Fluence field modulated CT on a clinical TomoTherapy radiation therapy machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szczykutowicz, Timothy P.; Hermus, James

2015-03-01

Purpose: The multi-leaf collimator (MLC) assembly present on TomoTherapy (Accuray, Madison WI) radiation therapy (RT) and mega voltage CT machines is well suited to perform fluence field modulated CT (FFMCT). In addition, there is a demand in the RT environment for FFMCT imaging techniques, specifically volume of interest (VOI) imaging. Methods: A clinical TomoTherapy machine was programmed to deliver 30% imaging dose outside predefined VOIs. Four different size ROIs were placed at varying distances from isocenter. Projections intersecting the VOI received "full dose" while those not intersecting the VOI received 30% of the dose (i.e. the incident fluence for non VOI projections was 30% of the incident fluence for projections intersecting the VOI). Additional scans without fluence field modulation were acquired at "full" and 30% dose. The noise (pixel standard deviation) was measured inside the VOI region and compared between the three scans. Results: The VOI-FFMCT technique produced an image noise 1.09, 1.05, 1.05, and 1.21 times higher than the "full dose" scan for ROI sizes of 10 cm, 13 cm, 10 cm, and 6 cm respectively within the VOI region. Conclusions: Noise levels can be almost unchanged within clinically relevant VOIs sizes for RT applications while the integral imaging dose to the patient can be decreased, and/or the image quality in RT can be dramatically increased with no change in dose relative to non-FFMCT RT imaging. The ability to shift dose away from regions unimportant for clinical evaluation in order to improve image quality or reduce imaging dose has been demonstrated. This paper demonstrates that FFMCT can be performed using the MLC on a clinical TomoTherapy machine for the first time.

A clinically observed discrepancy between image-based and log-based MLC positions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neal, Brian, E-mail: bpn2p@virginia.edu; Ahmed, Mahmoud; Kathuria, Kunal

2016-06-15

Purpose: To present a clinical case in which real-time intratreatment imaging identified an multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf to be consistently deviating from its programmed and logged position by >1 mm. Methods: An EPID-based exit-fluence dosimetry system designed to prevent gross delivery errors was used to capture cine during treatment images. The author serendipitously visually identified a suspected MLC leaf displacement that was not otherwise detected. The leaf position as recorded on the EPID images was measured and log-files were analyzed for the treatment in question, the prior day’s treatment, and for daily MLC test patterns acquired on those treatment days.more » Additional standard test patterns were used to quantify the leaf position. Results: Whereas the log-file reported no difference between planned and recorded positions, image-based measurements showed the leaf to be 1.3 ± 0.1 mm medial from the planned position. This offset was confirmed with the test pattern irradiations. Conclusions: It has been clinically observed that log-file derived leaf positions can differ from their actual position by >1 mm, and therefore cannot be considered to be the actual leaf positions. This cautions the use of log-based methods for MLC or patient quality assurance without independent confirmation of log integrity. Frequent verification of MLC positions through independent means is a necessary precondition to trust log-file records. Intratreatment EPID imaging provides a method to capture departures from MLC planned positions.« less

TH-AB-BRA-01: A Novel Doubly-Focused Multileaf Collimator Design for MR-Guided Radiation Therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, H; Mutic, S; Green, O

2016-06-15

Purpose: To describe the physical and dosimetric properties of a novel double-stack multileaf collimator (MLC). Methods: One of the compromises made in the MLC design has been to employ linear-motion singly-divergent shapes. Because the MLC leading edge moves linearly, it is rounded to provide a consistent, albeit compromised penumbra. The MLC employed in the new linac-based MR-IGRT unit is designed to be doubly focused in that each leaf moves in an arc centered at the source, and the sides of the leaves are machined such that they lie parallel to a line between the leaf edge and the source. Themore » curvature of the MLC keeps motors and encoders in lower magnetic field. However, high spatial-resolution leaves are difficult to manufacture to sufficiently tight tolerances and difficult to move due to restricted space on the gantry. Wider leaves alleviate this problem with less moving parts but the coarse resolution disallows treating very small lesions. This compromise has been overcome by splitting the MLC leaf bank into two sets, stacked one upon the other and offset half of a leaf width. The dosimetry has been simulated using Monte-Carlo and a 6 MV linac in a 0.35 T magnetic field. Results: The combined MLC leaf set has a spatial resolution of effectively half of the leaf width, 4mm here. The dosimetry resolution and conformality are consistent with 4mm wide MLC assisted by inverse fluence modulation. Also, because each leaf junction is backed up by the stacked leaf that lies over the junction, the problem of tongue-and-groove dosimetry has been greatly reduced. The novel MLC design allows the use of more powerful leaf motors than would be otherwise possible if a single MLC bank is employed. Conclusions: The stacked MLC will provide highly conformal dose distributions suitable for stereotactic radiation therapy of small lesions. The research was funded by ViewRay, Inc.« less

SU-E-T-325: The New Evaluation Method of the VMAT Plan Delivery Using Varian DynaLog Files and Modulation Complexity Score (MCS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tateoka, K; Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, JP; Fujimomo, K

2014-06-01

Purpose: The aim of the study is to evaluate the use of Varian DynaLog files to verify VMAT plans delivery and modulation complexity score (MCS) of VMAT. Methods: Delivery accuracy of machine performance was quantified by multileaf collimator (MLC) position errors, gantry angle errors and fluence delivery accuracy for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). The relationship between machine performance and plan complexity were also investigated using the modulation complexity score (MCS). Plan and Actual MLC positions, gantry angles and delivered fraction of monitor units were extracted from Varian DynaLog files. These factors were taken from the record and verify systemmore » of MLC control file. Planned and delivered beam data were compared to determine leaf position errors and gantry angle errors. Analysis was also performed on planned and actual fluence maps reconstructed from those of the DynaLog files. This analysis was performed for all treatment fractions of 5 prostate VMAT plans. The analysis of DynaLog files have been carried out by in-house programming in Visual C++. Results: The root mean square of leaf position and gantry angle errors were about 0.12 and 0.15, respectively. The Gamma of planned and actual fluence maps at 3%/3 mm criterion was about 99.21. The gamma of the leaf position errors were not directly related to plan complexity as determined by the MCS. Therefore, the gamma of the gantry angle errors were directly related to plan complexity as determined by the MCS. Conclusion: This study shows Varian dynalog files for VMAT plan can be diagnosed delivery errors not possible with phantom based quality assurance. Furthermore, the MCS of VMAT plan can evaluate delivery accuracy for patients receiving of VMAT. Machine performance was found to be directly related to plan complexity but this is not the dominant determinant of delivery accuracy.« less

SU-E-T-478: Sliding Window Multi-Criteria IMRT Optimization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Craft, D; Papp, D; Unkelbach, J

2014-06-01

Purpose: To demonstrate a method for what-you-see-is-what-you-get multi-criteria Pareto surface navigation for step and shoot IMRT treatment planning. Methods: We show mathematically how multiple sliding window treatment plans can be averaged to yield a single plan whose dose distribution is the dosimetric average of the averaged plans. This is incorporated into the Pareto surface navigation based approach to treatment planning in such a way that as the user navigates the surface, the plans he/she is viewing are ready to be delivered (i.e. there is no extra ‘segment the plans’ step that often leads to unacceptable plan degradation in step andmore » shoot Pareto surface navigation). We also describe how the technique can be applied to VMAT. Briefly, sliding window VMAT plans are created such that MLC leaves paint out fluence maps every 15 degrees or so. These fluence map leaf trajectories are averaged in the same way the static beam IMRT ones are. Results: We show mathematically that fluence maps are exactly averaged using our leaf sweep averaging algorithm. Leaf transmission and output factor corrections effects, which are ignored in this work, can lead to small errors in terms of the dose distributions not being exactly averaged even though the fluence maps are. However, our demonstrations show that the dose distributions are almost exactly averaged as well. We demonstrate the technique both for IMRT and VMAT. Conclusions: By turning to sliding window delivery, we show that the problem of losing plan fidelity during the conversion of an idealized fluence map plan into a deliverable plan is remedied. This will allow for multicriteria optimization that avoids the pitfall that the planning has to be redone after the conversion into MLC segments due to plan quality decline. David Craft partially funded by RaySearch Laboratories.« less

SU-F-T-233: Evaluation of Treatment Delivery Parameters Using High Resolution ELEKTA Log Files

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kabat, C; Defoor, D; Alexandrian, A

2016-06-15

Purpose: As modern linacs have become more technologically advanced with the implementation of IGRT and IMRT with HDMLCs, a requirement for more elaborate tracking techniques to monitor components’ integrity is paramount. ElektaLog files are generated every 40 milliseconds, which can be analyzed to track subtle changes and provide another aspect of quality assurance. This allows for constant monitoring of fraction consistency in addition to machine reliability. With this in mind, it was the aim of the study to evaluate if ElektaLog files can be utilized for linac consistency QA. Methods: ElektaLogs were reviewed for 16 IMRT patient plans with >16more » fractions. Logs were analyzed by creating fluence maps from recorded values of MLC locations, jaw locations, and dose per unit time. Fluence maps were then utilized to calculate a 2D gamma index with a 2%–2mm criteria for each fraction. ElektaLogs were also used to analyze positional errors for MLC leaves and jaws, which were used to compute an overall error for the MLC banks, Y-jaws, and X-jaws by taking the root-meansquare value of the individual recorded errors during treatment. Additionally, beam on time was calculated using the number of ElektaLog file entries within the file. Results: The average 2D gamma for all 16 patient plans was found to be 98.0±2.0%. Recorded gamma index values showed an acceptable correlation between fractions. Average RMS values for MLC leaves and the jaws resulted in a leaf variation of roughly 0.3±0.08 mm and jaw variation of about 0.15±0.04 mm, both of which fall within clinical tolerances. Conclusion: The use of ElektaLog files for day-to-day evaluation of linac integrity and patient QA can be utilized to allow for reliable analysis of system accuracy and performance.« less

SU-F-T-465: Two Years of Radiotherapy Treatments Analyzed Through MLC Log Files

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Defoor, D; Kabat, C; Papanikolaou, N

Purpose: To present treatment statistics of a Varian Novalis Tx using more than 90,000 Varian Dynalog files collected over the past 2 years. Methods: Varian Dynalog files are recorded for every patient treated on our Varian Novalis Tx. The files are collected and analyzed daily to check interfraction agreement of treatment deliveries. This is accomplished by creating fluence maps from the data contained in the Dynalog files. From the Dynalog files we have also compiled statistics for treatment delivery times, MLC errors, gantry errors and collimator errors. Results: The mean treatment time for VMAT patients was 153 ± 86 secondsmore » while the mean treatment time for step & shoot was 256 ± 149 seconds. Patient’s treatment times showed a variation of 0.4% over there treatment course for VMAT and 0.5% for step & shoot. The average field sizes were 40 cm2 and 26 cm2 for VMAT and step & shoot respectively. VMAT beams contained and average overall leaf travel of 34.17 meters and step & shoot beams averaged less than half of that at 15.93 meters. When comparing planned and delivered fluence maps generated using the Dynalog files VMAT plans showed an average gamma passing percentage of 99.85 ± 0.47. Step & shoot plans showed an average gamma passing percentage of 97.04 ± 0.04. 5.3% of beams contained an MLC error greater than 1 mm and 2.4% had an error greater than 2mm. The mean gantry speed for VMAT plans was 1.01 degrees/s with a maximum of 6.5 degrees/s. Conclusion: Varian Dynalog files are useful for monitoring machine performance treatment parameters. The Dynalog files have shown that the performance of the Novalis Tx is consistent over the course of a patients treatment with only slight variations in patient treatment times and a low rate of MLC errors.« less

SU-F-T-469: A Clinically Observed Discrepancy Between Image-Based and Log- Based MLC Position

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neal, B; Ahmed, M; Siebers, J

2016-06-15

Purpose: To present a clinical case which challenges the base assumption of log-file based QA, by showing that the actual position of a MLC leaf can suddenly deviate from its programmed and logged position by >1 mm as observed with real-time imaging. Methods: An EPID-based exit-fluence dosimetry system designed to prevent gross delivery errors was used in cine mode to capture portal images during treatment. Visual monitoring identified an anomalous MLC leaf pair gap not otherwise detected by the automatic position verification. The position of the erred leaf was measured on EPID images and log files were analyzed for themore » treatment in question, the prior day’s treatment, and for daily MLC test patterns acquired on those treatment days. Additional standard test patterns were used to quantify the leaf position. Results: Whereas the log file reported no difference between planned and recorded positions, image-based measurements showed the leaf to be 1.3±0.1 mm medial from the planned position. This offset was confirmed with the test pattern irradiations. Conclusion: It has been clinically observed that log-file derived leaf positions can differ from their actual positions by >1 mm, and therefore cannot be considered to be the actual leaf positions. This cautions the use of log-based methods for MLC or patient quality assurance without independent confirmation of log integrity. Frequent verification of MLC positions through independent means is a necessary precondition to trusting log file records. Intra-treatment EPID imaging provides a method to capture departures from MLC planned positions. Work was supported in part by Varian Medical Systems.« less

A method for photon beam Monte Carlo multileaf collimator particle transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siebers, Jeffrey V.; Keall, Paul J.; Kim, Jong Oh; Mohan, Radhe

2002-09-01

Monte Carlo (MC) algorithms are recognized as the most accurate methodology for patient dose assessment. For intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) delivered with dynamic multileaf collimators (DMLCs), accurate dose calculation, even with MC, is challenging. Accurate IMRT MC dose calculations require inclusion of the moving MLC in the MC simulation. Due to its complex geometry, full transport through the MLC can be time consuming. The aim of this work was to develop an MLC model for photon beam MC IMRT dose computations. The basis of the MC MLC model is that the complex MLC geometry can be separated into simple geometric regions, each of which readily lends itself to simplified radiation transport. For photons, only attenuation and first Compton scatter interactions are considered. The amount of attenuation material an individual particle encounters while traversing the entire MLC is determined by adding the individual amounts from each of the simplified geometric regions. Compton scatter is sampled based upon the total thickness traversed. Pair production and electron interactions (scattering and bremsstrahlung) within the MLC are ignored. The MLC model was tested for 6 MV and 18 MV photon beams by comparing it with measurements and MC simulations that incorporate the full physics and geometry for fields blocked by the MLC and with measurements for fields with the maximum possible tongue-and-groove and tongue-or-groove effects, for static test cases and for sliding windows of various widths. The MLC model predicts the field size dependence of the MLC leakage radiation within 0.1% of the open-field dose. The entrance dose and beam hardening behind a closed MLC are predicted within +/-1% or 1 mm. Dose undulations due to differences in inter- and intra-leaf leakage are also correctly predicted. The MC MLC model predicts leaf-edge tongue-and-groove dose effect within +/-1% or 1 mm for 95% of the points compared at 6 MV and 88% of the points compared at 18 MV. The dose through a static leaf tip is also predicted generally within +/-1% or 1 mm. Tests with sliding windows of various widths confirm the accuracy of the MLC model for dynamic delivery and indicate that accounting for a slight leaf position error (0.008 cm for our MLC) will improve the accuracy of the model. The MLC model developed is applicable to both dynamic MLC and segmental MLC IMRT beam delivery and will be useful for patient IMRT dose calculations, pre-treatment verification of IMRT delivery and IMRT portal dose transmission dosimetry.

SU-E-T-605: Performance Evaluation of MLC Leaf-Sequencing Algorithms in Head-And-Neck IMRT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jing, J; Lin, H; Chow, J

2015-06-15

Purpose: To investigate the efficiency of three multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf-sequencing algorithms proposed by Galvin et al, Chen et al and Siochi et al using external beam treatment plans for head-and-neck intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Methods: IMRT plans for head-and-neck were created using the CORVUS treatment planning system. The plans were optimized and the fluence maps for all photon beams determined. Three different MLC leaf-sequencing algorithms based on Galvin et al, Chen et al and Siochi et al were used to calculate the final photon segmental fields and their monitor units in delivery. For comparison purpose, the maximum intensitymore » of fluence map was kept constant in different plans. The number of beam segments and total number of monitor units were calculated for the three algorithms. Results: From results of number of beam segments and total number of monitor units, we found that algorithm of Galvin et al had the largest number of monitor unit which was about 70% larger than the other two algorithms. Moreover, both algorithms of Galvin et al and Siochi et al have relatively lower number of beam segment compared to Chen et al. Although values of number of beam segment and total number of monitor unit calculated by different algorithms varied with the head-and-neck plans, it can be seen that algorithms of Galvin et al and Siochi et al performed well with a lower number of beam segment, though algorithm of Galvin et al had a larger total number of monitor units than Siochi et al. Conclusion: Although performance of the leaf-sequencing algorithm varied with different IMRT plans having different fluence maps, an evaluation is possible based on the calculated number of beam segment and monitor unit. In this study, algorithm by Siochi et al was found to be more efficient in the head-and-neck IMRT. The Project Sponsored by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (J2014HGXJ0094) and the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry.« less

Commissioning and validation of fluence-based 3D VMAT dose reconstruction system using new transmission detector.

PubMed

Nakaguchi, Yuji; Oono, Takeshi; Maruyama, Masato; Shimohigashi, Yoshinobu; Kai, Yudai; Nakamura, Yuya

2018-06-01

In this study, we evaluated the basic performance of the three-dimensional dose verification system COMPASS (IBA Dosimetry). This system is capable of reconstructing 3D dose distributions on the patient anatomy based on the fluence measured using a new transmission detector (Dolphin, IBA Dosimetry) during treatment. The stability of the absolute dose and geometric calibrations of the COMPASS system with the Dolphin detector were investigated for fundamental validation. Furthermore, multileaf collimator (MLC) test patterns and a complicated volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plan were used to evaluate the accuracy of the reconstructed dose distributions determined by the COMPASS. The results from the COMPASS were compared with those of a Monte Carlo simulation (MC), EDR2 film measurement, and a treatment planning system (TPS). The maximum errors for the absolute dose and geometrical position were - 0.28% and 1.0 mm for 3 months, respectively. The Dolphin detector, which consists of ionization chamber detectors, was firmly mounted on the linear accelerator and was very stable. For the MLC test patterns, the TPS showed a > 5% difference at small fields, while the COMPASS showed good agreement with the MC simulation at small fields. However, the COMPASS produced a large error for complex small fields. For a clinical VMAT plan, COMPASS was more accurate than TPS. COMPASS showed real delivered-dose distributions because it uses the measured fluence, a high-resolution detector, and accurate beam modeling. We confirm here that the accuracy and detectability of the delivered dose of the COMPASS system are sufficient for clinical practice.

Delivery time comparison for intensity-modulated radiation therapy with/without flattening filter: a planning study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Weihua; Dai, Jianrong; Hu, Yimin; Han, Dongsheng; Song, Yixin

2004-04-01

The treatment delivery time of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with a multileaf collimator (MLC) is generally longer than that of conventional radiotherapy. In theory, removing the flattening filter from the treatment head may reduce the beam-on time by enhancing the output dose rate, and then reduce the treatment delivery time. And in practice, there is a possibility of delivering the required fluence distribution by modulating the unflattened non-uniform fluence distribution. However, the reduction of beam-on time may be discounted by the increase of leaf-travel time and (or) verification-and-recording (V&R) time. Here we investigate the overall effect of flattening filter on the treatment delivery time of IMRT with MLCs implemented in the step and shoot method, as well as with compensators on six hybrid machines. We compared the treatment delivery time with/without flattening filter for ten nasopharynx cases and ten prostate cases by observing the variations of the ratio of the beam-on time, segment number, leaf-travel time and the treatment delivery time with dose rate, leaf speed and V&R time. The results show that, without the flattening filter, the beam-on time reduces for both static MLC and compensator-based techniques; the number of segments and the leaf-travel time increase slightly for the static MLC technique; the relative IMRT treatment delivery time decreases more with lower dose rate, higher leaf speed and shorter V&R overhead time. The absolute treatment delivery time reduction depends on the fraction dose. It is not clinically significant at a fraction dose of 2 Gy for the technique of removing the flattening filter, but becomes significant when the fraction dose is as high as that for radiosurgery.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stathakis, S; Defoor, D; Linden, P

Purpose: To study the frequency of Multi-Leaf Collimator (MLC) leaf failures, investigate methods to predict them and reduce linac downtime. Methods: A Varian HD120 MLC was used in our study. The hyperterminal MLC errors logged from 06/2012 to 12/2014 were collected. Along with the hyperterminal errors, the MLC motor changes and all other MLC interventions by the linear accelerator engineer were recorded. The MLC dynalog files were also recorded on a daily basis for each treatment and during linac QA. The dynalog files were analyzed to calculate root mean square errors (RMS) and cumulative MLC travel distance per motor. Anmore » in-house MatLab code was used to analyze all dynalog files, record RMS errors and calculate the distance each MLC traveled per day. Results: A total of 269 interventions were recorded over a period of 18 months. Of these, 146 included MLC motor leaf change, 39 T-nut replacements, and 84 MLC cleaning sessions. Leaves close to the middle of each side required the most maintenance. In the A bank, leaves A27 to A40 recorded 73% of all interventions, while the same leaves in the B bank counted for 52% of the interventions. On average, leaves in the middle of the bank had their motors changed approximately every 1500m of travel. Finally, it was found that the number of RMS errors increased prior to an MLC motor change. Conclusion: An MLC dynalog file analysis software was developed that can be used to log daily MLC usage. Our eighteen-month data analysis showed that there is a correlation between the distance an MLC travels, the RMS and the life of the MLC motor. We plan to use this tool to predict MLC motor failures and with proper and timely intervention, reduce the downtime of the linac during clinical hours.« less

SU-E-T-784: Using MLC Log Files for Daily IMRT Delivery Verification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stathakis, S; Defoor, D; Linden, P

2015-06-15

Purpose: To verify daily intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatments using multi-leaf collimator (MLC) log files. Methods: The MLC log files from a NovalisTX Varian linear accelerator were used in this study. The MLC files were recorded daily for all patients undergoing IMRT or volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). The first record of each patient was used as reference and all records for subsequent days were compared against the reference. An in house MATLAB software code was used for the comparisons. Each MLC log file was converted to a fluence map (FM) and a gamma index (γ) analysis was usedmore » for the evaluation of each daily delivery for every patient. The tolerance for the gamma index was set to 2% dose difference and 2mm distance to agreement while points with signal of 10% or lower of the maximum value were excluded from the comparisons. Results: The γ between each of the reference FMs and the consecutive daily fraction FMs had an average value of 99.1% (ranged from 98.2 to 100.0%). The FM images were reconstructed at various resolutions in order to study the effect of the resolution on the γ and at the same time reduce the time for processing the images. We found that the comparison of images with the highest resolution (768×1024) yielded on average a lower γ (99.1%) than the ones with low resolution (192×256) (γ 99.5%). Conclusion: We developed an in-house software that allows us to monitor the quality of daily IMRT and VMAT treatment deliveries using information from the MLC log files of the linear accelerator. The information can be analyzed and evaluated as early as after the completion of each daily treatment. Such tool can be valuable to assess the effect of MLC positioning on plan quality, especially in the context of adaptive radiotherapy.« less

MO-FG-202-01: A Fast Yet Sensitive EPID-Based Real-Time Treatment Verification System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ahmad, M; Nourzadeh, H; Neal, B

2016-06-15

Purpose: To create a real-time EPID-based treatment verification system which robustly detects treatment delivery and patient attenuation variations. Methods: Treatment plan DICOM files sent to the record-and-verify system are captured and utilized to predict EPID images for each planned control point using a modified GPU-based digitally reconstructed radiograph algorithm which accounts for the patient attenuation, source energy fluence, source size effects, and MLC attenuation. The DICOM and predicted images are utilized by our C++ treatment verification software which compares EPID acquired 1024×768 resolution frames acquired at ∼8.5hz from Varian Truebeam™ system. To maximize detection sensitivity, image comparisons determine (1) ifmore » radiation exists outside of the desired treatment field; (2) if radiation is lacking inside the treatment field; (3) if translations, rotations, and magnifications of the image are within tolerance. Acquisition was tested with known test fields and prior patient fields. Error detection was tested in real-time and utilizing images acquired during treatment with another system. Results: The computational time of the prediction algorithms, for a patient plan with 350 control points and 60×60×42cm^3 CT volume, is 2–3minutes on CPU and <27 seconds on GPU for 1024×768 images. The verification software requires a maximum of ∼9ms and ∼19ms for 512×384 and 1024×768 resolution images, respectively, to perform image analysis and dosimetric validations. Typical variations in geometric parameters between reference and the measured images are 0.32°for gantry rotation, 1.006 for scaling factor, and 0.67mm for translation. For excess out-of-field/missing in-field fluence, with masks extending 1mm (at isocenter) from the detected aperture edge, the average total in-field area missing EPID fluence was 1.5mm2 the out-of-field excess EPID fluence was 8mm^2, both below error tolerances. Conclusion: A real-time verification software, with EPID images prediction algorithm, was developed. The system is capable of performing verifications between frames acquisitions and identifying source(s) of any out-of-tolerance variations. This work was supported in part by Varian Medical Systems.« less

Towards real-time VMAT verification using a prototype, high-speed CMOS active pixel sensor.

PubMed

Zin, Hafiz M; Harris, Emma J; Osmond, John P F; Allinson, Nigel M; Evans, Philip M

2013-05-21

This work investigates the feasibility of using a prototype complementary metal oxide semiconductor active pixel sensor (CMOS APS) for real-time verification of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment. The prototype CMOS APS used region of interest read out on the chip to allow fast imaging of up to 403.6 frames per second (f/s). The sensor was made larger (5.4 cm × 5.4 cm) using recent advances in photolithographic technique but retains fast imaging speed with the sensor's regional read out. There is a paradigm shift in radiotherapy treatment verification with the advent of advanced treatment techniques such as VMAT. This work has demonstrated that the APS can track multi leaf collimator (MLC) leaves moving at 18 mm s(-1) with an automatic edge tracking algorithm at accuracy better than 1.0 mm even at the fastest imaging speed. Evaluation of the measured fluence distribution for an example VMAT delivery sampled at 50.4 f/s was shown to agree well with the planned fluence distribution, with an average gamma pass rate of 96% at 3%/3 mm. The MLC leaves motion and linac pulse rate variation delivered throughout the VMAT treatment can also be measured. The results demonstrate the potential of CMOS APS technology as a real-time radiotherapy dosimeter for delivery of complex treatments such as VMAT.

SU-E-T-01: 2-D Characterization of DLG Among All MLC Leaf Pairs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumaraswamy, L; Xu, Z; Podgorsak, M

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the variation of dosimetric leaf-gap (DLG) along the travel path of each MLC leaf pair. This study evaluates whether the spatial variations in DLG could cause dose differences between TPS-calculated and measured dose. Methods: The 6MV DLG values were measured for all leaf pairs in the direction of leaf motion using a 2-D diode array and 0.6cc ion chamber. These measurements were performed on two Varian Linacs, employing the Millennium 120-leaf MLC and a 2-D-DLG variation map was created via in-house software. Several test plans were created with sweeping MLC fieldsmore » using constant gaps from 2mm to 10mm and corrected for 2-D variation utilizing in-house software. Measurements were performed utilizing the MapCHECK at 5.0cm depth for plans with and without the 2-D DLG correction and compared to the TPS calculated dose via gamma analysis (3%/3mm). Results: The measured DLGs for the middle 40 MLC leaf pairs (0.5cm width) were very similar along the central superior-inferior axis, with maximum variation of 0.2mm. The outer 20 MLC leaf pairs (1.0cm width) have DLG values from 0.32mm (mean) to 0.65mm (maximum) lower than the central leaf-pair, depending on off-axis distance. Gamma pass rates for the 2mm, 4mm, and 6mm sweep plans increased by 23.2%, 28.7%, and 26.0% respectively using the 2-D-DLG correction. The most improved dose points occur in areas modulated by the 1.0cm leaf-pairs. The gamma pass rate for the 10mm sweep plan increased by only 7.7%, indicating that the 2D variation becomes less significant for dynamic plans with larger MLC gaps. Conclusion: Fluences residing significantly off-axis with narrow sweeping gaps may exhibit significant variations from planned dose due to large differences between the true DLG exhibited by the 1.0cm leaf-pairs versus the constant DLG value utilized by the TPS for dose calculation.« less

MO-G-BRE-04: Automatic Verification of Daily Treatment Deliveries and Generation of Daily Treatment Reports for a MR Image-Guided Treatment Machine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, D; Li, X; Li, H

2014-06-15

Purpose: Two aims of this work were to develop a method to automatically verify treatment delivery accuracy immediately after patient treatment and to develop a comprehensive daily treatment report to provide all required information for daily MR-IGRT review. Methods: After systematically analyzing the requirements for treatment delivery verification and understanding the available information from a novel MR-IGRT treatment machine, we designed a method to use 1) treatment plan files, 2) delivery log files, and 3) dosimetric calibration information to verify the accuracy and completeness of daily treatment deliveries. The method verifies the correctness of delivered treatment plans and beams, beammore » segments, and for each segment, the beam-on time and MLC leaf positions. Composite primary fluence maps are calculated from the MLC leaf positions and the beam-on time. Error statistics are calculated on the fluence difference maps between the plan and the delivery. We also designed the daily treatment delivery report by including all required information for MR-IGRT and physics weekly review - the plan and treatment fraction information, dose verification information, daily patient setup screen captures, and the treatment delivery verification results. Results: The parameters in the log files (e.g. MLC positions) were independently verified and deemed accurate and trustable. A computer program was developed to implement the automatic delivery verification and daily report generation. The program was tested and clinically commissioned with sufficient IMRT and 3D treatment delivery data. The final version has been integrated into a commercial MR-IGRT treatment delivery system. Conclusion: A method was developed to automatically verify MR-IGRT treatment deliveries and generate daily treatment reports. Already in clinical use since December 2013, the system is able to facilitate delivery error detection, and expedite physician daily IGRT review and physicist weekly chart review.« less

Improvement of VMAT plan quality for head and neck cancer with high resolution fluences generated by couch shift between arcs.

PubMed

Park, Jong Min; Park, So-Yeon; Wu, Hong-Gyun; Kim, Jung-In

2018-02-01

To investigate the changes in quality of the volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans with couch-shift between arcs by half of a multi-leaf collimator (MLC) leaf width. A total of 22 patients with head-and-neck cancer were retrospectively selected. Since the smallest MLC leaf width was 5 mm in this study, the couch was shifted by 2.5 mm in the longitudinal-direction between arcs to increase the resolution of fluence map. A total of three types of VMAT plans were generated for each patient; the three types of plans were a two-full-arc plan without couch-shift (NS plan), a two-half-arc-pair plan with couch-shift (HAS plan), and a two-full-arc pair plan with couch-shift (FAS plan). Changes in the dose-volumetric parameters were investigated. The FAS plan showed the best plan quality for the target volumes and organs at risk compared to the NS and HAS plans. However, the magnitudes of differences among the three types of plans were minimal, and every plan was clinically acceptable. The average integral doses of the NS, HAS, and FAS plans were 160,549 ± 37,600 Gy-cc, 147,828 ± 33,343 Gy-cc, and 156,030 ± 36,263 Gy-cc, respectively. The average monitor unit of the NS, HAS, and FAS plans were 717 ± 120 MU, 648 ± 100 MU, and 763 ± 158 MU, respectively. The HAS plan was better than the others in terms of normal tissue sparing and plan efficiency. By shifting the couch by half of the MLC leaf width in the longitudinal direction between arcs, the VMAT plan quality could be improved. Copyright © 2018 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A real-time dynamic-MLC control algorithm for delivering IMRT to targets undergoing 2D rigid motion in the beam's eye view.

PubMed

McMahon, Ryan; Berbeco, Ross; Nishioka, Seiko; Ishikawa, Masayori; Papiez, Lech

2008-09-01

An MLC control algorithm for delivering intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to targets that are undergoing two-dimensional (2D) rigid motion in the beam's eye view (BEV) is presented. The goal of this method is to deliver 3D-derived fluence maps over a moving patient anatomy. Target motion measured prior to delivery is first used to design a set of planned dynamic-MLC (DMLC) sliding-window leaf trajectories. During actual delivery, the algorithm relies on real-time feedback to compensate for target motion that does not agree with the motion measured during planning. The methodology is based on an existing one-dimensional (ID) algorithm that uses on-the-fly intensity calculations to appropriately adjust the DMLC leaf trajectories in real-time during exposure delivery [McMahon et al., Med. Phys. 34, 3211-3223 (2007)]. To extend the 1D algorithm's application to 2D target motion, a real-time leaf-pair shifting mechanism has been developed. Target motion that is orthogonal to leaf travel is tracked by appropriately shifting the positions of all MLC leaves. The performance of the tracking algorithm was tested for a single beam of a fractionated IMRT treatment, using a clinically derived intensity profile and a 2D target trajectory based on measured patient data. Comparisons were made between 2D tracking, 1D tracking, and no tracking. The impact of the tracking lag time and the frequency of real-time imaging were investigated. A study of the dependence of the algorithm's performance on the level of agreement between the motion measured during planning and delivery was also included. Results demonstrated that tracking both components of the 2D motion (i.e., parallel and orthogonal to leaf travel) results in delivered fluence profiles that are superior to those that track the component of motion that is parallel to leaf travel alone. Tracking lag time effects may lead to relatively large intensity delivery errors compared to the other sources of error investigated. However, the algorithm presented is robust in the sense that it does not rely on a high level of agreement between the target motion measured during treatment planning and delivery.

Evaluation of Video Image Analysis (VIA) technology to predict meat yield of sheep carcasses on-line under UK abattoir conditions.

PubMed

Rius-Vilarrasa, E; Bünger, L; Maltin, C; Matthews, K R; Roehe, R

2009-05-01

The Meat and Livestock Commission's (MLC) EUROP classification based scheme and Video Image Analysis (VIA) system were compared in their ability to predict weights of primal carcass joints. A total of 443 commercial lamb carcasses under 12 months of age and mixed gender were selected by their cold carcass weight (CCW), conformation and fat scores. Lamb carcasses were classified for conformation and fatness, scanned by the VIA system and dissected into primal joints of leg, chump, loin, breast and shoulder. After adjustment for CCW, the estimation of primal joints using MLC EUROP scores showed high coefficients of determination (R(2)) in the range of 0.82-0.99. The use of VIA always resulted in equal or higher R(2). The precision measured as root mean square error (RMSE) was 27% (leg), 13% (chump), 1% (loin), 11% (breast), 5% (shoulders) and 13% (total primals) higher using VIA than MLC carcass information. Adjustment for slaughter day and gender effects indicated that estimations of primal joints using MLC EUROP scores were more sensitive to these factors than using VIA. This was consistent with an increase in stability of the prediction model of 28%, 11%, 2%, 12%, 6% and 14% for leg, chump, loin, breast and shoulder and total primals, respectively, using VIA compared to MLC EUROP scores. Consequently, VIA was capable of improving the prediction of primal meat yields compared to the current MLC EUROP carcass classification scheme used in the UK abattoirs.

A stochastic convolution/superposition method with isocenter sampling to evaluate intrafraction motion effects in IMRT.

PubMed

Naqvi, Shahid A; D'Souza, Warren D

2005-04-01

Current methods to calculate dose distributions with organ motion can be broadly classified as "dose convolution" and "fluence convolution" methods. In the former, a static dose distribution is convolved with the probability distribution function (PDF) that characterizes the motion. However, artifacts are produced near the surface and around inhomogeneities because the method assumes shift invariance. Fluence convolution avoids these artifacts by convolving the PDF with the incident fluence instead of the patient dose. In this paper we present an alternative method that improves the accuracy, generality as well as the speed of dose calculation with organ motion. The algorithm starts by sampling an isocenter point from a parametrically defined space curve corresponding to the patient-specific motion trajectory. Then a photon is sampled in the linac head and propagated through the three-dimensional (3-D) collimator structure corresponding to a particular MLC segment chosen randomly from the planned IMRT leaf sequence. The photon is then made to interact at a point in the CT-based simulation phantom. Randomly sampled monoenergetic kernel rays issued from this point are then made to deposit energy in the voxels. Our method explicitly accounts for MLC-specific effects (spectral hardening, tongue-and-groove, head scatter) as well as changes in SSD with isocentric displacement, assuming that the body moves rigidly with the isocenter. Since the positions are randomly sampled from a continuum, there is no motion discretization, and the computation takes no more time than a static calculation. To validate our method, we obtained ten separate film measurements of an IMRT plan delivered on a phantom moving sinusoidally, with each fraction starting with a random phase. For 2 cm motion amplitude, we found that a ten-fraction average of the film measurements gave an agreement with the calculated infinite fraction average to within 2 mm in the isodose curves. The results also corroborate the existing notion that the interfraction dose variability due to the interplay between the MLC motion and breathing motion averages out over typical multifraction treatments. Simulation with motion waveforms more representative of real breathing indicate that the motion can produce penumbral spreading asymmetric about the static dose distributions. Such calculations can help a clinician decide to use, for example, a larger margin in the superior direction than in the inferior direction. In the paper we demonstrate that a 15 min run on a single CPU can readily illustrate the effect of a patient-specific breathing waveform, and can guide the physician in making informed decisions about margin expansion and dose escalation.

SU-F-T-527: A Novel Dynamic Multileaf Collimator Leaf-Sequencing Algorithm in Radiation Therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jing, J; Lin, H; Chow, J

Purpose: A novel leaf-sequencing algorithm is developed for generating arbitrary beam intensity profiles in discrete levels using dynamic multileaf collimator (MLC). The efficiency of this dynamic MLC leaf-sequencing method was evaluated using external beam treatment plans delivered by intensity modulated radiation therapy technique. Methods: To qualify and validate this algorithm, integral test for the beam segment of MLC generated by the CORVUS treatment planning system was performed with clinical intensity map experiments. The treatment plans were optimized and the fluence maps for all photon beams were determined. This algorithm started with the algebraic expression for the area under the beammore » profile. The coefficients in the expression can be transformed into the specifications for the leaf-setting sequence. The leaf optimization procedure was then applied and analyzed for clinical relevant intensity profiles in cancer treatment. Results: The macrophysical effect of this method can be described by volumetric plan evaluation tools such as dose-volume histograms (DVHs). The DVH results are in good agreement compared to those from the CORVUS treatment planning system. Conclusion: We developed a dynamic MLC method to examine the stability of leaf speed including effects of acceleration and deceleration of leaf motion in order to make sure the stability of leaf speed did not affect the intensity profile generated. It was found that the mechanical requirements were better satisfied using this method. The Project is sponsored by the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry.« less

WE-AB-209-10: Optimizing the Delivery of Sequential Fluence Maps for Efficient VMAT Delivery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Craft, D; Balvert, M

2016-06-15

Purpose: To develop an optimization model and solution approach for computing MLC leaf trajectories and dose rates for high quality matching of a set of optimized fluence maps to be delivered sequentially around a patient in a VMAT treatment. Methods: We formulate the fluence map matching problem as a nonlinear optimization problem where time is discretized but dose rates and leaf positions are continuous variables. For a given allotted time, which is allocated across the fluence maps based on the complexity of each fluence map, the optimization problem searches for the best leaf trajectories and dose rates such that themore » original fluence maps are closely recreated. Constraints include maximum leaf speed, maximum dose rate, and leaf collision avoidance, as well as the constraint that the ending leaf positions for one map are the starting leaf positions for the next map. The resulting model is non-convex but smooth, and therefore we solve it by local searches from a variety of starting positions. We improve solution time by a custom decomposition approach which allows us to decouple the rows of the fluence maps and solve each leaf pair individually. This decomposition also makes the problem easily parallelized. Results: We demonstrate method on a prostate case and a head-and-neck case and show that one can recreate fluence maps to high degree of fidelity in modest total delivery time (minutes). Conclusion: We present a VMAT sequencing method that reproduces optimal fluence maps by searching over a vast number of possible leaf trajectories. By varying the total allotted time given, this approach is the first of its kind to allow users to produce VMAT solutions that span the range of wide-field coarse VMAT deliveries to narrow-field high-MU sliding window-like approaches.« less

The potential impact of multidimesional geriatric assessment in the social security system.

PubMed

Corbi, Graziamaria; Ambrosino, Immacolata; Massari, Marco; De Lucia, Onofrio; Simplicio, Sirio; Dragone, Michele; Paolisso, Giuseppe; Piccioni, Massimo; Ferrara, Nicola; Campobasso, Carlo Pietro

2018-01-12

To evaluate the efficacy of multidimensional geriatric assessment (MGA/CGA) in patients over 65 years old in predicting the release of the accompaniment allowance (AA) indemnity by a Local Medico-Legal Committee (MLC-NHS) and by the National Institute of Social Security Committee (MLC-INPS). In a longitudinal observational study, 200 Italian elder citizens requesting AA were first evaluated by MLC-NHS and later by MLC-INPS. Only MLC-INPS performed a MGA/CGA (including SPMSQ, Barthel Index, GDS-SF, and CIRS). This report was written according to the STROBE guidelines. The data analysis was performed on January 2016. The evaluation by the MLC-NHS and by the MLC-INPS was in agreement in 66% of cases. In the 28%, the AA benefit was recognized by the MLC-NHS, but not by the MLC-INPS. By the multivariate analysis, the best predictors of the AA release, by the MLC-NHS, were represented by gender and the Barthel Index score. The presence of carcinoma, the Barthel Index score, and the SPMQ score were the best predictors for the AA release by MLC-INPS. MGA/CGA could be useful in saving financial resources reducing the risk of incorrect indemnity release. It can improve the accuracy of the impairment assessment in social security system.

Clinical validation of an in-house EPID dosimetry system for IMRT QA at the Prince of Wales Hospital

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyler, M.; Vial, P.; Metcalfe, P.; Downes, S.

2013-06-01

In this study a simple method using standard flood-field corrected Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID) images for routine Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) Quality Assurance (QA) was investigated. The EPID QA system was designed and tested on a Siemens Oncor Impression linear accelerator with an OptiVue 1000ST EPID panel (Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc, USA) and an Elekta Axesse linear accelerator with an iViewGT EPID (Elekta AB, Sweden) for 6 and 10 MV IMRT fields with Step-and-Shoot and dynamic-MLC delivery. Two different planning systems were used for patient IMRT field generation for comparison with the measured EPID fluences. All measured IMRT plans had >95% agreement to the planning fluences (using 3 cGy / 3 mm Gamma Criteria) and were comparable to the pass-rates calculated using a 2-D diode array dosimeter.

Poster - 52: Smoothing constraints in Modulated Photon Radiotherapy (XMRT) fluence map optimization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McGeachy, Philip; Villarreal-Barajas, Jose Eduardo

Purpose: Modulated Photon Radiotherapy (XMRT), which simultaneously optimizes photon beamlet energy (6 and 18 MV) and fluence, has recently shown dosimetric improvement in comparison to conventional IMRT. That said, the degree of smoothness of resulting fluence maps (FMs) has yet to be investigated and could impact the deliverability of XMRT. This study looks at investigating FM smoothness and imposing smoothing constraint in the fluence map optimization. Methods: Smoothing constraints were modeled in the XMRT algorithm with the sum of positive gradient (SPG) technique. XMRT solutions, with and without SPG constraints, were generated for a clinical prostate scan using standard dosimetricmore » prescriptions, constraints, and a seven coplanar beam arrangement. The smoothness, with and without SPG constraints, was assessed by looking at the absolute and relative maximum SPG scores for each fluence map. Dose volume histograms were utilized when evaluating impact on the dose distribution. Results: Imposing SPG constraints reduced the absolute and relative maximum SPG values by factors of up to 5 and 2, respectively, when compared with their non-SPG constrained counterparts. This leads to a more seamless conversion of FMS to their respective MLC sequences. This improved smoothness resulted in an increase to organ at risk (OAR) dose, however the increase is not clinically significant. Conclusions: For a clinical prostate case, there was a noticeable improvement in the smoothness of the XMRT FMs when SPG constraints were applied with a minor increase in dose to OARs. This increase in OAR dose is not clinically meaningful.« less

SU-E-T-293: Simplifying Assumption for Determining Sc and Sp

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

King, R; Cheung, A; Anderson, R

Purpose: Scp(mlc,jaw) is a two-dimensional function of collimator field size and effective field size. Conventionally, Scp(mlc,jaw) is treated as separable into components Sc(jaw) and Sp(mlc). Scp(mlc=jaw) is measured in phantom and Sc(jaw) is measured in air with Sp=Scp/Sc. Ideally, Sc and Sp would be able to predict measured values of Scp(mlc,jaw) for all combinations of mlc and jaw. However, ideal Sc and Sp functions do not exist and a measured two-dimensional Scp dataset cannot be decomposed into a unique pair of one-dimensional functions.If the output functions Sc(jaw) and Sp(mlc) were equal to each other and thus each equal to Scp(mlc=jaw){supmore » 0.5}, this condition would lead to a simpler measurement process by eliminating the need for in-air measurements. Without the distorting effect of the buildup-cap, small-field measurement would be limited only by the dimensions of the detector and would thus be improved by this simplification of the output functions. The goal of the present study is to evaluate an assumption that Sc=Sp. Methods: For a 6 MV x-ray beam, Sc and Sp were determined both by the conventional method and as Scp(mlc=jaw){sup 0.5}. Square field benchmark values of Scp(mlc,jaw) were then measured across the range from 2×2 to 29×29. Both Sc and Sp functions were then evaluated as to their ability to predict these measurements. Results: Both methods produced qualitatively similar results with <4% error for all cases and >3% error in 1 case. The conventional method produced 2 cases with >2% error, while the squareroot method produced only 1 such case. Conclusion: Though it would need to be validated for any specific beam to which it might be applied, under the conditions studied, the simplifying assumption that Sc = Sp is justified.« less

Testing the Role of Meander Cutoff in Promoting Gene Flow across a Riverine Barrier in Ground Skinks (Scincella lateralis)

PubMed Central

Jackson, Nathan D.; Austin, Christopher C.

2013-01-01

Despite considerable attention, the long-term impact of rivers on species diversification remains uncertain. Meander loop cutoff (MLC) is one river phenomenon that may compromise a river’s diversifying effects by passively transferring organisms from one side of the river to the other. However, the ability of MLC to promote gene flow across rivers has not been demonstrated empirically. Here, we test several predictions of MLC-mediated gene flow in populations of North American ground skinks (Scincella lateralis) separated by a well-established riverine barrier, the Mississippi River: 1) individuals collected from within meander cutoffs should be more closely related to individuals across the river than on the same side, 2) individuals within meander cutoffs should contain more immigrants than individuals away from meander cutoffs, 3) immigration rates estimated across the river should be highest in the direction of the cutoff event, and 4) the distribution of alleles native to one side of the river should be better predicted by the historical rather than current path of the river. To test these predictions we sampled 13 microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA from ground skinks collected near three ancient meander loops. These predictions were generally supported by genetic data, although support was stronger for mtDNA than for microsatellite data. Partial support for genetic divergence of samples within ancient meander loops also provides evidence for the MLC hypothesis. Although a role for MLC-mediated gene flow was supported here for ground skinks, the transient nature of river channels and morphologies may limit the long-term importance of MLC in stemming population divergence across major rivers. PMID:23658778

SU-F-BRB-12: A Novel Haar Wavelet Based Approach to Deliver Non-Coplanar Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy Using Sparse Orthogonal Collimators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, D; Ruan, D; Low, D

2015-06-15

Purpose: Existing efforts to replace complex multileaf collimator (MLC) by simple jaws for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) resulted in unacceptable compromise in plan quality and delivery efficiency. We introduce a novel fluence map segmentation method based on compressed sensing for plan delivery using a simplified sparse orthogonal collimator (SOC) on the 4π non-coplanar radiotherapy platform. Methods: 4π plans with varying prescription doses were first created by automatically selecting and optimizing 20 non-coplanar beams for 2 GBM, 2 head & neck, and 2 lung patients. To create deliverable 4π plans using SOC, which are two pairs of orthogonal collimators withmore » 1 to 4 leaves in each collimator bank, a Haar Fluence Optimization (HFO) method was used to regulate the number of Haar wavelet coefficients while maximizing the dose fidelity to the ideal prescription. The plans were directly stratified utilizing the optimized Haar wavelet rectangular basis. A matching number of deliverable segments were stratified for the MLC-based plans. Results: Compared to the MLC-based 4π plans, the SOC-based 4π plans increased the average PTV dose homogeneity from 0.811 to 0.913. PTV D98 and D99 were improved by 3.53% and 5.60% of the corresponding prescription doses. The average mean and maximal OAR doses slightly increased by 0.57% and 2.57% of the prescription doses. The average number of segments ranged between 5 and 30 per beam. The collimator travel time to create the segments decreased with increasing leaf numbers in the SOC. The two and four leaf designs were 1.71 and 1.93 times more efficient, on average, than the single leaf design. Conclusion: The innovative dose domain optimization based on compressed sensing enables uncompromised 4π non-coplanar IMRT dose delivery using simple rectangular segments that are deliverable using a sparse orthogonal collimator, which only requires 8 to 16 leaves yet is unlimited in modulation resolution. This work is supported in part by Varian Medical Systems, Inc. and NIH R43 CA18339.« less

TH-AB-BRA-02: Automated Triplet Beam Orientation Optimization for MRI-Guided Co-60 Radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, D; Thomas, D; Cao, M

2016-06-15

Purpose: MRI guided Co-60 provides daily and intrafractional MRI soft tissue imaging for improved target tracking and adaptive radiotherapy. To remedy the low output limitation, the system uses three Co-60 sources at 120° apart, but using all three sources in planning is considerably unintuitive. We automate the beam orientation optimization using column generation, and then solve a novel fluence map optimization (FMO) problem while regularizing the number of MLC segments. Methods: Three patients—1 prostate (PRT), 1 lung (LNG), and 1 head-and-neck boost plan (H&NBoost)—were evaluated. The beamlet dose for 180 equally spaced coplanar beams under 0.35 T magnetic field wasmore » calculated using Monte Carlo. The 60 triplets were selected utilizing the column generation algorithm. The FMO problem was formulated using an L2-norm minimization with anisotropic total variation (TV) regularization term, which allows for control over the number of MLC segments. Our Fluence Regularized and Optimized Selection of Triplets (FROST) plans were compared against the clinical treatment plans (CLN) produced by an experienced dosimetrist. Results: The mean PTV D95, D98, and D99 differ by −0.02%, +0.12%, and +0.44% of the prescription dose between planning methods, showing same PTV dose coverage. The mean PTV homogeneity (D95/D5) was at 0.9360 (FROST) and 0.9356 (CLN). R50 decreased by 0.07 with FROST. On average, FROST reduced Dmax and Dmean of OARs by 6.56% and 5.86% of the prescription dose. The manual CLN planning required iterative trial and error runs which is very time consuming, while FROST required minimal human intervention. Conclusions: MRI guided Co-60 therapy needs the output of all sources yet suffers from unintuitive and laborious manual beam selection processes. Automated triplet orientation optimization is shown essential to overcome the difficulty and improves the dosimetry. A novel FMO with regularization provides additional controls over the number of MLC segments and treatment time. Varian Medical Systems; NIH grant R01CA188300; NIH grant R43CA183390.« less

A quantitative study of IMRT delivery effects in commercial planning systems for the case of oesophagus and prostate tumours.

PubMed

Seco, J; Clark, C H; Evans, P M; Webb, S

2006-05-01

This study focuses on understanding the impact of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) delivery effects when applied to plans generated by commercial treatment-planning systems such as Pinnacle (ADAC Laboratories Inc.) and CadPlan/Helios (Varian Medical Systems). These commercial planning systems have had several version upgrades (with improvements in the optimization algorithm), but the IMRT delivery effects have not been incorporated into the optimization process. IMRT delivery effects include head-scatter fluence from IMRT fields, transmission through leaves and the effect of the rounded shape of the leaf ends. They are usually accounted for after optimization when leaf sequencing the "optimal" fluence profiles, to derive the delivered fluence profile. The study was divided into two main parts: (a) analysing the dose distribution within the planning-target volume (PTV), produced by each of the commercial treatment-planning systems, after the delivered fluence had been renormalized to deliver the correct dose to the PTV; and (b) studying the impact of the IMRT delivery technique on the surrounding critical organs such as the spinal cord, lungs, rectum, bladder etc. The study was performed for tumours of (i) the oesophagus and (ii) the prostate and pelvic nodes. An oesophagus case was planned with the Pinnacle planning system for IMRT delivery, via multiple-static fields (MSF) and compensators, using the Elekta SL25 with a multileaf collimator (MLC) component. A prostate and pelvic nodes IMRT plan was performed with the Cadplan/Helios system for a dynamic delivery (DMLC) using the Varian 120-leaf Millennium MLC. In these commercial planning systems, since IMRT delivery effects are not included into the optimization process, fluence renormalization is required such that the median delivered PTV dose equals the initial prescribed PTV dose. In preparing the optimum fluence profile for delivery, the PTV dose has been "smeared" by the IMRT delivery techniques. In the case of the oesophagus, the critical organ, spinal cord, received a greater dose than initially planned, due to the delivery effects. The increase in the spinal cord dose is of the order of 2-3 Gy. In the case of the prostate and pelvic nodes, the IMRT delivery effects led to an increase of approximately 2 Gy in the dose delivered to the secondary PTV, the pelvic nodes. In addition to this, the small bowel, rectum and bladder received an increased dose of the order of 2-3 Gy to 50% of their total volume. IMRT delivery techniques strongly influence the delivered dose distributions for the oesophagus and prostate/pelvic nodes tumour sites and these effects are not yet accounted for in the Pinnacle and the CadPlan/Helios planning systems. Currently, they must be taken into account during the optimization stage by altering the dose limits accepted during optimization so that the final (sequenced) dose is within the constraints.

Maximizing the potential of direct aperture optimization through collimator rotation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Milette, Marie-Pierre; Otto, Karl; Medical Physics, BC Cancer Agency-Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment plans are conventionally produced by the optimization of fluence maps followed by a leaf sequencing step. An alternative to fluence based inverse planning is to optimize directly the leaf positions and field weights of multileaf collimator (MLC) apertures. This approach is typically referred to as direct aperture optimization (DAO). It has been shown that equivalent dose distributions may be generated that have substantially fewer monitor units (MU) and number of apertures compared to fluence based optimization techniques. Here we introduce a DAO technique with rotated apertures that we call rotating aperture optimization (RAO). The advantagesmore » of collimator rotation in IMRT have been shown previously and include higher fluence spatial resolution, increased flexibility in the generation of aperture shapes and less interleaf effects. We have tested our RAO algorithm on a complex C-shaped target, seven nasopharynx cancer recurrences, and one multitarget nasopharynx carcinoma patient. A study was performed in order to assess the capabilities of RAO as compared to fixed collimator angle DAO. The accuracy of fixed and rotated collimator aperture delivery was also verified. An analysis of the optimized treatment plans indicates that plans generated with RAO are as good as or better than DAO while maintaining a smaller number of apertures and MU than fluence based IMRT. Delivery verification results show that RAO is less sensitive to tongue and groove effects than DAO. Delivery time is currently increased due to the collimator rotation speed although this is a mechanical limitation that can be eliminated in the future.« less

A novel software and conceptual design of the hardware platform for intensity modulated radiation therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, Dan; Ruan, Dan; O’Connor, Daniel

Purpose: To deliver high quality intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) using a novel generalized sparse orthogonal collimators (SOCs), the authors introduce a novel direct aperture optimization (DAO) approach based on discrete rectangular representation. Methods: A total of seven patients—two glioblastoma multiforme, three head & neck (including one with three prescription doses), and two lung—were included. 20 noncoplanar beams were selected using a column generation and pricing optimization method. The SOC is a generalized conventional orthogonal collimators with N leaves in each collimator bank, where N = 1, 2, or 4. SOC degenerates to conventional jaws when N = 1. For SOC-basedmore » IMRT, rectangular aperture optimization (RAO) was performed to optimize the fluence maps using rectangular representation, producing fluence maps that can be directly converted into a set of deliverable rectangular apertures. In order to optimize the dose distribution and minimize the number of apertures used, the overall objective was formulated to incorporate an L2 penalty reflecting the difference between the prescription and the projected doses, and an L1 sparsity regularization term to encourage a low number of nonzero rectangular basis coefficients. The optimization problem was solved using the Chambolle–Pock algorithm, a first-order primal–dual algorithm. Performance of RAO was compared to conventional two-step IMRT optimization including fluence map optimization and direct stratification for multileaf collimator (MLC) segmentation (DMS) using the same number of segments. For the RAO plans, segment travel time for SOC delivery was evaluated for the N = 1, N = 2, and N = 4 SOC designs to characterize the improvement in delivery efficiency as a function of N. Results: Comparable PTV dose homogeneity and coverage were observed between the RAO and the DMS plans. The RAO plans were slightly superior to the DMS plans in sparing critical structures. On average, the maximum and mean critical organ doses were reduced by 1.94% and 1.44% of the prescription dose. The average number of delivery segments was 12.68 segments per beam for both the RAO and DMS plans. The N = 2 and N = 4 SOC designs were, on average, 1.56 and 1.80 times more efficient than the N = 1 SOC design to deliver. The mean aperture size produced by the RAO plans was 3.9 times larger than that of the DMS plans. Conclusions: The DAO and dose domain optimization approach enabled high quality IMRT plans using a low-complexity collimator setup. The dosimetric quality is comparable or slightly superior to conventional MLC-based IMRT plans using the same number of delivery segments. The SOC IMRT delivery efficiency can be significantly improved by increasing the leaf numbers, but the number is still significantly lower than the number of leaves in a typical MLC.« less

A novel software and conceptual design of the hardware platform for intensity modulated radiation therapy.

PubMed

Nguyen, Dan; Ruan, Dan; O'Connor, Daniel; Woods, Kaley; Low, Daniel A; Boucher, Salime; Sheng, Ke

2016-02-01

To deliver high quality intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) using a novel generalized sparse orthogonal collimators (SOCs), the authors introduce a novel direct aperture optimization (DAO) approach based on discrete rectangular representation. A total of seven patients-two glioblastoma multiforme, three head & neck (including one with three prescription doses), and two lung-were included. 20 noncoplanar beams were selected using a column generation and pricing optimization method. The SOC is a generalized conventional orthogonal collimators with N leaves in each collimator bank, where N = 1, 2, or 4. SOC degenerates to conventional jaws when N = 1. For SOC-based IMRT, rectangular aperture optimization (RAO) was performed to optimize the fluence maps using rectangular representation, producing fluence maps that can be directly converted into a set of deliverable rectangular apertures. In order to optimize the dose distribution and minimize the number of apertures used, the overall objective was formulated to incorporate an L2 penalty reflecting the difference between the prescription and the projected doses, and an L1 sparsity regularization term to encourage a low number of nonzero rectangular basis coefficients. The optimization problem was solved using the Chambolle-Pock algorithm, a first-order primal-dual algorithm. Performance of RAO was compared to conventional two-step IMRT optimization including fluence map optimization and direct stratification for multileaf collimator (MLC) segmentation (DMS) using the same number of segments. For the RAO plans, segment travel time for SOC delivery was evaluated for the N = 1, N = 2, and N = 4 SOC designs to characterize the improvement in delivery efficiency as a function of N. Comparable PTV dose homogeneity and coverage were observed between the RAO and the DMS plans. The RAO plans were slightly superior to the DMS plans in sparing critical structures. On average, the maximum and mean critical organ doses were reduced by 1.94% and 1.44% of the prescription dose. The average number of delivery segments was 12.68 segments per beam for both the RAO and DMS plans. The N = 2 and N = 4 SOC designs were, on average, 1.56 and 1.80 times more efficient than the N = 1 SOC design to deliver. The mean aperture size produced by the RAO plans was 3.9 times larger than that of the DMS plans. The DAO and dose domain optimization approach enabled high quality IMRT plans using a low-complexity collimator setup. The dosimetric quality is comparable or slightly superior to conventional MLC-based IMRT plans using the same number of delivery segments. The SOC IMRT delivery efficiency can be significantly improved by increasing the leaf numbers, but the number is still significantly lower than the number of leaves in a typical MLC.

A Varian DynaLog file-based procedure for patient dose-volume histogram-based IMRT QA.

PubMed

Calvo-Ortega, Juan F; Teke, Tony; Moragues, Sandra; Pozo, Miquel; Casals-Farran, Joan

2014-03-06

In the present study, we describe a method based on the analysis of the dynamic MLC log files (DynaLog) generated by the controller of a Varian linear accelerator in order to perform patient-specific IMRT QA. The DynaLog files of a Varian Millennium MLC, recorded during an IMRT treatment, can be processed using a MATLAB-based code in order to generate the actual fluence for each beam and so recalculate the actual patient dose distribution using the Eclipse treatment planning system. The accuracy of the DynaLog-based dose reconstruction procedure was assessed by introducing ten intended errors to perturb the fluence of the beams of a reference plan such that ten subsequent erroneous plans were generated. In-phantom measurements with an ionization chamber (ion chamber) and planar dose measurements using an EPID system were performed to investigate the correlation between the measured dose changes and the expected ones detected by the reconstructed plans for the ten intended erroneous cases. Moreover, the method was applied to 20 cases of clinical plans for different locations (prostate, lung, breast, and head and neck). A dose-volume histogram (DVH) metric was used to evaluate the impact of the delivery errors in terms of dose to the patient. The ionometric measurements revealed a significant positive correlation (R² = 0.9993) between the variations of the dose induced in the erroneous plans with respect to the reference plan and the corresponding changes indicated by the DynaLog-based reconstructed plans. The EPID measurements showed that the accuracy of the DynaLog-based method to reconstruct the beam fluence was comparable with the dosimetric resolution of the portal dosimetry used in this work (3%/3 mm). The DynaLog-based reconstruction method described in this study is a suitable tool to perform a patient-specific IMRT QA. This method allows us to perform patient-specific IMRT QA by evaluating the result based on the DVH metric of the planning CT image (patient DVH-based IMRT QA).

Heavy Ion and Proton-Induced Single Event Upset Characteristics of a 3D NAND Flash Memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Dakai; Wilcox, Edward; Ladbury, Raymond; Seidleck, Christina; Kim, Hak; Phan, Anthony; Label, Kenneth

2017-01-01

We evaluated the effects of heavy ion and proton irradiation for a 3D NAND flash. The 3D NAND showed similar single-event upset (SEU) sensitivity to a planar NAND of identical density in the multiple-cell level (MLC) storage mode. The 3D NAND showed significantly reduced SEU susceptibility in single-level-cell (SLC) storage mode. Additionally, the 3D NAND showed less multiple-bit upset susceptibility than the planar NAND, with fewer number of upset bits per byte and smaller cross sections overall. However, the 3D architecture exhibited angular sensitivities for both base and face angles, reflecting the anisotropic nature of the SEU vulnerability in space. Furthermore, the SEU cross section decreased with increasing fluence for both the 3D NAND and the Micron 16 nm planar NAND, which suggests that typical heavy ion test fluences will underestimate the upset rate during a space mission. These unique characteristics introduce complexity to traditional ground irradiation test procedures.

Experimental investigation of the response of an amorphous silicon EPID to intensity modulated radiotherapy beams.

PubMed

Greer, Peter B; Vial, Philip; Oliver, Lyn; Baldock, Clive

2007-11-01

The aim of this work was to experimentally determine the difference in response of an amorphous silicon (a-Si) electronic portal imaging device (EPID) to the open and multileaf collimator (MLC) transmitted beam components of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) beams. EPID dose response curves were measured for open and MLC transmitted (MLCtr) 10 x 10 cm2 beams at central axis and with off axis distance using a shifting field technique. The EPID signal was obtained by replacing the flood-field correction with a pixel sensitivity variation matrix correction. This signal, which includes energy-dependent response, was then compared to ion-chamber measurements. An EPID calibration method to remove the effect of beam energy variations on EPID response was developed for IMRT beams. This method uses the component of open and MLCtr fluence to an EPID pixel calculated from the MLC delivery file and applies separate radially dependent calibration factors for each component. The calibration procedure does not correct for scatter differences between ion chamber in water measurements and EPID response; these must be accounted for separately with a kernel-based approach or similar method. The EPID response at central axis for the open beam was found to be 1.28 +/- 0.03 of the response for the MLCtr beam, with the ratio increasing to 1.39 at 12.5 cm off axis. The EPID response to MLCtr radiation did not change with off-axis distance. Filtering the beam with copper plates to reduce the beam energy difference between open and MLCtr beams was investigated; however, these were not effective at reducing EPID response differences. The change in EPID response for uniform sliding window IMRT beams with MLCtr dose components from 0.3% to 69% was predicted to within 2.3% using the separate EPID response calibration factors for each dose component. A clinical IMRT image calibrated with this method differed by nearly 30% in high MLCtr regions from an image calibrated with an open beam calibration factor only. Accounting for the difference in EPID response to open and MLCtr radiation should improve IMRT dosimetry with a-Si EPIDs.

Poster - 22: Retrospective analysis of portal dosimetry based QA of Prostate VMAT Plans

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Badu, Shyam; Darko, Johnson; Fleck, Andre

2016-08-15

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to retrospectively analyze the portal dosimetry based quality assurance of prostate VMAT plans. Methods: Our standard quality assurance of VMAT treatment plans are performed using EPID installed on Varian TrueBeam Linac. In our current study we analyzed 84 prostate pretreatment VMAT plans. All plans consisted of two arcs, 7800cGy in 39 fractions with a 6MV beam. For each of these VMAT plans, the measured fluence for each arc is compared with the reference fluence using gamma index analysis. Results: We have compared the gamma passing rates for three criteria; 3%/3mm, 2%/2mm and 1%/1mm.more » Out of 168 arcs measured, the number below the gamma passing rate 95% using the area, Field+1cm, are 0, 2, and 124 for 3%/3mm, 2%/2mm and 1%/1mm criteria respectively. Corresponding numbers for MLC CIAO are 0, 2, and 139 respectively. The average gamma passing rate for all arcs measured using Field+1cm are 99.9±0.4, 99.6±1.2, and 90.9±6.5 for 3%/3mm, 2%/2mm and 1%/1mm respectively. Similarly if the MLC CIAO area is analyzed, a passing rate of 99.9±0.2, 99.2±1.2 and 87.2±8.5 respectively was observed. The average of the maximum gamma was also found to increase with tighter criteria. Conclusion: Analysis of prostate VMAT quality assurance plans indicate that the gamma passing rate is sensitive to the criteria and the area analyzed.« less

SU-E-T-144: Effective Analysis of VMAT QA Generated Trajectory Log Files for Medical Accelerator Predictive Maintenance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Able, CM; Baydush, AH; Nguyen, C

Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of SPC analysis for a model predictive maintenance process that uses accelerator generated parameter and performance data contained in trajectory log files. Methods: Each trajectory file is decoded and a total of 131 axes positions are recorded (collimator jaw position, gantry angle, each MLC, etc.). This raw data is processed and either axis positions are extracted at critical points during the delivery or positional change over time is used to determine axis velocity. The focus of our analysis is the accuracy, reproducibility and fidelity of each axis. A reference positional trace of the gantry andmore » each MLC is used as a motion baseline for cross correlation (CC) analysis. A total of 494 parameters (482 MLC related) were analyzed using Individual and Moving Range (I/MR) charts. The chart limits were calculated using a hybrid technique that included the use of the standard 3σ limits and parameter/system specifications. Synthetic errors/changes were introduced to determine the initial effectiveness of I/MR charts in detecting relevant changes in operating parameters. The magnitude of the synthetic errors/changes was based on: TG-142 and published analysis of VMAT delivery accuracy. Results: All errors introduced were detected. Synthetic positional errors of 2mm for collimator jaw and MLC carriage exceeded the chart limits. Gantry speed and each MLC speed are analyzed at two different points in the delivery. Simulated Gantry speed error (0.2 deg/sec) and MLC speed error (0.1 cm/sec) exceeded the speed chart limits. Gantry position error of 0.2 deg was detected by the CC maximum value charts. The MLC position error of 0.1 cm was detected by the CC maximum value location charts for every MLC. Conclusion: SPC I/MR evaluation of trajectory log file parameters may be effective in providing an early warning of performance degradation or component failure for medical accelerator systems.« less

SU-E-T-214: Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT) Based On Passively Scattered Protons and Multi-Leaf Collimation: Prototype TPS and Dosimetry Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanchez-Parcerisa, D; Carabe-Fernandez, A

2014-06-01

Purpose. Intensity-modulated proton therapy is usually implemented with multi-field optimization of pencil-beam scanning (PBS) proton fields. However, at the view of the experience with photon-IMRT, proton facilities equipped with double-scattering (DS) delivery and multi-leaf collimation (MLC) could produce highly conformal dose distributions (and possibly eliminate the need for patient-specific compensators) with a clever use of their MLC field shaping, provided that an optimal inverse TPS is developed. Methods. A prototype TPS was developed in MATLAB. The dose calculation process was based on a fluence-dose algorithm on an adaptive divergent grid. A database of dose kernels was precalculated in order tomore » allow for fast variations of the field range and modulation during optimization. The inverse planning process was based on the adaptive simulated annealing approach, with direct aperture optimization of the MLC leaves. A dosimetry study was performed on a phantom formed by three concentrical semicylinders separated by 5 mm, of which the inner-most and outer-most were regarded as organs at risk (OARs), and the middle one as the PTV. We chose a concave target (which is not treatable with conventional DS fields) to show the potential of our technique. The optimizer was configured to minimize the mean dose to the OARs while keeping a good coverage of the target. Results. The plan produced by the prototype TPS achieved a conformity index of 1.34, with the mean doses to the OARs below 78% of the prescribed dose. This Result is hardly achievable with traditional conformal DS technique with compensators, and it compares to what can be obtained with PBS. Conclusion. It is certainly feasible to produce IMPT fields with MLC passive scattering fields. With a fully developed treatment planning system, the produced plans can be superior to traditional DS plans in terms of plan conformity and dose to organs at risk.« less

SU-E-T-178: Clinical Feasibility of Multi-Leaf Collimator Based Dynamic Wedge

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jeong, C; Kwak, J; Ahn, S

2015-06-15

Purpose: A multi-leaf collimator (MLC) based dynamic wedge (MDW), which provide similar dose profile of physical wedge (PW) along x-jaw direction while significant monitor unit (MU) reduction, was developed and investigated for clinical use. Methods: A novel technique was used to create the wedge profile using MLC. A modification was applied to the DICOM-RT format file of the plan made with the PW to replace PW with MDW. The Varian enhanced dynamic wedge profile was used to produce MLC sequence, while the MU of the wedged field was recalculated using PW factor and fluence map. The profiles for all possiblemore » MDWs to substitute PWs were verified in 6/15 MV x-ray irradiations. New plans with MDWs were compared with the original plans in 5 rectal, 5 RT breast and 5 liver cases. Results: The wedge profile of the MDW fields were well matched with those of PWs inside the fields while less scatter than PW out of the fields. For plan comparisons of the clinical cases no significant dose discrepancy was observed between MDW plan and PW’s with the dose volume histograms. The maximum and mean doses in PTVs are agreed within 1.0%. The Result of OARs of MDW plans are slightly improved in the maximum doses (3.22 ∼ 150.4 cGy) and the mean doses (17.18 ∼ 85.52 cGy) on average for all cases while the prescribed doses are 45 Gy for rectal cases, 40 or 45 Gy for liver cases and 50 Gy for breast cases. The MUs of the fields which replace PW with MDW are reduced to 68% of those of PW. Conclusion: We developed a novel dynamic wedge technique with MLC that shows clinical advantage compared to PW.« less

SU-G-BRA-14: Dose in a Rigidly Moving Phantom with Jaw and MLC Compensation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chao, E; Lucas, D

Purpose: To validate dose calculation for a rigidly moving object with jaw motion and MLC shifts to compensate for the motion in a TomoTherapy™ treatment delivery. Methods: An off-line version of the TomoTherapy dose calculator was extended to perform dose calculations for rigidly moving objects. A variety of motion traces were added to treatment delivery plans, along with corresponding jaw compensation and MLC shift compensation profiles. Jaw compensation profiles were calculated by shifting the jaws such that the center of the treatment beam moved by an amount equal to the motion in the longitudinal direction. Similarly, MLC compensation profiles weremore » calculated by shifting the MLC leaves by an amount that most closely matched the motion in the transverse direction. The same jaw and MLC compensation profiles were used during simulated treatment deliveries on a TomoTherapy system, and film measurements were obtained in a rigidly moving phantom. Results: The off-line TomoTherapy dose calculator accurately predicted dose profiles for a rigidly moving phantom along with jaw motion and MLC shifts to compensate for the motion. Calculations matched film measurements to within 2%/1 mm. Jaw and MLC compensation substantially reduced the discrepancy between the delivered dose distribution and the calculated dose with no motion. For axial motion, the compensated dose matched the no-motion dose within 2%/1mm. For transverse motion, the dose matched within 2%/3mm (approximately half the width of an MLC leaf). Conclusion: The off-line TomoTherapy dose calculator accurately computes dose delivered to a rigidly moving object, and accurately models the impact of moving the jaws and shifting the MLC leaf patterns to compensate for the motion. Jaw tracking and MLC leaf shifting can effectively compensate for the dosimetric impact of motion during a TomoTherapy treatment delivery.« less

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Comments on 'The influence of a novel transmission detector on 6 MV x-ray beam characteristics'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harder, Dietrich

2010-02-01

In their recent paper (Venkataraman et al 2009 Phys. Med. Biol. 54 3173-83) the authors reported on photon beam attenuation and secondary electron production in the novel transmission detector COMPASS, to be placed in the accessory holder of the linac treatment head. In the interest of IMRT patient safety, space-resolved measurements by transmission detectors analysing the MLC-shaped photon fluence pattern in real time are in fact an urgent item for equipment designers. However, there are some constraints for the construction of such devices. The COMPASS system, at its present stage of development, has difficulties in complying with the constraints that the spatial sampling rate should fit the desired task and that the enhanced secondary electron contamination of the photon beam due to the presence of the device should be minimized. The authors also missed to mention a forerunner in this field, the DAVID transmission detector (Poppe et al 2006 Phys. Med. Biol. 51 1237-48), serving for the real-time supervision of the MLC aperture during patient treatment and ever since proven in clinical practice. The DAVID system, a transparent multiwire ionization chamber placed in the accessory holder, will be shortly described.

Electromagnetic guided couch and multileaf collimator tracking on a TrueBeam accelerator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, Rune; Ravkilde, Thomas; Worm, Esben Schjødt

2016-05-15

Purpose: Couch and MLC tracking are two promising methods for real-time motion compensation during radiation therapy. So far, couch and MLC tracking experiments have mainly been performed by different research groups, and no direct comparison of couch and MLC tracking of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans has been published. The Varian TrueBeam 2.0 accelerator includes a prototype tracking system with selectable couch or MLC compensation. This study provides a direct comparison of the two tracking types with an otherwise identical setup. Methods: Several experiments were performed to characterize the geometric and dosimetric performance of electromagnetic guided couch and MLCmore » tracking on a TrueBeam accelerator equipped with a Millennium MLC. The tracking system latency was determined without motion prediction as the time lag between sinusoidal target motion and the compensating motion of the couch or MLC as recorded by continuous MV portal imaging. The geometric and dosimetric tracking accuracies were measured in tracking experiments with motion phantoms that reproduced four prostate and four lung tumor trajectories. The geometric tracking error in beam’s eye view was determined as the distance between an embedded gold marker and a circular MLC aperture in continuous MV images. The dosimetric tracking error was quantified as the measured 2%/2 mm gamma failure rate of a low and a high modulation VMAT plan delivered with the eight motion trajectories using a static dose distribution as reference. Results: The MLC tracking latency was approximately 146 ms for all sinusoidal period lengths while the couch tracking latency increased from 187 to 246 ms with decreasing period length due to limitations in the couch acceleration. The mean root-mean-square geometric error was 0.80 mm (couch tracking), 0.52 mm (MLC tracking), and 2.75 mm (no tracking) parallel to the MLC leaves and 0.66 mm (couch), 1.14 mm (MLC), and 2.41 mm (no tracking) perpendicular to the leaves. The motion-induced gamma failure rate was in mean 0.1% (couch tracking), 8.1% (MLC tracking), and 30.4% (no tracking) for prostate motion and 2.9% (couch), 2.4% (MLC), and 41.2% (no tracking) for lung tumor motion. The residual tracking errors were mainly caused by inadequate adaptation to fast lung tumor motion for couch tracking and to prostate motion perpendicular to the MLC leaves for MLC tracking. Conclusions: Couch and MLC tracking markedly improved the geometric and dosimetric accuracies of VMAT delivery. However, the two tracking types have different strengths and weaknesses. While couch tracking can correct perfectly for slowly moving targets such as the prostate, MLC tracking may have considerably larger dose errors for persistent target shift perpendicular to the MLC leaves. Advantages of MLC tracking include faster dynamics with better adaptation to fast moving targets, the avoidance of moving the patient, and the potential to track target rotations and deformations.« less

Validation of Dosimetric Leaf Gap (DLG) prior to its implementation in Treatment Planning System (TPS): TrueBeam™ millennium 120 leaf MLC.

PubMed

Shende, Ravindra; Patel, Ganesh

2017-01-01

Objective of present study is to determine optimum value of DLG and its validation prior to being incorporated in TPS for Varian TrueBeam™ millennium 120 leaves MLC. Partial transmission through the rounded leaf ends of the Multi Leaf Collimator (MLC) causes a conflict between the edges of the light field and radiation field. Parameter account for this partial transmission is called Dosimetric Leaf Gap (DLG). The complex high precession technique, such as Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), entails the modeling of optimum value of DLG inside Eclipse Treatment Planning System (TPS) for precise dose calculation. Distinct synchronized uniformed extension of sweeping dynamic MLC leaf gap fields created by Varian MLC shaper software were use to determine DLG. DLG measurements performed with both 0.13 cc semi-flex ionization chamber and 2D-Array I-Matrix were used to validate the DLG; similarly, values of DLG from TPS were estimated from predicted dose. Similar mathematical approaches were employed to determine DLG from delivered and TPS predicted dose. DLG determined from delivered dose measured with both ionization chamber (DLG Ion ) and I-Matrix (DLG I-Matrix ) compared with DLG estimate from TPS predicted dose (DLG TPS ). Measurements were carried out for all available 6MV, 10MV, 15MV, 6MVFFF and 10MVFFF beam energies. Maximum and minimum DLG deviation between measured and TPS calculated DLG was found to be 0.2 mm and 0.1 mm, respectively. Both of the measured DLGs (DLG Ion and DLG I-Matrix ) were found to be in a very good agreement with estimated DLG from TPS (DLG TPS ). Proposed method proved to be helpful in verifying and validating the DLG value prior to its clinical implementation in TPS.

A software tool to automatically assure and report daily treatment deliveries by a cobalt‐60 radiation therapy device

PubMed Central

Wooten, H. Omar; Green, Olga; Li, Harold H.; Liu, Shi; Li, Xiaoling; Rodriguez, Vivian; Mutic, Sasa; Kashani, Rojano

2016-01-01

The aims of this study were to develop a method for automatic and immediate verification of treatment delivery after each treatment fraction in order to detect and correct errors, and to develop a comprehensive daily report which includes delivery verification results, daily image‐guided radiation therapy (IGRT) review, and information for weekly physics reviews. After systematically analyzing the requirements for treatment delivery verification and understanding the available information from a commercial MRI‐guided radiotherapy treatment machine, we designed a procedure to use 1) treatment plan files, 2) delivery log files, and 3) beam output information to verify the accuracy and completeness of each daily treatment delivery. The procedure verifies the correctness of delivered treatment plan parameters including beams, beam segments and, for each segment, the beam‐on time and MLC leaf positions. For each beam, composite primary fluence maps are calculated from the MLC leaf positions and segment beam‐on time. Error statistics are calculated on the fluence difference maps between the plan and the delivery. A daily treatment delivery report is designed to include all required information for IGRT and weekly physics reviews including the plan and treatment fraction information, daily beam output information, and the treatment delivery verification results. A computer program was developed to implement the proposed procedure of the automatic delivery verification and daily report generation for an MRI guided radiation therapy system. The program was clinically commissioned. Sensitivity was measured with simulated errors. The final version has been integrated into the commercial version of the treatment delivery system. The method automatically verifies the EBRT treatment deliveries and generates the daily treatment reports. Already in clinical use for over one year, it is useful to facilitate delivery error detection, and to expedite physician daily IGRT review and physicist weekly chart review. PACS number(s): 87.55.km PMID:27167269

SU-E-T-629: Prediction of the ViewRay Radiotherapy Treatment Time for Clinical Logistics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, S; Wooten, H; Wu, Y

Purpose: An algorithm is developed in our clinic, given a new treatment plan, to predict treatment delivery time for radiation therapy (RT) treatments of patients on ViewRay magnetic resonance-image guided radiation therapy (MR-IGRT) delivery system. This algorithm is necessary for managing patient treatment appointments, and is useful as an indicator to assess the treatment plan complexity. Methods: A patient’s total treatment delivery time, not including time required for localization, may be described as the sum of four components: (1) the treatment initialization time; (2) the total beam-on time; (3) the gantry rotation time; and (4) the multileaf collimator (MLC) motionmore » time. Each of the four components is predicted separately. The total beam-on time can be calculated using both the planned beam-on time and the decay-corrected delivery dose rate. To predict the remaining components, we quantitatively analyze the patient treatment delivery record files. The initialization time is demonstrated to be random since it depends on the final gantry angle and MLC leaf positions of the previous treatment. Based on modeling the relationships between the gantry rotation angles and the corresponding rotation time, and between the furthest MLC leaf moving distance and the corresponding MLC motion time, the total delivery time is predicted using linear regression. Results: The proposed algorithm has demonstrated the feasibility of predicting the ViewRay treatment delivery time for any treatment plan of any patient. The average prediction error is 0.89 minutes or 5.34%, and the maximal prediction error is 2.09 minutes or 13.87%. Conclusion: We have developed a treatment delivery time prediction algorithm based on the analysis of previous patients’ treatment delivery records. The accuracy of our prediction is sufficient for guiding and arranging patient treatment appointments on a daily basis. The predicted delivery time could also be used as an indicator to assess the treatment plan complexity. This work was supported by a research grant from Viewray Inc.« less

Analysis of Neutron Production in Passively Scattered Ion-Beam Therapy.

PubMed

Heo, Seunguk; Yoo, Seunghoon; Song, Yongkeun; Kim, Eunho; Shin, Jaeik; Han, Soorim; Jung, Wongyun; Nam, Sanghee; Lee, Rena; Lee, Kitae; Cho, Sungho

2017-07-01

A new treatment facility for heavy ion therapy since 2010 was constructed. In the broad beam, a range shifter, ridge filter and multi leaf collimator (MLC) for the generation of the spread-out Bragg peak is used. In this case, secondary neutrons produced by the interactions of the ion field with beam-modifying devices (e.g. double-scattering system, beam shaping collimators and range compensators) are very important for patient safety. Therefore, these components must be carefully examined in the context of secondary neutron yield and associated secondary cancer risk. In this article, Monte Carlo simulation has been carried out with the FLUktuierende KAskade particle transport code, the fluence and distribution of neutron generation and the neutron dose equivalent from the broad beam components are compared using carbon and proton beams. As a result, it is confirmed that the yield of neutron production using a carbon beam from all components of the broad beam was higher than using a proton beam. The ambient dose by neutrons per heavy ion and proton ion from the MLC surface was 0.12-0.18 and 0.0067-0.0087 pSv, respectively, which shows that heavy ions generate more neutrons than protons. However, ambient dose per treatment 2 Gy, which means physical dose during treatment by ion beam, is higher than carbon beam because proton therapy needs more beam flux to make 2-Gy prescription dose. Therefore, the neutron production from the MLC, which is closed to the patient, is a very important parameter for patient safety. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Methods to model and predict the ViewRay treatment deliveries to aid patient scheduling and treatment planning.

PubMed

Liu, Shi; Wu, Yu; Wooten, H Omar; Green, Olga; Archer, Brent; Li, Harold; Yang, Deshan

2016-03-08

A software tool is developed, given a new treatment plan, to predict treatment delivery time for radiation therapy (RT) treatments of patients on ViewRay magnetic resonance image-guided radiation therapy (MR-IGRT) delivery system. This tool is necessary for managing patient treatment scheduling in our clinic. The predicted treatment delivery time and the assessment of plan complexities could also be useful to aid treatment planning. A patient's total treatment delivery time, not including time required for localization, is modeled as the sum of four components: 1) the treatment initialization time; 2) the total beam-on time; 3) the gantry rotation time; and 4) the multileaf collimator (MLC) motion time. Each of the four components is predicted separately. The total beam-on time can be calculated using both the planned beam-on time and the decay-corrected dose rate. To predict the remain-ing components, we retrospectively analyzed the patient treatment delivery record files. The initialization time is demonstrated to be random since it depends on the final gantry angle of the previous treatment. Based on modeling the relationships between the gantry rotation angles and the corresponding rotation time, linear regression is applied to predict the gantry rotation time. The MLC motion time is calculated using the leaves delay modeling method and the leaf motion speed. A quantitative analysis was performed to understand the correlation between the total treatment time and the plan complexity. The proposed algorithm is able to predict the ViewRay treatment delivery time with the average prediction error 0.22min or 1.82%, and the maximal prediction error 0.89 min or 7.88%. The analysis has shown the correlation between the plan modulation (PM) factor and the total treatment delivery time, as well as the treatment delivery duty cycle. A possibility has been identified to significantly reduce MLC motion time by optimizing the positions of closed MLC pairs. The accuracy of the proposed prediction algorithm is sufficient to support patient treatment appointment scheduling. This developed software tool is currently applied in use on a daily basis in our clinic, and could also be used as an important indicator for treatment plan complexity.

SU-G-BRB-03: Assessing the Sensitivity and False Positive Rate of the Integrated Quality Monitor (IQM) Large Area Ion Chamber to MLC Positioning Errors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boehnke, E McKenzie; DeMarco, J; Steers, J

2016-06-15

Purpose: To examine both the IQM’s sensitivity and false positive rate to varying MLC errors. By balancing these two characteristics, an optimal tolerance value can be derived. Methods: An un-modified SBRT Liver IMRT plan containing 7 fields was randomly selected as a representative clinical case. The active MLC positions for all fields were perturbed randomly from a square distribution of varying width (±1mm to ±5mm). These unmodified and modified plans were measured multiple times each by the IQM (a large area ion chamber mounted to a TrueBeam linac head). Measurements were analyzed relative to the initial, unmodified measurement. IQM readingsmore » are analyzed as a function of control points. In order to examine sensitivity to errors along a field’s delivery, each measured field was divided into 5 groups of control points, and the maximum error in each group was recorded. Since the plans have known errors, we compared how well the IQM is able to differentiate between unmodified and error plans. ROC curves and logistic regression were used to analyze this, independent of thresholds. Results: A likelihood-ratio Chi-square test showed that the IQM could significantly predict whether a plan had MLC errors, with the exception of the beginning and ending control points. Upon further examination, we determined there was ramp-up occurring at the beginning of delivery. Once the linac AFC was tuned, the subsequent measurements (relative to a new baseline) showed significant (p <0.005) abilities to predict MLC errors. Using the area under the curve, we show the IQM’s ability to detect errors increases with increasing MLC error (Spearman’s Rho=0.8056, p<0.0001). The optimal IQM count thresholds from the ROC curves are ±3%, ±2%, and ±7% for the beginning, middle 3, and end segments, respectively. Conclusion: The IQM has proven to be able to detect not only MLC errors, but also differences in beam tuning (ramp-up). Partially supported by the Susan Scott Foundation.« less

SU-C-BRC-04: Efficient Dose Calculation Algorithm for FFF IMRT with a Simplified Bivariate Gaussian Source Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, F; Park, J; Barraclough, B

2016-06-15

Purpose: To develop an efficient and accurate independent dose calculation algorithm with a simplified analytical source model for the quality assurance and safe delivery of Flattening Filter Free (FFF)-IMRT on an Elekta Versa HD. Methods: The source model consisted of a point source and a 2D bivariate Gaussian source, respectively modeling the primary photons and the combined effect of head scatter, monitor chamber backscatter and collimator exchange effect. The in-air fluence was firstly calculated by back-projecting the edges of beam defining devices onto the source plane and integrating the visible source distribution. The effect of the rounded MLC leaf end,more » tongue-and-groove and interleaf transmission was taken into account in the back-projection. The in-air fluence was then modified with a fourth degree polynomial modeling the cone-shaped dose distribution of FFF beams. Planar dose distribution was obtained by convolving the in-air fluence with a dose deposition kernel (DDK) consisting of the sum of three 2D Gaussian functions. The parameters of the source model and the DDK were commissioned using measured in-air output factors (Sc) and cross beam profiles, respectively. A novel method was used to eliminate the volume averaging effect of ion chambers in determining the DDK. Planar dose distributions of five head-and-neck FFF-IMRT plans were calculated and compared against measurements performed with a 2D diode array (MapCHECK™) to validate the accuracy of the algorithm. Results: The proposed source model predicted Sc for both 6MV and 10MV with an accuracy better than 0.1%. With a stringent gamma criterion (2%/2mm/local difference), the passing rate of the FFF-IMRT dose calculation was 97.2±2.6%. Conclusion: The removal of the flattening filter represents a simplification of the head structure which allows the use of a simpler source model for very accurate dose calculation. The proposed algorithm offers an effective way to ensure the safe delivery of FFF-IMRT.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Constantin, M; Sawkey, D; Johnsen, S

Purpose: To validate the physics parameters of a Monte Carlo model for patient plane leakage calculations on the 6MV Unique linac by comparing the simulations against IEC patient plane leakage measurements. The benchmarked model can further be used for shielding design optimization, to predict leakage in the proximity of intended treatment fields, reduce the system weight and cost, and improve components reliability. Methods: The treatment head geometry of the Unique linac was simulated in Geant4 (v9.4.p02 with “Opt3” standard electromagnetic physics list) based on CAD drawings of all collimation and shielding components projected from the target to the area withinmore » 2m from isocenter. A 4×4m2 scorer was inserted 1m from the target in the patient plane and multiple phase space files were recorded by performing a 40-node computing cluster simulation on the EC2 cloud. The photon energy fluence was calculated relative to the value at isocenter for a 10×10cm2 field using 10×10mm2 bins. Tungsten blocks were parked accordingly to represent MLC120. The secondary particle contamination to patient plane was eliminated by “killing” those particles prior to the primary collimator entrance using a “kill-plane”, which represented the upper head shielding components not being modeled. Both IEC patient-plane leakage and X/Y-jaws transmission were simulated. Results: The contribution of photons to energy fluence was 0.064% on average, in excellent agreement with the experimental data available at 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5m from isocenter, characterized by an average leakage of 0.045% and a maximum leakage of 0.085%. X- and Y-jaws transmissions of 0.43% and 0.44% were found in good agreement with measurements of 0.48% and 0.43%, respectively. Conclusion: A Geant4 model based on energy fluence calculations for the 6MV Unique linac was created and validated using IEC patient plane leakage measurements. The “kill-plane” has effectively eliminated electron contamination to patient plane in these simulations.« less

Poster - 53: Improving inter-linac DMLC IMRT dose precision by fine tuning of MLC leaf calibration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nakonechny, Keith; Tran, Muoi; Sasaki, David

Purpose: To develop a method to improve the inter-linac precision of DMLC IMRT dosimetry. Methods: The distance between opposing MLC leaf banks (“gap size”) can be finely tuned on Varian linacs. The dosimetric effect due to small deviations from the nominal gap size (“gap error”) was studied by introducing known errors for several DMLC sliding gap sizes, and for clinical plans based on the TG119 test cases. The plans were delivered on a single Varian linac and the relationship between gap error and the corresponding change in dose was measured. The plans were also delivered on eight Varian 2100 seriesmore » linacs (at two institutions) in order to quantify the inter-linac variation in dose before and after fine tuning the MLC calibration. Results: The measured dose differences for each field agreed well with the predictions of LoSasso et al. Using the default MLC calibration, the variation in the physical MLC gap size was determined to be less than 0.4 mm between all linacs studied. The dose difference between the linacs with the largest and smallest physical gap was up to 5.4% (spinal cord region of the head and neck TG119 test case). This difference was reduced to 2.5% after fine tuning the MLC gap calibration. Conclusions: The inter-linac dose precision for DMLC IMRT on Varian linacs can be improved using a simple modification of the MLC calibration procedure that involves fine adjustment of the nominal gap size.« less

Methods to model and predict the ViewRay treatment deliveries to aid patient scheduling and treatment planning

PubMed Central

Liu, Shi; Wu, Yu; Wooten, H. Omar; Green, Olga; Archer, Brent; Li, Harold

2016-01-01

A software tool is developed, given a new treatment plan, to predict treatment delivery time for radiation therapy (RT) treatments of patients on ViewRay magnetic resonance image‐guided radiation therapy (MR‐IGRT) delivery system. This tool is necessary for managing patient treatment scheduling in our clinic. The predicted treatment delivery time and the assessment of plan complexities could also be useful to aid treatment planning. A patient's total treatment delivery time, not including time required for localization, is modeled as the sum of four components: 1) the treatment initialization time; 2) the total beam‐on time; 3) the gantry rotation time; and 4) the multileaf collimator (MLC) motion time. Each of the four components is predicted separately. The total beam‐on time can be calculated using both the planned beam‐on time and the decay‐corrected dose rate. To predict the remain‐ing components, we retrospectively analyzed the patient treatment delivery record files. The initialization time is demonstrated to be random since it depends on the final gantry angle of the previous treatment. Based on modeling the relationships between the gantry rotation angles and the corresponding rotation time, linear regression is applied to predict the gantry rotation time. The MLC motion time is calculated using the leaves delay modeling method and the leaf motion speed. A quantitative analysis was performed to understand the correlation between the total treatment time and the plan complexity. The proposed algorithm is able to predict the ViewRay treatment delivery time with the average prediction error 0.22 min or 1.82%, and the maximal prediction error 0.89 min or 7.88%. The analysis has shown the correlation between the plan modulation (PM) factor and the total treatment delivery time, as well as the treatment delivery duty cycle. A possibility has been identified to significantly reduce MLC motion time by optimizing the positions of closed MLC pairs. The accuracy of the proposed prediction algorithm is sufficient to support patient treatment appointment scheduling. This developed software tool is currently applied in use on a daily basis in our clinic, and could also be used as an important indicator for treatment plan complexity. PACS number(s): 87.55.N PMID:27074472

Automatic online adaptive radiation therapy techniques for targets with significant shape change: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Court, Laurence E; Tishler, Roy B; Petit, Joshua; Cormack, Robert; Chin, Lee

2006-05-21

This work looks at the feasibility of an online adaptive radiation therapy concept that would detect the daily position and shape of the patient, and would then correct the daily treatment to account for any changes compared with planning position. In particular, it looks at the possibility of developing algorithms to correct for large complicated shape change. For co-planar beams, the dose in an axial plane is approximately associated with the positions of a single multi-leaf collimator (MLC) pair. We start with a primary plan, and automatically generate several secondary plans with gantry angles offset by regular increments. MLC sequences for each plan are calculated keeping monitor units (MUs) and number of segments constant for a given beam (fluences are different). Bulk registration (3D) of planning and daily CT images gives global shifts. Slice-by-slice (2D) registration gives local shifts and rotations about the longitudinal axis for each axial slice. The daily MLC sequence is then created for each axial slice/MLC leaf pair combination, by taking the MLC positions from the pre-calculated plan with the nearest rotation, and shifting using a beam's-eye-view calculation to account for local linear shifts. A planning study was carried out using two head and neck region MR images of a healthy volunteer which were contoured to simulate a base-of-tongue treatment: one with the head straight (used to simulate the planning image) and the other with the head tilted to the left (the daily image). Head and neck treatment was chosen to evaluate this technique because of its challenging nature, with varying internal and external contours, and multiple degrees of freedom. Shape change was significant: on a slice-by-slice basis, local rotations in the daily image varied from 2 to 31 degrees, and local shifts ranged from -0.2 to 0.5 cm and -0.4 to 0.0 cm in right-left and posterior-anterior directions, respectively. The adapted treatment gave reasonable target coverage (100%, 90% and 80% of the base-of-tongue, left nodes and right nodes, respectively, receiving the daily prescription dose), and kept the daily cord dose below the limit used in the original plan (65%, equivalent to 46 Gy over 35 fractions). Most of the loss of coverage was due to one shoulder being raised more superior relative to the other shoulder compared with the plan. This type of skew-like motion is not accounted for by the proposed ART technique. In conclusion, this technique has potential to correct for fairly extreme daily changes in patient setup, but some control of the daily position would still be necessary. Importantly, it was possible to combine treatments from different plans (MLC sequences) to correct for position and shape change.

Software tool for portal dosimetry research.

PubMed

Vial, P; Hunt, P; Greer, P B; Oliver, L; Baldock, C

2008-09-01

This paper describes a software tool developed for research into the use of an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) to verify dose for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) beams. A portal dose image prediction (PDIP) model that predicts the EPID response to IMRT beams has been implemented into a commercially available treatment planning system (TPS). The software tool described in this work was developed to modify the TPS PDIP model by incorporating correction factors into the predicted EPID image to account for the difference in EPID response to open beam radiation and multileaf collimator (MLC) transmitted radiation. The processes performed by the software tool include; i) read the MLC file and the PDIP from the TPS, ii) calculate the fraction of beam-on time that each point in the IMRT beam is shielded by MLC leaves, iii) interpolate correction factors from look-up tables, iv) create a corrected PDIP image from the product of the original PDIP and the correction factors and write the corrected image to file, v) display, analyse, and export various image datasets. The software tool was developed using the Microsoft Visual Studio.NET framework with the C# compiler. The operation of the software tool was validated. This software provided useful tools for EPID dosimetry research, and it is being utilised and further developed in ongoing EPID dosimetry and IMRT dosimetry projects.

Dependence of cross-bridge kinetics on myosin light chain isoforms in rabbit and rat skeletal muscle fibres.

PubMed

Andruchov, Oleg; Andruchova, Olena; Wang, Yishu; Galler, Stefan

2006-02-15

Cross-bridge kinetics underlying stretch-induced force transients was studied in fibres with different myosin light chain (MLC) isoforms from skeletal muscles of rabbit and rat. The force transients were induced by stepwise stretches (< 0.3% of fibre length) applied on maximally Ca2+-activated skinned fibres. Fast fibre types IIB, IID (or IIX) and IIA and the slow fibre type I containing the myosin heavy chain isoforms MHC-IIb, MHC-IId (or MHC-IIx), MHC-IIa and MHC-I, respectively, were investigated. The MLC isoform content varied within fibre types. Fast fibre types contained the fast regulatory MLC isoform MLC2f and different proportions of the fast alkali MLC isoforms MLC1f and MLC3f. Type I fibres contained the slow regulatory MLC isoform MLC2s and the slow alkali MLC isoform MLC1s. Slow MLC isoforms were also present in several type IIA fibres. The kinetics of force transients differed by a factor of about 30 between fibre types (order from fastest to slowest kinetics: IIB > IID > IIA > I). The kinetics of the force transients was not dependent on the relative content of MLC1f and MLC3f. Type IIA fibres containing fast and slow MLC isoforms were about 1.2 times slower than type IIA fibres containing only fast MLC isoforms. We conclude that while the cross-bridge kinetics is mainly determined by the MHC isoforms present, it is affected by fast and slow MLC isoforms but not by the relative content of MLC1f and MLC3f. Thus, the physiological role of fast and slow MLC isoforms in type IIA fibres is a fine-tuning of the cross-bridge kinetics.

SU-E-T-67: A Quality Assurance Procedure for VMAT Delivery Technique with Multiple Verification Metric Using TG-119 Protocol

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Katsuta, Y; Kadoya, N; Shimizu, E

2015-06-15

Purpose: A successful VMAT plan delivery includes precise modulations of dose rate, gantry rotational and multi-leaf collimator shapes. The purpose of this research is to construct routine QA protocol which focuses on VMAT delivery technique and to obtain a baseline including dose error, fluence distribution and mechanical accuracy during VMAT. Methods: The mock prostate, head and neck (HN) cases supplied from AAPM were used in this study. A VMAT plans were generated in Monaco TPS according to TG-119 protocol. Plans were created using 6 MV and 10 MV photon beams for each case. The phantom based measurement, fluence measurement andmore » log files analysis were performed. The dose measurement was performed using 0.6 cc ion chamber, which located at isocenter. The fluence distribution were acquired using the MapCHECK2 mounted in the MapPHAN. The trajectory log files recorded inner 20 leaf pairs and gantry angle positions at every 0.25 sec interval were exported to in-house software developed by MATLAB and determined those RMS values. Results: The dose difference is expressed as a ratio of the difference between measured and planned doses. The dose difference for 6 MV was 0.91%, for 10 MV was 0.67%. In turn, the fluence distribution using gamma criteria of 2%/2 mm with a 50% minimum dose threshold for 6 MV was 98.8%, for 10 MV was 97.5%, respectively. The RMS values of MLC for 6 MV and 10 MV were 0.32 mm and 0.37 mm, of gantry were 0.33 degree and 0.31 degree. Conclusion: In this study, QA protocol to assess VMAT delivery accuracy is constructed and results acquired in this study are used as a baseline of VMAT delivery performance verification.« less

SU-F-T-402: The Effect of Extremely Narrow MLC Leaf Width On the Plan Quality of VMAT for Prostate Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, J; Park, S; Kim, J

2016-06-15

Purpose: To investigate the effect of multi-leaf collimators (MLCs) with leaf width of 1.25 mm on the plan quality of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for prostate cancer. Methods: A total of 20 patients with prostate cancer were retrospectively selected. Using a high definition MLC (HD MLC), primary and boost VMAT plans with two full arcs were generated for each patient (original plan). After that, by shifting patient CT images by 1.25 mm in the cranio-caudal direction between the 1st and the 2nd arc, we simulated fluences made with MLCs with leaf width of 1.25 mm. After shifting, primary andmore » boost plans were generated for each patient (shifted plan). A sum plan was generated by summation of the primary and boost plan for each patient. Dose-volumetric parameters were calculated and compared. Results: Both homogeneity index (HI) and conformity index (CI) of the shifted plans were better than those of the original plans in primary plans (HI = 0.044 vs. 0.040 with p < 0.001 and CI = 1.056 vs. 1.044 with p = 0.006). Similarly, the shifted plans for boost target volume showed better homogeneity and conformity than did the original plans (HI = 0.042 vs. 0.037 with p = 0.006 and CI = 1.015 vs. 1.009 with p < 0.001). The total body volumes of the original plans irradiated by the prescription dose were larger than those of the shifted plans in sum plans (60.9 cc vs. 49.0 cc with p = 0.007). Conclusion: Use of extremely narrow MLCs could increase dose homogeneity and conformity of the target volume for prostate VMAT. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (No. 2015R1C1A1A02036331).« less

Modeling of a multileaf collimator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Siyong

A comprehensive physics model of a multileaf collimator (MLC) field for treatment planning was developed. Specifically, an MLC user interface module that includes a geometric optimization tool and a general method of in- air output factor calculation were developed. An automatic tool for optimization of MLC conformation is needed to realize the potential benefits of MLC. It is also necessary that a radiation therapy treatment planning (RTTP) system is capable of modeling MLC completely. An MLC geometric optimization and user interface module was developed. The planning time has been reduced significantly by incorporating the MLC module into the main RTTP system, Radiation Oncology Computer System (ROCS). The dosimetric parameter that has the most profound effect on the accuracy of the dose delivered with an MLC is the change in the in-air output factor that occurs with field shaping. It has been reported that the conventional method of calculating an in-air output factor cannot be used for MLC shaped fields accurately. Therefore, it is necessary to develop algorithms that allow accurate calculation of the in-air output factor. A generalized solution for an in-air output factor calculation was developed. Three major contributors of scatter to the in-air output-flattening filter, wedge, and tertiary collimator-were considered separately. By virtue of a field mapping method, in which a source plane field determined by detector's eye view is mapped into a detector plane field, no additional dosimetric data acquisition other than the standard data set for a range of square fields is required for the calculation of head scatter. Comparisons of in-air output factors between calculated and measured values show a good agreement for both open and wedge fields. For rectangular fields, a simple equivalent square formula was derived based on the configuration of a linear accelerator treatment head. This method predicts in-air output to within 1% accuracy. A two-effective-source algorithm was developed to account for the effect of source to detector distance on in-air output for wedge fields. Two effective sources, one for head scatter and the other for wedge scatter, were dealt with independently. Calculations provided less than 1% difference of in-air output factors from measurements. This approach offers the best comprehensive accuracy in radiation delivery with field shapes defined using MLC. This generalized model works equally well with fields shaped by any type of tertiary collimator and have the necessary framework to extend its application to intensity modulated radiation therapy.

Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts: Characterization of disease variants.

PubMed

Hamilton, Eline M C; Tekturk, Pinar; Cialdella, Fia; van Rappard, Diane F; Wolf, Nicole I; Yalcinkaya, Cengiz; Çetinçelik, Ümran; Rajaee, Ahmad; Kariminejad, Ariana; Paprocka, Justyna; Yapici, Zuhal; Bošnjak, Vlatka Mejaški; van der Knaap, Marjo S

2018-04-17

To provide an overview of clinical and MRI characteristics of the different variants of the leukodystrophy megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC) and identify possible differentiating features. We performed an international multi-institutional, cross-sectional observational study of the clinical and MRI characteristics in patients with genetically confirmed MLC. Clinical information was obtained by questionnaires for physicians and retrospective chart review. We included 204 patients with classic MLC, 187 of whom had recessive mutations in MLC1 (MLC1 variant) and 17 in GLIALCAM (MLC2A variant) and 38 patients with remitting MLC caused by dominant GLIALCAM mutations (MLC2B variant). We observed a relatively wide variability in neurologic disability among patients with classic MLC. No clinical differences could be identified between patients with MLC1 and MLC2A. Patients with MLC2B invariably had a milder phenotype with preservation of motor function, while intellectual disability and autism were relatively frequent. Systematic MRI review revealed no MRI features that distinguish between MLC1 and MLC2A. Radiologic improvement was observed in all patients with MLC2B and also in 2 patients with MLC1. In MRIs obtained in the early disease stage, absence of signal abnormalities of the posterior limb of the internal capsule and cerebellar white matter and presence of only rarefied subcortical white matter instead of true subcortical cysts were suggestive of MLC2B. Clinical and MRI features did not distinguish between classic MLC with MLC1 or GLIALCAM mutations. Absence of signal abnormalities of the internal capsule and cerebellar white matter are MRI findings that point to the remitting phenotype. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.

Synchronized moving aperture radiation therapy (SMART): superimposing tumor motion on IMRT MLC leaf sequences under realistic delivery conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jun; Papanikolaou, Nikos; Shi, Chengyu; Jiang, Steve B.

2009-08-01

Synchronized moving aperture radiation therapy (SMART) has been proposed to account for tumor motions during radiotherapy in prior work. The basic idea of SMART is to synchronize the moving radiation beam aperture formed by a dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC) with the tumor motion induced by respiration. In this paper, a two-dimensional (2D) superimposing leaf sequencing method is presented for SMART. A leaf sequence optimization strategy was generated to assure the SMART delivery under realistic delivery conditions. The study of delivery performance using the Varian LINAC and the Millennium DMLC showed that clinical factors such as collimator angle, dose rate, initial phase and machine tolerance affect the delivery accuracy and efficiency. An in-house leaf sequencing software was developed to implement the 2D superimposing leaf sequencing method and optimize the motion-corrected leaf sequence under realistic clinical conditions. The analysis of dynamic log (Dynalog) files showed that optimization of the leaf sequence for various clinical factors can avoid beam hold-offs which break the synchronization of SMART and fail the SMART dose delivery. Through comparison between the simulated delivered fluence map and the planed fluence map, it was shown that the motion-corrected leaf sequence can greatly reduce the dose error.

Synchronized moving aperture radiation therapy (SMART): superimposing tumor motion on IMRT MLC leaf sequences under realistic delivery conditions.

PubMed

Xu, Jun; Papanikolaou, Nikos; Shi, Chengyu; Jiang, Steve B

2009-08-21

Synchronized moving aperture radiation therapy (SMART) has been proposed to account for tumor motions during radiotherapy in prior work. The basic idea of SMART is to synchronize the moving radiation beam aperture formed by a dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC) with the tumor motion induced by respiration. In this paper, a two-dimensional (2D) superimposing leaf sequencing method is presented for SMART. A leaf sequence optimization strategy was generated to assure the SMART delivery under realistic delivery conditions. The study of delivery performance using the Varian LINAC and the Millennium DMLC showed that clinical factors such as collimator angle, dose rate, initial phase and machine tolerance affect the delivery accuracy and efficiency. An in-house leaf sequencing software was developed to implement the 2D superimposing leaf sequencing method and optimize the motion-corrected leaf sequence under realistic clinical conditions. The analysis of dynamic log (Dynalog) files showed that optimization of the leaf sequence for various clinical factors can avoid beam hold-offs which break the synchronization of SMART and fail the SMART dose delivery. Through comparison between the simulated delivered fluence map and the planed fluence map, it was shown that the motion-corrected leaf sequence can greatly reduce the dose error.

Dosimetric verification of radiation therapy including intensity modulated treatments, using an amorphous-silicon electronic portal imaging device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chytyk-Praznik, Krista Joy

Radiation therapy is continuously increasing in complexity due to technological innovation in delivery techniques, necessitating thorough dosimetric verification. Comparing accurately predicted portal dose images to measured images obtained during patient treatment can determine if a particular treatment was delivered correctly. The goal of this thesis was to create a method to predict portal dose images that was versatile and accurate enough to use in a clinical setting. All measured images in this work were obtained with an amorphous silicon electronic portal imaging device (a-Si EPID), but the technique is applicable to any planar imager. A detailed, physics-motivated fluence model was developed to characterize fluence exiting the linear accelerator head. The model was further refined using results from Monte Carlo simulations and schematics of the linear accelerator. The fluence incident on the EPID was converted to a portal dose image through a superposition of Monte Carlo-generated, monoenergetic dose kernels specific to the a-Si EPID. Predictions of clinical IMRT fields with no patient present agreed with measured portal dose images within 3% and 3 mm. The dose kernels were applied ignoring the geometrically divergent nature of incident fluence on the EPID. A computational investigation into this parallel dose kernel assumption determined its validity under clinically relevant situations. Introducing a patient or phantom into the beam required the portal image prediction algorithm to account for patient scatter and attenuation. Primary fluence was calculated by attenuating raylines cast through the patient CT dataset, while scatter fluence was determined through the superposition of pre-calculated scatter fluence kernels. Total dose in the EPID was calculated by convolving the total predicted incident fluence with the EPID-specific dose kernels. The algorithm was tested on water slabs with square fields, agreeing with measurement within 3% and 3 mm. The method was then applied to five prostate and six head-and-neck IMRT treatment courses (˜1900 clinical images). Deviations between the predicted and measured images were quantified. The portal dose image prediction model developed in this thesis work has been shown to be accurate, and it was demonstrated to be able to verify patients' delivered radiation treatments.

An experimental comparison of conventional two-bank and novel four-bank dynamic MLC tracking.

PubMed

Davies, G A; Clowes, P; McQuaid, D; Evans, P M; Webb, S; Poludniowski, G

2013-03-07

The AccuLeaf mMLC featuring four multileaf-collimator (MLC) banks has been used for the first time for an experimental comparison of conventional two-bank with novel four-bank dynamic MLC tracking of a two-dimensional sinusoidal respiratory motion. This comparison was performed for a square aperture, and for three conformal treatment apertures from clinical radiotherapy lung cancer patients. The system latency of this prototype tracking system was evaluated and found to be 1.0 s and the frequency at which MLC positions could be updated, 1 Hz, and therefore accurate MLC tracking of irregular patient motion would be difficult with the system in its current form. The MLC leaf velocity required for two-bank-MLC and four-bank-MLC tracking was evaluated for the apertures studied and a substantial decrease was found in the maximum MLC velocity required when four-banks were used for tracking rather than two. A dosimetric comparison of the two techniques was also performed and minimal difference was found between two-bank-MLC and four-bank-MLC tracking. The use of four MLC banks for dynamic MLC tracking is shown to be potentially advantageous for increasing the delivery efficiency compared with two-bank-MLC tracking where difficulties are encountered if large leaf shifts are required to track motion perpendicular to the direction of leaf travel.

Texture analysis on the fluence map to evaluate the degree of modulation for volumetric modulated arc therapy.

PubMed

Park, So-Yeon; Kim, Il Han; Ye, Sung-Joon; Carlson, Joel; Park, Jong Min

2014-11-01

Texture analysis on fluence maps was performed to evaluate the degree of modulation for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans. A total of six textural features including angular second moment, inverse difference moment, contrast, variance, correlation, and entropy were calculated for fluence maps generated from 20 prostate and 20 head and neck VMAT plans. For each of the textural features, particular displacement distances (d) of 1, 5, and 10 were adopted. To investigate the deliverability of each VMAT plan, gamma passing rates of pretreatment quality assurance, and differences in modulating parameters such as multileaf collimator (MLC) positions, gantry angles, and monitor units at each control point between VMAT plans and dynamic log files registered by the Linac control system during delivery were acquired. Furthermore, differences between the original VMAT plan and the plan reconstructed from the dynamic log files were also investigated. To test the performance of the textural features as indicators for the modulation degree of VMAT plans, Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (rs) with the plan deliverability were calculated. For comparison purposes, conventional modulation indices for VMAT including the modulation complexity score for VMAT, leaf travel modulation complexity score, and modulation index supporting station parameter optimized radiation therapy (MISPORT) were calculated, and their correlations were analyzed in the same way. There was no particular textural feature which always showed superior correlations with every type of plan deliverability. Considering the results comprehensively, contrast (d = 1) and variance (d = 1) generally showed considerable correlations with every type of plan deliverability. These textural features always showed higher correlations to the plan deliverability than did the conventional modulation indices, except in the case of modulating parameter differences. The rs values of contrast to the global gamma passing rates with criteria of 2%/2 mm, 2%/1 mm, and 1%/2 mm were 0.536, 0.473, and 0.718, respectively. The respective values for variance were 0.551, 0.481, and 0.688. In the case of local gamma passing rates, the rs values of contrast were 0.547, 0.578, and 0.620, respectively, and those of variance were 0.519, 0.527, and 0.569. All of the rs values in those cases were statistically significant (p < 0.003). In the cases of global and local gamma passing rates, MISPORT showed the highest correlations among the conventional modulation indices. For global passing rates, rs values of MISPORT were -0.420, -0.330, and -0.632, respectively, and those for local passing rates were -0.455, -0.490 and -0.502. The values of rs of contrast, variance, and MISPORT with the MLC errors were -0.863, -0.828, and 0.795, respectively, all with statistical significances (p < 0.001). The correlations with statistical significances between variance and dose-volumetric differences were observed more frequently than the others. The contrast (d = 1) and variance (d = 1) calculated from fluence maps of VMAT plans showed considerable correlations with the plan deliverability, indicating their potential use as indicators for assessing the degree of modulation of VMAT plans. Both contrast and variance consistently showed better performance than the conventional modulation indices for VMAT.

Dynamic temperature response of electrocaloric multilayer capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Beomjin; Roh, Im-Jun; Baek, Seung-Hyub; Keun Kim, Seong; Kim, Jin-Sang; Kang, Chong-Yun

2014-05-01

We measure and model the dynamic temperature response of electrocaloric (EC) multilayer capacitors (MLCs) which have been recently highlighted as novel solid-state refrigerators. The MLC temperature responses depend on the operation voltage waveform, thus we consider three types of voltage waveforms, which include square, triangular, and trapezoidal. Further, to implement an effective refrigeration cycle, the waveform frequency and duty cycle should be carefully chosen. First, our model is fitted to the measurements to evaluate an effective EC power and thermal properties, and calculates an effective cooling power for an EC MLC. The prediction shows that for a MLC with a thermal relaxation time for cooling, trc, a square voltage waveform with a duty cycle of 0 < d ≤ 0.3 and a period of trc < P ≤ 1.4trc provides the maximum cooling power. This work will help to improve the implementing methods for EC refrigeration cycles.

Multileaf collimator performance monitoring and improvement using semiautomated quality control testing and statistical process control.

PubMed

Létourneau, Daniel; Wang, An; Amin, Md Nurul; Pearce, Jim; McNiven, Andrea; Keller, Harald; Norrlinger, Bernhard; Jaffray, David A

2014-12-01

High-quality radiation therapy using highly conformal dose distributions and image-guided techniques requires optimum machine delivery performance. In this work, a monitoring system for multileaf collimator (MLC) performance, integrating semiautomated MLC quality control (QC) tests and statistical process control tools, was developed. The MLC performance monitoring system was used for almost a year on two commercially available MLC models. Control charts were used to establish MLC performance and assess test frequency required to achieve a given level of performance. MLC-related interlocks and servicing events were recorded during the monitoring period and were investigated as indicators of MLC performance variations. The QC test developed as part of the MLC performance monitoring system uses 2D megavoltage images (acquired using an electronic portal imaging device) of 23 fields to determine the location of the leaves with respect to the radiation isocenter. The precision of the MLC performance monitoring QC test and the MLC itself was assessed by detecting the MLC leaf positions on 127 megavoltage images of a static field. After initial calibration, the MLC performance monitoring QC test was performed 3-4 times/week over a period of 10-11 months to monitor positional accuracy of individual leaves for two different MLC models. Analysis of test results was performed using individuals control charts per leaf with control limits computed based on the measurements as well as two sets of specifications of ± 0.5 and ± 1 mm. Out-of-specification and out-of-control leaves were automatically flagged by the monitoring system and reviewed monthly by physicists. MLC-related interlocks reported by the linear accelerator and servicing events were recorded to help identify potential causes of nonrandom MLC leaf positioning variations. The precision of the MLC performance monitoring QC test and the MLC itself was within ± 0.22 mm for most MLC leaves and the majority of the apparent leaf motion was attributed to beam spot displacements between irradiations. The MLC QC test was performed 193 and 162 times over the monitoring period for the studied units and recalibration had to be repeated up to three times on one of these units. For both units, rate of MLC interlocks was moderately associated with MLC servicing events. The strongest association with the MLC performance was observed between the MLC servicing events and the total number of out-of-control leaves. The average elapsed time for which the number of out-of-specification or out-of-control leaves was within a given performance threshold was computed and used to assess adequacy of MLC test frequency. A MLC performance monitoring system has been developed and implemented to acquire high-quality QC data at high frequency. This is enabled by the relatively short acquisition time for the images and automatic image analysis. The monitoring system was also used to record and track the rate of MLC-related interlocks and servicing events. MLC performances for two commercially available MLC models have been assessed and the results support monthly test frequency for widely accepted ± 1 mm specifications. Higher QC test frequency is however required to maintain tighter specification and in-control behavior.

Radio frequency noise from an MLC: a feasibility study of the use of an MLC for linac-MR systems.

PubMed

Lamey, M; Yun, J; Burke, B; Rathee, S; Fallone, B G

2010-02-21

Currently several groups are actively researching the integration of a megavoltage teletherapy unit with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for real-time image-guided radiotherapy. The use of a multileaf collimator (MLC) for intensity-modulated radiotherapy for linac-MR units must be investigated. The MLC itself will likely reside in the fringe field of the MR and the motors will produce radio frequency (RF) noise. The RF noise power spectral density from a Varian 52-leaf MLC motor, a Varian Millennium MLC motor and a brushless fan motor has been measured as a function of the applied magnetic field using a near field probe set. For the Varian 52-leaf MLC system, the RF noise produced by 13 of 52 motors is studied as a function of distance from the MLC. Data are reported in the frequency range suitable for 0.2-1.5 T linac-MR systems. Below 40 MHz the Millennium MLC motor tested showed more noise than the Varian 52-leaf motor or the brushless fan motor. The brushless motor showed a small dependence on the applied magnetic field. Images of a phantom were taken by the prototype linac-MR system with the MLC placed in close proximity to the magnet. Several orientations of the MLC in both shielded and non-shielded configurations were studied. For the case of a non-shielded MLC and associated cables, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was reduced when 13 of 52 MLC leaves were moved during imaging. When the MLC and associated cables were shielded, the measured SNR of the images with 13 MLC leaves moving was experimentally the same as the SNR of the stationary MLC image. When the MLC and cables are shielded, subtraction images acquired with and without MLC motion contains no systematic signal. This study illustrates that the small RF noise produced by functioning MLC motors can be effectively shielded to avoid SNR degradation. A functioning MLC can be incorporated into a linac-MR unit.

Radio frequency noise from an MLC: a feasibility study of the use of an MLC for linac-MR systems

PubMed Central

Lamey, M; Yun, J; Burke, B; Rathee, S; Fallone, B G

2010-01-01

Currently several groups are actively researching the integration of a megavoltage teletherapy unit with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for real-time image-guided radiotherapy. The use of a multileaf collimator (MLC) for intensity-modulated radiotherapy for linac-MR units must be investigated. The MLC itself will likely reside in the fringe field of the MR and the motors will produce radio frequency (RF) noise. The RF noise power spectral density from a Varian 52-leaf MLC motor, a Varian Millennium MLC motor and a brushless fan motor has been measured as a function of the applied magnetic field using a near field probe set. For the Varian 52-leaf MLC system, the RF noise produced by 13 of 52 motors is studied as a function of distance from the MLC. Data are reported in the frequency range suitable for 0.2–1.5 T linac-MR systems. Below 40 MHz the Millennium MLC motor tested showed more noise than the Varian 52-leaf motor or the brushless fan motor. The brushless motor showed a small dependence on the applied magnetic field. Images of a phantom were taken by the prototype linac-MR system with the MLC placed in close proximity to the magnet. Several orientations of the MLC in both shielded and non-shielded configurations were studied. For the case of a non-shielded MLC and associated cables, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was reduced when 13 of 52 MLC leaves were moved during imaging. When the MLC and associated cables were shielded, the measured SNR of the images with 13 MLC leaves moving was experimentally the same as the SNR of the stationary MLC image. When the MLC and cables are shielded, subtraction images acquired with and without MLC motion contains no systematic signal. This study illustrates that the small RF noise produced by functioning MLC motors can be effectively shielded to avoid SNR degradation. A functioning MLC can be incorporated into a linac-MR unit. PMID:20090187

The dosimetric impact of inversely optimized arc radiotherapy plan modulation for real-time dynamic MLC tracking delivery.

PubMed

Falk, Marianne; Larsson, Tobias; Keall, Paul; Chul Cho, Byung; Aznar, Marianne; Korreman, Stine; Poulsen, Per; Munck Af Rosenschold, Per

2012-03-01

Real-time dynamic multileaf collimator (MLC) tracking for management of intrafraction tumor motion can be challenging for highly modulated beams, as the leaves need to travel far to adjust for target motion perpendicular to the leaf travel direction. The plan modulation can be reduced by using a leaf position constraint (LPC) that reduces the difference in the position of adjacent MLC leaves in the plan. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the LPC on the quality of inversely optimized arc radiotherapy plans and the effect of the MLC motion pattern on the dosimetric accuracy of MLC tracking delivery. Specifically, the possibility of predicting the accuracy of MLC tracking delivery based on the plan modulation was investigated. Inversely optimized arc radiotherapy plans were created on CT-data of three lung cancer patients. For each case, five plans with a single 358° arc were generated with LPC priorities of 0 (no LPC), 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 (highest possible LPC), respectively. All the plans had a prescribed dose of 2 Gy × 30, used 6 MV, a maximum dose rate of 600 MU/min and a collimator angle of 45° or 315°. To quantify the plan modulation, an average adjacent leaf distance (ALD) was calculated by averaging the mean adjacent leaf distance for each control point. The linear relationship between the plan quality [i.e., the calculated dose distributions and the number of monitor units (MU)] and the LPC was investigated, and the linear regression coefficient as well as a two tailed confidence level of 95% was used in the evaluation. The effect of the plan modulation on the performance of MLC tracking was tested by delivering the plans to a cylindrical diode array phantom moving with sinusoidal motion in the superior-inferior direction with a peak-to-peak displacement of 2 cm and a cycle time of 6 s. The delivery was adjusted to the target motion using MLC tracking, guided in real-time by an infrared optical system. The dosimetric results were evaluated using gamma index evaluation with static target measurements as reference. The plan quality parameters did not depend significantly on the LPC (p ≥ 0.066), whereas the ALD depended significantly on the LPC (p < 0.001). The gamma index failure rate depended significantly on the ALD, weighted to the percentage of the beam delivered in each control point of the plan (ALD(w)) when MLC tracking was used (p < 0.001), but not for delivery without MLC tracking (p ≥ 0.342). The gamma index failure rate with the criteria of 2% and 2 mm was decreased from > 33.9% without MLC tracking to <31.4% (LPC 0) and <2.2% (LPC 1) with MLC tracking. The results indicate that the dosimetric robustness of MLC tracking delivery of an inversely optimized arc radiotherapy plan can be improved by incorporating leaf position constraints in the objective function without otherwise affecting the plan quality. The dosimetric robustness may be estimated prior to delivery by evaluating the ALD(w) of the plan.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Q; Read, P

Purpose: Multiple error pathways can lead to delivery errors during the treatment course that cannot be caught with pre-treatment QA. While in vivo solutions are being developed for linacs, no such solution exists for tomotherapy. The purpose of this study is to develop a near real-time system for tomotherapy that can monitor the delivery and dose accumulation process during the treatment-delivery, which enable the user to assess the impact of delivery variations and/or errors and to interrupt the treatment if necessary. Methods: A program running on a tomotherapy planning station fetches the raw DAS data during treatment. Exit detector datamore » is extracted as well as output, gantry angle, and other machine parameters. For each sample, the MLC open-close state is determined. The delivered plan is compared with the original plan via a Monte Carlo dose engine which transports fluence deviations from a pre-treatment Monte Carlo run. A report containing the difference in fluence, dose and DVH statistics is created in html format. This process is repeated until the treatment is completed. Results: Since we only need to compute the dose for the difference in fluence for a few projections each time, dose with 2% statistical uncertainty can be computed in less than 1 second on a 4-core cpu. However, the current bottleneck in this near real-time system is the repeated fetching and processing the growing DAS data file throughout the delivery. The frame rate drops from 10Hz at the beginning of treatment to 5Hz after 3 minutes and to 2Hz after 10 minutes. Conclusion: A during-treatment delivery monitor system has been built to monitor tomotherapy treatments. The system improves patient safety by allowing operators to assess the delivery variations and errors during treatment delivery and adopt appropriate actions.« less

Multileaf collimator performance monitoring and improvement using semiautomated quality control testing and statistical process control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Létourneau, Daniel, E-mail: daniel.letourneau@rmp.uh.on.ca; McNiven, Andrea; Keller, Harald

2014-12-15

Purpose: High-quality radiation therapy using highly conformal dose distributions and image-guided techniques requires optimum machine delivery performance. In this work, a monitoring system for multileaf collimator (MLC) performance, integrating semiautomated MLC quality control (QC) tests and statistical process control tools, was developed. The MLC performance monitoring system was used for almost a year on two commercially available MLC models. Control charts were used to establish MLC performance and assess test frequency required to achieve a given level of performance. MLC-related interlocks and servicing events were recorded during the monitoring period and were investigated as indicators of MLC performance variations. Methods:more » The QC test developed as part of the MLC performance monitoring system uses 2D megavoltage images (acquired using an electronic portal imaging device) of 23 fields to determine the location of the leaves with respect to the radiation isocenter. The precision of the MLC performance monitoring QC test and the MLC itself was assessed by detecting the MLC leaf positions on 127 megavoltage images of a static field. After initial calibration, the MLC performance monitoring QC test was performed 3–4 times/week over a period of 10–11 months to monitor positional accuracy of individual leaves for two different MLC models. Analysis of test results was performed using individuals control charts per leaf with control limits computed based on the measurements as well as two sets of specifications of ±0.5 and ±1 mm. Out-of-specification and out-of-control leaves were automatically flagged by the monitoring system and reviewed monthly by physicists. MLC-related interlocks reported by the linear accelerator and servicing events were recorded to help identify potential causes of nonrandom MLC leaf positioning variations. Results: The precision of the MLC performance monitoring QC test and the MLC itself was within ±0.22 mm for most MLC leaves and the majority of the apparent leaf motion was attributed to beam spot displacements between irradiations. The MLC QC test was performed 193 and 162 times over the monitoring period for the studied units and recalibration had to be repeated up to three times on one of these units. For both units, rate of MLC interlocks was moderately associated with MLC servicing events. The strongest association with the MLC performance was observed between the MLC servicing events and the total number of out-of-control leaves. The average elapsed time for which the number of out-of-specification or out-of-control leaves was within a given performance threshold was computed and used to assess adequacy of MLC test frequency. Conclusions: A MLC performance monitoring system has been developed and implemented to acquire high-quality QC data at high frequency. This is enabled by the relatively short acquisition time for the images and automatic image analysis. The monitoring system was also used to record and track the rate of MLC-related interlocks and servicing events. MLC performances for two commercially available MLC models have been assessed and the results support monthly test frequency for widely accepted ±1 mm specifications. Higher QC test frequency is however required to maintain tighter specification and in-control behavior.« less

Forskolin induces myosin light chain dephosphorylation in bovine trabecular meshwork cells.

PubMed

Ramachandran, Charanya; Satpathy, Minati; Mehta, Dolly; Srinivas, Sangly P

2008-02-01

Enhanced contractility of the actin cytoskeleton in trabecular meshwork (TM) cells is implicated in increased resistance to aqueous humor outflow. In this study, we have investigated effects of forskolin, which is known to elevate cAMP and also enhance aqueous humor outflow, on myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation, a biochemical marker of actin contractility. Experiments were performed using cultured bovine TM cells. Phosphorylated MLC (pMLC), expressed as the % of untreated cells, was assessed by urea-glycerol gel electrophoresis and Western blotting. RhoA activity was determined by affinity precipitation of RhoA-GTP to RhoA binding domain of an effector of RhoA. Intracellular cAMP levels were measured by ELISA. Exposure to LPA (lysophosphatidic acid) led to increased MLC phosphorylation (LPA: pMLC=133%) and activation of RhoA. These responses of LPA were suppressed by co-treatment with forskolin (LPA+forskolin: pMLC=88%). Similarly, ET-1 and nocodazole-induced MLC phosphorylation (ET-1: pMLC=145%; nocodazole: pMLC=145%) as well as RhoA activation were suppressed by co-treatment with forskolin (ET-1+forskolin: pMLC=99%; nocodazole+forskolin: pMLC=107%). Exposure to forskolin alone led to MLC dephosphorylation (pMLC=68%). Forskolin alone led to a 4-fold increase in cAMP levels. This increase was not affected when co-treated with LPA or ET-1. Forskolin prevents MLC phosphorylation induced by LPA, ET-1, and nocodazole through inhibition of RhoA-Rho kinase axis. MLC dephosphorylation and consequent relaxation of actin cytoskeleton in TM cells presumably underlies the increased outflow facility reported in response to forskolin.

SU-G-BRB-02: An Open-Source Software Analysis Library for Linear Accelerator Quality Assurance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kerns, J; Yaldo, D

Purpose: Routine linac quality assurance (QA) tests have become complex enough to require automation of most test analyses. A new data analysis software library was built that allows physicists to automate routine linear accelerator quality assurance tests. The package is open source, code tested, and benchmarked. Methods: Images and data were generated on a TrueBeam linac for the following routine QA tests: VMAT, starshot, CBCT, machine logs, Winston Lutz, and picket fence. The analysis library was built using the general programming language Python. Each test was analyzed with the library algorithms and compared to manual measurements taken at the timemore » of acquisition. Results: VMAT QA results agreed within 0.1% between the library and manual measurements. Machine logs (dynalogs & trajectory logs) were successfully parsed; mechanical axis positions were verified for accuracy and MLC fluence agreed well with EPID measurements. CBCT QA measurements were within 10 HU and 0.2mm where applicable. Winston Lutz isocenter size measurements were within 0.2mm of TrueBeam’s Machine Performance Check. Starshot analysis was within 0.2mm of the Winston Lutz results for the same conditions. Picket fence images with and without a known error showed that the library was capable of detecting MLC offsets within 0.02mm. Conclusion: A new routine QA software library has been benchmarked and is available for use by the community. The library is open-source and extensible for use in larger systems.« less

Improving IMRT delivery efficiency with reweighted L1-minimization for inverse planning

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Hojin; Becker, Stephen; Lee, Rena

2013-07-15

Purpose: This study presents an improved technique to further simplify the fluence-map in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) inverse planning, thereby reducing plan complexity and improving delivery efficiency, while maintaining the plan quality.Methods: First-order total-variation (TV) minimization (min.) based on L1-norm has been proposed to reduce the complexity of fluence-map in IMRT by generating sparse fluence-map variations. However, with stronger dose sparing to the critical structures, the inevitable increase in the fluence-map complexity can lead to inefficient dose delivery. Theoretically, L0-min. is the ideal solution for the sparse signal recovery problem, yet practically intractable due to its nonconvexity of themore » objective function. As an alternative, the authors use the iteratively reweighted L1-min. technique to incorporate the benefits of the L0-norm into the tractability of L1-min. The weight multiplied to each element is inversely related to the magnitude of the corresponding element, which is iteratively updated by the reweighting process. The proposed penalizing process combined with TV min. further improves sparsity in the fluence-map variations, hence ultimately enhancing the delivery efficiency. To validate the proposed method, this work compares three treatment plans obtained from quadratic min. (generally used in clinic IMRT), conventional TV min., and our proposed reweighted TV min. techniques, implemented by a large-scale L1-solver (template for first-order conic solver), for five patient clinical data. Criteria such as conformation number (CN), modulation index (MI), and estimated treatment time are employed to assess the relationship between the plan quality and delivery efficiency.Results: The proposed method yields simpler fluence-maps than the quadratic and conventional TV based techniques. To attain a given CN and dose sparing to the critical organs for 5 clinical cases, the proposed method reduces the number of segments by 10-15 and 30-35, relative to TV min. and quadratic min. based plans, while MIs decreases by about 20%-30% and 40%-60% over the plans by two existing techniques, respectively. With such conditions, the total treatment time of the plans obtained from our proposed method can be reduced by 12-30 s and 30-80 s mainly due to greatly shorter multileaf collimator (MLC) traveling time in IMRT step-and-shoot delivery.Conclusions: The reweighted L1-minimization technique provides a promising solution to simplify the fluence-map variations in IMRT inverse planning. It improves the delivery efficiency by reducing the entire segments and treatment time, while maintaining the plan quality in terms of target conformity and critical structure sparing.« less

Dosimetric performance of the new high-definition multileaf collimator for intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery.

PubMed

Dhabaan, Anees; Elder, Eric; Schreibmann, Eduard; Crocker, Ian; Curran, Walter J; Oyesiku, Nelson M; Shu, Hui-Kuo; Fox, Tim

2010-06-21

The objective was to evaluate the performance of a high-definition multileaf collimator (MLC) of 2.5 mm leaf width (MLC2.5) and compare to standard 5 mm leaf width MLC (MLC5) for the treatment of intracranial lesions using dynamic conformal arcs (DCA) technique with a dedicated radiosurgery linear accelerator. Simulated cases of spherical targets were created to study solely the effect of target volume size on the performance of the two MLC systems independent of target shape complexity. In addition, 43 patients previously treated for intracranial lesions in our institution were retrospectively planned using DCA technique with MLC2.5 and MLC5 systems. The gross tumor volume ranged from 0.07 to 40.57 cm3 with an average volume of 5.9 cm3. All treatment parameters were kept the same for both MLC-based plans. The plan evaluation was performed using figures of merits (FOM) for a rapid and objective assessment on the quality of the two treatment plans for MLC2.5 and MLC5. The prescription isodose surface was selected as the greatest isodose surface covering >or= 95% of the target volume and delivering 95% of the prescription dose to 99% of target volume. A Conformity Index (CI) and conformity distance index (CDI) were used to quantifying the dose conformity to a target volume. To assess normal tissue sparing, a normal tissue difference (NTD) was defined as the difference between the volume of normal tissue receiving a certain dose utilizing MLC5 and the volume receiving the same dose using MLC2.5. The CI and normal tissue sparing for the simulated spherical targets were better with the MLC2.5 as compared to MLC5. For the clinical patients, the CI and CDI results indicated that the MLC2.5 provides better treatment conformity than MLC5 even at large target volumes. The CI's range was 1.15 to 2.44 with a median of 1.59 for MLC2.5 compared to 1.60-2.85 with a median of 1.71 for MLC5. Improved normal tissue sparing was also observed for MLC2.5 over MLC5, with the NTD always positive, indicating improvement, and ranging from 0.1 to 8.3 for normal tissue receiving 50% (NTV50), 70% (NTV70) and 90% (NTV90) of the prescription dose. The MLC2.5 has a dosimetric advantage over the MLC5 in Linac-based radiosurgery using DCA method for intracranial lesions, both in treatment conformity and normal tissue sparing when target shape complexity increases.

Space Environment Effects: Model for Emission of Solar Protons (ESP): Cumulative and Worst Case Event Fluences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xapsos, M. A.; Barth, J. L.; Stassinopoulos, E. G.; Burke, E. A.; Gee, G. B.

1999-01-01

The effects that solar proton events have on microelectronics and solar arrays are important considerations for spacecraft in geostationary and polar orbits and for interplanetary missions. Designers of spacecraft and mission planners are required to assess the performance of microelectronic systems under a variety of conditions. A number of useful approaches exist for predicting information about solar proton event fluences and, to a lesser extent, peak fluxes. This includes the cumulative fluence over the course of a mission, the fluence of a worst-case event during a mission, the frequency distribution of event fluences, and the frequency distribution of large peak fluxes. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, under the sponsorship of NASA's Space Environments and Effects (SEE) Program, have developed a new model for predicting cumulative solar proton fluences and worst-case solar proton events as functions of mission duration and user confidence level. This model is called the Emission of Solar Protons (ESP) model.

Space Environment Effects: Model for Emission of Solar Protons (ESP)--Cumulative and Worst-Case Event Fluences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xapsos, M. A.; Barth, J. L.; Stassinopoulos, E. G.; Burke, Edward A.; Gee, G. B.

1999-01-01

The effects that solar proton events have on microelectronics and solar arrays are important considerations for spacecraft in geostationary and polar orbits and for interplanetary missions. Designers of spacecraft and mission planners are required to assess the performance of microelectronic systems under a variety of conditions. A number of useful approaches exist for predicting information about solar proton event fluences and, to a lesser extent, peak fluxes. This includes the cumulative fluence over the course of a mission, the fluence of a worst-case event during a mission, the frequency distribution of event fluences, and the frequency distribution of large peak fluxes. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, under the sponsorship of NASA's Space Environments and Effects (SEE) Program, have developed a new model for predicting cumulative solar proton fluences and worst-case solar proton events as functions of mission duration and user confidence level. This model is called the Emission of Solar Protons (ESP) model.

The β1 subunit of the Na,K-ATPase pump interacts with megalencephalic leucoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts protein 1 (MLC1) in brain astrocytes: new insights into MLC pathogenesis

PubMed Central

Brignone, Maria S.; Lanciotti, Angela; Macioce, Pompeo; Macchia, Gianfranco; Gaetani, Matteo; Aloisi, Francesca; Petrucci, Tamara C.; Ambrosini, Elena

2011-01-01

Megalencephalic leucoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC) is a rare congenital leucodystrophy caused by mutations in MLC1, a membrane protein of unknown function. MLC1 expression in astrocyte end-feet contacting blood vessels and meninges, along with brain swelling, fluid cysts and myelin vacuolation observed in MLC patients, suggests a possible role for MLC1 in the regulation of fluid and ion homeostasis and cellular volume changes. To identify MLC1 direct interactors and dissect the molecular pathways in which MLC1 is involved, we used NH2-MLC1 domain as a bait to screen a human brain library in a yeast two-hybrid assay. We identified the β1 subunit of the Na,K-ATPase pump as one of the interacting clones and confirmed it by pull-downs, co-fractionation assays and immunofluorescence stainings in human and rat astrocytes in vitro and in brain tissue. By performing ouabain-affinity chromatography on astrocyte and brain extracts, we isolated MLC1 and the whole Na,K-ATPase enzyme in a multiprotein complex that included Kir4.1, syntrophin and dystrobrevin. Because Na,K-ATPase is involved in intracellular osmotic control and volume regulation, we investigated the effect of hypo-osmotic stress on MLC1/Na,K-ATPase relationship in astrocytes. We found that hypo-osmotic conditions increased MLC1 membrane expression and favoured MLC1/Na,K-ATPase-β1 association. Moreover, hypo-osmosis induced astrocyte swelling and the reversible formation of endosome-derived vacuoles, where the two proteins co-localized. These data suggest that through its interaction with Na,K-ATPase, MLC1 is involved in the control of intracellular osmotic conditions and volume regulation in astrocytes, opening new perspectives for understanding the pathological mechanisms of MLC disease. PMID:20926452

Dosimetric comparison using different multileaf collimeters in intensity-modulated radiotherapy for upper thoracic esophageal cancer.

PubMed

Gong, Youling; Wang, Shichao; Zhou, Lin; Liu, Yongmei; Xu, Yong; Lu, You; Bai, Sen; Fu, Yuchuan; Xu, Qingfeng; Jiang, Qingfeng

2010-07-15

To study the impacts of multileaf collimators (MLC) width [standard MLC width of 10 mm (sMLC) and micro-MLC width of 4 mm (mMLC)] in the intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) planning for the upper thoracic esophageal cancer (UTEC). 10 patients with UTEC were retrospectively planned with the sMLC and the mMLC. The monitor unites (MUs) and dose volume histogram-based parameters [conformity index (CI) and homogeneous index (HI)] were compared between the IMRT plans with sMLC and with mMLC. The IMRT plans with the mMLC were more efficient (average MUs: 703.1 +/- 68.3) than plans with the sMLC (average MUs: 833.4 +/- 73.8) (p < 0.05). Also, compared to plans with the sMLC, the plans with the mMLC showed advantages in dose coverage of the planning gross tumor volume (Pgtv) (CI 0.706 +/- 0.056/HI 1.093 +/- 0.021) and the planning target volume (PTV) (CI 0.707 +/- 0.029/HI 1.315 +/- 0.013) (p < 0.05). In addition, the significant dose sparing in the D5 (3260.3 +/- 374.0 vs 3404.5 +/- 374.4)/gEUD (1815.1 +/- 281.7 vs 1849.2 +/- 297.6) of the spinal cord, the V10 (33.2 +/- 6.5 vs 34.0 +/- 6.7), V20 (16.0 +/- 4.6 vs 16.6 +/- 4.7), MLD (866.2 +/- 174.1 vs 887.9 +/- 172.1) and gEUD (938.6 +/- 175.2 vs 956.8 +/- 171.0) of the lungs were observed in the plans with the mMLC, respectively (p < 0.05). Comparing to the sMLC, the mMLC not only demonstrated higher efficiencies and more optimal target coverage, but also considerably improved the dose sparing of OARs in the IMRT planning for UTEC.

Evaluation of the Radiation Susceptibility of a 3D NAND Flash Memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Dakai; Wilcox, Edward; Ladbury, Raymond; Seidleck, Christina; Kim, Hak; Phan, Anthony; LaBel, Kenneth

2017-01-01

We evaluated the heavy ion and proton-induced single-event effects (SEE) for a 3D NAND flash. The 3D NAND showed similar single-event upset (SEU) sensitivity to a planar NAND of similar density and performance in the multiple-cell level (MLC) storage mode. However, the single-level-cell (SLC) storage mode of the 3D NAND showed significantly reduced SEU susceptibility. Additionally, the 3D NAND showed less MBU susceptibility than the planar NAND, with reduced number of upset bits per byte and reduced cross sections overall. However, the 3D architecture exhibited angular sensitivities for both base and face angles, reflecting the anisotropic nature of the SEU vulnerability in space. Furthermore, the SEU cross section decreased with increasing fluence for both the 3D NAND and the latest generation planar NAND, indicating a variable upset rate for a space mission. These unique characteristics introduce complexity to traditional ground irradiation test procedures.

Seizures and disturbed brain potassium dynamics in the leukodystrophy megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts

PubMed Central

Dubey, Mohit; Brouwers, Eelke; Hamilton, Eline M.C.; Stiedl, Oliver; Bugiani, Marianna; Koch, Henner; Kole, Maarten H.P.; Boschert, Ursula; Wykes, Robert C.; Mansvelder, Huibert D.; van der Knaap, Marjo S.

2018-01-01

Objective Loss of function of the astrocyte‐specific protein MLC1 leads to the childhood‐onset leukodystrophy “megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts” (MLC). Studies on isolated cells show a role for MLC1 in astrocyte volume regulation and suggest that disturbed brain ion and water homeostasis is central to the disease. Excitability of neuronal networks is particularly sensitive to ion and water homeostasis. In line with this, reports of seizures and epilepsy in MLC patients exist. However, systematic assessment and mechanistic understanding of seizures in MLC are lacking. Methods We analyzed an MLC patient inventory to study occurrence of seizures in MLC. We used two distinct genetic mouse models of MLC to further study epileptiform activity and seizure threshold through wireless extracellular field potential recordings. Whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings and K+‐sensitive electrode recordings in mouse brain slices were used to explore the underlying mechanisms of epilepsy in MLC. Results An early onset of seizures is common in MLC. Similarly, in MLC mice, we uncovered spontaneous epileptiform brain activity and a lowered threshold for induced seizures. At the cellular level, we found that although passive and active properties of individual pyramidal neurons are unchanged, extracellular K+ dynamics and neuronal network activity are abnormal in MLC mice. Interpretation Disturbed astrocyte regulation of ion and water homeostasis in MLC causes hyperexcitability of neuronal networks and seizures. These findings suggest a role for defective astrocyte volume regulation in epilepsy. Ann Neurol 2018;83:636–649 PMID:29466841

Patient SWAP-200 personality dimensions and FFM traits: Do they predict therapist responses?

PubMed

Tanzilli, Annalisa; Lingiardi, Vittorio; Hilsenroth, Mark

2018-05-01

The main aim of this study was to examine the relationship between therapists' emotional responses and patients' personality evaluated by 3 dimensional diagnostic approaches empirically derived from the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-200 (SWAP-200; Westen & Shedler, 1999a, 1999b): Two of these rely on the 5-factor model (FFM) domains, that were assessed with different SWAP-200 FFM versions developed by Shedler and Westen (SW-FFM scales; 2004) and McCrae, Löckenhoff, and Costa (MLC-FFM scales; 2005); the third approach is based on a multifaceted model of personality syndromes (SWAP personality dimension scales; see Shedler & Westen, 2004). A national sample of psychiatrists and psychologists (N = 166) of various theoretical orientations completed the Therapist Response Questionnaire (TRQ; Zittel Conklin & Westen, 2003) to identify patterns of therapist response, and the SWAP-200 to assess personality regarding a patient currently in their care. The findings showed good levels of construct validity between the SW-FFM and MLC-FFM scales, with the exception of the Openness trait. Moreover, specific SW-FFM and MLC-FFM scales were significantly associated with distinct SWAP personality dimension scales according in a conceptually meaningful nomological network. Although there were significant, theoretically coherent, and systematic relationships between therapists' responses and patients' personality features, overall the contribution of the SW-FFM and MLC-FFM traits in predicting therapists' responses was less sizable than the SWAP personality dimensions. These results seem to confirm the diagnostic and therapeutic value of countertransference as an essential tool in understanding psychological traits/dimensions that underlie the patients' psychopathology, both from within and outside of the FFM. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The transcription factor Mlc promotes Vibrio cholerae biofilm formation through repression of phosphotransferase system components.

PubMed

Pickering, Bradley S; Lopilato, Jane E; Smith, Daniel R; Watnick, Paula I

2014-07-01

The phosphoenol phosphotransferase system (PTS) is a multicomponent signal transduction cascade that regulates diverse aspects of bacterial cellular physiology in response to the availability of high-energy sugars in the environment. Many PTS components are repressed at the transcriptional level when the substrates they transport are not available. In Escherichia coli, the transcription factor Mlc (for makes large colonies) represses transcription of the genes encoding enzyme I (EI), histidine protein (HPr), and the glucose-specific enzyme IIBC (EIIBC(Glc)) in defined media that lack PTS substrates. When glucose is present, the unphosphorylated form of EIIBC(Glc) sequesters Mlc to the cell membrane, preventing its interaction with DNA. Very little is known about Vibrio cholerae Mlc. We found that V. cholerae Mlc activates biofilm formation in LB broth but not in defined medium supplemented with either pyruvate or glucose. Therefore, we questioned whether V. cholerae Mlc functions differently than E. coli Mlc. Here we have shown that, like E. coli Mlc, V. cholerae Mlc represses transcription of PTS components in both defined medium and LB broth and that E. coli Mlc is able to rescue the biofilm defect of a V. cholerae Δmlc mutant. Furthermore, we provide evidence that Mlc indirectly activates transcription of the vps genes by repressing expression of EI. Because activation of the vps genes by Mlc occurs under only a subset of the conditions in which repression of PTS components is observed, we conclude that additional inputs present in LB broth are required for activation of vps gene transcription by Mlc. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Real-time auto-adaptive margin generation for MLC-tracked radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glitzner, M.; Fast, M. F.; de Senneville, B. Denis; Nill, S.; Oelfke, U.; Lagendijk, J. J. W.; Raaymakers, B. W.; Crijns, S. P. M.

2017-01-01

In radiotherapy, abdominal and thoracic sites are candidates for performing motion tracking. With real-time control it is possible to adjust the multileaf collimator (MLC) position to the target position. However, positions are not perfectly matched and position errors arise from system delays and complicated response of the electromechanic MLC system. Although, it is possible to compensate parts of these errors by using predictors, residual errors remain and need to be compensated to retain target coverage. This work presents a method to statistically describe tracking errors and to automatically derive a patient-specific, per-segment margin to compensate the arising underdosage on-line, i.e. during plan delivery. The statistics of the geometric error between intended and actual machine position are derived using kernel density estimators. Subsequently a margin is calculated on-line according to a selected coverage parameter, which determines the amount of accepted underdosage. The margin is then applied onto the actual segment to accommodate the positioning errors in the enlarged segment. The proof-of-concept was tested in an on-line tracking experiment and showed the ability to recover underdosages for two test cases, increasing {{V}90 %} in the underdosed area about 47 % and 41 % , respectively. The used dose model was able to predict the loss of dose due to tracking errors and could be used to infer the necessary margins. The implementation had a running time of 23 ms which is compatible with real-time requirements of MLC tracking systems. The auto-adaptivity to machine and patient characteristics makes the technique a generic yet intuitive candidate to avoid underdosages due to MLC tracking errors.

Technology assessment of multileaf collimation: a North American users survey.

PubMed

Klein, E E; Tepper, J; Sontag, M; Franklin, M; Ling, C; Kubo, D

1999-06-01

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) initiated an Assessment of Technology Subcommittee (ATS) to help the radiotherapy community evaluate emerging technologies. The ATS decided to first address multileaf collimation (MLC) by means of a North American users survey. The survey attempted to address issues such as MLC utility, efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and customer satisfaction. The survey was designed with 38 questions, with cross-tabulation set up to decipher a particular clinic's perception of MLC. The surveys were coded according to MLC types, which were narrowed to four: Elekta, Siemens, Varian 52-leaf, and Varian 80-leaf. A 40% return rate was desired. A 44% (108 of 250) return was achieved. On an MLC machine, 76.5% of photon patients are being treated with MLC. The main reasons for not using MLC were stair stepping, field size limitation, and physician objection. The most common sites in which MLC is being used are lung, pelvis, and prostate. The least used sites are head & neck and mantle fields. Of the facilities, 31% claimed an increase in number of patients being treated since MLC was installed, and 44% claimed an increase in the number of fields. Though the staffing for block cutting has decreased, therapist staffing has not. However, 91% of the facilities claimed a decreased workload for the therapists, despite the increase in daily treated patients and fields. Of the facilities that justified MLC purchase for more daily patients, 63% are actually treating more patients. Only 26% of the facilities that justified an MLC purchase for intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) are currently using it for that purpose. The satisfaction rating (1 = low to 5 = high) for department groups averaged 4.0. Therapists ranked MLC as 4.6. Our survey shows that most users have successfully introduced MLC into the clinic as a block replacement. Most have found MLC to be cost-effective and efficient. The use of MLC for IMRT has progressed slower, but users anticipate escalated use.

SU-F-T-371: Development of a Linac Monte Carlo Model to Calculate Surface Dose

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Prajapati, S; Yan, Y; Gifford, K

2016-06-15

Purpose: To generate and validate a linac Monte Carlo (MC) model for surface dose prediction. Methods: BEAMnrc V4-2.4.0 was used to model 6 and 18 MV photon beams for a commercially available linac. DOSXYZnrc V4-2.4.0 calculated 3D dose distributions in water. Percent depth dose (PDD) and beam profiles were extracted for comparison to measured data. Surface dose and at depths in the buildup region was measured with radiochromic film at 100 cm SSD for 4 × 4 cm{sup 2} and 10 × 10 cm{sup 2} collimator settings for open and MLC collimated fields. For the 6 MV beam, films weremore » placed at depths ranging from 0.015 cm to 2 cm and for 18 MV, 0.015 cm to 3.5 cm in Solid Water™. Films were calibrated for both photon energies at their respective dmax. PDDs and profiles were extracted from the film and compared to the MC data. The MC model was adjusted to match measured PDD and profiles. Results: For the 6 MV beam, the mean error(ME) in PDD between film and MC for open fields was 1.9%, whereas it was 2.4% for MLC. For the 18 MV beam, the ME in PDD for open fields was 2% and was 3.5% for MLC. For the 6 MV beam, the average root mean square(RMS) deviation for the central 80% of the beam profile for open fields was 1.5%, whereas it was 1.6% for MLC. For the 18 MV beam, the maximum RMS for open fields was 3%, and was 3.1% for MLC. Conclusion: The MC model of a linac agreed to within 4% of film measurements for depths ranging from the surface to dmax. Therefore, the MC linac model can predict surface dose for clinical applications. Future work will focus on adjusting the linac MC model to reduce RMS error and improve accuracy.« less

[Ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy by minilaparoscopy versus traditional multiport ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Prospective randomized trial].

PubMed

Planells Roig, Manuel; Arnal Bertomeu, Consuelo; Garcia Espinosa, Rafael; Cervera Delgado, Maria; Carrau Giner, Miguel

2016-02-01

Difference analysis of ambulatorization rate, pain, analgesic requirements and daily activities recovery in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy with standard multiport access (CLMP) versus a minilaparoscopic, 3mm size, technique. Prospective randomized trial of 40 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Comparison criteria included predictive ultrasound factors of difficult cholecystectomy, previous history of complicated biliary disease and demographics. Results are analyzed in terms of ambulatorization rate, pain, analgesic requirements, postoperative recovery, technical difficulty, hemorrhage intensity, overnight stay, readmission rate and total or partial conversion. Both procedures were similar in surgery time, technical score and hemorrhage score. MLC was associated with similar ambulatorization rate, 85%, and over-night stay 15%, with only 15% partial conversion rate. MLC showed less postoperative pain (P=.026), less analgesic consumption (P=.006) and similar DAR (P=.879). MLC is similar to CLMP in terms of ambulatorization with less postoperative pain and analgesic requirements without differences in postoperative recovery. Copyright © 2014 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

The effect of MLC speed and acceleration on the plan delivery accuracy of VMAT

PubMed Central

Park, J M; Wu, H-G; Kim, J H; Carlson, J N K

2015-01-01

Objective: To determine a new metric utilizing multileaf collimator (MLC) speeds and accelerations to predict plan delivery accuracy of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Methods: To verify VMAT delivery accuracy, gamma evaluations, analysis of mechanical parameter difference between plans and log files, and analysis of changes in dose–volumetric parameters between plans and plans reconstructed with log files were performed with 40 VMAT plans. The average proportion of leaf speeds ranging from l to h cm s−1 (Sl–h and l–h = 0–0.4, 0.4–0.8, 0.8–1.2, 1.2–1.6 and 1.6–2.0), mean and standard deviation of MLC speeds were calculated for each VMAT plan. The same was carried out for accelerations in centimetre per second squared (Al–h and l–h = 0–4, 4–8, 8–12, 12–16 and 16–20). The correlations of those indicators to plan delivery accuracy were analysed with Spearman's correlation coefficient (rs). Results: The S1.2–1.6 and mean acceleration of MLCs showed generally higher correlations to plan delivery accuracy than did others. The highest rs values were observed between S1.2–1.6 and global 1%/2 mm (rs = −0.698 with p < 0.001) as well as mean acceleration and global 1%/2 mm (rs = −0.650 with p < 0.001). As the proportion of MLC speeds and accelerations >0.4 and 4 cm s−2 increased, the plan delivery accuracy of VMAT decreased. Conclusion: The variations in MLC speeds and accelerations showed considerable correlations to VMAT delivery accuracy. Advances in knowledge: As the MLC speeds and accelerations increased, VMAT delivery accuracy reduced. PMID:25734490

Validating the Proton Prediction System (PPS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

hazards for astro - proton fluence model (Feynman et al., 2002) fits nauts on the missions to the Moon and Mars observed SEP event fluences of E>10MeV...events limited the useful PPS test cases to 78 of the J(E>10MeV) = 347 x ( Fx )0.941, (3) 101 solar flares. Although they can be serious radiation...hazards (Reames, 1999), PPS does not where Fx is the GOES 1-8 A X-ray flare half-power predict the E> 10MeV peaks often seen during the fluence in J cm -2

Texture analysis on the fluence map to evaluate the degree of modulation for volumetric modulated arc therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, So-Yeon; Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul 110-744; Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-744

Purpose: Texture analysis on fluence maps was performed to evaluate the degree of modulation for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans. Methods: A total of six textural features including angular second moment, inverse difference moment, contrast, variance, correlation, and entropy were calculated for fluence maps generated from 20 prostate and 20 head and neck VMAT plans. For each of the textural features, particular displacement distances (d) of 1, 5, and 10 were adopted. To investigate the deliverability of each VMAT plan, gamma passing rates of pretreatment quality assurance, and differences in modulating parameters such as multileaf collimator (MLC) positions, gantrymore » angles, and monitor units at each control point between VMAT plans and dynamic log files registered by the Linac control system during delivery were acquired. Furthermore, differences between the original VMAT plan and the plan reconstructed from the dynamic log files were also investigated. To test the performance of the textural features as indicators for the modulation degree of VMAT plans, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients (r{sub s}) with the plan deliverability were calculated. For comparison purposes, conventional modulation indices for VMAT including the modulation complexity score for VMAT, leaf travel modulation complexity score, and modulation index supporting station parameter optimized radiation therapy (MI{sub SPORT}) were calculated, and their correlations were analyzed in the same way. Results: There was no particular textural feature which always showed superior correlations with every type of plan deliverability. Considering the results comprehensively, contrast (d = 1) and variance (d = 1) generally showed considerable correlations with every type of plan deliverability. These textural features always showed higher correlations to the plan deliverability than did the conventional modulation indices, except in the case of modulating parameter differences. The r{sub s} values of contrast to the global gamma passing rates with criteria of 2%/2 mm, 2%/1 mm, and 1%/2 mm were 0.536, 0.473, and 0.718, respectively. The respective values for variance were 0.551, 0.481, and 0.688. In the case of local gamma passing rates, the r{sub s} values of contrast were 0.547, 0.578, and 0.620, respectively, and those of variance were 0.519, 0.527, and 0.569. All of the r{sub s} values in those cases were statistically significant (p < 0.003). In the cases of global and local gamma passing rates, MI{sub SPORT} showed the highest correlations among the conventional modulation indices. For global passing rates, r{sub s} values of MI{sub SPORT} were −0.420, −0.330, and −0.632, respectively, and those for local passing rates were −0.455, −0.490 and −0.502. The values of r{sub s} of contrast, variance, and MI{sub SPORT} with the MLC errors were −0.863, −0.828, and 0.795, respectively, all with statistical significances (p < 0.001). The correlations with statistical significances between variance and dose-volumetric differences were observed more frequently than the others. Conclusions: The contrast (d = 1) and variance (d = 1) calculated from fluence maps of VMAT plans showed considerable correlations with the plan deliverability, indicating their potential use as indicators for assessing the degree of modulation of VMAT plans. Both contrast and variance consistently showed better performance than the conventional modulation indices for VMAT.« less

VMAT optimization with dynamic collimator rotation.

PubMed

Lyu, Qihui; O'Connor, Daniel; Ruan, Dan; Yu, Victoria; Nguyen, Dan; Sheng, Ke

2018-04-16

Although collimator rotation is an optimization variable that can be exploited for dosimetric advantages, existing Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) optimization uses a fixed collimator angle in each arc and only rotates the collimator between arcs. In this study, we develop a novel integrated optimization method for VMAT, accounting for dynamic collimator angles during the arc motion. Direct Aperture Optimization (DAO) for Dynamic Collimator in VMAT (DC-VMAT) was achieved by adding to the existing dose fidelity objective an anisotropic total variation term for regulating the fluence smoothness, a binary variable for forming simple apertures, and a group sparsity term for controlling collimator rotation. The optimal collimator angle for each beam angle was selected using the Dijkstra's algorithm, where the node costs depend on the estimated fluence map at the current iteration and the edge costs account for the mechanical constraints of multi-leaf collimator (MLC). An alternating optimization strategy was implemented to solve the DAO and collimator angle selection (CAS). Feasibility of DC-VMAT using one full-arc with dynamic collimator rotation was tested on a phantom with two small spherical targets, a brain, a lung and a prostate cancer patient. The plan was compared against a static collimator VMAT (SC-VMAT) plan using three full arcs with 60 degrees of collimator angle separation in patient studies. With the same target coverage, DC-VMAT achieved 20.3% reduction of R50 in the phantom study, and reduced the average max and mean OAR dose by 4.49% and 2.53% of the prescription dose in patient studies, as compared with SC-VMAT. The collimator rotation co-ordinated with the gantry rotation in DC-VMAT plans for deliverability. There were 13 beam angles in the single-arc DC-VMAT plan in patient studies that requires slower gantry rotation to accommodate multiple collimator angles. The novel DC-VMAT approach utilizes the dynamic collimator rotation during arc delivery. In doing so, DC-VMAT affords more sophisticated intensity modulation, alleviating the limitation previously imposed by the square beamlet from the MLC leaf thickness and achieves higher effective modulation resolution. Consequently, DC-VMAT with a single arc manages to achieve superior dosimetry than SC-VMAT with three full arcs. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

SU-E-T-35: A General Fill Factor Definition Serving to Characterise the MLC Misalignment Detection Capabilities of Two-Dimensional Detector Arrays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stelljes, T.S.; Looe, H.K.; Poppe, B.

Purpose: To present a general definition of the fill factor realistically characterizing the “field coverage”, i.e. the MLC misalignment detection capabilities of a detector array. Methods: According to Gago-Arias et al.{sup 1} the fill factor of a 2D array is defined as the ratio of the area enclosed by the FWHM of the fluence response function KM(x) of a single detector and its cell area defined by the detector spacing. More generally - accounting also for the possible overlap between FWHM’s of neighboured detectors - the fill factor is here defined as that fraction of the sum of the detectormore » cell areas in which a defined MLC misalignment is detectable when the induced percentage signal changes exceed a detection threshold d. Ideally the generalized fill factor may reach 100 %. With user code EGS-chamber and a 2 MeV photon slit beam 0.25 mm wide, both types of the fill factor were calculated for an array with total cell area 100 cm{sup 2} for chamber widths 1–9 mm, using =1mm, d=5%. Results: For single chamber width 5 mm, fill factors were 0.49 (FWHM) and 0.61 (generalized). For chamber width 2 mm the FWHM fill factor was 0.13 whereas the generalized fill factor was 0.32. For chamber widths above 7 mm, the FWHM fill factor exceeds unity, and the general fill factor is exactly 1.00. Conclusions: An updated fill factor definition is introduced which, as a generalization of the FWHM-based definition, more closely estimates the performance of small array chambers and gives a realistic value in the case of overlapping sensitive areas of neighboured chambers. References:{sup 1}A. Gago-Arias, L. Brualla-Gonzalez, D.M. Gonzalez-Castano, F. Gomez, M.S. Garcia, V.L. Vega, J.M. Sueiro, J. Pardo-Montero, “Evaluation of chamber response function influence on IMRT verification using 2D commercial detector arrays,” Phys. Med. Biol. 57, 2005–2020 (2012)« less

TH-AB-202-02: Real-Time Verification and Error Detection for MLC Tracking Deliveries Using An Electronic Portal Imaging Device

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J Zwan, B; Central Coast Cancer Centre, Gosford, NSW; Colvill, E

2016-06-15

Purpose: The added complexity of the real-time adaptive multi-leaf collimator (MLC) tracking increases the likelihood of undetected MLC delivery errors. In this work we develop and test a system for real-time delivery verification and error detection for MLC tracking radiotherapy using an electronic portal imaging device (EPID). Methods: The delivery verification system relies on acquisition and real-time analysis of transit EPID image frames acquired at 8.41 fps. In-house software was developed to extract the MLC positions from each image frame. Three comparison metrics were used to verify the MLC positions in real-time: (1) field size, (2) field location and, (3)more » field shape. The delivery verification system was tested for 8 VMAT MLC tracking deliveries (4 prostate and 4 lung) where real patient target motion was reproduced using a Hexamotion motion stage and a Calypso system. Sensitivity and detection delay was quantified for various types of MLC and system errors. Results: For both the prostate and lung test deliveries the MLC-defined field size was measured with an accuracy of 1.25 cm{sup 2} (1 SD). The field location was measured with an accuracy of 0.6 mm and 0.8 mm (1 SD) for lung and prostate respectively. Field location errors (i.e. tracking in wrong direction) with a magnitude of 3 mm were detected within 0.4 s of occurrence in the X direction and 0.8 s in the Y direction. Systematic MLC gap errors were detected as small as 3 mm. The method was not found to be sensitive to random MLC errors and individual MLC calibration errors up to 5 mm. Conclusion: EPID imaging may be used for independent real-time verification of MLC trajectories during MLC tracking deliveries. Thresholds have been determined for error detection and the system has been shown to be sensitive to a range of delivery errors.« less

Micellar liquid chromatography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basova, Elena M.; Ivanov, Vadim M.; Shpigun, Oleg A.

1999-12-01

Background and possibilities of practical applications of micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) are considered. Various retention models in MLC, the effects of the nature and concentration of surfactants and organic modifiers, pH, temperature and ionic strength on the MLC efficiency and selectivity are discussed. The advantages and limitations of MLC are demonstrated. The performance of MLC is critically evaluated in relationship to the reversed-phase HPLC and ion-pair chromatography. The potential of application of MLC for the analysis of pharmaceuticals including that in biological fluids and separation of inorganic anions, transition metal cations, metal chelates and heteropoly compounds is described. The bibliography includes 146 references.

Is mini-laparoscopic cholecystectomy any better than the gold standard?: A comparative study.

PubMed

Shaikh, Haris R; Abbas, Asad; Aleem, Salik; Lakhani, Miqdad R

2017-01-01

Mini-laparoscopic cholecystectomy (MLC) has widened the horizons of modern laparoscopic surgery. Standard four port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SLC), which has long been established as the "Gold Standard" for gall bladder diseases, is under reconsideration following the advent of further minimally-invasive procedures including MLC. Our study aims to provide a comparison between MLC and SLC and assesses whether MLC has any added benefits. Patients with symptomatic gall bladder disease undergoing MLC or SLC during the 2.5-month period were included in the study. Thirty-two patients underwent MLC while SLC was performed on 40 patients by the same surgeon. Data was collected prospectively and analysed retrospectively using a predesigned questionnaire. In our study, both the groups had similar age, body mass index (BMI) and gender distribution. No cases of MLC required insertion of additional ports. The mean operative time for MLC was 38.2 min (33-61 min), which is longer than SLC; but it was not statistically significant. There was no significant difference in mean operative blood loss, postoperative pain, analgesia requirement and mobilization. Patients who underwent MLC were able to return to normal activity earlier than patients undergoing SLC (P < 0.01). Our experience suggests that MLC can safely be used as an alternative to SLC. Compared to SLC, it has the added benefit of an early return to work along with excellent cosmetic results. Further large scale trials are required to prove any additional benefit of MLC.

Is mini-laparoscopic cholecystectomy any better than the gold standard?: A comparative study

PubMed Central

Shaikh, Haris R.; Abbas, Asad; Aleem, Salik; Lakhani, Miqdad R.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Mini-laparoscopic cholecystectomy (MLC) has widened the horizons of modern laparoscopic surgery. Standard four port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SLC), which has long been established as the “Gold Standard” for gall bladder diseases, is under reconsideration following the advent of further minimally-invasive procedures including MLC. Our study aims to provide a comparison between MLC and SLC and assesses whether MLC has any added benefits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with symptomatic gall bladder disease undergoing MLC or SLC during the 2.5-month period were included in the study. Thirty-two patients underwent MLC while SLC was performed on 40 patients by the same surgeon. Data was collected prospectively and analysed retrospectively using a predesigned questionnaire. RESULTS: In our study, both the groups had similar age, body mass index (BMI) and gender distribution. No cases of MLC required insertion of additional ports. The mean operative time for MLC was 38.2 min (33-61 min), which is longer than SLC; but it was not statistically significant. There was no significant difference in mean operative blood loss, postoperative pain, analgesia requirement and mobilization. Patients who underwent MLC were able to return to normal activity earlier than patients undergoing SLC (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our experience suggests that MLC can safely be used as an alternative to SLC. Compared to SLC, it has the added benefit of an early return to work along with excellent cosmetic results. Further large scale trials are required to prove any additional benefit of MLC. PMID:27251827

Dosimetric comparison between cone/Iris-based and InCise MLC-based CyberKnife plans for single and multiple brain metastases.

PubMed

Jang, Si Young; Lalonde, Ron; Ozhasoglu, Cihat; Burton, Steven; Heron, Dwight; Huq, M Saiful

2016-09-08

We performed an evaluation of the CyberKnife InCise MLC by comparing plan qualities for single and multiple brain lesions generated using the first version of InCise MLC, fixed cone, and Iris collimators. We also investigated differences in delivery efficiency among the three collimators. Twenty-four patients with single or multiple brain mets treated previously in our clinic on a CyberKnife M6 using cone/Iris collimators were selected for this study. Treatment plans were generated for all lesions using the InCise MLC. Number of monitor units, delivery time, target coverage, conformity index, and dose falloff were compared between MLC- and clinical cone/Iris-based plans. Statistical analysis was performed using the non-parametric Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney signed-rank test. The planning accuracy of the MLC-based plans was validated using chamber and film measurements. The InCise MLC-based plans achieved mean dose and target coverage comparable to the cone/Iris-based plans. Although the conformity indices of the MLC-based plans were slightly higher than those of the cone/Iris-based plans, beam delivery time for the MLC-based plans was shorter by 30% ~ 40%. For smaller targets or cases with OARs located close to or abutting target volumes, MLC-based plans provided inferior dose conformity compared to cone/Iris-based plans. The QA results of MLC-based plans were within 5% absolute dose difference with over 90% gamma passing rate using 2%/2 mm gamma criteria. The first version of InCise MLC could be a useful delivery modality, especially for clinical situations for which delivery time is a limiting factor or for multitarget cases. © 2016 The Authors.

On the predictive potential of Pc5 ULF waves to forecast relativistic electrons based on their relationships over two solar cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lam, Hing-Lan

2017-01-01

A statistical study of relativistic electron (>2 MeV) fluence derived from geosynchronous satellites and Pc5 ultralow frequency (ULF) wave power computed from a ground magnetic observatory data located in Canada's auroral zone has been carried out. The ground observations were made near the foot points of field lines passing through the GOESs from 1987 to 2009 (cycles 22 and 23). We determine statistical relationships between the two quantities for different phases of a solar cycle and validate these relationships in two different cycles. There is a positive linear relationship between log fluence and log Pc5 power for all solar phases; however, the power law indices vary for different phases of the cycle. High index values existed during the descending phase. The Pearson's cross correlation between electron fluence and Pc5 power indicates fluence enhancement 2-3 days after strong Pc5 wave activity for all solar phases. The lag between the two quantities is shorter for extremely high fluence (due to high Pc5 power), which tends to occur during the declining phases of both cycles. Most occurrences of extremely low fluence were observed during the extended solar minimum of cycle 23. The precursory attribute of Pc5 power with respect to fluence and the enhancement of fluence due to rising Pc5 power both support the notion of an electron acceleration mechanism by Pc5 ULF waves. This precursor behavior establishes the potential of using Pc5 power to predict relativistic electron fluence.

TH-AB-202-05: BEST IN PHYSICS (JOINT IMAGING-THERAPY): First Online Ultrasound-Guided MLC Tracking for Real-Time Motion Compensation in Radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ipsen, S; Bruder, R; Schweikard, A

Purpose: While MLC tracking has been successfully used for motion compensation of moving targets, current real-time target localization methods rely on correlation models with x-ray imaging or implanted electromagnetic transponders rather than direct target visualization. In contrast, ultrasound imaging yields volumetric data in real-time (4D) without ionizing radiation. We report the first results of online 4D ultrasound-guided MLC tracking in a phantom. Methods: A real-time tracking framework was installed on a 4D ultrasound station (Vivid7 dimension, GE) and used to detect a 2mm spherical lead marker inside a water tank. The volumetric frame rate was 21.3Hz (47ms). The marker wasmore » rigidly attached to a motion stage programmed to reproduce nine tumor trajectories (five prostate, four lung). The 3D marker position from ultrasound was used for real-time MLC aperture adaption. The tracking system latency was measured and compensated by prediction for lung trajectories. To measure geometric accuracy, anterior and lateral conformal fields with 10cm circular aperture were delivered for each trajectory. The tracking error was measured as the difference between marker position and MLC aperture in continuous portal imaging. For dosimetric evaluation, 358° VMAT fields were delivered to a biplanar diode array dosimeter using the same trajectories. Dose measurements with and without MLC tracking were compared to a static reference dose using a 3%/3 mm γ-test. Results: The tracking system latency was 170ms. The mean root-mean-square tracking error was 1.01mm (0.75mm prostate, 1.33mm lung). Tracking reduced the mean γ-failure rate from 13.9% to 4.6% for prostate and from 21.8% to 0.6% for lung with high-modulation VMAT plans and from 5% (prostate) and 18% (lung) to 0% with low modulation. Conclusion: Real-time ultrasound tracking was successfully integrated with MLC tracking for the first time and showed similar accuracy and latency as other methods while holding the potential to measure target motion non-invasively. SI was supported by the Graduate School for Computing in Medicine and Life Science, German Excellence Initiative [grant DFG GSC 235/1].« less

Multileaf collimator characteristics and reliability requirements for IMRT Elekta system.

PubMed

Liu, Chihray; Simon, Thomas A; Fox, Christopher; Li, Jonathan; Palta, Jatinder R

2008-01-01

Understanding the characteristics of a multileaf collimator (MLC) system, modeling MLC in a treatment planning system, and maintaining the mechanical accuracy of the linear accelerator gantry head system are important factors in the safe implementation of an intensity-modulated radiotherapy program. We review the characteristics of an Elekta MLC system, discuss the necessary MLC modeling parameters for a treatment planning system, and provide a novel method to establish an MLC leaf position quality assurance program. To perform quality assurance on 40 pairs of individual MLC leaves is a time-consuming and difficult task. In this report, an effective routine MLC quality assurance method based on the field edge of a backup jaw as referenced in conjunction with a diode array as a radiation detector system is discussed. The sensitivity of this test for determining the relative leaf positions was observed to be better than 0.1 mm. The Elekta MLC leaf position accuracy measured with this system has been better than 0.3 mm.

SU-F-T-530: Characterization of a 60-Leaf Motorized MLC Designed for Cobalt-60 Units

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, L; Smith, L; Ciresianu, A

2016-06-15

Purpose: In a continuing effort to improve conformal radiation therapy with Cobalt-60 units, a 60-leaf MLC was designed, manufactured, and released to market. This work describes the physics measurements taken to characterize the clinical performance of this MLC. Methods: A 60 leaf MLC was custom designed with tungsten leaves of 4.5 cm height, single focused, achieving field size of 30×30 cm^2 when mounted on a 100cm SAD Cobalt-60 unit. Leakage and output factor measurements were performed using a single ion chamber in a solid water phantom. Penumbra and surface dose were measured using scanning chambers and diodes in a watermore » phantom. Radiation-light coincidence measurements were performed using radiographic films. Results: With MLC mounted, measured penumbras at all depths are smaller than with jaws only. Surface doses were not significantly affected by the presence of MLC, and remained below values recommended by regulatory bodies. Light-radiation coincidences were found to be better than 3 mm for all field sizes. Leakage through the MLC was found to be strongly dependent on field size, increasing from 1.0 % for a 10×10 cm field to 2.0% for a 30×30 cm field. Such results meet the requirements of IEC 60601-2-11. The MLC was found to have significant influence on the output factor, when field size defined by MLC is significantly smaller than field size defined by jaws. Such effect is also observed on linear accelerators, but it is more pronounced on Cobalt-60 units. A 10×10 “diamond” MLC shape inside a 14×14 cm jaw showed output factor that is 5.7% higher than 10×10 cm field defined by matching MLC and jaws. Conclusion: The MLC offers clinically acceptable performance in penumbra, surface dose, and light-radiation coincidence. Several units of this MLC have recently been installed and used clinically. Validation of Cobalt-60 based IMRT with this MLC is ongoing. The authors are employees of Best Theratrnics Ltd.« less

Disrupting MLC1 and GlialCAM and ClC-2 interactions in leukodystrophy entails glial chloride channel dysfunction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoegg-Beiler, Maja B.; Sirisi, Sònia; Orozco, Ian J.; Ferrer, Isidre; Hohensee, Svea; Auberson, Muriel; Gödde, Kathrin; Vilches, Clara; de Heredia, Miguel López; Nunes, Virginia; Estévez, Raúl; Jentsch, Thomas J.

2014-03-01

Defects in the astrocytic membrane protein MLC1, the adhesion molecule GlialCAM or the chloride channel ClC-2 underlie human leukoencephalopathies. Whereas GlialCAM binds ClC-2 and MLC1, and modifies ClC-2 currents in vitro, no functional connections between MLC1 and ClC-2 are known. Here we investigate this by generating loss-of-function Glialcam and Mlc1 mouse models manifesting myelin vacuolization. We find that ClC-2 is unnecessary for MLC1 and GlialCAM localization in brain, whereas GlialCAM is important for targeting MLC1 and ClC-2 to specialized glial domains in vivo and for modifying ClC-2’s biophysical properties specifically in oligodendrocytes (OLs), the cells chiefly affected by vacuolization. Unexpectedly, MLC1 is crucial for proper localization of GlialCAM and ClC-2, and for changing ClC-2 currents. Our data unmask an unforeseen functional relationship between MLC1 and ClC-2 in vivo, which is probably mediated by GlialCAM, and suggest that ClC-2 participates in the pathogenesis of megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts.

Singlet oxygen explicit dosimetry to predict local tumor control for HPPH-mediated photodynamic therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penjweini, Rozhin; Kim, Michele M.; Ong, Yi Hong; Zhu, Timothy C.

2017-02-01

This preclinical study examines four dosimetric quantities (light fluence, photosensitizer photobleaching ratio, PDT dose, and reacted singlet oxygen ([1O2]rx)) to predict local control rate (LCR) for 2-(1-Hexyloxyethyl)-2-devinyl pyropheophorbide (HPPH)-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT). Mice bearing radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) tumors were treated with different in-air fluences (135, 250 and 350 J/cm2) and in-air fluence rates (50, 75 and 150 mW/cm2) at 0.25 mg/kg HPPH and a drug-light interval of 24 hours using a 1 cm diameter collimated laser beam at 665 nm wavelength. A macroscopic model was used to calculate ([1O2]rx)) based on in vivo explicit dosimetry of the initial tissue oxygenation, photosensitizer concentration, and tissue optical properties. PDT dose was defined as a temporal integral of drug concentration and fluence rate (φ) at a 3 mm tumor depth. Light fluence rate was calculated throughout the treatment volume based on Monte-Carlo simulation and measured tissue optical properties. The tumor volume of each mouse was tracked for 30 days after PDT and Kaplan-Meier analyses for LCR were performed based on a tumor volume <=100 mm3, for four dose metrics: fluence, HPPH photobleaching rate, PDT dose, and ([1O2]rx)). The results of this study showed that ([1O2]rx)) is the best dosimetric quantity that can predict tumor response and correlate with LCR.

Inhibiting Myosin Light Chain Kinase Induces Apoptosis In Vitro and In Vivo

PubMed Central

Fazal, Fabeha; Gu, Lianzhi; Ihnatovych, Ivanna; Han, YooJeong; Hu, WenYang; Antic, Nenad; Carreira, Fernando; Blomquist, James F.; Hope, Thomas J.; Ucker, David S.; de Lanerolle, Primal

2005-01-01

Previous short-term studies have correlated an increase in the phosphorylation of the 20-kDa light chain of myosin II (MLC20) with blebbing in apoptotic cells. We have found that this increase in MLC20 phosphorylation is rapidly followed by MLC20 dephosphorylation when cells are stimulated with various apoptotic agents. MLC20 dephosphorylation is not a consequence of apoptosis because MLC20 dephosphorylation precedes caspase activation when cells are stimulated with a proapoptotic agent or when myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) is inhibited pharmacologically or by microinjecting an inhibitory antibody to MLCK. Moreover, blocking caspase activation increased cell survival when MLCK is inhibited or when cells are treated with tumor necrosis factor alpha. Depolymerizing actin filaments or detaching cells, processes that destabilize the cytoskeleton, or inhibiting myosin ATPase activity also resulted in MLC20 dephosphorylation and cell death. In vivo experiments showed that inhibiting MLCK increased the number of apoptotic cells and retarded the growth of mammary cancer cells in mice. Thus, MLC20 dephosphorylation occurs during physiological cell death and prolonged MLC20 dephosphorylation can trigger apoptosis. PMID:15988034

Predicting drug penetration across the blood-brain barrier: comparison of micellar liquid chromatography and immobilized artificial membrane liquid chromatography.

PubMed

De Vrieze, Mike; Lynen, Frédéric; Chen, Kai; Szucs, Roman; Sandra, Pat

2013-07-01

Several in vitro methods have been tested for their ability to predict drug penetration across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) into the central nervous system (CNS). In this article, the performance of a variety of micellar liquid chromatographic (MLC) methods and immobilized artificial membrane (IAM) liquid chromatographic approaches were compared for a set of 45 solutes. MLC measurements were performed on a C18 column with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), polyoxyethylene (23) lauryl ether (Brij35), or sodium deoxycholate (SDC) as surfactant in the micellar mobile phase. IAM liquid chromatography measurements were performed with Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS) and methanol as organic modifier in the mobile phase. The corresponding retention and computed descriptor data for each solute were used for construction of models to predict transport across the blood-brain barrier (log BB). All data were correlated with experimental log BB values and the relative performance of the models was studied. SDS-based models proved most suitable for prediction of log BB values, followed closely by a simplified IAM method, in which it could be observed that extrapolation of retention data to 0% modifier in the mobile phase was unnecessary.

TomoTherapy MLC verification using exit detector data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen Quan; Westerly, David; Fang Zhenyu

2012-01-15

Purpose: Treatment delivery verification (DV) is important in the field of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). While IMRT and image guided radiation therapy (IGRT), allow us to create more conformal plans and enables the use of tighter margins, an erroneously executed plan can have detrimental effects on the treatment outcome. The purpose of this study is to develop a DV technique to verify TomoTherapy's multileaf collimator (MLC) using the onboard mega-voltage CT detectors. Methods: The proposed DV method uses temporal changes in the MVCT detector signal to predict actual leaf open times delivered on the treatment machine. Penumbra and scatteredmore » radiation effects may produce confounding results when determining leaf open times from the raw detector data. To reduce the impact of the effects, an iterative, Richardson-Lucy (R-L) deconvolution algorithm is applied. Optical sensors installed on each MLC leaf are used to verify the accuracy of the DV technique. The robustness of the DV technique is examined by introducing different attenuation materials in the beam. Additionally, the DV technique has been used to investigate several clinical plans which failed to pass delivery quality assurance (DQA) and was successful in identifying MLC timing discrepancies as the root cause. Results: The leaf open time extracted from the exit detector showed good agreement with the optical sensors under a variety of conditions. Detector-measured leaf open times agreed with optical sensor data to within 0.2 ms, and 99% of the results agreed within 8.5 ms. These results changed little when attenuation was added in the beam. For the clinical plans failing DQA, the dose calculated from reconstructed leaf open times played an instrumental role in discovering the root-cause of the problem. Throughout the retrospective study, it is found that the reconstructed dose always agrees with measured doses to within 1%. Conclusions: The exit detectors in the TomoTherapy treatment systems can provide valuable information about MLC behavior during delivery. A technique to estimate the TomoTherapy binary MLC leaf open time from exit detector signals is described. This technique is shown to be both robust and accurate for delivery verification.« less

Myosin‑II heavy chain and formin mediate the targeting of myosin essential light chain to the division site before and during cytokinesis

PubMed Central

Feng, Zhonghui; Okada, Satoshi; Cai, Guoping; Zhou, Bing; Bi, Erfei

2015-01-01

MLC1 is a haploinsufficient gene encoding the essential light chain for Myo1, the sole myosin‑II heavy chain in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mlc1 defines an essential hub that coordinates actomyosin ring function, membrane trafficking, and septum formation during cytokinesis by binding to IQGAP, myosin‑II, and myosin‑V. However, the mechanism of how Mlc1 is targeted to the division site during the cell cycle remains unsolved. By constructing a GFP‑tagged MLC1 under its own promoter control and using quantitative live‑cell imaging coupled with yeast mutants, we found that septin ring and actin filaments mediate the targeting of Mlc1 to the division site before and during cytokinesis, respectively. Both mechanisms contribute to and are collectively required for the accumulation of Mlc1 at the division site during cytokinesis. We also found that Myo1 plays a major role in the septin‑dependent Mlc1 localization before cytokinesis, whereas the formin Bni1 plays a major role in the actin filament–dependent Mlc1 localization during cytokinesis. Such a two‑tiered mechanism for Mlc1 localization is presumably required for the ordered assembly and robustness of cytokinesis machinery and is likely conserved across species. PMID:25631819

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Han, S; Ji, Y; Kim, K

Purpose: A diagnostics Multileaf Collimator (MLC) was designed for diagnostic radiography dose reduction. Monte Carlo simulation was used to evaluate efficiency of shielding material for producing leaves of Multileaf collimator. Material & Methods: The general radiography unit (Rex-650R, Listem, Korea) was modeling with Monte Carlo simulation (MCNPX, LANL, USA) and we used SRS-78 program to calculate the energy spectrum of tube voltage (80, 100, 120 kVp). The shielding materials was SKD 11 alloy tool steel that is composed of 1.6% carbon(C), 0.4% silicon (Si), 0.6% manganese (Mn), 5% chromium (Cr), 1% molybdenum (Mo), and vanadium (V). The density of itmore » was 7.89 g/m3. We simulated leafs diagnostic MLC using SKD 11 with general radiography unit. We calculated efficiency of diagnostic MLC using tally6 card of MCNPX depending on energy. Results: The diagnostic MLC consisted of 25 individual metal shielding leaves on both sides, with dimensions of 10 × 0.5 × 0.5 cm3. The leaves of MLC were controlled by motors positioned on both sides of the MLC. According to energy (tube voltage), the shielding efficiency of MLC in Monte Carlo simulation was 99% (80 kVp), 96% (100 kVp) and 93% (120 kVp). Conclusion: We certified efficiency of diagnostic MLC fabricated from SKD11 alloy tool steel. Based on the results, the diagnostic MLC was designed. We will make the diagnostic MLC for dose reduction of diagnostic radiography.« less

Embryonic essential myosin light chain regulates fetal lung development in rats.

PubMed

Santos, Marta; Moura, Rute S; Gonzaga, Sílvia; Nogueira-Silva, Cristina; Ohlmeier, Steffen; Correia-Pinto, Jorge

2007-09-01

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is currently the most life-threatening congenital anomaly the major finding of which is lung hypoplasia. Lung hypoplasia pathophysiology involves early developmental molecular insult in branching morphogenesis and a late mechanical insult by abdominal herniation in maturation and differentiation processes. Since early determinants of lung hypoplasia might appear as promising targets for prenatal therapy, proteomics analysis of normal and nitrofen-induced hypoplastic lungs was performed at 17.5 days after conception. The major differentially expressed protein was identified by mass spectrometry as myosin light chain 1a (MLC1a). Embryonic essential MLC1a and regulatory myosin light chain 2 (MLC2) were characterized throughout normal and abnormal lung development by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Disruption of MLC1a expression was assessed in normal lung explant cultures by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. Since early stages of normal lung development, MLC1a was expressed in vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells of pulmonary artery, and MLC2 was present in parabronchial smooth muscle and VSM cells of pulmonary vessels. In addition, early smooth muscle differentiation delay was observed by immunohistochemistry of alpha-smooth muscle actin and transforming growth factor-beta1. Disruption of MLC1a expression during normal pulmonary development led to significant growth and branching impairment, suggesting a role in branching morphogenesis. Both MLC1a and MLC2 were absent from hypoplastic fetal lungs during pseudoglandular stage of lung development, whereas their expression partially recovered by prenatal treatment with vitamin A. Thus, a deficiency in contractile proteins MLC1a and MLC2 might have a role among the early molecular determinants of lung hypoplasia in the rat model of nitrofen-induced CDH.

Ca2+-dependent rapid Ca2+ sensitization of contraction in arterial smooth muscle.

PubMed

Dimopoulos, George J; Semba, Shingo; Kitazawa, Kazuyo; Eto, Masumi; Kitazawa, Toshio

2007-01-05

Ca(2+) ion is a universal intracellular messenger that regulates numerous biological functions. In smooth muscle, Ca(2+) with calmodulin activates myosin light chain (MLC) kinase to initiate a rapid MLC phosphorylation and contraction. To test the hypothesis that regulation of MLC phosphatase is involved in the rapid development of MLC phosphorylation and contraction during Ca(2+) transient, we compared Ca(2+) signal, MLC phosphorylation, and 2 modes of inhibition of MLC phosphatase, phosphorylation of CPI-17 Thr38 and MYPT1 Thr853, during alpha(1) agonist-induced contraction with/without various inhibitors in intact rabbit femoral artery. Phenylephrine rapidly induced CPI-17 phosphorylation from a negligible amount to a peak value of 0.38+/-0.04 mol of Pi/mol within 7 seconds following stimulation, similar to the rapid time course of Ca(2+) rise and MLC phosphorylation. This rapid CPI-17 phosphorylation was dramatically inhibited by either blocking Ca(2+) release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum or by pretreatment with protein kinase C inhibitors, suggesting an involvement of Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase C. This was followed by a slow Ca(2+)-independent and Rho-kinase/protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation of CPI-17. In contrast, MYPT1 phosphorylation had only a slow component that increased from 0.29+/-0.09 at rest to the peak of 0.68+/-0.14 mol of Pi/mol at 1 minute, similar to the time course of contraction. Thus, there are 2 components of the Ca(2+) sensitization through inhibition of MLC phosphatase. Our results support the hypothesis that the initial rapid Ca(2+) rise induces a rapid inhibition of MLC phosphatase coincident with the Ca(2+)-induced MLC kinase activation to synergistically initiate a rapid MLC phosphorylation and contraction in arteries with abundant CPI-17 content.

Determination of fluence rate and temperature distributions in the rat brain; implications for photodynamic therapy.

PubMed

Angell-Petersen, Even; Hirschberg, Henry; Madsen, Steen J

2007-01-01

Light and heat distributions are measured in a rat glioma model used in photodynamic therapy. A fiber delivering 632-nm light is fixed in the brain of anesthetized BDIX rats. Fluence rates are measured using calibrated isotropic probes that are positioned stereotactically. Mathematical models are then used to derive tissue optical properties, enabling calculation of fluence rate distributions for general tumor and light application geometries. The fluence rates in tumor-free brains agree well with the models based on diffusion theory and Monte Carlo simulation. In both cases, the best fit is found for absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of 0.57 and 28 cm(-1), respectively. In brains with implanted BT(4)C tumors, a discrepancy between diffusion and Monte Carlo-derived two-layer models is noted. Both models suggest that tumor tissue has higher absorption and less scattering than normal brain. Temperatures are measured by inserting thermocouples directly into tumor-free brains. A model based on diffusion theory and the bioheat equation is found to be in good agreement with the experimental data and predict a thermal penetration depth of 0.60 cm in normal rat brain. The predicted parameters can be used to estimate the fluences, fluence rates, and temperatures achieved during photodynamic therapy.

Atomic Oxygen Fluence Monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Bruce A.

2011-01-01

This innovation enables a means for actively measuring atomic oxygen fluence (accumulated atoms of atomic oxygen per area) that has impinged upon spacecraft surfaces. Telemetered data from the device provides spacecraft designers, researchers, and mission managers with real-time measurement of atomic oxygen fluence, which is useful for prediction of the durability of spacecraft materials and components. The innovation is a compact fluence measuring device that allows in-space measurement and transmittance of measured atomic oxygen fluence as a function of time based on atomic oxygen erosion yields (the erosion yield of a material is the volume of material that is oxidized per incident oxygen atom) of materials that have been measured in low Earth orbit. It has a linear electrical response to atomic oxygen fluence, and is capable of measuring high atomic oxygen fluences (up to >10(exp 22) atoms/sq cm), which are representative of multi-year low-Earth orbital missions (such as the International Space Station). The durability or remaining structural lifetime of solar arrays that consist of polymer blankets on which the solar cells are attached can be predicted if one knows the atomic oxygen fluence that the solar array blanket has been exposed to. In addition, numerous organizations that launch space experiments into low-Earth orbit want to know the accumulated atomic oxygen fluence that their materials or components have been exposed to. The device is based on the erosion yield of pyrolytic graphite. It uses two 12deg inclined wedges of graphite that are over a grit-blasted fused silica window covering a photodiode. As the wedges erode, a greater area of solar illumination reaches the photodiode. A reference photodiode is also used that receives unobstructed solar illumination and is oriented in the same direction as the pyrolytic graphite covered photodiode. The short-circuit current from the photodiodes is measured and either sent to an onboard data logger, or transmitted to a receiving station on Earth. By comparison of the short-circuit currents from the fluence-measuring photodiode and the reference photodiode, one can compute the accumulated atomic oxygen fluence arriving in the direction that the fluence monitor is pointing. The device produces a signal that is linear with atomic oxygen fluence using a material whose atomic oxygen erosion yield has been measured over a period of several years in low-Earth orbit.

MLC-based penumbra softener of EDW borders to reduce junction inhomogeneities.

PubMed

Szpala, Stanislaw; Kohli, Kirpal

2017-05-01

Junctions of fields are known to be susceptible to developing cold or hot spots in the presence of even small geometrical misalignments. Reduction of these dose inhomogeneities can be accomplished through decreasing the dose gradients in the penumbra, but currently it cannot be done for enhanced dynamic wedges (EDW). An MLC-based penumbra softener was developed in the developer mode of TrueBeam linacs to reduce dose gradients across the side border of EDWs. The movement of each leaf was individually synchronized with the movement of the dynamic Y jaw to soften the penumbra in the same manner along the entire field border, in spite of the presence of the dose gradient of the EDW. Junction homogeneity upon field misalignment for side-matched EDWs was examined with the MV imager. The fluence inhomogeneities were reduced from about 30% per mm of shift of the field borders for the conventional EDW to about 2% per mm for the softened-penumbra plan. The junction in a four-field monoisocentric breast plan delivered to the Rando phantom was assessed with film. The dose inhomogeneities across the junction in the superior-inferior direction were reduced from about 20% to 25% per mm for the conventional fields to about 5% per mm. The dose near the softened junction of the breast plan with no shifts did not deviate from the conventional plan by more than about 4%. The newly-developed softened-penumbra junction of EDW (and/or open) fields was shown to reduce sensitivity to misalignments without increasing complexity of the planning or delivery. This methodology needs to be adopted by the manufacturers for clinical use. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

A quantitative method to the analysis of MLC leaf position and speed based on EPID and EBT3 film for dynamic IMRT treatment with different types of MLC.

PubMed

Li, Yinghui; Chen, Lixin; Zhu, Jinhan; Wang, Bin; Liu, Xiaowei

2017-07-01

A quantitative method based on the electronic portal imaging system (EPID) and film was developed for MLC position and speed testing; this method was used for three MLC types (Millennium, MLCi, and Agility MLC). To determine the leaf position, a picket fence designed by the dynamic (DMLC) model was used. The full-width half-maximum (FWHM) values of each gap measured by EPID and EBT3 were converted to the gap width using the FWHM versus nominal gap width relationship. The algorithm developed for the picket fence analysis was able to quantify the gap width, the distance between gaps, and each individual leaf position. To determine the leaf speed, a 0.5 × 20 cm 2 MLC-defined sliding gap was applied across a 14 × 20 cm 2 symmetry field. The linacs ran at a fixed-dose rate. The use of different monitor units (MUs) for this test led to different leaf speeds. The effect of leaf transmission was considered in a speed accuracy analysis. The difference between the EPID and film results for the MLC position is less than 0.1 mm. For the three MLC types, twice the standard deviation (2 SD) is provided; 0.2, 0.4, and 0.4 mm for gap widths of three MLC types, and 0.1, 0.2, and 0.2 mm for distances between gaps. The individual leaf positions deviate from the preset positions within 0.1 mm. The variations in the speed profiles for the EPID and EBT3 results are consistent, but the EPID results are slightly better than the film results. Different speeds were measured for each MLC type. For all three MLC types, speed errors increase with increasing speed. The analysis speeds deviate from the preset speeds within approximately 0.01 cm s -1 . This quantitative analysis of MLC position and speed provides an intuitive evaluation for MLC quality assurance (QA). © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

SU-E-T-331: Dosimetric Impact of Multileaf Collimator Leaf Width On Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) RapidArc Treatment Plans for Single and Multiple Brain Metastases

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hossain, S; Keeling, V; Ahmad, S

Purpose: To determine the effects of multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf width on normal-brain-tissue doses and dose conformity of SRS RapidArc treatment plans for brain tumors. Methods: Ten patients with 24 intracranial tumors (seven with 1–2 and three with 4–6 lesions) were planned using RapidArc for both Varian Millennium 120 MLC (5 mm leaf width) and high definition (HD) MLC (2.5 mm leaf width). Between 2 and 8 arcs were used with two full coplanar arcs and the rest non-coplanar half arcs. 6 MV beams were used and plans were optimized with a high priority to the Normal Tissue Objective (tomore » achieve dose conformity and sharp dose fall-off) and normal brain tissue. Calculation was done using AAA on a 1 mm grid size. The prescription dose ranged from 14–22 Gy. Plans were normalized such that 99% of the target received the prescription dose. Identical beam geometries, optimizations, calculations, and normalizations were used for both plans. Paddick Conformity Index (PCI), V4, V8 and V12 Gy for normal brain tissue and Integral Dose were used for analysis. Results: In all cases, HD MLC plans performed better in sparing normal brain tissue, achieving a higher PCI with a lower Integral Dose. The average PCI for all 24 targets was 0.75±0.23 and 0.70±0.23 (p ≤0.0015) for HD MLC and Millennium MLC plans, respectively. The average ratio of normal brain doses for Millennium MLC to HD MLC plans was 1.30±0.16, 1.27±0.15, and 1.31±0.18 for the V4, V8, and V12, respectively. The differences in normal brain dose for all criteria were statistically significant with p-value < 0.02. On average Millennium MLC plans had a 16% higher integral dose than HD MLC plans. Conclusion: Significantly better dose conformity with reduced volume of normal brain tissue and integral dose was achieved with HD MLC plans compared to Millennium MLC plans.« less

SU-C-BRB-02: Symmetric and Asymmetric MLC Based Lung Shielding and Dose Optimization During Translating Bed TBI

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ahmed, S; Kakakhel, MB; Ahmed, SBS

2015-06-15

Purpose: The primary aim was to introduce a dose optimization method for translating bed total body irradiation technique that ensures lung shielding dynamically. Symmetric and asymmetric dynamic MLC apertures were employed for this purpose. Methods: The MLC aperture sizes were defined based on the radiological depth values along the divergent ray lines passing through the individual CT slices. Based on these RD values, asymmetrically shaped MLC apertures were defined every 9 mm of the phantom in superior-inferior direction. Individual MLC files were created with MATLAB™ and were imported into Eclipse™ treatment planning system for dose calculations. Lungs can be shieldedmore » to an optimum level by reducing the MLC aperture width over the lungs. The process was repeated with symmetrically shaped apertures. Results: Dose-volume histogram (DVH) analysis shows that the asymmetric MLC based technique provides better dose coverage to the body and optimum shielding of the lungs compared to symmetrically shaped beam apertures. Midline dose homogeneity is within ±3% with asymmetric MLC apertures whereas it remains within ±4.5% with symmetric ones (except head region where it drops down to −7%). The substantial over and under dosage of ±5% at tissue interfaces has been reduced to ±2% with asymmetric MLC technique. Lungs dose can be reduced to any desired limit. In this experiment lungs dose was reduced to 80% of the prescribed dose, as was desired. Conclusion: The novel asymmetric MLC based technique assures optimum shielding of OARs (e.g. lungs) and better 3-D dose homogeneity and body-dose coverage in comparison with the symmetric MLC aperture optimization. The authors acknowledge the financial and infrastructural support provided by Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad and Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi during the course of this research project. Authors have no conflict of interest with any national / international body for the presented work.« less

SU-F-T-650: The Comparison of Robotic Partial Breast Stereotactic Irradiation Using MLC Vs. Iris Cone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ding, C; Timmerman, R; Jiang, S

Purpose: To evaluate the dosimetric impact on treatment planning for partial breast stereotactic irradiation using Cyberknife with MLC versus Iris Cone. Methods: Ten patients whom underwent lumpectomy for DCIS or stage I invasive non-lobular epithelial breast cancer were included in this study. All patients were previously treated on the Cyberknife using Iris cone with the prescription dose of 37.5Gy in 5 fractions covering at least 95% of PTV on our phase I SBRT 5 fraction partial breast irradiation trial. Retrospectively, treatment planning was performed and compared using the new Cyberknife M6 MLC system for each patient. Using the same contoursmore » and critical organ constraints for both MLC and Iris cone plans, the dose on target and critical organs were analyzed accordingly. Results: Dose to critical organs such as ipsilateral lung, contralateral lung, heart, skin, ipsilateral breast, and rib were analyzed, as well as conformity index and high dose spillage of the target area. In 9 of 10 patients, the MLC plans had less total ipsilateral breast volume encompassing the 50% prescription isodose (mean:22.3±8.2% MLC vs. 31.6±8.0 Iris, p=0.00014) .The MLC plans mean estimated treatment delivery time was significantly less than the Iris plans (51±3.9min vs. 56.2±9min, p=0.03) Both MLC and Iris cone plans were able to meet all dose constraints and there was no statistical difference between those dose constraints. Conclusion: Both MLC and Iris Cone can deliver conformal dose to a partial breast target and satisfy the dose constraints of critical organs. The new Cyberknife with MLC can deliver a more conformal dose in the lower dose region and spare more ipsilateral breast tissue to the 50% prescription isodose. The treatment time for partial breast SBRT plans was also reduced using MLC. Project receives research support from Accuray Inc.« less

Comparison of MLC error sensitivity of various commercial devices for VMAT pre-treatment quality assurance.

PubMed

Saito, Masahide; Sano, Naoki; Shibata, Yuki; Kuriyama, Kengo; Komiyama, Takafumi; Marino, Kan; Aoki, Shinichi; Ashizawa, Kazunari; Yoshizawa, Kazuya; Onishi, Hiroshi

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the MLC error sensitivity of various measurement devices for VMAT pre-treatment quality assurance (QA). This study used four QA devices (Scandidos Delta4, PTW 2D-array, iRT systems IQM, and PTW Farmer chamber). Nine retrospective VMAT plans were used and nine MLC error plans were generated for all nine original VMAT plans. The IQM and Farmer chamber were evaluated using the cumulative signal difference between the baseline and error-induced measurements. In addition, to investigate the sensitivity of the Delta4 device and the 2D-array, global gamma analysis (1%/1, 2%/2, and 3%/3 mm), dose difference (1%, 2%, and 3%) were used between the baseline and error-induced measurements. Some deviations of the MLC error sensitivity for the evaluation metrics and MLC error ranges were observed. For the two ionization devices, the sensitivity of the IQM was significantly better than that of the Farmer chamber (P < 0.01) while both devices had good linearly correlation between the cumulative signal difference and the magnitude of MLC errors. The pass rates decreased as the magnitude of the MLC error increased for both Delta4 and 2D-array. However, the small MLC error for small aperture sizes, such as for lung SBRT, could not be detected using the loosest gamma criteria (3%/3 mm). Our results indicate that DD could be more useful than gamma analysis for daily MLC QA, and that a large-area ionization chamber has a greater advantage for detecting systematic MLC error because of the large sensitive volume, while the other devices could not detect this error for some cases with a small range of MLC error. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

SU-E-T-479: IMRT Plan Recalculation in Patient Based On Dynalog Data and the Effect of a Single Failing MLC Motor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morcos, M; Mitrou, E

2015-06-15

Purpose: Using Linac dynamic logs (Dynalogs) we evaluate the impact of a single failing MLC motor on the deliverability of an IMRT plan by assessing the recalculated dose volume histograms (DVHs) taking the delivered MLC positions and beam hold-offs into consideration. Methods: This is a retrospective study based on a deteriorating MLC motor (leaf 36B) which was observed to be failing via Dynalog analysis. To investigate further, Eclipse-importable MLC files were generated from Dynalogs to recalculate the actual delivered dose and to assess the clinical impact through DVHs. All deliveries were performed on a Varian 21EX linear accelerator equipped withmore » Millennium-120 MLC. The analysis of Dynalog files and subsequent conversion to Eclipse-importable MLC files were all performed by in-house programming in Python. Effects on plan DVH are presented in the following section on a particular brain-IMRT plan which was delivered with a failing MLC motor which was then replaced. Results: Global max dose increased by 13.5%, max dose to the brainstem PRV increased by 8.2%, max dose to the optic chiasm increased by 7.6%, max dose to optic nerve increased by 8.8% and the mean dose to the PTV increased by 7.9% when comparing the original plan to the fraction with the failing MLC motor. The reason the dose increased was due to the failure being on the B-bank which is the lagging side on a sliding window delivery, therefore any failures on this side will cause an over-irradiation as the B-bank leaves struggles to keep the window from growing. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that a single failing MLC motor may jeopardize the entire delivery. This may be due to the bad MLC motor drawing too much current causing all MLCs on the same bank to underperform. This hypothesis will be investigated in a future study.« less

SU-E-T-646: Quality Assurance of Truebeam Multi-Leaf Collimator Using a MLC QA Phantom

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, J; Lu, J; Hong, D

2015-06-15

Purpose: To perform a routine quality assurance procedure for Truebeam multi-leaf collimator (MLC) using MLC QA phantom, verify the stability and reliability of MLC during the treatment. Methods: MLC QA phantom is a specialized phantom for MLC quality assurance (QA), and contains five radio-opaque spheres that are embedded in an “L” shape. The phantom was placed isocentrically on the Truebeam treatment couch for the tests. A quality assurance plan was setted up in the Eclipse v10.0, the fields that need to be delivered in order to acquire the necessary images, the MLC shapes can then be obtained by the images.more » The images acquired by the electronic portal imaging device (EPID), and imported into the PIPSpro software for the analysis. The tests were delivered twelve weeks (once a week) to verify consistency of the delivery, and the images are acquired in the same manner each time. Results: For the Leaf position test, the average position error was 0.23mm±0.02mm (range: 0.18mm∼0.25mm). The Leaf width was measured at the isocenter, the average error was 0.06mm±0.02mm (range: 0.02mm∼0.08mm) for the Leaf width test. Multi-Port test showed the dynamic leaf shift error, the average error was 0.28mm±0.03mm (range: 0.2mm∼0.35mm). For the leaf transmission test, the average inter-leaf leakage value was 1.0%±0.17% (range: 0.8%∼1.3%) and the average inter-bank leakage value was 32.6%±2.1% (range: 30.2%∼36.1%). Conclusion: By the test of 12 weeks, the MLC system of the Truebeam is running in a good condition and the MLC system can be steadily and reliably carried out during the treatment. The MLC QA phantom is a useful test tool for the MLC QA.« less

Mlc Is a Transcriptional Activator with a Key Role in Integrating Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein and Integration Host Factor Regulation of Leukotoxin RNA Synthesis in Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

PubMed Central

Childress, Catherine; Feuerbacher, Leigh A.; Phillips, Linda; Burgum, Alex

2013-01-01

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a periodontal pathogen, synthesizes leukotoxin (LtxA), a protein that helps the bacterium evade the host immune response. Transcription of the ltxA operon is induced during anaerobic growth. The cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP) indirectly increases ltxA expression, but the intermediary regulator is unknown. Integration host factor (IHF) binds to and represses the leukotoxin promoter, but neither CRP nor IHF is responsible for the anaerobic induction of ltxA RNA synthesis. Thus, we have undertaken studies to identify other regulators of leukotoxin transcription and to demonstrate how these proteins work together to modulate leukotoxin synthesis. First, analyses of ltxA RNA expression from defined leukotoxin promoter mutations in the chromosome identify positions −69 to −35 as the key control region and indicate that an activator protein modulates leukotoxin transcription. We show that Mlc, which is a repressor in Escherichia coli, functions as a direct transcriptional activator in A. actinomycetemcomitans; an mlc deletion mutant reduces leukotoxin RNA synthesis, and recombinant Mlc protein binds specifically at the −68 to −40 region of the leukotoxin promoter. Furthermore, we show that CRP activates ltxA expression indirectly by increasing the levels of Mlc. Analyses of Δmlc, Δihf, and Δihf Δmlc strains demonstrate that Mlc can increase RNA polymerase (RNAP) activity directly and that IHF represses ltxA RNA synthesis mainly by blocking Mlc binding. Finally, a Δihf Δmlc mutant still induces ltxA during anaerobic growth, indicating that there are additional factors involved in leukotoxin transcriptional regulation. A model for the coordinated regulation of leukotoxin transcription is presented. PMID:23475968

SU-E-T-501: Initial Orthovoltage Beam Profile Analysis of a Small Brass MLC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Loughery, B; Snyder, M

2015-06-15

Purpose To create brass leaves for an orthovoltage MLC and take initial beam profile measurements. Methods The low-energy MLC was designed in previous work. Brass was chosen for its self-lubrication and low cost. Stock brass rectangles (30cm × 1.0cm × 0.5cm) were ordered with pre-cut gear rack along the topmost long edges. Leaf designs were translated into G-code, then cut with a Tormach CNC-1100 mill. Intense bowing was observed in the beam direction, which required straightening via an in-house jig. Straightened leaves were placed into MLC assembly and mounted to a 320 kVp orthovoltage tube. EDR2 film was irradiated inmore » four situations: MLC open so one edge was isocentric, and MLC open more than isocentric, completely closed MLC, and an open field shot with the MLC removed. The first two scans tested penumbra for our rectangular edges due to unfocused design. The final two scans tested transmission and interleaf leakage. All four experiments were set to 120 kVp and 10 mA for two minutes. Results Transmission and interleaf leakage were found to be zero. Interleaf leakage is faintly visible on film, but undetected by our film scanner despite high spatial resolution. Penumbra at isocenter was found to be 0.72mm, which matched the penumbras of true field edges. Penumbra off-isocenter was 1.1mm. Mechanically, leaves are moving smoothly once straightened. Conclusion Beam profiles through our brass MLC are acceptable. Leaves attenuate and move as designed. Looking forward, we intend to animate our MLC to deliver more complicated treatment plans.« less

Gender differences in the regulation of MLC20 phosphorylation and smooth muscle contraction in rat stomach

PubMed Central

Al-Shboul, Othman A.; Al-Dwairi, Ahmed N.; Alqudah, Mohammad A.; Mustafa, Ayman G.

2018-01-01

Evidence of sex-related differences in gastrointestinal (GI) functions has been reported in the literature. In addition, various GI disorders have disproportionate prevalence between the sexes. An essential step in the initiation of smooth muscle contraction is the phosphorylation of the 20-kDa regulatory myosin light chain (MLC20) by the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent myosin light chain kinase (MLCK). However, whether male stomach smooth muscle inherits different contractile signaling mechanisms for the regulation of MLC20 phosphorylation from that in females has not been established. The present study was designed to investigate sex-associated differences in the regulation of MLC20 phosphorylation and thus muscle contraction in gastric smooth muscle cells (GSMCs). Experiments were performed on GSMCs freshly isolated from male and female rats. Contraction of the GSMCs in response to acetylcholine (ACh), a muscarinic agonist, was measured via scanning micrometry in the presence or absence of the MLCK inhibitor, ML-7. Additionally, the protein levels of MLC20, MLCK and phosphorylated MLC20 were measured by ELISA. The protein levels of MLC20 and MLCK were indifferent between the sexes. ACh induced greater contraction (P<0.05) as well as greater MLC20 phosphorylation (P<0.05) in male GSMCs compared with female. Pretreatment of GSMCs with ML-7 significantly reduced the ACh-induced contraction (P<0.05) and MLC20 phosphorylation (P<0.05) in the male and female cells, and notably, abolished the contractile differences between the sexes. In conclusion, MLC20 phosphorylation and thus muscle contraction may be activated to a greater extent in male rat stomach compared with that in females. PMID:29599980

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, S; Mazur, T; Li, H

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to demonstrate the feasibility and creditability of computing and verifying 3D fluencies to assure IMRT and VMAT treatment deliveries, by correlating the passing rates of the 3D fluence-based QA (P(ά)) to the passing rates of 2D dose measurementbased QA (P(Dm)). Methods: 3D volumetric primary fluencies are calculated by forward-projecting the beam apertures and modulated by beam MU values at all gantry angles. We first introduce simulated machine parameter errors (MU, MLC positions, jaw, gantry and collimator) to the plan. Using passing rates of voxel intensity differences (P(Ir)) and 3D gamma analysis (P(γ)), calculatedmore » 3D fluencies, calculated 3D delivered dose, and measured 2D planar dose in phantom from the original plan are then compared with those from corresponding plans with errors, respectively. The correlations of these three groups of resultant passing rates, i.e. 3D fluence-based QA (P(ά,Ir) and P(ά,γ)), calculated 3D dose (P(Dc,Ir) and P(Dc,γ)), and 2D dose measurement-based QA (P(Dm,Ir) and P(Dm,γ)), will be investigated. Results: 20 treatment plans with 5 different types of errors were tested. Spearman’s correlations were found between P(ά,Ir) and P(Dc,Ir), and also between P(ά,γ) and P(Dc,γ), with averaged p-value 0.037, 0.065, and averaged correlation coefficient ρ-value 0.942, 0.871 respectively. Using Matrixx QA for IMRT plans, Spearman’s correlations were also obtained between P(ά,Ir) and P(Dm,Ir) and also between P(ά,γ) and P(Dm,γ), with p-value being 0.048, 0.071 and ρ-value being 0.897, 0.779 respectively. Conclusion: The demonstrated correlations improve the creditability of using 3D fluence-based QA for assuring treatment deliveries for IMRT/VMAT plans. Together with advantages of high detection sensitivity and better visualization of machine parameter errors, this study further demonstrates the accuracy and feasibility of 3D fluence based-QA in pre-treatment QA and daily QA. Research reported in this study is supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) under award 1R01HS0222888. The senior author received research grants from ViewRay Inc. and Varian Medical System.« less

Effect of MLC leaf position, collimator rotation angle, and gantry rotation angle errors on intensity-modulated radiotherapy plans for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bai, Sen; Li, Guangjun; Wang, Maojie

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf position, collimator rotation angle, and accelerator gantry rotation angle errors on intensity-modulated radiotherapy plans for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. To compare dosimetric differences between the simulating plans and the clinical plans with evaluation parameters, 6 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were selected for simulation of systematic and random MLC leaf position errors, collimator rotation angle errors, and accelerator gantry rotation angle errors. There was a high sensitivity to dose distribution for systematic MLC leaf position errors in response to field size. When the systematic MLC position errors weremore » 0.5, 1, and 2 mm, respectively, the maximum values of the mean dose deviation, observed in parotid glands, were 4.63%, 8.69%, and 18.32%, respectively. The dosimetric effect was comparatively small for systematic MLC shift errors. For random MLC errors up to 2 mm and collimator and gantry rotation angle errors up to 0.5°, the dosimetric effect was negligible. We suggest that quality control be regularly conducted for MLC leaves, so as to ensure that systematic MLC leaf position errors are within 0.5 mm. Because the dosimetric effect of 0.5° collimator and gantry rotation angle errors is negligible, it can be concluded that setting a proper threshold for allowed errors of collimator and gantry rotation angle may increase treatment efficacy and reduce treatment time.« less

Influence of fast and slow alkali myosin light chain isoforms on the kinetics of stretch-induced force transients of fast-twitch type IIA fibres of rat.

PubMed

Andruchov, Oleg; Galler, Stefan

2008-03-01

This study contributes to understand the physiological role of slow myosin light chain isoforms in fast-twitch type IIA fibres of skeletal muscle. These isoforms are often attached to the myosin necks of rat type IIA fibres, whereby the slow alkali myosin light chain isoform MLC1s is much more frequent and abundant than the slow regulatory myosin light chain isoform MLC2s. In the present study, single-skinned rat type IIA fibres were maximally Ca(2+) activated and subjected to stepwise stretches for causing a perturbation of myosin head pulling cycles. From the time course of the resulting force transients, myosin head kinetics was deduced. Fibres containing MLC1s exhibited slower kinetics independently of the presence or absence of MLC2s. At the maximal MLC1s concentration of about 75%, the slowing was about 40%. The slowing effect of MLC1s is possibly due to differences in the myosin heavy chain binding sites of the fast and slow alkali MLC isoforms, which changes the rigidity of the myosin neck. Compared with the impact of myosin heavy chain isoforms in various fast-twitch fibre types, the influence of MLC1s on myosin head kinetics of type IIA fibres is much smaller. In conclusion, the physiological role of fast and slow MLC isoforms in type IIA fibres is a fine-tuning of the myosin head kinetics.

Monte Carlo simulated corrections for beam commissioning measurements with circular and MLC shaped fields on the CyberKnife M6 System: a study including diode, microchamber, point scintillator, and synthetic microdiamond detectors.

PubMed

Francescon, P; Kilby, W; Noll, J M; Masi, L; Satariano, N; Russo, S

2017-02-07

Monte Carlo simulation was used to calculate correction factors for output factor (OF), percentage depth-dose (PDD), and off-axis ratio (OAR) measurements with the CyberKnife M6 System. These include the first such data for the InCise MLC. Simulated detectors include diodes, air-filled microchambers, a synthetic microdiamond detector, and point scintillator. Individual perturbation factors were also evaluated. OF corrections show similar trends to previous studies. With a 5 mm fixed collimator the diode correction to convert a measured OF to the corresponding point dose ratio varies between  -6.1% and  -3.5% for the diode models evaluated, while in a 7.6 mm  ×  7.7 mm MLC field these are  -4.5% to  -1.8%. The corresponding microchamber corrections are  +9.9% to  +10.7% and  +3.5% to  +4.0%. The microdiamond corrections have a maximum of  -1.4% for the 7.5 mm and 10 mm collimators. The scintillator corrections are  <1% in all beams. Measured OF showed uncorrected inter-detector differences  >15%, reducing to  <3% after correction. PDD corrections at d  >  d max were  <2% for all detectors except IBA Razor where a maximum 4% correction was observed at 300 mm depth. OAR corrections were smaller inside the field than outside. At the beam edge microchamber OAR corrections were up to 15%, mainly caused by density perturbations, which blurs the measured penumbra. With larger beams and depths, PTW and IBA diode corrections outside the beam were up to 20% while the Edge detector needed smaller corrections although these did vary with orientation. These effects are most noticeable for large field size and depth, where they are dominated by fluence and stopping power perturbations. The microdiamond OAR corrections were  <3% outside the beam. This paper provides OF corrections that can be used for commissioning new CyberKnife M6 Systems and retrospectively checking estimated corrections used previously. We recommend the PDD and OAR corrections are used to guide detector selection and inform the evaluation of results rather than to explicitly correct measurements.

Monte Carlo simulated corrections for beam commissioning measurements with circular and MLC shaped fields on the CyberKnife M6 System: a study including diode, microchamber, point scintillator, and synthetic microdiamond detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francescon, P.; Kilby, W.; Noll, J. M.; Masi, L.; Satariano, N.; Russo, S.

2017-02-01

Monte Carlo simulation was used to calculate correction factors for output factor (OF), percentage depth-dose (PDD), and off-axis ratio (OAR) measurements with the CyberKnife M6 System. These include the first such data for the InCise MLC. Simulated detectors include diodes, air-filled microchambers, a synthetic microdiamond detector, and point scintillator. Individual perturbation factors were also evaluated. OF corrections show similar trends to previous studies. With a 5 mm fixed collimator the diode correction to convert a measured OF to the corresponding point dose ratio varies between  -6.1% and  -3.5% for the diode models evaluated, while in a 7.6 mm  ×  7.7 mm MLC field these are  -4.5% to  -1.8%. The corresponding microchamber corrections are  +9.9% to  +10.7% and  +3.5% to  +4.0%. The microdiamond corrections have a maximum of  -1.4% for the 7.5 mm and 10 mm collimators. The scintillator corrections are  <1% in all beams. Measured OF showed uncorrected inter-detector differences  >15%, reducing to  <3% after correction. PDD corrections at d  >  d max were  <2% for all detectors except IBA Razor where a maximum 4% correction was observed at 300 mm depth. OAR corrections were smaller inside the field than outside. At the beam edge microchamber OAR corrections were up to 15%, mainly caused by density perturbations, which blurs the measured penumbra. With larger beams and depths, PTW and IBA diode corrections outside the beam were up to 20% while the Edge detector needed smaller corrections although these did vary with orientation. These effects are most noticeable for large field size and depth, where they are dominated by fluence and stopping power perturbations. The microdiamond OAR corrections were  <3% outside the beam. This paper provides OF corrections that can be used for commissioning new CyberKnife M6 Systems and retrospectively checking estimated corrections used previously. We recommend the PDD and OAR corrections are used to guide detector selection and inform the evaluation of results rather than to explicitly correct measurements.

Combining MLC and SVM Classifiers for Learning Based Decision Making: Analysis and Evaluations

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yi; Ren, Jinchang; Jiang, Jianmin

2015-01-01

Maximum likelihood classifier (MLC) and support vector machines (SVM) are two commonly used approaches in machine learning. MLC is based on Bayesian theory in estimating parameters of a probabilistic model, whilst SVM is an optimization based nonparametric method in this context. Recently, it is found that SVM in some cases is equivalent to MLC in probabilistically modeling the learning process. In this paper, MLC and SVM are combined in learning and classification, which helps to yield probabilistic output for SVM and facilitate soft decision making. In total four groups of data are used for evaluations, covering sonar, vehicle, breast cancer, and DNA sequences. The data samples are characterized in terms of Gaussian/non-Gaussian distributed and balanced/unbalanced samples which are then further used for performance assessment in comparing the SVM and the combined SVM-MLC classifier. Interesting results are reported to indicate how the combined classifier may work under various conditions. PMID:26089862

Combining MLC and SVM Classifiers for Learning Based Decision Making: Analysis and Evaluations.

PubMed

Zhang, Yi; Ren, Jinchang; Jiang, Jianmin

2015-01-01

Maximum likelihood classifier (MLC) and support vector machines (SVM) are two commonly used approaches in machine learning. MLC is based on Bayesian theory in estimating parameters of a probabilistic model, whilst SVM is an optimization based nonparametric method in this context. Recently, it is found that SVM in some cases is equivalent to MLC in probabilistically modeling the learning process. In this paper, MLC and SVM are combined in learning and classification, which helps to yield probabilistic output for SVM and facilitate soft decision making. In total four groups of data are used for evaluations, covering sonar, vehicle, breast cancer, and DNA sequences. The data samples are characterized in terms of Gaussian/non-Gaussian distributed and balanced/unbalanced samples which are then further used for performance assessment in comparing the SVM and the combined SVM-MLC classifier. Interesting results are reported to indicate how the combined classifier may work under various conditions.

Solar cell radiation handbook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tada, H. Y.; Carter, J. R., Jr.; Anspaugh, B. E.; Downing, R. G.

1982-01-01

The handbook to predict the degradation of solar cell electrical performance in any given space radiation environment is presented. Solar cell theory, cell manufacturing and how they are modeled mathematically are described. The interaction of energetic charged particles radiation with solar cells is discussed and the concept of 1 MeV equivalent electron fluence is introduced. The space radiation environment is described and methods of calculating equivalent fluences for the space environment are developed. A computer program was written to perform the equivalent fluence calculations and a FORTRAN listing of the program is included. Data detailing the degradation of solar cell electrical parameters as a function of 1 MeV electron fluence are presented.

SU-E-T-604: Penumbra Characteristics of a New InCiseâ„¢ Multileaf Collimator of CyberKnife M6â„¢ System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hwang, M; Jang, S; Ozhasoglu, C

2015-06-15

Purpose: The InCise™ Multileaf Collimator (MLC) of CyberKnife M6™ System has been released recently. The purpose of this study was to explore the dosimetric characteristics of the new MLC. In particular, the penumbra characteristics of MLC fields at varying locations are evaluated. Methods: EBT3-based film measurements were performed with varying MLC fields ranging from 7.5 mm to 27.5 mm. Seventeen regions of interests (ROIs) were identified for irradiation. These are regions located at the central area (denoted as reference field), at the left/right edge areas of reference open field, at an intermediate location between central and edge area. Single beammore » treatment plans were designed by using the MultiPlan and was delivered using the Blue Phantom. Gafchromic films were irradiated at 1.5 cm depth in the Blue Phantom and analyzed using the Film Pro software. Variation of maximum dose, penumbra of MLC-defined fields, and symmetry/flatness were calculated as a function of locations of MLC fields. Results: The InCise™ MLC System showed relatively consistent dose distribution and penumbra size with varying locations of MLC fields. The measured maximum dose varied within 5 % at different locations compared to that at the central location and agreed with the calculated data well within 2%. The measured penumbrae were in the range of 2.9 mm and 3.7 mm and were relatively consistent regardless of locations. However, dose profiles in the out-of-field and in-field regions varied with locations and field sizes. Strong variation was seen for all fields located at 55 mm away from the central field. The MLC leakage map showed that the leakage is dependent on position. Conclusion: The size of penumbra and normalized maximum dose for MLC-defined fields were consistent in different regions of MLC. However, dose profiles in the out-field region varied with locations and field sizes.« less

Model of the final borehole geometry for helical laser drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kroschel, Alexander; Michalowski, Andreas; Graf, Thomas

2018-05-01

A model for predicting the borehole geometry for laser drilling is presented based on the calculation of a surface of constant absorbed fluence. It is applicable to helical drilling of through-holes with ultrashort laser pulses. The threshold fluence describing the borehole surface is fitted for best agreement with experimental data in the form of cross-sections of through-holes of different shapes and sizes in stainless steel samples. The fitted value is similar to ablation threshold fluence values reported for laser ablation models.

The first clinical implementation of electromagnetic transponder-guided MLC tracking.

PubMed

Keall, Paul J; Colvill, Emma; O'Brien, Ricky; Ng, Jin Aun; Poulsen, Per Rugaard; Eade, Thomas; Kneebone, Andrew; Booth, Jeremy T

2014-02-01

We report on the clinical process, quality assurance, and geometric and dosimetric results of the first clinical implementation of electromagnetic transponder-guided MLC tracking which occurred on 28 November 2013 at the Northern Sydney Cancer Centre. An electromagnetic transponder-based positioning system (Calypso) was modified to send the target position output to in-house-developed MLC tracking code, which adjusts the leaf positions to optimally align the treatment beam with the real-time target position. Clinical process and quality assurance procedures were developed and performed. The first clinical implementation of electromagnetic transponder-guided MLC tracking was for a prostate cancer patient being treated with dual-arc VMAT (RapidArc). For the first fraction of the first patient treatment of electromagnetic transponder-guided MLC tracking we recorded the in-room time and transponder positions, and performed dose reconstruction to estimate the delivered dose and also the dose received had MLC tracking not been used. The total in-room time was 21 min with 2 min of beam delivery. No additional time was needed for MLC tracking and there were no beam holds. The average prostate position from the initial setup was 1.2 mm, mostly an anterior shift. Dose reconstruction analysis of the delivered dose with MLC tracking showed similar isodose and target dose volume histograms to the planned treatment and a 4.6% increase in the fractional rectal V60. Dose reconstruction without motion compensation showed a 30% increase in the fractional rectal V60 from that planned, even for the small motion. The real-time beam-target correction method, electromagnetic transponder-guided MLC tracking, has been translated to the clinic. This achievement represents a milestone in improving geometric and dosimetric accuracy, and by inference treatment outcomes, in cancer radiotherapy.

The first clinical implementation of electromagnetic transponder-guided MLC tracking

PubMed Central

Keall, Paul J.; Colvill, Emma; O’Brien, Ricky; Ng, Jin Aun; Poulsen, Per Rugaard; Eade, Thomas; Kneebone, Andrew; Booth, Jeremy T.

2014-01-01

Purpose: We report on the clinical process, quality assurance, and geometric and dosimetric results of the first clinical implementation of electromagnetic transponder-guided MLC tracking which occurred on 28 November 2013 at the Northern Sydney Cancer Centre. Methods: An electromagnetic transponder-based positioning system (Calypso) was modified to send the target position output to in-house-developed MLC tracking code, which adjusts the leaf positions to optimally align the treatment beam with the real-time target position. Clinical process and quality assurance procedures were developed and performed. The first clinical implementation of electromagnetic transponder-guided MLC tracking was for a prostate cancer patient being treated with dual-arc VMAT (RapidArc). For the first fraction of the first patient treatment of electromagnetic transponder-guided MLC tracking we recorded the in-room time and transponder positions, and performed dose reconstruction to estimate the delivered dose and also the dose received had MLC tracking not been used. Results: The total in-room time was 21 min with 2 min of beam delivery. No additional time was needed for MLC tracking and there were no beam holds. The average prostate position from the initial setup was 1.2 mm, mostly an anterior shift. Dose reconstruction analysis of the delivered dose with MLC tracking showed similar isodose and target dose volume histograms to the planned treatment and a 4.6% increase in the fractional rectal V60. Dose reconstruction without motion compensation showed a 30% increase in the fractional rectal V60 from that planned, even for the small motion. Conclusions: The real-time beam-target correction method, electromagnetic transponder-guided MLC tracking, has been translated to the clinic. This achievement represents a milestone in improving geometric and dosimetric accuracy, and by inference treatment outcomes, in cancer radiotherapy. PMID:24506591

SU-E-T-430: Modeling MLC Leaf End in 2D for Sliding Window IMRT and Arc Therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liang, X; Zhu, T

2014-06-01

Purpose: To develop a 2D geometric model for MLC accounting for leaf end dose leakage for dynamic IMRT and Rapidarc therapy. Methods: Leaf-end dose leakage is one of the problems for MLC dose calculation and modeling. Dosimetric leaf gap used to model the MLC and to count for leakage in dose calculation, but may not be accurate for smaller leaf gaps. We propose another geometric modeling method to compensate for the MLC round-shape leaf ends dose leakage, and improve the accuracy of dose calculation and dose verification. A triangular function is used to geometrically model the MLC leaf end leakagemore » in the leaf motion direction, and a step function is used in the perpendicular direction. Dose measurements with different leaf gap, different window width, and different window height were conducted, and the results were used to fit the analytical model to get the model parameters. Results: Analytical models have been obtained for stop-and-shoot and dynamic modes for MLC motion. Parameters a=0.4, lw'=5.0 mm for 6X and a=0.54, lw'=4.1 mm for 15x were obtained from the fitting process. The proposed MLC leaf end model improves the dose profile at the two ends of the sliding window opening. This improvement is especially significant for smaller sliding window openings, which are commonly used for highly modulated IMRT plans and arc therapy plans. Conclusion: This work models the MLC round leaf end shape and movement pattern for IMRT dose calculation. The theory, as well as the results in this work provides a useful tool for photon beam IMRT dose calculation and verification.« less

Development and evaluation of aperture-based complexity metrics using film and EPID measurements of static MLC openings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Götstedt, Julia; Karlsson Hauer, Anna; Bäck, Anna, E-mail: anna.back@vgregion.se

Purpose: Complexity metrics have been suggested as a complement to measurement-based quality assurance for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). However, these metrics have not yet been sufficiently validated. This study develops and evaluates new aperture-based complexity metrics in the context of static multileaf collimator (MLC) openings and compares them to previously published metrics. Methods: This study develops the converted aperture metric and the edge area metric. The converted aperture metric is based on small and irregular parts within the MLC opening that are quantified as measured distances between MLC leaves. The edge area metricmore » is based on the relative size of the region around the edges defined by the MLC. Another metric suggested in this study is the circumference/area ratio. Earlier defined aperture-based complexity metrics—the modulation complexity score, the edge metric, the ratio monitor units (MU)/Gy, the aperture area, and the aperture irregularity—are compared to the newly proposed metrics. A set of small and irregular static MLC openings are created which simulate individual IMRT/VMAT control points of various complexities. These are measured with both an amorphous silicon electronic portal imaging device and EBT3 film. The differences between calculated and measured dose distributions are evaluated using a pixel-by-pixel comparison with two global dose difference criteria of 3% and 5%. The extent of the dose differences, expressed in terms of pass rate, is used as a measure of the complexity of the MLC openings and used for the evaluation of the metrics compared in this study. The different complexity scores are calculated for each created static MLC opening. The correlation between the calculated complexity scores and the extent of the dose differences (pass rate) are analyzed in scatter plots and using Pearson’s r-values. Results: The complexity scores calculated by the edge area metric, converted aperture metric, circumference/area ratio, edge metric, and MU/Gy ratio show good linear correlation to the complexity of the MLC openings, expressed as the 5% dose difference pass rate, with Pearson’s r-values of −0.94, −0.88, −0.84, −0.89, and −0.82, respectively. The overall trends for the 3% and 5% dose difference evaluations are similar. Conclusions: New complexity metrics are developed. The calculated scores correlate to the complexity of the created static MLC openings. The complexity of the MLC opening is dependent on the penumbra region relative to the area of the opening. The aperture-based complexity metrics that combined either the distances between the MLC leaves or the MLC opening circumference with the aperture area show the best correlation with the complexity of the static MLC openings.« less

Myosin Light Chain Kinase Mediates Intestinal Barrier Disruption following Burn Injury

PubMed Central

Chen, Chuanli; Wang, Pei; Su, Qin; Wang, Shiliang; Wang, Fengjun

2012-01-01

Background Severe burn injury results in the loss of intestinal barrier function, however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation mediated by MLC kinase (MLCK) is critical to the pathophysiological regulation of intestinal barrier function. We hypothesized that the MLCK-dependent MLC phosphorylation mediates the regulation of intestinal barrier function following burn injury, and that MLCK inhibition attenuates the burn-induced intestinal barrier disfunction. Methodology/Principal Findings Male balb/c mice were assigned randomly to either sham burn (control) or 30% total body surface area (TBSA) full thickness burn without or with intraperitoneal injection of ML-9 (2 mg/kg), an MLCK inhibitor. In vivo intestinal permeability to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran was measured. Intestinal mucosa injury was assessed histologically. Tight junction proteins ZO-1, occludin and claudin-1 was analyzed by immunofluorescent assay. Expression of MLCK and phosphorylated MLC in ileal mucosa was assessed by Western blot. Intestinal permeability was increased significantly after burn injury, which was accompanied by mucosa injury, tight junction protein alterations, and increase of both MLCK and MLC phosphorylation. Treatment with ML-9 attenuated the burn-caused increase of intestinal permeability, mucosa injury, tight junction protein alterations, and decreased MLC phosphorylation, but not MLCK expression. Conclusions/Significance The MLCK-dependent MLC phosphorylation mediates intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction after severe burn injury. It is suggested that MLCK-dependent MLC phosphorylation may be a critical target for the therapeutic treatment of intestinal epithelial barrier disruption after severe burn injury. PMID:22529961

Electromagnetic-Guided MLC Tracking Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer Patients: Prospective Clinical Trial Results.

PubMed

Keall, Paul J; Colvill, Emma; O'Brien, Ricky; Caillet, Vincent; Eade, Thomas; Kneebone, Andrew; Hruby, George; Poulsen, Per R; Zwan, Benjamin; Greer, Peter B; Booth, Jeremy

2018-06-01

To report on the primary and secondary outcomes of a prospective clinical trial of electromagnetic-guided multileaf collimator (MLC) tracking radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Twenty-eight men with prostate cancer were treated with electromagnetic-guided MLC tracking with volumetric modulated arc therapy. A total of 858 fractions were delivered, with the dose per fraction ranging from 2 to 13.75 Gy. The primary outcome was feasibility, with success determined if >95% of fractions were successfully delivered. The secondary outcomes were (1) the improvement in beam-target geometric alignment, (2) the improvement in dosimetric coverage of the prostate and avoidance of critical structures, and (3) no acute grade ≥3 genitourinary or gastrointestinal toxicity. All 858 planned fractions were successfully delivered with MLC tracking, demonstrating the primary outcome of feasibility (P < .001). MLC tracking improved the beam-target geometric alignment from 1.4 to 0.90 mm (root-mean-square error). MLC tracking improved the dosimetric coverage of the prostate and reduced the daily variation in dose to critical structures. No acute grade ≥3 genitourinary or gastrointestinal toxicity was observed. Electromagnetic-guided MLC tracking radiation therapy for prostate cancer is feasible. The patients received improved geometric targeting and delivered dose distributions that were closer to those planned than they would have received without electromagnetic-guided MLC tracking. No significant acute toxicity was observed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ambient neutron dose equivalent during proton therapy using wobbling scanning system: Measurements and calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yung-Chieh; Lee, Chung-Chi; Chao, Tsi-Chian; Tsai, Hui-Yu

2017-11-01

Neutron production is a concern in proton therapy, particularly in scattering proton beam delivery systems. Despite this fact, little is known about the effects of secondary neutron exposure around wobbling scattered proton treatment nozzles. The objective of this study was to estimate the neutron dose level resulting from the use of a wobbling scattered proton treatment unit. We applied the Monte Carlo method for predict the ambient neutron dose equivalent, H*(10), per absorbed dose at the treatment isocenter, D, in the proton therapy center of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan. For a 190-MeV proton beam, H* (10) / D values typically decreased with the distance from the isocenter, being 1.106 mSv/Gy at the isocenter versus 0.112 mSv/Gy at a distance of 150 cm from the isocenter. The H* (10) / D values generally decreased as the neutron receptors moved away from the isocenter, and increased when the angle from the initial beam axis increased. The ambient neutron dose equivalents were observed to be slightly lower in the direction of multileaf collimator movement. For radiation protection, the central axis of a proton-treated patient is suggested to be at the 0° angle of the beam. If the beam direction at the 90° angle is necessary, the patient axis is suggested to be along with the direction of MLC movement. Our study provides the neutron dose level and neutron energy fluence for the first wobbling proton system at the proton therapy center of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

Effect of MLC leaf width on treatment adaptation and accuracy for concurrent irradiation of prostate and pelvic lymph nodes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shang Qingyang; Qi Peng; Ferjani, Samah

2013-06-15

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf width on treatment adaptation and delivery accuracy for concurrent treatment of the prostate and pelvic lymph nodes with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Methods: Seventy-five kilovoltage cone beam CTs (KV-CBCT) from six patients were included for this retrospective study. For each patient, three different IMRT plans were created based on a planning CT using three different MLC leaf widths of 2.5, 5, and 10 mm, respectively. For each CBCT, the prostate displacement was determined by a dual image registration. Adaptive plans were created bymore » shifting selected MLC leaf pairs to compensate for daily prostate movements. To evaluate the impact of MLC leaf width on the adaptive plan for each daily CBCT, three MLC shifted plans were created using three different leaf widths of MLCs (a total of 225 adaptive treatment plans). Selective dosimetric endpoints for the tumor volumes and organs at risk (OARs) were evaluated for these adaptive plans. Using the planning CT from a selected patient, MLC shifted plans for three hypothetical longitudinal shifts of 2, 4, and 8 mm were delivered on the three linear accelerators to test the deliverability of the shifted plans and to compare the dose accuracy of the shifted plans with the original IMRT plans. Results: Adaptive plans from 2.5 and 5 mm MLCs had inadequate dose coverage to the prostate (D99 < 97%, or D{sub mean} < 99% of the planned dose) in 6%-8% of the fractions, while adaptive plans from 10 mm MLC led to inadequate dose coverage to the prostate in 25.3% of the fractions. The average V{sub 56Gy} of the prostate over the six patients was improved by 6.4% (1.6%-32.7%) and 5.8% (1.5%-35.7%) with adaptive plans from 2.5 and 5 mm MLCs, respectively, when compared with adaptive plans from 10 mm MLC. Pelvic lymph nodes were well covered for all MLC adaptive plans, as small differences were observed for D99, D{sub mean}, and V{sub 50.4Gy}. Similar OAR sparing could be achieved for the bladder and rectum with all three MLCs for treatment adaptation. The MLC shifted plans can be accurately delivered on all three linear accelerators with accuracy similar to their original IMRT plans, where gamma (3%/3 mm) passing rates were 99.6%, 93.0%, and 92.1% for 2.5, 5, and 10 mm MLCs, respectively. The percentages of pixels with dose differences between the measurement and calculation being less than 3% of the maximum dose were 85.9%, 82.5%, and 70.5% for the original IMRT plans from the three MLCs, respectively. Conclusions: Dosimetric advantages associated with smaller MLC leaves were observed in terms of the coverage to the prostate, when the treatment was adapted to account for daily prostate movement for concurrent irradiation of the prostate and pelvic lymph nodes. The benefit of switching the MLC from 10 to 5 mm was significant (p Much-Less-Than 0.01); however, switching the MLC from 5 to 2.5 mm would not gain significant (p= 0.15) improvement. IMRT plans with smaller MLC leaf widths achieved more accurate dose delivery.« less

Determination of the optimal tolerance for MLC positioning in sliding window and VMAT techniques

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hernandez, V., E-mail: vhernandezmasgrau@gmail.com; Abella, R.; Calvo, J. F.

2015-04-15

Purpose: Several authors have recommended a 2 mm tolerance for multileaf collimator (MLC) positioning in sliding window treatments. In volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatments, however, the optimal tolerance for MLC positioning remains unknown. In this paper, the authors present the results of a multicenter study to determine the optimal tolerance for both techniques. Methods: The procedure used is based on dynalog file analysis. The study was carried out using seven Varian linear accelerators from five different centers. Dynalogs were collected from over 100 000 clinical treatments and in-house software was used to compute the number of tolerance faults as amore » function of the user-defined tolerance. Thus, the optimal value for this tolerance, defined as the lowest achievable value, was investigated. Results: Dynalog files accurately predict the number of tolerance faults as a function of the tolerance value, especially for low fault incidences. All MLCs behaved similarly and the Millennium120 and the HD120 models yielded comparable results. In sliding window techniques, the number of beams with an incidence of hold-offs >1% rapidly decreases for a tolerance of 1.5 mm. In VMAT techniques, the number of tolerance faults sharply drops for tolerances around 2 mm. For a tolerance of 2.5 mm, less than 0.1% of the VMAT arcs presented tolerance faults. Conclusions: Dynalog analysis provides a feasible method for investigating the optimal tolerance for MLC positioning in dynamic fields. In sliding window treatments, the tolerance of 2 mm was found to be adequate, although it can be reduced to 1.5 mm. In VMAT treatments, the typically used 5 mm tolerance is excessively high. Instead, a tolerance of 2.5 mm is recommended.« less

Epoxy-paint stripping using TEA CO2 laser: Determination of threshold fluence and the process parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Manoj; Bhargava, P.; Biswas, A. K.; Sahu, Shasikiran; Mandloi, V.; Ittoop, M. O.; Khattak, B. Q.; Tiwari, M. K.; Kukreja, L. M.

2013-03-01

It is shown that the threshold fluence for laser paint stripping can be accurately estimated from the heat of gasification and the absorption coefficient of the epoxy-paint. The threshold fluence determined experimentally by stripping of the epoxy-paint on a substrate using a TEA CO2 laser matches closely with the calculated value. The calculated threshold fluence and the measured absorption coefficient of the paint allowed us to determine the epoxy paint thickness that would be removed per pulse at a given laser fluence even without experimental trials. This was used to predict the optimum scan speed required to strip the epoxy-paint of a given thickness using a high average power TEA CO2 laser. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) studies were also carried out on laser paint-stripped concrete substrate to show high efficacy of this modality.

Comparision of beam data requirements for MLC commissioning on a TPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solaiappan, Gopi; Singaravelu, Ganesan; Prakasarao, Aruna; Supe, Sanjay S.

2008-01-01

The treatment planning system (TPS) has become a key element in the radiotherapy process with the introduction of computer tomography (CT) based 3D conformal treatment planning. Commissioning of a MLC on a TPS either for conformal radiotherapy or intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) requires beam data to be generated on a linear accelerator. Most of the TPS require these beam data to be generated with routine collimator jaws. However some TPS demand the data to be provided for MLC shaped fields. This prompted us to investigate whether beam data with jaws differ than that with MLC and whether the jaw based beam data would suffice for the commissioning of a MLC on a TPS. Beam data like percentage depth dose (PDD), cross beam profiles and output factors was acquired for jaws and MLC defined square fields for 6, 10 and 23 MV photon beams. Percentage depth dose and cross beam profiles were acquired with a radiation field analyzer RFA-200, CC13-S ion chambers with active volume of 0.13 cm3 and OmniPro-Accept software from Scanditronix-Wellhofer. A Medtec-TG51 water tank with Max-4000 electrometer and 0.6 cc PTW ionization chamber and a mini phantom from Standard Imaging was utilized for output measurements for millennium-120 MLC (Varian Medical Systems) and SRS diode detector (Scanditronix-Wellhofer) of 0.6 mm diameter of active area and 0.3 mm of active volume thickness for micro-MLC (BrainLab). The difference in PDD in the build-up region for millennium MLC was ±1.0% for 6 MV photons. For 10 MV photons the PDD difference was within ±4.0%. The difference in PDD for 23 MV photons ranged from 0% to 40.0%. PDD difference from build-up depth to about 28 cm was within ±1.0%. Difference in PDD crossed ±1.0% at 30 cm depth for 6 MV photons. The difference in PDD in the build-up region for mMLC was ±8.0% for 6 MV photons. For the smallest field size studied with micro-MLC i.e. 0.6 × 0.6 cm2 difference in PDD was more than ±1.0% in the build-up region and beyond a depth of 8.0 cm. The profiles for jaws and MLC agreed within the umbra region. However in the penumbra region small differences in doses were observed. The collimator scatter factor (Sc), phantom scatter factor (Sp) and output factor values for MLC were different that those for jaws. The differences in beam characteristics could have implication for intensity modulated radiation therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery in terms of dose in the build up region, exit dose, dose to the planning target volume (PTV) and organ at risk (OAR). Impact of these dosimetric differences between jaw and MLC needs to be further studied in terms of dose volume histograms for PTV and OAR and its further impact on tumor control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP).

Ten Novel Mutations in Chinese Patients with Megalencephalic Leukoencephalopathy with Subcortical Cysts and a Long-Term Follow-Up Research

PubMed Central

Cao, Binbin; Yan, Huifang; Guo, Mangmang; Xie, Han; Wu, Ye; Gu, Qiang; Xiao, Jiangxi; Shang, Jing; Yang, Yanling; Xiong, Hui; Niu, Zhengping; Wu, Xiru; Jiang, Yuwu; Wang, Jingmin

2016-01-01

Objective Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC, OMIM 604004) is a rare neurological deterioration disease. We aimed to clarify clinical and genetic features of Chinese MLC patients. Methods Clinical information and peripheral venous blood of 20 patients and their families were collected, Sanger-sequencing and Multiple Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification were performed to make genetic analysis. Splicing-site mutation was confirmed with RT-PCR. UPD was detected by haplotype analysis. Follow-up study was performed through telephone for 27 patients. Results Out of 20 patients, macrocephaly, classic MRI features, motor development delay and cognitive impairment were detected in 20(100%), 20(100%), 17(85%) and 4(20%) patients, respectively. 20(100%) were clinically diagnosed with MLC. 19(95%) were genetically diagnosed with 10 novel mutations in MLC1, MLC1 and GlialCAM mutations were identified in 15 and 4 patients, respectively. Deletion mutation from exon4 to exon9 and a homozygous point mutation due to maternal UPD of chromosome22 in MLC1 were found firstly. c.598-2A>C in MLC1 leads to the skip of exon8. c.772-1G>C in MLC1 accounting for 15.5%(9/58) alleles in Chinese patients might be a founder or a hot-spot mutation. Out of 27 patients in the follow-up study, head circumference was ranged from 56cm to 61cm in patients older than 5yeas old, with a median of 57cm. Motor development delay and cognitive impairment were detected in 22(81.5%) and 5(18.5%) patients, respectively. Motor and cognitive deterioration was found in 5 (18.5%) and 2 patients (7.4%), respectively. Improvements and MRI recovery were first found in Chinese patients. Rate of seizures (45.5%), transient motor retrogress (45.5%) and unconsciousness (13.6%) after head trauma was much higher than that after fever (18.2%, 9.1%, 0%, respectively). Significance It’s a clinical and genetic analysis and a follow-up study for largest sample of Chinese MLC patients, identifying 10 novel mutations, expanding mutation spectrums and discovering clinical features of Chinese MLC patients. PMID:27322623

Real-time tracking of respiratory-induced tumor motion by dose-rate regulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han-Oh, Yeonju Sarah

We have developed a novel real-time tumor-tracking technology, called Dose-Rate-Regulated Tracking (DRRT), to compensate for tumor motion caused by breathing. Unlike other previously proposed tumor-tracking methods, this new method uses a preprogrammed dynamic multileaf collimator (MLC) sequence in combination with real-time dose-rate control. This new scheme circumvents the technical challenge in MLC-based tumor tracking, that is to control the MLC motion in real time, based on real-time detected tumor motion. The preprogrammed MLC sequence describes the movement of the tumor, as a function of breathing phase, amplitude, or tidal volume. The irregularity of tumor motion during treatment is handled by real-time regulation of the dose rate, which effectively speeds up or slows down the delivery of radiation as needed. This method is based on the fact that all of the parameters in dynamic radiation delivery, including MLC motion, are enslaved to the cumulative dose, which, in turn, can be accelerated or decelerated by varying the dose rate. Because commercially available MLC systems do not allow the MLC delivery sequence to be modified in real time based on the patient's breathing signal, previously proposed tumor-tracking techniques using a MLC cannot be readily implemented in the clinic today. By using a preprogrammed MLC sequence to handle the required motion, the task for real-time control is greatly simplified. We have developed and tested the pre- programmed MLC sequence and the dose-rate regulation algorithm using lung-cancer patients breathing signals. It has been shown that DRRT can track the tumor with an accuracy of less than 2 mm for a latency of the DRRT system of less than 0.35 s. We also have evaluated the usefulness of guided breathing for DRRT. Since DRRT by its very nature can compensate for breathing-period changes, guided breathing was shown to be unnecessary for real-time tracking when using DRRT. Finally, DRRT uses the existing dose-rate control system that is provided for current linear accelerators. Therefore, DRRT can be achieved with minimal modification of existing technology, and this can shorten substantially the time necessary to establish DRRT in clinical practice.

Multileaf Collimator Tracking Improves Dose Delivery for Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy: Results of the First Clinical Trial

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Colvill, Emma; Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, NSW; Booth, Jeremy T.

2015-08-01

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that multileaf collimator (MLC) tracking improves the consistency between the planned and delivered dose compared with the dose without MLC tracking, in the setting of a prostate cancer volumetric modulated arc therapy trial. Methods and Materials: Multileaf collimator tracking was implemented for 15 patients in a prostate cancer radiation therapy trial; in total, 513 treatment fractions were delivered. During each treatment fraction, the prostate trajectory and treatment MLC positions were collected. These data were used as input for dose reconstruction (multiple isocenter shift method) to calculate the treated dose (with MLC tracking) and the dose thatmore » would have been delivered had MLC tracking not been applied (without MLC tracking). The percentage difference from planned for target and normal tissue dose-volume points were calculated. The hypothesis was tested for each dose-volume value via analysis of variance using the F test. Results: Of the 513 fractions delivered, 475 (93%) were suitable for analysis. The mean difference and standard deviation between the planned and treated MLC tracking doses and the planned and without-MLC tracking doses for all 475 fractions were, respectively, PTV D{sub 99%} −0.8% ± 1.1% versus −2.1% ± 2.7%; CTV D{sub 99%} −0.6% ± 0.8% versus −0.6% ± 1.1%; rectum V{sub 65%} 1.6% ± 7.9% versus −1.2% ± 18%; and bladder V{sub 65%} 0.5% ± 4.4% versus −0.0% ± 9.2% (P<.001 for all dose-volume results). Conclusion: This study shows that MLC tracking improves the consistency between the planned and delivered doses compared with the modeled doses without MLC tracking. The implications of this finding are potentially improved patient outcomes, as well as more reliable dose-volume data for radiobiological parameter determination.« less

A novel mechanism for the Ca(2+)-sensitizing effect of protein kinase C on vascular smooth muscle: inhibition of myosin light chain phosphatase

PubMed Central

1994-01-01

Mechanisms of Ca2+ sensitization of both myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation and force development by protein kinase C (PKC) were studied in permeabilized tonic smooth muscle obtained from the rabbit femoral artery. For comparison, the Ca2+ sensitizing effect of guanosine 5'-O-(gamma-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) was examined, which had been previously shown to inhibit MLC phosphatase in phasic vascular smooth muscle. We now report that PKC activators (phorbol esters, short chain synthetic diacylglycerols and a diacylglycerol kinase inhibitor) and GTP gamma S significantly increase both MLC phosphorylation and force development at constant [Ca2+]. Major phosphorylation site occurring in the presence of phorbol-12,13- dibutyrate (PDBu) or GTP gamma S at constant [Ca2+] is the same serine residue (Ser-19) as that phosphorylated by MLC kinase in response to increased Ca2+ concentrations. In an ATP- and Ca(2+)-free solution containing 1-(5-chloronaphthalene-1-sulfonyl)-1H-hexahydro-1,4- diazepine (ML-9), to avoid the kinase activity, both PDBu and GTP gamma S significantly decreased the rate of MLC dephosphorylation to half its control value. However, PDBu inhibited the relaxation rate more than did GTP gamma S. In the presence of microcystin-LR to inhibit the phosphatase activity, neither PDBu nor GTP gamma S affected MLC phosphorylation and force development. These results indicate that PKC, like activation of GTP binding protein, increases Ca2+ sensitivity of both MLC phosphorylation and force production through inhibition of MLC phosphatase. PMID:7807049

SU-E-T-571: Newly Emerging Integrated Transmission Detector Systems Provide Online Quality Assurance of External Beam Radiation Therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoffman, D; Chung, E; Hess, C

2015-06-15

Purpose: Two newly emerging transmission detectors positioned upstream from the patient have been evaluated for online quality assurance of external beam radiotherapy. The prototype for the Integral Quality Monitor (IQM), developed by iRT Systems GmbH (Koblenz, Germany) is a large-area ion chamber mounted on the linac accessory tray to monitor photon fluence, energy, beam shape, and gantry position during treatment. The ion chamber utilizes a thickness gradient which records variable response dependent on beam position. The prototype of Delta4 Discover™, developed by ScandiDos (Uppsala, Sweden) is a linac accessory tray mounted 4040 diode array that measures photon fluence during patientmore » treatment. Both systems are employable for patient specific QA prior to treatment delivery. Methods: Our institution evaluated the reproducibility of measurements using various beam types, including VMAT treatment plans with both the IQM ion chamber and the Delta4 Discover diode array. Additionally, the IQM’s effect on photon fluence, dose response, simulated beam error detection, and the accuracy of the integrated barometer, thermometer, and inclinometer were characterized. The evaluated photon beam errors are based on the annual tolerances specified in AAPM TG-142. Results: Repeated VMAT treatments were measured with 0.16% reproducibility by the IQM and 0.55% reproducibility by the Delta4 Discover. The IQM attenuated 6, 10, and 15 MV photon beams by 5.43±0.02%, 4.60±0.02%, and 4.21±0.03% respectively. Photon beam profiles were affected <1.5% in the non-penumbra regions. The IQM’s ion chamber’s dose response was linear and the thermometer, barometer, and inclinometer agreed with other calibrated devices. The device detected variations in monitor units delivered (1%), field position (3mm), single MLC leaf positions (13mm), and photon energy. Conclusion: We have characterized two new transmissions detector systems designed to provide in-vivo like measurements upstream from the patient. Both systems demonstrate substantial utility for online treatment verification and QA of photon external beam radiotherapy.« less

Rounded leaf end modeling in Pinnacle VMAT treatment planning for fixed jaw linacs

PubMed Central

Yang, Fei; Cao, Ning; Meyer, Juergen

2016-01-01

During volume‐modulated arc therapies (VMAT), dosimetric errors are introduced by multiple open dynamic leaf gaps that are present in fixed diaphragm linear accelerators. The purpose of this work was to develop a methodology for adjusting the rounded leaf end modeling parameters to improve out‐of‐field dose agreement in SmartArc VMAT treatment plans delivered by fixed jaw linacs where leaf gap dose is not negligible. Leaf gap doses were measured for an Elekta beam modulator linac with 0.4 cm micro‐multileaf collimators (MLC) using an A16 micro‐ionization chamber, a MatriXX ion chamber detector array, and Kodak EDR2 film dosimetry in a solid water phantom. The MLC offset and rounded end tip radius were adjusted in the Pinnacle treatment planning system (TPS) to iteratively arrive at the optimal configuration for 6 MV and 10 MV photon energies. Improvements in gamma index with a 3%/3 mm acceptance criteria and an inclusion threshold of 5% of maximum dose were measured, analyzed, and validated using an ArcCHECK diode detector array for field sizes ranging from 1.6 to 14 cm square field arcs and Task Group (TG) 119 VMAT test cases. The best results were achieved for a rounded leaf tip radius of 13 cm with a 0.1 cm MLC offset. With the optimized MLC model, measured gamma indices ranged between 99.9% and 91.7% for square field arcs with sizes between 3.6 cm and 1.6 cm, with a maximum improvement of 42.7% for the 1.6 cm square field size. Gamma indices improved up to 2.8% in TG‐119 VMAT treatment plans. Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core (IROC) credentialing of a VMAT plan with the head and neck phantom passed with a gamma index of 100%. Fine‐tune adjustments to MLC rounded leaf ends may improve patient‐specific QA pass rates and provide more accurate predictions of dose deposition to avoidance structures. PACS number(s): 87.55.D‐, 87.55.kd, 87.55.kh PMID:27929490

The Mathematics and Computer Science Learning Center (MLC).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abraham, Solomon T.

The Mathematics and Computer Science Learning Center (MLC) was established in the Department of Mathematics at North Carolina Central University during the fall semester of the 1982-83 academic year. The initial operations of the MLC were supported by grants to the University from the Burroughs-Wellcome Company and the Kenan Charitable Trust Fund.…

76 FR 4375 - In the Matter of Certain MLC Flash Memory Devices and Products Containing Same; Notice of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-25

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 337-TA-683] In the Matter of Certain MLC Flash Memory Devices and Products Containing Same; Notice of Commission Determination Not To Review an Initial... the United States after importation of certain MLC flash memory devices and products containing same...

Peripheral doses from pediatric IMRT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klein, Eric E.; Maserang, Beth; Wood, Roy

Peripheral dose (PD) data exist for conventional fields ({>=}10 cm) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) delivery to standard adult-sized phantoms. Pediatric peripheral dose reports are limited to conventional therapy and are model based. Our goal was to ascertain whether data acquired from full phantom studies and/or pediatric models, with IMRT treatment times, could predict Organ at Risk (OAR) dose for pediatric IMRT. As monitor units (MUs) are greater for IMRT, it is expected IMRT PD will be higher; potentially compounded by decreased patient size (absorption). Baseline slab phantom peripheral dose measurements were conducted for very small field sizes (from 2 tomore » 10 cm). Data were collected at distances ranging from 5 to 72 cm away from the field edges. Collimation was either with the collimating jaws or the multileaf collimator (MLC) oriented either perpendicular or along the peripheral dose measurement plane. For the clinical tests, five patients with intracranial or base of skull lesions were chosen. IMRT and conventional three-dimensional (3D) plans for the same patient/target/dose (180 cGy), were optimized without limitation to the number of fields or wedge use. Six MV, 120-leaf MLC Varian axial beams were used. A phantom mimicking a 3-year-old was configured per Center for Disease Control data. Micro (0.125 cc) and cylindrical (0.6 cc) ionization chambers were appropriated for the thyroid, breast, ovaries, and testes. The PD was recorded by electrometers set to the 10{sup -10} scale. Each system set was uniquely calibrated. For the slab phantom studies, close peripheral points were found to have a higher dose for low energy and larger field size and when MLC was not deployed. For points more distant from the field edge, the PD was higher for high-energy beams. MLC orientation was found to be inconsequential for the small fields tested. The thyroid dose was lower for IMRT delivery than that predicted for conventional (ratio of IMRT/cnventional ranged from 0.47-0.94) doses {approx}[0.4-1.8 cGy]/[0.9-2.9 cGy]/fraction, respectively. Prior phantom reports are for fields 10 cm or greater, while pediatric central nervous system fields range from 4 to 7 cm, and effectively much smaller for IMRT (2-6 cm). Peripheral dose in close proximity (<10 cm from the field edge) is dominated by internal scatter; therefore, field-size differences overwhelm phantom size affects and increased MU. Distant peripheral dose, dominated by head leakage, was higher than predicted, even when accounting for MUs ({approx}factor of 3) likely due to the pediatric phantom size. The ratio of the testes dose ranged from 3.3-5.3 for IMRT/conventional. PD to OAR for pediatric IMRT cannot be predicted from large-field full phantom studies. For regional OAR, doses are likely lower than predicted by existing ''large field'' data, while the distant PD is higher.« less

SU-F-BRE-16: VMAT Commissioning and Quality Assurance (QA) of An Elekta Synergy-STM Linac Using ICOM Test HarnessTM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, A; Ironwood CRC, Phoenix, AZ; Rajaguru, P

2014-06-15

Purpose: To establish a set of tests based on the iCOM software that can be used to commission and perform periodic QA of VMAT delivery on the Elekta Synergy-S, commonly known as the Beam Modulator (BM). Methods: iCOM is used to create and deliver customized treatment fields to characterize the system in terms of 1) MLC positioning accuracy under static and dynamic delivery with full gantry rotation, 2) MLC positioning with known errors, 3) Maximum dose rate, 4) Maximum MLC speed, 5) Maximum gantry speed, 6) Synchronization: gantry speed versus dose rate, and 7) Synchronization: MLC speed versus dose rate.more » The resulting images were captured on the iView GT and exported in DICOM format to Dosimetry Check™ system for visual and quantitative analysis. For the initial commissioning phase, the system tests described should be supplemented with extensive patient QAs covering all clinically relevant treatment sites. Results: The system performance test suite showed that on our Synergy-S, MLC positioning was accurate under both static and dynamic deliveries. Intentional errors of 1 mm were also easily identified on both static and dynamic picket fence tests. Maximum dose rate was verified with stop watch to be consistently between 475-480 MU/min. Maximum gantry speed and MLC speed were 5.5 degree/s and 2.5 cm/s respectively. After accounting for beam flatness, both synchronization tests, gantry versus dose rate and MLC speed versus dose rate, were successful as the fields were uniform across the strips and there were no obvious cold/hot spots. Conclusion: VMAT commissioning and quality assurance should include machine characterization tests in addition to patient QAs. Elekta iCOM is a valuable tool for the design of customized VMAT field with specific MU, MLC leaf positions, dose rate, and indirect control of MLC and gantry speed at each of its control points.« less

SU-F-T-429: Craniospinal Irradiation by VMAT Technique: Impact of FFF Beam and High Resolution MLC On Plan Quality

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ganesh, T; Sarkar, B; Munshi, A

2016-06-15

Purpose: Objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of using flattening filter free (FFF) beam with 0.5 cm multileaf collimator (MLC) leaves over conventional flattened beam with 1 cm leaf width MLC on the treatment plan quality in cranio-spinal irradiation (CSI). Methods: For five medulloblastoma cases (3 males and 2 females), who were previously treated by volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) technique using conventional flattened beam shaped by 1 cm width MLC leaves, four test plans were generated and compared against the delivered plan. These retrospective plans consisted of four different combinations of flattened and FFF beams frommore » Elekta’s Agility treatment head with 0.5 cm width MLC leaves. Sparing of organs at risks (OAR) in terms of dose to 5%, 50%, 75% and 90% volumes, mean and maximum dose were evaluated. Results: All plans satisfied the planning objective of covering 95% of PTV by at least 95% of prescription dose. Marginal variation of dose spillage was observed between different VMAT plans at very low dose range (1–5 Gy). Variation in dose statistics for PTVs and OARs were within 1% or 1 Gy. Amongst the five plans, the plan with flattened beam with 1 cm MLC had the highest number of MUs, 2.13 times higher than the plan with Agility MLC with FFF beam that had the least number of MUs. No statistically significant difference (p≥0.05) was observed between the reference plan and the retrospectively generated plans in terms of PTV coverage, cold spot, hot spot and organ at risk doses. Conclusion: In the treatment of CSI cases by VMAT technique, FFF beams and/or finer width MLC did not exhibit advantage over the flattened beams or wider MLC in terms of plan quality except for reduction in MUs.« less

Carbachol-induced rabbit bladder smooth muscle contraction: roles of protein kinase C and Rho kinase.

PubMed

Wang, Tanchun; Kendig, Derek M; Smolock, Elaine M; Moreland, Robert S

2009-12-01

Smooth muscle contraction is regulated by phosphorylation of the myosin light chain (MLC) catalyzed by MLC kinase and dephosphorylation catalyzed by MLC phosphatase. Agonist stimulation of smooth muscle results in the inhibition of MLC phosphatase activity and a net increase in MLC phosphorylation and therefore force. The two pathways believed to be primarily important for inhibition of MLC phosphatase activity are protein kinase C (PKC)-catalyzed CPI-17 phosphorylation and Rho kinase (ROCK)-catalyzed myosin phosphatase-targeting subunit (MYPT1) phosphorylation. The goal of this study was to determine the roles of PKC and ROCK and their downstream effectors in regulating MLC phosphorylation levels and force during the phasic and sustained phases of carbachol-stimulated contraction in intact bladder smooth muscle. These studies were performed in the presence and absence of the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide-1 (Bis) or the ROCK inhibitor H-1152. Phosphorylation levels of Thr(38)-CPI-17 and Thr(696)/Thr(850)-MYPT1 were measured at different times during carbachol stimulation using site-specific antibodies. Thr(38)-CPI-17 phosphorylation increased concurrently with carbachol-stimulated force generation. This increase was reduced by inhibition of PKC during the entire contraction but was only reduced by ROCK inhibition during the sustained phase of contraction. MYPT1 showed high basal phosphorylation levels at both sites; however, only Thr(850) phosphorylation increased with carbachol stimulation; the increase was abolished by the inhibition of either ROCK or PKC. Our results suggest that during agonist stimulation, PKC regulates MLC phosphatase activity through phosphorylation of CPI-17. In contrast, ROCK phosphorylates both Thr(850)-MYPT1 and CPI-17, possibly through cross talk with a PKC pathway, but is only significant during the sustained phase of contraction. Last, our results demonstrate that there is a constitutively activate pool of ROCK that phosphorylates MYPT1 in the basal state, which may account for the high resting levels of MLC phosphorylation measured in rabbit bladder smooth muscle.

SU-F-T-366: Dosimetric Parameters Enhancement of 120-Leaf Millennium MLC Using EGSnrc and IAEA Phase-Space Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haddad, K; Alopoor, H

Purpose: Recently, the multileaf collimators (MLC) have become an important part of any LINAC collimation systems because they reduce the treatment planning time and improves the conformity. Important factors that affects the MLCs collimation performance are leaves material composition and their thickness. In this study, we investigate the main dosimetric parameters of 120-leaf Millennium MLC including dose in the buildup point, physical penumbra as well as average and end leaf leakages. Effects of the leaves geometry and density on these parameters are evaluated Methods: From EGSnrc Monte Carlo code, BEAMnrc and DOSXYZnrc modules are used to evaluate the dosimetric parametersmore » of a water phantom exposed to a Varian xi for 100cm SSD. Using IAEA phasespace data just above MLC (Z=46cm) and BEAMnrc, for the modified 120-leaf Millennium MLC a new phase space data at Z=52cm is produces. The MLC is modified both in leaf thickness and material composition. EGSgui code generates 521ICRU library for tungsten alloys. DOSXYZnrc with the new phase space evaluates the dose distribution in a water phantom of 60×60×20 cm3 with voxel size of 4×4×2 mm3. Using DOSXYZnrc dose distributions for open beam and closed beam as well as the leakages definition, end leakage, average leakage and physical penumbra are evaluated. Results: A new MLC with improved dosimetric parameters is proposed. The physical penumbra for proposed MLC is 4.7mm compared to 5.16 mm for Millennium. Average leakage in our design is reduced to 1.16% compared to 1.73% for Millennium, the end leaf leakage suggested design is also reduced to 4.86% compared to 7.26% of Millennium. Conclusion: The results show that the proposed MLC with enhanced dosimetric parameters could improve the conformity of treatment planning.« less

Measurement and Monte Carlo simulation for energy- and intensity-modulated electron radiotherapy delivered by a computer-controlled electron multileaf collimator.

PubMed

Jin, Lihui; Eldib, Ahmed; Li, Jinsheng; Emam, Ismail; Fan, Jiajin; Wang, Lu; Ma, C-M

2014-01-06

The dosimetric advantage of modulated electron radiotherapy (MERT) has been explored by many investigators and is considered to be an advanced radiation therapy technique in the utilization of electrons. A computer-controlled electron multileaf collimator (MLC) prototype, newly designed to be added onto a Varian linac to deliver MERT, was investigated both experimentally and by Monte Carlo simulations. Four different electron energies, 6, 9, 12, and 15 MeV, were employed for this investigation. To ensure that this device was capable of delivering the electron beams properly, measurements were performed to examine the electron MLC (eMLC) leaf leakage and to determine the appropriate jaw positioning for an eMLC-shaped field in order to eliminate a secondary radiation peak that could otherwise appear outside of an intended radiation field in the case of inappropriate jaw positioning due to insufficient radiation blockage from the jaws. Phase space data were obtained by Monte Carlo (MC) simulation and recorded at the plane just above the jaws for each of the energies (6, 9, 12, and 15 MeV). As an input source, phase space data were used in MC dose calculations for various sizes of the eMLC shaped field (10 × 10 cm2, 3.4 × 3.4 cm2, and 2 × 2 cm2) with respect to a water phantom at source-to-surface distance (SSD) = 94 cm, while the jaws, eMLC leaves, and some accessories associated with the eMLC assembly as well were modeled as modifiers in the calculations. The calculated results were then compared with measurements from a water scanning system. The results showed that jaw settings with 5 mm margins beyond the field shaped by the eMLC were appropriate to eliminate the secondary radiation peak while not widening the beam penumbra; the eMLC leaf leakage measurements ranged from 0.3% to 1.8% for different energies based on in-phantom measurements, which should be quite acceptable for MERT. Comparisons between MC dose calculations and measurements showed agreement within 1%/1 mm based on percentage depth doses (PDDs) and off-axis dose profiles for a range of field sizes for each of the electron energies. Our current work has demonstrated that the eMLC and other relevant components in the linac were correctly modeled and simulated via our in-house MC codes, and the eMLC is capable of accurately delivering electron beams for various eMLC-shaped field sizes with appropriate jaw settings. In the next stage, patient-specific verification with a full MERT plan should be performed.

Effects of prostaglandin F2alpha and latanoprost on phosphoinositide turnover, myosin light chain phosphorylation and contraction in cat iris sphincter.

PubMed

Ansari, Habib R; Davis, Angela M; Kaddour-Djebbar, Ismail; Abdel-Latif, Ata A

2003-06-01

The effects of the ocular hypotensive agents prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha)) and its analog latanoprost on intraocular pressure (IOP) in both animals and human have been investigated extensively in the last two decades. While there is general agreement that application of these PGs to the eye alters IOP by altering the aqueous humor outflow of the eye via the uveoscleral and trabecular meshwork pathways, the mechanism of action of these agents on IOP lowering remains unclear. There is evidence which suggests that myosin light kinase (MLC kinase) may be involved in the IOP-lowering effects of these agents. Thus, the purpose of the present work was to investigate in cat iris sphincter the effects of these PGs on the MLC kinase signaling pathway, inositol phosphates production, MLC phosphorylation and contraction, in order to gain more information about the mechanism through which these agents modulate smooth muscle function and lower IOP. [(3)H]myo-inositol phosphates production was measured by ion-exchange chromatography, MLC kinase activity was measured by incorporation of (32)Pi into MLC, and changes in muscle tension were recorded isometrically. PGF(2alpha) and latanoprost induced contraction in a concentration-dependent manner with EC(50) values of 18.6 and 29.9 nM, respectively, and increased inositol phosphates production in a concentration-dependent manner. At 1 microM, PGF(2alpha) and latanoprost increased inositol phosphates formation by 125 and 102% over basal, respectively. PGF(2alpha) and latanoprost increased MLC phosphorylation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, at 1 microM and 5 min incubation, the PGs increased the MLC response by 181 and 176% over basal, respectively. In general, PGF(2alpha) was slightly more potent in inducing the biochemical and pharmacological responses. Wortmannin, ML-7 and ML-9, selective inhibitors of MLC kinase, inhibited significantly PGF(2alpha)- and latanoprost-induced MLC phosphorylation and contraction. These results demonstrate for the first time involvement of the MLC kinase pathway in the FP receptor function of this ocular tissue. Contraction-relaxation of smooth muscle alters the shape and stiffness of smooth muscle cells and MLC kinase, through myosin phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, has been shown to be involved in cytoskeletal remodeling, cytoskeletal alterations, and IOP lowering. In light of these reports and the findings presented here we suggest that alterations in the MLC kinase signaling pathway and its derived second messengers, which leads to changes in contraction-relaxation of the smooth muscles of the anterior segment, could facilitate aqueous humor outflow and thus contribute to the IOP-lowering effects of the FP-class PGs.

On the suitability of Elekta’s Agility 160 MLC for tracked radiation delivery: closed-loop machine performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glitzner, M.; Crijns, S. P. M.; de Senneville, B. Denis; Lagendijk, J. J. W.; Raaymakers, B. W.

2015-03-01

For motion adaptive radiotherapy, dynamic multileaf collimator tracking can be employed to reduce treatment margins by steering the beam according to the organ motion. The Elekta Agility 160 MLC has hitherto not been evaluated for its tracking suitability. Both dosimetric performance and latency are key figures and need to be assessed generically, independent of the used motion sensor. In this paper, we propose the use of harmonic functions directly fed to the MLC to determine its latency during continuous motion. Furthermore, a control variable is extracted from a camera system and fed to the MLC. Using this setup, film dosimetry and subsequent γ statistics are performed, evaluating the response when tracking (MRI)-based physiologic motion in a closed-loop. The delay attributed to the MLC itself was shown to be a minor contributor to the overall feedback chain as compared to the impact of imaging components such as MRI sequences. Delay showed a linear phase behaviour of the MLC employed in continuously dynamic applications, which enables a general MLC-characterization. Using the exemplary feedback chain, dosimetry showed a vast increase in pass rate employing γ statistics. In this early stage, the tracking performance of the Agility using the test bench yielded promising results, making the technique eligible for translation to tracking using clinical imaging modalities.

The Rho-GTPase effector ROCK regulates meiotic maturation of the bovine oocyte via myosin light chain phosphorylation and cofilin phosphorylation.

PubMed

Lee, So-Rim; Xu, Yong-Nan; Jo, Yu-Jin; Namgoong, Suk; Kim, Nam-Hyung

2015-11-01

Oocyte meiosis involves a unique asymmetric division involving spindle movement from the central cytoplasm to the cortex, followed by polar body extrusion. ROCK is a Rho-GTPase effector involved in various cellular functions in somatic cells as well as oocyte meiosis. ROCK was previously shown to promote actin organization by phosphorylating several downstream targets, including LIM domain kinase (LIMK), phosphorylated cofilin (p-cofilin), and myosin light chain (MLC). In this study, we investigated the roles of ROCK and MLC during bovine oocyte meiosis. We found that ROCK was localized around the nucleus at the oocyte's germinal-vesicle (GV) stage, but spreads to the rest of the cytoplasm in later developmental stages. On the other hand, phosphorylated MLC (p-MLC) localized at the cortex, and its abundance decreased by the metaphase-II stage. Disrupting ROCK activity, via RNAi or the chemical inhibitor Y-27632, blocked both cell cycle progression and polar body extrusion. ROCK inhibition also resulted in decreased cortical actin, p-cofilin, and p-MLC levels. Similar to the phenotype associated with inhibition of ROCK activity, inhibition of MLC kinase by the chemical inhibitor ML-7 caused defects in polar body extrusion. Collectively, our results suggest that the ROCK/MLC/actomyosin as well as ROCK/LIMK/cofilin pathways regulate meiotic spindle migration and cytokinesis during bovine oocyte maturation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Drastic increase of myosin light chain MLC-2 in senescent skeletal muscle indicates fast-to-slow fibre transition in sarcopenia of old age.

PubMed

Gannon, Joan; Doran, Philip; Kirwan, Anne; Ohlendieck, Kay

2009-11-01

The age-dependent decline in skeletal muscle mass and function is believed to be due to a multi-factorial pathology and represents a major factor that blocks healthy aging by increasing physical disability, frailty and loss of independence in the elderly. This study has focused on the comparative proteomic analysis of contractile elements and revealed that the most striking age-related changes seem to occur in the protein family representing myosin light chains (MLCs). Comparative screening of total muscle extracts suggests a fast-to-slow transition in the aged MLC population. The mass spectrometric analysis of the myofibril-enriched fraction identified the MLC2 isoform of the slow-type MLC as the contractile protein with the most drastically changed expression during aging. Immunoblotting confirmed an increased abundance of slow MLC2, concomitant with a switch in fast versus slow myosin heavy chains. Staining of two-dimensional gels of crude extracts with the phospho-specific fluorescent dye ProQ-Diamond identified the increased MLC2 spot as a muscle protein with a drastically enhanced phosphorylation level in aged fibres. Comparative immunofluorescence microscopy, using antibodies to fast and slow myosin isoforms, confirmed a fast-to-slow transformation process during muscle aging. Interestingly, the dramatic increase in slow MLC2 expression was restricted to individual senescent fibres. These findings agree with the idea that aged skeletal muscles undergo a shift to more aerobic-oxidative metabolism in a slower-twitching fibre population and suggest the slow MLC2 isoform as a potential biomarker for fibre type shifting in sarcopenia of old age.

SU-F-T-313: Clinical Results of a New Customer Acceptance Test for Elekta VMAT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rusk, B; Fontenot, J

Purpose: To report the results of a customer acceptance test (CAT) for VMAT treatments for two matched Elekta linear accelerators. Methods: The CAT tests were performed on two clinically matched Elekta linear accelerators equipped with a 160-leaf MLC. Functional tests included performance checks of the control system during dynamic movements of the diaphragms, MLC, and gantry. Dosimetric tests included MLC picket fence tests at static and variable dose rates and a diaphragm alignment test, all performed using the on-board EPID. Additionally, beam symmetry during arc delivery was measured at the four cardinal angles for high and low dose rate modesmore » using a 2D detector array. Results of the dosimetric tests were analyzed using the VMAT CAT analysis tool. Results: Linear accelerator 1 (LN1) met all stated CAT tolerances. Linear accelerator 2 (LN2) passed the geometric, beam symmetry, and MLC position error tests but failed the relative dose average test for the diaphragm abutment and all three picket fence fields. Though peak doses in the abutment regions were consistent, the average dose was below the stated tolerance corresponding to a leaf junction that was too narrow. Despite this, no significant differences in patient specific VMAT quality assurance measured were observed between the accelerators and both passed monthly MLC quality assurance performed with the Hancock test. Conclusion: Results from the CAT showed LN2 with relative dose averages in the abutment regions of the diaphragm and MLC tests outside the tolerances resulting from differences in leaf gap distances. Tolerances of the dose average tests from the CAT may be small enough to detect MLC errors which do not significantly affect patient QA or the routine MLC tests.« less

SU-F-T-266: Dynalogs Based Evaluation of Different Dose Rate IMRT Using DVH and Gamma Index

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ahmed, S; Ahmed, S; Ahmed, F

2016-06-15

Purpose: This work investigates the impact of low and high dose rate on IMRT through Dynalogs by evaluating Gamma Index and Dose Volume Histogram. Methods: The Eclipse™ treatment planning software was used to generate plans on prostate and head and neck sites. A range of dose rates 300 MU/min and 600 MU/min were applied to each plan in order to investigate their effect on the beam ON time, efficiency and accuracy. Each plan had distinct monitor units per fraction, delivery time, mean dose rate and leaf speed. The DVH data was used in the assessment of the conformity and planmore » quality.The treatments were delivered on Varian™ Clinac 2100C accelerator equipped with 120 leaf millennium MLC. Dynalogs of each plan were analyzed by MATLAB™ program. Fluence measurements were performed using the Sun Nuclear™ 2D diode array and results were assessed, based on Gamma analysis of dose fluence maps, beam delivery statistics and Dynalogs data. Results: Minor differences found by adjusted R-squared analysis of DVH’s for all the plans with different dose rates. It has been also found that more and larger fields have greater time reduction at high dose rate and there was a sharp decrease in number of control points observed in dynalog files by switching dose rate from 300 MU/min to 600 MU/min. Gamma Analysis of all plans passes the confidence limit of ≥95% with greater number of passing points in 300 MU/min dose rate plans. Conclusion: The dynalog files are compatible tool for software based IMRT QA. It can work perfectly parallel to measurement based QA setup and stand-by procedure for pre and post delivery of treatment plan.« less

A model-based 3D patient-specific pre-treatment QA method for VMAT using the EPID

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCowan, P. M.; Asuni, G.; van Beek, T.; van Uytven, E.; Kujanpaa, K.; McCurdy, B. M. C.

2017-02-01

This study reports the development and validation of a model-based, 3D patient dose reconstruction method for pre-treatment quality assurance using EPID images. The method is also investigated for sensitivity to potential MLC delivery errors. Each cine-mode EPID image acquired during plan delivery was processed using a previously developed back-projection dose reconstruction model providing a 3D dose estimate on the CT simulation data. Validation was carried out using 24 SBRT-VMAT patient plans by comparing: (1) ion chamber point dose measurements in a solid water phantom, (2) the treatment planning system (TPS) predicted 3D dose to the EPID reconstructed 3D dose in a solid water phantom, and (3) the TPS predicted 3D dose to the EPID and our forward predicted reconstructed 3D dose in the patient (CT data). AAA and AcurosXB were used for TPS predictions. Dose distributions were compared using 3%/3 mm (95% tolerance) and 2%/2 mm (90% tolerance) γ-tests in the planning target volume (PTV) and 20% dose volumes. The average percentage point dose differences between the ion chamber and the EPID, AcurosXB, and AAA were 0.73  ±  1.25%, 0.38  ±  0.96% and 1.06  ±  1.34% respectively. For the patient (CT) dose comparisons, seven (3%/3 mm) and nine (2%/2 mm) plans failed the EPID versus AAA. All plans passed the EPID versus Acuros XB and the EPID versus forward model γ-comparisons. Four types of MLC sensitive errors (opening, shifting, stuck, and retracting), of varying magnitude (0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 mm), were introduced into six different SBRT-VMAT plans. γ-comparisons of the erroneous EPID dose and original predicted dose were carried out using the same criteria as above. For all plans, the sensitivity testing using a 3%/3 mm γ-test in the PTV successfully determined MLC errors on the order of 1.0 mm, except for the single leaf retraction-type error. A 2%/2 mm criteria produced similar results with two more additional detected errors.

Mainland Chinese Students at an Elite Hong Kong University: Habitus-Field Disjuncture in a Transborder Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xu, Cora Lingling

2017-01-01

Drawing on in-depth interview data from 31 mainland Chinese (MLC) students in a Hong Kong university, this article conceptualises MLC and Hong Kong higher education as two dissonant but interrelated subfields of the Chinese higher education field. The article argues that these MLC students' habitus, one that possesses rich economic, social and…

SU-E-J-67: Evaluation of Adaptive MLC Morphing for Online Correction of Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sandhu, R; Qin, A; Yan, D

Purpose: Online adaptive MLC morphing is desirable over translational couch shifts to accommodate target position as well as anatomic changes. A reliable method of adaptive MLC segment to target during prostate cancer IMRT treatment is proposed and evaluated by comparison with daily online-image guidance (IGRT) correction and online-IMRT planning. Methods: The MLC adaptive algorithm involves following steps; move the MLC segments according to target translational shifts, and then morph the segment shape to maintain the spatial relationship between the planning-target contour and MLC segment. Efficacy of this method was evaluated retrospectively using daily-CBCT images on seven prostate patients treated withmore » seven-beam IMRT treatment to deliver 64Gy in 20 fractions. Daily modification was simulated with three approaches; daily-IGRT correction based on implanted radio-markers, adaptive MLC morphing, and online-IMRT planning, with no-residual variation. The selected dosimetric endpoints and nEUD (normalized equivalent uniform dose to online-IMRT planning) of each organ of interest were determined for evaluation and comparison. Results: For target(prostate), bladder and rectal-wall, the mean±sd of nEUD were 97.6%+3.2%, 103.9%±4.9% and 97.4%±1.1% for daily-IGRT correction; and 100.2%+0.2%, 108.9%±5.1% and 99.8%±1.2% for adaptive MLC morphing, respectively. For daily-IGRT correction, adaptive MLC morphing and online-IMRT planning, target D99 was <95% of the prescription dose in 30%, 0% and 0% of 140 fractions, respectively. For the rectal-wall, D5 exceeded 105% of the planned-D5 in 2.8%, 11.4% and 0% of 140 fractions, respectively. For the bladder, Dmax exceeded 105% of the planned-D5 in 2.8%, 5.6% and 0% of 140 fractions, respectively. D30 of bladder and rectal-wall were well within the planned-D30 for all three approaches. Conclusion: The proposed method of adaptive MLC morphing can be beneficial for the prostate patient population with large deformation and rotation. It is superior to the daily-IGRT correction, and comparable to the online-IMRT planning for dose to the target and rectal-wall.« less

The first patient treatment of electromagnetic-guided real time adaptive radiotherapy using MLC tracking for lung SABR.

PubMed

Booth, Jeremy T; Caillet, Vincent; Hardcastle, Nicholas; O'Brien, Ricky; Szymura, Kathryn; Crasta, Charlene; Harris, Benjamin; Haddad, Carol; Eade, Thomas; Keall, Paul J

2016-10-01

Real time adaptive radiotherapy that enables smaller irradiated volumes may reduce pulmonary toxicity. We report on the first patient treatment of electromagnetic-guided real time adaptive radiotherapy delivered with MLC tracking for lung stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy. A clinical trial was developed to investigate the safety and feasibility of MLC tracking in lung. The first patient was an 80-year old man with a single left lower lobe lung metastasis to be treated with SABR to 48Gy in 4 fractions. In-house software was integrated with a standard linear accelerator to adapt the treatment beam shape and position based on electromagnetic transponders implanted in the lung. MLC tracking plans were compared against standard ITV-based treatment planning. MLC tracking plan delivery was reconstructed in the patient to confirm safe delivery. Real time adaptive radiotherapy delivered with MLC tracking compared to standard ITV-based planning reduced the PTV by 41% (18.7-11cm 3 ) and the mean lung dose by 30% (202-140cGy), V20 by 35% (2.6-1.5%) and V5 by 9% (8.9-8%). An emerging technology, MLC tracking, has been translated into the clinic and used to treat lung SABR patients for the first time. This milestone represents an important first step for clinical real-time adaptive radiotherapy that could reduce pulmonary toxicity in lung radiotherapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fast Radio Bursts’ Recipes for the Distributions of Dispersion Measures, Flux Densities, and Fluences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niino, Yuu

2018-05-01

We investigate how the statistical properties of dispersion measure (DM) and apparent flux density/fluence of (nonrepeating) fast radio bursts (FRBs) are determined by unknown cosmic rate density history [ρ FRB(z)] and luminosity function (LF) of the transient events. We predict the distributions of DMs, flux densities, and fluences of FRBs taking account of the variation of the receiver efficiency within its beam, using analytical models of ρ FRB(z) and LF. Comparing the predictions with the observations, we show that the cumulative distribution of apparent fluences suggests that FRBs originate at cosmological distances and ρ FRB increases with redshift resembling the cosmic star formation history (CSFH). We also show that an LF model with a bright-end cutoff at log10 L ν (erg s‑1 Hz‑1) ∼ 34 are favored to reproduce the observed DM distribution if ρ FRB(z) ∝ CSFH, although the statistical significance of the constraints obtained with the current size of the observed sample is not high. Finally, we find that the correlation between DM and flux density of FRBs is potentially a powerful tool to distinguish whether FRBs are at cosmological distances or in the local universe more robustly with future observations.

Commissioning of the tongue-and-groove modelling in treatment planning systems: from static fields to VMAT treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, Victor; Vera-Sánchez, Juan Antonio; Vieillevigne, Laure; Saez, Jordi

2017-08-01

Adequate modelling of the multi-leaf collimator (MLC) by treatment planning systems (TPS) is essential for accurate dose calculations in intensity-modulated radiation-therapy. For this reason modern TPSs incorporate MLC characteristics such as the leaf end curvature, MLC transmission and the tongue-and-groove. However, the modelling of the tongue-and-groove is often neglected during TPS commissioning and it is not known how accurate it is. This study evaluates the dosimetric consequences of the tongue-and-groove effect for two different MLC models using both film dosimetry and ionisation chambers. A set of comprehensive tests are presented that evaluate the ability of TPSs to accurately model this effect in (a) static fields, (b) sliding window beams and (c) VMAT arcs. The tests proposed are useful for the commissioning of TPSs and for the validation of major upgrades. With the ECLIPSE TPS, relevant differences were found between calculations and measurements for beams with dynamic MLCs in the presence of the TG effect, especially for the High Definition MLC, small gap sizes and the 1 mm calculation grid. For this combination, dose differences as high as 10% and 7% were obtained for dynamic MLC gaps of 5 mm and 10 mm, respectively. These differences indicate inadequate modelling of the tongue-and-groove effect, which might not be identified without the proposed tests. In particular, the TPS tended to underestimate the calculated dose, which may require tuning of other configuration parameters in the TPS (such as the dosimetric leaf gap) in order to maximise the agreement between calculations and measurements in clinical plans. In conclusion, a need for better modelling of the MLC by TPSs is demonstrated, one of the relevant aspects being the tongue-and-groove effect. This would improve the accuracy of TPS calculations, especially for plans using small MLC gaps, such as plans with small target volumes or high complexities. Improved modelling of the MLC would also reduce the need for tuning parameters in the TPS, facilitating a more comprehensive configuration and commissioning of TPSs.

The national cholesterol education program diet vs a diet lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein and monounsaturated fat: a randomized trial.

PubMed

Aude, Y Wady; Agatston, Arthur S; Lopez-Jimenez, Francisco; Lieberman, Eric H; Marie Almon; Hansen, Melinda; Rojas, Gerardo; Lamas, Gervasio A; Hennekens, Charles H

2004-10-25

In the United States, obesity is a major clinical and public health problem causing diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, as well as increasing cardiovascular and total mortality. Dietary restrictions of calories and saturated fat are beneficial. However, it remains unclear whether replacement of saturated fat with carbohydrates (as in the US National Cholesterol Education Program [NCEP] diet) or protein and monounsaturated fat (as in our isocaloric modified low-carbohydrate [MLC] diet, which is lower in total carbohydrates but higher in protein, monounsaturated fat, and complex carbohydrates) is optimal. We randomized 60 participants (29 women and 31 men) to the NCEP or the MLC diet and evaluated them every 2 weeks for 12 weeks. They were aged 28 to 71 years (mean age, 44 years in the NCEP and 46 years in the MLC group). A total of 36% of participants from the NCEP group and 35% from the MLC group had a body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) greater than 27. The primary end point was weight loss, and secondary end points were blood lipid levels and waist-to-hip ratio. Weight loss was significantly greater in the MLC (13.6 lb) than in the NCEP group (7.5 lb), a difference of 6.1 lb (P = .02). There were no significant differences between the groups for total, low density, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, or the proportion of small, dense low-density lipoprotein particles. There were significantly favorable changes in all lipid levels within the MLC but not within the NCEP group. Waist-to-hip ratio was not significantly reduced between the groups (P = .27), but it significantly decreased within the MLC group (P = .009). Compared with the NCEP diet, the MLC diet, which is lower in total carbohydrates but higher in complex carbohydrates, protein, and monounsaturated fat, caused significantly greater weight loss over 12 weeks. There were no significant differences between the groups in blood lipid levels, but favorable changes were observed within the MLC diet group.

Dose-to-water conversion for the backscatter-shielded EPID: A frame-based method to correct for EPID energy response to MLC transmitted radiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zwan, Benjamin J., E-mail: benjamin.zwan@uon.edu.au; O’Connor, Daryl J.; King, Brian W.

2014-08-15

Purpose: To develop a frame-by-frame correction for the energy response of amorphous silicon electronic portal imaging devices (a-Si EPIDs) to radiation that has transmitted through the multileaf collimator (MLC) and to integrate this correction into the backscatter shielded EPID (BSS-EPID) dose-to-water conversion model. Methods: Individual EPID frames were acquired using a Varian frame grabber and iTools acquisition software then processed using in-house software developed inMATLAB. For each EPID image frame, the region below the MLC leaves was identified and all pixels in this region were multiplied by a factor of 1.3 to correct for the under-response of the imager tomore » MLC transmitted radiation. The corrected frames were then summed to form a corrected integrated EPID image. This correction was implemented as an initial step in the BSS-EPID dose-to-water conversion model which was then used to compute dose planes in a water phantom for 35 IMRT fields. The calculated dose planes, with and without the proposed MLC transmission correction, were compared to measurements in solid water using a two-dimensional diode array. Results: It was observed that the integration of the MLC transmission correction into the BSS-EPID dose model improved agreement between modeled and measured dose planes. In particular, the MLC correction produced higher pass rates for almost all Head and Neck fields tested, yielding an average pass rate of 99.8% for 2%/2 mm criteria. A two-sample independentt-test and fisher F-test were used to show that the MLC transmission correction resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the mean and the standard deviation of the gamma values, respectively, to give a more accurate and consistent dose-to-water conversion. Conclusions: The frame-by-frame MLC transmission response correction was shown to improve the accuracy and reduce the variability of the BSS-EPID dose-to-water conversion model. The correction may be applied as a preprocessing step in any pretreatment portal dosimetry calculation and has been shown to be beneficial for highly modulated IMRT fields.« less

TH-E-BRE-05: Analysis of Dosimetric Characteristics in Two Leaf Motion Calculator Algorithms for Sliding Window IMRT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, L; Huang, B; Rowedder, B

Purpose: The Smart leaf motion calculator (SLMC) in Eclipse treatment planning system is an advanced fluence delivery modeling algorithm as it takes into account fine MLC features including inter-leaf leakage, rounded leaf tips, non-uniform leaf thickness, and the spindle cavity etc. In this study, SLMC and traditional Varian LMC (VLMC) algorithms were investigated, for the first time, in dosimetric characteristics and delivery accuracy of sliding window (SW) IMRT. Methods: The SW IMRT plans of 51 cancer cases were included to evaluate dosimetric characteristics and dose delivery accuracy from leaf motion calculated by SLMC and VLMC, respectively. All plans were deliveredmore » using a Varian TrueBeam Linac. The DVH and MUs of the plans were analyzed. Three patient specific QA tools - independent dose calculation software IMSure, Delta4 phantom, and EPID portal dosimetry were also used to measure the delivered dose distribution. Results: Significant differences in the MUs were observed between the two LMCs (p≤0.001).Gamma analysis shows an excellent agreement between the planned dose distribution calculated by both LMC algorithms and delivered dose distribution measured by three QA tools in all plans at 3%/3 mm, leading to a mean pass rate exceeding 97%. The mean fraction of pixels with gamma < 1 of SLMC is slightly lower than that of VLMC in the IMSure and Delta4 results, but higher in portal dosimetry (the highest spatial resolution), especially in complex cases such as nasopharynx. Conclusion: The study suggests that the two LMCs generates the similar target coverage and sparing patterns of critical structures. However, SLMC is modestly more accurate than VLMC in modeling advanced MLC features, which may lead to a more accurate dose delivery in SW IMRT. Current clinical QA tools might not be specific enough to differentiate the dosimetric discrepancies at the millimeter level calculated by these two LMC algorithms. NIH/NIGMS grant U54 GM104944, Lincy Endowed Assistant Professorship.« less

SU-E-T-624: Portal Dosimetry Commissioning of Multiple (6) Varian TrueBeam Linacs Equipped with PortalVision DMI MV Imager

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weldon, M; DiCostanzo, D; Grzetic, S

2015-06-15

Purpose: To show that a single model for Portal Domisetry (PD) can be established for beam-matched TrueBeam™ linacs that are equipped with the DMI imager (43×43cm effective area). Methods: Our department acquired 6 new TrueBeam™s, 4 “Slim” and 2 “Edge” models. The Slims were equipped with 6 and 10MV photons, and the Edges with 6MV. MLCs differed between the Slims and Edges (Millennium 120 vs HD-MLC respectively). PD model was created from data acquired using a single linac (Slim). This includes maximum field size profile, as well as output factors and acquired measured fluence using the DMI imager. All identicalmore » linacs were beam-matched, profiles were within 1% at maximum field size at a variety of depths. The profile correction file was generated from 40×40 profile acquired at 5cm depth, 95cm SSD, and was adjusted for deviation at the field edges and corners. The PD model and profile correction was applied to all six TrueBeam™s and imagers. A variety of jaw only and sliding window (SW) MLC test fields, as well as TG-119 and clinical SW and VMAT plans were run on each linac to validate the model. Results: For 6X and 10X, field by field comparison using 3mm/3% absolute gamma criteria passed 90% or better for all cases. This was also true for composite comparisons of TG-199 and clinical plans, matching our current department criteria. Conclusion: Using a single model per photon energy for PD for the TrueBeam™ equipped with a DMI imager can produce clinically acceptable results across multiple identical and matched linacs. It is also possible to use the same PD model despite different MLCs. This can save time during commissioning and software updates.« less

Monte Carlo modeling and simulations of the High Definition (HD120) micro MLC and validation against measurements for a 6 MV beam

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Borges, C.; Zarza-Moreno, M.; Heath, E.

2012-01-15

Purpose: The most recent Varian micro multileaf collimator (MLC), the High Definition (HD120) MLC, was modeled using the BEAMNRC Monte Carlo code. This model was incorporated into a Varian medical linear accelerator, for a 6 MV beam, in static and dynamic mode. The model was validated by comparing simulated profiles with measurements. Methods: The Varian Trilogy (2300C/D) accelerator model was accurately implemented using the state-of-the-art Monte Carlo simulation program BEAMNRC and validated against off-axis and depth dose profiles measured using ionization chambers, by adjusting the energy and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the initial electron beam. Themore » HD120 MLC was modeled by developing a new BEAMNRC component module (CM), designated HDMLC, adapting the available DYNVMLC CM and incorporating the specific characteristics of this new micro MLC. The leaf dimensions were provided by the manufacturer. The geometry was visualized by tracing particles through the CM and recording their position when a leaf boundary is crossed. The leaf material density and abutting air gap between leaves were adjusted in order to obtain a good agreement between the simulated leakage profiles and EBT2 film measurements performed in a solid water phantom. To validate the HDMLC implementation, additional MLC static patterns were also simulated and compared to additional measurements. Furthermore, the ability to simulate dynamic MLC fields was implemented in the HDMLC CM. The simulation results of these fields were compared with EBT2 film measurements performed in a solid water phantom. Results: Overall, the discrepancies, with and without MLC, between the opened field simulations and the measurements using ionization chambers in a water phantom, for the off-axis profiles are below 2% and in depth-dose profiles are below 2% after the maximum dose depth and below 4% in the build-up region. On the conditions of these simulations, this tungsten-based MLC has a density of 18.7 g cm{sup -3} and an overall leakage of about 1.1 {+-} 0.03%. The discrepancies between the film measured and simulated closed and blocked fields are below 2% and 8%, respectively. Other measurements were performed for alternated leaf patterns and the agreement is satisfactory (to within 4%). The dynamic mode for this MLC was implemented and the discrepancies between film measurements and simulations are within 4%. Conclusions: The Varian Trilogy (2300 C/D) linear accelerator including the HD120 MLC was successfully modeled and simulated using the Monte Carlo BEAMNRC code by developing an independent CM, the HDMLC CM, either in static and dynamic modes.« less

Solar cosmic ray hazard to interplanetary and earth-orbital space travel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yucker, W. R.

1972-01-01

A statistical treatment of the radiation hazards to astronauts due to solar cosmic ray protons is reported to determine shielding requirements for solar proton events. More recent data are incorporated into the present analysis in order to improve the accuracy of the predicted mission fluence and dose. The effects of the finite data sample are discussed. Mission fluence and dose versus shield thickness data are presented for mission lengths up to 3 years during periods of maximum and minimum solar activity; these correspond to various levels of confidence that the predicted hazard will not be exceeded.

Atomic Oxygen Durability Evaluation of Protected Polymers Using Thermal Energy Plasma Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Bruce A.; Rutledge, Sharon K.; Degroh, Kim K.; Stidham, Curtis R.; Gebauer, Linda; Lamoreaux, Cynthia M.

1995-01-01

The durability evaluation of protected polymers intended for use in low Earth orbit (LEO) has necessitated the use of large-area, high-fluence, atomic oxygen exposure systems. Two thermal energy atomic oxygen exposure systems which are frequently used for such evaluations are radio frequency (RF) plasma ashers and electron cyclotron resonance plasma sources. Plasma source testing practices such as ample preparation, effective fluence prediction, atomic oxygen flux determination, erosion measurement, operational considerations, and erosion yield measurements are presented. Issues which influence the prediction of in-space durability based on ground laboratory thermal energy plasma system testing are also addressed.

Thrombin-induced activation of RhoA in platelet shape change.

PubMed

Bodie, S L; Ford, I; Greaves, M; Nixon, G F

2001-09-14

Thrombin-induced activation of RhoA and its involvement in the regulation of myosin II light chain(20) phosphorylation (MLC-P) in alpha-toxin permeabilized platelets was investigated. Permeabilized platelets, expressing normal levels of P-selectin, displayed a Ca(2+)-dependent increase in shape change and MLC-P. Thrombin activated RhoA as measured by a rhotekin-binding assay within 30 s of stimulation under conditions of constant [Ca(2+)](i). Under the same conditions and timecourse, thrombin or GTPgammaS induced an increase in MLC-P and platelet shape change which was not dependent on an increase in [Ca(2+)](i). The thrombin- and GTPgammaS-induced MLC-P in constant [Ca(2+)](i) was inhibited by the addition of Y27632, a Rho-kinase inhibitor. This study directly demonstrates that thrombin can activate RhoA in platelets in a timecourse compatible with a role in increasing MLC-P and shape change (not involving an increase in [Ca(2+)](i)). This is also Rho-kinase-dependent. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Visualizing and quantifying dose distribution in a UV reactor using three-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence.

PubMed

Gandhi, Varun N; Roberts, Philip J W; Kim, Jae-Hong

2012-12-18

Evaluating the performance of typical water treatment UV reactors is challenging due to the complexity in assessing spatial and temporal variation of UV fluence, resulting from highly unsteady, turbulent nature of flow and variation in UV intensity. In this study, three-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence (3DLIF) was applied to visualize and quantitatively analyze a lab-scale UV reactor consisting of one lamp sleeve placed perpendicular to flow. Mapping the spatial and temporal fluence delivery and MS2 inactivation revealed the highest local fluence in the wake zone due to longer residence time and higher UV exposure, while the lowest local fluence occurred in a region near the walls due to short-circuiting flow and lower UV fluence rate. Comparing the tracer based decomposition between hydrodynamics and IT revealed similar coherent structures showing the dependency of fluence delivery on the reactor flow. The location of tracer injection, varying the height and upstream distance from the lamp center, was found to significantly affect the UV fluence received by the tracer. A Lagrangian-based analysis was also employed to predict the fluence along specific paths of travel, which agreed with the experiments. The 3DLIF technique developed in this study provides new insight on dose delivery that fluctuates both spatially and temporally and is expected to aid design and optimization of UV reactors as well as validate computational fluid dynamics models that are widely used to simulate UV reactor performances.

Dosimetry study of PHOTOFRIN-mediated photodynamic therapy in a mouse tumor model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Haixia; Kim, Michele M.; Penjweini, Rozhin; Zhu, Timothy C.

2016-03-01

It is well known in photodynamic therapy (PDT) that there is a large variability between PDT light dose and therapeutic outcomes. An explicit dosimetry model using apparent reacted 1O2 concentration [1O2]rx has been developed as a PDT dosimetric quantity to improve the accuracy of the predicted ability of therapeutic efficacy. In this study, this explicit macroscopic singlet oxygen model was adopted to establish the correlation between calculated reacted [1O2]rx and the tumor growth using Photofrin-mediated PDT in a mouse tumor model. Mice with radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) tumors were injected with Photofrin at a dose of 5 mg/kg. PDT was performed 24h later with different fluence rates (50, 75 and 150 mW/cm2) and different fluences (50 and 135 J/cm2) using a collimated light applicator coupled to a 630nm laser. The tumor volume was monitored daily after PDT and correlated with the total light fluence and [1O2]rx. Photophysical parameters as well as the singlet oxygen threshold dose for this sensitizer and the RIF tumor model were determined previously. The result showed that tumor growth rate varied greatly with light fluence for different fluence rates while [1O2]rx had a good correlation with the PDT-induced tumor growth rate. This preliminary study indicated that [1O2]rx could serve as a better dosimetric predictor for predicting PDT outcome than PDT light dose.

A post-transcriptional compensatory pathway in heterozygous ventricular myosin light chain 2-deficient mice results in lack of gene dosage effect during normal cardiac growth or hypertrophy.

PubMed

Minamisawa, S; Gu, Y; Ross, J; Chien, K R; Chen, J

1999-04-09

Our previous study of homozygous mutants of the ventricular specific isoform of myosin light chain 2 (mlc-2v) demonstrated that mlc-2v plays an essential role in murine heart development (Chen, J., Kubalak, S. W., Minamisawa, S., Price, R. L., Becker, K. D., Hickey, R., Ross, J., Jr., and Chien, K. R. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 1252-1256). As gene dosage of some myofibrillar proteins can affect muscle function, we have analyzed heterozygous mutants in depth. Ventricles of heterozygous mutants displayed a 50% reduction in mlc-2v mRNA, yet expressed normal levels of protein both under basal conditions and following induction of cardiac hypertrophy by aortic constriction. Heterozygous mutants exhibited cardiac function comparable to that of wild-type littermate controls both prior to and following aortic constriction. There were no significant differences in contractility and responses to calcium between wild-type and heterozygous unloaded cardiomyocytes. We conclude that heterozygous mutants show neither a molecular nor a physiological cardiac phenotype either at base line or following hypertrophic stimuli. These results suggest that post-transcriptional compensatory mechanisms play a major role in maintaining the level of MLC-2v protein in murine hearts. In addition, as our mlc-2v knockout mutants were created by a knock-in of Cre recombinase into the endogenous mlc-2v locus, this study demonstrates that heterozygous mlc-2v cre knock-in mice are appropriate for ventricular specific gene targeting.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Otageri, P; Grant, E; Maricle, S

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of MLC modeling after commissioning the Varian TrueBeam LINAC in Pinnacle version 9.2. Methods: Stepand-shoot IMRT QAs were investigated when we observed our measured absolute dose results using ion chamber (Capintec PR-05P) were uncharacteristically low; about 4–5% compared to doses calculated by Pinnacle{sup 3} (Phillips, Madison, WI). This problem was predominant for large and highly modulated head and neck (HN) treatments. Intuitively we knew this had to be related to shortcomings in the MLC modeling in Pinnacle. Using film QA we were able to iteratively adjust the MLC parameters. We confirmed results by re-testing fivemore » failed IMRT QA patients; and ion chamber measurements were verified in Quasar anthropomorphic phantom. Results: After commissioning the LINAC in Pinnacle version 9.2, the MLC transmission for 6X, 10X and 15X were 2.0%, 1.7% and 2.0%, respectively, and additional Interleaf leakage for all three energies was 0.5%. These parameters were obtained from profiles scanned with an Edge detector (Sun Nuclear, Melbourne, FL) during machine commissioning. A Verification testing with radiographic EDR2 film (Kodak, Rochester, NY) measurement was performed by creating a closed MLC leaf pattern and analyzing using RIT software (RIT, Colorado Springs, CO). This reduced MLC transmission for 6X, 10X and 15X to 0.7%, 0.9% and 0.9%, respectively; while increasing additional Interleaf leakage for all three energies to 1.0%. Conclusion: Radiographic film measurements were used to correct MLC transmission values for step and shoot IMRT fields used in Pinnacle version 9.2. After adjusting the MLC parameters to correlate with the film QA, there was still very good agreement between the Pinnacle model and commissioning data. Using the same QA methodology, we were also able to improve the beam models for the Varian C-series linacs, Novalis-Tx, and TrueBeam M-120 linacs.« less

SU-E-T-195: Gantry Angle Dependency of MLC Leaf Position Error

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ju, S; Hong, C; Kim, M

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the gantry angle dependency of the multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf position error. Methods: An automatic MLC quality assurance system (AutoMLCQA) was developed to evaluate the gantry angle dependency of the MLC leaf position error using an electronic portal imaging device (EPID). To eliminate the EPID position error due to gantry rotation, we designed a reference maker (RM) that could be inserted into the wedge mount. After setting up the EPID, a reference image was taken of the RM using an open field. Next, an EPID-based picket-fence test (PFT) was performed withoutmore » the RM. These procedures were repeated at every 45° intervals of the gantry angle. A total of eight reference images and PFT image sets were analyzed using in-house software. The average MLC leaf position error was calculated at five pickets (-10, -5, 0, 5, and 10 cm) in accordance with general PFT guidelines using in-house software. This test was carried out for four linear accelerators. Results: The average MLC leaf position errors were within the set criterion of <1 mm (actual errors ranged from -0.7 to 0.8 mm) for all gantry angles, but significant gantry angle dependency was observed in all machines. The error was smaller at a gantry angle of 0° but increased toward the positive direction with gantry angle increments in the clockwise direction. The error reached a maximum value at a gantry angle of 90° and then gradually decreased until 180°. In the counter-clockwise rotation of the gantry, the same pattern of error was observed but the error increased in the negative direction. Conclusion: The AutoMLCQA system was useful to evaluate the MLC leaf position error for various gantry angles without the EPID position error. The Gantry angle dependency should be considered during MLC leaf position error analysis.« less

Investigation of the feasibility of a simple method for verifying the motion of a binary multileaf collimator synchronized with the rotation of the gantry for helical tomotherapy

PubMed Central

Uematsu, Masahiro; Ito, Makiko; Hama, Yukihiro; Inomata, Takayuki; Fujii, Masahiro; Nishio, Teiji; Nakamura, Naoki; Nakagawa, Keiichi

2012-01-01

In this paper, we suggest a new method for verifying the motion of a binary multileaf collimator (MLC) in helical tomotherapy. For this we used a combination of a cylindrical scintillator and a general‐purpose camcorder. The camcorder records the light from the scintillator following photon irradiation, which we use to track the motion of the binary MLC. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of this method as a binary MLC quality assurance (QA) tool. First, the verification was performed using a simple binary MLC pattern with a constant leaf open time; secondly, verification using the binary MLC pattern used in a clinical setting was also performed. Sinograms of simple binary MLC patterns, in which leaves that were open were detected as “open” from the measured light, define the sensitivity which, in this case, was 1.000. On the other hand, the specificity, which gives the fraction of closed leaves detected as “closed”, was 0.919. The leaf open error identified by our method was −1.3±7.5%. The 68.6% of observed leaves were performed within ± 3% relative error. The leaf open error was expressed by the relative errors calculated on the sinogram. In the clinical binary MLC pattern, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.994 and 0.997, respectively. The measurement could be performed with −3.4±8.0% leaf open error. The 77.5% of observed leaves were performed within ± 3% relative error. With this method, we can easily verify the motion of the binary MLC, and the measurement unit developed was found to be an effective QA tool. PACS numbers: 87.56.Fc, 87.56.nk PMID:22231222

SU-F-T-372: Surface and Peripheral Dose in Compensator-Based FFF Beam IMRT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, D; Feygelman, V; Moros, E

2016-06-15

Purpose: Flattening filter free (FFF) beams produce higher dose rates. Combined with compensator IMRT techniques, the dose delivery for each beam can be much shorter compared to the flattened beam MLC-based or compensator-based IMRT. This ‘snap shot’ IMRT delivery is beneficial to patients for tumor motion management. Due to softer energy, surface doses in FFF beam treatment are usually higher than those from flattened beams. Because of less scattering due to no flattening filter, peripheral doses are usually lower in FFF beam treatment. However, in compensator-based IMRT using FFF beams, the compensator is in the beam pathway. Does it introducemore » beam hardening effects and scattering such that the surface dose is lower and peripheral dose is higher compared to FFF beam MLC-based IMRT? Methods: This study applied Monte Carlo techniques to investigate the surface and peripheral doses in compensator-based IMRT using FFF beams and compared it to the MLC-based IMRT using FFF beams and flattened beams. Besides various thicknesses of copper slabs to simulate various thicknesses of compensators, a simple cone-shaped compensator was simulated to mimic a clinical application. The dose distribution in water phantom by the cone-shaped compensator was then simulated by multiple MLC defined FFF and flattened beams with various openings. After normalized to Dmax, the surface and peripheral dose was compared between the FFF beam compensator-based IMRT and FFF/flattened beam MLC-based IMRT. Results: The surface dose at the central 0.5mm depth was close between the compensator and 6FFF MLC dose distributions, and about 8% (of Dmax) higher than the flattened 6MV MLC dose. At 8cm off axis at dmax, the peripheral dose between the 6FFF and flattened 6MV MLC demonstrated similar doses, while the compensator dose was about 1% higher. Conclusion: Compensator does not reduce the surface doses but slightly increases the peripheral doses due to scatter inside compensator.« less

SU-E-T-122: Dosimetric Comparison Between Cone, HDMLC and MicroMLC for the Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vacca, N; Caussa, L; Filipuzzi, M

2014-06-01

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the dosimetric characteristics of three collimation systems, 5mm circular cone (Brainlab) and square fields of 5mm with HDMLC (Varian) and microMLC Moduleaf, Siemens) for trigeminal neuralgia treatment. Methods: A TPS Iplan v4.5 BrainLAB was used to do treatment plans for each collimations system in a square solid water phantom with isocenter at 5cm depth. Single field and treatment plan including 11 arcs with fix field and 100° gantry range was made for each collimation systems. EBT3 films were positioned at isocenter in a coronal plane to measured dose distribution for allmore » geometries. Films were digitized with a Vidar DosimetryPro Red scanner with a resolution of 89dpi and RIT113v6.1 software was used for analysis. Penumbra region (80%–20%), FWHM and dose percentage at 5mm and 10mm from CAX were determined. All profiles were normalized at CAX. Results: For single beam the penumbra (FWHM) was 1.5mm (5.3mm) for the cone, 1.9mm (5.5mm) for HDMLC and 1.8mm (5.4mm) for the microMLC. Dose percentage at 5mm was 6.9% for cone, 12.5% for HDMLC and 8.7% for the microMLC. For treatment plan the penumbra (FWHM) was 2.58mm (5.47mm) for the cone, 2.8mm (5.84mm) for HDMLC and 2.58mm (6.09mm) for the microMLC. Dose perecentage at 5mm was 13.1% for cone, 16.1% for HDMLC, 15.2% for the microMLC. Conclusion: The cone has a dose falloff larger than the microMLC and HDMLC, by its reduced penumbra, this translates into better protection of surrounding healthy tissue, however, the microMLC and HDMLC have similar accuracy to cone.« less

Electron beam collimation with a photon MLC for standard electron treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, S.; Fix, M. K.; Henzen, D.; Frei, D.; Frauchiger, D.; Loessl, K.; Stampanoni, M. F. M.; Manser, P.

2018-01-01

Standard electron treatments are currently still performed using standard or molded patient-specific cut-outs placed in the electron applicator. Replacing cut-outs and electron applicators with a photon multileaf collimator (pMLC) for electron beam collimation would make standard electron treatments more efficient and would facilitate advanced treatment techniques like modulated electron radiotherapy (MERT) and mixed beam radiotherapy (MBRT). In this work, a multiple source Monte Carlo beam model for pMLC shaped electron beams commissioned at a source-to-surface distance (SSD) of 70 cm is extended for SSDs of up to 100 cm and validated for several Varian treatment units with field sizes typically used for standard electron treatments. Measurements and dose calculations agree generally within 3% of the maximal dose or 2 mm distance to agreement. To evaluate the dosimetric consequences of using pMLC collimated electron beams for standard electron treatments, pMLC-based and cut-out-based treatment plans are created for a left and a right breast boost, a sternum, a testis and a parotid gland case. The treatment plans consist of a single electron field, either alone (1E) or in combination with two 3D conformal tangential photon fields (1E2X). For each case, a pMLC plan with similar treatment plan quality in terms of dose homogeneity to the target and absolute mean dose values to the organs at risk (OARs) compared to a cut-out plan is found. The absolute mean dose to an OAR is slightly increased for pMLC-based compared to cut-out-based 1E plans if the OAR is located laterally close to the target with respect to beam direction, or if a 6 MeV electron beam is used at an extended SSD. In conclusion, treatment plans using cut-out collimation can be replaced by plans of similar treatment plan quality using pMLC collimation with accurately calculated dose distributions.

Evaluation of dosimetric effect caused by slowing with multi-leaf collimator (MLC) leaves for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)

PubMed Central

Wang, Iris Z.; Kumaraswamy, Lalith K.; Podgorsak, Matthew B.

2016-01-01

Background This study is to report 1) the sensitivity of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) QA method for clinical volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans with multi-leaf collimator (MLC) leaf errors that will not trigger MLC interlock during beam delivery; 2) the effect of non-beam-hold MLC leaf errors on the quality of VMAT plan dose delivery. Materials and methods. Eleven VMAT plans were selected and modified using an in-house developed software. For each control point of a VMAT arc, MLC leaves with the highest speed (1.87-1.95 cm/s) were set to move at the maximal allowable speed (2.3 cm/s), which resulted in a leaf position difference of less than 2 mm. The modified plans were considered as ‘standard’ plans, and the original plans were treated as the ‘slowing MLC’ plans for simulating ‘standard’ plans with leaves moving at relatively lower speed. The measurement of each ‘slowing MLC’ plan using MapCHECK®2 was compared with calculated planar dose of the ‘standard’ plan with respect to absolute dose Van Dyk distance-to-agreement (DTA) comparisons using 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm criteria. Results All ‘slowing MLC’ plans passed the 90% pass rate threshold using 3%/3 mm criteria while one brain and three anal VMAT cases were below 90% with 2%/2 mm criteria. For ten out of eleven cases, DVH comparisons between ‘standard’ and ‘slowing MLC’ plans demonstrated minimal dosimetric changes in targets and organs-at-risk. Conclusions For highly modulated VMAT plans, pass rate threshold (90%) using 3%/3mm criteria is not sensitive in detecting MLC leaf errors that will not trigger the MLC leaf interlock. However, the consequential effects of non-beam hold MLC errors on target and OAR doses are negligible, which supports the reliability of current patient-specific IMRT quality assurance (QA) method for VMAT plans. PMID:27069458

SU-F-T-230: A Simple Method to Assess Accuracy of Dynamic Wave Arc Irradiation Using An Electronic Portal Imaging Device and Log Files

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hirashima, H; Miyabe, Y; Yokota, K

2016-06-15

Purpose: The Dynamic Wave Arc (DWA) technique, where the multi-leaf collimator (MLC) and gantry/ring move simultaneously in a predefined non-coplanar trajectory, has been developed on the Vero4DRT. The aim of this study is to develop a simple method for quality assurance of DWA delivery using an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) measurements and log files analysis. Methods: The Vero4DRT has an EPID on the beam axis, the resolution of which is 0.18 mm/pixel at the isocenter plane. EPID images were acquired automatically. To verify the detection accuracy of the MLC position by EPID images, the MLC position with intentional errorsmore » was assessed. Tests were designed considering three factors: (1) accuracy of the MLC position (2) dose output consistency with variable dose rate (160–400 MU/min), gantry speed (2.4–6°/s), ring speed (0.5–2.5°/s), and (3) MLC speed (1.6–4.2 cm/s). All the patterns were delivered to the EPID and compared with those obtained with a stationary radiation beam with a 0° gantry angle. The irradiation log, including the MLC position and gantry/ring angle, were recorded simultaneously. To perform independent checks of the machine accuracy, the MLC position and gantry/ring angle position were assessed using log files. Results: 0.1 mm intentional error can be detected by the EPID, which is smaller than the EPID pixel size. The dose outputs with different conditions of the dose rate and gantry/ring speed and MLC speed showed good agreement, with a root mean square (RMS) error of 0.76%. The RMS error between the detected and recorded data were 0.1 mm for the MLC position, 0.12° for the gantry angle, and 0.07° for the ring angle. Conclusion: The MLC position and dose outputs in variable conditions during DWA irradiation can be easily detected using EPID measurements and log file analysis. The proposed method is useful for routine verification. This research is (partially) supported by the Practical Research for Innovative Cancer Control (15Ack0106151h0001) from Japan Agency for Medical Research and development, AMED. Authors Takashi Mizowaki and Masahiro Hiraoka have consultancy agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Japan.« less

TM 4: Beam through the Main Linac Cryomodule

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bartnik, A.

2017-06-14

On May 15th 2017, the CBETA project reached the major funding milestone, “Beam through the MLC.” For this test, the team had to successfully accelerate the electron beam to 6 MeV in the Injector Cryomodule (ICM), and then to a final energy of 12 MeV in the Main Linac Cryomodule (MLC). The MLC contains six superconducting accelerating cavities; for this initial test only a single cavity was powered.

SU-E-T-247: Multi-Leaf Collimator Model Adjustments Improve Small Field Dosimetry in VMAT Plans

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Young, L; Yang, F

2014-06-01

Purpose: The Elekta beam modulator linac employs a 4-mm micro multileaf collimator (MLC) backed by a fixed jaw. Out-of-field dose discrepancies between treatment planning system (TPS) calculations and output water phantom measurements are caused by the 1-mm leaf gap required for all moving MLCs in a VMAT arc. In this study, MLC parameters are optimized to improve TPS out-of-field dose approximations. Methods: Static 2.4 cm square fields were created with a 1-mm leaf gap for MLCs that would normally park behind the jaw. Doses in the open field and leaf gap were measured with an A16 micro ion chamber andmore » EDR2 film for comparison with corresponding point doses in the Pinnacle TPS. The MLC offset table and tip radius were adjusted until TPS point doses agreed with photon measurements. Improvements to the beam models were tested using static arcs consisting of square fields ranging from 1.6 to 14.0 cm, with 45° collimator rotation, and 1-mm leaf gap to replicate VMAT conditions. Gamma values for the 3-mm distance, 3% dose difference criteria were evaluated using standard QA procedures with a cylindrical detector array. Results: The best agreement in point doses within the leaf gap and open field was achieved by offsetting the default rounded leaf end table by 0.1 cm and adjusting the leaf tip radius to 13 cm. Improvements in TPS models for 6 and 10 MV photon beams were more significant for smaller field sizes 3.6 cm or less where the initial gamma factors progressively increased as field size decreased, i.e. for a 1.6cm field size, the Gamma increased from 56.1% to 98.8%. Conclusion: The MLC optimization techniques developed will achieve greater dosimetric accuracy in small field VMAT treatment plans for fixed jaw linear accelerators. Accurate predictions of dose to organs at risk may reduce adverse effects of radiotherapy.« less

Evaluation of MLC leaf transmission on IMRT treatment plan quality of patients with advanced lung cancer.

PubMed

Chen, Jiayun; Fu, Guishan; Li, Minghui; Song, Yixin; Dai, Jianrong; Miao, Junjie; Liu, Zhiqiang; Li, Yexiong

2017-12-14

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the impact of leaf treatment of multileaf collimator (MLC) in plan quality of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) of patients with advanced lung cancer. Five MLCs with different leaf transmissions (0.01%, 0.5%, 1.2%, 1.8%, and 3%) were configured for an accelerator in a treatment planning system. Correspondingly, 5 treatment plans with the same optimization setting were created and evaluated quantitatively for each patient (11 patients total) who was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. All of the 5 plans for each patient met the dose requirement for the planning treatment volumes (PTVs) and had similar target dose homogeneity and conformity. On average, the doses to selected organs were as follows: (1) V 5 , V 20 , and the mean dose of total lung; (2) the maximum and mean dose to spinal cord planning organ-at-risk volume (PRV); and (3) V 30 and V 40 of heart, decreased slightly when MLC transmission was decreased, but with no statistical differences. There is a clear grouping of plans having total quality score (S D ) value, which is used to evaluate plan quality: (1) more than 1 (patient nos. 1 to 3, 5, and 8), and more than 2.5 (patient no. 6); (2) less than 1 (patient nos. 7 and 10); (3) around 1 (patient nos. 4, 9, and 11). As MLC transmission increased, overall S D values increased as well and plan dose requirement was harder to meet. The clinical requirements were violated increasingly as MLC transmission became large. Total S D with and without normal tissue (NT) showed similar results, with no statistically significant differences. Therefore, decrease of MLC transmission did have minimum impact on plan, and it improved target coverage and reduced normal tissue radiation slightly, with no statistical significance. Plan quality could not be significantly improved by MLC transmission reduction. However, lower MLC transmission may have advantages on lung sparing to low- and intermediate-dose exposure. Besides conventional fraction, hyperfraction, or stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), the reduction on lung sparing is still essential because it is highly relevant to radiation pneumonitis (RP). It has potential to diminish incidence of RP and improve patient's quality of life after irradiation with lowered MLC transmission. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Medical Dosimetrists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SU-G-BRB-10: New Generation of High Frame-Rate and High Spatial-Resolution EPID QA System for Full-Body MLC-Based Robotic Radiosurgery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Han, B; Xing, L; Wang, L

Purpose: To systematically investigate an ultra-high spatial-resolution amorphous silicon flat-panel electronic portal imaging device (EPID) for MLC-based full-body robotic radiosurgery geometric and dosimetric quality assurance (QA). Methods: The high frame-rate and ultra-high spatial resolution EPID is an outstanding detector for measuring profiles, MLC-shaped radiosurgery field aperture verification, and small field dosimetry. A Monte Carlo based technique with a robotic linac specific response and calibration is developed to convert a raw EPID-measured image of a radiosurgery field into water-based dose distribution. The technique is applied to measure output factors and profiles for 6MV MLC-defined radiosurgery fields with various sizes ranging frommore » 7.6mm×7.7mm to 100mm×100.1mm and the results are compared with the radiosurgery diode scan measurements in water tank. The EPID measured field sizes and the penumbra regions are analyzed to evaluate the MLC positioning accuracy. Results: For all MLC fields, the EPID measured output factors of MLC-shaped fields are in good agreement with the diode measurements. The mean output difference between the EPID and diode measurement is 0.05±0.87%. The max difference is −1.33% for 7.6mm×7.7mm field. The MLC field size derived from the EPID measurements are in good agreement comparing to the diode scan result. For crossline field sizes, the mean difference is −0.17mm±0.14mm with a maximum of −0.35mm for the 30.8mm×30.8mm field. For inline field sizes, the mean difference is +0.08mm±0.18mm with a maximum of +0.45mm for the 100mm×100.1mm field. The high resolution EPID is able to measure the whole radiation field, without the need to align the detector center perfectly at field center as diode or ion chamber measurement. The setup time is greatly reduced so that the whole process is possible for machine and patient-specific QA. Conclusion: The high spatial-resolution EPID is proved to be an accurate and efficient tool for QA of MLC-equipped robotic radiosurgery system.« less

A simple model of space radiation damage in GaAs solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J. W.; Stith, J. J.; Stock, L. V.

1983-01-01

A simple model is derived for the radiation damage of shallow junction gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells. Reasonable agreement is found between the model and specific experimental studies of radiation effects with electron and proton beams. In particular, the extreme sensitivity of the cell to protons stopping near the cell junction is predicted by the model. The equivalent fluence concept is of questionable validity for monoenergetic proton beams. Angular factors are quite important in establishing the cell sensitivity to incident particle types and energies. A fluence of isotropic incidence 1 MeV electrons (assuming infinite backing) is equivalent to four times the fluence of normal incidence 1 MeV electrons. Spectral factors common to the space radiations are considered, and cover glass thickness required to minimize the initial damage for a typical cell configuration is calculated. Rough equivalence between the geosynchronous environment and an equivalent 1 MeV electron fluence (normal incidence) is established.

The sensitivity of patient specific IMRT QC to systematic MLC leaf bank offset errors.

PubMed

Rangel, Alejandra; Palte, Gesa; Dunscombe, Peter

2010-07-01

Patient specific IMRT QC is performed routinely in many clinics as a safeguard against errors and inaccuracies which may be introduced during the complex planning, data transfer, and delivery phases of this type of treatment. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the feasibility of detecting systematic errors in MLC leaf bank position with patient specific checks. 9 head and neck (H&N) and 14 prostate IMRT beams were delivered using MLC files containing systematic offsets (+/- 1 mm in two banks, +/- 0.5 mm in two banks, and 1 mm in one bank of leaves). The beams were measured using both MAPCHECK (Sun Nuclear Corp., Melbourne, FL) and the aS1000 electronic portal imaging device (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA). Comparisons with calculated fields, without offsets, were made using commonly adopted criteria including absolute dose (AD) difference, relative dose difference, distance to agreement (DTA), and the gamma index. The criteria most sensitive to systematic leaf bank offsets were the 3% AD, 3 mm DTA for MAPCHECK and the gamma index with 2% AD and 2 mm DTA for the EPID. The criterion based on the relative dose measurements was the least sensitive to MLC offsets. More highly modulated fields, i.e., H&N, showed greater changes in the percentage of passing points due to systematic MLC inaccuracy than prostate fields. None of the techniques or criteria tested is sufficiently sensitive, with the population of IMRT fields, to detect a systematic MLC offset at a clinically significant level on an individual field. Patient specific QC cannot, therefore, substitute for routine QC of the MLC itself.

Functional conservation between rodents and chicken of regulatory sequences driving skeletal muscle gene expression in transgenic chickens

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Regulatory elements that control expression of specific genes during development have been shown in many cases to contain functionally-conserved modules that can be transferred between species and direct gene expression in a comparable developmental pattern. An example of such a module has been identified at the rat myosin light chain (MLC) 1/3 locus, which has been well characterised in transgenic mouse studies. This locus contains two promoters encoding two alternatively spliced isoforms of alkali myosin light chain. These promoters are differentially regulated during development through the activity of two enhancer elements. The MLC3 promoter alone has been shown to confer expression of a reporter gene in skeletal and cardiac muscle in transgenic mice and the addition of the downstream MLC enhancer increased expression levels in skeletal muscle. We asked whether this regulatory module, sufficient for striated muscle gene expression in the mouse, would drive expression in similar domains in the chicken. Results We have observed that a conserved downstream MLC enhancer is present in the chicken MLC locus. We found that the rat MLC1/3 regulatory elements were transcriptionally active in chick skeletal muscle primary cultures. We observed that a single copy lentiviral insert containing this regulatory cassette was able to drive expression of a lacZ reporter gene in the fast-fibres of skeletal muscle in chicken in three independent transgenic chicken lines in a pattern similar to the endogenous MLC locus. Reporter gene expression in cardiac muscle tissues was not observed for any of these lines. Conclusions From these results we conclude that skeletal expression from this regulatory module is conserved in a genomic context between rodents and chickens. This transgenic module will be useful in future investigations of muscle development in avian species. PMID:20184756

New interplanetary proton fluence model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feynman, Joan; Armstrong, T. P.; Dao-Gibner, L.; Silverman, S.

1990-01-01

A new predictive engineering model for the interplanetary fluence of protons with above 10 MeV and above 30 MeV is described. The data set used is a combination of observations made from the earth's surface and from above the atmosphere between 1956 and 1963 and observations made from spacecraft in the vicinity of earth between 1963 and 1985. The data cover a time period three times as long as the period used in earlier models. With the use of this data set the distinction between 'ordinary proton events' and 'anomalously large events' made in earlier work disappears. This permitted the use of statistical analysis methods developed for 'ordinary events' on the entire data set. The greater than 10 MeV fluences at 1 AU calculated with the new model are about twice those expected on the basis of models now in use. At energies above 30 MeV, the old and new models agree. In contrast to earlier models, the results do not depend critically on the fluence from any one event and are independent of sunspot number. Mission probability curves derived from the fluence distribution are presented.

Toward a descriptive model of solar particles in the heliosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shea, M. A.; Smart, D. F.; Adams, James H., Jr.; Chenette, D.; Feynman, Joan; Hamilton, Douglas C.; Heckman, G. R.; Konradi, A.; Lee, Martin A.; Nachtwey, D. S.

1988-01-01

During a workshop on the interplanetary charged particle environment held in 1987, a descriptive model of solar particles in the heliosphere was assembled. This model includes the fluence, composition, energy spectra, and spatial and temporal variations of solar particles both within and beyong 1 AU. The ability to predict solar particle fluences was also discussed. Suggestions for specific studies designed to improve the basic model were also made.

Macroscopic singlet oxygen modeling for dosimetry of Photofrin-mediated photodynamic therapy: an in-vivo study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Haixia; Kim, Michele M.; Penjweini, Rozhin; Zhu, Timothy C.

2016-08-01

Although photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an established modality for cancer treatment, current dosimetric quantities, such as light fluence and PDT dose, do not account for the differences in PDT oxygen consumption for different fluence rates (φ). A macroscopic model was adopted to evaluate using calculated reacted singlet oxygen concentration ([) to predict Photofrin-PDT outcome in mice bearing radiation-induced fibrosarcoma tumors, as singlet oxygen is the primary cytotoxic species responsible for cell death in type II PDT. Using a combination of fluences (50, 135, 200, and 250 J/cm2) and φ (50, 75, and 150 mW/cm2), tumor regrowth rate, k, was determined for each condition. A tumor cure index, CI=1-k/k, was calculated based on the k between PDT-treated groups and that of the control, k. The measured Photofrin concentration and light dose for each mouse were used to calculate PDT dose and [, while mean optical properties (μa=0.9 cm-1, μs‧=8.4 cm-1) were used to calculate φ for all mice. CI was correlated to the fluence, PDT dose, and [ with R2=0.35, 0.79, and 0.93, respectively. These results suggest that [ serves as a better dosimetric quantity for predicting PDT outcome.

Myosin light chain 2-based selection of human iPSC-derived early ventricular cardiac myocytes

PubMed Central

Bizy, Alexandra; Guerrero-Serna, Guadalupe; Hu, Bin; Ponce-Balbuena, Daniela; Willis, B. Cicero; Zarzoso, Manuel; Ramirez, Rafael J.; Sener, Michelle F.; Mundada, Lakshmi V.; Klos, Matthew; Devaney, Eric J.; Vikstrom, Karen L.; Herron, Todd J.; Jalife, José

2014-01-01

Applications of human induced pluripotent stemcell derived-cardiac myocytes (hiPSC-CMs) would be strengthened by the ability to generate specific cardiac myocyte (CM) lineages. However, purification of lineage-specific hiPSC-CMs is limited by the lack of cell marking techniques. Here, we have developed an iPSC-CM marking system using recombinant adenoviral reporter constructs with atrial- or ventricular-specific myosin light chain-2 (MLC-2) promoters. MLC-2a and MLC-2v selected hiPSC-CMs were purified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and their biochemical and electrophysiological phenotypes analyzed. We demonstrate that the phenotype of both populations remained stable in culture and they expressed the expected sarcomeric proteins, gap junction proteins and chamber-specific transcription factors. Compared to MLC-2a cells, MLC-2v selected CMs had larger action potential amplitudes and durations. In addition, by immunofluorescence, we showed that MLC-2 isoform expression can be used to enrich hiPSC-CM consistent with early atrial and ventricularmyocyte lineages. However, only the ventricular myosin light chain-2 promoter was able to purify a highly homogeneous population of iPSC-CMs. Using this approach, it is now possible to develop ventricular-specific disease models using iPSC-CMs while atrial-specific iPSC-CM cultures may require additional chamber-specific markers. PMID:24095945

Patient views through the keyhole: new perspectives on single-incision vs. multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy

PubMed Central

Hey, Jennifer; Roberts, Keith John; Morris-Stiff, Gareth J; Toogood, Giles J

2012-01-01

Objectives Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) may be associated with less pain, shorter hospital stay and better cosmetic results than multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy (MLC). Advocates suggest that patients prefer SILC, although research directly addressing the question of patient preferences is limited. This study aimed to assess patient preferences using currently available evidence. Methods Patients awaiting elective cholecystectomy were shown a series of postoperative images taken after SILC or MLC and asked which procedure this led them to prefer. This was repeated after patients had completed a questionnaire constructed using published objective data comparing patient-reported outcomes of SILC and MLC. Results The study was completed by 113 consecutive patients. After their initial viewing of the images, 16% of subjects preferred MLC. Younger age, lower body mass index and female sex were associated with choosing SILC. After completing the questionnaire, 88% of patients preferred MLC (P < 0.001). Patients ranked the level of risk for complications and postoperative pain above cosmetic results in determining their choice of procedure. Conclusions Patients' initial preference when presented with cosmetic appearance was for SILC. When contemporary outcome data were included, the majority chose MLC. This underlines the need to fully inform patients during the consent process and indicates that patient views of SILC may differ from the views of those introducing the technology. PMID:22404262

Myosin light chain 2-based selection of human iPSC-derived early ventricular cardiac myocytes.

PubMed

Bizy, Alexandra; Guerrero-Serna, Guadalupe; Hu, Bin; Ponce-Balbuena, Daniela; Willis, B Cicero; Zarzoso, Manuel; Ramirez, Rafael J; Sener, Michelle F; Mundada, Lakshmi V; Klos, Matthew; Devaney, Eric J; Vikstrom, Karen L; Herron, Todd J; Jalife, José

2013-11-01

Applications of human induced pluripotent stem cell derived-cardiac myocytes (hiPSC-CMs) would be strengthened by the ability to generate specific cardiac myocyte (CM) lineages. However, purification of lineage-specific hiPSC-CMs is limited by the lack of cell marking techniques. Here, we have developed an iPSC-CM marking system using recombinant adenoviral reporter constructs with atrial- or ventricular-specific myosin light chain-2 (MLC-2) promoters. MLC-2a and MLC-2v selected hiPSC-CMs were purified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and their biochemical and electrophysiological phenotypes analyzed. We demonstrate that the phenotype of both populations remained stable in culture and they expressed the expected sarcomeric proteins, gap junction proteins and chamber-specific transcription factors. Compared to MLC-2a cells, MLC-2v selected CMs had larger action potential amplitudes and durations. In addition, by immunofluorescence, we showed that MLC-2 isoform expression can be used to enrich hiPSC-CM consistent with early atrial and ventricular myocyte lineages. However, only the ventricular myosin light chain-2 promoter was able to purify a highly homogeneous population of iPSC-CMs. Using this approach, it is now possible to develop ventricular-specific disease models using iPSC-CMs while atrial-specific iPSC-CM cultures may require additional chamber-specific markers. © 2013.

Light dosimetry and dose verification for pleural PDT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimofte, Andreea; Sharikova, Anna V.; Meo, Julia L.; Simone, Charles B.; Friedberg, Joseph S.; Zhu, Timothy C.

2013-03-01

In-vivo light dosimetry for patients undergoing photodynamic therapy (PDT) is critical for predicting PDT outcome. Patients in this study are enrolled in a Phase I clinical trial of HPPH-mediated PDT for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with pleural effusion. They are administered 4mg per kg body weight HPPH 48 hours before the surgery and receive light therapy with a fluence of 15-45 J/cm2 at 661 and 665nm. Fluence rate (mW/cm2) and cumulative fluence (J/cm2) are monitored at 7 sites during the light treatment delivery using isotropic detectors. Light fluence (rate) delivered to patients is examined as a function of treatment time, volume and surface area. In a previous study, a correlation between the treatment time and the treatment volume and surface area was established. However, we did not include the direct light and the effect of the shape of the pleural surface on the scattered light. A real-time infrared (IR) navigation system was used to separate the contribution from the direct light. An improved expression that accurately calculates the total fluence at the cavity wall as a function of light source location, cavity geometry and optical properties is determined based on theoretical and phantom studies. The theoretical study includes an expression for light fluence rate in an elliptical geometry instead of the spheroid geometry used previously. The calculated light fluence is compared to the measured fluence in patients of different cavity geometries and optical properties. The result can be used as a clinical guideline for future pleural PDT treatment.

Fast regional readout CMOS Image Sensor for dynamic MLC tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zin, H.; Harris, E.; Osmond, J.; Evans, P.

2014-03-01

Advanced radiotherapy techniques such as volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) require verification of the complex beam delivery including tracking of multileaf collimators (MLC) and monitoring the dose rate. This work explores the feasibility of a prototype Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor Image Sensor (CIS) for tracking these complex treatments by utilising fast, region of interest (ROI) read out functionality. An automatic edge tracking algorithm was used to locate the MLC leaves edges moving at various speeds (from a moving triangle field shape) and imaged with various sensor frame rates. The CIS demonstrates successful edge detection of the dynamic MLC motion within accuracy of 1.0 mm. This demonstrates the feasibility of the sensor to verify treatment delivery involving dynamic MLC up to ~400 frames per second (equivalent to the linac pulse rate), which is superior to any current techniques such as using electronic portal imaging devices (EPID). CIS provides the basis to an essential real-time verification tool, useful in accessing accurate delivery of complex high energy radiation to the tumour and ultimately to achieve better cure rates for cancer patients.

Measurement and Monte Carlo simulation for energy‐ and intensity‐modulated electron radiotherapy delivered by a computer‐controlled electron multileaf collimator

PubMed Central

Eldib, Ahmed; Li, Jinsheng; Emam, Ismail; Fan, Jiajin; Wang, Lu; Ma, C‐M

2014-01-01

The dosimetric advantage of modulated electron radiotherapy (MERT) has been explored by many investigators and is considered to be an advanced radiation therapy technique in the utilization of electrons. A computer‐controlled electron multileaf collimator (MLC) prototype, newly designed to be added onto a Varian linac to deliver MERT, was investigated both experimentally and by Monte Carlo simulations. Four different electron energies, 6, 9, 12, and 15 MeV, were employed for this investigation. To ensure that this device was capable of delivering the electron beams properly, measurements were performed to examine the electron MLC (eMLC) leaf leakage and to determine the appropriate jaw positioning for an eMLC‐shaped field in order to eliminate a secondary radiation peak that could otherwise appear outside of an intended radiation field in the case of inappropriate jaw positioning due to insufficient radiation blockage from the jaws. Phase space data were obtained by Monte Carlo (MC) simulation and recorded at the plane just above the jaws for each of the energies (6, 9, 12, and 15 MeV). As an input source, phase space data were used in MC dose calculations for various sizes of the eMLC shaped field (10×10 cm2, 3.4×3.4 cm2, and 2×2 cm2) with respect to a water phantom at source‐to‐surface distance (SSD)=94cm, while the jaws, eMLC leaves, and some accessories associated with the eMLC assembly as well were modeled as modifiers in the calculations. The calculated results were then compared with measurements from a water scanning system. The results showed that jaw settings with 5 mm margins beyond the field shaped by the eMLC were appropriate to eliminate the secondary radiation peak while not widening the beam penumbra; the eMLC leaf leakage measurements ranged from 0.3% to 1.8% for different energies based on in‐phantom measurements, which should be quite acceptable for MERT. Comparisons between MC dose calculations and measurements showed agreement within 1%/1mm based on percentage depth doses (PDDs) and off‐axis dose profiles for a range of field sizes for each of the electron energies. Our current work has demonstrated that the eMLC and other relevant components in the linac were correctly modeled and simulated via our in‐house MC codes, and the eMLC is capable of accurately delivering electron beams for various eMLC‐shaped field sizes with appropriate jaw settings. In the next stage, patient‐specific verification with a full MERT plan should be performed. PACS number: 87.55.ne PMID:24423848

33 CFR 1.07-90 - Criminal penalties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Commandant is required, the Area, Maintenance & Logistics Command (MLC), and District Commanders are..., 121 to 126 inclusive). (c) The Area, MLC, or District Commander will identify the laws or regulations...

33 CFR 1.07-90 - Criminal penalties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Commandant is required, the Area, Maintenance & Logistics Command (MLC), and District Commanders are..., 121 to 126 inclusive). (c) The Area, MLC, or District Commander will identify the laws or regulations...

33 CFR 1.07-90 - Criminal penalties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Commandant is required, the Area, Maintenance & Logistics Command (MLC), and District Commanders are..., 121 to 126 inclusive). (c) The Area, MLC, or District Commander will identify the laws or regulations...

33 CFR 1.07-90 - Criminal penalties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Commandant is required, the Area, Maintenance & Logistics Command (MLC), and District Commanders are..., 121 to 126 inclusive). (c) The Area, MLC, or District Commander will identify the laws or regulations...

33 CFR 1.07-90 - Criminal penalties.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Commandant is required, the Area, Maintenance & Logistics Command (MLC), and District Commanders are..., 121 to 126 inclusive). (c) The Area, MLC, or District Commander will identify the laws or regulations...

Micro-Laser Range Finder Development: Using the Monolithic Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-02-01

components can be joined together, optically aligned to form the laser cavity and then sliced to produce MLC modules . This batch process can greatly reduce...the overall fabrication costs of the µLRF system. The MLC module is ultra-compact. Its overall size is approximately 56 mm (L) x 3 mm (W) x 3 mm (H) as...MLC module is placed on a laser pallet for stiffness, mechanical stability. The laser pallet size is selected as part of the integration design

Dynamic-MLC leaf control utilizing on-flight intensity calculations: a robust method for real-time IMRT delivery over moving rigid targets.

PubMed

McMahon, Ryan; Papiez, Lech; Rangaraj, Dharanipathy

2007-08-01

An algorithm is presented that allows for the control of multileaf collimation (MLC) leaves based entirely on real-time calculations of the intensity delivered over the target. The algorithm is capable of efficiently correcting generalized delivery errors without requiring the interruption of delivery (self-correcting trajectories), where a generalized delivery error represents anything that causes a discrepancy between the delivered and intended intensity profiles. The intensity actually delivered over the target is continually compared to its intended value. For each pair of leaves, these comparisons are used to guide the control of the following leaf and keep this discrepancy below a user-specified value. To demonstrate the basic principles of the algorithm, results of corrected delivery are shown for a leading leaf positional error during dynamic-MLC (DMLC) IMRT delivery over a rigid moving target. It is then shown that, with slight modifications, the algorithm can be used to track moving targets in real time. The primary results of this article indicate that the algorithm is capable of accurately delivering DMLC IMRT over a rigid moving target whose motion is (1) completely unknown prior to delivery and (2) not faster than the maximum MLC leaf velocity over extended periods of time. These capabilities are demonstrated for clinically derived intensity profiles and actual tumor motion data, including situations when the target moves in some instances faster than the maximum admissible MLC leaf velocity. The results show that using the algorithm while calculating the delivered intensity every 50 ms will provide a good level of accuracy when delivering IMRT over a rigid moving target translating along the direction of MLC leaf travel. When the maximum velocities of the MLC leaves and target were 4 and 4.2 cm/s, respectively, the resulting error in the two intensity profiles used was 0.1 +/- 3.1% and -0.5 +/- 2.8% relative to the maximum of the intensity profiles. For the same target motion, the error was shown to increase rapidly as (1) the maximum MLC leaf velocity was reduced below 75% of the maximum target velocity and (2) the system response time was increased.

SU-F-T-629: Effect of Multi-Leaf Collimator (MLC) Width On Plan Quality of Single-Isocenter VMAT Intracranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Multiple Metastases

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kraus, J; Thomas, E; Wu, X

2016-06-15

Purpose: Single-isocenter VMAT has been shown able to create high quality plans for complex intracranial multiple metastasis SRS cases. Linacs capable of the technique are typically outfitted with an MLC that consists of a combination of 5 mm and 10 mm leaves (standard) or 2.5 mm and 5 mm leaves (high-definition). In this study, we test the hypothesis that thinner collimator leaves are associated with improved plan quality. Methods: Ten multiple metastasis cases were identified and planned for VMAT SRS using a 10 MV flattening filter free beam. Plans were created for a standard (std) and a high-definition (HD) MLC.more » Published values for leaf transmission factor and dosimetric leaf gap were utilized. All other parameters were invariant. Conformity (plan and individual target), moderate isodose spill (V50%), and low isodose spill (mean brain dose) were selected for analysis. Results: Compared to standard MLC, HD-MLC improved overall plan conformity (median: Paddick CI-HD = 0.83, Paddick CI-std = 0.79; p = 0.004 and median: RTOG CI-HD =1.18, RTOG CI-std =1.24; p = 0.01 ), improved individual lesion conformity (median: Paddick CI-HD,i =0.77, Paddick CI-std,i =0.72; p < 0.001 and median: RTOG CI-HD,i = 1.28, RTOG CI-std,i =1.35; p < 0.001), improved moderate isodose spill (median: V50%-HD = 37.0 cc, V50%-std = 45.7 cc; p = 0.002), and improved low dose spill (median: dmean-HD = 2.90 Gy, dmean-std = 3.19 Gy; p = 0.002). Conclusion: For the single-isocenter VMAT SRS of multiple metastasis plans examined, use of HD-MLC modestly improved conformity, moderate isodose, and low isodose spill compared to standard MLC. However, in all cases we were able to generate clinically acceptable plans with the standard MLC. More work is need to further quantify the difference in cases with higher numbers of small targets and to better understand any potential clinical significance. This research was supported in part by Varian Medical Systems.« less

SU-D-201-04: Evaluation of Elekta Agility MLC Performance Using Statistical Process Control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meyers, SM; Balderson, MJ; Letourneau, D

2016-06-15

Purpose: to evaluate the performance and stability of the Elekta Agility MLC model using an automated quality control (QC) test in combination with statistical process control tools. Methods: Leaf positions were collected daily for 11 Elekta units over 5–19 months using the automated QC test, which analyzes 23 MV images to determine the location of MLC leaves relative to the radiation isocenter. The leaf positions are measured at 5 nominal positions, and images are acquired at collimator 0° and 180° to capture all MLC leaves in the field-of-view. Leaf positioning accuracy was assessed using individual and moving range control charts.more » Control limits were recomputed following MLC recalibration (occurred 1–2 times for 4 units). Specification levels of ±0.5, ±1 and ±1.5mm were tested. The mean and range of duration between out-of-control and out-of-specification events were determined. Results: Leaf position varied little over time, as confirmed by very tight individual control limits (mean ±0.19mm, range 0.09–0.44). Mean leaf position error was −0.03mm (range −0.89–0.83). Due to sporadic out-of-control events, the mean in-control duration was 3.3 days (range 1–23). Data stayed within ±1mm specification for 205 days on average (range 3–372) and within ±1.5mm for the entire date range. Measurements stayed within ±0.5mm for 1 day on average (range 0–17); however, our MLC leaves were not calibrated to this level of accuracy. Conclusion: The Elekta Agility MLC model was found to perform with high stability, as evidenced by the tight control limits. The in-specification durations support the current recommendation of monthly MLC QC tests with a ±1mm tolerance. Future work is on-going to determine if Agility performance can be optimized further using high-frequency QC test results to drive recalibration frequency. Factors that can affect leaf positioning accuracy, including beam spot motion, leaf gain calibration, drifting leaves, and image artifacts, are under investigation.« less

SU-G-JeP2-03: Automatic Quantification of MLC Positional Accuracy in An MRI Guided Radiotherapy System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, X; Studenski, M; Yang, F

Purpose: MRI-guided-radiotherapy (MRIGRT) systems lack many features of traditional Linac based RT systems and specialized tests need to be developed to evaluate MLC performance. This work describes automatic tools for the analysis of positional accuracy of an MLC equipped MRIGRT system. Methods: This MLC analysis tool was developed for the MRIdian™ RT system which has three Co-60 equipped treatment heads each with a double focused MLC containing 30 leaf pairs, leaf thickness is 1.05cm defined at isocenter (SAD 105 cm). For MLC positional analysis a picket fence test was performed using a 25.4cm × 25.4cm Gafchromic™ RTQA2 film placed betweenmore » 5cm solidwater and a 30cm × 30cm × 1cm jigwire phantom with seven embedded parallel metal strips 4cm apart. A plan was generated to deliver 2Gy per field and seven 23.1cm × 2cm fields centered over each wire in the phantom. For each leaf pair the center of the radiation profile was determined by fitting the horizontal profile with a Gaussian model and determining the center of the FWHM. This was compared with the metal strip location to determine any deviation. The following metrics were used to evaluate the deviations per gantry angle including maximum, minimum, mean, Kurtosis, and skewness. Results: The identified maximum/mean leaf deviations are, 1.32/0.55 mm for gantry 0°, 1.59/0.76 mm for gantry 90°, and 1.19/0.39 mm for gantry 270°. The percentage of leaf deviation less than 1mm are 90.0% at 0°, 74.6% at 90°, and 97.0% at 270°. Kurtosis/skewness of the leaf deviation are 2.41/0.14 at 0°, 2.53/0.23 at 90°, 3.33/0.83 at 270°, respectively. Conclusion: This work presents an automatic tool for evaluation of the MLC position accuracy of the MRIdian™ radiotherapy system which can be used to benchmark the performance of the MLC system for each treatment head and track the results longitudinally.« less

Characteristics and performance of the first commercial multileaf collimator for a robotic radiosurgery system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fürweger, Christoph, E-mail: christoph.fuerweger@cyber-knife.net; Prins, Paulette; Coskan, Harun

Purpose: The “InCise™ multileaf-collimator (MLC)” is the first commercial MLC to be mounted on a robotic SRS/SBRT platform (CyberKnife). The authors assessed characteristics and performance of this novel device in a preclinical five months test period. Methods: Commissioning beam data were acquired with unshielded diodes. EBT3 radiochromic films were employed for measurement of transmission, leaf/bank position accuracy (garden fence) before and after exercising the MLC, for end-to-end testing and further characterization of the beam. The robot workspace with MLC was assessed analytically by transformation to an Euler geometry (“plane,” “gantry,” and “collimator” angles) and by measuring pointing accuracy at eachmore » node. Stability over time was evaluated in picket fence and adapted Winston–Lutz tests (AQA). Results: Beam penumbrae (80%–20%, with 100% = 2 × dose at inflection point for field sizes ≥ 50 × 50 mm{sup 2}) were 2.2–3.7 mm for square fields in reference condition (source-axis-distance 800 mm, depth 15 mm) and depended on field size and off-axis position. Transmission and leakage did not exceed 0.5%. Accessible clinical workspace with MLC covered non-coplanar gantry angles of [−113°; +112°] and collimator angles of [−100°; +107°], with an average robot pointing accuracy of 0.12 ± 0.09 mm. For vertical beams, garden fence tests exhibited an average leaf positioning error of ≤0.2 mm, which increased by 0.25 and 0.30 mm (banks X1 and X2) with leaves traveling parallel to gravity. After execution of a leaf motion stress routine, garden fence tests showed slightly increased jaggedness and allowed to identify one malfunctioning leaf motor. Total system accuracy with MLC was 0.38 ± 0.05 mm in nine end-to-end tests. Picket fence and AQA tests displayed stable results over the test period. Conclusions: The InCise™ MLC for CyberKnife showed high accuracy and adequate characteristics for SRS/SBRT applications. MLC performance after exercise demands specific quality assurance measures.« less

Characteristics and performance of the first commercial multileaf collimator for a robotic radiosurgery system.

PubMed

Fürweger, Christoph; Prins, Paulette; Coskan, Harun; Heijmen, Ben J M

2016-05-01

The "InCise™ multileaf-collimator (MLC)" is the first commercial MLC to be mounted on a robotic SRS/SBRT platform (CyberKnife). The authors assessed characteristics and performance of this novel device in a preclinical five months test period. Commissioning beam data were acquired with unshielded diodes. EBT3 radiochromic films were employed for measurement of transmission, leaf/bank position accuracy (garden fence) before and after exercising the MLC, for end-to-end testing and further characterization of the beam. The robot workspace with MLC was assessed analytically by transformation to an Euler geometry ("plane," "gantry," and "collimator" angles) and by measuring pointing accuracy at each node. Stability over time was evaluated in picket fence and adapted Winston-Lutz tests (AQA). Beam penumbrae (80%-20%, with 100% = 2 × dose at inflection point for field sizes ≥ 50 × 50 mm(2)) were 2.2-3.7 mm for square fields in reference condition (source-axis-distance 800 mm, depth 15 mm) and depended on field size and off-axis position. Transmission and leakage did not exceed 0.5%. Accessible clinical workspace with MLC covered non-coplanar gantry angles of [-113°; +112°] and collimator angles of [-100°; +107°], with an average robot pointing accuracy of 0.12 ± 0.09 mm. For vertical beams, garden fence tests exhibited an average leaf positioning error of ≤0.2 mm, which increased by 0.25 and 0.30 mm (banks X1 and X2) with leaves traveling parallel to gravity. After execution of a leaf motion stress routine, garden fence tests showed slightly increased jaggedness and allowed to identify one malfunctioning leaf motor. Total system accuracy with MLC was 0.38 ± 0.05 mm in nine end-to-end tests. Picket fence and AQA tests displayed stable results over the test period. The InCise™ MLC for CyberKnife showed high accuracy and adequate characteristics for SRS/SBRT applications. MLC performance after exercise demands specific quality assurance measures.

SU-E-T-624: Quantitative Evaluation of 2D Versus 3D Dosimetry for Stereotactic Volumetric Modulated Arc Delivery Using COMPASS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vikraman, S; Karrthick, K; Rajesh, T

2014-06-15

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate quantitatively 2D versus 3D dosimetry for stereotactic volumetric modulated arc delivery using COMPASS with 2D array. Methods: Twenty-five patients CT images and RT structures of different sites like brain, head and neck, thorax, abdomen and spine were taken from Multiplan planning system for this study. All these patients underwent radical stereotactic treatment in Cyberknife. For each patient, linac based VMAT stereotactic plans were generated in Monaco TPS v 3.1 using Elekta Beam Modulator MLC. Dose prescription was in the range of 5-20Gy/fraction.TPS calculated VMAT plan delivery accuracy was quantitatively evaluated withmore » COMPASS measured dose and calculated dose based on DVH metrics. In order to ascertain the potential of COMPASS 3D dosimetry for stereotactic plan delivery, 2D fluence verification was performed with MatriXX using Multicube. Results: For each site, D{sub 9} {sub 5} was achieved with 100% of prescription dose with maximum 0.05SD. Conformity index (CI) was observed closer to 1.15 in all cases. Maximum deviation of 2.62 % was observed for D{sub 9} {sub 5} when compared TPS versus COMPASS measured. Considerable deviations were observed in head and neck cases compare to other sites. The maximum mean and standard deviation for D{sub 9} {sub 5}, average target dose and average gamma were -0.78±1.72, -1.10±1.373 and 0.39±0.086 respectively. Numbers of pixels passing 2D fluence verification were observed as a mean of 99.36% ±0.455 SD with 3% dose difference and 3mm DTA. For critical organs in head and neck cases, significant dose differences were observed in 3D dosimetry while the target doses were matched well within limit in both 2D and 3D dosimetry. Conclusion: The quantitative evaluations of 2D versus 3D dosimetry for stereotactic volumetric modulated plans showed the potential of highlighting the delivery errors. This study reveals that COMPASS 3D dosimetry is an effective tool for patient specific quality assurance compared to 2D fluence verification.« less

Pitfalls of tungsten multileaf collimator in proton beam therapy.

PubMed

Moskvin, Vadim; Cheng, Chee-Wai; Das, Indra J

2011-12-01

Particle beam therapy is associated with significant startup and operational cost. Multileaf collimator (MLC) provides an attractive option to improve the efficiency and reduce the treatment cost. A direct transfer of the MLC technology from external beam radiation therapy is intuitively straightforward to proton therapy. However, activation, neutron production, and the associated secondary cancer risk in proton beam should be an important consideration which is evaluated. Monte Carlo simulation with FLUKA particle transport code was applied in this study for a number of treatment models. The authors have performed a detailed study of the neutron generation, ambient dose equivalent [H∗(10)], and activation of a typical tungsten MLC and compared with those obtained from a brass aperture used in a typical proton therapy system. Brass aperture and tungsten MLC were modeled by absorber blocks in this study, representing worst-case scenario of a fully closed collimator. With a tungsten MLC, the secondary neutron dose to the patient is at least 1.5 times higher than that from a brass aperture. The H∗(10) from a tungsten MLC at 10 cm downstream is about 22.3 mSv/Gy delivered to water phantom by noncollimated 200 MeV beam of 20 cm diameter compared to 14 mSv/Gy for the brass aperture. For a 30-fraction treatment course, the activity per unit volume in brass aperture reaches 5.3 × 10⁴ Bq cm(-3) at the end of the last treatment. The activity in brass decreases by a factor of 380 after 24 h, additional 6.2 times after 40 days of cooling, and is reduced to background level after 1 yr. Initial activity in tungsten after 30 days of treating 30 patients per day is about 3.4 times higher than in brass that decreases only by a factor of 2 after 40 days and accumulates to 1.2 × 10⁶ Bq cm(-3) after a full year of operation. The daily utilization of the MLC leads to buildup of activity with time. The overall activity continues to increase due to (179)Ta with a half-life of 1.82 yr and thus require prolonged storage for activity cooling. The H∗(10) near the patient side of the tungsten block is about 100 μSv/h and is 27 times higher at the upstream side of the block. This would lead to an accumulated dose for therapists in a year that may exceed occupational maximum permissible dose (50 mSv/yr). The value of H∗(10) at the upstream surface of the tungsten block is about 220 times higher than that of the brass. MLC is an efficient way for beam shaping and overall cost reduction device in proton therapy. However, based on this study, tungsten seems to be not an optimal material for MLC in proton beam therapy. Usage of tungsten MLC in clinic may create unnecessary risks associated with the secondary neutrons and induced radioactivity for patients and staff depending on the patient load. A careful selection of material for manufacturing of an optimal MLC for proton therapy is thus desired.

Using radiance predicted by the P3 approximation in a spherical geometry to predict tissue optical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickey, Dwayne J.; Moore, Ronald B.; Tulip, John

2001-01-01

For photodynamic therapy of solid tumors, such as prostatic carcinoma, to be achieved, an accurate model to predict tissue parameters and light dose must be found. Presently, most analytical light dosimetry models are fluence based and are not clinically viable for tissue characterization. Other methods of predicting optical properties, such as Monet Carlo, are accurate but far too time consuming for clinical application. However, radiance predicted by the P3-Approximation, an anaylitical solution to the transport equation, may be a viable and accurate alternative. The P3-Approximation accurately predicts optical parameters in intralipid/methylene blue based phantoms in a spherical geometry. The optical parameters furnished by the radiance, when introduced into fluence predicted by both P3- Approximation and Grosjean Theory, correlate well with experimental data. The P3-Approximation also predicts the optical properties of prostate tissue, agreeing with documented optical parameters. The P3-Approximation could be the clinical tool necessary to facilitate PDT of solid tumors because of the limited number of invasive measurements required and the speed in which accurate calculations can be performed.

Probabilistic Forecast of Solar Particle Fluence for Mission Durations and Exposure Assessment in Consideration of Integral Proton Fluence at High Energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, M. Y.; Tylka, A. J.; Dietrich, W. F.; Cucinotta, F. A.

2012-12-01

The occasional occurrence of solar particle events (SPEs) with large amounts of energy is non-predictable, while the expected frequency is strongly influenced by solar cycle activity. The potential for exposure to large SPEs with high energy levels is the major concern during extra-vehicular activities (EVAs) on the Moon, near Earth object, and Mars surface for future long duration space missions. We estimated the propensity for SPE occurrence with large proton fluence as a function of time within a typical future solar cycle from a non-homogeneous Poisson model using the historical database for measurements of protons with energy > 30 MeV, Φ30. The database includes a comprehensive collection of historical data set for the past 5 solar cycles. Using all the recorded proton fluence of SPEs, total fluence distributions of Φ30, Φ60, and Φ100 were simulated ranging from its 5th to 95th percentile for each mission durations. In addition to the total particle intensity of SPEs, the detailed energy spectra of protons, especially at high energy levels, were recognized as extremely important for assessing the radiation cancer risk associated with energetic particles for large events. For radiation exposure assessments of major SPEs, we used the spectral functional form of a double power law in rigidity (the so-called Band function), which have provided a satisfactory representation of the combined satellite and neutron monitor data from ~10 MeV to ~10 GeV. The dependencies of exposure risk were evaluated as a function of proton fluence at a given energy threshold of 30, 60, and 100 MeV, and overall risk prediction was improved as the energy level threshold increases from 30 to 60 to 100 MeV. The results can be applied to the development of approaches of improved radiation protection for astronauts, as well as the optimization of mission planning and shielding for future space missions.

Comparison of secondary neutron dose in proton therapy resulting from the use of a tungsten alloy MLC or a brass collimator system.

PubMed

Diffenderfer, Eric S; Ainsley, Christopher G; Kirk, Maura L; McDonough, James E; Maughan, Richard L

2011-11-01

To apply the dual ionization chamber method for mixed radiation fields to an accurate comparison of the secondary neutron dose arising from the use of a tungsten alloy multileaf collimator (MLC) as opposed to a brass collimator system for defining the shape of a therapeutic proton field. Hydrogenous and nonhydrogenous ionization chambers were constructed with large volumes to enable measurements of absorbed doses below 10(-4) Gy in mixed radiation fields using the dual ionization chamber method for mixed-field dosimetry. Neutron dose measurements were made with a nominal 230 MeV proton beam incident on a closed tungsten alloy MLC and a solid brass block. The chambers were cross-calibrated against a (60)Co-calibrated Farmer chamber in water using a 6 MV x-ray beam and Monte Carlo simulations were performed to account for variations in ionization chamber response due to differences in secondary neutron energy spectra. The neutron and combined proton plus γ-ray absorbed doses are shown to be nearly equivalent downstream from either a closed tungsten alloy MLC or a solid brass block. At 10 cm downstream from the distal edge of the collimating material the neutron dose from the closed MLC was (5.3 ± 0.4) × 10(- 5) Gy/Gy. The neutron dose with brass was (6.4 ± 0.7) × 10(- 5) Gy/Gy. Further from the secondary neutron source, at 50 cm, the neutron doses remain close for both the MLC and brass block at (6.9 ± 0.6) × 10(- 6) Gy/Gy and (6.3 ± 0.7) × 10(- 6) Gy/Gy, respectively. The dual ionization chamber method is suitable for measuring secondary neutron doses resulting from proton irradiation. The results of measurements downstream from a closed tungsten alloy MLC and a brass block indicate that, even in an overly pessimistic worst-case scenario, secondary neutron production in a tungsten alloy MLC leads to absorbed doses that are nearly equivalent to those seen from brass collimators. Therefore, the choice of tungsten alloy in constructing the leaves of a proton MLC is appropriate, and does not lead to a substantial increase in the secondary neutron dose to the patient compared to that generated in a brass collimator.

Thrombin-induced phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain of myosin II in cultured bovine corneal endothelial cells.

PubMed

Satpathy, M; Gallagher, P; Lizotte-Waniewski, M; Srinivas, S P

2004-10-01

Phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain of myosin II (referred to as myosin light chain or MLC) leads to a loss of barrier integrity in cellular monolayers by an increase in the contractility of the cortical actin cytoskeleton. This effect has been examined in corneal endothelial (CE) cells. Experiments were performed using cultured bovine CE cells (BCEC). MLC phosphorylation was induced by a thrombin-mediated activation of the proteinase-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1). Expression of MLC kinase (MLCK), a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase that phosphorylates MLC at its Ser-19 and Thr-18 residues, was determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting. Expression of PAR-1, RhoA, and Rho kinase-1 (effector of RhoA) was ascertained by RT-PCR. MLC phosphorylation was assessed by urea-glycerol gel electrophoresis followed by immunoblotting. The effects of Rho kinase-1 and PKC were characterized by using their selective inhibitors, Y-27632 and chelerythrine, respectively. Reorganization of the cytoskeleton was evaluated by the phalloidin staining of actin. [Ca2+]i was measured using Fura-2. The barrier integrity was assayed as permeability of BCEC monolayers to horseradish peroxidase (HRP; 44 kDa). RT-PCR showed expression of MLCK, PAR-1, Rho kinase-1, and RhoA. Western blotting indicated expression of the non-muscle and smooth muscle isoforms of MLCK. Exposure to thrombin induced an increase in [Ca2+]i with the peak unaffected by an absence of extracellular Ca2+. Pre-exposure to thrombin (2 U ml(-1); 2 min) led to mono- and di-phosphorylation of MLC. Under both basal conditions and in the presence of thrombin, MLC phosphorylation was prevented by chelerythrine (10 microm) and Y-27632 (<25 microm). Thrombin led to inter-endothelial gaps secondary to the disruption of the cortical actin cytoskeleton, which under resting conditions was organized as a perijunctional actomyosin ring (PAMR). These responses were blocked by pre-treatment with Y-27632. Thrombin also increased permeability to HRP, which was abolished by pre-treatment with Y-27632. Thrombin induces MLC phosphorylation in BCEC. The consequent increase in the contractility of the actin cytoskeleton produces a centripetal force resulting in inter-endothelial gaps and a breakdown of barrier integrity. These responses are PKC- and Rho kinase-dependent. [Ca2+]i increase, as well as sensitivity of the thrombin response to PKC and Rho kinase inhibitors, are consistent with the expression of PAR-1 receptors in BCEC. Thrombin-induced hyperpermeability is a model to investigate barrier dysfunction induced by MLC phosphorylation.

A new model for the calculation and prediction of solar proton fluences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feynman, Joan; Gabriel, Stephen B.

1990-01-01

A new predictive engineering model for the energy greater than 10 MeV and greater than 30 MeV solar proton environment at earth is reviewed. The data used are from observations made from 1956 through 1985. In this data set, the distinction between 'ordinary events' and 'anomalously large events' that was required in earlier models disappeared. This permitted the use of statistical analysis methods developed for ordinary events on the entire data set. The greater than 10-MeV fluences with the new model are about twice those expected on the basis of earlier models. At energies greater than 30 MeV, the old and new models agree.

Bridge Crossing Simulator

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-07

is counted as. Per the TDTC, a test bridge with longitudinal and/or lateral symmetry under non- eccentric loading can be considered as 1, 2, or 4...Level Run036 3 MLC70T (tracked) BA Run046 6 AB Run055 9 AB Run060 9 BA Run064 12 BA Run071 15 AB Run155 3 MLC96W ( wheeled ) AB...Run331 9 AB Run359 15 AB Run430 12 MLC96W ( wheeled ) BA Run434 12 AB Run447 3 BA Bank Condition: Side Slope, Even Strain Channels High

Monte Carlo design and simulation of a grid-type multi-layer pixel collimator for radiotherapy: Feasibility study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Do-Kun; Jung, Joo-Young; Suh, Tae Suk

2014-05-01

In order to confirm the possibility of field application of a different type collimator with a multileaf collimator (MLC), we constructed a grid-type multi-layer pixel collimator (GTPC) by using a Monte Carlo n-particle simulation (MCNPX). In this research, a number of factors related to the performance of the GPTC were evaluated using simulated output data of a basic MLC model. A layer was comprised of a 1024-pixel collimator (5.0 × 5.0 mm2) which could operate individually as a grid-type collimator (32 × 32). A 30-layer collimator was constructed for a specific portal form to pass radiation through the opening and closing of each pixel cover. The radiation attenuation level and the leakage were compared between the GTPC modality simulation and MLC modeling (tungsten, 17.50 g/cm3, 5.0 × 70.0 × 160.0 mm3) currently used for a radiation field. Comparisons of the portal imaging, the lateral dose profile from a virtual water phantom, the dependence of the performance on the increase in the number of layers, the radiation intensity modulation verification, and the geometric error between the GTPC and the MLC were done using the MCNPX simulation data. From the simulation data, the intensity modulation of the GTPC showed a faster response than the MLC's (29.6%). In addition, the agreement between the doses that should be delivered to the target region was measured as 97.0%, and the GTPC system had an error below 0.01%, which is identical to that of MLC. A Monte Carlo simulation of the GTPC could be useful for verification of application possibilities. Because the line artifact is caused by the grid frame and the folded cover, a lineal dose transfer type is chosen for the operation of this system. However, the result of GTPC's performance showed that the methods of effective intensity modulation and the specific geometric beam shaping differed with the MLC modality.

Technical Note: A novel leaf sequencing optimization algorithm which considers previous underdose and overdose events for MLC tracking radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wisotzky, Eric, E-mail: eric.wisotzky@charite.de, E-mail: eric.wisotzky@ipk.fraunhofer.de; O’Brien, Ricky; Keall, Paul J., E-mail: paul.keall@sydney.edu.au

2016-01-15

Purpose: Multileaf collimator (MLC) tracking radiotherapy is complex as the beam pattern needs to be modified due to the planned intensity modulation as well as the real-time target motion. The target motion cannot be planned; therefore, the modified beam pattern differs from the original plan and the MLC sequence needs to be recomputed online. Current MLC tracking algorithms use a greedy heuristic in that they optimize for a given time, but ignore past errors. To overcome this problem, the authors have developed and improved an algorithm that minimizes large underdose and overdose regions. Additionally, previous underdose and overdose events aremore » taken into account to avoid regions with high quantity of dose events. Methods: The authors improved the existing MLC motion control algorithm by introducing a cumulative underdose/overdose map. This map represents the actual projection of the planned tumor shape and logs occurring dose events at each specific regions. These events have an impact on the dose cost calculation and reduce recurrence of dose events at each region. The authors studied the improvement of the new temporal optimization algorithm in terms of the L1-norm minimization of the sum of overdose and underdose compared to not accounting for previous dose events. For evaluation, the authors simulated the delivery of 5 conformal and 14 intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)-plans with 7 3D patient measured tumor motion traces. Results: Simulations with conformal shapes showed an improvement of L1-norm up to 8.5% after 100 MLC modification steps. Experiments showed comparable improvements with the same type of treatment plans. Conclusions: A novel leaf sequencing optimization algorithm which considers previous dose events for MLC tracking radiotherapy has been developed and investigated. Reductions in underdose/overdose are observed for conformal and IMRT delivery.« less

Sci-Fri PM: Radiation Therapy, Planning, Imaging, and Special Techniques - 02: Feasibility of using multileaf collimation for stereotactic radiosurgery of arteriovenous malformation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Young; Ruschin, Mark

SRS using linac and cones offers steep dose fall-off but a tradeoff exists between conformality and treatment time, which depends on the number of isocentres. Purpose of this study is to quantify planning metrics between cones- and MLC-based SRS for arteriovenous malformation(AVM). Seven AVM cases treated with cones were re-planned with MLC on Pinnacle treatment planning system. Planning target volume(PTV) was created with 1mm uniform margin to the AVM to account for MLC positional variation. Clinically-planned prescription dose(15–25Gy) was used. Four plans were generated per case:non-coplanar VMAT(ncV), single-arc VMAT(saV), non-coplanar IMRT(ncI), non-coplanar conformal(ncC). Plans were compared for conformity(CI), heterogeneity(HI) andmore » gradient(GI) indices and brain doses. Estimated treatment times and monitor units(MU) were compared. Cone-based plans required 2–6 isocentres. Though CI-RTOG was similar for plans(median=0.98), CI-Paddick was most favourable for ncV(median=0.86) and worst for cones(0.54). HI for MLC plans(median=1.19–1.27) were lower than cone-based plans(1.43). GI was similar for all plans. For 2/7 ncC had brainstem maximum dose>16.7Gy and therefore were clinically unacceptable. Brain V12Gy,V10Gy,V2Gy were lowest in the cones plan. ncV brain V12Gy,V10Gy,V2Gy were lowest of all MLC-based plans studied. Treatment MUs were similar for MLC-based plans and up to 70% lower than clinically delivered plans. ncV showed best conformality in this study. Of the MLC-based plans, ncV also showed lowest normal tissue dose with reasonable treatment time.« less

Multiple Leader Candidate and Competitive Position Allocation for Robust Formation against Member Robot Faults

PubMed Central

Kwon, Ji-Wook; Kim, Jin Hyo; Seo, Jiwon

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a Multiple Leader Candidate (MLC) structure and a Competitive Position Allocation (CPA) algorithm which can be applicable for various applications including environmental sensing. Unlike previous formation structures such as virtual-leader and actual-leader structures with position allocation including a rigid allocation and an optimization based allocation, the formation employing the proposed MLC structure and CPA algorithm is robust against the fault (or disappearance) of the member robots and reduces the entire cost. In the MLC structure, a leader of the entire system is chosen among leader candidate robots. The CPA algorithm is the decentralized position allocation algorithm that assigns the robots to the vertex of the formation via the competition of the adjacent robots. The numerical simulations and experimental results are included to show the feasibility and the performance of the multiple robot system employing the proposed MLC structure and the CPA algorithm. PMID:25954956

Prediction of LDEF exposure to the ionizing radiation environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watts, J. W.; Armstrong, T. W.; Colborn, B. L.

1996-01-01

Predictions of the LDEF mission's trapped proton and electron and galactic cosmic ray proton exposures have been made using the currently accepted models with improved resolution near mission end and better modeling of solar cycle effects. An extension of previous calculations, to provide a more definitive description of the LDEF exposure to ionizing radiation, is represented by trapped proton and electron flux as a function of mission time, presented considering altitude and solar activity variation during the mission and the change in galactic cosmic ray proton flux over the mission. Modifications of the AP8MAX and AP8MIN fluence led to a reduction of fluence by 20%. A modified interpolation model developed by Daly and Evans resulted in 30% higher dose and activation levels, which better agreed with measured values than results predicted using the Vette model.

Impact of the MLC on the MRI field distortion of a prototype MRI-linac

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kolling, Stefan; Keall, Paul; Oborn, Brad

2013-12-15

Purpose: To cope with intrafraction tumor motion, integrated MRI-linac systems for real-time image guidance are currently under development. The multileaf collimator (MLC) is a key component in every state-of-the-art radiotherapy treatment system, allowing for accurate field shaping and tumor tracking. This work quantifies the magnetic impact of a widely used MLC on the MRI field homogeneity for such a modality.Methods: The finite element method was employed to model a MRI-linac assembly comprised of a 1.0 T split-bore MRI magnet and the key ferromagnetic components of a Varian Millennium 120 MLC, namely, the leaves and motors. Full 3D magnetic field maps ofmore » the system were generated. From these field maps, the peak-to-peak distortion within the MRI imaging volume was evaluated over a 30 cm diameter sphere volume (DSV) around the isocenter and compared to a maximum preshim inhomogeneity of 300 μT. Five parametric studies were performed: (1) The source-to-isocenter distance (SID) was varied from 100 to 200 cm, to span the range of a compact system to that with lower magnetic coupling. (2) The MLC model was changed from leaves only to leaves with motors, to determine the contribution to the total distortion caused by MLC leaves and motors separately. (3) The system was configured in the inline or perpendicular orientation, i.e., the linac treatment beam was oriented parallel or perpendicular to the magnetic field direction. (4) The treatment field size was varied from 0 × 0 to 20×20 cm{sup 2}, to span the range of clinical treatment fields. (5) The coil currents were scaled linearly to produce magnetic field strengths B{sub 0} of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 T, to estimate how the MLC impact changes with B{sub 0}.Results: (1) The MLC-induced MRI field distortion fell continuously with increasing SID. (2) MLC leaves and motors were found to contribute to the distortion in approximately equal measure. (3) Due to faster falloff of the fringe field, the field distortion was generally smaller in the perpendicular beam orientation. The peak-to-peak DSV distortion was below 300 μT at SID≥130 cm (perpendicular) and SID≥140 cm (inline) for the 1.0 T design. (4) The simulation of different treatment fields was identified to cause dynamic changes in the field distribution. However, the estimated residual distortion was below 1.2 mm geometric distortion at SID≥120 cm (perpendicular) and SID≥130 cm (inline) for a 10 mT/m frequency-encoding gradient. (5) Due to magnetic saturation of the MLC materials, the field distortion remained constant at B{sub 0}>1.0 T.Conclusions: This work shows that the MRI field distortions caused by the MLC cannot be ignored and must be thoroughly investigated for any MRI-linac system. The numeric distortion values obtained for our 1.0 T magnet may vary for other magnet designs with substantially different fringe fields, however the concept of modest increases in the SID to reduce the distortion to a shimmable level is generally applicable.« less

VMAT testing for an Elekta accelerator

PubMed Central

Sweeney, Larry E.; Marshall, Edward I.; Mahendra, Saikanth

2012-01-01

Volumetric‐modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has been shown to be able to deliver plans equivalent to intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in a fraction of the treatment time. This improvement is important for patient immobilization/ localization compliance due to comfort and treatment duration, as well as patient throughput. Previous authors have suggested commissioning methods for this modality. Here, we extend the methods reported for the Varian RapidArc system (which tested individual system components) to the Elekta linear accelerator, using custom files built using the Elekta iComCAT software. We also extend the method reported for VMAT commissioning of the Elekta accelerator by verifying maximum values of parameters (gantry speed, multileaf collimator (MLC) speed, and backup jaw speed), investigating: 1) beam profiles as a function of dose rate during an arc, 2) over/under dosing due to MLC reversals, and 3) over/under dosing at changing dose rate junctions. Equations for construction of the iComCAT files are given. Results indicate that the beam profile for lower dose rates varies less than 3% from that of the maximum dose rate, with no difference during an arc. The gantry, MLC, and backup jaw maximum speed are internally consistent. The monitor unit chamber is stable over the MUs and gantry movement conditions expected. MLC movement and position during VMAT delivery are within IMRT tolerances. Dose rate, gantry speed, and MLC speed are accurately controlled. Over/under dosing at junctions of MLC reversals or dose rate changes are within clinical acceptability. PACS numbers: 87.55.de, 87.55.Qr, 87.56.bd PMID:22402389

Commissioning dose computation models for spot scanning proton beams in water for a commercially available treatment planning system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, X. R.; Poenisch, F.; Lii, M.

2013-04-15

Purpose: To present our method and experience in commissioning dose models in water for spot scanning proton therapy in a commercial treatment planning system (TPS). Methods: The input data required by the TPS included in-air transverse profiles and integral depth doses (IDDs). All input data were obtained from Monte Carlo (MC) simulations that had been validated by measurements. MC-generated IDDs were converted to units of Gy mm{sup 2}/MU using the measured IDDs at a depth of 2 cm employing the largest commercially available parallel-plate ionization chamber. The sensitive area of the chamber was insufficient to fully encompass the entire lateralmore » dose deposited at depth by a pencil beam (spot). To correct for the detector size, correction factors as a function of proton energy were defined and determined using MC. The fluence of individual spots was initially modeled as a single Gaussian (SG) function and later as a double Gaussian (DG) function. The DG fluence model was introduced to account for the spot fluence due to contributions of large angle scattering from the devices within the scanning nozzle, especially from the spot profile monitor. To validate the DG fluence model, we compared calculations and measurements, including doses at the center of spread out Bragg peaks (SOBPs) as a function of nominal field size, range, and SOBP width, lateral dose profiles, and depth doses for different widths of SOBP. Dose models were validated extensively with patient treatment field-specific measurements. Results: We demonstrated that the DG fluence model is necessary for predicting the field size dependence of dose distributions. With this model, the calculated doses at the center of SOBPs as a function of nominal field size, range, and SOBP width, lateral dose profiles and depth doses for rectangular target volumes agreed well with respective measured values. With the DG fluence model for our scanning proton beam line, we successfully treated more than 500 patients from March 2010 through June 2012 with acceptable agreement between TPS calculated and measured dose distributions. However, the current dose model still has limitations in predicting field size dependence of doses at some intermediate depths of proton beams with high energies. Conclusions: We have commissioned a DG fluence model for clinical use. It is demonstrated that the DG fluence model is significantly more accurate than the SG fluence model. However, some deficiencies in modeling the low-dose envelope in the current dose algorithm still exist. Further improvements to the current dose algorithm are needed. The method presented here should be useful for commissioning pencil beam dose algorithms in new versions of TPS in the future.« less

Commissioning dose computation models for spot scanning proton beams in water for a commercially available treatment planning system

PubMed Central

Zhu, X. R.; Poenisch, F.; Lii, M.; Sawakuchi, G. O.; Titt, U.; Bues, M.; Song, X.; Zhang, X.; Li, Y.; Ciangaru, G.; Li, H.; Taylor, M. B.; Suzuki, K.; Mohan, R.; Gillin, M. T.; Sahoo, N.

2013-01-01

Purpose: To present our method and experience in commissioning dose models in water for spot scanning proton therapy in a commercial treatment planning system (TPS). Methods: The input data required by the TPS included in-air transverse profiles and integral depth doses (IDDs). All input data were obtained from Monte Carlo (MC) simulations that had been validated by measurements. MC-generated IDDs were converted to units of Gy mm2/MU using the measured IDDs at a depth of 2 cm employing the largest commercially available parallel-plate ionization chamber. The sensitive area of the chamber was insufficient to fully encompass the entire lateral dose deposited at depth by a pencil beam (spot). To correct for the detector size, correction factors as a function of proton energy were defined and determined using MC. The fluence of individual spots was initially modeled as a single Gaussian (SG) function and later as a double Gaussian (DG) function. The DG fluence model was introduced to account for the spot fluence due to contributions of large angle scattering from the devices within the scanning nozzle, especially from the spot profile monitor. To validate the DG fluence model, we compared calculations and measurements, including doses at the center of spread out Bragg peaks (SOBPs) as a function of nominal field size, range, and SOBP width, lateral dose profiles, and depth doses for different widths of SOBP. Dose models were validated extensively with patient treatment field-specific measurements. Results: We demonstrated that the DG fluence model is necessary for predicting the field size dependence of dose distributions. With this model, the calculated doses at the center of SOBPs as a function of nominal field size, range, and SOBP width, lateral dose profiles and depth doses for rectangular target volumes agreed well with respective measured values. With the DG fluence model for our scanning proton beam line, we successfully treated more than 500 patients from March 2010 through June 2012 with acceptable agreement between TPS calculated and measured dose distributions. However, the current dose model still has limitations in predicting field size dependence of doses at some intermediate depths of proton beams with high energies. Conclusions: We have commissioned a DG fluence model for clinical use. It is demonstrated that the DG fluence model is significantly more accurate than the SG fluence model. However, some deficiencies in modeling the low-dose envelope in the current dose algorithm still exist. Further improvements to the current dose algorithm are needed. The method presented here should be useful for commissioning pencil beam dose algorithms in new versions of TPS in the future. PMID:23556893

Commissioning dose computation models for spot scanning proton beams in water for a commercially available treatment planning system.

PubMed

Zhu, X R; Poenisch, F; Lii, M; Sawakuchi, G O; Titt, U; Bues, M; Song, X; Zhang, X; Li, Y; Ciangaru, G; Li, H; Taylor, M B; Suzuki, K; Mohan, R; Gillin, M T; Sahoo, N

2013-04-01

To present our method and experience in commissioning dose models in water for spot scanning proton therapy in a commercial treatment planning system (TPS). The input data required by the TPS included in-air transverse profiles and integral depth doses (IDDs). All input data were obtained from Monte Carlo (MC) simulations that had been validated by measurements. MC-generated IDDs were converted to units of Gy mm(2)/MU using the measured IDDs at a depth of 2 cm employing the largest commercially available parallel-plate ionization chamber. The sensitive area of the chamber was insufficient to fully encompass the entire lateral dose deposited at depth by a pencil beam (spot). To correct for the detector size, correction factors as a function of proton energy were defined and determined using MC. The fluence of individual spots was initially modeled as a single Gaussian (SG) function and later as a double Gaussian (DG) function. The DG fluence model was introduced to account for the spot fluence due to contributions of large angle scattering from the devices within the scanning nozzle, especially from the spot profile monitor. To validate the DG fluence model, we compared calculations and measurements, including doses at the center of spread out Bragg peaks (SOBPs) as a function of nominal field size, range, and SOBP width, lateral dose profiles, and depth doses for different widths of SOBP. Dose models were validated extensively with patient treatment field-specific measurements. We demonstrated that the DG fluence model is necessary for predicting the field size dependence of dose distributions. With this model, the calculated doses at the center of SOBPs as a function of nominal field size, range, and SOBP width, lateral dose profiles and depth doses for rectangular target volumes agreed well with respective measured values. With the DG fluence model for our scanning proton beam line, we successfully treated more than 500 patients from March 2010 through June 2012 with acceptable agreement between TPS calculated and measured dose distributions. However, the current dose model still has limitations in predicting field size dependence of doses at some intermediate depths of proton beams with high energies. We have commissioned a DG fluence model for clinical use. It is demonstrated that the DG fluence model is significantly more accurate than the SG fluence model. However, some deficiencies in modeling the low-dose envelope in the current dose algorithm still exist. Further improvements to the current dose algorithm are needed. The method presented here should be useful for commissioning pencil beam dose algorithms in new versions of TPS in the future.

Singlet oxygen explicit dosimetry to predict long-term local tumor control for BPD-mediated photodynamic therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Michele M.; Penjweini, Rozhin; Ong, Yi Hong; Zhu, Timothy C.

2017-02-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a well-established treatment modality for cancer and other malignant diseases; however, quantities such as light fluence, photosensitizer photobleaching rate, and PDT dose do not fully account for all of the dynamic interactions between the key components involved. In particular, fluence rate (Φ) effects are not accounted for, which has a large effect on the oxygen consumption rate. In this preclinical study, reacted singlet oxygen [1O2]rx was investigated as a dosimetric quantity for PDT outcome. The ability of [1O2]rx to predict the long-term local tumor control rate (LCR) for BPD-mediated PDT was examined. Mice bearing radioactivelyinduced fibrosarcoma (RIF) tumors were treated with different in-air fluences (250, 300, and 350 J/cm2) and in-air ϕ (75, 100, and150 mW/cm2) with a BPD dose of 1 mg/kg and a drug-light interval of 3 hours. Treatment was delivered with a collimated laser beam of 1 cm diameter at 690 nm. Explicit dosimetry of initial tissue oxygen concentration, tissue optical properties, and BPD concentration was used to calculate [1O2]rx. Φ was calculated for the treatment volume based on Monte-Carlo simulations and measured tissue optical properties. Kaplan-Meier analyses for LCR were done for an endpoint of tumor volume <= 100 mm3 using four dose metrics: light fluence, photosensitizer photobleaching rate, PDT dose, and [1O2]rx. PDT dose was defined as the product of the timeintegral of photosensitizer concentration and Φ at a 3 mm tumor depth. Preliminary studies show that [1O2]rx better correlates with LCR and is an effective dosimetric quantity that can predict treatment outcome.

Singlet oxygen explicit dosimetry to predict long-term local tumor control for Photofrin-mediated photodynamic therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penjweini, Rozhin; Kim, Michele M.; Ong, Yi Hong; Zhu, Timothy C.

2017-02-01

Although photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an established modality for the treatment of cancer, current dosimetric quantities do not account for the variations in PDT oxygen consumption for different fluence rates (φ). In this study we examine the efficacy of reacted singlet oxygen concentration ([1O2]rx) to predict long-term local control rate (LCR) for Photofrin-mediated PDT. Radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) tumors in the right shoulders of female C3H mice are treated with different in-air fluences of 225-540 J/cm2 and in-air fluence rate (φair) of 50 and 75 mW/cm2 at 5 mg/kg Photofrin and a drug-light interval of 24 hours using a 1 cm diameter collimated laser beam at 630 nm wavelength. [1O2]rx is calculated by using a macroscopic model based on explicit dosimetry of Photofrin concentration, tissue optical properties, tissue oxygenation and blood flow changes during PDT. The tumor volume of each mouse is tracked for 90 days after PDT and Kaplan-Meier analyses for LCR are performed based on a tumor volume <=100 mm3, for the four dose metrics light fluence, photosensitizer photobleaching rate, PDT dose and [1O2]rx. PDT dose is defined as a temporal integral of photosensitizer concentration and Φ at a 3 mm tumor depth. φ is calculated throughout the treatment volume based on Monte-Carlo simulation and measured tissue optical properties. Our preliminary studies show that [1O2]rx is the best dosimetric quantity that can predict tumor response and correlate with LCR. Moreover, [1O2]rx calculated using the blood flow changes was in agreement with [1O2]rx calculated based on the actual tissue oxygenation.

Genetics Home Reference: megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts

MedlinePlus

... is unable to correctly transport GlialCAM and MLC1 proteins to cell junctions. It is unknown how a lack of functional MLC1 or GlialCAM protein at cell junctions in the brain impairs brain development and ...

Quantitative measurement of MLC leaf displacements using an electronic portal image device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yong; Xing, Lei

2004-04-01

The success of an IMRT treatment relies on the positioning accuracy of the MLC (multileaf collimator) leaves for both step-and-shoot and dynamic deliveries. In practice, however, there exists no effective and quantitative means for routine MLC QA and this has become one of the bottleneck problems in IMRT implementation. In this work we present an electronic portal image device (EPID) based method for fast and accurate measurement of MLC leaf positions at arbitrary locations within the 40 cm × 40 cm radiation field. The new technique utilizes the fact that the integral signal in a small region of interest (ROI) is a sensitive and reliable indicator of the leaf displacement. In this approach, the integral signal at a ROI was expressed as a weighted sum of the contributions from the displacements of the leaf above the point and the adjacent leaves. The weighting factors or linear coefficients of the system equations were determined by fitting the integral signal data for a group of pre-designed MLC leaf sequences to the known leaf displacements that were intentionally introduced during the creation of the leaf sequences. Once the calibration is done, the system can be used for routine MLC leaf positioning QA to detect possible leaf errors. A series of tests was carried out to examine the functionality and accuracy of the technique. Our results show that the proposed technique is potentially superior to the conventional edge-detecting approach in two aspects: (i) it deals with the problem in a systematic approach and allows us to take into account the influence of the adjacent MLC leaves effectively; and (ii) it may improve the signal-to-noise ratio and is thus capable of quantitatively measuring extremely small leaf positional displacements. Our results indicate that the technique can detect a leaf positional error as small as 0.1 mm at an arbitrary point within the field in the absence of EPID set-up error and 0.3 mm when the uncertainty is considered. Given its simplicity, efficiency and accuracy, we believe that the technique is ideally suitable for routine MLC leaf positioning QA. This work was presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO), Salt Lake City, UT, 2003. A US Patent is pending (application no. 10/197,232).

Determination of MLC model parameters for Monaco using commercial diode arrays.

PubMed

Kinsella, Paul; Shields, Laura; McCavana, Patrick; McClean, Brendan; Langan, Brian

2016-07-08

Multileaf collimators (MLCs) need to be characterized accurately in treatment planning systems to facilitate accurate intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT). The aim of this study was to examine the use of MapCHECK 2 and ArcCHECK diode arrays for optimizing MLC parameters in Monaco X-ray voxel Monte Carlo (XVMC) dose calculation algorithm. A series of radiation test beams designed to evaluate MLC model parameters were delivered to MapCHECK 2, ArcCHECK, and EBT3 Gafchromic film for comparison. Initial comparison of the calculated and ArcCHECK-measured dose distributions revealed it was unclear how to change the MLC parameters to gain agreement. This ambiguity arose due to an insufficient sampling of the test field dose distributions and unexpected discrepancies in the open parts of some test fields. Consequently, the XVMC MLC parameters were optimized based on MapCHECK 2 measurements. Gafchromic EBT3 film was used to verify the accuracy of MapCHECK 2 measured dose distributions. It was found that adjustment of the MLC parameters from their default values resulted in improved global gamma analysis pass rates for MapCHECK 2 measurements versus calculated dose. The lowest pass rate of any MLC-modulated test beam improved from 68.5% to 93.5% with 3% and 2 mm gamma criteria. Given the close agreement of the optimized model to both MapCHECK 2 and film, the optimized model was used as a benchmark to highlight the relatively large discrepancies in some of the test field dose distributions found with ArcCHECK. Comparison between the optimized model-calculated dose and ArcCHECK-measured dose resulted in global gamma pass rates which ranged from 70.0%-97.9% for gamma criteria of 3% and 2 mm. The simple square fields yielded high pass rates. The lower gamma pass rates were attributed to the ArcCHECK overestimating the dose in-field for the rectangular test fields whose long axis was parallel to the long axis of the ArcCHECK. Considering ArcCHECK measurement issues and the lower gamma pass rates for the MLC-modulated test beams, it was concluded that MapCHECK 2 was a more suitable detector than ArcCHECK for the optimization process. © 2016 The Authors

SU-F-T-481: Physics Evaluation of a Newly Released InCise™ Multileaf Collimator for CyberKnife M6™ System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, L; Chin, E; Lo, A

2016-06-15

Purpose: This work reports the results of the physics evaluation of a newly released InCise™2 Multileaf Collimator (MLC) installed in our institution. Methods: Beam property data was measured with unshielded diode and EBT2 films. The measurements included MLC leaf transmission, beam profiles, output factors and tissue-phantom ratios. MLC performance was evaluated for one month after commissioning. Weekly Garden Fence tests were performed for leaf / bank positioning in standard (A/P) and clinically relevant non-standard positions, before and after MLC driving exercises of 10+ minutes. Daily Picket Fence test and AQA test, End-to-End tests and dosimetric quality assurance were performed tomore » evaluate the overall system performance. Results: All measurements including beam energy, flatness and symmetry, were within manufacture specifications. Leaf transmission was 0.4% <0.5% specification. The values of output factors ranged from 0.825 (7.6 mm × 7.5 mm) to 1.026 (115.0 mm × 100.1 mm). Average beam penumbra at 10 cm depth ranged from 2.7mm/2.7mm(7.6 mm × 7.5 mm) to 6.0 mm/6.2mm(84.6 mm × 84.7 mm). Slight penumbra difference (<10% from average penumbra for fields >20 mm) was observed in the direction perpendicular to leaf motion due to the tilting of the leaf housing. Mean leaf position offsets was −0.08±0.07mm and −0.13 ± 0.08 for X1 and X2 leaf banks in 13 Garden Fence tests. No significant difference on average leaf positioning offsets was observed between different leaf orientations and before/after MLC driving exercises. Six End-to-End tests showed 0.43±0.23mm overall targeting accuracy. Picket-Fence and AQA showed stable performance of MLC during the test period. Dosimetric point dose measurements for test cases agreed with calculation within 3%. All film measurements on relative dose had Gamma (2%, 2mm) passing rate of >95%. Conclusion: The Incise™2 MLC for CyberKnife M6™ was proven to be accurate and reliable, and it is currently in clinical use. Stanford was one of the physics evaluation sites for the newly released InCise 2 MLC for Accuray Inc.« less

Improving cardiovascular health of underserved populations in the community with Life's Simple 7.

PubMed

Murphy, Marcia Pencak; Coke, Lola; Staffileno, Beth A; Robinson, Janis D; Tillotson, Robin

2015-11-01

The purpose of this nurse practitioner (NP) led initiative was to improve the cardiovascular health of two underserved populations in the community using the American Heart Association (AHA) Life's Simple 7 and My Life Check (MLC) tools. Two inner city community sites were targeted: (a) a senior center servicing African American (AA) older adults, and (b) a residential facility servicing homeless women. Preprogram health data (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose levels, body mass index, and health behaviors) were collected to calculate MLC scores. Postprogram health data were obtained on participants with the lowest MLC scores who completed the program. Eight older adults completed the program with a 37.1% increase in average MLC score (6.2 vs. 8.5). Ten women completed the program with a 9.3% decrease in average MLC score (4.3 vs. 3.9). Favorable benefits were observed in the AA older adults. In contrast, similar benefits were not observed in the women, which may be because of a constellation of social, environmental, biological, and mental health factors. NPs are prepared to target community-based settings to address the health of underserved populations. Engaging key stakeholders in the planning and implementation is essential for success. ©2015 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

The effect of iron on metronidazole activity against Trichomonas vaginalis in vitro.

PubMed

Elwakil, Hala Salah; Tawfik, Rania Ayman; Alam-Eldin, Yosra Hussein; Nassar, Doaa Ashraf

2017-11-01

Metronidazole is administered in an inactive form then activated to its cytotoxic form within the hydrogenosome of trichomonads. Two hydrogenosomal proteins, pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) and ferredoxin, play a critical role in the reductive activation of metronidazole. The expression of these proteins and other hydrogenosomal proteins are likewise positively regulated by iron. In the present study, the effect of iron on minimal lethal concentration (MLC) of metronidazole on in vitro cultured Trichomonas vaginalis(T. vaginalis) isolates was investigated. Interestingly, Addition of Ferrous ammonium sulphate (FAS) to T. vaginalis culture led to decrease in the MLC of metronidazole. On using aerobic assay, MLC of metronidazole on untreated T. vaginalis of both isolates was 12.5 μg/ml that decreased to 0.38 μg/ml on FAS treated trichomonads. Also anaerobic assay revealed that MLC on untreated parasites was 3.12 μg/ml that decreased to 0.097 μg/ml and 0.19 μg/ml for isolate 1 and isolate 2 respectively after iron addition. It was concluded that, addition of iron to in vitro cultured T. vaginalis decreases metronidazole MLC that was detected by both aerobic and anaerobic assays. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

IL-4 inhibits the synthesis of IFN-gamma and induces the synthesis of IgE in human mixed lymphocyte cultures.

PubMed

Vercelli, D; Jabara, H H; Lauener, R P; Geha, R S

1990-01-15

The T cell-derived lymphokine IL-4 is essential for the induction of IgE synthesis by human lymphocytes. The IgE-inducing effect of IL-4 is antagonized by IFN-gamma. The secretion of IFN-gamma is vigorously triggered in MLC. Thus, IL-4-stimulated MLC represent a suitable model to characterize the functional antagonism between IL-4 and IFN-gamma. In this report, we show that rIL-4 consistently induced IgE synthesis when added to human primary MLC. IL-4-dependent IgE production required cognate T/B cell recognition, because it was inhibited by antibodies to CD3 and MHC class II (HlA-DR) Ag. A neutralizing anti-IFN-gamma mAb dramatically enhanced IL-4-dependent IgE synthesis by MLC, indicating that endogenous IFN-gamma is a major inhibitor of IgE production. More importantly, addition of rIL-4 markedly inhibited the release of IFN-gamma in supernatants of MLC and Con A-activated PBMC. The decrease in IFN-gamma protein was accompanied by a decreased expression of IFN-gamma mRNA transcripts. The downregulation of IFN-gamma by IL-4 is likely to play an important role in the IL-4-dependent induction of IgE synthesis.

An increase or a decrease in myosin II phosphorylation inhibits macrophage motility

PubMed Central

1991-01-01

Myosin II purified from mammalian non-muscle cells is phosphorylated on the 20-kD light chain subunit (MLC20) by the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent enzyme myosin light chain kinase (MLCK). The importance of MLC20 phosphorylation in regulating cell motility was investigated by introducing either antibodies to MLCK (MK-Ab) or a Ca2+/calmodulin- independent, constitutively active form of MLCK (MK-) into macrophages. The effects of these proteins on cell motility were then determined using a quantitative chemotaxis assay. Chemotaxis is significantly diminished in macrophages containing MK-Ab compared to macrophages containing control antibodies. Moreover, there is an inverse relationship between the number of cells that migrate and the amount of MK-Ab introduced into cells. Interestingly, there is also an inverse relationship between the number of cells that migrate and the amount of MK- introduced into cells. Other experiments demonstrated that MK-Ab decreased intracellular MLC20 phosphorylation while MK- increased MLC20 phosphorylation. MK- also increased the amount of myosin associated with the cytoskeleton. These data demonstrate that the regulation of MLCK is an important aspect of cell motility and suggest that MLC20 phosphorylation must be maintained within narrow limits during translational motility by mammalian cells. PMID:2071674

Transient up- and down-regulation of expression of myosin light chain 2 and myostatin mRNA mark the changes from stratified hyperplasia to muscle fiber hypertrophy in larvae of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.).

PubMed

Georgiou, Stella; Alami-Durante, Hélène; Power, Deborah M; Sarropoulou, Elena; Mamuris, Zissis; Moutou, Katerina A

2016-02-01

Hyperplasia and hypertrophy are the two mechanisms by which muscle develops and grows. We study these two mechanisms, during the early development of white muscle in Sparus aurata, by means of histology and the expression of structural and regulatory genes. A clear stage of stratified hyperplasia was identified early in the development of gilthead sea bream but ceased by 35 dph when hypertrophy took over. Mosaic recruitment of new white fibers began as soon as 60 dph. The genes mlc2a and mlc2b were expressed at various levels during the main phases of hyperplasia and hypertrophy. The genes myog and mlc2a were significantly up-regulated during the intensive stratified formation of new fibers and their expression was significantly correlated. Expression of mstn1 and igf1 increased at 35 dph, appeared to regulate the hyperplasia-to-hypertrophy transition, and may have stimulated the expression of mlc2a, mlc2b and col1a1 at the onset of mosaic hyperplasia. The up-regulation of mstn1 at transitional phases in muscle development indicates a dual regulatory role of myostatin in fish larval muscle growth.

SU-C-BRB-04: Characteristics and Performance Evaluation of the First Commercial MLC for a Robotic Delivery System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fuerweger, C; European Cyberknife Center Munich, Munich, DE; Prins, P

Purpose: To assess characteristics and performance of the “Incise™” MLC (41 leaf pairs, 2.5mm width, FFF linac) mounted on the robotic SRS/SBRT platform “CyberKnife M6™” in a pre-clinical 5 months (11/2014–03/2015) test period. Methods: Beam properties were measured with unshielded diodes and EBT3 film. The CyberKnife workspace for MLC was analyzed by transforming robot node coordinates (cranial / body paths) into Euler geometry. Bayouth tests for leaf / bank position accuracy were performed in standard (A/P) and clinically relevant non-standard positions, before and after exercising the MLC for 10+ minutes. Total system and delivery accuracy were assessed in End-to-End testsmore » and dosimetric verification of exemplary plans. Stability over time was evaluated in Picket-Fence-and adapted Winston-Lutz-tests (AQA) for different collimator angles. Results: Penumbrae (80–20%, with 100%=2*dose at inflection point; SAD 80cm; 10cm depth) parallel / perpendicular to leaf motion were 2.87/2.64mm for the smallest (0×76×0.75cm{sup 2}) and 5.34/4.94mm for the largest (9.76×9.75cm{sup 2}) square field. MLC circular field penumbrae exceeded fixed cones by 10–20% (e.g. 60mm: 4.0 vs. 3.6mm; 20mm: 3.6 vs. 2.9mm). Interleaf leakage was <0.5%. Clinically accessible workspace with MLC covered (non-coplanar) gantry angles of [-113°;+112°] (cranial) and [-108°;+102°] (body), and collimator angles of [-100°;+107°] (cranial) and [-91°;+100°] (body). Average leaf position offsets were ≤0.2mm in 14 standard A/P Bayouth tests and ≤0.6mm in 8 non-standard direction tests. Pre-test MLC exercise increased jaggedness (range ±0.3mm vs. ±0.5mm) and allowed to identify one malfunctioning leaf motor. Total system accuracy with MLC was 0.39±0.06mm in 6 End-to-End tests. Picket-Fence and AQA showed no adverse trends during the test period. Conclusion: The Incise™ MLC for CyberKnife M6™ displayed high accuracy and mechanical stability over the test period. The specific CyberKnife geometry and performance after exercise demand dedicated QA measures. This work is in part funded by a research grant from Accuray Inc, Sunnyvale, USA. Erasmus MC Cancer Institute also has research collaborations with Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden. C Fuerweger has previously received speaker honoraria from Accuray Inc, Sunnyvale, USA.« less

Sensitivity of an Elekta iView GT a-Si EPID model to delivery errors for pre-treatment verification of IMRT fields.

PubMed

Herwiningsih, Sri; Hanlon, Peta; Fielding, Andrew

2014-12-01

A Monte Carlo model of an Elekta iViewGT amorphous silicon electronic portal imaging device (a-Si EPID) has been validated for pre-treatment verification of clinical IMRT treatment plans. The simulations involved the use of the BEAMnrc and DOSXYZnrc Monte Carlo codes to predict the response of the iViewGT a-Si EPID model. The predicted EPID images were compared to the measured images obtained from the experiment. The measured EPID images were obtained by delivering a photon beam from an Elekta Synergy linac to the Elekta iViewGT a-Si EPID. The a-Si EPID was used with no additional build-up material. Frame averaged EPID images were acquired and processed using in-house software. The agreement between the predicted and measured images was analyzed using the gamma analysis technique with acceptance criteria of 3 %/3 mm. The results show that the predicted EPID images for four clinical IMRT treatment plans have a good agreement with the measured EPID signal. Three prostate IMRT plans were found to have an average gamma pass rate of more than 95.0 % and a spinal IMRT plan has the average gamma pass rate of 94.3 %. During the period of performing this work a routine MLC calibration was performed and one of the IMRT treatments re-measured with the EPID. A change in the gamma pass rate for one field was observed. This was the motivation for a series of experiments to investigate the sensitivity of the method by introducing delivery errors, MLC position and dosimetric overshoot, into the simulated EPID images. The method was found to be sensitive to 1 mm leaf position errors and 10 % overshoot errors.

Multiple scattering theory for total skin electron beam design.

PubMed

Antolak, J A; Hogstrom, K R

1998-06-01

The purpose of this manuscript is to describe a method for designing a broad beam of electrons suitable for total skin electron irradiation (TSEI). A theoretical model of a TSEI beam from a linear accelerator with a dual scattering system has been developed. The model uses Fermi-Eyges theory to predict the planar fluence of the electron beam after it has passed through various materials between the source and the treatment plane, which includes scattering foils, monitor chamber, air, and a plastic diffusing plate. Unique to this model is its accounting for removal of the tails of the electron beam profile as it passes through the primary x-ray jaws. A method for calculating the planar fluence profile for an obliquely incident beam is also described. Off-axis beam profiles and percentage depth doses are measured with ion chambers, film, and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD). The measured data show that the theoretical model can accurately predict beam energy and planar fluence of the electron beam at normal and oblique incidence. The agreement at oblique angles is not quite as good but is sufficiently accurate to be of predictive value when deciding on the optimal angles for the clinical TSEI beams. The advantage of our calculational approach for designing a TSEI beam is that many different beam configurations can be tested without having to perform time-consuming measurements. Suboptimal configurations can be quickly dismissed, and the predicted optimal solution should be very close to satisfying the clinical specifications.

Performance of epitaxial back surface field cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandhorst, H. W., Jr.; Baraona, C. R.; Swartz, C. K.

1973-01-01

Epitaxial back surface field structures were formed by depositing a 10 micron thick 10 Omega-cm epitaxial silicon layer onto substrates with resistivities of 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 and 10 Omega-cm. A correlation between cell open-circuit voltage and substrate resistivity was observed and was compared to theory. The cells were also irradiated with 1 MeV electrons to a fluence of 5 X 10 to the 15th power e/cm2. The decrease of cell open-circuit voltage was in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions and the measured short circuit currents were within 2% of the prediction. Calculations are presented of optimum cell performance as functions of epitaxial layer thickness, radiation fluence and substrate diffusion length.

Commissioning and quality assurance for VMAT delivery systems: An efficient time-resolved system using real-time EPID imaging.

PubMed

Zwan, Benjamin J; Barnes, Michael P; Hindmarsh, Jonathan; Lim, Seng B; Lovelock, Dale M; Fuangrod, Todsaporn; O'Connor, Daryl J; Keall, Paul J; Greer, Peter B

2017-08-01

An ideal commissioning and quality assurance (QA) program for Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) delivery systems should assess the performance of each individual dynamic component as a function of gantry angle. Procedures within such a program should also be time-efficient, independent of the delivery system and be sensitive to all types of errors. The purpose of this work is to develop a system for automated time-resolved commissioning and QA of VMAT control systems which meets these criteria. The procedures developed within this work rely solely on images obtained, using an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) without the presence of a phantom. During the delivery of specially designed VMAT test plans, EPID frames were acquired at 9.5 Hz, using a frame grabber. The set of test plans was developed to individually assess the performance of the dose delivery and multileaf collimator (MLC) control systems under varying levels of delivery complexities. An in-house software tool was developed to automatically extract features from the EPID images and evaluate the following characteristics as a function of gantry angle: dose delivery accuracy, dose rate constancy, beam profile constancy, gantry speed constancy, dynamic MLC positioning accuracy, MLC speed and acceleration constancy, and synchronization between gantry angle, MLC positioning and dose rate. Machine log files were also acquired during each delivery and subsequently compared to information extracted from EPID image frames. The largest difference between measured and planned dose at any gantry angle was 0.8% which correlated with rapid changes in dose rate and gantry speed. For all other test plans, the dose delivered was within 0.25% of the planned dose for all gantry angles. Profile constancy was not found to vary with gantry angle for tests where gantry speed and dose rate were constant, however, for tests with varying dose rate and gantry speed, segments with lower dose rate and higher gantry speed exhibited less profile stability. MLC positional accuracy was not observed to be dependent on the degree of interdigitation. MLC speed was measured for each individual leaf and slower leaf speeds were shown to be compensated for by lower dose rates. The test procedures were found to be sensitive to 1 mm systematic MLC errors, 1 mm random MLC errors, 0.4 mm MLC gap errors and synchronization errors between the MLC, dose rate and gantry angle controls systems of 1°. In general, parameters measured by both EPID and log files agreed with the plan, however, a greater average departure from the plan was evidenced by the EPID measurements. QA test plans and analysis methods have been developed to assess the performance of each dynamic component of VMAT deliveries individually and as a function of gantry angle. This methodology relies solely on time-resolved EPID imaging without the presence of a phantom and has been shown to be sensitive to a range of delivery errors. The procedures developed in this work are both comprehensive and time-efficient and can be used for streamlined commissioning and QA of VMAT delivery systems. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Dosimetric effect of Elekta Beam Modulator micromultileaf in three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy for prostate cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carosi, Alessandra, E-mail: alessandra.carosi@katamail.com; Ingrosso, Gianluca; Ponti, Elisabetta

2014-07-01

The purpose of this study is to analyze the dosimetric effect of Elekta Beam Modulator in 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) and in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for localized prostate cancer. We compared treatment plans developed with 2 different Elekta multileaf collimators (MLC): Beam Modulator micro-MLC (mMLC) (4-mm leaf width at the isocenter) and standard MLC (10-mm leaf width at the isocenter). The comparison was performed for 15 patients with localized prostate cancer in 3DCRT and IMRT delivery; a total of 60 treatment plans were processed. The dose-volume histograms were used to provide the quantitative comparison between plans. In particular,more » we analyzed differences between rectum and bladder sparing in terms of a set of appropriate Vx (percentage of organ at risk [OAR] volume receiving the x dose) and differences between target conformity and coverage in terms of coverage factor and conformation number. Our analysis demonstrates that in 3DCRT there is an advantage in the use of Elekta Beam Modulator mMLC in terms of organ sparing; in particular, a significant decrease in rectal V{sub 60} and V{sub 50} (p = 0.001) and in bladder V{sub 70} and V{sub 65} (p = 0.007 and 0.002, respectively) was found. Moreover, a better target dose conformity was obtained (p = 0.002). IMRT plans comparison demonstrated no significant differences between the use of the 4 or 10-mm MLCs. Our analysis shows that in 3DCRT the use of the Elekta Beam Modulator mMLC gives a gain in target conformity and in OARs dose sparing whereas in IMRT plans there is no advantage.« less

Myosin light chain phosphorylation is critical for adaptation to cardiac stress.

PubMed

Warren, Sonisha A; Briggs, Laura E; Zeng, Huadong; Chuang, Joyce; Chang, Eileen I; Terada, Ryota; Li, Moyi; Swanson, Maurice S; Lecker, Stewart H; Willis, Monte S; Spinale, Francis G; Maupin-Furlowe, Julie; McMullen, Julie R; Moss, Richard L; Kasahara, Hideko

2012-11-27

Cardiac hypertrophy is a common response to circulatory or neurohumoral stressors as a mechanism to augment contractility. When the heart is under sustained stress, the hypertrophic response can evolve into decompensated heart failure, although the mechanism(s) underlying this transition remain largely unknown. Because phosphorylation of cardiac myosin light chain 2 (MLC2v), bound to myosin at the head-rod junction, facilitates actin-myosin interactions and enhances contractility, we hypothesized that phosphorylation of MLC2v plays a role in the adaptation of the heart to stress. We previously identified an enzyme that predominantly phosphorylates MLC2v in cardiomyocytes, cardiac myosin light-chain kinase (cMLCK), yet the role(s) played by cMLCK in regulating cardiac function in health and disease remain to be determined. We found that pressure overload induced by transaortic constriction in wild-type mice reduced phosphorylated MLC2v levels by ≈40% and cMLCK levels by ≈85%. To examine how a reduction in cMLCK and the corresponding reduction in phosphorylated MLC2v affect function, we generated Mylk3 gene-targeted mice and transgenic mice overexpressing cMLCK specifically in cardiomyocytes. Pressure overload led to severe heart failure in cMLCK knockout mice but not in mice with cMLCK overexpression in which cMLCK protein synthesis exceeded degradation. The reduction in cMLCK protein during pressure overload was attenuated by inhibition of ubiquitin-proteasome protein degradation systems. Our results suggest the novel idea that accelerated cMLCK protein turnover by the ubiquitin-proteasome system underlies the transition from compensated hypertrophy to decompensated heart failure as a result of reduced phosphorylation of MLC2v.

Lactobacillus farciminis treatment suppresses stress induced visceral hypersensitivity: a possible action through interaction with epithelial cell cytoskeleton contraction.

PubMed

Ait-Belgnaoui, A; Han, W; Lamine, F; Eutamene, H; Fioramonti, J; Bueno, L; Theodorou, V

2006-08-01

Stress induced increase in colonic paracellular permeability results from epithelial cell cytoskeleton contraction and is responsible for stress induced hypersensitivity to colorectal distension (CRD). The probiotic Lactobacillus farciminis releases spontaneously nitric oxide (NO) in the colonic lumen in vivo and exerts anti-inflammatory effects. This study aimed: (i) to evaluate the effects of L farciminis on stress induced hypersensitivity to CRD and increase in colonic paracellular permeability; and (ii) to ascertain whether these effects are NO mediated and related to changes in colonocyte myosin light chain phosphorylation (p-MLC). Female Wistar rats received either 10(11) CFU/day of L farciminis or saline orally over 15 days before partial restraint stress (PRS) or sham-PRS application. Visceral sensitivity to CRD and colonic paracellular permeability was assessed after PRS or sham-PRS. Haemoglobin was used as an NO scavenger. Western blotting for MLC kinase, MLC, and p-MLC were performed in colonic mucosa from L farciminis treated and control rats after PRS or sham-PRS. PRS significantly increased the number of spike bursts for CRD pressures of 30-60 mm Hg as well as colonic paracellular permeability. L farciminis treatment prevented both effects, while haemoglobin reversed the protective effects of L farciminis. p-MLC expression increased significantly from 15 to 45 minutes after PRS, and L farciminis treatment prevented this increase. L farciminis treatment prevents stress induced hypersensitivity, increase in colonic paracellular permeability, and colonocyte MLC phosphorylation. This antinociceptive effect occurs via inhibition of contraction of colonic epithelial cell cytoskeleton and the subsequent tight junction opening, and may also involve direct or indirect effects of NO produced by this probiotic.

Lactobacillus farciminis treatment suppresses stress induced visceral hypersensitivity: a possible action through interaction with epithelial cell cytoskeleton contraction

PubMed Central

Ait‐Belgnaoui, A; Han, W; Lamine, F; Eutamene, H; Fioramonti, J; Bueno, L; Theodorou, V

2006-01-01

Background Stress induced increase in colonic paracellular permeability results from epithelial cell cytoskeleton contraction and is responsible for stress induced hypersensitivity to colorectal distension (CRD). The probiotic Lactobacillus farciminis releases spontaneously nitric oxide (NO) in the colonic lumen in vivo and exerts anti‐inflammatory effects. This study aimed: (i) to evaluate the effects of L farciminis on stress induced hypersensitivity to CRD and increase in colonic paracellular permeability; and (ii) to ascertain whether these effects are NO mediated and related to changes in colonocyte myosin light chain phosphorylation (p‐MLC). Methods Female Wistar rats received either 1011 CFU/day of L farciminis or saline orally over 15 days before partial restraint stress (PRS) or sham‐PRS application. Visceral sensitivity to CRD and colonic paracellular permeability was assessed after PRS or sham‐PRS. Haemoglobin was used as an NO scavenger. Western blotting for MLC kinase, MLC, and p‐MLC were performed in colonic mucosa from L farciminis treated and control rats after PRS or sham‐PRS. Results PRS significantly increased the number of spike bursts for CRD pressures of 30–60 mm Hg as well as colonic paracellular permeability. L farciminis treatment prevented both effects, while haemoglobin reversed the protective effects of L farciminis. p‐MLC expression increased significantly from 15 to 45 minutes after PRS, and L farciminis treatment prevented this increase. Conclusion L farciminis treatment prevents stress induced hypersensitivity, increase in colonic paracellular permeability, and colonocyte MLC phosphorylation. This antinociceptive effect occurs via inhibition of contraction of colonic epithelial cell cytoskeleton and the subsequent tight junction opening, and may also involve direct or indirect effects of NO produced by this probiotic. PMID:16507583

SU-F-T-288: Impact of Trajectory Log Files for Clarkson-Based Independent Dose Verification of IMRT and VMAT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Takahashi, R; Kamima, T; Tachibana, H

2016-06-15

Purpose: To investigate the effect of the trajectory files from linear accelerator for Clarkson-based independent dose verification in IMRT and VMAT plans. Methods: A CT-based independent dose verification software (Simple MU Analysis: SMU, Triangle Products, Japan) with a Clarksonbased algorithm was modified to calculate dose using the trajectory log files. Eclipse with the three techniques of step and shoot (SS), sliding window (SW) and Rapid Arc (RA) was used as treatment planning system (TPS). In this study, clinically approved IMRT and VMAT plans for prostate and head and neck (HN) at two institutions were retrospectively analyzed to assess the dosemore » deviation between DICOM-RT plan (PL) and trajectory log file (TJ). An additional analysis was performed to evaluate MLC error detection capability of SMU when the trajectory log files was modified by adding systematic errors (0.2, 0.5, 1.0 mm) and random errors (5, 10, 30 mm) to actual MLC position. Results: The dose deviations for prostate and HN in the two sites were 0.0% and 0.0% in SS, 0.1±0.0%, 0.1±0.1% in SW and 0.6±0.5%, 0.7±0.9% in RA, respectively. The MLC error detection capability shows the plans for HN IMRT were the most sensitive and 0.2 mm of systematic error affected 0.7% dose deviation on average. Effect of the MLC random error did not affect dose error. Conclusion: The use of trajectory log files including actual information of MLC location, gantry angle, etc should be more effective for an independent verification. The tolerance level for the secondary check using the trajectory file may be similar to that of the verification using DICOM-RT plan file. From the view of the resolution of MLC positional error detection, the secondary check could detect the MLC position error corresponding to the treatment sites and techniques. This research is partially supported by Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)« less

Identification of T. gondii Myosin Light Chain-1 as a Direct Target of TachypleginA-2, a Small-Molecule Inhibitor of Parasite Motility and Invasion

PubMed Central

Leung, Jacqueline M.; Tran, Fanny; Pathak, Ravindra B.; Poupart, Séverine; Heaslip, Aoife T.; Ballif, Bryan A.; Westwood, Nicholas J.; Ward, Gary E.

2014-01-01

Motility of the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii plays an important role in the parasite’s life cycle and virulence within animal and human hosts. Motility is driven by a myosin motor complex that is highly conserved across the Phylum Apicomplexa. Two key components of this complex are the class XIV unconventional myosin, TgMyoA, and its associated light chain, TgMLC1. We previously showed that treatment of parasites with a small-molecule inhibitor of T. gondii invasion and motility, tachypleginA, induces an electrophoretic mobility shift of TgMLC1 that is associated with decreased myosin motor activity. However, the direct target(s) of tachypleginA and the molecular basis of the compound-induced TgMLC1 modification were unknown. We show here by “click” chemistry labelling that TgMLC1 is a direct and covalent target of an alkyne-derivatized analogue of tachypleginA. We also show that this analogue can covalently bind to model thiol substrates. The electrophoretic mobility shift induced by another structural analogue, tachypleginA-2, was associated with the formation of a 225.118 Da adduct on S57 and/or C58, and treatment with deuterated tachypleginA-2 confirmed that the adduct was derived from the compound itself. Recombinant TgMLC1 containing a C58S mutation (but not S57A) was refractory to click labelling and no longer exhibited a mobility shift in response to compound treatment, identifying C58 as the site of compound binding on TgMLC1. Finally, a knock-in parasite line expressing the C58S mutation showed decreased sensitivity to compound treatment in a quantitative 3D motility assay. These data strongly support a model in which tachypleginA and its analogues inhibit the motility of T. gondii by binding directly and covalently to C58 of TgMLC1, thereby causing a decrease in the activity of the parasite’s myosin motor. PMID:24892871

TU-AB-BRC-04: Commissioning of a New MLC Model for the GEPTS Monte Carlo System: A Model Based On the Leaf and Interleaf Effective Density

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chibani, O; Tahanout, F; Ma, C

2016-06-15

Purpose: To commission a new MLC model for the GEPTS Monte Carlo system. The model is based on the concept of leaves and interleaves effective densities Methods: GEPTS is a Monte Carlo system to be used for external beam planning verification. GEPTS incorporates detailed photon and electron transport algorithms (Med.Phys. 29, 2002, 835). A new GEPTS model for the Varian Millennium MLC is presented. The model accounts for: 1) thick (1 cm) and thin (0.5 cm) leaves, 2) tongue-and-groove design, 3) High-Transmission (HT) and Low-Transmission (LT) interleaves, and 4) rounded leaf end. Leaf (and interleaf) height is set equal tomore » 6 cm. Instead of modeling air gaps, screw holes, and complex leaf heads, “effective densities” are assigned to: 1) thin leaves, 2) thick leaves, 3) HT-, and 4) LT-interleaves. Results: The new MLC model is used to calculate dose profiles for Closed-MLC and Tongue-and-Groove fields at 5 cm depth for 6, 10 and 15 MV Varian beams. Calculations are compared with 1) Pin-point ionization chamber transmission ratios and 2) EBT3 Radiochromic films. Pinpoint readings were acquired beneath thick and thin leaves, and HT and LT interleaves. The best fit of measured dose profiles was obtained for the following parameters: Thick-leaf density = 16.1 g/cc, Thin-leaf density = 17.2 g/cc; HT Interleaf density = 12.4 g/cc, LT Interleaf density = 14.3 g/cc; Interleaf thickness = 1.1 mm. Attached figures show comparison of calculated and measured transmission ratios for the 3 energies. Note this is the only study where transmission profiles are compared with measurements for 3 different energies. Conclusion: The new MLC model reproduces transmission measurements within 0.1%. The next step is to implement the MLC model for real plans and quantify the improvement in dose calculation accuracy gained using this model for IMRT plans with high modulation factors.« less

SU-D-201-01: A Multi-Institutional Study Quantifying the Impact of Simulated Linear Accelerator VMAT Errors for Nasopharynx

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pogson, E; Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool, NSW; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, NSW

Purpose: To quantify the impact of differing magnitudes of simulated linear accelerator errors on the dose to the target volume and organs at risk for nasopharynx VMAT. Methods: Ten nasopharynx cancer patients were retrospectively replanned twice with one full arc VMAT by two institutions. Treatment uncertainties (gantry angle and collimator in degrees, MLC field size and MLC shifts in mm) were introduced into these plans at increments of 5,2,1,−1,−2 and −5. This was completed using an in-house Python script within Pinnacle3 and analysed using 3DVH and MatLab. The mean and maximum dose were calculated for the Planning Target Volume (PTV1),more » parotids, brainstem, and spinal cord and then compared to the original baseline plan. The D1cc was also calculated for the spinal cord and brainstem. Patient average results were compared across institutions. Results: Introduced gantry angle errors had the smallest effect of dose, no tolerances were exceeded for one institution, and the second institutions VMAT plans were only exceeded for gantry angle of ±5° affecting different sided parotids by 14–18%. PTV1, brainstem and spinal cord tolerances were exceeded for collimator angles of ±5 degrees, MLC shifts and MLC field sizes of ±1 and beyond, at the first institution. At the second institution, sensitivity to errors was marginally higher for some errors including the collimator error producing doses exceeding tolerances above ±2 degrees, and marginally lower with tolerances exceeded above MLC shifts of ±2. The largest differences occur with MLC field sizes, with both institutions reporting exceeded tolerances, for all introduced errors (±1 and beyond). Conclusion: The plan robustness for VMAT nasopharynx plans has been demonstrated. Gantry errors have the least impact on patient doses, however MLC field sizes exceed tolerances even with relatively low introduced errors and also produce the largest errors. This was consistent across both departments. The authors acknowledge funding support from the NSW Cancer Council.« less

Brushed permanent magnet DC MLC motor operation in an external magnetic field.

PubMed

Yun, J; St Aubin, J; Rathee, S; Fallone, B G

2010-05-01

Linac-MR systems for real-time image-guided radiotherapy will utilize the multileaf collimators (MLCs) to perform conformal radiotherapy and tumor tracking. The MLCs would be exposed to the external fringe magnetic fields of the linac-MR hybrid systems. Therefore, an experimental investigation of the effect of an external magnetic field on the brushed permanent magnet DC motors used in some MLC systems was performed. The changes in motor speed and current were measured for varying external magnetic field strengths up to 2000 G generated by an EEV electromagnet. These changes in motor characteristics were measured for three orientations of the motor in the external magnetic field, mimicking changes in motor orientations due to installation and/or collimator rotations. In addition, the functionality of the associated magnetic motor encoder was tested. The tested motors are used with the Varian 120 leaf Millennium MLC (Maxon Motor half leaf and full leaf motors) and the Varian 52 leaf MKII MLC (MicroMo Electronics leaf motor) including a carriage motor (MicroMo Electronics). In most cases, the magnetic encoder of the motors failed prior to any damage to the gearbox or the permanent magnet motor itself. This sets an upper limit of the external magnetic field strength on the motor function. The measured limits of the external magnetic fields were found to vary by the motor type. The leaf motor used with a Varian 52 leaf MKII MLC system tolerated up to 450 +/- 10 G. The carriage motor tolerated up to 2000 +/- 10 G field. The motors used with the Varian 120 leaf Millennium MLC system were found to tolerate a maximum of 600 +/- 10 G. The current Varian MLC system motors can be used for real-time image-guided radiotherapy coupled to a linac-MR system, provided the fringe magnetic fields at their locations are below the determined tolerance levels. With the fringe magnetic fields of linac-MR systems expected to be larger than the tolerance levels determined, some form of magnetic shielding would be required.

SU-G-TeP4-03: A Multileaf Collimator Calibration and Quality Assurance Technique Using An Electronic Portal Imaging Device

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lebron, S; Yan, G; Li, J

2016-06-15

Purpose: To develop an accurate and quick multileaf collimator (MLC) calibration and quality assurance technique using an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) Methods: The MLC models used include the MLCi and Agility (Elekta Ltd). This technique consists of two 22(L)x10(W) cm{sup 2} fields with 0{sup 0} and 180{sup 0} collimator angles centered to an offset EPID. The MLC opening is estimated by calculating the profile at the image’s center in the image’s horizontal direction. Scans in the image’s vertical direction were calculated every 20 pixels in the inner 70% of estimated MLC opening. The profiles’ edges were fitted with linearmore » equations to determine the image’s rotation angle. Then, crossline profiles were scanned at the center of each leaf taking into account the leaf’s width at isocenter and the rotation angle. The profiles’ edges determine the location of the leaves’ edges and these were subtracted from the reference leaf’s position in order to determine the relative leaf offsets. The edge location of all profiles was determined by using the parameterized gradient of the penumbra region. The technique was tested against an established diode array-based method, and for different MLC systems, patterns, gantry angles, days, energies, beam modalities and MLC openings. Results: The differences between the proposed and established methods were 0.26±0.19mm. The leaf offsets’ deviation was <0.3mm (5 months period). For pattern fields, the differences between predetermined and calculated offsets were 0.18±0.18mm. The leaf offset deviation of measurements with different energies and MLC openings were <0.1mm and <0.3mm, respectively. The differences between offsets of FF and FFF beams were 0.01±0.02mm (<0.07mm). The differences between the offsets at different gantry angles were 0.08±0.15mm. Conclusion: The proposed method proved to be accurate and efficient in calculating the relative leaf offsets. Parameterized field edge is essential to obtain accurate result by eliminating the noise from EPID.« less

Potential of discrete Gaussian edge feathering method for improving abutment dosimetry in eMLC-delivered segmented-field electron conformal therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eley, John G.; Hogstrom, Kenneth R.; Matthews, Kenneth L.

2011-12-15

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to investigate the potential of discrete Gaussian edge feathering of the higher energy electron fields for improving abutment dosimetry in the planning volume when using an electron multileaf collimator (eMLC) to deliver segmented-field electron conformal therapy (ECT). Methods: A discrete (five-step) Gaussian edge spread function was used to match dose penumbras of differing beam energies (6-20 MeV) at a specified depth in a water phantom. Software was developed to define the leaf eMLC positions of an eMLC that most closely fit each electron field shape. The effect of 1D edge feathering of themore » higher energy field on dose homogeneity was computed and measured for segmented-field ECT treatment plans for three 2D PTVs in a water phantom, i.e., depth from the water surface to the distal PTV surface varied as a function of the x-axis (parallel to leaf motion) and remained constant along the y-axis (perpendicular to leaf motion). Additionally, the effect of 2D edge feathering was computed and measured for one radially symmetric, 3D PTV in a water phantom, i.e., depth from the water surface to the distal PTV surface varied as a function of both axes. For the 3D PTV, the feathering scheme was evaluated for 0.1-1.0-cm leaf widths. Dose calculations were performed using the pencil beam dose algorithm in the Pinnacle{sup 3} treatment planning system. Dose verification measurements were made using a prototype eMLC (1-cm leaf width). Results: 1D discrete Gaussian edge feathering reduced the standard deviation of dose in the 2D PTVs by 34, 34, and 39%. In the 3D PTV, the broad leaf width (1 cm) of the eMLC hindered the 2D application of the feathering solution to the 3D PTV, and the standard deviation of dose increased by 10%. However, 2D discrete Gaussian edge feathering with simulated eMLC leaf widths of 0.1-0.5 cm reduced the standard deviation of dose in the 3D PTV by 33-28%, respectively. Conclusions: A five-step discrete Gaussian edge spread function applied in 2D improves the abutment dosimetry but requires an eMLC leaf resolution better than 1 cm.« less

Role of Rac1 in Escherichia coli K1 invasion of human brain microvascular endothelial cells.

PubMed

Rudrabhatla, Rajyalakshmi S; Selvaraj, Suresh K; Prasadarao, Nemani V

2006-02-01

Escherichia coli K1 invasion of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) requires the reorganization of host cytoskeleton at the sites of bacterial entry. Both actin and myosin constitute the cytoskeletal architecture. We have previously shown that myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation by MLC kinase is regulated during E. coli invasion by an upstream kinase, p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1), which is an effector protein of Rac and Cdc42 GTPases, but not of RhoA. Here, we report that the binding of only Rac1 to PAK1 decreases in HBMEC upon infection with E. coli K1, which resulted in increased phosphorylation of MLC. Overexpression of a constitutively active (cAc) form of Rac1 in HBMEC blocked the E. coli invasion significantly, whereas overexpression of a dominant negative form had no effect. Increased PAK1 phosphorylation was observed in HBMEC expressing cAc-Rac1 with a concomitant reduction in the phosphorylation of MLC. Immunocytochemistry studies demonstrated that the inhibition of E. coli invasion into cAc-Rac1/HBMEC is due to lack of phospho-MLC recruitment to the sites of E. coli entry. Taken together the data suggest that E. coli modulates the binding of Rac1, but not Cdc42, to PAK1 during the invasion of HBMEC.

Direct aperture optimization using an inverse form of back-projection.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiaofeng; Cullip, Timothy; Tracton, Gregg; Tang, Xiaoli; Lian, Jun; Dooley, John; Chang, Sha X

2014-03-06

Direct aperture optimization (DAO) has been used to produce high dosimetric quality intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) treatment plans with fast treatment delivery by directly modeling the multileaf collimator segment shapes and weights. To improve plan quality and reduce treatment time for our in-house treatment planning system, we implemented a new DAO approach without using a global objective function (GFO). An index concept is introduced as an inverse form of back-projection used in the CT multiplicative algebraic reconstruction technique (MART). The index, introduced for IMRT optimization in this work, is analogous to the multiplicand in MART. The index is defined as the ratio of the optima over the current. It is assigned to each voxel and beamlet to optimize the fluence map. The indices for beamlets and segments are used to optimize multileaf collimator (MLC) segment shapes and segment weights, respectively. Preliminary data show that without sacrificing dosimetric quality, the implementation of the DAO reduced average IMRT treatment time from 13 min to 8 min for the prostate, and from 15 min to 9 min for the head and neck using our in-house treatment planning system PlanUNC. The DAO approach has also shown promise in optimizing rotational IMRT with burst mode in a head and neck test case.

Matching extended-SSD electron beams to multileaf collimated photon beams in the treatment of head and neck cancer.

PubMed

Steel, Jared; Stewart, Allan; Satory, Philip

2009-09-01

Matching the penumbra of a 6 MeV electron beam to the penumbra of a 6 MV photon beam is a dose optimization challenge, especially when the electron beam is applied from an extended source-to-surface distance (SSD), as in the case of some head and neck treatments. Traditionally low melting point alloy blocks have been used to define the photon beam shielding over the spinal cord region. However, these are inherently time consuming to construct and employ in the clinical situation. Multileaf collimators (MLCs) provide a fast and reproducible shielding option but generate geometrically nonconformal approximations to the desired beam edge definition. The effects of substituting Cerrobend for the MLC shielding mode in the context of beam matching with extended-SSD electron beams are the subject of this investigation. Relative dose beam data from a Varian EX 2100 linear accelerator were acquired in a water tank under the 6 MeV electron beam at both standard and extended-SSD and under the 6 MV photon beam defined by Cerrobend and a number of MLC stepping regimes. The effect of increasing the electron beam SSD on the beam penumbra was assessed. MLC stepping was also assessed in terms of the effects on both the mean photon beam penumbra and the intraleaf dose-profile nonuniformity relative to the MLC midleaf. Computational techniques were used to combine the beam data so as to simulate composite relative dosimetry in the water tank, allowing fine control of beam abutment gap variation. Idealized volumetric dosimetry was generated based on the percentage depth-dose data for the beam modes and the abutment geometries involved. Comparison was made between each composite dosimetry dataset and the relevant ideal dosimetry dataset by way of subtraction. Weighted dose-difference volume histograms (DDVHs) were produced, and these, in turn, summed to provide an overall dosimetry score for each abutment and shielding type/angle combination. Increasing the electron beam SSD increased the penumbra width (defined as the lateral distance of the 80% and 20% isodose contours) by 8-10 mm at the depths of 10-20 mm. Mean photon beam penumbra width increased with increased MLC stepping, and the mean MLC penumbra was approximately 1.5 times greater than that across the corresponding Cerrobend shielding. Intraleaf dose discrepancy in the direction orthogonal to the beam edge also increased with MLC stepping. The weighted DDVH comparison techniques allowed the composite dosimetry resulting from the interplay of the abovementioned variables to be ranked. The MLC dosimetry ranked as good or better than that resulting from beam matching with Cerrobend for all except large field overlaps (-2.5 mm gap). The results for the linear-weighted DDVH comparison suggest that optimal MLC abutment dosimetry results from an optical surface gap of around 1 +/- 0.5 mm. Furthermore, this appears reasonably lenient to abutment gap variation, such as that arising from uncertainty in beam markup or other setup errors.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riis, Hans L.; Zimmermann, Sune J.; Hjelm-Hansen, Mogens

Purpose: The delivery of high quality stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) treatments to the patient requires knowledge of the position of the isocenter to submillimeter accuracy. To meet the requirements the deviation between the radiation and mechanical isocenters must be less than 1 mm. The use of add-on micromultileaf collimators ({mu}MLCs) in SRS and SRT is an additional challenge to the anticipated high-level geometric and dosimetric accuracy of the treatment. The aim of this work was to quantify the gantry excursions during rotation with and without an add-on {mu}MLC attached to the gantry head. In addition, the shiftmore » in the position of the isocenter and its correlation to the kV beam center of the cone-beam CT system was included in the study. Methods: The quantification of the gantry rotational performance was done using a pointer supported by an in-house made rigid holder attached to the gantry head of the accelerator. The pointer positions were measured using a digital theodolite. To quantify the effect of an {mu}MLC of 50 kg, the measurements were repeated with the {mu}MLC attached to the gantry head. The displacement of the isocenter due to an add-on {mu}MLC of 50 kg was also investigated. In case of the pointer measurement the {mu}MLC was simulated by weights attached to the gantry head. A method of least squares was applied to determine the position and displacement of the mechanical isocenter. Additionally, the displacement of the radiation isocenter was measured using a ball-bearing phantom and the electronic portal image device system. These measurements were based on 8 MV photon beams irradiated onto the ball from the four cardinal angles and two opposed collimator angles. The measurements and analysis of the data were carried out automatically using software delivered by the manufacturer. Results: The displacement of the mechanical isocenter caused by a 50 kg heavy {mu}MLC was found to be (-0.01 {+-} 0.05, -0.10 {+-} 0.03, -0.26 {+-} 0.05) mm in lateral, longitudinal, and vertical direction, respectively. Similarly, the displacement of the radiation isocenter was found to be (0.00 {+-} 0.03, -0.08 {+-} 0.06, -0.32 {+-} 0.02) mm. Good agreement was found between the displacement of the two isocenters. A displacement of the kV cone-beam CT beam center due to the attached weight of 50 kg could not be detected. Conclusions: General characteristics of the gantry arm excursions and displacements caused by an add-on {mu}MLC have been reported. A 50 kg heavy add-on {mu}MLC results in a isocenter displacement downward of 0.26-0.32 mm. The authors recommend that the beam center of the kV cone-beam CT image system should be matched to the isocenter related to the weight of the {mu}MLC. Consequently, the imperfections in isocenter localizations are transferred to the conventional radiotherapy where the clinical consequences of uncertainties in the submillimeter regime are negligible.« less

Estimated solar wind-implanted helium-3 distribution on the Moon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, J. R.; Swindle, T.D.; Lucey, P.G.

1999-01-01

Among the solar wind-implanted volatiles present in the lunar regolith, 3 He is possibly the most valuable resource because of its potential as a fusion fuel. The abundance of 3 He in the lunar regolith at a given location depends on surface maturity, the amount of solar wind fluence, and titanium content, because ilmenite (FeTiO3) retains helium much better than other major lunar minerals. Surface maturity and TiO2 maps from Clementine multispectral data sets are combined here with a solar wind fluence model to produce a 3He abundance map of the Moon. Comparison of the predicted 3He values to landing site observations shows good correlation. The highest 3He abundances occur in the farside maria (due to greater solar wind fluence received) and in higher TiO2 nearside mare regions.

Minimal-Level Cataloging: A Look at the Issues--A Symposium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horny, Karen L.; And Others

1986-01-01

Six articles on pros and cons of minimal-level cataloging (MLC) highlight patron access and browsability, time and cost savings, network and bibliographic utility cooperation, standards, alternatives to MLC, levels of records, online catalogs, experimental cataloging program at University of Michigan, and experiences at Kent State University…

A model of tungsten anode x-ray spectra.

PubMed

Hernández, G; Fernández, F

2016-08-01

A semiempirical model for x-ray production in tungsten thick-targets was evaluated using a new characterization of electron fluence. Electron fluence is modeled taking into account both the energy and angular distributions, each of them adjusted to Monte Carlo simulated data. Distances were scaled by the CSDA range to reduce the energy dependence. Bremsstrahlung production was found by integrating the cross section with the fluence in a 1D penetration model. Characteristic radiation was added using a semiempirical law whose validity was checked. The results were compared the experimental results of Bhat et al., with the SpekCalc numerical tool, and with mcnpx simulation results from the work of Hernandez and Boone. The model described shows better agreement with the experimental results than the SpekCalc predictions in the sense of area between the spectra. A general improvement of the predictions of half-value layers is also found. The results are also in good agreement with the simulation results in the 50-640 keV energy range. A complete model for x-ray production in thick bremsstrahlung targets has been developed, improving the results of previous works and extending the energy range covered to the 50-640 keV interval.

Virus Sensitivity Index of UV disinfection.

PubMed

Tang, Walter Z; Sillanpää, Mika

2015-01-01

A new concept of Virus Sensitivity Index (VSI) is defined as the ratio between the first-order inactivation rate constant of a virus, ki, and that of MS2-phage during UV disinfection, kr. MS2-phage is chosen as the reference virus because it is recommended as a virus indicator during UV reactor design and validation by the US Environmental Protection Agency. VSI has wide applications in research, design, and validation of UV disinfection systems. For example, it can be used to rank the UV disinfection sensitivity of viruses in reference to MS2-phage. There are four major steps in deriving the equation between Hi/Hr and 1/VSI. First, the first-order inactivation rate constants are determined by regression analysis between Log I and fluence required. Second, the inactivation rate constants of MS2-phage are statistically analysed at 3, 4, 5, and 6 Log I levels. Third, different VSI values are obtained from the ki of different viruses dividing by the kr of MS2-phage. Fourth, correlation between Hi/Hr and 1/VSI is analysed by using linear, quadratic, and cubic models. As expected from the theoretical analysis, a linear relationship adequately correlates Hi/Hr and 1/VSI without an intercept. VSI is used to quantitatively predict the UV fluence required for any virus at any log inactivation (Log I). Four equations were developed at 3, 4, 5, and 6 Log I. These equations have been validated using external data which are not used for the virus development. At Log I less than 3, the equation tends to under-predict the required fluence at both low Log I such as 1 and 2 Log I. At Log I greater than 3 Log I, the equation tends to over-predict the fluence required. The reasons for these may very likely be due to the shoulder at the beginning and the tailing at the end of the collimated beam test experiments. At 3 Log I, the error percentage is less than 6%. The VSI is also used to predict inactivation rate constants under two different UV disinfection scenarios such as under sunlight and different virus aggregates. The correlation analysis shows that viruses will be about 40% more sensitive to sunlight than to UV254. On the other hand, virus size of 500 nm will reduce their VSI by 10%. This is the first attempt to use VSI to predict the required fluence at any given Log I. The equation can be used to quantitatively evaluate other parameters influencing UV disinfection. These factors include environmental species, antibiotic-resistant bacteria or genes, photo and dark repair, water quality such as suspended solids, and UV transmittance.

Neutron Fluence And DPA Rate Analysis In Pebble-Bed HTR Reactor Vessel Using MCNP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamzah, Amir; Suwoto; Rohanda, Anis; Adrial, Hery; Bakhri, Syaiful; Sunaryo, Geni Rina

2018-02-01

In the Pebble-bed HTR reactor, the distance between the core and the reactor vessel is very close and the media inside are carbon and He gas. Neutron moderation capability of graphite material is theoretically lower than that of water-moderated reactors. Thus, it is estimated much more the fast neutrons will reach the reactor vessel. The fast neutron collisions with the atoms in the reactor vessel will result in radiation damage and could be reducing the vessel life. The purpose of this study was to obtain the magnitude of neutron fluence in the Pebble-bed HTR reactor vessel. Neutron fluence calculations in the pebble-bed HTR reactor vessel were performed using the MCNP computer program. By determining the tally position, it can be calculated flux, spectrum and neutron fluence in the position of Pebble-bed HTR reactor vessel. The calculations results of total neutron flux and fast neutron flux in the reactor vessel of 1.82x108 n/cm2/s and 1.79x108 n/cm2/s respectively. The fast neutron fluence in the reactor vessel is 3.4x1017 n/cm2 for 60 years reactor operation. Radiation damage in stainless steel material caused by high-energy neutrons (> 1.0 MeV) will occur when it has reached the neutron flux level of 1.0x1024 n/cm2. The neutron fluence results show that there is no radiation damage in the Pebble-bed HTR reactor vessel, so it is predicted that it will be safe to operate at least for 60 years.

A novel technique for VMAT QA with EPID in cine mode on a Varian TrueBeam linac

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Bo; Adamson, Justus; Rodrigues, Anna; Zhou, Fugen; Yin, Fang-fang; Wu, Qiuwen

2013-10-01

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is a relatively new treatment modality for dynamic photon radiation therapy. Pre-treatment quality assurance (QA) is necessary and many efforts have been made to apply electronic portal imaging device (EPID)-based IMRT QA methods to VMAT. It is important to verify the gantry rotation speed during delivery as this is a new variable that is also modulated in VMAT. In this paper, we present a new technique to perform VMAT QA using an EPID. The method utilizes EPID cine mode and was tested on Varian TrueBeam in research mode. The cine images were acquired during delivery and converted to dose matrices after profile correction and dose calibration. A sub-arc corresponding to each cine image was extracted from the original plan and its portal image prediction was calculated. Several analyses were performed including 3D γ analysis (2D images + gantry angle axis), 2D γ analysis, and other statistical analyses. The method was applied to 21 VMAT photon plans of 3 photon energies. The accuracy of the cine image information was investigated. Furthermore, this method's sensitivity to machine delivery errors was studied. The pass rate (92.8 ± 1.4%) for 3D γ analysis was comparable to those from Delta4 system (99.9 ± 0.1%) under similar criteria (3%, 3 mm, 5% threshold and 2° angle to agreement) at 6 MV. The recorded gantry angle and start/stop MUs were found to have sufficient accuracy for clinical QA. Machine delivery errors can be detected through combined analyses of 3D γ, gantry angle, and percentage dose difference. In summary, we have developed and validated a QA technique that can simultaneously verify the gantry angle and delivered MLC fluence for VMAT treatment.This technique is efficient and its accuracy is comparable to other QA methods.

Dosimetric evaluation of the clinical implementation of the first commercial IMRT Monte Carlo treatment planning system at 6 MV

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heath, Emily; Seuntjens, Jan; Sheikh-Bagheri, Daryoush

2004-10-01

In this work we dosimetrically evaluated the clinical implementation of a commercial Monte Carlo treatment planning software (PEREGRINE, North American Scientific, Cranberry Township, PA) intended for quality assurance (QA) of intensity modulated radiation therapy treatment plans. Dose profiles calculated in homogeneous and heterogeneous phantoms using this system were compared to both measurements and simulations using the EGSnrc Monte Carlo code for the 6 MV beam of a Varian CL21EX linear accelerator. For simple jaw-defined fields, calculations agree within 2% of the dose at d{sub max} with measurements in homogeneous phantoms with the exception of the buildup region where the calculationsmore » overestimate the dose by up to 8%. In heterogeneous lung and bone phantoms the agreement is within 3%, on average, up to 5% for a 1x1 cm{sup 2} field. We tested two consecutive implementations of the MLC model. After matching the calculated and measured MLC leakage, simulations of static and dynamic MLC-defined fields using the most recent MLC model agreed to within 2% with measurements.« less

Experimental verification of a Monte Carlo-based MLC simulation model for IMRT dose calculations in heterogeneous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyagi, N.; Curran, B. H.; Roberson, P. L.; Moran, J. M.; Acosta, E.; Fraass, B. A.

2008-02-01

IMRT often requires delivering small fields which may suffer from electronic disequilibrium effects. The presence of heterogeneities, particularly low-density tissues in patients, complicates such situations. In this study, we report on verification of the DPM MC code for IMRT treatment planning in heterogeneous media, using a previously developed model of the Varian 120-leaf MLC. The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) design a comprehensive list of experiments in heterogeneous media for verification of any dose calculation algorithm and (b) verify our MLC model in these heterogeneous type geometries that mimic an actual patient geometry for IMRT treatment. The measurements have been done using an IMRT head and neck phantom (CIRS phantom) and slab phantom geometries. Verification of the MLC model has been carried out using point doses measured with an A14 slim line (SL) ion chamber inside a tissue-equivalent and a bone-equivalent material using the CIRS phantom. Planar doses using lung and bone equivalent slabs have been measured and compared using EDR films (Kodak, Rochester, NY).

The use of displacement damage dose to correlate degradation in solar cells exposed to different radiations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Summers, Geoffrey P.; Burke, Edward A.; Shapiro, Philip; Statler, Richard; Messenger, Scott R.; Walters, Robert J.

1994-01-01

It has been found useful in the past to use the concept of 'equivalent fluence' to compare the radiation response of different solar cell technologies. Results are usually given in terms of an equivalent 1 MeV electron or an equivalent 10 MeV proton fluence. To specify cell response in a complex space-radiation environment in terms of an equivalent fluence, it is necessary to measure damage coefficients for a number of representative electron and proton energies. However, at the last Photovoltaic Specialist Conference we showed that nonionizing energy loss (NIEL) could be used to correlate damage coefficients for protons, using measurements for GaAs as an example. This correlation means that damage coefficients for all proton energies except near threshold can be predicted from a measurement made at one particular energy. NIEL is the exact equivalent for displacement damage of linear energy transfer (LET) for ionization energy loss. The use of NIEL in this way leads naturally to the concept of 10 MeV equivalent proton fluence. The situation for electron damage is more complex, however. It is shown that the concept of 'displacement damage dose' gives a more general way of unifying damage coefficients. It follows that 1 MeV electron equivalent fluence is a special case of a more general quantity for unifying electron damage coefficients which we call the 'effective 1 MeV electron equivalent dose'.

The Clinical and Histological Effect of a Low-Fluence Q-Switched 1,064-nm Neodymium: Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet Laser for the Treatment of Melasma and Solar Lentigenes in Asians: Prospective, Randomized, and Split-Face Comparative Study.

PubMed

Kaminaka, Chikako; Furukawa, Fukumi; Yamamoto, Yuki

2017-09-01

The low-fluence Q-switched 1,064-nm neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser (QSNYL) is popular for melasma treatment among Asians. This study was to evaluate the clinical and histological effects of the low-fluence QSNYL for treatment of melasma and solar lentigenes. In this randomized split-face clinical study, 22 patients with melasma or solar lentigo received low-fluence QSNYL weekly for 10 sessions on one cheek. The treatment efficacy was determined by Mexameter skin colorimetry, physician and patient assessment, and by evaluating histological changes. The treated sides had statistically significant reductions in the melanin and erythema indices (EI); 50.0% of melasma and 62.5% of solar lentigo patients had >50% clearance after the final treatment. The increased EI, vascularity, and mast cell activity in patients with melasma and large-sized solar lentigo showed no improvement. The recurrence rates were 16.7% and 12.7% for melasma and solar lentigo, respectively. Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation developed in 1 patient, but no serious side effects were noted. Low-fluence QSNYL is effective in treating melasma and small type solar lentigo in Asians. The authors' study also demonstrated that lesion thickness, vascularity, and mast cell activity can be used to predict the efficacy of the treatment of these lesions.

Evaluation of the 2-(1-Hexyloxyethyl)-2-devinyl pyropheophorbide (HPPH) mediated photodynamic therapy by macroscopic singlet oxygen modeling.

PubMed

Penjweini, Rozhin; Kim, Michele M; Liu, Baochang; Zhu, Timothy C

2016-12-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is known as a non-invasive treatment modality that is based on photochemical reactions between oxygen, photosensitizer, and a special wavelength of light. However, a dosimetric predictor for PDT outcome is still elusive because current dosimetric quantities do not account for the differences in the PDT oxygen consumption rate for different fluence rates. In this study, we evaluate several dose metrics, total fluence, photobleaching ratio, PDT dose, and mean reacted singlet oxygen (mean [ 1 O 2 ] rx ) for predicting the PDT outcome and a clinically relevant tumor re-growth endpoint. For this reason, radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) mice tumors are treated with 2-(1-Hexyloxyethyl)-2-devinyl pyropheophorbide (HPPH) and different in-air fluences (30 J/cm 2 , 50 J/cm 2 , 135 J/cm 2 , 250 J/cm 2 , and 350 J/cm 2 ) and in-air fluence rates (20, 50, 75, 150 mW/cm 2 ). Explicit measurements of HPPH and oxygen concentration as well as tissue optical properties are performed pre- and post-treatment. Then, this information is incorporated into a macroscopic model to calculate the photobleaching, PDT dose, and mean [ 1 O 2 ] rx . Changes in tumor volume are tracked following the treatment and compared with the dose metrics. The correlation demonstrates that mean [ 1 O 2 ] rx  serves as a better dosimetric quantity for predicting treatment outcome and a clinically relevant tumor re-growth endpoint. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Improvement of multi-level resistive switching characteristics in solution-processed AlO x -based non-volatile resistive memory using microwave irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seung-Tae; Cho, Won-Ju

2018-01-01

We fabricated a resistive random access memory (ReRAM) device on a Ti/AlO x /Pt structure with solution-processed AlO x switching layer using microwave irradiation (MWI), and demonstrated multi-level cell (MLC) operation. To investigate the effect of MWI power on the MLC characteristics, post-deposition annealing was performed at 600-3000 W after AlO x switching layer deposition, and the MLC operation was compared with as-deposited (as-dep) and conventional thermally annealing (CTA) treated devices. All solution-processed AlO x -based ReRAM devices exhibited bipolar resistive switching (BRS) behavior. We found that these devices have four-resistance states (2 bits) of MLC operation according to the modulation of the high-resistance state (HRSs) through reset voltage control. Particularly, compared to the as-dep and CTA ReRAM devices, the MWI-treated ReRAM devices showed a significant increase in the memory window and stable endurance for multi-level operation. Moreover, as the MWI power increased, excellent MLC characteristics were exhibited because the resistance ratio between each resistance state was increased. In addition, it exhibited reliable retention characteristics without deterioration at 25 °C and 85 °C for 10 000 s. Finally, the relationship between the chemical characteristics of the solution-processed AlO x switching layer and BRS-based multi-level operation according to the annealing method and MWI power was investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Coordinate changes of myosin light and heavy chain isoforms during forced fiber type transitions in rabbit muscle.

PubMed

Leeuw, T; Pette, D

1996-01-01

Skeletal muscle fibers are versatile entities, capable of changing their phenotype in response to altered functional demands. In the present study, fast-to-slow fiber type transitions were induced in rabbit tibialis anterior (fA) muscles by chronic low-frequency stimulation (CLFS). The time course of changes in relative protein concentrations of fast and slow myosin light chain (MLC) isoforms and changes in their relative synthesis rates by in vivo labeling with [35S]methionine were followed during stimulation periods of up to 60 days. Generally, relative synthesis rates and protein concentrations changed in parallel; i.e., fast isoforms decreased and slow isoforms increased. MLC3f, however, which turns over at a higher rate than the other light chains, exhibited a conspicuous discrepancy between a markedly reduced relative synthesis but only a moderate decrease in protein amount during the initial 2 weeks of CLFS. Apparently, MLC3f is regulated independent of MLC1f, with protein degradation playing an important role in its regulation. The exchange of fast MLC isoforms with their slow counterparts seemed to correspond to the ultimate fast-to-slow (MHCIIa-->MHCI) transition at the MHC level. However, due to an earlier onset of the fast-to-slow transition of the regulatory light chain and the delayed fast-to-slow exchange of the alkali light chains, a spectrum of hybrid isomyosins composed of fast and slow light and heavy chains must have existed transiently in transforming fibers. Such hybrid isomyosins appeared to be restricted to MHCIIa- and MHCI-based combinations. In conclusion, fiber type specific programs that normally coordinate the expression of myofibrillar protein isoforms seem to be maintained during fiber type transitions. Possible differences in post-transcriptional regulation may result in the transient accumulation of atypical combinations of fast and slow MLC and MHC isoforms, giving rise to the appearance of hybrid fibers under the conditions of forced fiber type conversion.

Ultrasound-Guided Delivery of siRNA and a Chemotherapeutic Drug by Using Microbubble Complexes: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluations in a Prostate Cancer Model.

PubMed

Bae, Yun Jung; Yoon, Young Il; Yoon, Tae-Jong; Lee, Hak Jong

2016-01-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound and microbubble-liposome complex (MLC)-mediated delivery of siRNA and doxorubicin into prostate cancer cells and its therapeutic capabilities both in vitro and in vivo. Microbubble-liposome complexes conjugated with anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (Her2) antibodies were developed to target human prostate cancer cell lines PC-3 and LNCaP. Intracellular delivery of MLC was observed by confocal microscopy. We loaded MLC with survivin-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA) and doxorubicin, and delivered it into prostate cancer cells. The release of these agents was facilitated by ultrasound application. Cell viability was analyzed by MTT assay after the delivery of siRNA and doxorubicin. Survivin-targeted siRNA loaded MLC was delivered into the xenograft mouse tumor model. Western blotting was performed to quantify the expression of survivin in vivo. Confocal microscopy demonstrated substantial intracellular uptake of MLCs in LNCaP, which expresses higher levels of Her2 than PC-3. The viability of LNCaP cells was significantly reduced after the delivery of MLCs loaded with siRNA and doxorubicin (85.0 ± 2.9%), which was further potentiated by application of ultrasound (55.0 ± 3.5%, p = 0.009). Survivin expression was suppressed in vivo in LNCaP tumor xenograft model following the ultrasound and MLC-guided delivery of siRNA (77.4 ± 4.90% to 36.7 ± 1.34%, p = 0.027). Microbubble-liposome complex can effectively target prostate cancer cells, enabling intracellular delivery of the treatment agents with the use of ultrasound. Ultrasound and MLC-mediated delivery of survivin-targeted siRNA and doxorubicin can induce prostate cell apoptosis and block survivin expression in vitro and in vivo.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tien, C; Brewer, M; Studenski, M

Purpose: Dynamic-jaw tracking maximizes the area blocked by both jaw and MLC in RapidArc. We developed a method to quantify jaw tracking. Methods: An Eclipse Scripting API (ESAPI) was used to export beam parameters for each arc’s control points. The specific beam parameters extracted were: gantry angle, control point number, meterset, x-jaw positions, y-jaw positions, MLC bank-number, MLC leaf-number, and MLC leaf-position. Each arc contained 178 control points with 120 MLC positions. MATLAB routines were written to process these parameters in order to calculate both the beam aperture (unblocked) size for each control point. An average aperture size was weightedmore » by meterset. Jaw factor was defined as the ratio between dynamic-jaw to static-jaw aperture size. Jaw factor was determined for forty retrospectively replanned patients treated with static-jaw delivery sites including lung, brain, prostate, H&N, rectum, and bladder. Results: Most patients had multiple arcs and reduced-field boosts, resulting in 151 fields. Of these, the lowest (0.4722) and highest (0.9622) jaw factor was observed in prostate and rectal cases, respectively. The median jaw factor was 0.7917 meaning there is the potential unincreased blocking by 20%. Clinically, the dynamic-jaw tracking represents an area surrounding the target which would receive MLC-only leakage transmission of 1.68% versus 0.1% with jaws. Jaw-tracking was more pronounced at areas farther from the target. In prostate patients, the rectum and bladder had 5.5% and 6.3% lower mean dose, respectively; the structures closer to the prostate such as the rectum and bladder both had 1.4% lower mean dose. Conclusion: A custom ESAPI script was coupled with a MATLAB routine in order to extract beam parameters from static-jaw plans and their replanned dynamic-jaw deliveries. The effects were quantified using jaw factor which is the ratio between the meterset weighted aperture size for dynamic-jaw fields versus static-jaw fields.« less

SU-E-T-179: Clinical Impact of IMRT Failure Modes at Or Near TG-142 Tolerance Criteria Levels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Faught, J Tonigan; Balter, P; Johnson, J

2015-06-15

Purpose: Quantitatively assess the clinical impact of 11 critical IMRT dose delivery failure modes. Methods: Eleven step-and-shoot IMRT failure modes (FMs) were introduced into twelve Pinnacle v9.8 treatment plans. One standard and one highly modulated plan on the IROC IMRT phantom and ten previous H&N patient treatment plans were used. FMs included physics components covered by basic QA near tolerance criteria levels (TG-142) such as beam energy, MLC positioning, and MLC modeling. Resultant DVHs were compared to those of failure-free plans and the severity of plan degradation was assessed considering PTV coverage and OAR and normal tissue tolerances and usedmore » for FMEA severity scoring. Six of these FMs were physically simulated and phantom irradiations performed. TLD and radiochromic film results are used for comparison to treatment planning studies. Results: Based on treatment planning studies, the largest clinical impact from the phantom cases was induced by 2 mm systematic MLC shift in one bank with the combination of a D95% target under dose near 16% and OAR overdose near 8%. Cord overdoses of 5%–11% occurred with gantry angle, collimator angle, couch angle, MLC leaf end modeling, and MLC transmission and leakage modeling FMs. PTV coverage and/or OAR sparing was compromised in all FMs introduced in phantom plans with the exception of CT number to electron density tables, MU linearity, and MLC tongue-and-groove modeling. Physical measurements did not entirely agree with treatment planning results. For example, symmetry errors resulted in the largest physically measured discrepancies of up to 3% in the PTVs while a maximum of 0.5% deviation was seen in the treatment planning studies. Patient treatment plan study results are under analysis. Conclusion: Even in the simplistic anatomy of the IROC phantom, some basic physics FMs, just outside of TG-142 tolerance criteria, appear to have the potential for large clinical implications.« less

SU-E-T-392: Evaluation of Ion Chamber/film and Log File Based QA to Detect Delivery Errors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nelson, C; Mason, B; Kirsner, S

2015-06-15

Purpose: Ion chamber and film (ICAF) is a method used to verify patient dose prior to treatment. More recently, log file based QA has been shown as an alternative for measurement based QA. In this study, we delivered VMAT plans with and without errors to determine if ICAF and/or log file based QA was able to detect the errors. Methods: Using two VMAT patients, the original treatment plan plus 7 additional plans with delivery errors introduced were generated and delivered. The erroneous plans had gantry, collimator, MLC, gantry and collimator, collimator and MLC, MLC and gantry, and gantry, collimator, andmore » MLC errors. The gantry and collimator errors were off by 4{sup 0} for one of the two arcs. The MLC error introduced was one in which the opening aperture didn’t move throughout the delivery of the field. For each delivery, an ICAF measurement was made as well as a dose comparison based upon log files. Passing criteria to evaluate the plans were ion chamber less and 5% and film 90% of pixels pass the 3mm/3% gamma analysis(GA). For log file analysis 90% of voxels pass the 3mm/3% 3D GA and beam parameters match what was in the plan. Results: Two original plans were delivered and passed both ICAF and log file base QA. Both ICAF and log file QA met the dosimetry criteria on 4 of the 12 erroneous cases analyzed (2 cases were not analyzed). For the log file analysis, all 12 erroneous plans alerted a mismatch in delivery versus what was planned. The 8 plans that didn’t meet criteria all had MLC errors. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that log file based pre-treatment QA was able to detect small errors that may not be detected using an ICAF and both methods of were able to detect larger delivery errors.« less

SU-E-T-312: Dosimetric Consideration for the Agility MLC When Planning Rotational SRT/SBRT Treatments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kong, X; Harris, J; Spitznagel, D

2015-06-15

Purpose: To analyze the radiation transmission of the Agility MLC and make recommendation based on the MLC dosimetric characteristics for SRT, SBRT and VMAT planning Method and Materials: Agility MLC is the newest model from Elekta and has no back up diaphragm behind leaves for this generation. Leaves are single focused with rounded end; composed of leafs each 0.5cm wide, 9cm thick, constructed from tungsten alloy and provide low transmission <0.5%. Total radiation transmission from leaves and diaphragm is <0.13%. A 360degree arc was generated using iCom tools; leaves were programmed closed while keeping the diaphragm fully open to maximizemore » the MLC transmission effect. Gafchromic EBT films were sandwiched between 4cm of solid water and situated at midplane to take dose measurement. 5000MU was delivered using 6MV VersaHD, various collimator angles, and a 5cm central axis offset was tested also. Films were scanned with Epson 10000XL scanner and analyzed using DoseLab Pro. Results: Due to the rounded leaf end and nature of rotation therapy, dose accumulation through the leaf gap is significant. By offsetting the leaf gap from central axis, this accumulation can be greatly reduced. There are dark bands showing accumulation of interleaf transmission which is improved by increasing collimator angle from 0 to 45dgree. However for 45 degree, in most cases, there are larger volumes sweeping under MLC alone, which needs considered planning. Conclusions: While inter-leaf leakage is minimized by using collimator angles greater than 0 degrees, the location of the leaf gap must also be managed. The leaf gap position becomes critically important when the treatment area is off axis such is the case when more than one PTV is being treated. With VMAT for SRT, SBRT becoming a more popular planning technique, special attention needs to be paid when initially setting up the field geometry.« less

SU-E-T-610: Comparison of Treatment Times Between the MLCi and Agility Multileaf Collimators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramsey, C; Bowling, J

2014-06-01

Purpose: The Agility is a new 160-leaf MLC developed by Elekta for use in their Infinity and Versa HD linacs. As compared to the MLCi, the Agility increased the maximum leaf speed from 2 cm/s to 3.5 cm/s, and the maximum primary collimator speed from 1.5 cm/s to 9.0 cm/s. The purpose of this study was to determine if the Agility MLC resulted in improved plan quality and/or shorter treatment times. Methods: An Elekta Infinity that was originally equipped with a 80 leaf MLCi was upgraded to an 160 leaf Agility. Treatment plan quality was evaluated using the Pinnacle planningmore » system with SmartArc. Optimization was performed once for the MLCi and once for the Agility beam models using the same optimization parameters and the same number of iterations. Patient treatment times were measured for all IMRT, VMAT, and SBRT patients treated on the Infinity with the MLCi and Agility MLCs. Treatment times were extracted from the EMR and measured from when the patient first walked into the treatment room until exiting the treatment room. Results: 11,380 delivery times were measured for patients treated with the MLCi, and 1,827 measurements have been made for the Agility MLC. The average treatment times were 19.1 minutes for the MLCi and 20.8 minutes for the Agility. Using a t-test analysis, there was no difference between the two groups (t = 0.22). The dose differences between patients planned with the MLCi and the Agility MLC were minimal. For example, the dose difference for the PTV, GTV, and cord for a head and neck patient planned using Pinnacle were effectively equivalent. However, the dose to the parotid glands was slightly worse with the Agility MLC. Conclusion: There was no statistical difference in treatment time, or any significant dosimetric difference between the Agility MLC and the MLCi.« less

Verification of dosimetric accuracy on the TrueBeam STx: rounded leaf effect of the high definition MLC.

PubMed

Kielar, Kayla N; Mok, Ed; Hsu, Annie; Wang, Lei; Luxton, Gary

2012-10-01

The dosimetric leaf gap (DLG) in the Varian Eclipse treatment planning system is determined during commissioning and is used to model the effect of the rounded leaf-end of the multileaf collimator (MLC). This parameter attempts to model the physical difference between the radiation and light field and account for inherent leakage between leaf tips. With the increased use of single fraction high dose treatments requiring larger monitor units comes an enhanced concern in the accuracy of leakage calculations, as it accounts for much of the patient dose. This study serves to verify the dosimetric accuracy of the algorithm used to model the rounded leaf effect for the TrueBeam STx, and describes a methodology for determining best-practice parameter values, given the novel capabilities of the linear accelerator such as flattening filter free (FFF) treatments and a high definition MLC (HDMLC). During commissioning, the nominal MLC position was verified and the DLG parameter was determined using MLC-defined field sizes and moving gap tests, as is common in clinical testing. Treatment plans were created, and the DLG was optimized to achieve less than 1% difference between measured and calculated dose. The DLG value found was tested on treatment plans for all energies (6 MV, 10 MV, 15 MV, 6 MV FFF, 10 MV FFF) and modalities (3D conventional, IMRT, conformal arc, VMAT) available on the TrueBeam STx. The DLG parameter found during the initial MLC testing did not match the leaf gap modeling parameter that provided the most accurate dose delivery in clinical treatment plans. Using the physical leaf gap size as the DLG for the HDMLC can lead to 5% differences in measured and calculated doses. Separate optimization of the DLG parameter using end-to-end tests must be performed to ensure dosimetric accuracy in the modeling of the rounded leaf ends for the Eclipse treatment planning system. The difference in leaf gap modeling versus physical leaf gap dimensions is more pronounced in the more recent versions of Eclipse for both the HDMLC and the Millennium MLC. Once properly commissioned and tested using a methodology based on treatment plan verification, Eclipse is able to accurately model radiation dose delivered for SBRT treatments using the TrueBeam STx.

SU-E-T-347: Effect of MLC Leaf Position Inaccuracy On Dose Distribution for Spinal SBRT with Different Energies and Dose Rates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

You, T; Dang, J; Dai, C

2015-06-15

Purpose: To evaluate dosimetric impact of spinal SBRT when MLC leaf positions deviate from planning positions for different energies and doserates. Methods and Materials: 18 localized spinal metastases patients were selected for SBRT using IMRT planning with 9 posterior beams delivered at gantry angles ranging between 100°–260°. A modern linear accelerator(Varian Turebeam STX with HDMLC 2.5 mm thick leaf at isocenter) IMRT plans were generated using both 6X and 6X-FFF(Flattening filter free) beams with a nominal prescription dose of 6 Gy/fraction to PTV. Doserates ranging from 200–600 MU/min for 6X and 400–1400 MU/min for 6X-FFF, with 200 increments were examined.more » A fixed amount(0.3, 0.5, 1, and 2 mm) of MLC-leaf position deviation was simulated to each plan under following conditions: 1)only along X1 collimator; 2)with increments at both X1 and X2 collimator directions;3)with reductions at both X1 and X2 collimator directions. Dose was recalculated for each modified plans. Both original and modified plans were delivered using Turebeam STX machine and measured using both portal dosimetry and a 3D dosimeter(Delta4 of ScandiDos). Each field’s Result were compared using following three parameters: the 95% iso-dose level Conformal Index(95%CI), the spinal cord maximum dose(SCDmax), and the planned target volume(PTV) mean dose. Results: Dosimetric impacts on the 95%CI, SCDmax and the PTV mean dose are: 1)negligible if MLC-leaf position deviation only along a single collimator direction ≥1.0 mm,2)substantial if MLC-leaf position increment along both collimator directions ≥0.3 mm(95% CI decreases while SCDmax and PTV mean-dose increase), 3)substantial if MLC-leaf position reduction along both collimator directions ≥0.3 mm(95% CI first increases and then decreases while SCDmax and PTV mean-dose decrease). Different energies and doserates demonstrated comparable dosimetric impacts. Conclusion: Substantial dose deviations could happen for spinal SBRT using IMRT plan with HD-MLC if leaf position deviation ≥0.3 mm. The effects of different energy and doserate are negligible.« less

Radiation-Induced Chemical Dynamics in Ar Clusters Exposed to Strong X-Ray Pulses.

PubMed

Kumagai, Yoshiaki; Jurek, Zoltan; Xu, Weiqing; Fukuzawa, Hironobu; Motomura, Koji; Iablonskyi, Denys; Nagaya, Kiyonobu; Wada, Shin-Ichi; Mondal, Subhendu; Tachibana, Tetsuya; Ito, Yuta; Sakai, Tsukasa; Matsunami, Kenji; Nishiyama, Toshiyuki; Umemoto, Takayuki; Nicolas, Christophe; Miron, Catalin; Togashi, Tadashi; Ogawa, Kanade; Owada, Shigeki; Tono, Kensuke; Yabashi, Makina; Son, Sang-Kil; Ziaja, Beata; Santra, Robin; Ueda, Kiyoshi

2018-06-01

We show that electron and ion spectroscopy reveals the details of the oligomer formation in Ar clusters exposed to an x-ray free electron laser (XFEL) pulse, i.e., chemical dynamics triggered by x rays. With guidance from a dedicated molecular dynamics simulation tool, we find that van der Waals bonding, the oligomer formation mechanism, and charge transfer among the cluster constituents significantly affect ionization dynamics induced by an XFEL pulse of moderate fluence. Our results clearly demonstrate that XFEL pulses can be used not only to "damage and destroy" molecular assemblies but also to modify and transform their molecular structure. The accuracy of the predictions obtained makes it possible to apply the cluster spectroscopy, in connection with the respective simulations, for estimation of the XFEL pulse fluence in the fluence regime below single-atom multiple-photon absorption, which is hardly accessible with other diagnostic tools.

Radiation-Induced Chemical Dynamics in Ar Clusters Exposed to Strong X-Ray Pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumagai, Yoshiaki; Jurek, Zoltan; Xu, Weiqing; Fukuzawa, Hironobu; Motomura, Koji; Iablonskyi, Denys; Nagaya, Kiyonobu; Wada, Shin-ichi; Mondal, Subhendu; Tachibana, Tetsuya; Ito, Yuta; Sakai, Tsukasa; Matsunami, Kenji; Nishiyama, Toshiyuki; Umemoto, Takayuki; Nicolas, Christophe; Miron, Catalin; Togashi, Tadashi; Ogawa, Kanade; Owada, Shigeki; Tono, Kensuke; Yabashi, Makina; Son, Sang-Kil; Ziaja, Beata; Santra, Robin; Ueda, Kiyoshi

2018-06-01

We show that electron and ion spectroscopy reveals the details of the oligomer formation in Ar clusters exposed to an x-ray free electron laser (XFEL) pulse, i.e., chemical dynamics triggered by x rays. With guidance from a dedicated molecular dynamics simulation tool, we find that van der Waals bonding, the oligomer formation mechanism, and charge transfer among the cluster constituents significantly affect ionization dynamics induced by an XFEL pulse of moderate fluence. Our results clearly demonstrate that XFEL pulses can be used not only to "damage and destroy" molecular assemblies but also to modify and transform their molecular structure. The accuracy of the predictions obtained makes it possible to apply the cluster spectroscopy, in connection with the respective simulations, for estimation of the XFEL pulse fluence in the fluence regime below single-atom multiple-photon absorption, which is hardly accessible with other diagnostic tools.

Purification, Characterization and Analysis of the Allergenic Properties of Myosin Light Chain in Procambarus clarkia.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Myosin light chain (MLC) plays a vital role in cell and muscle functions and has been identified as an allergen in close species. In this study, MLC with the molecular mass of 18kDa was purified from crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) muscle fibrils. Its physicochemical characterization showed that the...

RELATIVE DISTRIBUTIONS OF FLUENCES OF {sup 3}He AND {sup 4}He IN SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Petrosian, Vahe; Jiang Yanwei; Liu Siming

2009-08-10

Solar energetic particles show a rich variety of spectra and relative abundances of many ionic species and their isotopes. A long-standing puzzle has been the extreme enrichments of {sup 3}He ions. The most extreme enrichments are observed in low-fluence, the so-called impulsive, events which are believed to be produced at the flare site in the solar corona with little scattering and acceleration during transport to the Earth. In such events, {sup 3}He ions show a characteristic concave curved spectra in a log-log plot. In two earlier papers of Liu et al., we showed how such extreme enrichments and spectra canmore » result in the model developed by Petrosian and Liu, where ions are accelerated stochastically by plasma waves or turbulence. In this paper, we address the relative distributions of the fluences of {sup 3}He and {sup 4}He ions presented by Ho et al., which show that while the distribution of {sup 4}He fluence (which we believe is a good measure of the flare strength) like many other extensive characteristics of solar flare is fairly broad, the {sup 3}He fluence is limited to a narrow range. These characteristics introduce a strong anticorrelation between the ratio of the fluences and the {sup 4}He fluence. One of the predictions of our model presented in the 2006 paper was the presence of steep variation of the fluence ratio with the level of turbulence or the rate of acceleration. We show here that this feature of the model can reproduce the observed distribution of the fluences with very few free parameters. The primary reason for the success of the model in both fronts is because fully ionized {sup 3}He ion, with its unique charge-to-mass ratio, can resonantly interact with plasma modes not accessible to {sup 4}He and be accelerated more readily than {sup 4}He. Essentially in most flares, all background {sup 3}He ions are accelerated to few MeV/nucleon range, while this happens for {sup 4}He ions only in very strong events. A much smaller fraction of {sup 4}He ions reach such energies in weaker events.« less

Modification and validation of an analytical source model for external beam radiotherapy Monte Carlo dose calculations.

PubMed

Davidson, Scott E; Cui, Jing; Kry, Stephen; Deasy, Joseph O; Ibbott, Geoffrey S; Vicic, Milos; White, R Allen; Followill, David S

2016-08-01

A dose calculation tool, which combines the accuracy of the dose planning method (DPM) Monte Carlo code and the versatility of a practical analytical multisource model, which was previously reported has been improved and validated for the Varian 6 and 10 MV linear accelerators (linacs). The calculation tool can be used to calculate doses in advanced clinical application studies. One shortcoming of current clinical trials that report dose from patient plans is the lack of a standardized dose calculation methodology. Because commercial treatment planning systems (TPSs) have their own dose calculation algorithms and the clinical trial participant who uses these systems is responsible for commissioning the beam model, variation exists in the reported calculated dose distributions. Today's modern linac is manufactured to tight specifications so that variability within a linac model is quite low. The expectation is that a single dose calculation tool for a specific linac model can be used to accurately recalculate dose from patient plans that have been submitted to the clinical trial community from any institution. The calculation tool would provide for a more meaningful outcome analysis. The analytical source model was described by a primary point source, a secondary extra-focal source, and a contaminant electron source. Off-axis energy softening and fluence effects were also included. The additions of hyperbolic functions have been incorporated into the model to correct for the changes in output and in electron contamination with field size. A multileaf collimator (MLC) model is included to facilitate phantom and patient dose calculations. An offset to the MLC leaf positions was used to correct for the rudimentary assumed primary point source. Dose calculations of the depth dose and profiles for field sizes 4 × 4 to 40 × 40 cm agree with measurement within 2% of the maximum dose or 2 mm distance to agreement (DTA) for 95% of the data points tested. The model was capable of predicting the depth of the maximum dose within 1 mm. Anthropomorphic phantom benchmark testing of modulated and patterned MLCs treatment plans showed agreement to measurement within 3% in target regions using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD). Using radiochromic film normalized to TLD, a gamma criteria of 3% of maximum dose and 2 mm DTA was applied with a pass rate of least 85% in the high dose, high gradient, and low dose regions. Finally, recalculations of patient plans using DPM showed good agreement relative to a commercial TPS when comparing dose volume histograms and 2D dose distributions. A unique analytical source model coupled to the dose planning method Monte Carlo dose calculation code has been modified and validated using basic beam data and anthropomorphic phantom measurement. While this tool can be applied in general use for a particular linac model, specifically it was developed to provide a singular methodology to independently assess treatment plan dose distributions from those clinical institutions participating in National Cancer Institute trials.

Graphene defects induced by ion beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gawlik, Grzegorz; Ciepielewski, Paweł; Baranowski, Jacek; Jagielski, Jacek

2017-10-01

The CVD graphene deposited on the glass substrate was bombarded by molecular carbon ions C3+ C6+ hydrocarbon ions C3H4+ and atomic ions He+, C+, N+, Ar+, Kr+ Yb+. Size and density of ion induced defects were estimated from evolution of relative intensities of Raman lines D (∼1350 1/cm), G (∼1600 1/cm), and D‧ (∼1620 1/cm) with ion fluence. The efficiency of defect generation by atomic ions depend on ion mass and energy similarly as vacancy generation directly by ion predicted by SRIM simulations. However, efficiency of defect generation in graphene by molecular carbon ions is essentially higher than summarized efficiency of similar group of separate atomic carbon ions of the same energy that each carbon ion in a cluster. The evolution of the D/D‧ ratio of Raman lines intensities with ion fluence was observed. This effect may indicate evolution of defect nature from sp3-like at low fluence to a vacancy-like at high fluence. Observed ion graphene interactions suggest that the molecular ion interacts with graphene as single integrated object and should not be considered as a group of atomic ions with partial energy.

A model of tungsten anode x-ray spectra

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hernández, G.; Fernández, F., E-mail: fdz@usal.es

2016-08-15

Purpose: A semiempirical model for x-ray production in tungsten thick-targets was evaluated using a new characterization of electron fluence. Methods: Electron fluence is modeled taking into account both the energy and angular distributions, each of them adjusted to Monte Carlo simulated data. Distances were scaled by the CSDA range to reduce the energy dependence. Bremsstrahlung production was found by integrating the cross section with the fluence in a 1D penetration model. Characteristic radiation was added using a semiempirical law whose validity was checked. The results were compared the experimental results of Bhat et al., with the SpekCalc numerical tool, andmore » with MCNPX simulation results from the work of Hernandez and Boone. Results: The model described shows better agreement with the experimental results than the SpekCalc predictions in the sense of area between the spectra. A general improvement of the predictions of half-value layers is also found. The results are also in good agreement with the simulation results in the 50–640 keV energy range. Conclusions: A complete model for x-ray production in thick bremsstrahlung targets has been developed, improving the results of previous works and extending the energy range covered to the 50–640 keV interval.« less

Isolation and characterization of ventricular-like cells derived from NKX2-5eGFP/w and MLC2vmCherry/w double knock-in human pluripotent stem cells.

PubMed

Yamauchi, Kaori; Li, Junjun; Morikawa, Kumi; Liu, Li; Shirayoshi, Yasuaki; Nakatsuji, Norio; Elliott, David A; Hisatome, Ichiro; Suemori, Hirofumi

2018-01-01

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) are a promising source for cell transplantation into the damaged heart, which has limited regenerative ability. Many methods have been developed to obtain large amounts of functional CMs from hPSCs for therapeutic applications. However, during the differentiation process, a mixed population of various cardiac cells, including ventricular, atrial, and pacemaker cells, is generated, which hampers the proper functional analysis and evaluation of cell properties. Here, we established NKX2-5 eGFP/w and MLC2v mCherry/w hPSC double knock-ins that allow for labeling, tracing, purification, and analysis of the development of ventricular cells from early to late stages. As with the endogenous transcriptional activities of these genes, MLC2v-mCherry expression following NKX2-5-eGFP expression was observed under previously established culture conditions, which mimic the in vivo cardiac developmental process. Patch-clamp and microelectrode array electrophysiological analyses showed that the NKX2-5 and MLC2v double-positive cells possess ventricular-like properties. The results demonstrate that the NKX2-5 eGFP/w and MLC2v mCherry/w hPSCs provide a powerful model system to capture region-specific cardiac differentiation from early to late stages. Our study would facilitate subtype-specific cardiac development and functional analysis using the hPSC-derived sources. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SU-F-P-36: Automation of Linear Accelerator Star Shot Measurement with Advanced XML Scripting and Electronic Portal Imaging Device

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, N; Knutson, N; Schmidt, M

Purpose: To verify a method used to automatically acquire jaw, MLC, collimator and couch star shots for a Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator utilizing Developer Mode and an Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID). Methods: An XML script was written to automate motion of the jaws, MLC, collimator and couch in TrueBeam Developer Mode (TBDM) to acquire star shot measurements. The XML script also dictates MV imaging parameters to facilitate automatic acquisition and recording of integrated EPID images. Since couch star shot measurements cannot be acquired using a combination of EPID and jaw/MLC collimation alone due to a fixed imager geometry, amore » method utilizing a 5mm wide steel ruler placed on the table and centered within a 15×15cm2 open field to produce a surrogate of the narrow field aperture was investigated. Four individual star shot measurements (X jaw, Y jaw, MLC and couch) were obtained using our proposed as well as traditional film-based method. Integrated EPID images and scanned measurement films were analyzed and compared. Results: Star shot (X jaw, Y jaw, MLC and couch) measurements were obtained in a single 5 minute delivery using the TBDM XML script method compared to 60 minutes for equivalent traditional film measurements. Analysis of the images and films demonstrated comparable isocentricity results, agreeing within 0.3mm of each other. Conclusion: The presented automatic approach of acquiring star shot measurements using TBDM and EPID has proven to be more efficient than the traditional film approach with equivalent results.« less

HRR Upgrade to mass loss calorimeter and modified Schlyter test for FR Wood

Treesearch

Mark A. Dietenberger; Charles R. Boardman

2013-01-01

Enhanced Heat Release Rate (HRR) methodology has been extended to the Mass Loss Calorimeter (MLC) and the Modified Schlyter flame spread test to evaluate fire retardant effectiveness used on wood based materials. Modifications to MLC include installation of thermopile on the chimney walls to correct systematic errors to the sensible HRR calculations to account for...

In vivo light dosimetry for pleural PDT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimofte, Andreea; Zhu, Timothy C.; Finlay, Jarod C.; Culligan, Melissa; Edmonds, Christine E.; Friedberg, Joseph S.; Cengel, Keith; Hahn, Stephen M.

2009-02-01

In-vivo light Dosimetry for patients undergoing photodynamic therapy (PDT) is one of the important dosimetry quantities critical for predicting PDT outcome. This study examines the light fluence (rate) delivered to patients undergoing pleural PDT as a function of treatment time, treatment volume and surface area, and its accuracy as a function of the calibration accuracies of each isotropic detector and the calibration integrating sphere. The patients studied here were enrolled in Phase II clinical trial of Photofrin-mediated PDT for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with pleural effusion. The ages of the patients studied varied from 34 to 69 year old. All patients were administered 2mg per kg body weight Photoprin 24 hours before the surgery. Patients undergoing photodynamic therapy (PDT) are treated with laser light with a light fluence of 60 J/cm^2 at 630nm. Fluence rate (mW/cm^2) and cumulative fluence (J/cm^2) was monitored at 7 different sites during the entire light treatment delivery. Isotropic detectors were used for in-vivo light dosimetry. The anisotropy of each isotropic detector was found to be within 30%. The mean fluence rate delivery varied from 37.84 to 94.05 mW/cm^2 and treatment time varied from 1762 to 5232s. We have established a correlation between the treatment time and the treatment volume. The results are discussed using an integrating sphere theory and the measured tissue optical properties. The result can be used as a clinical guideline for future pleural PDT treatment.

Physics of the Isotopic Dependence of Galactic Cosmic Ray Fluence Behind Shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cucinotta, Francis A.; Saganti, Premkumar B.; Hu, Xiao-Dong; Kim, Myung-Hee Y.; Cleghorn, Timothy F.; Wilson, John W.; Tripathi, Ram K.; Zeitlin, Cary J.

2003-01-01

For over 25 years, NASA has supported the development of space radiation transport models for shielding applications. The NASA space radiation transport model now predicts dose and dose equivalent in Earth and Mars orbit to an accuracy of plus or minus 20%. However, because larger errors may occur in particle fluence predictions, there is interest in further assessments and improvements in NASA's space radiation transport model. In this paper, we consider the effects of the isotopic composition of the primary galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and the isotopic dependence of nuclear fragmentation cross-sections on the solution to transport models used for shielding studies. Satellite measurements are used to describe the isotopic composition of the GCR. Using NASA's quantum multiple-scattering theory of nuclear fragmentation (QMSFRG) and high-charge and energy (HZETRN) transport code, we study the effect of the isotopic dependence of the primary GCR composition and secondary nuclei on shielding calculations. The QMSFRG is shown to accurately describe the iso-spin dependence of nuclear fragmentation. The principal finding of this study is that large errors (plus or minus 100%) will occur in the mass-fluence spectra when comparing transport models that use a complete isotope grid (approximately 170 ions) to ones that use a reduced isotope grid, for example the 59 ion-grid used in the HZETRN code in the past, however less significant errors (less than 20%) occur in the elemental-fluence spectra. Because a complete isotope grid is readily handled on small computer workstations and is needed for several applications studying GCR propagation and scattering, it is recommended that they be used for future GCR studies.

A Multigroup Method for the Calculation of Neutron Fluence with a Source Term

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heinbockel, J. H.; Clowdsley, M. S.

1998-01-01

Current research on the Grant involves the development of a multigroup method for the calculation of low energy evaporation neutron fluences associated with the Boltzmann equation. This research will enable one to predict radiation exposure under a variety of circumstances. Knowledge of radiation exposure in a free-space environment is a necessity for space travel, high altitude space planes and satellite design. This is because certain radiation environments can cause damage to biological and electronic systems involving both short term and long term effects. By having apriori knowledge of the environment one can use prediction techniques to estimate radiation damage to such systems. Appropriate shielding can be designed to protect both humans and electronic systems that are exposed to a known radiation environment. This is the goal of the current research efforts involving the multi-group method and the Green's function approach.

Molecular prenatal diagnosis of megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts in a child from southwest of Iran.

PubMed

Shariati, Gholamreza; Hamid, Mohammad; Saberi, Alihossein; Andashti, Behnaz; Galehdari, Hamid

2015-02-01

Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy (MLC) is a rare neurological disorder with an autosomal recessive pattern. Clinical diagnosis was based on macrocephaly, recurrent seizure, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here we report first finding of a novel homozygous single base deletion in the MLC1 gene in an affected Iranian child causing a premature stop codon (p.L150fs.160X).

Development of a Multileaf Collimator for Proton Radiotherapy

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

for proton radiotherapy, and the first year of the project to develop image guided treatment protocols for proton therapy . This research...multileaf collimator (MLC) for proton therapy and investigates the issues that must be resolved to use an MLC in proton therapy . The second technology...the contract included three development agreements directly related to the work supported by this grant to develop technology for proton therapy .

MLC Libraries--A School Library's Journey with Students, Staff and Web 2.0 Technologies: Blogs, Wikis and E-Books--Where Are We Going Next?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viner, Jane; Lucas, Amanda; Ricchini, Tracey; Ri, Regina

2010-01-01

This workshop paper explores the Web 2.0 journey of the MLC Libraries' teacher-librarians, librarian, library and audio visual technicians. Our journey was initially inspired by Will Richardson and supported by the School Library Association of Victoria (SLAV) Web 2.0 professional development program. The 12 week technological skills program…

SU-F-T-384: Step and Shoot IMRT, VMAT and Autoplan VMAT Nasopharnyx Plan Robustness to Linear Accelerator Delivery Errors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pogson, EM; Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool, NSW; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, NSW

Purpose: To identify the robustness of different treatment techniques in respect to simulated linac errors on the dose distribution to the target volume and organs at risk for step and shoot IMRT (ssIMRT), VMAT and Autoplan generated VMAT nasopharynx plans. Methods: A nasopharynx patient dataset was retrospectively replanned with three different techniques: 7 beam ssIMRT, one arc manual generated VMAT and one arc automatically generated VMAT. Treatment simulated uncertainties: gantry, collimator, MLC field size and MLC shifts, were introduced into these plans at increments of 5,2,1,−1,−2 and −5 (degrees or mm) and recalculated in Pinnacle. The mean and maximum dosesmore » were calculated for the high dose PTV, parotids, brainstem, and spinal cord and then compared to the original baseline plan. Results: Simulated gantry angle errors have <1% effect on the PTV, ssIMRT is most sensitive. The small collimator errors (±1 and ±2 degrees) impacted the mean PTV dose by <2% for all techniques, however for the ±5 degree errors mean target varied by up to 7% for the Autoplan VMAT and 10% for the max dose to the spinal cord and brain stem, seen in all techniques. The simulated MLC shifts introduced the largest errors for the Autoplan VMAT, with the larger MLC modulation presumably being the cause. The most critical error observed, was the MLC field size error, where even small errors of 1 mm, caused significant changes to both the PTV and the OAR. The ssIMRT is the least sensitive and the Autoplan the most sensitive, with target errors of up to 20% over and under dosages observed. Conclusion: For a nasopharynx patient the plan robustness observed is highest for the ssIMRT plan and lowest for the Autoplan generated VMAT plan. This could be caused by the more complex MLC modulation seen for the VMAT plans. This project is supported by a grant from NSW Cancer Council.« less

Long-term outcomes after hepatic resection combined with radiofrequency ablation for initially unresectable multiple and bilobar liver malignancies.

PubMed

Qiu, Jianguo; Chen, Shuting; Wu, Hong

2014-05-01

Hepatic resection (HRE) combined with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) offers a surgical option to a group of patients with multiple and bilobar liver malignancies who are traditionally unresectable for inadequate functional hepatic reserve. The aims of the present study were to assess the perioperative outcomes, recurrence, and long-term survival rates for patients treated with HRE plus RFA in the management of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and metastatic liver cancer (MLC). Data from all consecutive patients with primary and secondary hepatic malignancies who were treated with HRE combined with RFA between 2007 and 2013 were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed. A total of 112 patients, with 368 hepatic tumors underwent HRE combined with ultrasound-guided RFA, were included in the present study. There were 40 cases of HCC with 117 tumors and 72 cases of MLC with 251 metastases. Most cases of liver metastases originated from the gastrointestinal tract (44, 61.1%). Other uncommon lesions included breast cancer (5, 6.9%), pancreatic cancer (3, 4.2%), lung cancer (4, 5.6%), cholangiocarcinoma (4, 5.6%), and so on. The ablation success rates were 93.3% for HCC and 96.7% for MLC. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-y overall recurrence rates were 52.5%, 59.5%, 72.3%, 75%, and 80% for the HCC group and 44.4%, 52.7%, 56.1%, 69.4%, and 77.8% for the MLC group, respectively. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-y overall survival rates for the HCC patients were 67.5%, 50%, 32.5%, 22.5%, and 12.5% and for the MLC patients were 66.5%, 55.5%, 50%, 30.5%, and 19.4%, respectively. The corresponding recurrence-free survival rates for the HCC patients were 52.5%, 35%, 22.5%, 15%, and 10% and for the MLC patients were 58.3%, 41.6%, 23.6%, 16.9%, and 12.5%, respectively. HRE combined with RFA provides an effective treatment approach for patients with primary and secondary liver malignancies who are initially unsuitable for radical resection, with high local tumor control rates and promising survival data. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An MLC-based linac QA procedure for the characterization of radiation isocenter and room lasers' position.

PubMed

Rosca, Florin; Lorenz, Friedlieb; Hacker, Fred L; Chin, Lee M; Ramakrishna, Naren; Zygmanski, Piotr

2006-06-01

We have designed and implemented a new stereotactic linac QA test with stereotactic precision. The test is used to characterize gantry sag, couch wobble, cone placement, MLC offsets, and room lasers' positions relative to the radiation isocenter. Two MLC star patterns, a cone pattern, and the laser line patterns are recorded on the same imaging medium. Phosphor plates are used as imaging medium due to their sensitivity to red light. The red light of room lasers erases some of the irradiation information stored on the phosphor plates enabling accurate and direct measurements for the position of room lasers and radiation isocenter. Using film instead of the phosphor plate as imaging medium is possible, however, it is less practical. The QA method consists of irradiating four phosphor plates that record the gantry sag between the 0 degrees and 180 degrees gantry angles, the position and stability of couch rotational axis, the sag between the 90 degrees and 270 degrees gantry angles, the accuracy of cone placement on the collimator, the MLC offsets from the collimator rotational axis, and the position of laser lines relative to the radiation isocenter. The estimated accuracy of the method is +/- 0.2 mm. The observed reproducibility of the method is about +/- 0.1 mm. The total irradiation/ illumination time is about 10 min per image. Data analysis, including the phosphor plate scanning, takes less than 5 min for each image. The method characterizes the radiation isocenter geometry with the high accuracy required for the stereotactic radiosurgery. In this respect, it is similar to the standard ball test for stereotactic machines. However, due to the usage of the MLC instead of the cross-hair/ball, it does not depend on the cross-hair/ball placement errors with respect to the lasers and it provides more information on the mechanical integrity of the linac/couch/laser system. Alternatively, it can be used as a highly accurate QA procedure for the nonstereotactic machines. Noteworthy is its ability to characterize the MLC position accuracy, which is an important factor in IMRT delivery.

Monte Carlo modeling of HD120 multileaf collimator on Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator for verification of 6X and 6X FFF VMAT SABR treatment plans

PubMed Central

Gete, Ermias; Duzenli, Cheryl; Teke, Tony

2014-01-01

A Monte Carlo (MC) validation of the vendor‐supplied Varian TrueBeam 6 MV flattened (6X) phase‐space file and the first implementation of the Siebers‐Keall MC MLC model as applied to the HD120 MLC (for 6X flat and 6X flattening filterfree (6X FFF) beams) are described. The MC model is validated in the context of VMAT patient‐specific quality assurance. The Monte Carlo commissioning process involves: 1) validating the calculated open‐field percentage depth doses (PDDs), profiles, and output factors (OF), 2) adapting the Siebers‐Keall MLC model to match the new HD120‐MLC geometry and material composition, 3) determining the absolute dose conversion factor for the MC calculation, and 4) validating this entire linac/MLC in the context of dose calculation verification for clinical VMAT plans. MC PDDs for the 6X beams agree with the measured data to within 2.0% for field sizes ranging from 2 × 2 to 40 × 40 cm2. Measured and MC profiles show agreement in the 50% field width and the 80%‐20% penumbra region to within 1.3 mm for all square field sizes. MC OFs for the 2 to 40 cm2 square fields agree with measurement to within 1.6%. Verification of VMAT SABR lung, liver, and vertebra plans demonstrate that measured and MC ion chamber doses agree within 0.6% for the 6X beam and within 2.0% for the 6X FFF beam. A 3D gamma factor analysis demonstrates that for the 6X beam, > 99% of voxels meet the pass criteria (3%/3 mm). For the 6X FFF beam, > 94% of voxels meet this criteria. The TrueBeam accelerator delivering 6X and 6X FFF beams with the HD120 MLC can be modeled in Monte Carlo to provide an independent 3D dose calculation for clinical VMAT plans. This quality assurance tool has been used clinically to verify over 140 6X and 16 6X FFF TrueBeam treatment plans. PACS number: 87.55.K‐ PMID:24892341

Dynamic tumor tracking using the Elekta Agility MLC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fast, Martin F., E-mail: martin.fast@icr.ac.uk; Nill, Simeon, E-mail: simeon.nill@icr.ac.uk; Bedford, James L.

2014-11-01

Purpose: To evaluate the performance of the Elekta Agility multileaf collimator (MLC) for dynamic real-time tumor tracking. Methods: The authors have developed a new control software which interfaces to the Agility MLC to dynamically program the movement of individual leaves, the dynamic leaf guides (DLGs), and the Y collimators (“jaws”) based on the actual target trajectory. A motion platform was used to perform dynamic tracking experiments with sinusoidal trajectories. The actual target positions reported by the motion platform at 20, 30, or 40 Hz were used as shift vectors for the MLC in beams-eye-view. The system latency of the MLCmore » (i.e., the average latency comprising target device reporting latencies and MLC adjustment latency) and the geometric tracking accuracy were extracted from a sequence of MV portal images acquired during irradiation for the following treatment scenarios: leaf-only motion, jaw + leaf motion, and DLG + leaf motion. Results: The portal imager measurements indicated a clear dependence of the system latency on the target position reporting frequency. Deducting the effect of the target frequency, the leaf adjustment latency was measured to be 38 ± 3 ms for a maximum target speed v of 13 mm/s. The jaw + leaf adjustment latency was 53 ± 3 at a similar speed. The system latency at a target position frequency of 30 Hz was in the range of 56–61 ms for the leaves (v ≤ 31 mm/s), 71–78 ms for the jaw + leaf motion (v ≤ 25 mm/s), and 58–72 ms for the DLG + leaf motion (v ≤ 59 mm/s). The tracking accuracy showed a similar dependency on the target position frequency and the maximum target speed. For the leaves, the root-mean-squared error (RMSE) was between 0.6–1.5 mm depending on the maximum target speed. For the jaw + leaf (DLG + leaf) motion, the RMSE was between 0.7–1.5 mm (1.9–3.4 mm). Conclusions: The authors have measured the latency and geometric accuracy of the Agility MLC, facilitating its future use for clinical tracking applications.« less

A flexible Monte Carlo tool for patient or phantom specific calculations: comparison with preliminary validation measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davidson, S.; Cui, J.; Followill, D.; Ibbott, G.; Deasy, J.

2008-02-01

The Dose Planning Method (DPM) is one of several 'fast' Monte Carlo (MC) computer codes designed to produce an accurate dose calculation for advanced clinical applications. We have developed a flexible machine modeling process and validation tests for open-field and IMRT calculations. To complement the DPM code, a practical and versatile source model has been developed, whose parameters are derived from a standard set of planning system commissioning measurements. The primary photon spectrum and the spectrum resulting from the flattening filter are modeled by a Fatigue function, cut-off by a multiplying Fermi function, which effectively regularizes the difficult energy spectrum determination process. Commonly-used functions are applied to represent the off-axis softening, increasing primary fluence with increasing angle ('the horn effect'), and electron contamination. The patient dependent aspect of the MC dose calculation utilizes the multi-leaf collimator (MLC) leaf sequence file exported from the treatment planning system DICOM output, coupled with the source model, to derive the particle transport. This model has been commissioned for Varian 2100C 6 MV and 18 MV photon beams using percent depth dose, dose profiles, and output factors. A 3-D conformal plan and an IMRT plan delivered to an anthropomorphic thorax phantom were used to benchmark the model. The calculated results were compared to Pinnacle v7.6c results and measurements made using radiochromic film and thermoluminescent detectors (TLD).

Deep nets vs expert designed features in medical physics: An IMRT QA case study.

PubMed

Interian, Yannet; Rideout, Vincent; Kearney, Vasant P; Gennatas, Efstathios; Morin, Olivier; Cheung, Joey; Solberg, Timothy; Valdes, Gilmer

2018-03-30

The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of Deep Neural Networks against a technique designed by domain experts in the prediction of gamma passing rates for Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance (IMRT QA). A total of 498 IMRT plans across all treatment sites were planned in Eclipse version 11 and delivered using a dynamic sliding window technique on Clinac iX or TrueBeam Linacs. Measurements were performed using a commercial 2D diode array, and passing rates for 3%/3 mm local dose/distance-to-agreement (DTA) were recorded. Separately, fluence maps calculated for each plan were used as inputs to a convolution neural network (CNN). The CNNs were trained to predict IMRT QA gamma passing rates using TensorFlow and Keras. A set of model architectures, inspired by the convolutional blocks of the VGG-16 ImageNet model, were constructed and implemented. Synthetic data, created by rotating and translating the fluence maps during training, was created to boost the performance of the CNNs. Dropout, batch normalization, and data augmentation were utilized to help train the model. The performance of the CNNs was compared to a generalized Poisson regression model, previously developed for this application, which used 78 expert designed features. Deep Neural Networks without domain knowledge achieved comparable performance to a baseline system designed by domain experts in the prediction of 3%/3 mm Local gamma passing rates. An ensemble of neural nets resulted in a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.70 ± 0.05 and the domain expert model resulted in a 0.74 ± 0.06. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with transfer learning can predict IMRT QA passing rates by automatically designing features from the fluence maps without human expert supervision. Predictions from CNNs are comparable to a system carefully designed by physicist experts. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

TH-A-9A-02: BEST IN PHYSICS (THERAPY) - 4D IMRT Planning Using Highly- Parallelizable Particle Swarm Optimization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Modiri, A; Gu, X; Sawant, A

2014-06-15

Purpose: We present a particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based 4D IMRT planning technique designed for dynamic MLC tracking delivery to lung tumors. The key idea is to utilize the temporal dimension as an additional degree of freedom rather than a constraint in order to achieve improved sparing of organs at risk (OARs). Methods: The target and normal structures were manually contoured on each of the ten phases of a 4DCT scan acquired from a lung SBRT patient who exhibited 1.5cm tumor motion despite the use of abdominal compression. Corresponding ten IMRT plans were generated using the Eclipse treatment planning system. Thesemore » plans served as initial guess solutions for the PSO algorithm. Fluence weights were optimized over the entire solution space i.e., 10 phases × 12 beams × 166 control points. The size of the solution space motivated our choice of PSO, which is a highly parallelizable stochastic global optimization technique that is well-suited for such large problems. A summed fluence map was created using an in-house B-spline deformable image registration. Each plan was compared with a corresponding, internal target volume (ITV)-based IMRT plan. Results: The PSO 4D IMRT plan yielded comparable PTV coverage and significantly higher dose—sparing for parallel and serial OARs compared to the ITV-based plan. The dose-sparing achieved via PSO-4DIMRT was: lung Dmean = 28%; lung V20 = 90%; spinal cord Dmax = 23%; esophagus Dmax = 31%; heart Dmax = 51%; heart Dmean = 64%. Conclusion: Truly 4D IMRT that uses the temporal dimension as an additional degree of freedom can achieve significant dose sparing of serial and parallel OARs. Given the large solution space, PSO represents an attractive, parallelizable tool to achieve globally optimal solutions for such problems. This work was supported through funding from the National Institutes of Health and Varian Medical Systems. Amit Sawant has research funding from Varian Medical Systems, VisionRT Ltd. and Elekta.« less

A virtual source model for Monte Carlo simulation of helical tomotherapy.

PubMed

Yuan, Jiankui; Rong, Yi; Chen, Quan

2015-01-08

The purpose of this study was to present a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation method based on a virtual source, jaw, and MLC model to calculate dose in patient for helical tomotherapy without the need of calculating phase-space files (PSFs). Current studies on the tomotherapy MC simulation adopt a full MC model, which includes extensive modeling of radiation source, primary and secondary jaws, and multileaf collimator (MLC). In the full MC model, PSFs need to be created at different scoring planes to facilitate the patient dose calculations. In the present work, the virtual source model (VSM) we established was based on the gold standard beam data of a tomotherapy unit, which can be exported from the treatment planning station (TPS). The TPS-generated sinograms were extracted from the archived patient XML (eXtensible Markup Language) files. The fluence map for the MC sampling was created by incorporating the percentage leaf open time (LOT) with leaf filter, jaw penumbra, and leaf latency contained from sinogram files. The VSM was validated for various geometry setups and clinical situations involving heterogeneous media and delivery quality assurance (DQA) cases. An agreement of < 1% was obtained between the measured and simulated results for percent depth doses (PDDs) and open beam profiles for all three jaw settings in the VSM commissioning. The accuracy of the VSM leaf filter model was verified in comparing the measured and simulated results for a Picket Fence pattern. An agreement of < 2% was achieved between the presented VSM and a published full MC model for heterogeneous phantoms. For complex clinical head and neck (HN) cases, the VSM-based MC simulation of DQA plans agreed with the film measurement with 98% of planar dose pixels passing on the 2%/2 mm gamma criteria. For patient treatment plans, results showed comparable dose-volume histograms (DVHs) for planning target volumes (PTVs) and organs at risk (OARs). Deviations observed in this study were consistent with literature. The VSM-based MC simulation approach can be feasibly built from the gold standard beam model of a tomotherapy unit. The accuracy of the VSM was validated against measurements in homogeneous media, as well as published full MC model in heterogeneous media.

A virtual source model for Monte Carlo simulation of helical tomotherapy

PubMed Central

Yuan, Jiankui; Rong, Yi

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to present a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation method based on a virtual source, jaw, and MLC model to calculate dose in patient for helical tomotherapy without the need of calculating phase‐space files (PSFs). Current studies on the tomotherapy MC simulation adopt a full MC model, which includes extensive modeling of radiation source, primary and secondary jaws, and multileaf collimator (MLC). In the full MC model, PSFs need to be created at different scoring planes to facilitate the patient dose calculations. In the present work, the virtual source model (VSM) we established was based on the gold standard beam data of a tomotherapy unit, which can be exported from the treatment planning station (TPS). The TPS‐generated sinograms were extracted from the archived patient XML (eXtensible Markup Language) files. The fluence map for the MC sampling was created by incorporating the percentage leaf open time (LOT) with leaf filter, jaw penumbra, and leaf latency contained from sinogram files. The VSM was validated for various geometry setups and clinical situations involving heterogeneous media and delivery quality assurance (DQA) cases. An agreement of <1% was obtained between the measured and simulated results for percent depth doses (PDDs) and open beam profiles for all three jaw settings in the VSM commissioning. The accuracy of the VSM leaf filter model was verified in comparing the measured and simulated results for a Picket Fence pattern. An agreement of <2% was achieved between the presented VSM and a published full MC model for heterogeneous phantoms. For complex clinical head and neck (HN) cases, the VSM‐based MC simulation of DQA plans agreed with the film measurement with 98% of planar dose pixels passing on the 2%/2 mm gamma criteria. For patient treatment plans, results showed comparable dose‐volume histograms (DVHs) for planning target volumes (PTVs) and organs at risk (OARs). Deviations observed in this study were consistent with literature. The VSM‐based MC simulation approach can be feasibly built from the gold standard beam model of a tomotherapy unit. The accuracy of the VSM was validated against measurements in homogeneous media, as well as published full MC model in heterogeneous media. PACS numbers: 87.53.‐j, 87.55.K‐ PMID:25679157

Electron intensity modulation for mixed-beam radiation therapy with an x-ray multi-leaf collimator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinberg, Rebecca

The current standard treatment for head and neck cancer at our institution uses intensity-modulated x-ray therapy (IMRT), which improves target coverage and sparing of critical structures by delivering complex fluence patterns from a variety of beam directions to conform dose distributions to the shape of the target volume. The standard treatment for breast patients is field-in-field forward-planned IMRT, with initial tangential fields and additional reduced-weight tangents with blocking to minimize hot spots. For these treatment sites, the addition of electrons has the potential of improving target coverage and sparing of critical structures due to rapid dose falloff with depth and reduced exit dose. In this work, the use of mixed-beam therapy (MBT), i.e., combined intensity-modulated electron and x-ray beams using the x-ray multi-leaf collimator (MLC), was explored. The hypothesis of this study was that addition of intensity-modulated electron beams to existing clinical IMRT plans would produce MBT plans that were superior to the original IMRT plans for at least 50% of selected head and neck and 50% of breast cases. Dose calculations for electron beams collimated by the MLC were performed with Monte Carlo methods. An automation system was created to facilitate communication between the dose calculation engine and the treatment planning system. Energy and intensity modulation of the electron beams was accomplished by dividing the electron beams into 2x2-cm2 beamlets, which were then beam-weight optimized along with intensity-modulated x-ray beams. Treatment plans were optimized to obtain equivalent target dose coverage, and then compared with the original treatment plans. MBT treatment plans were evaluated by participating physicians with respect to target coverage, normal structure dose, and overall plan quality in comparison with original clinical plans. The physician evaluations did not support the hypothesis for either site, with MBT selected as superior in 1 out of the 15 head and neck cases (p=1) and 6 out of 18 breast cases (p=0.95). While MBT was not shown to be superior to IMRT, reductions were observed in doses to critical structures distal to the target along the electron beam direction and to non-target tissues, at the expense of target coverage and dose homogeneity.

A new application of micellar liquid chromatography in the determination of free ampicillin concentration in the drug-human serum albumin standard solution in comparison with the adsorption method.

PubMed

Stępnik, Katarzyna E; Malinowska, Irena; Maciejewska, Małgorzata

2016-06-01

The determination of free drug concentration is a very important issue in the field of pharmacology because only the unbound drug fraction can achieve a pharmacological effect. Due to the ability to solubilize many different compounds in micellar aggregates, micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) can be used for direct determination of free drug concentration. Proteins are not retained on the stationary phase probably due to the formation of protein - surfactant complexes which are excluded from the pores of stationary phase. The micellar method is simple and fast. It does not require any pre-preparation of the tested samples for analysis. The main aim of this paper is to demonstrate a completely new applicability of the analytical use of MLC concerning the determination of free drug concentration in the standard solution of human serum albumin. The well-known adsorption method using RP-HPLC and the spectrophotometric technique was applied as the reference method. The results show that the free drug concentration value obtained in the MLC system (based on the RP-8 stationary phase and CTAB) is similar to that obtained by the adsorption method: both RP-HPLC (95.83μgmL(-1), 79.86% of free form) and spectrophotometry (95.71μgmL(-1), 79.76%). In the MLC the free drug concentration was 93.98μgmL(-1) (78.3%). This indicates that the obtained results are within the analytical range of % of free ampicillin fraction and the MLC with direct sample injection can be treated like a promising method for the determination of free drug concentration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel method for dose distribution registration using fiducial marks made by a megavoltage beam in film dosimetry for intensity-modulated radiation therapy quality assurance.

PubMed

Nakayama, Shinichi; Monzen, Hajime; Oonishi, Yuuichi; Mizote, Rika; Iramina, Hiraku; Kaneshige, Souichirou; Mizowaki, Takashi

2015-06-01

Photographic film is widely used for the dose distribution verification of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). However, analysis for verification of the results is subjective. We present a novel method for marking the isocenter using irradiation from a megavoltage (MV) beam transmitted through slits in a multi-leaf collimator (MLC). We evaluated the effect of the marking irradiation at 500 monitor units (MU) on the total transmission through the MLC using an ionization chamber and Radiochromic Film. Film dosimetry was performed for quality assurance (QA) of IMRT plans. Three methods of registration were used for each film: marking by irradiating with an MV beam through slits in the MLC (MLC-IC); marking with a fabricated phantom (Phantom-IC); and a subjective method based on isodose lines (Manual). Each method was subjected to local γ-analysis. The effect of the marking irradiation on the total transmission was 0.16%, as measured by a ionization chamber at a 10-cm depth in a solid phantom, while the inter-leaf transmission was 0.3%, determined from the film. The mean pass rates for each registration method agreed within ± 1% when the criteria used were a distance-to-agreement (DTA) of 3 mm and a dose difference (DD) of 3%. For DTA/DD criteria of 2mm/3%, the pass rates in the sagittal plane were 96.09 ± 0.631% (MLC-IC), 96.27 ± 0.399% (Phantom-IC), and 95.62 ± 0.988% (Manual). The present method is a versatile and useful method of improving the objectivity of film dosimetry for IMRT QA. Copyright © 2015 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TU-FG-201-04: Computer Vision in Autonomous Quality Assurance of Linear Accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yu, H; Jenkins, C; Yu, S

Purpose: Routine quality assurance (QA) of linear accelerators represents a critical and costly element of a radiation oncology center. Recently, a system was developed to autonomously perform routine quality assurance on linear accelerators. The purpose of this work is to extend this system and contribute computer vision techniques for obtaining quantitative measurements for a monthly multi-leaf collimator (MLC) QA test specified by TG-142, namely leaf position accuracy, and demonstrate extensibility for additional routines. Methods: Grayscale images of a picket fence delivery on a radioluminescent phosphor coated phantom are captured using a CMOS camera. Collected images are processed to correct formore » camera distortions, rotation and alignment, reduce noise, and enhance contrast. The location of each MLC leaf is determined through logistic fitting and a priori modeling based on knowledge of the delivered beams. Using the data collected and the criteria from TG-142, a decision is made on whether or not the leaf position accuracy of the MLC passes or fails. Results: The locations of all MLC leaf edges are found for three different picket fence images in a picket fence routine to 0.1mm/1pixel precision. The program to correct for image alignment and determination of leaf positions requires a runtime of 21– 25 seconds for a single picket, and 44 – 46 seconds for a group of three pickets on a standard workstation CPU, 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7. Conclusion: MLC leaf edges were successfully found using techniques in computer vision. With the addition of computer vision techniques to the previously described autonomous QA system, the system is able to quickly perform complete QA routines with minimal human contribution.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, X; Yang, F

Purpose: Knowing MLC leaf positioning error over the course of treatment would be valuable for treatment planning, QA design, and patient safety. The objective of the current study was to quantify the MLC positioning accuracy for VMAT delivery of head and neck treatment plans. Methods: A total of 837 MLC log files were collected from 14 head and neck cancer patients undergoing full arc VMAT treatment on one Varian Trilogy machine. The actual and planned leaf gaps were extracted from the retrieved MLC log files. For a given patient, the leaf gap error percentage (LGEP), defined as the ratio ofmore » the actual leaf gap over the planned, was evaluated for each leaf pair at all the gantry angles recorded over the course of the treatment. Statistics describing the distribution of the largest LGEP (LLGEP) of the 60 leaf pairs including the maximum, minimum, mean, Kurtosis, and skewness were evaluated. Results: For the 14 studied patients, their PTV located at tonsil, base of tongue, larynx, supraglottis, nasal cavity, and thyroid gland with volume ranging from 72.0 cm{sup 3} to 602.0 cm{sup 3}. The identified LLGEP differed between patients. It ranged from 183.9% to 457.7% with a mean of 368.6%. For the majority of the patients, the LLGEP distributions peaked at non-zero positions and showed no obvious dependence on gantry rotations. Kurtosis and skewness, with minimum/maximum of 66.6/217.9 and 6.5/12.6, respectively, suggested relatively more peaked while right-skewed leaf error distribution pattern. Conclusion: The results indicate pattern of MLC leaf gap error differs between patients of lesion located at similar anatomic site. Understanding the systemic mechanisms underlying these observed error patterns necessitates examining more patient-specific plan parameters in a large patient cohort setting.« less

A dosimetric evaluation of the Eclipse AAA algorithm and Millennium 120 MLC for cranial intensity-modulated radiosurgery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Calvo Ortega, Juan Francisco, E-mail: jfcdrr@yahoo.es; Moragues, Sandra; Pozo, Miquel

2014-07-01

The aim of this study is to assess the accuracy of a convolution-based algorithm (anisotropic analytical algorithm [AAA]) implemented in the Eclipse planning system for intensity-modulated radiosurgery (IMRS) planning of small cranial targets by using a 5-mm leaf-width multileaf collimator (MLC). Overall, 24 patient-based IMRS plans for cranial lesions of variable size (0.3 to 15.1 cc) were planned (Eclipse, AAA, version 10.0.28) using fixed field-based IMRS produced by a Varian linear accelerator equipped with a 120 MLC (5-mm width on central leaves). Plan accuracy was evaluated according to phantom-based measurements performed with radiochromic film (EBT2, ISP, Wayne, NJ). Film 2Dmore » dose distributions were performed with the FilmQA Pro software (version 2011, Ashland, OH) by using the triple-channel dosimetry method. Comparison between computed and measured 2D dose distributions was performed using the gamma method (3%/1 mm). Performance of the MLC was checked by inspection of the DynaLog files created by the linear accelerator during the delivery of each dynamic field. The absolute difference between the calculated and measured isocenter doses for all the IMRS plans was 2.5% ± 2.1%. The gamma evaluation method resulted in high average passing rates of 98.9% ± 1.4% (red channel) and 98.9% ± 1.5% (blue and green channels). DynaLog file analysis revealed a maximum root mean square error of 0.46 mm. According to our results, we conclude that the Eclipse/AAA algorithm provides accurate cranial IMRS dose distributions that may be accurately delivered by a Varian linac equipped with a Millennium 120 MLC.« less

Antimicrobial Activity and Biocompatibility of the Psidium cattleianum Extracts for Endodontic Purposes.

PubMed

Massunari, Loiane; Novais, Renata Zoccal; Oliveira, Márcio Teixeira; Valentim, Diego; Dezan Junior, Eloi; Duque, Cristiane

2017-01-01

Psidium cattleianum (PC) has been displaying inhibitory effect against a variety of microorganisms, but this effect has not yet been tested against endodontic pathogens. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility of the aqueous (PCAE) and hydroethanolic (PCHE) extracts from Psidium cattleianum (PC) leaves. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum lethal concentration (MLC) were determined using the microdilution broth method in order to analyze the antimicrobial effect against Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Actinomyces israelii and Candida albicans in planktonic conditions. Biofilm assays were conducted only with the extracts that were able to determine the MLC for microorganisms in planktonic conditions. Immediate and late tissue reactions against PC extracts were evaluated using edemogenic test and histological analysis of subcutaneous implants in Wistar rats. The results showed that the MIC and MLC values ranged between 0.25 and 4 mg/mL. The MLC obtained for PCHE inhibited 100% growth of all the tested strains, except for C. albicans. PCAE had the same effect for E. faecalis and P. aeruginosa. Both PC extracts were able to eliminate E. faecalis biofilms and only the PCHE eliminated P. aeruginosa biofilms. The positive controls inhibited the growth of all tested strains in MIC and MLC essays, but no CHX tested concentrations were able to eliminate A. israelii biofilm. PCAE caused a discrete increase in the edema over time, while PCHE caused a higher initial edema, which decreased progressively. Both PCAE and PCHE extracts were biocompatible, but PCHE showed better results with slight levels of inflammation at 28 days. In conclusion, PCHE was biocompatible and presented better antimicrobial effect against important pathogens associated with persistent endodontic infections.

Development, physical properties and clinical applicability of a mechanical Multileaf Collimator for the use in Cobalt-60 radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langhans, Marco; Echner, Gernot; Runz, Armin; Baumann, Martin; Xu, Mark; Ueltzhöffer, Stefan; Häring, Peter; Schlegel, Wolfgang

2015-04-01

According to the Directory of Radiotherapy Centres (DIRAC) there are 2348 Cobalt-60 (Co-60) teletherapy units worldwide, most of them in low and middle income countries, compared to 11046 clinical accelerators. To improve teletherapy with Co-60, a mechanical Multi-Leaf Collimator (MLC) was developed, working with pneumatic pressure and thus independent of electricity supply. Instead of tungsten, brass was used as leaf material to make the mechanical MLC more affordable. The physical properties and clinical applicability of this mechanical MLC are presented here. The leakage strongly depends on the fieldsize of the therapy unit due to scatter effects. The maximum transmission through the leaves measured 2.5 cm from the end-to-end gap, within a field size of 20 cm × 30 cm defined by jaws of the therapy unit at 80 cm SAD, amounts 4.2%, normalized to an open 10 cm × 10 cm field, created by the mechanical MLC. Within a precollimated field size of 12.5 cm × 12.5 cm, the end-to-end leakage is 6.5% normalized to an open 10 cm × 10 cm field as well. This characteristic is clinically acceptable considering the criteria for non-IMRT MLCs of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC 60601-2-1). The penumbra for a 10 cm × 10 cm field was measured to be 9.14 mm in plane and 8.38 mm cross plane. The clinical applicability of the designed mechanical MLC was affirmed by measurements relating to all relevant clinical properties such as penumbra, leakage, output factors and field widths. Hence this novel device presents an apt way forward to make radiotherapy with conformal fields possible in low-infrastructure environments, using gantry based Co-60 therapy units.

Poster — Thur Eve — 19: Performance assessment of a 160-leaf beam collimation system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ali, E. S. M.; La Russa, D. J.; Vandervoort, E.

2014-08-15

In this study, the performance of the new beam collimation system with 160 leaves, each with a 5 mm leaf width projected at isocenter, is evaluated in terms of positional accuracy and plan/delivery quality. Positional accuracy was evaluated using a set of static and dynamic MLC/jaw delivery patterns at different gantry angles, dose rates, and MLC/jaw speeds. The impact on IMRT plan quality was assessed by comparing against a previous generation collimation system using the same optimization parameters, while delivery quality was quantified using a combination of patient-specific QA measurements with ion chambers, film, and a bi-planar diode array. Positionalmore » accuracy for four separate units was comparable. The field size accuracy, junction width, and total displacement over 16 cm leaf travel are 0.3 ± 0.2 mm, 0.4 ± 0.3 mm, and 0.5 ± 0.2 mm, respectively. The typical leaf minor offset is 0.05 ± 0.04 mm, and MLC hysteresis effects are 0.2 ± 0.1 mm over 16 cm travel. The dynamic output is linear with MU and MLC/jaw speed, and is within 0.7 ± 0.3 % of the planning system value. Plan quality is significantly improved both in terms of target coverage and OAR sparing due, in part, to the larger allowable MLC and jaw speeds. γ-index pass rates for the patient-specific QA measurements exceeded 97% using criteria of 2%/2 mm. In conclusion, the performance of the Agility system is consistent among four separate installations, and is superior to its previous generations of collimation systems.« less

A temporal forecast of radiation environments for future space exploration missions.

PubMed

Kim, Myung-Hee Y; Cucinotta, Francis A; Wilson, John W

2007-06-01

The understanding of future space radiation environments is an important goal for space mission operations, design, and risk assessment. We have developed a solar cycle statistical model in which sunspot number is coupled to space-related quantities, such as the galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) deceleration potential (phi) and the mean occurrence frequency of solar particle events (SPEs). Future GCR fluxes were derived from a predictive model, in which the temporal dependence represented by phi was derived from GCR flux and ground-based Climax neutron monitor rate measurements over the last four decades. These results showed that the point dose equivalent inside a typical spacecraft in interplanetary space was influenced by solar modulation by up to a factor of three. It also has been shown that a strong relationship exists between large SPE occurrences and phi. For future space exploration missions, cumulative probabilities of SPEs at various integral fluence levels during short-period missions were defined using a database of proton fluences of past SPEs. Analytic energy spectra of SPEs at different ranks of the integral fluences for energies greater than 30 MeV were constructed over broad energy ranges extending out to GeV for the analysis of representative exposure levels at those fluences. Results will guide the design of protection systems for astronauts during future space exploration missions.

Investigation of irradiation effects induced by self-ion in 6H-SiC combining RBS/C, Raman and XRD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chaabane, Nihed; Debelle, Aurelien; Sattonnay, Gael

2012-01-01

Single crystals of 6H-SiC were irradiated at room temperature and 670 K with 4 MeV C ions at two fluences: 1015 and 1016 cm2 (0.16 and 1.6 dpa at the damage peak). Damage accumulation was studied by a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry in channelling geometry (RBS/C) along the [0001] direction. The irradiated layer is found to be composed of a low damage region up to 1.5 lm followed by a region where the disorder level is higher, consistent with SRIM predictions. At room temperature and low fluence, typically 1015 cm2, the strain depthmore » profile follows the dpa depth distribution (with a maximum value of 2%). The disorder is most likely due to small defect clusters. When increasing the fluence up to 1016 cm2, a buried amorphous layer forms, as indicated by e.g. Raman results where the Si C bands become broader or even disappear. At a higher irradiation temperature of 670 K, amorphization is not observed at the same fluence, revealing a dynamic annealing process. However, results tend to suggest that the irradiated layer is highly heterogeneous and composed of different types of defects.« less

An improved analytic function for predicting light fluence rate in circular fields on a semi-infinite geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Timothy C.; Lu, Amy; Ong, Yi-Hong

2016-03-01

Accurate determination of in-vivo light fluence rate is critical for preclinical and clinical studies involving photodynamic therapy (PDT). This study compares the longitudinal light fluence distribution inside biological tissue in the central axis of a 1 cm diameter circular uniform light field for a range of in-vivo tissue optical properties (absorption coefficients (μa) between 0.01 and 1 cm-1 and reduced scattering coefficients (μs') between 2 and 40 cm-1). This was done using Monte-Carlo simulations for a semi-infinite turbid medium in an air-tissue interface. The end goal is to develop an analytical expression that would fit the results from the Monte Carlo simulation for both the 1 cm diameter circular beam and the broad beam. Each of these parameters is expressed as a function of tissue optical properties. These results can then be compared against the existing expressions in the literature for broad beam for analysis in both accuracy and applicable range. Using the 6-parameter model, the range and accuracy for light transport through biological tissue is improved and may be used in the future as a guide in PDT for light fluence distribution for known tissue optical properties.

SU-E-T-353: Verification of Water Equivalent Thickness (WET) and Water Equivalent Spreadness (WES) of Proton Beam

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Demez, N; Lee, T; Keppel, Cynthia

Purpose: To verify calculated water equivalent thickness (WET) and water equivalent spreadness (WES) in various tissue equivalent media for proton therapy Methods: Water equivalent thicknesses (WET) of tissue equivalent materials have been calculated using the Bragg-Kleeman rule. Lateral spreadness and fluence reduction of proton beams both in those media were calculated using proton loss model (PLM) algorithm. In addition, we calculated lateral spreadness ratios with respect to that in water at the same WET depth and so the WES was defined. The WETs of those media for different proton beam energies were measured using MLIC (Multi-Layered Ionization Chamber). Also, fluencemore » and field sizes in those materials of various thicknesses were measured with ionization chambers and films Results: Calculated WETs are in agreement with measured WETs within 0.5%. We found that water equivalent spreadness (WES) is constant and the fluence and field size measurements verify that fluence can be estimated using the concept of WES. Conclusions: Calculation of WET based on the Bragg-Kleeman rule as well as the constant WES of proton beams for tissue equivalent phantoms can be used to predict fluence and field sizes at the depths of interest both in tissue equivalent media accurately for clinically available protonenergies.« less

Effect of conductance linearity and multi-level cell characteristics of TaOx-based synapse device on pattern recognition accuracy of neuromorphic system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sung, Changhyuck; Lim, Seokjae; Kim, Hyungjun; Kim, Taesu; Moon, Kibong; Song, Jeonghwan; Kim, Jae-Joon; Hwang, Hyunsang

2018-03-01

To improve the classification accuracy of an image data set (CIFAR-10) by using analog input voltage, synapse devices with excellent conductance linearity (CL) and multi-level cell (MLC) characteristics are required. We analyze the CL and MLC characteristics of TaOx-based filamentary resistive random access memory (RRAM) to implement the synapse device in neural network hardware. Our findings show that the number of oxygen vacancies in the filament constriction region of the RRAM directly controls the CL and MLC characteristics. By adopting a Ta electrode (instead of Ti) and the hot-forming step, we could form a dense conductive filament. As a result, a wide range of conductance levels with CL is achieved and significantly improved image classification accuracy is confirmed.

Actin-myosin-based contraction is responsible for apoptotic nuclear disintegration.

PubMed

Croft, Daniel R; Coleman, Mathew L; Li, Shuixing; Robertson, David; Sullivan, Teresa; Stewart, Colin L; Olson, Michael F

2005-01-17

Membrane blebbing during the apoptotic execution phase results from caspase-mediated cleavage and activation of ROCK I. Here, we show that ROCK activity, myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation, MLC ATPase activity, and an intact actin cytoskeleton, but not microtubular cytoskeleton, are required for disruption of nuclear integrity during apoptosis. Inhibition of ROCK or MLC ATPase activity, which protect apoptotic nuclear integrity, does not affect caspase-mediated degradation of nuclear proteins such as lamins A, B1, or C. The conditional activation of ROCK I was sufficient to tear apart nuclei in lamin A/C null fibroblasts, but not in wild-type fibroblasts. Thus, apoptotic nuclear disintegration requires actin-myosin contractile force and lamin proteolysis, making apoptosis analogous to, but distinct from, mitosis where nuclear disintegration results from microtubule-based forces and from lamin phosphorylation and depolymerization.

Actin-myosin–based contraction is responsible for apoptotic nuclear disintegration

PubMed Central

Croft, Daniel R.; Coleman, Mathew L.; Li, Shuixing; Robertson, David; Sullivan, Teresa; Stewart, Colin L.; Olson, Michael F.

2005-01-01

Membrane blebbing during the apoptotic execution phase results from caspase-mediated cleavage and activation of ROCK I. Here, we show that ROCK activity, myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation, MLC ATPase activity, and an intact actin cytoskeleton, but not microtubular cytoskeleton, are required for disruption of nuclear integrity during apoptosis. Inhibition of ROCK or MLC ATPase activity, which protect apoptotic nuclear integrity, does not affect caspase-mediated degradation of nuclear proteins such as lamins A, B1, or C. The conditional activation of ROCK I was sufficient to tear apart nuclei in lamin A/C null fibroblasts, but not in wild-type fibroblasts. Thus, apoptotic nuclear disintegration requires actin-myosin contractile force and lamin proteolysis, making apoptosis analogous to, but distinct from, mitosis where nuclear disintegration results from microtubule-based forces and from lamin phosphorylation and depolymerization. PMID:15657395

Interface Message Processors for the ARPA Computer Network

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-04-01

Pluribus IMP construction and checkout; sizeable changes to the i*4P message-processing algorithms: and Satellite IMP issues. The IMP message...extremely low cost modification design. We have begun to consider changes to the MLC design which would enable the MLC to suppress continuous breaks...existing authentication mechanisms need not make these changes . 2.7 Other Topics During the first quarter BBN constructed an environmental test chamber

Kidney protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury by myofibrillogenesis regulator-1.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoreng; Tao, Tianqi; Ding, Rui; Song, Dandan; Liu, Mi; Xie, Yuansheng; Liu, Xiuhua

2014-01-01

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is characterized by cytoskeletal reorganization and loss of polarity in proximal tubule epithelial cells. Previously, we showed that myofibrillogenesis regulator (MR)-1 promoted actin organization in cardiomyocytes. MR-1 is also expressed in the kidney. In this study, we investigated MR-1 expression in acute renal failure induced by I/R in Sprague-Dawley rats. We determined the MR-1 expression and the ratio of fibrous actin (F-actin) to globular actin (G-actin). HK-2 cells were treated with or without hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R), and MR-1 levels were increased by adenoviral overexpression or silenced by RNA interference. I/R and H/R resulted in cellular injury and decreases of MR-1, the F-/G-actin ratio, and myosin light chain (MLC)-2. MR-1 overexpression attenuated H/R-induced cell injury and loss of surface membrane polarity of actin. MR-1 overexpression also increased the expression and phosphorylation of MLC-2 and MLC kinase, which were decreased in MR-1-silenced and H/R-treated cells. Together, these data show that MR-1 promoted actin polarity on the membrane surface and protected HK-2 cells from H/R injury. The mechanism might involve the rapid organization of F-actin through the upregulation and phosphorylation of MLC-2.

Development and validation of a BEAMnrc component module for a miniature multileaf collimator.

PubMed

Doerner, E; Hartmann, G H

2012-05-21

A new component module (CM) named mini multileaf collimator (mMLC) was developed for the Monte Carlo code BEAMnrc. It models the geometry of the add-on miniature multileaf collimator ModuLeaf (MRC Systems GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany, now part of Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). The new CM is partly based on the existing CM called DYNVMLC. The development was performed using a modified EGSnrc platform which enables us to work in the Microsoft Visual Studio environment. In order to validate the new CM, the PRIMUS linac with 6 MV x-rays (Siemens OCS, Concord, CA, USA) equipped with the ModuLeaf mMLC was modelled. Validation was performed by two methods: (a) a ray-tracing method to check the correct geometry of the multileaf collimator (MLC) and (b) a comparison of calculated and measured results of the following dosimetrical parameters: output factors, dose profiles, field edge position penumbra, MLC interleaf leakage and transmission values. Excellent agreement was found for all parameters. It was, in particular, found that the relationship between leaf position and field edge depending on the shape of the leaf ends can be investigated with a higher accuracy by this new CM than by measurements demonstrating the usefulness of the new CM.

Development and validation of a BEAMnrc component module for a miniature multileaf collimator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doerner, E.; Hartmann, G. H.

2012-05-01

A new component module (CM) named mini multileaf collimator (mMLC) was developed for the Monte Carlo code BEAMnrc. It models the geometry of the add-on miniature multileaf collimator ModuLeaf (MRC Systems GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany, now part of Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). The new CM is partly based on the existing CM called DYNVMLC. The development was performed using a modified EGSnrc platform which enables us to work in the Microsoft Visual Studio environment. In order to validate the new CM, the PRIMUS linac with 6 MV x-rays (Siemens OCS, Concord, CA, USA) equipped with the ModuLeaf mMLC was modelled. Validation was performed by two methods: (a) a ray-tracing method to check the correct geometry of the multileaf collimator (MLC) and (b) a comparison of calculated and measured results of the following dosimetrical parameters: output factors, dose profiles, field edge position penumbra, MLC interleaf leakage and transmission values. Excellent agreement was found for all parameters. It was, in particular, found that the relationship between leaf position and field edge depending on the shape of the leaf ends can be investigated with a higher accuracy by this new CM than by measurements demonstrating the usefulness of the new CM.

Aspects of cooling tower biocides and protozoa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berk, S.G.; Ashburn, R.J.; Ting, R.S.

1998-12-31

Previous work has shown that certain cooling tower amoebae and ciliated protozoa are resistant to several cooling tower biocides, even at the manufacturer`s recommended dosages. For the present study, an Acunthumoeba species was isolated from a cooling tower in Australia. Suspensions of the trophozoites (feeding stages) were exposed to isothiazolones. Cysts were tested separately. The minimum lethal concentration (MLC) for trophozoites was between 31-62 ppm of the biocide product, which is slightly less than the MLC for an amoebae species from the United States; and cyst forms were twofold more resistant than those of the US species, with a MLCmore » of 62,500 ppm. A ciliate and an amoeba species were also exposed to bromochlorodimethylhydantoin. The MLC for the ciliate species was 1 ppm of the biocide product, and the MLC was 30--40 ppm for the amoeba trophozoites. Since amoebae can expel vesicles containing live Legionella, experiments were conducted to determine whether exposure of Acunthamoebu polyphugu to biocides influenced release of such potentially infectious particles. Vesicle release was not inhibited by any of the three biocides: quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), isothiazolones, and a thiocarbamate compound. These results suggest that amoebae from various sources are resistant to recommended levels of biocides, and the amoebae may continue to release potentially infectious vesicles in the presence of biocides.« less

Possibility for a full optical determination of photodynamic therapy outcome

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vollet-Filho, J. D.; Menezes, P. F. C.; Moriyama, L. T.; Grecco, C.; Sibata, C.; Allison, R. R.; Castro e Silva, O.; Bagnato, V. S.

2009-05-01

The efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) depends on a variety of parameters: concentration of the photosensitizer at the time of treatment, light wavelength, fluence, fluence rate, availability of oxygen within the illuminated volume, and light distribution in the tissue. Dosimetry in PDT requires the congregation of adequate amounts of light, drug, and tissue oxygen. The adequate dosimetry should be able to predict the extension of the tissue damage. Photosensitizer photobleaching rate depends on the availability of molecular oxygen in the tissue. Based on photosensitizers photobleaching models, high photobleaching has to be associated with high production of singlet oxygen and therefore with higher photodynamic action, resulting in a greater depth of necrosis. The purpose of this work is to show a possible correlation between depth of necrosis and the in vivo photosensitizer (in this case, Photogem®) photodegradation during PDT. Such correlation allows possibilities for the development of a real time evaluation of the photodynamic action during PDT application. Experiments were performed in a range of fluence (0-450 J/cm2) at a constant fluence rate of 250 mW/cm2 and applying different illumination times (0-1800 s) to achieve the desired fluence. A quantity was defined (ψ) as the product of fluorescence ratio (related to the photosensitizer degradation at the surface) and the observed depth of necrosis. The correlation between depth of necrosis and surface fluorescence signal is expressed in ψ and could allow, in principle, a noninvasive monitoring of PDT effects during treatment. High degree of correlation is observed and a simple mathematical model to justify the results is presented.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Gen; Lee, Martin A., E-mail: gjk44@wildcats.unh.edu

The effects of scatter-dominated interplanetary transport on the spectral properties of the differential fluence of large gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) events are investigated analytically. The model assumes for simplicity radial constant solar wind and radial magnetic field. The radial diffusion coefficient is calculated with quasilinear theory by assuming a spectrum of Alfvén waves propagating parallel to the magnetic field. Cross-field transport is neglected. The model takes into consideration several essential features of gradual event transport: nearly isotropic ion distributions, adiabatic deceleration in a divergent solar wind, and particle radial scattering mean free paths increasing with energy. Assuming an impulsivemore » and spherically symmetric injection of SEPs with a power-law spectrum near the Sun, the predicted differential fluence spectrum exhibits at 1 AU three distinctive power laws for different energy domains. The model naturally reproduces the spectral features of the double power-law proton differential fluence spectra that tend to be observed in extremely large SEP events. We select nine western ground-level events (GLEs) out of the 16 GLEs during Solar Cycle 23 and fit the observed double power-law spectra to the analytical predictions. The compression ratio of the accelerating shock wave, the power-law index of the ambient wave intensity, and the proton radial scattering mean free path are determined for the nine GLEs. The derived parameters are generally in agreement with the characteristic values expected for large gradual SEP events.« less

SU-E-T-88: Comprehensive Automated Daily QA for Hypo- Fractionated Treatments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McGuinness, C; Morin, O

2014-06-01

Purpose: The trend towards more SBRT treatments with fewer high dose fractions places increased importance on daily QA. Patient plan specific QA with 3%/3mm gamma analysis and daily output constancy checks may not be enough to guarantee the level of accuracy required for SBRT treatments. But increasing the already extensive amount of QA procedures that are required is a daunting proposition. We performed a feasibility study for more comprehensive automated daily QA that could improve the diagnostic capabilities of QA without increasing workload. Methods: We performed the study on a Siemens Artiste linear accelerator using the integrated flat panel EPID.more » We included square fields, a picket fence, overlap and representative IMRT fields to measure output, flatness, symmetry, beam center, and percent difference from the standard. We also imposed a set of machine errors: MLC leaf position, machine output, and beam steering to compare with the standard. Results: Daily output was consistent within +/− 1%. Change in steering current by 1.4% and 2.4% resulted in a 3.2% and 6.3% change in flatness. 1 and 2mm MLC leaf offset errors were visibly obvious in difference plots, but passed a 3%/3mm gamma analysis. A simple test of transmission in a picket fence can catch a leaf offset error of a single leaf by 1mm. The entire morning QA sequence is performed in less than 30 minutes and images are automatically analyzed. Conclusion: Automated QA procedures could be used to provide more comprehensive information about the machine with less time and human involvement. We have also shown that other simple tests are better able to catch MLC leaf position errors than a 3%/3mm gamma analysis commonly used for IMRT and modulated arc treatments. Finally, this information could be used to watch trends of the machine and predict problems before they lead to costly machine downtime.« less

Testing the methodology for dosimetry audit of heterogeneity corrections and small MLC-shaped fields: Results of IAEA multi-center studies

PubMed Central

Izewska, Joanna; Wesolowska, Paulina; Azangwe, Godfrey; Followill, David S.; Thwaites, David I.; Arib, Mehenna; Stefanic, Amalia; Viegas, Claudio; Suming, Luo; Ekendahl, Daniela; Bulski, Wojciech; Georg, Dietmar

2016-01-01

Abstract The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has a long tradition of supporting development of methodologies for national networks providing quality audits in radiotherapy. A series of co-ordinated research projects (CRPs) has been conducted by the IAEA since 1995 assisting national external audit groups developing national audit programs. The CRP ‘Development of Quality Audits for Radiotherapy Dosimetry for Complex Treatment Techniques’ was conducted in 2009–2012 as an extension of previously developed audit programs. Material and methods. The CRP work described in this paper focused on developing and testing two steps of dosimetry audit: verification of heterogeneity corrections, and treatment planning system (TPS) modeling of small MLC fields, which are important for the initial stages of complex radiation treatments, such as IMRT. The project involved development of a new solid slab phantom with heterogeneities containing special measurement inserts for thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) and radiochromic films. The phantom and the audit methodology has been developed at the IAEA and tested in multi-center studies involving the CRP participants. Results. The results of multi-center testing of methodology for two steps of dosimetry audit show that the design of audit procedures is adequate and the methodology is feasible for meeting the audit objectives. A total of 97% TLD results in heterogeneity situations obtained in the study were within 3% and all results within 5% agreement with the TPS predicted doses. In contrast, only 64% small beam profiles were within 3 mm agreement between the TPS calculated and film measured doses. Film dosimetry results have highlighted some limitations in TPS modeling of small beam profiles in the direction of MLC leave movements. Discussion. Through multi-center testing, any challenges or difficulties in the proposed audit methodology were identified, and the methodology improved. Using the experience of these studies, the participants could incorporate the auditing procedures in their national programs. PMID:26934916

Testing the methodology for dosimetry audit of heterogeneity corrections and small MLC-shaped fields: Results of IAEA multi-center studies.

PubMed

Izewska, Joanna; Wesolowska, Paulina; Azangwe, Godfrey; Followill, David S; Thwaites, David I; Arib, Mehenna; Stefanic, Amalia; Viegas, Claudio; Suming, Luo; Ekendahl, Daniela; Bulski, Wojciech; Georg, Dietmar

2016-07-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has a long tradition of supporting development of methodologies for national networks providing quality audits in radiotherapy. A series of co-ordinated research projects (CRPs) has been conducted by the IAEA since 1995 assisting national external audit groups developing national audit programs. The CRP 'Development of Quality Audits for Radiotherapy Dosimetry for Complex Treatment Techniques' was conducted in 2009-2012 as an extension of previously developed audit programs. The CRP work described in this paper focused on developing and testing two steps of dosimetry audit: verification of heterogeneity corrections, and treatment planning system (TPS) modeling of small MLC fields, which are important for the initial stages of complex radiation treatments, such as IMRT. The project involved development of a new solid slab phantom with heterogeneities containing special measurement inserts for thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) and radiochromic films. The phantom and the audit methodology has been developed at the IAEA and tested in multi-center studies involving the CRP participants. The results of multi-center testing of methodology for two steps of dosimetry audit show that the design of audit procedures is adequate and the methodology is feasible for meeting the audit objectives. A total of 97% TLD results in heterogeneity situations obtained in the study were within 3% and all results within 5% agreement with the TPS predicted doses. In contrast, only 64% small beam profiles were within 3 mm agreement between the TPS calculated and film measured doses. Film dosimetry results have highlighted some limitations in TPS modeling of small beam profiles in the direction of MLC leave movements. Through multi-center testing, any challenges or difficulties in the proposed audit methodology were identified, and the methodology improved. Using the experience of these studies, the participants could incorporate the auditing procedures in their national programs.

Quantitative evaluation of 3D dosimetry for stereotactic volumetric‐modulated arc delivery using COMPASS

PubMed Central

Manigandan, Durai; Karrthick, Karukkupalayam Palaniappan; Sambasivaselli, Raju; Senniandavar, Vellaingiri; Ramu, Mahendran; Rajesh, Thiyagarajan; Lutz, Muller; Muthukumaran, Manavalan; Karthikeyan, Nithyanantham; Tejinder, Kataria

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate quantitatively the patient‐specific 3D dosimetry tool COMPASS with 2D array MatriXX detector for stereotactic volumetric‐modulated arc delivery. Twenty‐five patients CT images and RT structures from different sites (brain, head & neck, thorax, abdomen, and spine) were taken from CyberKnife Multiplan planning system for this study. All these patients underwent radical stereotactic treatment in CyberKnife. For each patient, linac based volumetric‐modulated arc therapy (VMAT) stereotactic plans were generated in Monaco TPS v3.1 using Elekta Beam Modulator MLC. Dose prescription was in the range of 5–20 Gy per fraction. Target prescription and critical organ constraints were tried to match the delivered treatment plans. Each plan quality was analyzed using conformity index (CI), conformity number (CN), gradient Index (GI), target coverage (TC), and dose to 95% of volume (D95). Monaco Monte Carlo (MC)‐calculated treatment plan delivery accuracy was quantitatively evaluated with COMPASS‐calculated (CCA) dose and COMPASS indirectly measured (CME) dose based on dose‐volume histogram metrics. In order to ascertain the potential of COMPASS 3D dosimetry for stereotactic plan delivery, 2D fluence verification was performed with MatriXX using MultiCube phantom. Routine quality assurance of absolute point dose verification was performed to check the overall delivery accuracy. Quantitative analyses of dose delivery verification were compared with pass and fail criteria of 3 mm and 3% distance to agreement and dose differences. Gamma passing rate was compared with 2D fluence verification from MatriXX with MultiCube. Comparison of COMPASS reconstructed dose from measured fluence and COMPASS computed dose has shown a very good agreement with TPS calculated dose. Each plan was evaluated based on dose volume parameters for target volumes such as dose at 95% of volume (D95) and average dose. For critical organs dose at 20% of volume (D20), dose at 50% of volume (D50), and maximum point doses were evaluated. Comparison was carried out using gamma analysis with passing criteria of 3 mm and 3%. Mean deviation of 1.9%±1% was observed for dose at 95% of volume (D95) of target volumes, whereas much less difference was noticed for critical organs. However, significant dose difference was noticed in two cases due to the smaller tumor size. Evaluation of this study revealed that the COMPASS 3D dosimetry is efficient and easy to use for patient‐specific QA of VMAT stereotactic delivery. 3D dosimetric QA with COMPASS provides additional degrees of freedom to check the high‐dose modulated stereotactic delivery with very high precision on patient CT images. PACS numbers: 87.55.Qr, 87.56.Fc PMID:25679152

Density and fluence dependence of lithium cell damage and recovery characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faith, T. J.

1971-01-01

Experimental results on lithium-containing solar cells point toward the lithium donor density gradient dN sub L/dw as being the crucial parameter in the prediction of cell behavior after irradiation by electrons. Recovery measurements on a large number of oxygen-rich and oxygen-lean lithium cells have confirmed that cell recovery speed is directly proportional to the value of the lithium gradient for electron fluences. Gradient measurements have also been correlated with lithium diffusion schedules. Results have shown that long diffusion times (25 h) with a paint-on source result in large cell-to-cell variations in gradient, probably due to a loss of the lithium source with time.

Probability of growth of small damage sites on the exit surface of fused silica optics.

PubMed

Negres, Raluca A; Abdulla, Ghaleb M; Cross, David A; Liao, Zhi M; Carr, Christopher W

2012-06-04

Growth of laser damage on fused silica optical components depends on several key parameters including laser fluence, wavelength, pulse duration, and site size. Here we investigate the growth behavior of small damage sites on the exit surface of SiO₂ optics under exposure to tightly controlled laser pulses. Results demonstrate that the onset of damage growth is not governed by a threshold, but is probabilistic in nature and depends both on the current size of a damage site and the laser fluence to which it is exposed. We also develop models for use in growth prediction. In addition, we show that laser exposure history also influences the behavior of individual sites.

SGR-like behaviour of the repeating FRB 121102

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, F. Y.; Yu, H.

2017-03-01

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration radio signals occurring at cosmological distances. However the physical model of FRBs is mystery, many models have been proposed. Here we study the frequency distributions of peak flux, fluence, duration and waiting time for the repeating FRB 121102. The cumulative distributions of peak flux, fluence and duration show power-law forms. The waiting time distribution also shows power-law distribution, and is consistent with a non-stationary Poisson process. These distributions are similar as those of soft gamma repeaters (SGRs). We also use the statistical results to test the proposed models for FRBs. These distributions are consistent with the predictions from avalanche models of slowly driven nonlinear dissipative systems.

SU-F-T-604: Dosimetric Evaluation of Intracranial Stereotactic Radiotherapy Plans On a LINAC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sheth, N; Tabibian, A; Rose, J

2016-06-15

Purpose: To evaluate the dosimetry of cranial stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) plans of varying techniques on linac that meets appropriate TG-142 tolerances using 1 cm leaf width multileaf collimator (MLC). Methods: Seventeen spherical targets were generated in the center of a head phantom with diameters ranging 8 mm to 40 mm. SRT plans used 100° non-coplanar arcs and 5 couch angles with 35° spacing. The field size was target plus 1 mm margin. Four plans were created for each target: symmetrical jaws blocking for 5 arcs with 0° collimator (J1C), symmetrical jaws blocking with 5 clockwise arcs with 0° collimator andmore » 5 counter-clockwise arcs with 45° collimator (J2C), MLC blocking for 5 dynamic conformal arcs with 0° collimator (M1C), and MLC blocking for 5 clockwise dynamic conformal arcs with 0° collimators and 5 counter-clockwise dynamic conformal arcs with 45° collimator (M2C).Conformity was evaluated using a ratio of Rx to target volume (PITV). Heterogeneity was determined using a ratio of maximum dose to Rx dose. Falloff was scored using CGIg: difference of effective radii of spheres equal to half and full Rx volumes. Results: All plans met RTOG SRS criteria for conformity and heterogeneity. The mean PITV was 1.52±0.07, 1.49±0.08, 1.39±0.05, and 1.37±0.04 for J1C, J2C, M1C, and M2C plans respectively. The mean CGIg was 75.35±15.79, 74.19±16.66, 77.14±15.12, and 76.28±15.78 for J1C, J2C, M1C, and M2C plans respectively. The mean MDPD was 1.25±0.00 for all techniques. Conclusion: Clinically acceptable SRT plans for spherical targets were created on a linac with 1 cm MLC. Adding two collimator angles and MLC to arcs each improved conformity. The MLC improved the dose falloff while two collimator angles degraded it. This technique can expand the availability of SRT to patients especially to those who cannot travel to a facility with a dedicated stereotactic radiosurgery machine.« less

Magnetic decoupling of the linac in a low field biplanar linac-MR system.

PubMed

St Aubin, J; Steciw, S; Fallone, B G

2010-09-01

The integration of a low field biplanar magnetic resonance (MR) imager and linear accelerator (linac) causes magnetic interference at the linac due to the MR fringe fields. In order to eliminate this interference, passive and active magnetic shielding designs are investigated. The optimized design of passive magnetic shielding was performed using the finite element method. The design was required to achieve no greater than a 20% electron beam loss within the linac waveguide and electron gun, no greater than 0.06 T at the multileaf collimator (MLC) motors, and generate a distortion of the main MR imaging volume of no greater than 300 ppm. Through the superposition of the analytical solution for a single current carrying wire loop, active shielding designs in the form of three and four sets of coil pairs surrounding the linac waveguide and electron gun were also investigated. The optimized current and coil center locations that yielded the best cancellation of the MR fringe fields at the linac were determined using sequential quadratic programming. Optimized passive shielding in the form of two steel cylinders was designed to meet the required constraints. When shielding the MLC motors along with the waveguide and electron gun, the thickness of the cylinders was less than 1 mm. If magnetically insensitive MLC motors are used, no MLC shielding would be required and the waveguide shield (shielding the waveguide and electron gun) became 1.58 mm thick. In addition, the optimized current and coil spacing for active shielding was determined for both three and four coil pair configurations. The results of the active shielding optimization produced no beam loss within the waveguide and electron gun and a maximum MR field distortion of 91 ppm over a 30 cm diameter spherical volume. Very simple passive and active shielding designs have been shown to magnetically decouple the linac from the MR imager in a low field biplanar linac-MR system. The MLC passive shielding produced the largest distortion of the MR field over the imaging volume. With the use of magnetically insensitive motors, the MR field distortion drops substantially since no MLC shield is required. The active shielding designs yielded no electron beam loss within the linac.

Do technological advances in linear accelerators improve dosimetric outcomes in stereotaxy? A head-on comparison of seven linear accelerators using volumetric modulated arc therapy-based stereotactic planning.

PubMed

Sarkar, B; Pradhan, A; Munshi, A

2016-01-01

Linear accelerator (Linac) based stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has been used for treating small intracranial lesions. Recent development in the Linacs such as inbuilt micro multileaf collimator (MLC) and flattening filter free (FFF) beam are intended to provide a better dose conformity and faster delivery when using VMAT technique. This study was aimed to compare the dosimetric outcomes and monitor units (MUs) of the stereotactic treatment plans for different commercially available MLC models and beam profiles. Ten patients having 12 planning target volume (PTV)/gross target volume's (GTVs) who received the SRS/SRT treatment in our clinic using Axesse Linac (considered reference arm gold standard) were considered for this study. The test arms comprised of plans using Elekta Agility with FFF, Elekta Agility with the plane beam, Elekta APEX, Varian Millennium 120, Varian Millennium 120HD, and Elekta Synergy in Monaco treatment planning system. Planning constraints and calculation grid spacing were not altered in the test plans. To objectively evaluate the efficacy of MLC-beam model, the resultant dosimetric outcomes were subtracted from the reference arm parameters. V95%, V100%, V105%, D1%, maximum dose, and mean dose of PTV/GTV showed a maximum inter MLC - beam model variation of 1.5% and 2% for PTV and GTV, respectively. Average PTV conformity index and heterogeneity index shows a variation in the range 0.56-0.63 and 1.08-1.11, respectively. Mean dose difference (excluding Axesse) for all organs varied between 1.1 cGy and 74.8 cGy (mean dose = 6.1 cGy standard deviation [SD] = 26.9 cGy) and 1.7 cGy-194.5 cGy (mean dose 16.1 cGy SD = 57.2 cGy) for single and multiple fraction, respectively. The dosimetry of VMAT-based SRS/SRT treatment plan had minimal dependence on MLC and beam model variations. All tested MLC and beam model could fulfil the desired PTV coverage and organs at risk dose constraints. The only notable difference was the halving of the MU for FFF beam as compared to the plane beam. This has the potential to reduce the total patient on couch time by 15% (approximately 2 min).

Effect of tertiary multileaf collimator (MLC) on foetal dose during three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) of a brain tumour during pregnancy.

PubMed

Sharma, Dayananda S; Jalali, Rakesh; Tambe, Chandrashekhar M; Animesh; Deshpande, Deepak D

2004-01-01

The aim of this work was to measure the dose to foetus both in vivo and in vitro during three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) in a pregnant patient with a pituitary adenoma. The study was then extended to assess the components contributing to the foetal dose such as collimator scatter, internal scatter, head leakage, wedge scatter and multileaf collimator (MLC) effect. A 30-year-old pregnant woman with a non-functioning pituitary macroadenoma was planned for 3DCRT with 6MV X-ray using four equally weighted MLC-shaped non-coplanar wedged portals. In vivo dosimetry was carried out using thermoluminescent (TL) phosphor powder, which was placed at different positions on the patient, corresponding to different locations in the uterus and also at external os. In vitro measurements were also performed on a simulated phantom using the same set-up parameters and beam arrangement to verify the in vivo measured dose. Experiments were carried out to measure the respective contributions of different components towards peripheral dose. In vitro measured dose to foetus was found to be slightly more than that of in vivo measurement with a maximum of 0.044% of the prescribed dose of 45Gy, which corresponded to 0.0199+/-0.0008Gy. Thermoluminescence dosimeter (TLD) kept at the external os of the patient showed a dose of 0.031% of the prescribed dose. Among the various components of the peripheral dose (foetal dose) measured, head leakage was found to be the leading cause contributing 52%, followed by wedge scatter (31%), collimator scatter (14%) and internal scatter (13%). The use of MLC reduced not only the volume of normal brain irradiation as compared to open fields but also the peripheral dose by 10%. Radiotherapy of brain tumours during pregnancy poses a unique clinical situation and decisions to deliver radiotherapy should be taken after detailed in vitro and in vivo dosimetric measurements. Our findings suggest that the beam arrangement using 3-4-fields generally used for 3DCRT of brain tumour with MLC for optimal coverage can be employed for pregnant patients even in early trimester. A possible increase in foetal dose from wedges to a large extent can be compensated with the use of MLC.

Experimental investigation of a moving averaging algorithm for motion perpendicular to the leaf travel direction in dynamic MLC target tracking.

PubMed

Yoon, Jai-Woong; Sawant, Amit; Suh, Yelin; Cho, Byung-Chul; Suh, Tae-Suk; Keall, Paul

2011-07-01

In dynamic multileaf collimator (MLC) motion tracking with complex intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) fields, target motion perpendicular to the MLC leaf travel direction can cause beam holds, which increase beam delivery time by up to a factor of 4. As a means to balance delivery efficiency and accuracy, a moving average algorithm was incorporated into a dynamic MLC motion tracking system (i.e., moving average tracking) to account for target motion perpendicular to the MLC leaf travel direction. The experimental investigation of the moving average algorithm compared with real-time tracking and no compensation beam delivery is described. The properties of the moving average algorithm were measured and compared with those of real-time tracking (dynamic MLC motion tracking accounting for both target motion parallel and perpendicular to the leaf travel direction) and no compensation beam delivery. The algorithm was investigated using a synthetic motion trace with a baseline drift and four patient-measured 3D tumor motion traces representing regular and irregular motions with varying baseline drifts. Each motion trace was reproduced by a moving platform. The delivery efficiency, geometric accuracy, and dosimetric accuracy were evaluated for conformal, step-and-shoot IMRT, and dynamic sliding window IMRT treatment plans using the synthetic and patient motion traces. The dosimetric accuracy was quantified via a tgamma-test with a 3%/3 mm criterion. The delivery efficiency ranged from 89 to 100% for moving average tracking, 26%-100% for real-time tracking, and 100% (by definition) for no compensation. The root-mean-square geometric error ranged from 3.2 to 4.0 mm for moving average tracking, 0.7-1.1 mm for real-time tracking, and 3.7-7.2 mm for no compensation. The percentage of dosimetric points failing the gamma-test ranged from 4 to 30% for moving average tracking, 0%-23% for real-time tracking, and 10%-47% for no compensation. The delivery efficiency of moving average tracking was up to four times higher than that of real-time tracking and approached the efficiency of no compensation for all cases. The geometric accuracy and dosimetric accuracy of the moving average algorithm was between real-time tracking and no compensation, approximately half the percentage of dosimetric points failing the gamma-test compared with no compensation.

Prognostic Factors and Pattern of Long-Term Recovery with MLC601 (NeuroAiD™) in the Chinese Medicine NeuroAiD Efficacy on Stroke Recovery - Extension Study.

PubMed

Venketasubramanian, Narayanaswamy; Lee, Chun Fan; Young, Sherry H; Tay, San San; Umapathi, Thirugnanam; Lao, Annabelle Y; Gan, Herminigildo H; Baroque Ii, Alejandro C; Navarro, Jose C; Chang, Hui Meng; Advincula, Joel M; Muengtaweepongsa, Sombat; Chan, Bernard P L; Chua, Carlos L; Wijekoon, Nirmala; de Silva, H Asita; Hiyadan, John Harold B; Suwanwela, Nijasri C; Wong, K S Lawrence; Poungvarin, Niphon; Eow, Gaik Bee; Chen, Christopher L H

2017-01-01

The Chinese Medicine NeuroAiD Efficacy on Stroke recovery - Extension (CHIMES-E) study is among the few acute stroke trials with long-term outcome data. We aimed to evaluate the recovery pattern and the influence of prognostic factors on treatment effect of MLC601 over 2 years. The CHIMES-E study evaluated the 2 years outcome of subjects aged ≥18 years with acute ischemic stroke, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score 6-14, pre-stroke modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≤1 included in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of MLC601 for 3 months. Standard stroke care and rehabilitation were allowed during follow-up with mRS score being assessed in-person at month (M) 3 and by telephone at M1, M6, M12, M18 and M24. Data from 880 subjects were analyzed. There was no difference in baseline characteristics between treatment groups. The proportion of subjects with mRS score 0-1 increased over time in favor of MLC601 most notably from M3 to M6, thereafter remaining stable up to M24, while the proportion deteriorating to mRS score ≥2 remained low at all time points. Older age (p < 0.01), female sex (p = 0.06), higher baseline NIHSS score (p < 0.01) and longer onset to treatment time (OTT; p < 0.01) were found to be predictors of poorer outcome at M3. Greater treatment effect, with more subjects improving on MLC601 than placebo, was seen among subjects with 2 or more prognostic factors (OR 1.65 at M3, 1.78 at M6, 1.90 at M12, 1.65 at M18, 1.39 at M24), especially in subjects with more severe stroke or longer OTT. The sustained benefits of MLC601 over 2 years were due to more subjects improving to functional independence at M6 and beyond compared to placebo. Selection of subjects with poorer prognosis, particularly those with more severe NIHSS score and longer OTT delay, as well as a long follow-up period, may improve the power of future trials investigating the treatment effect of neuroprotective or neurorestorative therapies. © 2016 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Fast leaf-fitting with generalized underdose/overdose constraints for real-time MLC tracking

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, Douglas, E-mail: douglas.moore@utsouthwestern.edu; Sawant, Amit; Ruan, Dan

2016-01-15

Purpose: Real-time multileaf collimator (MLC) tracking is a promising approach to the management of intrafractional tumor motion during thoracic and abdominal radiotherapy. MLC tracking is typically performed in two steps: transforming a planned MLC aperture in response to patient motion and refitting the leaves to the newly generated aperture. One of the challenges of this approach is the inability to faithfully reproduce the desired motion-adapted aperture. This work presents an optimization-based framework with which to solve this leaf-fitting problem in real-time. Methods: This optimization framework is designed to facilitate the determination of leaf positions in real-time while accounting for themore » trade-off between coverage of the PTV and avoidance of organs at risk (OARs). Derived within this framework, an algorithm is presented that can account for general linear transformations of the planned MLC aperture, particularly 3D translations and in-plane rotations. This algorithm, together with algorithms presented in Sawant et al. [“Management of three-dimensional intrafraction motion through real-time DMLC tracking,” Med. Phys. 35, 2050–2061 (2008)] and Ruan and Keall [Presented at the 2011 IEEE Power Engineering and Automation Conference (PEAM) (2011) (unpublished)], was applied to apertures derived from eight lung intensity modulated radiotherapy plans subjected to six-degree-of-freedom motion traces acquired from lung cancer patients using the kilovoltage intrafraction monitoring system developed at the University of Sydney. A quality-of-fit metric was defined, and each algorithm was evaluated in terms of quality-of-fit and computation time. Results: This algorithm is shown to perform leaf-fittings of apertures, each with 80 leaf pairs, in 0.226 ms on average as compared to 0.082 and 64.2 ms for the algorithms of Sawant et al., Ruan, and Keall, respectively. The algorithm shows approximately 12% improvement in quality-of-fit over the Sawant et al. approach, while performing comparably to Ruan and Keall. Conclusions: This work improves upon the quality of the Sawant et al. approach, but does so without sacrificing run-time performance. In addition, using this framework allows for complex leaf-fitting strategies that can be used to account for PTV/OAR trade-off during real-time MLC tracking.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chengqiang, L; Yin, Y; Chen, L

Purpose: To investigate the impact of MLC position errors on simultaneous integrated boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy (SIB-IMRT) for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: To compare the dosimetric differences between the simulated plans and the clinical plans, ten patients with locally advanced NPC treated with SIB-IMRT were enrolled in this study. All plans were calculated with an inverse planning system (Pinnacle3, Philips Medical System{sub )}. Random errors −2mm to 2mm{sub )},shift errors{sub (} 2mm,1mm and 0.5mm) and systematic extension/ contraction errors (±2mm, ±1mm and ±0.5mm) of the MLC leaf position were introduced respectively into the original plans to create the simulated plans.more » Dosimetry factors were compared between the original and the simulated plans. Results: The dosimetric impact of the random and system shift errors of MLC position was insignificant within 2mm, the maximum changes in D95% of PGTV,PTV1,PTV2 were-0.92±0.51%,1.00±0.24% and 0.62±0.17%, the maximum changes in the D0.1cc of spinal cord and brainstem were 1.90±2.80% and −1.78±1.42%, the maximum changes in the Dmean of parotids were1.36±1.23% and −2.25±2.04%.However,the impact of MLC extension or contraction errors was found significant. For 2mm leaf extension errors, the average changes in D95% of PGTV,PTV1,PTV2 were 4.31±0.67%,4.29±0.65% and 4.79±0.82%, the averaged value of the D0.1cc to spinal cord and brainstem were increased by 7.39±5.25% and 6.32±2.28%,the averaged value of the mean dose to left and right parotid were increased by 12.75±2.02%,13.39±2.17% respectively. Conclusion: The dosimetric effect was insignificant for random MLC leaf position errors up to 2mm. There was a high sensitivity to dose distribution for MLC extension or contraction errors.We should pay attention to the anatomic changes in target organs and anatomical structures during the course,individual radiotherapy was recommended to ensure adaptive doses.« less

Species differences in the effects of prostanoids on MAP kinase phosphorylation, myosin light chain phosphorylation and contraction in bovine and cat iris sphincter smooth muscle.

PubMed

Kaddour-Djebbar, I; Ansari, H R; Akhtar, R A; Abdel-Latif, A A

2005-01-01

There is evidence from our own laboratory and that of others that EP-receptor ligands are strong contractile agonists in bovine iris sphincter and that FP-receptor agonists are strong contractile agonists in cat iris sphincter. Here, we have investigated the effects of prostaglandin (PG) receptor agonists of the FP-, EP-, TP- and DP-class on myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation, p42/p44 MAP kinase phosphorylation and contraction in the iris sphincter of bovine and cat. Using three signal transduction mechanism assays, namely MLC phosphorylation, MAP kinase phosphorylation and contraction, we demonstrated that in bovine iris sphincter the rank order of potency of the PG agonists in the contractile and MLC phosphorylation assays is as follows: E2>U46619>F2alpha>D2, and in cat F2alpha>D2>E2>U46619. In the MAP kinase assay, in bovine iris sphincter the rank order of potency is E2>F2alpha and in cat F2alpha>E2. These conclusions are supported by the following findings: (1) In the contractile assay, in the bovine sphincter the EC50s for PGF2alpha, PGE2, U46619 and PGD2 were found to be 1.4x10(-7), 5.0x10(-9), 9.0x10(-9) and 1.3x10(-6)M, respectively, and the corresponding values in the cat were 1.9x10(-8), 2.3x10(-7), 1.5x10(-6) and 6.9x10(-8)M, respectively. (2) In the MLC phophorylation assay, in the bovine sphincter PGF2alpha, PGE2, U46619 and PGD2 increased MLC phophorylation by 118%, 165%, 153% and 72%, respectively, and the corresponding values in cat were 175%, 99%, 90% and 95%, respectively. (3) In the MAP kinase assay, in the bovine iris sphincter PGF2alpha and PGE2, increased MAP kinase phosphorylation by 276% and 328%, respectively, and the corresponding values in cat were 308% and 245%, respectively. The data presented demonstrate pronounced species differences in the effects of the prostanoids on the MLC kinase signaling pathway in bovine and cat irides and furthermore confirm the existence of FP-receptors in that of the bovine.

Poster - Thur Eve - 10: Long term stability of VMAT quality assurance parameters using an EPID.

PubMed

Pekar, J; Diamond, K R

2012-07-01

The rapidly growing use of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatments in radiation therapy calls for a quantitative, automated, and reliable quality assurance (QA) procedure that can be used routinely in the clinical setting. In this work, we present a series VMAT QA procedures used to assess dynamic multi-leaf collimator (MLC) positional accuracy, variable dose-rate accuracy, and MLC leaf speed accuracy. The QA procedures were performed using amorphous silicon electronic portal imaging devices (EPID) to determine the long term stability of the measured parameters on two Varian linear accelerators. The measurements were repeated weekly on both linear accelerators for a period of three months and the EPID images were analyzed using custom Matlab software. The results of the picket fence tests indicate that MLC leaf positions can be identified to within 0.11 mm and 0.15 mm for static gantry delivery and VMAT delivery respectively. In addition, the dose-rate, gantry speed and MLC leaf speed tests both show very good stability over the measurement period. The measurements thus far, suggest that a number of the dosimetry tests may be suitable for quarterly QA for Varian iX and Trilogy linacs. However, additional measurements are required to confirm the frequency with which each test is required for safe and reliable VMAT delivery at our centre. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Using narrow beam profiles to quantify focal spot size, for accurate Monte Carlo simulations of SRS/SRT systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kairn, T.; Crowe, S. B.; Charles, P. H.; Trapp, J. V.

2014-03-01

This study investigates the variation of photon field penumbra shape with initial electron beam diameter, for very narrow beams. A Varian Millenium MLC (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, USA) and a Brainlab m3 microMLC (Brainlab AB. Feldkirchen, Germany) were used, with one Varian iX linear accelerator, to produce fields that were (nominally) 0.20 cm across. Dose profiles for these fields were measured using radiochromic film and compared with the results of simulations completed using BEAMnrc and DOSXYZnrc, where the initial electron beam was set to FWHM = 0.02, 0.10, 0.12, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.50 cm. Increasing the electron-beam FWHM produced increasing occlusion of the photon source by the closely spaced collimator leaves and resulted in blurring of the simulated profile widths from 0.24 to 0.58 cm, for the MLC, from 0.11 to 0.40 cm, for the microMLC. Comparison with measurement data suggested that the electron spot size in the clinical linear accelerator was between FWHM = 0.10 and 0.15 cm, encompassing the result of our previous output-factor based work, which identified a FWHM of 0.12 cm. Investigation of narrow-beam penumbra variation has been found to be a useful procedure, with results varying noticeably with linear accelerator spot size and allowing FWHM estimates obtained using other methods to be verified.

Quality assurance of dynamic parameters in volumetric modulated arc therapy.

PubMed

Manikandan, A; Sarkar, B; Holla, R; Vivek, T R; Sujatha, N

2012-07-01

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate quality assurance checks for accuracy of gantry speed and position, dose rate and multileaf collimator (MLC) speed and position for a volumetric modulated arc treatment (VMAT) modality (Synergy S; Elekta, Stockholm, Sweden), and to check that all the necessary variables and parameters were synchronous. Three tests (for gantry position-dose delivery synchronisation, gantry speed-dose delivery synchronisation and MLC leaf speed and positions) were performed. The average error in gantry position was 0.5° and the average difference was 3 MU for a linear and a parabolic relationship between gantry position and delivered dose. In the third part of this test (sawtooth variation), the maximum difference was 9.3 MU, with a gantry position difference of 1.2°. In the sweeping field method test, a linear relationship was observed between recorded doses and distance from the central axis, as expected. In the open field method, errors were encountered at the beginning and at the end of the delivery arc, termed the "beginning" and "end" errors. For MLC position verification, the maximum error was -2.46 mm and the mean error was 0.0153 ±0.4668 mm, and 3.4% of leaves analysed showed errors of >±1 mm. This experiment demonstrates that the variables and parameters of the Synergy S are synchronous and that the system is suitable for delivering VMAT using a dynamic MLC.

Light-emitting Si nanostructures formed by swift heavy ions in stoichiometric SiO2 layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kachurin, G. A.; Cherkova, S. G.; Marin, D. V.; Kesler, V. G.; Volodin, V. A.; Skuratov, V. A.

2012-07-01

Three hundred and twenty nanometer-thick SiO2 layers were thermally grown on the Si substrates. The layers were irradiated with 167 MeV Xe ions to the fluences ranging between 1012 cm-2 and 1014 cm-2, or with 700 MeV Bi ions in the fluence range of 3 × 1012-1 × 1013 cm-2. After irradiation the yellow-orange photoluminescence (PL) band appeared and grew with the ion fluences. In parallel optical absorption in the region of 950-1150 cm-1, Raman scattering and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy evidenced a decrease in the number of Si-O bonds and an increase in the number of Si-coordinated atoms. The results obtained are interpreted as the formation of the light-emitting Si-enriched nanostructures inside the tracks of swift heavy ions through the disproportionation of SiO2. Ionization losses of the ions are regarded as responsible for the processes observed. Difference between the dependences of the PL intensity on the fluences of Xe and Bi ions are ascribed to their different stopping energy, therewith the diameters of the tracks of Xe and Bi ions were assessed as <3 nm and ˜10 nm, respectively. The observed shift of the PL bands, induced by Xe and Bi ions, agrees with the predictions of the quantum confinement theory.

Modification and validation of an analytical source model for external beam radiotherapy Monte Carlo dose calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davidson, Scott E., E-mail: sedavids@utmb.edu

Purpose: A dose calculation tool, which combines the accuracy of the dose planning method (DPM) Monte Carlo code and the versatility of a practical analytical multisource model, which was previously reported has been improved and validated for the Varian 6 and 10 MV linear accelerators (linacs). The calculation tool can be used to calculate doses in advanced clinical application studies. One shortcoming of current clinical trials that report dose from patient plans is the lack of a standardized dose calculation methodology. Because commercial treatment planning systems (TPSs) have their own dose calculation algorithms and the clinical trial participant who usesmore » these systems is responsible for commissioning the beam model, variation exists in the reported calculated dose distributions. Today’s modern linac is manufactured to tight specifications so that variability within a linac model is quite low. The expectation is that a single dose calculation tool for a specific linac model can be used to accurately recalculate dose from patient plans that have been submitted to the clinical trial community from any institution. The calculation tool would provide for a more meaningful outcome analysis. Methods: The analytical source model was described by a primary point source, a secondary extra-focal source, and a contaminant electron source. Off-axis energy softening and fluence effects were also included. The additions of hyperbolic functions have been incorporated into the model to correct for the changes in output and in electron contamination with field size. A multileaf collimator (MLC) model is included to facilitate phantom and patient dose calculations. An offset to the MLC leaf positions was used to correct for the rudimentary assumed primary point source. Results: Dose calculations of the depth dose and profiles for field sizes 4 × 4 to 40 × 40 cm agree with measurement within 2% of the maximum dose or 2 mm distance to agreement (DTA) for 95% of the data points tested. The model was capable of predicting the depth of the maximum dose within 1 mm. Anthropomorphic phantom benchmark testing of modulated and patterned MLCs treatment plans showed agreement to measurement within 3% in target regions using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD). Using radiochromic film normalized to TLD, a gamma criteria of 3% of maximum dose and 2 mm DTA was applied with a pass rate of least 85% in the high dose, high gradient, and low dose regions. Finally, recalculations of patient plans using DPM showed good agreement relative to a commercial TPS when comparing dose volume histograms and 2D dose distributions. Conclusions: A unique analytical source model coupled to the dose planning method Monte Carlo dose calculation code has been modified and validated using basic beam data and anthropomorphic phantom measurement. While this tool can be applied in general use for a particular linac model, specifically it was developed to provide a singular methodology to independently assess treatment plan dose distributions from those clinical institutions participating in National Cancer Institute trials.« less

SU-G-TeP4-07: Automatic EPID-Based 2D Measurement of MLC Leaf Offset as a Quality Control Tool

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ritter, T; Moran, J; Schultz, B

Purpose: The MLC dosimetric leaf gap (DLG) and transmission are measured parameters which impact the dosimetric accuracy of IMRT and VMAT plans. This investigation aims to develop an efficient and accurate routine constancy check of the physical DLG in two dimensions. Methods: The manufacturer’s recommended DLG measurement method was modified by using 5 fields instead of 11 and by utilizing the Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID). Validations were accomplished using an ion chamber (IC) in solid water and a 2D IC array. EPID data was collected for 6 months on multiple TrueBeam linacs using both Millennium and HD MLCs atmore » 5 different clinics in an international consortium. Matlab code was written to automatically analyze the images and calculate the 2D results. Sensitivity was investigated by introducing deliberate leaf position errors. MLC calibration and initialization history was recorded to allow quantification of their impact. Results were analyzed using statistical process control (SPC). Results: The EPID method took approximately 5 minutes. Due to detector response, the EPID measured DLG and transmission differed from the IC values but were reproducible and consistent with changes measured using the ICs. For the Millennium MLC, the EPID measured DLG and transmission were both consistently lower than IC results. The EPID method was implemented as leaf offset and transmission constancy tests (LOC and TC). Based on 6 months of measurements, the initial leaf-specific action thresholds for changes from baseline were set to 0.1 mm. Upper and lower control limits for variation were developed for each machine. Conclusion: Leaf offset and transmission constancy tests were implemented on Varian HD and Millennium MLCs using an EPID and found to be efficient and accurate. The test is effective for monitoring MLC performance using dynamic delivery and performing process control on the DLG in 2D, thus enhancing dosimetric accuracy. This work was supported by a grant from Varian Medical Systems.« less

Mechanistic studies of a cell-permeant peptide designed to enhance myosin light chain phosphorylation in polarized intestinal epithelia.

PubMed

Almansour, Khaled; Taverner, Alistair; Eggleston, Ian M; Mrsny, Randall J

2018-06-10

Tight junction (TJ) structures restrict the movement of solutes between adjacent epithelial cells to maintain homeostatic conditions. A peptide, termed PIP 640, with the capacity to regulate the transient opening of intestinal TJ structures through an endogenous mechanism involving the induction of myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation at serine 19 (MLC-pS 19 ) has provided a promising new method to enhance the in vivo oral bioavailability of peptide therapeutics. PIP 640 is a decapeptide composed of all D-amino acids (rrdykvevrr-NH 2 ) that contains a central sequence designed to emulates a specific domain of C-kinase potentiated protein phosphatase-1 inhibitor-17 kDa (CPI-17) surrounded by positively-charged amino acids that provide a cell penetrating peptide (CPP)-like character. Here, we examine compositional requirements of PIP 640 with regard to its actions on MLC phosphorylation, its intracellular localization to TJ structures, and its interactions with MLC phosphatase (MLCP) elements that correlate with enhanced solute uptake. These studies showed that a glutamic acid and tyrosine within this peptide are critical for PIP 640 to retain its ability to increase MLC-pS 19 levels and enhance the permeability of macromolecular solutes of the size range of therapeutic peptides without detectable cytotoxicity. On the other hand, exchange of the aspartic acid for alanine and then arginine resulted in an increasingly greater bias toward protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) relative to MLCP inhibition, an outcome that resulted in increased paracellular permeability for solutes in the size range of therapeutic peptides, but with a significant increase in cytotoxicity. Together, these data further our understanding of the composition requirements of PIP 640 with respect to the desired goal of transiently altering the intestinal epithelial cell paracellular barrier properties through an endogenous mechanism, providing a novel approach to enhance the oral bioavailability of poorly absorbed therapeutic agents of < ~ 5 kDa. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of Telokin in Regulating Murine Gastric Fundus Smooth Muscle Tension

PubMed Central

An, Changlong; Bhetwal, Bhupal P.; Sanders, Kenton M.; Somlyo, Avril V.; Perrino, Brian A.

2015-01-01

Telokin phosphorylation by cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase facilitates smooth muscle relaxation. In this study we examined the relaxation of gastric fundus smooth muscles from basal tone, or pre-contracted with KCl or carbachol (CCh), and the phosphorylation of telokin S13, myosin light chain (MLC) S19, MYPT1 T853, T696, and CPI-17 T38 in response to 8-Bromo-cGMP, the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP), or nitrergic neurotransmission. We compared MLC phosphorylation and the contraction and relaxation responses of gastric fundus smooth muscles from telokin-/- mice and their wild-type littermates to KCl or CCh, and 8-Bromo-cGMP, SNP, or nitrergic neurotransmission, respectively. We compared the relaxation responses and telokin phosphorylation of gastric fundus smooth muscles from wild-type mice and W/W V mice which lack ICC-IM, to 8-Bromo-cGMP, SNP, or nitrergic neurotransmission. We found that telokin S13 is basally phosphorylated and that 8-Bromo-cGMP and SNP increased basal telokin phosphorylation. In muscles pre-contracted with KCl or CCh, 8-Bromo-cGMP and SNP had no effect on CPI-17 or MYPT1 phosphorylation, but increased telokin phosphorylation and reduced MLC phosphorylation. In telokin-/- gastric fundus smooth muscles, basal tone and constitutive MLC S19 phosphorylation were increased. Pre-contracted telokin-/- gastric fundus smooth muscles have increased contractile responses to KCl, CCh, or cholinergic neurotransmission and reduced relaxation to 8-Bromo-cGMP, SNP, and nitrergic neurotransmission. However, basal telokin phosphorylation was not increased when muscles were stimulated with lower concentrations of SNP or when the muscles were stimulated by nitrergic neurotransmission. SNP, but not nitrergic neurotransmission, increased telokin Ser13 phosphorylation in both wild-type and W/W V gastric fundus smooth muscles. Our findings indicate that telokin may play a role in attenuating constitutive MLC phosphorylation and provide an additional mechanism to augment gastric fundus mechanical responses to inhibitory neurotransmission. PMID:26258553

SU-E-T-627: Precision Modelling of the Leaf-Bank Rotation in Elekta’s Agility MLC: Is It Necessary?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vujicic, M; Belec, J; Heath, E

Purpose: To demonstrate the method used to determine the leaf bank rotation angle (LBROT) as a parameter for modeling the Elekta Agility multi-leaf collimator (MLC) for Monte Carlo simulations and to evaluate the clinical impact of LBROT. Methods: A detailed model of an Elekta Infinity linac including an Agility MLC was built using the EGSnrc/BEAMnrc Monte Carlo code. The Agility 160-leaf MLC is modelled using the MLCE component module which allows for leaf bank rotation using the parameter LBROT. A precise value of LBROT is obtained by comparing measured and simulated profiles of a specific field, which has leaves arrangedmore » in a repeated pattern such that one leaf is opened and the adjacent one is closed. Profile measurements from an Agility linac are taken with gafchromic film, and an ion chamber is used to set the absolute dose. The measurements are compared to Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and the LBROT is adjusted until a match is found. The clinical impact of LBROT is evaluated by observing how an MC dose calculation changes with LBROT. A clinical Stereotactic Body Radiation Treatment (SBRT) plan is calculated using BEAMnrc/DOSXYZnrc simulations with different input values for LBROT. Results: Using the method outlined above, the LBROT is determined to be 9±1 mrad. Differences as high as 4% are observed in a clinical SBRT plan between the extreme case (LBROT not modeled) and the nominal case. Conclusion: In small-field radiation therapy treatment planning, it is important to properly account for LBROT as an input parameter for MC dose calculations with the Agility MLC. More work is ongoing to elucidate the observed differences by determining the contributions from transmission dose, change in field size, and source occlusion, which are all dependent on LBROT. This work was supported by OCAIRO (Ontario Consortium of Adaptive Interventions in Radiation Oncology), funded by the Ontario Research Fund.« less

SU-G-JeP1-12: Head-To-Head Performance Characterization of Two Multileaf Collimator Tracking Algorithms for Radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Caillet, V; Colvill, E; Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, Sydney

2016-06-15

Purpose: Multi-leaf collimator (MLC) tracking is being clinically pioneered to continuously compensate for thoracic and abdominal motion during radiotherapy. The purpose of this work is to characterize the performance of two MLC tracking algorithms for cancer radiotherapy, based on a direct optimization and a piecewise leaf fitting approach respectively. Methods: To test the algorithms, both physical and in silico experiments were performed. Previously published high and low modulation VMAT plans for lung and prostate cancer cases were used along with eight patient-measured organ-specific trajectories. For both MLC tracking algorithm, the plans were run with their corresponding patient trajectories. The physicalmore » experiments were performed on a Trilogy Varian linac and a programmable phantom (HexaMotion platform). For each MLC tracking algorithm, plan and patient trajectory, the tracking accuracy was quantified as the difference in aperture area between ideal and fitted MLC. To compare algorithms, the average cumulative tracking error area for each experiment was calculated. The two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test was used to evaluate the cumulative tracking errors between algorithms. Results: Comparison of tracking errors for the physical and in silico experiments showed minor differences between the two algorithms. The KS D-statistics for the physical experiments were below 0.05 denoting no significant differences between the two distributions pattern and the average error area (direct optimization/piecewise leaf-fitting) were comparable (66.64 cm2/65.65 cm2). For the in silico experiments, the KS D-statistics were below 0.05 and the average errors area were also equivalent (49.38 cm2/48.98 cm2). Conclusion: The comparison between the two leaf fittings algorithms demonstrated no significant differences in tracking errors, neither in a clinically realistic environment nor in silico. The similarities in the two independent algorithms give confidence in the use of either algorithm for clinical implementation.« less

SU-E-I-49: The Evaluation of Usability of Multileaf Collimator for Diagnostic Radiation in Cephalometric Exposure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Han, S; Kim, K; Jung, H

Purpose: This study evaluated usability of Multileaf collimator (MLC) for diagnostic radiation in cephalometric exposure using optical stimulated luminance dosimeters (OSLDs) Methods: The MLC material was made alloy tool steel (SKD-11) and the density of it is 7.89g/m3 that is similar to it of steel (Fe, 7.85 g/m3) and the MLC was attached to general radiography unit (Rex-650R, Listem Inc, Korea) for cephalometric exposure. The OSLDs that used were nanoDotTM Dosimeter (Landauer Inc, Glenwood, USA) and we read out OSLDs with micro star system (Landauer Inc, Glenwood, USA). The Optical annealing system contained fluorescent lamps (Osram lumilux, 24 W, 280more » ∼780 nm). To measure absorbed dose using OSLDs, was carried out dosimetric characteristics of OSLDs. Based on these, we evaluated dose reduction of critical organ (Eyes, Thyroids) with MLC in cephalometric exposure Results: The dosimetric characteristics were following that batch homogeneity was 1.21% and reproducibility was 0.96% of the coefficient of variation The linearity was that the correlation of between dose and count was fitted by linear function (dose,mGy = 0.00029 × Count, R2 =0.997). The range of angular dependence was from −3.6% to 3.7% variation when each degree was normalized by zero degree. The organ dose of Rt. eye, Lt eye, thyroids were 77.8 μGy, 337.0 μGy, 323.1μGy, respectively in open field and the dose reduction of organ dose was 10.6%(8.3μGy), 12.4 %(42 μGy), 87.1%(281.4μGy) with MLC Conclusion: We certified dose reduction of organ dose in cephalometric exposure. The dose reduction of Eye was 11% because of reduction of field size and it of thyroids was 87% by primary beam shielding.« less

SU-E-T-774: Use of a Scintillator-Mirror-Camera System for the Measurement of MLC Leakage Radiation with the CyberKnife M6 System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goggin, L; Kilby, W; Noll, M

2015-06-15

Purpose: A technique using a scintillator-mirror-camera system to measure MLC leakage was developed to provide an efficient alternative to film dosimetry while maintaining high spatial resolution. This work describes the technique together with measurement uncertainties. Methods: Leakage measurements were made for the InCise™ MLC using the Logos XRV-2020A device. For each measurement approximately 170 leakage and background images were acquired using optimized camera settings. Average background was subtracted from each leakage frame before filtering the integrated leakage image to replace anomalous pixels. Pixel value to dose conversion was performed using a calibration image. Mean leakage was calculated within an ROImore » corresponding to the primary beam, and maximum leakage was determined by binning the image into overlapping 1mm x 1mm ROIs. 48 measurements were performed using 3 cameras and multiple MLC-linac combinations in varying beam orientations, with each compared to film dosimetry. Optical and environmental influences were also investigated. Results: Measurement time with the XRV-2020A was 8 minutes vs. 50 minutes using radiochromic film, and results were available immediately. Camera radiation exposure degraded measurement accuracy. With a relatively undamaged camera, mean leakage agreed with film measurement to ≤0.02% in 92% cases, ≤0.03% in 100% (for maximum leakage the values were 88% and 96%) relative to reference open field dose. The estimated camera lifetime over which this agreement is maintained is at least 150 measurements, and can be monitored using reference field exposures. A dependency on camera temperature was identified and a reduction in sensitivity with distance from image center due to optical distortion was characterized. Conclusion: With periodic monitoring of the degree of camera radiation damage, the XRV-2020A system can be used to measure MLC leakage. This represents a significant time saving when compared to the traditional film-based approach without any substantial reduction in accuracy.« less

MO-FG-202-04: Gantry-Resolved Linac QA for VMAT: A Comprehensive and Efficient System Using An Electronic Portal Imaging Device

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zwan, B J; University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW; Barnes, M

2016-06-15

Purpose: To automate gantry-resolved linear accelerator (linac) quality assurance (QA) for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) using an electronic portal imaging device (EPID). Methods: A QA system for VMAT was developed that uses an EPID, frame-grabber assembly and in-house developed image processing software. The system relies solely on the analysis of EPID image frames acquired without the presence of a phantom. Images were acquired at 8.41 frames per second using a frame grabber and ancillary acquisition computer. Each image frame was tagged with a gantry angle from the linac’s on-board gantry angle encoder. Arc-dynamic QA plans were designed to assessmore » the performance of each individual linac component during VMAT. By analysing each image frame acquired during the QA deliveries the following eight machine performance characteristics were measured as a function of gantry angle: MLC positional accuracy, MLC speed constancy, MLC acceleration constancy, MLC-gantry synchronisation, beam profile constancy, dose rate constancy, gantry speed constancy, dose-gantry angle synchronisation and mechanical sag. All tests were performed on a Varian iX linear accelerator equipped with a 120 leaf Millennium MLC and an aS1000 EPID (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA, USA). Results: Machine performance parameters were measured as a function of gantry angle using EPID imaging and compared to machine log files and the treatment plan. Data acquisition is currently underway at 3 centres, incorporating 7 treatment units, at 2 weekly measurement intervals. Conclusion: The proposed system can be applied for streamlined linac QA and commissioning for VMAT. The set of test plans developed can be used to assess the performance of each individual components of the treatment machine during VMAT deliveries as a function of gantry angle. The methodology does not require the setup of any additional phantom or measurement equipment and the analysis is fully automated to allow for regular routine testing.« less

Inhibition of the AMP-activated protein kinase-α2 accentuates agonist-induced vascular smooth muscle contraction and high blood pressure in mice.

PubMed

Wang, Shuangxi; Liang, Bin; Viollet, Benoit; Zou, Ming-Hui

2011-05-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects and molecular mechanisms by which AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates smooth muscle contraction and blood pressure in mice. In cultured human vascular smooth muscle cells, we observed that activation of AMPK by 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-β-d-ribofuranoside inhibited agonist-induced phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) and myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1 (MYPT1). Conversely, AMPK inhibition with pharmacological or genetic means potentiated agonist-induced the phosphorylation of MLC and MYPT1, whereas it inhibited both Ras homolog gene family member A and Rho-associated kinase activity. In addition, AMPK activation or Rho-associated kinase inhibition with Y27632 abolished agonist-induced phosphorylation of MLC and MYPT1. Gene silencing of p190-guanosine triphosphatase-activating protein abolished the effects of AMPK activation on MLC, MYPT1, and Ras homolog gene family member A in human smooth muscle cells. Ex vivo analyses revealed that agonist-induced contractions of the mesenteric artery and aortas were stronger in both AMPKα1(-/-) and AMPKα2(-/-) knockout mice than in wild-type mice. Inhibition of Rho-associated kinase with Y27632 normalized agonist-induced contractions of AMPKα1(-/-) and AMPKα2(-/-) vessels. AMPKα2(-/-) mice had higher blood pressure along with decreased serine phosphorylation of p190-guanosine triphosphatase-activating protein. Finally, inhibition of the Ras homolog gene family member A/Rho-associated kinase pathway with Y27632, which suppressed MYPT1 and MLC phosphorylation, lowered blood pressure in AMPKα2(-/-) mice. In conclusion, AMPK decreases vascular smooth muscle cell contractility by inhibiting p190-GTP-activating protein-dependent Ras homolog gene family member A activation, indicating that AMPK may be a new therapeutic target in lowering high blood pressure.

Reactive oxygen species explicit dosimetry (ROSED) of a type 1 photosensitizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ong, Yi Hong; Kim, Michele M.; Huang, Zheng; Zhu, Timothy C.

2018-02-01

Type I photodynamic therapy (PDT) is based on the use of photochemical reactions mediated through an interaction between a tumor-selective photosensitizer, photoexcitation with a specific wavelength of light, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The goal of this study is to develop a model to calculate reactive oxygen species concentration ([ROS]rx) after Tookad®-mediated vascular PDT. Mice with radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) tumors were treated with different light fluence and fluence rate conditions. Explicit measurements of photosensitizer drug concentration were made via diffuse reflective absorption spectrum using a contact probe before and after PDT. Blood flow and tissue oxygen concentration over time were measured during PDT as a mean to validate the photochemical parameters for the ROSED calculation. Cure index was computed from the rate of tumor regrowth after treatment and was compared against three calculated dose metrics: total light fluence, PDT dose, reacted [ROS]rx. The tumor growth study demonstrates that [ROS]rx serves as a better dosimetric quantity for predicting treatment outcome, as a clinically relevant tumor growth endpoint.

Plans for a measurement of the neutron lifetime to better than 0.3s using a Penning trap and absolute measurement of neutron fluence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulholland, Jonathan; NBL3 Collaboration

2014-09-01

The decay of the free neutron is the prototypical charged current semi-leptonic weak process. A precise value for the neutron lifetime is required for consistency tests of the Standard Model and is needed to predict the primordial He4 abundance from the theory of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. Plans are being made for an in-beam measurement of the neutron lifetime with an anticipated 0.3s of uncertainty or better. This effort is part of a phased campaign of neutron lifetime measurements based at the NIST Center for Neutron Research, using the Sussex-ILL-NIST technique. Advances in neutron fluence measurement, used in to provide the best existing in-beam determination of the neutron lifetime, as well as new silicon detector technology, in use now at LANSCE, address the two largest contributors to the uncertainty of in-beam measurements-the statistical uncertainty associated with proton counting and the systematic uncertainty in the neutron fluence measurement. The experimental design and projected uncertainties for the 0.3s measurement will be discussed.

Non-contacting Measurement of Oil Film Thickness Between Loaded Metallic Gear Teeth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox, Daniel B.; Ceccio, Steven L.; Dowling, David R.

2013-11-01

The mechanical power transmission efficiency of gears is depends on the lubrication condition between gear teeth. While the lubrication levels can be generally predicted, an effective in-situ non-contacting measurement of oil film thicknesses between loaded metallic gear teeth has proved elusive. This study explores a novel oil film thickness measurement technique based on optical fluence, the light energy transmitted between loaded gear teeth. A gear testing apparatus that allowed independent control of gear rotation rate, load torque, and oil flow was designed and built. Film thickness measurements made with 5-inch-pitch-diameter 60-tooth spur gears ranged from 0.3 to 10.2 mil. These results are compared with film thickness measurements made in an earlier investigation (MacConochie and Cameron, 1960), as well as with predictions from two film thickness models: a simple two-dimensional squeezed oil film and the industry-accepted model as described by the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA 925, 2003). In each case, the measured film thicknesses were larger than the predicted thicknesses, though these discrepancies might be attributed to the specifics the experiments and to challenges associated with calibrating the fluence measurements. [Sponsored by General Electric].

Prediction of Exposure Level of Energetic Solar Particle Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, M. H. Y.; Blattnig, S.

2016-12-01

The potential for exposure to large solar particle events (SPEs) with fluxes that extend to high energies is a major concern during interplanetary transfer and extravehicular activities (EVAs) on the lunar and Martian surfaces. Prediction of sporadic occurrence of SPEs is not accurate for near or long-term scales, while the expected frequency of such events is strongly influenced by solar cycle activity. In the development of NASA's operational strategies real-time estimation of exposure to SPEs has been considered so that adequate responses can be applied in a timely manner to reduce exposures to well below the exposure limits. Previously, the organ doses of large historical SPEs had been calculated by using the complete energy spectra of each event and then developing a prediction model for blood-forming organ (BFO) dose based solely on an assumed value of integrated fluence above 30 MeV (Φ30) for an otherwise unspecified future SPE. While BFO dose is determined primarily by solar protons with high energies, it was reasoned that more accurate BFO dose prediction models could be developed using integrated fluence above 60 MeV (Φ60) and above 100 MeV (Φ100) as predictors instead of Φ30. In the current study, re-analysis of major SPEs (in which the proton spectra of the ground level enhancement [GLE] events since 1956 are correctly described by Band functions) has been used in evaluation of exposure levels. More accurate prediction models for BFO dose and NASA effective dose are then developed using integrated fluence above 200 MeV (Φ200), which by far have the most weight in the calculation of doses for deep-seated organs from exposure to extreme SPEs (GLEs or sub-GLEs). The unconditional probability of a BFO dose exceeding a pre-specified BFO dose limit is simultaneously calculated by taking into account the distribution of the predictor (Φ30, Φ60, Φ100, or Φ200) as estimated from historical SPEs. These results can be applied to the development of approaches to improve radiation protection of astronauts and the optimization of mission planning for future space missions.

Monte Carlo-based QA for IMRT of head and neck cancers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, F.; Sham, J.; Ma, C.-M.; Li, J.-S.

2007-06-01

It is well-known that the presence of large air cavity in a dense medium (or patient) introduces significant electronic disequilibrium when irradiated with megavoltage X-ray field. This condition may worsen by the possible use of tiny beamlets in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Commercial treatment planning systems (TPSs), in particular those based on the pencil-beam method, do not provide accurate dose computation for the lungs and other cavity-laden body sites such as the head and neck. In this paper we present the use of Monte Carlo (MC) technique for dose re-calculation of IMRT of head and neck cancers. In our clinic, a turn-key software system is set up for MC calculation and comparison with TPS-calculated treatment plans as part of the quality assurance (QA) programme for IMRT delivery. A set of 10 off-the-self PCs is employed as the MC calculation engine with treatment plan parameters imported from the TPS via a graphical user interface (GUI) which also provides a platform for launching remote MC simulation and subsequent dose comparison with the TPS. The TPS-segmented intensity maps are used as input for the simulation hence skipping the time-consuming simulation of the multi-leaf collimator (MLC). The primary objective of this approach is to assess the accuracy of the TPS calculations in the presence of air cavities in the head and neck whereas the accuracy of leaf segmentation is verified by fluence measurement using a fluoroscopic camera-based imaging device. This measurement can also validate the correct transfer of intensity maps to the record and verify system. Comparisons between TPS and MC calculations of 6 MV IMRT for typical head and neck treatments review regional consistency in dose distribution except at and around the sinuses where our pencil-beam-based TPS sometimes over-predicts the dose by up to 10%, depending on the size of the cavities. In addition, dose re-buildup of up to 4% is observed at the posterior nasopharyngeal mucosa for some treatments with heavily-weighted anterior fields.

Evaluation of the dose calculation accuracy for small fields defined by jaw or MLC for AAA and Acuros XB algorithms.

PubMed

Fogliata, Antonella; Lobefalo, Francesca; Reggiori, Giacomo; Stravato, Antonella; Tomatis, Stefano; Scorsetti, Marta; Cozzi, Luca

2016-10-01

Small field measurements are challenging, due to the physical characteristics coming from the lack of charged particle equilibrium, the partial occlusion of the finite radiation source, and to the detector response. These characteristics can be modeled in the dose calculations in the treatment planning systems. Aim of the present work is to evaluate the MU calculation accuracy for small fields, defined by jaw or MLC, for anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA) and Acuros XB algorithms, relative to output measurements on the beam central axis. Single point output factor measurement was acquired with a PTW microDiamond detector for 6 MV, 6 and 10 MV unflattened beams generated by a Varian TrueBeam STx equipped with high definition-MLC. Fields defined by jaw or MLC apertures were set; jaw-defined: 0.6 × 0.6, 0.8 × 0.8, 1 × 1, 2 × 2, 3 × 3, 4 × 4, 5 × 5, and 10 × 10 cm 2 ; MLC-defined: 0.5 × 0.5 cm 2 to the maximum field defined by the jaw, with 0.5 cm stepping, and jaws set to: 2 × 2, 3 × 3, 4 × 4, 5 × 5, and 10 × 10 cm 2 . MU calculation was obtained with 1 mm grid in a virtual water phantom for the same fields, for AAA and Acuros algorithms implemented in the Varian eclipse treatment planning system (version 13.6). Configuration parameters as the effective spot size (ESS) and the dosimetric leaf gap (DLG) were varied to find the best parameter setting. Differences between calculated and measured doses were analyzed. Agreement better than 0.5% was found for field sizes equal to or larger than 2 × 2 cm 2 for both algorithms. A dose overestimation was present for smaller jaw-defined fields, with the best agreement, averaged over all the energies, of 1.6% and 4.6% for a 1 × 1 cm 2 field calculated by AAA and Acuros, respectively, for a configuration with ESS = 1 mm for both X and Y directions for AAA, and ESS = 1.5 and 0 mm for X and Y directions for Acuros. Conversely, a calculated dose underestimation was found for small MLC-defined fields, with the best agreement averaged over all the energies, of -3.9% and 0.2% for a 1 × 1 cm 2 field calculated by AAA and Acuros, respectively, for a configuration with ESS = 0 mm for both directions and both algorithms. For optimal setting applied in the algorithm configuration phase, the agreement of Acuros calculations with measurements could achieve the 3% for MLC-defined fields as small as 0.5 × 0.5 cm 2 . Similar agreement was found for AAA for fields as small as 1 × 1 cm 2 .

A novel method for routine quality assurance of volumetric-modulated arc therapy.

PubMed

Wang, Qingxin; Dai, Jianrong; Zhang, Ke

2013-10-01

Volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is delivered through synchronized variation of gantry angle, dose rate, and multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf positions. The delivery dynamic nature challenges the parameter setting accuracy of linac control system. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel method for routine quality assurance (QA) of VMAT linacs. ArcCheck is a detector array with diodes distributing in spiral pattern on cylindrical surface. Utilizing its features, a QA plan was designed to strictly test all varying parameters during VMAT delivery on an Elekta Synergy linac. In this plan, there are 24 control points. The gantry rotates clockwise from 181° to 179°. The dose rate, gantry speed, and MLC positions cover their ranges commonly used in clinic. The two borders of MLC-shaped field seat over two columns of diodes of ArcCheck when the gantry rotates to the angle specified by each control point. The ratio of dose rate between each of these diodes and the diode closest to the field center is a certain value and sensitive to the MLC positioning error of the leaf crossing the diode. Consequently, the positioning error can be determined by the ratio with the help of a relationship curve. The time when the gantry reaches the angle specified by each control point can be acquired from the virtual inclinometer that is a feature of ArcCheck. The gantry speed between two consecutive control points is then calculated. The aforementioned dose rate is calculated from an acm file that is generated during ArcCheck measurements. This file stores the data measured by each detector in 50 ms updates with each update in a separate row. A computer program was written in MATLAB language to process the data. The program output included MLC positioning errors and the dose rate at each control point as well as the gantry speed between control points. To evaluate this method, this plan was delivered for four consecutive weeks. The actual dose rate and gantry speed were compared with the QA plan specified. Additionally, leaf positioning errors were intentionally introduced to investigate the sensitivity of this method. The relationship curves were established for detecting MLC positioning errors during VMAT delivery. For four consecutive weeks measured, 98.4%, 94.9%, 89.2%, and 91.0% of the leaf positioning errors were within ± 0.5 mm, respectively. For the intentionally introduced leaf positioning systematic errors of -0.5 and +1 mm, the detected leaf positioning errors of 20 Y1 leaf were -0.48 ± 0.14 and 1.02 ± 0.26 mm, respectively. The actual gantry speed and dose rate closely followed the values specified in the VMAT QA plan. This method can assess the accuracy of MLC positions and the dose rate at each control point as well as the gantry speed between control points at the same time. It is efficient and suitable for routine quality assurance of VMAT.

Depletion layer recombination effects on the radiation damage hardness of gallium arsenide cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garlick, G. F. J.

1985-01-01

The significant effect of junction depletion layer recombination on the efficiency of windowed GaAs cells was demonstrated. The effect becomes more pronounced as radiation damage occurs. The depletion is considered for 1 MeV electron fluences up to 10 to the 16th power e/sq m. The cell modeling separates damage in emitter and base or buffer layers using different damage coefficients is reported. The lower coefficient for the emitter predicts less loss of performance at fluences greater than 10 to the 15th power e/sq cm. A method for obtaining information on junction recombination effects as damage proceeds is described; this enables a more complete diagnosis of damage to be made.

SGR-like behaviour of the repeating FRB 121102

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, F.Y.; Yu, H., E-mail: fayinwang@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: yuhai@smail.nju.edu.cn

2017-03-01

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration radio signals occurring at cosmological distances. However the physical model of FRBs is mystery, many models have been proposed. Here we study the frequency distributions of peak flux, fluence, duration and waiting time for the repeating FRB 121102. The cumulative distributions of peak flux, fluence and duration show power-law forms. The waiting time distribution also shows power-law distribution, and is consistent with a non-stationary Poisson process. These distributions are similar as those of soft gamma repeaters (SGRs). We also use the statistical results to test the proposed models for FRBs. These distributions are consistentmore » with the predictions from avalanche models of slowly driven nonlinear dissipative systems.« less

Quantification of interplay and gradient effects for lung stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) treatments.

PubMed

Tyler, Madelaine K

2016-01-08

This study quantified the interplay and gradient effects on GTV dose coverage for 3D CRT, dMLC IMRT, and VMAT SABR treatments for target amplitudes of 5-30 mm using 3DVH v3.1 software incorporating 4D Respiratory MotionSim (4D RMS) module. For clinically relevant motion periods (5 s), the interplay effect was small, with deviations in the minimum dose covering the target volume (D99%) of less than ± 2.5% for target amplitudes up to 30 mm. Increasing the period to 60 s resulted in interplay effects of up to ± 15.0% on target D99% dose coverage. The gradient effect introduced by target motion resulted in deviations of up to ± 3.5% in D99% target dose coverage. VMAT treatments showed the largest deviation in dose metrics, which was attributed to the long delivery times in comparison to dMLC IMRT. Retrospective patient analysis indicated minimal interplay and gradient effects for patients treated with dMLC IMRT at the NCCI.

Trastuzumab Alters the Expression of Genes Essential for Cardiac Function and Induces Ultrastructural Changes of Cardiomyocytes in Mice

PubMed Central

ElZarrad, M. Khair; Mukhopadhyay, Partha; Mohan, Nishant; Hao, Enkui; Dokmanovic, Milos; Hirsch, Dianne S.; Shen, Yi; Pacher, Pal; Wu, Wen Jin

2013-01-01

Treatment with trastuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the extracellular domain of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2), very successfully improves outcomes for women with HER2-positive breast cancer. However, trastuzumab treatment was recently linked to potentially irreversible serious cardiotoxicity, the mechanisms of which are largely elusive. This study reports that trastuzumab significantly alters the expression of myocardial genes essential for DNA repair, cardiac and mitochondrial functions, which is associated with impaired left ventricular performance in mice coupled with significant ultrastructural alterations in cardiomyocytes revealed by electron microscopy. Furthermore, trastuzumab treatment also promotes oxidative stress and apoptosis in myocardium of mice, and elevates serum levels of cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) and cardiac myosin light chain-1 (cMLC1). The elevated serum levels of cMLC1 in mice treated with trastuzumab highlights the potential that cMLC1 could be a useful biomarker for trastuzumab-induced cardiotoxicity. PMID:24255707

Rate adaptive multilevel coded modulation with high coding gain in intensity modulation direct detection optical communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Fei; Liu, Bo; Zhang, Lijia; Xin, Xiangjun; Zhang, Qi; Tian, Qinghua; Tian, Feng; Wang, Yongjun; Rao, Lan; Ullah, Rahat; Zhao, Feng; Li, Deng'ao

2018-02-01

A rate-adaptive multilevel coded modulation (RA-MLC) scheme based on fixed code length and a corresponding decoding scheme is proposed. RA-MLC scheme combines the multilevel coded and modulation technology with the binary linear block code at the transmitter. Bits division, coding, optional interleaving, and modulation are carried out by the preset rule, then transmitted through standard single mode fiber span equal to 100 km. The receiver improves the accuracy of decoding by means of soft information passing through different layers, which enhances the performance. Simulations are carried out in an intensity modulation-direct detection optical communication system using MATLAB®. Results show that the RA-MLC scheme can achieve bit error rate of 1E-5 when optical signal-to-noise ratio is 20.7 dB. It also reduced the number of decoders by 72% and realized 22 rate adaptation without significantly increasing the computing time. The coding gain is increased by 7.3 dB at BER=1E-3.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duan, J

Purpose: The aim of this work is to study the dosimetric impact of leaf interdigitation in prostate cancer dynamic IMRT treatment planning. Methods: Fifteen previously treated prostate cancer patients were replanned for dynamic IMRT (dMLC) with and without leaf interdigitation using Monaco 3.3 TPS on the Elekta Synergy linear accelerator. The prescription dose of PTV was 70Gy/35 fractions. Various dosimetric variables, such as PTV coverage, OAR sparing, delivery efficiency and optimization time, were evaluated for each plan. Results: Interdigitation did not improve the coverage, HI and CI for PTV. Regarding OARs, sparing was equivalent with and without interdigitation. Interdigitation shownmore » an increase in MUs and segments. It was worth noting that leaf interdigitation saved the optimization time. Conclusion: This study shows that leaf interdigitation does not improve plan quality when performing dMLC treatment plan for prostate cancer. However, it influences delivery efficiency and optimization time. Interdigitation may gain efficiency for dosimetrist when designing the prostate cancer dMLC plans.« less

Comparison of two Classification methods (MLC and SVM) to extract land use and land cover in Johor Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rokni Deilmai, B.; Ahmad, B. Bin; Zabihi, H.

2014-06-01

Mapping is essential for the analysis of the land use and land cover, which influence many environmental processes and properties. For the purpose of the creation of land cover maps, it is important to minimize error. These errors will propagate into later analyses based on these land cover maps. The reliability of land cover maps derived from remotely sensed data depends on an accurate classification. In this study, we have analyzed multispectral data using two different classifiers including Maximum Likelihood Classifier (MLC) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). To pursue this aim, Landsat Thematic Mapper data and identical field-based training sample datasets in Johor Malaysia used for each classification method, which results indicate in five land cover classes forest, oil palm, urban area, water, rubber. Classification results indicate that SVM was more accurate than MLC. With demonstrated capability to produce reliable cover results, the SVM methods should be especially useful for land cover classification.

[Overexpression of LaeA enhances mevastatin production and reduces sporulation of Penicillium citrinum].

PubMed

Zheng, Yueliang; Cao, Shuang; Huang, Yuqi; Liao, Guojian; Hu, Changhua

2014-12-04

To study the regulation of laeA overexpression on mevastatin production and sporulation in Penicillium citrinum. We cloned the laeA gene from Penicillium citrinum and constructed the vector pGiHTGi-laeA. The plasmid pGiHTGi-laeA was transformed in Penicillium citrinum by agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Positive transformants were detected by cloning the hygromycin gene. The mevastatin production of the wild type and OE:: laeA was compared by HPLC. The conidia number was counted by blood counting chamber. The biosynthetic gene cluster expression quantity of mevastatin in the wild type and OE: :laeA were analyzed by qRT-PCR. We constructed the plasmid pGiHTGi-laeA, and screened the positive transformants that overexpress the laeA in Penicillium citrinum. With the overexpression of laeA, the mevastatin production was increased from (0.69 ± 0.12) mg/g to (4.02 ± 0.50) mg/g dry cell weight. Compared to the wild type strain, the laeA expression quantity in the OE :: laeA strain increased 29%, and the mlcB expression increased 72%, the mlcR expression increased 153%. Moreover, the overexpression of laeA would decrease the conidia number. Overexpression of LaeA enhances mevastatin production and reduces sporulation of Penicillium citrinum, with increases expression of pathway-regulator mlcR, and biosynthetic gene MlcR. These results could guide global regulatory mechanism of mevastatin biosynthesis and the exploitation of high-production strain.

Airborne particulate matter in vitro exposure induces cytoskeleton remodeling through activation of the ROCK-MYPT1-MLC pathway in A549 epithelial lung cells.

PubMed

Chirino, Yolanda I; García-Cuellar, Claudia María; García-García, Carlos; Soto-Reyes, Ernesto; Osornio-Vargas, Álvaro Román; Herrera, Luis A; López-Saavedra, Alejandro; Miranda, Javier; Quintana-Belmares, Raúl; Pérez, Irma Rosas; Sánchez-Pérez, Yesennia

2017-04-15

Airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10μm (PM 10 ) is considered a risk factor for the development of lung cancer. Little is known about the cellular mechanisms by which PM 10 is associated with cancer, but there is evidence that its exposure can lead to an acquired invasive phenotype, apoptosis evasion, inflammasome activation, and cytoskeleton remodeling in lung epithelial cells. Cytoskeleton remodeling occurs through actin stress fiber formation, which is partially regulated through ROCK kinase activation, we aimed to investigate if this protein was activated in response to PM 10 exposure in A549 lung epithelial cells. Results showed that 10μg/cm 2 of PM 10 had no influence on cell viability but increased actin stress fibers, cytoplasmic ROCK expression, and phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase-targeting 1 (MYPT1) and myosin light chain (MLC) proteins, which are targeted by ROCK. The inhibition of ROCK prevented actin stress fiber formation and the phosphorylation of MYPT1 and MLC, suggesting that PM 10 activated the ROCK-MYPT1-MLC pathway in lung epithelial cells. The activation of ROCK1 has been involved in the acquisition of malignant phenotypes, and its induction by PM 10 exposure could contribute to the understanding of PM 10 as a risk factor for cancer development through the mechanisms associated with invasive phenotype. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quality assurance of dynamic parameters in volumetric modulated arc therapy

PubMed Central

Manikandan, A; Sarkar, B; Holla, R; Vivek, T R; Sujatha, N

2012-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this study was to demonstrate quality assurance checks for accuracy of gantry speed and position, dose rate and multileaf collimator (MLC) speed and position for a volumetric modulated arc treatment (VMAT) modality (Synergy® S; Elekta, Stockholm, Sweden), and to check that all the necessary variables and parameters were synchronous. Methods Three tests (for gantry position–dose delivery synchronisation, gantry speed–dose delivery synchronisation and MLC leaf speed and positions) were performed. Results The average error in gantry position was 0.5° and the average difference was 3 MU for a linear and a parabolic relationship between gantry position and delivered dose. In the third part of this test (sawtooth variation), the maximum difference was 9.3 MU, with a gantry position difference of 1.2°. In the sweeping field method test, a linear relationship was observed between recorded doses and distance from the central axis, as expected. In the open field method, errors were encountered at the beginning and at the end of the delivery arc, termed the “beginning” and “end” errors. For MLC position verification, the maximum error was −2.46 mm and the mean error was 0.0153 ±0.4668 mm, and 3.4% of leaves analysed showed errors of >±1 mm. Conclusion This experiment demonstrates that the variables and parameters of the Synergy® S are synchronous and that the system is suitable for delivering VMAT using a dynamic MLC. PMID:22745206

TH-AB-202-03: A Novel Tool for Computing Deliverable Doses in Dynamic MLC Tracking Treatments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fast, M; Kamerling, C; Menten, M

2016-06-15

Purpose: In tracked dynamic multi-leaf collimator (MLC) treatments, segments are continuously adapted to the target centroid motion in beams-eye-view. On-the-fly segment adaptation, however, potentially induces dosimetric errors due to the finite MLC leaf width and non-rigid target motion. In this study, we outline a novel tool for computing the 4d dose of lung SBRT plans delivered with MLC tracking. Methods: The following automated workflow was developed: A) centroid tracking, where the initial segments are morphed to each 4dCT phase based on the beams-eye-view GTV shift (followed by a dose calculation on each phase); B) re-optimized tracking, in which all morphedmore » initial plans from (A) are further optimised (“warm-started”) in each 4dCT phase using the initial optimisation parameters but phase-specific volume definitions. Finally, both dose sets are accumulated to the reference phase using deformable image registration. Initial plans were generated according to the RTOG-1021 guideline (54Gy, 3-Fx, equidistant 9-beam IMRT) on the peak-exhale (reference) phase of a phase-binned 4dCT. Treatment planning and delivery simulations were performed in RayStation (research v4.6) using our in-house segment-morphing algorithm, which directly links to RayStation through a native C++ interface. Results: Computing the tracking plans and 4d dose distributions via the in-house interface takes 5 and 8 minutes respectively for centroid and re-optimized tracking. For a sample lung SBRT patient with 14mm peak-to-peak motion in sup-inf direction, mainly perpendicular leaf motion (0-collimator) resulted in small dose changes for PTV-D95 (−13cGy) and GTV-D98 (+18cGy) for the centroid tracking case compared to the initial plan. Modest reductions of OAR doses (e.g. spinal cord D2: −11cGy) were achieved in the idealized tracking case. Conclusion: This study presents an automated “1-click” workflow for computing deliverable MLC tracking doses in RayStation. Adding a non-deliverable re-optimized tracking scenario is expected to help quantify plan robustness for more challenging patients with anatomy deformations. We acknowledge support of the MLC tracking research from Elekta AB. MFF is supported by Cancer Research UK under Programme C33589/A19908. Research at ICR is also supported by Cancer Research UK under Programme C33589/A19727 and NHS funding to the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at RMH and ICR.« less

SU-G-BRA-16: Target Dose Comparison for Dynamic MLC Tracking and Mid- Ventilation Planning in Lung Radiotherapy Subject to Intrafractional Baseline Drifts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Menten, MJ; Fast, MF; Nill, S

Purpose: Lung tumor motion during radiotherapy can be accounted for by expanded treatment margins, for example using a mid-ventilation planning approach, or by localizing the tumor in real-time and adapting the treatment beam with multileaf collimator (MLC) tracking. This study evaluates the effect of intrafractional changes in the average tumor position (baseline drifts) on these two treatment techniques. Methods: Lung stereotactic treatment plans (9-beam IMRT, 54Gy/3 fractions, mean treatment time: 9.63min) were generated for three patients: either for delivery with MLC tracking (isotropic GTV-to-PTV margin: 2.6mm) or planned with a mid-ventilation approach and delivered without online motion compensation (GTV-to-PTV margin:more » 4.4-6.3mm). Delivery to a breathing patient was simulated using DynaTrack, our in-house tracking and delivery software. Baseline drifts in cranial and posterior direction were simulated at a rate of 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5mm/min. For dose reconstruction, the corresponding 4DCT phase was selected for each time point of the delivery. Baseline drifts were accounted for by rigidly shifting the CT to ensure correct relative beam-to-target positioning. Afterwards, the doses delivered to each 4DCT phase were accumulated deformably on the mid-ventilation phase using research RayStation v4.6 and dose coverage of the GTV was evaluated. Results: When using the mid-ventilation planning approach, dose coverage of the tumor deteriorated substantially in the presence of baseline drifts. The reduction in D98% coverage of the GTV in a single fraction ranged from 0.4-1.2, 0.6-3.3 and 4.5-6.2Gy, respectively, for the different drift rates. With MLC tracking the GTV D98% coverage remained unchanged (+/− 0.1Gy) regardless of drift. Conclusion: Intrafractional baseline drifts reduce the tumor dose in treatments based on mid-ventilation planning. In rare, large target baseline drifts tumor dose coverage may drop below the prescription, potentially affecting clinical outcome in hypofractionated treatment protocols. Dynamic MLC tracking preserves tumor dose coverage even in the presence of extreme baseline drifts. We acknowledge financial and technical support of the MLC tracking research from Elekta AB. Research at ICR is supported by CRUK under Programme C33589/A19727 and NHS funding to the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at RMH and ICR. MFF is supported by CRUK under Programme C33589/A19908.« less

Donor Cell Composition and Reactivity Predict Risk of Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

PubMed

Sairafi, Darius; Stikvoort, Arwen; Gertow, Jens; Mattsson, Jonas; Uhlin, Michael

2016-01-01

Background . Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a serious complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We designed a functional assay for assessment of individual risk for acute GVHD. Study Design and Methods . Blood samples were collected from patients and donors before HSCT. Two groups of seven patients each were selected, one in which individuals developed acute GVHD grades II-IV and one in which none showed any clinical signs of GVHD. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from donors were incubated in mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLCs) with recipient PBMCs. The cells were characterized by flow cytometry before and after MLC. Results . Samples from donors in the GVHD group contained significantly lower frequencies of naïve γδ T-cells and T-cells expressing NK-cell markers CD56 and CD94. Donor samples in this group also exhibited lower frequencies of naïve CD95 + T-cells compared to controls. After MLC, there were dissimilarities in the CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio and frequency of CD69 + T-cells between the two patient groups, with the non-GVHD group showing higher frequencies of CD8 + and CD69 + T-cells. Conclusion . We conclude that a thorough flow cytometric analysis of donor cells for phenotype and allogeneic reactivity may be of value when assessing pretransplant risk for severe acute GVHD.

Comparison modeling for alpine vegetation distribution in an arid area.

PubMed

Zhou, Jihua; Lai, Liming; Guan, Tianyu; Cai, Wetao; Gao, Nannan; Zhang, Xiaolong; Yang, Dawen; Cong, Zhentao; Zheng, Yuanrun

2016-07-01

Mapping and modeling vegetation distribution are fundamental topics in vegetation ecology. With the rise of powerful new statistical techniques and GIS tools, the development of predictive vegetation distribution models has increased rapidly. However, modeling alpine vegetation with high accuracy in arid areas is still a challenge because of the complexity and heterogeneity of the environment. Here, we used a set of 70 variables from ASTER GDEM, WorldClim, and Landsat-8 OLI (land surface albedo and spectral vegetation indices) data with decision tree (DT), maximum likelihood classification (MLC), and random forest (RF) models to discriminate the eight vegetation groups and 19 vegetation formations in the upper reaches of the Heihe River Basin in the Qilian Mountains, northwest China. The combination of variables clearly discriminated vegetation groups but failed to discriminate vegetation formations. Different variable combinations performed differently in each type of model, but the most consistently important parameter in alpine vegetation modeling was elevation. The best RF model was more accurate for vegetation modeling compared with the DT and MLC models for this alpine region, with an overall accuracy of 75 % and a kappa coefficient of 0.64 verified against field point data and an overall accuracy of 65 % and a kappa of 0.52 verified against vegetation map data. The accuracy of regional vegetation modeling differed depending on the variable combinations and models, resulting in different classifications for specific vegetation groups.

The Meteoroid Fluence at Mars Due to Comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moorhead, A.; Wiegert, P.; Blaauw, R.; McCarty, C.; Kingery, A.; Cooke, W.

2014-01-01

Long-period comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) will experience a close encounter with Mars on 2014 Oct 19. A collision between the comet and the planet has been ruled out, but the comet's coma may envelop Mars and its man-made satellites. By the time of the close encounter, five operational spacecraft will be present near Mars. Characterizing the coma is crucial for assessing the risk posed to these satellites by meteoroid impacts. We present an analytic model of cometary comae that describes the spatial and size distributions of cometary dust and meteoroids. This model correctly reproduces, to within an order of magnitude, the number of impacts recorded by Giotto near 1P/Halley [1] and by Stardust near comet 81P/Wild 2 [2]. Applied to Siding Spring, our model predicts a total particle fluence near Mars of 0.02 particles per square meter. In order to determine the degree to which Siding Spring's coma deviates from a sphere, we perform numerical simulations which take into account both gravitational effects and radiative forces. We take the entire dust component of the coma and tail continuum into account by simulating the ejection and evolution of dust particles from comet Siding Spring. The total number of particles simulated is essentially a free parameter and does not provide a check on the total fluence. Instead, these simulations illustrate the degree to which the coma of Siding Spring deviates from the perfect sphere described by our analytic model (see Figure). We conclude that our analytic model sacrifices less than an order of magnitude in accuracy by neglecting particle dynamics and radiation pressure and is thus adequate for order-of-magnitude fluence estimates. Comet properties may change unpredictably and therefore an analytic coma model that enables quick recalculation of the meteoroid fluence is highly desirable. NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office is monitoring comet Siding Spring and taking measurements of cometary brightness and dust production. We will discuss our coma model and nominal fluence taking the latest observations into account.

Textural feature calculated from segmental fluences as a modulation index for VMAT.

PubMed

Park, So-Yeon; Park, Jong Min; Kim, Jung-In; Kim, Hyoungnyoun; Kim, Il Han; Ye, Sung-Joon

2015-12-01

Textural features calculated from various segmental fluences of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans were optimized to enhance its performance to predict plan delivery accuracy. Twenty prostate and twenty head and neck VMAT plans were selected retrospectively. Fluences were generated for each VMAT plan by summations of segments at sequential groups of control points. The numbers of summed segments were 5, 10, 20, 45, 90, 178 and 356. For each fluence, we investigated 6 textural features: angular second moment, inverse difference moment, contrast, variance, correlation and entropy (particular displacement distances, d = 1, 5 and 10). Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (rs) were calculated between each textural feature and several different measures of VMAT delivery accuracy. The values of rs of contrast (d = 10) with 10 segments to both global and local gamma passing rates with 2%/2 mm were 0.666 (p <0.001) and 0.573 (p <0.001), respectively. It showed rs values of -0.895 (p <0.001) and 0.727 (p <0.001) to multi-leaf collimator positional errors and gantry angle errors during delivery, respectively. The number of statistically significant rs values (p <0.05) to the changes in dose-volumetric parameters during delivery was 14 among a total of 35 tested parameters. Contrast (d = 10) with 10 segments showed higher correlations to the VMAT delivery accuracy than did the conventional modulation indices. Copyright © 2015 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A common fluence threshold for first positive and second positive phototropism in Arabidopsis thaliana

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Janoudi, A.; Poff, K. L.

1990-01-01

The relationship between the amount of light and the amount of response for any photobiological process can be based on the number of incident quanta per unit time (fluence rate-response) or on the number of incident quanta during a given period of irradiation (fluence-response). Fluence-response and fluence rate-response relationships have been measured for second positive phototropism by seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana. The fluence-response relationships exhibit a single limiting threshold at about 0.01 micromole per square meter when measured at fluence rates from 2.4 x 10(-5) to 6.5 x 10(-3) micromoles per square meter per second. The threshold values in the fluence rate-response curves decrease with increasing time of irradiation, but show a common fluence threshold at about 0.01 micromole per square meter. These thresholds are the same as the threshold of about 0.01 micromole per square meter measured for first positive phototropism. Based on these data, it is suggested that second positive curvature has a threshold in time of about 10 minutes. Moreover, if the times of irradiation exceed the time threshold, there is a single limiting fluence threshold at about 0.01 micromole per square meter. Thus, the limiting fluence threshold for second positive phototropism is the same as the fluence threshold for first positive phototropism. Based on these data, we suggest that this common fluence threshold for first positive and second positive phototropism is set by a single photoreceptor pigment system.

A Rapidly Deployable Bridge System

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-15

17 - 4PH SS H1150 Hinge Pins 30x106 psi (2) 143 ksi (4) 157 ksi (4) - 104.7 ksi SS T316 Cables 30x106 psi - 116 ksi - 77.3 ksi The stress...CLASSIFICATION OF: 17 . LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT Public Release 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 12 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT unclassified b...an MLC30/12m configuration. The MLC50/20m system uses 17 modules in a 9/8 configuration. The connection of the modules to each other is by means of

SU-E-T-550: Modulation Index for VMAT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, J; Park, S; Kim, J

2015-06-15

Purpose: To present modulation indices (MIs) for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Methods: A total of 40 VMAT plans were retrospectively selected. To investigate the delivery accuracy of each VMAT plan, gamma passing rates, differences in modulating parameters between plans and log files, and differences between the original plans and the plans reconstructed with the log files were acquired. A modulation index (MIt) was designed by multiplications of the weighted quantifications of MLC speeds, MLC accelerations, gantry accelerations and dose-rate variations. Textural features including angular second moment, inverse difference moment, contrast, variance, correlation and entropy were calculated from the fluencesmore » of each VMAT plan. To test the performance of suggested MIs, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients (r) with the plan delivery accuracy were calculated. Conventional modulation indices for VMAT including the modulation complexity score for VMAT (MCSv), leaf travel modulation complexity score (LTMCS) and MI by Li & Xing were calculated, and their correlations were also analyzed in the same way. Results: The r values of contrast (particular displacement distance, d = 1), variance (d = 1), MIt, MCSv, LTMCS and MI by Li&Xing to the local gamma passing rates with 2%/2 mm were 0.547 (p < 0.001), 0.519 (p < 0.001), −0.658 (p < 0.001), 0.186 (p = 0.251), 0.312 (p = 0.05) and −0.455 (p = 0.003), respectively. The r values of those to the MLC errors were −0.863, −0.828, 0.917, −0.635, − 0.857 and 0.795, respectively (p < 0.001). For dose-volumetric parameters, MIt showed higher statistically significant correlations than did the conventional modulation indices. Conclusion: The MIt, contrast (d = 1) and variance (d = 1) showed good performance to predict the VMAT delivery accuracy showing higher correlations to the results of various types of verification methods for VMAT. This work was in part supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant (no. 490-20140029 and no. 490-20130047) funded by the Korea government.« less

Monte Carlo evaluation of RapidArc™ oropharynx treatment planning strategies for sparing of midline structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bush, K.; Zavgorodni, S.; Gagne, I.; Townson, R.; Ansbacher, W.; Beckham, W.

2010-08-01

The aim of the study was to perform the Monte Carlo (MC) evaluation of RapidArc™ (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) dose calculations for four oropharynx midline sparing planning strategies. Six patients with squamous cell cancer of the oropharynx were each planned with four RapidArc head and neck treatment strategies consisting of single and double photon arcs. In each case, RTOG0522 protocol objectives were used during planning optimization. Dose calculations performed with the analytical anisotropic algorithm (AAA) are compared against BEAMnrc/DOSXYZnrc dose calculations for the 24-plan dataset. Mean dose and dose-to-98%-of-structure-volume (D98%) were used as metrics in the evaluation of dose to planning target volumes (PTVs). Mean dose and dose-to-2%-of-structure-volume (D2%) were used to evaluate dose differences within organs at risk (OAR). Differences in the conformity index (CI) and the homogeneity index (HI) as well as 3D dose distributions were also observed. AAA calculated PTV mean dose, D98%, and HIs showed very good agreement with MC dose calculations within the 0.8% MC (statistical) calculation uncertainty. Regional node volume (PTV-80%) mean dose and D98% were found to be overestimated (1.3%, σ = 0.8% and 2.3%, σ = 0.8%, respectively) by the AAA with respect to MC calculations. Mean dose and D2% to OAR were also observed to be consistently overestimated by the AAA. Increasing dose calculation differences were found in planning strategies exhibiting a higher overall fluence modulation. From the plan dataset, the largest local dose differences were observed in heavily shielded regions and within the esophageal and sinus cavities. AAA dose calculations as implemented in RapidArc™ demonstrate excellent agreement with MC calculations in unshielded regions containing moderate inhomogeneities. Acceptable agreement is achieved in regions of increased MLC shielding. Differences in dose are attributed to inaccuracies in the AAA-modulated fluence modeling, modeling of material inhomogeneities and dose deposition within low-density materials. The use of MC dose calculations leads to the same general conclusion as using AAA that a two arc delivery with limited collimator opening can provide the greatest amount of midline sparing compared to the other techniques investigated.

A Common Fluence Threshold for First Positive and Second Positive Phototropism in Arabidopsis thaliana1

PubMed Central

Janoudi, Abdul; Poff, Kenneth L.

1990-01-01

The relationship between the amount of light and the amount of response for any photobiological process can be based on the number of incident quanta per unit time (fluence rate-response) or on the number of incident quanta during a given period of irradiation (fluence-response). Fluence-response and fluence rate-response relationships have been measured for second positive phototropism by seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana. The fluence-response relationships exhibit a single limiting threshold at about 0.01 micromole per square meter when measured at fluence rates from 2.4 × 10−5 to 6.5 × 10−3 micromoles per square meter per second. The threshold values in the fluence rateresponse curves decrease with increasing time of irradiation, but show a common fluence threshold at about 0.01 micromole per square meter. These thresholds are the same as the threshold of about 0.01 micromole per square meter measured for first positive phototropism. Based on these data, it is suggested that second positive curvature has a threshold in time of about 10 minutes. Moreover, if the times of irradiation exceed the time threshold, there is a single limiting fluence threshold at about 0.01 micromole per square meter. Thus, the limiting fluence threshold for second positive phototropism is the same as the fluence threshold for first positive phototropism. Based on these data, we suggest that this common fluence threshold for first positive and second positive phototropism is set by a single photoreceptor pigment system. PMID:11537470

Experimental and Monte Carlo studies of fluence corrections for graphite calorimetry in low- and high-energy clinical proton beams.

PubMed

Lourenço, Ana; Thomas, Russell; Bouchard, Hugo; Kacperek, Andrzej; Vondracek, Vladimir; Royle, Gary; Palmans, Hugo

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to determine fluence corrections necessary to convert absorbed dose to graphite, measured by graphite calorimetry, to absorbed dose to water. Fluence corrections were obtained from experiments and Monte Carlo simulations in low- and high-energy proton beams. Fluence corrections were calculated to account for the difference in fluence between water and graphite at equivalent depths. Measurements were performed with narrow proton beams. Plane-parallel-plate ionization chambers with a large collecting area compared to the beam diameter were used to intercept the whole beam. High- and low-energy proton beams were provided by a scanning and double scattering delivery system, respectively. A mathematical formalism was established to relate fluence corrections derived from Monte Carlo simulations, using the fluka code [A. Ferrari et al., "fluka: A multi-particle transport code," in CERN 2005-10, INFN/TC 05/11, SLAC-R-773 (2005) and T. T. Böhlen et al., "The fluka Code: Developments and challenges for high energy and medical applications," Nucl. Data Sheets 120, 211-214 (2014)], to partial fluence corrections measured experimentally. A good agreement was found between the partial fluence corrections derived by Monte Carlo simulations and those determined experimentally. For a high-energy beam of 180 MeV, the fluence corrections from Monte Carlo simulations were found to increase from 0.99 to 1.04 with depth. In the case of a low-energy beam of 60 MeV, the magnitude of fluence corrections was approximately 0.99 at all depths when calculated in the sensitive area of the chamber used in the experiments. Fluence correction calculations were also performed for a larger area and found to increase from 0.99 at the surface to 1.01 at greater depths. Fluence corrections obtained experimentally are partial fluence corrections because they account for differences in the primary and part of the secondary particle fluence. A correction factor, F(d), has been established to relate fluence corrections defined theoretically to partial fluence corrections derived experimentally. The findings presented here are also relevant to water and tissue-equivalent-plastic materials given their carbon content.

Prediction of LDEF ionizing radiation environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watts, John W.; Parnell, T. A.; Derrickson, James H.; Armstrong, T. W.; Benton, E. V.

1992-01-01

The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) spacecraft flew in a 28.5 deg inclination circular orbit with an altitude in the range from 172 to 258.5 nautical miles. For this orbital altitude and inclination two components contribute most of the penetrating charge particle radiation encountered - the galactic cosmic rays and the geomagnetically trapped Van Allen protons. Where shielding is less than 1.0 g/sq cm geomagnetically trapped electrons make a significant contribution. The 'Vette' models together with the associated magnetic filed models were used to obtain the trapped electron and proton fluences. The mission proton doses were obtained from the fluence using the Burrell proton dose program. For the electron and bremsstrahlung dose we used the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) electron dose program. The predicted doses were in general agreement with those measured with on-board thermoluminescent detector (TLD) dosimeters. The NRL package of programs, Cosmic Ray Effects on MicroElectronics (CREME), was used to calculate the linear energy transfer (LET) spectrum due to galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and trapped protons for comparison with LDEF measurements.

Charged Particle Detection: Potential of Love Wave Acoustic Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedrick, Michael; Tittmann, Bernhard

2006-03-01

An investigation of the dependence of film density on group and phase velocities in a Love Wave Device shows potential for acoustic-based charged particle detection (CPD). Exposure of an ion sensitive photoresist to charged particles causes localized changes in density through either scission or cross-linking. A theoretical model was developed to study ion fluence effects on Love Wave sensitivity based on: ion energy, effective density changes, layer thickness and mode selection. The model is based on a Poly(Methyl Methacralate) (PMMA) film deposited on a Quartz substrate. The effect of Helium ion fluence on the properties of PMMA has previously been studied. These guidelines were used as an initial basis for the prediction of helium ion detection in a PMMA layer. Procedures for experimental characterization of ion effects on the material properties of PMMA are reviewed. Techniques for experimental validation of the predicted velocity shifts are discussed. A Love Wave Device for CPD could potentially provide a cost-effective alternative to semiconductor or photo-based counterparts. The potential for monitoring ion implantation effects on material properties is also discussed.

Modeling radiation damage to pixel sensors in the ATLAS detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ducourthial, A.

2018-03-01

Silicon pixel detectors are at the core of the current and planned upgrade of the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) . As the closest detector component to the interaction point, these detectors will be subject to a significant amount of radiation over their lifetime: prior to the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) [1], the innermost layers will receive a fluence in excess of 1015 neq/cm2 and the HL-LHC detector upgrades must cope with an order of magnitude higher fluence integrated over their lifetimes. Simulating radiation damage is essential in order to make accurate predictions for current and future detector performance that will enable searches for new particles and forces as well as precision measurements of Standard Model particles such as the Higgs boson. We present a digitization model that includes radiation damage effects on the ATLAS pixel sensors for the first time. In addition to thoroughly describing the setup, we present first predictions for basic pixel cluster properties alongside early studies with LHC Run 2 proton-proton collision data.

Caries selective ablation: the handpiece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hennig, Thomas; Rechmann, Peter; Holtermann, Andreas

1995-05-01

Caries selective ablation is fixed to a window of fluences predicted by the ablation thresholds of carious and healthy dentin, respectively. The aim of the study was to develop a dental handpiece which guarantees homogeneous fluence at the irradiated tooth surface. Furthermore the point of treatment should be cooled down without energy losses due to the cooling system. We suggest the direct coupling of the laser radiation into a laminar stream of liquid, which acts in turn as a lengthened beam guide. The impacts of the laser radiation and of the cooling medium fall exactly into the same point. Hot ablation debris is removed out of the crater by the flush of the water jet. Fluences are constant if the handpiece is used in contact mode or at a distance. Normally the surface of a bare fiber working in contact mode is destroyed after a few shots. Coupling the laser radiation into a stream of liquid prevents this destruction. Putting together the benefits of this special handpiece short overall treatment times seem to be possible. High average power can be applied to the tooth without the threat of thermal damage. Furthermore no time consuming cutting of the fiber prolongs the treatment time.

Apollo 16 neutron stratigraphy.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russ, G. P., III

1973-01-01

The Apollo 16 soils have the largest low-energy neutron fluences yet observed in lunar samples. Variations in the isotopic ratios Gd-158/Gd-157 and Sm-150/Sm-149 (up to 1.9 and 2.0%, respectively) indicate that the low-energy neutron fluence in the Apollo 16 drill stem increases with depth throughout the section sampled. Such a variation implies that accretion has been the dominant regolith 'gardening' process at this location. The data may be fit by a model of continuous accretion of pre-irradiated material or by models involving as few as two slabs of material in which the first slab could have been deposited as long as 1 b.y. ago. The ratio of the number of neutrons captured per atom by Sm to the number captured per atom by Gd is lower than in previously measured lunar samples, which implies a lower energy neutron spectrum at this site. The variation of this ratio with chemical composition is qualitatively similar to that predicted by Lingenfelter et al. (1972). Variations are observed in the ratio Gd-152/Gd-160 which are fluence-correlated and probably result from neutron capture by Eu-151.

Acute toxicity of two lampricides, 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) and a TFM: 1% niclosamide mixture, to sea lamprey, three species of unionids, haliplid water beetles, and American eel

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boogaard, Michael A.; Rivera, Jane E.

2011-01-01

We conducted a series of toxicological treatments with 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) and a TFM:1% 2′,5-dichloro-4′-nitrosalicylanilide (niclosamide) mixture, two compounds used to control larval sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in Great Lakes tributaries, to evaluate the acute toxicity of the lampricides to a number of nontarget species of concern. Treatments were conducted with yellow stage American eel (Anguilla rostrata), adult and larval haliplid water beetles (Haliplus spp.), a surrogate for the endangered Hungerford’s crawling water beetle (Brychius hungerfordi), and adults of three unionid species—giant floater (Pyganadon grandis), fragile papershell (Leptodea fragilis), and pink heelsplitter (Potamilus alatus). Treatments were conducted using a serial dilution system consisting of nine test concentrations and an untreated control with 20% dilution between concentrations. Narcosis was evident among giant floaters exposed to the TFM and the TFM:1% niclosamide mixture and among pink heelsplitters exposed to the TFM:1% niclosamide mixture only but mostly at concentrations greater than 2-fold that required to kill 100% of larval sea lamprey (minimum lethal concentration (MLC)). Tests with the haliplid beetle suggest the risks to the Hungerford’s crawling water beetle associated with TFM applications are minimal. Concentrations over 2-fold the sea lamprey MLC did not kill adult or larval water beetles. Preliminary behavioral observations suggest water beetles may avoid treatment by crawling out of the water. Adult water beetles exposed to TFM at 3-fold the sea lamprey MLC were observed above the water line more often than controls. The lampricide TFM was not acutely toxic to American eel. Mortalities were rare among American eel exposed to TFM concentrations up to 7-fold the observed sea lamprey MLC. Similarly, for the TFM:1% niclosamide mixture, mortalities were rare among American eel exposed to nearly 5-fold the observed sea lamprey MLC. Overall, acute TFM toxicity was not evident among any of the species examined in this study at concentrations targeted to control larval sea lamprey. Results for the adult unionids should be viewed with caution due to the lack of replication in the treatments.

SU-E-T-598: Clinical Experience of Configuration, Commission and Implementation for SmartArc with MOSAIQ R&V System.

PubMed

Kong, X; Clausen, C; Wang, S

2012-06-01

Clinical experience for configuration, commission and implementation of SmartArc with MOSAIQ R&V system. SmartArc is Pinnacle's solution for VMAT. On July 2011 we updated to Pinnacle 9.0 and purchased SmartArc. A standalone Eclipse workstation has been used 3 years for VMAT planning. Our clinical setting: Mosaiq 2.2; Varian Trilogy driven by 4DiTC and Varian 21ex driven by sequencer. Some key physics parameters have been studied: machine dose rate; MLC leaf speed; Leaf motion per gantry rotation. Tabletop was created by user to improve the dose accuracy for planning. In-house sandwich phantom was used with MapCheck for planner dose verification. A PTW 0.6cc ion chamber was included for absolute dose comparison. A copy of current machine data with default highest dose rate is recommended. It is due to after 10th iteration of optimization, the default dose rate will kick in. 2.5cm/s is the constraint for Varian Millennium 120 MLC; a buffer zone of 10% is suggested to reduce the MLC error on treatment. 2.25cm/s is used in our configuration. This results in MLC interlock if not configured correct. Maximum leaf motion per gantry rotation of 0.46cm/degree has to be checked for planning with Mosaiq R&V. Otherwise, undeliverable plan will show up sometimes on 4DiTC.Tabletop was exported as a DICOM structure from Eclipse to Pinnacle; we created a ROI template based on the matched tabletop.QA using in-house phantom for different sites were tested. Results for both planner dose and absolute chamber measurement are satisfactory. Special attentions need to be paid for dose rate, MLC leaf speed, leaf motion per gantry rotation when configuring SmartArc. Varian 21ex is supported but is slow for clinical delivery. Users need to create your own tabletop to improve planning accuracy. Conventional commission procedures for RapidArc also apply for SmartArc. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

MO-FG-BRA-06: Electromagnetic Beacon Insertion in Lung Cancer Patients and Resultant Surrogacy Errors for Dynamic MLC Tumour Tracking

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hardcastle, N; Booth, J; Caillet, V

Purpose: To assess endo-bronchial electromagnetic beacon insertion and to quantify the geometric accuracy of using beacons as a surrogate for tumour motion in real-time multileaf collimator (MLC) tracking of lung tumours. Methods: The LIGHT SABR trial is a world-first clinical trial in which the MLC leaves move with lung tumours in real time on a standard linear accelerator. Tracking is performed based on implanted electromagnetic beacons (CalypsoTM, Varian Medical Systems, USA) as a surrogate for tumour motion. Five patients have been treated and have each had three beacons implanted endo-bronchially under fluoroscopic guidance. The centre of mass (C.O.M) has beenmore » used to adapt the MLC in real-time. The geometric error in using the beacon C.O.M as a surrogate for tumour motion was measured by measuring the tumour and beacon C.O.M in all phases of the respiratory cycle of a 4DCT. The surrogacy error was defined as the difference in beacon and tumour C.O.M relative to the reference phase (maximum exhale). Results: All five patients have had three beacons successfully implanted with no migration between simulation and end of treatment. Beacon placement relative to tumour C.O.M varied from 14 to 74 mm and in one patient spanned two lobes. Surrogacy error was measured in each patient on the simulation 4DCT and ranged from 0 to 3 mm. Surrogacy error as measured on 4DCT was subject to artefacts in mid-ventilation phases. Surrogacy error was a function of breathing phase and was typically larger at maximum inhale. Conclusion: Beacon placement and thus surrogacy error is a major component of geometric uncertainty in MLC tracking of lung tumours. Surrogacy error must be measured on each patient and incorporated into margin calculation. Reduction of surrogacy error is limited by airway anatomy, however should be taken into consideration when performing beacon insertion and planning. This research is funded by Varian Medical Systems via a collaborative research agreement.« less

Durability of the beneficial effect of MLC601 (NeuroAiD™) on functional recovery among stroke patients from the Philippines in the CHIMES and CHIMES-E studies.

PubMed

Navarro, Jose C; Chen, Christopher Lh; Lee, Chun F; Gan, Herminigildo H; Lao, Annabelle Y; Baroque, Alejandro C; Hiyadan, John Harold B; Chua, Carlos L; San Jose, Ma Cristina; Advincula, Joel M; Venketasubramanian, Narayanaswamy

2017-04-01

Background and Aim A pre-specified country analysis of subjects from the Philippines in the CHInese Medicine NeuroAiD Efficacy on Stroke recovery (CHIMES) Study showed significantly improved functional and neurological outcomes on MLC601 at month (M) 3. We aimed to assess these effects on long-term functional recovery in the Filipino cohort. Methods The CHIMES-E (extension) Study evaluated subjects who completed three months of randomized placebo-controlled treatment in CHIMES up to two years. Blinding of treatment allocation was maintained and all subjects received standard stroke care and rehabilitation. Modified Rankin Score (mRS) and Barthel Index (BI) were assessed in-person at M3 and by telephone at M6, M12, M18, M24. Odds ratios (OR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for functional recovery using ordinal analysis of mRS and for achieving functional independence (mRS 0-1 or BI ≥ 95) at each time point were calculated, adjusting for age, sex, baseline National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), onset-to-treatment time (OTT) and pre-stroke mRS. Results The 378 subjects (MLC601 192, placebo 186) included in CHIMES-E from the Philippines (mean age 60.2 ± 11.1) had more women ( p < 0.001), worse baseline NIHSS ( p < 0.001) and longer onset to treatment time ( p = 0.002) compared to other countries. Baseline characteristics were similar between treatment groups. The treatment effect of MLC601 seen at M3 peaked at M6 with OR for mRS shift of 1.53 (95% CI 1.05-2.22), mRS dichotomy 0-1 of 1.77 (95% CI 1.10-2.83), and BI ≥ 95 of 1.87 (95% CI 1.16-3.02). The beneficial effect persisted up to M24. Conclusion The beneficial effect of MLC601 seen at M3 in the Filipino cohort is durable up to two years after stroke.

Anti-Trichomonas vaginalis properties of the oil of Amomum tsao-ko and its major component, geraniol.

PubMed

Dai, Min; Peng, Cheng; Peng, Fu; Xie, Chengbin; Wang, Pinjia; Sun, Fenghui

2016-01-01

Trichomonosis, caused by the flagellate protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease (STD) and 5-nitroimidazole drugs are used for the treatment. However, a growing number of T. vaginalis isolates are resistant to these drugs, which make it becomes an urgent issue. The current study was designed to evaluate the anti-T. vaginalis activity of the essential oil from A. tsao-ko used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a spice and its main component, geraniol. The anti-T. vaginalis activities of A. tsao-ko essential oil and geraniol were evaluated by the minimum lethal concentration (MLC) and 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) in vitro. The morphological changes of T. vaginalis were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Additionally, sub-MLC concentration treatment with sub-MLC A. tsao-ko essential oil and geraniol was also performed. This study shows that MLC/IC50 of A. tsao-ko essential oil was 44.97 µg/ml/22.49 µg/ml for T. vaginalis isolate Tv1, and 89.93 µg/ml/44.97 µg/ml for T. vaginalis isolate Tv2. Those of geraniol were 342.96 µg/ml/171.48 µg/ml, respectively. After A. tsao-ko essential oil or geraniol treatment, obvious similar morphological changes of T. vaginalis were observed by TEM: the nuclear membrane was damaged, nuclei were dissolved, and the chromatin was accumulated; in the cytoplasm, numerous vacuoles appeared, rough endoplasmic reticulum dilated, the number of ribosomes were reduced, organelles disintegrated, the cell membrane was partially damaged, with cytoplasmic leakage, and cell disintegration was observed. The action time did not increase the effect of A. tsao-ko essential oil or geraniol against T. vaginalis, as no significant difference was observed after sub-MLC concentration treatment for 1, 3, and 5 h with A. tsao-ko essential oil and geraniol. The study describes the first report on the activity and morphological changes of A. tsao-ko essential oil and geraniol against T. vaginalis. The results obtained herein presented new opportunities for antitrichomonal drugs.

Planning and delivery of four-dimensional radiation therapy with multileaf collimators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McMahon, Ryan L.

This study is an investigation of the application of multileaf collimators (MLCs) to the treatment of moving anatomy with external beam radiation therapy. First, a method for delivering intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to moving tumors is presented. This method uses an MLC control algorithm that calculates appropriate MLC leaf speeds in response to feedback from real-time imaging. The algorithm does not require a priori knowledge of a tumor's motion, and is based on the concept of self-correcting DMLC leaf trajectories . This gives the algorithm the distinct advantage of allowing for correction of DMLC delivery errors without interrupting delivery. The algorithm is first tested for the case of one-dimensional (1D) rigid tumor motion in the beam's eye view (BEV). For this type of motion, it is shown that the real-time tracking algorithm results in more accurate deliveries, with respect to delivered intensity, than those which ignore motion altogether. This is followed by an appropriate extension of the algorithm to two-dimensional (2D) rigid motion in the BEV. For this type of motion, it is shown that the 2D real-time tracking algorithm results in improved accuracy (in the delivered intensity) in comparison to deliveries which ignore tumor motion or only account for tumor motion which is aligned with MLC leaf travel. Finally, a method is presented for designing DMLC leaf trajectories which deliver a specified intensity over a moving tumor without overexposing critical structures which exhibit motion patterns that differ from that of the tumor. In addition to avoiding overexposure of critical organs, the method can, in the case shown, produce deliveries that are superior to anything achievable using stationary anatomy. In this regard, the method represents a systematic way to include anatomical motion as a degree of freedom in the optimization of IMRT while producing treatment plans that are deliverable with currently available technology. These results, combined with those related to the real-time MLC tracking algorithm, show that an MLC is a promising tool to investigate for the delivery of four-dimensional radiation therapy.

Multileaf collimator tracking integrated with a novel x-ray imaging system and external surrogate monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krauss, Andreas; Fast, Martin F.; Nill, Simeon; Oelfke, Uwe

2012-04-01

We have previously developed a tumour tracking system, which adapts the aperture of a Siemens 160 MLC to electromagnetically monitored target motion. In this study, we exploit the use of a novel linac-mounted kilovoltage x-ray imaging system for MLC tracking. The unique in-line geometry of the imaging system allows the detection of target motion perpendicular to the treatment beam (i.e. the directions usually featuring steep dose gradients). We utilized the imaging system either alone or in combination with an external surrogate monitoring system. We equipped a Siemens ARTISTE linac with two flat panel detectors, one directly underneath the linac head for motion monitoring and the other underneath the patient couch for geometric tracking accuracy assessments. A programmable phantom with an embedded metal marker reproduced three patient breathing traces. For MLC tracking based on x-ray imaging alone, marker position was detected at a frame rate of 7.1 Hz. For the combined external and internal motion monitoring system, a total of only 85 x-ray images were acquired prior to or in between the delivery of ten segments of an IMRT beam. External motion was monitored with a potentiometer. A correlation model between external and internal motion was established. The real-time component of the MLC tracking procedure then relied solely on the correlation model estimations of internal motion based on the external signal. Geometric tracking accuracies were 0.6 mm (1.1 mm) and 1.8 mm (1.6 mm) in directions perpendicular and parallel to the leaf travel direction for the x-ray-only (the combined external and internal) motion monitoring system in spite of a total system latency of ˜0.62 s (˜0.51 s). Dosimetric accuracy for a highly modulated IMRT beam-assessed through radiographic film dosimetry-improved substantially when tracking was applied, but depended strongly on the respective geometric tracking accuracy. In conclusion, we have for the first time integrated MLC tracking with x-ray imaging in the in-line geometry and demonstrated highly accurate respiratory motion tracking.

Comparison between micellar liquid chromatography and capillary zone electrophoresis for the determination of hydrophobic basic drugs in pharmaceutical preparations.

PubMed

Torres-Cartas, S; Martín-Biosca, Y; Sagrado, S; Villanueva-Camañas, R M; Medina-Hernández, M J

2007-01-01

The determination of highly hydrophobic basic compounds by means of conventional reversed-phase liquid chromatographic methods has several drawbacks. Owing to the characteristics of micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE), these techniques could be advantageous alternatives to reversed-phase chromatographic methods for the determination of these kinds of compounds. The objective of this study was to develop and compare MLC and CE methods for the determination of antipsychotic basic drugs (amitryptiline, haloperidol, perphenazine and thioridazine) in pharmaceutical preparations. The chromatographic determination of the analytes was performed on a Kromasil C(18) analytical column; the mobile phase was 0.04 m cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), at pH 3, containing 5% 1-butanol, at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The CE separation was performed in a fused-silica capillary with a 50 mm tris-(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane buffer, pH 7, at an applied voltage of 20 kV, using barbital as internal stardard. The proposed methods are suitable for a reliable quantitation of these compounds in the commercial tablets and drops in terms of accuracy and precision and require a very simple pre-treatment of the samples. By comparing the performance characteristics and experimental details of the MLC and CE methods we conclude that CE seems to be slightly better than MLC in the determination of highly hydrophobic compounds in pharmaceuticals in terms of resolution and economy, taking into account that the limits of detection are not a handicap in pharmaceutical samples. Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

On the use of biomathematical models in patient-specific IMRT dose QA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhen Heming; Nelms, Benjamin E.; Tome, Wolfgang A.

2013-07-15

Purpose: To investigate the use of biomathematical models such as tumor control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) as new quality assurance (QA) metrics.Methods: Five different types of error (MLC transmission, MLC penumbra, MLC tongue and groove, machine output, and MLC position) were intentionally induced to 40 clinical intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) patient plans (20 H and N cases and 20 prostate cases) to simulate both treatment planning system errors and machine delivery errors in the IMRT QA process. The changes in TCP and NTCP for eight different anatomic structures (H and N: CTV, GTV, both parotids,more » spinal cord, larynx; prostate: CTV, rectal wall) were calculated as the new QA metrics to quantify the clinical impact on patients. The correlation between the change in TCP/NTCP and the change in selected DVH values was also evaluated. The relation between TCP/NTCP change and the characteristics of the TCP/NTCP curves is discussed.Results:{Delta}TCP and {Delta}NTCP were summarized for each type of induced error and each structure. The changes/degradations in TCP and NTCP caused by the errors vary widely depending on dose patterns unique to each plan, and are good indicators of each plan's 'robustness' to that type of error.Conclusions: In this in silico QA study the authors have demonstrated the possibility of using biomathematical models not only as patient-specific QA metrics but also as objective indicators that quantify, pretreatment, a plan's robustness with respect to possible error types.« less

Gluten-induced symptoms in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome are associated with increased myosin light chain kinase activity and claudin-15 expression

PubMed Central

Wu, Richard Licheng; Vazquez-Roque, Maria; Carlson, Paula; Burton, Duane; Grover, Madhusudan; Camilleri, Michael; Turner, Jerrold R.

2016-01-01

The mechanisms underlying diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) are poorly understood, but increased intestinal permeability is thought to contribute to symptoms. A recent clinical trial of gluten-free diet (GFD) demonstrated symptomatic improvement, relative to gluten-containing diet (GCD), that was associated with reduced intestinal permeability in non-celiac disease IBS-D patients. The aim of this study was to characterize intestinal epithelial tight junction composition in IBS-D before and after dietary gluten challenge. Biopsies from 27 IBS-D patients (13 GFD; 14 GCD) were examined by H&E staining and semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry for phosphorylated myosin II regulatory light chain (MLC), MLC kinase, claudin-2, claudin-8, and claudin-15. Diet-induced changes were assessed and correlated with urinary mannitol excretion (after oral administration). In the small intestine, epithelial MLC phosphorylation was increased or decreased by GCD or GFD, respectively, and this correlated with increased intestinal permeability (P < 0.03). Colonocyte expression of the paracellular Na+ channel claudin-15 was also markedly augmented following GCD challenge (P < 0.05). Conversely, colonic claudin-2 expression correlated with reduced intestinal permeability (P < 0.03). Claudin-8 expression was not affected by dietary challenge. These data show that alterations in MLC phosphorylation and claudin-15 and claudin-2 expression are associated with gluten-induced symptomatology and intestinal permeability changes in IBS-D. The results provide new insight into IBS-D mechanisms and can explain permeability responses to gluten challenge in these patients. PMID:27869798

Statistical Prediction of Solar Particle Event Frequency based on the Measurements of Recent Solar Cycles for Acute Radiation Risk Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, M. Y.; Hu, S.; Cucinotta, F. A.

2009-12-01

Large solar particle events (SPEs) present significant acute radiation risks to the crew members during extra-vehicular activities (EVAs) or in lightly shielded space vehicles for space missions beyond the protection of the Earth’s magnetic field. Acute radiation sickness (ARS) can impair performance and result in failure of the mission. Improved forecasting capability and/or early-warning systems and proper shielding solutions are required to stay within NASA’s short-term dose limits. Exactly how to make use of observations of SPEs for predicting occurrence and size is a great challenge, because SPE occurrences themselves are random in nature even though the expected frequency of SPEs is strongly influenced by the time position within the solar activity cycle. Therefore, we developed a probabilistic model approach, where a cumulative expected occurrence curve of SPEs for a typical solar cycle was formed from a non-homogeneous Poisson process model fitted to a database of proton fluence measurements of SPEs that occurred during the past 5 solar cycles (19 -23) and those of large SPEs identified from impulsive nitrate enhancements in polar ice. From the fitted model, the expected frequency of SPEs was estimated at any given proton fluence threshold (ΦE) with energy (E) >30 MeV during a defined space mission period. Corresponding ΦE (E=30, 60, and 100 MeV) fluence distributions were simulated with a random draw from a gamma distribution, and applied for SPE ARS risk analysis for a specific mission period. It has been found that the accurate prediction of deep-seated organ doses was more precisely predicted at high energies, Φ100, than at lower energies such as Φ30 or Φ60, because of the high penetration depth of high energy protons. Estimates of ARS are then described for 90th and 95th percentile events for several mission lengths and for several likely organ dose-rates. The ability to accurately measure high energy protons (50-300 MeV) in real-time is shown to be a crucial issue for crew protection.

Statistical Prediction of Solar Particle Event Frequency Based on the Measurements of Recent Solar Cycles for Acute Radiation Risk Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myung-Hee, Y. Kim; Shaowen, Hu; Cucinotta, Francis A.

2009-01-01

Large solar particle events (SPEs) present significant acute radiation risks to the crew members during extra-vehicular activities (EVAs) or in lightly shielded space vehicles for space missions beyond the protection of the Earth's magnetic field. Acute radiation sickness (ARS) can impair performance and result in failure of the mission. Improved forecasting capability and/or early-warning systems and proper shielding solutions are required to stay within NASA's short-term dose limits. Exactly how to make use of observations of SPEs for predicting occurrence and size is a great challenge, because SPE occurrences themselves are random in nature even though the expected frequency of SPEs is strongly influenced by the time position within the solar activity cycle. Therefore, we developed a probabilistic model approach, where a cumulative expected occurrence curve of SPEs for a typical solar cycle was formed from a non-homogeneous Poisson process model fitted to a database of proton fluence measurements of SPEs that occurred during the past 5 solar cycles (19 - 23) and those of large SPEs identified from impulsive nitrate enhancements in polar ice. From the fitted model, the expected frequency of SPEs was estimated at any given proton fluence threshold (Phi(sub E)) with energy (E) >30 MeV during a defined space mission period. Corresponding Phi(sub E) (E=30, 60, and 100 MeV) fluence distributions were simulated with a random draw from a gamma distribution, and applied for SPE ARS risk analysis for a specific mission period. It has been found that the accurate prediction of deep-seated organ doses was more precisely predicted at high energies, Phi(sub 100), than at lower energies such as Phi(sub 30) or Phi(sub 60), because of the high penetration depth of high energy protons. Estimates of ARS are then described for 90th and 95th percentile events for several mission lengths and for several likely organ dose-rates. The ability to accurately measure high energy protons (50-300 MeV) in real-time is shown to be a crucial issue for crew protection.

Front-signal-dependent accumulation of the RHOA inhibitor FAM65B at leading edges polarizes neutrophils

PubMed Central

Gao, Kun; Tang, Wenwen; Li, Yuan; Zhang, Pingzhao; Wang, Dejie; Yu, Long; Wang, Chenji; Wu, Dianqing

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT A hallmark of neutrophil polarization is the back localization of active RHOA and phosphorylated myosin light chain (pMLC, also known as MYL2). However, the mechanism for the polarization is not entirely clear. Here, we show that FAM65B, a newly identified RHOA inhibitor, is important for the polarization. When FAM65B is phosphorylated, it binds to 14-3-3 family proteins and becomes more stable. In neutrophils, chemoattractants stimulate FAM65B phosphorylation largely depending on the signals from the front of the cells that include those mediated by phospholipase Cβ (PLCβ) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase γ (PI3Kγ), leading to FAM65B accumulation at the leading edge. Concordantly, FAM65B deficiency in neutrophils resulted in an increase in RHOA activity and localization of pMLC to the front of cells, as well as defects in chemotaxis directionality and adhesion to endothelial cells under flow. These data together elucidate a mechanism for RHOA and pMLC polarization in stimulated neutrophils through direct inhibition of RHOA by FAM65B at the leading edge. PMID:25588844

Quantification of interplay and gradient effects for lung stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) treatments

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

This study quantified the interplay and gradient effects on GTV dose coverage for 3D CRT, dMLC IMRT, and VMAT SABR treatments for target amplitudes of 5–30 mm using 3DVH v3.1 software incorporating 4D Respiratory MotionSim (4D RMS) module. For clinically relevant motion periods (5 s), the interplay effect was small, with deviations in the minimum dose covering the target volume (D99%) of less than ±2.5% for target amplitudes up to 30 mm. Increasing the period to 60 s resulted in interplay effects of up to ±15.0% on target D99% dose coverage. The gradient effect introduced by target motion resulted in deviations of up to ±3.5% in D99% target dose coverage. VMAT treatments showed the largest deviation in dose metrics, which was attributed to the long delivery times in comparison to dMLC IMRT. Retrospective patient analysis indicated minimal interplay and gradient effects for patients treated with dMLC IMRT at the NCCI. PACS numbers: 87.55.km, 87.56.Fc PMID:26894347

Different signaling pathways induced by alpha-CD3 monoclonal antibody versus alloantigen on the basis of differential ornithine sensitivity.

PubMed

Mehrotra nee Tandon, P; Lind, D S; Bear, H D; Susskind, B M

1992-08-01

Previously we reported that 10 mM ornithine (Orn) selectively inhibits the development of CD8+ CTL in MLC. Herein we show that induction by alpha-CD3 mAb of CD8+ killer cells which manifest antibody-redirected cytotoxicity (ARC) of FcR+ targets is not Orn sensitive. Orn resistance was independent of activation kinetics or alpha-CD3 mAb concentration. alpha-CD3 mAb added to the cytotoxicity assay did not reveal a cytolytic potential in CTL from an Orn-treated MLC when the target cells bore both the inducing alloantigen and FcR. Addition of alpha-CD3 mAb to MLC failed to overcome Orn inhibition of CTL and yet induced ARC activity in the same culture. Expression of mRNA for pore-forming proteins (PFP) and granzyme B was inhibited by Orn in CTL but not in ARC killer cells. Our results demonstrate differences in the T cell activation process stimulated by alloantigen or alpha-CD3 mAb.

Performance analysis of three-dimensional-triple-level cell and two-dimensional-multi-level cell NAND flash hybrid solid-state drives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakaki, Yukiya; Yamada, Tomoaki; Matsui, Chihiro; Yamaga, Yusuke; Takeuchi, Ken

2018-04-01

In order to improve performance of solid-state drives (SSDs), hybrid SSDs have been proposed. Hybrid SSDs consist of more than two types of NAND flash memories or NAND flash memories and storage-class memories (SCMs). However, the cost of hybrid SSDs adopting SCMs is more expensive than that of NAND flash only SSDs because of the high bit cost of SCMs. This paper proposes unique hybrid SSDs with two-dimensional (2D) horizontal multi-level cell (MLC)/three-dimensional (3D) vertical triple-level cell (TLC) NAND flash memories to achieve higher cost-performance. The 2D-MLC/3D-TLC hybrid SSD achieves up to 31% higher performance than the conventional 2D-MLC/2D-TLC hybrid SSD. The factors of different performance between the proposed hybrid SSD and the conventional hybrid SSD are analyzed by changing its block size, read/write/erase latencies, and write unit of 3D-TLC NAND flash memory, by means of a transaction-level modeling simulator.

Effects of laser fluence non-uniformity on ambient-temperature soot measurements using the auto-compensating laser-induced incandescence technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Fengshan; Rogak, Steven; Snelling, David R.; Saffaripour, Meghdad; Thomson, Kevin A.; Smallwood, Gregory J.

2016-11-01

Multimode pulsed Nd:YAG lasers are commonly used in auto-compensating laser-induced incandescence (AC-LII) measurements of soot in flames and engine exhaust as well as black carbon in the atmosphere. Such lasers possess a certain degree of fluence non-uniformity across the laser beam even with the use of beam shaping optics. Recent research showed that the measured volume fraction of ambient-temperature soot using AC-LII increases significantly, by about a factor of 5-8, with increasing the laser fluence in the low-fluence regime from a very low fluence to a relatively high fluence of near sublimation. The causes of this so-called soot volume fraction anomaly are currently not understood. The effects of laser fluence non-uniformity on the measured soot volume fraction using AC-LII were investigated. Three sets of LII experiments were conducted in the exhaust of a MiniCAST soot generator under conditions of high elemental carbon using Nd:YAG lasers operated at 1064 nm. The laser beams were shaped and relay imaged to achieve a relatively uniform fluence distribution in the measurement volume. To further homogenize the laser fluence, one set of LII experiments was conducted by using a diffractive optical element. The measured soot volume fractions in all three sets of LII experiments increase strongly with increasing the laser fluence before a peak value is reached and then start to decrease at higher fluences. Numerical calculations were conducted using the experimental laser fluence histograms. Laser fluence non-uniformity is found partially responsible for the soot volume fraction anomaly, but is insufficient to explain the degree of soot volume fraction anomaly observed experimentally. Representing the laser fluence variations by a histogram derived from high-resolution images of the laser beam energy profile gives a more accurate definition of inhomogeneity than a simple averaged linear profile across the laser beam.

Treatment plan comparison between helical tomotherapy and MLC-based IMRT using radiobiological measures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mavroidis, Panayiotis; Costa Ferreira, Brigida; Shi, Chengyu; Lind, Bengt K.; Papanikolaou, Nikos

2007-07-01

The rapid implementation of advanced treatment planning and delivery technologies for radiation therapy has brought new challenges in evaluating the most effective treatment modality. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) using multi-leaf collimators (MLC) and helical tomotherapy (HT) are becoming popular modes of treatment delivery and their application and effectiveness continues to be investigated. Presently, there are several treatment planning systems (TPS) that can generate and optimize IMRT plans based on user-defined objective functions for the internal target volume (ITV) and organs at risk (OAR). However, the radiobiological parameters of the different tumours and normal tissues are typically not taken into account during dose prescription and optimization of a treatment plan or during plan evaluation. The suitability of a treatment plan is typically decided based on dosimetric criteria such as dose-volume histograms (DVH), maximum, minimum, mean and standard deviation of the dose distribution. For a more comprehensive treatment plan evaluation, the biologically effective uniform dose ({\\bar{\\bar{D}}}) is applied together with the complication-free tumour control probability (P+). Its utilization is demonstrated using three clinical cases that were planned with two different forms of IMRT. In this study, three different cancer types at different anatomical sites were investigated: head and neck, lung and prostate cancers. For each cancer type, a linac MLC-based step-and-shoot IMRT plan and a HT plan were developed. The MLC-based IMRT treatment plans were developed on the Philips treatment-planning platform, using the Pinnacle 7.6 software release. For the tomotherapy HiArt plans, the dedicated tomotherapy treatment planning station was used, running version 2.1.2. By using {\\bar{\\bar{D}}} as the common prescription point of the treatment plans and plotting the tissue response probabilities versus {\\bar{\\bar{D}}} for a range of prescription doses, a number of plan trials can be compared based on radiobiological measures. The applied plan evaluation method shows that in the head and neck cancer case the HT treatment gives better results than MLC-based IMRT in terms of expected clinical outcome (P+ of 62.2% and 46.0%, {\\bar{\\bar{D}}} to the ITV of 72.3 Gy and 70.7 Gy, respectively). In the lung cancer and prostate cancer cases, the MLC-based IMRT plans are better over the clinically useful dose prescription range. For the lung cancer case, the HT and MLC-based IMRT plans give a P+ of 66.9% and 72.9%, {\\bar{\\bar{D}}} to the ITV of 64.0 Gy and 66.9 Gy, respectively. Similarly, for the prostate cancer case, the two radiation modalities give a P+ of 68.7% and 72.2%, {\\bar{\\bar{D}}} to the ITV of 86.0 Gy and 85.9 Gy, respectively. If a higher risk of complications (higher than 5%) could be allowed, the complication-free tumour control could increase by over 40%, 2% and 30% compared to the initial dose prescription for the three cancer cases, respectively. Both MLC-based IMRT and HT can encompass the often-large ITV required while they minimize the volume of the organs at risk receiving high doses. Radiobiological evaluation of treatment plans may provide an improved correlation of the delivered treatment with the clinical outcome by taking into account the dose-response characteristics of the irradiated targets and normal tissues. There may exist clinical cases, which may look dosimetrically similar but in radiobiological terms may be quite different. In such situations, traditional dose-based evaluation tools can be complemented by the use of P_ +{-}{\\bar{\\bar{D}}} diagrams to effectively evaluate and compare treatment plans.

The effect of fluence on the magnetic properties of superparamagnetic iron-nickel nanoparticles in SiO2 made by dual Ni and Fe low energy ion implantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, G. V. M.; Prakash, T.; Kennedy, J.

2017-10-01

Superparamagnetic Ni1-yFey nanoparticles were made in a SiO2 film by 10 keV ion beam implantation of Ni followed by Fe with a Ni fluence of 4 × 1016 at.cm-2 and a Fe fluence fraction of 0.47. Nearly all of the moments magnetically ordered, which was not reported for an implanted film made with a Fe fluence fraction of 0.56 and half the Ni fluence. The temperature dependence of the saturation moment is remarkably similar for low and high Ni fluences where there is also the presence of very thin spin-disordered shells. The higher Ni fluence leads to a significant enhancement of the susceptibility by a factor of 9 when compared with the lower fluence sample. This enhancement is likely to be due to a larger magnetically ordered volume fraction.

Real-time simulator for designing electron dual scattering foil systems.

PubMed

Carver, Robert L; Hogstrom, Kenneth R; Price, Michael J; LeBlanc, Justin D; Pitcher, Garrett M

2014-11-08

The purpose of this work was to develop a user friendly, accurate, real-time com- puter simulator to facilitate the design of dual foil scattering systems for electron beams on radiotherapy accelerators. The simulator allows for a relatively quick, initial design that can be refined and verified with subsequent Monte Carlo (MC) calculations and measurements. The simulator also is a powerful educational tool. The simulator consists of an analytical algorithm for calculating electron fluence and X-ray dose and a graphical user interface (GUI) C++ program. The algorithm predicts electron fluence using Fermi-Eyges multiple Coulomb scattering theory with the reduced Gaussian formalism for scattering powers. The simulator also estimates central-axis and off-axis X-ray dose arising from the dual foil system. Once the geometry of the accelerator is specified, the simulator allows the user to continuously vary primary scattering foil material and thickness, secondary scat- tering foil material and Gaussian shape (thickness and sigma), and beam energy. The off-axis electron relative fluence or total dose profile and central-axis X-ray dose contamination are computed and displayed in real time. The simulator was validated by comparison of off-axis electron relative fluence and X-ray percent dose profiles with those calculated using EGSnrc MC. Over the energy range 7-20 MeV, using present foils on an Elekta radiotherapy accelerator, the simulator was able to reproduce MC profiles to within 2% out to 20 cm from the central axis. The central-axis X-ray percent dose predictions matched measured data to within 0.5%. The calculation time was approximately 100 ms using a single Intel 2.93 GHz processor, which allows for real-time variation of foil geometrical parameters using slider bars. This work demonstrates how the user-friendly GUI and real-time nature of the simulator make it an effective educational tool for gaining a better understanding of the effects that various system parameters have on a relative dose profile. This work also demonstrates a method for using the simulator as a design tool for creating custom dual scattering foil systems in the clinical range of beam energies (6-20 MeV). 

Strange non-chaotic attractors in a state controlled-cellular neural network-based quasiperiodically forced MLC circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ezhilarasu, P. Megavarna; Inbavalli, M.; Murali, K.; Thamilmaran, K.

2018-07-01

In this paper, we report the dynamical transitions to strange non-chaotic attractors in a quasiperiodically forced state controlled-cellular neural network (SC-CNN)-based MLC circuit via two different mechanisms, namely the Heagy-Hammel route and the gradual fractalisation route. These transitions were observed through numerical simulations and hardware experiments and confirmed using statistical tools, such as maximal Lyapunov exponent spectrum and its variance and singular continuous spectral analysis. We find that there is a remarkable agreement of the results from both numerical simulations as well as from hardware experiments.

Design of neural networks for classification of remotely sensed imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chettri, Samir R.; Cromp, Robert F.; Birmingham, Mark

1992-01-01

Classification accuracies of a backpropagation neural network are discussed and compared with a maximum likelihood classifier (MLC) with multivariate normal class models. We have found that, because of its nonparametric nature, the neural network outperforms the MLC in this area. In addition, we discuss techniques for constructing optimal neural nets on parallel hardware like the MasPar MP-1 currently at GSFC. Other important discussions are centered around training and classification times of the two methods, and sensitivity to the training data. Finally, we discuss future work in the area of classification and neural nets.

[Investigation of Elekta linac characteristics for VMAT].

PubMed

Luo, Guangwen; Zhang, Kunyi

2012-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics of Elekta delivery system for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Five VMAT plans were delivered in service mode and dose rates, and speed of gantry and MLC leaves were analyzed by log files. Results showed that dose rates varied between 6 dose rates. Gantry and MLC leaf speed dynamically varied during delivery. The technique of VMAT requires linac to dynamically control more parameters, and these key dynamic variables during VMAT delivery can be checked by log files. Quality assurance procedure should be carried out for VMAT related parameter.

Excore Modeling with VERAShift

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pandya, Tara M.; Evans, Thomas M.

It is important to be able to accurately predict the neutron flux outside the immediate reactor core for a variety of safety and material analyses. Monte Carlo radiation transport calculations are required to produce the high fidelity excore responses. Under this milestone VERA (specifically the VERAShift package) has been extended to perform excore calculations by running radiation transport calculations with Shift. This package couples VERA-CS with Shift to perform excore tallies for multiple state points concurrently, with each component capable of parallel execution on independent domains. Specifically, this package performs fluence calculations in the core barrel and vessel, or, performsmore » the requested tallies in any user-defined excore regions. VERAShift takes advantage of the general geometry package in Shift. This gives VERAShift the flexibility to explicitly model features outside the core barrel, including detailed vessel models, detectors, and power plant details. A very limited set of experimental and numerical benchmarks is available for excore simulation comparison. The Consortium for the Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) has developed a set of excore benchmark problems to include as part of the VERA-CS verification and validation (V&V) problems. The excore capability in VERAShift has been tested on small representative assembly problems, multiassembly problems, and quarter-core problems. VERAView has also been extended to visualize these vessel fluence results from VERAShift. Preliminary vessel fluence results for quarter-core multistate calculations look very promising. Further development is needed to determine the details relevant to excore simulations. Validation of VERA for fluence and excore detectors still needs to be performed against experimental and numerical results.« less

A Distributed Fiber Optic Sensor Network for Online 3-D Temperature and Neutron Fluence Mapping in a VHTR Environment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsvetkov, Pavel; Dickerson, Bryan; French, Joseph

2014-04-30

Robust sensing technologies allowing for 3D in-core performance monitoring in real time are of paramount importance for already established LWRs to enhance their reliability and availability per year, and therefore, to further facilitate their economic competitiveness via predictive assessment of the in-core conditions.

On-Site Determination and Monitoring of Real-Time Fluence Delivery for an Operating UV Reactor Based on a True Fluence Rate Detector.

PubMed

Li, Mengkai; Li, Wentao; Qiang, Zhimin; Blatchley, Ernest R

2017-07-18

At present, on-site fluence (distribution) determination and monitoring of an operating UV system represent a considerable challenge. The recently developed microfluorescent silica detector (MFSD) is able to measure the approximate true fluence rate (FR) at a fixed position in a UV reactor that can be compared with a FR model directly. Hence it has provided a connection between model calculation and real-time fluence determination. In this study, an on-site determination and monitoring method of fluence delivery for an operating UV reactor was developed. True FR detectors, a UV transmittance (UVT) meter, and a flow rate meter were used for fundamental measurements. The fluence distribution, as well as reduction equivalent fluence (REF), 10th percentile dose in the UV fluence distribution (F 10 ), minimum fluence (F min ), and mean fluence (F mean ) of a test reactor, was calculated in advance by the combined use of computational fluid dynamics and FR field modeling. A field test was carried out on the test reactor for disinfection of a secondary water supply. The estimated real-time REF, F 10 , F min , and F mean decreased 73.6%, 71.4%, 69.6%, and 72.9%, respectively, during a 6-month period, which was attributable to lamp output attenuation and sleeve fouling. The results were analyzed with synchronous data from a previously developed triparameter UV monitoring system and water temperature sensor. This study allowed demonstration of an accurate method for on-site, real-time fluence determination which could be used to enhance the security and public confidence of UV-based water treatment processes.

Project SOLWIND: Space radiation exposure. [evaluation of particle fluxes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stassinopoulos, E. G.

1975-01-01

A special orbital radiation study was conducted for the SOLWIND project to evaluate mission-encountered energetic particle fluxes. Magnetic field calculations were performed with a current field model, extrapolated to the tentative spacecraft launch epoch with linear time terms. Orbital flux integrations for circular flight paths were performed with the latest proton and electron environment models, using new improved computational methods. Temporal variations in the ambient electron environment are considered and partially accounted for. Estimates of average energetic solar proton fluences are given for a one year mission duration at selected integral energies ranging from E greater than 10 to E greater than 100 MeV; the predicted annual fluence is found to relate to the period of maximum solar activity during the next solar cycle. The results are presented in graphical and tabular form; they are analyzed, explained, and discussed.

Conversion coefficients from fluence to effective dose for heavy ions with energies up to 3 GeV/A.

PubMed

Sato, T; Tsuda, S; Sakamoto, Y; Yamaguchi, Y; Niita, K

2003-01-01

Radiological protection against high-energy heavy ions has been an essential issue in the planning of long-term space missions. The fluence to effective dose conversion coefficients have been calculated for heavy ions using the particle and heavy ion transport code system PHITS coupled with an anthropomorphic phantom of the MIRD5 type. The calculations were performed for incidences of protons and typical space heavy ions--deuterons, tritons, 3He, alpha particles, 12C, 20Ne, 40Ar, 40Ca and 56Fe--with energies up to 3 GeV/A in the isotropic and anterior-posterior irradiation geometries. A simple fitting formula that can predict the effective dose from almost all kinds of space heavy ions below 3 GeV/A within an accuracy of 30% is deduced from the results.

GCR-Induced Photon Luminescence of the Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, K. T.; Wilson, T. L.

2008-01-01

It is shown that the Moon has a ubiquitous photon luminescence induced by Galactic cosmic-rays (GCRs), using the Monte Carlo particle-physics program FLUKA. Both the fluence and the flux of the radiation can be determined by this method, but only the fluence will be presented here. This is in addition to thermal radiation emitted due to the Moon s internal temperature and radioactivity. This study is a follow-up to an earlier discussion [1] that addressed several misconceptions regarding Moonshine in the Earth-Moon system (Figure 1) and predicted this effect. There also exists a related x-ray fluorescence induced by solar energetic particles (SEPs, <350 MeV) and solar photons at lower x-ray energies, although this latter fluorescence was studied on Apollo 15 and 16 [2- 5], Lunar Prospector [6], and even EGRET [7].

Long Duration Exposure Facility post-flight data as it influences the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Straka, Sharon A.

1995-01-01

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) is an earth observing satellite that will be in a low earth orbit (350 kilometers) during the next period of maximum solar activity. The TRMM observatory is expected to experience an atomic oxygen fluence of 8.9 x 10(exp 22) atoms per square centimeter. This fluence is ten times higher than the atomic oxygen impingement incident to the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). Other environmental concerns on TRMM include: spacecraft glow, silicon oxide contaminant build-up, severe spacecraft material degradation, and contamination deposition resulting from molecular interactions with the dense ambient atmosphere. Because of TRMM's predicted harsh environment, TRMM faces many unique material concerns and subsystem design issues. The LDEF data has influenced the design of TRMM and the TRMM material selection process.

EF-hand proteins and the regulation of actin-myosin interaction in the eutardigrade Hypsibius klebelsbergi (tardigrada).

PubMed

Prasath, Thiruketheeswaran; Greven, Hartmut; D'Haese, Jochen

2012-06-01

Many tardigrade species resist harsh environmental conditions by entering anhydrobiosis or cryobiosis. Desiccation as well as freeze resistance probably leads to changes of the ionic balance that includes the intracellular calcium concentration. In order to search for protein modifications affecting the calcium homoeostasis, we studied the regulatory system controlling actin-myosin interaction of the eutardigrade Hypsibius klebelsbergi and identified full-length cDNA clones for troponin C (TnC, 824 bp), calmodulin (CaM, 1,407 bp), essential myosin light chain (eMLC, 1,015 bp), and regulatory myosin light chain (rMLC, 984 bp) from a cDNA library. All four proteins belong to the EF-hand superfamily typified by a calcium coordinating helix-loop-helix motif. Further, we cloned and obtained recombinant TnC and both MLCs. CaM and TnC revealed four and two potential calcium-binding domains, respectively. Gel mobility shift assays demonstrated calcium-induced conformational transition of TnC. From both MLCs, only the rMLC showed one potential N-terminal EF-hand domain. Additionally, sequence properties suggest phosphorylation of this myosin light chain. Based on our results, we suggest a dual-regulated system at least in somatic muscles for tardigrades with a calcium-dependent tropomyosin-troponin complex bound to the actin filaments and a phosphorylation of the rMLC turning on and off both actin and myosin. Our results indicate no special modifications of the molecular structure and function of the EF-hand proteins in tardigrades. Phylogenetic trees of 131 TnCs, 96 rMLCs, and 62 eMLCs indicate affinities to Ecdysozoa, but also to some other taxa suggesting that our results reflect the complex evolution of these proteins rather than phylogenetic relationships. © 2012 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

Role of RhoA and its effectors ROCK and mDia1 in the modulation of deformation-induced FAK, ERK, p38, and MLC motogenic signals in human Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells

PubMed Central

Chaturvedi, Lakshmi S.; Marsh, Harold M.

2011-01-01

Repetitive deformation enhances intestinal epithelial migration across tissue fibronectin. We evaluated the contribution of RhoA and its effectors Rho-associated kinase (ROK/ROCK) and mammalian diaphanous formins (mDia1) to deformation-induced intestinal epithelial motility across fibronectin and the responsible focal adhesion kinase (FAK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38, and myosin light chain (MLC) signaling. We reduced RhoA, ROCK1, ROCK2, and mDia1 by smart-pool double-stranded short-interfering RNAs (siRNA) and pharmacologically inhibited RhoA, ROCK, and FAK in human Caco-2 intestinal epithelial monolayers on fibronectin-coated membranes subjected to 10% repetitive deformation at 10 cycles/min. Migration was measured by wound closure. Stimulation of migration by deformation was prevented by exoenzyme C3, Y27632, or selective RhoA, ROCK1, and ROCK2 or mDia1 siRNAs. RhoA, ROCK inhibition, or RhoA, ROCK1, ROCK2, mDia1, and FAK reduction by siRNA blocked deformation-induced nuclear ERK phosphorylation without preventing ERK phosphorylation in the cytoplasmic protein fraction. Furthermore, RhoA, ROCK inhibition or RhoA, ROCK1, ROCK2, and mDia1 reduction by siRNA also blocked strain-induced FAK-Tyr925, p38, and MLC phosphorylation. These results suggest that RhoA, ROCK, mDia1, FAK, ERK, p38, and MLC all mediate the stimulation of intestinal epithelial migration by repetitive deformation. This pathway may be an important target for interventions to promote mechanotransduced mucosal healing during inflammation. PMID:21849669

Dissecting the molecular assembly of the Toxoplasma gondii MyoA motility complex.

PubMed

Powell, Cameron J; Jenkins, Meredith L; Parker, Michelle L; Ramaswamy, Raghavendran; Kelsen, Anne; Warshaw, David M; Ward, Gary E; Burke, John E; Boulanger, Martin J

2017-11-24

Apicomplexan parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii rely on a unique form of locomotion known as gliding motility. Generating the mechanical forces to support motility are divergent class XIV myosins (MyoA) coordinated by accessory proteins known as light chains. Although the importance of the MyoA-light chain complex is well-established, the detailed mechanisms governing its assembly and regulation are relatively unknown. To establish a molecular blueprint of this dynamic complex, we first mapped the adjacent binding sites of light chains MLC1 and ELC1 on the MyoA neck (residues 775-818) using a combination of hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and isothermal titration calorimetry. We then determined the 1.85 Å resolution crystal structure of MLC1 in complex with its cognate MyoA peptide. Structural analysis revealed a bilobed architecture with MLC1 clamping tightly around the helical MyoA peptide, consistent with the stable 10 nm K d measured by isothermal titration calorimetry. We next showed that coordination of calcium by an EF-hand in ELC1 and prebinding of MLC1 to the MyoA neck enhanced the affinity of ELC1 for the MyoA neck 7- and 8-fold, respectively. When combined, these factors enhanced ELC1 binding 49-fold (to a K d of 12 nm). Using the full-length MyoA motor (residues 1-831), we then showed that, in addition to coordinating the neck region, ELC1 appears to engage the MyoA converter subdomain, which couples the motor domain to the neck. These data support an assembly model where staged binding events cooperate to yield high-affinity complexes that are able to maximize force transduction. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Methods for quantitative measurement of tooth wear using the area and volume of virtual model cusps.

PubMed

Kim, Soo-Hyun; Park, Young-Seok; Kim, Min-Kyoung; Kim, Sulhee; Lee, Seung-Pyo

2018-04-01

Clinicians must examine tooth wear to make a proper diagnosis. However, qualitative methods of measuring tooth wear have many disadvantages. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and evaluate quantitative parameters using the cusp area and volume of virtual dental models. The subjects of this study were the same virtual models that were used in our former study. The same age group classification and new tooth wear index (NTWI) scoring system were also reused. A virtual occlusal plane was generated with the highest cusp points and lowered vertically from 0.2 to 0.8 mm to create offset planes. The area and volume of each cusp was then measured and added together. In addition to the former analysis, the differential features of each cusp were analyzed. The scores of the new parameters differentiated the age and NTWI groups better than those analyzed in the former study. The Spearman ρ coefficients between the total area and the area of each cusp also showed higher scores at the levels of 0.6 mm (0.6A) and 0.8A. The mesiolingual cusp (MLC) showed a statistically significant difference ( P <0.01) from the other cusps in the paired t -test. Additionally, the MLC exhibited the highest percentage of change at 0.6A in some age and NTWI groups. Regarding the age groups, the MLC showed the highest score in groups 1 and 2. For the NTWI groups, the MLC was not significantly different in groups 3 and 4. These results support the proposal that the lingual cusp exhibits rapid wear because it serves as a functional cusp. Although this study has limitations due to its cross-sectional nature, it suggests better quantitative parameters and analytical tools for the characteristics of cusp wear.

SU-F-T-271: Comparing IMRT QA Pass Rates Before and After MLC Calibration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mazza, A; Perrin, D; Fontenot, J

Purpose: To compare IMRT QA pass rates before and after an in-house MLC leaf calibration procedure. Methods: The MLC leaves and backup jaws on four Elekta linear accelerators with MLCi2 heads were calibrated using the EPID-based RIT Hancock Test as the means for evaluation. The MLCs were considered to be successfully calibrated when they could pass the Hancock Test with criteria of 1 mm jaw position tolerance, and 1 mm leaf position tolerance. IMRT QA results were collected pre- and postcalibration and analyzed using gamma analysis with 3%/3mm DTA criteria. AAPM TG-119 test plans were also compared pre- and post-calibration,more » at both 2%/2mm DTA and 3%/3mm DTA. Results: A weighted average was performed on the results for all four linear accelerators. The pre-calibration IMRT QA pass rate was 98.3 ± 0.1%, compared with the post-calibration pass rate of 98.5 ± 0.1%. The TG-119 test plan results showed more of an improvement, particularly at the 2%/2mm criteria. The averaged results were 89.1% pre and 96.1% post for the C-shape plan, 94.8% pre and 97.1% post for the multi-target plan, 98.6% pre and 99.7% post for the prostate plan, 94.7% pre and 94.8% post for the head/neck plan. Conclusion: The patient QA results did not show statistically significant improvement at the 3%/3mm DTA criteria after the MLC calibration procedure. However, the TG-119 test cases did show significant improvement at the 2%/2mm level.« less

SU-E-T-25: Real Time Simulator for Designing Electron Dual Scattering Foil Systems.

PubMed

Carver, R; Hogstrom, K; Price, M; Leblanc, J; Harris, G

2012-06-01

To create a user friendly, accurate, real time computer simulator to facilitate the design of dual foil scattering systems for electron beams on radiotherapy accelerators. The simulator should allow for a relatively quick, initial design that can be refined and verified with subsequent Monte Carlo (MC) calculations and measurements. The simulator consists of an analytical algorithm for calculating electron fluence and a graphical user interface (GUI) C++ program. The algorithm predicts electron fluence using Fermi-Eyges multiple Coulomb scattering theory with a refined Moliere formalism for scattering powers. The simulator also estimates central-axis x-ray dose contamination from the dual foil system. Once the geometry of the beamline is specified, the simulator allows the user to continuously vary primary scattering foil material and thickness, secondary scattering foil material and Gaussian shape (thickness and sigma), and beam energy. The beam profile and x-ray contamination are displayed in real time. The simulator was tuned by comparison of off-axis electron fluence profiles with those calculated using EGSnrc MC. Over the energy range 7-20 MeV and using present foils on the Elekta radiotherapy accelerator, the simulator profiles agreed to within 2% of MC profiles from within 20 cm of the central axis. The x-ray contamination predictions matched measured data to within 0.6%. The calculation time was approximately 100 ms using a single processor, which allows for real-time variation of foil parameters using sliding bars. A real time dual scattering foil system simulator has been developed. The tool has been useful in a project to redesign an electron dual scattering foil system for one of our radiotherapy accelerators. The simulator has also been useful as an instructional tool for our medical physics graduate students. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

A Comparison of Van Allen Belt Radiation Environment Modeling Programs: AE8/AP8 Legacy, AE9/AP9, and SPENVIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, Evan; Pellish, Jonathan

2016-01-01

In the space surrounding Earth there exists an active radiation environment consisting mostly of electrons and protons that have been trapped by Earths magnetic field. This radiation, also known as the Van Allen Belts, has the potential to damage man-made satellites in orbit; thus, proper precautions must be taken to shield NASA assets from this phenomenon. Data on the Van Allen Belts has been collected continuously by a multitude of space-based instruments since the beginning of space exploration. Subsequently, using theory to fill in the gaps in the collected data, computer models have been developed that take in the orbital information of a hypothetical mission and output the expected particle fluence and flux for that orbit. However, as new versions of the modeling system are released, users are left wondering how the new version differs from the old. Therefore, we performed a comparison of three different editions of the modeling system: AE8/AP8 (legacy), which is included in the model 9 graphical user interface as an option for ones calculations, AE9/AP9, and the Space Environment Information System (SPENVIS), which is an online-based form of AE8/AP8 developed by NASA and the European Space Agency that changed the code to allow the program to extrapolate data to predict fluence and flux at higher energies. Although this evaluation is still ongoing, it is predicted that the model 8 (legacy) and SPENVIS version will have identical outputs with the exception of the extended energy levels from SPENVIS, while model 9 will provide different fluences than model 8 based on additional magnetic field descriptions and on-orbit data.

Light parameters influence cell viability in antifungal photodynamic therapy in a fluence and rate fluence-dependent manner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prates, Renato A.; da Silva, Eriques G.; Yamada, Aécio M.; Suzuki, Luis C.; Paula, Claudete R.; Ribeiro, Martha S.

2009-05-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of light parameters on yeast cells. It has been proposed for many years that photodynamic therapy (PDT) can inactivate microbial cells. A number of photosensitizer and light sources were reported in different light parameters and in a range of dye concentrations. However, much more knowledge concerning the importance of fluence, fluence rate and exposure time are required for a better understanding of the photodynamic efficiency. Suspensions (106 CFU/mL) of Candida albicans, Candida krusei, and Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii were used. Two fluence rates, 100 and 300 mW/cm2 were compared at 3, 6, and 9 min of irradiation, resulting fluences from 18 to 162 J/cm2. The light source was a laser emitting at λ = 660 nm with output power adjusted at 30 and 90 mW. As photosensitizer, one hundred-μM methylene blue was used. Temperature was monitored to verify possible heat effect and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation was evaluated. The same fluence in different fluence rates showed dissimilar levels of inactivation on yeast cells as well as in ROS formation. In addition, the increase of the fluence rate showed an improvement on cell photoinactivation. PDT was efficient against yeast cells (6 log reduction), and no significant temperature increase was observed. Fluence per se should not be used as an isolate parameter to compare photoinactivation effects on yeast cells. The higher fluence rate was more effective than the lower one. Furthermore, an adequate duration of light exposure cannot be discarded.

TU-FG-201-09: Predicting Accelerator Dysfunction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Able, C; Nguyen, C; Baydush, A

Purpose: To develop an integrated statistical process control (SPC) framework using digital performance and component data accumulated within the accelerator system that can detect dysfunction prior to unscheduled downtime. Methods: Seven digital accelerators were monitored for twelve to 18 months. The accelerators were operated in a ‘run to failure mode’ with the individual institutions determining when service would be initiated. Institutions were required to submit detailed service reports. Trajectory and text log files resulting from a robust daily VMAT QA delivery were decoded and evaluated using Individual and Moving Range (I/MR) control charts. The SPC evaluation was presented in amore » customized dashboard interface that allows the user to review 525 monitored parameters (480 MLC parameters). Chart limits were calculated using a hybrid technique that includes the standard SPC 3σ limits and an empirical factor based on the parameter/system specification. The individual (I) grand mean values and control limit ranges of the I/MR charts of all accelerators were compared using statistical (ranked analysis of variance (ANOVA)) and graphical analyses to determine consistency of operating parameters. Results: When an alarm or warning was directly connected to field service, process control charts predicted dysfunction consistently on beam generation related parameters (BGP)– RF Driver Voltage, Gun Grid Voltage, and Forward Power (W); beam uniformity parameters – angle and position steering coil currents; and Gantry position accuracy parameter: cross correlation max-value. Control charts for individual MLC – cross correlation max-value/position detected 50% to 60% of MLCs serviced prior to dysfunction or failure. In general, non-random changes were detected 5 to 80 days prior to a service intervention. The ANOVA comparison of BGP determined that each accelerator parameter operated at a distinct value. Conclusion: The SPC framework shows promise. Long term monitoring coordinated with service will be required to definitively determine the effectiveness of the model. Varian Medical System, Inc. provided funding in support of the research presented.« less

SU-F-T-513: Dosimetric Validation of Spatially Fractionated Radiotherapy Using Gel Dosimetry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Papanikolaou, P; Watts, L; Kirby, N

2016-06-15

Purpose: Spatially fractionated radiation therapy, also known as GRID therapy, is used to treat large solid tumors by irradiating the target to a single dose of 10–20Gy through spatially distributed beamlets. We have investigated the use of a 3D gel for dosimetric characterization of GRID therapy. Methods: GRID therapy is an external beam analog of volumetric brachytherapy, whereby we produce a distribution of hot and cold dose columns inside the tumor volume. Such distribution can be produced with a block or by using a checker-like pattern with MLC. We have studied both types of GRID delivery. A cube shaped acrylicmore » phantom was filled with polymer gel and served as a 3D dosimeter. The phantom was scanned and the CT images were used to produce two plans in Pinnacle, one with the grid block and one with the MLC defined grid. A 6MV beam was used for the plan with a prescription of 1500cGy at dmax. The irradiated phantom was scanned in a 3T MRI scanner. Results: 3D dose maps were derived from the MR scans of the gel dosimeter and were found to be in good agreement with the predicted dose distribution from the RTP system. Gamma analysis showed a passing rate of 93% for 5% dose and 2mm DTA scoring criteria. Both relative and absolute dose profiles are in good agreement, except in the peripheral beamlets where the gel measured slightly higher dose, possibly because of the changing head scatter conditions that the RTP is not fully accounting for. Our results have also been benchmarked against ionization chamber measurements. Conclusion: We have investigated the use of a polymer gel for the 3D dosimetric characterization and evaluation of GRID therapy. Our results demonstrated that the planning system can predict fairly accurately the dose distribution for GRID type therapy.« less

Comparative Analysis of Different Measurement Techniques for MLC Characterization: Preliminary Results

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Larraga-Gutierrez, J. M.; Ballesteros-Zebadua, P.; Garcia-Garduno, O. A.

2008-08-11

Radiation transmission, leakage and beam penumbra are essential dosimetric parameters related to the commissioning of a multileaf collimation system. This work shows a comparative analysis of commonly used film detectors: X-OMAT V2 and EDR2 radiographic films, and GafChromic EBT registered radiochromic film. The results show that X-OMAT over-estimates radiation leakage and 80-20% beam penumbra. However, according to the reference values reported by the manufacturer for these dosimetric parameters, all three films are adequate for MLC dosimetric characterization, but special care must be taken when X-OMAT V2 film is used due to its low energy photon dependence.

Synthesis of water-soluble curcumin derivatives and their inhibition on lysozyme amyloid fibrillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Sujuan; Peng, Xixi; Cui, Liangliang; Li, Tongtong; Yu, Bei; Ma, Gang; Ba, Xinwu

2018-02-01

The potential application of curcumin was heavily limited in biomedicine because of its poor solubility in pure water. To circumvent the detracting feature, two novel water-soluble amino acid modified curcumin derivatives (MLC and DLC) have been synthesized through the condensation reaction between curcumin and Nα-Fmoc-Nε-Boc-L-lysine. Benefiting from the enhanced solubility of 3.32 × 10- 2 g/mL for MLC and 4.66 × 10- 2 g/mL for DLC, the inhibition effects of the as-prepared derivatives on the amyloid fibrillation of lysozyme (HEWL) were investigated detaily in water solution. The obtained results showed that the amyloid fibrillation of HEWL was inhibited to a great extent when the concentrations of MLC and DLC reach to 20.139 mM and 49.622 mM, respectively. The fluorescence quenching upon the addition of curcumin to HEWL provide a support for static and dynamic recombination quenching process. The binding driving force was assigned to classical hydrophobic interaction between curcumin derivatives and HEWL. In addition, UV-Vis absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectra confirmed the change of the conformation of HEWL.

Front-signal-dependent accumulation of the RHOA inhibitor FAM65B at leading edges polarizes neutrophils.

PubMed

Gao, Kun; Tang, Wenwen; Li, Yuan; Zhang, Pingzhao; Wang, Dejie; Yu, Long; Wang, Chenji; Wu, Dianqing

2015-03-01

A hallmark of neutrophil polarization is the back localization of active RHOA and phosphorylated myosin light chain (pMLC, also known as MYL2). However, the mechanism for the polarization is not entirely clear. Here, we show that FAM65B, a newly identified RHOA inhibitor, is important for the polarization. When FAM65B is phosphorylated, it binds to 14-3-3 family proteins and becomes more stable. In neutrophils, chemoattractants stimulate FAM65B phosphorylation largely depending on the signals from the front of the cells that include those mediated by phospholipase Cβ (PLCβ) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase γ (PI3Kγ), leading to FAM65B accumulation at the leading edge. Concordantly, FAM65B deficiency in neutrophils resulted in an increase in RHOA activity and localization of pMLC to the front of cells, as well as defects in chemotaxis directionality and adhesion to endothelial cells under flow. These data together elucidate a mechanism for RHOA and pMLC polarization in stimulated neutrophils through direct inhibition of RHOA by FAM65B at the leading edge. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Beam focal spot position determination for an Elekta linac with the Agility® head; practical guide with a ready-to-go procedure.

PubMed

Chojnowski, Jacek M; Taylor, Lee M; Sykes, Jonathan R; Thwaites, David I

2018-05-14

A novel phantomless, EPID-based method of measuring the beam focal spot offset of a linear accelerator was proposed and validated for Varian machines. In this method, one set of jaws and the MLC were utilized to form a symmetric field and then a 180 o collimator rotation was utilized to determine the radiation isocenter defined by the jaws and the MLC, respectively. The difference between these two isocentres is directly correlated with the beam focal spot offset of the linear accelerator. In the current work, the method has been considered for Elekta linacs. An Elekta linac with the Agility ® head does not have two set of jaws, therefore, a modified method is presented making use of one set of diaphragms, the MLC and a full 360 o collimator rotation. The modified method has been tested on two Elekta Synergy ® linacs with Agility ® heads and independently validated. A practical guide with instructions and a MATLAB ® code is attached for easy implementation. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Src Family Kinases (SFK) Mediate Angiotensin II-Induced Myosin Light Chain Phosphorylation and Hypertension.

PubMed

Qin, Bo; Zhou, Junlan

2015-01-01

Angiotensin (Ang) II is the major bioactive peptide of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS); it contributes to the pathogenesis of hypertension by inducing vascular contraction and adverse remodeling, thus elevated peripheral resistance. Ang II also activates Src family kinases (SFK) in the vascular system, which has been implicated in cell proliferation and migration. However, the role of SFK in Ang II-induced hypertension is largely unknown. In this study, we found that administration of a SFK inhibitor SU6656 markedly lowered the level of systemic BP in Ang II-treated mice, which was associated with an attenuated phosphorylation of the smooth-muscle myosin-light-chain (MLC) in the mesenteric resistant arteries. In the cultured human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (SMCs), pretreatment with SU6656 blocked Ang II-induced MLC phosphorylation and contraction. These results for the first time demonstrate that SFK directly regulate vascular contractile machinery to influence BP. Thus our study provides an additional mechanistic link between Ang II and vasoconstriction via SFK-enhanced MLC phosphorylation in SMCs, and suggests that targeted inhibition of Src may provide a new therapeutic opportunity in the treatment of hypertension.

SU-E-T-804: Verification of the BJR-25 Method of KQ Determination for CyberKnife Absolute Dosimetry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gersh, J; Spectrum Medical Physics, LLC - Greenville, SC; Willett, B

2015-06-15

Purpose: Absolute calibration of the CyberKnife is performed using a 6cm-diameter cone defined at 80cm SAD. Since kQ is defined using PDD values determined using 10×10 cm fields at 100cm SSD, the PDD must be corrected in order to correctly apply the quality conversion factor. The accepted method is based on equivalent field-size conversions of PDD values using BJR25. Using the new InCise MLC system, the CK is capable of generating a rectangular field equivalent to 10×10 cm square field. In this study, a comparison is made between kQ values determined using the traditional BJR25 method and the MLC methodmore » introduced herein. Methods: First, kQ(BJR) is determined: a PDD is acquired using a 6cm circular field at 100cm SSD, its field size converted to an equivalent square, and PDD converted to a 10×10cm field using the appropriate BJR25 table. Maintaining a consistent setup, the collimator is changed, and the MLC method is used. Finally, kQ is determined using PDDs acquired with a 9.71×10.31cm at 100cm SSD. This field is produced by setting the field to a size of 7.77×8.25cm (since it is defined at 80cm SAD). An exact 10×10cm field since field size is relegated to increments of its leaf width (0.25cm). This comparison is made using an Exradin A1SL, IBA CC08, IBA CC13, and an Exradin A19. For each detector and collimator type, the beam injector was adjusted to give 5 different beam qualities; representing a range of clinical systems. Results: Averaging across all beam qualities, kQ(MLC) differed from kQ(BJR) by less than 0.15%. The difference between the values increased with detector volume. Conclusion: For CK users with standard cone collimators, the BJR25 method has been verified. For CK users the MLC system, a technique is described to determine kQ. Primary author is the President/Owner of Spectrum Medical Physics, LLC, a company which maintains contracts with Siemens Healthcare and Standard Imaging, Inc.« less

Incorporating geometric ray tracing to generate initial conditions for intensity modulated arc therapy optimization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oliver, Mike; Gladwish, Adam; Craig, Jeff

2008-07-15

Purpose and background: Intensity modulated arc therapy (IMAT) is a rotational variant of Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) that is achieved by allowing the multileaf collimator (MLC) positions to vary as the gantry rotates around the patient. This work describes a method to generate an IMAT plan through the use of a fast ray tracing technique based on dosimetric and geometric information for setting initial MLC leaf positions prior to final IMAT optimization. Methods and materials: Three steps were used to generate an IMAT plan. The first step was to generate arcs based on anatomical contours. The second step wasmore » to generate ray importance factor (RIF) maps by ray tracing the dose distribution inside the planning target volume (PTV) to modify the MLC leaf positions of the anatomical arcs to reduce the maximum dose inside the PTV. The RIF maps were also segmented to create a new set of arcs to improve the dose to low dose voxels within the PTV. In the third step, the MLC leaf positions from all arcs were put through a leaf position optimization (LPO) algorithm and brought into a fast Monte Carlo dose calculation engine for a final dose calculation. The method was applied to two phantom cases, a clinical prostate case and the Radiological Physics Center (RPC)'s head and neck phantom. The authors assessed the plan improvements achieved by each step and compared plans with and without using RIF. They also compared the IMAT plan with an IMRT plan for the RPC phantom. Results: All plans that incorporated RIF and LPO had lower objective function values than those that incorporated LPO only. The objective function value was reduced by about 15% after the generation of RIF arcs and 52% after generation of RIF arcs and leaf position optimization. The IMAT plan for the RPC phantom had similar dose coverage for PTV1 and PTV2 (the same dose volume histogram curves), however, slightly lower dose to the normal tissues compared to a six-field IMRT plan. Conclusion: The use of a ray importance factor can generate initial IMAT arcs efficiently for further MLC leaf position optimization to obtain more favorable IMAT plan.« less

High-resolution field shaping utilizing a masked multileaf collimator.

PubMed

Williams, P C; Cooper, P

2000-08-01

Multileaf collimators (MLCs) have become an important tool in the modern radiotherapy department. However, the current limit of resolution (1 cm at isocentre) can be too coarse for acceptable shielding of all fields. A number of mini- and micro-MLCs have been developed, with thinner leaves to achieve approved resolution. Currently however, such devices are limited to modest field sizes and stereotactic applications. This paper proposes a new method of high-resolution beam collimation by use of a tertiary grid collimator situated below the conventional MLC. The width of each slit in the grid is a submultiple of the MLC width. A composite shaped field is thus built up from a series of subfields, with the main MLC defining the length of each strip within each subfield. Presented here are initial findings using a prototype device. The beam uniformity achievable with such a device was examined by measuring transmission profiles through the grid using a diode. Profiles thus measured were then copied and superposed to generate composite beams, from which the uniformity achievable could be assessed. With the average dose across the profile normalized to 100%, hot spots up to 5.0% and troughs of 3% were identified for a composite beam of 2 x 5.0 mm grids, as measured at Dmax for a 6 MV beam. For a beam composed from 4 x 2.5 mm grids, the maximum across the profile was 3.0% above the average, and the minimum 2.5% below. Actual composite profiles were also formed using the integrating properties of film, with the subfield indexing performed using an engineering positioning stage. The beam uniformity for these fields compared well with that achieved in theory using the diode measurements. Finally sine wave patterns were generated to demonstrate the potential improvements in field shaping and conformity using this device as opposed to the conventional MLC alone. The scalloping effect on the field edge commonly seen on MLC fields was appreciably reduced by use of 2 x 5.0 mm grids, and still further by the use of 4 x 2.5 mm grids, as would be expected. This was also achieved with a small or negligible broadening of the beam penumbra as measured at Dmax.

SU-F-T-506: Development and Commissioning of the Effective and Efficient Grid Therapy Using High Dose Rate Flattening Filter Free Beam and Multileaf Collimator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, M; Wen, N; Beyer, C

Purpose: Treating bulky tumors with grid therapy (GT) has demonstrated high response rates. Long delivery time (∼15min), with consequent increased risk of intrafraction motion, is a major disadvantage of conventional MLC-based GT (MLC-GT). The goal of this study was to develop and commission a MLC-GT technique with similar dosimetric characteristics, but more efficient delivery. Methods: Grid plan was designed with 10X-FFF (2400MU/min) beam and MLC in a commercial treatment planning system (TPS). Grid size was 1cm by 1cm and grid-to-grid distance was 2cm. Field-in-field technique was used to flatten the dose profile at depth of 10cm. Prescription was 15Gy atmore » 1.5cm depth. Doses were verified at depths of 1.5cm, 5cm and 10cm. Point dose was measured with a plastic scintillator detector (PSD) while the planar dose was measured with calibrated Gafchromic EBT3 films in a 20cm think, 30cmx30cm solid water phantom. The measured doses were compared to the doses calculated in the treatment planning system. Percent depth dose (PDD) within the grid was also measured using EBT3 film. Five clinical cases were planned to compare beam-on time. Results: The valley-to-peak dose ratio at the 3 depths was approximately 10–15%, which is very similar to published result. The average point dose difference between the PSD measurements and TPS calculation is 2.1±0.6%. Film dosimetry revealed good agreement between the delivered and calculated dose. The average gamma passing rates at the 3 depths were 95% (3%, 1mm). The average percent difference between the measured PDD and calculated PDD was 2.1% within the depth of 20cm. The phantom plan delivery time was 3.6 min. Average beam-on time was reduced by 66.1±5.6% for the 5 clinical cases. Conclusion: An effective and efficient GT technique was developed and commissioned for the treatment of bulky tumors using FFF beam combined with MLC and automation. The Department of Radiation Oncology at Henry Ford Health System receives research support from Varian Medical Systems and Philips Health Care.« less

Dependence of the phototropic response of Arabidopsis thaliana on fluence rate and wavelength

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Konjevic, R.; Steinitz, B.; Poff, K.L.

1989-12-01

In the phototropic response of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings, the shape of the fluence-response relation depends on fluence rate and wavelength. At low fluence rates, the response to 450-nm light is characterized by a single maximum at about 0.3 {mu}mol{center dot}m{sup {minus}2}. At higher fluence rates, the response shows two distinct maxima, I and II, at 0.3 and 3.5 {mu}mol{center dot}m{sup {minus}2}, respectively. The response to 500-nm light shows a single maximum at 2 {mu}mol{center dot}m{sup {minus}2}, and the response to 510-nm light shows a single maximum at 4.5 {mu}mol{center dot}m{sup {minus}2}, independent of fluence rate. The response to 490-nm lightmore » shows a maximal at 4.5 {mu}mol{center dot}m{sup {minus}2} and a shoulder at about 0.6 {mu}mol{center dot}m{sup {minus}2}. Preirradiation with high-fluence 510-nm light from above, immediately followed by unilateral 450-nm light, eliminates maximum II but not maximum I. Preirradiation with high-fluence 450-nm light from above eliminates the response to subsequent unilateral irradiation with either 450-nm or 510-nm light. The recovery of the response following high-fluence 450-nm light is considerably slower than the recovery following high-fluence 510-nm light. Unilateral irradiation with low-fluence 510-nm light followed by 450-nm light results in curvature that is approximately the sum of those produced by either irradiation alone. Based on these results, it is proposed that phototropism in A. thaliana seedlings is mediated by at least two blue-light photoreceptor pigments.« less

Comprehensive studies of ultrashort laser pulse ablation of tin target at terawatt power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsied, Ahmed M.; Diwakar, Prasoon K.; Hassanein, Ahmed

2018-01-01

The fundamental properties of ultrashort laser interactions with metals using up to terawatt power were comprehensively studied, i.e., specifically mass ablation, nanoparticle formation, and ion dynamics using multitude of diagnostic techniques. Results of this study can be useful in many fields of research including spectroscopy, micromachining, thin film fabrication, particle acceleration, physics of warm dense matter, and equation-of-state determination. A Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser system (110 mJ maximum energy, 40 fs, 800 nm, P-polarized, single pulse mode) was used, which delivered up to 3 terawatt laser power to ablate 1 mm tin film in vacuum. The experimental analysis includes the effect of the incident laser fluence on the ablated mass, size of the ablated area, and depth of ablation using white light profilometer. Atomic force microscope was used to measure the emitted particles size distribution at different laser fluence. Faraday cup (FC) detector was used to analyze the emitted ions flux by measuring the velocity, and the total charge of the emitted ions. The study shows that the size of emitted particles follows log-normal distribution with peak shifts depending on incident laser fluence. The size of the ablated particles ranges from 20 to 80 nm. The nanoparticles deposited on the wafer tend to aggregate and to be denser as the incident laser fluence increases as shown by AFM images. Laser ablation depth was found to increase logarithmically with laser fluence then leveling off at laser fluence > 400 J/cm2. The total ablated mass tends to increase logarithmically with laser fluence up to 60 J/cm2 while, increases gradually at higher fluence due to the increase in the ablated area. The measured ion emitted flux shows a linear dependence on laser fluence with two distinct regimes. Strong dependence on laser fluence was observed at fluences < 350 J/cm2. Also, a slight enhancement in ion velocity was observed with increasing laser fluence up to 350 J/cm2.

Predicting the sensitivity of the beryllium/scintillator layer neutron detector using Monte Carlo and experimental response functions.

PubMed

Styron, J D; Cooper, G W; Ruiz, C L; Hahn, K D; Chandler, G A; Nelson, A J; Torres, J A; McWatters, B R; Carpenter, Ken; Bonura, M A

2014-11-01

A methodology for obtaining empirical curves relating absolute measured scintillation light output to beta energy deposited is presented. Output signals were measured from thin plastic scintillator using NIST traceable beta and gamma sources and MCNP5 was used to model the energy deposition from each source. Combining the experimental and calculated results gives the desired empirical relationships. To validate, the sensitivity of a beryllium/scintillator-layer neutron activation detector was predicted and then exposed to a known neutron fluence from a Deuterium-Deuterium fusion plasma (DD). The predicted and the measured sensitivity were in statistical agreement.

Neutron Radiation Shielding For The NIF Streaked X-Ray Detector (SXD) Diagnostic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Song, P; Holder, J; Young, B

2006-11-02

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is preparing for the National Ignition Campaign (NIC) scheduled in 2010. The NIC is comprised of several ''tuning'' physics subcampaigns leading up to a demonstration of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) ignition. In some of these experiments, time-resolved x-ray imaging of the imploding capsule may be required to measure capsule trajectory (shock timing) or x-ray ''bang-time''. A capsule fueled with pure tritium (T) instead of a deutriun-tritium (DT) mixture is thought to offer useful physics surrogacy, with reduced yields of up to 5e14 neutrons. These measurements will require the usemore » of the NIF streak x-ray detector (SXD). The resulting prompt neutron fluence at the planned SXD location ({approx}1.7 m from the target) would be {approx}1.4e9/cm{sup 2}. Previous measurements suggest the onset of significant background at a neutron fluence of {approx} 1e8/cm{sup 2}. The radiation damage and operational upsets which starts at {approx}1e8 rad-Si/sec must be factored into an integrated experimental campaign plan. Monte Carlo analyses were performed to predict the neutron and gamma/x-ray fluences and radiation doses for the proposed diagnostic configuration. A possible shielding configuration is proposed to mitigate radiation effects. The primary component of this shielding is an 80 cm thickness of Polyethylene (PE) between target chamber center (TCC) and the SXD diagnostic. Additionally, 6-8 cm of PE around the detector provide from the large number of neutrons that scatter off the inside of the target chamber. This proposed shielding configuration reduces the high-energy neutron fluence at the SXD by approximately a factor {approx}50.« less

Proton Particle Test Fluence: What's the Right Number?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

LaBel, Kenneth A.; Ladbury, Raymond

2015-01-01

While we have been utilizing standard fluence levels such as those listed in the JESD57 document, we have begun revisiting what an appropriate test fluence is when it comes to qualifying a device for single events. Instead of a fixed fluence level or until a specific number of events occurs, a different thought process is required.

Particle Test Fluence: What's the Right Number?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

LaBel, Kenneth A.

2014-01-01

While we have been utilizing standard fluence levels such as those listed in the JESD57 document, we have begun revisiting what an appropriate test fluence is when it comes to qualifying a device for single events. Instead of a fixed fluence level or until a specific number of events occurs, a different thought process is required.

Quantification of the dynamic changes in the absorption coefficient of liquid water at erbium:YAG and carbon dioxide laser wavelengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shori, Ramesh K.

The interaction of high-intensity, short-pulsed radiation with liquid water results in dynamic changes in the optical absorption coefficient of water. These changes and their implications, as related to mid-infrared laser ablation of tissue, were not investigated until the late 1980's and early 1990's. Classical models of absorption and heating do not explain the dynamic, non-linear changes in water. The objective of the present work was to quantify the dynamic changes in the absorption coefficient of liquid water as a function of incident energy at three clinically relevant infrared wavelengths (λ = 2.94, 9.6, 10.6 μm). To investigate the changes in the absorption spectrum of water in the 3-μm band, a stable, high-energy Q- switched Er:YAG laser emitting 2.94-μm radiation in a near-perfect TEMoo spatial beam profile was developed. Key to the development of this laser was careful attention to the gain medium, optical pump system, system optics, and the thermal system. The final system design was capable of emitting 110 mJ/pulse at of 2-4 Hz with a lamp lifetime exceeding 12 million pulses The laser was used in two sets of experiments in order to quantify the above changes. First, the laser was used to measure the velocity of the shock front produced by vaporizing a gelatin-based tissue phantom. The measured shock velocity was related to the optical energy absorbed by the tissue phantom and the absorption coefficient, based on the pressure relationships derived using a 1-D piston model for an expanding plume. The shock front velocity measurements indicate that the absorption coefficient is constant for incident fluences less than 20 J/cm2, a result consistent with transmission data. For higher fluences, the data indicate a decrease in the absorption coefficient, which is again consistent with transmission data. Quantification of the absorption coefficient can, however, not be made without violating assumptions that form the basis for the 1-D piston model. Second, the laser was used to measure the optical transmission across water layers of known thicknesses. The data were used to develop a Dynamic Saturable Absorption (DSA) model to predict the dynamic changes in the absorption coefficient of water as a function of incident energy. The DSA model, based in part upon the homogeneous broadening of an atomic transition in a laser gain medium, accurately predicts the absorption coefficient of water over a wide range of incident fluences. One sees saturation of the absorption at both high and low fluence with a monotonic decrease in absorption with increasing fluence. Transmission measurements were also made at 9.6 and 10.6 μm using a TEA CO2 laser. The data show essentially no change in the absorption coefficient as the fluence is varied. The results from the experiments make a significant contribution towards an understanding of the relationship among the dynamic optical properties of water and clinically relevant properties such as ablation rate and residual thermal damage.

Radiation effects in heteroepitaxial InP solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinberg, I.; Curtis, H. B.; Swartz, C. K.; Brinker, D. J.; Vargas-Aburto, C.

1993-01-01

Heteroepitaxial InP solar cells, with GaAs substrates, were irradiated by 0.5 and 3 MeV protons and their performance, temperature dependency, and carrier removal rates determined as a function of fluence. The radiation resistance of the present cells was significantly greater than that of non-heteroepitaxial InP cells at both proton energies. A clear difference in the temperature dependency of V(sub oc), was observed between heteroepitaxial and homoepitaxial InP cells. The analytically predicted dependence of dV(sub oc)/dT on Voc was confirmed by the fluence dependence of these quantities. Carrier removal was observed to increase with decreasing proton energy. The results obtained for performance and temperature dependency were attributed to the high dislocation densities present in the heteroepitaxial cells while the energy dependence of carrier removal was attributed to the energy dependence of proton range.

Electron and proton degradation in /AlGa/As-GaAs solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loo, R.; Knechtli, R. C.; Kamath, G. S.; Goldhammer, L.; Anspaugh, B.

1978-01-01

Results on radiation damage in (AlGa)As-GaAs solar cells by 1 MeV electron fluences up to 10 to the 16th electrons/sq cm and by 15, 20, 30 and 40 MeV proton fluences up to 5 times 10 to the 11th protons/sq cm are presented. The damage is compared with data on state-of-the-art silicon cells which were irradiated along with the gallium arsenide cells. The theoretical expectation that the junction depth has to be kept relatively shallow, to minimize radiation damage has been verified experimentally. The damage to the GaAs cells as a function of irradiation, is correlated with the change in their spectral response and dark I-V characteristics. The effect of thermal annealing on the (AlGa)As-GaAs solar cells was also investigated. This data is used to predict further avenues of optimization of the GaAs cells.

An in vivo dose verification method for SBRT-VMAT delivery using the EPID.

PubMed

McCowan, P M; Van Uytven, E; Van Beek, T; Asuni, G; McCurdy, B M C

2015-12-01

Radiation treatments have become increasingly more complex with the development of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and the use of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). SBRT involves the delivery of substantially larger doses over fewer fractions than conventional therapy. SBRT-VMAT treatments will strongly benefit from in vivo patient dose verification, as any errors in delivery can be more detrimental to the radiobiology of the patient as compared to conventional therapy. Electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) are available on most commercial linear accelerators (Linacs) and their documented use for dosimetry makes them valuable tools for patient dose verification. In this work, the authors customize and validate a physics-based model which utilizes on-treatment EPID images to reconstruct the 3D dose delivered to the patient during SBRT-VMAT delivery. The SBRT Linac head, including jaws, multileaf collimators, and flattening filter, were modeled using Monte Carlo methods and verified with measured data. The simulation provides energy spectrum data that are used by their "forward" model to then accurately predict fluence generated by a SBRT beam at a plane above the patient. This fluence is then transported through the patient and then the dose to the phosphor layer in the EPID is calculated. Their "inverse" model back-projects the EPID measured focal fluence to a plane upstream of the patient and recombines it with the extra-focal fluence predicted by the forward model. This estimate of total delivered fluence is then forward projected onto the patient's density matrix and a collapsed cone convolution algorithm calculates the dose delivered to the patient. The model was tested by reconstructing the dose for two prostate, three lung, and two spine SBRT-VMAT treatment fractions delivered to an anthropomorphic phantom. It was further validated against actual patient data for a lung and spine SBRT-VMAT plan. The results were verified with the treatment planning system (TPS) (ECLIPSE AAA) dose calculation. The SBRT-VMAT reconstruction model performed very well when compared to the TPS. A stringent 2%/2 mm χ-comparison calculation gave pass rates better than 91% for the prostate plans, 88% for the lung plans, and 86% for the spine plans for voxels containing 80% or more of the prescribed dose. Patient data were 86% for the lung and 95% for the spine. A 3%/3 mm χ-comparison was also performed and gave pass rates better than 93% for all plan types. The authors have customized and validated a robust, physics-based model that calculates the delivered dose to a patient for SBRT-VMAT delivery using on-treatment EPID images. The accuracy of the results indicates that this approach is suitable for clinical implementation. Future work will incorporate this model into both offline and real-time clinical adaptive radiotherapy.

Experimental evaluation of dual multiple aperture devices for fluence field modulated x-ray computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathews, A. J.; Gang, G.; Levinson, R.; Zbijewski, W.; Kawamoto, S.; Siewerdsen, J. H.; Stayman, J. W.

2017-03-01

Acquisition of CT images with comparable diagnostic power can potentially be achieved with lower radiation exposure than the current standard of care through the adoption of hardware-based fluence-field modulation (e.g. dynamic bowtie filters). While modern CT scanners employ elements such as static bowtie filters and tube-current modulation, such solutions are limited in the fluence patterns that they can achieve, and thus are limited in their ability to adapt to broad classes of patient morphology. Fluence-field modulation also enables new applications such as region-of-interest imaging, task specific imaging, reducing measurement noise or improving image quality. The work presented in this paper leverages a novel fluence modulation strategy that uses "Multiple Aperture Devices" (MADs) which are, in essence, binary filters, blocking or passing x-rays on a fine scale. Utilizing two MAD devices in series provides the capability of generating a large number of fluence patterns via small relative motions between the MAD filters. We present the first experimental evaluation of fluence-field modulation using a dual-MAD system, and demonstrate the efficacy of this technique with a characterization of achievable fluence patterns and an investigation of experimental projection data.

Desensitization and recovery of phototropic responsiveness in Arabidopsis thaliana

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Janoudi, A. K.; Poff, K. L.

1993-01-01

Phototropism is induced by blue light, which also induces desensitization, a partial or total loss of phototropic responsiveness. The fluence and fluence-rate dependence of desensitization and recovery from desensitization have been measured for etiolated and red light (669-nm) preirradiated Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. The extent of desensitization increased as the fluence of the desensitizing 450-nm light was increased from 0.3 to 60 micromoles m-2 s-1. At equal fluences, blue light caused more desensitization when given at a fluence rate of 1.0 micromole m-2 s-1 than at 0.3 micromole m-2 s-1. In addition, seedlings irradiated with blue light at the higher fluence rate required a longer recovery time than seedlings irradiated at the lower fluence rate. A red light preirradiation, probably mediated via phytochrome, decreased the time required for recovery from desensitization. The minimum time for detectable recovery was about 65 s, and the maximum time observed was about 10 min. It is proposed that the descending arm of the fluence-response relationship for first positive phototropism is a consequence of desensitization, and that the time threshold for second positive phototropism establishes a period during which recovery from desensitization occurs.

A fiducial detection algorithm for real-time image guided IMRT based on simultaneous MV and kV imaging

PubMed Central

Mao, Weihua; Riaz, Nadeem; Lee, Louis; Wiersma, Rodney; Xing, Lei

2008-01-01

The advantage of highly conformal dose techniques such as 3DCRT and IMRT is limited by intrafraction organ motion. A new approach to gain near real-time 3D positions of internally implanted fiducial markers is to analyze simultaneous onboard kV beam and treatment MV beam images (from fluoroscopic or electronic portal image devices). Before we can use this real-time image guidance for clinical 3DCRT and IMRT treatments, four outstanding issues need to be addressed. (1) How will fiducial motion blur the image and hinder tracking fiducials? kV and MV images are acquired while the tumor is moving at various speeds. We find that a fiducial can be successfully detected at a maximum linear speed of 1.6 cm∕s. (2) How does MV beam scattering affect kV imaging? We investigate this by varying MV field size and kV source to imager distance, and find that common treatment MV beams do not hinder fiducial detection in simultaneous kV images. (3) How can one detect fiducials on images from 3DCRT and IMRT treatment beams when the MV fields are modified by a multileaf collimator (MLC)? The presented analysis is capable of segmenting a MV field from the blocking MLC and detecting visible fiducials. This enables the calculation of nearly real-time 3D positions of markers during a real treatment. (4) Is the analysis fast enough to track fiducials in nearly real time? Multiple methods are adopted to predict marker positions and reduce search regions. The average detection time per frame for three markers in a 1024×768 image was reduced to 0.1 s or less. Solving these four issues paves the way to tracking moving fiducial markers throughout a 3DCRT or IMRT treatment. Altogether, these four studies demonstrate that our algorithm can track fiducials in real time, on degraded kV images (MV scatter), in rapidly moving tumors (fiducial blurring), and even provide useful information in the case when some fiducials are blocked from view by the MLC. This technique can provide a gating signal or be used for intra-fractional tumor tracking on a Linac equipped with a kV imaging system. Any motion exceeding a preset threshold can warn the therapist to suspend a treatment session and reposition the patient. PMID:18777916

Solar Particle Induced Upsets in the TDRS-1 Attitude Control System RAM During the October 1989 Solar Particle Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Croley, D. R.; Garrett, H. B.; Murphy, G. B.; Garrard,T. L.

1995-01-01

The three large solar particle events, beginning on October 19, 1989 and lasting approximately six days, were characterized by high fluences of solar protons and heavy ions at 1 AU. During these events, an abnormally large number of upsets (243) were observed in the random access memory of the attitude control system (ACS) control processing electronics (CPE) on-board the geosynchronous TDRS-1 (Telemetry and Data Relay Satellite). The RAM unit affected was composed of eight Fairchild 93L422 memory chips. The Galileo spacecraft, launched on October 18, 1989 (one day prior to the solar particle events) observed the fluxes of heavy ions experienced by TDRS-1. Two solid-state detector telescopes on-board Galileo, designed to measure heavy ion species and energy, were turned on during time periods within each of the three separate events. The heavy ion data have been modeled and the time history of the events reconstructed to estimate heavy ion fluences. These fluences were converted to effective LET spectra after transport through the estimated shielding distribution around the TDRS-1 ACS system. The number of single event upsets (SEU) expected was calculated by integrating the measured cross section for the Fairchild 93L422 memory chip with average effective LET spectrum. The expected number of heavy ion induced SEU's calculated was 176. GOES-7 proton data, observed during the solar particle events, were used to estimate the number of proton-induced SEU's by integrating the proton fluence spectrum incident on the memory chips, with the two-parameter Bendel cross section for proton SEU'S. The proton fluence spectrum at the device level was gotten by transporting the protons through the estimated shielding distribution. The number of calculated proton-induced SEU's was 72, yielding a total of 248 predicted SEU'S, very dose to the 243 observed SEU'S. These calculations uniquely demonstrate the roles that solar heavy ions and protons played in the production of SEU's during the October 1989 solar particle events.

Three-Dimensional Electron Beam Dose Calculations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiu, Almon Sowchee

The MDAH pencil-beam algorithm developed by Hogstrom et al (1981) has been widely used in clinics for electron beam dose calculations for radiotherapy treatment planning. The primary objective of this research was to address several deficiencies of that algorithm and to develop an enhanced version. Two enhancements have been incorporated into the pencil-beam algorithm; one models fluence rather than planar fluence, and the other models the bremsstrahlung dose using measured beam data. Comparisons of the resulting calculated dose distributions with measured dose distributions for several test phantoms have been made. From these results it is concluded (1) that the fluence-based algorithm is more accurate to use for the dose calculation in an inhomogeneous slab phantom, and (2) the fluence-based calculation provides only a limited improvement to the accuracy the calculated dose in the region just downstream of the lateral edge of an inhomogeneity. The source of the latter inaccuracy is believed primarily due to assumptions made in the pencil beam's modeling of the complex phantom or patient geometry. A pencil-beam redefinition model was developed for the calculation of electron beam dose distributions in three dimensions. The primary aim of this redefinition model was to solve the dosimetry problem presented by deep inhomogeneities, which was the major deficiency of the enhanced version of the MDAH pencil-beam algorithm. The pencil-beam redefinition model is based on the theory of electron transport by redefining the pencil beams at each layer of the medium. The unique approach of this model is that all the physical parameters of a given pencil beam are characterized for multiple energy bins. Comparisons of the calculated dose distributions with measured dose distributions for a homogeneous water phantom and for phantoms with deep inhomogeneities have been made. From these results it is concluded that the redefinition algorithm is superior to the conventional, fluence-based, pencil-beam algorithm, especially in predicting the dose distribution downstream of a local inhomogeneity. The accuracy of this algorithm appears sufficient for clinical use, and the algorithm is structured for future expansion of the physical model if required for site specific treatment planning problems.

Validation of a method for in vivo 3D dose reconstruction for IMRT and VMAT treatments using on-treatment EPID images and a model-based forward-calculation algorithm

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Van Uytven, Eric, E-mail: eric.vanuytven@cancercare.mb.ca; Van Beek, Timothy; McCowan, Peter M.

2015-12-15

Purpose: Radiation treatments are trending toward delivering higher doses per fraction under stereotactic radiosurgery and hypofractionated treatment regimens. There is a need for accurate 3D in vivo patient dose verification using electronic portal imaging device (EPID) measurements. This work presents a model-based technique to compute full three-dimensional patient dose reconstructed from on-treatment EPID portal images (i.e., transmission images). Methods: EPID dose is converted to incident fluence entering the patient using a series of steps which include converting measured EPID dose to fluence at the detector plane and then back-projecting the primary source component of the EPID fluence upstream of themore » patient. Incident fluence is then recombined with predicted extra-focal fluence and used to calculate 3D patient dose via a collapsed-cone convolution method. This method is implemented in an iterative manner, although in practice it provides accurate results in a single iteration. The robustness of the dose reconstruction technique is demonstrated with several simple slab phantom and nine anthropomorphic phantom cases. Prostate, head and neck, and lung treatments are all included as well as a range of delivery techniques including VMAT and dynamic intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Results: Results indicate that the patient dose reconstruction algorithm compares well with treatment planning system computed doses for controlled test situations. For simple phantom and square field tests, agreement was excellent with a 2%/2 mm 3D chi pass rate ≥98.9%. On anthropomorphic phantoms, the 2%/2 mm 3D chi pass rates ranged from 79.9% to 99.9% in the planning target volume (PTV) region and 96.5% to 100% in the low dose region (>20% of prescription, excluding PTV and skin build-up region). Conclusions: An algorithm to reconstruct delivered patient 3D doses from EPID exit dosimetry measurements was presented. The method was applied to phantom and patient data sets, as well as for dynamic IMRT and VMAT delivery techniques. Results indicate that the EPID dose reconstruction algorithm presented in this work is suitable for clinical implementation.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ureba, A.; Salguero, F. J.; Barbeiro, A. R.

Purpose: The authors present a hybrid direct multileaf collimator (MLC) aperture optimization model exclusively based on sequencing of patient imaging data to be implemented on a Monte Carlo treatment planning system (MC-TPS) to allow the explicit radiation transport simulation of advanced radiotherapy treatments with optimal results in efficient times for clinical practice. Methods: The planning system (called CARMEN) is a full MC-TPS, controlled through aMATLAB interface, which is based on the sequencing of a novel map, called “biophysical” map, which is generated from enhanced image data of patients to achieve a set of segments actually deliverable. In order to reducemore » the required computation time, the conventional fluence map has been replaced by the biophysical map which is sequenced to provide direct apertures that will later be weighted by means of an optimization algorithm based on linear programming. A ray-casting algorithm throughout the patient CT assembles information about the found structures, the mass thickness crossed, as well as PET values. Data are recorded to generate a biophysical map for each gantry angle. These maps are the input files for a home-made sequencer developed to take into account the interactions of photons and electrons with the MLC. For each linac (Axesse of Elekta and Primus of Siemens) and energy beam studied (6, 9, 12, 15 MeV and 6 MV), phase space files were simulated with the EGSnrc/BEAMnrc code. The dose calculation in patient was carried out with the BEAMDOSE code. This code is a modified version of EGSnrc/DOSXYZnrc able to calculate the beamlet dose in order to combine them with different weights during the optimization process. Results: Three complex radiotherapy treatments were selected to check the reliability of CARMEN in situations where the MC calculation can offer an added value: A head-and-neck case (Case I) with three targets delineated on PET/CT images and a demanding dose-escalation; a partial breast irradiation case (Case II) solved with photon and electron modulated beams (IMRT + MERT); and a prostatic bed case (Case III) with a pronounced concave-shaped PTV by using volumetric modulated arc therapy. In the three cases, the required target prescription doses and constraints on organs at risk were fulfilled in a short enough time to allow routine clinical implementation. The quality assurance protocol followed to check CARMEN system showed a high agreement with the experimental measurements. Conclusions: A Monte Carlo treatment planning model exclusively based on maps performed from patient imaging data has been presented. The sequencing of these maps allows obtaining deliverable apertures which are weighted for modulation under a linear programming formulation. The model is able to solve complex radiotherapy treatments with high accuracy in an efficient computation time.« less

MCTP system model based on linear programming optimization of apertures obtained from sequencing patient image data maps.

PubMed

Ureba, A; Salguero, F J; Barbeiro, A R; Jimenez-Ortega, E; Baeza, J A; Miras, H; Linares, R; Perucha, M; Leal, A

2014-08-01

The authors present a hybrid direct multileaf collimator (MLC) aperture optimization model exclusively based on sequencing of patient imaging data to be implemented on a Monte Carlo treatment planning system (MC-TPS) to allow the explicit radiation transport simulation of advanced radiotherapy treatments with optimal results in efficient times for clinical practice. The planning system (called CARMEN) is a full MC-TPS, controlled through aMATLAB interface, which is based on the sequencing of a novel map, called "biophysical" map, which is generated from enhanced image data of patients to achieve a set of segments actually deliverable. In order to reduce the required computation time, the conventional fluence map has been replaced by the biophysical map which is sequenced to provide direct apertures that will later be weighted by means of an optimization algorithm based on linear programming. A ray-casting algorithm throughout the patient CT assembles information about the found structures, the mass thickness crossed, as well as PET values. Data are recorded to generate a biophysical map for each gantry angle. These maps are the input files for a home-made sequencer developed to take into account the interactions of photons and electrons with the MLC. For each linac (Axesse of Elekta and Primus of Siemens) and energy beam studied (6, 9, 12, 15 MeV and 6 MV), phase space files were simulated with the EGSnrc/BEAMnrc code. The dose calculation in patient was carried out with the BEAMDOSE code. This code is a modified version of EGSnrc/DOSXYZnrc able to calculate the beamlet dose in order to combine them with different weights during the optimization process. Three complex radiotherapy treatments were selected to check the reliability of CARMEN in situations where the MC calculation can offer an added value: A head-and-neck case (Case I) with three targets delineated on PET/CT images and a demanding dose-escalation; a partial breast irradiation case (Case II) solved with photon and electron modulated beams (IMRT + MERT); and a prostatic bed case (Case III) with a pronounced concave-shaped PTV by using volumetric modulated arc therapy. In the three cases, the required target prescription doses and constraints on organs at risk were fulfilled in a short enough time to allow routine clinical implementation. The quality assurance protocol followed to check CARMEN system showed a high agreement with the experimental measurements. A Monte Carlo treatment planning model exclusively based on maps performed from patient imaging data has been presented. The sequencing of these maps allows obtaining deliverable apertures which are weighted for modulation under a linear programming formulation. The model is able to solve complex radiotherapy treatments with high accuracy in an efficient computation time.

Materials International Space Station Experiment-6 (MISSE-6) Atomic Oxygen Fluence Monitor Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Bruce A.; Miller, Sharon K.; Waters, Deborah L.

2010-01-01

An atomic oxygen fluence monitor was flown as part of the Materials International Space Station Experiment-6 (MISSE-6). The monitor was designed to measure the accumulation of atomic oxygen fluence with time as it impinged upon the ram surface of the MISSE 6B Passive Experiment Container (PEC). This was an active experiment for which data was to be stored on a battery-powered data logger for post-flight retrieval and analysis. The atomic oxygen fluence measurement was accomplished by allowing atomic oxygen to erode two opposing wedges of pyrolytic graphite that partially covered a photodiode. As the wedges of pyrolytic graphite erode, the area of the photodiode that is illuminated by the Sun increases. The short circuit current, which is proportional to the area of illumination, was to be measured and recorded as a function of time. The short circuit current from a different photodiode, which was oriented in the same direction and had an unobstructed view of the Sun, was also to be recorded as a reference current. The ratio of the two separate recorded currents should bear a linear relationship with the accumulated atomic oxygen fluence and be independent of the intensity of solar illumination. Ground hyperthermal atomic oxygen exposure facilities were used to evaluate the linearity of the ratio of short circuit current to the atomic oxygen fluence. In flight, the current measurement circuitry failed to operate properly, thus the overall atomic oxygen mission fluence could only be estimated based on the physical erosion of the pyrolytic graphite wedges. The atomic oxygen fluence was calculated based on the knowledge of the space atomic oxygen erosion yield of pyrolytic graphite measured from samples on the MISSE 2. The atomic oxygen fluence monitor, the expected result and comparison of mission atomic oxygen fluence based on the erosion of the pyrolytic graphite and Kapton H atomic oxygen fluence witness samples are presented in this paper.

SU-F-T-261: Reconstruction of Initial Photon Fluence Based On EPID Images

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seliger, T; Engenhart-Cabillic, R; Czarnecki, D

2016-06-15

Purpose: Verifying an algorithm to reconstruct relative initial photon fluence for clinical use. Clinical EPID and CT images were acquired to reconstruct an external photon radiation treatment field. The reconstructed initial photon fluence could be used to verify the treatment or calculate the applied dose to the patient. Methods: The acquired EPID images were corrected for scatter caused by the patient and the EPID with an iterative reconstruction algorithm. The transmitted photon fluence behind the patient was calculated subsequently. Based on the transmitted fluence the initial photon fluence was calculated using a back-projection algorithm which takes the patient geometry andmore » its energy dependent linear attenuation into account. This attenuation was gained from the acquired cone-beam CT or the planning CT by calculating a water-equivalent radiological thickness for each irradiation direction. To verify the algorithm an inhomogeneous phantom consisting of three inhomogeneities was irradiated by a static 6 MV photon field and compared to a reference flood field image. Results: The mean deviation between the reconstructed relative photon fluence for the inhomogeneous phantom and the flood field EPID image was 3% rising up to 7% for off-axis fluence. This was probably caused by the used clinical EPID calibration, which flattens the inhomogeneous fluence profile of the beam. Conclusion: In this clinical experiment the algorithm achieved good results in the center of the field while it showed high deviation of the lateral fluence. This could be reduced by optimizing the EPID calibration, considering the off-axis differential energy response. In further progress this and other aspects of the EPID, eg. field size dependency, CT and dose calibration have to be studied to realize a clinical acceptable accuracy of 2%.« less

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Carbon Nanofibers and Laser-Induced Incandescence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schubert, Kathy (Technical Monitor); VanderWal, Randy L.; Ticich, Thomas M.; Berger, Gordon M.; Patel, Premal D.

2004-01-01

Laser induced incandescence applied to a heterogeneous, multi-element reacting flows is characterized by a) temporally resolved emission spectra, time-resolved emission at selected detection wavelengths and fluence dependence. Laser fluences above 0.6 Joules per square centimeter at 1064 nm initiate laser-induced vaporization, yielding a lower incandescence intensity, as found through fluence dependence measurements. Spectrally derived temperatures show that values of excitation laser fluence beyond this value lead to a super-heated plasma, well above the vaporization of temperature of carbon. The temporal evolution of the emission signal at these fluences is consistent with plasma dissipation processes, not incandescence from solid-like structures.

Heavy Ion Irradiation Fluence Dependence for Single-Event Upsets of NAND Flash Memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Dakai; Wilcox, Edward; Ladbury, Raymond; Kim, Hak; Phan, Anthony; Seidleck, Christina; LaBel, Kenneth

2016-01-01

We investigated the single-event effect (SEE) susceptibility of the Micron 16 nm NAND flash, and found the single-event upset (SEU) cross section varied inversely with fluence. The SEU cross section decreased with increasing fluence. We attribute the effect to the variable upset sensitivities of the memory cells. The current test standards and procedures assume that SEU follow a Poisson process and do not take into account the variability in the error rate with fluence. Therefore, heavy ion irradiation of devices with variable upset sensitivity distribution using typical fluence levels may underestimate the cross section and on-orbit event rate.

Pixel response-based EPID dosimetry for patient specific QA.

PubMed

Han, Bin; Ding, Aiping; Lu, Minghui; Xing, Lei

2017-01-01

Increasing use of high dose rate, flattening filter free (FFF), and/or small-sized field beams presents a significant challenge to the medical physics community. In this work, we develop a strategy of using a high spatial resolution and high frame rate amorphous silicon flat panel electronic portal imaging device (EPID) for dosimetric measurements of these challenging cases, as well as for conventional external beam therapy. To convert a series of raw EPID-measured radiation field images into water-based dose distribution, a pixel-to-pixel dose-response function of the EPID specific to the linac is essential. The response function was obtained by using a Monte Carlo simulation of the photon transport in the EPID with a comprehensive calibration. After the raw image was converted into the primary incident photon fluence, the fluence was further convolved into a water-based dose distribution of the dynamic field by using a pregenerated pencil-beam kernel. The EPID-based dosimetric measurement technique was validated using beams with and without flattening filter of all energies available in Varian TrueBeam STx™. Both regularly and irregularly shaped fields measured using a PTW 729 ion chamber array in plastic water phantom. The technique was also applied to measure the distribution for a total of 23 treatment plans of different energies to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed approach. The EPID measurements of square fields of 4 × 4 cm 2 to 20 × 20 cm 2 , circular fields of 2-15 cm diameters, rectangular fields of various sizes, and irregular MLC fields were in accordance with measurements using a Farmer chamber and/or ion chamber array. The 2D absolute dose maps generated from EPID raw images agreed with ion chamber measurements to within 1.5% for all fields. For the 23 patient cases examined in this work, the average γ-index passing rate were found to be 99.2 ± 0.6%, 97.4 ± 2.4%, and 72.6 ± 8.4%, respectively, for criterions of 3 mm/3%, 2 mm/2%, and 1 mm/1%. The high spatial resolution and high frame rate EPID provides an accurate and efficient dosimetric tool for QA of modern radiation therapy. Accurate absolute 2D dose maps can be generated from the system for an independent dosimetric verification of treatment delivery. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Apelin impairs myogenic response to induce diabetic nephropathy in mice.

PubMed

Zhang, Jia; Yin, Jiming; Wang, Yangjia; Li, Bin; Zeng, Xiangjun

2018-03-09

The cause of the invalid reaction of smooth muscle cells to mechanical stimulation that results in a dysfunctional myogenic response that mediates the disruption of renal blood flow (RBF) in patients with diabetes is debatable. The present study revealed that increased apelin concentration in serum of diabetic mice neutralized the myogenic response mediated by apelin receptor (APJ) and resulted in increased RBF, which promoted the progression of diabetic nephropathy. The results showed that apelin concentration, RBF, and albuminuria:creatinine ratio were all increased in kkAy mice, and increased RBF correlated positively with serum apelin both in C57 and diabetic mice. The increased RBF was accompanied by decreased phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC), β-arrestin, and increased endothelial NOS in glomeruli. Meanwhile, calcium, phosphorylation of MLC, and β-arrestin were decreased by high glucose and apelin treatment in cultured smooth muscle cells, as well. eNOS was increased by high glucose and increased by apelin in cultured endothelial cells (ECs). Knockdown of β-arrestin expression in smooth muscle cells cancelled phosphorylation of MLC induced by apelin. Therefore, apelin may induce the progression of diabetic nephropathy by counteracting the myogenic response in smooth muscle cells.-Zhang, J., Yin, J., Wang, Y., Li, B., Zeng, X. Apelin impairs myogenic response to induce diabetic nephropathy in mice.

Minocycline Promotes Neurite Outgrowth of PC12 Cells Exposed to Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation and Reoxygenation Through Regulation of MLCP/MLC Signaling Pathways.

PubMed

Tao, Tao; Feng, Jin-Zhou; Xu, Guang-Hui; Fu, Jie; Li, Xiao-Gang; Qin, Xin-Yue

2017-04-01

Minocycline, a semi-synthetic second-generation derivative of tetracycline, has been reported to exert neuroprotective effects both in animal models and in clinic trials of neurological diseases. In the present study, we first investigated the protective effects of minocycline on oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation-induced impairment of neurite outgrowth and its potential mechanism in the neuronal cell line, PC12 cells. We found that minocycline significantly increased cell viability, promoted neurite outgrowth and enhanced the expression of growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) in PC12 cells exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation injury. In addition, immunoblots revealed that minocycline reversed the overexpression of phosphorylated myosin light chain (MLC) and the suppression of activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) caused by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation injury. Moreover, the minocycline-induced neurite outgrowth was significantly blocked by Calyculin A (1 nM), an inhibitor of myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP), but not by an ERK1/2 inhibitor (U0126; 10 μM). These findings suggested that minocycline activated the MLCP/MLC signaling pathway in PC12 cells after oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation injury, which resulted in the promotion of neurite outgrowth.

Rho-kinase signaling controls nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of class IIa Histone Deacetylase (HDAC7) and transcriptional activation of orphan nuclear receptor NR4A1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Compagnucci, Claudia; Barresi, Sabina; Petrini, Stefania

2015-04-03

Rho-kinase (ROCK) has been well documented to play a key role in RhoA-induced actin remodeling. ROCK activation results in myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation either by direct action on MLC kinase (MLCK) or by inhibition of MLC phosphatase (MLCP), modulating actin–myosin contraction. We found that inhibition of the ROCK pathway in induced pluripotent stem cells, leads to nuclear export of HDAC7 and transcriptional activation of the orphan nuclear receptor NR4A1 while in cells with constitutive ROCK hyperactivity due to loss of function of the RhoGTPase activating protein Oligophrenin-1 (OPHN1), the orphan nuclear receptor NR4A1 is downregulated. Our study identify amore » new target of ROCK signaling via myosin phosphatase subunit (MYPT1) and Histone Deacetylase (HDAC7) at the nuclear level and provide new insights in the cellular functions of ROCK. - Highlights: • ROCK regulates nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of HDAC7 via phosphorylation of MYPT1. • Nuclear export of HDAC7 and upregulation of NR4A1 occurs with low ROCK activity. • High levels of ROCK activity due to OPHN1 loss of function downregulate NR4A1.« less

In vitro immunomodulatory effects of herbal products.

PubMed

Wilasrusmee, Chumpon; Siddiqui, Josephine; Bruch, David; Wilasrusmee, Skuntala; Kittur, Smita; Kittur, Dilip S

2002-10-01

Immunosuppressive drugs have been developed from natural products such as soil and fungi, which are also the sources of some commonly used herbal products. However, the effect of herbal products on immune response has not been investigated. Because these products can affect the host immune system they can induce either rejection or tolerance after a transplant procedure. To investigate the effects of ten commonly used herbal products on transplant-related immune function we performed in vitro lymphocyte proliferation tests using phytohemagglutinin, mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) assay, and interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-10 production from MLC. Dong quai, ginseng, and milk thistle had nonspecific immunostimulatory effects on lymphocyte proliferation, whereas ginger and green tea had immunosuppressive effects. Dong quai and milk thistle increased alloresponsiveness in MLC, whereas ginger and tea decreased these responses. The immunostimulatory effects of dong quai and milk thistle were consistently seen in both cell-mediated immune response and nonspecific lymphoproliferation, whereas that of ginseng was not. The immunosuppressive effect of green tea and ginger were mediated through a decrease in IL-2 production, but the immunostimulatory effects of dong quai and milk thistle were not. We conclude that green tea, dong quai, ginseng, milk thistle, and ginger have effects on in vitro immune assays that may be relevant in transplantation in humans.

Temperature, illumination, and fluence dependence of current and voltage in electron irradiated solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faith, T. J.; Obenschain, A. F.

1974-01-01

Empirical equations have been derived from measurements of solar cell photovoltaic characteristics relating light-generated current and open circuit voltage to cell temperature, intensity of illumination and 1-MeV electron fluence. Both 2-ohm-cm and 10-ohm-cm cells were tested over the temperature range from 120 to 470 K, the illumination intensity range from 5 to 1830 mW/sq cm, and the electron fluence range from 1 x 10 to the 13th to 1 x 10 to the 16th electrons/sq cm. The normalized temperature coefficient of the light generated current varies as the 0.18 power of the fluence for temperatures above approximately 273 K and is independent of fluence at lower temperatures. At 140 mW/sq cm, a power law expression was derived which shows that the light-generated current decreases at a rate proportional to the 0.153 power of the fluence for both resistivities. The coefficient of the expression is larger for 2-ohm-cm cells; consequently, the advantage for 10-ohm-cm cells increased with increasing fluence.