The reliable prediction of output factors for spread-out proton Bragg peak (SOBP) fields in clinical practice remained unrealized due to a lack of a consistent theoretical framework and the great number of variables introduced by the mechanical devices necessary for the production of such fields. These limitations necessitated an almost exclusive reliance on manual calibration for individual fields and empirical, ad hoc, models. We recently reported on a theoretical framework for the prediction of output factors for such fields. In this work, we describe the implementation of this framework in our clinical practice. In our practice, we use a treatment delivery nozzle that uses a limited, and constant, set of mechanical devices to produce SOBP fields over the full extent of clinical penetration depths, or ranges, and modulation widths. This use of a limited set of mechanical devices allows us to unfold the physical effects that affect the output factor. We describe these effects and their incorporation into the theoretical framework. We describe the calibration and protocol for SOBP fields, the effects of apertures and range-compensators and the use of output factors in the treatment planning process.
Commonly used linear equalizers in optical transmissions may induce in-band noise enhancement in the high-frequency region, degrading signaling performance. In this Letter, we propose for the first, to our knowledge, time, to mitigate the multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) equalizer-enhanced noise (EEN) in coupled-core multicore fiber (CC-MCF) systems by utilizing the spectral shaping (SS) filter and maximum likelihood sequence detection (MLSD), which have shown effective EEN mitigation in SMF systems. However, CC-MCF systems feature multiple spatial channels, each requiring separate coefficient optimization for SS filters corresponding to each output of MIMO.
Transverse mode instability (TMI) significantly limits the power scaling of ytterbium-doped fiber lasers. In this Letter, what we believe to be a novel TMI mitigation strategy is proposed and demonstrated in a bidirectional output fiber laser. On the basis of the continuous wave (CW) pump, integrating a quasi-continuous wave (QCW) pump can effectively improve the TMI threshold of the system.
Background: A passive dosimeter framework for the measurement of dose in carbon ion beams has yet to be characterized or implemented for regular use.
Purpose: This work determined the dose calculation correction factors for absorbed dose in thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) in a therapeutic carbon ion beam. TLD could be a useful tool for remote audits, particularly in the context of clinical trials as new protocols are developed for carbon ion radiotherapy.
Unique thermoelectric properties of low-cost, widely available conducting polymers and multi-layered graphite structures have motivated the development of flexible thermoelectric generators using screen printing for low-temperature applications. Composites of polyaniline and graphite in different ratios with one weight percentage of bismuth telluride were prepared to fabricate flexible thermoelectric generators. The performance of the devices showed that the addition of graphite to polyaniline reduced the band gap energy from 2.
Department of Breast Surgery and Institutes for Systems Genetics, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China.
The composition of the gut microbiome differs from that of healthy individuals and is closely linked to the progression and development of breast cancer. Recent studies have increasingly examined the relationship between microbial communities and breast cancer. This study analyzed the research landscape of microbiome and breast cancer, focusing on 736 qualified publications from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC).
