SU-E-J-52: Validation of 3D Structure Projection Onto 2D DRR in Commercial Treatment Planning Systems

PURPOSE

The use of structure overlay on setup DRRs can aid the image alignment procedure for daily image-guided setup procedures. However, the accuracy of a 3D region-of-interest (ROI) projected on a 2D digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) has rarely been evaluated quantitatively. The goal of this study is to test the accuracy of two commercial treatment planning systems (TPS) in producing overlay structures on setup DRRs.

METHOD AND MATERIALS

We designed a novel method to identify landmarks which were on the boundary of the projected ROI on a DRR. The 3D ROIvolume is composed of a stack of 2D curves. We first mathematically project each 2D curve onto a beams-eye-view (BEV) plane. Next, we detectthe boundary points of the projected curves. Those boundary points serve aslandmarks. Finally, we project the binary mask of the 3D ROI volume using ray tracing method onto the BEV plane. This projected binary mask is used to exclude the false landmarks. Once those landmarks are detected, wecompute the distance between the landmarks and ROI outlines from the TPS.

RESULTS

We applied our validation method to 13 ROIs from a lung patient and 4 simulated ROIs on 2 BEV DRRs for two different TPS (Eclipse and Pinnacle). Average distance between the landmarks and ROIoutlines was 0.5mm for both Eclipse and Pinnacle approaches, which is close to the pixel resolution of the DRR. The maximum distance andaverage maximum distance was 2mm and 1 mm, respectively, for both TPS.The maximum distance occurred at points where the ROI curve has a sharpchange between slices.

CONCLUSION

The accuracy of Eclipse and Pinnacle ROI projection method seems to be acceptable to within 1mm althoughprojection error can be as large as 2mm when structure shape has a sharp variation from one slice to the next.

POEMS Syndrome: A Report of 14 Cases and Review of the Literature

POEMS syndrome is a rare paraneoplastic disorder associated with an underlying plasma cell dyscrasia presenting polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal protein, and skin changes. This study reviewed the clinical characteristics of 14 POEMS patients in Zhongshan hospital. The ratio of male to female was 9 : 5, and the average age was 47.1 years. The clinical manifestations were various, including motorial symptoms (weakness), sensory symptoms (numbness), lymphadenopathy, edema, abdominal distention, and skin hyperpigmentation. Imaging studies and laboratory tests also exhibited hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, thrombocytosis, endocrinopathy, and positive serum immunofixation in most patients. In addition, increased plasma cells in bone marrow and Castleman Disease were found in bone marrow and lymph nodes biopsies. All the eight follow-up patients were treated with alkylator-based combination chemotherapy or corticosteroids and thalidomide, with or without autologous stem cell transplantation. Unfortunately, two patients died three or four years after diagnosis of POEMS syndrome. The others showed response to therapy to some extent, but not completely remission. Currently, treatments for POEMS include radiation to the plasmacytoma, and systemic therapy is indicated. Low-dose alkylators with or without corticosteroids are effective in some patients. However, high-dose chemotherapy with auto-SCT dramatically improved symptoms and outcomes for POEMS patients.

Observation of electron-antineutrino disappearance at Daya Bay

The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment has measured a nonzero value for the neutrino mixing angle θ(13) with a significance of 5.2 standard deviations. Antineutrinos from six 2.9 GWth reactors were detected in six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (flux-weighted baseline 470 m and 576 m) and one far (1648 m) underground experimental halls. With a 43,000 ton-GWth-day live-time exposure in 55 days, 10,416 (80,376) electron-antineutrino candidates were detected at the far hall (near halls). The ratio of the observed to expected number of antineutrinos at the far hall is R=0.940±0.011(stat.)±0.004(syst.). A rate-only analysis finds sin(2)2θ(13)=0.092±0.016(stat.)±0.005(syst.) in a three-neutrino framework.

Whiplash-like facet joint loading initiates glutamatergic responses in the DRG and spinal cord associated with behavioral hypersensitivity

The cervical facet joint and its capsule are a common source of neck pain from whiplash. Mechanical hyperalgesia elicited by painful facet joint distraction is associated with spinal neuronal hyperexcitability that can be induced by transmitter/receptor systems that potentiate the synaptic activation of neurons. This study investigated the temporal response of a glutamate receptor and transporters in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and spinal cord. Bilateral C6/C7 facet joint distractions were imposed in the rat either to produce behavioral sensitivity or without inducing any sensitivity. Neuronal metabotropic glutamate receptor-5 (mGluR5) and protein kinase C-epsilon (PKCε) expression in the DRG and spinal cord were evaluated on days 1 and 7. Spinal expression of a glutamate transporter, excitatory amino acid carrier 1 (EAAC1), was also quantified at both time points. Painful distraction produced immediate behavioral hypersensitivity that was sustained for 7 days. Increased expression of mGluR5 and PKCε in the DRG was not evident until day 7 and only following painful distraction; this increase was observed in small-diameter neurons. Only painful facet joint distraction produced a significant increase (p<0.001) in neuronal mGluR5 over time, and this increase also was significantly elevated (p≤0.05) over responses in the other groups at day 7. However, there were no differences in spinal PKCε expression on either day or between groups. Spinal EAAC1 expression was significantly increased (p<0.03) only in the nonpainful groups on day 7. Results from this study suggest that spinal glutamatergic plasticity is selectively modulated in association with facet-mediated pain.

[Bacterial biodiversity in Dongcai, a traditional pickled mustard product in Sichuan Province, China]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the bacteria community and biodiversity of four-years pickled Yanshan Dongcai.

METHODS

We studied the bacterial communities of Dongcai by 16S rDNA diversity analysis and the cultured species isolated from Dongcai sample by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis.

RESULTS

The 16S rDNA diversity showed that the bacteria belonged to the phyla Proteobacteria (87.9% ) and Firmicutes (7.1% ), including many moderately halophilic bacteria such as Virgibacillus kekensis, Marinococcus albus, Salinicoccus sp., Lactobacillus halophilus and Halomonas. Only 5% of clone sequences belonged to the phylum Actinobacteria. Thirty-five strains were isolated from Dongcai sample, and 16S rDNA-RFLP analysis indicated that 34 isolates affiliated with the phylum Firmicutes, including Virgibacillus, Bacillus megaterium and Gracilibacillus saliphilus which were moderately halophilic bacteria, but only one isolate belonged to the phylum Actinobacteria.

CONCLUSION

The bacterial diversity is low in Dongcai, dominated by moderately halophilic bacteria.

The role of HE4 in ovarian cancer: inhibiting tumour cell proliferation and metastasis

As a promising biomarker, human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) has been widely used for the early detection and differential diagnosis of ovarian cancer. This study evaluated the function of HE4 in the carcinogenesis and progression of ovarian cancer. An enzyme immunometric assay, used to detect HE4 in the serum of ovarian cancer patients, showed that the protein could discriminate between malignant and benign ovarian tumours with high specificity. An exogenous HE4 gene was transfected into ovarian cancer cell lines and an immortalized ovarian epithelial cell line. Compared with the controls, HE4 overexpression significantly promoted cell apoptosis and adhesion. Overexpression of HE4 also led to significant inhibition of cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness in vitro, as well as xenograft tumour formation in vivo. This is the first report to demonstrate the functional importance of HE4 in multiple cellular processes and indicates that HE4 may play a protective role in the progression of ovarian cancer.

Comparison of cytotoxicity of pristine and covalently functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes in RAW 264.7 macrophages

Carbon nanotubes may be applied in different fields including biomedicine and mechanical engineering. It is important to understand the potential hazards of carbon nanotubes. In the present study, the toxicological effects of the pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (p-MWCNTs) and taurine functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (tau-MWCNTs) were assessed on RAW 264.7 macrophages. We tested cell viability, GSH/GSSG ratio, apoptosis, intracellular calcium concentration, ultrastructural changes of cell morphology, and the release of IL-8. We observed the loss of cell viability, decline in the cellular GSH/GSSG ratio, increase of IL-8, and the increase of intracellular calcium concentration in RAW 264.7 macrophages when exposed to p-MWCNTs at high dosage. Additionally, exposure to p-MWCNTs resulted in ultrastructural and morphological changes in RAW 264.7 macrophages. In contrast, the RAW 264.7 macrophages exposed to the tau-MWCNTs did not exhibit altered morphology. Our results conclude that the tau-MWCNTs show lower toxicity than that of p-MWCNTs.

Immunology in the Clinic Review Series; focus on host responses: T cell responses to herpes simplex viruses

Herpes virus infections are chronic and co-exist with acquired immune responses that generally prevent severe damage to the host, while allowing periodic shedding of virus and maintenance of its transmission in the community. Herpes simplex viruses type 1 and 2 (HSV-1, HSV-2) are typical in this regard and are representative of the viral subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae, which has a tropism for neuronal and epithelial cells. This review will emphasize recent progress in decoding the physiologically important CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cell responses to HSV in humans. The expanding data set is discussed in the context of the search for an effective HSV vaccine as therapy for existing infections and to prevent new infections.

Frequency Dependence of Poisson's Ratio of Viscoelastic Elastomer Foam

All polymer foams are viscoelastic; for foams used in earplugs, this response is essential to their function. Poisson's ratio was inferred from viscoelastic response of earplug foam in torsion and bending. Poisson's ratio increases with frequency as a result of stress induced air flow. Air within the pores contributes to the overall bulk modulus at high frequency, but not at low frequency at which it easily flows when the foam is deformed. Such behaviour is the opposite of that of solid polymers in which the shear modulus varies with frequency much more than the bulk modulus.

Common ABCB1 polymorphisms associated with susceptibility to infantile spasms in the Chinese Han population

Infantile spasms are a severe epileptic encephalopathy with a variety of etiologies that occur in infancy and early childhood. Subjects with infantile spasms are at a higher risk for evolving into intractable epileptic spasms, tending to be refractory to conventional antiepileptic drugs. Genetic polymorphisms of the P-glycoprotein-encoding gene ABCB1 are suspected to be associated with pharmacoresistance phenotypes in epilepsy patients. Conflicting findings have been reported in different populations; few studies have explored whether this apparent association is affected by other host factors, such as specific epilepsy syndrome. We performed a case-control study to determine whether the risk of infantile spasms is influenced by common ABCB1 polymorphisms in a Han Chinese children's population consisting of 91 patients and 368 healthy individuals. DNA was isolated from whole blood, and three genetic polymorphisms (C1236T, G2677T/A, and C3435T) were assayed by PCR-RFLP. There were significant differences in the distributions of 3435TT [P = 0.001; odds ratio = 2.47; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.44-4.27] and 3435CT [P < 0.001; odds ratio = 0.28; 95% CI = 0.15-0.54] genotypes between infantile spasm cases and controls. No significant differences were observed in allelic and haplotypic frequencies of ABCB1 polymorphisms between the two groups. This study demonstrated that variations in the C3435T gene play an important role in the pathogenesis of infantile spasms in the Han Chinese population; 3435TT is associated with increased risk of having this epilepsy syndrome.

Activating transcription factor 4, a mediator of the integrated stress response, is increased in the dorsal root ganglia following painful facet joint distraction

Chronic neck pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders in the US. Although biomechanical and clinical studies have implicated the facet joint as a primary source of neck pain, specific cellular mechanisms still remain speculative. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a mediator (activating transcription factor; 4ATF4) of the integrated stress response (ISR) is involved in facet-mediated pain. Holtzman rats underwent C6/C7 facet joint loading that produces either painful (n=16) or nonpainful (n=8) responses. A sham group (n=9) was also included as surgical controls. Behavioral sensitivity was measured and the C6 dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) were harvested on day 7 to evaluate the total and neuronal ATF4 expression. In separate groups, an intra-articular ketorolac injection was administered either immediately (D0 ketorolac) or 1 day (D1 ketorolac) after painful facet joint loading. Allodynia was measured at days 1 and 7 after injury to assess the effects on behavioral responses. ATF4 and BiP (an indicator of ISR activation) were separately quantified at day 7. Facet joint loading sufficient to elicit behavioral hypersensitivity produced a threefold increase in total and neuronal ATF4 expression in the DRG. After ketorolac treatment at the time of injury, ATF4 expression was significantly (P<0.01) reduced despite not producing any attenuation of behavioral responses. Interestingly, ketorolac treatment at day 1 significantly (P<0.001) alleviated behavioral sensitivity at day 7, but did not modify ATF4 expression. BiP expression was unchanged after either intervention time. Results suggest that ATF4-dependent activation of the ISR does not directly contribute to persistent pain, but it may sensitize neurons responsible for pain initiation. These behavioral and immunohistochemical findings imply that facet-mediated pain may be sustained through other pathways of the ISR.

Targeted therapy of SMMC-7721 liver cancer in vitro and in vivo with carbon nanotubes based drug delivery system

A new type of drug delivery system (DDS) involved chitosan (CHI) modified single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) for controllable loading/release of anti-cancer doxorubicin (DOX) was constructed. CHI was non-covalently wrapped around SWNTs, imparting water-solubility and biocompatibility to the nanotubes. Folic acid (FA) was also bounded to the outer CHI layer to realize selective killing of tumor cells. The targeting DDS could effectively kill the HCC SMMC-7721 cell lines and depress the growth of liver cancer in nude mice, showing superior pharmaceutical efficiency to free DOX. The results of the blood routine and serum biochemical parameters, combined with the histological examinations of vital organs, demonstrating that the targeting DDS had negligible in vivo toxicity. Thus, this DDS is promising for high treatment efficacy and low side effects for future cancer therapy.

[Studies on new hydrolysate of aconitine using HPLC-MS(n) and quantum chemistry calculation]

OBJECTIVE

To study the new hydrolysate of aconitine using HPLC-MS(n) and quantum chemistry calculation.

METHOD

The HPLC method was applied in gradient elution program and the mass spectrometry was in positive ion mode. Geometries of the possible hydrolysates were optimized at DFT/6-31G(d) level.

RESULT

The new hydrolysate was found and its protonated molecularions was at m/z 482. The quantum chemistry calculation results show that the product of elimination reations at C8 and C15 got the lowest energy conformation. The compound at m/z 482 was decluced to be the hydrolysate of carbony at C15.

CONCLUSION

Delydration aconine was detected for the first time and the new hydrolysis pathways of aconitine in water were deduced.

Simultaneous determination of ten ginsenosides in panacis quinquefolii radix by ultra performance liquid chromatography and quality evaluation based on chemometric methods

A rapid, sensitive and reliable method based on ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector (UPLC-PAD) was developed for both the quantitative analysis of ten bioactive ginsenosides and a chemical-fingerprint analysis. The chromatography was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column using a gradient elution with acetonitrile/water as the mobile phase. To compare the UPLC fingerprints and to evaluate their quality, chemometric methods including similarity analysis (SA) and hierarchical-clustering analysis (HCA) were implemented when classifying the Panacis Quinquefolii Radix samples. The Panacis Quinquefolii Radix samples were successfully grouped in accordance with their geographic origins.

Observation of the decay B- → D(s)((*)+) K- ℓ- ν(ℓ)

We report the observation of the decay B- → D(s)((*)+) K- ℓ- ν(ℓ) based on 342  fb(-1) of data collected at the Υ(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e+ e- storage rings at SLAC. A simultaneous fit to three D(s)(+) decay chains is performed to extract the signal yield from measurements of the squared missing mass in the B meson decay. We observe the decay B- → D(s)((*)+) K- ℓ- ν(ℓ) with a significance greater than 5 standard deviations (including systematic uncertainties) and measure its branching fraction to be B(B- → D(s)((*)+) K- ℓ- ν(ℓ)) = [6.13(-1.03)(+1.04)(stat)±0.43(syst)±0.51(B(D(s)))]×10(-4), where the last error reflects the limited knowledge of the D(s) branching fractions.

Search for production of invisible final states in single-photon decays of Υ(1S)

We search for single-photon decays of the Υ(1S) resonance, Υ → γ + invisible, where the invisible state is either a particle of definite mass, such as a light Higgs boson A⁰, or a pair of dark matter particles, χχ. Both A⁰ and χ are assumed to have zero spin. We tag Υ(1S) decays with a dipion transition Υ(2S) → π⁺π⁻Υ(1S) and look for events with a single energetic photon and significant missing energy. We find no evidence for such processes in the mass range m(A⁰) ≤ 9.2 GeV and m(χ) ≤ 4.5 GeV in the sample of 98 × 10⁶ Υ(2S) decays collected with the BABAR detector and set stringent limits on new physics models that contain light dark matter states.

Antipsychotics and venous thromboembolism risk: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Antipsychotics have been inconclusively implicated in susceptibility to venous thromboembolism (VTE).

OBJECTIVES AND METHODS

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between antipsychotic drugs and VTE risk by a meta-analysis. PubMed and EmBASE databases were searched for publications through to 10 October 2010. Statistical analysis was performed using Revman 4.2 and Stata 10.0 software.

RESULTS

7 case-control studies involving 31 095 cases and 143 472 controls were analyzed. The results indicate that antipsychotic exposure confers a 139 % increased risk of VTE (odds ratio [OR] = 2.39, 95 % confidence interval [CI]:1.71–3.35). Pooled estimates by drug type showed that use of low-potency antipsychotics (OR = 2.91, 95 % CI 1.80–4.71) is the most important risk factor for VTE, followed by atypical (OR = 2.20, 95 % CI 1.22–3.96), conventional (OR = 1.72, 95 % CI 1.31–2.24) and high-potency drugs (OR = 1.58, 95 % CI 1.50–1.67).

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis suggests that antipsychotics are a risk factor for VTE. Additional studies in large cohorts are required to validate our findings. Future analyses should study potential eff ect modifications by different doses and durations of antipsychotic exposure in different populations.