Development of a tumor control probability model for boron neutron capture therapy of head and neck cancer.

The tumor control probability (TCP) model has been used for estimating the response of the radiation (photon) therapy for a given treatment dose (distribution). In Taiwan, boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is still at the stage of the clinical trials without standard dose prescription. In this study, universal survival curve (USC) model was selected as the TCP model for BNCT.

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy Followed by Image-Guided Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Locally Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer: A Prospective Phase I/II Trial.

Background: This trial investigated the efficacy and safety of salvage boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) combined with image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IG-IMRT) for recurrent head and neck cancer after prior radiotherapy (RT).

Methods: BNCT was administered using an intravenous boronophenylalanine-fructose complex (500 mg/kg) in a single fraction; multifractionated IG-IMRT was administered 28 days after BNCT. For BNCT, the mucosa served as the dose-limiting organ.

A comparison of dose distributions in gross tumor volume between boron neutron capture therapy alone and combined boron neutron capture therapy plus intensity modulation radiation therapy for head and neck cancer.

Nine patients with recurrent head and neck (H&N) cancer received boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) in one fraction at the Tsing-Hua Open pool reactor (THOR) utilizing the THORplan treatment planning system (TPS). The aims of the present study were to evaluate the use of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) of 45 Gy in 20 fractions to compensate for the dose heterogeneity in gross tumor volume observed with single-fraction BNCT with mean prescription dose 19 Gy (w), and to evaluate planning quality indices of simulated BNCT+IMRT versus single-fraction BNCT alone. All IMRT plans were generated using the Eclipse TPS which employs the analytical anisotropic algorithm.

A volume-equivalent spherical necrosis-tumor-normal liver model for estimating absorbed dose in yttrium-90 microsphere therapy.

Purpose: Primary hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic liver tumors are highly malignant tumors in Asia. The incidence of fatal liver cancer is also increasing in the United States. The aim of this study was to establish a spherical tumor model and determine its accuracy in predicting the absorbed dose in yttrium-90 (Y-90) microsphere therapy for liver cancer.

Distinct mutation profile and prognostic relevance in patients with hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndromes (h-MDS).

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of hematologic malignancies. Although most MDS patients have normal or increased BM cellularity (NH-MDS), some have hypocellular BM (h-MDS). The reports concerning the differences in genetic alterations between h-MDS and NH-MDS patients are limited.

BNCT treatment planning for superficial and deep-seated tumors: Experience from clinical trial of recurrent head and neck cancer at THOR.

Under the collaboration between National Tsing Hua University and Taipei Veterans General Hospital, clinical trial of recurrent head-and-neck cancer by Boron neutron capture therapy at Tsing Hua open-pool reactor started on August 11, 2010. Up to January 2014, 17 patients were treated. Based on the treatment planning experiences of clinical trials using in-house designed THORplan, different setups should be used for superficial and deep-seated tumors.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 2 alpha is essential for hepatic outgrowth and functions via the regulation of leg1 transcription in the zebrafish embryo.

The liver plays a vital role in metabolism, detoxification, digestion, and the maintenance of homeostasis. During development, the vertebrate embryonic liver undergoes a series of morphogenic processes known as hepatogenesis. Hepatogenesis can be separated into three interrelated processes: endoderm specification, hepatoblast differentiation, and hepatic outgrowth.

Molecular evolution of multiple-level control of heme biosynthesis pathway in animal kingdom.

Adaptation of enzymes in a metabolic pathway can occur not only through changes in amino acid sequences but also through variations in transcriptional activation, mRNA splicing and mRNA translation. The heme biosynthesis pathway, a linear pathway comprised of eight consecutive enzymes in animals, provides researchers with ample information for multiple types of evolutionary analyses performed with respect to the position of each enzyme in the pathway. Through bioinformatics analysis, we found that the protein-coding sequences of all enzymes in this pathway are under strong purifying selection, from cnidarians to mammals.

Mode conversion using optical analogy of shortcut to adiabatic passage in engineered multimode waveguides.

A shortcut to adiabatic mode conversion in multimode waveguides using optical analogy of stimulated Raman adiabatic passage is investigated. The design of mode converters using the shortcut scheme is discussed. Computer-generated planar holograms are used to mimic the shaped pulses used to speed up adiabatic passage in quantum systems based on the transitionless quantum driving algorithm.

Characterization of radioactive contaminants and water treatment trials for the Taiwan Research Reactor's spent fuel pool.

There were approximately 926 m(3) of water contaminated by fission products and actinides in the Taiwan Research Reactor's spent fuel pool (TRR SFP). The solid and ionic contaminants were thoroughly characterized using radiochemical analyses, scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS), and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) in this study. The sludge was made up of agglomerates contaminated by spent fuel particles.

Development and verification of THORplan--a BNCT treatment planning system for THOR.

THORplan is a treatment planning system under continuous development and refinement at Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, for BNCT purpose. New features developed for homogeneous model calculation include material grouping model, and voxel data reconstruction model. Material grouping model is a two-step grouping method, tissue-volume-percent grouping method followed by atom-gram-density grouping method.

BNCT treatment planning of recurrent head-and-neck cancer using THORplan.

A cooperation program on Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) between National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) and Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TPEVGH) was established in 2008. Clinical trial of recurrent head-and-neck cancer is the goal of the program. In this study, treatment plannings of two head-and-neck cancer cases are performed using treatment planning system THORplan developed at NTHU of Taiwan.

Carbonic anhydrase 2-like a and 15a are involved in acid-base regulation and Na+ uptake in zebrafish H+-ATPase-rich cells.

H(+)-ATPase-rich (HR) cells in zebrafish gills/skin were found to carry out Na+ uptake and acid-base regulation through a mechanism similar to that which occurs in mammalian proximal tubular cells. However, the roles of carbonic anhydrases (CAs) in this mechanism in zebrafish HR cells are still unclear. The present study used a functional genomic approach to identify 20 CA isoforms in zebrafish.

Purge-and-trap ion chromatography for the determination of trace ammonium ion in high-salinity water samples.

It has always been assumed that purge-and-trap (P&T) method is only used for the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in aqueous samples. In this paper, a novel P&T preconcentrator has been developed for the determination of trace amounts of ammonium ion in high-salinity water samples by ion chromatography (IC). Method performance is evaluated as a function of concentration of assistant purging material, purging time, and flow rate.