# Neural Network Ensemble to Detect Dicentric Chromosomes in Metaphase Images
## 1 Introduction
Moreover, radiation damage to genetic material--when exposure exceeds the capacity of genetic repair mechanisms--has clear biological effects on cells. The mutation of certain genes alters proteins involved in the regulation of the cell cycle. These genes include oncogenes (genes that code for proteins that induce the cell cycle) and tumour suppressor genes (genes that code for proteins that inhibit the cell cycle) [6; 7]. While mutations in oncogenes usually result in the overexpression of their products, mutations in tumour suppressor genes typically result in the deficient or absent expression of their products. In short, the alteration of oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes affects cell cycle progression and can lead cells to divide uncontrollably, i.e., cancer cells. The appearance of cancer cells cannot be determined from the amount of radiation absorbed, as it depends largely on which genes are affected and the level of damage. Rather, the probability of their occurrence can be estimated; that is why they are known as stochastic effects. However, when a certain radiation threshold is reached, cell death by mitotic catastrophe occurs in any case. The DNA is so damaged that the checkpoints fail to stop the cell cycle and the cell goes into mitosis. To avoid the consequences of passing on aberrant genetic material to descendant cells, the cell enters either a state of senescence (permanent and irreversible cessation of the cell cycle and function) or undergoes cell suicide (apoptosis). When radiation causes cell death in tissues, damage occurs after a well-defined dose threshold. This non-probabilistic damage is called deterministic or non-stochastic damage. Biological effects (acute or chronic) do not appear instantaneously. For this reason, the early detection of whether an individual has received radiation can be decisive for their survival (as long as treatment can be provided to mitigate the effects). This is the origin of biological dosimetry, which includes a set of techniques that make it possible to determine whether an individual has been exposed to IR and, if so, to quantify the absorbed dose. To predict health effects, evaluate risks and provide protection against ionizing radiation, various biological techniques are used, each with its own specific purpose:  
1. Chromosome banding: This technique is used for chronic or acute exposures in a delayed manner. It consists of analyzing stable alterations in the chromosomes, providing information about the dose received. 2. FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization): Also used in chronic or acute exposures, FISH can detect specific chromosomal abnormalities, such as translocations. It is useful for evaluating the cumulative dose over time. 3. Analysis of dicentric chromosomes: This technique is applied in acute exposures. Dicentrics are abnormal chromosomes that form after exposure to ionizing radiation. Their presence indicates a high radiation dose. 4. Analysis of binucleated or micronucleleated cells: Another technique for acute exposures. Micronucleus cell counting provides information on the dose received and is used in emergency situations. How can we measure the absorbed radiation dose in humans in a minimally invasive manner? The ubiquitous nature of circulating blood lymphocytes and their inherent radiosensitivity make them an ideal model system for estimating the absorbed radiation dose in humans. [PERSON] and [PERSON] [8; 9] first demonstrated the utility of the Dicentric Chromosome Assay (DCA) for estimating the absorbed dose (biodose) in individuals exposed during the Recuplex criticality accident in Hanford, WA, USA. These seminal studies laid the foundation for cytogenetics-based biodosimetry and, since then, numerous studies have utilized DCA for absorbed radiation dose estimation in the victims of Chernobyl [10; 11; 12; 13] and Fukushima Daiichi.