A comprehensive pre-clinical treatment quality assurance program using unique spot patterns for proton pencil beam scanning FLASH radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Quality assurance (QA) for ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) irradiation is a crucial aspect in the emerging field of FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT). This innovative treatment approach delivers radiation at UHDR, demanding careful adoption of QA protocols and procedures. A comprehensive understanding of beam properties and dosimetry consistency is vital to ensure the safe and effective delivery of FLASH-RT. PURPOSE: To develop a comprehensive pre-treatment QA program for cyclotron-based proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) FLASH-RT. Establish appropriate tolerances for QA items based on this study's outcomes and TG-224 recommendations. METHODS: A 250 MeV proton spot pattern was designed and implemented using UHDR with a 215nA nozzle beam current. The QA pattern that covers a central uniform field area, various spot spacings, spot delivery modes and scanning directions, and enabling the assessment of absolute, relative and temporal dosimetry QA parameters. A strip ionization chamber array (SICA) and an Advanced Markus chamber were utilized in conjunction with a 2 cm polyethylene slab and a range (R80) verification wedge. The data have been monitored for over 3 months. RESULTS: The relative dosimetries were compliant with TG-224. The variations of temporal dosimetry for scanning speed, spot dwell time, and spot transition time were within ± 1 mm/ms, ± 0.2 ms, and ± 0.2 ms, respectively. While the beam-to-beam absolute output on the same day reached up to 2.14%, the day-to-day variation was as high as 9.69%. High correlation between the absolute dose and dose rate fluctuations were identified. The dose rate of the central 5 × 5 cm2 field exhibited variations within 5% of the baseline value (155 Gy/s) during an experimental session. CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive QA program for FLASH-RT was developed and effectively assesses the performance of a UHDR delivery system. Establishing tolerances to unify standards and offering direction for future advancements in the evolving FLASH-RT field.

High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Battery Based on an Al0.35 Mn2.52 O4 Cathode: A Design Strategy from Defect Engineering and Atomic Composition Tuning.

Rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs), which adopt mild aqueous electrolytes with high power density and safety, have received significant interest. As the most widely used cathode material for ZIBs, manganese-based oxide has poor rate performance owing to its low electronic conductivity and slow ion diffusion kinetics. In this study, using the synergistic regulation strategy of defect engineering and atomic composition tuning, a mesoporous Al0.35 Mn2.52 O4 with an ultrahigh surface area (up to 82 m2 g-1 ) is fabricated through Al substitution in the Mn3 O4 , followed by an Al-selective leaching process. During the entire process, numerous defects are obtained in the spinel structure by removing ≈30% of the Al cations. Al substitution can improve the material conductivity, while cation defects can weaken the electrostatic effect and promote ion diffusion ability. Therefore, the Al0.35 Mn2.52 O4 cathode of ZIBs exhibits a high reversible capacity of 302 mAh g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1 . Furthermore, the reversible capacity remains at 147 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles at a current density of 1500 mA g-1 . This synergistic regulation of atomic composition tuning and defect engineering provides a new perspective for improving the performance of electrode materials in ZIBs.

A novel poly (4-methyl-1-pentene)/polypropylene (PMP/PP) thin film composite (TFC) artificial lung membrane for enhanced gas transport and excellent hemo-compatibility.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is a technique that provides short-term supports to the heart and lungs. It removes CO2 from the blood and provides enough oxygen, which is a huge help in the fight against COVID-19. As the key component, the artificial lung membranes have evolved in three generations including silicon, polypropylene and poly (4-methyl-1-pentene). Herein, we for the first time design and fabricate a novel poly (4-methyl-1-pentene)/polypropylene (PMP/PP) thin film composite (TFC) membrane with the anticoagulant coating composed of poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) and cross-linked poly (vinyl alcohol). Poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) provides sulfonic acid groups to inhibit the coagulant factors (FVIII and FXII), and cross-linked poly (vinyl alcohol) increase the stability of the anticoagulant coating and further improve the hydrophilicity via abundant hydroxyl groups to depress the protein adsorption. Long-term anticoagulant property was demonstrated by whole human blood for 28 days. Blood compatibility was evaluated by hemolysis rate, anticoagulation activity (APTT, TT and PT), complement activation, platelet activation and contact activation. Pure CO2, O2 and N2 permeation rates were determined to evaluate the mass transfer properties of PMP/PP TFC membranes. Gas permeation results revealed that gas permeation flux increased in the TFC membranes because of the decrease of crystallinity. Overall, the so prepared PMP/PP membrane shows good CO2/O2 selectivity and blood compatibility as novel TFC artificial lung membrane.

Auto-Trending daily quality assurance program for a pencil beam scanning proton system aligned with TG 224.

The Daily Quality Assurance (DQA) for a proton modality is not standardized. The modern pencil beam scanning proton system is becoming a trend and an increasing number of proton centers with PBS are either under construction or in planning. The American Association of Physicists in Medicine has a Task Group 224 report published in 2019 for proton modality routine QA. Therefore, there is a clinical need to explore a DQA procedure to meet the TG 224 guideline. The MatriXX PT and a customized phantom were used for the dosimetry constancy checking. An OBI box was used for imaging QA. The MyQA(TM) software was used for logging the dosimetry results. An in-house developed application was applied to log and auto analyze the DQA results. Another in-house developed program "DailyQATrend" was used to create DQA databases for further analysis. All the functional and easy determined tasks passed. For dosimetry constancy checking, the outputs for four gantry rooms were within ±3% with room to room baseline differences within ±1%. The energy checking was within ±1%. The spot location checking from the baseline was within 0.63 mm and the spot size checking from the baseline was within -1.41 ± 1.27 mm (left-right) and -0.24 ± 1.27 mm (in-out) by averaging all the energies. We have found that there was also a trend for the beam energies of two treatment rooms slowly going down (0.76% per month and 0.48 per month) after analyzing the whole data trend with linear regression. A DQA program for a PBS proton system has been developed and fully implemented into the clinic. The DQA program meets the TG 224 guideline and has web-based logging and auto treading functions. The clinical data show the DQA program is efficient and has the potential to identify the PBS proton system potential issue.

Using patient-specific bolus for pencil beam scanning proton treatment of periorbital disease.

PURPOSE: A unique mantle cell lymphoma case with bilateral periorbital disease unresponsive to chemotherapy and with dosimetry not conducive to electron therapy was treated with pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy. This patient presented treatment planning challenges due to the thin target, immediately adjacent organs at risk (OAR), and nonconformal orbital surface anatomy. Therefore, we developed a patient-specific bolus and hypothesized that it would provide superior setup robustness, dose uniformity and dose conformity. MATERIALS/METHODS: A blue-wax patient-specific bolus was generated from the patient's face contour to conform to his face and eliminate air gaps. A relative stopping power ratio (RSP) of 0.972 was measured for the blue-wax, and the HUs were overridden accordingly in the treatment planning system (TPS). Orthogonal kV images were used for bony alignment and then to ensure positioning of the bolus through fiducial markers attached to the bolus and their contours in TPS. Daily CBCT was used to confirm the position of the bolus in relation to the patient's surface. Dosimetric characteristics were compared between (a) nonbolus, (b) conventional gel bolus and (c) patient-specific bolus plans. An in-house developed workflow for assessment of daily treatment dose based on CBCT images was used to evaluate inter-fraction dose accumulation. RESULTS: The patient was treated to 24 cobalt gray equivalent (CGE) in 2 CGE daily fractions to the bilateral periorbital skin, constraining at least 50% of each lacrimal gland to under 20 Gy. The bolus increased proton beam range by adding 2-3 energy layers of different fields to help achieve better dose uniformity and adequate dose coverage. In contrast to the plan with conventional gel bolus, dose uniformity was significantly improved with patient-specific bolus. The global maximum dose was reduced by 7% (from 116% to 109%). The max and mean doses were reduced by 6.0% and 7.7%, respectively, for bilateral retinas, and 3.0% and 13.9% for bilateral lacrimal glands. The max dose of the lens was reduced by 2.1%. The rigid shape, along with lightweight, and smooth fit to the patient face was well tolerated and reported as "very comfortable" by the patient. The daily position accuracy of the bolus was within 1 mm based on IGRT marker alignment. The daily dose accumulation indicates that the target coverage and OAR doses were highly consistent with the planning intention. CONCLUSION: Our patient-specific blue-wax bolus significantly increased dose uniformity, reduced OAR doses, and maintained consistent setup accuracy compared to conventional bolus. Quality PBS proton treatment for periorbital tumors and similar challenging thin and shallow targets can be achieved using such patient-specific bolus with robustness on both setup and dosimetry.

[A New Generation of Radiotherapy Technology-Flash Radiotherapy].

Flash radiotherapy is a kind of radiotherapy method using ultra-high dose rate radiation. Compared with the traditional dose rate radiotherapy, it has unique radiobiological advantages. In this paper, the principle of flash radiotherapy, the process and results of biological experiments are summarized. At the same time, the advantages and challenges of flash radiotherapy are analyzed, and the future clinical application is prospected.

Pencil beam scanning proton therapy for treatment of the retroperitoneum after nephrectomy for Wilms tumor: A dosimetric comparison study.

BACKGROUND: Multimodality treatment for patients with Wilms tumor has improved patient survival, but is associated with acute and long-term toxicity, partially due to irradiation. Proton therapy using pencil beam scanning (PBS) is a promising technique to reduce dose to organs at risk (OAR). In this study, we evaluate PBS plans for postoperative irradiation in patients with Wilms tumor. PROCEDURE: Patients were treated with anterior-posterior-posterior-anterior (AP-PA) photon fields encompassing the preoperative tumor volume. Patients requiring whole lung irradiation were treated with AP-PA photon fields covering the bilateral lungs. Prescription doses were generally 1,080 and 1,200 cGy, respectively. Flank PBS plans encompassing the ipsilateral retroperitoneum and para-arotic nodes were generated for dosimetric evaluation. RESULTS: Treatment records and comparison plans of 11 patients were reviewed. Mean dose and median dose to 50% or more of the contralateral kidney (D50) were 135 cGy and 139 cGy with photons and 52 cGy relative biological effectiveness (RBE) (P = 0.009) and 5 cGy RBE (P = 0.000001) with PBS. Mean dose and median D50 to bowel was 639 cGy and 979 cGy with photons and 379 cGy RBE (P = 0.001) and 47 cGy RBE (P = 0.004) with PBS. Mean dose and median D50 to the liver were 755 cGy and 1,013 cGy with photons and 411 cGy RBE (P = 0.02) and 132 cGy RBE (P = 0.02) with PBS. For patients with right-sided tumors, mean liver dose following sequential whole lung irradiation was 1,252 cGy with photons and 845 cGy RBE (P = 0.04) with PBS. DISCUSSIONS: PBS proton therapy is a feasible method for irradiating the retroperitoneum and provides significant sparing of dose to critical OAR. This may translate to improved long-term health outcomes for patients and warrants further clinical investigation.

Repair of refractory wounds through grafting of artificial dermis and autologous epidermis aided by vacuum-assisted closure.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) combined with grafting of artificial dermis and autologous epidermis in the repair of refractory wounds. METHODS: Patients with refractory wounds underwent debridement. Then the VAC device was used to culture wound granulation tissue. After the wound granulation tissue began to grow, artificial dermis was grafted on the wounds with VAC treatment. Then autologous epidermis was grafted on the artificial dermis to repair the wounds after survival of the artificial epidermis. The study mainly observed length of the hospital stay, survival of the artificial dermis, time required for culture of the granulation tissue using VAC before grafting of the artificial dermis, survival time of the artificial dermis, survival conditions of the autologous epidermis, influence on functions of a healed wound at a functional part, healing conditions of donor sites, and recurrence conditions of the wounds. RESULTS: Healing was successful for 22 patients (95.7%), but treatment failed for 1 child. The 22 patients were followed up for 6 to 24 months. According to follow-up findings, the skin grafts had good color and a soft texture. They were wear resistant and posed no influence on function. The appearance of the final results was the same as that of the full-thickness skin graft. Mild or no pigmentation and no scar formation occurred at the donor sites, and the wounds did not recur. CONCLUSION: Vacuum-assisted closure combined with grafting of artificial dermis and autologous epidermis is an effective means for repairing refractory wounds and is worth clinical popularizing and application. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Acupuncture for cognitive impairment after stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Acupuncture as an alternative therapy for post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) has emerged as a research focus. The inclusion of additional external treatments in many previous studies prevents a clear, direct assessment of acupuncture's impact on PSCI. In order to prevent patients from developing hypersensitivity to other treatments and misinterpreting acupuncture's true therapeutic value, this study establish stricter intervention criteria and exclude therapies beyond acupuncture. The review aimed to offering a clearer evaluation of acupuncture's efficacy and safety in PSCI treatment. Methods: This research involved a comprehensive search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) across eight databases, adhering to the Cochrane Systematic Reviewer's Handbook 5.1.0 for risk-of-bias and quality assessments. A meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software. Results: The inclusion of 18 publications, totaling 1361 patients, was achieved. The meta-analysis demonstrated a significantly higher overall efficacy of acupuncture for PSCI compared to controls (OR = 4.06, 95 % CI 2.86-5.76, Z = 7.82). Notable statistical differences were observed in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores (MD = 2.32, 95 % CI 1.68-2.97, Z = 7.10) and the Mini-Mental State Examination scores (MD = 2.02, 95 % CI 1.06-2.98, Z = 4.13) between the groups. Improvements in the Barthel Index scores were noted for the experimental group (MD = 5.70, 95 % CI 4.68-6.72, Z = 10.92). Conclusion: Integrating acupuncture with Western medications offers significant benefits for treating PSCI over Western medications alone. However, the long-term efficacy of acupuncture in PSCI treatment and its potential in reducing recurrence rates remain undetermined. Further high-standard RCTs are essential to explore acupuncture's effectiveness in PSCI treatment more thoroughly.

Enhancement of Stopping Power Ratio (SPR) Estimation Accuracy through Image-Domain Dual-Energy Computer Tomography for Pencil Beam Scanning System: A Simulation Study.

Our study aims to quantify the impact of spectral separation on achieved theoretical prediction accuracy of proton-stopping power when the volume discrepancy between calibration phantom and scanned object is observed. Such discrepancy can be commonly seen in our CSI pediatric patients. One of the representative image-domain DECT models is employed on a virtual phantom to derive electron density and effective atomic number for a total of 34 ICRU standard human tissues. The spectral pairs used in this study are 90 kVp/140 kVp, without and with 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm additional tin filter. The two DECT images are reconstructed via a conventional filtered back projection algorithm (FBP) on simulated noiseless projection data. The best-predicted accuracy occurs at a spectral pair of 90 kVp/140 kVp with a 0.3 mm tin filter, and the root-mean-squared average error is 0.12% for tissue substitutes. The results reveal that the selected image-domain model is sensitive to spectral pair deviation when there is a discrepancy between calibration and scanning conditions. This study suggests that an optimization process may be needed for clinically available DECT scanners to yield the best proton-stopping power estimation.

Advancing knowledge-based intensity modulated proton planning for adaptive treatment of high-risk prostate cancer.

To assess the performance of a knowledge-based planning (KBP) model for generating intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) treatment plans as part of an adaptive radiotherapy (ART) strategy for patients with high-risk prostate cancer. A knowledge-based planning (KBP) model for proton adaptive treatment plan generation was developed based on thirty patient treatment plans utilizing RapidPlanTM PT (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA). The model was subsequently validated using an additional eleven patient cases. All patients in the study were administered a prescribed dose of 70.2 Gy to the prostate and seminal vesicle (CTV70.2), along with 46.8 Gy to the pelvic lymph nodes (CTV46.8) through simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) technique. To assess the quality of the validation knowledge-based proton plans (KBPPs), target coverage and organ-at-risk (OAR) dose-volume constraints were compared against those of clinically used expert plans using paired t-tests. The KBP model training statistics (R2) (mean ± SD, 0.763 ± 0.167, range, 0.406 to 0.907) and χ² values (1.162 ± 0.0867, 1.039-1.253) indicate acceptable model training quality. Moreover, the average total treatment planning optimization and calculation time for adaptive plan generation is approximately 10 minutes. The CTV70.2 D98% for the KBPPs (mean ± SD, 69.1 ± 0.08 Gy) and expert plans (69.9 ± 0.04 Gy) shows a significant difference (p < 0.05) but are both within 1.1 Gy of the prescribed dose which is clinically acceptable. While the maximum dose for some organs-at-risk (OARs) such as the bladder and rectum is generally higher in the KBPPs, the doses still fall within clinical constraints. Among all the OARs, most of them received comparable results to the expert plan, except the cauda equina Dmax, which shows statistical significance and was lower in the KBPPs than in expert plans (48.5 ± 0.06 Gy vs 49.3 ± 0.05 Gy). The generated KBPPs were clinically comparable to manually crafted plans by expert treatment planners. The adaptive plan generation process was completed within an acceptable timeframe, offering a quick same-day adaptive treatment option. Our study supports the integration of KBP as a crucial component of an ART strategy, including maintaining plan consistency, improving quality, and enhancing efficiency. This advancement in speed and adaptability promises more precise treatment in proton ART.

Proton pencil beam scanning craniospinal irradiation (CSI) with a single posterior brain beam: Dosimetry and efficiency.

This study explores the feasibility and potential dosimetric and time efficiency benefit of proton Pencil Beam Scanning (PBS) craniospinal irradiation with a single posterior-anterior (SPA) brain field. The SPA approach was compared to our current clinical protocol using Bilateral Posterior Oblique brain fields (BPO). Ten consecutive patients were simulated in the head-first supine position on a long BOS frame and scanned using 3 mm CT slice thickness. A customized thermoplastic mask immobilized the patient's head, neck, and shoulders. A vac-lock was used to secure the legs. PBS proton plans were robustly optimized with 3mm setup errors and 3.5% range uncertainties in the Eclipse V15.6 treatment planning system (n = 12 scenarios). In order to achieve a smooth gradient dose match at the junction area, at least 5 cm overlap region was maintained between the segments and 5 mm uncertainty along the cranial-cauda direction was applied to each segment independently as additional robust optimization scenarios. The brain doses were planned by SPA or BPO fields. All spine segments were planned with a single PA field. Dosimetric differences between the BPO and SPA approaches were compared, and the treatment efficiency was analyzed according to timestamps of beam delivery. Results: The maximum brain dose increases to 111.1 ± 2.1% for SPA vs. 109.0 ± 1.7% for BPO (p < 0.01). The dose homogeneity index (D5/D95) in brain CTV was comparable between techniques (1.037 ± 0.010 for SPA and 1.033 ± 0.008 for BPO). Lens received lower maximum doses by 2.88 ± 1.58 Gy (RBE) (left) and 2.23 ± 1.37 Gy (RBE) (right) in the SPA plans (p < 0.01). No significant cochlea dose change was observed. SPA reduced the treatment time by more than 4 minutes on average and ranged from 2 to 10 minutes, depending on the beam waiting and allocation time. SPA is dosimetrically comparable to BPO, with reduced lens doses at the cost of slightly higher dose inhomogeneity and hot spots. Implementation of SPA is feasible and can help to improve the treatment efficiency of PBS CSI treatment.

Effectiveness and safety of Governor vessel acupuncture therapy for post-stroke cognitive impairment: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Governor vessel acupuncture (GV Ac) in treating post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI). METHODS: There was a total of seven databases examined. Four English databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and Medline) and three Chinese databases (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Databases (VIP), and Wan Fang Database) contain all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing Governor vessel acupuncture to other treatments or none acupuncture for PSCI. The exact dates for the search period are from January 1, 2000, to January 1, 2023.Two researchers independently reviewed the literature, gathered RCT data, and performed statistical analysis. All data were analyzed using Review Manager software (Rev Man) 5.3. RESULTS: This meta-analysis includes a total of 39 trials with 2044 patients. There were 1022 participants in each of the test and control groups. Following 12-120 days of acupuncture treatment, a meta-analysis revealed that the treatment groups (GV Ac combined with conventional treatment groups) significantly increased their scores on the Curative ratio (OR = 3.00, 95 %CI = 2.37-3.79, P = 0.98, I² = 0 %), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)(MD = 1.82, 95 %CI = 1.60-2.03, P = 0.11, I² = 25 %), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)(MD = 2.18, 95 %CI = 1.64-2.72, P<0.005, I² = 92 %), and Activity of Daily Living (ADL)(MD = 5.99, 95 %CI = 5.33-6.64, P = 0.19, I² = 26 %). CONCLUSION: The results suggested that acupuncture on points of the Governor vessel enhanced cognitive function in stroke survivors.

A Novel Dose Rate Optimization Method to Maximize Ultrahigh-Dose-Rate Coverage of Critical Organs at Risk Without Compromising Dosimetry Metrics in Proton Pencil Beam Scanning FLASH Radiation Therapy.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate a dose rate optimization framework based on the spot-scanning patterns to improve ultrahigh-dose-rate coverage of critical organs at risk (OARs) for proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) FLASH radiation therapy (ultrahigh dose-rate (often referred to as >40 Gy per second) delivery) and present implementation of a genetic algorithm (GA) method for spot sequence optimization to achieve PBS FLASH dose rate optimization under relatively low nozzle beam currents. METHODS AND MATERIALS: First, a multifield FLASH plan was developed to meet all the dosimetric goals and optimal FLASH dose rate coverage by considering the deliverable minimum monitor unit constraint. Then, a GA method was implemented into the in-house treatment platform to maximize the dose rate by exploring the best spot delivery sequence. A phantom study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the dose rate optimization. Then, 10 consecutive plans for patients with lung cancer previously treated using PBS intensity-modulated proton therapy were optimized using 45 GyRBE in 3 fractions for both transmission and Bragg peak FLASH radiation therapy for further validation. The spot delivery sequence of each treatment field was optimized using this GA. The ultrahigh-dose-rate-volume histogram and dose rate coverage V40GyRBE/s were investigated to assess the efficacy of dose rate optimization quantitatively. RESULTS: Using a relatively low monitor unit/spot of 150, corresponding to a nozzle beam current of 65 nA, the FLASH dose rate ratio V40GyRBE/s of the OAR contour of the core was increased from 0% to ∼60% in the phantom study. In the patients with lung cancer, the ultrahigh-dose-rate coverage V40GyRBE/s was improved from 15.2%, 15.5%, 17.6%, and 16.0% before the delivery sequence optimization to 31.8%, 43.5%, 47.6%, and 30.5% after delivery sequence optimization in the lungs-GTV (gross tumor volume), spinal cord, esophagus, and heart (for all, P < .001). When the beam current increased to 130 nA, V40GyRBE/s was improved from 45.1%, 47.1%, 51.2%, and 51.4% to 65.3%, 83.5%, 88.1%, and 69.4% (P < .05). The averaged V40GyRBE/s for the target and OARs increased from 12.9% to 41.6% and 46.3% to 77.5% for 65 and 130 nA, respectively, showing significant improvements based on a clinical proton system. After optimizing the dose rate for the Bragg peak FLASH technique with a beam current of 340 nA, the V40GyRBE/s values for the lung GTV, spinal cord, esophagus, and heart were increased by 8.9%, 15.8%, 22%, and 20.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: An optimal plan quality can be maintained as the spot delivery sequence optimization is a separate independent process after the plan optimization. Both the phantom and patient results demonstrated that novel spot delivery sequence optimization can effectively improve the ultrahigh-dose-rate coverage for critical OARs, which can potentially be applied in clinical practice for better OARs-sparing efficacy.

Multi-institutional consensus on machine QA for isochronous cyclotron-based systems delivering ultra-high dose rate (FLASH) pencil beam scanning proton therapy in transmission mode.

BACKGROUND: The first clinical trials to assess the feasibility of FLASH radiotherapy in humans have started (FAST-01, FAST-02) and more trials are foreseen. To increase comparability between trials it is important to assure treatment quality and therefore establish a standard for machine quality assurance (QA). Currently, the AAPM TG-224 report is considered as the standard on machine QA for proton therapy, however, it was not intended to be used for ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) proton beams, which have gained interest due to the observation of the FLASH effect. PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to find consensus on practical guidelines on machine QA for UHDR proton beams in transmission mode in terms of which QA is required, how they should be done, which detectors are suitable for UHDR machine QA, and what tolerance limits should be applied. METHODS: A risk assessment to determine the gaps in the current standard for machine QA was performed by an international group of medical physicists. Based on that, practical guidelines on how to perform machine QA for UHDR proton beams were proposed. RESULTS: The risk assessment clearly identified the need for additional guidance on temporal dosimetry, addressing dose rate (constancy), dose spillage, and scanning speed. In addition, several minor changes from AAPM TG-224 were identified; define required dose rate levels, the use of clinically relevant dose levels, and the use of adapted beam settings to minimize activation of detector and phantom materials or to avoid saturation effects of specific detectors. The final report was created based on discussions and consensus. CONCLUSIONS: Consensus was reached on what QA is required for UHDR scanning proton beams in transmission mode for isochronous cyclotron-based systems and how they should be performed. However, the group discussions also showed that there is a lack of high temporal resolution detectors and sufficient QA data to set appropriate limits for some of the proposed QA procedures.

Serum proteomics identifies novel diagnostic biomarkers for asthma in preschool children.

Background: Asthma is characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness, reversible airway obstruction, and chronic airway inflammation. It is the most common chronic disease in childhood. However, the diagnosis of childhood asthma remains challenging, and there is an urgent need to develop new diagnostic methods. Methods: To identify biomarkers of asthma in children, we adopted the Orbitrap-based data-independent acquisition (DIA) mass spectrometry proteomics method to analyze the serum proteomic signatures of children with acute asthma and convalescent children. Results: We identified 747 proteins in 46 serum samples and 50 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) that distinguished between asthmatic and healthy children. Next, functional enrichment analysis of the DEPs was conducted, it was indicated that the DEPs were significantly enriched in immune-related and function terms and pathways. Furthermore, we performed statistical analysis and identified MMP14, ABHD12B, PCYOX1, LTBP1, CFHR4, APOA1, IGHG4, ANG and IGFALS proteins as the diagnostic biomarker candidates. Ultimately, a promising asthma diagnostic model for preschool children based on IGFALS was built and evaluated. The area under the curve (AUC) of the IGFALS model was 0.959. Conclusions: In this study, the DIA proteome strategy was used and the largest number of proteins of asthmatic children serum proteomics was identified. The proteomics results showed that the DEPs play the central role of the inflammation-immune mechanism in asthma pathogenesis, suggesting that these proteins may be used in asthma diagnosis, prognosis, or therapy, and suggested biomarkers for asthma of preschool children. In conclusion, our results provide insight into the pathophysiology of asthma. We believe that the diagnostic model will facilitate clinical decision-making regarding asthma in preschool children.

Clinical validation of commercial deep-learning based auto-segmentation models for organs at risk in the head and neck region: a single institution study.

Purpose: To evaluate organ at risk (OAR) auto-segmentation in the head and neck region of computed tomography images using two different commercially available deep-learning-based auto-segmentation (DLAS) tools in a single institutional clinical applications. Methods: Twenty-two OARs were manually contoured by clinicians according to published guidelines on planning computed tomography (pCT) images for 40 clinical head and neck cancer (HNC) cases. Automatic contours were generated for each patient using two deep-learning-based auto-segmentation models-Manteia AccuContour and MIM ProtégéAI. The accuracy and integrity of autocontours (ACs) were then compared to expert contours (ECs) using the Sørensen-Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and Mean Distance (MD) metrics. Results: ACs were generated for 22 OARs using AccuContour and 17 OARs using ProtégéAI with average contour generation time of 1 min/patient and 5 min/patient respectively. EC and AC agreement was highest for the mandible (DSC 0.90 ± 0.16) and (DSC 0.91 ± 0.03), and lowest for the chiasm (DSC 0.28 ± 0.14) and (DSC 0.30 ± 0.14) for AccuContour and ProtégéAI respectively. Using AccuContour, the average MD was<1mm for 10 of the 22 OARs contoured, 1-2mm for 6 OARs, and 2-3mm for 6 OARs. For ProtégéAI, the average mean distance was<1mm for 8 out of 17 OARs, 1-2mm for 6 OARs, and 2-3mm for 3 OARs. Conclusions: Both DLAS programs were proven to be valuable tools to significantly reduce the time required to generate large amounts of OAR contours in the head and neck region, even though manual editing of ACs is likely needed prior to implementation into treatment planning. The DSCs and MDs achieved were similar to those reported in other studies that evaluated various other DLAS solutions. Still, small volume structures with nonideal contrast in CT images, such as nerves, are very challenging and will require additional solutions to achieve sufficient results.

Prospective evaluation of patient-reported outcomes of invisible ink tattoos for the delivery of external beam radiation therapy: the PREFER trial.

Introduction: Invisible ink tattoos (IITs) avoid cosmetic permanence of visible ink tattoos (VITs) while serving as more reliable landmarks for radiation setup than tattooless setups. This trial evaluated patient-reported preference and feasibility of IIT implementation. Methods and materials: In an IRB-approved, single institution, prospective trial, patients receiving proton therapy underwent IIT-based treatment setup. A survey tool assessed patient preference on tattoos using a Likert scale. Matched patients treated using our institutional standard tattooless setup were identified; treatment times and image guidance requirements were evaluated between tattooless and IIT-based alignment approaches. Distribution differences were estimated using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests or Chi-square tests. Results: Of 94 eligible patients enrolled, median age was 58 years, and 58.5% were female. Most common treatment sites were breast (18.1%), lung (17.0%) and pelvic (14.9%). Patients preferred to receive IITs versus VITs (79.8% pre-treatment and 75.5% post-treatment, respectively). Patients were willing to travel farther from home to avoid VITs versus IITs (p<0.01). Females were willing to travel (45.5% vs. 23.1%; p=0.04) and pay additional money to avoid VITs (34.5% vs. 5.1%; p<0.01). Per-fraction average +treatment time and time from on table/in room to first beam were shorter with IIT-based vs. tattooless setup (12.3min vs. 14.1min; p=0.04 and 24.1min vs. 26.2min; p=0.02, respectively). Discussion: In the largest prospective trial on IIT-based radiotherapy setup to date, we found that patients prefer IITs to VITs. Additionally, IIT-based alignment is an effective and efficient strategy in comparison with tattooless setup. Standard incorporation of IITs for patient setup should be strongly considered.

An Analysis of Positron Emission Tomography Maximum Standard Uptake Value Among Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Receiving Photon and Proton Radiation.

PURPOSE: One main advantage of proton therapy versus photon therapy is its precise radiation delivery to targets without exit dose, resulting in lower dose to surrounding healthy tissues. This is critical, given the proximity of head and neck tumors to normal structures. However, proton planning requires careful consideration of factors, including air-tissue interface, anatomic uncertainties, surgical artifacts, weight fluctuations, rapid tumor response, and daily variations in setup and anatomy, as these heterogeneities can lead to inaccuracies in targeting and creating unwarranted hotspots to a greater extent than photon radiation. In addition, the elevated relative biological effectiveness at the Bragg peak's distal end can also increase hot spots within and outside the target area. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate for a difference in positron emission tomography (PET) standard uptake value (SUV) after definitive treatment, between intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) and intensity modulated photon therapy (IMRT). In addition, we compared the biologic dose between PET areas of high and low uptake within the clinical target volume-primary of patients treated with IMPT. This work is assuming that the greater SUV may potentially result in greater toxicities. For the purposes of this short communication, we are strictly focusing on the SUV and do not have correlation with toxicity outcomes. To accomplish this, we compared the 3- and 6-month posttreatment fluorodeoxyglucose PET scans for 100 matched patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated definitively without surgery using either IMPT (n = 50) or IMRT (n = 50). RESULTS: Our study found a significant difference in biologic dose between the high- and low-uptake regions on 3-month posttreatment scans of IMPT. However, this difference did not translate to a significant difference in PET uptake in the clinical target volume-primary at 3 and 6 months' follow-up between patients who received IMPT versus IMRT. CONCLUSIONS: Studies have proposed that proton's greater relative biological effectiveness at the Bragg peak could lead to tissue inflammation. Our study did not corroborate these findings. This study's conclusion underscores the need for further investigations with ultimate correlation with clinical toxicity outcomes.

Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Bragg Peak Conformal FLASH in Prostate Cancer Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy.

Bragg peak FLASH radiotherapy (RT) uses a distal tracking method to eliminate exit doses and can achieve superior OAR sparing. This study explores the application of this novel method in stereotactic body radiotherapy prostate FLASH-RT. An in-house platform was developed to enable intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) planning using a single-energy Bragg peak distal tracking method. The patients involved in the study were previously treated with proton stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) using the pencil beam scanning (PBS) technique to 40 Gy in five fractions. FLASH plans were optimized using a four-beam arrangement to generate a dose distribution similar to the conventional opposing beams. All of the beams had a small angle of two degrees from the lateral direction to increase the dosimetry quality. Dose metrics were compared between the conventional PBS and the Bragg peak FLASH plans. The dose rate histogram (DRVH) and FLASH metrics of 40 Gy/s coverage (V40Gy/s) were investigated for the Bragg peak plans. There was no significant difference between the clinical and Bragg peak plans in rectum, bladder, femur heads, large bowel, and penile bulb dose metrics, except for Dmax. For the CTV, the FLASH plans resulted in a higher Dmax than the clinical plans (116.9% vs. 103.3%). For the rectum, the V40Gy/s reached 94% and 93% for 1 Gy dose thresholds in composite and single-field evaluations, respectively. Additionally, the FLASH ratio reached close to 100% after the application of the 5 Gy threshold in composite dose rate assessment. In conclusion, the Bragg peak distal tracking method can yield comparable plan quality in most OARs while preserving sufficient FLASH dose rate coverage, demonstrating that the ultra-high dose technique can be applied in prostate FLASH SBRT.