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Purpose: To develop and compare normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models for recurrent brain metastases (BMs) treated with repeat single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), considering time-dependent discounted prior dose. Methods: We developed three NTCP models of BMs treated with GammaKnife-based SRS. The maximum dose to 0.2cc (D0.2cc) of each lesion-specific brain and one-year radionecrosis was fitted using a logistic model with equivalent-dose conversions in 2 Gy (EQD2). The M0 and M1-retreat modeled radionecrosis risk following SRS to 1029 non-recurrent lesions (patients=262) and 2nd SRS to 149 recurrent lesions (patients=87). The M1-combo model accounted for 2nd SRS and time-dependent discounted 1st SRS dose for recurrent lesions estimated by a modified Gompertzian function. Results: All three models fitted the data well (Chi-2 = 0.039-0.089 and p = 0.999-1.000). The fitted EQD250 was ~103 Gy for M0, ~88 Gy for M1-retreat, and ~165 Gy for M1-combo. The fitted EQD2_50 exhibited a progressively flatter dose-response curve across the three models, with values of 1.2 Gy for M0, 0.6 Gy for M1-retreat, and 0.4 Gy for M1-combo. For the brain D0.2cc of 29Gy and 19Gy, the steepest to shallowest dose-response or largest change in NTCP, i.e., NTCP29Gy - NTCP19Gy was observed in M1-retreat (0.16), M0 (0.14) and M1-combo (0.06). Conclusions: The model-fitted parameters predict that recurrent BMs have a lower threshold dose tolerance and a more gradual dose response for the 2nd SRS than non-recurrent BMs. This gradual dose-response becomes even more apparent when considering the time-dependent discounted 1st SRS as a cumulative 2nd SRS. Tailoring SRS retreatment protocols based on NTCP modeling can potentially enhance therapeutic efficacy.

Purpose: The aim of this work was, a) to assess two treatment planning strategies for accounting CT-artifacts introduced by temporary tissue-expanders(TTEs); b) to evaluate the dosimetric impact of two commercially available and one novel TTE. MethodsThe CT artifacts were managed using two strategies. 1) Identifying the metal in the RayStation treatment planning software (TPS) using image window level adjustments, delineate a contour enclosing the artifact, and setting the density of the surrounding voxels to unity (RS1). 2) Registering a geometry template with dimensions and materials from the TTEs (RS2). Both strategies were compared for DermaSpan, AlloX2, and AlloX2-Pro TTEs using Collapsed-Cone-Convolution (CCC) in RayStation TPS, Monte Carlo simulations (MC) using TOPAS, and films. Wax slab phantoms with TTEs and breast phantoms with TTEs balloons were made and irradiated with a 6 MV AP beam and partial arc, respectively. Results: For the wax slab phantoms, the dose differences between RS1 and RS2 were 0.5% for DermaSpan and AlloX2 but 3% for AlloX2-Pro. From TOPAS simulations of RS2, the impact in dose distributions caused by the magnet attenuation was (6.4+-0.4)%, (4.9+-0.7)%, and (2.0+-0.9)% for DermaSpan, AlloX2, and AlloX2-Pro. With breast phantoms, maximum differences in DVH parameters between RS1 and RS2 were as follows. For AlloX2 at the posterior region: (2.1+-1.0)%, (1.9+-1.0)% and (1.4+-1.0)% for D1, D10, and average dose, respectively. For AlloX2-Pro at the anterior region (-1.0+-1.0)%, (-0.6+-1.0)% and (-0.6+-1.0)% for D1, D10 and average dose, respectively. The impact in D10 caused by the magnet was at most (5.5+-1.0)% and (-0.8+-1.0)% for AlloX2 and AlloX2-Pro, respectively. Conclusion: This study showed that the highest differences with respect to measurements occurred with RS1 and can be mitigated if a template with the actual port geometry and materials is used.

Na2IrO3 (NIO) is known to be a spin-orbit (SO) driven j=1/2 pseudo-spin Mott-Hubbard (M-H) insulator. However, the microscopic origin of the pseudo-spin state and the role of local structural distortions have not been clearly understood. Using a combination of theoretical calculations and x-ray spectroscopy, we show that the energetics in the vicinity of Fermi level (EF) is governed by SO interactions, electron correlation and local octahedral distortions. Contrary to the earlier understanding, here we show that the j=3/2 and 1/2 pseudo-spin states have admixture of both t2g and eg characters due to local structural distortion. Reduction of local octahedral symmetry also enables Ir 5d- O2p hybridization around the EF resulting in a M-H insulator with enhanced charge transfer character. The possibility of Slater insulator phase is also ruled out by a combination of absence of room temperature DoS in valence band spectra, calculated moments and temperature dependent magnetization measurements., Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures

This paper presents the realistic approach towards the quantitative analysis and simulation of Energy Efficient Hierarchical Cluster (EEHC)-based routing for wireless sensor networks. Here the efforts have been done to combine analytical hardware model with the modified EEHC-based routing model. The dependence of various performance metrics like: optimum number of clusters, Energy Consumption, and Energy consumed per round etc. based on analytical hardware sensor model and EEHC model has been presented., Comment: International Journal of Computer Science Issues, IJCSI, Vol. 7, Issue 1, No. 1, January 2010, http://ijcsi.org/articles/Realistic-Approach-towards-Quantitative-Analysis-and-Simulation-of-EEHC-Based-Routing-for-Wireless-Sensor-Networks.php

We report results of molecular dynamics simulations to understand the role of solute and solute-solvent interaction on solute diffusivity in a solid solution within a body centered cubic solid when the solute size is significantly smaller than the size of the solvent atom. Results show that diffusivity is maximum for two specific sizes of the solute atom. This is the first time that twin maxima have been found. The solute with diffusivity maxima are larger in case of rigid host as compared to flexible host. This suggests that the effect of lattice vibrations is to decrease the size at which the maximum is seen. For one of the $\epsilon_{uv}$ where two diffusivity maxima have been observed, we have analyzed various properties to understand the anomalous diffusion behavior. It is characterized by a lower activation energy, lower backscattering in the velocity autocorrelation function, lower mean square force, single exponential decay of the intermediate scattering function and monotonic dependence on $k$ of the $\Delta \omega/2Dk^2$ where $\Delta \omega$ is the fwhm of the self part of the dynamic structure factor. Among the two solute atoms at the anomalous maxima, the solute with higher diffusivity has lower activation energy., Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures

Diffusion invariably involves motion within a medium. An universal behavior observed is that self diffusivity exhibits a maximum as a function of the size of the diffusant when the diffusant is confined to a medium, as a result of what is known as the Levitation Effect. Such a maximum in self diffusivity has been seen in widely differing medium : microporous solids, dense liquids and close-packed solids, ions in polar solvents, etc. The effect arises because the forces exerted on the diffusant by the medium in which it is confined is a minimum for the size of the diffusant for which self diffusivity is a maximum. We report here simulations on a diatomic species confined to the cages of zeolite Y. Several different simulations in which the two atoms of the model diatomic species interact with equal strength(example, $O_2$, the symmetric case) and with unequal interaction strengths (example, $CO$, asymmetric case) are modeled here. Further, the bond length of the diatomic species is varied. Our results for the symmetric case shows that self diffusivity is maximum for a large enough bond length which fits snugly into the 12-ring window of zeolite Y. For weakly asymmetric case, a weak maximum is seen as a function of the bond length of the diatomic species. However, for strongly asymmetric case, no maximum in self diffusivity is seen for all the bond lengths studied. This demonstrates close relation between symmetry and the diffusivity maximum and provides a direct evidence for the need of force cancellation to observe the Levitation Effect., Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures

The present study investigates the effect of temperature-induced change of phase from face centred cubic solid to liquid on the size dependence of self diffusivity of solutes through detailed molecular dynamics simulations on binary mixtures consisting of a larger solvent and a smaller solute interacting via Lennard-Jones potential. The effect of change in density during the solid-liquid transition as well as in the solid and the liquid phase itself have been studied through two sets of simulations one at fixed density(NVE)and another at variable density(NPT). A size dependent diffusivity maximum is seen in both solid and liquid phases at most densities except at low liquid densities. Two distinct regimes may be identified : linear and anomalous regimes. It is seen that the effect of solid to liquid transition is to shift the diffusivity maximum to smaller sizes of the solutes and decrease the height of the maximum. This is attributed to the predominant influence of disorder and relatively weaker influence of density. The latter shifts the diffusivity maximum towards larger solute size while the former does exactly the opposite. Interestingly, we find that lower densities lead to weaker diffusivity maximum. We report for the first time for systems with large solute-solvent interaction strength, $\epsilon_{uv}$, multiple diffusivity maximum is seen as a function of the solute size. The origin of this is not clear. A remarkable difference in the ballistic-diffusive transition is seen between solutes from the linear regime and anomalous regime. It is found that this transition is sharp for solutes from anomalous regime. This provides interesting insight into motion of anomalous regime solutes. Apart from these, we report several properties which are different for the linear and anomalous regime solutes., Comment: 25 pages, 13 figures