Effects of resistance training on quality of life in postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: Most women experience vasomotor symptoms (VMS) around menopause that may affect quality of life negatively. Effective pharmacological treatment exists but is not recommended for all women, and there is a demand for alternatives to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a resistance training intervention on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in postmenopausal women with VMS. METHODS: This open randomized controlled trial included 65 postmenopausal women >45 years old with daily VMS. The participants were randomized to 15 weeks of resistance training three times per week or an untreated control group. The Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ) and Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used to assess HRQoL at baseline and after 15 weeks. RESULTS: The resistance training group improved compared to the control group in the WHQ domains of VMS (p = 0.002), sleep problems (p = 0.003) and menstrual symptoms (p = 0.01) from baseline to post intervention. No significant between-group differences were found in SF-36 summary scores, or in any of the domains. CONCLUSION: In postmenopausal women with moderate to severe VMS, resistance training three times per week for 15 weeks improved menopause-specific HRQoL.

Pulmonary embolism in menopausal hormone therapy: a population-based register study.

OBJECTIVE: Oral but not transdermal menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) increases the risk of venous thromboembolism. There is no evidence regarding the risk of the serious complication pulmonary embolism (PE). The aim was to investigate the risk of PE in women using MHT depending on administration route, type of progestin and treatment duration. METHOD: The population-based case-control study covered 1,771,253 women aged 40-69 years, during 2006-2015. Diagnoses of PE (n = 13,974) and drug dispensations were received from national validated registers. RESULTS: Current MHT users had a higher risk of PE than non-users (odds ratio [OR] 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-1.26). First ever users had the highest risk (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.23-3.50). Transdermal administration was not associated with increased risk of PE. The OR was slightly but non-significantly higher with estrogen combined with medroxyprogesterone acetate than with norethisterone acetate. DISCUSSION: The risk of PE was significantly increased in users of oral but not transdermal MHT, with the highest risk in first ever users of oral estrogen combined with medroxyprogesterone acetate. The risk was considerably lower in women with recurrent treatment, probably because of the healthy user effect. CONCLUSION: PE was most common close to initiation of oral treatment. Transdermal MHT did not increase the risk of PE.

Neuromodulation of orexin neurons reduces diet-induced adiposity.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Low levels of orexin are associated with obesity and reduced physical activity in humans and animals. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) selectively activated orexin neurons in mouse lateral hypothalamus (LH) to measure effects on spontaneous physical activity (SPA). DREADD targeting was achieved by stereotaxic injection of AAV vectors into caudal lateral LH of heterozygous orexin-Cre or C57/B6J mice. In one set of studies, excitation of orexin neurons was examined (virus: AAV2-EF1a-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry), and test sessions began 3-4 h after light cycle onset. In a study examining the inhibition of orexin neurons (virus: AAV2-hSyn-DIO-hM4Di-mCherry), testing began 15 min prior to dark cycle onset. Clozapine n-oxide (CNO; 1 or 5 mg/kg) or saline was injected intraperitoneally and time spent moving in open field chambers was recorded for 2 h. Follow-up studies in separate mouse cohorts quantified SPA in parallel with changes in energy expenditure (EE) and chow intake using indirect calorimetry chambers (SableSystem™). Following acclimation, testing sessions (saline and/or CNO) took place over the course of ~1 week, with injections administered every day. Changes in SPA, EE, chow intake, fecal boli, and body composition (EchoMRI™) were measured. Additional mice cohorts were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and injected with CNO daily up to 10 days to assess the potential for orexin activation to prevent diet-induced obesity. RESULTS: Activation of orexin resulted in increases in SPA in male and female mice, and was accompanied by increases in energy expenditure without changes in overall chow intake. When orexin activation occurred in the context of high fat diet, weight gain and adiposity were significantly attenuated. SPA was decreased when DREADDs were used to inhibit orexin activity. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that orexin neurons play a critical role in mediating physical activity and suggest a novel therapeutic target for treating obesity.

Nurse-patient communication within the context of non-sedated mechanical ventilation: A hermeneutic-phenomenological study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore non-sedated mechanically ventilated patients' communication with nurses in the intensive care unit. BACKGROUND: Mechanically ventilated patients are temporarily voiceless, making interpersonal communication complex. Both nurses and patients find communication challenging and may experience negative emotions when communication fails. In Nordic countries, sedation protocols have changed to light/non-sedation, resulting in more patients being conscious and more clinical practitioners experiencing communication difficulties. DESIGN: The study was qualitative with a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach. Data were collected at two intensive care units in Denmark from January to April 2015. METHODS: Data collection consisted of interviews with patients, focus group interviews with nurses and field observations concerning nurse-patient communication. Data were analysed as one collective body of data using Ricoeur's theory of interpretation. FINDINGS: The main theme showed that communication is a movement between the two opposite feelings of comprehension and frustration. Sub-themes showed (1) the dynamics of power change when the patient is voiceless; (2) consciousness and voicelessness make caring difficult; and (3) the process of interpreting and structuring communication is situational. CONCLUSION: These findings are important in nursing care and provide perspectives on the shift from communication towards comprehension and, thus, away from frustration. A non-sedation protocol is a major change in clinical practice in relation to communication. It requires a new way of thinking where communication becomes an integrated part of care, and the nurse has to be constantly alert and adjust his or her communication strategies to the patient's changing needs and communication ability. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Some nursing interventions may optimize communication: (1) systematic assessment of patients' communication; (2) education of nurses in Augmentative and Alternative Communication; (3) using communication tools when possible; and (4) securing time, continuity, empathy and patience in nursing care.

Description and validation of a new automated surveillance system for Clostridium difficile in Denmark.

The surveillance of Clostridium difficile (CD) in Denmark consists of laboratory based data from Departments of Clinical Microbiology (DCMs) sent to the National Registry of Enteric Pathogens (NREP). We validated a new surveillance system for CD based on the Danish Microbiology Database (MiBa). MiBa automatically collects microbiological test results from all Danish DCMs. We built an algorithm to identify positive test results for CD recorded in MiBa. A CD case was defined as a person with a positive culture for CD or PCR detection of toxin A and/or B and/or binary toxin. We compared CD cases identified through the MiBa-based surveillance with those reported to NREP and locally in five DCMs representing different Danish regions. During 2010-2014, NREP reported 13 896 CD cases, and the MiBa-based surveillance 21 252 CD cases. There was a 99·9% concordance between the local datasets and the MiBa-based surveillance. Surveillance based on MiBa was superior to the current surveillance system, and the findings show that the number of CD cases in Denmark hitherto has been under-reported. There were only minor differences between local data and the MiBa-based surveillance, showing the completeness and validity of CD data in MiBa. This nationwide electronic system can greatly strengthen surveillance and research in various applications.

Hormone therapy might be underutilized in women with early menopause.

STUDY QUESTION: Are Swedish women age 40-44 years with assumed early menopause 'undertreated' by hormone therapy (HT)? SUMMARY ANSWER: Many women with probable early menopause discontinue their HT after a short period of time. Thus, they fail to complete the recommended replacement up to age 51-52 years, the average age of menopause. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Spontaneous early menopause occurs in ∼5% of women age 40-45 years. Regardless of the cause, women who experience hormonal menopause due to bilateral oophorectomy before the median age of spontaneous menopause are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, neurological disease, osteoporosis, psychiatric illness and even death. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: The study is descriptive, and epidemiological and was based on the use of national registers of dispensed drug prescriptions (HT) linking registers from the National Board of Health and Welfare and Statistics Sweden from 1 July 2005 until 31 December 2011. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The study population consisted of 310 404 women, 40-44 years old on 31 December 2005 who were followed from 1 July 2005 until 31 December 2011. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Only 0.9% of women 40-44 years old started HT during the study period. A majority of these women used HT <1 year. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: We do not know the indications that led to the prescription of HT but assume that early onset of menopause was the main reason. Because of the study design-making a retrospective study of registers-we can only speculate on the reasons for most of the women in this group discontinuing HT. Another limitation of this study is that we have a rather short observation time. However, we have up to now only been able to collect and combine the data since July 2005. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: As the occurrence of spontaneous early menopause in women age 40-45 is reported to be ∼5%, the fact that <1% of Swedish women age 40-44 are prescribed HT, and can be shown also to have had the medication dispensed at a pharmacy suggests an unexpectedly low treatment rate. Some women with early menopause may have used combined contraceptives as supplementation therapy, but in Sweden HT is the recommended treatment for early menopause so any such women are not following this recommendation. Women who experience early menopause are at increased risk for overall morbidity and mortality, and can expect to benefit from HT until they have reached at least the median age of spontaneous menopause. It is therefore important to individualize the information given these women and to convey new knowledge in this area to gynaecologists and physicians in general as well as the recommendation that women in this group continue HT at least until the average age for spontaneous menopause is reached. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: No competing interests exist.

Hot flushes, hormone therapy and alternative treatments: 30 years of experience from Sweden.

OBJECTIVES: The use of hormone therapy (HT) for hot flushes has changed dramatically over the past five decades. In this cross-sectional questionnaire study, the aim was to describe the use of HT and alternative treatments and to study the frequency of hot flushes. A further aim was to compare data from the present questionnaire with data from previous studies made in the same geographic area. METHOD: A questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 2000 women aged 47-56 years living in Östergötland County, Sweden. The results were compared with findings from previous studies regarding use of HT, alternative treatment and hot flushes, and the number of HT prescriptions dispensed during the corresponding time using data derived from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Registry. RESULTS: The response rate was 66%. Six percent used HT, in line with prevalence data from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Registry. Alternative treatments were used by 10%. About 70% of postmenopausal women reported flushes and almost one-third of those with flushes stated that they would be positive to HT if therapy could be shown to be harmless, a view more often stated by women with severe complaints of hot flushes (67%). CONCLUSION: The use of HT and alternative treatments is low and many women suffer from flushes that could be treated. Women considered their knowledge of the climacteric period and treatment options as insufficient. Individualized information should be given and women with significant climacteric complaints, without contraindications, should be given the opportunity to try HT.

King-Devick test normative reference values for professional male ice hockey players.

The King-Devick (K-D) test, a measure of processing speed, visual tracking, and saccadic eye movements, has shown promise as a supplemental screening test following concussion. However, limited normative data for this test have been published.The K-D test was administered to 185 professional ice hockey players as a preseason baseline test in seasons 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. Their average age was 23.8 years (median = 22.0 years, range = 16-40 years). The average K-D score was 40.0 s (SD = 6.1 s, range = 24.0-65.7 s). K-D test performance showed no association with age, education, or the number of self-reported previous concussions in this sample. The association between trials 1 and 2 of the K-D test was good (ICC = 0.92, Pearson = 0.93). Normative values of the K-D test for professional male ice hockey players are reported. K-D test performance did not vary by age, education, or concussion history in this study.

Defining the niche of Vibrio parahaemolyticus during pre- and post-monsoon seasons in the coastal Arabian Sea.

The bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus is an important component of coastal ecosystems worldwide, and in recent years, V. parahaemolyticus has caused several cases of food-borne gastroenteritis. However, research investigating which parameters are important in regulating V. parahaemolyticus abundance in tropical areas with relatively stable temperatures and salinity are largely lacking. The objective here was to investigate which environmental forces are driving elevated abundances of V. parahaemolyticus in a tropical oligotrophic coastal area in the Arabian Sea. We analysed a large number of environmental parameters in parallel with cell densities of V. parahaemolyticus and Vibrio spp. Abundance data was obtained using real-time PCR, during two different sampling periods, representative for two distinct seasons. Water temperature and salinity were stable during and between sampling periods, but V. parahaemolyticus abundances were on average six times higher during the first sampling period in December, compared to the second period in February-March. V. parahaemolyticus abundance was found to be positively correlated to inorganic phosphate concentration and copepod abundance. We thus hypothesise that these are important factors regulating V. parahaemolyticus abundance in coastal tropical areas during these periods.

Considerations for study design in the DAHANCA 35 trial of protons versus photons for head and neck cancer.

Proton radiotherapy offers a dosimetric advantage compared to photon therapy in sparing normal tissue, but the clinical evidence for toxicity reductions in the treatment of head and neck cancer is limited. The Danish Head and Neck Cancer Group (DAHANCA) has initiated the DAHANCA 35 randomised trial to clarify the value of proton therapy (NCT04607694). The DAHANCA 35 trial is performed in an enriched population of patients selected by an anticipated benefit of proton therapy to reduce the risk of late dysphagia or xerostomia based on normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) modelling. We present our considerations on the trial design and a test of the selection procedure conducted before initiating the randomised study.

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium: impact of ending screening and isolation in a Danish University hospital.

BACKGROUND: Substantial resources are used in hospitals worldwide to counteract the ever-increasing incidence of vancomycin-resistant and vancomycin-variable Enterococcus faecium (VREfm and VVEfm), but it is important to balance patient safety, infection prevention, and hospital costs. AIM: To investigate the impact of ending VREfm/VVEfm screening and isolation at Odense University Hospital (OUH), Denmark, on patient and clinical characteristics, risk of bacteraemia, and mortality of VREfm/VVEfm disease at OUH. The burden of VREfm/VVEfm bacteraemia at OUH and the three collaborative hospitals in the Region of Southern Denmark (RSD) was also investigated. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted including first-time VREfm/VVEfm clinical isolates (index isolates) detected at OUH and collaborative hospitals in the period 2015-2022. The intervention period with screening and isolation was from 2015 to 2021, and the post-intervention period was 2022. Information about clinical isolates was retrieved from microbiological databases. Patient data were obtained from hospital records. FINDINGS: At OUH, 436 patients were included in the study, with 285 in the intervention period and 151 in the post-intervention period. Ending screening and isolation was followed by an increased number of index isolates. Besides a change in van genes, only minor non-significant changes were detected in all the other investigated parameters. Mortality within 30 days did not reflect the VREfm/VVEfm-attributable deaths, and in only four cases was VREfm/VVEfm infection the likely cause of death. CONCLUSION: Despite an increasing number of index isolates, nothing in the short follow-up period supported a reintroduction of screening and isolation.

Hot flushes still occur in a population of 85-year-old Swedish women.

OBJECTIVES: Hot flushes and night sweats often cause discomfort and may negatively affect sleep and quality of life. Studies have shown that menopausal symptoms, like hot flushes, may persist for up to 20 years after the menopausal transition, but there are no published studies regarding the occurrence of hot flushes among women older than 80 years. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of hot flushes in 85-year-old women. METHODS: All 85-year old women living in Linköping municipality in 2007 (n = 415) received a postal questionnaire. The majority, 74% (n = 307), answered the questionnaire and 47% (n = 194) agreed to visit the Department of Geriatric Medicine; during this visit questions regarding hot flushes and use of hormone therapy were asked. RESULTS: About 16% (n = 29) of the women experienced hot flushes during the day and/or during the night and 6.5% (n = 12) of the women were currently using hormone therapy. Almost 10% (n = 17) of all responding women were very to moderately distressed by their hot flushes. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm and extend previous knowledge based on studies of younger postmenopausal women in showing that menopausal symptoms still occur in elderly women. We found that, while the prevalence of menopausal symptoms decreases with age, these symptoms are still experienced by some 85-year-old women.

Dose and robustness comparison of nominal, daily and accumulated doses for photon and proton treatment of sinonasal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The aim was to evaluate and compare the dosimetric effect and robustness towards day-to-day anatomical and setup variations in the delivered dose for photon and proton treatments of sinonasal cancer (SNC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Photon (VMAT) and proton (IMPT) plans were optimized retrospectively for 24 SNC patients. Synthetic CTs (synCT) were obtained by deforming the planning CT (pCT) to the anatomy of every daily cone-beam CT. Both VMAT and IMPT plans were recalculated on the synCTs. The recalculated daily dose was accumulated over the whole treatment on the pCT. Target coverage and dose to organs and risk (OARs) were evaluated for all patients for the nominal, daily and accumulated dose distribution. RESULTS: In general, dose to OARs farther away from the target, including brain, chiasm and contralateral optic nerve, was lower for proton plans than photon plans. Whereas, OARs in proximity of the target received a lower dose for photon plans. For proton plans, the target coverage (volume of CTV receiving 95% of prescribed dose), V95%, fell below 99% for 9/24 patients in one or more fractions. For photon plans, 4/24 patients had one or more fractions where V95% fell below 99%. For accumulated doses, V95% was below 99% only in two cases, but above 98% for all patients. CONCLUSION: Photon and proton treatment have different strengths regarding OAR sparing. The robustness was high for both treatment modalities. Patient selection for either proton or photon radiation therapy of SNC patients should be based on a case-by-case comparison.

Dissociation and multiple ionization energies for five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules.

We have performed density functional theory calculations for a range of neutral, singly, and multiply charged polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and their fragmentation products for H-, H(+)-, C(2)H(2)-, and C(2)H(2)(+)-emissions. The adiabatic and vertical ionization energies follow linear dependencies as functions of charge state for all five intact PAHs (naphthalene, biphenylene, anthracene, pyrene, and coronene). First estimates of the total ionization and fragmentation cross sections in ion-PAH collisions display markedly different size dependencies for pericondensed and catacondensed PAH species, reflecting differences in their first ionization energies. The dissociation energies show that the PAH(q+)-molecules are thermodynamically stable for q ≤ 2 (naphthalene, biphenylene, and anthracene), q ≤ 3 (pyrene), and q ≤ 4 (coronene). PAHs in charge states above these limits may also survive experimental time scales due to the presence of reaction barriers as deduced from explorations of the potential energy surface regions for H(+)-emissions from all five PAHs and for C(2)H(2)(+)-emission from naphthalene--the smallest PAH.

Electron capture induced dissociation of doubly protonated pentapeptides: dependence on molecular structure and charge separation.

We have studied electron capture induced dissociation of a set of doubly protonated pentapeptides, all composed of one lysine (K) and either four glycine (G) or four alanine (A) residues, as a function of the sequence of these building blocks. Thereby the separation of the two charges, sequestered on the N-terminal amino group and the lysine side chain, is varied. The characteristic cleavage of N-C(α) bonds is observed for all peptides over the whole backbone length, with the charge carrying fragments always containing K. The resulting fragmentation patterns are very similar if G is replaced by A. In the case of [XKXXX+2H](2+) (X=A or G), a distinct feature is observed in the distribution of backbone cleavage fragments and the probability for ammonia loss is drastically reduced. This may be due to an isomer with an amide oxygen as protonation site giving rise to the observed increase in breakage at a specific site in the molecule. For the other peptides, a correlation with the distance between amide oxygen and the charge at the lysine side chain has been found. This may be an indication that it is only the contribution from this site to the charge stabilization of the amide π(*) orbitals which determines relative fragment intensities. For comparison, complexes with two crown ether molecules have been studied as well. The crown ether provides a shielding of the charge and prevents the peptide from folding and internal hydrogen bonding, which leads to a more uniform fragmentation behavior.

Unimolecular dissociation of anthracene and acridine cations: the importance of isomerization barriers for the C2H2 loss and HCN loss channels.

The loss of C(2)H(2) is a low activation energy dissociation channel for anthracene (C(14)H(10)) and acridine (C(13)H(9)N) cations. For the latter ion another prominent fragmentation pathway is the loss of HCN. We have studied these two dissociation channels by collision induced dissociation experiments of 50 keV anthracene cations and protonated acridine, both produced by electrospray ionization, in collisions with a neutral xenon target. In addition, we have carried out density functional theory calculations on possible reaction pathways for the loss of C(2)H(2) and HCN. The mass spectra display features of multi-step processes, and for protonated acridine the dominant first step process is the loss of a hydrogen from the N site, which then leads to C(2)H(2)/HCN loss from the acridine cation. With our calculations we have identified three pathways for the loss of C(2)H(2) from the anthracene cation, with three different cationic products: 2-ethynylnaphthalene, biphenylene, and acenaphthylene. The third product is the one with the overall lowest dissociation energy barrier. For the acridine cation our calculated pathway for the loss of C(2)H(2) leads to the 3-ethynylquinoline cation, and the loss of HCN leads to the biphenylene cation. Isomerization plays an important role in the formation of the non-ethynyl containing products. All calculated fragmentation pathways should be accessible in the present experiment due to substantial energy deposition in the collisions.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-isomer fragmentation pathways: case study for pyrene and fluoranthene molecules and clusters.

We report on measurements of the ionization and fragmentation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) targets in Xe(20+) + C(16)H(10) and Xe(20+) + [C(16)H(10)](k) collisions and compare results for the two C(16)H(10) isomers: pyrene and fluoranthene. For both types of targets, i.e., for single PAH molecules isolated in vacuum or for isomerically pure clusters of one of the molecules, the resulting fragment spectra are surprisingly similar. However, we do observe weak but significant isomer effects. Although these are manifested in very different ways for the monomer and cluster targets, they both have at their roots small differences (<2.5 eV) between the total binding energies of neutral, and singly and multiply charged pyrene and fluoranthene monomers. The results will be discussed in view of the density functional theory calculations of ionization and dissociation energies for fluoranthene and pyrene. A simple classical over-the-barrier model is used to estimate cross sections for single- and multiple-electron transfer between PAHs and ions. Calculated single and multiple ionization energies, and the corresponding model PAH ionization cross sections, are given.

The Cost-Effectiveness of an Advanced Hybrid Closed-Loop System in People with Type 1 Diabetes: a Health Economic Analysis in Sweden.

INTRODUCTION: Swedish National Diabetes Registry data show a correlation of improved glycemic control in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) with increased use of diabetes technologies over the past 25 years. However, novel technologies are often associated with a high initial outlay. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of the advanced hybrid closed-loop (AHCL) MiniMed 780G system versus intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring (isCGM) plus self-injection of multiple daily insulin (MDI) or continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) in people with T1D in Sweden. METHODS: Outcomes were projected over patients' lifetimes using the IQVIA CORE Diabetes Model (v9.0). Clinical data, including changes in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and hypoglycemia rates, were sourced from observational studies and a randomized crossover trial. Modeled patients were assumed to receive the treatments for their lifetimes, with HbA1c kept constant following the application of treatment effects. Costs were accounted from a societal perspective and expressed in Swedish krona (SEK). Utilities and days off work estimates were taken from published sources. RESULTS: The MiniMed 780G system was associated with an improvement in life expectancy of 0.16 years and an improvement in quality-adjusted life expectancy of 1.95 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) versus isCGM plus MDI or CSII. These clinical benefits were due to a reduced incidence and a delayed time to onset of diabetes-related complications. Combined costs were estimated to be SEK 727,408 (EUR 72,741) higher with MiniMed 780G, with treatment costs partially offset by direct cost savings from the avoidance of diabetes-related complications and indirect cost savings from the avoidance of lost workplace productivity. The MiniMed 780G system was associated with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of SEK 373,700 per QALY gained. CONCLUSIONS: Based on a willingness-to-pay threshold of SEK 500,000 per QALY gained, the MiniMed 780G system was projected to be cost-effective versus isCGM plus MDI or CSII for the treatment of T1D in Sweden.

Air variability in maxillary sinus during radiotherapy for sinonasal carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: The aim was to characterise patterns and predictability of aeration changes in the ipsilateral maxillary sinus during intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for sinonasal cancer (SNC), and in a sample evaluate the dosimetric effects of aeration changes for both photon and proton therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included patients treated with IMRT for SNC in a single institution in 2009-2017. The volume of air in the ipsilateral maxillary sinus was recorded in 1578 daily cone beam computer tomography (CBCT) from 53 patients. Patterns of changing air volumes were categorised as 'stable', increasing', 'decreasing', or 'erratic'. For the prediction analysis, categorisation was performed based both on the entire treatment course and the first five fractions (F1-5). Photon and proton therapy plans were generated for four patients, the one from each category with the largest aeration variation. Synthetic CT images were generated for each CBCT and all plans were recalculated on the daily synthetic CTs. RESULTS: The absolute volume of air varied considerably during the treatment course, ranging from 0 to 25.9 cm3. Changes within a single participant varied in the range of 0-18.7 cm3. In the categorisation of patterns, most patients had increasing aeration of the sinus. Generally, patterns of aeration could not be predicted from F1-5. Patients categorised as increasing in F1-5 had the best prediction, with 78% predicted correctly as increasing for the entire treatment course. The numeric correlation coefficients for target coverage and air volume were low for 3/4 scenarios (photons 0.03-0.23, protons 0.26-0.48). No straightforward correlation between the dosimetric effect and the volume changes could be detected in the sample test of four patients for neither photon nor proton therapy. CONCLUSION: The variation of aeration was large and unpredictable. No clear dosimetric consequences of the aeration variation were evident for neither IMRT nor proton therapy for the patients investigated.

Ions colliding with cold polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon clusters.

We report the first experimental study of ions interacting with clusters of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules. Collisions between 11.25 keV 3He+ or 360 keV 129Xe20+ and weakly bound clusters of one of the smallest PAH molecules, anthracene, show that C14H10 clusters have much higher tendencies to fragment in ion collisions than other weakly bound clusters. The ionization is dominated by peripheral collisions in which the clusters, very surprisingly, are more strongly heated by Xe20+ collisions than by He+ collisions. The appearance size is k=15 for [C 14H10](k)2+.