The case of a patient is presented, who received an IMRT radiotherapy for an oropharynx-carcinoma. The IMRT plan was simulated with Monte Carlo (VSM/XVMC) on the CT-dataset of the patient and ...compared to the dose calculation of the TPS. There is good agreement in the high dose area of the target volume and simultaneous there are differences up to 10% of the prescribed dose in the low dose area and in the organs at risk spine and brainstem. The location of the dose differences in the CT-dataset indicates, that the individual heterogeneities of the patient play a role in the IMRT verification
Primary tumors of the paranasal sinuses are rare entities which, because of precarious localization and frequently diffuse propagation into neighbouring cavities and the skull base, pose a ...significant therapeutic problem. Even after complete surgical resection, local relapses are frequent. Postoperative radiotherapy is therefore usually indicated. Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is a new technique that helps creating dose distributions that conform closely to the target volume while maximally sparing the organs at risk. This results in the possibility of applying escalated doses to the target while still keeping the incidence of side effects low. What is especially appealing is the possibility of shaping the dose distribution within the target in such a way that areas with a presumably high tumor cell load receive increased doses, a concept which is best described by the term "integrated boost". We present the case of a patient with a sinunasal carcinoma and describe the implications of the clinical implementation of this technique.
Attentional neglect of left space is one of the most striking acquired neurological disorders of adulthood. Recent evidence indicates a link between left spatial neglect and general right‐hemisphere ...impairments in sustained attention and alertness. Poor sustained attention and alertness is also a central feature of other disorders, particularly childhood attention‐deficit‐hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Here we present the case of a 7‐year‐old male showing that frank neglect can be present in children with sustained attention problems without a clear aetiological event, or obvious structural brain abnormalities as indicated by a normal MRI. Experimental amelioration of the neglect through left‐hand movement and externally alerting stimulation by uninformative sounds further suggest close similarities to the adult disorder. We suggest that such distortions of spatial attention may be more common in childhood than previously thought.
The tunneling field effect transistor (TFET) is fabricated using a 65nm standard CMOS process flow. The short-narrow TFET offers an on-current of 550/spl mu/A//spl mu/m which is comparable to the ...reference MOSFET device. Due to the integrated substrate/well contact the effective area of the TFET is smaller compared to the corresponding MOSFET. Thus, the size of a system-on-a-chip design is reduced by more than 5%. The quantum-mechanical TFET is able to extend the epoch of the CMOS technology by showing reduced short channel effects and smaller leakage currents. A multi-threshold TFET device is proposed which does not need additional implantation steps. A 0.68/spl mu/m/sup 2/ 6 transistor memory cell is fabricated using TFETs and MOSFETs showing the compatibility of MOSFET and TFET and a decrease of the memory array area of approximately 3%.
Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) combined with recently developed noninvasive image-guided targeting techniques for tumor localization/repositioning provide a means to further improve on ...conformal radiotherapy of prostate cancer by optimally sparing the rectum. This refined approach may potentially improve treatment results for locally advanced prostate cancer while reducing side effects. This review summarizes the clinical requirements for effective prostate radiotherapy and describes the new technology that helps to better fulfil these requirements. These noninvasive developments, their potential benefit as well as their limitations, together with new data on fractionation sensitivity of prostate cancer that may lead to shortened overall treatment times may be of interest for all physicians treating patients with prostate cancer.
Highlights • Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is an asymptomatic state in which individuals demonstrate an immunological response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. • A number of effective regimens ...are available to treat adults and children with drug-susceptible LTBI. • The decision to treat individuals with LTBI must carefully balance the risks and benefits to the individual. • Electronic decision support tools can help clinicians and patients make evidence-based choices. • Randomized studies to evaluate the effectiveness of regimens to prevent multidrug-resistant TB are underway. • A substantial scale-up of LTBI screening and treatment will be vital if the global vision of tuberculosis elimination is to be realized.
PDF
