Measurement of Frequency Shift Characteristics Based on LiNbO_3 Waveguide Electro-Optic Intensity Modulator

High-speed and wide-band LiNbO3 waveguide electro-optic intensity modulator has drawn great attention in the field of optical fiber communication and sensor. This paper reports the research results on the measurement of frequency shift characteristics of Mach-Zehnder electro-optic intensity modulator. Two measurement methods of frequency shift characteristics for high and low frequency modulations are studied in theory and experiment and demonstrate different results. The realization of a multi-wavelength optical source based on Mach-Zehnder electro-optic intensity modulator has been introduced. The technique to reach the maximum intensity for interesting shift frequency, particularly for heterodyne detection of Brillouin distributed optical fiber sensing, has been given.

Magneto and Electro-Optic Intensity Modulator Based on Liquid Crystal and Magnetic Fluid Filled Photonic Crystal Fiber

We propose a novel light intensity modulator based on magnetic fluid and liquid crystal（LC） filled photonic crystal fibers（PCFs）. The influences of electric and magnetic fields on the transmission intensity are theoretically and experimentally analyzed and investigated. Both the electric and magnetic fields can manipulate the molecular arrangement of LC to array a certain angle without changing the refractive index of the LC. Therefore, light loss in the PCF varies with the electric and magnetic fields whereas the peak wavelengths remain constant. The experimental results show that the transmission intensity decreases with the increase of the electric and magnetic fields. The cut-off electric field is 0.899 V/um at 20 Hz and the cut-off magnetic field is 195 m T. This simple and compacted optical modulator will have a great prospect in sensing applications.

Novel frequency shift keying modulation based on fiber Bragg gratings and intensity modulators

This paper proposed and investigated a novel frequency shift keying （FSK） modulation based on two fiber Bragg gratings （FBGs） and two intensity modulators. Then the transmission of 10 Gbit/s FSK signal after a 50 km single mode fiber （SMF） was studied in this paper. The power penalty at the bit error rate （BER） of 10-9 was below 0.1 dB. The FSK modulation system can be applied to optical transmission system

Unraveling the efficacy network: A network meta-analysis of adjuvant external beam radiation therapy methods after hepatectomy

BACKGROUND Primary liver cancer is a malignant tumor with a high recurrence rate that significantly affects patient prognosis.Postoperative adjuvant external radiation therapy(RT)has been shown to effectively prevent recurrence after liver cancer resection.However,there are multiple RT techniques available,and the differ-ential effects of these techniques in preventing postoperative liver cancer re-currence require further investigation.AIM To assess the advantages and disadvantages of various adjuvant external RT methods after liver resection based on overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS)and to determine the optimal strategy.METHODS This study involved network meta-analyses and followed the PRISMA guidelines.The data of qualified studies published before July 10,2023,were collected from PubMed,Embase,the Web of Science,and the Cochrane Library.We included relevant studies on postoperative external beam RT after liver resection that had OS and DFS as the primary endpoints.The magnitudes of the effects were determined using risk ratios with 95%confidential intervals.The results were analyzed using R software and STATA software.RESULTS A total of 12 studies,including 1265 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)after liver resection,were included in this study.There was no significant heterogeneity in the direct paired comparisons,and there were no significant differences in the inclusion or exclusion criteria,intervention measures,or outcome indicators,meeting the assumptions of heterogeneity and transitivity.OS analysis revealed that patients who underwent stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT)after resection had longer OS than those who underwent intensity modulated radiotherapy(IMRT)or 3-dimensional conformal RT(3D-CRT).DFS analysis revealed that patients who underwent 3D-CRT after resection had the longest DFS.Patients who underwent IMRT after resection had longer OS than those who underwent 3D-CRT and longer DFS than those who underwent SBRT.CONCLUSION HCC patients who undergo liver cancer resection must consider distinct advantages and disadvantages when choosing between SBRT and 3D-CRT.IMRT,a RT technique that is associated with longer OS than 3D-CRT and longer DFS than SBRT,may be a preferred option.

Intensity modulation characters of orthogonally polarized HeNe lasers with different optical feedback level

This paper demonstrates the intensity modulation characters of orthogonally polarized HeNe lasers with different optical feedback level generated by the variable reflectivity of external reflector. The modulation depths of the orthogonally polarized frequencies are increased when the optical feedback level becomes strong. It also observes that the modulation amplitudes are different for different external cavity length. Based on the vectorial extension of Lamb＇s semi-classical theory, it finds that the calculations are consistent with the experimental results.

Prostate specific antigen bounce after intensity-modulated radiation therapy in an Asian population

Objective:Serum prostate specific antigen(PSA)is commonly used to evaluate treatment response after definitive radiation therapy(RT).However,PSA levels can temporarily rise without a clear reason,termed“PSA bounce”,and often engender great anxiety for both patients and physicians.The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors that predict“PSA bounce”after intensity-modulated radiation therapy(IMRT),and the relevance to biochemical failure and cancer recurrence in an Asian population.Methods:We retrospectively reviewed 206 patients who received IMRT for prostate cancer from 2004 to 2012 in the National Cancer Centre Singapore.These patients were followed up with regular PSA monitoring.We defined“PSA bounce”as a rise of 0.1 ng/mL,followed by two consecutive falls.Patients with biochemical failure(PSA nadir t 2 ng/mL)were further evaluated for cancer recurrence.Results:Sixty-one patients(29.6%)experienced“PSA bounce”,at a median time of 16 months and lasted for 12 months.Age remained the most consistent predictor of the incidence,duration and extent of“PSA bounce”.Other contributory factors included baseline PSA,Gleason score and PSA nadir.Hormonal therapy and prostate volume did not affect this phenomenon.Sixteen patients(7.8%)developed biochemical recurrence,at median time of 32 months,of which 11 were confirmed to have metastatic disease.The median follow-up time was 71 months.

Design of a Reflective Intensity Optical Fibre Bundle Displacement Sensor

Optical fibre sensor has the advantages of small size,light weight,anti⁃electromagnetic interference,and high measurement accuracy,which has important applications in research and industrial production.To design an optical fibre displacement sensor(OFBDS)with simple structure and high measurement accuracy,the unified model of the commonly used OFBDS structures was proposed and the feasibility of the intensity⁃modulation of multi⁃structural optical fibre bundles was analysed based on the arrangement characteristics of the fibre bundle end⁃face.The intensity⁃modulation characteristic of different fibre bundles was analysed,and the single coil coaxial fibre bundle was chosen as the fibre probe in this study.The sensor hardware system was designed.Lastly,the calibration experiment,temperature interference experiment,changes of measured plane surface area,and the dynamic experiment were conducted.Results showed that the sensor linear measurement range was about 3 mm,and the sensor system had excellent static and dynamic characteristics.

Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy for Re-Irradiation of Bulky Loco-Regional Recurrent Breast Cancer: A Case Report

Patients with recurrent breast cancer to chest wall, who had previous irradiation, are difficult to manage and have limited options. Several reports described the use of photon therapy, hyperthermia, and brachytherapy. This is a case report of a 72-year-old female with Stage IIIA (pT3N1M0) invasive ductal carcinoma of the right breast status post modified radical mastectomy. The patient developed recurrence to the chest wall and one internal mammary lymph node one year later. She received 3-D conformal photon radiation therapy for this recurrence. Two years later, she had progression of the recurrence at the right chest wall and axillary and internal mammary lymph nodes. She was treated with intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) for a total of 6600 cGy in 33 fractions. However, four months later, she was found to have biopsy-proven isolated metastatic disease at her right bicep, which was again treated with IMPT for a dose of 6000 cGy in 20 fractions. Proton beam therapy was used in this case to spare dose to the brachial plexus, heart and lung while optimally irradiating the recurrent tumors. At last follow up, the patient is alive and has been disease free for 39 months. This report describes the technique and dosimetry for this unique case, which also reviewed recent series of re-irradiation using proton beam.

Subcarrier Intensity Modulated Optical Wireless Communications:A Survey from Communication Theory Perspective

Subcarrier intensity modulation with direet detection is a modulatiou/detection technique tbr optical wireless communication systems, where a pre-modulated and properly biased radio frequency signal is modulated on the intensity of the optical carrier. The most important benefits of subcarrier intensity modulation are as follows： 1） it does not provide irreducible error floor like the conventional on-off keying intensity modulation with a fixed detection threshold; 2） it provides improved spectral efficiency and supports higher order modulation schemes; and 3） it has much less implementation complexity compared to coherent optical wireless communications with heterodyne or homodyne detection. In this paper, we present an up-to-date review of subcarrier intensity modulated optical wireless communication systems. We survey the error rate and outage performance of subcarrier intensity modulations in the atmospheric turbulence channels considering different modulation and coding schemes. We also explore different contemporary atmospheric turbulence fading mitigation solutions that can be employed for subcarrier intensity modulation. These solutions include diversity combining, adaptive transmission, relay assisted transmission, multiple-subcarrier intensity modulations, and optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing. Moreover, we review the performance of subcarrier intensity modulations due to the pointing error and synchronization error.

Comparative Study between Patients Treated with Conventional Radiotherapy and IMRT with Chemotherapy for Stage III - IVA Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Single Institution Retrospective Report

Introduction: Nasopharyngeal carcinomas are the most radiation-sensitive tumours, and radiotherapy alone provides better local control. Objectives: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and acute and late toxicities of two different treatment regimens for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: From 2014 to 2017, 150 cases of stage III and 68 cases of stage IVA nasopharyngeal carcinoma were treated. Of these, 137 received conventional radiotherapy plus chemotherapy, and 81 received intensity-modulated radiotherapy plus chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was given either as induction, concurrent or adjuvant therapy. Survival rates were calculated according to Kaplan Meier and compared with the Log-rank test. The RTOG or EORTC criteria were used to assess acute and late toxicities. Results: The median follow-up time was 21.5 months, and the 2-year locoregional relapse-free survival, distant metastases-free survival, and overall survival rates in the conventional radiotherapy plus chemotherapy group were 76%, 71% and 77%, respectively;in the intensity-modulated radiotherapy plus chemotherapy group, they were 97%, 84%, and 100%, respectively. The difference in survival between the two groups was significant (χ2 = 5.06, P = 0.028). The incidence of grade 2 and 3 xerostomia one year after radiotherapy was 45.1% and 30.9% versus 33.3% and 0%. Conclusion: Compared with conventional radiotherapy plus chemotherapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy plus chemotherapy offers better locoregional relapse-free survival and overall survival in patients with stage III and IVA nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and may significantly reduce the occurrence of radiation-induced xerostomia.

Helical tomotherapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy:New therapeutic arms in the breast cancer radiotherapy

AIM To analyse clinical and dosimetric results of helical tomotherapy(HT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT) in complex adjuvant breast and nodes irradiation.METHODS Seventy-three patients were included(31 HT and 42 VMAT). Dose were 63.8 Gy(HT) and 63.2 Gy(VMAT) in the tumour bed, 52.2 Gy in the breast, 50.4 Gy in supraclavicular nodes(SCN) and internal mammary chain(IMC) with HT and 52.2 Gy and 49.3 Gy in IMC and SCN with VMAT in 29 fractions. Margins to particle tracking velocimetry were greater in the VMAT cohort(7 mm vs 5 mm).RESULTS For the HT cohort, the coverage of clinical target volumes was as follows: Tumour bed: 99.4% ± 2.4%; breast: 98.4% ± 4.3%; SCN: 99.5% ± 1.2%; IMC:96.5% ± 13.9%. For the VMAT cohort, the coverage was as follows: Tumour bed: 99.7% ± 0.5%, breast: 99.3% ± 0.7%; SCN: 99.6% ± 1.4%; IMC: 99.3% ± 3%. For ipsilateral lung, Dmean and V20 were 13.6 ± 1.2 Gy, 21.1% ± 5%(HT) and 13.6 ± 1.4 Gy, 20.1% ± 3.2%(VMAT). Dmean and V30 of the heart were 7.4 ± 1.4 Gy, 1% ± 1%(HT) and 10.3 ± 4.2 Gy, 2.5% ± 3.9%(VMAT). For controlateral breast Dmean was 3.6 ± 0.2 Gy(HT) and 4.6 ± 0.9 Gy(VMAT). Acute skin toxicity grade 3 was 5% in the two cohorts.CONCLUSION HT and VMAT in complex adjuvant breast irradiation allow a good coverage of target volumes with an acceptable acute tolerance. A longer follow-up is needed to assess the impact of low doses to healthy tissues.

The role of radiotherapy in localised and locally advanced prostate cancer

For a patient suffering from non-metastatic prostate cancer,the individualized recommendation of radiotherapy has to be the fruit of a multidisciplinary approach in the context of a Tumor Board,to be explained carefully to the patient to obtain his informed consent.External beam radiotherapy is now delivered by intensity modulated radiotherapy,considered as the gold standard.From a radiotherapy perspective,low-risk localized prostate cancer is treated by image guided intensity modulated radiotherapy,or brachytherapy if patients meet the required eligibility criteria.Intermediate-risk patients may benefit from intensity modulated radiotherapy combined with 4e6 months of androgen deprivation therapy;intensity modulated radiotherapy alone or combined with brachytherapy can be offered to patients unsuitable for androgen deprivation therapy due to co-morbidities or unwilling to accept it to preserve their sexual health.High-risk prostate cancer,i.e.high-risk localized and locally advanced prostate cancer,requires intensity modulated radiotherapy with long-term(≥2 years)androgen deprivation therapy with luteinizing hormone releasing hormone agonists.Post-operative irradiation,either immediate or early deferred,is proposed to patients classified as pT3pN0,based on surgical margins,prostate-specific antigen values and quality of life.Whatever the techniques and their degree of sophistication,quality assurance plays a major role in the management of radiotherapy,requiring the involvement of physicians,physicists,dosimetrists,radiation technologists and computer scientists.The patients must be informed about the potential morbidity of radiotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy and followed regularly during and after treatment for tertiary prevention and evaluation.A close cooperation is needed with general practitioners and specialists to prevent and mitigate side effects and maintain quality of life.

Modulation Techniques for Li-Fi

Modulation techniques for light fidelity （Li-Fi） are reviewed in this paper. Li-Fi is the fully networked solution for nmltiple users that combines communication and illumination simultaneously. Light emitting diodes （LEDs） are used in Li-Fi as visible light transmitters, therefore, only intensity modulated direct detected modulation techniques can be achieved. Single carrier modulation techniques are straightforward to be used in Li-Fi, however, computationally complex equalization processes are required in fre- quency selective Li-Fi channels. On the other hand, multiearrier modulation techniques offer a viable solution for Li-Fi in terms of power, spectral and computational efficiency. In particular, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing （OFDM） based modulation techniques offer a practical solution for Li-Fi, especially when direct current （DC） wander, and adaptive bit and power loading techniques are considered. Li-Fi modulation techniques need to also satisfy illumination requirements. Flickering avoidance and dimming control are considered in the variant modulation techniques presented. This paper surveys the suitable modulation techniques for Li-Fi including those which explore time, frequency and colour domains.

Mode hopping in single-mode microchip Nd：YAG lasers induced by optical feedback

The mode hopping phenomenon induced by optical feedback in single-mode microchip Nd：YAG lasers is presented. With optical feedback, mode hopping strongly depends on two factors： the ratio of external cavity length to intra-cavity length, and initial gains of the two hopping modes, When external cavity length equals an integral multiple of intracavity length, there is almost no mode hopping. However, if the external cavity length does not equal an integral multiple of intra-cavity length, mode hopping occurs. The ratio of external cavity length to intra-cavity length determines the position of two-mode hopping, The initial gains of the two hopping modes determine the corresponding peak values and oscillating periods of them in the intensity modulation curves.

Strong optical feedback in birefringent dual frequency laser

Strong optical feedback in a birefringent dual frequency He-Ne laser with a high reflectivity feedback mirror has been investigated for the first time. The output characteristics of two orthogonally polarized modes are demonstrated in two different optical feedback cases： one is for both modes being fed back and the other is for only one of the modes being fed back. Strong mode competition can be observed between the two modes with strong optical feedback, And when one mode＇s intensity is near its maximum, the other mode is nearly extinguished. When both modes are fed back into the laser cavity, the mode competition is stronger than when only one mode is fed back, The difference in initial intensity between the two orthogonally polarized modes plays an important role in the mode competition, which has been experimentally and theoretically demonstrated.

Mechanisms of ultrasonic modulation of multiply scattered incoherent light based on diffusion theory

An analytic equation interpreting the intensity of ultrasound-modulated scattering light is derived, based on diffusion theory and previous explanations of the intensity modulation mechanism. Furthermore, an experiment of ultrasonic modulation of incoherent light in a scattering medium is developed. This analytical model agrees well with experimental results,which confirms the validity of the proposed intensity modulation mechanism. The model supplements the existing research on the ultrasonic modulation mechanism of scattering light.

Dose Distribution Verifications of IMRT for NPC

In order to explore a dose distribution verification procedure of intensity modulated radiation therapy （IMRT） for nasopharyngeal carcinoma （NPC） and establish its evaluation criteria, we performed 35 two-dimensional （2D） patient-specific IMRT verifications over the year i006. The percent of pixels passing 7 and the normalized agreement test （NAT） index were mainly used to represent the agreement between the measured and computed dose distributions with three criteria （2%/2 mm, 3%/3 mm and 5%/3 mm） as recommended in the literature. The results were that all cases passed through verifications with three criteria except that the NAT index of one case was beyond the limitation, and the three tolerance levels of 2%/2mm, 3%/3 mm and 5%/3 mm produced similar clinical verification results but led to different percent of pixels passing Y and NAT index. Our data showed that the percent of pixels passing y and the NAT index were complementary to evaluate future IMRT verifications as two significant metrics. Due to the influence of the noise and the trait of the software, we considered an IMRT plan as acceptable in case of the percent ofpixels passing y 〉95% and the NAT index 〈5 with the 5%/3 mm criteria for IMRT patient-specific quality assurance （QA）.

Treatment of Massive Low-Grade Chondrosarcoma of Nasal Septum with Helical Tomotherapy: A Case Report

Chondrosarcomas are malignant bone tumors which develop as a cartilaginous differentiation of primary mesenchymal cells and the second most frequently seen malignant tumor of the bone after osteosarcoma. These malignancies are slowly growing non-epithelial tumors with unknown etiology and most frequently seen during the 4 decades of life. They are frequently localized on pelvis, ribs and long bones. Nasal septum CSs are very rarely seen malignancies. They originate from septal mucosa or cartilage and it is difficult to make a diagnosis unless they reach a certain size. A few cases of CSs with nasal septum have been reported in the literature. In cases of CSs, surgery is the gold standard treatment modality;however in surgically unresectable cases or close to margins, radiotherapy plays a significant role in primary and adjuvant treatment. Based on the position of the tumor in head and neck and extremely closeness of the tumor to vital organs as optic nerve, chiasm and brain, image guided-intensity modulated radiation therapy (IG-IMRT) becomes very effective and reliable modalities and may be a favorable treatment alternative.

Absorption Line Profile Recovery Based on TDLS and MEMS Micro-Mirror for Photoacoustic Gas Sensing

A novel and efficient absorption line recovery technique is presented.A micro-electromechanical systems(MEMS) mirror driven by an electrothermal actuator is used to generate laser intensity modulation through the mirror reflection.Tunable diode laser spectroscopy(TDLS) and photoacoustic spectroscopy(PAS) are used to recover the target absorption line profile which is compared with the theoretical Voigt profile.The target gas is 0.01% acetylene(C2H2) in a nitrogen host gas.The laser diode wavelength is swept across the P17 absorption line of acetylene at 1 535.4 nm by a current ramp,and an erbium-doped fibre amplifier(EDFA) is used to enhance the optical intensity and increase the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR).A SNR of about 35 is obtained with 100 mW laser power from the EDFA.Good agreement is achieved between the experimental results and the theoretical simulation for the P17 absorption line profile.

Design and development of the beamline for a proton therapy system

A proton therapy(PT)facility with multiple treatment rooms based on the superconducting cyclotron scheme is under development at Huazhong University of Science and Technology(HUST).This paper attempts to describe the design considerations and implementation of the PT beamline from a systematic viewpoint.Design considerations covering beam optics and the influence of high-order aberrations,beam energy/intensity modulation,and beam orbit correction are described.In addition to the technical implementation of the main beamline components and subsystems,including the energy degrader,fast kicker,beamline magnets,beam diagnostic system,and beamline control system are introduced.