Assessment of US Radiology Residency Program Websites in the COVID-19 Era.

OBJECTIVE: To provide an updated evaluation of radiology residency program websites in light of virtual interviewing during the COVID-19 pandemic and encourage programs to improve the quality of their online website presence. METHODS: We evaluated the websites of 197 US radiology residency programs between November and December 2021 for the presence or absence of 30 metrics. The metrics chosen are those considered important by applicants when choosing a program and have been used in other similar papers. RESULTS: Of the 197 programs, 192 (97.5%) had working websites. The average radiology residency website had 16 of 30 (54%) metrics listed on their websites. Five programs did not have accessible websites and were not included in the analysis. The most comprehensive website had 29 of 30 (97%) of metrics listed and the least comprehensive website had 2 of 30 (7%). There is a statistically significant difference in website comprehensiveness between top 20 and non-top 20 radiology program websites. CONCLUSION: Although radiology residency program websites have generally become more comprehensive over time, there is still room for improvement, especially in times of virtual interviews when residency applicants are becoming more and more reliant on program websites to gain essential information about a program. Some key areas to include are diversity and inclusion initiatives, resident wellness, applicant information, program benefits, and showcase of people in the program.

Applications of artificial intelligence in orthopaedic surgery.

The practice of medicine is rapidly transforming as a result of technological breakthroughs. Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are becoming more and more relevant in medicine and orthopaedic surgery as a result of the nearly exponential growth in computer processing power, cloud based computing, and development, and refining of medical-task specific software algorithms. Because of the extensive role of technologies such as medical imaging that bring high sensitivity, specificity, and positive/negative prognostic value to management of orthopaedic disorders, the field is particularly ripe for the application of machine-based integration of imaging studies, among other applications. Through this review, we seek to promote awareness in the orthopaedics community of the current accomplishments and projected uses of AI and ML as described in the literature. We summarize the current state of the art in the use of ML and AI in five key orthopaedic disciplines: joint reconstruction, spine, orthopaedic oncology, trauma, and sports medicine.

Induction of antigen-specific tolerance by nanobody-antigen adducts that target class-II major histocompatibility complexes.

The association of autoimmune diseases with particular allellic products of the class-II major histocompatibility complex (MHCII) region implicates the presentation of the offending self-antigens to T cells. Because antigen-presenting cells are tolerogenic when they encounter an antigen under non-inflammatory conditions, the manipulation of antigen presentation may induce antigen-specific tolerance. Here, we show that, in mouse models of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, the systemic administration of a single dose of nanobodies that recognize MHCII molecules and conjugated to the relevant self-antigen under non-inflammatory conditions confers long-lasting protection against these diseases. Moreover, co-administration of a nanobody-antigen adduct and the glucocorticoid dexamethasone, conjugated to the nanobody via a cleavable linker, halted the progression of established experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in symptomatic mice and alleviated their symptoms. This approach may represent a means of treating autoimmune conditions.

Integrin-targeted cancer immunotherapy elicits protective adaptive immune responses.

Certain RGD-binding integrins are required for cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation and are overexpressed in most tumors, making them attractive therapeutic targets. However, multiple integrin antagonist drug candidates have failed to show efficacy in cancer clinical trials. In this work, we instead exploit these integrins as a target for antibody Fc effector functions in the context of cancer immunotherapy. By combining administration of an engineered mouse serum albumin/IL-2 fusion with an Fc fusion to an integrin-binding peptide (2.5F-Fc), significant survival improvements are achieved in three syngeneic mouse tumor models, including complete responses with protective immunity. Functional integrin antagonism does not contribute significantly to efficacy; rather, this therapy recruits both an innate and adaptive immune response, as deficiencies in either arm result in reduced tumor control. Administration of this integrin-targeted immunotherapy together with an anti-PD-1 antibody further improves responses and predominantly results in cures. Overall, this well-tolerated therapy achieves tumor specificity by redirecting inflammation to a functional target fundamental to tumorigenic processes but expressed at significantly lower levels in healthy tissues, and it shows promise for translation.