Comparison of the [F]-FDG and [F]-FLT PET Tracers in the Evaluation of the Preclinical Proton Therapy Response in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Purpose: The main objective of the present study was to compare the 2-deoxy-2-[F]fluoro-D-glucose ([F]-FDG) and 3'-[F]fluoro-3'-deoxythymidine ([F]-FLT) PET imaging biomarkers for the longitudinal follow-up of small animal proton therapy studies in the context of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Procedures: SK-HEP-1 cells were injected into NMRI nude mice to mimic human HCC. The behavior of [F]-FDG and [F]-FLT tumor uptake was evaluated after proton therapy procedures.

Identification of a dynamic system model for a building and heating system including heat pump and thermal energy storage.

Controllers employing optimal control strategies will path the way to enable flexible operations in future power grids. As buildings will increasingly act as prosumers in future power grids, optimal control of buildings' energy consumption will play a major role in providing flexible operations. Optimal controllers such as model predictive controller are able to manage buildings' operations and to optimise their energy consumption.

Fluence perturbation from fiducial markers due to edge-scattering measured with pixel sensors for C ion beams.

Fiducial markers are nowadays a common tool for patient positioning verification before radiotherapy treatment. These markers should be visible on x-ray projection imaging, produce low streak artifacts on CTs and induce small dose perturbations due to edge-scattering effects during the ion-beam therapy treatment. In this study, the latter effect was investigated and the perturbations created by the markers were evaluated with a new measurement method using a tracker system composed of six CMOS pixel sensors.

Dosimetry and characterization of a 25-MeV proton beam line for preclinical radiobiology research.

Purpose: With the increase in proton therapy centers, there is a growing need to make progress in preclinical proton radiation biology to give accessible data to medical physicists and practicing radiation oncologists.

Methods: A cyclotron usually producing radioisotopes with a proton beam at an energy of about 25 MeV after acceleration, was used for radiobiology studies. Depleted silicon surface barrier detectors were used for the beam energy measurement.

Investigation of Optimal Physical Parameters for Precise Proton Irradiation of Orthotopic Tumors in Small Animals.

Purpose: The lack of evidence of biomarkers identifying patients who would benefit from proton therapy has driven the emergence of preclinical proton irradiation platforms using advanced small-animal models to mimic clinical therapeutic conditions. This study aimed to determine the optimal physical parameters of the proton beam with a high radiation targeting accuracy, considering small-animal tumors can reach millimetric dimensions at a maximum depth of about 2 cm.

Methods And Materials: Several treatment plans, simulated using Geant4, were generated with different proton beam features to assess the optimal physical parameters for small-volume irradiations.

Analytical dose modeling for preclinical proton irradiation of millimetric targets.

Purpose: Due to the considerable development of proton radiotherapy, several proton platforms have emerged to irradiate small animals in order to study the biological effectiveness of proton radiation. A dedicated analytical treatment planning tool was developed in this study to accurately calculate the delivered dose given the specific constraints imposed by the small dimensions of the irradiated areas.

Methods: The treatment planning system (TPS) developed in this study is based on an analytical formulation of the Bragg peak and uses experimental range values of protons.

Benchmarking Geant4 hadronic models for prompt-γ monitoring in carbon ion therapy.

Purpose: The real-time monitoring of the spread-out Bragg peak would allow the planned dose delivered during treatment to be directly verified, but this poses a major challenge in modern ion beam therapy. A possible method to achieve this goal is to exploit the production of secondary particles by the nuclear reactions of the beam with the patient and correlate their emission profile to the planned target volume position. In this study, we present both the production rate and energy spectra of the prompt-γ produced by the interactions of the C ion beam with a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) target.