The Dosimetric Effects of Different Beam Energy on Physical Dose Distributions in IMRT Based on Analysis of Physical Indices

This work aimed at evaluating the effect of 6- and 10-MV photon energies on intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment plan outcome in different selected diagnostic cases. For such purpose, 19 patients, with different types of non CNS solid tumers, were selected. Clinical step-and-shoot IMRT treatment plans were designed for delivery on a Siemens Oncor accelerator with 82 leafs;multi-leaf collimators (MLCs). To ensure that the similarity or difference among the plans is due to energy alone, the same optimization constraints were applied for both energy plans. All the parameters like beam angles, number of beams, were kept constant to achieve the same clinical objectives. The Comparative evaluation was based on dose-volumetric analysis of both energy IMRT plans. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Several physical indices for Planning Target Volume (PTV), the relevant Organs at Risk (OARs) as mean dose (Dmean), maximum dose (Dmax), 95% dose (D95), integral dose, total number of segments, and the number of MU were applied. Homogeneity index and conformation number were two other evaluation parameters that were considered in this study. Collectively, the use of 6 MV photons was dosimetrically comparable with 10 MV photons in terms of target coverage, homogeneity, conformity, and OAR savings. While 10-MV plans showed a significant reduction in the number of MUs that varied between 4.2% and 16.6% (P-value = 0.0001) for the different cases compared to 6-MV. The percentage volumes of each patient receiving 2 Gy and 5 Gy were compared for the two energies. The general trend was that 6-MV plans had the highest percentage volume, (P-value = 0.0001, P-value = 0.006) respectively. 10-MV beams actually decreased the integral dose (from average 183.27 ± 152.38 Gy-Kg to 178.08 ± 147.71 Gy-Kg, P-value = 0.004) compared with 6-MV. In general, comparison of the above parameters showed statistically significant differences between 6-MV and 10-MV groups. Based on the present results, the 10-MV is the optimal energy for IMRT, regardless of the concerns about a potential risk of radiation-induced malignancies. It is recommended that the choice to treat at 10 MV be taken as a risk vs. benefit as the clinical significance remains to be determined on case by case basis.

Redesign of a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase for asymmetric synthesis of ethyl (R)-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutanoate based on per-residue free energy decomposition and sequence conservatism analysis

As an important building block for the synthesis of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors,ethyl(R)-2-hy-droxyl-4-phenylbutanoate[(R)-HPBE]has attracted increasing attention.The key to industrial biosynthesis of(R)-HPBE is a biocatalyst that efficiently reduces ethyl 2-oxo-4-phenylbutanoate(OPBE)with high R-enantiose-lectivity.This paper proposed a strategy for identifying key residues involved in enantioselectivity control based on per-residue free energy decomposition and sequence conservatism analysis.Using this strategy,4 noncon-servative sites with high energy contribution to binding of OPBE were chosen as engineering targets,generating variant Mu27 with 99%conversion and 98%(R)ee value at substrate loading of up to 500 mmol/L.MD simu-lations suggested the higher stability and formation probability of Mu27-OPBEproR prereaction state as key rea-sons for the excellent R-enantioselectivity of Mu27 towards OPBE.The success in this study provides a viable approach for rational design of alcohol dehydrogenases with high enantioselectivity towards unnatural substrates.

Assessment of structural damage using natural frequency changes

The present paper develops a new method for damage localization and severity estimation based on the employment of modal strain energy. This method is able to determine the damage locations and estimate their severities, requiring only the information about the changes of a few lower natural frequencies. First, a damage quantification method is formulated and iterative approach is adopted for determining the damage extent. Then a damage localization algorithm is proposed, in which a damage indicator is formulated where unity value corresponds to the true damage scenario. Finally, numerical studies and model tests are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed algorithm.

Statefinder diagnostic and constraints on the Palatini f(R) gravity theories

We focus on a series of f（R） gravity theories in Palatini formalism to investigate the probabilities of producing late-time acceleration for the flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker（FRW） universe.We apply a statefinder diagnostic to these cosmological models for chosen series of parameters to see if they can be distinguished from one another. The diagnostic involves the statefinder pair{r,s},where r is derived from the scale factor a and its higher derivatives with respect to the cosmic time t,and s is expressed by r and the deceleration parameter q. In conclusion,we find that although two types of f（R） theories：（i） f（R） = R ＋ αR^m-βR^-n and（ii） f（R） = R ＋ α lnR-β can lead to late-time acceleration,their evolutionary trajectories in the r-s and r-q planes reveal different evolutionary properties,which certainly justify the merits of the statefinder diagnostic. Additionally,we utilize the observational Hubble parameter data（OHD） to constrain these models of f（R） gravity. As a result,except for m = n = 1/2 in case（i）,α = 0 in case（i） and case（ii） allow the ΛCDM model to exist in the 1σ confidence region. After applying the statefinder diagnostic to the best-fit models,we find that all the best-fit models are capable of going through the deceleration/acceleration transition stage with a late-time acceleration epoch,and all these models turn to the de Sitter point（{r,s}={1,0}） in the future. Also,the evolutionary differences between these models are distinct,especially in the r-s plane,which makes the statefinder diagnostic more reliable in discriminating cosmological models.

Compliance-based testing method for fatigue crack propagation rates of mixed-modeⅠ-Ⅱcracks

Mixed-mode I-II crack-based fatigue crack propagation(FCPⅠ-Ⅱ)usually occurs in engineering structures;however,no theoretical formula or effective compliance test methods have been established for FCPI-IIto date.For mixed-mode I-II flawed components,based on the principle of mean-value energy equivalence,we propose a theoretical method to describe the relationship between material elastic parameters,geometrical dimensions,load(or displacement),and energy.Based on the maximum circumferential stress criterion,we propose a uniform compliance model for compact tensile shear(CTS)specimens with horizontal cracks deflecting and propagating(flat-folding propagation)under different loading angles,geometries,and materials.Along with an innovative design of the fixture of CTS specimens used for FCPI-IItests,we develop a new compliancebased testing method for FCPⅠ-Ⅱ.For the 30Cr2Ni4MoV rotor steel,the FCP rates of modeⅠ,modeⅡ,and mixed-modeⅠ-Ⅱcracks were obtained via FCP tests using compact tension,Arcan,and CTS specimens,respectively.The obtained da/d N versusΔJ curves of the FCP rates are close.The loading angleαand dimensionless initial crack length a0/W demonstrated negligible effects on the FCP rates.Hence,the FCP rates of mode I crack can be used to predict the residual life of structural crack propagation.

Experiments and analysis of gold disk targets irradiated by smoothing beams of Xingguang Ⅱ facilities with 350 nm wavelength

Gold disk targets were irradiated using focusing and beam smoothing methods on Xingguang (XG-Ⅱ) laser facilities with 350 nm wavelength,0.6 ns pulse width and 20-80 Joules energies. Laser absorption,light scattering and X-ray conversion were experimentally investigated. The experimental results showed that laser ab-sorption and scattered light were about 90% and 10%,respectively,under focusing irradiation,but the laser absorption increased 5%-10% and the scattered light about 1% under the condition of beam smoothing. Compared with the case of fo-cusing irradiation,the laser absorption was effectively improved and the scattered light remarkably dropped under uniform irradiation; then due to the decrease in laser intensity,X-ray conversion increased. This is highly advantageous to the in-ertial confinement fusion. However,X-ray conversion mechanism basically did not change and X-ray conversion efficiency under beam smoothing and focusing irra-diation was basically the same.