A surface energy spectral study on the bone heterogeneity and beam obliquity using the flattened and unflattened photon beams

Aim

Using flattened and unflattened photon beams, this study investigated the spectral variations of surface photon energy and energy fluence in the bone heterogeneity and beam obliquity.

Background

Surface dose enhancement is a dosimetric concern when using unflattened photon beam in radiotherapy. It is because the unflattened photon beam contains more low-energy photons which are removed by the flattening filter of the flattened photon beam.

Materials and methods

We used a water and bone heterogeneity phantom to study the distributions of energy, energy fluence and mean energy of the 6 MV flattened and unflattened photon beams (field size = 10 cm × 10 cm) produced by a Varian TrueBEAM linear accelerator. These elements were calculated at the phantom surfaces using Monte Carlo simulations. The photon energy and energy fluence calculations were repeated with the beam angle turned from 0° to 15°, 30° and 45° in the water and bone phantom.

Results

Spectral results at the phantom surfaces showed that the unflattened photon beams contained more photons concentrated mainly in the low-energy range (0–2 MeV) than the flattened beams associated with a flattening filter. With a bone layer of 1 cm under the phantom surface and within the build-up region of the 6 MV photon beam, it is found that both the flattened and unflattened beams had slightly less photons in the energy range <0.4 MeV compared to the water phantom. This shows that the presence of the bone decreased the low-energy photon backscatters to the phantom surface. When both the flattened and unflattened photon beams were rotated from 0° to 45°, the number of photon and mean photon energy increased. This indicates that both photon beams became more hardened or penetrate when the beam angle increased. In the presence of bone, the mean energies of both photon beams increased. This is due to the absorption of low-energy photons by the bone, resulting in more beam hardening.

Conclusions

This study explores the spectral relationships of surface photon energy and energy fluence with bone heterogeneity and beam obliquity for the flattened and unflattened photon beams. The photon spectral information is important in studies on the patient''s surface dose enhancement using unflattened photon beams in radiotherapy.     

雷贝拉唑治疗浅表性胃炎的临床效果及机制研究

目的:探讨雷贝拉唑治疗浅表性胃炎的临床效果及其机制。方法:选取2014年4月至2015年8月本院收治的浅表性胃炎患者84例,随机分为对照组和实验组,每组42例。对照组给予临床常规治疗,实验组加用雷贝拉唑治疗。观察和比较两组患者的临床疗效、不良反应的发生情况及治疗前后血清IL-2、IL-4、IL-8、SOD、MDA水平。结果:经4周治疗后,实验组痊愈率、总有效率均显著高于对照组(P0.05),血清IL-2、SOD水平更高于对照组,血清IL-4、IL-8、MDA水平均更低于对照组(P0.05)。两组之间不良反应发生率差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:雷贝拉唑能有效提高浅表性胃炎的临床疗效,可能与其降低血清IL-4、IL-8、MDA水平及升高血清IL-2、SOD水平有关。     

Real-time measurement of RFR energy distribution in the macaca mulatta head

Temperature increases due to absorption of 1.2 GHz, CW, 70 mW/cm², radio frequency (RF) energy, were measured in 3.3-cm-radius homogeneous muscle-equivalent spheres, M. mulatta cadaver heads (both detached from and attached to the body) and living, anesthetized M. mulatta heads. Temperatures were measured with a Vitek, Model 101 Electrothermia Monitor and temperature distributions were compared to theoretical predictions from a thermal-response model of a simulated cranial structure. The results show that the thermal response model accurately predicts the temperature distribution in muscle-equivalent spheres, the distribution of temperature in detached M. mulatta heads when exposed from the back of the head, and the distribution of temperature in attached M. mulatta cadaver heads for animals oriented with body parallel to the H-field. The temperature distribution in the detached M. mulatta heads varies markedly with exposure orientation, ie, facing forward, backward, or to the side. The orientation of the M. mulatta cadaver body significantly affects the temperature distribution in the head - with H-field orientation showing high, nonuniform values, and E-field orientation showing low, uniform values. In live animals blood flow produces a significant short-term effect on the temperature distribution in the midbrain, but not the cortex. Midbrain temperatures are both significantly higher and lower than the comparable cadaver measurements, depending on location.     

3D image-based dosimetry for Yttrium-90 radioembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma: Impact of imaging method on absorbed dose estimates

BackgroundTo improve therapy outcome of Yttrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy (⁹⁰Y SIRT), patient-specific post-therapeutic dosimetry is required. For this purpose, various dosimetric approaches based on different available imaging data have been reported. The aim of this work was to compare post-therapeutic 3D absorbed dose images using Technetium-99m (^99mTc) MAA SPECT/CT, Yttrium-90 (⁹⁰Y) bremsstrahlung (BRS) SPECT/CT, and ⁹⁰Y PET/CT.MethodsTen SIRTs of nine patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were investigated. The ^99mTc SPECT/CT data, obtained from ^99mTc-MAA-based treatment simulation prior to ⁹⁰Y SIRT, were scaled with the administered ⁹⁰Y therapy activity. 3D absorbed dose images were generated by dose kernel convolution with scaled ^99mTc/⁹⁰Y SPECT/CT, ⁹⁰Y BRS SPECT/CT, and ⁹⁰Y PET/CT data of each patient. Absorbed dose estimates in tumor and healthy liver tissue obtained using the two SPECT/CT methods were compared against ⁹⁰Y PET/CT.ResultsThe percentage deviation of tumor absorbed dose estimates from ⁹⁰Y PET/CT values was on average −2 ± 18% for scaled ^99mTc/⁹⁰Y SPECT/CT, whereas estimates from ⁹⁰Y BRS SPECT/CT differed on average by −50 ± 13%. For healthy liver absorbed dose estimates, all three imaging methods revealed comparable values.ConclusionThe quantification capabilities of the imaging data influence ⁹⁰Y SIRT tumor dosimetry, while healthy liver absorbed dose values were comparable for all investigated imaging data. When no ⁹⁰Y PET/CT image data are available, the proposed scaled ^99mTc/⁹⁰Y SPECT/CT dosimetry method was found to be more appropriate for HCC tumor dosimetry than ⁹⁰Y BRS SPECT/CT based dosimetry.     

Absorbed dose in the operator’s brain in interventional radiology practices: evaluation through KAP value conversion factors

In order to address the recent concerns over a possible increasing in brain tumour mortality among interventional radiologists and cardiologist, this work evaluated the exposure conditions of the operator’s brain during interventional procedures using Monte Carlo simulations with anthropomorphic phantoms. The absorbed doses in several predefined segments of the operator’s brain were estimated in a typical interventional radiology irradiation scenario. The doses were normalized to the KAP values simulated for ten X-ray beam qualities and four projections (PA, RAO 25°, LAO 25° and CRA 25°). For the interventional radiology scenario, because of the position of the operator, no difference was found in the exposure between the left and right regions of the brain for the first operator. However, for the second operator standing at a farer distance from the tube, the exposure of the left part of the brain is up to two times higher than that of the right part. The results are in agreement with dose measurements reported in the literature. The conversion factors, obtained as the absorbed dose per KAP, can be used to obtain a first estimate of the exposure of the brain of the operators during interventional procedures.     

A parametric study of occupational radiation dose in interventional radiology by Monte-Carlo simulations

This paper presents the results of a parametric study on the occupational exposure in interventional radiology to explore the influence of various variables on the staff doses. These variables include the angiography beam settings: x-ray peak voltage (kVp), added copper filtration, field diameter, beam projection and source to detector distance. The study was performed using Monte-Carlo simulations with MCNPX for more than 5600 combinations of parameters that account for different clinical situations. Additionally, the analysis of the results was performed using both multiple and random forest regression to build a predictive model and to quantify the importance of each variable when the variables simultaneously change. Primary and secondary projections were found to have the most effect on the scatter fraction that reaches the operator followed by the effect of changing the x-ray beam quality. The effect of changing the source to image intensifier distance had the lowest effect.     

Thermoluminescence dosimetric attributes of Yb3+-doped BaO–ZnO–LiF–B2O3 glass material after Er3+ co-doping

Motivated by our previous study on Sm³⁺ ions as thermoluminescence (TL) sensitizers to the BaO–ZnO–LiF–B₂O₃–Yb₂O₃ glass system, in the current study we examined the effect of Er³⁺ ion co-doping on the TL characteristics of this glass system. The 4f–4f electronic transitions of the Er³⁺ and Yb³⁺ ions were confirmed via the optical absorption spectrum. Notably, the use of Yb³⁺–Er³⁺ ions failed to improve the TL intensity, sensitivity, and trap density. However, they enabled the glass system to function as an activator–quencher system. The linearity range and effective atomic number remained unaffected after co-doping. In addition, the problem of anomalous fading caused a remnant signal of just 58% after a week of storage of the Yb³⁺ monodoped glass. This was resolved by the optimum co-doping of Er³⁺ ions to achieve an 89% signal. The co-doping of Er³⁺ ions to the BaO–ZnO–LiF–B₂O₃–Yb₂O₃ glass system regulated its thermal stability and therefore supplemented its potential for radiation monitoring in food processing and retrospective dosimetry.     

巨大浅表性脂肪瘤样痣一例并文献复习

目的:本研究探讨巨大浅表性脂肪瘤样痣(NLCS)的临床表现、病理特征及预后。方法:回顾性分析一例巨大NLCS的临床表现、病理学特征及预后情况,并结合文献进行复习。结果:本例患者皮损分布于腰臀部,呈群集状丘疹和结节。病理学特征为在真皮胶原组织内见成熟无包膜的脂肪组织。经手术切除后,取得了满意的效果。术后八个月,随诊复查未见异常,至今无复发。结论:巨大NLCS的确诊主要依靠组织病理检查,手术是治疗NLCS的首选方法。