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In 2019, our institution became the second in the world to go live with GammaPod (Xcision Medical Systems, LLC, Columbia, MD), a device dedicated for stereotactic radiation therapy of breast cancer, with breast immobilization, real-time imaging, and highly-conformal dosimetry. At our institution, GammaPod is used for 5-fraction adjuvant partial breast irradiation, single-fraction tumor cavity boost before whole-breast irradiation, single-fraction preoperative radiation, and (in poor surgical candidates), single-fraction definitive radiation. Here, we describe our workflow, observed procedure step times, and homegrown techniques for improved efficiency in our institutional experience of 93 patients treated between 2019 and 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study recruited 2 centers with expertise in treating pediatric brain tumors with robotic radiation delivery system photon therapy and proton therapy, respectively, to study the plan quality and dose deposition characteristics of robotic radiation delivery system photon therapy and intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) plans. A total of 18 patients clinically treated with the robotic radiation delivery system were planned with IMPT. Cases were planned per the standard of care of each institution but respected the same planning objectives. The comparison included 3 aspects: plan quality, dose fall-off characteristics around the target volume, and the volume of the high-, intermediate-, and low-dose baths. All robotic radiation delivery system and IMPT plans met the planning objectives. However, IMPT significantly reduced the maximum dose to organs at risk away from the planning target volume (PTV), such as the cochlea and eye (P <.05), and the mean dose to the normal brain (P <.05). No statistically significant difference was observed in the maximum dose to the optical pathway and brain stem. Robotic radiation delivery system plans demonstrated a sharper dose fall-off within 5 mm around the PTV (P <.05), whereas IMPT significantly lowered the dose to the normal tissue beyond 10 mm from the PTV (P <.05). The robotic radiation delivery system offers a smaller high-dose bath whereas IMPT offers a smaller low-dose bath (P <.05). However, the difference in intermediate dose is not statistically significant. In general, robotic radiation delivery system plans exhibit reduced high-dose exposure to normal tissue, and IMPT plans have considerably smaller volumes of low-dose exposure with differences in medium-range dose baths increasingly favoring protons as tumor size increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Characteristics of pMLC-delivered electron arc beams are presented. • The radial dose rate is a major cause of difference between static and arc beam dose. • This study provides the basis of EMAT treatment planning for chest wall. To study the dosimetric properties of electron arc beams delivered by photon-beam multi-leaf collimators (pMLC) in electron modulated arc therapy (EMAT) for postmastectomy chest wall treatments. Using the Monte Carlo method, we simulated a 2100EX Varian linear accelerator and verified the beam models in a water tank. Dosimetric characterizations were performed on cylindrical water phantoms of elliptical bases with various field sizes, arc ranges and source-to-surface distances (SSDs) for 6, 9 and 12 MeV beam energy. The arc beam has a higher bremsstrahlung dose than the static beam at the isocenter due to crossfire, but choosing a field size greater than 5 cm effectively reduces the bremsstrahlung dose. The depths of the 90% maximum dose located at 1.7, 2.8 and 4.1 cm for 6, 9 and 12 MeV, respectively, are similar to those of the static beams and independent of the field size and arc range. Based on the study, we recommend using the 5 cm field width for electron arc beams considering both bremsstrahlung dose at the isocenter and the arc profile penumbra. To ensure sufficient PTV edge coverage, we recommend a field length extension of at least 4 cm from PTV's edge for all beam energies and an arc extension of around 7°, 5°, and 5° for beam energies 6, 9, and 12 MeV, respectively. These dosimetric characterizations are the basis of pMLC-delivered EMAT treatment planning for postmastectomy chest wall patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Glyoxal reacts with H 2 SO 4 and NH 3 to generate organosulfates and carbinolamine. • NH 3 promotes the yield of organosulfates at high concentration and low temperature. • H 2 SO 4 has strong catalytic ability for glyoxal reacts with NH 3 to form carbinolamine. The reaction mechanisms and rate constants of the gaseous reactions of glyoxal with H 2 SO 4 , NH 3 -catalyzed glyoxal with H 2 SO 4 , glyoxal with NH 3 , and H 2 SO 4 -catalyzed glyoxal with NH 3 are studied detailedly using M06-2X followed by CCSD(T) calculations and conventional transition state theory in current study. The results show that NH 3 has a certain catalytic ability to reduce the barrier for reaction of glyoxal with H 2 SO 4 , and increases their rate constant by 103 times to 2.66 × 10-15 cm3 molecule-1 s−1 under atmospheric condition ·NH 3 can facilitate the formation of organosulfates at high concentration and low temperature. H 2 SO 4 has a strong catalytic ability, significantly reduces the barrier of glyoxal with NH 3 , and increases their rate constant to 4.52 × 10-12 cm3 molecule-1 s−1, which is slightly less than the rate coefficient of OH radicals and glyoxal. These provide the basis for clarifying the characteristic mechanism of gaseous reaction of glyoxal to form organosulfates and carbinolamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To evaluate the performance of a 4-dimensional (4-D) cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) reconstruction scheme based on simultaneous motion estimation and image reconstruction (SMEIR) through patient studies. Methods and Materials The SMEIR algorithm contains 2 alternating steps: (1) motion-compensated CBCT reconstruction using projections from all phases to reconstruct a reference phase 4D-CBCT by explicitly considering the motion models between each different phase and (2) estimation of motion models directly from projections by matching the measured projections to the forward projection of the deformed reference phase 4D-CBCT. Four lung cancer patients were scanned for 4 to 6 minutes to obtain approximately 2000 projections for each patient. To evaluate the performance of the SMEIR algorithm on a conventional 1-minute CBCT scan, the number of projections at each phase was reduced by a factor of 5, 8, or 10 for each patient. Then, 4D-CBCTs were reconstructed from the down-sampled projections using Feldkamp-Davis-Kress, total variation (TV) minimization, prior image constrained compressive sensing (PICCS), and SMEIR. Using the 4D-CBCT reconstructed from the fully sampled projections as a reference, the relative error (RE) of reconstructed images, root mean square error (RMSE), and maximum error (MaxE) of estimated tumor positions were analyzed to quantify the performance of the SMEIR algorithm. Results The SMEIR algorithm can achieve results consistent with the reference 4D-CBCT reconstructed with many more projections per phase. With an average of 30 to 40 projections per phase, the MaxE in tumor position detection is less than 1 mm in SMEIR for all 4 patients. Conclusion The results from a limited number of patients show that SMEIR is a promising tool for high-quality 4D-CBCT reconstruction and tumor motion modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Airborne bacterial contamination poses a risk for surgical site infection, and routine surveillance of airborne bacteria is important. Traditional methods for detecting airborne bacteria are time consuming and strenuous. Measurement of biologic particle concentrations using a fluorescent particle counter is a novel method for evaluating air quality. The current study was to determine whether the number of biologic particles detected by the fluorescent particle counter can be used to indicate airborne bacterial counts in operating rooms. Methods The study was performed in an operating theater at a university hospital in Hefei, China. The number of airborne biologic particles every minute was quantified using a fluorescent particle counter. Microbiologic air sampling was performed every 30 minutes using an Andersen air sampler (Pusong Electronic Instruments, Changzhou, China). Correlations between the 2 different methods were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficients. Results A significant correlation was observed between biologic particle and bacterial counts (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.76), and the counting results from 2 methods both increased substantially between operations, corresponding with human movements in the operating room. Conclusion Fluorescent particle counters show potential as important tools for monitoring bacterial contamination in operating theatres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe an imaging technique that combines near-infrared diffuse optical tomography and reconstructive ultrasound tomography (RUT). In this technique, both absorption and scattering images of turbid media are reconstructed by use of the a priori structural information obtained from computational based ultrasound tomography. Under the guidance of a RUT, the absorption and scattering images with high spatial resolution are obtained using a finite element based reconstruction algorithm. With the combined approach, we experimentally demonstrate that 2–3 mm size targets embedded in a 5 cm diameter background can be reconstructed quantitatively in terms of the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of the target, whereas it is impossible to quantitatively resolve the targets without the ultrasonic guidance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Rationale and Objectives. Near-infrared diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is an emerging imaging technology that has the potential to offer enhanced contrast resolution over the existing technologies for detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Thus far, the clinical evaluation of DOT has been largely limited to solid tumors. A pilot clinical study focused on DOT imaging of breasts with cysts is presented.Materials and Methods. Six cases were studied using the recently developed compact, parallel-detection DOT system. Images characterizing the tissue absorption and scattering were obtained with a finite element-based reconstruction algorithm. The optical images were compared with the mammograms and sonograms. In one case, in vitro measurements of optical properties were conducted for the fluid obtained from needle aspiration.Results. Substantial contrast between cyst and adjacent parenchyma is observed. For the six cases evaluated, the locations and sizes of cysts imaged optically are accurate and consistent with the mammographic and sonographic findings. For the case that aspiration was performed, the absorption and scattering coefficients imaged in the cyst region are quantitatively accurate compared with that measured in vitro from the fluid aspirated.Conclusion. This pilot study shows that cysts ranging from 1–4 cm in diameter can be quantitatively imaged. They can be differentiated from solid breast tumors because cysts generally demonstrate lower absorption and scattering coefficients compared with the surrounding normal tissue, whereas solid tumors show concurrent higher absorption and scattering related to the normal tissue. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cigarette smoke and ozone (O 3) are two main pollutants in indoor environments and their mutual reaction can generate substantial detrimental substances having synergistic influences on the environment and human health. The aging process of cigarette smoke in the atmosphere is mainly gone through ozonolysis reaction attracting increasing attention in recent years. Herein, the ozonolysis reaction of cigarette smoke with indoor O 3 concentrations has been investigated in a Teflon chamber. The gas- and particle-phases of cigarette smoke are divided and their individual ozonolysis process can generate ultrafine particles (UFPs) with high number concentrations. The chemical compositions of the gas- and particle-phases of cigarette smoke as well as their nascent UFPs are measured and their differences during the ozonolysis have been clearly observed with vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization mass spectrometry. In particular, several representative key species of cigarette smoke, i.e. , the gas-phase furan and 2,5-dimethylfuran and the particle-phase nicotine, as well as their ozonolysis products are definitely identified and play an important role in the nucleation formation of UFPs. Their ozonolysis reaction mechanisms are also discussed. In addition, this work demonstrates that the ozonolysis of the particle-phase of cigarette smoke contributes more UFPs than that of the gas-phase. [Display omitted] • Ozonolysis reactions of cigarette smoke with indoor O 3 concentrations investigated. • Gas- and particle-phases of smoke generate ultrafine particles (UFPs) via ozonolysis. • Ozonolysis of particle-phase of smoke generates more UFPs than that of gas-phase. • Key species of smoke and their ozonolysis products are identified in mass spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrahigh-dose-rate (FLASH) irradiation has been reported to reduce normal tissue damage compared with conventional dose rate (CONV) irradiation without compromising tumor control. This proof-of-concept study aims to develop a deep learning (DL) approach to quantify the FLASH isoeffective dose (dose of CONV that would be required to produce the same effect as the given physical FLASH dose) with postirradiation mouse intestinal histology images. Eighty-four healthy C57BL/6J female mice underwent 16 MeV electron CONV (0.12 Gy/s; n = 41) or FLASH (200 Gy/s; n = 43) single fraction whole abdominal irradiation. Physical dose ranged from 12 to 16 Gy for FLASH and 11 to 15 Gy for CONV in 1 Gy increments. Four days after irradiation, 9 jejunum cross-sections from each mouse were hematoxylin and eosin stained and digitized for histological analysis. CONV data set was randomly split into training (n = 33) and testing (n = 8) data sets. ResNet101-based DL models were retrained using the CONV training data set to estimate the dose based on histological features. The classical manual crypt counting (CC) approach was implemented for model comparison. Cross-section-wise mean squared error was computed to evaluate the dose estimation accuracy of both approaches. The validated DL model was applied to the FLASH data set to map the physical FLASH dose into the isoeffective dose. The DL model achieved a cross-section-wise mean squared error of 0.20 Gy2 on the CONV testing data set compared with 0.40 Gy2 of the CC approach. Isoeffective doses estimated by the DL model for FLASH doses of 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 Gy were 12.19 ± 0.46, 12.54 ± 0.37, 12.69 ± 0.26, 12.84 ± 0.26, and 13.03 ± 0.28 Gy, respectively. Our proposed DL model achieved accurate CONV dose estimation. The DL model results indicate that in the physical dose range of 13 to 16 Gy, the biologic dose response of small intestinal tissue to FLASH irradiation is represented by a lower isoeffective dose compared with the physical dose. Our DL approach can be a tool for studying isoeffective doses of other radiation dose modifying interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cigarette smoke is a dynamically changing aerosol system and the operando measurement of its complex chemical compositions is challenging. In this work, the gas- and particle-phase components of combustion cigarette smoke aerosols, which usually have different adverse influences on environment and human health, have been separated and their individual compositions are measured online by using a novel vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The gas-phase compositions are clearly identified and ascribed to low-mass volatile organic compounds (VOCs), while the particle-phase are more complicated and dominated with abundant semi- or non-volatile organics. The present results demonstrate that some compositions only present in gas- or particle-phase, but some can exist in both phases. In addition, the signals of the gas- and particle-phases increase with the puff number of smoking and their dynamical processes are discussed. The puff-by-puff increase of the gas-phase components is more obvious than that of the particle-phase, implying their different mechanisms involved in the smoking. • Operando measurements of gas/particle phases of combustion cigarette smoke aerosol. • Gas-phase dominates with VOCs, while particle-phase to semi-/non-volatile organics. • Some species only present in gas or particle phase, while some exist in both phases. • Gas and particle phase releases increased with puff number, but at different rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • This review provides a systematic summary of FDA-approved biologic-device combination products regarding their device configurations, routes of administration, formulations, instructions for use, etc. • While prefilled syringes, autoinjectors and pen injectors remain as the mainstay of medical devices, innovative modifications like dual-chamber design and novel devices like on-body injector also emerged as promising presentations. • Insulin related combination products are all delivered by pen injectors with multi-dose cartridges subcutaneously. Vaccine-device combination products are presented with PFS and administered through the intramuscular route. • Around 40 % of products employ high-concentration formulations (≥ 100 mg/mL), and 78 % of mAb products are at high concentrations. With the remarkably strong growth of the biopharmaceutical market, an increasing demand for self-administration and rising competitions attract substantial interest to the biologic-device combination products. The ease-of-use of biologic-device combination products can minimize dosing error, improve patient compliance and add value to the life-cycle management of biological products. As listed in the purple book issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a total of 98 brand biologic-device combination products have been approved with Biologic License Application from January 2000 to August 2023, where this review mainly focused on 63 products containing neither insulin nor vaccine. Prefilled syringes (PFS) and autoinjectors are the most widely adopted devices, whereas innovative modifications like needle safety guard and dual-chamber design and novel devices like on-body injector also emerged as promising presentations. All 16 insulin products employ pen injectors, while all 19 vaccine products are delivered by a PFS. This review provides a systematic summary of FDA-approved biologic-device combination products regarding their device configurations, routes of administration, formulations, instructions for use, etc. In addition, challenges and opportunities associated with biologic-device compatibility, regulatory complexity, and smart connected devices are also discussed. It is believed that evolving technologies will definitely move the boundaries of biologic-device combination product development even further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Custom tissue compensators provide dosimetric advantages for treating superficial or complex anatomy, but currently available fabrication technology is expensive or impractical for most clinical operations and yields compensators that are difficult for patients to tolerate. We aimed to develop an inexpensive, clinically feasible workflow for generating patient-specific, soft, custom silicone boluses (SCSBs) for head-and-neck (HN) radiation therapy. Methods and materials We developed a method using 3-dimensional printed parts for generating SCSBs for the treatment of HN cancers. The clinical workflow for generation of SCSBs was characterized inclusive of patient simulation to treatment in terms of resource time and cost. Dosimetric properties such as percentage depth dose and dose profiles were measured for SCSBs using GaF films. Comprehensive measurements were also conducted on an HN phantom. SCSBs were generated and used for electron or photon based radiation treatments of 7 HN patients with lesions at nose, cheek, eye, or ears. In vivo dose measurements with optically simulated luminescence dosimeters were performed. Results Total design and fabrication time from patient simulation to radiation treatment start required approximately 1 week, with fabrication constituting 1 to 2 working days depending on bolus surface area, volume, and complexity. Computed tomography and dosimetric properties of the soft bolus were similar to water. In vivo dose measurements on 7 treated patients confirmed that the dose deposition conformed to planned doses. Material costs were lower than currently available hard plastic boluses generated with 3-dimensional printing technology. All treated patients tolerated SCSBs for the duration of therapy. Conclusions Generation and use of SCSBs for clinical use is feasible and effective for the treatment of HN cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of moderate deep inspiration breathhold (mDIBH) in reducing heart exposure in left breast cancer patients who have unfavorable cardiac anatomy and need internal mammary lymph node (IMLN) radiation therapy (RT). Methods and materials We used maximum heart distance (MHD), defined as the maximum distance of the heart within the treatment field, >1 cm as a surrogate for unfavorable cardiac anatomy. Twenty-two left breast cancer patients with unfavorable cardiac anatomy requiring IMLN-RT underwent free-breathing (FB) and mDIBH computed tomography simulation and planning. Three-dimensional partially wide tangents (3D-PWTs) and intensity modulated RT plans were generated. Dose-volume histograms were used to compare heart and lung dosimetric parameters. Duration of treatment delivery was recorded for all fractions. Results MHD decreased significantly in mDIBH scans. mDIBH significantly reduced mean heart dose (222.7 vs 578.4 cGy; P < .0001) and percentage of left lung receiving doses ≥20 Gy (V20; 31.93 vs 38.41%; P = .0006) in both 3D-PWT and intensity modulated RT plans. The change in MHD after breathhold reliably predicted mean heart dose reduction after mDIBH. Radiation was effectively delivered in 11.31 ± 3.40 minutes with an average of 10.06 ± 2.74 breathholds per fraction. Conclusions mDIBH is efficient and can effectively decrease mean heart dose in patients with unfavorable cardiac anatomy who need IMLN-RT, thus simplifying planning and delivery for them. The reduction in mean heart dose is proportional to the reduction in maximum heart distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Swallow motion may compromise the successful delivery of glottic larynx SBRT. • We developed a motion management workflow using surface image guidance. • It was found that swallow motion was common during treatment. • Our method was feasible and straightforward to implement in clinic. Involuntary motion due to swallowing cause inaccurate dose delivery during larynx radiotherapy, a deviation that may be particularly problematic during stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). The goal of this study was to develop a motion management solution for larynx SBRT using surface imaging. Ten patients were recently treated on a phase II study of larynx SBRT on a LINAC equipped with a surface guidance system. A small region of the immobilization mask was manually cut open to allow surface tracking. Pre-treatment and intra-fractional CBCTs were acquired to verify internal anatomy. Patients were verbally instructed not to swallow during treatment. During treatment delivery, beam hold was initiated by the Motion Management Interface if surface motion exceeded a patient-specific threshold. Patient motion was recorded in log files and analyzed. We also performed phantom studies to assess the theoretical impact of gating on dose delivery. The frequency (6.5 ± 5.2 times per fraction) and duration (3.9 ± 2.5 seconds per swallow) of swallowing varied both between patients and fractions. The magnitude of each swallow showed mean peak amplitude at 5.8 ± 3.8 mm above baseline, mostly in the longitudinal direction. Beam duty cycle was 95.0% ± 7.0% (absolute range: 76–100%), with inefficiency most prominent in the early fractions. The 95th percentile residual motion was reduced from 3.4 mm to 2.3 mm with both verbal instruction and gating. Phantom studies confirmed dose delivery accuracy represented by gamma pass rate was improved by 5% using this approach. Laryngeal motion management using surface imaging is feasible and efficacious. Uncontrolled movement of the larynx was not uncommon during treatment, with gating reducing potential for unplanned dose deviations. Additional research is needed to determine the clinical benefit with this system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess whether the optimal gating window for each beam during lung radiation therapy with respiratory gating will be dependent on a variety of patient-specific factors, such as tumor size and location and the extent of relative tumor and organ motion.Methods and Materials: To create optimal gating treatment plans, we started from an optimized clinical plan, created a plan per respiratory phase using the same beam arrangements, and used an inverse planning optimization approach to determine the optimal gating window for each beam and optimal beam weights (ie, monitor units). Two pieces of information were used for optimization: (1) the state of the anatomy at each phase, extracted from 4-dimensional computed tomography scans; and (2) the time spent in each state, estimated from a 2-minute monitoring of the patient's breathing motion. We retrospectively studied 15 lung cancer patients clinically treated by hypofractionated conformal radiation therapy, for whom 45 to 60 Gy was administered over 3 to 15 fractions using 7 to 13 beams. Mean gross tumor volume and respiratory-induced tumor motion were 82.5 cm3 and 1.0 cm, respectively.Results: Although patients spent most of their respiratory cycle in end-exhalation (EE), our optimal gating plans used EE for only 34% of the beams. Using optimal gating, maximum and mean doses to the esophagus, heart, and spinal cord were reduced by an average of 15% to 26%, and the beam-on times were reduced by an average of 23% compared with equivalent single-phase EE gated plans (P<.034, paired 2-tailed t test).Conclusions: We introduce a personalized respiratory-gating technique in which inverse planning optimization is used to determine patient- and beam-specific gating phases toward enhancing dosimetric quality of radiation therapy treatment plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We report on our early experience of our prospective multicenter phase 1 dose- escalation study of single-fraction stereotactic partial breast irradiation (S-PBI) for early stage breast cancer after partial mastectomy using a robotic stereotactic radiation system.Methods and Materials: Thirty women with in situ or invasive breast cancer stage 0, I, or II with tumor size <3 cm treated with lumpectomy were enrolled in this phase 1 single-fraction S-PBI dose-escalation trial. Women received either 22.5, 26.5, or 30 Gy in a single fraction using a robotic stereotactic radiation system. The primary outcome was to reach tumoricidal dose of 30 Gy in a single fraction to the lumpectomy cavity without exceeding the maximum tolerated dose. Secondary outcomes were to determine dose-limiting toxicity and cosmesis. Tertiary goals were ipsilateral breast recurrence rate, distant disease-free interval, recurrence-free survival, and overall survival.Results: From June 2016 to January 2021, 11, 8, and 10 patients were treated to doses of 22.5, 26.5, or 30 Gy in a single fraction, respectively, with median follow-up being 47.9, 25.1, and 16.2 months. No patients experienced acute (<90 days) grade 3 or higher treatment-related toxicity, and maximum tolerated dose was not reached. There were 2 delayed grade 3 toxicities. Four patients (13.8%) developed fat necrosis across all 3 cohorts, which compares favorably with results from other PBI trials. No dose cohort had a statistically significant cosmetic detriment from baseline to 12 months or 24 months follow-up by patient- or physician-reported global cosmetic scores. There were no reports of disease recurrence.Conclusions: This phase 1 trial demonstrates that S-PBI can be used to safely escalate dose to 30 Gy in a single fraction with low toxicity and without detriment in cosmesis relative to baseline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Persimmon waste was chemically modified by crosslinking with concentrated sulfuric acid to obtain a novel kind of adsorption gel, which was termed as crosslinked persimmon tannin (CPT), hereinafter. The adsorption behaviors of Mo(VI) with other coexisting metal ions onto the CPT gel were investigated. The gel exhibited selectivity only for Mo(VI) ions evidenced by the high value of separation factor of molybdenum and rhenium (βMo/Re =164.37), and the adsorption mechanism of Mo(VI) as a multispecies was studied. The molybdenum adsorption behavior conforms to the Langmuir model with a remarkably high adsorption capacity of 0.56mol/kg. A kinetic study for the adsorption of molybdenum at various temperatures confirmed that the endothermic adsorption process followed pseudo-second order kinetics. Moreover, its excellent adsorption properties and applicability for Mo(VI) were demonstrated by the removal and separation of Mo(VI) from different Mo–Re containing industrial wastewaters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: This study reports predictive dosimetric and physiologic factors for fat necrosis after stereotactic-partial breast irradiation (S-PBI).Methods and Materials: Seventy-five patients with ductal carcinoma-in situ or invasive nonlobular epithelial histologies stage 0, I, or II, with tumor size <3 cm were enrolled in a dose-escalation, phase I S-PBI trial between January 2011 and July 2015. Fat necrosis was evaluated clinically at each follow-up. Treatment data were extracted from the Multiplan Treatment Planning System (Cyberknife, Accuray). Univariate and stepwise logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with palpable fat necrosis.Results: With a median follow-up of 61 months (range: 4.3-99.5 months), 11 patients experienced palpable fat necrosis, 5 cases of which were painful. The median time to development of fat necrosis was 12.7 months (range, 3-42 months). On univariate analyses, higher V32.5-47.5 Gy (P < .05) and larger breast volume (P < .01) were predictive of any fat necrosis; higher V35-50 Gy (P < .05), receiving 2 treatments on consecutive days (P = .02), and higher Dmax (P = .01) were predictive of painful fat necrosis. On multivariate analyses, breast volume larger than 1063 cm3 remained a predictive factor for any fat necrosis; receiving 2 treatments on consecutive days and higher V45 Gy were predictive of painful fat necrosis. Breast laterality, planning target volume (PTV), race, body mass index, diabetic status, and tobacco or drug use were not significantly associated with fat necrosis on univariate analysis.Conclusions: Early-stage breast cancer patients treated with breast conserving surgery and S-PBI in our study had a fat necrosis rate comparable to other accelerated partial breast irradiation modalities, but S-PBI is less invasive. To reduce risk of painful fat necrosis, we recommend not delivering fractions on consecutive days; limiting V42.5 < 50 cm3, V45 < 20 cm3, V47.5 < 1 cm3, Dmax ≤ 48 Gy and PTV < 100 cm3 when feasible; and counseling patients about the increased risk for fat necrosis when constraints are not met and for those with breast volume >1000 cm3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic aerosols such as (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , NaNO 3 and CaCl 2 are commonly present in the Chinese urban atmosphere. They could significantly affect the formation and aging of ambient secondary organic aerosols (SOA), but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In this work we studied SOA formation from the photooxidation reaction of 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (135-TMB) with 100 μg/m 3 of the above three types of inorganic aerosols as seeds in a laboratory chamber. We focused on the aging products of SOA particles by exposing them to high levels of oxidizing hydroxyl radicals (OH). The particulate products of SOA were measured using an aerosol laser time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ALTOFMS) and Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) were applied to organic mass spectra for clustering. In the presence of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 seeds, 4-methyl-1H-imidazole, 4-methyl-imidazole-2-acetaldehyde and other imidazole derivative compounds formed from reactions of NH 4 + with methylglyoxal were detected as new aged products. We also observed aromatic nitrogen-containing organic compounds as the major aged products in the presence of NaNO 3 seeds as a consequence of reaction with OH and NO 2 radicals, which were generated by UV irradiation of acidic aqueous nitrate, inducing nitration reactions with phenolic compounds. As CaCl 2 has the strongest hygroscopic properties of the three salt particles tested, the greater water content on the surface of the aerosol may facilitate the condensing of more gas-phase organic acid products to the hygroscopic CaCl 2 seeds, forming H + ions that catalyze the heterogeneous reaction of aldehydes, products of photooxidation of 135-TMB, and forming high-molecular-weight (HMW) compounds. These results provide new insight into the aromatic SOA aging mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles formed from OH– initiated oxidation of ethylbenzene in the presence of high mass (100–300 μg/m 3 ) concentrations of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 seed aerosol was investigated in a home-made smog chamber in this study. The chemical composition of aged ethylbenzene SOA particles was measured using an aerosol laser time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ALTOFMS) coupled with a Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) clustering algorithm. Experimental results showed that nitrophenol, ethyl-nitrophenol, 2,4-dinitrophenol, methyl glyoxylic acid, 5-ethyl-6-oxo-2,4-hexadienoic acid, 2-ethyl-2,4-hexadiendioic acid, 2,3-dihydroxy-5-ethyl-6-oxo-4-hexenoic acid, 1H-imidazole, hydrated N-glyoxal substituted 1H-imidazole, hydrated glyoxal dimer substituted imidazole, 1H-imidazole-2-carbaldehyde, N-glyoxal substituted hydrated 1H-imidazole-2-carbaldehyde and high-molecular-weight (HMW) components were the predominant products in the aged particles. Compared to the previous aromatic SOA aging studies, imidazole compounds, which can absorb solar radiation effectively, were newly detected in aged ethylbenzene SOA in the presence of high concentrations of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 seed aerosol. These findings provide new information for discussing aromatic SOA aging mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a reduction in cardiac dose for left-sided breast radiotherapy during treatment with deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) when compared with treatment with free breathing (FB). Various levels of DIBH may occur for different treatment fractions. Dosimetric effects due to this and other motions are a major component of uncertainty in radiotherapy in this setting. Recent developments in deformable registration techniques allow displacement vectors between various temporal and spatial patient representations to be digitally quantified. We propose a method to evaluate the dosimetric effect to the heart from variable reproducibility of DIBH by using deformable registration to create new anatomical computed tomography (CT) scans. From deformable registration, 3-dimensional deformation vectors are generated with FB and DIBH. The obtained deformation vectors are scaled to 75%, 90%, and 110% and are applied to the reference image to create new CT scans at these inspirational levels. The scans are then imported into the treatment planning system and dose calculations are performed. The average mean dose to the heart was 2.5 Gy (0.7 to 9.6 Gy) at FB, 1.2 Gy (0.6 to 3.8 Gy, p < 0.001) at 75% inspiration, 1.1 Gy (0.6 to 3.1 Gy, p = 0.004) at 90% inspiration, 1.0 Gy (0.6 to 3.0 Gy) at 100% inspiration or DIBH, and 1.0 Gy (0.6 to 2.8 Gy, p = 0.019) at 110% inspiration. The average mean dose to the left anterior descending artery (LAD) was 19.9 Gy (2.4 to 46.4 Gy), 8.6 Gy (2.0 to 43.8 Gy, p < 0.001), 7.2 Gy (1.9 to 40.1 Gy, p = 0.035), 6.5 Gy (1.8 to 34.7 Gy), and 5.3 Gy (1.5 to 31.5 Gy, p < 0.001), correspondingly. This novel method enables numerous anatomical situations to be mimicked and quantifies the dosimetric effect they have on a treatment plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The OH initiated oxidation of 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (1,3,5-TMB) under NOx-free conditions has been investigated by using a home-made vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization aerosol mass spectrometer complemented by high-level theoretical computations. The chemical composition of the nascent particles from the oxidation reaction is measured on-line and the high mass O 2 -bridged bicyclic compounds in the particle phase are directly observed and determined, with the aid of the deuterated 1,3,5-TMB experiments to confirm the species' assignment. To illuminate the formation of the O 2 -bridged bicyclic compounds, the potential energy surfaces of the reaction of the bicyclic peroxy radical (BPR) with the hydroperoxy radical (HO 2), and of the self-reaction of the BPR radical, have been theoretically calculated and then their reaction mechanisms are discussed in detail. This study provides direct evidence to support the essential role of the O 2 -bridged bicyclic compounds in the particle formation from the OH initiated oxidation of 1,3,5- TMB. • OH-initiated oxidation of 1,3,5-TMB studied with photoionization mass spectrometry. • The O 2 -bridged bicyclic products directly observed in the particle phase. • Deuterated experiments to confirm the products' assignment in the mass spectra. • Theoretical calculations to illuminate reaction mechanisms of the BPR radical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Experiments for formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from photooxidation of 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene in the CH3ONO/NO/air mixture were carried out in the laboratory chamber. The size and chemical composition of the resultant individual particles were measured in real-time by an aerosol laser time of flight mass spectrometer (ALTOFMS) recently designed in our group. We also developed Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) algorithm to classify the mass spectra of large numbers of SOA particles. The study first started with mixed particles generated from the standards benzaldehyde, phenol, benzoic acid, and nitrobenzene solutions to test the feasibility of application of the FCM. The FCM was then used to extract out potential aerosol classes in the chamber experiments. The results demonstrate that FCM allowed a clear identification of ten distinct chemical particle classes in this study, namely, 3,5-dimethylbenzoic acid, 3,5-dimethylbenzaldehyde, 2,4,6-trimethyl-5-nitrophenol, 2-methyl-4-oxo-2-pentenal, 2,4,6-trimethylphenol, 3,5-dimethyl-2-furanone, glyoxal, and high-molecular-weight (HMW) components. Compared to offline method such as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) measurement, the real-time ALTOFMS detection approach coupled with the FCM data processing algorithm can make cluster analysis of SOA successfully and provide more information of products. Thus ALTOFMS is a useful tool to reveal the formation and transformation processes of SOA particles in smog chambers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3, at 60–25 ka B.P.) was a short interstadial within the Last Glacial period. A generally warm and wet climatic condition during the MIS 3 period has been suggested by many previous studies. Quantitative climatic reconstruction and studies of seasonality, however, have been seldom attempted given the scarcity of useful proxy indicators. A full understanding the climatic characteristics during this period is hampered by their absence. This is especially the case in the East Asian monsoon region in North China, which is very sensitive to climatic change. To help fill this knowledge gap, we have determined the stable carbon (δ 13C) and oxygen isotope (δ 18O) compositions of tooth enamel from fossil mammals (Bubalus sp [buffalo] and Cervus elaphus [red deer], dated at ∼33–31 ka B.P.) recovered from Longquan Cave in North China. We use these data to constrain ecology, local air temperature and precipitation amounts during the late MIS 3. The average δ 13C (VPDB) of tooth enamel (−14.4‰ and −8.8‰, respectively for buffalo and red deer) indicate that C 3 plants comprised the main diet of animals living in this area. Pollen assemblages demonstrated that vegetation mainly consisted of grasses and herbs (∼64%) with trees only accounting for about 26%. These results indicate a landscape of open steppe with sparsely distributed trees. The reconstructed climate derived from tooth enamel δ 18O was relatively colder and drier than present-day condition, with mean annual air temperature ranging from 4 to 13 °C and mean annual precipitation ranging from 360 to 670 mm. Moreover, the inferred summer and winter half-year temperatures were respectively 8–24 °C and −2 to 5 °C, which represents either similar or weaker seasonality than at the present time. The inferred cold and dry climate suggested by our study contrasts with the warm and wet conditions previously reconstructed using proxy indicators from bulk soil samples in North China. In comparison to the long-term, time-averaged climatic condition reflected by those soil proxies, the stable isotope compositions of fossil more likely recorded climatic conditions at annual or seasonal time-scale. The inferred annual cold/dry climate at Luanchuan Cave suggested by our data may indicate a short climatic cooling event from Greenland Interstadial (GIS) 5 to its following stadial. Mean annual temperature fluctuated by ∼8 °C during this interstadial-stadial cycle. • Tooth δ 13C and pollen data suggest an open steppe at Luanchuan during late MIS3. • A MAT of 4–13 °C and a MAP of 360–670 mm were inferred from tooth δ 18O and δ 13C. • Seasonality was either similar or weaker at Luanchuan during late MIS3 than today. • The inferred annually cold/dry climate may indicate an abrupt cooling event. • Mean annual temperature fluctuated by ∼8 °C during the interstadial-stadial cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant contribution of ultrafine particles in the atmosphere to the cloud condensation nuclei and precipitation has been evidenced. The correlation between the condensation growth and chemical composition of particles is essential in the atmospheric studies. To reduce the lower detection limit of ATOFMS (currently at 200 nm), a water-based particle size amplifier, consisted of a tubing inner-lined with an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene layer and temperature-controlled in three sections, was designed, and its amplification performance was evaluated. With the use of the particle size amplifier, the peaks of Na and Cl in the mass spectra of 50 nm NaCl particles were obviously observed. Further, 50 nm NaCl/Dicarboxylic Acid (DA) particles were generated and characterized by ATOFMS with the amplifier and the sizes of ultrafine particles after the amplifier was measured by an Aerodynamic Particle Spectrometer (APS). It is found that the Cl/Na ratio in 50 nm NaCl + DA particles was negatively correlated with the DA concentration and positively correlated with the acidity coefficient of the DAs, i.e., the high DA mass fraction in particles and low the acidity coefficient of DAs results in strong heterogeneous reaction in the generation of these particles. The amplified sizes of NaCl + DA nanoparticles was also greatly influenced by the degree of the reaction involved. The Cl/Na ratio of NaCl + DA particles was found to have positive correlation with the amplified size of particles. • A water-based particle size amplifier was fabricated by using e-PTFE as a permeable inner tube. • To combine the amplifier and ATOFMS, the measure size of ATOFMS is reduced, and 50 nm NaCl is measured. • For 50 nm mixed particles, Cl loss is positively correlated with the content and acidity of organic acids. • For 50 nm mixed particles, the size after condensation growth is positively correlated with the Cl/Na ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]