Microelectromechanical Maltese-cross metamaterial with tunable terahertz anisotropy.

Dichroic polarizers and waveplates exploiting anisotropic materials have vast applications in displays and numerous optical components, such as filters, beamsplitters and isolators. Artificial anisotropic media were recently suggested for the realization of negative refraction, cloaking, hyperlenses, and controlling luminescence. However, extending these applications into the terahertz domain is hampered by a lack of natural anisotropic media, while artificial metamaterials offer a strong engineered anisotropic response.

Sonographic appearance of submandibular glands in patients treated with external beam radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the sonographic (US) appearances of submandibular glands in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after external beam radiotherapy (RT) and compare them with those of healthy subjects.

Methods: A total of 81 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with RT and 66 healthy subjects were recruited and underwent submandibular gland US. Bilateral submandibular glands were assessed for their size, echogenicity, echogenicity margin sharpness, and echotexture.

Effect of cladding layer and subsequent heat treatment on hydrogenated amorphous silicon waveguides.

Although intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) wire waveguides clad with normal SiO(2) layers have low propagation loss of 2.7 ± 0.1 dB/cm for transverse electric (TE) mode in the 1550-nm range, the transparency degrades when interfaced with other dielectrics (e.

Comparative analysis of dosimetric parameters of three different radiation techniques for patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy treated with retro-orbital irradiation.

Background: We would like to investigate the if IMRT produced better target coverage and dose sparing to adjacent normal structures as compared with 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) and lateral opposing fields (LOF) for patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy treated with retro-orbital irradiation.

Methods: Ten consecutive patients diagnosed with Graves' ophthalmopathy were prospectively recruited into this study. An individual IMRT, 3DCRT and LOF plan was created for each patient.

Accuracy and sensitivity of four-dimensional dose calculation to systematic motion variability in stereotatic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for lung cancer.

The dynamic movement of radiation beam in real-time tumor tracking may cause overdosing to critical organs surrounding the target. The primary objective of this study was to verify the accuracy of the 4D planning module incorporated in CyberKnife treatment planning system. The secondary objective was to evaluate the error that may occur in the case of a systematic change of motion pattern.

MicroRNA-144 promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma through repression of PTEN.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a type of head and neck cancer with significantly high prevalence in Southern China. Unlike other head and neck cancers, mutations or deletions of tumor suppressor genes in NPC are not common. Recently, downregulation of tumor suppressor genes expression by microRNA (miRNA) is increasingly recognized as an important mechanism of nasopharyngeal tumorigenesis.

Measurement invariance of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal quality-of-life instrument among modes of administration.

Objectives: To test for the measurement invariance of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal (FACT-C) in patients with colorectal neoplasms between two modes of administration (self- and interviewer administrations). It is important to establish the measurement invariance of the FACT-C across different modes of administration to ascertain whether it is valid to pool FACT-C data collected by different modes or to assess each group separately.

Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 391 Chinese patients with colorectal neoplasms was recruited from specialist outpatient clinics between September 2009 and July 2010.

Ultralow-loss polycrystalline silicon waveguides and high uniformity 1x12 MMI fanout for 3D photonic integration.

We have investigated the feasibility of multimode polysilicon waveguides to demonstrate the suitability of polysilicon as a candidate for multilayer photonic applications. Solid Phase Crystallization (SPC) with a maximum temperature of 1000°C is used to create polysilicon on thermally grown SiO. We then measure the propagation losses for various waveguide widths on both polysilicon and crystalline silicon platforms.

Investigation of four-dimensional (4D) Monte Carlo dose calculation in real-time tumor tracking stereotatic body radiotherapy for lung cancers.

Purpose: To investigate the dosimetric variations and radiobiological impacts as a consequence of delivering treatment plans of 3D nature in 4D manner based on the 4D Monte Carlo treatment planning framework implemented on Cyberknife.

Methods: Dose distributions were optimized on reference 3D images at end of exhale phase of a 4DCT dataset for 25 lung cancer patients treated with 60 Gy∕3Fx or 48 Gy∕4Fx. Deformable image registrations between individual 3DCT images to the reference 3DCT image in the 4DCT study were performed to interpolate doses calculated on multiple anatomical geometries back on to the reference geometry to compose a 4D dose distribution that included the tracking beam motion and organ deformation.

RBMS3 at 3p24 inhibits nasopharyngeal carcinoma development via inhibiting cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and inducing apoptosis.

Deletion of the short arm of chromosome 3 is one of the most frequent genetic alterations in many solid tumors including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), suggesting the existence of one or more tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) within the frequently deleted region. A putative TSG RBMS3 (RNA binding motif, single stranded interacting protein 3), located at 3p24-p23, has been identified in our previous study. Here, we reported that downregulation of RBMS3 was detected in 3/3 NPC cell lines and 13/15 (86.

Long-term hearing results and otological complications of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients: comparison between treatment with conventional two-dimensional radiotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy.

Objective: To assess the long-term audiological outcome and otological complications of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who have received intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) versus conventional two-dimensional radiotherapy (2 DRT).

Study Design: Prospective study on the audiological outcome and otological complications 5-9 years after radiotherapy.

Methodology: Patients had pure-tone audiogram before radiotherapy and 5 years after radiotherapy.

Performance of ultracompact copper-capped silicon hybrid plasmonic waveguide-ring resonators at telecom wavelengths.

Ultracompact Cu-capped Si hybrid plasmonic waveguide-ring resonators (WRRs) with ring radii of 1.09-2.59 μm are fabricated on silicon on insulator substrates using standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology and characterized over the telecom wavelength range of 1.

Comparative studies of the cellular uptake, subcellular localization, and cytotoxic and phototoxic antitumor properties of ruthenium(II)-porphyrin conjugates with different linkers.

Six water-soluble free-base porphyrin-Ru(II) conjugates, 1-3, and Zn(II) porphyrin-Ru(II) conjugates, 4-6, with different linkers between the hydrophobic porphyrin moiety and the hydrophilic Ru(II)-polypyridyl complex, have been synthesized. The linear and two-photon-induced photophysical properties of these conjugates were measured and evaluated for their potential application as dual in vitro imaging and photodynamic therapeutic (PDT) agents. Conjugates 1-3, with their high luminescence and singlet oxygen quantum yields, were selected for further study of their cellular uptake, subcellular localization, and cytotoxic and photocytotoxic (under linear and two-photon excitation) properties using HeLa cells.

LTBP-2 confers pleiotropic suppression and promotes dormancy in a growth factor permissive microenvironment in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

This study identified LTBP-2 as a pleiotropic tumor suppressor in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which safeguards against critical malignant behaviors of tumor cells. LTBP-2 expression was significantly decreased or lost in up to 100% of NPC cell lines (7/7) and 80% of biopsies (24/30). Promoter hypermethylation was found to be involved in LTBP-2 silencing.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: investigation of intratumoral heterogeneity with FDG PET/CT.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the role of intratumoral heterogeneity of (18)F-FDG uptake in characterizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Subjects And Methods: Forty consecutively registered patients with newly diagnosed NPC underwent PET/CT. The heterogeneity factor, defined as the derivative of a volume threshold function, was computed for each tumor.

Genomic sequencing and comparative analysis of Epstein-Barr virus genome isolated from primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma biopsy.

Whether certain Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) strains are associated with pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is still an unresolved question. In the present study, EBV genome contained in a primary NPC tumor biopsy was amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and sequenced using next-generation (Illumina) and conventional dideoxy-DNA sequencing. The EBV genome, designated HKNPC1 (Genbank accession number JQ009376) is a type 1 EBV of approximately 171.

Mapping the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-general or -Colorectal to SF-6D in Chinese patients with colorectal neoplasm.

Objectives: To map Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal (FACT-C) subscale scores onto six-dimensional health state short form (derived from short form 36 health survey) (SF-6D) preference-based values in patients with colorectal neoplasm, with and without adjustment for clinical and demographic characteristics. These results can then be applied to studies that have used FACT-G or FACT-C to predict SF-6D utility values to inform economic evaluation.

Methods: Ordinary least square regressions were estimated mapping FACT-G and FACT-C onto SF-6D by using cross-sectional data of 537 Chinese subjects with different stages of colorectal neoplasm.

A prospective study on volumetric and dosimetric changes during intensity-modulated radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

Background And Purpose: Significant tumor shrinkage and weight loss may occur during Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study aims to evaluate the dosimetric effect of volumetric changes on target volumes and organs at risk (OARs) during IMRT, using reassessment of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Material And Methods: Nineteen loco-regionally advanced NPC patients treated with IMRT were recruited prospectively.

A nano-opto-mechanical pressure sensor via ring resonator.

This paper reports a nano-opto-mechanical pressure sensor based on nano-scaled ring resonator. The pressure is measured through the output spectrum shift which is induced via mechanical deformation of the ring resonator. The sensitivity as high as 1.

Integrated in-band optical signal-to-noise ratio monitor implemented on SOI platform.

Based on different coherence properties of signal and noise, we measured the in-band optical signal-to-noise ratio using an integrated thermally tunable Mach-Zehnder optical delay interferometer on SOI platform. The experimental results exhibit errors smaller than 1 dB for signals with bit rate <40 Gbps over an OSNR range of 9~30 dB. The effects of the extinction ratio, noise equivalent bandwidth and arm length difference on the implementation of measurement are analyzed.

Stamp printing of silicon-nanomembrane-based photonic devices onto flexible substrates with a suspended configuration.

In this Letter, we demonstrate for the first time (to our best knowledge) stamp printing of silicon nanomembrane (SiNM)-based in-plane photonic devices onto a flexible substrate using a modified transfer printing method that utilizes a suspended configuration, which can adjust the adhesion between the released SiNM and the "handle" silicon wafer. With this method, 230 nm thick, 30 μm wide, and up to 5.7 cm long SiNM-based waveguides are transferred to flexible Kapton films with >90% transfer yield.

Components for silicon plasmonic nanocircuits based on horizontal Cu-SiO₂-Si-SiO₂-Cu nanoplasmonic waveguides.

We report systematic results on the development of horizontal Cu-SiO₂-Si-SiO₂-Cu nanoplasmonic waveguide components operating at 1550-nm telecom wavelengths, including straight waveguides, sharp 90° bends, power splitters, and Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs). Owing to the relatively low loss for propagating (~0.3 dB/µm) and for 90° sharply bending (~0.

Electrical tracing-assisted dual-microring label‑free optical bio/chemical sensors.

We propose and demonstrate a novel electrical tracing-assisted dual-microring resonator-based optical sensor system in silicon-on-insulator substrate. The system comprises one microring resonator-based sensing element and another microring resonator-based tracing element integrated with electrical controller. The resonance wavelength shift of sensing microring induced by the refractive index change is traced and determined by direct voltage supply of the electrical tunable tracing microring.

Can intensity-modulated radiotherapy preserve oral health-related quality of life of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients?

Purpose: To investigate the changes in salivary function and oral health-related quality of life for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated by intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Methods And Materials: A total of 57 patients with early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma received IMRT. The parotid and whole saliva flow was measured, and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short form, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire-C30, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire 35-item head-and-neck module, and Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaires were completed at baseline and 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after IMRT.

Tumor suppressor genes on frequently deleted chromosome 3p in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is among the most common malignancies in southern China. Deletion of genomic DNA, which occurs during the complex pathogenesis process for NPC, represents a pivotal mechanism in the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). In many circumstances, loss of TSGs can be detected as diagnostic and prognostic markers in cancer.