A customizable aluminum compensator system for total body irradiation.

Purpose: To develop a simplified aluminum compensator system for total body irradiation (TBI) that is easy to assemble and modify in a short period of time for customized patient treatments.

Methods: The compensator is composed of a combination of 0.3 cm thick aluminum bars, two aluminum T-tracks, spacers, and metal bolts.

A method to predict patient-specific table coordinates for quality assurance in external beam radiation therapy.

Purpose: While external beam radiotherapy treatment planning determines nearly every mechanical and dosimetric parameter of the linear accelerator (LINAC), the table coordinates in all three dimensions are generally unknown until initial patient setup at the LINAC. Knowing these parameters in advance could help verify the direction of patient shifts and prevent wrong-site errors. This study aims to determine the feasibility and accuracy of table coordinate prediction for indexed immobilization devices.

Chagas disease in 2 geriatric rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) housed in the Pacific Northwest.

Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. It is endemic in Latin America but also is found in the southern United States, particularly Texas and along the Gulf Coast. Typical clinical manifestations of Chagas disease are not well-characterized in rhesus macaques, but conduction abnormalities, myocarditis, and encephalitis and megaesophagus have been described.