Personalized Nutrition as a Key Contributor to Improving Radiation Response in Breast Cancer

Understanding metabolic and immune regulation inherent to patient populations is key to improving the radiation response for our patients. To date, radiation therapy regimens are prescribed based on tumor type and stage. Patient populations who are noted to have a poor response to radiation such as those of African American descent, those who have obesity or metabolic syndrome, or senior adult oncology patients, should be considered for concurrent therapies with radiation that will improve response. Here, we explore these populations of breast cancer patients, who frequently display radiation resistance and increased mortality rates, and identify the molecular underpinnings that are, in part, responsible for the radiation response and that result in an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment. The resulting immune phenotype is discussed to understand how antitumor immunity could be improved. Correcting nutrient deficiencies observed in these populations should be considered as a means to improve the therapeutic index of radiation therapy.

Adapted Method of Radiation Response Function Calculation for Development of High-Sensitivity Reference Meters Based on Scintillation Detection Units with NaI(Tl) Crystals for Dosimetry of Low-Intensity and Near-Background Levels

Metrological support of photon radiation fields of low-intensity and near-background levels (0.04–100 μSv/h (μGy/h)) by ambient equivalent dose rate or kerma rate in air using scintillation detectors with NaI(Tl) crystals looks promising and in demand in dosimetry, but nontrivial due to the complex dependence of efficiency registration of gamma quanta from energy. The solution of such problems with the use of these detectors can be based on the use of the radiation response functions, which are functionals of the energy distribution of the radiation field fluence. The paper proposes a method for calculating the radiation response function adapted for solving metrological support problems for creating high-precision dosimetric measuring instruments based on scintillation detection units with NaI(Tl) crystals.

Energy Dissipation and Electromagnetic Radiation Response of Sandstone Samples with a Pre-Existing Crack of Various Inclinations under an Impact Load

Various primary fissures and defects are widely present in a rock mass and have a significant impact on the stability of the rock mass. We studied the influence of the crack inclination angle on the energy dissipation and electromagnetic radiation (EMR) response of sandstone under an impact load. Impact tests were conducted on red sandstone samples with different inclination angles, in addition to test energy dissipation and EMR signals. The results showed that as the energy of the stress wave increased, the energy consumption density and damage variables of the sample gradually increased, and the electromagnetic radiation energy also increased. As the crack inclination increased, the energy consumption density first decreased and then increased, while the damage variable and electromagnetic radiation energy first increased and then decreased. In the process of impact damage, the main frequency of EMR was 0~5 kHz. As the energy of the stress wave increased, the dominant frequency band of the main frequency expanded from low frequency to high frequency, and the amplitude signal gradually increased; the α = 45° specimen frequency domain was the widest, and the amplitude was the largest. The crack inclination significantly changed the failure state of the sample, resulting in changes in the energy dissipation and the electromagnetic radiation response of the sample.