Monte Carlo modeling of the origin of contaminant electrons on a 0.5T bi-planar Linac-MR.

Introduction: In the last decade, hybrid linear accelerator magnetic resonance imaging (Linac-MR) devices have evolved into FDA-cleared clinical tools, facilitating magnetic resonance guided radiotherapy (MRgRT). The addition of a magnetic field to radiation therapy has previously demonstrated dosimetric and electron effects regardless of magnetic field orientation.

Purpose: This study uses Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the importance and efficacy of the magnetic field design in mitigating surface dose enhancement in the Aurora-RT, focusing specifically on contaminant electrons, their origin, and energy spectrum.

Skin dose investigations on a 0.5 T parallel rotating biplanar linac-MR using Monte Carlo simulations and measurements.

Background: The Alberta rotating biplanar linac-MR has a 0.5 T magnetic field parallel to the beamline. When developing a new linac-MR system, interactions of charged particles with the magnetic field necessitate careful consideration of skin dose and tissue interface effects.

Clinical reference dosimetry for the 0.5 T inline rotating biplanar Linac-MR.

Background: The world's first clinical 0.5 T inline rotating biplanar Linac-MR system is commissioned for clinical use. For reference dosimetry, unique features to device, including an SAD = 120 cm, bore clearance of 60 cm × 110 cm, as well as 0.

Influence of intra- and interfraction motion on planning target volume margin in liver stereotactic body radiation therapy using breath hold.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate intra- and interfraction motion during liver stereotactic body radiation therapy for the purpose of planning target volume (PTV) margin estimation, comparing deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) and deep expiration breath hold (DEBH).

Methods And Materials: Pre- and posttreatment kV cone beam computed tomography (CT) images were acquired for patients with liver cancer who were treated using stereotactic body radiation therapy with DIBH or DEBH. A total of 188 images were analyzed from 18 patients.

Individualized Dose-Escalation of HDR Prostate Brachytherapy Implant to Decrease Required External Beam Radiation Dose: A Retrospective Feasibility Study.

Purpose: High-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) is commonly combined with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Escalating the HDR-BT dose as far as organ-at-risk (OAR) constraints allow, on a personalized basis, would allow for a reduction in EBRT dose while achieving similar total biologic equivalence. The primary objective of this study was to determine the dosimetric feasibility of escalating the HDR-BT dose from 15 Gy to 16 or 17 Gy while continuing to meet OAR constraints from the original 15 Gy plan on an individualized basis.

Biological Assessment of a F-Labeled Sulforhodamine 101 in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease as a Potential Astrocytosis Marker.

Neurodegenerative diseases have mainly been associated with neuronal death. Recent investigations have shown that astroglia may modulate neuroinflammation in the early and late stages of the disease. [C]Deuterodeprenyl ([C]DED) is a tracer that has been used for reactive astrocyte detection in Alzheimer's disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, among others, with some limitations.

Investigating energy deposition in glandular tissues for mammography using multiscale Monte Carlo simulations.

Purpose: To investigate energy deposition in glandular tissues of the breast on macro- and microscopic length scales in the context of mammography.

Methods: Multiscale mammography models of breasts are developed, which include segmented, voxelized macroscopic tissue structure as well as nine regions of interest (ROIs) embedded throughout the breast tissue containing explicitly-modelled cells. Using a 30 kVp Mo/Mo spectrum, Monte Carlo (MC) techniques are used to calculate dose to ∼mm voxels containing glandular and/or adipose tissues, as well as energy deposition on cellular length scales.

Microdosimetric considerations for radiation response studies using Raman spectroscopy.

Purpose: Recent Raman spectroscopy (RS) studies of radiation response involve subcellular (μm-scale) sampling volumes and macroscopic doses as low as 0.005 Gy. These studies ignore the stochastic nature of radiation transport and energy deposition, which can lead to considerable microdosimetric "spread" (i.

Synthesis of [18F]2B-SRF101: A Sulfonamide Derivative of the Fluorescent Dye Sulforhodamine 101.

Background: The red fluorescent dye Sulforhodamine 101 (SR101) has been used in neuroscience research as a useful tool for staining of astrocytes, since it has been reported as a marker of astroglia in the neocortex of rodents in vivo. The aim of this work is to label SR101 with positron emission radionuclides, in order to provide a radiotracer to study its biological behavior. This is the first attempt to label SR101 by [18F], using a chemical derivatization via a sulfonamidelinker and a commercially available platform.

Automated One-pot Radiosynthesis of [11C]S-adenosyl Methionine.

Background: Glycine N-methyltransferase is an enzyme overexpressed in some neoplastic tissues. It catalyses the methylation of glycine using S-adenosyl methionine (SAM or AdoMet) as substrate. SAM is involved in a great variety of biochemical processes, including transmethylation reactions.

Effect of Treatment with Caspofungin on the Diagnosis of Fungal Infections by Gamma Scintigraphy.

Unlabelled: The aim of this work was to assess the influence of treatment with U-Caspofungin, on the quality of diagnostic scintigraphic images of induced lesions in nude mice undergoing both bacterial and fungal infections and to determine the level of specificity of 99mTc-tricarbonyl-Caspofungin to discriminate between fungal or bacterial infections. In vitro studies on the behaviour of the 99mTc-tricarbonyl-Caspofungin complex binding percentage at different yeast concentrations of Candida albicans or Staphyolococcus aureus were determined. The incubation was performed with and without U-Caspofungin.

3-(Benzyloxy)-1-(5-[F]fluoropentyl)-5-nitro-1H-indazole: a PET radiotracer to measure acetylcholinesterase in brain.

Aim: Noninvasive studies of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) level in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients can contribute to a better understanding of the disease and its therapeutic. We propose 3-(benzyloxy)-1-(5-[F]fluoropentyl)-5-nitro-1H-indazole, [F]-IND1, structurally related to the AChE-inhibitor CP126,998, as a new positron emission tomography-radiotracer.

Experimental: Radiosynthesis, with 18F, stability, lipophilicity and protein binding of [18F]-IND1 were studied.

Multimodal nerve monitoring during periacetabular osteotomy identifies surgical steps associated with risk of injury.

Purpose: Sciatic nerve palsy after periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is a serious complication. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a multimodal sciatic monitoring technique allows for identification of surgical steps that place the sciatic nerve at risk.

Methods: Transcranial electrical motor evoked potentials (TcMEPs), somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs), and spontaneous electromyography (EMG) were monitored in a consecutive series of 34 patients (40 hips) who underwent PAO for the treatment of symptomatic hip dysplasia between January 2012 and November 2014.

The Problem Behaviour Checklist: short scale to assess challenging behaviours.

Background: Challenging behaviour, especially in intellectual disability, covers a wide range that is in need of further evaluation.

Aims: To develop a short but comprehensive instrument for all aspects of challenging behaviour.

Method: In the first part of a two-stage enquiry, a 28-item scale was constructed to examine the components of challenging behaviour.

Molecular and structural considerations of TF-DNA binding for the generation of biologically meaningful and accurate phylogenetic footprinting analysis: the LysR-type transcriptional regulator family as a study model.

Background: The goal of most programs developed to find transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) is the identification of discrete sequence motifs that are significantly over-represented in a given set of sequences where a transcription factor (TF) is expected to bind. These programs assume that the nucleotide conservation of a specific motif is indicative of a selective pressure required for the recognition of a TF for its corresponding TFBS. Despite their extensive use, the accuracies reached with these programs remain low.

Nurses' Perception of Shared Decision-Making Processes: Quantifying a Shared Governance Culture.

Objective: The aim of this study is to describe how measuring the perceived and desired decision-making capacity of nurses in a model of shared governance (SG) can be beneficial.

Background: Shared governance (SG) increases nurse's control over professional practice. Engagement in SG can be impacted by how much decision-making power nurses desire.

⁶⁸Ga-NOTA-UBI-29-41 as a PET Tracer for Detection of Bacterial Infection.

Unlabelled: The cationic peptide (68)Ga-NOTA-UBI-29-41 was synthesized and characterized. Biodistribution and PET/CT examinations were performed for evaluation of its biologic behavior. Differentiation of infection from sterile inflammation was investigated using microbiology methods at the sites of bacterial infections.

¹⁷⁷Lu-Labeled Agents for Neuroendocrine Tumor Therapy and Bone Pain Palliation in Uruguay.

Lutetium-177 is an emerging radionuclide due its convenient chemical and nuclear properties. In this paper we describe the development and evaluation in Uruguay of the targeted 177Lu labelled radiopharmaceuticals EDTMP (for bone pain palliation) and DOTA-TATE (neuroendocrine tumors). We optimized the preparation of these 177Lu radiopharmaceuticals including radiolabelling, quality control methods, in vitro and in vivo stability and their therapeutic application in patients.

Effects of Covert Audio Coaching on Parents' Interactions with Young Children with Autism.

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) frequently present intervention challenges for parents. Covert audio coaching (CAC) has not been studied with parents, nor as an intervention to teach household routines and tasks. Further, evidence of generalization with CAC is limited.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: revised 2014 standards of professional performance for registered dietitian nutritionists in management of food and nutrition systems.

Management in food and nutrition systems is presented with an ever-challenging tension between effective utilization of manpower resources, mechanical equipment, financial management, material production, and time constraints to produce optimal products. Management drives opportunities for personal development for multiple levels of its employee workforce. Given an increasing need to deliver high-quality food and services to satisfied customers, the Management in Food and Nutrition Systems Dietetic Practice Group, with guidance from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Management Committee, has developed the Revised 2014 Standards of Professional Performance, which replace the 2009 Standards, as a tool for registered dietitian nutritionists working in food and nutrition systems management within health care and non-health care organizations.

[177Lu]DOTA-anti-CD20: labeling and pre-clinical studies.

Anti-CD20 (Rituximab®), a specific chimeric monoclonal antibody used in CD20-positive Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, was conjugated to a bifunctional quelate (DOTA) and radiolabeled with (177)Lu through a simple method. [(177)Lu]-DOTA-anti-CD20 was obtained with a radiochemical purity higher than 97%, and showed good chemical and biological stability, maintaining its biospecificity to CD20 antigens. Monte Carlo simulation showed high doses deposited on a spheroid tumor mass model.

Selective increase in corticospinal excitability in the context of tactile exploration.

In this study, we compared changes in corticomotor excitability under various task conditions engaging the index finger of each hand. Functional demands were varied, from simple execution to demanding sensory exploration. In a first experiment, we contrasted facilitation in the first dorsal interosseus (FDI) by monitoring changes in motor evoked potentials (MEPs) when participants (young adults, n = 18) performed either a simple button pressing (BP) task or a more demanding tactile exploration (TE) task (i.

Rating scales, scales of measurement, issues of reliability: resolving some critical issues for clinicians and researchers.

We focus upon several broad issues that are of concern to clinicians and clinical researchers in the areas of biobehavioral and biomedical research, including, but not limited to, the fields of psychiatry, psychology, neuropsychology, and neurology. These issues are the critical reassessment of S. S.

Evolutionary and structural diversity of fungal laccases.

Fungal laccases have been extensively exploited for industrial purposes and there is a wealth of information available regarding their reaction mechanism, biological role and several molecular aspects, including cloning, heterologous expression and transcriptional analyses. Here we present the reconstruction of the fungal laccase loci evolution inferred from the comparative analysis of 48 different sequences. The topology of the phylogenetic trees indicate that a single monophyletic branch exists for fungal laccases and that laccase isozyme genes may have evolved independently, possibly through duplication-divergence events.