Effect of daily setup errors on individual dose distribution in conventional radiotherapy: An initial study

金沢大学医薬保健研究域保健学系Recent linear accelerators can perform cone-beam computed tomography to correct setup errors immediately before dose delivery. We calculated the dose distribution with setup errors acquired from cone-beam computed tomography to determine a more realistic and individual effect of setup errors. The differences in dose distribution were analyzed. The setup errors of three patients who were irradiated in the neck, esophagus, and pelvic area were obtained retrospectively. We found that the maximum dose variances for the three cases were 19.9-35.9%. The maximum dose variance points were relatively far from the isocenter. The volume of the 10% dose difference had widths of 1.3-1.85 cm around the beam edges. The V95 and mean doses at the clinical target volume were mostly unchanged. Doses around the beam edges were more varied than those around the isocenter for every case. The dose on the spinal cord located near the beam edges varied by 5-10% compared with the dose of the radiotherapy plan in two of the cases. We demonstrated the individual dose distributions of the cases affected by daily setup errors for all fractions. © 2009 Japanese Society of Radiological Technology and Japan Society of Medical Physics

NBRP databases: databases of biological resources in Japan

The National BioResource Project (NBRP) is a Japanese project that aims to establish a system for collecting, preserving and providing bioresources for use as experimental materials for life science research. It is promoted by 27 core resource facilities, each concerned with a particular group of organisms, and by one information center. The NBRP database is a product of this project. Thirty databases and an integrated database-retrieval system (BioResource World: BRW) have been created and made available through the NBRP home page (http://www.nbrp.jp). The 30 independent databases have individual features which directly reflect the data maintained by each resource facility. The BRW is designed for users who need to search across several resources without moving from one database to another. BRW provides access to a collection of 4.5-million records on bioresources including wild species, inbred lines, mutants, genetically engineered lines, DNA clones and so on. BRW supports summary browsing, keyword searching, and searching by DNA sequences or gene ontology. The results of searches provide links to online requests for distribution of research materials. A circulation system allows users to submit details of papers published on research conducted using NBRP resources

最小IT学習で作成できる、看護学習のためのホームページ作成システムの開発

IT学習に多くの時間を割けない看護系学生が、基礎的なIT学習のみで実用的なhtml文書を作成できるシステムを開発した。html文書による情報表現はOSや特定のアプリケーションによらない、簡便で優れた手段である。しかし看護学生が自ら実用的なhtml文書を作成することは簡単ではない。そこで我々は、使用者が僅か8種類のタグを覚えるだけで実用的なホームページを作成できるシステムを開発した。それは文字色、サイズ、表作成、メール、リンク、正式タグの埋め込みなどである。学生はhtml文書の作成に多くの時間を割く必要がないので、本来の看護学の学習や研究のための情報収集に専念することができる。このシステムの実行プログムのサイズは僅か300キロバイト程度で小さく、新旧PCで無償で利用できる。本システムを利用した、学習ノートとして利用できるhtml文書、研究成果の発表のためのhtml文書などの作成方法について述べる。We developed a homepage creating system that requires only fundamental Information Technology learning to use. This system is designed for nursing students who can not spare much time to learn information technology. Information description by HTML document is a good expression means that is independent from any specific OS and application. However, it is not so easy for nursing students by themselves to create a practical HTML document. We developed a system by which students can make practical web-pages by learning about eight tags. The tags are related to font color, font size, table creation, mail, link, and embedding of standard tags. Students do not need consume much time in learning HTML documentation, and therefore they can dedicate themselves to their essential study and research of nursing theory and practice. Size of this system is as small as approximately 300KB and can run in old and new PCs at free. Here we will explain about (1) HTML documents that can be used as studying notes, (2) HTML documents for presenting research achievement, (3) methods to create these HTML documents by the system

Atomic level observation of octahedral distortions at the perovskite oxide heterointerface.

For perovskite oxides, ABO3, slight octahedral distortions have close links to functional properties. While perovskite oxide heterostructures offer a good platform for controlling functionalities, atomistic understanding of octahedral distortion at the interface has been a challenge as it requires precise measurements of the oxygen atomic positions. Here we demonstrate an approach to clarify distortions at an atomic level using annular bright-field imaging in aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, which provides precise mappings of cation and oxygen atomic positions from distortion-minimized images. This technique revealed significant distortions of RuO6 and ScO6 octahedra at the heterointerface between a SrRuO3 film and a GdScO3 substrate. We also found that structural mismatch was relieved within only four unit cells near the interface by shifting the oxygen atomic positions to accommodate octahedral tilt angle mismatch. The present results underscore the critical role of the oxygen atom in the octahedral connectivity at the perovskite oxide heterointerface

Caspase-mediated cleavage of phospholipid flippase for apoptotic phosphatidylserine exposure.

Phospholipids are asymmetrically distributed in the plasma membrane. This asymmetrical distribution is disrupted during apoptosis, exposing phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) on the cell surface. Using a haploid genetic screen in human cells, we found that ATP11C (adenosine triphosphatase type 11C) and CDC50A (cell division cycle protein 50A) are required for aminophospholipid translocation from the outer to the inner plasma membrane leaflet; that is, they display flippase activity. ATP11C contained caspase recognition sites, and mutations at these sites generated caspase-resistant ATP11C without affecting its flippase activity. Cells expressing caspase-resistant ATP11C did not expose PtdSer during apoptosis and were not engulfed by macrophages, which suggests that inactivation of the flippase activity is required for apoptotic PtdSer exposure. CDC50A-deficient cells displayed PtdSer on their surface and were engulfed by macrophages, indicating that PtdSer is sufficient as an "eat me" signal

Research Update: Interface-engineered oxygen octahedral tilts in perovskite oxide heterostructures

Interface engineering of structural distortions is a key for exploring the functional properties of oxide heterostructures and superlattices. In this paper, we report on our comprehensive investigations of oxygen octahedral distortions at the heterointerface between perovskite oxides SrRuO3 and BaTiO3 on GdScO3 substrates and of the influences of the interfacially engineered distortions on the magneto-transport properties of the SrRuO3 layer. Our state-of-the-art annular bright-field imaging in aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy revealed that the RuO6 octahedral distortions in the SrRuO3 layer have strong dependence on the stacking order of the SrRuO3 and BaTiO3 layers on the substrate. This can be attributed to the difference in the interfacial octahedral connections. We also found that the stacking order of the oxide layers has a strong impact on the magneto-transport properties, allowing for control of the magnetic anisotropy of the SrRuO3 layer through interface engineering. Our results demonstrate the significance of the interface engineering of the octahedral distortions on the structural and physical properties of perovskite oxides

Tumoral calcinosis in the cervical spine: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract Background Tumoral calcinosis is rarely located in spine. A 55-year-old Japanese woman with cervical tumoral calcinosis is presented, along with a review of the literature relating to tumoral calcinosis in the spine. We discussed the etiology, diagnosis, and management of this condition. Case presentation We report a case of a patient with cervical tumoral calcinosis with end-stage renal disease. A computed tomography scan showed a lobulated, calcified mass around the right facet joint at the fourth-fifth cervical spine and calcifications were also observed in the right intervertebral foramens at fourth-fifth cervical spine and fifth-sixth cervical spine levels and the anterior wall of the spinal canal. By performing a cervical decompression and stabilization, the patient recovered from her neurological symptoms. Conclusions Although tumoral calcinosis is rarely located in the spine, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of spinal lesions. If a calcified mass causes acute neurological symptoms, resection of the mass is still the most important treatment