Existing simple routing protocols (e.g., OSPF, RIP) have some disadvantages of being inflexible and prone to congestion due to the concentration of packets on particular routers. To address these ...issues, packet routing methods using machine learning have been proposed recently. Compared to these algorithms, machine learning based methods can choose a routing path intelligently by learning efficient routes. However, machine learning based methods have a disadvantage of training time overhead. We thus focus on a lightweight machine learning algorithm, OS-ELM (Online Sequential Extreme Learning Machine), to reduce the training time. Although previous work on reinforcement learning using OS-ELM exists, it has a problem of low learning accuracy. In this paper, we propose OS-ELM QN (Q-Network) with a prioritized experience replay buffer to improve the learning performance. It is compared to a deep reinforcement learning based packet routing method using a network simulator. Experimental results show that introducing the experience replay buffer improves the learning performance. OS-ELM QN achieves a 2.33 times speedup than a DQN (Deep Q-Network) in terms of learning speed. Regarding the packet transfer latency, OS-ELM QN is comparable or slightly inferior to the DQN while they are better than OSPF in most cases since they can distribute congestions.
There are no clinical reports of long‐term follow‐up after carbon‐ion radiotherapy (CIRT) using a dose of 51.6 Gy (relative biological effectiveness RBE) in 12 fractions for localized prostate ...cancer, or of a comparison of clinical outcomes between passive and scanning beam irradiation. A total of 256 patients with localized prostate cancer who received CIRT at a dose of 51.6 Gy (RBE) in 12 fractions using two different beam delivery techniques (passive n = 45 and scanning n = 211), and who were followed for more than 1 year, were analyzed. The biochemical relapse‐free (bRF) rate was defined by the Phoenix definition, and the actuarial toxicity rates were evaluated using the Kaplan‐Meier method. Of the 256 patients, 41 (16.0%), 111 (43.4%), and 104 (40.6%) were classified as low, intermediate, and high risk, respectively, after a median follow‐up of 7.0 (range 1.1‐10.4) years. Androgen deprivation therapy was performed in 212 patients (82.8%). The 5‐year bRF rates of the low‐, intermediate‐, and high‐risk patients were 95.1%, 90.9%, and 91.1%, respectively. The 5‐year rates of grade 2 late gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicities in all patients were 0.4% and 6.3%, respectively. No grade ≥3 toxicities were observed. There were no significant differences in the rates of bRF or grade 2 toxicities in patients who received passive irradiation versus scanning irradiation. Our long‐term follow‐up results showed that a CIRT regimen of 51.6 Gy (RBE) in 12 fractions for localized prostate cancer yielded a good therapeutic outcome and low toxicity rates irrespective of the beam delivery technique.
A 51.6 Gy (relative biological effectiveness) carbon‐ion radiotherapy regimen in 12 fractions for localized prostate cancer with long‐term follow‐up yielded a good therapeutic outcome and low toxicity rates in both passive and scanning beam irradiation without significant difference.
Generally, patients with multiple brain metastases receive whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT). Although, more than 60% of patients show complete or partial responses, many experience recurrence. ...Therefore, some institutions consider re-WBRT administration; however, there is insufficient information regarding this. Therefore, we aimed to review re-WBRT administration among these patients. Although most patients did not live longer than 12 months, symptomatic improvement was sometimes observed, with tolerable acute toxicities. Therefore, re-WBRT may be a treatment option for patients with symptomatic recurrence of brain metastases. However, physicians should consider this treatment cautiously because there is insufficient data on late toxicity, including radiation necrosis, owing to poor prognosis. A better prognostic factor for survival following radiotherapy administration may be the time interval of > 9 months between the first WBRT and re-WBRT, but there is no evidence supporting that higher doses lead to prolonged survival, symptom improvement, and tumor control. Therefore, 20 Gy in 10 fractions or 18 Gy in five fractions may be a reasonable treatment method within the tolerable total biological effective dose 2 ≤ 150 Gy, considering the biologically effective dose for tumors and normal tissues.
Synthesis of (+)-costic acid, isolated from Dittrichia viscosa (L.) W. Greuter as a natural acaricidal sesquiterpenoid, was achieved in 16 steps from (R)-carvone with an overall yield of 4.8%, ...involving the radical cyclization of selenoester to construct a decalone framework as the key step. Other structurally related natural products, (+)-costal, (+)-costol, and (+)-β-selinene, were also synthesized. The acaricidal activities of these four natural products and some synthetic intermediates were also evaluated against Varroa destructor. Among them, (+)-costal especially exhibited potent acaricidal activity.
Type II polyketide synthases (PKSs) normally synthesize polycyclic aromatic compounds in nature, and the potential to elaborate further diverse skeletons was recently revealed by the discovery of a ...polyene subgroup. Here, we show a type II PKS machinery for the biosynthesis of a five-membered nonaromatic skeleton contained in the nonproteinogenic amino acid cispentacin and the plant toxin coronatine. We successfully produce cispentacin in a heterologous host and reconstruct its biosynthesis using seven recombinant proteins in vitro. Biochemical analyses of each protein reveal the unique enzymatic reactions, indicating that a heterodimer of type II PKS-like enzymes (AmcF-AmcG) catalyzes a single C
elongation as well as a subsequent cyclization on the acyl carrier protein (AmcB) to form a key intermediate with a five-membered ring. The subsequent reactions, which are catalyzed by a collection of type II PKS-like enzymes, are also peculiar. This work further expands the definition of type II PKS and illuminates an unexplored genetic resource for natural products.
The aim of this multi-institutional study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of carbon-ion radiotherapy (C-ion RT) for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC).
Patients with LAPC treated with ...C-ion RT from April 2012 to December 2014 at 3 institutions were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with pathologically-confirmed invasive ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas were eligible. The prescribed dose was 52.8 Gy (relative biological effectiveness weighted absorbed dose; RBE) or 55.2 Gy (RBE) in 12 fractions. Overall survival (OS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), local recurrence (LR), and toxicity were evaluated.
In total, 72 patients were included in this study. Tumors in the head of the pancreas were seen in 30 patients (42%), while those in the body or tail of the pancreas were seen in 42 patients (58%). Fifty-six patients (78%) received concurrent chemotherapy. The OS rates were 73% (95% confidence interval CI, 62%-84%) at 1 year, and 46% (95% CI, 31%-61%) at 2 years with a median OS of 21.5 months (95% CI, 11.8-31.2 months). The 1- and 2-year DMFS rates were 41% (95% CI, 29%-52%) and 28% (95% CI, 16%-40%), respectively. The 1- and 2-year cumulative incidences of LR were 16% (95% CI, 9%-26%) and 24% (95% CI, 14%-36%), respectively. Nineteen patients (26%) experienced acute grade 3 or 4 hematological toxicities. Two patients (3%) had grade 3 anorexia. Late gastrointestinal (GI) grade 3 toxicity was observed in 1 patient (1%). No patients developed late grade 4 or 5 toxicity.
The first multi-institutional analysis of C-ion RT for LAPC indicated relatively favorable outcomes with limited toxicities, especially for tumors not in close proximity to GI tract.
Background
Most of the primary sphenoid sinus tumors present with locally advanced stages with involvement of adjacent critical structures and are not amenable to radical resection. We sought to ...evaluate the safety and efficacy of carbon‐ion radiotherapy (C‐ion RT) for sphenoid sinus malignancies.
Methods
This is a retrospective analysis of 22 patients of primary sphenoid carcinomas treated with definitive C‐ion RT.
Results
Adenoid cystic carcinoma was the most common histology (15 patients, 68.2%). The median follow‐up of this cohort was 48.5 months. The actuarial local control and overall survival at 5 years were 51.0% and 62.7%, respectively. Grade 4 visual impairment and grade 4 brain necrosis were seen in six and one patient, respectively.
Conclusion
C‐ion RT can provide a reasonably good clinical outcome in locally advanced sphenoid sinus malignancies with a marginally higher late toxicity profile because of extremely close proximity of the target volume to critical structures.
Synthesis of (+)-costic acid, isolated from Dittrichia viscosa (L.) W. Greuter as a natural acaricidal sesquiterpenoid, was achieved in 16 steps from (R)-carvone with an overall yield of 4.8%, ...involving the radical cyclization of selenoester to construct a decalone framework as the key step. Other structurally related natural products, (+)-costal, (+)-costol, and (+)-β-selinene, were also synthesized. The acaricidal activities of these four natural products and some synthetic intermediates were also evaluated against Varroa destructor. Among them, (+)-costal especially exhibited potent acaricidal activity.
PDF
