Practical robustness evaluation in radiotherapy - A photon and proton-proof alternative to PTV-based plan evaluation

Background and purpose: A planning target volume (PTV) in photon treatments aims to ensure that the clinical target volume (CTV) receives adequate dose despite treatment uncertainties. The underlying static dose cloud approximation (the assumption that the dose distribution is invariant to errors) is problematic in intensity modulated proton treatments where range errors should be taken into account as well. The purpose of this work is to introduce a robustness evaluation method that is applicable to photon and proton treatments and is consistent with (historic) PTV-base

High energy electron beams in intensity modulated radiation therapy: development of dose calculation methods and exploration of treatment possibilities

Contains fulltext : mmubn000001_345701747.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)43, [126] p

High energy electron beams in intensity modulated radiation therapy. Development in dose calculation methods and exploration ot treatment possibilities

Item does not contain fulltextKUN, 14 februari 2001Promotor : Leer, J.W.H

Numerical calculation of energy deposition by high-energy electron beams: III-B. Improvements to the 6D phase space evoluation model

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Toward model-driven engineering of supramolecular copolymers

The coassembly of two oligo-(p-phenylene vinylene) (OPV) derivatives with different sizes and opposite chirality is studied. Short R-chiral ROPV3 molecules experience a high energetic mismatch penalty when incorporated in helices formed by long S-chiral SOPV4 molecules. In contrast, SOPV4 easily coassembles into helices dominated by ROPV3. As a result, the coassembly behavior (i.e., mixing or phase separation of ROPV3 and SOPV4 within the assemblies) highly depends on the ratio between both molecular building blocks. By a combination of experiments and models, the assembly pathways are analyzed. Furthermore, the model allows identifying key parameters in the coassembly behavior, such as the cooperativity and the mismatch penalties. The model-driven approach is anticipated to be generally applicable in the engineering of functional supramolecular copolymers. This article is dedicated to the 70th birthday of Jean Fréchet and we thank him for being a continuous source of inspiration for our group

Controlling Chemical Self-Assembly by Solvent-Dependent Dynamics

The influence of the ratio between poor and good solvent on the stability and dynamics of supramolecular polymers is studied via a combination of experiments and simulations. Step-wise addition of good solvent to supramolecular polymers assembled via a cooperative (nucleated) growth mechanism results in complete disassembly at a critical good/poor solvent ratio. In contrast, gradual disassembly profiles upon addition of good solvent are observed for isodesmic (non-nucleated) systems. Due to the weak association of good solvent molecules to monomers, the solvent-dependent aggregate stability can be described by a linear free-energy relationship. With respect to dynamics, the depolymerization of p-conjugated oligo(p-phenylene vinylene) (OPV) assemblies in methylcyclohexane (MCH) upon addition of chloroform as a good solvent is shown to proceed with a minimum rate around a critical chloroform/MCH solvent ratio. This minimum disassembly rate bears an intriguing resemblance to phenomena observed in protein unfolding, where minimum rates are observed at the thermodynamic midpoint of a protein denaturation experiment. A kinetic nucleation–elongation model in which the rate constants explicitly depend on the good solvent fraction is developed to rationalize the kinetic traces and further extend the insights by simulation. It is shown that cooperativity, i.e., the nucleation of new aggregates, plays a key role in the minimum polymerization and depolymerization rate at the critical solvent composition. Importantly, this shows that the mixing protocol by which one-dimensional aggregates are prepared via solution-based processing using good/poor solvent mixtures is of major influence on self-assembly dynamics

Controlling Chemical Self-Assembly by Solvent-Dependent Dynamics

The influence of the ratio between poor and good solvent on the stability and dynamics of supramolecular polymers is studied via a combination of experiments and simulations. Step-wise addition of good solvent to supramolecular polymers assembled via a cooperative (nucleated) growth mechanism results in complete disassembly at a critical good/poor solvent ratio. In contrast, gradual disassembly profiles upon addition of good solvent are observed for isodesmic (non-nucleated) systems. Due to the weak association of good solvent molecules to monomers, the solvent-dependent aggregate stability can be described by a linear free-energy relationship. With respect to dynamics, the depolymerization of p-conjugated oligo(p-phenylene vinylene) (OPV) assemblies in methylcyclohexane (MCH) upon addition of chloroform as a good solvent is shown to proceed with a minimum rate around a critical chloroform/MCH solvent ratio. This minimum disassembly rate bears an intriguing resemblance to phenomena observed in protein unfolding, where minimum rates are observed at the thermodynamic midpoint of a protein denaturation experiment. A kinetic nucleation–elongation model in which the rate constants explicitly depend on the good solvent fraction is developed to rationalize the kinetic traces and further extend the insights by simulation. It is shown that cooperativity, i.e., the nucleation of new aggregates, plays a key role in the minimum polymerization and depolymerization rate at the critical solvent composition. Importantly, this shows that the mixing protocol by which one-dimensional aggregates are prepared via solution-based processing using good/poor solvent mixtures is of major influence on self-assembly dynamics