A generalized film technique for the verification of vertex fields used in the treatment of brain tumors

With the availability of commercial three-dimensional (3D)-treatment planning systems, more and more treatment plans call for the use of noncoplanar conformal beams for the treatment of brain tumors. However, techniques for the verification of many noncoplaner beams, such as vertex fields which involve any combination of gantry, collimator, and table angles, do not exist. The purpose of this work is to report on the results of an algorithm and a technique that have been developed for the verification of noncoplanar vertex fields used in the treatment of brain tumors. This technique is applicable to any geometric orientation of the beam, i.e., a beam orientation that consists of any combination of gantry, table, and collimator rotations. The method consists of superimposing a central plane image of a correctly magnified vertex field on a lateral or oblique field port film. To achieve this, the 3D coordinates of the projection of the isocenter onto the film for lateral (or oblique) as well as the vertex fields are determined and then appropriately matched. Coordinate transformation equations have been developed that enable this matching precisely. A film holder has been designed such that a film cassette can be secured rigidly along the side rails of the treatment table. The technique for taking a patient treatment setup verification film consists of two steps. In the first step, the gantry, table, and collimator angles for the lateral (or oblique) field are set and the usual double exposures are made; the first exposure corresponds to that of the treatment portal with the isocenter clearly identified and the second one a larger radiation field so that the peripheral anatomy is visible on the film. In the next step, the gantry, table, and collimator angles are positioned for the vertex field and the table is moved laterally and vertically and the film longitudinally to a position that will enable precise matching of the isocenter on the film. A third exposure is then taken with the vertex portal. What is seen on the film is a superposition of a central plane image of the vertex field onto the image of the lateral or oblique field. This technique has been used on 60 patients treated with noncoplanar fields for brain tumors. In all of these cases, the coincidence of the projection of the isocenter for the lateral (or oblique) and the vertex fields was found to be within 3 mm.     

Fabrication and characterization of high extinction ratio transmission polarizers

In this paper, large area nanoimprint lithography on a trilayer resist stack for the nanofabrication of light polarizer was successfully carried out. Large area gratings with 10 mm × 10 mm area and 300 nm pitch were fabricated. The measurement results indicate that our polarizers exhibit extraordinarily high extinction ratio. It is observed that the extinction ratio is dependent on the wavelength. Theoretical simulation also agreed with our measured results very well. The poor reflective polarization property measured in this work was discussed.     

Effective polarization control of metallic planar chiral metamaterials with complementary rosette pattern fabricated by nanoimprint lithography

In this work the interaction between the metallic planar chiral metamaterials (PCM) with complementary rosette pattern and the incident electromagnetic wave was studied theoretically using finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. Both the evolution of the electric field distribution as the electromagnetic wave propagated through this PCM and the optic activity in near infrared range were investigated. By utilizing nanoimprint lithography technology, we successfully fabricated metallic PCM with complementary rosette pattern with period of 600 nm. The measurement results of polarization rotation capability indicate that by easily tuning the depth of the imprint depth in SU-8, the optical activity of this metallic PCM could be effectively controlled for specific wavelength.     

Design considerations for submillimeter-wave reflex klystrons

The problems facing the development of klystrons for use at submillimeter wavelengths are reviewed. Analytical formulas for reentrant cavity resonance, starting conditions, output power, and oscillation buildup are presented. This paper describes methods of calculating cavity Q-factor, output coupling, focusing potentials, electron paths, and heating effects. The scaling of output power with frequency is derived. Examples of techniques that might be used to realize a working device are presented.     

Studies on the Synthesis and Activity of Three Tripalladium Complexes Containing Planaramine Ligands

The present study deals with the synthesis, characterization and activity against human cancer cell lines: A2780, A2780^cisR and A2780^ZD0473R of three tripalladium complexes, MH3, MH4 and MH5, that each have two planaramine ligands bound to the central metal ion. Cellular uptake levels, extent of DNA binding, and nature of interaction with salmon sperm and pBR322 plasmid DNA were determined for each complex. Palladium compounds are much more reactive than their corresponding platinum derivatives, which makes them therapeutically inactive but toxic. However, the results of the present study suggest that significant antitumour activity can be introduced in palladium complexes by lessening their reactivity by the introduction of sterically hindered ligands such as 2‐hydroxypyridine, 3‐hydroxypyridine and 4‐hydroxypyridine. When bound to the central palladium ion, 4‐hydroxypyridine appears to be more activating than 2‐hydroxypyridine and 3‐hydroxypyridine, suggesting that noncovalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonding, may also be key determinants of antitumour activity in addition to the steric effect. While cisplatin binds with DNA to form intrastrand GG adducts that causes local bending of a DNA strand, these planaramine‐derived palladium complexes are expected to bind with DNA and form a number of long‐range interstrand GG adducts that would cause a global change in DNA conformation, provided the tripalladium cations in MH3, MH4 and MH5 persist under physiological conditions.