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Background: To evaluate whether the use of the internal target volume (ITV) delineation method improves the performance of intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and three‐dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) in terms of survival, acute toxicities, and dose–volume parameters. Methods: A total number of 477 cervical cancer patients who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) from January 2012 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into four groups: the non‐ITV (N‐ITV) + IMRT, ITV + IMRT, N‐ITV + 3DCRT, and ITV + 3DCRT groups, with 76, 41, 327, and 33 patients, respectively. Survival analysis was performed with the Kaplan–Meier and the log‐rank tests, and acute toxicity analysis was performed with the chi‐squared test and the binary logistic regression test. Using the propensity score matching (PSM) method, 92 patients were matched among the four groups, and their dose–volume parameters were assessed with the Kruskal–Wallis method. Results: The median follow‐up time was 49 months (1–119) for overall survival (OS). The 5‐year OS rate was 66.4%. The ITV delineation method was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR [95% CI]: 0.52 [0.27, 0.98], p = 0.044) and progression‐free survival (PFS) (HR [95% CI]: 0.59 [0.36, 0.99], p = 0.045). The ITV + IMRT group had the lowest incidence rate (22%) and the N‐ITV + IMRT group had the highest incidence rate of grade ≥3 hematological toxicity (HT) (46.1%) among the four groups. The pelvic bone marrow relative V10, V20, and V30 in the N‐ITV + IMRT group was higher than those in the ITV + IMRT and N‐ITV + 3DCRT groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The use of ITV for IMRT treatment planning was associated with improved overall survival and progression‐free survival, with lower HT rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting atomic force microscopy and scanning surface potential microscopy were adopted to study the nanoscale surface electrical properties of aluminum zinc oxide (AZO) films that were prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at various substrate temperatures for use as anode materials in polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). Experimental results indicate that when substrate temperatures exceed 100 °C, the local conductivity and work function are positively correlated with the concentrations of Al dopant and O2- on AZO surface. When the substrate temperature is approximately 150 °C, the percentage coverage of conducting regions of the AZO surface and the mean work function are 90.20% and 4.85 eV, respectively. Additionally, both microcosmic uniformities meet the standard applied to PLEDs. This low-temperature condition for PLD significantly reduces the yield rate of impurities when AZO vacuum evaporation is performed on a plastic substrate, supporting various applications of AZO films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, conducting atomic force microscopy was employed to investigate the nanoscale surface electrical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) films prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at different substrate temperatures for use as anode materials in polymer light-emitting diodes. The results show that the surface conductivity distribution of ZnO is related to its surface structure. At substrate temperatures of 150-200°C, the conducting regions may cover over 90% of the ZnO thin-film surface, thus providing the best local conductivity. Moreover, heating at substrate temperatures of above 250°C can effectively make the conductivity on the ZnO surface uniform. In particular, at substrate temperatures of around 300°C, the conducting regions where currents are between 1 and 2 μA may cover as much as 83% of the surface, and furthermore, the transmission ratio in the visible range is higher than 80%. This is a rather ideal production temperature for the PLD for ZnO films. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of eyelid margin cleaning using Deep Cleaning Device for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye., Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, open-label, investigator-masked, and self-controlled study. We randomly assigned one eye of patients with meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye to the treatment group, and the other eye to the control group. Both groups received artificial tears and lid warming; the treatment group received an additional one-time in-office eyelid margin cleaning using Deep Cleaning Device. Non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT) and tear meniscus height (TMH) of each eye, and Standard Patient Evaluation for Eye Dryness II (SPEED II) score of each patient were evaluated before and at one week after treatment., Results: Thirty eyes of 15 patients were enrolled. No adverse effects occurred during the treatment. Compared with the baseline values, the SPEED score decreased significantly at one week after treatment (mean±95% confidence interval, 11.00±0.99 vs. 5.67±1.67, P<0.0001), the NITBUT-first in the treatment group increased significantly at one week after treatment ((4.74±1.27) s vs. (7.49±2.22) s, P=0.01). The NITBUT-first was significantly longer in the treatment group ((7.49±2.22) s) than in the control group ((5.17±0.91) s) at one week after treatment (P=0.042). No significant differences were found in other tear film parameters between the two groups., Conclusions: Eyelid margin cleaning using the novel Deep Cleaning Device is a convenient, effective, and safe treatment for patients with meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye.

Objective: To investigate the effects of corneal thickness distribution and apex position on postoperative refractive status after full-bed deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (FBDALK)., Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of patients who were diagnosed with advanced keratoconus between 2011 and 2014 in our hospital. The base of the cone in all patients did not exceed the central cornea at a 6-mm range. The FBDALK was performed by a same surgeon. All patients had a complete corneal suture removal and the follow-up records were intact. Patients who had graft-bed misalignment or who were complicated with a cataract or glaucoma were excluded. Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), and Pentacam examination data were recorded at two years postoperatively. The recorded data included the superior-inferior (S-I) and nasal-temporal (N-T) corneal thickness differences in 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm diameter concentric circles with the corneal apex as the center (S-I 2 mm , S-I 4 mm , S-I 6 mm , S-I 8 mm , N-T 2 mm , N-T 4 mm , N-T 6 mm , and N-T 8 mm ), the linear, X-axis, and Y-axis distance between the corneal pupillary center and the cornea apex, total corneal astigmatism at a zone of 3 mm diameter from the corneal apex (TA 3 mm ), the astigmatic vector values J 0 and J 45 , and the corneal total higher-order aberration for 3 and 6 mm pupil diameters (HOA 3 mm and HOA 6 mm ). Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 15.0., Results: A total of 47 eyes of 46 patients met the criteria and were included in this study. The mean follow-up time was (28±7) months. The mean UCVA was 0.45±0.23 (logMAR) (MAR: minimum angle of resolution) and the mean BSCVA was 0.19±0.15 (logMAR), which were all significantly positively correlated with postoperative TA 3 mm and HOA 3 mm . The mean S-I corneal thickness differences were (44.62±37.74) μm, and the mean N-T was (38.57±32.29) μm. S-I 2 mm was significantly positively correlated with J 0 (r=0.31), J 45 (r=0.42), HOA 3 mm (r=0.37), and HOA 6 mm (r=0.48). S-I 4 mm and S-I 8 mm were significantly positively correlated with HOA 3 mm (r=0.30, r=0.40) and HOA 6 mm (r=0.46, r=0.35). The X-axis distance between corneal pupillary center and corneal apex was significantly positively correlated with J 45 (r=0.29)., Conclusions: In patients with advanced keratoconus after FBDALK, the unevenly distributed thickness at corneal pupillary area and the misalignment of corneal apex and pupillary center might cause significant regular and irregular astigmatism, which affected the postoperative visual quality.

Background and Objective: The 2008 staging system of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) was generated based on the NPC 92 and AJCC staging system. It remains open to be consummated. This study was to evaluate its rationality as well as compare the stage distribution among the 3 staging systems, by using of MRI imaging., Methods: MRI data was collected from a cohort of 177 cases of untreated NPC for retrospective review. We accepted the nasal involvement criteria of 2008 staging system, in which the borderline between the nasal cavity and nasopharynx was a line linked between both posterior walls of the maxillary sinus, for all of the 3 systems., Results: Involvement of oropharynx, nasopharynx, soft palatine, prevertebral muscles, post-styloid space, intracranial, orbit, 1st and/or 2nd cervical body are 100% accompanied with other same or more advanced T-stage classifications. The same situations happened in more than 95% of involvement of the medial pterygoid muscle or masticator space beyond it. Cervical lymph node metastasis (LNM) accounted for 76.3%. Proportion of metastatic lymph node extracapsular extension (ECE) and/or bilateral neck LNM elevated as maximum diameter of the node increased, no matter transverse or longitudinal. There were 11 cases of parotid LNM in this group. Advanced stage accounted for 81.4%, 78.5% and 75.7% in 2008, UICC and NPC 92 staging system, respectively, without statistic difference., Conclusion: Nasal involvement criteria and T-stage classification of the medial pterygoid muscle defined by NPC 2008 staging system seems reasonable. Stage distribution is also similar to the other 2 systems. However, diameter of the LNM might not be a prognostic factor. Parameters such as how to classify a parotid LNM, or a node which occupies more than one region, require further clarify.