Working memory is an executive memory process that includes encoding, maintenance, and retrieval. These processes can be modulated by transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) with sinusoidal waves. However, little is known about the impact of the rate of current change on working memory. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of two types of tACS with different rates of current change on working memory performance and brain activity. We applied a randomized, single-blind design and divided 81 young participants who received triangular wave tACS, sinusoidal wave tACS, or sham stimulation into three groups. Participants performed n-back tasks, and electroencephalograms were recorded before, during, and after active or sham stimulation. Compared to the baseline, working memory performance (accuracy and response time) improved after stimulation under all stimulation conditions. According to drift-diffusion model analysis, triangular wave tACS significantly increased the efficiency of non-target information processing. In addition, compared with sham conditions, triangular wave tACS reduced alpha power oscillations in the occipital lobe throughout the encoding period, while sinusoidal wave tACS increased theta power in the central frontal region only during the later encoding period. The brain network connectivity results showed that triangular wave tACS improved the clustering coefficient, local efficiency, and node degree intensity in the early encoding stage, and these parameters were positively correlated with the non-target drift rate and decision starting point. Our findings on how tACS modulates working memory indicate that triangular wave tACS significantly enhances brain network connectivity during the early encoding stage, demonstrating an improvement in the efficiency of working memory processing. In contrast, sinusoidal wave tACS increased the theta power during the later encoding stage, suggesting its potential critical role in late-stage information processing. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential mechanisms by which tACS modulates working memory.
Humans ; Memory, Short-Term/physiology* ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult ; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation/methods* ; Brain/physiology* ; Adult ; Electroencephalography ; Single-Blind Method

Cardiovascular diseases(CVDs)are a leading factor driving mortality worldwide.Iron,an essential trace mineral,is important in numerous biological processes,and its role in CVDs has raised broad discussion for decades.Iron-mediated cell death,namely ferroptosis,has attracted much attention due to its critical role in cardiomyocyte damage and CVDs.Furthermore,ferritinophagy is the upstream mechanism that induces ferroptosis,and is closely related to CVDs.This review aims to delineate the processes and mechanisms of ferroptosis and ferritinophagy,and the regulatory pathways and molecular targets involved in ferritinophagy,and to determine their roles in CVDs.Furthermore,we discuss the possibility of targeting ferritinophagy-induced ferroptosis modulators for treating CVDs.Collectively,this review offers some new insights into the pathology of CVDs and identifies possible therapeutic targets.

Objective:To study the changing characteristics and impact factors of helical tomotherapy (HT)for longitudinal dose fall-off outside the target, in order to guide the plan junction or pretreatment target and implementation efficiency in clinical.Methods:Eight patients with head and neck tumors admitted to the Department of Oncology Radiotherapy of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in December 2019 were retrospectively selected as the research objects. The planning target area and dose drop structure were outlined in the head and neck images with a thickness of 1 mm obtained by Siemens SOMATOM Definition AS positioning computerized tomography (CT). Different field widths (FW, 5.0 cm/2.5 cm/1.0 cm) and pitches (0.430/0.287/0.215) were assembled for planning with the same modulation factor (1.8), finest does calculation grid (0.195 cm ×0.195 cm) and other planning parameters were consistent. The plans were designed by different parameters, and the result was analyzed by univariate analysis.Results:The that different pitch curves coincided under the same field width by comparative analyzing, so pitchs had no effect on dose drop. The different field width curves were independent of each other, indicating that the field width had an effect on dose drop in the head and foot direction. The relationship between the longitudinal dose drop speed outside the target and the change of the field width was inversely correlated: the larger field widths meant the slower dose fall-off and the larger penumbra, while the smaller field widths meant the faster fall-off and the smaller penumbra. When the dose fall-off to 50% of the prescribed dose, the distance from the target was approximately equal to half the field widths, and the pitchs had not affect the rate of dose-drop, while the dose at different distances from the target boundary could be calculated by the fitting formulas. The field widths and pitchs had little effect on the CI and HI index of the target, relatively, the target area was best when the field width was 2.5 cm. The total beam-on time gradually decreased with the increase of the field widths and pitches.Conclusions:When segment target therapy needs to consider planning junction, execution efficiency, and controlling longitudinal dose fall-off and considered the execution, the optimal planned parameters such as field widths and pitches could be selected or the target at the junction regions could be adducted according to the longitudinal dose drop formula, so as to achieve the ideal dose distribution.

Objective:To evaluate the combined effect of an trajectory log field based(LBF)and two commercial dose reconstruction systems on volume-modulated arc therapy(VMAT)dose verification of lung cancer.Methods:An in-house program was developed to introduce errors in trajectory log of TrueBeam to the origin plan and recalculate the dose of the error plan in treatment planning system(TPS). A total of 18 lung cancer cases treated by two-arc VMAT were selected to perform on LINAC and measured by ArcCheck simultaneously. Then, the reconstructed doses were obtained by 3DVH. The mode of reconstruction was calculated by LFB and Compass. Five of the 18 cases were performed on LINAC two times in four hours and measured by ArcCheck to evaluate the stability of the TrueBeam performance. The 18 plans were recalculated and performed on LINAC with a solid water phantom with 5 cm build-up, 4 cm back scattering thickness and a FC65-G detector in the center. The measured dose by detector was compared with the reconstructed dose by three systems.Results:TheTruebeam performance was stable. For all of the 18 cases, the point dose measured by FC65-G and reconstructed by three systems had a deviation of less than 2% to the TPS calculated. For all of the organs reconstructed by LBF and most organs reconstructed by 3DVH and Compass, the γ pass rate between them and TPS all exceeded 90% under all criteria, as well as the ArcCheck measured results. For all the organ dose difference between reconstructed and TPS, LBF system had the smallest difference, followed by the Compass system except the lung, and the 3DVH had the highest difference.Conclusions:LBF, 3DVH and Compass can reflect the VMAT dose verification results of lung cancer from different perspectives. The combined application of three systems can demonstrate the verification results in an intuitive manner, which is beneficial for subsequent analysis.

Objective: To achieve quantitative analysis of image quality parameters and establish warning and action thresholds for the on-board imaging (OBI) system of linear accelerator. Methods: The Catphan604 phantom was repeatedly scanned in the Full-Fan and Half-Fan CBCT scanning modes on a Varian EDGE linear accelerator, and the software based on Python language development in-house was utilized to analyze image quality parameters, such as CT number linearity, geometric consistency, slice thickness, spatial resolution, uniformity and low-contrast resolution. The quantitative analysis results of each image quality parameter obtained from 16 times of scanning within 16 months were normalized to the mean and the standard deviations were recorded. A run chart analysis was created to determine the warnings and action thresholds. Results: The software built in-house can quantitatively analyze the image parameters of the two scanning modes of OBI system. The low-contrast resolution of Half-Fan was better than that of Full-Fan, whereas the spatial resolution of Full-Fan was superior to that of Half-Fan. One standard deviation (1σ) was set as the warning threshold and 2 standard deviations (2σ) as the action threshold, respectively. The tolerance level of Half-Fan was smaller than that of Full-Fan. Conclusion Self-developed software enables quantitative analysis of accelerator image quality parameters, establishes warning and action tolerance of quality assurance and provides guidance for image quality assurance under image-guided radiotherapy specification.

Objective To investigate the optimal distance between upper and lower target volumes and their correlated planning parameters by analyzing the dose distribution in the abutment regions during total body irradiation ( TBI) using helical tomotherapy. Methods A total of 10 patients with acute leukemia and with a height around 120 cm were enrolled. All patients were scanned by a Siemens simulation computerized tomography (CT) at a slice thickness of 5 mm. A lead wire was placed 10. 0 cm above the patella as a marker of the separation boundary for the upper and lower target volumes. The delineations of target volumes and organs at risk ( OARs ) were performed in the Varian Eclipse 13. 5 workstation with targets shrunk beyond the separation boundary at different distances. After contours and CT images were transferred to HT workstation, treatment plans were designed with different field width (FW, 5. 0 cm/2. 5 cm/1. 0 cm) and pitch values (0. 430/0. 287) at a modulation factor of 1. 8. All the plans were optimized with a dose calculation grid of 0. 195 cm × 0. 195 cm and identical planning parameters. The correlation between treatment planning parameters and targets shrunk distances were investigated by analyzing the dose distributions in the abutment area. Results The study demonstrated that the dose distributions in the abutment area were influenced only by the field width parameters: when the gap distance between the upper and lower targets was 5. 0 cm, the optimal FW is 5. 0 cm;Similarly when the gap distances were 2. 0 cm and 1. 0 cm, and the optimal FW 2. 5 cm and 1. 0 cm, respectively. In another words, the dose distribution of the abutment region was optimal when the target gap distance was equal to FW. Pitch values did not affect the quality of dose distribution in the abutment region and the overall treatment time ratio. Overall treatment time was inversely related to the FW. Conclusions Consistent target distance and FW is helpful to improve the dose homogeneity in the abutment area during TBI with HT. Appropriate planning parameters is critical to balance the treatment efficacy and efficiency.