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ObjectivesWe performed a patterns-of-care study to characterize the types of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) versus primary debulking surgery (PDS) using the National Cancer Database (NCDB).MethodsWe identified patients with stages IIIC and IV EOC in the NCDB diagnosed from 2003 to 2011. Patients who received chemotherapy (CT) prior to surgery were classified as receiving NACT; if surgery preceded CT, then it was classified as PDS. Data collected from the NCDB included demographics, medical comorbidity index, cancer characteristics and treatment, and hospital characteristics. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed using χ2 test, logistic regression, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazards modeling as indicated. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.ResultsA total of 62,727 patients with stages IIIC and IV EOC were identified. The sequence of surgery and CT was identified, of which 6922 (11%) had NACT and 31,280 (50%) had PDS. Neoadjuvant CT was more frequently done in stage IV than stage IIIC (13% vs 9%), and its use markedly increased over time. Variables associated with increased likelihood of NACT use were as follows: age older than 50 years and those with higher comorbidities, stage IV, and higher-grade EOC. Neoadjuvant CT use was also associated with hospitals that were adherent to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, high-volume facilities, those in the Midwest and West, and academic centers.ConclusionsEvidence suggests that patients with greater adverse risk factors are more likely to receive NACT instead of PDS. Use of NACT has significantly increased over the study period, especially in patients with stage IV ovarian cancer.

The study aim was to identify contemporary socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and facility-related factors associated with stage at diagnosis, receipt of cancer treatment, and survival in women with endometrial cancer (EC).Women diagnosed with EC between 1998 and 2010 were identified from the National Cancer Database. Variables associated with the outcomes of interest were assessed using multivariable Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression.Among 228,511 women identified, the percentage of blacks with stage IIIC/IV disease at diagnosis was nearly twice that of non-Hispanic whites (17.8% vs 9.8%; P0.001). Patients with advanced disease who were insured with Medicare were less likely to receive standard-of-care postoperative radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy than those with private insurance (odds ratio: OR 0.80, P0.001), as were those residing in the South (reference) in comparison to the Northeast, Atlantic, Great Lakes, and Midwest regions (OR 1.3-1.7, all P0.001). Those residing in the Mountain region were even less likely to receive appropriate treatment (OR 0.7, P0.001). Five-year stage IIIC/IV survival was 42.8% for non-Hispanic whites vs 24.6% for blacks (hazard ratio 1.3, P0.001). Other factors associated with inferior 5-year survival included payer status (not insured, Medicaid, Medicare, vs private, ORs 1.2-1.3, all P0.01), and treatment at low-volume centers (5 vs ≥30cases/year, HR 1.3, P0.001).Socioeconomic, geographic and facility-related factors predict advanced endometrial cancer stage, failure to receive cancer care, and shorter survival. Black women had especially poor survival. Nationwide standardization and concentration of treatment at high-volume centers may improve outcomes.

OBJECTIVE To identify risk factors associated with refusal of recommended chemotherapy and its impact on patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). METHODS We identified patients in the National Cancer Data Base diagnosed with EOC from January 1998 to December 2011. Patients who refused chemotherapy were identified and compared with those who received recommended, multiagent chemotherapy. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed using chi-square test with Bonferroni correction, binary logistic regression, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazards modeling. The threshold for statistical significance was set at a P value of less than 0.05. RESULTS From a cohort of 147,713 eligible patients, 2,707 refused chemotherapy. These patients were compared with 92,212 patients who received recommended multiagent chemotherapy. Older age, more medical comorbidities, not having insurance, and later year of diagnosis were directly and significantly associated with chemotherapy refusal when analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. In addition, lower-than-expected facility adherence to NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Ovarian Cancer, treatment at low-volume center, lower grade, and higher stage were all significantly and independently associated with chemotherapy refusal. Median overall survival of patients who received multiagent chemotherapy was significantly longer than that of those who refused chemotherapy (43 vs 4.8 months; P

A new synergy mechanism between Ohkawa current drive (OKCD) of electron cyclotron (EC) waves and lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) is discovered and discussed. And the methodology to achieve this synergy effect is also introduced. Improvement of OKCD efficiency can be achieved up to a factor of ~ 2.5 in far off-axis radial region (\r{ho} > 0.6) of tokamak plasmas. Making EC wave heating the electrons of co-Ip direction and LH wave heating the electrons of counter-Ip direction, the mechanism of this new synergy effect comes from the results of electron trapping and detrapping processes. The OKCD makes the low speed barely passing electrons to be trapped (trapping process), the LHCD pulls some of the high speed barely trapped electrons out of the trapped region in velocity space (detrapping process) and accelerates the detrapped electrons to a higher speed., 9 pages, 9 figures

Context Cervical cancer affects 12 000 women in the United States annually. However, despite its prevalence, there remains no good methodology to detect its recurrence. Objective To identify the role of cervicovaginal high-risk human papilloma virus (hr-HPV) testing in predicting cervical cancer recurrence. Design This is a retrospective study of patients who underwent hr-HPV testing as part of their routine surveillance for cervical cancer. Standard statistical analyses, including χ2 test and multivariable logistic regression, were performed with IBM SPSS 19.0. Results A total of 133 patients were identified, of whom 107 (80%) had squamous cell carcinoma. Ninety patients (68%) had bulky disease and were treated primarily with chemoradiation and brachytherapy. Of patients whose disease recurred, 5 patients (42%) had tested positive for hr-HPV during their surveillance period, compared to 13 patients (11%) for whom disease did not recur (relative risk: 3.88, P = .002). On multivariate logistic regression, hr-HPV status remained significantly predictive of disease recurrence (odds ratio: 12.3, P = .02, 95% confidence interval: 1.5–99.6). Using 2 × 2 table analysis, we found that while cervicovaginal cytology has limited specificity (5.7%) in predicting recurrence, the combination of cytology with hr-HPV testing increases the specificity of testing to 89.3%. Conclusions Persistence of hr-HPV is a risk factor for disease recurrence. High-risk–HPV testing is not routinely used during surveillance for cervical cancer, but this study suggests that large, prospective trials investigating the role of hr-HPV testing in cervical cancer surveillance are needed.

Vaginal cancer is an uncommon entity for which concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) may be used based on small retrospective series and extrapolation from cervical cancer. We explored the adoption rate of CCRT and determined its impact on survival.Patients entered into the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) diagnosed with vaginal cancer from 1998 to 2011 who received definitive radiation therapy were included. Univariate/multivariable exploratory analyses of factors associated with CCRT were performed. Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards modeling identified the contribution of CCRT on survival.Of the 13,689 patients identified, 8222 (60.1%) received radiation therapy. Of these, 3932 (47.8%) received CCRT and its use increased from 20.8% to 59.1% (1998-2011). Of the 23 patient, disease, facility, and treatment factors, 13 were significantly associated with patient outcomes and were entered into a binary logistic regression model. This evaluation revealed that younger age, larger tumor size, later year of diagnosis, higher facility volume, squamous histology, and higher stage (in order of increasing association) are independently associated with CCRT use. Median overall survival is longer with CCRT compared to radiation alone (56.2 vs. 41.2 months, p0.0005). On multivariable analysis, younger age, higher facility volume, squamous histology, lower comorbidity score, CCRT, brachytherapy utilization and lower stage (in order of increasing association) are independently prognostic of improved survival.Use of CCRT for patients with vaginal cancer has increased and is associated with a significant improvement in survival in this large, national cohort. CCRT should be integrated into treatment guidelines for vaginal cancer.

To utilize the National Cancer Data Base to evaluate trends in brachytherapy and alternative radiation therapy utilization in the treatment of cervical cancer, to identify associations with outcomes between the various radiation therapy modalities.Patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIB-IVA cervical cancer in the National Cancer Data Base who received treatment from January 2004 to December 2011 were analyzed. Overall survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to identify factors associated with type of boost radiation modality used and its impact on survival.A total of 7654 patients had information regarding boost modality. A predominant proportion of patients were Caucasian (76.2%), had stage IIIB (48.9%) disease with squamous (82.0%) histology, were treated at academic/research centers (47.7%) in the South (34.8%), and lived 0 to 5 miles (27.9%) from the treating facility. A majority received brachytherapy (90.3%). From 2004 to 2011, brachytherapy use decreased from 96.7% to 86.1%, whereas intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) use increased from 3.3% to 13.9% in the same period (P.01). Factors associated with decreased brachytherapy utilization included older age, stage IVA disease, smaller tumor size, later year of diagnosis, lower-volume treatment centers, and facility type. After controlling for significant factors from survival analyses, IMRT or SBRT boost resulted in inferior overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.35-2.55; P.01) as compared with brachytherapy. In fact, the survival detriment associated with IMRT or SBRT boost was stronger than that associated with excluding chemotherapy (hazard ratio, 1.61' 95% confidence interval, 1.27-2.04' P.01).Consolidation brachytherapy is a critical treatment component for locally advanced cervical cancer; however, there has been declining utilization of brachytherapy. Increased use of IMRT and SBRT boost coupled with increased mortality risk should raise concerns about utilizing these approaches over brachytherapy.

A single wafer silicon nitride (SiN) selective etch process with an etch rate greater than 80A/min of low-pressure chemical vapor deposited (LPCVD) SiN has been developed. Previous work with a similar single wafer system utilized a mixture of sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid and steam to achieve a high SiN etch rate [1]. The process in this work relies on phosphoric acid and steam for a high SiN etch rate. In both of these applications, addition of steam doubles the SiN etch rate. The single wafer system utilizes a closed chamber design with integrated spray bar to uniformly dispense hot phosphoric acid and steam onto the wafer surface achieving within wafer non-uniformities of less than 3%. Rinsing and drying of the phosphoric acid from the wafer surface occurs in the same chamber (dry in/dry out) providing a stable, haze free wafer. Figure 1 contains a schematic of the phosphoric acid delivery and single wafer system.

This article describes recent progress in integral neutronics experiments in benchmark fission assemblies for the blanket design in a hybrid reactor. The spherical assemblies consist of three layers of depleted uranium shells and several layers of polyethylene shells, separately. In the assemblies with centralizing the D-T neutron source, the plutonium production rates, uranium fission rates and leakage neutron spectra are measured. The measured results are compared to the calculated ones with the MCNP-4B code and ENDF/B-VI library data, available.

Minimally invasive technology, especially robotics, is gaining widespread acceptance and is becoming the standard approach for the treatment of both benign and malignant gynecologic conditions in centers across the country. However, there are challenges on a systems-based level to the implementation

We report significant improvement of the TiSi / p-SiGe contact resistance by using a cryogenic (cold) boron implantation technique inside the contact trench of FinFET devices, providing both a source of dopants and a localized amorphization of the source/drain, self-aligned on the contact trench. A record low p-type contact resistivity of 5.9×10−9 ohm-cm2 is demonstrated and a 7.5% performance improvement is achieved. The variation of the implant temperature demonstrates a further improvement of the contact resistance when going to cryogenic (cold) implantation (−100 °C). Using TCAD, we demonstrate that the reduced implant temperature provides a higher degree of amorphization and reduces defects. This is the key to provide an enhanced recrystallization of the doped amorphized region through Solid Phase Epitaxial Regrowth (SPER) low temperature activation. We propose in this paper a novel mechanism for p-type contacts, and demonstrate it for the first time on state-of-the-art FinFET p-type devices using cryogenic (cold) implants and SPER regrowth.

As the demand for greater speed in semiconductor devices continues, a typical method of increasing charge mobility is to maximise the silicon strain at the depletion region in p-type transistors through the implementation of “Sigma Cavity” structures in the bulk silicon on either side of the gate structure. These structures, when filled, exhibit a uniaxial strain in the depletion region thus, increasing the charge transport speed [1]. The shape of the Sigma Cavity structure is important in maximising the strain in this region, thus strict control of the shape dimensions is imperative to the electrical performance of the device.

Objective Uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) is an aggressive subtype of endometrial cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) has become standard care in treatment of women with advanced-stage UPSC, but the role of consolidative radiotherapy (RT) is unclear. This study aims to evaluate survival outcomes of multimodal therapy. Design Retrospective cohort study using a National Cancer Database (NCDB). Setting United States of America. Sample A total of 1816 women diagnosed with UPSC. Methods All women diagnosed with surgically staged FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage-IIIC UPSC were identified in the NCDB from January 1998 to December 2010. Overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to identify and control for prognostic factors. Main outcome measure Overall survival. Results A total of 398 057 cases of uterine cancer were identified, 22 106 of which were UPSC. Of these women, 14 093 underwent lymph-node examination, 2902 (20.6%) were found to have stage-IIIC disease, and 1816 received chemotherapy. Younger age and higher number of total lymph nodes examined were independently predictive of receiving multimodality (CT + RT) therapy, compared with CT only. Median OS was 33.6 and 42.6 months, for the CT and CT + RT groups, respectively (P

For node-positive vulvar cancer, adjuvant radiotherapy has an established benefit, whereas the impact of chemotherapy is unknown. A National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) analysis was conducted to determine patterns of care and evaluate the survival impact of adjuvant chemotherapy.The NCDB was queried for vulvar cancer patients diagnosed from 1998-2011 who underwent extirpative surgery with confirmed inguinal nodal involvement treated with adjuvant radiotherapy. Patients with inadequate follow-up or non-squamous histologies were excluded. Chi-square test, logistic regression analysis, log-rank test and multivariable Cox proportional regression modeling with adjustment using propensity score with inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTW) were conducted to establish factors associated with utilization and survival.A total of 1797 patients were identified: 26.3% received adjuvant chemotherapy and 76.6% had 1-3 involved lymph nodes. Adoption of adjuvant chemotherapy significantly increased over time, from 10.8% in 1998 to 41.0% in 2006 (p0.001). Lower utilization was seen in older patients, Northeast or Southern facilities, and patients with more extensive nodal dissection, whereas greater number of involved nodes, stage IVA disease and positive surgical margins led to a higher probability of receiving chemotherapy. Unadjusted median survival without and with adjuvant chemotherapy was 29.7months and 44.0months (p=0.001). On IPTW-adjusted Cox proportional regression modeling, delivery of adjuvant chemotherapy resulted in a 38% reduction in the risk of death (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.48-0.79, p0.001).In a large population-based analysis, adjuvant chemotherapy resulted in a significant reduction in mortality risk for node-positive vulvar cancer patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy.

Degradation of lateral diffused MOS transistors in various hot-carrier stress modes is investigated. A novel three-region charge-pumping technique is proposed to characterize interface trap (N it) and bulk oxide charge Qox creation in the channel and in the drift regions separately. The growth rates of Nit and Qox are extracted from the proposed method. A two-dimensional numerical device simulation is performed to gain insight into device degradation characteristics in different stress conditions. This paper shows that a maximum Ig stress causes the largest drain current and subthreshold slope degradation because of both Nit generation in the channel and Qox creation in the bird's beak region. The impact of oxide trap property and location on device electrical characteristics is analyzed from measurement and simulation

In social animals, the influence of life-history traits on group structure and size is potentially important in the context of the evolution of social systems. Birth rate and infant survival have been differently predicted as a function of group size by models of the evolution of group living in primates. A wild population of the Formosan macaque, Macaca cyclopis that inhabits Mt Longevity, Taiwan has been monitored since July 1993 to collect demographic, reproductive and social behaviour data. Little is known about the effects of troop size on population growth in Formosan macaques. In this paper, we have presented for the first time 5-years of data (1997–2001) on the troop dynamics of 14 social troops. We also examined the effects of troop size on birth rate, infant mortality and inter-troop social interactions. The annual average troop size increment fluctuated from 1.94% to 10.97%. The annual average troop size of 14 groups was 43.57 ± 15.88 individuals in 1997, and increased to 55.97 ± 16.86 individu...

PurposeTo examine the heat transfer characteristics of soild‐liquid phase change material (PCM) suspensions in a rectangular natural circulation loop.Design/methodology/approachA continuum mixture flow model is used for the buoyancy‐driven circulation flow of the PCM suspensions together with an approximate enthalpy model to describe the solid‐liquid phase change (melting/freezing) process of the PC particles in the loop. Numerical simulations via a finite difference method have been conducted for the pertinent physical parameters of a loop with fixed geometrical configuration in the following ranges: the modified Rayleigh number Ra*=109‐1013, the modified Stefan number Ste*=0.05‐0.5, the particle volumetric fraction Cv=0‐20 percent and the modified subcooling factor Sb*=0‐2.0.FindingsThe melting/freezing processes of the PCM particles at the heated/cooled sections of the loop are closely interrelated in their inlet conditions of the suspension. The influences of the modified Rayleigh number, the particle fraction, the modified Stefan number, and the modified subcooling factor on the heat transfer behavior, as well as the thermal efficacy of the PCM suspensions are elucidated. There could be a flow regime in the parametirc domain where heat transfer performance of the suspension circulation loop is significantly enhanced, due to contribution of the latent heat transport associated with melting/freezing of PCM particles.Research limitations/implicationsFuture work to address effects of the geometric parameters such as the aspect ratio; the lengths and locations of, as well as the relative height between the heated and cooled sections is definitely needed, which are necessary steps towards developing more reliable predictive tools for system design of a circulation loop containing PCM suspension.Originality/valueThis work has explored the feasibility and quantified the efficacy of incorporating the PC suspensions as the heat transfer enhancement medium in a natural circulation loop, which has not been examined previously.

Multiple gate field-effect transistors (MuGFET) are generally used in modern time semiconductor field due to better transistor current flow. However in the last advanced generation, MuGFET has transferred to Fin Field Effect Transistor (FinFET) structure with 3 dimensional (3-D) geometry to enable the minimize off-state leakage currents, high transistor current flow and quick switch…etc. advantages. But 3D structure will limit the depth of focus (DOF) of lithography. Chemical Mechanical polishing (CMP) planarization process has become more and more important to improve this issue in FinFET production. At L14 node CMP processes, a new Amorphous Si (A-Si) CMP process is introduced to reduce the roughness after the Amorphous Silicon deposition of gate. In this study, a robust ASICMP process with better A-Si polishing profile (range control), lower defectivity and better thickness control has been evaluated to meet the ASICMP process criteria at 14nm node. Optimizing the process control algorithm and down force condition for each polishing zone could improve process stable and range control. Fine tune full-vision spectrum can obvious enhance thickness control accurately.

Vaginal cancer is an uncommon malignancy that is usually treated with definitive radiation therapy. Following external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), a brachytherapy boost is delivered to achieve a total dose of 70-85 Gy. We sought to determine the trends of brachytherapy boost utilization in the treatment of vaginal cancer and to identify the factors associated with its utilization.Using the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), we identified 1530 patients with vaginal cancer from 2004 to 2011 who were treated with radiation therapy and had a recorded boost modality. The following additional variables were identified: age, year of diagnosis, Charlson/Deyo comorbidity score, stage, histology, race, brachytherapy dose rate, brachytherapy applicator technique, treatment facility volume, and utilization of chemotherapy. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors independently associated with brachytherapy boost.Seventy-seven percent of the 1530 women received brachytherapy boost and 23% received EBRT boost. The rate of brachytherapy boost utilization decreased from 87.7% in 2004 to 68.6% in 2011 (P.001). Of all the nonbrachytherapy boost modalities, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) demonstrated the greatest increase (4.5% to 23.5%). For those who had brachytherapy boost, the rate of high-dose-rate increased from 76.3% to 90.8% (P = .02). Multivariate analysis revealed that high facility volume was associated with increased odds of brachytherapy boost (odds ratio [OR], 2.3; range, 1.5-3.4). Higher stage and advanced age were associated with decreased odds of brachytherapy boost (OR, 0.2; range, 0.1-0.3 and OR, 0.5; range, 0.3-0.8). Utilization of chemotherapy, histology, race, and comorbidity index were not significantly associated with brachytherapy boost utilization.Using the NCDB, we identified a concerning decline in the utilization of brachytherapy boost for those with vaginal cancer and a corresponding increase in IMRT boost technique. The strongest factor predicting for brachytherapy boost utilization is treatment at a high volume facility.

Chemosensitizing radiation with brachytherapy is standard of care for treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer, an increasingly rare disease. Treatment facility volume has been correlated with outcome in many diseases. Treatment outcome and likelihood of receiving standard therapy in locally advanced cervical cancer based on facility volume were examined using a large national cancer database.The National Cancer Data Base was queried for patients with stage IIB - IIIB cervical cancer from 1/1998 through 12/2010. Facility volumes were tallied. Overall survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to determine variables affecting survival, receiving standard therapy, and total duration of radiotherapy.We identified a total of 27,660 patients who were treated at 1361 facilities. Thirty of the facilities (2.2%) treated the highest quartile volume of patients (9.4 patients annually) while 1072 facilities (78.8%) treated2.4 patients annually. The median age of patients was 53, the majority were Caucasian, treated in a metropolitan area, and of squamous cell histology. Median survival of patients treated at lowest- and highest-volume centers were 42.3 months (95% CI 39.8-44.8) and 53.8 months (50.1-57.5), respectively (p0.001). The proportions of patients receiving brachytherapy and chemotherapy were 54.8% and 79.9%, respectively. On multivariable analysis, higher facility volume independently predicted improved survival (p = 0.022), increased likelihood of receiving brachytherapy (p0.0005) and chemotherapy (p = 0.013), and shorter time to radiotherapy completion (p0.0005).Patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated at high volume centers are more likely to receive standard therapy, complete therapy sooner, and experience better survival.

To review the first 100 cases of robotic-assisted hysterectomy performed by an individual surgeon.A retrospective cohort study of the first 100 consecutive patients who underwent robotic-assisted hysterectomy by a newly trained minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon was conducted. Demographic factors and short-term surgical outcome variables were abstracted from medical records. We examined univariate associations and performed multivariable modeling with linear regression, and modeled the learning curve for total operative time using power-law function.Mean age was 46 years; mean body mass index was 27.8 kg/m(2). Median operative time was 120 minutes; median estimated blood loss was 100mL. On multivariable analysis, case number (β -0.296; P0.005) and uterine weight (β 0.330; P0.005) independently predicted operative time, while uterine weight (β 0.387; P0.005) independently predicted estimated blood loss. The point at which the slope of the case number-operative time curve crosses -1.0 is at case 28 when uncontrolled and at case 24 when controlled for other factors.There was a significantly decreased operative time for robotic-assisted hysterectomies performed later in the surgeon's learning curve. Surgical proficiency, as measured by operative time, seemed to be attained after 20-30 cases.

This study addresses the design and properties of serial sliding mode control (SMC) systems for an induction servo motor drive to track periodic commands. It contains a SMC, an adaptive SMC (ASMC) and an estimator-based SMC (ESMC). The effectiveness of the proposed control systems is verified by numerical simulations, and the superiority of the ESMC system is indicated in comparison with the SMC and ASMC systems.

A method of achieving dropwise condensation using Langmuir-Blodgett (L-B) built-up film technology is presented. One and three layers of barium stearate monomolecular film were prepared on the copper plates, and excellent dropwise condensation of steam was formed on the surfaces, respectively. The heat transfer coefficients of dropwise condensation on these treated surfaces are more than 30 times higher than that of filmwise condensation on a bare surface.

One-dimensioned semiconductor nanostructures have demonstrated to be good materials for novel nanoscale optoelectronics and high-sensitivity molecule sensors. Recent years have seen increased attention given to silicon nanowires (SiNWs), owing to their unusual quantum-confinement effects for developing various applied device, such as optoelectronics, biosensor, and other devices. The key application is the geometric control of fabricated SiNWs including their lengths, sizes, and orientations. Therefore, in this paper, simple and convenient approach to generate SiNWs of single-crystalline, well-aligned, and large area has been directly synthesized on p-type (100) silicon wafer via an electroless metal deposition (EMD) method The experimental results show that microstructures of SiNWs have been observed at the concentration ratio of 0.02M∶ 4.6M for AgNO 3 /HF at 50°C with different chemical etching time.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the impact that obesity has on surgical and oncologic outcomes after primary debulking surgery (PDS) in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods: The medical records of women with stage IIIC/IV EOC who underwent PDS with curative intent between 1/1/2003 and 12/31/ 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Postoperative complications within 30 days were graded according to the modified 4-point Accordion classification. For statistical analyses patients were divided into three weight groups according to body mass index (BMI) as follows: Group 1–BMI b30.0 kg/m; Group 2–BMI 30.0–39.9 kg/m; and Group 3–BMI ≥40.0 kg/m. Logistic regression models were fit to evaluate the associations between weight group and categorical outcomes. Cox proportional hazards models were fit to evaluate the associations with 90-day mortality, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: Of the 620 patients included in the study, 67.1%, 26.5%, and 6.5% were in weight groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Patients in group 3 were significantly younger (mean age, 60.7 vs. 65.1 years, p = 0.02) andmore likely to have an ASA score≥3 (67.5% vs. 42.0%, p = 0.002) compared to patients in group 1. Weight group 3 was an independent predictor of severe (grade 3 or 4) 30-day complications after adjusting for ASA score, surgical complexity, age, and preoperative albumin (group 3 vs. group 1: odds ratio 2.52, 95% CI 1.19, 5.31; p= 0.02). Weight group was not associated with differences in residual disease (p= 0.78) or surgical complexity (p= 0.08). Ninety-day mortality was 9.7%, 6.3%, and 15.7% in weight groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (p= 0.17). After adjusting for confounders, this association approached statistical significance (p = 0.07). There was no difference in OS (p= 0.53) or PFS (p= 0.71) among weight groups. Conclusion: This is one of the largest studies to examine the impact of obesity on advanced EOC, and the only to analyze patients with a BMI ≥40.0 kg/m2. BMI ≥40.0 kg/m is an independent predictor of severe 30-day postoperative morbidity after primary debulking surgery for EOC – information useful in preoperative counseling. BMI does not appear to impact long-term oncologic outcomes or residual disease at primary surgery. Risk-adjustment models and reimbursement strategies should incorporate these observations.

Self-heating induced transient hot carrier effects in high-voltage n-LDMOS are investigated. A novel LDMOS structure incorporating a metal contact in the bird's beak region is fabricated, which allows us to probe an internal voltage transient in hot carrier stress. The AC stress- frequency dependence of device degradation is characterized and evaluated by a two-dimensional numerical simulation. Our result shows that drain current degradation in AC stress is more serious than in DC stress because of the reduction of self-heating effect.

e16524 Background: Robotic surgery has become widely adopted in the treatment of endometrial cancer despite data suggesting higher cost and mixed clinical benefit. A comparison of robotic-assisted ...

5525 Background: Vaginal cancer is uncommon entity for which concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) is increasingly used based on extrapolation from cervical cancer. However, studies supporting CCRT use ...

the physician, for the nine CT sets. The dice coefficient (DC) is used as the similarity metric. The resulting DCs range from 0.89 to 0.94, with a mean value of 0.9233, which indicates that the proposed segmentation scheme can accurately segment different types of applicator region in HDR images. DIR between two HDR fractions for one patient is shown in Figure 1. Visual inspection in all the cases indicates that our proposed method can suppress the interference of the applicator with the DIR algorithm, and successfully and accurately register the HDR images, as well as deforming and adding doses between HDR fractions. Conclusions: We have developed a novel and robust DIR scheme that can perform registration between HDR gynecological CT images and yield accurate registration results. This new DIR scheme has potential for accurate interfractional HDR dose accumulation.