Systematic analysis and modeling of the FLASH sparing effect as a function of dose and dose rate

Ultrahigh-dose-rate radiotherapy(FLASH-RT)is a revolutionary radiotherapy technology that can spare normal tissues without compromising tumor control.Although qualitative experimental results have been reported,quantitative and systematic analysis of data is necessary.Particularly,the FLASH effect response model to the dose or dose rate is still unclear.This study investigated the relationships between the FLASH effect and experimental parameters,such as dose,dose rate,and other factors by analyzing published in vivo experimental data from animal models.The data were modeled based on logistic regression analysis using the sigmoid function.The model was evaluated using prediction accuracy,receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,and area under the ROC curve.Results showed that the FLASH effect was closely related to the dose,mean dose rate,tissue type,and corresponding biological endpoints.The dose rate corresponding to a 50% probability of triggering cognitive protection in the brain was 45 Gy s^(-1).The dose rate corresponding to a 50% probability of triggering intestinal crypt survival and regeneration was 140 Gy s^(-1).For the skin toxicity effect,the dose corresponding to a 50% probability of triggering the FLASH effect was 24 Gy.This study helps to characterize the conditions underlying the FLASH effect and provides important information for optimizing experiments.

Laser-assisted Simulation of Dose Rate Effects of Wide Band Gap Semiconductor Devices

Laser-assisted simulation technique has played a crucial role in the investigation of dose rate effects of silicon-based devices and integrated circuits,due to its exceptional advantages in terms of flexibility,safety,convenience,and precision.In recent years,wide band gap materials,known for their strong bonding and high ionization energy,have gained increasing attention from researchers and hold significant promise for extensive applications in specialized environments.Consequently,there is a growing need for comprehensive research on the dose rate effects of wide band gap materials.In response to this need,the use of laser-assisted simulation technology has emerged as a promising approach,offering an effective means to assess the efficacy of investigating these materials and devices.This paper focused on investigating the feasibility of laser-assisted simulation to study the dose rate effects of wide band gap semiconductor devices.Theoretical conversion factors for laser-assisted simulation of dose rate effects of GaN-based and SiC-based devices were been provided.Moreover,to validate the accuracy of the conversion factors,pulsed laser and dose rate experiments were conducted on GaN-based and SiC-based PIN diodes.The results demonstrate that pulsed laser radiation andγ-ray radiation can produce highly similar photocurrent responses in GaN-based and SiC-based PIN diodes,with correlation coefficients of 0.98 and 0.974,respectively.This finding reaffirms the effectiveness of laser-assisted simulation technology,making it a valuable complement in studying the dose rate effects of wide band gap semiconductor devices.

Evaluation of Entrance Skin Dose from Paediatric Diagnostic X-Ray Examination

As children are prone to be more radiosensitive than adults, it is imperative to assess the Entrance Skin Doses (ESDs) for patients being examined by X-rays, in order to ensure the optimization of dose while considering a number of other fickles. The ESD received by 50 paediatrics (aged 1-13 years) undergoing 8 types of X-ray examinations were measured at Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti, Nigeria, within a period of February 2019 to March 2020 using thermoluminescent dosimeters. The mean ± SD of ESDs were 0.85 ± 0.32, 2.04 ± 0.75, 0.60 ± 0.07, 0.62 ± 0.22, 0.57 ± 0.24, 1.75 ± 0.76, 0.93 ± 0.31 and 0.63 ± 0.06 mGy for Chest, Skull, Hand, Forearm, Knee, Abdomen, Leg and Feet, respectively. The mean ESDs were found to be within the recommended reference dose in all examinations, except for the Chest examination which was higher. The data obtained in this study will serve as existing data in Nigeria for future research works, as it would assist in optimizing dose to patients, especially the paediatrics.

Establishment of NaLuF_(4):15%Tb-based low dose X-PDT agent and its application on efficient antitumor therapy

X-ray excited photodynamic therapy(X-PDT)is the bravo answer of photodynamic therapy(PDT)for deep-seated tumors,as it employs X-ray as the irradiation source to overcome the limitation of light penetration depth.However,high X-ray irradiation dose caused organ lesions and side effects became the major barrier to X-PDT application.To address this issue,this work employed a classic-al co-precipitation reaction to synthesize NaLuF_(4):15%Tb^(3+)(NLF)with an average particle size of(23.48±0.91)nm,which was then coupled with the photosensitizer merocyanine 540(MC540)to form the X-PDT system NLF-MC540 with high production of singlet oxygen.The system could induce antitumor efficacy to about 24%in relative low dose X-ray irradiation range(0.1-0.3 Gy).In vivo,when NLF-MC540 irradiated by 0.1 Gy X-ray,the tumor inhibition percentage reached 89.5%±5.7%.The therapeutic mechanism of low dose X-PDT was found.A significant increase of neutrophils in serum was found on the third day after X-PDT.By immunohistochemical staining of tumor sections,the Ly6G^(+),CD8^(+),and CD11c^(+)cells infiltrated in the tumor microenvironment were studied.Utilizing the bilat-eral tumor model,the NLF-MC540 with 0.1 Gy X-ray irradiation could inhibit both the primary tumor and the distant tumor growth.De-tected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),two cytokines IFN-γand TNF-αin serum were upregulated 7 and 6 times than negative control,respectively.Detected by enzyme linked immune spot assay(ELISPOT),the number of immune cells attributable to the IFN-γand TNF-αlevels in the group of low dose X-PDT were 14 and 6 times greater than that in the negative control group,respectively.Thus,it conclude that low dose X-PDT system could successfully upregulate the levels of immune cells,stimulate the secretion of cy-tokines(especially IFN-γand TNF-α),activate antitumor immunity,and finally inhibit colon tumor growth.

Development of a high-repetition-rate lumped-inductance kicker magnet prototype for the beam switchyard of SHINE

The Shanghai high-repetition-rate X-ray free-electron laser and extreme light facility(SHINE)operates at a maximum repetition rate of 1 MHz.Kicker magnets are key components that distribute electron bunches into three different undulator lines in a bunch-by-bunch mode.The kicker field width must be less than the time interval between bunches.A lumpedinductance kicker prototype was developed using a vacuum chamber with a single-turn coil.The full magnetic field strength was 0.005 T.This paper presents the requirements,design considerations,design parameters,magnetic field calculations,and measurements of the kicker magnets.The relevant experimental results are also presented.The pulse width of the magnetic field was approximately 600 ns,and the maximum operation repetition rate was 1 MHz.The developed kicker satisfies the requirements for the SHINE project.Finally,numerous recommendations for the future optimization of kicker magnets are provided.

An Accelerated Simulation Method for ELDRS of Bipolar Operational Amplifiers Using a Dose-Rate Switching Experiment

Through different dose-rate switching evaluation methods,the radiation-response rules of operational amplifiers are studied when the irradiation dose rate is switched from high to low under different radiation temperatures and total doses. The experimental results indicate that the response characteristics could be affected by the switching total doses, irradiation temperatures,and dose rates individually or together. Accelerated evaluation on the ELDRS can be realized by adopting a proper dose-rate switching method. Meanwhile, the irradiation time can also be reduced. Finally, the mechanisms of the difference between various radiation responses are analyzed.

High-dose-rate intraluminal brachytherapy during preoperative chemoradiation for locally advanced rectal cancers

AIM:To determine the feasibility and safety of high dose rate intraluminal brachytherapy(HDR-ILBT) boost during preoperative chemoradiation for rectal cancer.METHODS:Between 2008 and 2009,thirty-six patients with locally advanced rectal cancer(≥ T3 or N+),were treated initially with concurrent capecitabine(825 mg/m2 oral twice daily) and pelvic external beam radiotherapy(EBRT)(45 Gy in 25 fractions),then were randomized to group A;HDR-ILBT group(n = 17) to receive 5.5-7 Gy×2 to gross tumor volume(GTV) and group B;EBRT group(n = 19) to receive 5.4 Gy×3 fractions to GTV with EBRT.All patients underwent total mesorectal excision.RESULTS:Grade 3 acute toxicities were registered in 12 patients(70.6%) in group A and in 8(42.1%) in group B.Complete pathologic response of T stage(ypT0) in group A was registered in 10 patients(58.8%) and in group B,3 patients(15.8%) had ypT0(P < 0.0001).Sphincter preservation was reported in 6/9 patients(66.7%) in group A and in 5/10 patients(50%) in group B(P < 0.01).Overall radiological response was 68.15% and 66.04% in Group A and B,respectively.During a median follow up of 18 mo,late grade 1 and 2 sequelae were registered in 3 patients(17.6%) and 4 patients(21.1%) in the groups A and B,respectively.CONCLUSION:HDR-ILBT was found to be effective dose escalation technique in preoperative chemoradiation for rectal cancers,with higher response rates,downstaging and with manageable acute toxicities.

Dose-volume parameters and clinical outcome of CT-guided free-hand high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy for cervical cancer

Currently, image-based 3-dimentional (3D) planning brachytherapy allows for a better assessment of gross tumor volume (GTV) and the definition and delineation of target volume in cervix cancer. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of our novel computed tomography (CT)-guided free-hand high-dose- rate interstitial brachytherapy (HDRISBT) technique for cervical cancer by evaluating the dosimetry and preliminary clinical outcome of this approach. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters were analyzed according to the Gynecological GEC-ESTRO Working Group recommendations for image-based 3D treatment in cervical cancer. Twenty cervical cancer patients who underwent CT-guided free-hand HDRISBT between March 2009 and June 2010 were studied. With a median of 5 (range, 4-7) implanted needles for each patient, the median dose of brachytherapy alone delivered to 90% of the target volume (D90 ) was 45 (range, 33-54) Gyα/β10 for high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) and 30 (range, 20-36) Gyα/β10 for intermediate-risk clinical target volume (IR-CTV). The percentage of the CTV covered by the prescribed dose (V100 ) of HR-CTV with brachytherapy alone was 81.9%-99.2% (median, 96.7%). With an additional dose of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), the median D90 was 94 (range, 83-104) Gyα/β10 for HR-CTV and 77 (range, 70 -87) Gyα/β10 for IR-CTV; the median dose delivered to 100% of the target volume (D100 ) was 75 (range, 66-84) Gyα/β10 for HR-CTV and 65 (range, 57-73) Gyα/β10 for IR-CTV. The minimum dose to the most irradiated 2 cc volume (D2cc ) was 73-96 (median, 83) Gyα/β3 for the bladder, 64-98 (median, 73) Gyα/β3 for the rectum, and 52-69 (median, 61) Gyα/β3 for the sigmoid colon. After a median follow-up of 15 months (range, 3 -24 months), two patients experienced local failure, and 1 showed internal iliac nodal metastasis. Despite the relatively small number of needles used, CT-guided HDRISBT for cervical cancer showed favorable DVH parameters and clinical outcome.

Intensity modulated radiation therapy with simultaneous integrated boost based dose escalation on neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy for locally advanced distal esophageal adenocarcinoma

AIM:To evaluate impact of radiation therapy dose escalation through intensity modulated radiation therapy with simultaneous integrated boost(IMRT-SIB).METHODS:We retrospectively reviewed the patients who underwent four-dimensional-based IMRT-SIBbased neoadjuvant chemoradiation protocol.During the concurrent chemoradiation therapy,radiation therapy was through IMRT-SIB delivered in 28 consecutive daily fractions with total radiation doses of 56 Gy to tumor and 5040 Gy dose-painted to clinical tumor volume,with a regimen at the discretion of the treating medical oncologist.This was followed by surgical tumor resection.We analyzed pathological completion response(p CR) rates its relationship with overall survival and event-freesurvival.RESULTS:Seventeen patients underwent dose escalation with the IMRT-SIB protocol between 2007 and 2014 and their records were available for analysis.Among the IMRT-SIB-treated patients,the toxicity appeared mild,the most common side effects were grade 1-3 esophagitis(46%) and pneumonitis(11.7%).There were no cardiac events.The Ro resection rate was 94%(n = 16),the p CR rate was 47%(n = 8),and the postoperative morbidity was zero.There was one mediastinal failure found,one patient had local failure at the anastomosis site,and the majority of failures were distant in the lung or bone.The 3-year diseasefree survival and overall survival rates were 41%(n = 7) and 53%(n = 9),respectively.CONCLUSION:The dose escalation through IMRT-SIB in the chemoradiation regimen seems responsible for down-staging the distal esophageal with well-tolerated complications.

Effect of ionizing radiation on dual 8-bit analog-to-digital converters (AD9058) with various dose rates and bias conditions

The radiation effects on several properties （reference voltage, digital output logic voltage, and supply current） of dual 8-bit analog-to-digital （A/D） converters （AD9058） under various biased conditions are investigated in this paper. Gamma ray and 10-MeV proton irradiation are selected for a detailed evaluation and comparison. Based on the measurement results induced by the gamma ray with various dose rates, the devices exhibit enhanced low dose rate sensitivity （ELDRS） under zero and working bias conditions. Meanwhile, it is obvious that the ELDRS is more severe under the working bias condition than under the zero bias condition. The degradation of AD9058 does not display obvious ELDRS during 10-MeV proton irradiation with the selected flux.

Aluminum X-ray mass-ablation rate measurements

Measurements of the mass ablation rate of aluminum(Al)have been completed at the Omega Laser Facility.These measurements show that the mass-ablation rate of Al is higher than plastic(CH),comparable to high density carbon(HDC),and lower than beryllium.The mass-ablation rate is consistent with predictions using a 1D Lagrangian code,Helios.The results suggest Al capsules have a reasonable ablation pressure even with a higher albedo than beryllium or carbon ablators and further investigation into the viability of Al capsules for ignition should be pursued.

Kernel crack characteristics for X-ray computed microtomography(μCT)and their relationship with the breakage rate of maize varieties

The most significant problem of maize grain mechanical harvesting quality in China at present is the high grain breakage rate(BR).BR is often the key characteristic that is measured to select hybrids desirable for mechanical grain harvesting.However,conventional BR evaluation and measurement methods have challenges and limitations.Microstructural crack parameters evaluation of maize kernel is of great importance to BR.In this connection,X-ray computed microtomography(μ-CT)has proven to be a quite useful method for the assessment of microstructure,as it provides important microstructural parameters,such as object volume,surface,surface/volume ratio,number of closed pores,and others.X-ray computed microtomography is a non-destructive technique that enables the reuse of samples already measured and also yields bidimensional(2D)cross-sectional images of the sample as well as volume rendering.In this paper,six different maize hybrid genotypes are used as materials,and the BR of the maize kernels of each variety is tested in the field mechanical grain harvesting,and the BR is used as an index for evaluating the breakage resistance of the variety.The crack characteristic parameters of kernel were detected by X-ray micro-computed tomography,and the relationship between the BR and the kernel crack characteristics was analyzed by stepwise regression analysis.Establishing a relationship between crack characteristic parameters and BR of maize is vital for judging breakage resistance.The results of stepwise multiple linear regression(MLR)showed that the crack characteristics of the object surface,number of closed pores,surface of closed pores,and closed porosity percent were significantly correlated to the BR of field mechanical grain harvesting,with the standard partial regression coefficients of–0.998,–0.988,–0.999,and–0.998,respectively.The R2 of this model was 0.999.Results validation showed that the Stepwise MLR Model could well predict the BR of maize based on these four variables.

Theoretical study on K,L,and M X-ray transition energies and rates of neptunium and its ions

The transition energies and electric dipole （El） transition rates of the K, L, and M lines in neutral Np have been theoretically determined from the MultiConfiguration Dirac-Fock （MCDF） method. In the calculations, the contributions from Breit interaction and quantum electrodynamics （QED） effects （vacuum polarization and self-energy）, as well as nu- clear finite mass and volume effects, are taken into account. The calculated transition energies and rates are found to be in good agreement with other experimental and theoretical results. The accuracy of the results is estimated and discussed. Furthermore, we calculated the transition energies of the same lines radiating from the decaying transitions of the K-, L-, and M-shell hole states of Np ions with the charge states Np1＋ to Np6＋ for the first time. We found that for a specific line, the corresponding transition energies relating to all the Np ions are almost the same; it means the outermost electrons have a very small influence on the inner-shell transition processes.

Study of the External Dose Rate and Retained Body Activity of Patients with Hyperthyroidism Who Are Receiving Ⅰ-131 Therapy

Hyperthyroidism refers to a clinical state that results from inappropriately hight hyroid hormone levels in the tissues;.Ⅰ-131 therapy plays a critical role and provides a remarkable curative effect in targeting thyroid diseases. Thyroid cells can take up isotope I-131, which emits not only beta rays but also

Calibration of a neutron dose rate meter in various neutron standard fields

This paper presents the calibration of a neutron dose rate meter and the evaluation of its calibration factors(CFs)in several neutron standard fields(i.e.,two standard fields with bare sources of252Cf and241Am-Be,and five simulated workplace fields with241Am-Be moderated sources).The calibration in standard fields with bare sources was conducted by following the recommendations of the ISO 8529 standard.The measured total neutron ambient dose equivalent rates,denoted as H*(10)tot,were analyzed to obtain direct components,denoted as H*(10)dir,using a reduced fitting method.The CF was then calculated as the ratio between the conventional true value of the neutron ambient dose equivalent rate in a free field,denoted as H*(10)FF,and the value of H*(10)dir.In contrast,in the simulated workplace neutron fields,the calibration of the neutron dose rate meter was conducted by following the ISO 12789 standard.The CF was calculated as the ratio between the values of H*(10)totmeasured by a standard instrument(i.e.,Bonner sphere spectrometer)and the neutron dose rate meter.The CF values were obtained in the range of 0.88–1.0.The standard uncertainties(k=1)of the CFs were determined to be in the range of approximately 6.6–13.1%.

Estimation of enhanced low dose rate sensitivity mechanisms using temperature switching irradiation on gate-controlled lateral PNP transistor

The mechanisms occurring when the switched temperature technique is applied,as an accelerated enhanced low dose rate sensitivity(ELDRS)test technique,are investigated in terms of a specially designed gate-controlled lateral PNP transistor(GLPNP)that used to extract the interface traps(Nit)and oxide trapped charges(Not).Electrical characteristics in GLPNP transistors induced by ^(60)Co gamma irradiation are measured in situ as a function of total dose,showing that generation of Nit in the oxide is the primary cause of base current variations for the GLPNP.Based on the analysis of the variations of Nit and Not,with switching the temperature,the properties of accelerated protons release and suppressed protons loss play critical roles in determining the increased Nit formation leading to the base current degradation with dose accumulation.Simultaneously the hydrogen cracking mechanisms responsible for additional protons release are related to the neutralization of Not extending enhanced Nit buildup.In this study the switched temperature irradiation has been employed to conservatively estimate the ELDRS of GLPNP,which provides us with a new insight into the test technique for ELDRS.

Measurement of the Effective Dose Radiation at Radiology Departments of Some Hospitals in Duhok Governorate

During operating of the X-ray machines, if the protection of X-ray rooms is insufficient, not only the patient but also clinical staffs as well as public are exposed to high X-ray dosage and they are affected from X-ray related to the dose level. In the present survey, by testing the radiological leakage and scatter from X-rays machines in radiology departments of 7 randomly selected hospitals in Duhok governorate, the effects dose of X-ray to the both control panel area and the patients waiting or visiting area who are located near the radiography room, were measured. The dose was recorded for a range of peak kilovoltage (kVp) and mAs values to find efficiency of shielding materials (barriers) of radiography rooms for different X-rays level. The measurements were performed at one meter above the ground surface which was the same height of X-rays tube by using Gamma Scout dosimeter. From the measurement results, it was seen that the most hospitals barriers (doors and walls) were not appropriate to the standards except 2 hospitals. The maximum effective doses were measured in uncontrolled area of Khazer hospital which was 82.48 ± 0.73 mSv&middot;yr-1 that was much more than the reference dose limits and in controlled area of Haval Banda Zaroka hospital which was 12.98 ± 0.16 mSv&middot;yr-1. In result, the knowledge about the radiation dose affecting the radiologists and public in the selected hospitals was obtained, and by informing the radiologists and the hospitals managements, the necessary regulations would be planned.

Activation and shutdown dose-rate analyses for the EAST NBI test facility

An analysis of the neutron activation and shutdown dose rates was performed for the EAST high-power deuterium neutral beam injector test facility(EAST NBITF) by using the multiparticle transport code FLUKA2011.2. Also, the neutron and neutron-induced gamma spectra of the facility's vacuum vessel were evaluated. The results identified the major radionuclides^(99) Mo,^(65)Ni,^(58) Co,^(56)Mn, and^(51) Cr for the vacuum vessel and the primary nuclide^(64) Cu for both the ion dump and the calorimeter.The simulated results indicated that, when the EAST NBITF operates within the design parameters of deuterium energy 80 ke V, current 50 A, and pulse 100 s, the neutron intensity will achieve 10^(11)n/s with no radiation safety problems after the EAST NBITF shuts down.

Energy spectrum measurement and dose rate estimation of natural neutrons in Tibet region

In this work, natural neutron spectra at nine sites in Tibet region were measured using a multi-sphere neutron spectrometer. The altitude-dependence of the spectra total fluence rate and ambient dose equivalent rate were analyzed. From the normalized natural neutron spectra at different altitudes, the spectrum fractions for neutrons of greater than 0.1 MeV do not differ obviously, while those of the thermal neutrons differ greatly from each other. The total fluence rate, effective dose rate and the ambient dose equivalent rate varied with the altitude according to an exponential law.

Measurement of air kerma rate and ambient dose equivalent rate using the G(E) function with hemispherical CdZnTe detector

Since the room-temperature detector CdZnTe(CZT) has advantages in terms of detection efficiency,energy resolution, and size, it has been extensively used to detect X-rays and gamma-rays. So far, nuclear radiation detectors such as cerium chloride doped with lanthanum bromide(LaBr_3(Ce)), thallium doped with cesium iodide(sI(Tl)), thallium doped with sodium iodide(NaI(Tl)),and high-purity germanium(HPGe) primarily use the spectroscopy-dose rate function(G(E)) to achieve the accurate measurement of air kerma rate(K_a) and ambient dose equivalent rate(H*(10)). However, the spectroscopy-dose rate function has been rarely measured for a CZT detector. In this study, we performed spectrum measurement using a hemispherical CZT detector in a radiation protection standards laboratory. The spectroscopy-dose rate function G(E) of the CZT detector was calculated using the least-squares method combined with the standard dose rate at the measurement position. The results showed that the hemispherical CZT detector could complete the measurement of air kerma rate(K_a) and ambient dose equivalent rate(H*(10)) by using the G(E) function at energies between 48 keV and 1.25 MeV, and the relative intrinsic errors were, respectively, controlled within ± 2. 3 and ± 2. 1%.