CAMP DAVID, Maryland U.S. President Joe Biden will sign a strategic partnership agreement with Vietnam during a state

By Lisi Niesner and Sarah Marsh KIEL, Germany Just off the coast of Kiel in northern Germany, scuba

(Note: Strong language in paragraph 10) By Alexandra Ulmer and Anna Tong "I actually like Ron DeSantis a

Artificial intelligence could soon be used to perform radiotherapy to treat certain cancers for the first time. Draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has given approval to nine AI technologies for performing external beam radiotherapy in lung, prostate and colorectal cancers, which could save radiographers hundreds of thousands of hours and help relieve pressure on radiotherapy departments. Currently therapeutic radiographers outline healthy organs on digital images of a CT or MRI scan by hand so that the radiotherapy does not damage healthy cells by minimising the dose to normal tissue. Nice found that using AI to create the contours could free up between three and 80 minutes of radiographers’ time for each treatment plan, and that AI-generated contours were of a similar quality to manually drawn ones. Nice said that the contours would still be reviewed by a trained healthcare professional. It comes after a study found AI was safe to use in breast cancer screenings with evidence growing that it can be more effective in detecting cancers. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Meanwhile, Nice said it was also examining the evidence for using AI in stroke and chest scans. Dr Sarah Byron, the programme director for health technologies at Nice, said using AI could help reduce waiting lists. She added: “NHS colleagues working on the frontline in radiotherapy departments are under severe pressure with thousands of people waiting for scans. “The role imaging plays in radiotherapy treatment planning is quite pivotal, so recommending the use of AI technologies to help support treatment planning alongside clinical oversight by a trained healthcare professional could save both time and money. “We will continue to focus on what matters most and the recommendations made by our independent committee can help to bring waiting lists down for those needing radiotherapy treatment.” The health secretary, Steve Barclay, welcomed the announcement. He said: “It’s hugely encouraging to see the first positive recommendation for AI technologies from a Nice committee, as I’ve been clear the NHS must embrace innovation to keep fit for the future. “These tools have the potential to improve efficiency and save clinicians thousands of hours of time that can be spent on patient care. Smart use of tech is a key part of our NHS long-term workforce plan, and we’re establishing an expert group to work through what skills and training NHS staff may need to make best use of AI.” Charlotte Beardmore, the executive director of professional policy at the Society of Radiographers, welcomed the draft guidance but said it was not a replacement for staff and caution was needed. “It is critical there is evidence to underpin the safe application of AI in this clinical setting,” she said. Using AI would still require input by a therapeutic radiographer or another member of the oncology multi-professional team, she added. “Investment in the growth of the radiography workforce remains critical.” Science is pretty amazing. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

This is what getting ‘SSSS’ on your boarding pass means. If you have ever been pulled to one side at the airport, it may be because you have the letters SSSS scrawled in marker pen over your boarding pass. The letters, used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) stand for 'Secondary Security Screening Selection' or else 'Secondary Security Screening Selectee'. The code came to light in 2009 when the TSA handbook was accidentally leaked online by the government, without being redacted or edited in the usual way. Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter Passengers who are selectees are prohibited from printing their boarding pass at home or using a machine to check-in. They will need to check-in at the desk, where they will be asked more thorough questions than other passengers, and undergo less cursory perfunctory identity checks. The boarding pass issued to the passenger will have the letters 'SSSS' written on it, and this means airport staff will be scrutinising the passenger at every checkpoint. TSA agents will also conduct full-body scans, a pat-down, and go through the passenger's luggage, asking them to turn on all electronic devices. The process can take over 30 minutes, so passengers who find they are unable to print their boarding pass at home, should factor in the extra half-hour in their journey to the gate, just in case they undergo secondary screening. Criteria for being selected for secondary security screening can include: Paying for your ticket in cash. Flying to a 'high risk' destination. The random selection also takes place, but some passengers will be selected repeatedly. In April 2010, the New York Times found several children who were repeatedly selected for secondary screening, possibly because their names were similar to persons on the 'No Fly' list. Passengers who feel they are regularly and unfairly targeted can apply to the Department of Homeland Security to find out if they have incorrectly been put on a watch list. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Provides an overview of the United States, including key facts about this north American country.

OnlyFans model Corinna Kopf has revealed the mind-boggling amount she earns from OnlyFans each month. The friend of David Dobrik started her 'side hustle' back in 2021, and immediately after launching, she was earning over $1 million every single month. New stats from Influencer Marketing Hub suggest that a good month for her now can hit the $2 million mark, while a 'bad' month allegedly leaves her with a mere $680,000 entering her bank account. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

'Sister Wives' Season 18 star Kody Brown feels 'betrayed' amid his split from his wives

With the rumor mill churning and the likelihood that Cardinals' pitchers Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery will be traded before the August 1 deadline, it will be interesting to see who could be considered for a contract extension.Flaherty and Mongomery are two St. Louis Cardinals who wil...

The UK is likely to sell fewer bonds than initially planned this fiscal year after higher tax revenues

Antony speaks about settling at Man Utd and which players he is closest too.

Halo Infinite Season 2: Lone Wolves has begun, and players have a whole batch of new content to get stuck into.