 patients were included in the present analysis. Of those, 120 patients died in the follow-up period (69.6%), and the median overall survival (OS) was 28 months (mean 47.2 months, 95% CI, 36–57 months). In univariate analysis, several parameters that significantly correlated with lower OS were the stage (p < 0.001), the CAD grading (p < 0.001), history of ischemic heart disease (p: 0.034), use of beta blocker drugs (p: 0.036), and cardiac ejection fraction (p: 0.005). In multivariate analysis, the only parameters that remained significant were as follows: CAD score (p: 0.014, OR 1.56, 95% CI: 1.04–1.83), stage (p: 0.016, OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.05–1.53), and cardiac ejection fraction (p: 0.011, OR 0.46, 95% CI: 0.25–0.84). Both CAD score and ejection fraction are correlated with survival in NSCLC patients at all stages of the disease. Independently from the treatment choice, a cardiological evaluation is mandatory for patients with NSCLC.

The increasing use of ionizing radiation in healthcare is causing growing alarm about radiation protection of patients and the doses they receive during procedures. Radiation dose assessment for patients in radiodiagnostic procedures is the subject of interest in view of the recent Italian D.Lgs 31 July 2020, n. 101 (Decreto Legislativo 31 luglio 2020, n. 101) and one of its most important focuses is the prescription to provide patient exposure information as an integral part of the examination report. Dose monitoring systems are therefore essential for the collection of the dosimetric data. In order to analyse potential and critical issues of these software, different systems, adopted at the Antonio Cardarelli Hospital in Naples, were employed. Data extracted from the DoseWatch software (GE Healthcare) and Gray Detector (EL.CO. S.r.l. Healthcare Solutions, Italy) and relating to several protocols adopted for computed tomography (CT), were retrospectively analysed for the purpose of identifying critical issues in the data acquisition and recording phase, comparing with Italian nationwide diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), as provided for in regulatory provisions for radiation safety. Multiphase examinations were also included in this study. Once the distributions of volumetric CT Dose Index (CTDI_vol) and dose-length product (DLP) were determined for each acquisition phase and total DLP (DLP_tot) for each examination, the 25^th, 50^th and 75^th percentiles were calculated for each distribution and then compared with the relevant Italian nationwide DRLs. In addition, to improve protocol optimization and dose reduction the magnitude of the CT acquisition settings chosen in each procedure was evaluated. In conclusion, these systems allow accurate analysis of radiation dose according to equipment and protocol over time. For the application of optimization measures, a constant use of the dose tracking software is required, which can be translated into actions on scan parameters and prospective data analysis.

Fine needle cytology (FNC) is a pivotal diagnostic tool for distinguishing between benign and malignant lymphadenopathies mainly because of its minimal invasiveness, cost‐effectiveness and accuracy. A major requirement for maximising diagnostic accuracy is proper sample management of aspirated cellular material. In this diagnostic process, the morphological evaluation of adequate smears is paramount, guiding cytopathologists in the selection of appropriate ancillary tests through the recognition of cell size and patterns of distribution. Here, we describe a peculiar ‘concentric ovals distribution pattern’, frequently observed in the FNC of benign reactive lymph nodes, which may represent an aid in the cytological diagnosis of reactive hyperplasia.