Nonlinear dynamics and control of a recycle fixed bed reactor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Recke, Bodil; Jørgensen, Sten Bay

1997-01-01

The purpose of this paper is twofold. Primarily to describe the dynamic behaviour that can be observed in a fixed bed reactor with recycle of unconverted reactant. Secondly to describe the possibilities of model reduction in order to facilitate control design. Reactant recycle has been shown...... to introduce periodic solution to the fixed bed reactor, a phenomenon which is not seen for the system without the recycle, at least not within the Peclet number range investigated in the present work. The possibility of model reduction by the methods of modal decomposition, and by characteristics...

Optical imaging of tumor hypoxia dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Gregory M.; Fontanella, Andrew N.; Zhang, Guoqing; Hanna, Gabi; Fraser, Cassandra L.; Dewhirst, Mark W.

2010-11-01

The influence of the tumor microenvironment and hypoxia plays a significant role in determining cancer progression, treatment response, and treatment resistance. That the tumor microenvironment is highly heterogeneous with significant intratumor and intertumor variability presents a significant challenge in developing effective cancer therapies. Critical to understanding the role of the tumor microenvironment is the ability to dynamically quantify oxygen levels in the vasculature and tissue in order to elucidate the roles of oxygen supply and consumption, spatially and temporally. To this end, we describe the use of hyperspectral imaging to characterize hemoglobin absorption to quantify hemoglobin content and oxygen saturation, as well as dual emissive fluorescent/phosphorescent boron nanoparticles, which serve as ratiometric indicators of tissue oxygen tension. Applying these techniques to a window-chamber tumor model illustrates the role of fluctuations in hemoglobin saturation in driving changes in tissue oxygenation, the two being significantly correlated (r = 0.77). Finally, a green-fluorescence-protein reporter for hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) provides an endpoint for hypoxic stress in the tumor, which is used to demonstrate a significant association between tumor hypoxia dynamics and HIF-1 activity in an in vivo demonstration of the technique.

Dynamics and mechanics of bed-load tracer particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. B. Phillips

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Understanding the mechanics of bed load at the flood scale is necessary to link hydrology to landscape evolution. Here we report on observations of the transport of coarse sediment tracer particles in a cobble-bedded alluvial river and a step-pool bedrock tributary, at the individual flood and multi-annual timescales. Tracer particle data for each survey are composed of measured displacement lengths for individual particles, and the number of tagged particles mobilized. For single floods we find that measured tracer particle displacement lengths are exponentially distributed; the number of mobile particles increases linearly with peak flood Shields stress, indicating partial bed load transport for all observed floods; and modal displacement distances scale linearly with excess shear velocity. These findings provide quantitative field support for a recently proposed modeling framework based on momentum conservation at the grain scale. Tracer displacement is weakly negatively correlated with particle size at the individual flood scale; however cumulative travel distance begins to show a stronger inverse relation to grain size when measured over many transport events. The observed spatial sorting of tracers approaches that of the river bed, and is consistent with size-selective deposition models and laboratory experiments. Tracer displacement data for the bedrock and alluvial channels collapse onto a single curve – despite more than an order of magnitude difference in channel slope – when variations of critical Shields stress and flow resistance between the two are accounted for. Results show how bed load dynamics may be predicted from a record of river stage, providing a direct link between climate and sediment transport.

Tumor bed delineation for external beam accelerated partial breast irradiation: A systematic review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, T. Jonathan; Tao, Randa; Elkhuizen, Paula H.M.; Vliet-Vroegindeweij, Corine van; Li, Guang; Powell, Simon N.

2013-01-01

In recent years, accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) has been considered an alternative to whole breast irradiation for patients undergoing breast-conserving therapy. APBI delivers higher doses of radiation in fewer fractions to the post-lumpectomy tumor bed with a 1–2 cm margin, targeting the area at the highest risk of local recurrence while sparing normal breast tissue. However, there are inherent challenges in defining accurate target volumes for APBI. Studies have shown that significant interobserver variation exists among radiation oncologists defining the lumpectomy cavity, which raises the question of how to improve the accuracy and consistency in the delineation of tumor bed volumes. The combination of standardized guidelines and surgical clips significantly improves an observer’s ability in delineation, and it is the standard in multiple ongoing external-beam APBI trials. However, questions about the accuracy of the clips to mark the lumpectomy cavity remain, as clips only define a few points at the margin of the cavity. This paper reviews the techniques that have been developed so far to improve target delineation in APBI delivered by conformal external beam radiation therapy, including the use of standardized guidelines, surgical clips or fiducial markers, pre-operative computed tomography imaging, and additional imaging modalities, including magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound imaging, and positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Alternatives to post-operative APBI, future directions, and clinical recommendations were also discussed

Usefulness of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging in brain tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joo, Yang Gu; Suh, Soo Jhi; Zeon, Seok Kil; Woo, Sung Ku; Kim, Hong; Kim, Jung Sik; Lee, Sung Moon; Lee, Hee Jung; Takahashi, Mutsumasa

1994-01-01

To investigate the usefulness of dynamic MR imaging in the differential diagnosis of brain tumors. Dynamic MR imaging was performed in 43 patients with histopathologically proved brain tumors. Serial images were sequentially obtained every 30 seconds for 3-5 minutes with use of spin-echo technique(TR 200msec/TE 15msec) after rapid injection of Gd-DTPA in a dose of 0.1mmol/kg body weight. Dynamics of contrast enhancement of the brain tumors were analyzed visually and by the sequential contrast enhancement ratio(CER). On the dynamic MR imaging, contrast enhancement pattern of the gliomas showed gradual increase in signal intensity(SI) till 180 seconds and usually had a longer time to peak of the CER. The SI of metastatic brain tumors increased steeply till 30 seconds and then rapidly or gradually decreased and the tumors had a shorter time to peak of the CER. Meningiomas showed a rapid ascent in SI till 30 to 60 seconds and then made a plateau or slight descent of the CER. Lymphomas and germinomas showed relatively rapid increase of SI till 30 seconds and usually had a longer time peak of the CER. Dynamic MR imaging with Gd-DTPA may lead to further information about the brain tumors as the sequential contrast enhancement pattern and CER parameters seem to be helpful in discriminating among the brain tumors

The Tumor Macroenvironment: Cancer-Promoting Networks Beyond Tumor Beds.

Science.gov (United States)

Rutkowski, Melanie R; Svoronos, Nikolaos; Perales-Puchalt, Alfredo; Conejo-Garcia, Jose R

2015-01-01

During tumor progression, alterations within the systemic tumor environment, or macroenvironment, result in the promotion of tumor growth, tumor invasion to distal organs, and eventual metastatic disease. Distally produced hormones, commensal microbiota residing within mucosal surfaces, myeloid cells and even the bone marrow impact the systemic immune system, tumor growth, and metastatic spread. Understanding the reciprocal interactions between the cells and soluble factors within the macroenvironment and the primary tumor will enable the design of specific therapies that have the potential to prevent dissemination and metastatic spread. This chapter will summarize recent findings detailing how the primary tumor and systemic tumor macroenvironment coordinate malignant progression. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modeling mussel bed influence on fine sediment dynamics on a Wadden Sea intertidal flat

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Leeuwen, Bas; Augustijn, Dionysius C.M.; van Wesenbeeck, Bregje K.; Hulscher, Suzanne J.M.H.; de Vries, Mindert

2008-01-01

Mussel beds are coherent colonies of mussels and are widespread in the Dutch Wadden Sea and the Eastern Scheldt estuary. Mussel beds are known to be an important factor in biogeomorphological processes, primarily because of the influence on fine sediment dynamics. Ongoing research to explore the use

Using multiple bed load measurements: Toward the identification of bed dilation and contraction in gravel-bed rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Marquis, G. A.; Roy, A. G.

2012-02-01

This study examines bed load transport processes in a small gravel-bed river (Béard Creek, Québec) using three complementary methods: bed elevation changes between successive floods, bed activity surveys using tags inserted into the bed, and bed load transport rates from bed load traps. The analysis of 20 flood events capable of mobilizing bed material led to the identification of divergent results among the methods. In particular, bed elevation changes were not consistent with the bed activity surveys. In many cases, bed elevation changes were significant (1 to 2 times the D50) even if the bed surface had not been activated during the flood, leading to the identification of processes of bed dilation and contraction that occurred over 10% to 40% of the bed surface. These dynamics of the river bed prevent accurate derivation of bed load transport rates from topographic changes, especially for low magnitude floods. This paper discusses the mechanisms that could explain the dilation and contraction of particles within the bed and their implications in fluvial dynamics. Bed contraction seems to be the result of the winnowing of the fine sediments under very low gravel transport. Bed dilation seems to occur on patches of the bed at the threshold of motion where various processes such as fine sediment infiltration lead to the maintenance of a larger sediment framework volume. Both processes are also influenced by flood history and the initial local bed state and in turn may have a significant impact on sediment transport and morphological changes in gravel-bed rivers.

STUDY OF GAS SEPARATION PROCESS BY DYNAMIC ADSORPTION IN FIXED BED

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ioan Solomon

2010-10-01

Full Text Available An experimental study of mass transfer at gas separation by dynamic adsorption in fixed bed of impregnated silica gel is presented in this work. By means of a mathematical model based on constants and coefficient easy to evaluate, the distributions of adsorbate concentration in gas and solid phases were determined as a function of time and throughout the height of the fixed bed, under isothermal conditions.With this aim, water vapors from air were adsorbed in a fixed bed of impregnated silica gel. The values of the volumetric mass transfer coefficient, Kv, were determined experimentally at several values of air superficial velocity, an air relative humidity of 69�20at 38 °C. The influence of the gas flow velocity and initial water concentration in adsorbent on the distribution of water concentration in both phases was established as a function of time and throughout the height of the fixed bed. The results obtained allow one to determination of the local adsorption rate.

THE TUMOR MACROENVIRONMENT: CANCER-PROMOTING NETWORKS BEYOND TUMOR BEDS

OpenAIRE

Rutkowski, Melanie R.; Svoronos, Nikolaos; Puchalt, Alfredo Perales; Conejo-Garcia, Jose R.

2015-01-01

During tumor progression, alterations within the systemic tumor environment, or macroenvironment, result in the promotion of tumor growth, tumor invasion to distal organs, and eventual metastatic disease. Distally produced hormones, commensal microbiota residing within mucosal surfaces, and myeloid cells and even the bone marrow impact the systemic immune system, tumor growth, and metastatic spread. Understanding the reciprocal interactions between the cells and soluble factors within the mac...

The behavior of xenon dynamic adsorption on granular activated carbon packed bed adsorber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chongyang Zhou; Shujuan Feng; Guoqing Zhou; Yuren Jin; Junfu Liang; Jingming Xu

2011-01-01

In order to retard radioxenon release into the atmosphere from nuclear power station or to sensitively monitor its concentration to ensure environmental and human safety, it is necessary to know the behavior of xenon dynamic adsorption on granular activated carbon pack bed adsorber. The quantities, including the dynamic adsorption coefficient (k d ), the amount of xenon adsorbed (q), the length of mass transfer zone (L MTZ ) and the length of the unused bed (LUB), used to describe the adsorption behavior, were sorted out and calculated. The factors, including xenon concentrations, pressures and temperatures, to affect these quantities were investigated. The results show that: (1) The values of k d and q decrease with increasing temperatures, but increase with increasing pressures, (2) The values of L MTZ and LUB increase with increasing temperatures or pressures, but are independent of concentrations. Knowledge of these quantities is very helpful for packed bed adsorber operation. (author)

Development of Research Reactor Simulator and Its Application to Dynamic Test-bed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Kee Choon; Park, Jae Chang; Lee, Seung Wook; Bang, Dane; Bae, Sung Won

2014-01-01

We developed HANARO and the Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR) real-time simulator for operating staff training. The main purpose of this simulator is operator training, but we modified this simulator as a dynamic test-bed to test the reactor regulating system in HANARO or JRTR before installation. The simulator configuration is divided into hardware and software. The simulator hardware consists of a host computer, 6 operator stations, a network switch, and a large display panel. The simulator software is divided into three major parts: a mathematical modeling module, which executes the plant dynamic modeling program in real-time, an instructor station module that manages user instructions, and a human machine interface (HMI) module. The developed research reactors are installed in the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute nuclear training center for reactor operator training. To use the simulator as a dynamic test-bed, the reactor regulating system modeling software of the simulator was replaced by a hardware controller and the simulator and target controller were interfaced with a hard-wired and network-based interface

Development of Research Reactor Simulator and Its Application to Dynamic Test-bed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwon, Kee Choon; Park, Jae Chang; Lee, Seung Wook; Bang, Dane; Bae, Sung Won [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-08-15

We developed HANARO and the Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR) real-time simulator for operating staff training. The main purpose of this simulator is operator training, but we modified this simulator as a dynamic test-bed to test the reactor regulating system in HANARO or JRTR before installation. The simulator configuration is divided into hardware and software. The simulator hardware consists of a host computer, 6 operator stations, a network switch, and a large display panel. The simulator software is divided into three major parts: a mathematical modeling module, which executes the plant dynamic modeling program in real-time, an instructor station module that manages user instructions, and a human machine interface (HMI) module. The developed research reactors are installed in the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute nuclear training center for reactor operator training. To use the simulator as a dynamic test-bed, the reactor regulating system modeling software of the simulator was replaced by a hardware controller and the simulator and target controller were interfaced with a hard-wired and network-based interface.

Diagnóstico do tumor glômico pela dermatoscopia do leito e da matriz ungueal Diagnosis of glomus tumor by nail bed and matrix dermoscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura de Sena Nogueir Maehara

2010-04-01

Full Text Available A cirurgia é o tratamento definitivo para os tumores glômicos. Algumas vezes, esse procedimento pode representar um desafio, pois, apesar de ser um tumor bem delimitado, a sua visualização pode ser difícil. O uso da dermatoscopia do leito e da matriz ungueal facilita o diagnóstico e auxilia a localização e delimitação do tumor. Trata-se de método simples e de baixo custo que não implica risco adicional ao paciente que irá se submeter a um procedimento cirúrgico.Surgery is the best treatment for glomus tumors. Sometimes this can be a challenging procedure because, despite being a well-defined tumor, its visualization can be difficult. The use of nail bed and matrix dermoscopy facilitates the diagnosis and aids in the localization and demarcation of the tumor. It is a simple and low-cost procedure that does not involve additional risks to the patient who will undergo surgery.

Development of research reactor simulator and its application to dynamic test-bed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Kee-Choon; Baang, Dane; Park, Jae-Chang; Lee, Seung-Wook; Bae, Sung Won

2014-01-01

We developed a real-time simulator for 'High-flux Advanced Neutron Application ReactOr (HANARO), and the Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR). The main purpose of this simulator is operator training, but we modified this simulator into a dynamic test-bed (DTB) to test the functions and dynamic control performance of reactor regulating system (RRS) in HANARO or JRTR before installation. The simulator hardware consists of a host computer, 6 operator stations, a network switch, and a large display panel. The software includes a mathematical model that implements plant dynamics in real-time, an instructor station module that manages user instructions, and a human machine interface module. The developed research reactor simulators are installed in the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute nuclear training center for reactor operator training. To use the simulator as a dynamic test-bed, the reactor regulating system modeling software of the simulator was replaced by actual RRS cabinet, and was interfaced using a hard-wired and network-based interface. RRS cabinet generates control signals for reactor power control based on the various feedback signals from DTB, and the DTB runs plant dynamics based on the RRS control signals. Thus the Hardware-In-the-Loop Simulation between RRS and the emulated plant (DTB) has been implemented and tested in this configuration. The test result shows that the developed DTB and actual RRS cabinet works together simultaneously resulting in quite good dynamic control performances. (author)

Computed tomography of liver tumors, 2. Differential diagnosis between hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic hepatic tumor by dynamic CT scanning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naito, Akira; Fukuoka, Haruhito; Kashiwado, Kouzou; Ichiki, Toshio; Makidono, Yoko [Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital (Japan)

1984-02-01

Differential diagnosis between hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic hepatic tumor was attempted using dynamic CT scanning. Homogeneous and patchy types were peculiar to hepatocellular carcinoma, and ring-like type to metastatic hepatic tumor. However, with no enhancement, hepatocellular carcinoma could not be denied. Hepatocellular carcinoma was characterized by the enhancement shown on the early stage of dynamic CT. Ring enhancement was not visualized on dynamic CT but visualized on conventional contrast enhanced CT in hepatocellular carcinomas; it was visualized on conventional contrast enhanced CT and on dynamic CT in metastatic hepatic tumors.

Relative Biologic Effectiveness (RBE) of 50 kV X-rays Measured in a Phantom for Intraoperative Tumor-Bed Irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Qi; Schneider, Frank; Ma, Lin; Wenz, Frederik [Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim (Germany); Herskind, Carsten, E-mail: carsten.herskind@medma.uni-heidelberg.de [Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim (Germany)

2013-03-15

Purpose: Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) with low-energy x-rays is used to treat the tumor bed during breast-conserving surgery. The purpose was to determine the relative biologic effectiveness (RBE) of 50-kV x-rays for inactivation of cells irradiated in a tumor-bed phantom. Methods and Materials: The RBE was determined for clonogenic inactivation of human tumor and normal cells (MCF7, human umbilical vein endothelial cells, normal skin fibroblasts), and hamster V79 cells. The 50-kV x-rays from the Intrabeam machine (Carl Zeiss Surgical) with a spherical 4-cm applicator were used. Cells were irradiated in a water-equivalent phantom at defined distances (8.1-22.9 mm) from the applicator surface. The 50-kV x-rays from a surface therapy machine (Dermopan, Siemens) were included for comparison; 6-MV x-rays were used as reference radiation. Results: At 8.1-mm depth in the phantom (dose rate 15.1 Gy/h), mean RBE values of 50-kV x-rays from Intrabeam were 1.26 to 1.42 for the 4 cell types at doses yielding surviving fractions in the range of 0.01 to 0.5. Confidence intervals were in the range of 1.2 and 1.5. Similar RBE values were found for 50-kV x-rays from Dermopan for V79 (1.30, CI 1.25-1.36, P=.74) and GS4 (1.42, CI 1.30-1.54, P=.67). No significant dependence of RBE on dose was found for Intrabeam, but RBE decreased at a larger distance (12.7 mm; 9.8 Gy/h). Conclusions: An increased clinically relevant RBE was found for cell irradiation with Intrabeam at depths in the tumor bed targeted by IORT. The reduced RBE values at larger distances may be related to increased repair of sublethal damage during protracted irradiation or to hardening of the photon beam energy.

Continuous monitoring bed-level dynamics on an intertidal flat: Introducing novel, stand-alone high-resolution SED-sensors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hu, Z.; Lenting, W.; Van der Wal, D.; Bouma, T.J.

2015-01-01

Tidal flat morphology is continuously shaped by hydrodynamic forces, resulting in a highly dynamic bed surface. The knowledge of short-term bed-level changes is important both for assessing sediment transport processes as well as for understanding critical ecological processes, such as vegetation

Modeling stationary and dynamic pebbles in a pebble bed reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Xiang; Montgomery, Trent; Zhang, Sijun

2011-01-01

This paper presents a numerical study of the stationary and dynamic pebbles in a pebble bed reactor (PBR) by means of discrete element method (DEM). At first, the packing structure of stationary pebbles is simulated by filling process until the settling of pebbles into PBR. The packing structural properties are obtained and analyzed. Subsequently, when the outlet of PBR is open during the operational maintenance of PBR, the stationary pebbles start to flow downward and are removed at the bottom of PBR. The dynamic behavior of pebbles is predicted and discussed. Our results indicate the DEM can offer both macroscopic and microscopic information for PBR design calculations and safety assessment. (author)

Numerical modeling of local scour around hydraulic structure in sandy beds by dynamic mesh method

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Fei; Liang, Bingchen; Bai, Yuchuan; Zhu, Zhixia; Zhu, Yanjun

2017-10-01

Local scour, a non-negligible factor in hydraulic engineering, endangers the safety of hydraulic structures. In this work, a numerical model for simulating local scour was constructed, based on the open source code computational fluid dynamics model OpenFOAM. We consider both the bedload and suspended load sediment transport in the scour model and adopt the dynamic mesh method to simulate the evolution of the bed elevation. We use the finite area method to project data between the three-dimensional flow model and the two-dimensional (2D) scour model. We also improved the 2D sand slide method and added it to the scour model to correct the bed bathymetry when the bed slope angle exceeds the angle of repose. Moreover, to validate our scour model, we conducted and compared the results of three experiments with those of the developed model. The validation results show that our developed model can reliably simulate local scour.

Energetic, ecologic and fluid-dynamic analysis of a fluidized bed gasifier operating with sugar cane bagasse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diniz Filho, Paulo Tasso; Silveira, Jose Luz; Tuna, Celso Eduardo; Lamas, Wendell de Queiroz

2013-01-01

This work aims to study the thermodynamic, ecological and fluid-dynamic aspects of a circulating fluidized bed gasifier using sugar cane bagasse as biomass, in order to estimate a model of its normal operation. In the initial stage was analysed the composition of biomass selected (sugar cane bagasse) and its lower heating value (LHV) was calculated. The energy balance of the gasifier was done, being the volumetric flow of air, synthesis gas and biomass estimated. Also the power produced by this gasifier was theoretically estimated. Then the circulating fluidized bed gasifier was designed for operation with approximately 100 kg/h of processed biomass. Cross-sectional area of the reactor, feeder size, diameter of the exit zone of the gases and minimum height of the expanded bed were selected. Some bed gasifier hydrodynamic factors were also studied. The minimum fluidization velocity, fluidization terminal velocity, and average fluidizing velocity were calculated, in order to understand the fluid-dynamic behaviour of gasification of this fuel. It was obtained a theoretical model that can support a possible prototype of circulating fluidized bed gasifier biomass. Finally, there were studied the ecological aspects of the gasifier, through an overall methodology. Ecological efficiencies were estimated for two scenarios: first considering the carbon cycle and thereafter disregarding the carbon cycle. In both cases, it can be proved the ecological viability of the project. -- Highlights: • we develop a methodology to size a fluidized bed gasifier. • we validate this methodology comparing to a fixed bed gasifier values. • we aggregate ecological efficiency to this methodology

Usability of ECT for quantitative and qualitative characterization of trickle-bed flow dynamics experiencing filtration conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tibirna, C.; Fortin, A. [Laval Univ., Quebec City, PQ (Canada). GIREF; Edouard, D.; Larachi, F. [Laval Univ., Quebec City, PQ (Canada). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

2006-07-01

The feasibility of using electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) as an imaging method for trickle-bed reaction processes was examined in this study. In particular, the advantages and disadvantages of using ECT to characterize the flow dynamics in a four-phase trickle bed reactor were investigated. This work was part of a larger study to extend the service life of catalyst beds used during the hydrotreatment of some oil fractions, such as Athabasca bitumen. A better understanding of the flow dynamics and clogging physics in trickle-bed reactors is needed in order to prevent clogging in the catalyst bed. This study focused on several aspects of the ECT as a non-intrusive imaging method for such processes. This paper described the experimental setup in detail. The ECT equipment allowed for up to 100 tomograms per second to be recorded. The clogging experiments lasted about 30 hours from a completely clean catalyst bed to a stable, non-filtering clogging state. A series of algorithms for ECT image reconstruction were presented. Truncated and filtered single value decomposition (SVD) and Landweber methods were found to be the most appropriate. ECT was shown to be faster and less expensive than nuclear ionizing, non-ionizing and other tomography methods. However, the main advantage of ECT was its non-intrusive attributes. It was also suggested that the complex technologies involved in ECT still require further refinement and better calibration methods. 9 refs., 5 figs.

CT of portal vein tumor thrombosis. Usefulness of dynamic CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takemoto, Kazumasa; Inoue, Yuichi; Tanaka, Masahiro; Nemoto, Yutaka; Nakamura, Kenji [Osaka City Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine

1983-08-01

We evaluated CT findings of portal vein tumor thrombosis in 16 hepatomas by plain, contrast and dynamic CT. Plain and contrast CT findings were an enlargement of the portal vein (81%), intraluminal low density area (63%). Dynamic CT enhanced the diagnostic capability of the tumor thrombus as a relatively low density area because of the marked enhancement of the portal vein. In addition, dynamic CT newly demonstrated hyperdense peripheral ring (35%) and arterio portal shunt (35%). It is advisable to select the scan level to include the portal vein when dynamic CT is performed in the patient of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Application of point kinetic model in the study of fluidized bed reactor dynamic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borges, Volnei; Vilhena, Marco Tullio de; Streck, Elaine E.

1995-01-01

In this work the dynamical behavior of the fluidized bed nuclear reactor is analysed. The main goal consist to study the effect of the acceleration term in the point kinetic equations. Numerical simulations are reported considering constant acceleration. (author). 7 refs, 4 figs

Dynamic simulation of industrial Fluidized-bed Catalytic Cracking - FCC unit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Secchi, Argimiro R.; Neumann, Gustavo A.; Trierweiler, Jorge O. [Rio Grande do Sul Univ., Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Quimica]. E-mail: arge@enq.ufrgs.br; gneumann@enq.ufrgs.br; jorge@enq.ufrgs.br; Santos, Marlova G. [PETROBRAS S.A., Canoas, RS (Brazil). Refinaria Alberto Pasqualini]. E-mail: marlova@petrobras.com.br

2000-07-01

In this work a mathematical model for the dynamic simulation of the Fluidized-bed Catalytic Cracking (FCC) Reactor, to be used in the analysis, control, and optimization of this system is developed. Based on the full range of published data in FCC performance and kinetic rates, and adapted to the industrial unit of the PETROBRAS' Alberto Pasqualini Refinery (REFAP), an integrated dynamic model is build up. The model is sufficiently complex to capture the major dynamics effects that occur in this system. The regenerator is modeled as emulsion and bubble phases that exchange mass and heat. The riser is modeled as an adiabatic plug flow reactor. The fluid dynamic is taking into account for the catalyst circulation, and the dynamics of the gas phase and the riser are also considered into the model. The model, represented by a non-linear system of differential-algebraic equations, was written in language C and implemented in MATLAB/SIMULINK. The results are compared with the data obtained from the industrial plant of REFAP. (author)

Dynamical and technological consequences of multiple isolas of steady states in a catalytic fluidised-bed reactor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bizon Katarzyna

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Steady-state characteristics of a catalytic fluidised bed reactor and its dynamical consequences are analyzed. The occurrence of an untypical steady-state structure manifesting in a form of multiple isolas is described. A two-phase bubbling bed model is used for a quantitative description of the bed of catalyst. The influence of heat exchange intensity and a fluidisation ratio onto the generation of isolated solution branches is presented for two kinetic schemes. Dynamical consequences of the coexistence of such untypical branches of steady states are presented. The impact of linear growth of the fluidisation ratio and step change of the cooling medium temperature onto the desired product yield is analyzed. The results presented in this study confirm that the identification of a region of the occurrence of multiple isolas is important due to their strong impact both on the process start-up and its control.

Characterization of the vascular bed of head-and neck advanced tumors by radioactive emboli

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serson, D.

1982-01-01

A radioisotopic method, using labeled particles for the determination of regions irrigated by an artery is established. Patients with advanced head and neck cancer were studied, whose treatment was carried out with antiblastics by intra-arterial via. To check the vascular territory early reached by intra-arterial chemotherapy we used albumin macro-particles labeled with iodine 131. The method resulted harmless and of great importance for localization of the tumor bed. It was also observed that the method may be used for localization of the chemotherapic infusion in other sectors of the body or for the anatomic determination of the arterial vascularization. (Author) [pt

Dynamic Quantitative T1 Mapping in Orthotopic Brain Tumor Xenografts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelsey Herrmann

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Human brain tumors such as glioblastomas are typically detected using conventional, nonquantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI techniques, such as T2-weighted and contrast enhanced T1-weighted MRI. In this manuscript, we tested whether dynamic quantitative T1 mapping by MRI can localize orthotopic glioma tumors in an objective manner. Quantitative T1 mapping was performed by MRI over multiple time points using the conventional contrast agent Optimark. We compared signal differences to determine the gadolinium concentration in tissues over time. The T1 parametric maps made it easy to identify the regions of contrast enhancement and thus tumor location. Doubling the typical human dose of contrast agent resulted in a clearer demarcation of these tumors. Therefore, T1 mapping of brain tumors is gadolinium dose dependent and improves detection of tumors by MRI. The use of T1 maps provides a quantitative means to evaluate tumor detection by gadolinium-based contrast agents over time. This dynamic quantitative T1 mapping technique will also enable future quantitative evaluation of various targeted MRI contrast agents.

The dynamics of coherent flow structures within a submerged permeable bed

Science.gov (United States)

Blois, G.; Best, J.; Sambrook Smith, G.; Hardy, R. J.; Lead, J.

2009-12-01

The existence of complex 3D coherent vortical structures in turbulent boundary layers has been widely reported from experimental observations (Adrian et al., 2007, Christensen and Adrian, 2001) and investigations of natural open channel flows (e.g. Kostaschuk and Church, 1993; Best, 2005). The interaction between these flow structures and the solid boundary that is responsible for their generation is also receiving increasing attention due to the central role played by turbulence in governing erosion-deposition processes. Yet, for the majority of studies, the bed roughness has been represented using rough impermeable surfaces. While not inherently acknowledged, most research in this area is thus only strictly applicable to those natural river beds composed either of bedrock or clay, or that have armoured, impermeable, surfaces. Recently, many researchers have noted the need to account for the role of bed permeability in order to accurately reproduce the true nature of flow over permeable gravel-bed rivers. For these cases, the near-bed flow is inherently and mutually linked to the interstitial-flow occurring in the porous solid matrix. This interaction is established through turbulence mechanisms occurring across the interface that may be important for influencing the incipient motion of cohesionless sediment. However, the nature of this turbulence and the formation of coherent structures within such permeable beds remain substantially unresolved due to the technical challenges of collecting direct data in this region. In this paper, we detail the existence and dynamic nature of coherent vortical structures within the individual pore spaces of a permeable bed submerged by a free stream flow. Laboratory experiments are reported in which a permeable flume bed was constructed using spheres packed in an offset cubic arrangement. We applied a high resolution E-PIV (Endoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry) approach in order to fully resolve the instantaneous structure of

Tumor Blood Vessel Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Munn, Lance

2009-11-01

``Normalization'' of tumor blood vessels has shown promise to improve the efficacy of chemotherapeutics. In theory, anti-angiogenic drugs targeting endothelial VEGF signaling can improve vessel network structure and function, enhancing the transport of subsequent cytotoxic drugs to cancer cells. In practice, the effects are unpredictable, with varying levels of success. The predominant effects of anti-VEGF therapies are decreased vessel leakiness (hydraulic conductivity), decreased vessel diameters and pruning of the immature vessel network. It is thought that each of these can influence perfusion of the vessel network, inducing flow in regions that were previously sluggish or stagnant. Unfortunately, when anti-VEGF therapies affect vessel structure and function, the changes are dynamic and overlapping in time, and it has been difficult to identify a consistent and predictable normalization ``window'' during which perfusion and subsequent drug delivery is optimal. This is largely due to the non-linearity in the system, and the inability to distinguish the effects of decreased vessel leakiness from those due to network structural changes in clinical trials or animal studies. We have developed a mathematical model to calculate blood flow in complex tumor networks imaged by two-photon microscopy. The model incorporates the necessary and sufficient components for addressing the problem of normalization of tumor vasculature: i) lattice-Boltzmann calculations of the full flow field within the vasculature and within the tissue, ii) diffusion and convection of soluble species such as oxygen or drugs within vessels and the tissue domain, iii) distinct and spatially-resolved vessel hydraulic conductivities and permeabilities for each species, iv) erythrocyte particles advecting in the flow and delivering oxygen with real oxygen release kinetics, v) shear stress-mediated vascular remodeling. This model, guided by multi-parameter intravital imaging of tumor vessel structure

Automated Processing of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI: Correlation of Advanced Pharmacokinetic Metrics with Tumor Grade in Pediatric Brain Tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Vajapeyam, S; Stamoulis, C; Ricci, K; Kieran, M; Poussaint, T Young

2017-01-01

Pharmacokinetic parameters from dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging have proved useful for differentiating brain tumor grades in adults. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed dynamic contrast-enhanced perfusion data from children with newly diagnosed brain tumors and analyzed the pharmacokinetic parameters correlating with tumor grade. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging data from 38 patients were analyzed by using commercially available software. Subjects were categorized into 2 groups based on pathologic analyses consisting of low-grade (World Health Organization I and II) and high-grade (World Health Organization III and IV) tumors. Pharmacokinetic parameters were compared between the 2 groups by using linear regression models. For parameters that were statistically distinct between the 2 groups, sensitivity and specificity were also estimated. Eighteen tumors were classified as low-grade, and 20, as high-grade. Transfer constant from the blood plasma into the extracellular extravascular space (K trans ), rate constant from extracellular extravascular space back into blood plasma (K ep ), and extracellular extravascular volume fraction (V e ) were all significantly correlated with tumor grade; high-grade tumors showed higher K trans , higher K ep , and lower V e . Although all 3 parameters had high specificity (range, 82%-100%), K ep had the highest specificity for both grades. Optimal sensitivity was achieved for V e , with a combined sensitivity of 76% (compared with 71% for K trans and K ep ). Pharmacokinetic parameters derived from dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging can effectively discriminate low- and high-grade pediatric brain tumors. © 2017 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

International Workshop on Mathematical Modeling of Tumor-Immune Dynamics

CERN Document Server

Kim, Peter; Mallet, Dann

2014-01-01

This collection of papers offers a broad synopsis of state-of-the-art mathematical methods used in modeling the interaction between tumors and the immune system. These papers were presented at the four-day workshop on Mathematical Models of Tumor-Immune System Dynamics held in Sydney, Australia from January 7th to January 10th, 2013. The workshop brought together applied mathematicians, biologists, and clinicians actively working in the field of cancer immunology to share their current research and to increase awareness of the innovative mathematical tools that are applicable to the growing field of cancer immunology. Recent progress in cancer immunology and advances in immunotherapy suggest that the immune system plays a fundamental role in host defense against tumors and could be utilized to prevent or cure cancer. Although theoretical and experimental studies of tumor-immune system dynamics have a long history, there are still many unanswered questions about the mechanisms that govern the interaction betwe...

An Investigation of Power Stabilization and Space-Dependent Dynamics of a Nuclear Fluidized-Bed Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pain, Christopher C.; Eaton, Matthew D.; Gomes, Jefferson L.M.A.; Oliveira, Cassiano R.E. de; Umpleby, Adrian P.; Ziver, Kemal; Ackroyd, Ron T.; Miles, Bryan; Goddard, Antony J.H.; Dam, H. van; Hagen, T.H.J.J. van der; Lathouwers, D.

2003-01-01

Previous work into the space-dependent kinetics of the conceptual nuclear fluidized bed has highlighted the sensitivity of fission power to particle movements within the bed. The work presented in this paper investigates a method of stabilizing the fission power by making it less sensitive to fuel particle movement. Steady-state neutronic calculations are performed to obtain a suitable design that is stable to radial and axial fuel particle movements in the bed. Detailed spatial/temporal simulations performed using the finite element transient criticality (FETCH) code investigate the dynamics of the new reactor design. A dual requirement of the design is that it has a moderate power output of ∼300 MW(thermal)

Tumor Oxygen Dynamics: Correlation of In Vivo MRI with Histological Findings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dawen Zhao

2003-07-01

Full Text Available Tumor oxygenation has long been recognized as a significant factor influencing cancer therapy. We recently established a novel magnetic resonance in vivo approach to measuring regional tumor oxygen tension, FREDOM (Fluorocarbon Relaxometry Using Echo Planar Imaging for Dynamic Oxygen Mapping, using hexafluorobenzene (HFB as the reporter molecule. We have now investigated oxygen dynamics in the two Dunning prostate R3327 rat tumor sublines, AT1 and H. FREDOM revealed considerable intratumoral heterogeneity in the distribution of pO2 values in both sublines. The anaplastic fastergrowing AT1 tumors were more hypoxic compared with the size-matched, well-differentiated, and slower-growing H tumors. Respiratory challenge with oxygen produced significant increases in mean and median pO2 in all the H tumors (P3 cm3. Immunohistochemical studies using the hypoxia marker, pimonidazole, and the vascular endothelial cell marker, CD31, confirmed that the H tumors had more extensive vasculature and less hypoxia than the AT1 tumors. These results further validate the utilization of FREDOM to monitor tumor oxygenation and concur with the hypothesis that the level of hypoxia is related to tumor growth rate and poor vascularity.

Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: II. Task-oriented statistical estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Karakatsanis, Nicolas A; Lodge, Martin A; Zhou, Y; Wahl, Richard L; Rahmim, Arman

2013-10-21

In the context of oncology, dynamic PET imaging coupled with standard graphical linear analysis has been previously employed to enable quantitative estimation of tracer kinetic parameters of physiological interest at the voxel level, thus, enabling quantitative PET parametric imaging. However, dynamic PET acquisition protocols have been confined to the limited axial field-of-view (~15-20 cm) of a single-bed position and have not been translated to the whole-body clinical imaging domain. On the contrary, standardized uptake value (SUV) PET imaging, considered as the routine approach in clinical oncology, commonly involves multi-bed acquisitions, but is performed statically, thus not allowing for dynamic tracking of the tracer distribution. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. In a companion study, we presented a novel clinically feasible dynamic (4D) multi-bed PET acquisition protocol as well as the concept of whole-body PET parametric imaging employing Patlak ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to estimate the quantitative parameters of tracer uptake rate Ki and total blood distribution volume V. In the present study, we propose an advanced hybrid linear regression framework, driven by Patlak kinetic voxel correlations, to achieve superior trade-off between contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and mean squared error (MSE) than provided by OLS for the final Ki parametric images, enabling task-based performance optimization. Overall, whether the observer's task is to detect a tumor or quantitatively assess treatment response, the proposed statistical estimation framework can be adapted to satisfy the specific task performance criteria, by adjusting the Patlak correlation-coefficient (WR) reference value. The multi-bed dynamic acquisition protocol, as optimized in the preceding companion study

Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: II. Task-oriented statistical estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karakatsanis, Nicolas A; Lodge, Martin A; Zhou, Y; Wahl, Richard L; Rahmim, Arman

2013-01-01

In the context of oncology, dynamic PET imaging coupled with standard graphical linear analysis has been previously employed to enable quantitative estimation of tracer kinetic parameters of physiological interest at the voxel level, thus, enabling quantitative PET parametric imaging. However, dynamic PET acquisition protocols have been confined to the limited axial field-of-view (∼15–20 cm) of a single-bed position and have not been translated to the whole-body clinical imaging domain. On the contrary, standardized uptake value (SUV) PET imaging, considered as the routine approach in clinical oncology, commonly involves multi-bed acquisitions, but is performed statically, thus not allowing for dynamic tracking of the tracer distribution. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. In a companion study, we presented a novel clinically feasible dynamic (4D) multi-bed PET acquisition protocol as well as the concept of whole-body PET parametric imaging employing Patlak ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to estimate the quantitative parameters of tracer uptake rate K i and total blood distribution volume V. In the present study, we propose an advanced hybrid linear regression framework, driven by Patlak kinetic voxel correlations, to achieve superior trade-off between contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and mean squared error (MSE) than provided by OLS for the final K i parametric images, enabling task-based performance optimization. Overall, whether the observer's task is to detect a tumor or quantitatively assess treatment response, the proposed statistical estimation framework can be adapted to satisfy the specific task performance criteria, by adjusting the Patlak correlation-coefficient (WR) reference value. The multi-bed dynamic acquisition protocol, as optimized in the preceding companion

Spectrally based bathymetric mapping of a dynamic, sand‐bedded channel: Niobrara River, Nebraska, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Dilbone, Elizabeth; Legleiter, Carl; Alexander, Jason S.; McElroy, Brandon

2018-01-01

Methods for spectrally based mapping of river bathymetry have been developed and tested in clear‐flowing, gravel‐bed channels, with limited application to turbid, sand‐bed rivers. This study used hyperspectral images and field surveys from the dynamic, sandy Niobrara River to evaluate three depth retrieval methods. The first regression‐based approach, optimal band ratio analysis (OBRA), paired in situ depth measurements with image pixel values to estimate depth. The second approach used ground‐based field spectra to calibrate an OBRA relationship. The third technique, image‐to‐depth quantile transformation (IDQT), estimated depth by linking the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of depth to the CDF of an image‐derived variable. OBRA yielded the lowest depth retrieval mean error (0.005 m) and highest observed versus predicted R2 (0.817). Although misalignment between field and image data did not compromise the performance of OBRA in this study, poor georeferencing could limit regression‐based approaches such as OBRA in dynamic, sand‐bedded rivers. Field spectroscopy‐based depth maps exhibited a mean error with a slight shallow bias (0.068 m) but provided reliable estimates for most of the study reach. IDQT had a strong deep bias but provided informative relative depth maps. Overprediction of depth by IDQT highlights the need for an unbiased sampling strategy to define the depth CDF. Although each of the techniques we tested demonstrated potential to provide accurate depth estimates in sand‐bed rivers, each method also was subject to certain constraints and limitations.

High resolution field study of sediment dynamics on a strongly heterogeneous bed

Science.gov (United States)

Bailly Du Bois, P.; Blanpain, O.; Lafite, R.; Cugier, P.; Lunven, M.

2010-12-01

Extensive field measurements have been carried out at several stations in a macrotidal inner continental shelf in the English Channel (around 25 m depth) during spring tide period. The strong tidal current measured (up to 1.6 m.s-1) allowed sediment dynamics on a bed characterised by a mixture of size with coarse grains to be dominant. Data acquired in such hydro-sedimentary conditions are scarce. A new instrument, the DYnamic Sediment Profile Imagery (DySPI) system, was specifically conceived and implemented in-situ to observe and measure, with a high temporal resolution, the dynamics of a strongly heterogeneous mixture of particles in a grain-size scale. The data collected covered: 1) grain size range (side scan sonar, video observations, Shipeck grab samples, DySPI images) and vertical sorting (stratigraphic sampling by divers) of sediment cover, 2) hydrodynamic features (acoustic Doppler velocimeter, acoustic Doppler profiler), 3) suspended load nature and dynamics (optical backscatter, chlorophyll fluorometer, particle size analyser, Niskin bottles, scanning electron microscopy), 4) sand and gravel bedload transport estimates (DySPI image processing), 5) transfer dynamics of fine grains within a coarse matrix and their depth of penetration (radionuclides measurements in stratigraphic samples). The four stations present different grain size vertical sorting from a quasi-permanent armouring to a homogenous distribution. The sediment cover condition is directly linked to hydrodynamic capacity and sediment availability. Fine grain ratio within deep sediment layers (up to 10 cm) is higher when the bed armouring is durable. However, fine sediments are not permanently depth trapped: deep layers are composed of few years-old radionuclide tracers fixed on fine grains and a vertical mixing coefficient has been evaluated for each sediment cover. Fine grain dynamics within a coarse matrix is inversely proportional to the robustness of the armour layer. For current

Dynamic behavior of tobacco waste in the coal-fired fluidized-bed boiler

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Kai; Chang, Jian; Chen, Honggang; Yang, Yongping [North China Electric Power Univ., Beijing (China). National Eng Lab for Biomass Power Generation Equipment; Yu, Bangting [China Univ. of Petroleum, Beijing (China). State Key Lab. of Heavy Oil Processing

2013-07-01

Circulating fluidized bed (CFB) technology is an advanced method for utilizing coal and other solid fuels in an environmentally acceptable manner. During the processing procedure in the nicotiana tabacum plants, lots of tobacco stem wastes are produced, which are normally being dumped to the landfill field. If this kind of waste can be used as a part of the fuel to be added into the coal in a CFB combustor, it will reduce the use of coal and then cut the net carbon emissions. To understand the complicated fluid dynamics of nicotiana tabacum wastes in the coal-fired CFB boiler, the mixing and segregation behavior of tobacco stalk are preliminary measured in a cylindrical fluidized bed. Obvious segregation behavior is found due to distinct differences in density and shape between tobacco stem and coal, which results in poor fluidization quality and bad combustion efficiency. To overcome this disadvantage, a jet with high gas velocity is introduced through the air distributor and a detailed experimental study is conducted in a fluidized bed made up of stem-sand mixture with different solid components at various jet velocities, which greatly improve the mixing performance of stem in the fluidized bed. The above findings are helpful for the technological upgrading of small- or middle-sized CFB boiler with adding tobacco stem into coal.

A 3-D model of tumor progression based on complex automata driven by particle dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Wcisło, Rafał; Dzwinel, Witold; Yuen, David A; Dudek, Arkadiusz Z

2009-12-01

The dynamics of a growing tumor involving mechanical remodeling of healthy tissue and vasculature is neglected in most of the existing tumor models. This is due to the lack of efficient computational framework allowing for simulation of mechanical interactions. Meanwhile, just these interactions trigger critical changes in tumor growth dynamics and are responsible for its volumetric and directional progression. We describe here a novel 3-D model of tumor growth, which combines particle dynamics with cellular automata concept. The particles represent both tissue cells and fragments of the vascular network. They interact with their closest neighbors via semi-harmonic central forces simulating mechanical resistance of the cell walls. The particle dynamics is governed by both the Newtonian laws of motion and the cellular automata rules. These rules can represent cell life-cycle and other biological interactions involving smaller spatio-temporal scales. We show that our complex automata, particle based model can reproduce realistic 3-D dynamics of the entire system consisting of the tumor, normal tissue cells, blood vessels and blood flow. It can explain phenomena such as the inward cell motion in avascular tumor, stabilization of tumor growth by the external pressure, tumor vascularization due to the process of angiogenesis, trapping of healthy cells by invading tumor, and influence of external (boundary) conditions on the direction of tumor progression. We conclude that the particle model can serve as a general framework for designing advanced multiscale models of tumor dynamics and it is very competitive to the modeling approaches presented before.

Tumor Vessel Compression Hinders Perfusion of Ultrasonographic Contrast Agents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirco Galiè

2005-05-01

Full Text Available Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS is an advanced approach to in vivo assessment of tumor vascularity and is being increasingly adopted in clinical oncology. It is based on 1- to 10 μm-sized gas microbubbles, which can cross the capillary beds of the lungs and are effective echo enhancers. It is known that high cell density, high transendothelial fluid exchange, and poorly functioning lymphatic circulation all provoke solid stress, which compresses vessels and drastically reduces tumor blood flow. Given their size, we supposed that the perfusion of microbubbles is affected by anatomic features of tumor vessels more than are contrast agents traditionally used in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI. Here, we compared dynamic information obtained from CEUS and DCE-MRI on two experimental tumor models exhibiting notable differences in vessel anatomy. We found that tumors with small, flattened vessels show a much higher resistance to microbubble perfusion than to MRI contrast agents, and appear scarcely vascularized at CEUS examination, despite vessel volume adequate for normal function. Thus, whereas CEUS alone could induce incorrect diagnosis when tumors have small or collapsed vessels, integrated analysis using CEUS and DCE-MRI allows in vivo identification of tumors with a vascular profile frequently associated with malignant phenotypes.

Domain of attraction computation for tumor dynamics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Doban, A.I.; Lazar, M.

2014-01-01

In this paper we propose the use of rational Lyapunov functions to estimate the domain of attraction of the tumor dormancy equilibrium of immune cells-malignant cells interaction dynamics. A procedure for computing rational Lyapunov functions is worked out, with focus on obtaining a meaningful

Interplay between spatially explicit sediment sourcing, hierarchical river-network structure, and in-channel bed material sediment transport and storage dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Czuba, Jonathan A.; Foufoula-Georgiou, Efi; Gran, Karen B.; Belmont, Patrick; Wilcock, Peter R.

2017-05-01

Understanding how sediment moves along source to sink pathways through watersheds—from hillslopes to channels and in and out of floodplains—is a fundamental problem in geomorphology. We contribute to advancing this understanding by modeling the transport and in-channel storage dynamics of bed material sediment on a river network over a 600 year time period. Specifically, we present spatiotemporal changes in bed sediment thickness along an entire river network to elucidate how river networks organize and process sediment supply. We apply our model to sand transport in the agricultural Greater Blue Earth River Basin in Minnesota. By casting the arrival of sediment to links of the network as a Poisson process, we derive analytically (under supply-limited conditions) the time-averaged probability distribution function of bed sediment thickness for each link of the river network for any spatial distribution of inputs. Under transport-limited conditions, the analytical assumptions of the Poisson arrival process are violated (due to in-channel storage dynamics) where we find large fluctuations and periodicity in the time series of bed sediment thickness. The time series of bed sediment thickness is the result of dynamics on a network in propagating, altering, and amalgamating sediment inputs in sometimes unexpected ways. One key insight gleaned from the model is that there can be a small fraction of reaches with relatively low-transport capacity within a nonequilibrium river network acting as "bottlenecks" that control sediment to downstream reaches, whereby fluctuations in bed elevation can dissociate from signals in sediment supply.

Fluidized bed pyrolysis of HDPE: A study of the influence of operating variables and the main fluid dynamic parameters on the composition and production of gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martinez, Lidia; Aguado, Alicia; Moral, Alberto [CARTOF Centro Tecnologico, Valladolid (Spain). Environmental Div.; Irusta, Ruben [CARTOF Centro Tecnologico, Valladolid (Spain). Environmental Div.; Valladolid Univ. (Spain). Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology

2011-02-15

In the present work, a preliminary study of the pyrolysis process of high density polyethylene (HDPE) in a fluidized bed is investigated in order to determine the influence between the fluid dynamic properties of the bed reactor and the amount and composition of the gases produced. As is known, fluidized bed technology is a very interesting option to apply in the pyrolysis field due to i) the lack of moving parts in the hot region that facilitates the maintenance of equipment, ii) the high surface area to volume ratio available in the bed, and iii) the high heat transfer coefficient reached which governs the reaction products. But, heat and mass transfer coefficients are strongly affected by the fluid dynamic properties of the bed. During the pyrolysis of HDPE, a fluid dynamic characterization of the bed particles that consist of char-coated sand of HDPE has been carried out. Parameters such as the minimum fluidizing velocity (u{sub mf}), terminal velocity (u{sub t}), bed height (h{sub f}), bed voidage ({epsilon}{sub f}), fraction of the bed occupied by bubbles ({delta}), bubble diameter (d{sub b}), bubble velocity (u{sub b}), the mass transfer coefficients between the bubble and the cloud (K{sub bc}) and between the cloud and the emulsion (K{sub ce}) were determined. Subsequently, the influence of major operating variables and the fluid dynamic parameters on the composition and the gas yield of the pyrolysis of HDPE were studied. (author)

Trickle-bed root culture bioreactor design and scale-up: growth, fluid-dynamics, and oxygen mass transfer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramakrishnan, Divakar; Curtis, Wayne R

2004-10-20

Trickle-bed root culture reactors are shown to achieve tissue concentrations as high as 36 g DW/L (752 g FW/L) at a scale of 14 L. Root growth rate in a 1.6-L reactor configuration with improved operational conditions is shown to be indistinguishable from the laboratory-scale benchmark, the shaker flask (mu=0.33 day(-1)). These results demonstrate that trickle-bed reactor systems can sustain tissue concentrations, growth rates and volumetric biomass productivities substantially higher than other reported bioreactor configurations. Mass transfer and fluid dynamics are characterized in trickle-bed root reactors to identify appropriate operating conditions and scale-up criteria. Root tissue respiration goes through a minimum with increasing liquid flow, which is qualitatively consistent with traditional trickle-bed performance. However, liquid hold-up is much higher than traditional trickle-beds and alternative correlations based on liquid hold-up per unit tissue mass are required to account for large changes in biomass volume fraction. Bioreactor characterization is sufficient to carry out preliminary design calculations that indicate scale-up feasibility to at least 10,000 liters.

Scaling of Sediment Dynamics in a Reach-Scale Laboratory Model of a Sand-Bed Stream with Riparian Vegetation

Science.gov (United States)

Gorrick, S.; Rodriguez, J. F.

2011-12-01

A movable bed physical model was designed in a laboratory flume to simulate both bed and suspended load transport in a mildly sinuous sand-bed stream. Model simulations investigated the impact of different vegetation arrangements along the outer bank to evaluate rehabilitation options. Preserving similitude in the 1:16 laboratory model was very important. In this presentation the scaling approach, as well as the successes and challenges of the strategy are outlined. Firstly a near-bankfull flow event was chosen for laboratory simulation. In nature, bankfull events at the field site deposit new in-channel features but cause only small amounts of bank erosion. Thus the fixed banks in the model were not a drastic simplification. Next, and as in other studies, the flow velocity and turbulence measurements were collected in separate fixed bed experiments. The scaling of flow in these experiments was simply maintained by matching the Froude number and roughness levels. The subsequent movable bed experiments were then conducted under similar hydrodynamic conditions. In nature, the sand-bed stream is fairly typical; in high flows most sediment transport occurs in suspension and migrating dunes cover the bed. To achieve similar dynamics in the model equivalent values of the dimensionless bed shear stress and the particle Reynolds number were important. Close values of the two dimensionless numbers were achieved with lightweight sediments (R=0.3) including coal and apricot pips with a particle size distribution similar to that of the field site. Overall the moveable bed experiments were able to replicate the dominant sediment dynamics present in the stream during a bankfull flow and yielded relevant information for the analysis of the effects of riparian vegetation. There was a potential conflict in the strategy, in that grain roughness was exaggerated with respect to nature. The advantage of this strategy is that although grain roughness is exaggerated, the similarity of

Tumor Vessel Compression Hinders Perfusion of Ultrasonographic Contrast Agents1

Science.gov (United States)

Galiè, Mirco; D'Onofrio, Mirko; Montani, Maura; Amici, Augusto; Calderan, Laura; Marzola, Pasquina; Benati, Donatella; Merigo, Flavia; Marchini, Cristina; Sbarbati, Andrea

2005-01-01

Abstract Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is an advanced approach to in vivo assessment of tumor vascularity and is being increasingly adopted in clinical oncology. It is based on 1- to 10 µm-sized gas microbubbles, which can cross the capillary beds of the lungs and are effective echo enhancers. It is known that high cell density, high transendothelial fluid exchange, and poorly functioning lymphatic circulation all provoke solid stress, which compresses vessels and drastically reduces tumor blood flow. Given their size, we supposed that the perfusion of microbubbles is affected by anatomic features of tumor vessels more than are contrast agents traditionally used in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). Here, we compared dynamic information obtained from CEUS and DCE-MRI on two experimental tumor models exhibiting notable differences in vessel anatomy. We found that tumors with small, flattened vessels show a much higher resistance to microbubble perfusion than to MRI contrast agents, and appear scarcely vascularized at CEUS examination, despite vessel volume adequate for normal function. Thus, whereas CEUS alone could induce incorrect diagnosis when tumors have small or collapsed vessels, integrated analysis using CEUS and DCE-MRI allows in vivo identification of tumors with a vascular profile frequently associated with malignant phenotypes. PMID:15967105

Information dynamics in carcinogenesis and tumor growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Gatenby, Robert A; Frieden, B Roy

2004-12-21

The storage and transmission of information is vital to the function of normal and transformed cells. We use methods from information theory and Monte Carlo theory to analyze the role of information in carcinogenesis. Our analysis demonstrates that, during somatic evolution of the malignant phenotype, the accumulation of genomic mutations degrades intracellular information. However, the degradation is constrained by the Darwinian somatic ecology in which mutant clones proliferate only when the mutation confers a selective growth advantage. In that environment, genes that normally decrease cellular proliferation, such as tumor suppressor or differentiation genes, suffer maximum information degradation. Conversely, those that increase proliferation, such as oncogenes, are conserved or exhibit only gain of function mutations. These constraints shield most cellular populations from catastrophic mutator-induced loss of the transmembrane entropy gradient and, therefore, cell death. The dynamics of constrained information degradation during carcinogenesis cause the tumor genome to asymptotically approach a minimum information state that is manifested clinically as dedifferentiation and unconstrained proliferation. Extreme physical information (EPI) theory demonstrates that altered information flow from cancer cells to their environment will manifest in-vivo as power law tumor growth with an exponent of size 1.62. This prediction is based only on the assumption that tumor cells are at an absolute information minimum and are capable of "free field" growth that is, they are unconstrained by external biological parameters. The prediction agrees remarkably well with several studies demonstrating power law growth in small human breast cancers with an exponent of 1.72+/-0.24. This successful derivation of an analytic expression for cancer growth from EPI alone supports the conceptual model that carcinogenesis is a process of constrained information degradation and that malignant

Radiotherapy without boost in the tumor bed after conserving surgery in the treatment of early breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parvanova, V.; Pandova, V.

1998-01-01

The aim of this study is to analyse satisfactory local control and breast preservation with particular emphasis on the importance of the microscopic negative margin in patients who not receiving tumor bed boost therapy. Authors analysed 122 consecutive patients with breast cancer in pathological stages I and II, who were treated with quadrantectomy at full axillary dissection between 1992 and 1997. The median follow up was 34 months. The radiation treatment was started 60 - 80 day in 14 patients (11.5%) with high risk for metastases, because they underwent chemotherapy. The patients were treated with external beam radiation therapy on the entire breast to a mean total dose of 48.8 Gy. A boost to a tumor bed was not delivered. Only patients with follow-up period above 24 months were evaluated for the purpose of analysis of cosmetic results. Analyzed variables were: age, size, lymph node status, two-field versus three-field technique, operating scare. The major goal of breast conserving therapy is the preservation of cosmetically acceptable breast without local relapses in all patients of our study. A 43 years old patient with liver metastases and any regional and local relapses was dead 27 months after the radiotherapy. A single significant factor impairing excellent cosmetic outcome in our study is the surgical scar. The very high percent (51) of excellent cosmetic results and low percent of post radiotherapy injury is due to precise for breast conserving therapy, the prevailing number of young patients and precise CT and dosimetric planning on three level of treatment volume (author)

Dynamic modeling of fixed-bed adsorption of flue gas using a variable mass transfer model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jehun; Lee, Jae W.

2016-01-01

This study introduces a dynamic mass transfer model for the fixed-bed adsorption of a flue gas. The derivation of the variable mass transfer coefficient is based on pore diffusion theory and it is a function of effective porosity, temperature, and pressure as well as the adsorbate composition. Adsorption experiments were done at four different pressures (1.8, 5, 10 and 20 bars) and three different temperatures (30, 50 and 70 .deg. C) with zeolite 13X as the adsorbent. To explain the equilibrium adsorption capacity, the Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm model was adopted, and the parameters of the isotherm equation were fitted to the experimental data for a wide range of pressures and temperatures. Then, dynamic simulations were performed using the system equations for material and energy balance with the equilibrium adsorption isotherm data. The optimal mass transfer and heat transfer coefficients were determined after iterative calculations. As a result, the dynamic variable mass transfer model can estimate the adsorption rate for a wide range of concentrations and precisely simulate the fixed-bed adsorption process of a flue gas mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

A scaled experimental study of control blade insertion dynamics in Pebble-Bed Fluoride-Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buster, Grant C., E-mail: grant.buster@gmail.com; Laufer, Michael R.; Peterson, Per F.

2016-07-15

Highlights: • A granular dynamics scaling methodology is discussed. • Control blade insertion in a representative pebble-bed core is experimentally studied. • Control blade insertion forces and pebble displacements are experimentally measured. • X-ray tomography techniques are used to observe pebble displacement distributions. - Abstract: Direct control element insertion into a pebble-bed reactor core is proposed as a viable control system in molten-salt-cooled pebble-bed reactors. Unlike helium-cooled pebble-bed reactors, this reactor type uses spherical fuel elements with near-neutral buoyancy in the molten-salt coolant, thus reducing contact forces on the fuel elements. This study uses the X-ray Pebble Bed Recirculation Experiment facility to measure the force required to insert a control element directly into a scaled pebble-bed. The required control element insertion force, and therefore the contact force on fuel elements, is measured to be well below recommended limits. Additionally, X-ray tomography is used to observe how the direct insertion of a control element physically displaces spherical fuel elements. The tomography results further support the viability of direct control element insertion into molten-salt-cooled pebble-bed reactor cores.

Effects of biomass on dynamics of combustion in circulating fluidized beds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tourunen Antti

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Fluidized bed technology is very suitable for the combustion of biomass Nevertheless substitution of coal with biomass affects boiler operation and especially dynamics and controllability. Non-homogeneity of biomass and fuel feeding disturbances cause process instability, such as variations in temperatures and pressures, which reduce lifetime of equipment and structures. Because of process instability higher air coefficient must be used in order to avoid CO emissions, which is not economical. Combustion profiles for coal, wood and peat, measured at the VTT Processes Pilot circulating fluidized bed reactor, have been compared. Process stability and char inventories have been studied by the measurements and the model. Biofuel are usually very reactive and their combustion profiles are quite different compared to coals. Because of high reactivity and low char content combustion process with biofuel is very sensitive for fuel feeding. Also low char inventory effect on load changes combined with combustion profile that differs from coals. Because of different combustion profile heat transfer can be a limiting factor in load changes despite the high reactivity and fast oxygen response.

Quantitative Evaluation of Tumor Early Response to a Vascular-Disrupting Agent with Dynamic PET.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Ning; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, Xiaomeng; Guo, Jinxia; Lang, Lixin; Kiesewetter, Dale O; Niu, Gang; Li, Quanzheng; Chen, Xiaoyuan

2015-12-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the early response of tumors to a vascular-disrupting agent (VDA) VEGF121/recombinant toxin gelonin (rGel) using dynamic [(18)F]FPPRGD2 positron emission tomography (PET) and kinetic parameter estimation. Two tumor xenograft models: U87MG (highly vascularized) and A549 (moderately vascularized), were selected, and both were randomized into treatment and control groups. Sixty-minute dynamic PET scans with [(18)F]FPPRGD2 that targets to integrin αvβ3 were performed at days 0 (baseline), 1, and 3 since VEGF121/rGel treatment started. Dynamic PET-derived binding potential (BPND) and parametric maps were compared with tumor uptake (%ID/g) and the static PET image at 1 h after the tracer administration. The growth of U87MG tumor was obviously delayed upon VEGF121/rGel treatment. A549 tumor was not responsive to the same treatment. BPND of treated U87MG tumors decreased significantly at day 1 (p dynamic PET with [(18)F]FPPRGD2 shows advantages in distinguishing effective from ineffective treatment during the course of VEGF121/rGel therapy at early stage and is therefore more sensitive in assessing therapy response than static PET.

2D numerical model of particle-bed collision in fluid-particle flows over bed

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lukerchenko, Nikolay; Chára, Zdeněk; Vlasák, Pavel

2006-01-01

Roč. 44, č. 1 (2006), s. 70-78 ISSN 0022-1686 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA2060201 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20600510 Keywords : saltation * particle-bed collision * collision angle * bed roughness Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 0.527, year: 2006

Dispersed plug flow model for upflow anaerobic sludge bed reactors with focus on granular sludge dynamics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kalyuzhnyi, S.V.; Fedorovich, V.V.; Lens, P.N.L.

2006-01-01

A new approach to model upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB)-reactors, referred to as a one-dimensional dispersed plug flow model, was developed. This model focusses on the granular sludge dynamics along the reactor height, based on the balance between dispersion, sedimentation and convection using

Dynamic analysis and application of fuel elements pneumatic transportation in a pebble bed reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Hongbing; Du, Dong; Han, Zandong; Zou, Yirong; Pan, Jiluan

2015-01-01

Almost 10,000 spherical fuel elements are transported pneumatically one by one in the pipeline outside the core of a pebble bed reactor every day. Any failure in the transportation will lead to the shutdown of the reactor, even safety accidents. In order to ensure a stable and reliable transportation, it's of great importance to analyze the motion and force condition of the fuel element. In this paper, we focus on the dynamic analysis of the pneumatic transportation of the fuel element and derive kinetic equations. Then we introduce the design of the transportation pipeline. On this basis we calculate some important data such as the velocity of the fuel element, the force between the fuel element and the pipeline and the efficiency of the pneumatic transportation. Then we analyze these results and provide some suggestions for the design of the pipeline. The experiment was carried out on an experimental platform. The velocities of the fuel elements were measured. The experimental results were consistent with and validated the theoretical analysis. The research may offer the basis for the design of the transportation pipeline and the optimization of the fuel elements transportation in a pebble bed reactor. - Highlights: • The kinetic equations of the fuel element in pneumatic transportation are derived. • The dynamic characteristics of the fuel element are analyzed. • Some important parameters are calculated based on the kinetic equations. • The experimental results were consistent with the analysis and verified the analysis. • This paper may offer an important guide to the research of a pebble bed reactor

Coarse-grained debris flow dynamics on erodible beds

Science.gov (United States)

Lanzoni, Stefano; Gregoretti, Carlo; Stancanelli, Laura Maria

2017-03-01

A systematic set of flume experiments is used to investigate the features of velocity profiles within the body of coarse-grained debris flows and the dependence of the transport sediment concentration on the relevant parameters (runoff discharge, bed slope, grain size, and form). The flows are generated in a 10 m long laboratory flume, initially filled with a layer consisting of loose debris. After saturation, a prescribed water discharge is suddenly supplied over the granular bed, and the runoff triggers a debris flow wave that reaches nearly steady conditions. Three types of material have been used in the tests: gravel with mean grain size of 3 and 5 mm, and 3 mm glass spheres. Measured parameters included: triggering water discharge, volumetric sediment discharge, sediment concentration, flow depth, and velocity profiles. The dynamic similarity with full-sized debris flows is discussed on the basis of the relevant dimensionless parameters. Concentration data highlight the dependence on the slope angle and the importance of the quasi-static friction angle. The effects of flow rheology on the shape of velocity profiles are analyzed with attention to the role of different stress-generating mechanisms. A remarkable collapse of the dimensionless profiles is obtained by scaling the debris flow velocity with the runoff velocity, and a power law characterization is proposed following a heuristic approach. The shape of the profiles suggests a smooth transition between the different rheological regimes (collisional and frictional) that establish in the upper and lower regions of the flow and is compatible with the presence of multiple length scales dictated by the type of contacts (instantaneous or long lasting) between grains.

Tumor Volume-Adapted Dosing in Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy of Lung Tumors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trakul, Nicholas; Chang, Christine N.; Harris, Jeremy [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (United States); Chapman, Christopher [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (United States); University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Rao, Aarti [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (United States); University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, CA (United States); Shen, John [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (United States); University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA (United States); Quinlan-Davidson, Sean [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, McMaster University, Juravinski Cancer Centre, Hamilton, Ontario (Canada); Filion, Edith J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (United States); Departement de Medecine, Service de Radio-Oncologie, Centre Hospitalier de l' Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Wakelee, Heather A.; Colevas, A. Dimitrios [Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (United States); Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (United States); Whyte, Richard I. [Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (United States); Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (United States); and others

2012-09-01

Purpose: Current stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) protocols for lung tumors prescribe a uniform dose regimen irrespective of tumor size. We report the outcomes of a lung tumor volume-adapted SABR dosing strategy. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes in 111 patients with a total of 138 primary or metastatic lung tumors treated by SABR, including local control, regional control, distant metastasis, overall survival, and treatment toxicity. We also performed subset analysis on 83 patients with 97 tumors treated with a volume-adapted dosing strategy in which small tumors (gross tumor volume <12 mL) received single-fraction regimens with biologically effective doses (BED) <100 Gy (total dose, 18-25 Gy) (Group 1), and larger tumors (gross tumor volume {>=}12 mL) received multifraction regimens with BED {>=}100 Gy (total dose, 50-60 Gy in three to four fractions) (Group 2). Results: The median follow-up time was 13.5 months. Local control for Groups 1 and 2 was 91.4% and 92.5%, respectively (p = 0.24) at 12 months. For primary lung tumors only (excluding metastases), local control was 92.6% and 91.7%, respectively (p = 0.58). Regional control, freedom from distant metastasis, and overall survival did not differ significantly between Groups 1 and 2. Rates of radiation pneumonitis, chest wall toxicity, and esophagitis were low in both groups, but all Grade 3 toxicities developed in Group 2 (p = 0.02). Conclusion: A volume-adapted dosing approach for SABR of lung tumors seems to provide excellent local control for both small- and large-volume tumors and may reduce toxicity.

Diagnostic value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for submucosal palatal tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuzaki, Hidenobu; Yanagi, Yoshinobu; Hara, Marina; Katase, Naoki; Hisatomi, Miki; Unetsubo, Teruhisa; Konouchi, Hironobu; Takenobu, Toshihiko

2012-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) for differentiating between benign and malignant tumors in the palate. Materials and methods: 26 patients with submucosal palatal tumors were preoperatively examined using DCE-MRI. Their maximum contrast index (CImax), time of CImax (Tmax), and washout ratios (WR300 and WR600) were determined from contrast index curves. The submucosal palatal tumors were divided into two groups according to their Tmax values: the early enhancement group (Tmax 2 = 0.92, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Tmax is a useful parameter for distinguishing between benign and malignant submucosal palatal tumors.

Chaotic hydrodynamics of fluidized beds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van der Stappen, M.L.M. [Unit Process and Systems Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing Technology Group, Unilever Research Laboratorium, Vlaardingen (Netherlands)

1996-12-31

The major goals of this thesis are: (1) to develop and evaluate an analysis method based on techniques from non-linear chaos theory to characterize the nonlinear hydrodynamics of gas-solids fluidized beds quantitatively; and (2) to determine the dependence of the chaotic invariants on the operating conditions and investigate how the chaos analysis method can be profitably applied to improve scale-up and design of gas-solids fluidized bed reactors. Chaos theory is introduced in chapter 2 with emphasis on analysis techniques for (experimental) time series, known from literature at the start of this work (1990-1991). In chapter 3, the testing of existing and newly developed techniques on both model and fluidized bed data is described. This leads to the development of the chaos analysis method to analyze measured pressure fluctuations time series of a fluidized bed. Following, in chapter 4, this method is tested and all choices for the parameters are evaluated. The influence of the experimental parameters and external disturbances on the measurements and analysis results is discussed and quantified. The result is a chaos measurement and analysis protocol, which is further used in this work. In chapter 5, the applications to fluidized beds are discussed. It is shown that the entropy is a good measure for the characterization of the dynamical behavior of gas-solids bubbling/slugging fluidized beds. Entropy is applied to characterize the influence of the operating conditions, to assess regime transitions and to analyze dimensionless similar beds of different scale. Quantitative design correlations that relate entropy to the operating parameters (including the bed diameter) are described. Finally, it is discussed how the results of this work might be used in scaling up the chaotic dynamics of fluidized beds. The overall conclusions and outlook from this work are presented in chapter 6. 182 refs.

Modeling evolutionary dynamics of epigenetic mutations in hierarchically organized tumors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Sottoriva

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The cancer stem cell (CSC concept is a highly debated topic in cancer research. While experimental evidence in favor of the cancer stem cell theory is apparently abundant, the results are often criticized as being difficult to interpret. An important reason for this is that most experimental data that support this model rely on transplantation studies. In this study we use a novel cellular Potts model to elucidate the dynamics of established malignancies that are driven by a small subset of CSCs. Our results demonstrate that epigenetic mutations that occur during mitosis display highly altered dynamics in CSC-driven malignancies compared to a classical, non-hierarchical model of growth. In particular, the heterogeneity observed in CSC-driven tumors is considerably higher. We speculate that this feature could be used in combination with epigenetic (methylation sequencing studies of human malignancies to prove or refute the CSC hypothesis in established tumors without the need for transplantation. Moreover our tumor growth simulations indicate that CSC-driven tumors display evolutionary features that can be considered beneficial during tumor progression. Besides an increased heterogeneity they also exhibit properties that allow the escape of clones from local fitness peaks. This leads to more aggressive phenotypes in the long run and makes the neoplasm more adaptable to stringent selective forces such as cancer treatment. Indeed when therapy is applied the clone landscape of the regrown tumor is more aggressive with respect to the primary tumor, whereas the classical model demonstrated similar patterns before and after therapy. Understanding these often counter-intuitive fundamental properties of (non-hierarchically organized malignancies is a crucial step in validating the CSC concept as well as providing insight into the therapeutical consequences of this model.

[Regression and therapy-resistance of primary liver tumors and liver metastases after regional chemotherapy and local tumor ablation].

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, H-P

2005-05-01

High dosage regional chemotherapy, chemoembolization and other methods of regional treatment are commonly used to treat unresectable primary liver malignancies and liver metastases. In liver malignancies of childhood neoadjuvant chemotherapy is successfully combined with surgical treatment. Chemotherapy and local tumor ablation lead to characteristic histomorphologic changes: Complete destruction of the tumor tissue and its vascular bed is followed by encapsulated necroses. After selective eradication of the tumor cells under preservation of the fibrovasular bed the tumor is replaced by hypocellular edematous and fibrotic tissue. If completely damaged tumor tissue is absorbed quickly, the tumor area is replaced by regenerating liver tissue. Obliterating fibrohyalinosis of tumor vessels, and perivascular edema or necrosis indicate tissue damage along the vascular bed. Degenerative pleomorphism of tumor cells, steatosis, hydropic swelling and Malloryhyalin in HCC can represent cytologic findings of cytotoxic cellular damage. Macroscopic type of HCC influences significantly the response to treatment. Multinodular HCC often contain viable tumor nodules close to destroyed nodules after treatment. Encapsulated uninodular tumors undergo complete necrosis much easier. Large size and a tumor capsule limitate the effect of percutaneous injection of ethanol into HCC. In carcinomas with an infiltrating border, especially in metastases of adenocarcinomas and hepatic cholangiocarcinoma cytostatic treatment damages the tumor tissue mainly in the periphery. Nevertheless the infiltrating rim, portal veins, lymphatic spaces and bile ducts as well as the angle between liver capsule, tumor nodule and bordering parenchyma are the main refugees of viable tumor tissue even after high dosage regional chemotherapy. This local resistance is caused by special local conditions of vascularization and perfusion. These residues are the source of local tumor progression and distant metastases

Noninvasive Multimodality Imaging of the Tumor Microenvironment: Registered Dynamic Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Positron Emission Tomography Studies of a Preclinical Tumor Model of Tumor Hypoxia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HyungJoon Cho

2009-03-01

Full Text Available In vivo knowledge of the spatial distribution of viable, necrotic, and hypoxic areas can provide prognostic information about the risk of developing metastases and regional radiation sensitivity and may be used potentially for localized dose escalation in radiation treatment. In this study, multimodality in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and positron emission tomography (PET imaging using stereotactic fiduciary markers in the Dunning R3327AT prostate tumor were performed, focusing on the relationship between dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE MRI using Magnevist (Gd-DTPA and dynamic 18F-fluoromisonidazole (18F-Fmiso PET. The noninvasive measurements were verified using tumor tissue sections stained for hematoxylin/eosin and pimonidazole. To further validate the relationship between 18F-Fmiso and pimonidazole uptake, 18F digital autoradiography was performed on a selected tumor and compared with the corresponding pimonidazole-stained slices. The comparison of Akep values (kep = rate constant of movement of Gd-DTPA between the interstitial space and plasma and A = amplitude in the two-compartment model (Hoffmann U, Brix G, Knopp MV, Hess T and Lorenz WJ (1995. Magn Reson Med 33, 506– 514 derived from DCE-MRI studies and from early 18F-Fmiso uptake PET studies showed that tumor vasculature is a major determinant of early 18F-Fmiso uptake. A negative correlation between the spatial map of Akep and the slope map of late (last 1 hour of the dynamic PET scan 18F-Fmiso uptake was observed. The relationships between DCE-MRI and hematoxylin/eosin slices and between 18F-Fmiso PET and pimonidazole slices confirm the validity of MRI/PET measurements to image the tumor microenvironment and to identify regions of tumor necrosis, hypoxia, and well-perfused tissue.

Variability of bed mobility in natural, gravel-bed channels and adjustments to sediment load at local and reach scales

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas E. Lisle; Jonathan M. Nelson; John Pitlick; Mary Ann Madej; Brent L. Barkett

2000-01-01

Abstract - Local variations in boundary shear stress acting on bed-surface particles control patterns of bed load transport and channel evolution during varying stream discharges. At the reach scale a channel adjusts to imposed water and sediment supply through mutual interactions among channel form, local grain size, and local flow dynamics that govern bed mobility...

Scaling dynamic response and destructive metabolism in an immunosurveillant anti-tumor system modulated by different external periodic interventions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuanzhi Shao

Full Text Available On the basis of two universal power-law scaling laws, i.e. the scaling dynamic hysteresis in physics and the allometric scaling metabolism in biosystem, we studied the dynamic response and the evolution of an immunosurveillant anti-tumor system subjected to a periodic external intervention, which is equivalent to the scheme of a radiotherapy or chemotherapy, within the framework of the growth dynamics of tumor. Under the modulation of either an abrupt or a gradual change external intervention, the population density of tumors exhibits a dynamic hysteresis to the intervention. The area of dynamic hysteresis loop characterizes a sort of dissipative-therapeutic relationship of the dynamic responding of treated tumors with the dose consumption of accumulated external intervention per cycle of therapy. Scaling the area of dynamic hysteresis loops against the intensity of an external intervention, we deduced a characteristic quantity which was defined as the theoretical therapeutic effectiveness of treated tumor and related with the destructive metabolism of tumor under treatment. The calculated dose-effectiveness profiles, namely the dose cumulant per cycle of intervention versus the therapeutic effectiveness, could be well scaled into a universal quadratic formula regardless of either an abrupt or a gradual change intervention involved. We present a new concept, i.e., the therapy-effect matrix and the dose cumulant matrix, to expound the new finding observed in the growth and regression dynamics of a modulated anti-tumor system.

Gastric stromal tumor: two-phase dynamic CT findings with water as oral contrast agents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Se Hyo; Cho, June Sik; Shin, Kyung Sook; Jeong, Ki Ho; Park, Jin Yong; Yu, Ho Jun; Kim, Young Min; Jeon, Kwang Jin

2000-01-01

To evaluate two-phase dynamic CT with water as oral contrast agents in the CT diagnosis of gastric stromal tumors. We retrospectively reviewed the CT findings in 21 patients with pathologically proven gastric stromal tumors. Six were found to be benign, twelve were malignant, and there were three cases of STUMP (stromal tumor uncertain malignant potential). Two-phase dynamic CT scans with water as oral contrast agents were obtained 60-70 secs (portal phase) and 3 mins (equilibrium phase) after the start of IV contrast administration. We determined the size, growth pattern, and enhancement pattern of the tumors and overlying mucosa, the presence or absence of ulceration and necrosis, tumor extent, and lymph nod and distant metastasis. The CT and pathologic findings were correlated. All six benign tumors and three STUMP were less than 5.5 cm in size, and during the portal phase showed round endogastric masses with highly enhanced, intact overlying mucosa. Twelve malignant tumors were 4.5-15.5 cm in size (mean, 11.5 cm); an endogastric mass was seen in three cases, an exogastric mass in one, and a mixed pattern in eight. On portal phase images the tumors were not significantly enhanced, but highly enhanced feeding vessels were noted in five larger tumors (greater than 10 cm). All 12 malignant tumors showed ulceration and necrosis, and interruption of overlying mucosa was clearly seen during the portal phase. We were readily able to evaluate tumor extent during this phase, and in ten malignant tumors there was no invasion of adjacent organs. Seven malignant tumors showed air density within their necrotic portion (p less than 0.05). On equilibrium phase images, all malignant tumors showed heterogeneous enhancement due to necrosis, and poorly enhanced overlying mucosa. Dynamic CT during the portal phase with water as oral contrast agents was useful for depicting the submucosal origin of gastric stromal tumors and for evaluating the extent of malignant stromal tumors. Our

Tumor Volume-Adapted Dosing in Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy of Lung Tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trakul, Nicholas; Chang, Christine N.; Harris, Jeremy; Chapman, Christopher; Rao, Aarti; Shen, John; Quinlan-Davidson, Sean; Filion, Edith J.; Wakelee, Heather A.; Colevas, A. Dimitrios; Whyte, Richard I.

2012-01-01

Purpose: Current stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) protocols for lung tumors prescribe a uniform dose regimen irrespective of tumor size. We report the outcomes of a lung tumor volume-adapted SABR dosing strategy. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes in 111 patients with a total of 138 primary or metastatic lung tumors treated by SABR, including local control, regional control, distant metastasis, overall survival, and treatment toxicity. We also performed subset analysis on 83 patients with 97 tumors treated with a volume-adapted dosing strategy in which small tumors (gross tumor volume <12 mL) received single-fraction regimens with biologically effective doses (BED) <100 Gy (total dose, 18–25 Gy) (Group 1), and larger tumors (gross tumor volume ≥12 mL) received multifraction regimens with BED ≥100 Gy (total dose, 50–60 Gy in three to four fractions) (Group 2). Results: The median follow-up time was 13.5 months. Local control for Groups 1 and 2 was 91.4% and 92.5%, respectively (p = 0.24) at 12 months. For primary lung tumors only (excluding metastases), local control was 92.6% and 91.7%, respectively (p = 0.58). Regional control, freedom from distant metastasis, and overall survival did not differ significantly between Groups 1 and 2. Rates of radiation pneumonitis, chest wall toxicity, and esophagitis were low in both groups, but all Grade 3 toxicities developed in Group 2 (p = 0.02). Conclusion: A volume-adapted dosing approach for SABR of lung tumors seems to provide excellent local control for both small- and large-volume tumors and may reduce toxicity.

Microbial community dynamics and biogas production from manure fractions in sludge bed anaerobic digestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordgård, A S R; Bergland, W H; Bakke, R; Vadstein, O; Østgaard, K; Bakke, I

2015-12-01

To elucidate how granular sludge inoculum and particle-rich organic loading affect the structure of the microbial communities and process performance in upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactors. We investigated four reactors run on dairy manure filtrate and four on pig manure supernatant for three months achieving similar methane yields. The reactors fed with less particle rich pig manure stabilized faster and had highest capacity. Microbial community dynamics analysed by a PCR/denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis approach showed that influent was a major determinant for the composition of the reactor communities. Comparisons of pre- and non-adapted inoculum in the reactors run on pig manure supernatant showed that the community structure of the nonadapted inoculum adapted in approximately two months. Microbiota variance partitioning analysis revealed that running time, organic loading rate and inoculum together explained 26 and 31% of the variance in bacterial and archaeal communities respectively. The microbial communities of UASBs adapted to the reactor conditions in treatment of particle rich manure fractions, obtaining high capacity, especially on pig manure supernatant. These findings provide relevant insight into the microbial community dynamics in startup and operation of sludge bed reactors for methane production from slurry fractions, a major potential source of biogas. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Ultimate dynamics of the Kirschner-Panetta model: Tumor eradication and related problems

Science.gov (United States)

Starkov, Konstantin E.; Krishchenko, Alexander P.

2017-10-01

In this paper we consider the ultimate dynamics of the Kirschner-Panetta model which was created for studying the immune response to tumors under special types of immunotherapy. New ultimate upper bounds for compact invariant sets of this model are given, as well as sufficient conditions for the existence of a positively invariant polytope. We establish three types of conditions for the nonexistence of compact invariant sets in the domain of the tumor-cell population. Our main results are two types of conditions for global tumor elimination depending on the ratio between the proliferation rate of the immune cells and their mortality rate. These conditions are described in terms of simple algebraic inequalities imposed on model parameters and treatment parameters. Our theoretical studies of ultimate dynamics are complemented by numerical simulation results.

77 FR 18793 - Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed Pilot Program

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-28

.... 120322212-2212-01] Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed Pilot Program AGENCY: National Telecommunications... Innovation Test-Bed pilot program to assess whether devices employing Dynamic Spectrum Access techniques can... Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed (Test-Bed) pilot program to examine the feasibility of increased...

A multiplexed microfluidic system for evaluation of dynamics of immune-tumor interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, N; Doty, D; Zielstorff, M; Kariv, I; Moy, L Y; Gimbel, A; Chevillet, J R; Lowry, N; Santos, J; Mott, V; Kratchman, L; Lau, T; Addona, G; Chen, H; Borenstein, J T

2018-05-25

Recapitulation of the tumor microenvironment is critical for probing mechanisms involved in cancer, and for evaluating the tumor-killing potential of chemotherapeutic agents, targeted therapies and immunotherapies. Microfluidic devices have emerged as valuable tools for both mechanistic studies and for preclinical evaluation of therapeutic agents, due to their ability to precisely control drug concentrations and gradients of oxygen and other species in a scalable and potentially high throughput manner. Most existing in vitro microfluidic cancer models are comprised of cultured cancer cells embedded in a physiologically relevant matrix, collocated with vascular-like structures. However, the recent emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) as a powerful therapeutic modality against many cancers has created a need for preclinical in vitro models that accommodate interactions between tumors and immune cells, particularly for assessment of unprocessed tumor fragments harvested directly from patient biopsies. Here we report on a microfluidic model, termed EVIDENT (ex vivo immuno-oncology dynamic environment for tumor biopsies), that accommodates up to 12 separate tumor biopsy fragments interacting with flowing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in a dynamic microenvironment. Flow control is achieved with a single pump in a simple and scalable configuration, and the entire system is constructed using low-sorption materials, addressing two principal concerns with existing microfluidic cancer models. The system sustains tumor fragments for multiple days, and permits real-time, high-resolution imaging of the interaction between autologous TILs and tumor fragments, enabling mapping of TIL-mediated tumor killing and testing of various ICI treatments versus tumor response. Custom image analytic algorithms based on machine learning reported here provide automated and quantitative assessment of experimental results. Initial studies indicate that the system is capable of

Facilitating in vivo tumor localization by principal component analysis based on dynamic fluorescence molecular imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yang; Chen, Maomao; Wu, Junyu; Zhou, Yuan; Cai, Chuangjian; Wang, Daliang; Luo, Jianwen

2017-09-01

Fluorescence molecular imaging has been used to target tumors in mice with xenograft tumors. However, tumor imaging is largely distorted by the aggregation of fluorescent probes in the liver. A principal component analysis (PCA)-based strategy was applied on the in vivo dynamic fluorescence imaging results of three mice with xenograft tumors to facilitate tumor imaging, with the help of a tumor-specific fluorescent probe. Tumor-relevant features were extracted from the original images by PCA and represented by the principal component (PC) maps. The second principal component (PC2) map represented the tumor-related features, and the first principal component (PC1) map retained the original pharmacokinetic profiles, especially of the liver. The distribution patterns of the PC2 map of the tumor-bearing mice were in good agreement with the actual tumor location. The tumor-to-liver ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio were significantly higher on the PC2 map than on the original images, thus distinguishing the tumor from its nearby fluorescence noise of liver. The results suggest that the PC2 map could serve as a bioimaging marker to facilitate in vivo tumor localization, and dynamic fluorescence molecular imaging with PCA could be a valuable tool for future studies of in vivo tumor metabolism and progression.

Single-level dynamic spiral CT of hepatocellular carcinoma: correlation between imaging features and tumor angiogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Weixia; Min Pengqiu; Song Bin; Xiao Bangliang; Liu Yan; Wang Wendong; Chen Xian; Xu Jianying

2001-01-01

Objective: To investigate the correlation of the enhancement imaging features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and relevant parameters revealed by single-level dynamic spiral CT scanning with tumor microvessel counting (MVC). Methods: The study included 26 histopathologically proven HCC patients. Target-slice dynamic scanning and portal venous phase scanning were performed for all patients. The time-density curves were generated with measurement of relevant parameters including: peak value (PV) and contrast enhancement ratio (CER), and the gross enhancement morphology analyzed. Histopathological slides were carefully prepared for the standard F8RA and VEGF immunohistochemical staining and tumor microvessel counting and calculation of VEGF expression percentage of tumor cells. The enhancement imaging features of HCC lesions were correlatively studied with tumor MVC and VEGF expression. Results: Peak value of HCC lesions were 7.9 to 75.2 HU, CER were 3.8% to 36.0%. MVC were 6 to 91, and the VEGF expression percentage were 32.1% to 78.3%. The PV and CER were significantly correlated with tumor tissue MVC (r = 0.508 and 0.423, P < 0.01 and 0.05 respectively). There were no correlations between PV and CER and VEGF expression percentage. Both the patterns of time-density curve and the gross enhancement morphology of HCC lesions were also correlated with tumor MVC, and reflected the distribution characteristics of tumor microvessels within HCC lesions. A close association was found between the likelihood of intrahepatic metastasis of HCC lesions with densely enhanced pseudo capsules and the presence of rich tumor microvessels within these pseudo capsules. Conclusion: The parameters and the enhancement imaging features of HCC lesions on target-slice dynamic scanning are correlated with tumor MVC, and can reflect the distribution characteristics of tumor microvessels within HCC lesions. Dynamic spiral CT scanning is a valuable means to assess the angiogenic activity and

Model of rough bed for numerical simulation of saltation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kharlamova, Irina; Vlasák, Pavel

2015-01-01

Roč. 19, č. 3 (2015), s. 366-385 ISSN 1964-8189 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA103/09/1718; GA ČR GAP105/10/1574 Institutional support: RVO:67985874 Keywords : saltation * bed load transport * rough bed * armoured bed * bed roughness Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 0.636, year: 2015

Pharmacokinetic Analysis of 64Cu-ATSM Dynamic PET in Human Xenograft Tumors in Mice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Fan; Jørgensen, Jesper Tranekjær; Madsen, Jacob

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility to perform voxel-wise kinetic modeling on datasets obtained from tumor-bearing mice that underwent dynamic PET scans with 64Cu-ATSM and extract useful physiological parameters.METHODS: Tumor-bearing mice underwent 90-min dynamic PET scans...... relevant parameters from voxel-wise pharmacokinetic analysis to be used for preclinical validation of 64Cu-ATSM as a hypoxia-specific PET tracer....

Determination of the dynamics of tumor hypoxia during radiation therapy using biological imaging on mouse xenograft tumors

OpenAIRE

Maftei, Constantin Alin

2013-01-01

Background: Chronic, acute and hypoxemic hypoxia can lead to resistance to radiation therapy. The purpose of this thesis was to shed light on the role of these three hypoxia subtypes in radiotherapy. Methods: The amount of total hypoxia and hypoxia subtypes were assessed ex-vivo in xenograft tumors via (immuno-)fluorescence and H&E staining. For the non-invasive detection of hypoxia, tumor-bearing mice were injected with 18F-FMISO and underwent a dynamic PET/CT scan. The hypoxic fraction ...

A fundamental study of dynamic CT for hemodynamics in experimental hepatic tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamakawa, Fumiko

1991-01-01

Dynamic CT was performed using iodamide meglumine (2 ml/kg) to investigate hemodynamics in experimental hepatic tumors, tumor margins and in normal hepatic tissue as well in rabbits with VX 2 -induced hepatic tumors. Peak time (PT) and first moment (M1) were calculated from a time density curve prepared by eight consecutive 3-second scans over a period of 55 seconds. PT and M1 in tumors were significantly shorter than those in tumor margins and normal tissue, but were not influenced by tumor size. PT and M1 in tumor margins and normal tissue became longer with enlargement of the tumor. Ligation of the hepatic artery caused (1) no change in PT or M1 in normal tissue and tumor margins and (2) difficulty in measuring PT and M1 in tumors. Ligation of the portal vein caused (1) difficulty in measuring PT and M1 in normal tissue and tumor margins and (2) no change in PT or M1 in tumors. Pathological studies of specimens taken from each region of interest (ROI) showed that hemodynamics in the tumors reflected tumor-specific vascular structures. (author)

Preliminary experience using dynamic MRI at 3.0 Tesla for evaluation of soft tissue tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Michael Yong; Jee, Won-Hee; Kim, Sun Ki; Lee, So-Yeon; Jung, Joon-Yong

2013-01-01

We aimed to evaluate the use of dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) at 3.0 T for differentiating the benign from malignant soft tissue tumors. Also we aimed to assess whether the shorter length of DCE-MRI protocols are adequate, and to evaluate the effect of temporal resolution. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, at 3.0 T with a 1 second temporal resolution in 13 patients with pathologically confirmed soft tissue tumors, was analyzed. Visual assessment of time-signal curves, subtraction images, maximal relative enhancement at the first (maximal peak enhancement [Emax]/1) and second (Emax/2) minutes, Emax, steepest slope calculated by using various time intervals (5, 30, 60 seconds), and the start of dynamic enhancement were analyzed. The 13 tumors were comprised of seven benign and six malignant soft tissue neoplasms. Washout on time-signal curves was seen on three (50%) malignant tumors and one (14%) benign one. The most discriminating DCE-MRI parameter was the steepest slope calculated, by using at 5-second intervals, followed by Emax/1 and Emax/2. All of the steepest slope values occurred within 2 minutes of the dynamic study. Start of dynamic enhancement did not show a significant difference, but no malignant tumor rendered a value greater than 14 seconds. The steepest slope and early relative enhancement have the potential for differentiating benign from malignant soft tissue tumors. Short-length rather than long-length DCE-MRI protocol may be adequate for our purpose. The steepest slope parameters require a short temporal resolution, while maximal peak enhancement parameter may be more optimal for a longer temporal resolution.

WE-G-BRF-06: Positron Emission Tomography (PET)-Guided Dynamic Lung Tumor Tracking for Cancer Radiotherapy: First Patient Simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, J; Loo, B; Graves, E; Yamamoto, T; Keall, P

2014-01-01

Purpose: PET-guided dynamic tumor tracking is a novel concept of biologically targeted image guidance for radiotherapy. A dynamic tumor tracking algorithm based on list-mode PET data has been developed and previously tested on dynamic phantom data. In this study, we investigate if dynamic tumor tracking is clinically feasible by applying the method to lung cancer patient PET data. Methods: PET-guided tumor tracking estimates the target position of a segmented volume in PET images reconstructed continuously from accumulated coincidence events correlated with external respiratory motion, simulating real-time applications, i.e., only data up to the current time point is used to estimate the target position. A target volume is segmented with a 50% threshold, consistently, of the maximum intensity in the predetermined volume of interest. Through this algorithm, the PET-estimated trajectories are quantified from four lung cancer patients who have distinct tumor location and size. The accuracy of the PET-estimated trajectories is evaluated by comparing to external respiratory motion because the ground-truth of tumor motion is not known in patients; however, previous phantom studies demonstrated sub-2mm accuracy using clinically derived 3D tumor motion. Results: The overall similarity of motion patterns between the PET-estimated trajectories and the external respiratory traces implies that the PET-guided tracking algorithm can provide an acceptable level of targeting accuracy. However, there are variations in the tracking accuracy between tumors due to the quality of the segmentation which depends on target-to-background ratio, tumor location and size. Conclusion: For the first time, a dynamic tumor tracking algorithm has been applied to lung cancer patient PET data, demonstrating clinical feasibility of real-time tumor tracking for integrated PET-linacs. The target-to-background ratio is a significant factor determining accuracy: screening during treatment planning would

Assessing pharmacokinetics of indocyanine green-loaded nanoparticle in tumor with a dynamic diffuse fluorescence tomography system

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yanqi; Yin, Guoyan; Zhao, Huijuan; Ma, Wenjuan; Gao, Feng; Zhang, Limin

2018-02-01

Real-time and continuous monitoring of drug release in vivo is an important task in pharmaceutical development. Here, we devoted to explore a real-time continuous study of the pharmacokinetics of free indocyanine green (ICG) and ICG loaded in the shell-sheddable nanoparticles in tumor based on a dynamic diffuse fluorescence tomography (DFT) system: A highly-sensitive dynamic DFT system of CT-scanning mode generates informative and instantaneous sampling datasets; An analysis procedure extracts the pharmacokinetic parameters from the reconstructed time curves of the mean ICG concentration in tumor, using the Gauss-Newton scheme based on two-compartment model. Compared with the pharmacokinetic parameters of free ICG in tumor, the ICG loaded in the shell-sheddable nanoparticles shows efficient accumulation in tumor. The results demonstrate our proposed dynamic-DFT can provide an integrated and continuous view of the drug delivery of the injected agents in different formulations, which is helpful for the development of diagnosis and therapy for tumors.

Subglacial bed conditions during Late Pleistocene glaciations and their impact on ice dynamics in the southern North Sea

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Passchier, S.; Laban, C.; Mesdag, C.S.; Rijsdijk, K.F.

2010-01-01

Changes in subglacial bed conditions through multiple glaciations and their effect on ice dynamics are addressed through an analysis of glacigenic sequences in the Upper Pleistocene stratigraphy of the southern North Sea basin. During Elsterian (MIS 12) ice growth, till deposition was subdued when

A deterministic and stochastic model for the system dynamics of tumor-immune responses to chemotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiangdong; Li, Qingze; Pan, Jianxin

2018-06-01

Modern medical studies show that chemotherapy can help most cancer patients, especially for those diagnosed early, to stabilize their disease conditions from months to years, which means the population of tumor cells remained nearly unchanged in quite a long time after fighting against immune system and drugs. In order to better understand the dynamics of tumor-immune responses under chemotherapy, deterministic and stochastic differential equation models are constructed to characterize the dynamical change of tumor cells and immune cells in this paper. The basic dynamical properties, such as boundedness, existence and stability of equilibrium points, are investigated in the deterministic model. Extended stochastic models include stochastic differential equations (SDEs) model and continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) model, which accounts for the variability in cellular reproduction, growth and death, interspecific competitions, and immune response to chemotherapy. The CTMC model is harnessed to estimate the extinction probability of tumor cells. Numerical simulations are performed, which confirms the obtained theoretical results.

Dynamic MRI study for breast tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seki, Tsuneaki

1990-01-01

Application of MRI for diagnosis of breast tumors was retrospectively examined in 103 consecutive cases. Contrast enhancement, mostly by dynamic study, was performed in 83 cases using Gd-DTPA and 0.5 T superconductive apparatus. Results were compared to those of mammography and sonography. On dynamic study, carcinoma showed abrupt rise of signal intensity with clear-cut peak formation in early phase, while benign fibroadenoma showed slow rise of signal intensity and prolonged enhancement without peak formation. In 12 of 33 carcinomas (33%), peripheral ring enhancement was noted reflecting vascular stroma of histologic sections. All fibroadenomas showed homogenous enhancement without peripheral ring. In MRI, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 86%, 96%, 91%. In mammography 82%, 95%, 87% and in ultrasonography 91%, 95%, 93%. Although MRI should not be regarded as routine diagnostic procedure because of expense and limited availability, it may afford useful additional information when standard mammographic findings are not conclusive. (author)

Fluidized-bed reactors processes and operating conditions

CERN Document Server

Yates, John G

2016-01-01

The fluidized-bed reactor is the centerpiece of industrial fluidization processes. This book focuses on the design and operation of fluidized beds in many different industrial processes, emphasizing the rationale for choosing fluidized beds for each particular process. The book starts with a brief history of fluidization from its inception in the 1940’s. The authors present both the fluid dynamics of gas-solid fluidized beds and the extensive experimental studies of operating systems and they set them in the context of operating processes that use fluid-bed reactors. Chemical engineering students and postdocs as well as practicing engineers will find great interest in this book.

Investigation of Gas Solid Fluidized Bed Dynamics with Non-Spherical Particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choudhuri, Ahsan [Univ. of Texas, El Paso, TX (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

2013-06-30

One of the largest challenges for 21st century is to fulfill global energy demand while also reducing detrimental impacts of energy generation and use on the environment. Gasification is a promising technology to meet the requirement of reduced emissions without compromising performance. Coal gasification is not an incinerating process; rather than burning coal completely a partial combustion takes place in the presence of steam and limited amounts of oxygen. In this controlled environment, a chemical reaction takes place to produce a mixture of clean synthetic gas. Gas-solid fluidized bed is one such type of gasification technology. During gasification, the mixing behavior of solid (coal) and gas and their flow patterns can be very complicated to understand. Many attempts have taken place in laboratory scale to understand bed hydrodynamics with spherical particles though in actual applications with coal, the particles are non-spherical. This issue drove the documented attempt presented here to investigate fluidized bed behavior using different ranges of non-spherical particles, as well as spherical. For this investigation, various parameters are controlled that included particle size, bed height, bed diameter and particle shape. Particles ranged from 355 µm to 1180 µm, bed diameter varied from 2 cm to 7 cm, two fluidized beds with diameters of 3.4 cm and 12.4 cm, for the spherical and non-spherical shaped particles that were taken into consideration. Pressure drop was measured with increasing superficial gas velocity. The velocity required in order to start to fluidize the particle is called the minimum fluidization velocity, which is one of the most important parameters to design and optimize within a gas-solid fluidized bed. This minimum fluidization velocity was monitored during investigation while observing variables factors and their effect on this velocity. From our investigation, it has been found that minimum fluidization velocity is independent of bed

Functioning islet cell tumor of the pancreas. Localization with dynamic spiral CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, M.J.; Choi, B.I.; Han, J.K.; Chung, J.W.; Han, M.C.; Bae, S.H.

1997-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of dynamic spiral CT, including multidimensional reformation, in the detection and localization of islet cell tumors of the pancreas. Material and Methods: Seven patients with histopathologically proven functioning islet cell tumors of the pancreas were studied with 2-phase contrast-enhanced spiral CT. Scanning of the arterial phase and late phase was started 30 s and 180 s, respectively, after injection of 100 ml of contrast medium at a rate of 3 ml/s. Results: Axial images in the arterial phase depicted the lesions in 5 patients, but in the late phase in only one patient. Multiplanar reformatted images of the arterial phase depicted the lesions in all 7 patients. Maximal intensity projection images demonstrated all lesions with information of their relationship to the vascular structure. Conclusion: Dynamic spiral CT with scanning during the arterial phase and retrospective multidimensional reformation is useful for preoperative detection and localization of small islet cell tumors of the pancreas. (orig.)

Quality of Life in Women Undergoing Breast Irradiation in a Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial Evaluating Different Tumor Bed Boost Fractionations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finkel, Morgan A.; Cooper, Benjamin T.; Li, Xiaochun; Fenton-Kerimian, Maria; Goldberg, Judith D.; Formenti, Silvia C.

2016-01-01

Purpose: To identify differences in breast cancer patient-reported quality of life (QOL) between 2 radiation tumor bed boost dose regimens. Methods and Materials: Four hundred patients with stage 0, I, or II breast cancer who underwent segmental mastectomy with sentinel node biopsy and/or axillary node dissection were treated with either a daily or weekly boost. Patients were treated prone to 40.5 Gy/15 fractions to the whole breast, 5 days per week. Patients were randomized to a concomitant daily boost to the tumor bed of 0.5 Gy, or a weekly boost of 2 Gy on Friday. Patients completed 6 validated QOL survey instruments at baseline, last week of treatment (3 weeks), 45-60 days from the completion of radiation treatment, and at 2-year follow-up. Results: There were no statistically significance differences in responses to the 6 QOL instruments between the daily and weekly radiation boost regimens, even after adjustment for important covariates. However, several changes in responses over time occurred in both arms, including worsening functional status, cosmetic status, and breast-specific pain at the end of treatment as compared with before and 45 to 60 days after the conclusion of treatment. Conclusions: Whole-breast, prone intensity modulated radiation has similar outcomes in QOL measures whether given with a daily or weekly boost. This trial has generated the foundation for a current study of weekly versus daily radiation boost in women with early breast cancer in which 3-dimensional conformal radiation is allowed as a prospective stratification factor.

Quality of Life in Women Undergoing Breast Irradiation in a Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial Evaluating Different Tumor Bed Boost Fractionations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Finkel, Morgan A.; Cooper, Benjamin T. [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Li, Xiaochun [Division of Biostatistics, Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Fenton-Kerimian, Maria [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Goldberg, Judith D. [Division of Biostatistics, Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Formenti, Silvia C., E-mail: formenti@med.cornell.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States)

2016-06-01

Purpose: To identify differences in breast cancer patient-reported quality of life (QOL) between 2 radiation tumor bed boost dose regimens. Methods and Materials: Four hundred patients with stage 0, I, or II breast cancer who underwent segmental mastectomy with sentinel node biopsy and/or axillary node dissection were treated with either a daily or weekly boost. Patients were treated prone to 40.5 Gy/15 fractions to the whole breast, 5 days per week. Patients were randomized to a concomitant daily boost to the tumor bed of 0.5 Gy, or a weekly boost of 2 Gy on Friday. Patients completed 6 validated QOL survey instruments at baseline, last week of treatment (3 weeks), 45-60 days from the completion of radiation treatment, and at 2-year follow-up. Results: There were no statistically significance differences in responses to the 6 QOL instruments between the daily and weekly radiation boost regimens, even after adjustment for important covariates. However, several changes in responses over time occurred in both arms, including worsening functional status, cosmetic status, and breast-specific pain at the end of treatment as compared with before and 45 to 60 days after the conclusion of treatment. Conclusions: Whole-breast, prone intensity modulated radiation has similar outcomes in QOL measures whether given with a daily or weekly boost. This trial has generated the foundation for a current study of weekly versus daily radiation boost in women with early breast cancer in which 3-dimensional conformal radiation is allowed as a prospective stratification factor.

Detection and quantitation of circulating tumor cell dynamics by bioluminescence imaging in an orthotopic mammary carcinoma model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Sarah Sasportas

Full Text Available Circulating tumor cells (CTCs have been detected in the bloodstream of both early-stage and advanced cancer patients. However, very little is know about the dynamics of CTCs during cancer progression and the clinical relevance of longitudinal CTC enumeration. To address this, we developed a simple bioluminescence imaging assay to detect CTCs in mouse models of metastasis. In a 4T1 orthotopic metastatic mammary carcinoma mouse model, we demonstrated that this quantitative method offers sensitivity down to 2 CTCs in 0.1-1mL blood samples and high specificity for CTCs originating from the primary tumor, independently of their epithelial status. In this model, we simultaneously monitored blood CTC dynamics, primary tumor growth, and lung metastasis progression over the course of 24 days. Early in tumor development, we observed low numbers of CTCs in blood samples (10-15 cells/100 µL and demonstrated that CTC dynamics correlate with viable primary tumor growth. To our knowledge, these data represent the first reported use of bioluminescence imaging to detect CTCs and quantify their dynamics in any cancer mouse model. This new assay is opening the door to the study of CTC dynamics in a variety of animal models. These studies may inform clinical decision on the appropriate timing of blood sampling and value of longitudinal CTC enumeration in cancer patients.

Prospective Randomized Trial of Prone Accelerated Intensity Modulated Breast Radiation Therapy With a Daily Versus Weekly Boost to the Tumor Bed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, Benjamin T.; Formenti-Ujlaki, George F.; Li, Xiaochun; Shin, Samuel M.; Fenton-Kerimian, Maria; Guth, Amber; Roses, Daniel F.; Hitchen, Christine J.; Rosenstein, Barry S.; Dewyngaert, J. Keith; Goldberg, Judith D.; Formenti, Silvia C.

2016-01-01

Purpose: To report the results of a prospective randomized trial comparing a daily versus weekly boost to the tumor cavity during the course of accelerated radiation to the breast with patients in the prone position. Methods and Materials: From 2009 to 2012, 400 patients with stage 0 to II breast cancer who had undergone segmental mastectomy participated in an institutional review board–approved trial testing prone breast radiation therapy to 40.5 Gy in 15 fractions 5 d/wk to the whole breast, after randomization to a concomitant daily boost to the tumor bed of 0.5 Gy, or a weekly boost of 2 Gy, on Friday. The present noninferiority trial tested the primary hypothesis that a weekly boost produced no more acute toxicity than did a daily boost. The recurrence-free survival was estimated for both treatment arms using the Kaplan-Meier method; the relative risk of recurrence or death was estimated, and the 2 arms were compared using the log-rank test. Results: At a median follow-up period of 45 months, no deaths related to breast cancer had occurred. The weekly boost regimen produced no more grade ≥2 acute toxicity than did the daily boost regimen (8.1% vs 10.4%; noninferiority Z = −2.52; P=.006). No statistically significant difference was found in the cumulative incidence of long-term fibrosis or telangiectasia of grade ≥2 between the 2 arms (log-rank P=.923). Two local and two distant recurrences developed in the daily treatment arm and three local and one distant developed in the weekly arm. The 4-year recurrence-free survival rate was not different between the 2 treatment arms (98% for both arms). Conclusions: A tumor bed boost delivered either daily or weekly was tolerated similarly during accelerated prone breast radiation therapy, with excellent control of disease and comparable cosmetic results.

Prospective Randomized Trial of Prone Accelerated Intensity Modulated Breast Radiation Therapy With a Daily Versus Weekly Boost to the Tumor Bed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cooper, Benjamin T.; Formenti-Ujlaki, George F. [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Li, Xiaochun [Division of Biostatistics, Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Shin, Samuel M.; Fenton-Kerimian, Maria [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Guth, Amber; Roses, Daniel F. [Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Hitchen, Christine J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Rosenstein, Barry S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (United States); Dewyngaert, J. Keith [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Goldberg, Judith D. [Division of Biostatistics, Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Formenti, Silvia C., E-mail: formenti@med.cornell.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States)

2016-06-01

Purpose: To report the results of a prospective randomized trial comparing a daily versus weekly boost to the tumor cavity during the course of accelerated radiation to the breast with patients in the prone position. Methods and Materials: From 2009 to 2012, 400 patients with stage 0 to II breast cancer who had undergone segmental mastectomy participated in an institutional review board–approved trial testing prone breast radiation therapy to 40.5 Gy in 15 fractions 5 d/wk to the whole breast, after randomization to a concomitant daily boost to the tumor bed of 0.5 Gy, or a weekly boost of 2 Gy, on Friday. The present noninferiority trial tested the primary hypothesis that a weekly boost produced no more acute toxicity than did a daily boost. The recurrence-free survival was estimated for both treatment arms using the Kaplan-Meier method; the relative risk of recurrence or death was estimated, and the 2 arms were compared using the log-rank test. Results: At a median follow-up period of 45 months, no deaths related to breast cancer had occurred. The weekly boost regimen produced no more grade ≥2 acute toxicity than did the daily boost regimen (8.1% vs 10.4%; noninferiority Z = −2.52; P=.006). No statistically significant difference was found in the cumulative incidence of long-term fibrosis or telangiectasia of grade ≥2 between the 2 arms (log-rank P=.923). Two local and two distant recurrences developed in the daily treatment arm and three local and one distant developed in the weekly arm. The 4-year recurrence-free survival rate was not different between the 2 treatment arms (98% for both arms). Conclusions: A tumor bed boost delivered either daily or weekly was tolerated similarly during accelerated prone breast radiation therapy, with excellent control of disease and comparable cosmetic results.

Dynamics of particle loading in deep-bed filter. Transport, deposition and reentrainment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Przekop Rafał

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Deep bed filtration is an effective method of submicron and micron particle removal from the fluid stream. There is an extensive body of literature regarding particle deposition in filters, often using the classical continuum approach. However, the approach is not convenient for studying the influence of particle deposition on filter performance (filtration efficiency, pressure drop when non-steady state boundary conditions have to be introduced. For the purposes of this work the lattice-Boltzmann model describes fluid dynamics, while the solid particle motion is modeled by the Brownian dynamics. For aggregates the effect of their structure on displacement is taken into account. The possibility of particles rebound from the surface of collector or reentrainment of deposits to fluid stream is calculated by energy balanced oscillatory model derived from adhesion theory. The results show the evolution of filtration efficiency and pressure drop of filters with different internal structure described by the size of pores. The size of resuspended aggregates and volume distribution of deposits in filter were also analyzed. The model enables prediction of dynamic filter behavior. It can be a very useful tool for designing filter structures which optimize maximum lifetime with the acceptable values of filtration efficiency and pressure drop.

Characteristics of time-activity curves obtained from dynamic 11C-methionine PET in common primary brain tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Nomura, Yuichi; Asano, Yoshitaka; Shinoda, Jun; Yano, Hirohito; Ikegame, Yuka; Kawasaki, Tomohiro; Nakayama, Noriyuki; Maruyama, Takashi; Muragaki, Yoshihiro; Iwama, Toru

2018-07-01

The aim of this study was to assess whether dynamic PET with 11 C-methionine (MET) (MET-PET) is useful in the diagnosis of brain tumors. One hundred sixty patients with brain tumors (139 gliomas, 9 meningiomas, 4 hemangioblastomas and 8 primary central nervous system lymphomas [PCNSL]) underwent dynamic MET-PET with a 3-dimensional acquisition mode, and the maximum tumor MET-standardized uptake value (MET-SUV) was measured consecutively to construct a time-activity curve (TAC). Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated from the time-to-peak (TTP) and the slope of the curve in the late phase (SLOPE). The TAC patterns of MET-SUVs (MET-TACs) could be divided into four characteristic types when MET dynamics were analyzed by dividing the MET-TAC into three phases. MET-SUVs were significantly higher in early and late phases in glioblastoma compared to anaplastic astrocytoma, diffuse astrocytoma and the normal frontal cortex (P dynamic MET-PET study could be helpful in the non-invasive discrimination of brain tumor subtypes, in particular gliomas.

Dynamic density functional theory of solid tumor growth: Preliminary models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arnaud Chauviere

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Cancer is a disease that can be seen as a complex system whose dynamics and growth result from nonlinear processes coupled across wide ranges of spatio-temporal scales. The current mathematical modeling literature addresses issues at various scales but the development of theoretical methodologies capable of bridging gaps across scales needs further study. We present a new theoretical framework based on Dynamic Density Functional Theory (DDFT extended, for the first time, to the dynamics of living tissues by accounting for cell density correlations, different cell types, phenotypes and cell birth/death processes, in order to provide a biophysically consistent description of processes across the scales. We present an application of this approach to tumor growth.

Dependence of saltation characteristics on bed organisation in numerical simulation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kharlamova, Irina; Vlasák, Pavel

2015-01-01

Roč. 19, č. 1 (2015), s. 177-184 ISSN 1226-4806 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA103/09/1718; GA ČR GAP105/10/1574 Institutional support: RVO:67985874 Keywords : saltation parameters * bed roughness * bed structure * bed load transport * armoured bed Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 0.922, year: 2015 http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs12303-014-0029-3.pdf

Probability dynamics of a repopulating tumor in case of fractionated external radiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Stavreva, Nadia; Stavrev, Pavel; Fallone, B Gino

2009-12-01

In this work two analytical methods are developed for computing the probability distribution of the number of surviving cells of a repopulating tumor during a fractionated external radio-treatment. Both methods are developed for the case of pure birth processes. They both allow the description of the tumor dynamics in case of cell radiosensitivity changing in time and for treatment schedules with variable dose per fraction and variable time intervals between fractions. The first method is based on a direct solution of the set of differential equations describing the tumor dynamics. The second method is based on the works of Hanin et al. [Hanin LG, Zaider M, Yakovlev AY. Distribution of the number of clonogens surviving fractionated radiotherapy: a long-standing problem revisited. Int J Radiat Biol 2001;77:205-13; Hanin LG. Iterated birth and death process as a model of radiation cell survival. Math Biosci 2001;169:89-107; Hanin LG. A stochastic model of tumor response to fractionated radiation: limit theorems and rate of convergence. Math Biosci 2004;191:1-17], where probability generating functions are used. In addition a Monte Carlo algorithm for simulating the probability distributions is developed for the same treatment conditions as for the analytical methods. The probability distributions predicted by the three methods are compared graphically for a certain set of values of the model parameters and an excellent agreement is found to exist between all three results, thus proving the correct implementation of the methods. However, numerical difficulties have been encountered with both analytical methods depending on the values of the model parameters. Therefore, the Poisson approximation is also studied and it is compared to the exact methods for several different combinations of the model parameter values. It is concluded that the Poisson approximation works sufficiently well only for slowly repopulating tumors and a low cell survival probability and that it

THE EFFECT OF THE THICKNESS OF A PACKED BED ON THE DYNAMIC AND THERMAL BEHAVIOR OF A SOLAR DRYER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S KHALDI

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Drying food in the sun is a safe, easy and economical way to preserve food, especially fruits. Cabinet dryers are the most popular equipment for fruit drying. Because of intermittent nature of solar energy, storage is required for uninterrupted supply in order to match the needs. The main objective of this study is to assess effectiveness of continuous solar dryer integrated with packed bed as thermal storage with natural airflow for drying figs (Ficuscarica. The cabinet dryer were envisaged theoretically (computational fluid dynamics (CFD. The distribution of the velocity and temperature of air within the solar dryer were presented during one day of August and under the climate conditions of Tlemcen (Algeria.  The effects of presence of a packed bed on the distribution of velocity and temperature of airflow and on the temperature of figs were analyzed. The results show that the solar dryer design, incorporating a packed bed enhances the capabilities and performance of the solar dryer, through increasing time of drying.

Absorption in a three-phase fluidized bed I: Hydrodynamic investigations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pejanović Srđan M.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The hydrodynamic properties of a three phase fluidized bed with low density inert spherical packing, fluidized by the interaction of a gas flowing upwards and a liquid flowing downwards through the column, were investigated. It was found that the pressure drop, liquid hold up and dynamic bed height increase with both increasing liquid and gas flow rate. While the dynamic bed height and minimum fluidization velocity remain unchanged, both the pressure drop and liquid hold up increase with increasing density of the packing. Therefore, an increase in packing density causes more intensive mass transfer between the fluid phases than packed columns. It was shown that increase of the liquid flow rate causes an increase of both the effective liquid and gas velocity through the fluidized bed, which may also improve mass transfer.

Recent advances in fluidized bed drying

Science.gov (United States)

Haron, N. S.; Zakaria, J. H.; Mohideen Batcha, M. F.

2017-09-01

Fluidized bed drying are very well known to yield high heat and mass transfer and hence adopted to many industrial drying processes particularly agricultural products. In this paper, recent advances in fluidized bed drying were reviewed and focus is given to the drying related to the usage of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). It can be seen that usage of modern computational tools such as CFD helps to optimize the fluidized bed dryer design and operation for lower energy consumption and thus better thermal efficiency. Among agricultural products that were reviewed in this paper were oil palm frond, wheat grains, olive pomace, coconut, pepper corn and millet.

Statistical description of flume experiments on mixed-size bed-load transport and bed armoring processes

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, D.; Zhang, Y.

2008-12-01

The objective of this paper is to describe the statistical properties of experiments on non-uniform bed-load transport as well as the mechanism of bed armoring processes. Despite substantial effort made over the last two decades, the ability to compute the bed-load flux in a turbulent system remains poor. The major obstacles include the poor understanding of the formation of armor lays on bed surfaces. Such a layer is much flow-resistible than the underlying material and therefore significantly inhibits sediment transport from the reach. To study the problem, we conducted a flume study for mixed sand/gravel sediments. We observed that aggregated sediment blocks were the most common characters in armor layers - the largest sizes resist hydraulic forces, while the smaller sizes add interlocking support and prevent loss of fine material through gaps between the larger particles. Fractional transport rates with the existing of armor layers were measured with time by sediment trapping method at the end of flume. To address the intermittent and time-varying behavior of bed-load transport during bed armoring processes, we investigated the probability distribution of the fractional bed-load transport rates, and the underlying dynamic model derived from the continuous time random walk framework. Results indicate that it is critical to consider the impact of armor layers when a flow is sufficient to move some of the finer particles and yet insufficient to move all the larger particles on a channel bed.

WE-E-BRE-12: Tumor Microenvironment Dynamics Following Radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campos, D; Niles, D; Adamson, E; Torres, A; Kissick, M; Eliceiri, K; Kimple, R

2014-01-01

Purpose: This work aims to understand the radiation-induced interplay between tumor oxygenation and metabolic activity. These dynamics can potentially serve as biomarkers in assessing treatment response allowing for patient-specific adaptive radiotherapy. Methods: Using patient-derived xenografts of head and neck cancer we assessed tumor oxygenation via fiber-optic probe monitored hemoglobin saturation and Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) MRI. Measurements were taken before and after a 10 Gy dose of radiation. Changes in metabolic activity were measured via Fluorescence Lifetime IMaging (FLIM) with the appropriate controls following a 10 Gy dose of radiation. FLIM can non-invasively monitor changes in fluorescence in response to the microenvironment including being able to detect free and bound states of the intrinsically fluorescent metabolite NADH (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide). With this information FLIM can accurately quantify the metabolic state of cells that have been radiated. To model the observed changes, a two-compartment, source-sink simulation relating hemoglobin saturation and metabolic activity was performed using MATLAB. Results: Hemoglobin saturation as measured by interstitial probe and BOLD-MRI decreased by 30% within 15 minutes following radiation. FLIM demonstrated a decrease in the mean fluorescence lifetime of NADH by 100 ps following 10 Gy indicating a shift towards glycolytic pathways. Simulation of radiation-induced alterations in tumor oxygenation demonstrated that these changes can be the result of changes in either vasculature or metabolic activity. Conclusion: Radiation induces significant changes in hemoglobin saturation and metabolic activity. These alterations occur on time scales approximately the duration of common radiation treatments. Further understanding these dynamics has important implications with regard to improvement of therapy and biomarkers of treatment response

Can immediate second resection be an alternative to standardized second transurethral resection of bladder tumors?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Engin Doğantekin

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This study analyzed the impact of an immediate second transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT protocol on residual tumor status at the initial TURBT session and the recurrence rate in the primary resection area. We prospectively evaluated and randomized 47 consecutive patients who underwent TURBT sessions for bladder cancer. In accordance with the inclusion criteria, of the 47 consecutive patients, 19 (Group I underwent immediate second resection of the tumor bed after complete TUR and 28 (Group II did not. After standard TURBT, Group I underwent a second cystoscopy and resection of the bed of the tumor or an ignored tumor, which was performed by a different urologist. After 4–6 weeks, delayed second TURB was performed, and all pathological results were evaluated. Tumors were detected in two patients during the immediate second resection. Of these, one was a misdiagnosed tumor, whereas the other was diagnosed at the bed of the tumor by pathological examination. Tumors were detected in nine patients at the delayed second TURB, of which only one was part of Group I, while the others were part of Group II (p = 0.04. The results of this study demonstrated that residual tumors may remain after initial TURB, either in the tumor bed or in a different location within the bladder. Although this was a pilot study enrolling only a small number of patients, our initial results supported the assertion that immediate second resection can be an alternative to standard second TURBT.

Real-time tumor ablation simulation based on the dynamic mode decomposition method

KAUST Repository

Bourantas, George C.; Ghommem, Mehdi; Kagadis, George C.; Katsanos, Konstantinos H.; Loukopoulos, Vassilios C.; Burganos, Vasilis N.; Nikiforidis, George C.

2014-01-01

Purpose: The dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) method is used to provide a reliable forecasting of tumor ablation treatment simulation in real time, which is quite needed in medical practice. To achieve this, an extended Pennes bioheat model must

Astronomical cycle origin of bedded chert: A middle Triassic bedded chert sequence, Inuyama, Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, Masayuki; Tada, Ryuji; Sakuma, Hironobu

2010-09-01

Astronomical forcing is one of the main drivers of climate change, and astronomical cyclicity recorded in sediments provides a clue to understand the dynamics of the global climate system. Bedded cherts consist of rhythmic alternations of chert and shale beds. Although previous studies have hypothesized that the origin of bedded chert is related to astronomical cycles (e.g. Fischer, 1976; Hori et al., 1993), conclusive proof remains elusive. To explore this possibility, we established a continuous, high-resolution lithostratigraphy of middle Triassic bedded chert in Central Japan. The average duration of each chert-shale couplet is 20 kyr, similar to that of the precession cycle. Spectral analysis of a bed number series of thickness variations in chert beds was performed assuming that each chert-shale couplet represents a 20-kyr precession cycle. The results reveal cycles involving approximately 200, 20, 5, and 2-3 beds, corresponding to periodicities of approximately 4000, 400, 100, and 40-60 kyr, respectively. By further assuming that the 20-bed cycle represents a 405-kyr eccentricity cycle of constant and stable periodicity, we converted the bed number series to a time series. Spectral analysis of the time series revealed distinct periodicities of 3600, 117, 97, and 38 kyr, in addition to 405 kyr. Besides 3600 kyr, these periodicities agree well with the 120, 95, and 37 kyr periodicities for eccentricity cycles and the obliquity cycle during the Triassic. Moreover, we detected amplitude modulation of the approximately 100-kyr cycle of thickness variations in chert beds with a 405-kyr periodicity, which may correspond to amplitude modulation of 100-kyr climatic precession cycle with the 405-kyr periodicity. The approximately 3600-kyr periodicity described above and 1800-kyr periodicity manifested as the amplitude modulation of the 405-kyr cycle are correlated to present-day long-term eccentricity cycles of 2400 and 4800 kyr evolved by chaotic behavior of solar

The mechanism of char ignition in fluidized bed combustors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Siemons, R.V.

1987-01-01

Knowledge about ignition processes of coal in fluidized beds is of importance for the start-up and dynamic control of these combustors. Initial experiments in a transparent fluidized bed scale model showed the existence of a considerable induction period for the ignition of char, especially at low

Tumor clone dynamics in lethal prostate cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Carreira, Suzanne; Romanel, Alessandro; Goodall, Jane; Grist, Emily; Ferraldeschi, Roberta; Miranda, Susana; Prandi, Davide; Lorente, David; Frenel, Jean-Sebastien; Pezaro, Carmel; Omlin, Aurelius; Rodrigues, Daniel Nava; Flohr, Penelope; Tunariu, Nina; S de Bono, Johann; Demichelis, Francesca; Attard, Gerhardt

2014-09-17

It is unclear whether a single clone metastasizes and remains dominant over the course of lethal prostate cancer. We describe the clonal architectural heterogeneity at different stages of disease progression by sequencing serial plasma and tumor samples from 16 ERG-positive patients. By characterizing the clonality of commonly occurring deletions at 21q22, 8p21, and 10q23, we identified multiple independent clones in metastatic disease that are differentially represented in tissue and circulation. To exemplify the clinical utility of our studies, we then showed a temporal association between clinical progression and emergence of androgen receptor (AR) mutations activated by glucocorticoids in about 20% of patients progressing on abiraterone and prednisolone or dexamethasone. Resistant clones showed a complex dynamic with temporal and spatial heterogeneity, suggesting distinct mechanisms of resistance at different sites that emerged and regressed depending on treatment selection pressure. This introduces a management paradigm requiring sequential monitoring of advanced prostate cancer patients with plasma and tumor biopsies to ensure early discontinuation of agents when they become potential disease drivers. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

CFD analysis of hydrodynamic studies of a bubbling fluidized bed

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, B. J. M.; Rao, K. V. N. S.; Ranga Janardhana, G.

2018-03-01

Fluidization velocity is one of the most important parameter to characterize the hydrodynamic studies of fluidized bed asit determines different flow regimes. Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations are carriedfor a cylindrical bubbling fluidized bed with a static bed height 1m with 0.150m diameter of gasification chamber. The parameter investigated is fluidization velocity in range of 0.05m/s to 0.7m/s. Sand with density 2600kg/m3 and with a constant particle diameter of sand 385μm is employed for all the simulations. Simulations are conducted using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics software, ANSYS-FLUENT.The bubbling flow regime is appeared above the air inlet velocity of 0.2m/s. Bubbling character is increased with increase in inlet air velocities indicated by asymmetrical fluctuations of volume fractions in radial directions at different bed heights

Preclinical dynamic 18F-FDG PET - tumor characterization and radiotherapy response assessment by kinetic compartment analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roee, Kathrine; Aleksandersen, Thomas B.; Nilsen, Line B.; Hong Qu; Ree, Anne H.; Malinen, Eirik; Kristian, Alexandr; Seierstad, Therese; Olsen, Dag R.

2010-01-01

Background. Non-invasive visualization of tumor biological and molecular processes of importance to diagnosis and treatment response is likely to be critical in individualized cancer therapy. Since conventional static 18 F-FDG PET with calculation of the semi-quantitative parameter standardized uptake value (SUV) may be subject to many sources of variability, we here present an approach of quantifying the 18 F-FDG uptake by analytic two-tissue compartment modeling, extracting kinetic tumor parameters from dynamic 18 F-FDG PET. Further, we evaluate the potential of such parameters in radiotherapy response assessment. Material and methods. Male, athymic mice with prostate carcinoma xenografts were subjected to dynamic PET either untreated (n=8) or 24 h post-irradiation (7.5 Gy single dose, n=8). After 10 h of fasting, intravenous bolus injections of 10-15 MBq 18 F-FDG were administered and a 1 h dynamic PET scan was performed. 4D emission data were reconstructed using OSEM-MAP, before remote post-processing. Individual arterial input functions were extracted from the image series. Subsequently, tumor 18 F-FDG uptake was fitted voxel-by-voxel to a compartment model, producing kinetic parameter maps. Results. The kinetic model separated the 18 F-FDG uptake into free and bound tracer and quantified three parameters; forward tracer diffusion (k1), backward tracer diffusion (k2), and rate of 18 F-FDG phosphorylation, i.e. the glucose metabolism (k3). The fitted kinetic model gave a goodness of fit (r2) to the observed data ranging from 0.91 to 0.99, and produced parametrical images of all tumors included in the study. Untreated tumors showed homogeneous intra-group median values of all three parameters (k1, k2 and k3), whereas the parameters significantly increased in the tumors irradiated 24 h prior to 18 F-FDG PET. Conclusions. This study demonstrates the feasibility of a two-tissue compartment kinetic analysis of dynamic 18 F-FDG PET images. If validated, extracted

Contrast-enhanced dynamic MR imaging of parasellar tumor using fast spin-echo sequence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusunoki, Katsusuke; Ohue, Shiro; Ichikawa, Haruhisa; Saito, Masahiro; Sadamoto, Kazuhiko; Sakaki, Saburo; Miki, Hitoshi.

1995-01-01

We have applied a new dynamic MRI technique that uses a fast spin-echo sequence to parasellar tumors. This sequence has less susceptible effect and better spatial resolution than a gradient echo sequence, providing faster images than a short spin-echo sequence does. Image was obtained in the coronal or sagittal plane using a 1.5T clinical MRI system, and then, dynamic MR images were acquired every 10 to 20 sec after administration of Gd-DTPA (0.1 mmol/kg). The subjects were 12 patients (5 microadenomas, 5 macroadenomas and 2 Rathke's cleft cysts) and 5 normal volunteers. As for volunteers, the cavernous sinus, pituitary stalk and posterior pituitary gland were contrasted on the first image, followed by visualization of the proximal portion adjacent to the junction of the infundibulum and the anterior pituitary gland, and finally by contrasting the distal portion of the anterior pituitary gland. There was a difference with respect to tumor contrast between microadenomas and macroadenomas. In the case of the macroadenomas, the tumor was contrasted at the same time as, or faster than the anterior pituitary gland, while with the microadenomas the tumor was enhanced later than the anterior pituitary gland. No enhancement with contrast medium was seen in Rathke's cleft cysts. In addition, it was possible to differentiate a recurrent tumor from a piece of muscle placed at surgery since the images obtained by the fast spin-echo sequence were clearer than those obtained by gradient echo sequence. (author)

Targeted microbubbles for imaging tumor angiogenesis: assessment of whole-body biodistribution with dynamic micro-PET in mice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Willmann, Jürgen K; Cheng, Zhen; Davis, Corrine

2008-01-01

To evaluate in vivo whole-body biodistribution of microbubbles (MBs) targeted to tumor angiogenesis-related vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 2 (VEGFR2) by using dynamic micro-positron emission tomography (PET) in living mice.......To evaluate in vivo whole-body biodistribution of microbubbles (MBs) targeted to tumor angiogenesis-related vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 2 (VEGFR2) by using dynamic micro-positron emission tomography (PET) in living mice....

Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations of Gas-Phase Radial Dispersion in Fixed Beds with Wall Effects

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Anthony G. Dixon

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The effective medium approach to radial fixed bed dispersion models, in which radial dispersion of mass is superimposed on axial plug flow, is based on a constant effective dispersion coefficient, DT. For packed beds of a small tube-to-particle diameter ratio (N, the experimentally-observed decrease in this parameter near the tube wall is accounted for by a lumped resistance located at the tube wall, the wall mass transfer coefficient km. This work presents validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD simulations to obtain detailed radial velocity and concentration profiles for eight different computer-generated packed tubes of spheres in the range 5.04 ≤ N ≤ 9.3 and over a range of flow rates 87 ≤ Re ≤ 870 where Re is based on superficial velocity and the particle diameter dp. Initial runs with pure air gave axial velocity profiles vz(r averaged over the length of the packing. Then, simulations with the tube wall coated with methane yielded radial concentration profiles. A model with only DT could not describe the radial concentration profiles. The two-parameter model with DT and km agreed better with the bed-center concentration profiles, but not with the sharp decreases in concentration close to the tube wall. A three-parameter model based on classical two-layer mixing length theory, with a wall-function for the decrease in transverse radial convective transport in the near-wall region, showed greatly improved ability to reproduce the near-wall concentration profiles.

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Patients with Heavily Pretreated Liver Metastases and Liver Tumors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lanciano, Rachelle; Lamond, John; Yang, Jun; Feng, Jing; Arrigo, Steve; Good, Michael; Brady, Luther, E-mail: rlancmd@gmail.com [Philadelphia CyberKnife, Drexel University, Havertown, PA (United States)

2012-03-09

We present our initial experience with CyberKnife stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in a heavily pretreated group of patients with liver metastases and primary liver tumors. From October 2007 to June 2009, 48 patients were treated at the Philadelphia CyberKnife Center for liver metastases or primary liver tumors. We report on 30 patients with 41 discrete lesions (1–4 tumors per patient) who received an ablative radiation dose (BED ≥ 79.2 Gy10 = 66 Gy EQD2). The treatment goal was to achieve a high SBRT dose to the liver tumor while sparing at least 700 cc of liver from radiation doses above 15 Gy. Twenty-three patients were treated with SBRT for metastatic cancer to the liver; the remainder (n = 7) were primary liver tumors. Eighty-seven percent of patients had prior systemic chemotherapy with a median 24 months from diagnosis to SBRT; 37% had prior liver directed therapy. Local control was assessed for 28 patients (39 tumors) with 4 months or more follow-up. At a median follow-up of 22 months (range, 10–40 months), 14/39 (36%) tumors had documented local failure. A decrease in local failure was found with higher doses of SBRT (p = 0.0237); 55% of tumors receiving a BED ≤ 100 Gy10 (10/18) had local failure compared with 19% receiving a BED > 100 Gy10 (4/21). The 2-year actuarial rate of local control for tumors treated with BED > 100 Gy10 was 75% compared to 38% for those patients treated with BED ≤ 100 Gy10 (p = 0.04). At last follow-up, 22/30 patients (73%) had distant progression of disease. Overall, seven patients remain alive with a median survival of 20 months from treatment and 57 months from diagnosis. To date, no patient experienced persistent or severe adverse effects. Despite the heavy pretreatment of these patients, SBRT was well tolerated with excellent local control rates when adequate doses (BED > 100 Gy10) were used. Median survival was limited secondary to development of further metastatic disease in the majority of patients.

Bedding material affects mechanical thresholds, heat thresholds and texture preference

Science.gov (United States)

Moehring, Francie; O’Hara, Crystal L.; Stucky, Cheryl L.

2015-01-01

It has long been known that the bedding type animals are housed on can affect breeding behavior and cage environment. Yet little is known about its effects on evoked behavior responses or non-reflexive behaviors. C57BL/6 mice were housed for two weeks on one of five bedding types: Aspen Sani Chips® (standard bedding for our institute), ALPHA-Dri®, Cellu-Dri™, Pure-o’Cel™ or TEK-Fresh. Mice housed on Aspen exhibited the lowest (most sensitive) mechanical thresholds while those on TEK-Fresh exhibited 3-fold higher thresholds. While bedding type had no effect on responses to punctate or dynamic light touch stimuli, TEK-Fresh housed animals exhibited greater responsiveness in a noxious needle assay, than those housed on the other bedding types. Heat sensitivity was also affected by bedding as animals housed on Aspen exhibited the shortest (most sensitive) latencies to withdrawal whereas those housed on TEK-Fresh had the longest (least sensitive) latencies to response. Slight differences between bedding types were also seen in a moderate cold temperature preference assay. A modified tactile conditioned place preference chamber assay revealed that animals preferred TEK-Fresh to Aspen bedding. Bedding type had no effect in a non-reflexive wheel running assay. In both acute (two day) and chronic (5 week) inflammation induced by injection of Complete Freund’s Adjuvant in the hindpaw, mechanical thresholds were reduced in all groups regardless of bedding type, but TEK-Fresh and Pure-o’Cel™ groups exhibited a greater dynamic range between controls and inflamed cohorts than Aspen housed mice. PMID:26456764

Early circulating tumor DNA dynamics and clonal selection with palbociclib and fulvestrant for breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Leary, Ben; Hrebien, Sarah; Morden, James P; Beaney, Matthew; Fribbens, Charlotte; Huang, Xin; Liu, Yuan; Bartlett, Cynthia Huang; Koehler, Maria; Cristofanilli, Massimo; Garcia-Murillas, Isaac; Bliss, Judith M; Turner, Nicholas C

2018-03-01

CDK4/6 inhibition substantially improves progression-free survival (PFS) for women with advanced estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, although there are no predictive biomarkers. Early changes in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) level may provide early response prediction, but the impact of tumor heterogeneity is unknown. Here we use plasma samples from patients in the randomized phase III PALOMA-3 study of CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib and fulvestrant for women with advanced breast cancer and show that relative change in PIK3CA ctDNA level after 15 days treatment strongly predicts PFS on palbociclib and fulvestrant (hazard ratio 3.94, log-rank p = 0.0013). ESR1 mutations selected by prior hormone therapy are shown to be frequently sub clonal, with ESR1 ctDNA dynamics offering limited prediction of clinical outcome. These results suggest that early ctDNA dynamics may provide a robust biomarker for CDK4/6 inhibitors, with early ctDNA dynamics demonstrating divergent response of tumor sub clones to treatment.

Comparison between model-predicted tumor oxygenation dynamics and vascular-/flow-related Doppler indices.

Science.gov (United States)

Belfatto, Antonella; Vidal Urbinati, Ailyn M; Ciardo, Delia; Franchi, Dorella; Cattani, Federica; Lazzari, Roberta; Jereczek-Fossa, Barbara A; Orecchia, Roberto; Baroni, Guido; Cerveri, Pietro

2017-05-01

Mathematical modeling is a powerful and flexible method to investigate complex phenomena. It discloses the possibility of reproducing expensive as well as invasive experiments in a safe environment with limited costs. This makes it suitable to mimic tumor evolution and response to radiotherapy although the reliability of the results remains an issue. Complexity reduction is therefore a critical aspect in order to be able to compare model outcomes to clinical data. Among the factors affecting treatment efficacy, tumor oxygenation is known to play a key role in radiotherapy response. In this work, we aim at relating the oxygenation dynamics, predicted by a macroscale model trained on tumor volumetric data of uterine cervical cancer patients, to vascularization and blood flux indices assessed on Ultrasound Doppler images. We propose a macroscale model of tumor evolution based on three dynamics, namely active portion, necrotic portion, and oxygenation. The model parameters were assessed on the volume size of seven cervical cancer patients administered with 28 fractions of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) (1.8 Gy/fraction). For each patient, five Doppler ultrasound tests were acquired before, during, and after the treatment. The lesion was manually contoured by an expert physician using 4D View ® (General Electric Company - Fairfield, Connecticut, United States), which automatically provided the overall tumor volume size along with three vascularization and/or blood flow indices. Volume data only were fed to the model for training purpose, while the predicted oxygenation was compared a posteriori to the measured Doppler indices. The model was able to fit the tumor volume evolution within 8% error (range: 3-8%). A strong correlation between the intrapatient longitudinal indices from Doppler measurements and oxygen predicted by the model (about 90% or above) was found in three cases. Two patients showed an average correlation value (50-70%) and the remaining

BedMachine v3: Complete Bed Topography and Ocean Bathymetry Mapping of Greenland From Multibeam Echo Sounding Combined With Mass Conservation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morlighem, M.; Williams, C. N.; Rignot, E.

2017-01-01

Greenland's bed topography is a primary control on ice flow, grounding line migration, calving dynamics, and subglacial drainage. Moreover, fjord bathymetry regulates the penetration of warm Atlantic water (AW) that rapidly melts and undercuts Greenland's marine‐terminating glaciers. Here we...... present a new compilation of Greenland bed topography that assimilates seafloor bathymetry and ice thickness data through a mass conservation approach. A new 150 m horizontal resolution bed topography/bathymetric map of Greenland is constructed with seamless transitions at the ice/ocean interface...

Numerical Simulations of the Effects of a Tidal Turbine Array on Near-Bed Velocity and Local Bed Shear Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philip A. Gillibrand

2016-10-01

Full Text Available We apply a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model to consider the potential effects of energy extraction by an array of tidal turbines on the ambient near-bed velocity field and local bed shear stress in a coastal channel with strong tidal currents. Local bed shear stress plays a key role in local sediment dynamics. The model solves the Reynold-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS equations on an unstructured mesh using mixed finite element and finite volume techniques. Tidal turbines are represented through an additional form drag in the momentum balance equation, with the thrust imparted and power generated by the turbines being velocity dependent with appropriate cut-in and cut-out velocities. Arrays of 1, 4 and 57 tidal turbines, each of 1.5 MW capacity, were simulated. Effects due to a single turbine and an array of four turbines were negligible. The main effect of the array of 57 turbines was to cause a shift in position of the jet through the tidal channel, as the flow was diverted around the tidal array. The net effect of this shift was to increase near-bed velocities and bed shear stress along the northern perimeter of the array by up to 0.8 m·s−1 and 5 Pa respectively. Within the array and directly downstream, near-bed velocities and bed shear stress were reduced by similar amounts. Changes of this magnitude have the potential to modify the known sand and shell banks in the region. Continued monitoring of the sediment distributions in the region will provide a valuable dataset on the impacts of tidal energy extraction on local sediment dynamics. Finally, the mean power generated per turbine is shown to decrease as the turbine array increased in size.

Early-postoperative magnetic resonance imaging in glial tumors: prediction of tumor regrowth and recurrence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ekinci, Gazanfer; Akpinar, Ihsan N. E-mail: i.akpinar@mailcity.com; Baltacioglu, Feyyaz; Erzen, Canan; Kilic, Tuerker; Elmaci, Ilhan; Pamir, Necmettin

2003-02-01

Objective: This study investigated the value of early-postoperative magnetic resonance (EPMR) imaging in the detection of residual glial tumor and investigated the role of EPMR for the prediction of tumor regrowth and recurrence. Methods and materials: We retrospectively analyzed pre- and post-operative magnetic resonance imaging results from 50 adult patients who underwent surgical treatment for supratentorial glial tumor. There were glioblastoma multiforme in 25 patients, astrocytoma (grades II and III) in 11 patients, oligodendroglioma (grades II and III) in 9 patients, and oligoastrocytoma (grades II and III) in 5 patients. EPMR imaging was performed within 24 h after surgery. EPMR findings were compared with the neurosurgeon's intraoperative estimation of gross tumor removal. Patterns of contrast enhancement at the resection site, in residual and developing tumor tissue and blood at the resection site were evaluated on EPMR and in follow-up studies. 'Residual tumor' was defined as contrast enhancing mass at the operative site on EPMR. 'Regrowth' was defined as contrast enhancing mass detected on follow-up in the same location as the primary tumor. 'Recurrence' was defined as appearance of a mass lesion in the brain parenchyma distant from the resection bed during follow-up. Results: Nineteen patients showed no evidence of residual tumor, regrowth, or recurrence on EPMR or any of the later follow-up radiological examinations. EPMR identified 20 cases of residual tumor. Follow-up showed tumor regrowth in 10 patients, and tumor recurrence in 1 case. EPMR showed contrast enhancement of the resection bed in 45 of the 50 patients. Four of the 20 residual tumors showed a thick linear enhancement pattern, and the other 16 cases exhibited thick linear-nodular enhancement. No thin linear enhancement was observed in the residual tumor group. Nine of the 10-regrowth tumors showed a thick linear-nodular enhancement pattern, and one

Propagation of a Strong Shock Over a Random Bed of Spherical Particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mehta, Y. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Neal, C. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Salari, K. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Jackson, T. L. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Balachandar, S. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Thakur, S. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

2017-04-11

Propagation of a strong shock through a bed of particles results in complex wave dynamics such as a reflected shock, a transmitted shock, and highly unsteady flow inside the particle bed. In this paper we present three-dimensional numerical simulations of shock propagation in air over a random bed of particles. We assume the flow is inviscid and governed by the Euler equations of gas dynamics. Simulations are carried out by varying the volume fraction of the particle bed at a fixed shock Mach number. We compute the unsteady inviscid streamwise and transverse drag coefficients as a function of time for each particle in the random bed as a function of volume fraction. We show that (i) there are significant variations in the peak drag for the particles in the bed, (ii) the mean peak drag as a function of streamwise distance through the bed decreases with a slope that increases as the volume fraction increases, and (iii) the deviation from the mean peak drag does not correlate with local volume fraction. We also present the local Mach number and pressure contours for the different volume fractions to explain the various observed complex physical mechanisms occurring during the shock-particle interactions. Since the shock interaction with the random bed of particles leads to transmitted and reflected waves, we compute the average flow properties to characterize the strength of the transmitted and reflected shock waves and quantify the energy dissipation inside the particle bed. Finally, to better understand the complex wave dynamics in a random bed, we consider a simpler approximation of a planar shock propagating in a duct with a sudden area change. We obtain Riemann solutions to this problem, which are used to compare with fully resolved numerical simulations.

Two-compartmental population balance modeling of a pulsed spray fluidized bed granulation based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Huolong; Li, Mingzhong

2014-11-20

In this work a two-compartmental population balance model (TCPBM) was proposed to model a pulsed top-spray fluidized bed granulation. The proposed TCPBM considered the spatially heterogeneous granulation mechanisms of the granule growth by dividing the granulator into two perfectly mixed zones of the wetting compartment and drying compartment, in which the aggregation mechanism was assumed in the wetting compartment and the breakage mechanism was considered in the drying compartment. The sizes of the wetting and drying compartments were constant in the TCPBM, in which 30% of the bed was the wetting compartment and 70% of the bed was the drying compartment. The exchange rate of particles between the wetting and drying compartments was determined by the details of the flow properties and distribution of particles predicted by the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. The experimental validation has shown that the proposed TCPBM can predict evolution of the granule size and distribution within the granulator under different binder spray operating conditions accurately. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bacterial community dynamics during start-up of a trickle-bed bioreactor degrading aromatic compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoffels, M; Amann, R; Ludwig, W; Hekmat, D; Schleifer, K H

1998-03-01

This study was performed with a laboratory-scale fixed-bed bioreactor degrading a mixture of aromatic compounds (Solvesso100). The starter culture for the bioreactor was prepared in a fermentor with a wastewater sample of a care painting facility as the inoculum and Solvesso100 as the sole carbon source. The bacterial community dynamics in the fermentor and the bioreactor were examined by a conventional isolation procedure and in situ hybridization with fluorescently labeled rRNA-targeted oligonucleotides. Two significant shifts in the bacterial community structure could be demonstrated. The original inoculum from the wastewater of the car factory was rich in proteobacteria of the alpha and beta subclasses, while the final fermentor enrichment was dominated by bacteria closely related to Pseudomonas putida or Pseudomonas mendocina, which both belong to the gamma subclass of the class Proteobacteria. A second significant shift was observed when the fermentor culture was transferred as inoculum to the trickle-bed bioreactor. The community structure in the bioreactor gradually returned to a higher complexity, with the dominance of beta and alpha subclass proteobacteria, whereas the gamma subclass proteobacteria sharply declined. Obviously, the preceded pollutant adaptant did not lead to a significant enrichment of bacteria that finally dominated in the trickle-bed bioreactor. In the course of experiments, three new 16S as well as 23S rRNA-targeted probes for beta subclass proteobacteria were designed, probe SUBU1237 for the genera Burkholderia and Sutterella, probe ALBO34a for the genera Alcaligenes and Bordetella, and probe Bcv13b for Burkholderia cepacia and Burkholderia vietnamiensis. Bacteria hybridizing with the probe Bcv13b represented the main Solvesso100-degrading population in the reactor.

Dynamic iodide trapping by tumor cells expressing the thyroidal sodium iodide symporter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dingli, David; Bergert, Elizabeth R.; Bajzer, Zeljko; O'Connor, Michael K.; Russell, Stephen J.; Morris, John C.

2004-01-01

The thyroidal sodium iodide symporter (NIS) in combination with various radioactive isotopes has shown promise as a therapeutic gene in various tumor models. Therapy depends on adequate retention of the isotope in the tumor. We hypothesized that in the absence of iodide organification, isotope trapping is a dynamic process either due to slow efflux or re-uptake of the isotope by cells expressing NIS. Iodide efflux is slower in ARH-77 and K-562 cells expressing NIS compared to a thyroid cell line. Isotope retention half times varied linearly with the number of cells expressing NIS. With sufficient NIS expression, iodide efflux is a zero-order process. Efflux kinetics in the presence or absence of perchlorate also supports the hypothesis that iodide re-uptake occurs and contributes to the retention of the isotope in tumor cells. Iodide organification was insignificant. In vivo studies in tumors composed of mixed cell populations confirmed these observations

Local and systemic tumor immune dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Enderling, Heiko

Tumor-associated antigens, stress proteins, and danger-associated molecular patterns are endogenous immune adjuvants that can both initiate and continually stimulate an immune response against a tumor. In retaliation, tumors can hijack intrinsic immune regulatory programs that are intended to prevent autoimmune disease, thereby facilitating continued growth despite the activated antitumor immune response. In metastatic disease, this ongoing tumor-immune battle occurs at each site. Adding an additional layer of complexity, T cells activated at one tumor site can cycle through the blood circulation system and extravasate in a different anatomic location to surveil a distant metastasis. We propose a mathematical modeling framework that incorporates the trafficking of activated T cells between metastatic sites. We extend an ordinary differential equation model of tumor-immune system interactions to multiple metastatic sites. Immune cells are activated in response to tumor burden and tumor cell death, and are recruited from tumor sites elsewhere in the body. A model of T cell trafficking throughout the circulatory system can inform the tumor-immune interaction model about the systemic distribution and arrival of T cells at specific tumor sites. Model simulations suggest that metastases not only contribute to immune surveillance, but also that this contribution varies between metastatic sites. Such information may ultimately help harness the synergy of focal therapy with the immune system to control metastatic disease.

Results of surgical treatment of glomus tumor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kubilay Ersin Turkmen

2014-12-01

Conclusion: Glomus tumors are often diagnosed by their characteristic clinical symptoms; pain, tenderness and cold intolerance. Given the considerably delayed time to diagnosis, glomus tumors should be taken into consideration in the presence of severe finger tip pain of unknown origin. These patients are usually operated for other reasons because of difficulties in diagnosis. After the exploration of the tumors on nail bed, was repaired properly observed. [Hand Microsurg 2014; 3(3.000: 66-69

Tumors of the upper urothelium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rafla, S.

1975-01-01

Forty-two cases of malignant tumors of renal pelvis were reviewed: 28 were transitional cell carcinomas; and 14 were squamous cell carcinomas. The natural history and spread of the disease is discussed in detail. Transitional cell carcinomas spread primarily to the ureter (40 percent), followed closely by the renal bed (33 percent) and bladder (30 percent). Squamous cell carcinomas spread primarily through the renal bed (60 percent), followed by the draining lymph nodes (28 percent). The spread to other regions (bones, splanchnic organs, chest, etc.), occurred with relatively less frequency, but more in squamous than transitional cell carcinomas. Transitional cell carcinomas seem to have a longer natural history than squamous cell carcinomas. Recurrences in bladder and the remainder of the urothelium seem to be controlled for relatively long periods of time, while those in lymph nodes and renal bed seem to be rapidly fatal. The results of treatment and factors influencing them are discussed. Patients suffering from transitional cell carcinomas faired better than those with squamous cell carcinomas at the 5 year mark (25 and 15 percent, respectively), but the 10 year results are poor in both. The role of radiotherapy in the treatment of these tumors and the influencing factors are also discussed in detail. The response of these tumors to radiotherapy seems to be akin to that of the lower urothelium (bladder), provided adequate dosage is delivered to the relevant volume at the proper moment in time. (U.S.)

Dynamically accumulated dose and 4D accumulated dose for moving tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Heng; Li Yupeng; Zhang Xiaodong; Li Xiaoqiang; Liu Wei; Gillin, Michael T.; Zhu, X. Ronald

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to investigate the relationship between dynamically accumulated dose (dynamic dose) and 4D accumulated dose (4D dose) for irradiation of moving tumors, and to quantify the dose uncertainty induced by tumor motion. Methods: The authors established that regardless of treatment modality and delivery properties, the dynamic dose will converge to the 4D dose, instead of the 3D static dose, after multiple deliveries. The bounds of dynamic dose, or the maximum estimation error using 4D or static dose, were established for the 4D and static doses, respectively. Numerical simulations were performed (1) to prove the principle that for each phase, after multiple deliveries, the average number of deliveries for any given time converges to the total number of fractions (K) over the number of phases (N); (2) to investigate the dose difference between the 4D and dynamic doses as a function of the number of deliveries for deliveries of a “pulsed beam”; and (3) to investigate the dose difference between 4D dose and dynamic doses as a function of delivery time for deliveries of a “continuous beam.” A Poisson model was developed to estimate the mean dose error as a function of number of deliveries or delivered time for both pulsed beam and continuous beam. Results: The numerical simulations confirmed that the number of deliveries for each phase converges to K/N, assuming a random starting phase. Simulations for the pulsed beam and continuous beam also suggested that the dose error is a strong function of the number of deliveries and/or total deliver time and could be a function of the breathing cycle, depending on the mode of delivery. The Poisson model agrees well with the simulation. Conclusions: Dynamically accumulated dose will converge to the 4D accumulated dose after multiple deliveries, regardless of treatment modality. Bounds of the dynamic dose could be determined using quantities derived from 4D doses, and the mean dose

Islet Cell Tumors of the Pancreas: A Variety of Multiphase Dynamic Imaging Findings with Pathologic Correlations Focusing on Nonfunctioning Tumors and Insulinomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Yoo Jin; Yu, Jeong Sik; Park, Chan Il; Kwon, Ji Eun; Chung, Jae Joon; Kim, Joo Hee; Kim, Ki Whang

2010-01-01

Islet cell tumors (ICTs) are rare pancreatic neoplasms of neuroendocrine origin, posing a diagnostic challenge to radiologists. We illustrated a spectrum of features of pancreatic ICTs that could be found on multiphase dynamic CT or MRI, and elucidated the histopathologic characteristics by determining the contrast enhancement pattern of the lesions. Various enhancement patterns were dependant on the internal composition of the tumor, that is, the proportion of vascular densities for early enhancement and non-hypervascular interstitial tissue for late enhancement regardless of the size or functional behavior. This knowledge of the imaging-pathologic spectrum of ICTs could be helpful for the proper differential diagnosis from other pancreatic tumors

Dynamic whole body PET parametric imaging: I. Concept, acquisition protocol optimization and clinical application

Science.gov (United States)

Karakatsanis, Nicolas A.; Lodge, Martin A.; Tahari, Abdel K.; Zhou, Y.; Wahl, Richard L.; Rahmim, Arman

2013-01-01

Static whole body PET/CT, employing the standardized uptake value (SUV), is considered the standard clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment response monitoring for a wide range of oncologic malignancies. Alternative PET protocols involving dynamic acquisition of temporal images have been implemented in the research setting, allowing quantification of tracer dynamics, an important capability for tumor characterization and treatment response monitoring. Nonetheless, dynamic protocols have been confined to single bed-coverage limiting the axial field-of-view to ~15–20 cm, and have not been translated to the routine clinical context of whole-body PET imaging for the inspection of disseminated disease. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. We investigate solutions to address the challenges of: (i) long acquisitions, (ii) small number of dynamic frames per bed, and (iii) non-invasive quantification of kinetics in the plasma. In the present study, a novel dynamic (4D) whole body PET acquisition protocol of ~45min total length is presented, composed of (i) an initial 6-min dynamic PET scan (24 frames) over the heart, followed by (ii) a sequence of multi-pass multi-bed PET scans (6 passes x 7 bed positions, each scanned for 45sec). Standard Patlak linear graphical analysis modeling was employed, coupled with image-derived plasma input function measurements. Ordinary least squares (OLS) Patlak estimation was used as the baseline regression method to quantify the physiological parameters of tracer uptake rate Ki and total blood distribution volume V on an individual voxel basis. Extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies, using a wide set of published kinetic FDG parameters and GATE and XCAT platforms, were conducted to optimize the acquisition protocol from a range of 10 different clinically

Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: I. Concept, acquisition protocol optimization and clinical application.

Science.gov (United States)

Karakatsanis, Nicolas A; Lodge, Martin A; Tahari, Abdel K; Zhou, Y; Wahl, Richard L; Rahmim, Arman

2013-10-21

Static whole-body PET/CT, employing the standardized uptake value (SUV), is considered the standard clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment response monitoring for a wide range of oncologic malignancies. Alternative PET protocols involving dynamic acquisition of temporal images have been implemented in the research setting, allowing quantification of tracer dynamics, an important capability for tumor characterization and treatment response monitoring. Nonetheless, dynamic protocols have been confined to single-bed-coverage limiting the axial field-of-view to ~15-20 cm, and have not been translated to the routine clinical context of whole-body PET imaging for the inspection of disseminated disease. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. We investigate solutions to address the challenges of: (i) long acquisitions, (ii) small number of dynamic frames per bed, and (iii) non-invasive quantification of kinetics in the plasma. In the present study, a novel dynamic (4D) whole-body PET acquisition protocol of ~45 min total length is presented, composed of (i) an initial 6 min dynamic PET scan (24 frames) over the heart, followed by (ii) a sequence of multi-pass multi-bed PET scans (six passes × seven bed positions, each scanned for 45 s). Standard Patlak linear graphical analysis modeling was employed, coupled with image-derived plasma input function measurements. Ordinary least squares Patlak estimation was used as the baseline regression method to quantify the physiological parameters of tracer uptake rate Ki and total blood distribution volume V on an individual voxel basis. Extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies, using a wide set of published kinetic FDG parameters and GATE and XCAT platforms, were conducted to optimize the acquisition protocol from a range of ten different clinically

Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: I. Concept, acquisition protocol optimization and clinical application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karakatsanis, Nicolas A; Lodge, Martin A; Tahari, Abdel K; Zhou, Y; Wahl, Richard L; Rahmim, Arman

2013-01-01

Static whole-body PET/CT, employing the standardized uptake value (SUV), is considered the standard clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment response monitoring for a wide range of oncologic malignancies. Alternative PET protocols involving dynamic acquisition of temporal images have been implemented in the research setting, allowing quantification of tracer dynamics, an important capability for tumor characterization and treatment response monitoring. Nonetheless, dynamic protocols have been confined to single-bed-coverage limiting the axial field-of-view to ∼15–20 cm, and have not been translated to the routine clinical context of whole-body PET imaging for the inspection of disseminated disease. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. We investigate solutions to address the challenges of: (i) long acquisitions, (ii) small number of dynamic frames per bed, and (iii) non-invasive quantification of kinetics in the plasma. In the present study, a novel dynamic (4D) whole-body PET acquisition protocol of ∼45 min total length is presented, composed of (i) an initial 6 min dynamic PET scan (24 frames) over the heart, followed by (ii) a sequence of multi-pass multi-bed PET scans (six passes × seven bed positions, each scanned for 45 s). Standard Patlak linear graphical analysis modeling was employed, coupled with image-derived plasma input function measurements. Ordinary least squares Patlak estimation was used as the baseline regression method to quantify the physiological parameters of tracer uptake rate K i and total blood distribution volume V on an individual voxel basis. Extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies, using a wide set of published kinetic FDG parameters and GATE and XCAT platforms, were conducted to optimize the acquisition protocol from a range of ten different

Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: I. Concept, acquisition protocol optimization and clinical application

Science.gov (United States)

Karakatsanis, Nicolas A.; Lodge, Martin A.; Tahari, Abdel K.; Zhou, Y.; Wahl, Richard L.; Rahmim, Arman

2013-10-01

Static whole-body PET/CT, employing the standardized uptake value (SUV), is considered the standard clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment response monitoring for a wide range of oncologic malignancies. Alternative PET protocols involving dynamic acquisition of temporal images have been implemented in the research setting, allowing quantification of tracer dynamics, an important capability for tumor characterization and treatment response monitoring. Nonetheless, dynamic protocols have been confined to single-bed-coverage limiting the axial field-of-view to ˜15-20 cm, and have not been translated to the routine clinical context of whole-body PET imaging for the inspection of disseminated disease. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. We investigate solutions to address the challenges of: (i) long acquisitions, (ii) small number of dynamic frames per bed, and (iii) non-invasive quantification of kinetics in the plasma. In the present study, a novel dynamic (4D) whole-body PET acquisition protocol of ˜45 min total length is presented, composed of (i) an initial 6 min dynamic PET scan (24 frames) over the heart, followed by (ii) a sequence of multi-pass multi-bed PET scans (six passes × seven bed positions, each scanned for 45 s). Standard Patlak linear graphical analysis modeling was employed, coupled with image-derived plasma input function measurements. Ordinary least squares Patlak estimation was used as the baseline regression method to quantify the physiological parameters of tracer uptake rate Ki and total blood distribution volume V on an individual voxel basis. Extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies, using a wide set of published kinetic FDG parameters and GATE and XCAT platforms, were conducted to optimize the acquisition protocol from a range of ten different clinically

Process Stability Identification Through Dynamic Study of Single-bed Ammonia Reactor with Feed-Effluent Heat Exchanger (FEHE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adhi Tri Partono

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In ammonia reactor system, a feed-effluent heat exchanger (FEHE is typically installed to utilize reaction-generated heat to heat the reactor’s feed. Utilizing energy from exothermic reaction to the incoming feed stream is often called “autothermic operation”. Despite the advantage of FEHE, there is a risk of utilizing FEHE in a reactor system such as instability of process temperature or known as hysteresis. Hysteresis phenomena in chemical process could cause operational problems, for example it could damage the integrity of the equipment’s material. This paper aims to evaluate the dynamic behavior of a single-bed ammonia reactor with FEHE, particularly to propose a way to prevent instability within the system. The dynamic simulation of the single-bed ammonia reactor with FEHE was performed with Aspen HYSYS v8.8. The result of the simulation result shows that hysteresis phenomenon in the ammonia reactor system occurs when the feed’s temperature is below a certain value. If the feed temperature reaches that value, the temperature of the reactor’s outlet oscillates. One of the solution to keep the feed temperature above that critical value is by installing a trim heater within the system. Based on the simulation, trim heater installation within the system is able to prevent hysteresis in the system evaluated.

Molecular markers reveal infestation dynamics of the bed bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) within apartment buildings.

Science.gov (United States)

Booth, Warren; Saenz, Virna L; Santangelo, Richard G; Wang, Changlu; Schal, Coby; Vargo, Edward L

2012-05-01

The bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), has experienced an extraordinary global resurgence in recent years, the reasons for which remain poorly understood. Once considered a pest of lower socioeconomic classes, bed bugs are now found extensively across all residential settings, with widespread infestations established in multiapartment buildings. Within such buildings, understanding the population genetic structure and patterns of dispersal may prove critical to the development of effective control strategies. Here, we describe the development of 24 high-resolution microsatellite markers through next generation 454 pyrosequencing and their application to elucidate infestation dynamics within three multistory apartment buildings in the United States. Results reveal contrasting characteristics potentially representative of geographic or locale differences. In Raleigh, NC, an infestation within an apartment building seemed to have started from a single introduction followed by extensive spread. In Jersey City, NJ, two or more introductions followed by spread are evident in two buildings. Populations within single apartments in all buildings were characterized by high levels of relatedness and low levels of diversity, indicative of foundation from small, genetically depauperate propagules. Regardless of the number of unique introductions, genetic data indicate that spread within buildings is extensive, supporting both active and human-mediated dispersal within and between adjacent rooms or apartments spanning multiple floors.

[A review of progress of real-time tumor tracking radiotherapy technology based on dynamic multi-leaf collimator].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Fubo; Li, Guangjun; Shen, Jiuling; Li, Ligin; Bai, Sen

2017-02-01

While radiation treatment to patients with tumors in thorax and abdomen is being performed, further improvement of radiation accuracy is restricted by the tumor intra-fractional motion due to respiration. Real-time tumor tracking radiation is an optimal solution to tumor intra-fractional motion. A review of the progress of real-time dynamic multi-leaf collimator(DMLC) tracking is provided in the present review, including DMLC tracking method, time lag of DMLC tracking system, and dosimetric verification.

Numerical Simulation of a Tumor Growth Dynamics Model Using Particle Swarm Optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhijun; Wang, Qing

Tumor cell growth models involve high-dimensional parameter spaces that require computationally tractable methods to solve. To address a proposed tumor growth dynamics mathematical model, an instance of the particle swarm optimization method was implemented to speed up the search process in the multi-dimensional parameter space to find optimal parameter values that fit experimental data from mice cancel cells. The fitness function, which measures the difference between calculated results and experimental data, was minimized in the numerical simulation process. The results and search efficiency of the particle swarm optimization method were compared to those from other evolutional methods such as genetic algorithms.

The SSM/PMAD automated test bed project

Science.gov (United States)

Lollar, Louis F.

1991-01-01

The Space Station Module/Power Management and Distribution (SSM/PMAD) autonomous subsystem project was initiated in 1984. The project's goal has been to design and develop an autonomous, user-supportive PMAD test bed simulating the SSF Hab/Lab module(s). An eighteen kilowatt SSM/PMAD test bed model with a high degree of automated operation has been developed. This advanced automation test bed contains three expert/knowledge based systems that interact with one another and with other more conventional software residing in up to eight distributed 386-based microcomputers to perform the necessary tasks of real-time and near real-time load scheduling, dynamic load prioritizing, and fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR).

Analysis of mice tumor models using dynamic MRI data and a dedicated software platform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alfke, H.; Maurer, E.; Klose, K.J. [Philipps Univ. Marburg (Germany). Dept. of Radiology; Kohle, S.; Rascher-Friesenhausen, R.; Behrens, S.; Peitgen, H.O. [MeVis - Center for Medical Diagnostic Systems and Visualization, Bremen (Germany); Celik, I. [Philipps Univ. Marburg (Germany). Inst. for Theoretical Surgery; Heverhagen, J.T. [Philipps Univ. Marburg (Germany). Dept. of Radiology; Ohio State Univ., Columbus (United States). Dept. of Radiology

2004-09-01

Purpose: To implement a software platform (DynaVision) dedicated to analyze data from functional imaging of tumors with different mathematical approaches, and to test the software platform in pancreatic carcinoma xenografts in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID). Materials and Methods: A software program was developed for extraction and visualization of tissue perfusion parameters from dynamic contrast-enhanced images. This includes regional parameter calculation from enhancement curves, parametric images (e.g., blood flow), animation, 3D visualization, two-compartment modeling a mode for comparing different datasets (e.g., therapy monitoring), and motion correction. We analyzed xenograft tumors from two pancreatic carcinoma cell lines (B x PC3 and ASPC1) implanted in 14 SCID mice after injection of Gd-DTPA into the tail vein. These data were correlated with histopathological findings. Results: Image analysis was completed in approximately 15 minutes per data set. The possibility of drawing and editing ROIs within the whole data set makes it easy to obtain quantitative data from the intensity-time curves. In one animal, motion artifacts reduced the image quality to a greater extent but data analysis was still possible after motion correction. Dynamic MRI of mice tumor models revealed a highly heterogeneous distribution of the contrast-enhancement curves and derived parameters, which correlated with differences in histopathology. ASPc1 tumors showed a more hypervascular type of curves with faster and higher signal enhancement rate (wash-in) and a faster signal decrease (wash-out). BXPC3 tumors showed a more hypovascular type with slower wash-in and wash-out. This correlated with the biological properties of the tumors. (orig.)

Analysis of mice tumor models using dynamic MRI data and a dedicated software platform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alfke, H.; Maurer, E.; Klose, K.J.; Celik, I.; Heverhagen, J.T.; Ohio State Univ., Columbus

2004-01-01

Purpose: To implement a software platform (DynaVision) dedicated to analyze data from functional imaging of tumors with different mathematical approaches, and to test the software platform in pancreatic carcinoma xenografts in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID). Materials and Methods: A software program was developed for extraction and visualization of tissue perfusion parameters from dynamic contrast-enhanced images. This includes regional parameter calculation from enhancement curves, parametric images (e.g., blood flow), animation, 3D visualization, two-compartment modeling a mode for comparing different datasets (e.g., therapy monitoring), and motion correction. We analyzed xenograft tumors from two pancreatic carcinoma cell lines (B x PC3 and ASPC1) implanted in 14 SCID mice after injection of Gd-DTPA into the tail vein. These data were correlated with histopathological findings. Results: Image analysis was completed in approximately 15 minutes per data set. The possibility of drawing and editing ROIs within the whole data set makes it easy to obtain quantitative data from the intensity-time curves. In one animal, motion artifacts reduced the image quality to a greater extent but data analysis was still possible after motion correction. Dynamic MRI of mice tumor models revealed a highly heterogeneous distribution of the contrast-enhancement curves and derived parameters, which correlated with differences in histopathology. ASPc1 tumors showed a more hypervascular type of curves with faster and higher signal enhancement rate (wash-in) and a faster signal decrease (wash-out). BXPC3 tumors showed a more hypovascular type with slower wash-in and wash-out. This correlated with the biological properties of the tumors. (orig.)

Differentiation between benign and malignant colon tumors using fast dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR colonography; a feasibility study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Achiam, M P; Andersen, L P H; Klein, M

2010-01-01

Colorectal cancer will present itself as a bowel obstruction in 16-23% of all cases. However, not all obstructing tumors are malignant and the differentiation between a benign and a malignant tumor can be difficult. The purpose of our study was to determine whether fast dynamic gadolinium...

Does elimination of planned postoperative radiation to the primary bed in p16-positive, transorally-resected oropharyngeal carcinoma associate with poorer outcomes?

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, Parul; Pipkorn, Patrik; Thorstad, Wade L; Gay, Hiram A; Haughey, Bruce H

2016-10-01

The purpose of our study is to compare oncologic and functional outcomes of p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients, in the presence and absence of planned radiation to the primary bed following transoral surgery (TOS), stratified by T-classification. Retrospective cohort study of 261, T1-T4, consecutively TOS-treated OPSCC patients. At a median follow-up of 61months, local recurrence (LR) occurred in 6 (2.3%)patients (3 each in T1-T2 and T3-T4 groups), of which 5 had tumors in the tongue base and one in the tonsil. Of patients not receiving planned primary bed radiation, LR occurred in 3% of T1-T2s versus 17% of T3-T4s. In patients with T1-T2 tumors, Absolute Risk Reduction of LR with primary bed radiation was 3.26% (95% CI: -0.37%, 7%); Number Needed to Treat to prevent one LR was 31 (95% CI: 14.5, 271). Absolute Risk Increase for gastrostomy-tube with primary bed radiation was 34.4% (95% CI: 24%, 45%); Number Needed to Harm was 3 (95% CI: 2.2, 4.2), i.e., for every three patients with T1-T2 tumors receiving primary bed radiation, one had a gastrostomy-tube. Elimination of primary bed radiation in margin-negative resected, T1-T2 p16-positive OPSCC was not associated with significant compromise of local control, and correlated with superior swallowing preservation, assessed using gastrostomy rate as a surrogate. Lack of primary bed radiation in T3-T4 tumors associated with significantly increased LR rates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differentiation between benign and malignant colon tumors using fast dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR colonography; a feasibility study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Achiam, M P; Andersen, L P H; Klein, M

2010-01-01

Colorectal cancer will present itself as a bowel obstruction in 16-23% of all cases. However, not all obstructing tumors are malignant and the differentiation between a benign and a malignant tumor can be difficult. The purpose of our study was to determine whether fast dynamic gadolinium-enhance...

Highly-sensitive and large-dynamic diffuse optical tomography system for breast tumor detection

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Wenwen; Zhang, Limin; Yin, Guoyan; Zhang, Yanqi; Zhao, Huijuan; Gao, Feng

2018-02-01

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) as a new functional imaging has important clinical applications in many aspects such as benign and malignant breast tumor detection, tumor staging and so on. For quantitative detection of breast tumor, a three-wavelength continuous-wave DOT prototype system combined the ultra-high sensitivity of the photon-counting detection and the measurement parallelism of the lock-in technique was developed to provide high temporal resolution, high sensitivity, large dynamic detection range and signal-to-noise ratio. Additionally, a CT-analogous scanning mode was proposed to cost-effectively increase the detection data. To evaluate the feasibility of the system, a series of assessments were conducted. The results demonstrate that the system can obtain high linearity, stability and negligible inter-wavelength crosstalk. The preliminary phantom experiments show the absorption coefficient is able to be successfully reconstructed, indicating that the system is one of the ideal platforms for optical breast tumor detection.

Computational fluid dynamics simulation for chemical looping combustion of coal in a dual circulation fluidized bed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, Mingze; Zhao, Haibo; Ma, Jinchen

2015-01-01

Highlights: • CFD simulation of a 5 kW_t_h CLC reactor of coal was conducted. • Gas leakage, flow pattern and combustion efficiency of the reactor was analyzed. • Optimal condition was achieved based on operation characteristics understanding. - Abstract: A dual circulation fluidized bed system is widely accepted for chemical looping combustion (CLC) for enriching CO_2 from the utilization of fossil fuels. Due to the limitations of the measurement, the details of multiphase reactive flows in the interconnected fluidized bed reactors are difficult to obtain. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation provides a promising method to understand the hydrodynamics, chemical reaction, and heat and mass transfers in CLC reactors, which are very important for the rational design, optimal operation, and scaling-up of the CLC system. In this work, a 5 kW_t_h coal-fired CLC dual circulation fluidized bed system, which was developed by our research group, was first simulated for understanding gas leakage, flow pattern and combustion efficiency. The simulation results achieved good agreement with the experimental measurements, which validates the simulation model. Subsequently, to improve the combustion efficiency, a new operation condition was simulated by increasing the reactor temperature and decreasing the coal feeding. An improvement in the combustion efficiency was attained, and the simulation results for the new operation condition were also validated by the experimental measurements in the same CLC combustor. All of the above processes demonstrated the validity and usefulness of the simulation results to improve the CLC reactor operation.

Modeling of waste/near field interactions for a waste repository in bedded salt: the Dynamic Network (DNET) model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cranwell, R.M.

1983-01-01

The Fuel Cycle Risk Analysis Division of Sandia National Laboratories has been funded by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop a methodology for use in assessing the long-term risk from the disposal of radioactive wastes in deep geologic formations. As part of this program, the Dynamic Network (DNET) model was developed to investigate waste/near field interactions associated with the disposal of radioactive wastes in bedded salt formations. The model is a quasi-multi-dimensional network model with capabilities for simulating processes such as fluid flow, heat transport, salt dissolution, salt creep, and the effects of thermal expansion and subsedence on the rock units surrounding the repository. The use of DNET has been demonstrated in the analysis of a hypothetical disposal site containing a bedded salt formation as the host medium for the repository. An example of this demonstration analysis is discussed. Furthermore, the outcome of sensitivity analyses performed on the DNET model are presented

Chemical-looping combustion in a reverse-flow fixed bed reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Lu; Bollas, George M.

2016-01-01

A reverse-flow fixed bed reactor concept for CLC (chemical-looping combustion) is explored. The limitations of conventional fixed bed reactors, as applied to CLC, are overcome by reversing the gas flow direction periodically to enhance the mixing characteristics of the bed, thus improving oxygen carrier utilization and energy efficiency with respect to power generation. The reverse-flow reactor is simulated by a dusty-gas model and compared with an equivalent fixed bed reactor without flow reversal. Dynamic optimization is used to calculate conditions at which each reactor operates at maximum energy efficiency. Several cases studies illustrate the benefits of reverse-flow operation for the CLC with CuO and NiO oxygen carriers and methane and syngas fuels. The results show that periodic reversal of the flow during reduction improves the contact between the fuel and unconverted oxygen carrier, enabling the system to suppress unwanted catalytic reactions and axial temperature and conversion gradients. The operational scheme presented reduces the fluctuations of temperature during oxidation and increases the high-temperature heat produced by the process. CLC in a reverse-flow reactor has the potential to achieve higher energy efficiency than conventional fixed bed CLC reactors, when integrated with a downstream gas turbine of a combined cycle power plant. - Highlights: • Reverse-flow fixed bed CLC reactors for combined cycle power systems. • Dynamic optimization tunes operation of batch and transient CLC systems. • The reverse-flow CLC system provides stable turbine-ready gas stream. • Reverse-flow CLC fixed bed reactor has superior CO 2 capture and thermal efficiency.

Circulating fluidized bed hydrodynamics experiments for the multiphase fluid dynamics research consortium (MFDRC).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oelfke, John Barry; Torczynski, John Robert; O' Hern, Timothy John; Tortora, Paul Richard; Bhusarapu, Satish (; ); Trujillo, Steven Mathew

2006-08-01

An experimental program was conducted to study the multiphase gas-solid flow in a pilot-scale circulating fluidized bed (CFB). This report describes the CFB experimental facility assembled for this program, the diagnostics developed and/or applied to make measurements in the riser section of the CFB, and the data acquired for several different flow conditions. Primary data acquired included pressures around the flow loop and solids loadings at selected locations in the riser. Tomographic techniques using gamma radiation and electrical capacitance were used to determine radial profiles of solids volume fraction in the riser, and axial profiles of the integrated solids volume fraction were produced. Computer Aided Radioactive Particle Tracking was used to measure solids velocities, fluxes, and residence time distributions. In addition, a series of computational fluid dynamics simulations was performed using the commercial code Arenaflow{trademark}.

MIT pebble bed reactor project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kadak, Andrew C. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge (United States)

2007-03-15

The conceptual design of the MIT modular pebble bed reactor is described. This reactor plant is a 250 Mwth, 120 Mwe indirect cycle plant that is designed to be deployed in the near term using demonstrated helium system components. The primary system is a conventional pebble bed reactor with a dynamic central column with an outlet temperature of 900 C providing helium to an intermediate helium to helium heat exchanger (IHX). The outlet of the IHX is input to a three shaft horizontal Brayton Cycle power conversion system. The design constraint used in sizing the plant is based on a factory modularity principle which allows the plant to be assembled 'Lego' style instead of constructed piece by piece. This principle employs space frames which contain the power conversion system that permits the Lego-like modules to be shipped by truck or train to sites. This paper also describes the research that has been conducted at MIT since 1998 on fuel modeling, silver leakage from coated fuel particles, dynamic simulation, MCNP reactor physics modeling and air ingress analysis.

MIT pebble bed reactor project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kadak, Andrew C.

2007-01-01

The conceptual design of the MIT modular pebble bed reactor is described. This reactor plant is a 250 Mwth, 120 Mwe indirect cycle plant that is designed to be deployed in the near term using demonstrated helium system components. The primary system is a conventional pebble bed reactor with a dynamic central column with an outlet temperature of 900 C providing helium to an intermediate helium to helium heat exchanger (IHX). The outlet of the IHX is input to a three shaft horizontal Brayton Cycle power conversion system. The design constraint used in sizing the plant is based on a factory modularity principle which allows the plant to be assembled 'Lego' style instead of constructed piece by piece. This principle employs space frames which contain the power conversion system that permits the Lego-like modules to be shipped by truck or train to sites. This paper also describes the research that has been conducted at MIT since 1998 on fuel modeling, silver leakage from coated fuel particles, dynamic simulation, MCNP reactor physics modeling and air ingress analysis

An adaptable, low cost test-bed for unmanned vehicle systems research

Science.gov (United States)

Goppert, James M.

2011-12-01

An unmanned vehicle systems test-bed has been developed. The test-bed has been designed to accommodate hardware changes and various vehicle types and algorithms. The creation of this test-bed allows research teams to focus on algorithm development and employ a common well-tested experimental framework. The ArduPilotOne autopilot was developed to provide the necessary level of abstraction for multiple vehicle types. The autopilot was also designed to be highly integrated with the Mavlink protocol for Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) communication. Mavlink is the native protocol for QGroundControl, a MAV ground control program. Features were added to QGroundControl to accommodate outdoor usage. Next, the Mavsim toolbox was developed for Scicoslab to allow hardware-in-the-loop testing, control design and analysis, and estimation algorithm testing and verification. In order to obtain linear models of aircraft dynamics, the JSBSim flight dynamics engine was extended to use a probabilistic Nelder-Mead simplex method. The JSBSim aircraft dynamics were compared with wind-tunnel data collected. Finally, a structured methodology for successive loop closure control design is proposed. This methodology is demonstrated along with the rest of the test-bed tools on a quadrotor, a fixed wing RC plane, and a ground vehicle. Test results for the ground vehicle are presented.

Assessment of Tumor Radioresponsiveness and Metastatic Potential by Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ovrebo, Kirsti Marie; Gulliksrud, Kristine; Mathiesen, Berit; Rofstad, Einar K.

2011-01-01

Purpose: It has been suggested that gadolinium diethylene-triamine penta-acetic acid (Gd-DTPA)-based dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) may provide clinically useful biomarkers for personalized cancer treatment. In this preclinical study, we investigated the potential of DCE-MRI as a noninvasive method for assessing the radioresponsiveness and metastatic potential of tumors. Methods and Materials: R-18 melanoma xenografts growing in BALB/c nu/nu mice were used as experimental tumor models. Fifty tumors were subjected to DCE-MRI, and parametric images of K trans (the volume transfer constant of Gd-DTPA) and v e (the fractional distribution volume of Gd-DTPA) were produced by pharmacokinetic analysis of the DCE-MRI series. The tumors were irradiated after the DCE-MRI, either with a single dose of 10 Gy for detection of radiobiological hypoxia (30 tumors) or with five fractions of 4 Gy in 48 h for assessment of radioresponsiveness (20 tumors). The host mice were then euthanized and examined for lymph node metastases, and the primary tumors were resected for measurement of cell survival in vitro. Results: Tumors with hypoxic cells showed significantly lower K trans values than tumors without significant hypoxia (p trans decreased with increasing cell surviving fraction for tumors given fractionated radiation treatment (p trans values than tumors in metastasis-negative mice (p e and tumor hypoxia, radioresponsiveness, or metastatic potential could not be detected. Conclusions: R-18 tumors with low K trans values are likely to be resistant to radiation treatment and have a high probability of developing lymph node metastases. The general validity of these observations should be investigated further by studying preclinical tumor models with biological properties different from those of the R-18 tumors.

Differentiation between benign and malignant colon tumors using fast dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR colonography; a feasibility study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Achiam, M.P.; Andersen, L.P.H.; Klein, M.; Logager, V.; Chabanova, E.; Thomsen, H.S.; Rosenberg, J.

2010-01-01

Background: Colorectal cancer will present itself as a bowel obstruction in 16-23% of all cases. However, not all obstructing tumors are malignant and the differentiation between a benign and a malignant tumor can be difficult. The purpose of our study was to determine whether fast dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging combined with MR colonography could be used to differentiate a benign from a malignant obstructing colon tumor. Methods: Patients with benign colon tumor stenosis, based on diverticulitis, were asked to participate in the study. The same number of patients with verified colorectal cancer was included. Both groups had to be scheduled for surgery to be included. Two blinded observers analyzed the tumors on MR by placing a region of interest in the tumor and a series of parameters were evaluated, e.g. wash-in, wash-out and time-to-peak. Results: 14 patients were included. The wash-in and wash-out rates were significantly different between the benign and malignant tumors, and a clear distinction between benign and malignant disease was therefore possible by looking only at the MR data. Furthermore, MR colography evaluating the rest of the colon past the stenosis was possible with all patients. Conclusion: The results showed the feasibility of using fast dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging to differentiate between benign and malignant colonic tumors. With a high intra-class correlation and significant differences found on independent segments of the tumor, the method appears to be reproducible. Furthermore, the potential is big in performing a full preoperative colon evaluation even in patients with obstructing cancer. Trial number: (NCT00114829).

Differentiation between benign and malignant colon tumors using fast dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR colonography; a feasibility study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Achiam, M.P., E-mail: achiam1@dadlnet.d [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev Ringvej, DK-2730 Herlev (Denmark); Department of Surgical Gastroenterology D, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev Ringvej, DK-2730 Herlev (Denmark); Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3C, DK-2200 Copenhagen (Denmark); Andersen, L.P.H.; Klein, M. [Department of Surgical Gastroenterology D, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev Ringvej, DK-2730 Herlev (Denmark); Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3C, DK-2200 Copenhagen (Denmark); Logager, V.; Chabanova, E.; Thomsen, H.S. [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev Ringvej, DK-2730 Herlev (Denmark); Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3C, DK-2200 Copenhagen (Denmark); Rosenberg, J. [Department of Surgical Gastroenterology D, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev Ringvej, DK-2730 Herlev (Denmark); Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3C, DK-2200 Copenhagen (Denmark)

2010-06-15

Background: Colorectal cancer will present itself as a bowel obstruction in 16-23% of all cases. However, not all obstructing tumors are malignant and the differentiation between a benign and a malignant tumor can be difficult. The purpose of our study was to determine whether fast dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging combined with MR colonography could be used to differentiate a benign from a malignant obstructing colon tumor. Methods: Patients with benign colon tumor stenosis, based on diverticulitis, were asked to participate in the study. The same number of patients with verified colorectal cancer was included. Both groups had to be scheduled for surgery to be included. Two blinded observers analyzed the tumors on MR by placing a region of interest in the tumor and a series of parameters were evaluated, e.g. wash-in, wash-out and time-to-peak. Results: 14 patients were included. The wash-in and wash-out rates were significantly different between the benign and malignant tumors, and a clear distinction between benign and malignant disease was therefore possible by looking only at the MR data. Furthermore, MR colography evaluating the rest of the colon past the stenosis was possible with all patients. Conclusion: The results showed the feasibility of using fast dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging to differentiate between benign and malignant colonic tumors. With a high intra-class correlation and significant differences found on independent segments of the tumor, the method appears to be reproducible. Furthermore, the potential is big in performing a full preoperative colon evaluation even in patients with obstructing cancer. Trial number: (NCT00114829).

Dynamic 11C-methionine PET analysis has an additional value for differentiating malignant tumors from granulomas: an experimental study using small animal PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Songji; Zhao, Yan; Kuge, Yuji; Hatano, Toshiyuki; Yi, Min; Kohanawa, Masashi; Magota, Keiichi; Tamaki, Nagara; Nishijima, Ken-ichi

2011-01-01

We evaluated whether the dynamic profile of L- 11 C-methionine ( 11 C-MET) may have an additional value in differentiating malignant tumors from granulomas in experimental rat models by small animal positron emission tomography (PET). Rhodococcus aurantiacus and allogenic rat C6 glioma cells were inoculated, respectively, into the right and left calf muscles to generate a rat model bearing both granulomas and tumors (n = 6). Ten days after the inoculations, dynamic 11 C-MET PET was performed by small animal PET up to 120 min after injection of 11 C-MET. The next day, after overnight fasting, the rats were injected with 18 F-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose ( 18 F-FDG), and dynamic 18 F-FDG PET was performed up to 180 min. The time-activity curves, static images, and mean standardized uptake value (SUV) in the lesions were calculated. 11 C-MET uptake in the granuloma showed a slow exponential clearance after an initial distribution, while the uptake in the tumor gradually increased with time. The dynamic pattern of 11 C-MET uptake in the granuloma was significantly different from that in the tumor (p 11 C-MET, visual assessment and SUV analysis could not differentiate the tumor from the granuloma in all cases, although the mean SUV in the granuloma (1.48 ± 0.09) was significantly lower than that in the tumor (1.72 ± 0.18, p 18 F-FDG in the granuloma were similar to those in the tumor (p = NS). Dynamic 11 C-MET PET has an additional value for differentiating malignant tumors from granulomatous lesions, which deserves further elucidation in clinical settings. (orig.)

Creating a Test Validated Structural Dynamic Finite Element Model of the Multi-Utility Technology Test Bed Aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

Pak, Chan-Gi; Truong, Samson S.

2014-01-01

Small modeling errors in the finite element model will eventually induce errors in the structural flexibility and mass, thus propagating into unpredictable errors in the unsteady aerodynamics and the control law design. One of the primary objectives of Multi Utility Technology Test Bed, X-56A, aircraft is the flight demonstration of active flutter suppression, and therefore in this study, the identification of the primary and secondary modes for the structural model tuning based on the flutter analysis of X-56A. The ground vibration test validated structural dynamic finite element model of the X-56A is created in this study. The structural dynamic finite element model of the X-56A is improved using a model tuning tool. In this study, two different weight configurations of the X-56A have been improved in a single optimization run.

Tumor aggressiveness and patient outcome in cancer of the pancreas assessed by dynamic 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Epelbaum, Ron; Frenkel, Alex; Haddad, Riad; Sikorski, Natalia; Strauss, Ludwig G; Israel, Ora; Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss, Antonia

2013-01-01

This study aimed to assess the role of a quantitative dynamic PET model in pancreatic cancer as a potential index of tumor aggressiveness and predictor of survival. Seventy-one patients with (18)F-FDG-avid adenocarcinoma of the pancreas before treatment were recruited, including 27 with localized tumors (11 underwent pancreatectomy, and 16 had localized nonresectable tumors) and 44 with metastatic disease. Dynamic (18)F-FDG PET images were acquired over a 60-min period, followed by a whole-body PET/CT study. Quantitative data measurements were based on a 2-compartment model, and the following variables were calculated: VB (fractional blood volume in target area), K(1) and k(2) (kinetic membrane transport parameters), k(3) and k(4) (intracellular (18)F-FDG phosphorylation and dephosphorylation parameters, respectively), and (18)F-FDG INF (global (18)F-FDG influx). The single significant variable for overall survival (OS) in patients with localized disease was (18)F-FDG INF. Patients with a high (18)F-FDG INF (>0.033 min(-1)) had a median OS of 6 and 5 mo for nonresectable and resected tumors, respectively, versus 15 and 19 mo for a low (18)F-FDG INF in nonresectable and resected tumors, respectively (P measured by dynamic PET in newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer correlated with the aggressiveness of disease. The (18)F-FDG INF was the single most significant variable for OS in patients with localized disease, whether resectable or not.

Dynamic {sup 11}C-methionine PET analysis has an additional value for differentiating malignant tumors from granulomas: an experimental study using small animal PET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Songji; Zhao, Yan [Hokkaido University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Hokkaido University, Department of Tracer Kinetics and Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Kuge, Yuji; Hatano, Toshiyuki [Hokkaido University, Central Institute of Isotope Science, Sapporo (Japan); Yi, Min; Kohanawa, Masashi [Hokkaido University, Department of Advanced Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Magota, Keiichi; Tamaki, Nagara [Hokkaido University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Nishijima, Ken-ichi [Hokkaido University, Department of Molecular Imaging, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan)

2011-10-15

We evaluated whether the dynamic profile of L-{sup 11}C-methionine ({sup 11}C-MET) may have an additional value in differentiating malignant tumors from granulomas in experimental rat models by small animal positron emission tomography (PET). Rhodococcus aurantiacus and allogenic rat C6 glioma cells were inoculated, respectively, into the right and left calf muscles to generate a rat model bearing both granulomas and tumors (n = 6). Ten days after the inoculations, dynamic {sup 11}C-MET PET was performed by small animal PET up to 120 min after injection of {sup 11}C-MET. The next day, after overnight fasting, the rats were injected with {sup 18}F-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose ({sup 18}F-FDG), and dynamic {sup 18}F-FDG PET was performed up to 180 min. The time-activity curves, static images, and mean standardized uptake value (SUV) in the lesions were calculated. {sup 11}C-MET uptake in the granuloma showed a slow exponential clearance after an initial distribution, while the uptake in the tumor gradually increased with time. The dynamic pattern of {sup 11}C-MET uptake in the granuloma was significantly different from that in the tumor (p < 0.001). In the static analysis of {sup 11}C-MET, visual assessment and SUV analysis could not differentiate the tumor from the granuloma in all cases, although the mean SUV in the granuloma (1.48 {+-} 0.09) was significantly lower than that in the tumor (1.72 {+-} 0.18, p < 0.01). The dynamic patterns, static images, and mean SUVs of {sup 18}F-FDG in the granuloma were similar to those in the tumor (p = NS). Dynamic {sup 11}C-MET PET has an additional value for differentiating malignant tumors from granulomatous lesions, which deserves further elucidation in clinical settings. (orig.)

Dynamics of melanoma tumor therapy with vesicular stomatitis virus: explaining the variability in outcomes using mathematical modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Rommelfanger, D M; Offord, C P; Dev, J; Bajzer, Z; Vile, R G; Dingli, D

2012-05-01

Tumor selective, replication competent viruses are being tested for cancer gene therapy. This approach introduces a new therapeutic paradigm due to potential replication of the therapeutic agent and induction of a tumor-specific immune response. However, the experimental outcomes are quite variable, even when studies utilize highly inbred strains of mice and the same cell line and virus. Recognizing that virotherapy is an exercise in population dynamics, we utilize mathematical modeling to understand the variable outcomes observed when B16ova malignant melanoma tumors are treated with vesicular stomatitis virus in syngeneic, fully immunocompetent mice. We show how variability in the initial tumor size and the actual amount of virus delivered to the tumor have critical roles on the outcome of therapy. Virotherapy works best when tumors are small, and a robust innate immune response can lead to superior tumor control. Strategies that reduce tumor burden without suppressing the immune response and methods that maximize the amount of virus delivered to the tumor should optimize tumor control in this model system.

Center of cancer systems biology second annual workshop--tumor metronomics: timing and dose level dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahnfeldt, Philip; Hlatky, Lynn; Klement, Giannoula Lakka

2013-05-15

Metronomic chemotherapy, the delivery of doses in a low, regular manner so as to avoid toxic side effects, was introduced over 12 years ago in the face of substantial clinical and preclinical evidence supporting its tumor-suppressive capability. It constituted a marked departure from the classic maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) strategy, which, given its goal of rapid eradication, uses dosing sufficiently intense to require rest periods between cycles to limit toxicity. Even so, upfront tumor eradication is frequently not achieved with MTD, whereupon a de facto goal of longer-term tumor control is often pursued. As metronomic dosing has shown tumor control capability, even for cancers that have become resistant to the same drug delivered under MTD, the question arises whether it may be a preferable alternative dosing approach from the outset. To date, however, our knowledge of the coupled dynamics underlying metronomic dosing is neither sufficiently well developed nor widely enough disseminated to establish its actual potential. Meeting organizers thus felt the time was right, armed with new quantitative approaches, to call a workshop on "Tumor Metronomics: Timing and Dose Level Dynamics" to explore prospects for gaining a deeper, systems-level appreciation of the metronomics concept. The workshop proved to be a forum in which experts from the clinical, biologic, mathematical, and computational realms could work together to clarify the principles and underpinnings of metronomics. Among other things, the need for significant shifts in thinking regarding endpoints to be used as clinical standards of therapeutic progress was recognized. ©2013 AACR.

Modelling of Devolatilization in Fluidized Bed Combustion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stenseng, Mette; Lin, Weigang; Johnsson, Jan Erik

1997-01-01

A mathematical model is developed to describe the devolatilization process in a circulating fluidized bed combustor. The model is a combination of two submodels: single particle devolatilization and fluid dynamics. The single particle model includes the influence of both chemical kinetics and hea...

Dynamics of yeast immobilized-cell fluidized-bed bioreactors systems in ethanol fermentation from lactose-hydrolyzed whey and whey permeate.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabardo, Sabrina; Pereira, Gabriela Feix; Klein, Manuela P; Rech, Rosane; Hertz, Plinho F; Ayub, Marco Antônio Záchia

2016-01-01

We studied the dynamics of ethanol production on lactose-hydrolyzed whey (LHW) and lactose-hydrolyzed whey permeate (LHWP) in batch fluidized-bed bioreactors using single and co-cultures of immobilized cells of industrial strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-industrial strains of Kluyveromyces marxianus. Although the co-culture of S. cerevisiae CAT-1 and K. marxianus CCT 4086 produced two- to fourfold the ethanol productivity of single cultures of S. cerevisiae, the single cultures of the K. marxianus CCT 4086 produced the best results in both media (Y EtOH/S = 0.47-0.49 g g(-1) and Q P = 1.39-1.68 g L(-1) h(-1), in LHW and LHWP, respectively). Ethanol production on concentrated LHWP (180 g L(-1)) reached 79.1 g L(-1), with yields of 0.46 g g(-1) for K. marxianus CCT 4086 cultures. Repeated batches of fluidized-bed bioreactor on concentrated LHWP led to increased ethanol productivity, reaching 2.8 g L(-1) h(-1).

Glomus Tumor of Thumb Occurring at Unusual Location

African Journals Online (AJOL)

diagnosis of glomus tumour. Although rare, glomus tumour should be considered as differential diagnosis for fingertip ... Figure 1: Radiograph-anteropsterior and lateral view ... nail bed is carefully dissected from the bone until the tumor.

Outcome of four-dimensional stereotactic radiotherapy for centrally located lung tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuyttens, Joost J.; Voort van Zyp, Noelle C. van der; Praag, John; Aluwini, Shafak; Klaveren, Rob J. van; Verhoef, Cornelis; Pattynama, Peter M.; Hoogeman, Mischa S.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To assess local control, overall survival, and toxicity of four-dimensional, risk-adapted stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) delivered while tracking respiratory motion in patients with primary and metastatic lung cancer located in the central chest. Methods: Fifty-eight central lesions of 56 patients (39 with primary, 17 with metastatic tumors) were treated. Fifteen tumors located near the esophagus were treated with 6 fractions of 8 Gy. Other tumors were treated according to the following dose escalation scheme: 5 fractions of 9 Gy (n = 6), then 5 fractions of 10 Gy (n = 15), and finally 5 fractions of 12 Gy (n = 22). Results: Dose constraints for critical structures were generally achieved; in 21 patients the coverage of the PTV was reduced below 95% to protect adjacent organs at risk. At a median follow-up of 23 months, the actuarial 2-years local tumor control was 85% for tumors treated with a BED >100 Gy compared to 60% for tumors treated with a BED ⩽100 Gy. No grade 4 or 5 toxicity was observed. Acute grade 1–2 esophagitis was observed in 11% of patients. Conclusion: SBRT of central lung lesions can be safely delivered, with promising early tumor control in patients many of whom have severe comorbid conditions.

Experimental study on evolution of bed structures of natural mountain rivers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huai-xiang Liu

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Bed structures in many mountain rivers provide additional resistance to the flow. A field experiment was conducted on debris flow deposits in the valley of the Jiangjiagou Ravine, a tributary of the Yangtze River in southwestern China, to study the evolution and distribution of bed structures and their relationship with environmental conditions. Water and sediment from the Jiangjiagou main stream were diverted into the experimental channel. Several hydrological schemes were adopted to scour the channel until equilibrium was reached. During this process the evolutions of bed structures and channel configuration were investigated. The results indicate that stronger bed structures mean greater stream power consumption, greater resistance, and greater slope in a certain section when rivers are in dynamic equilibrium. Thus, to some extent the longitudinal profiles of channels can be determined by the distribution of bed structures. In natural cases, the strength and evolution of bed structures are under the influence of environmental conditions such as discharge and bed-load transportation rate. That is, given the same conditions, the same bed structure distribution and longitudinal profile can be predicted.

Real-time tumor ablation simulation based on the dynamic mode decomposition method

KAUST Repository

Bourantas, George C.

2014-05-01

Purpose: The dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) method is used to provide a reliable forecasting of tumor ablation treatment simulation in real time, which is quite needed in medical practice. To achieve this, an extended Pennes bioheat model must be employed, taking into account both the water evaporation phenomenon and the tissue damage during tumor ablation. Methods: A meshless point collocation solver is used for the numerical solution of the governing equations. The results obtained are used by the DMD method for forecasting the numerical solution faster than the meshless solver. The procedure is first validated against analytical and numerical predictions for simple problems. The DMD method is then applied to three-dimensional simulations that involve modeling of tumor ablation and account for metabolic heat generation, blood perfusion, and heat ablation using realistic values for the various parameters. Results: The present method offers very fast numerical solution to bioheat transfer, which is of clinical significance in medical practice. It also sidesteps the mathematical treatment of boundaries between tumor and healthy tissue, which is usually a tedious procedure with some inevitable degree of approximation. The DMD method provides excellent predictions of the temperature profile in tumors and in the healthy parts of the tissue, for linear and nonlinear thermal properties of the tissue. Conclusions: The low computational cost renders the use of DMD suitable forin situ real time tumor ablation simulations without sacrificing accuracy. In such a way, the tumor ablation treatment planning is feasible using just a personal computer thanks to the simplicity of the numerical procedure used. The geometrical data can be provided directly by medical image modalities used in everyday practice. © 2014 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Dynamic Modeling and Control Studies of a Two-Stage Bubbling Fluidized Bed Adsorber-Reactor for Solid-Sorbent CO{sub 2} Capture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Modekurti, Srinivasarao; Bhattacharyya, Debangsu; Zitney, Stephen E.

2013-07-31

A one-dimensional, non-isothermal, pressure-driven dynamic model has been developed for a two-stage bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) adsorber-reactor for solid-sorbent carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) capture using Aspen Custom Modeler® (ACM). The BFB model for the flow of gas through a continuous phase of downward moving solids considers three regions: emulsion, bubble, and cloud-wake. Both the upper and lower reactor stages are of overflow-type configuration, i.e., the solids leave from the top of each stage. In addition, dynamic models have been developed for the downcomer that transfers solids between the stages and the exit hopper that removes solids from the bottom of the bed. The models of all auxiliary equipment such as valves and gas distributor have been integrated with the main model of the two-stage adsorber reactor. Using the developed dynamic model, the transient responses of various process variables such as CO{sub 2} capture rate and flue gas outlet temperatures have been studied by simulating typical disturbances such as change in the temperature, flowrate, and composition of the incoming flue gas from pulverized coal-fired power plants. In control studies, the performance of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, feedback-augmented feedforward controller, and linear model predictive controller (LMPC) are evaluated for maintaining the overall CO{sub 2} capture rate at a desired level in the face of typical disturbances.

Non-palpable incidentally found testicular tumors: Differentiation between benign, malignant, and burned-out tumors using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanharawi, Imane El; Correas, Jean-Michel; Glas, Ludivine; Ferlicot, Sophie

2016-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative parameters obtained by dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI for the characterization of histologically proven, non-palpable, incidentally found intratesticular tumors. Materials and methods: From 2006 to 2014, we included men with non-palpable, incidentally found testicular tumors on ultrasound, normal tumoral marker levels,referred for surgery. DCE-MRI data were analyzed retrospectively and independently by two radiologists blinded to the histological diagnosis. The visual enhancement patterns, time-signal intensity curves, shape of the curves (type 0–3), maximal relative enhancement (Peak), initial enhancement slope (IS), time to peak (TTP), as well as transfer constants Ktrans and Kep were compared between the tumors. The interobserver correlation was evaluated. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and areas under the curve (AUC) were extracted. Results: Thirty-one patients (mean age of 37.3 years) were included. Tumor mean size was 1.2 ± 0.77 cm (min = 0.3 cm, max = 2.8 cm). Regarding the histology results, three groups were defined: Twelve stromal “benign tumors” (BT) exhibited more type 2 and type 3 curves than 12 “malignant tumors” (MT) and 7 “burned-out tumors” (BOT) (p < 0.0001). BT had a higher peak (96 vs. 54 and 17%), shorter TTP (215 vs. 412 and 692 sec), higher IS (73 vs. 12 and 2 arbitrary units), higher Ktrans (255 vs. 88 and 14 min −1 *1000) and higher Kep (554 vs. 159 and 48 min −1 *1000) than MT and BOT, respectively (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0003, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively). The agreement coefficient values and the AUC extracted after gathering MT with BOT varied from 0.83 to 0.96 and from 0.868 to 0.978, respectively. Conclusion: DCE-MRI may assist in differentiating between benign intratesticular stromal tumors,malignant and burned-out tumors.

Non-palpable incidentally found testicular tumors: Differentiation between benign, malignant, and burned-out tumors using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanharawi, Imane El [Service de Radiologie Diagnostique et Interventionnelle Adulte, Groupe Hospitalier Paris Sud, Hôpital de Bicêtre, APHP, 78 avenue du Général Leclerc, 94275 Le Kremlin Bicêtre (France); Correas, Jean-Michel [Service de Radiologie Adultes, Hôpital Necker, APHP, Faculté Paris 5, 149 rue de Sèvres 75015 Paris (France); Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University CNRS UMR 7587, INSERM ERL U-979, 35, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris (France); Glas, Ludivine [Service de Radiologie Diagnostique et Interventionnelle Adulte, Groupe Hospitalier Paris Sud, Hôpital de Bicêtre, APHP, 78 avenue du Général Leclerc, 94275 Le Kremlin Bicêtre (France); Ferlicot, Sophie [Service d ’ anatomo-pathologie, Groupe Hospitalier Paris Sud, Hôpital de Bicêtre, APHP, 78 avenue du Général Leclerc, 94275 Le Kremlin Bicêtre (France); Faculté de Médecine Paris-Saclay, 63 rue Gabriel Péri, 94270 Le Kremlin Bicêtre (France); and others

2016-11-15

Purpose: To evaluate qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative parameters obtained by dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI for the characterization of histologically proven, non-palpable, incidentally found intratesticular tumors. Materials and methods: From 2006 to 2014, we included men with non-palpable, incidentally found testicular tumors on ultrasound, normal tumoral marker levels,referred for surgery. DCE-MRI data were analyzed retrospectively and independently by two radiologists blinded to the histological diagnosis. The visual enhancement patterns, time-signal intensity curves, shape of the curves (type 0–3), maximal relative enhancement (Peak), initial enhancement slope (IS), time to peak (TTP), as well as transfer constants Ktrans and Kep were compared between the tumors. The interobserver correlation was evaluated. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and areas under the curve (AUC) were extracted. Results: Thirty-one patients (mean age of 37.3 years) were included. Tumor mean size was 1.2 ± 0.77 cm (min = 0.3 cm, max = 2.8 cm). Regarding the histology results, three groups were defined: Twelve stromal “benign tumors” (BT) exhibited more type 2 and type 3 curves than 12 “malignant tumors” (MT) and 7 “burned-out tumors” (BOT) (p < 0.0001). BT had a higher peak (96 vs. 54 and 17%), shorter TTP (215 vs. 412 and 692 sec), higher IS (73 vs. 12 and 2 arbitrary units), higher Ktrans (255 vs. 88 and 14 min{sup −1}*1000) and higher Kep (554 vs. 159 and 48 min{sup −1}*1000) than MT and BOT, respectively (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0003, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively). The agreement coefficient values and the AUC extracted after gathering MT with BOT varied from 0.83 to 0.96 and from 0.868 to 0.978, respectively. Conclusion: DCE-MRI may assist in differentiating between benign intratesticular stromal tumors,malignant and burned-out tumors.

Evaluation of a compartmental model for estimating tumor hypoxia via FMISO dynamic PET imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Wenli; Nehmeh, Sadek A; O'Donoghue, Joseph; Zanzonico, Pat B; Schmidtlein, C Ross; Lee, Nancy Y; Humm, John L; Georgi, Jens-Christoph; Paulus, Timo; Narayanan, Manoj; Bal, Matthieu

2009-01-01

This paper systematically evaluates a pharmacokinetic compartmental model for identifying tumor hypoxia using dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with 18 F-fluoromisonidazole (FMISO). A generic irreversible one-plasma two-tissue compartmental model was used. A dynamic PET image dataset was simulated with three tumor regions-normoxic, hypoxic and necrotic-embedded in a normal-tissue background, and with an image-based arterial input function. Each voxelized tissue's time activity curve (TAC) was simulated with typical values of kinetic parameters, as deduced from FMISO-PET data from nine head-and-neck cancer patients. The dynamic dataset was first produced without any statistical noise to ensure that correct kinetic parameters were reproducible. Next, to investigate the stability of kinetic parameter estimation in the presence of noise, 1000 noisy samples of the dynamic dataset were generated, from which 1000 noisy estimates of kinetic parameters were calculated and used to estimate the sample mean and covariance matrix. It is found that a more peaked input function gave less variation in various kinetic parameters, and the variation of kinetic parameters could also be reduced by two region-of-interest averaging techniques. To further investigate how bias in the arterial input function affected the kinetic parameter estimation, a shift error was introduced in the peak amplitude and peak location of the input TAC, and the bias of various kinetic parameters calculated. In summary, mathematical phantom studies have been used to determine the statistical accuracy and precision of model-based kinetic analysis, which helps to validate this analysis and provides guidance in planning clinical dynamic FMISO-PET studies.

Physiological and Functional Alterations after Spaceflight and Bed Rest.

Science.gov (United States)

Mulavara, Ajitkumar P; Peters, Brian T; Miller, Chris A; Kofman, Igor S; Reschke, Millard F; Taylor, Laura C; Lawrence, Emily L; Wood, Scott J; Laurie, Steven S; Lee, Stuart M C; Buxton, Roxanne E; May-Phillips, Tiffany R; Stenger, Michael B; Ploutz-Snyder, Lori L; Ryder, Jeffrey W; Feiveson, Alan H; Bloomberg, Jacob J

2018-04-03

Exposure to microgravity causes alterations in multiple physiological systems, potentially impacting the ability of astronauts to perform critical mission tasks. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of spaceflight on functional task performance and to identify the key physiological factors contributing to their deficits. A test battery comprised of 7 functional tests and 15 physiological measures was used to investigate the sensorimotor, cardiovascular and neuromuscular adaptations to spaceflight. Astronauts were tested before and after 6-month spaceflights. Subjects were also tested before and after 70 days of 6° head-down bed rest, a spaceflight analog, to examine the role of axial body unloading on the spaceflight results. These subjects included Control and Exercise groups to examine the effects of exercise during bed rest. Spaceflight subjects showed the greatest decrement in performance during functional tasks that required the greatest demand for dynamic control of postural equilibrium which was paralleled by similar decrements in sensorimotor tests that assessed postural and dynamic gait control. Other changes included reduced lower limb muscle performance and increased heart rate to maintain blood pressure. Exercise performed during bed rest prevented detrimental change in neuromuscular and cardiovascular function, however, both bed rest groups experienced functional and balance deficits similar to spaceflight subjects. Bed rest data indicates that body support unloading experienced during spaceflight contributes to postflight postural control dysfunction. Further, the bed rest results in the Exercise group of subjects confirm that resistance and aerobic exercises performed during spaceflight can play an integral role in maintaining neuromuscular and cardiovascular function, which can help in reducing decrements in functional performance. These results indicate that a countermeasure to mitigate postflight postural control dysfunction is

Quantitative evaluation of skeletal tumors with dynamic 18F-FDG PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Hua; Heichel, T.O.; Lehner, B.; Bernd, L.; Ewerbeck, V.; Burger, C.

2002-01-01

Objective: To evaluate bone lesions using fluorodeoxyglucose (FIX;) PET and explore if dynamic and quantitative PET data may help to differentiate benign lesions from malignant masses. Methods: A group of forty patients with primary bone lesions were studied. The final diagnosis was confirmed with histopathology. A dynamic acquisition of FDG PET with the duration over 60 min was undertaken in all subjects. From the dynamic PET images the indexes such as average and maximal standardized uptake value ( SUV ), tumor SUV-to-muscle SUV ratios ( T/M ), and SUV at 60 min-to-SUV at 30 min ratio (SUV aver60/30main and SUV max60/30min ) were produced. Patlak graphical analysis were used to obtain influx constant ( K i ) and metabolic rate of FDG (MR-FDG) was thus calculated. Based on the receiver operation characteristic curve the sensitivity and specificity for each parameter in differentiation between malignant and benign lesions was evaluated. Results: The histologic results revealed there were 21 cases with malignant tumors and 19 with benign lesions in this group. The MRFDG and SUV indexes in malignant lesions were significantly higher than those in benign lesions. However, each index showed a considerable overlap between benign and malignant type. Average SUV positively correlated with MR-FDG (r = 0.67). When use of a 1.8 cutoff for average SUV, the sensitivity and specificity for discrimination of malignancy from benignity were 85.0% and 82.4%, respectively. MRFDG showed a similar sensitivity (82.4%) and a better specificity (92.9%). When evaluated with a cutoff from the combination of average SUV (1.8) and SUV aver60/3Omin (1.1), the specificity was improved to 93.3% with a small reduction of sensitivity (81.3%) compared with using SUV exclusively. Conclusions: The results indicate that detectable difference in glucose metabolism exists between malignant and benign skeletal lesions. It may not be feasible to use exclusively the static FDG uptake indexes to achieve a

Dynamic respiratory gated 18FDG-PET of lung tumors - a feasibility study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skjei Knudtsen, Ingerid; Skretting, Arne; Roedal, Jan; Brustugun, Odd Terje; Helland, Aaslaug; Malinen, Eirik

2011-01-01

Background. 18 FDG-PET/CT imaging is well established for diagnosis and staging of lung tumors. However, more detailed information regarding the distribution of FDG within the tumor, also as a function of time after injection may be relevant. In this study we explore the feasibility of a combined dynamic and respiratory gated (DR) PET protocol. Material and methods. A DR FDG-PET protocol for a Siemens Biograph 16 PET/CT scanner was set up, allowing data acquisition from the time of FDG injection. Breath-hold (BH) respiratory gating was performed at four intervals over a total acquisition time of 50 minutes. Thus, the PET protocol provides both motion-free images and a spatiotemporal characterization of the glucose distribution in lung tumors. Software tools were developed in-house for tentative tumor segmentation and for extracting standard uptake values (SUVs) voxel by voxel, tumor volumes and SUV gradients in all directions. Results. Four pilot patients have been investigated with the DR PET protocol. The procedure was well tolerated by the patients. The BH images appeared sharper, and SUV max /SUV mean was higher, compared to free breathing (FB) images. Also, SUV gradients in the periphery of the tumor in the BH images were in general greater than or equal to the gradients in the FB PET images. Conclusion. The DR FDG-PET protocol is feasible and the BH images have a superior quality compared to the FB images. The protocol may also provide information of relevance for radiotherapy planning and follow-up. A patient trial is needed for assessing the clinical value of the imaging protocol

Synchronous subungual glomus tumors in the same finger Tumores glômicos subungueais sincrônicos no mesmo dedo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nilton Di Chiacchio

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The glomus tumor is an uncommon benign neoplasm of glomus cells. In the majority of the cases it is presented as a solitary painful papule in the subungual region. We report a rare case of a patient with two individual synchronous glomus tumors under the nail bed of the same finger.O tumor glômico é uma neoplasia benigna de células glômicas. Na maioria dos casos se apresenta como uma pápula solitária dolorosa na região subungueal. Relatamos o caso raro de um paciente com dois tumores glômicos sincrônicos sob o leito ungueal do mesmo dedo.

Minor salivary gland tumors in the oral cavity: Diagnostic value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuzaki, Hidenobu; Yanagi, Yoshinobu; Hara, Marina; Katase, Naoki; Asaumi, Jun-ichi; Hisatomi, Miki; Unetsubo, Teruhisa; Konouchi, Hironobu; Takenobu, Toshihiko; Nagatsuka, Hitoshi

2012-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) for minor salivary gland tumors in the oral cavity. Materials and methods: Thirty-two patients with minor salivary gland tumors were examined preoperatively using DCE-MRI. Their maximum contrast index (CImax), time of CImax (Tmax), Tpeak; i.e., the time that corresponded to the CImax × 0.90, and washout ratios (WR300 and WR600) were determined from contrast index (CI) curves. We compared these parameters between benign and malignant tumors and among the different histopathological types of minor salivary gland tumors. Then, we categorized the patients’ CI curves into four patterns (gradual increase, rapid increase with high washout ratio, rapid increase with low washout, and flat). Results: Statistically significant differences in Tmax (P = 0.004) and Tpeak (P = 0.002) were observed between the benign and malignant tumors. Regarding each histopathological tumor type, significant differences in Tmax (P < 0.001), Tpeak (P < 0.001), and WR600 (P = 0.026) were observed between the pleomorphic adenomas and mucoepidermoid carcinomas. It was difficult to distinguish between benign and malignant tumors using our CI curve classification because that two-thirds of the cases were classified into the same type (gradual increase). Conclusion: The DCE-MRI parameters of minor salivary gland tumors contributed little to their differential diagnosis compared with those for major salivary gland tumors. During the diagnosis of minor salivary gland tumors, Tmax is useful for distinguishing between benign and malignant tumors

Coupling Solute and Fine Particle Transport with Sand Bed Morphodynamics within a Field Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, C. B.; Ortiz, C. P.; Schumer, R.; Jerolmack, D. J.; Packman, A. I.

2017-12-01

Fine suspended particles are typically considered to pass through streams and rivers as wash load without interacting with the bed, however experiments have demonstrated that hyporheic flow causes advective exchange of fine particles with the stream bed, yielding accumulation of fine particle deposits within the bed. Ultimately, understanding river morphodynamics and ecosystem dynamics requires coupling both fine particle and solute transport with bed morphodynamics. To better understand the coupling between these processes we analyze a novel dataset from a controlled field experiment conducted on Clear Run, a 2nd order sand bed stream located within the North Carolina coastal plain. Data include concentrations of continuously injected conservative solutes and fine particulate tracers measured at various depths within the stream bed, overhead time lapse images of bed forms, stream discharge, and geomorphological surveys of the stream. We use image analysis of bed morphodynamics to assess exchange, retention, and remobilization of solutes and fine particles during constant discharge and a short duration experimental flood. From the images, we extract a time series of bedform elevations and scour depths for the duration of the experiment. The high-resolution timeseries of bed elevation enables us to assess coupling of bed morphodynamics with both the solute and fine particle flux during steady state mobile bedforms prior to the flood and to changing bedforms during the flood. These data allow the application of a stochastic modeling framework relating bed elevation fluctuations to fine particle residence times. This combined experimental and modeling approach ultimately informs our ability to predict not only the fate of fine particulate matter but also associated nutrient and carbon dynamics within streams and rivers.

The Dynamic Behavior of Water Flowing Through Packed Bed of Different Particle Shapes and Sizes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haneen Ahmed Jasim

2017-12-01

Full Text Available An experimental study was conducted on pressure drop of water flow through vertical cylindrical packed beds in turbulent region and the influence of the operating parameters on its behavior. The bed packing was made of spherical and non-spherical particles (spheres, Rasching rings and intalox saddle with aspect ratio range 3.46 D/dp 8.486 obtaining bed porosities 0.396 0.84 and Reynolds number 1217 21758. The system is consisted of 5 cm inside diameter Perspex column, 50 cm long; distilled water was pumped through the bed with flow rate 875, 1000, 1125, 1250,1375 and 1500 l/h and inlet water temperature 20, 30, 40 and 50 ˚C. The packed bed system was monitored by using LabVIEW program, were the results have been obtained from Data Acquisition Adaptor (DAQ.

MRI diagnosis of tongue tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minowa, Kazuyuki; Abe, Satoru; Ohmori, Keiichi; Hosokawa, Yoichirou; Yamasaki, Michio; Hirano, Masayasu.

1992-01-01

MRI studies were performed on 29 patients with tongue tumors. Twenty-six cases were fresh, others were recurrent. Signal intensity of tongue tumor was not characteristic and specific, and it was a low∼iso signal on T1 weighted image (WI), heterogeneously iso∼high signal intensity on T2 WI, heterogeneous enhancement on gadolinium-DTPA enhanced image compared to muscle signal intensity. In 3 of 29 patients, the tongue tumor invaded to the mandible. With regard to the grasping tumor invasion to the mandible, the STIR method was superior to T1, T2 WI of the spin echo method. Dynamic enhanced MR images were performed in 6 of 29 patients. Dynamic change of signal intensity after gadolinium-DTPA administration were assessed with fast low angle shot imaging. On dynamic study at about 20 seconds after gadolinium-DTPA injection, the first signal intensity in the periphery of the tumor gradually began to increase. Maximum signal intensity of the tumor showed at about 70 seconds after gadolinium-DTPA injection. In search from 0 to 5 minutes, after the tongue tumor showed maximum signal intensity, its signal maintain the maximum. Necrotic and peritumorous edema showed a significantly lower and more gradual increase in signal intensity than adjacent neoplastic tissue on dynamic enhanced MRI. (author)

Flow and fracture in water-saturated, unconstrained granular beds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Germán eVaras

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The injection of gas in a liquid-saturated granular bed gives rise to a wide variety of invasion patterns. Many studies have focused on constrained porous media, in which the grains are fixed in the bed and only the interstitial fluid flows when the gas invades the system. With a free upper boundary, however, the grains can be entrained by the ascending gas or fluid motion, and the competition between the upward motion of grains and sedimentation leads to new patterns. We propose a brief review of the experimental investigation of the dynamics of air rising through a water-saturated, unconstrained granular bed, in both two and three dimensions. After describing the invasion pattern at short and long time, a tentative regime-diagram is proposed. We report original results showing a dependence of the fluidized zone shape, at long times, on the injection flow rate and grain size. A method based on image analysis makes it possible to detect not only the fluidized zone profile in the stationary regime, but also to follow the transient dynamics of its formation. Finally, we describe the degassing dynamics inside the fluidized zone, in the stationary regime. Depending on the experimental conditions, regular bubbling, continuous degassing, intermittent regime or even spontaneous flow-to-fracture transition are observed.

Simultaneous tumor and surrogate motion tracking with dynamic MRI for radiation therapy planning

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Seyoun; Farah, Rana; Shea, Steven M.; Tryggestad, Erik; Hales, Russell; Lee, Junghoon

2018-01-01

Respiration-induced tumor motion is a major obstacle for achieving high-precision radiotherapy of cancers in the thoracic and abdominal regions. Surrogate-based estimation and tracking methods are commonly used in radiotherapy, but with limited understanding of quantified correlation to tumor motion. In this study, we propose a method to simultaneously track the lung tumor and external surrogates to evaluate their spatial correlation in a quantitative way using dynamic MRI, which allows real-time acquisition without ionizing radiation exposure. To capture the lung and whole tumor, four MRI-compatible fiducials are placed on the patient’s chest and upper abdomen. Two different types of acquisitions are performed in the sagittal orientation including multi-slice 2D cine MRIs to reconstruct 4D-MRI and two-slice 2D cine MRIs to simultaneously track the tumor and fiducials. A phase-binned 4D-MRI is first reconstructed from multi-slice MR images using body area as a respiratory surrogate and groupwise registration. The 4D-MRI provides 3D template volumes for different breathing phases. 3D tumor position is calculated by 3D-2D template matching in which 3D tumor templates in the 4D-MRI reconstruction and the 2D cine MRIs from the two-slice tracking dataset are registered. 3D trajectories of the external surrogates are derived via matching a 3D geometrical model of the fiducials to their segmentations on the 2D cine MRIs. We tested our method on ten lung cancer patients. Using a correlation analysis, the 3D tumor trajectory demonstrates a noticeable phase mismatch and significant cycle-to-cycle motion variation, while the external surrogate was not sensitive enough to capture such variations. Additionally, there was significant phase mismatch between surrogate signals obtained from the fiducials at different locations.

Computed tomography of liver tumors, 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naito, Akira; Fukuoka, Haruhito; Kashiwado, Kouzou; Ichiki, Toshio; Makidono, Yoko

1984-01-01

Differential diagnosis between hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic hepatic tumor was attempted using dynamic CT scanning. Homogeneous and patchy types were peculiar to hepatocellular carcinoma, and ring-like type to metastatic hepatic tumor. However, with no enhancement, hepatocellular carcinoma could not be denied. Hepatocellular carcinoma was characterized by the enhancement shown on the early stage of dynamic CT. Ring enhancement was not visualized on dynamic CT but visualized on conventional contrast enhanced CT in hepatocellular carcinomas; it was visualized on conventional contrast enhanced CT and on dynamic CT in metastatic hepatic tumors. (Namekawa, K.)

Infant's bed climate and bedding in the Japanese home.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura Ikeda, Rie; Fukai, Kiyoko; Okamoto Mizuno, Kazue

2012-06-01

to assess the bed climate of infants in their homes in Japan. descriptive, exploratory, non-experimental research design. the data were collected at the participants' homes under normal circumstances. nineteen healthy infants between the ages of two and five months. Their mothers, who joined a parenting class organised by a maternity clinic in Okayama, Japan, consented to participate in this study. we visited the infants' homes and interviewed their mothers concerning the types and use of bedding. The temperature and relative humidity of the bed climate at the back and foot of the bedding, and in the room were measured every minute for four consecutive days. Differences among the bed climates measured during three seasons (spring, summer, and autumn) were assessed by one-way analysis of variance. The bed temperature was higher for infants than for adults. No significant difference in temperature was noted among the three seasons. The bed temperature was about 36.0°C when waterproof sheets and futon mattresses for children or adult were used. The average relative humidity of the bed climate at the back was highest in summer, followed by that in spring and autumn; the differences were significant. The use of waterproof sheets and futon mattresses for children in summer increased the relative humidity to 80% or more. The use of infant beds, sunoko drainboards, and cotton futon mattresses in summer was effective in reducing the bed humidity. these results suggest that nurse-midwives should advise the parents on comfortable bed climates for their infants, as well as how to select and use bedding for them. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Complex nonlinear behaviour of a fixed bed reactor with reactant recycle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Recke, Bodil; Jørgensen, Sten Bay

1999-01-01

The fixed bed reactor with reactant recycle investigated in this paper can exhibit periodic solutions. These solutions bifurcate from the steady state in a Hopf bifurcation. The Hopf bifurcation encountered at the lowest value of the inlet concentration turns the steady state unstable and marks......,that the dynamic behaviour of a fixed bed reactor with reactant recycle is much more complex than previously reported....

Use of the Concept of Equivalent Biologically Effective Dose (BED) to Quantify the Contribution of Hyperthermia to Local Tumor Control in Radiohyperthermia Cervical Cancer Trials, and Comparison With Radiochemotherapy Results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plataniotis, George A.; Dale, Roger G.

2009-01-01

Purpose: To express the magnitude of contribution of hyperthermia to local tumor control in radiohyperthermia (RT/HT) cervical cancer trials, in terms of the radiation-equivalent biologically effective dose (BED) and to explore the potential of the combined modalities in the treatment of this neoplasm. Materials and Methods: Local control rates of both arms of each study (RT vs. RT+HT) reported from randomized controlled trials (RCT) on concurrent RT/HT for cervical cancer were reviewed. By comparing the two tumor control probabilities (TCPs) from each study, we calculated the HT-related log cell-kill and then expressed it in terms of the number of 2 Gy fraction equivalents, for a range of tumor volumes and radiosensitivities. We have compared the contribution of each modality and made some exploratory calculations on the TCPs that might be expected from a combined trimodality treatment (RT+CT+HT). Results: The HT-equivalent number of 2-Gy fractions ranges from 0.6 to 4.8 depending on radiosensitivity. Opportunities for clinically detectable improvement by the addition of HT are only available in tumors with an alpha value in the approximate range of 0.22-0.28 Gy -1 . A combined treatment (RT+CT+HT) is not expected to improve prognosis in radioresistant tumors. Conclusion: The most significant improvements in TCP, which may result from the combination of RT/CT/HT for locally advanced cervical carcinomas, are likely to be limited only to those patients with tumors of relatively low-intermediate radiosensitivity.

Dynamic Analyses of Alternative Polyadenylation from RNA-Seq Reveal 3′-UTR Landscape Across 7 Tumor Types

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Zheng; Donehower, Lawrence A; Cooper, Thomas A.; Neilson, Joel R.; Wheeler, David A.; Wagner, Eric J.; Li, Wei

2015-01-01

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a pervasive mechanism in the regulation of most human genes, and its implication in diseases including cancer is only beginning to be appreciated. Since conventional APA profiling has not been widely adopted, global cancer APA studies are very limited. Here we develop a novel bioinformatics algorithm (DaPars) for the de novo identification of dynamic APAs from standard RNA-seq. When applied to 358 TCGA Pan-Cancer tumor/normal pairs across 7 tumor types, DaPars reveals 1,346 genes with recurrent and tumor-specific APAs. Most APA genes (91%) have shorter 3′ UTRs in tumors that can avoid miRNA-mediated repression, including glutaminase (GLS), a key metabolic enzyme for tumor proliferation. Interestingly, selected APA events add strong prognostic power beyond common clinical and molecular variables, suggesting their potential as novel prognostic biomarkers. Finally, our results implicate CstF64, an essential polyadenylation factor, as a master regulator of 3′ UTR shortening across multiple tumor types. PMID:25409906

Packed Bed Reactor Technology for Chemical-Looping Combustion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Noorman, S.; Sint Annaland, van M.; Kuipers, J.A.M.

2007-01-01

Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) has emerged as an alternative for conventional power production processes to intrinsically integrate power production and CO2 capture. In this work a new reactor concept for CLC is proposed, based on dynamically operated packed bed reactors. With analytical

Ability of subtraction and dynamic MR imaging to detect breast tumors. Comparison with ultrasonography and mammography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terao, Eri; Takeuchi, Hiroaki; Iwamura, Akira; Murakami, Yoshitaka; Harada, Junta; Tada, Shinpei

1994-01-01

We evaluated the ability of subtraction and dynamic MR imaging to accurately detect breast tumors. Sixty-five breast carcinomas and 24 fibroadenomas were examined by an SE pulse sequence using a 0.2 Tesla unit. Subtraction MR images were obtained every minute during dynamic study with Gd-DTPA. Almost all breast tumors were seen as very bright masses, and the margin of the mass was clearly demonstrated on subtraction MR images. Breast carcinomas and fibroadenomas showed characteristic time-intensity curves on dynamic study. Time-intensity curves of the early peak type and plateau type were seen in 97% of breast carcinomas, while the gradually increasing type was seen in 92% of fibroadenomas. The detectability of breast carcinoma was 98% by MRI, 98% by ultrasonography, and 87% by mammography. That of fibroadenoma was 95% by MRI, 91% by ultrasonography and 60% by mammography. Sensitivity and specificity for breast carcinoma were 98% and 92% for MRI and 97% and 71% for ultrasonography. For fibroadenoma, they were 96% and 98% for MRI and 89% and 92% for ultrasonography. (author)

Ability of subtraction and dynamic MR imaging to detect breast tumors. Comparison with ultrasonography and mammography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terao, Eri; Takeuchi, Hiroaki; Iwamura, Akira; Murakami, Yoshitaka; Harada, Junta; Tada, Shinpei (Jikei Univ., Tokyo (Japan). School of Medicine)

1994-09-01

We evaluated the ability of subtraction and dynamic MR imaging to accurately detect breast tumors. Sixty-five breast carcinomas and 24 fibroadenomas were examined by an SE pulse sequence using a 0.2 Tesla unit. Subtraction MR images were obtained every minute during dynamic study with Gd-DTPA. Almost all breast tumors were seen as very bright masses, and the margin of the mass was clearly demonstrated on subtraction MR images. Breast carcinomas and fibroadenomas showed characteristic time-intensity curves on dynamic study. Time-intensity curves of the early peak type and plateau type were seen in 97% of breast carcinomas, while the gradually increasing type was seen in 92% of fibroadenomas. The detectability of breast carcinoma was 98% by MRI, 98% by ultrasonography, and 87% by mammography. That of fibroadenoma was 95% by MRI, 91% by ultrasonography and 60% by mammography. Sensitivity and specificity for breast carcinoma were 98% and 92% for MRI and 97% and 71% for ultrasonography. For fibroadenoma, they were 96% and 98% for MRI and 89% and 92% for ultrasonography. (author).

Facing Contrast-Enhancing Gliomas: Perfusion MRI in Grade III and Grade IV Gliomas according to Tumor Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Luisa Di Stefano

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Tumoral neoangiogenesis characterizes high grade gliomas. Relative Cerebral Blood Volume (rCBV, calculated with Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast (DSC Perfusion-Weighted Imaging (PWI, allows for the estimation of vascular density over the tumor bed. The aim of the study was to characterize putative tumoral neoangiogenesis via the study of maximal rCBV with a Region of Interest (ROI approach in three tumor areas—the contrast-enhancing area, the nonenhancing tumor, and the high perfusion area on CBV map—in patients affected by contrast-enhancing glioma (grades III and IV. Twenty-one patients were included: 15 were affected by grade IV and 6 by grade III glioma. Maximal rCBV values for each patient were averaged according to glioma grade. Although rCBV from contrast-enhancement and from nonenhancing tumor areas was higher in grade IV glioma than in grade III (5.58 and 2.68; 3.01 and 2.2, resp., the differences were not significant. Instead, rCBV recorded in the high perfusion area on CBV map, independently of tumor compartment, was significantly higher in grade IV glioma than in grade III (7.51 versus 3.78, P=0.036. In conclusion, neoangiogenesis encompasses different tumor compartments and CBV maps appear capable of best characterizing the degree of neovascularization. Facing contrast-enhancing brain tumors, areas of high perfusion on CBV maps should be considered as the reference areas to be targeted for glioma grading.

Diffusion-weighted MR imaging allows monitoring the effect of combretastatin A4 phosphate on rabbit implanted VX2 tumor model: 12-Day dynamic results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shao Haibo; Ni Yicheng; Dai Xu; Zhang Jian; Chen Feng; Fan, Guoguang; Sun Ziping; Li Yaming; Zhou Hongxu; Xu Ke

2012-01-01

Objectives: To investigate the 12-day dynamic characteristics of tumor response to intravenous administration of CA4P in rabbit VX2 tumor models. Methods: Study protocol was approved by local ethical committee for animal care and use. Sixteen rabbits with 32 tumors on bilateral legs were randomly divided into treated and control groups. Conventional and DWI images were acquired before and 24 h, 4 days, 8 days and 12 days after treatment. The dynamic changes of tumor on images were correlated with histological results. ADCs were compared among and between groups at different time points. Results: The tumors in treated group grew slower than those in control group. In treaded group, the mean ADC decreased slightly at 24 h point due to cell edema caused by ischemia. Then, it increased significantly at 4 days and 8 days because of progressive central necrosis. Finally, peripheral tumor proliferation caused a second decrease of ADC at 12 days. The significant difference of ΔADC% between the two groups at 24 h, 4 days and 8 days indicated that the change of ADC in treated group was really caused by CA4P. Conclusion: The dynamic histological changes of tumor caused by CA4P as reflected exactly by diffusion-weighted MR imaging indicate a noninvasive measure for monitoring tumor vascular targeting treatment.

A Catalytic Role for Proangiogenic Marrow-Derived Cells in Tumor Neovascularization

Science.gov (United States)

Seandel, Marco; Butler, Jason; Lyden, David; Rafii, Shahin

2010-01-01

Small numbers of proangiogenic bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) can play pivotal roles in tumor progression. In this issue of Cancer Cell, two papers, utilizing different tumor angiogenesis models, both find that activated MMP-9 delivered by BMDCs modulates neovessel remodeling, thereby promoting tumor growth. The changes in microvascular anatomy induced by MMP-9-expressing BMDCs are strikingly different between the preirradiated tumor vascular bed model employed by Ahn and Brown and the invasive glioblastoma model utilized by Du et al., likely mirroring the complexity of the real tumor microenvironment and the intricacy of roles of different BMDC populations in mediating tumor neoangiogenesis. PMID:18328420

The correlation between the rise of the tumor temperature during the hyperthermia treatment and the tumor blood flow measured by dynamic CT and 15O gas-positron emission tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hattori, Hideyuki

1993-01-01

This study was designed to determine the correlation between the rise of tumor temperature during hyperthermia treatment and the blood flow of the tumors measured by dynamic CT (DCT) and 15 O gas-positron emission tomography. In this report, we observed 20 patients with malignant tumors which underwent hyperthermia treatment. In each case, the temperature of the tumor was monitored with a photofiber sensor. DCT's and 15 O gas-positron emission tomographies were applied before the hyperthermia treatment. During the DCT, the tumor blood flow of each tumor was estimated by analyzing the time-dependent activity curve after a bolus injection. During the 15 O gas-positron emission tomography, the tumor blood flow was estimated by the C 15 O 2 -steady-state method. The value of the tumor blood flow estimated by DCT were proportional to those calculated by the 15 O gas-positron emission tomography. These values were inversely proportional to the rise of the temperature of the tumors during hyperthermia treatment. Our results imply that DCT as well as the 15 O gas-positron emission tomography can be used for the prediction of the tumor temperature rise during the hyperthermia treatment. (author)

(18)F-alfatide II and (18)F-FDG dual-tracer dynamic PET for parametric, early prediction of tumor response to therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jinxia; Guo, Ning; Lang, Lixin; Kiesewetter, Dale O; Xie, Qingguo; Li, Quanzheng; Eden, Henry S; Niu, Gang; Chen, Xiaoyuan

2014-01-01

A single dynamic PET acquisition using multiple tracers administered closely in time could provide valuable complementary information about a tumor's status under quasiconstant conditions. This study aimed to investigate the utility of dual-tracer dynamic PET imaging with (18)F-alfatide II ((18)F-AlF-NOTA-E[PEG4-c(RGDfk)]2) and (18)F-FDG for parametric monitoring of tumor responses to therapy. We administered doxorubicin to one group of athymic nude mice with U87MG tumors and paclitaxel protein-bound particles to another group of mice with MDA-MB-435 tumors. To monitor therapeutic responses, we performed dual-tracer dynamic imaging, in sessions that lasted 90 min, starting with injection via the tail vein catheters with (18)F-alfatide II, followed 40 min later by (18)F-FDG. To achieve signal separation of the 2 tracers, we fit a 3-compartment reversible model to the time-activity curve of (18)F-alfatide II for the 40 min before (18)F-FDG injection and then extrapolated to 90 min. The (18)F-FDG tumor time-activity curve was isolated from the 90-min dual-tracer tumor time-activity curve by subtracting the fitted (18)F-alfatide II tumor time-activity curve. With separated tumor time-activity curves, the (18)F-alfatide II binding potential (Bp = k3/k4) and volume of distribution (VD) and (18)F-FDG influx rate ((K1 × k3)/(k2 + k3)) based on the Patlak method were calculated to validate the signal recovery in a comparison with 60-min single-tracer imaging and to monitor therapeutic response. The transport and binding rate parameters K1-k3 of (18)F-alfatide II, calculated from the first 40 min of the dual-tracer dynamic scan, as well as Bp and VD correlated well with the parameters from the 60-min single-tracer scan (R(2) > 0.95). Compared with the results of single-tracer PET imaging, (18)F-FDG tumor uptake and influx were recovered well from dual-tracer imaging. On doxorubicin treatment, whereas no significant changes in static tracer uptake values of (18)F-alfatide II

Gas-particle interactions in dense gas-fluidised beds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, J.; Kuipers, J.A.M.

2003-01-01

The occurrence of heterogeneous flow structures in gas-particle flows seriously affects gas¿solid contacting and transport processes in dense gas-fluidized beds. A computational study, using a discrete particle method based on Molecular Dynamics techniques, has been carried out to explore the

Bed Bugs

Science.gov (United States)

Prevent, identify, and treat bed bug infestations using EPA’s step-by-step guides, based on IPM principles. Find pesticides approved for bed bug control, check out the information clearinghouse, and dispel bed bug myths.

Study of Pressure Drop in Fixed Bed Reactor Using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD Code

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soroush Ahmadi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Pressure drops of water and critical steam flowing in the fixed bed of mono-sized spheres are studied using SolidWorks 2017 Flow Simulation CFD code. The effects of the type of bed formation, flow velocity, density, and pebble size are evaluated. A new equation is concluded from the data, which is able to estimate pressure drop of a packed bed for high particle Reynolds number, from 15,000 to 1,000,000.

Dynamic Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) and Diffusion Weighted MR Imaging (DWI) for Differentiation between Benign and Malignant Salivary Gland Tumors

OpenAIRE

Assili, S.; Fathi Kazerooni, A.; Aghaghazvini, L.; Saligheh Rad, H.R.; Pirayesh Islamian, J.

2015-01-01

Background: Salivary gland tumors form nearly 3% of head and neck tumors. Due to their large histological variety and vicinity to facial nerves, pre-operative diagnosis and differentiation of benign and malignant parotid tumors are a major challenge for radiologists. Objective: The majority of these tumors are benign; however, sometimes they tend to transform into a malignant form. Functional MRI techniques, namely dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE-) MRI and diffusion-weighted ...

BedMachine v3: Complete Bed Topography and Ocean Bathymetry Mapping of Greenland From Multibeam Echo Sounding Combined With Mass Conservation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morlighem, M.; Williams, C. N.; Rignot, E.

2017-01-01

Greenland's bed topography is a primary control on ice flow, grounding line migration, calving dynamics, and subglacial drainage. Moreover, fjord bathymetry regulates the penetration of warm Atlantic water (AW) that rapidly melts and undercuts Greenland's marine‐terminating glaciers. Here we...... present a new compilation of Greenland bed topography that assimilates seafloor bathymetry and ice thickness data through a mass conservation approach. A new 150 m horizontal resolution bed topography/bathymetric map of Greenland is constructed with seamless transitions at the ice/ocean interface......, yielding major improvements over previous data sets, particularly in the marine‐terminating sectors of northwest and southeast Greenland. Our map reveals that the total sea level potential of the Greenland ice sheet is 7.42 ± 0.05 m, which is 7 cm greater than previous estimates. Furthermore, it explains...

Spectral Clustering Predicts Tumor Tissue Heterogeneity Using Dynamic 18F-FDG PET: A Complement to the Standard Compartmental Modeling Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Katiyar, Prateek; Divine, Mathew R; Kohlhofer, Ursula; Quintanilla-Martinez, Leticia; Schölkopf, Bernhard; Pichler, Bernd J; Disselhorst, Jonathan A

2017-04-01

In this study, we described and validated an unsupervised segmentation algorithm for the assessment of tumor heterogeneity using dynamic 18 F-FDG PET. The aim of our study was to objectively evaluate the proposed method and make comparisons with compartmental modeling parametric maps and SUV segmentations using simulations of clinically relevant tumor tissue types. Methods: An irreversible 2-tissue-compartmental model was implemented to simulate clinical and preclinical 18 F-FDG PET time-activity curves using population-based arterial input functions (80 clinical and 12 preclinical) and the kinetic parameter values of 3 tumor tissue types. The simulated time-activity curves were corrupted with different levels of noise and used to calculate the tissue-type misclassification errors of spectral clustering (SC), parametric maps, and SUV segmentation. The utility of the inverse noise variance- and Laplacian score-derived frame weighting schemes before SC was also investigated. Finally, the SC scheme with the best results was tested on a dynamic 18 F-FDG measurement of a mouse bearing subcutaneous colon cancer and validated using histology. Results: In the preclinical setup, the inverse noise variance-weighted SC exhibited the lowest misclassification errors (8.09%-28.53%) at all noise levels in contrast to the Laplacian score-weighted SC (16.12%-31.23%), unweighted SC (25.73%-40.03%), parametric maps (28.02%-61.45%), and SUV (45.49%-45.63%) segmentation. The classification efficacy of both weighted SC schemes in the clinical case was comparable to the unweighted SC. When applied to the dynamic 18 F-FDG measurement of colon cancer, the proposed algorithm accurately identified densely vascularized regions from the rest of the tumor. In addition, the segmented regions and clusterwise average time-activity curves showed excellent correlation with the tumor histology. Conclusion: The promising results of SC mark its position as a robust tool for quantification of tumor

Permeability to macromolecular contrast media quantified by dynamic MRI correlates with tumor tissue assays of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cyran, Clemens C.; Sennino, Barbara; Fu, Yanjun; Rogut, Victor; Shames, David M.; Chaopathomkul, Bundit; Wendland, Michael F.; McDonald, Donald M.; Brasch, Robert C.; Raatschen, Hans-Juergen

2012-01-01

Purpose: To correlate dynamic MRI assays of macromolecular endothelial permeability with microscopic area–density measurements of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in tumors. Methods and material: This study compared tumor xenografts from two different human cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231 tumors (n = 5), and MDA-MB-435 (n = 8), reported to express respectively higher and lower levels of VEGF. Dynamic MRI was enhanced by a prototype macromolecular contrast medium (MMCM), albumin-(Gd-DTPA)35. Quantitative estimates of tumor microvascular permeability (K PS ; μl/min × 100 cm 3 ), obtained using a two-compartment kinetic model, were correlated with immunohistochemical measurements of VEGF in each tumor. Results: Mean K PS was 2.4 times greater in MDA-MB-231 tumors (K PS = 58 ± 30.9 μl/min × 100 cm 3 ) than in MDA-MB-435 tumors (K PS = 24 ± 8.4 μl/min × 100 cm 3 ) (p < 0.05). Correspondingly, the area–density of VEGF in MDA-MB-231 tumors was 2.6 times greater (27.3 ± 2.2%, p < 0.05) than in MDA-MB-435 cancers (10.5 ± 0.5%, p < 0.05). Considering all tumors without regard to cell type, a significant positive correlation (r = 0.67, p < 0.05) was observed between MRI-estimated endothelial permeability and VEGF immunoreactivity. Conclusion: Correlation of MRI assays of endothelial permeability to a MMCM and VEGF immunoreactivity of tumors support the hypothesis that VEGF is a major contributor to increased macromolecular permeability in cancers. When applied clinically, the MMCM-enhanced MRI approach could help to optimize the appropriate application of VEGF-inhibiting therapy on an individual patient basis.

Treatment outcome of thymic epithelial tumor: prognostic factors and optimal postoperative radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Dong Ryul; Ahn, Yong Chan; Kim, Kwan Min; Kim, Jhin Gook; Shim, Young Mog; Han, Jung Ho

2005-01-01

This study was conducted to analyze treatment outcome and prognostic significance of World Health Organization (WHO)-defined thymic epithelial tumor (TET) subtype and to assess optimal radiation target volume in patients receiving surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy with TET. The record of 160 patients with TET, who received surgical resection at the Samsung medical Center, from December 1994 to June 2004, were reviewed. 99 patients were treated with postoperative radiation therapy (PORT). PORT was recommended when patients had more than one findings among suspicious incomplete resection or positive resection margin or Masaoka stage II ∼ IV or WHO tumor type B2 ∼ C. PORT performed to primary tumor bed only with a mean dose of 54 Gy. The prognostic factor and pattern of failure were analyzed retrospectively. The overall survival rate at 5 years was 87.3%. Age (more than 60 years 77.8%, less than 60 years 91.1%; ρ = 0.03), Masaoka stage (I 92.2%, II 95.4%, III 82.1%, IV 67.5%; ρ = 0.001), WHO tumor type (A-B1 96.0%, B2-C 82.3%; ρ = 0.001), Extent of resection (R0 resection 92.3%, R1 or 2 resection 72.6%; ρ = 0.001) were the prognostic factors according to univariate analysis. But WHO tumor type was the only significant prognostic factor according to multivariate analysis. Recurrence was observed in 5 patients of 71 Masoka stage I-III patients who received grossly complete tumor removal (R0, R1 resection ) and PORT to primary tumor bed. Mediastinal recurrence was observed in only one patients. There were no recurrence within irradiation field. WHO tumor type was the important prognostic factor to predict survival of patients with TET. This study suggest that PORT to only primary tumor bed was optimal. To avoid pleura-or pericardium-based recurrence, further study of effective chemotherapy should be investigated

Population dynamics of biofilm development during start-up of a butyrate-degrading fluidized-bed reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zellner, G.; Geveke, M.; Diekmann, H. (Hannover Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Mikrobiologie); Conway de Macario, E. (New York State Dept. of Health, Albany, NY (United States). Wadsworth Center for Laboratories and Research)

1991-12-01

Population dynamics during start-up of a fluidized-bed reactor with butyrate or butyrate plus acetate as sole substrates as well as biofilm development on the sand substratum were studied microbiologically, immunologically and by scanning electron microscopy. An adapted syntrophic consortium consisting of Syntrophospora sp., Methanothrix soehngenii, Methanosarcina mazei and Methanobrevibacter arboriphilus or Methanogenium sp. achieved high-rate butyrate degradation to methane and carbon dioxide. Desulfovibrio sp., Methanocorpusculum sp., and Methanobacterium sp. were also present in lower numbers. Immunological analysis demonstrated methanogens antigenically related to Methanobrevibacter ruminantium M1, Methanosarcina mazei S6, M. thermophila TM1, Methanobrevibacter arboriphilus AZ and Methanothrix soehngenii Opfikon in the biofilm. Immunological analysis also showed that the organisms isolated from the butyrate-degrading culture used as a source of inoculum were related to M. soehngenii Opfikon, Methanobacterium formicium MF and Methanospirillum hungatei JF1. (orig.).

Bed agglomeration characteristics of palm shell and corncob combustion in fluidized bed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaivatamaset, Pawin; Sricharoon, Panchan; Tia, Suvit

2011-01-01

Bed particle agglomeration was studied experimentally in an atmospheric laboratory scale fluidized bed combustor using quartz sand as bed material. Palm shell and corncob were tested. The objectives of the study were (i) to describe the contributions of the biomass ash properties and the operating conditions on the bed agglomeration tendency in term of the bed defluidization time (t def ) and the extent of potassium accumulation in the bed (K/Bed) and (ii) to further elucidate the ash inorganic behaviors and the governing bed agglomeration mechanisms. Defluidization caused by the bed agglomeration was experienced in all experiments during combustion of these biomasses, as a consequence of the presence of potassium in biomass. The experimental results indicated that biomass ash characteristics were the significant influence on the bed agglomeration. The increasing bed temperature, bed particle size and static bed height and the decreasing fluidizing air velocity enhanced the bed agglomeration tendency. The SEM/EDS analyses on the agglomerates confirmed that the agglomeration was attributed to the formation of potassium silicate liquid enriched on the surface of quartz sand particles in conjunction with the high surface temperature of the burning biomass char particles. Thermodynamic examination based on the phase diagram analysis confirmed that the molten phase formation was responsible for the agglomeration. In this study, the high molten ash fraction resulting from the high potassium content in biomass promoted the agglomeration and thus defluidization. - Highlights: → Palm shell and corncob of Thailand are tested their bed agglomeration behaviors during fluidized bed combustion. → The increase of bed temperature, bed particle size and static bed height and the decrease of air velocity enhance bed agglomeration. → The formation of ash derived potassium silicate melts enriched on sand surface is the key process. → The collision between char and sand

The characteristics of bed agglomeration during fluidized bed combustion of eucalyptus bark

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaivatamaset, Pawin; Tia, Suvit

2015-01-01

The bed agglomeration behaviors were investigated experimentally when eucalyptus bark was burning tested in a laboratory scale fluidized bed reactor. The focuses of this work were the influences of operating conditions and bed materials on the bed agglomeration tendency and the elucidation in the behaviors of fuel inorganic elements and the governing mode of the agglomeration. It was found that the defluidization caused by the bed agglomeration was clearly detectable from the decrease in measured bed pressure. The growth of bed particle and accumulation of agglomerates during combustion provided the partial to complete defluidization. The defluidization was promoted by the increase of bed temperature and bed particle size, and the decrease of fluidizing air velocity. The SEM-EDS analyses revealed that the bed agglomeration was mainly attributed to the formation of potassium silicate compounds as liquid phase during the combustion. This was initiated by the chemical reaction between the bed particle and the released ash constituents. In this study, the inorganic migration from fuel particle to bed particle was likely dominated by the condensation/reaction. The thermodynamic examination by ternary phase diagram analysis corroborated that the liquid phase formation of the ash derived materials controlled the agglomeration. The alumina sand prevented the bed agglomeration since it was inactive in the formation of viscous molten substances during combustion at the observed temperatures. - Highlights: • The behaviors of bed agglomeration were studied during the fluidized bed combustion of eucalyptus bark. • The increase in bed temperature and sand size, and the decrease of air velocity promoted bed defluidization. • The formation of molten potassium silicate compounds conduced to the bed agglomeration. • Condensation/reaction was the dominant inorganic migration mechanism from fuel particle to bed particle. • The alumina sand prevented effectively the bed

WE-AB-202-11: Radiobiological Modeling of Tumor Response During Radiotherapy Based On Pre-Treatment Dynamic PET Imaging Data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crispin-Ortuzar, M; Grkovski, M; Beattie, B; Lee, N; Riaz, N; Humm, J; Jeong, J; Fontanella, A; Deasy, J [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To evaluate the ability of a multiscale radiobiological model of tumor response to predict mid-treatment hypoxia images, based on pretreatment imaging of perfusion and hypoxia with [18-F]FMISO dynamic PET and glucose metabolism with [18-F]FDG PET. Methods: A mechanistic tumor control probability (TCP) radiobiological model describing the interplay between tumor cell proliferation and hypoxia (Jeong et al., PMB 2013) was extended to account for intra-tumor nutrient heterogeneity, dynamic cell migration due to nutrient gradients, and stromal cells. This extended model was tested on 10 head and neck cancer patients treated with chemoradiotherapy, randomly drawn from a larger MSKCC protocol involving baseline and mid-therapy dynamic PET scans. For each voxel, initial fractions of proliferative and hypoxic tumor cells were obtained by finding an approximate solution to a system of linear equations relating cell fractions to voxel-level FDG uptake, perfusion (FMISO K{sub 1}) and hypoxia (FMISO k{sub 3}). The TCP model then predicted their evolution over time up until the mid treatment scan. Finally, the linear model was reapplied to predict each lesion’s median hypoxia level (k{sub 3}[med,sim]) which in turn was compared to the FMISO k{sub 3}[med] measured at mid-therapy. Results: The average k3[med] of the tumors in pre-treatment scans was 0.0035 min{sup −1}, with an inter-tumor standard deviation of σ[pre]=0.0034 min{sup −1}. The initial simulated k{sub 3}[med,sim] of each tumor agreed with the corresponding measurements within 0.1σ[pre]. In 7 out of 10 lesions, the mid-treatment k{sub 3}[med,sim] prediction agreed with the data within 0.3σ[pre]. The remaining cases corresponded to the most extreme relative changes in k{sub 3}[med]. Conclusion: This work presents a method to personalize the prediction of a TCP model using pre-treatment kinetic imaging data, and validates the modeling of radiotherapy response by predicting changes in median hypoxia

Hybrid modelling of bed-discordant river confluences

Science.gov (United States)

Franca, M. J.; Guillén-Ludeña, S.; Cheng, Z.; Cardoso, A. H.; Constantinescu, G.

2016-12-01

In fluvial networks, tributaries are the main providers of sediment and water to the main rivers. Furthermore, confluences are environmental hotspots since they provide ecological connectivity and flow and morphology diversity. Mountain confluences, in particular, are characterized by narrow and steep tributaries that provide important sediment load to the confluence, whereas the main channel supplies the dominant flow discharge. This results in a marked bed discordance between the tributary and main channel. This discordance has been observed to be a key feature that alters the dynamics of the confluence, when compared to concordant confluences. The processes of initiation and maintenance of the morphology of confluences is still unknown, and research linking morphodynamics and hydrodynamics of river confluences is required to understand this. Here, a hybrid approach combining laboratory experiments made in a live-bed model of a river confluence, with 3D numerical simulations using advanced turbulence models is presented. We use the laboratory experiments performed by Guillén-Ludeña et al. (2016) for a 70o channel confluence, which focused on sediment transport and morphology changes rather than on the structure of the flow. Highly eddy resolving simulations were performed for two extreme bathymetric conditions, at the start of the experiment and at equilibrium scour conditions. The first allows to understand the initiation mechanisms which will condition later the equilibrium morphology. The second allows to understand the hydrodynamics actions which keep the equilibrium morphology. The patterns of the mean flow, turbulence and dynamics of the large-scale coherent structures, show how the main sediment-entrainment mechanisms evolve during the scour process. The present results contribute to a better understanding of the interaction between bed morphology and flow dynamics at discordant mountain river confluences.

Quantifying the accuracy of the tumor motion and area as a function of acceleration factor for the simulation of the dynamic keyhole magnetic resonance imaging method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Danny; Pollock, Sean; Keall, Paul, E-mail: paul.keall@sydney.edu.au [Radiation Physics Laboratory, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Greer, Peter B. [School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia and Department of Radiation Oncology, Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital, Newcastle, NSW 2298 (Australia); Kim, Taeho [Radiation Physics Laboratory, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia and Department of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23219 (United States)

2016-05-15

Purpose: The dynamic keyhole is a new MR image reconstruction method for thoracic and abdominal MR imaging. To date, this method has not been investigated with cancer patient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. The goal of this study was to assess the dynamic keyhole method for the task of lung tumor localization using cine-MR images reconstructed in the presence of respiratory motion. Methods: The dynamic keyhole method utilizes a previously acquired a library of peripheral k-space datasets at similar displacement and phase (where phase is simply used to determine whether the breathing is inhale to exhale or exhale to inhale) respiratory bins in conjunction with central k-space datasets (keyhole) acquired. External respiratory signals drive the process of sorting, matching, and combining the two k-space streams for each respiratory bin, thereby achieving faster image acquisition without substantial motion artifacts. This study was the first that investigates the impact of k-space undersampling on lung tumor motion and area assessment across clinically available techniques (zero-filling and conventional keyhole). In this study, the dynamic keyhole, conventional keyhole and zero-filling methods were compared to full k-space dataset acquisition by quantifying (1) the keyhole size required for central k-space datasets for constant image quality across sixty four cine-MRI datasets from nine lung cancer patients, (2) the intensity difference between the original and reconstructed images in a constant keyhole size, and (3) the accuracy of tumor motion and area directly measured by tumor autocontouring. Results: For constant image quality, the dynamic keyhole method, conventional keyhole, and zero-filling methods required 22%, 34%, and 49% of the keyhole size (P < 0.0001), respectively, compared to the full k-space image acquisition method. Compared to the conventional keyhole and zero-filling reconstructed images with the keyhole size utilized in the dynamic keyhole

Chemotherapy in conjoint aging-tumor systems: some simple models for addressing coupled aging-cancer dynamics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Witten Tarynn M

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In this paper we consider two approaches to examining the complex dynamics of conjoint aging-cancer cellular systems undergoing chemotherapeutic intervention. In particular, we focus on the effect of cells growing conjointly in a culture plate as a precursor to considering the larger multi-dimensional models of such systems. Tumor cell growth is considered from both the logistic and the Gompertzian case, while normal cell growth of fibroblasts (WI-38 human diploid fibroblasts is considered as logistic only. Results We demonstrate, in a simple approach, how the interdependency of different cell types in a tumor, together with specifications of for treatment, can lead to different evolutionary patterns for normal and tumor cells during a course of therapy. Conclusions These results have significance for understanding appropriate pharmacotherapy for elderly patients who are also undergoing chemotherapy.

Modeling and Simulation of a lab-scale Fluidised Bed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Britt Halvorsen

2002-04-01

Full Text Available The flow behaviour of a lab-scale fluidised bed with a central jet has been simulated. The study has been performed with an in-house computational fluid dynamics (CFD model named FLOTRACS-MP-3D. The CFD model is based on a multi-fluid Eulerian description of the phases, where the kinetic theory for granular flow forms the basis for turbulence modelling of the solid phases. A two-dimensional Cartesian co-ordinate system is used to describe the geometry. This paper discusses whether bubble formation and bed height are influenced by coefficient of restitution, drag model and number of solid phases. Measurements of the same fluidised bed with a digital video camera are performed. Computational results are compared with the experimental results, and the discrepancies are discussed.

Glacier seismology: eavesdropping on the ice-bed interface

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, F.; Röösli, C.

2015-12-01

Glacier sliding plays a central role in ice dynamics. A number of remote sensing and deep drilling initiatives have therefore focused on the ice-bed interface. Although these techniques have provided valuable insights into bed properties, they do not supply theorists with data of sufficient temporal and spatial resolution to rigorously test mathematical sliding laws. As an alternative, passive seismic techniques have gained popularity in glacier monitoring. Analysis of glacier-related seismic sources ('icequakes') has become a useful technique to study inaccessible regions of the cryosphere, including the ice-bed interface. Seismic monitoring networks on the polar ice sheets have shown that ice sliding is not only a smooth process involving viscous deformation and regelation of basal ice layers. Instead, ice streams exhibit sudden slip episodes over their beds and intermittent phases of partial or complete stagnation. Here we discuss new and recently published discoveries of basal seismic sources beneath various glacial bodies. We revisit basal seismicity of hard-bedded Alpine glaciers, which is not the result of pure stick-slip motion. Sudden changes in seismicity suggest that the local configuration of the subglacial drainage system undergoes changes on sub daily time scales. Accordingly, such observations place constraints on basal resistance and sliding of hard-bedded glaciers. In contrast, certain clusters of stick-slip dislocations associated with micro seismicity beneath the Greenland ice sheet undergo diurnal variations in magnitudes and inter event times. This is best explained with a soft till bed, which hosts the shear dislocations and whose strength varies in response to changes in subglacial water pressure. These results suggest that analysis of basal icequakes is well suited for characterizing glacier and ice sheet beds. Future studies should address the relative importance between "smooth" and seismogenic sliding in different glacial environments.

Quantifying the accuracy of the tumor motion and area as a function of acceleration factor for the simulation of the dynamic keyhole magnetic resonance imaging method.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Danny; Greer, Peter B; Pollock, Sean; Kim, Taeho; Keall, Paul

2016-05-01

The dynamic keyhole is a new MR image reconstruction method for thoracic and abdominal MR imaging. To date, this method has not been investigated with cancer patient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. The goal of this study was to assess the dynamic keyhole method for the task of lung tumor localization using cine-MR images reconstructed in the presence of respiratory motion. The dynamic keyhole method utilizes a previously acquired a library of peripheral k-space datasets at similar displacement and phase (where phase is simply used to determine whether the breathing is inhale to exhale or exhale to inhale) respiratory bins in conjunction with central k-space datasets (keyhole) acquired. External respiratory signals drive the process of sorting, matching, and combining the two k-space streams for each respiratory bin, thereby achieving faster image acquisition without substantial motion artifacts. This study was the first that investigates the impact of k-space undersampling on lung tumor motion and area assessment across clinically available techniques (zero-filling and conventional keyhole). In this study, the dynamic keyhole, conventional keyhole and zero-filling methods were compared to full k-space dataset acquisition by quantifying (1) the keyhole size required for central k-space datasets for constant image quality across sixty four cine-MRI datasets from nine lung cancer patients, (2) the intensity difference between the original and reconstructed images in a constant keyhole size, and (3) the accuracy of tumor motion and area directly measured by tumor autocontouring. For constant image quality, the dynamic keyhole method, conventional keyhole, and zero-filling methods required 22%, 34%, and 49% of the keyhole size (P lung tumor monitoring applications. This study demonstrates that the dynamic keyhole method is a promising technique for clinical applications such as image-guided radiation therapy requiring the MR monitoring of thoracic tumors. Based

Volatile organic compound adsorption in a gas-solid fluidized bed.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Y L; Yan, R; Tsen, L T S; Yong, L C; Liu, M; Liang, D T

2004-01-01

Fluidization finds many process applications in the areas of catalytic reactions, drying, coating, combustion, gasification and microbial culturing. This work aims to compare the dynamic adsorption characteristics and adsorption rates in a bubbling fluidized bed and a fixed bed at the same gas flow-rate, gas residence time and bed height. Adsorption with 520 ppm methanol and 489 ppm isobutane by the ZSM-5 zeolite of different particle size in the two beds enabled the differentiation of the adsorption characteristics and rates due to bed type, intraparticle mass transfer and adsorbate-adsorbent interaction. Adsorption of isobutane by the more commonly used activated carbon provided the comparison of adsorption between the two adsorbent types. With the same gas residence time of 0.79 seconds in both the bubbling bed and fixed bed of the same bed size of 40 mm diameter and 48 mm height, the experimental results showed a higher rate of adsorption in the bubbling bed as compared to the fixed bed. Intraparticle mass transfer and adsorbent-adsorbate interaction played significant roles in affecting the rate of adsorption, with intraparticle mass transfer being more dominant. The bubbling bed was observed to have a steeper decline in adsorption rate with respect to increasing outlet concentration compared to the fixed bed. The adsorption capacities of zeolite for the adsorbates studied were comparatively similar in both beds; fluidizing, and using smaller particles in the bubbling bed did not increase the adsorption capacity of the ZSM-5 zeolite. The adsorption capacity of activated carbon for isobutane was much higher than the ZSM-5 zeolite for isobutane, although at a lower adsorption rate. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy was used as an analytical tool for the quantification of gas concentration. Calibration was done using a series of standards prepared by in situ dilution with nitrogen gas, based on the ideal gas law and relating partial pressure to gas

Batch top-spray fluid bed coating: Scale-up insight using dynamic heat- and mass-transfer modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hede, Peter Dybdahl; Bach, P.; Jensen, Anker Degn

2009-01-01

A mathematical model was developed for batch top-spray fluid bed coating processes based on Ronsse et al. [2007a.b. Combined population balance and thermodynamic modelling of the batch top-spray fluidised bed coating process. Part I-model development and validation. journal of Food Engineering 78......, 296-307; Combined population balance and thermodynamic modelling of the batch top-spray fluidised bed coating process. Part II-model and process analysis. journal of Food Engineering 78, 308-322]. The model is based on one-dimensional discretisation of the fluid bed into a number of well-mixed control......-up principles by comparing simulation results with experimental temperature and humidity data obtained from inorganic salt coating of placebo cores in three pilot fluid bed scales being a 0.5kg small-scale (GEA Aeromatic-Fielder Strea-1), 4kg medium-scale (GEA Niro MP-1) and 24kg large-scale (GEA MP-2...

The Safety of Hospital Beds: Ingress, Egress, and In-Bed Mobility.

Science.gov (United States)

Morse, Janice M; Gervais, Pierre; Pooler, Charlotte; Merryweather, Andrew; Doig, Alexa K; Bloswick, Donald

2015-01-01

To explore the safety of the standard and the low hospital bed, we report on a microanalysis of 15 patients' ability to ingress, move about the bed, and egress. The 15 participants were purposefully selected with various disabilities. Bed conditions were randomized with side rails up or down and one low bed with side rails down. We explored the patients' use of the side rails, bed height, ability to lift their legs onto the mattress, and ability to turn, egress, and walk back to the chair. The standard bed was too high for some participants, both for ingress and egress. Side rails were used by most participants when entering, turning in bed, and exiting. We recommend that side rails be reconsidered as a means to facilitate in-bed movement, ingress, and egress. Furthermore, single deck height settings for all patients are not optimal. Low beds as a safety measure must be re-evaluated.

Hydrodynamic Studies on a Trickle Bed Reactor for Foaming Liquids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renu Gupta

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Hydrodynamic studies of trickle bed reactors (TBRs are essential for the design and prediction of their performance. The hydrodynamic characteristics involving pressure drop and dynamic liquid saturation are greatly affected by the physical properties of the liquids. In the present study experiments have been carried out in a concurrent downflow air - liquid trickle bed reactor to investigate the dynamic liquid saturation and pressure drop for the water (non-foaming and 3% polyethylene glycol and 4% polyethylene glycol foaming liquids in the gas continuous regime (GCF and foaming pulsing regime (FP. In the GCF regime the dynamic liquid saturation was found to increase with increase in liquid flow rate for non-foaming and foaming liquids. While for 3% and 4% polyethylene glycol solutions the severe foaming was observed in the high interaction regime and the regime is referred to as foaming pulsing (FP regime. The decrease in dynamic liquid saturation followed by a sharp rise in the pressure drop was observed during transition from gas GCF to FP regime. However in the FP regime, a dip in the dynamic liquid saturation was observed. The pressure drop for foaming liquids is observed to be manifolds higher compared to non-foaming liquid in the GCF regime. ©2010 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reserved(Received: 16th January 2010, Revised: 10th February 2010, Accepted: 21st Feberuary 2010[How to Cite: R. Gupta, A. Bansal. (2010. Hydrodynamic Studies on a Trickle Bed Reactor for Foaming Liquids. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 5 (1: 31-37. doi:10.9767/bcrec.5.1.7127.31-37][How to Link / DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.5.1.7127.31-37 || or local:  http://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/bcrec/article/view/7127][Cited by: Scopus 1 | ] 

Hydrodynamic Studies on a Trickle Bed Reactor for Foaming Liquids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ajay Bansal

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Hydrodynamic studies of trickle bed reactors (TBRs are essential for the design and prediction of their performance. The hydrodynamic characteristics involving pressure drop and dynamic liquid saturation are greatly affected by the physical properties of the liquids. In the present study experiments have been carried out in a concurrent downflow air - liquid trickle bed reactor to investigate the dynamic liquid saturation and pressure drop for the water (non-foaming and 3% polyethylene glycol and 4% polyethylene glycol foaming liquids in the gas continuous regime (GCF and foaming pulsing regime (FP. In the GCF regime the dynamic liquid saturation was found to increase with increase in liquid flow rate for non-foaming and foaming liquids. While for 3% and 4% polyethylene glycol solutions the severe foaming was observed in the high interaction regime and the regime is referred to as foaming pulsing (FP regime. The decrease in dynamic liquid saturation followed by a sharp rise in the pressure drop was observed during transition from gas GCF to FP regime. However in the FP regime, a dip in the dynamic liquid saturation was observed. The pressure drop for foaming liquids is observed to be manifolds higher compared to non-foaming liquid in the GCF regime. ©2010 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reserved(Received: 16th January 2010, Revised: 10th February 2010, Accepted: 21st Feberuary 2010[How to Cite: R. Gupta, A. Bansal. (2010. Hydrodynamic Studies on a Trickle Bed Reactor for Foaming Liquids. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 5 (1: 31-37. doi:10.9767/bcrec.5.1.775.31-37][How to Link / DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.5.1.775.31-37 ][Cited by: Scopus 1 |

Can visual assessment of blood flow patterns by dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography distinguish between malignant and benign lung tumors?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harders, Stefan Walbom; Madsen, Hans Henrik; Nellemann, Hanne Marie

2017-01-01

with suspected lung cancer and a lung tumor on their chest radiograph were included for DCE-CT. The tumors were categorized using structured qualitative analysis of tumor blood flow patterns. Histopathology was used as reference standard. RESULTS: Using structured qualitative analysis of tumor blood flow...... using structured qualitative analysis of tumor blood flow patterns is accurate as well as somewhat reproducible. However, there are significant limitations to DCE-CT.......BACKGROUND: Dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (DCE-CT) is a tool, which, in theory, can quantify the blood flow and blood volume of tissues. In structured qualitative analysis, parametric color maps yield a visual impression of the blood flow and blood volume within the tissue being...

Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI study of primary primitive neuroectodermal tumor in the thoracic spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yu; Xu Jianmin; Li Ying; Zhang Jingzhong; Zhu Jing

2004-01-01

Objective: To investigate the value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging in the diagnosis and differentiation of primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) in the thoracic spine. Methods: The dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging of 2 patients (3 times) with PNET in the thoracic spine proved by surgery and pathology were prospectively studied. Results: In the curves of SI-time and CER-time, PNET in the thoracic spine showed a rapid rise to the peak between 60 s and 120 s, then the flat level was kept and no obvious decline was detected after about 3.5 minute. Conclusion: Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI can help to make the diagnosis and differential diagnosis for PNET in the thoracic spine, offer reliable information for the choice of clinical management, and predict the prognosis

Validating Experimental Bedform Dynamics on Cohesive Sand-Mud Beds in the Dee Estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Baas, Jaco H.; Baker, Megan; Hope, Julie; Malarkey, Jonathan; Rocha, Renata

2014-05-01

Recent laboratory experiments and field measurements have shown that small quantities of cohesive clay, and in particular 'sticky' biological polymers, within a sandy substrate dramatically reduce the development rate of sedimentary bedforms, with major implications for sediment transport rate calculations and process interpretations from the sedimentary record. FURTHER INFORMATION Flow and sediment transport predictions from sedimentary structures found in modern estuaries and within estuarine geological systems are impeded by an almost complete lack of process-based knowledge of the behaviour of natural sediments that consist of mixtures of cohesionless sand and biologically-active cohesive mud. Indeed, existing predictive models are largely based on non-organic cohesionless sands, despite the fact that mud, in pure form or mixed with sand, is the most common sediment on Earth and also the most biologically active interface across a range of Earth-surface environments, including rivers and shallow seas. The multidisciplinary COHBED project uses state-of-the-art laboratory and field technologies to measure the erosional properties of mixed cohesive sediment beds and the formation and stability of sedimentary bedforms on these beds, integrating the key physical and biological processes that govern bed evolution. The development of current ripples on cohesive mixed sediment beds was investigated as a function of physical control on bed cohesion versus biological control on bed cohesion. These investigations included laboratory flume experiments in the Hydrodynamics Laboratory (Bangor University) and field experiments in the Dee estuary (at West Kirby near Liverpool). The flume experiments showed that winnowing of fine-grained cohesive sediment, including biological stabilisers, is an important process affecting the development rate, size and shape of the cohesive bedforms. The ripples developed progressively slower as the kaolin clay fraction in the sandy substrate

Determination of prescription dose for Cs-131 permanent implants using the BED formalism including resensitization correction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, Wei, E-mail: wei.luo@uky.edu; Molloy, Janelle; Aryal, Prakash; Feddock, Jonathan; Randall, Marcus [Department of Radiation Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536 (United States)

2014-02-15

Purpose: The current widely used biological equivalent dose (BED) formalism for permanent implants is based on the linear-quadratic model that includes cell repair and repopulation but not resensitization (redistribution and reoxygenation). The authors propose a BED formalism that includes all the four biological effects (4Rs), and the authors propose how it can be used to calculate appropriate prescription doses for permanent implants with Cs-131. Methods: A resensitization correction was added to the BED calculation for permanent implants to account for 4Rs. Using the same BED, the prescription doses with Au-198, I-125, and Pd-103 were converted to the isoeffective Cs-131 prescription doses. The conversion factor F, ratio of the Cs-131 dose to the equivalent dose with the other reference isotope (F{sub r}: with resensitization, F{sub n}: without resensitization), was thus derived and used for actual prescription. Different values of biological parameters such as α, β, and relative biological effectiveness for different types of tumors were used for the calculation. Results: Prescription doses with I-125, Pd-103, and Au-198 ranging from 10 to 160 Gy were converted into prescription doses with Cs-131. The difference in dose conversion factors with (F{sub r}) and without (F{sub n}) resensitization was significant but varied with different isotopes and different types of tumors. The conversion factors also varied with different doses. For I-125, the average values of F{sub r}/F{sub n} were 0.51/0.46, for fast growing tumors, and 0.88/0.77 for slow growing tumors. For Pd-103, the average values of F{sub r}/F{sub n} were 1.25/1.15 for fast growing tumors, and 1.28/1.22 for slow growing tumors. For Au-198, the average values of F{sub r}/F{sub n} were 1.08/1.25 for fast growing tumors, and 1.00/1.06 for slow growing tumors. Using the biological parameters for the HeLa/C4-I cells, the averaged value of F{sub r} was 1.07/1.11 (rounded to 1.1), and the averaged value of F

Determination of prescription dose for Cs-131 permanent implants using the BED formalism including resensitization correction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Wei; Molloy, Janelle; Aryal, Prakash; Feddock, Jonathan; Randall, Marcus

2014-01-01

Purpose: The current widely used biological equivalent dose (BED) formalism for permanent implants is based on the linear-quadratic model that includes cell repair and repopulation but not resensitization (redistribution and reoxygenation). The authors propose a BED formalism that includes all the four biological effects (4Rs), and the authors propose how it can be used to calculate appropriate prescription doses for permanent implants with Cs-131. Methods: A resensitization correction was added to the BED calculation for permanent implants to account for 4Rs. Using the same BED, the prescription doses with Au-198, I-125, and Pd-103 were converted to the isoeffective Cs-131 prescription doses. The conversion factor F, ratio of the Cs-131 dose to the equivalent dose with the other reference isotope (F r : with resensitization, F n : without resensitization), was thus derived and used for actual prescription. Different values of biological parameters such as α, β, and relative biological effectiveness for different types of tumors were used for the calculation. Results: Prescription doses with I-125, Pd-103, and Au-198 ranging from 10 to 160 Gy were converted into prescription doses with Cs-131. The difference in dose conversion factors with (F r ) and without (F n ) resensitization was significant but varied with different isotopes and different types of tumors. The conversion factors also varied with different doses. For I-125, the average values of F r /F n were 0.51/0.46, for fast growing tumors, and 0.88/0.77 for slow growing tumors. For Pd-103, the average values of F r /F n were 1.25/1.15 for fast growing tumors, and 1.28/1.22 for slow growing tumors. For Au-198, the average values of F r /F n were 1.08/1.25 for fast growing tumors, and 1.00/1.06 for slow growing tumors. Using the biological parameters for the HeLa/C4-I cells, the averaged value of F r was 1.07/1.11 (rounded to 1.1), and the averaged value of F n was 1.75/1.18. F r of 1.1 has been applied to

7 CFR 2902.15 - Bedding, bed linens, and towels.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... PROCUREMENT Designated Items § 2902.15 Bedding, bed linens, and towels. (a) Definition. (1) Bedding is that... minimum biobased content is 12 percent and shall be based on the amount of qualifying biobased carbon in..., and silk are not qualifying biobased feedstocks for the purpose of determining the biobased content of...

Energy Saving by Novel Bed-Integrated Local Exhaust Ventilation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bivolarova, Mariya Petrova; Kehayova, Nushka; Melikov, Arsen Krikor

2016-01-01

High quality indoor environment in hospitals is important for patients’ healing and performance of the personnel. A novel method for minimizing spread of bio-effluents generated from hospitalized patients lying in bed was developed. The method consists of ventilated mattress (VM) which is able...... respectively with 55%, 71.1% and 85.9% and in the double room with 39.3%, 60.0%, and 80.4%. The use of the VM with reduced background CAV ventilation is an effective energy saving strategy for both double and single patient hospital rooms.......-bed hospital patient room (1.3 air changes per hour (ACH)) and double-bed patient room (1.6 ACH) was assessed by means of dynamic computer simulations. The estimated annual energy consumption for the rooms using the VM combined with CAV was compared to the annual energy consumption when the CAV ventilation...

Evaluation of a clay-based acidic bedding conditioner for dairy cattle bedding.

Science.gov (United States)

Proietto, R L; Hinckley, L S; Fox, L K; Andrew, S M

2013-02-01

This study investigated the effects of a clay-based acidic bedding conditioner on sawdust bedding pH, dry matter (DM), environmental pathogen counts, and environmental bacterial counts on teat ends of lactating dairy cows. Sixteen lactating Holstein cows were paired based on parity, days in milk, milk yield, and milk somatic cell count, and were negative for the presence of an intramammary pathogen. Within each pair, cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments with 3-wk periods in a crossover design. Treatment groups consisted of 9 freestalls per group bedded with either untreated sawdust or sawdust with a clay-based acidic bedding conditioner, added at 3- to 4-d intervals over each 21-d period. Bedding and teat ends were aseptically sampled on d 0, 1, 2, 7, 14, and 21 for determination of environmental bacterial counts. At the same time points, bedding was sampled for DM and pH determination. The bacteria identified in the bedding material were total gram-negative bacteria, Streptococcus spp., and coliform bacteria. The bacteria identified on the teat ends were Streptococcus spp., coliform bacteria, and Klebsiella spp. Teat end score, milk somatic cell count, and intramammary pathogen presence were measured weekly. Bedding and teat cleanliness, environmental high and low temperatures, and dew point data were collected daily. The bedding conditioner reduced the pH, but not the DM, of the sawdust bedding compared with untreated sawdust. Overall environmental bacterial counts in bedding were lower for treated sawdust. Total bacterial counts in bedding and on teat ends increased with time over both periods. Compared with untreated sawdust, the treated bedding had lower counts of total gram-negative bacteria and streptococci, but not coliform counts. Teat end bacterial counts were lower for cows bedded on treated sawdust for streptococci, coliforms, and Klebsiella spp. compared with cows bedded on untreated sawdust. The clay-based acidic bedding conditioner

Skin tumor area extraction using an improved dynamic programming approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbas, Qaisar; Celebi, M E; Fondón García, Irene

2012-05-01

Border (B) description of melanoma and other pigmented skin lesions is one of the most important tasks for the clinical diagnosis of dermoscopy images using the ABCD rule. For an accurate description of the border, there must be an effective skin tumor area extraction (STAE) method. However, this task is complicated due to uneven illumination, artifacts present in the lesions and smooth areas or fuzzy borders of the desired regions. In this paper, a novel STAE algorithm based on improved dynamic programming (IDP) is presented. The STAE technique consists of the following four steps: color space transform, pre-processing, rough tumor area detection and refinement of the segmented area. The procedure is performed in the CIE L(*) a(*) b(*) color space, which is approximately uniform and is therefore related to dermatologist's perception. After pre-processing the skin lesions to reduce artifacts, the DP algorithm is improved by introducing a local cost function, which is based on color and texture weights. The STAE method is tested on a total of 100 dermoscopic images. In order to compare the performance of STAE with other state-of-the-art algorithms, various statistical measures based on dermatologist-drawn borders are utilized as a ground truth. The proposed method outperforms the others with a sensitivity of 96.64%, a specificity of 98.14% and an error probability of 5.23%. The results demonstrate that this STAE method by IDP is an effective solution when compared with other state-of-the-art segmentation techniques. The proposed method can accurately extract tumor borders in dermoscopy images. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

An examination of flame shape related to convection heat transfer in deep-fuel beds

Science.gov (United States)

Kara M. Yedinak; Jack D. Cohen; Jason M. Forthofer; Mark A. Finney

2010-01-01

Fire spread through a fuel bed produces an observable curved combustion interface. This shape has been schematically represented largely without consideration for fire spread processes. The shape and dynamics of the flame profile within the fuel bed likely reflect the mechanisms of heat transfer necessary for the pre-heating and ignition of the fuel during fire spread....

Instability and the formation of bubbles and the plugs in fluidized beds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piotr Schulz

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This is an review paper, particulary concentrate on results not many researches by reason that are explain in the text. We consider stability of disperse, two-phase flow (gas-solid particles or liquid-solid particles linear and non-linear. In particular we discuss the result of Anderson, Sundareson and Jackson (1995 [Anderson K., Sundareson S., Jackson R.: Instabilities and the formation of bubbles in fluidized beds. J. Fluid Mech. 303 (1995, 327-366] that for vertical dispersion flow one- and two-dimensional, they attack problem growing disturbances directly by numerical integration of equations of motion from given initial conditions (using computer Cray C-90. In principle, this would allow authors to explore all aspects of dynamical behaviour of fluidized beds. It is interesting mechanism of periodic plug describing by Anderson et al. and attest by other researchers. Second part of paper is more general, dedicate the problem of linear stability of uniformly fluidized state ("fluidized bed". We make the most important stages of calculations (after to Jackson (2000 [Jackson R.: The Dynamics of Fluidized Particles. Cambridge University Press 2000] and demonstrate that the majority (but not all of fluidized beds with parameters having technical importance is unstable, or stable in narrow interval of wave numbers \\(k\\.

Therapy monitoring using dynamic MRI: Analysis of lung motion and intrathoracic tumor mobility before and after radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plathow, Christian [Eberhard-Karls University Tuebingen, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Tuebingen (Germany); German Cancer Research Center, Department of Radiology, Heidelberg (Germany); Hof, Holger; Kuhn, Sabine [University of Heidelberg, Department of Radiation Therapy, Clinic for Thoracic Diseases, Heidelberg (Germany); Puderbach, Michael; Ley, Sebastian; Biederer, Juergen; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich [German Cancer Research Center, Department of Radiology, Heidelberg (Germany); Claussen, Claus D.; Schaefer, Juergen [Eberhard-Karls University Tuebingen, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Tuebingen (Germany); Huber, Peter E. [University of Heidelberg, Department of Radiation Therapy, Clinic for Thoracic Diseases, Heidelberg (Germany); German Cancer Research Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg (Germany); Tuengerthal, Siegfried [University of Heidelberg, Department of Radiology, Heidelberg (Germany)

2006-09-15

A frequent side effect after radiotherapy of lung tumors is a decrease of pulmonary function accompanied by dyspnea due to developing lung fibrosis. The aim of this study was to monitor lung motion as a correlate of pulmonary function and intrathoracic tumor mobility before and after radiotherapy (RT) using dynamic MRI (dMRI). Thirty-five patients with stage I non-small-cell lung carcinoma were examined using dMRI (trueFISP; three images/s). Tumors were divided into T1 and T2 tumors of the upper, middle and lower lung region (LR). Maximum craniocaudal (CC) lung dimensions and tumor mobility in three dimensions were monitored. Vital capacity (VC) was measured and correlated using spirometry. Before RT, the maximum CC motion of the tumor-bearing hemithorax was 5.2{+-}0.9 cm if the tumor was located in the lower LR (middle LR: 5.5{+-}0.8 cm; upper LR: 6.0{+-}0.6 cm). After RT, lung motion was significantly reduced in the lower LR (P<0.05). Before RT, the maximum CC tumor mobility was significantly higher in tumors of the lower LR 2.5{+-}0.6 vs. 2.0{+-}0.3 cm (middle LR; P<0.05) vs. 0.7{+-}0.2 cm (upper LR; P<0.01). After RT, tumor mobility was significantly reduced in the lower LR (P<0.01) and in T2 tumor patients (P<0.05). VC showed no significant changes. dMRI is capable of monitoring changes in lung motion that were not suspected from spirometry. This might make the treatment of side effects possible at a very early stage. Changes of lung motion and tumor mobility are highly dependent on the tumor localization and tumor diameter. (orig.)

Therapy monitoring using dynamic MRI: Analysis of lung motion and intrathoracic tumor mobility before and after radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plathow, Christian; Hof, Holger; Kuhn, Sabine; Puderbach, Michael; Ley, Sebastian; Biederer, Juergen; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Claussen, Claus D.; Schaefer, Juergen; Huber, Peter E.; Tuengerthal, Siegfried

2006-01-01

A frequent side effect after radiotherapy of lung tumors is a decrease of pulmonary function accompanied by dyspnea due to developing lung fibrosis. The aim of this study was to monitor lung motion as a correlate of pulmonary function and intrathoracic tumor mobility before and after radiotherapy (RT) using dynamic MRI (dMRI). Thirty-five patients with stage I non-small-cell lung carcinoma were examined using dMRI (trueFISP; three images/s). Tumors were divided into T1 and T2 tumors of the upper, middle and lower lung region (LR). Maximum craniocaudal (CC) lung dimensions and tumor mobility in three dimensions were monitored. Vital capacity (VC) was measured and correlated using spirometry. Before RT, the maximum CC motion of the tumor-bearing hemithorax was 5.2±0.9 cm if the tumor was located in the lower LR (middle LR: 5.5±0.8 cm; upper LR: 6.0±0.6 cm). After RT, lung motion was significantly reduced in the lower LR (P<0.05). Before RT, the maximum CC tumor mobility was significantly higher in tumors of the lower LR 2.5±0.6 vs. 2.0±0.3 cm (middle LR; P<0.05) vs. 0.7±0.2 cm (upper LR; P<0.01). After RT, tumor mobility was significantly reduced in the lower LR (P<0.01) and in T2 tumor patients (P<0.05). VC showed no significant changes. dMRI is capable of monitoring changes in lung motion that were not suspected from spirometry. This might make the treatment of side effects possible at a very early stage. Changes of lung motion and tumor mobility are highly dependent on the tumor localization and tumor diameter. (orig.)

Dynamic CT in the abdominal organ, 2. Dynamics in the abdominal malignancies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fukuda, K [Jikei Univ., Tokyo (Japan). School of Medicine

1980-03-01

The potential role of the abdominal dynamic CT in malignant tumors was evaluated. Among total of 112 cases dynamically studied included were, 22 cases of abdominal malignancies, renal cell carcinoma in 7, hepatocellular carcinoma in 7, metastatic liver tumor in 5, renal pelvic carcinoma in 2, and pancreatic cystadenocarcinoma in one. The results led to the following advantages of the abdominal dynamic CT over conventional CT. (1) The tumor thrombus and the lymphnode involvement could be better demonstrated. (2) The tumor vessels and the tumor stain could be depicted. (3) The extent of the tumor in the parenchyma could be better appreciated. The more invasive catheter angiography would likely to be replaced by the abdominal dynamic CT in the selected case.

Consistency and diversity of spike dynamics in the neurons of bed nucleus of stria terminalis of the rat: a dynamic clamp study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Attila Szücs

Full Text Available Neurons display a high degree of variability and diversity in the expression and regulation of their voltage-dependent ionic channels. Under low level of synaptic background a number of physiologically distinct cell types can be identified in most brain areas that display different responses to standard forms of intracellular current stimulation. Nevertheless, it is not well understood how biophysically different neurons process synaptic inputs in natural conditions, i.e., when experiencing intense synaptic bombardment in vivo. While distinct cell types might process synaptic inputs into different patterns of action potentials representing specific "motifs" of network activity, standard methods of electrophysiology are not well suited to resolve such questions. In the current paper we performed dynamic clamp experiments with simulated synaptic inputs that were presented to three types of neurons in the juxtacapsular bed nucleus of stria terminalis (jcBNST of the rat. Our analysis on the temporal structure of firing showed that the three types of jcBNST neurons did not produce qualitatively different spike responses under identical patterns of input. However, we observed consistent, cell type dependent variations in the fine structure of firing, at the level of single spikes. At the millisecond resolution structure of firing we found high degree of diversity across the entire spectrum of neurons irrespective of their type. Additionally, we identified a new cell type with intrinsic oscillatory properties that produced a rhythmic and regular firing under synaptic stimulation that distinguishes it from the previously described jcBNST cell types. Our findings suggest a sophisticated, cell type dependent regulation of spike dynamics of neurons when experiencing a complex synaptic background. The high degree of their dynamical diversity has implications to their cooperative dynamics and synchronization.

Fluid dynamic simulation of the fluidized bed using propane-air fuel; Simulacao dinamica de um combustor de leito fluidizado utilizando como combustivel o ar-propanado

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lima Junior, L.P.; Lucena, S.; Silva, D.J. [Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Quimica]. E-mail: limajun@br.inter.net

2004-07-01

This paper has for purpose to present the modeling and simulation of the homogeneous combustion of the mixture of propane-air in a combustor of fluidized bed with inert particles, basing on a stationary model with phases in series, being taken into account the thermal changes and mass changes among the phases and it changes thermal with the wall for radiation. Computational methods are used for such simulation and CFX 4.4 as dynamic flowing computation software (CFD), kindred of more proximity with the real aspects. Being studied like this dynamic and kinetic flowing parameters of the involved components. (author)

WE-G-18C-08: Real Time Tumor Imaging Using a Novel Dynamic Keyhole MRI Reconstruction Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, D; Pollock, S; Whelan, B; Keall, P; Greer, P; Kim, T

2014-01-01

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that the novel Dynamic Keyhole MRI reconstruction technique can accelerate image acquisition whilst maintaining high image quality for lung cancer patients. Methods: 18 MRI datasets from 5 lung cancer patients were acquired using a 3T MRI scanner. These datasets were retrospectively reconstructed using (A) The novel Dynamic Keyhole technique, (B) The conventional keyhole technique and (C) the conventional zero filling technique. The dynamic keyhole technique in MRI refers to techniques in which previously acquired k-space data is used to supplement under sampled data obtained in real time. The novel Dynamic Keyhole technique utilizes a previously acquired a library of kspace datasets in conjunction with central k-space datasets acquired in realtime. A simultaneously acquired respiratory signal is utilized to sort, match and combine the two k-space streams with respect to respiratory displacement. Reconstruction performance was quantified by (1) comparing the keyhole size (which corresponds to imaging speed) required to achieve the same image quality, and (2) maintaining a constant keyhole size across the three reconstruction methods to compare the resulting image quality to the ground truth image. Results: (1) The dynamic keyhole method required a mean keyhole size which was 48% smaller than the conventional keyhole technique and 60% smaller than the zero filling technique to achieve the same image quality. This directly corresponds to faster imaging. (2) When a constant keyhole size was utilized, the Dynamic Keyhole technique resulted in the smallest difference of the tumor region compared to the ground truth. Conclusion: The dynamic keyhole is a simple and adaptable technique for clinical applications requiring real-time imaging and tumor monitoring such as MRI guided radiotherapy. Based on the results from this study, the dynamic keyhole method could increase the imaging frequency by a factor of five compared with full k

Characterization of the pneumatic behavior of a novel spouted bed apparatus with two adjustable gas inlets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gryczka, O.; Heinrich, S.; Miteva, V.; Deen, N.G.; Kuipers, J.A.M.; Jacob, M.; Morl, L.

2008-01-01

Recently the importance of spouted bed technology has significantly increased in the context of drying processes as well as granulation, agglomeration or coating processes. Within this work the fluid dynamics of a novel spouted bed plant with two adjustable gas inlets is investigated. By analysis of

Numerical investigation of the flow at the pebble bed of the high temperature gas cooled reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, Franklin C.; Navarro, Moyses A.; Santos, Andre A.C.

2011-01-01

This paper presents a numerical investigation of the thermal and fluid dynamics among the fuel spheres and the cooling fluid, appearing in the core of pebble bed reactor (PBR-Peeble Bed Reactor) using the CFD-Computational Fluid Dynamics CFX 13.0. The paper presents the two analysis results. In the first phase it was considered two heat transfer models for the fuel spheres. In a model it was established volumetric load generation, with thermal conduction for both the fuel and coating. The other model prescribes a heat flux at the sphere surfaces. In this analysis, it was proceed two simulation in the two sphere arrangements, one considering the spheres in contact, and the other with 2 mm spacing between them. At the second analysis it was evaluated the sphere arrangement influence on the thermal and fluid dynamic behavior of the bed. The four simulations present differences in the flow and in the surface and maximum temperature profiles of the coating.(author)

Effects of pressure drop and superficial velocity on the bubbling fluidized bed incinerator.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Feng-Jehng; Chen, Suming; Lei, Perng-Kwei; Wu, Chung-Hsing

2007-12-01

Since performance and operational conditions, such as superficial velocity, pressure drop, particles viodage, and terminal velocity, are difficult to measure on an incinerator, this study used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to determine numerical solutions. The effects of pressure drop and superficial velocity on a bubbling fluidized bed incinerator (BFBI) were evaluated. Analytical results indicated that simulation models were able to effectively predict the relationship between superficial velocity and pressure drop over bed height in the BFBI. Second, the models in BFBI were simplified to simulate scale-up beds without excessive computation time. Moreover, simulation and experimental results showed that minimum fluidization velocity of the BFBI must be controlled in at 0.188-3.684 m/s and pressure drop was mainly caused by bed particles.

Utility of Normal Tissue-to-Tumor {alpha}/{beta} Ratio When Evaluating Isodoses of Isoeffective Radiation Therapy Treatment Plans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gay, Hiram A., E-mail: hgay@radonc.wustl.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri (United States); Jin Jianyue [Department of Radiation Oncology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan (United States); Chang, Albert J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, California (United States); Ten Haken, Randall K. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (United States)

2013-01-01

Purpose: To achieve a better understanding of the effect of the number of fractions on normal tissue sparing for equivalent tumor control in radiation therapy plans by using equivalent biologically effective dose (BED) isoeffect calculations. Methods and Materials: The simple linear quadratic (LQ) model was assumed to be valid up to 10 Gy per fraction. Using the model, we formulated a well-known mathematical equality for the tumor prescription dose and probed and solved a second mathematical problem for normal tissue isoeffect. That is, for a given arbitrary relative isodose distribution (treatment plan in percentages), 2 isoeffective tumor treatment regimens (N fractions of the dose D and n fractions of the dose d) were denoted, which resulted in the same BED (corresponding to 100% prescription isodose). Given these situations, the LQ model was further exploited to mathematically establish a unique relative isodose level, z (%), for the same arbitrary treatment plan, where the BED to normal tissues was also isoeffective for both fractionation regimens. Results: For the previously stated problem, the relative isodose level z (%), where the BEDs to the normal tissue were also equal, was defined by the normal tissue {alpha}/{beta} ratio divided by the tumor {alpha}/{beta} times 100%. Fewer fractions offers a therapeutic advantage for those portions of the normal tissue located outside the isodose surface, z, whereas more fractions offer a therapeutic advantage for those portions of the normal tissue within the isodose surface, z. Conclusions: Relative isodose-based treatment plan evaluations may be useful for comparing isoeffective tumor regimens in terms of normal tissue effects. Regions of tissues that would benefit from hypofractionation or standard fractionation can be identified.

Exploring Parental Bonding in BED and Non-BED Obesity Compared with Healthy Controls: Clinical, Personality and Psychopathology Correlates.

Science.gov (United States)

Amianto, Federico; Ercole, Roberta; Abbate Daga, Giovanni; Fassino, Secondo

2016-05-01

Early inadequate attachment experiences are relevant co-factors in the development of obesity and Binge Eating Disorder (BED), which often concurs with obesity. The relationship of parental bonding with personality and psychopathology may influence treatment strategies for obese subjects, either affected or not with BED. In this study, 443 obese women (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2)), including 243 with and 200 without BED, and 158 female controls were assessed with regards to attachment, personality and eating psychopathology measures. Clusters obtained using the scores of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) were compared with each other and with a control subjects' group. Lower scores of parental bonding distinguished obese subjects with respect to healthy controls. The cluster analysis revealed two clusters of parenting among obese subjects. The larger one displayed intermediate care and overprotection between controls and the smaller cluster, with the exception of paternal overprotection which is similar to controls. This larger cluster was characterized by low persistence and levels of psychopathology which are intermediate between healthy controls and the smaller cluster. The smaller cluster displayed lower care and higher overcontrol from both parents. It also displays more extreme personality traits (high novelty seeking and harm avoidance, and lower self-directedness and cooperativeness) and more severe eating and general psychopathology. Different parenting dynamics relate to different personality patterns and eating psychopathology of obese subjects, but not to binge eating conducts. Personality differences between parenting clusters are more extensive than those between BED and non-BED subgroups. The two different typologies of obese subjects based on parenting may be relevant for treatment personalization. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Transport and storage of bed material in a gravel-bed channel during episodes of aggradation and degradation: a field and flume study

Science.gov (United States)

Bonnie Smith Pryor; Thomas Lisle; Diane Sutherland Montoya; Sue Hilton

2011-01-01

The dynamics of sediment transport capacity in gravel-bed rivers is critical to understanding the formation and preservation of fluvial landforms and formulating sediment-routing models in drainage systems. We examine transport-storage relations during cycles of aggradation and degradation by augmenting observations of three events of channel aggradation and...

Hemodynamic analysis of bladder tumors using T1-dynamic contrast-enhanced fast spin-echo MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanazawa, Yuki; Miyati, Tosiaki; Sato, Osamu

2012-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate the hemodynamics of bladder tumors, we developed a method to calculate change in R 1 value (ΔR 1 ) from T 1 -dynamic contrast-enhanced fast spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging (T 1 DCE-FSE-MRI). Materials and methods: On a 1.5-T MR system, T 1 DCE-FSE-MRI was performed. This study was applied to 12 patients with urinary bladder tumor, i.e. urothelial carcinoma. We compared ΔR 1 –time and ΔSI–time between a peak in the ΔR 1 –time and ΔSI–time curve occurred during the first pass within 60 s. Next, we assessed the slope of increase for 180 s after CA injection (Slope 0–180 ). Results: The mean slope of the first pass was significantly higher for bladder tumors on both the ΔR 1 –time and the ΔSI–time curve compared with normal bladder walls. Moreover, a significant difference was apparent between bladder tumors and normal bladder walls on the mean Slope 0–180 in the ΔR 1 -time curve. However, no significant difference in the mean Slope 0–180 was observed on the ΔSI-time curve between bladder tumors and normal bladder walls. Conclusion: T 1 DCE-FSE-MRI offers three advantages: quantitative analysis; high-quality (i.e., artifact-free) images; and high temporal resolution even for SE images. Use of ΔR 1 analysis with T 1 DCE-FSE-MRI allows more detailed information on the hemodynamics of bladder tumors to be obtained and assists in differentiation between bladder tumors and the normal bladder wall.

Fundamental study on dynamic behaviors of fuel debris bed. Research report in 2007 (Joint research)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morita, Koji; Fukuda, Kenji; Matsumoto, Tatsuya; Tobita, Yoshiharu; Suzuki, Tohru; Yamano, Hidemasa

2009-05-01

It is important to make a reasonable evaluation of coolability of debris bed with decay heat source in assessing post accident heat removal of a liquid metal cooled fast reactor. In general, the coolability of fuel debris depends on coolant convection, boiling and debris bed movement. In the present study, to understand fundamental characteristics of debris movement, self-leveling behavior caused by the coolant boiling was investigated experimentally using simulant materials. The present experiments employed depressurization boiling of water to simulate void distribution in a debris bed, which consists of solid particles of alumina. A rough estimation model of self-leveling occurrence was proposed and compared with the experimental results. Its extrapolation to reactor accident conditions was also discussed. In addition, solid-liquid flow experiments, which are relevant to debris bed movement behaviors, were analyzed to verify the validity of multiphase flow models employed in a safety analysis code. In the present verification study, basic validity of the code was demonstrated by analyzing experiments of water-column sloshing with solid particles. (author)

Computed tomography scans of metastatic hepatic tumors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takemoto, Kazumasa; Fukuda, Haruyuki; Nemoto, Yutaka [Osaka City Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine

1984-01-01

Computed tomography scans of 114 metastatic hepatic tumors were reviewed. Central low density was found in 82 cases (71.9%) and seems to be characteristic to metastatic hepatic tumors. Dynamic CT was performed on 34 cases, and 21 (61.8%) of these had ring enhancement at the arterial phase. Most of metastatic hepatic tumors could be differentiated from hepatocellular carcinoma. However, metastatic hepatic tumors from renal cell carcinoma, renal rhabdomyosarcoma, malignant melanoma and leiomyosarcoma could not be differentiated from hepatocellular carcinoma, even with use of dynamic study.

Dynamic changes in oxygenation of intracranial tumor and contralateral brain during tumor growth and carbogen breathing: A multisite EPR oximetry with implantable resonators

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Huagang; Dong, Ruhong; Li, Hongbin; Williams, Benjamin; Lariviere, Jean P.; Hekmatyar, S.K.; Kauppinen, Risto A.; Khan, Nadeem; Swartz, Harold

2013-01-01

Introduction Several techniques currently exist for measuring tissue oxygen; however technical difficulties have limited their usefulness and general application. We report a recently developed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) oximetry approach with multiple probe implantable resonators (IRs) that allow repeated measurements of oxygen in tissue at depths of greater than 10 mm. Methods The EPR signal to noise (S/N) ratio of two probe IRs was compared with that of LiPc deposits. The feasibility of intracranial tissue pO2 measurements by EPR oximetry using IRs was tested in normal rats and rats bearing intracerebral F98 tumors. The dynamic changes in the tissue pO2 were assessed during repeated hyperoxia with carbogen breathing. Results A 6–10 times increase in the S/N ratio was observed with IRs as compared to LiPc deposits. The mean brain pO2 of normal rats was stable and increased significantly during carbogen inhalation in experiments repeated for 3 months. The pO2 of F98 glioma declined gradually, while the pO2 of contralateral brain essentially remained the same. Although a significant increase in the glioma pO2 was observed during carbogen inhalation, this effect declined in experiments repeated over days. Conclusion EPR oximetry with IRs provides a significant increase in S/N ratio. The ability to repeatedly assess orthotopic glioma pO2 is likely to play a vital role in understanding the dynamics of tissue pO2 during tumor growth and therapies designed to modulate tumor hypoxia. This information could then be used to optimize chemoradiation by scheduling treatments at times of increased glioma oxygenation. PMID:22033225

Dynamic Measurement of Tumor Vascular Permeability and Perfusion using a Hybrid System for Simultaneous Magnetic Resonance and Fluorescence Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Wuwei; Elmer, Andreas; Buehlmann, David; Augath, Mark-Aurel; Vats, Divya; Ripoll, Jorge; Rudin, Markus

2016-04-01

Assessing tumor vascular features including permeability and perfusion is essential for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The aim of this study was to compare fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based vascular readouts in subcutaneously implanted tumors in mice by simultaneous dynamic measurement of tracer uptake using a hybrid fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT)/MRI system. Vascular permeability was measured using a mixture of extravascular imaging agents, GdDOTA and the dye Cy5.5, and perfusion using a mixture of intravascular agents, Endorem and a fluorescent probe (Angiosense). Dynamic fluorescence reflectance imaging (dFRI) was integrated into the hybrid system for high temporal resolution. Excellent correspondence between uptake curves of Cy5.5/GdDOTA and Endorem/Angiosense has been found with correlation coefficients R > 0.98. The two modalities revealed good agreement regarding permeability coefficients and centers-of-gravity of the imaging agent distribution. The FMT/dFRI protocol presented is able to accurately map physiological processes and poses an attractive alternative to MRI for characterizing tumor neoangiogenesis.

Modelling of an adiabatic trickle-bed reactor with phase change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ramirez Castelan, Carlos Eduardo; Hidalgo-Vivas, Angelica; Brix, Jacob

2017-01-01

This paper describes a modelling approach of the behavior of trickle-bed reactors used for catalytic hydrotreating of oil fractions. A dynamic plug-flow heterogeneous one-dimensional adiabatic model was used to describe the main reactions present in the hydrotreating process: hydrodesulfurization...

Use of electric bedding devices and risk of breast cancer in African-American women.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Kangmin; Hunter, Sandra; Payne-Wilks, Kathleen; Roland, Chanel L; Forbes, Digna S

2003-10-15

In this case-control study, the authors aimed to examine whether use of an electric bedding device increased breast cancer risk in African-American women. Cases were 304 African-American patients diagnosed with breast cancer during 1995-1998 who were aged 20-64 years and lived in one of three Tennessee counties. Controls were 305 African-American women without breast cancer who were selected through random digit dialing and frequency-matched to cases by age and county. Information on the use of an electric blanket or heated water bed and other risk factors was collected through telephone interviews. Breast cancer risk associated with use of an electric bedding device increased with the number of years of use, the number of seasons of use, and the length of time of use during sleep. When women who used an electric bedding device for more than 6 months per year (and therefore were more likely to have used a heated water bed, which generates lower magnetic fields) were excluded, the corresponding dose-response relations were more striking. Similar trends in dose response were shown in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women and for both estrogen receptor-positive and estrogen receptor-negative tumors. The use of electric bedding devices may increase breast cancer risk in African-American women aged 20-64 years. Such an association might not vary substantially by menopausal status or estrogen receptor status.

Emergence of traveling wave endothermic reaction in a catalytic fixed bed under microwave heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerasev, Alexander P.

2017-01-01

This paper presents a new phenomenon in a packed bed catalytic reactor under microwave heating - traveling wave (moving reaction zones) endothermic chemical reaction. A two-phase model is developed to simulate the nonlinear dynamic behavior of the packed bed catalytic reactor with an irreversible first-order chemical reaction. The absorbed microwave power was obtained from Lambert's law. The structure of traveling wave endothermic chemical reaction was explored. The effects of the gas velocity and microwave power on performance of the packed bed catalytic reactor were presented. Finally, the effects of the change in the location of the microwave source at the packed bed reactor was demonstrated. - Highlights: • A new phenomenon - traveling waves of endothermic reaction - is predicted. • The physical and mathematical model of a packed bed catalytic reactor under microwave heating is presented. • The structure of the traveling waves is explored. • The configuration of heating the packed bed reactor via microwave plays a key role.

Granular dynamics simulation of segregation phenomena in bubbling gas-fluidised beds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoomans, B.P.B.; Kuipers, J.A.M.; van Swaaij, Willibrordus Petrus Maria

2000-01-01

A hard-sphere discrete particle model of a gas-fluidised bed was used in order to simulate segregation phenomena in systems consisting of particles of different sizes. In the model, the gas-phase hydrodynamics is described by the spatially averaged Navier¿Stokes equations for two-phase flow. For

Application of a Line Laser Scanner for Bed Form Tracking in a Laboratory Flume

Science.gov (United States)

de Ruijsscher, T. V.; Hoitink, A. J. F.; Dinnissen, S.; Vermeulen, B.; Hazenberg, P.

2018-03-01

A new measurement method for continuous detection of bed forms in movable bed laboratory experiments is presented and tested. The device consists of a line laser coupled to a 3-D camera, which makes use of triangulation. This allows to measure bed forms during morphodynamic experiments, without removing the water from the flume. A correction is applied for the effect of laser refraction at the air-water interface. We conclude that the absolute measurement error increases with increasing flow velocity, its standard deviation increases with water depth and flow velocity, and the percentage of missing values increases with water depth. Although 71% of the data is lost in a pilot moving bed experiment with sand, still high agreement between flowing water and dry bed measurements is found when a robust LOcally weighted regrESSion (LOESS) procedure is applied. This is promising for bed form tracking applications in laboratory experiments, especially when lightweight sediments like polystyrene are used, which require smaller flow velocities to achieve dynamic similarity to the prototype. This is confirmed in a moving bed experiment with polystyrene.

A polytropic model of a critical two-phase flow in a bed of spherical particles

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Tairov Emir

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper is concerned with a model of isenthalpic flow of vapor-water mixture in a fixed bed of solid particles. The mixture expansion process is considered to be polytropic. Similarly to the known problem of gas dynamics of a granular bed we obtained the relationships for calculation of a critical mass velocity. The results of the calculation based on a theoretical model are compared with the experimental data obtained in the packed beds of steel balls, 2 mm and 4 mm in diameter.

Hydrodynamic and thermal modelling of gas-particle flow in fluidized beds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelkawi, O.S; Abdalla, A.M.; Atwan, E.F; Abdelmonem, S.A.; Elshazly, K.M.

2009-01-01

In this study a mathematical model has been developed to simulate two dimensional fluidized bed with uniform fluidization. The model consists of two sub models for hydrodynamic and thermal behavior of fluidized bed on which a FORTRAN program entitled (NEWFLUIDIZED) is devolved. The program is used to predict the volume fraction of gas and particle phases, the velocity of the two phases, the gas pressure and the temperature distribution for two phases. Also the program calculates the heat transfer coefficient. Besides the program predicts the fluidized bed stability and determines the optimum input gas velocity for fluidized bed to achieve the best thermal behavior. The hydrodynamic model is verified by comparing its results with the computational fluid dynamic code MFIX . While the thermal model was tested and compared by the available previous experimental correlations.The model results show good agreement with MFIX results and the thermal model of the present work confirms Zenz and Gunn equations

Microarray Gene Expression Analysis of Murine Tumor Heterogeneity Defined by Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nick G. Costouros

2002-07-01

Full Text Available Current methods of studying angiogenesis are limited in their ability to serially evaluate in vivo function throughout a target tissue. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI and pharmacokinetic modeling provide a useful method for evaluating tissue vasculature based on contrast accumulation and washout. While it is often assumed that areas of high contrast enhancement and washout comprise areas of increased angiogenesis and tumor activity, the actual molecular pathways that are active in such areas are poorly understood. Using DCE-MRI in a murine subcutaneous tumor model, we were able to perform pharmacokinetic functional analysis of a tumor, coregistration of MRI images with histological cross-sections, immunohistochemistry, laser capture microdissection, and genetic profiling of tumor heterogeneity based on pharmacokinetic parameters. Using imaging as a template for biologic investigation, we have not found evidence of increased expression of proangiogenic modulators at the transcriptional level in either distinct pharmacokinetic region. Furthermore, these regions show no difference on histology and CD31 immunohistochemistry. However, the expression of ribosomal proteins was greatly increased in high enhancement and washout regions, implying increased protein translation and consequent increased cellular activity. Together, these findings point to the potential importance of posttranscriptional regulation in angiogenesis and the need for the development of angiogenesis-specific contrast agents to evaluate in vivo angiogenesis at a molecular level.

Fluidised bed cereal cooking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenkins, Simon Anthony

2002-01-01

Man has been cooking food for thousands of years for a number of reasons: to improve flavour and palatability, sterilise, increase digestibility, improve texture and colour. Increasingly more advanced techniques are employed today in food production plants to engineer foods with many different properties. With this in mind manufacturers are constantly seeking to improve processing techniques and apply new or different technologies (such as microwaves, RF and extrusion) to develop foods with new properties (like puffed texture starches) and to increase process efficiencies (energy efficiency, water reduction). This thesis reports on work undertaken to demonstrate the potential to achieve high temperature starch conversion of whole wheat grains in a fluidised bed, thereby reducing the amount of water required and processing time. Specifically, wheat from the farm at 14% water content is cooked in a fluidised bed. The fluidised bed heats the wheat quickly by convective heating. In addition, energy can be delivered directly to the grain by microwave heating during fluidisation. Degree of starch conversion is determined by measuring the reduction in size of endotherm of reaction as observed by Differential Scanning Calorimetry. The fluidising gas, processing temperature and starting moisture content were varied in order to investigate their effect on the cooking process. A mathematical model based on energy and species concentration equations was developed to help understand the internal grain processes. The model coupled the thermal energy equation with water diffusion. The effect of water evaporation was represented as a thermal sink in the energy equation. Popular kinetic models from literature were adapted to predict the degree of starch conversion. The model gives solutions consistent with experimental data and physical intuition. A commercial computational fluid dynamics package was used to study simple airflow and particle tracks in the fluidisation column. A

Six-color intravital two-photon imaging of brain tumors and their dynamic microenvironment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clément eRicard

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The majority of intravital studies on brain tumor in living animal so far rely on dual color imaging. We describe here a multiphoton imaging protocol to dynamically characterize the interactions between six cellular components in a living mouse. We applied this methodology to a clinically relevant glioblastoma multiforme (GBM model designed in reporter mice with targeted cell populations labeled by fluorescent proteins of different colors. This model permitted us to make non-invasive longitudinal and multi-scale observations of cell-to-cell interactions. We provide examples of such 5D (x,y,z,t,color images acquired on a daily basis from volumes of interest, covering most of the mouse parietal cortex at subcellular resolution. Spectral deconvolution allowed us to accurately separate of each cell population as well as some components of the extracellular matrix. The technique represents a powerful tool for investigating how tumor progression is influenced by the interactions of tumor cells with host cells and the extracellular matrix micro-environment. It will be especially valuable for evaluating neuro-oncological drug efficacy and target specificity. The imaging protocol provided here can be easily translated to other mouse models of neuropathologies, and should also be of fundamental interest for investigations in other areas of systems biology.

Six-color intravital two-photon imaging of brain tumors and their dynamic microenvironment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ricard, Clément; Debarbieux, Franck Christian

2014-01-01

The majority of intravital studies on brain tumor in living animal so far rely on dual color imaging. We describe here a multiphoton imaging protocol to dynamically characterize the interactions between six cellular components in a living mouse. We applied this methodology to a clinically relevant glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) model designed in reporter mice with targeted cell populations labeled by fluorescent proteins of different colors. This model permitted us to make non-invasive longitudinal and multi-scale observations of cell-to-cell interactions. We provide examples of such 5D (x,y,z,t,color) images acquired on a daily basis from volumes of interest, covering most of the mouse parietal cortex at subcellular resolution. Spectral deconvolution allowed us to accurately separate each cell population as well as some components of the extracellular matrix. The technique represents a powerful tool for investigating how tumor progression is influenced by the interactions of tumor cells with host cells and the extracellular matrix micro-environment. It will be especially valuable for evaluating neuro-oncological drug efficacy and target specificity. The imaging protocol provided here can be easily translated to other mouse models of neuropathologies, and should also be of fundamental interest for investigations in other areas of systems biology.

Design of particle bed reactors for the space nuclear thermal propulsion program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ludewig, H.; Powell, J.R.; Todosow, M.; Maise, G.; Barletta, R.; Schweitzer, D.G.

1996-01-01

This paper describes the design for the Particle Bed Reactor (PBR) that was considered for the Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (SNTP) Program. The methods of analysis and their validation are outlined first. Monte Carlo methods were used for the physics analysis, several new algorithms were developed for the fluid dynamics, heat transfer and transient analysis; and commercial codes were used for the stress analysis. We carried out a critical experiment, prototypic of the PBR to validate the reactor physics; blowdown experiments with beds of prototypic dimensions were undertaken to validate the power-extraction capabilities from particle beds. In addition, materials and mechanical design concepts for the fuel elements were experimentally validated. (author)

Exchange between the stagnant and flowing zone in gas-flowing solids-fixed bed contactors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ALEKSANDAR P. DUDUKOVIC

2005-02-01

Full Text Available In countercurrent gas – flowing solids – fixed bed contactors, a fraction of the flowing solids is in motion (dynamic holdup, while the other fraction is resting on the fixed bed elements. In this study it was experimentally proved that the stagnant zone should not be considered as a dead part of the column, but that there is a dynamic exchange between these two portions of flowing solids particles. Combining a mathematical model with tracer experiments, the rate of exchange was determined and it was shown that only a small part (ca. 20 % of the stagnant region should be considered as a dead one.

Dynamic Study of Feed-Effluent Heat Exchanger Addition on Double Bed Configuration Ammonia Reactor System within Varied Quenching Ratio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adhi Tri Partono

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Ammonia is one of the most important industrial commodity due to its wide function. Ammonia synthesis reaction is an exotermic reaction. Therefore, Feed-Effluent Heat Exchanger (FEHE is added to increase thermal efficiency. However, FEHE could lead the process to experience hysteresis phenomenon due to interaction between equipments as one steady state T feed could result several T outlet. Hysteresis phenomenon may result asset losses like explosion, leakage, and loosing material integrity. Double bed reactor configuration allows us to use several operating parameters as variation to overcome hysteresis. In this review, quenching ratio was chosen to be that varied parameter. This study aims to determine how quenching ratio affects hysteresis zone by utilizing Aspen Hysys® V8.8 as simulation tool. Simulation showed that quenching ratio would narrow hysteresis zone yet increased extinction temperature that lower the conversion. Conversion profile showed that 0.2 quenching ratio got the highest conversion for system with bed volume ratio 2:1 while total volume was 30 m3. However, the feed temperature was fallen at hysteresis zone. Dynamic simulation showed that highest conversion feed temperature (10%ΔTf above extinct temperature was still able to preserve stability with descending temperature approach. Hysteresis itself started to occur at 1.7%ΔTf above extinct temperature

Implications of tidally-varying bed stress and intermittent estuarine stratification on fine-sediment dynamics through the Mekong's tidal river to estuarine reach

Science.gov (United States)

McLachlan, R. L.; Ogston, A. S.; Allison, M. A.

2017-09-01

River gauging stations are often located upriver of tidal propagation where sediment transport processes and storage are impacted by widely varying ratios of marine to freshwater influence. These impacts are not yet thoroughly understood. Therefore, sediment fluxes measured at these stations may not be suitable for predicting changes to coastal morphology. To characterize sediment transport dynamics in this understudied zone, flow velocity, salinity, and suspended-sediment properties (concentration, size, and settling velocity) were measured within the tidal Sông Hậu distributary of the lower Mekong River, Vietnam. Fine-sediment aggregation, settling, and trapping rates were promoted by seasonal and tidal fluctuations in near-bed shear stress as well as the intermittent presence of a salt wedge and estuary turbidity maximum. Beginning in the tidal river, fine-grained particles were aggregated in freshwater. Then, in the interface zone between the tidal river and estuary, impeded near-bed shear stress and particle flux convergence promoted settling and trapping. Finally, in the estuary, sediment retention was further encouraged by stratification and estuarine circulation which protected the bed against particle resuspension and enhanced particle aggregation. These patterns promote mud export ( 1.7 t s-1) from the entire study area in the high-discharge season when fluvial processes dominate and mud import ( 0.25 t s-1) into the estuary and interface zone in the low-discharge season when estuarine processes dominate. Within the lower region of the distributaries, morphological change in the form of channel abandonment was found to be promoted within minor distributaries by feedbacks between channel depth, vertical mixing, and aggregate trapping. In effect, this field study sheds light on the sediment trapping capabilities of the tidal river - estuary interface zone, a relatively understudied region upstream of where traditional concepts place sites of deposition

Effects of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate on skeletal muscle mitochondrial content and dynamics, and lipids after 10 days of bed rest in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Standley, Robert A; Distefano, Giovanna; Pereira, Suzette L; Tian, Min; Kelly, Owen J; Coen, Paul M; Deutz, Nicolaas E P; Wolfe, Robert R; Goodpaster, Bret H

2017-11-01

Loss of muscle mass during periods of disuse likely has negative health consequences for older adults. We have previously shown that β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation during 10 days of strict bed rest (BR) attenuates the loss of lean mass in older adults. To elucidate potential molecular mechanisms of HMB effects on muscle during BR and resistance training rehabilitation (RT), we examined mediators of skeletal muscle mitochondrial dynamics, autophagy and atrophy, and intramyocellular lipids. Nineteen older adults (60-76 yr) completed 10 days BR followed by 8-wk RT rehabilitation. Subjects were randomized to either HMB (3 g/day HMB; n = 11) or control (CON; n = 8) groups. Skeletal muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) was determined by histology from percutaneous vastus lateralis biopsies. We measured protein markers of mitochondrial content [oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)], fusion and fission (MFN2, OPA1, FIS1, and DRP1), autophagy (Beclin1, LC3B, and BNIP3), and atrophy [poly-ubiquinated proteins (poly-ub)] by Western blot. Fatty acid composition of several lipid classes in skeletal muscle was measured by infusion-MS analysis. Poly-ub proteins and OXPHOS complex I increased in both groups following BR ( P HMB group ( P = 0.055). RT rehabilitation increased OXPHOS complex II protein ( P HMB group. In addition, higher levels of DRP1 and MFN2 were maintained in the HMB group after RT ( P HMB influences mitochondrial dynamics and lipid metabolism during disuse atrophy and rehabilitation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Mitochondrial content and dynamics remained unchanged over 10 days of BR in older adults. HMB stimulated intramuscular lipid storage as triacylglycerol following 10 days of bed rest (BR) and maintained higher mitochondrial OXPHOS content and dynamics during the 8-wk resistance exercise rehabilitation program. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Tumor Control Probability Modeling for Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy of Early-Stage Lung Cancer Using Multiple Bio-physical Models

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Feng; Tai, An; Lee, Percy; Biswas, Tithi; Ding, George X.; El Naqa, Isaam; Grimm, Jimm; Jackson, Andrew; Kong, Feng-Ming (Spring); LaCouture, Tamara; Loo, Billy; Miften, Moyed; Solberg, Timothy; Li, X Allen

2017-01-01

Purpose To analyze pooled clinical data using different radiobiological models and to understand the relationship between biologically effective dose (BED) and tumor control probability (TCP) for stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Method and Materials The clinical data of 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year actuarial or Kaplan-Meier TCP from 46 selected studies were collected for SBRT of NSCLC in the literature. The TCP data were separated for Stage T1 and T2 tumors if possible, otherwise collected for combined stages. BED was calculated at isocenters using six radiobiological models. For each model, the independent model parameters were determined from a fit to the TCP data using the least chi-square (χ2) method with either one set of parameters regardless of tumor stages or two sets for T1 and T2 tumors separately. Results The fits to the clinic data yield consistent results of large α/β ratios of about 20 Gy for all models investigated. The regrowth model that accounts for the tumor repopulation and heterogeneity leads to a better fit to the data, compared to other 5 models where the fits were indistinguishable between the models. The models based on the fitting parameters predict that the T2 tumors require about additional 1 Gy physical dose at isocenters per fraction (≤5 fractions) to achieve the optimal TCP when compared to the T1 tumors. Conclusion This systematic analysis of a large set of published clinical data using different radiobiological models shows that local TCP for SBRT of early-stage NSCLC has strong dependence on BED with large α/β ratios of about 20 Gy. The six models predict that a BED (calculated with α/β of 20) of 90 Gy is sufficient to achieve TCP ≥ 95%. Among the models considered, the regrowth model leads to a better fit to the clinical data. PMID:27871671

Multimodality functional imaging of spontaneous canine tumors using 64CU-ATSM and 18FDG PET/CT and dynamic contrast enhanced perfusion CT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Anders E; Kristensen, Annemarie T; Law, Ian

2012-01-01

To compare the distribution and uptake of the hypoxia tracer (64)Cu-diacetyl-bis(N(4)-methylthiosemicarbazone) ((64)Cu-ATSM) PET/CT, FDG PET/CT and dynamic contrast enhanced perfusion CT (DCE-pCT) in spontaneous canine tumors. In addition (64)Cu-ATSM distribution over time was evaluated.......To compare the distribution and uptake of the hypoxia tracer (64)Cu-diacetyl-bis(N(4)-methylthiosemicarbazone) ((64)Cu-ATSM) PET/CT, FDG PET/CT and dynamic contrast enhanced perfusion CT (DCE-pCT) in spontaneous canine tumors. In addition (64)Cu-ATSM distribution over time was evaluated....

Deep Bed Iodine Sorbent Testing FY 2011 Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soelberg, Nick; Watson, Tony

2011-01-01

Nuclear fission results in the production of fission products (FPs) and activation products that increasingly interfere with the fission process as their concentrations increase. Some of these fission and activation products tend to evolve in gaseous species during used nuclear fuel reprocessing. Analyses have shown that I129, due to its radioactivity, high potential mobility in the environment, and high longevity (half life of 15.7 million years), can require control efficiencies of up to 1,000x or higher to meet regulatory emission limits. Deep-bed iodine sorption testing has been done to evaluate the performance of solid sorbents for capturing iodine in off-gas streams from nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. The objectives of the FY 2011 deep bed iodine sorbent testing are: (1) Evaluate sorbents for iodine capture under various conditions of gas compositions and operating temperature (determine sorption efficiencies, capacities, and mass transfer zone depths); and (2) Generate data for dynamic iodine sorption modeling. Three tests performed this fiscal year on silver zeolite light phase (AgZ-LP) sorbent are reported here. Additional tests are still in progress and can be reported in a revision of this report or a future report. Testing was somewhat delayed and limited this year due to initial activities to address some questions of prior testing, and due to a period of maintenance for the on-line GC. Each test consisted of (a) flowing a synthetic blend of gases designed to be similar to an aqueous dissolver off-gas stream over the sorbent contained in three separate bed segments in series, (b) measuring each bed inlet and outlet gas concentrations of iodine and methyl iodide (the two surrogates of iodine gas species considered most representative of iodine species expected in dissolver off-gas), (c) operating for a long enough time to achieve breakthrough of the iodine species from at least one (preferably the first two) bed segments, and (d) post-test purging

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors containing areas of iso- or hypoattenuation in dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography: Spectrum of imaging findings and pathological grading.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyodo, Ryota; Suzuki, Kojiro; Ogawa, Hiroshi; Komada, Tomohiro; Naganawa, Shinji

2015-11-01

To evaluate dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) features of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) containing areas of iso- or hypoattenuation and the relationship with pathological grading. Between June 2006 and March 2014, 61 PNETs in 58 consecutive patients (29 male, 29 female; median-age 55 years), which were surgically diagnosed, underwent preoperative dynamic contrast-enhanced CT. PNETs were classified based on contrast enhancement patterns in the pancreatic phase: iso/hypo-PNETs were defined as tumors containing areas of iso- or hypoattenuation except for cystic components, and hyper-PNETs were tumors showing hyperattenuation over the whole area. CT findings and contrast-enhancement patterns of the tumors were evaluated retrospectively by two radiologists and compared with the pathological grading. Iso/hypo-PNETs comprised 26 tumors, and hyper-PNETs comprised 35 tumors. Not only hyper-PNETs but also most iso/hypo-PNETs showed peak enhancement in the pancreatic phase and a washout from the portal venous phase to the delayed phase. Iso/hypo-PNETs showed larger tumor size than the hyper-PNETs (mean, 3.7 cm vs. 1.6 cm; PIso/hypo-PNETs also showed significantly higher pathological grading (WHO 2010 classification; iso/hypo, G1=14, G2=11, G3=1; hyper, G1=34, G2=1; Piso/hypo-areas showed a rapid enhancement pattern as well as hyper-PNETs, various radiological features and higher malignant potential. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Model description and kinetic parameter analysis of MTBE biodegradation in a packed bed reactor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waul, Christopher Kevin; Arvin, Erik; Schmidt, Jens Ejbye

2008-01-01

A dynamic modeling approach was used to estimate in-situ model parameters, which describe the degradation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in a laboratory packed bed reactor. The measured dynamic response of MTBE pulses injected at the reactor's inlet was analyzed by least squares and parameter...

Interaction of slurry pipe flow with a stationary bed

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Matoušek, Václav

2007-01-01

Roč. 107, č. 6 (2007), s. 365-372 ISSN 0038-223X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA103/06/0428 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20600510 Keywords : sheet flow * particle dispersion * suspension * concentration profile * bed shear stress Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 0.108, year: 2007

Correlation of Dynamic PET and Gene Array Data in Patients with Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ludwig G. Strauss

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The results obtained with dynamic PET (dPET were compared to gene expression data obtained in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST. The primary aim was to assess the association of the dPET results and gene expression data. Material and Methods. dPET was performed following the injection of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG in 22 patients with GIST. All patients were examined prior to surgery for staging purpose. Compartment and noncompartment models were used for the quantitative evaluation of the dPET examinations. Gene array data were based on tumor specimen obtained by surgery after the PET examinations. Results. The data analysis revealed significant correlations for the dPET parameters and the expression of zinc finger genes (znf43, znf85, znf91, znf189. Furthermore, the transport of FDG (k1 was associated with VEGF-A. The cell cycle gene cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1C was correlated with the maximum tracer uptake (SUVmax in the tumors. Conclusions. The data demonstrate a dependency of the tracer kinetics on genes associated with prognosis in GIST. Furthermore, angiogenesis and cell proliferation have an impact on the tracer uptake.

CFD study on the supercritical carbon dioxide cooled pebble bed reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Dali, E-mail: ydlmitd@outlook.com; Peng, Minjun; Wang, Zhongyi

2015-01-15

Highlights: • An innovation concept of supercritical carbon dioxide cooled pebble bed reactor is proposed. • Body-centered cuboid (BCCa) arrangement is adopted for the pebbles. • S-CO{sub 2} would be a good candidate coolant for using in pebble bed reactor. - Abstract: The thermal hydraulic study of using supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO{sub 2}), a superior fluid state brayton cycle medium, in pebble bed type nuclear reactor is assessed through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodology. Preliminary concept design of this S-CO{sub 2} cooled pebble bed reactor (PBR) is implemented by the well-known KTA heat transfer correlation and Ergun pressure drop equation. Eddy viscosity transport turbulence model is adopted and verified by KTA calculated results. Distributions of the temperature, velocity, pressure and Nusselt (Nu) number of the coolant near the surface of the middle spherical fuel element are obtained and analyzed. The conclusion of the assessment is that S-CO{sub 2} would be a good candidate coolant for using in pebble bed reactor due primarily to its good heat transfer characteristic and large mass density, which could lead to achieve lower pressure drop and higher power density.

Clonal expansion to anaplasia in Wilms` tumors is associated with p53 mutations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pelletier, J.; Beckwith, B.; Bardeesy, N. [Loma Linda Univ., CA (United States)]|[McGill Univ., Montreal (Canada)

1994-09-01

The genetics of Wilms` tumor (WT), a pediatric malignancy of the kidney, is complex. Three loci are implicated in WT initiation and include the WT1 tumor suppressor gene (residing at 11p13), an 11p15 locus, and a non-11p locus. As well, allelic loss at 16q24 in {approximately}20% of sporadic WTs suggests the location of (an) additional gene(s) involved in tumor progression. Initiation and progression in WTs is associated with multiple histological variants. Anaplasia is a rare WT subtype associated with poor prognosis and defined by enlarged and multipolar mitotic figures, a threefold nuclear enlargement (compared with adjacent nuclei of the same cell type), and hyperchromasia of the enlarged nuclei. We have previously demonstrated that p53 gene mutations are exclusively associated with anaplastic WTs, being absent from a large number of non-anaplastic WTs analyzed. To determine if such mutations are involved in clonal progression to anaplasia, we performed a retrospective analysis of histologically defined sections from tumor specimens. Six of ten WTs demonstrated p53 mutations by PCR-single stranded conformational polymorphism analysis. Two of these samples were paired, consisting of geographically demarcated anaplastic cells embedded within a non-anaplastic tumor bed. In these cases, p53 mutations were only present in the anaplastic region of the tumor. An overall decrease in the number of apoptotic cells was found associated with the anaplastic tumor region, compared to adjacent non-anaplastic tumor bed. These results indicate that p53 mutations arise during progression to anaplasia late in Wilms` tumor etiology and are associated with a more aggressive form of this cancer.

Clinical value of dynamic scintigraphy of salivary glands with 99mTcO4- for differentiating Warthin's tumor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Weiguo

1989-01-01

The results of dynamic scintigraphy of salivary glands with 99m TcO 4 - in 15 patients with pathologically proved Warthin's tumor (papillary cystadenoma lyphomatosum) were reported. Among them, 14 cases showed very high uptake of 99m TcO 4 - ('hot nodule'), 1 case showed 'cold nodule'. The positive rate was 93.3%, specificity was 98%, accuracy was 97.3%. The authors believe that this method is a simple, safe noninvasive way of differentiating Warthin's tumor and is of important significance for the surgical treatment of patients

The potential of positron emission tomography for intratreatment dynamic lung tumor tracking: A phantom study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Jaewon; Yamamoto, Tokihiro; Mazin, Samuel R.; Graves, Edward E.; Keall, Paul J.

2014-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the potential and feasibility of positron emission tomography for dynamic lung tumor tracking during radiation treatment. The authors propose a center of mass (CoM) tumor tracking algorithm using gated-PET images combined with a respiratory monitor and investigate the geometric accuracy of the proposed algorithm. Methods: The proposed PET dynamic lung tumor tracking algorithm estimated the target position information through the CoM of the segmented target volume on gated PET images reconstructed from accumulated coincidence events. The information was continuously updated throughout a scan based on the assumption that real-time processing was supported (actual processing time at each frame ≈10 s). External respiratory motion and list-mode PET data were acquired from a phantom programmed to move with measured respiratory traces (external respiratory motion and internal target motion) from human subjects, for which the ground truth target position was known as a function of time. The phantom was cylindrical with six hollow sphere targets (10, 13, 17, 22, 28, and 37 mm in diameter). The measured respiratory traces consisted of two sets: (1) 1D-measured motion from ten healthy volunteers and (2) 3D-measured motion from four lung cancer patients. The authors evaluated the geometric accuracy of the proposed algorithm by quantifying estimation errors (Euclidean distance) between the actual motion of targets (1D-motion and 3D-motion traces) and CoM trajectories estimated by the proposed algorithm as a function of time. Results: The time-averaged error of 1D-motion traces over all trajectories of all targets was 1.6 mm. The error trajectories decreased with time as coincidence events were accumulated. The overall error trajectory of 1D-motion traces converged to within 2 mm in approximately 90 s. As expected, more accurate results were obtained for larger targets. For example, for the 37 mm target, the average error over all 1D

Effect of Wetting and Contamination of Granular Beds During Sphere Impact

KAUST Repository

Kouraytem, Nadia

2013-01-01

This thesis presents results from an experimental study of the impact of dense solid spheres onto granular beds. The overall aim is to further our understanding of the dynamical response of granular materials to impact. In order to do this, we

Intraoperative radiotherapy of malignant pancreatic tumors - first results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thurnher, S.; Glaser, K.; Url, M.; Frommhold, H.; Bodner, E.

1987-02-01

Thirteen patients suffering from adenocarcinomas of the pancreas were submitted to an intraoperative fast electron 'boost' therapy with or without percutaneous photon irradiation. A duodeno-cephalo-pancreatectomy with subsequent irradiation of the tumor bed could be performed in three patients. Ten patients were inoperable because of advanced tumors and formation of metastases. The average survival is 6.5 months, at present six patients are alive without major troubles. An analgetic effect was obtained in ten patients. The first results are encouraging with respect to local control, the little acute and chronic morbidity, and palliation achieved in advances stages.

Intraoperative radiotherapy of malignant pancreatic tumors - first results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thurnher, S.; Glaser, K.; Url, M.; Frommhold, H.; Bodner, E.; Innsbruck Univ.

1987-01-01

Thirteen patients suffering from adenocarcinomas of the pancreas were submitted to an intraoperative fast electron 'boost' therapy with or without percutaneous photon irradiation. A duodeno-cephalo-pancreatectomy with subsequent irradiation of the tumor bed could be performed in three patients. Ten patients were inoperable because of advanced tumors and formation of metastases. The average survival is 6.5 months, at present six patients are alive without major troubles. An analgetic effect was obtained in ten patients. The first results are encouraging with respect to local control, the little acute and chronic morbidity, and palliation achieved in advances stages. (orig.) [de

Slow sedimentary processes on-a-chip: experiments on porous flow effects on granular bed creep

Science.gov (United States)

Houssais, M.; Maldarelli, C.; Shattuck, M.; Morris, J. F.

2017-12-01

Steep soils dynamics is hard to catch. they exhibit very slow granular creep most of the time, and sometimes, mostly under or after rain, turn into a landslide, a very fast avalanche flow.The conditions of transition from soil creep to avalanching remains a lot non-understood, and Safe Factor law (empirical criteria, function of rain intensity and duration). On another side, in marine fast deposition environments, compaction drives vertical porous flow, which makes bed shear resistance change, and form over time bed size patterns (pipes, dishes) or mechanical heterogeneities.Capturing how the slow creep dynamics depends on the porous flow would allow for much more accurate landscape evolution modeling.We present here preliminary results of an experimental investigation of one the major triggering condition for soils destabilization: rain infiltration, and more generally porous flow through a tilted granular bed. In a quasi-2D microfluidics channel, a flat sediment bed made of spherical particles is prepared, in fully submerged condition. It is thereafter tilted (at slope under critical slope of avalanching) and simultaneously put under vertical weak porous flow (well under the critical flow of liquefaction regarding positive pressure gradients). The two control parameters are varied, and local particles concentration and motion are measured. Interestingly, although staying in the sub-critical creeping regime, we observe an acceleration of the bed deformation downward, as the porous flow and the bed slope are increased, until the criteria for avalanching is reached. Those results appear to present similitudes with the case of tilted dry sediment bed under controlled vibrations. Consequently it opens the discussion about a potential universal model of landslides triggering due to frequent seismological and rainstorm events.

Correlation between the quantifiable parameters of blood flow pattern derived with dynamic CT in maliagnant solitary pulmonary nodules and tumor size

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chenshi ZHANG

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Background and Objective The solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs is one of the most common findings on chest radiographs. It becomes possible to provide more accurately quantitative information about blood flow patterns of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs with multi-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT. The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between the quantifiable parameters of blood flow pattern derived with dynamic CT in maliagnant solitary pulmonary nodules and tumor size. Methods 68 patients with maliagnant solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs (diameter <=4 cmunderwent multi-location dynamic contrast material-enhanced (nonionic contrast material was administrated via the antecubital vein at a rate of 4mL/s by an autoinjector, 4*5mm or 4*2.5mm scanning mode with stable table were performed. serial CT. Precontrast and postcontrast attenuation on every scan was recorded. Perfusion (PSPN, peak height (PHSPNratio of peak height of the SPN to that of the aorta (SPN-to-A ratioand mean transit time(MTT were calculated. The correlation between the quantifiable parameters of blood flow pattern derived with dynamic CT in maliagnant solitary pulmonary nodules and tumor size were assessed by means of linear regression analysis. Results No significant correlations were found between the tumor size and each of the peak height (PHSPN ratio of peak height of the SPN to that of the aorta (SPN-to-A ratio perfusion(PSPNand mean transit time (r=0.18, P=0.14; r=0.20,P=0.09; r=0.01, P=0.95; r=0.01, P=0.93. Conclusion No significant correlation is found between the tumor size and each of the quantifiable parameters of blood flow pattern derived with dynamic CT in maliagnant solitary pulmonary nodules.

Vasculatures in Tumors Growing From Preirradiated Tissues: Formed by Vasculogenesis and Resistant to Radiation and Antiangiogenic Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Fang-Hsin; Chiang, Chi-Shiun; Wang, Chun-Chieh; Fu, Sheng-Yung; Tsai, Chien-Sheng; Jung, Shih-Ming; Wen, Chih-Jen; Lee, Chung-Chi; Hong, Ji-Hong

2011-01-01

Purpose: To investigate vasculatures and microenvironment in tumors growing from preirradiated tissues (pre-IR tumors) and study the vascular responses of pre-IR tumors to radiation and antiangiogenic therapy. Methods and Materials: Transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate C1 tumors were implanted into unirradiated or preirradiated tissues and examined for vascularity, hypoxia, and tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) infiltrates by immunohistochemistry. The origin of tumor endothelial cells was studied by green fluorescent protein-tagged bone marrow (GFP-BM) transplantation. The response of tumor endothelial cells to radiation and antiangiogenic agent was evaluated by apoptotic assay. Results: The pre-IR tumors had obvious tumor bed effects (TBE), with slower growth rate, lower microvascular density (MVD), and more necrotic and hypoxic fraction compared with control tumors. The vessels were dilated, tightly adhered with pericytes, and incorporated with transplanted GFP-BM cells. In addition, hypoxic regions became aggregated with TAM. As pre-IR tumors developed, the TBE was overcome at the tumor edge where the MVD increased, TAM did not aggregate, and the GFP-BM cells did not incorporate into the vessels. The vessels at tumor edge were more sensitive to the following ionizing radiation and antiangiogenic agent than those in the central low MVD regions. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that vasculatures in regions with TBE are mainly formed by vasculogenesis and resistant to radiation and antiangiogenic therapy. Tumor bed effects could be overcome at the edge of larger tumors, but where vasculatures are formed by angiogenesis and sensitive to both treatments. Vasculatures formed by vasculogenesis should be the crucial target for the treatment of recurrent tumors after radiotherapy.

Management bedding : vrijloopstal met composterende bedding van houtsnippers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boer, de H.C.; Wiersma, M.; Galama, P.J.; Szanto, G.L.

2015-01-01

In de vrijloopstal liggen de koeien meestal op een organische bedding en scheiden daar mest (feces en urine) uit. Om de bedding voldoende droog en schoon te houden wordt er regelmatig nieuw strooisel aangevoerd en wordt de toplaag bewerkt. Op basis van onderzoek- en praktijkervaringen tot nu toe

Tumor heterogeneity and progression: conceptual foundations for modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Greller, L D; Tobin, F L; Poste, G

1996-01-01

A conceptual foundation for modeling tumor progression, growth, and heterogeneity is presented. The purpose of such models is to aid understanding, test ideas, formulate experiments, and to model cancer 'in machina' to address the dynamic features of tumor cell heterogeneity, progression, and growth. The descriptive capabilities of such an approach provides a consistent language for qualitatively reasoning about tumor behavior. This approach provides a schema for building conceptual models that combine three key phenomenological driving elements: growth, progression, and genetic instability. The growth element encompasses processes contributing to changes in tumor bulk and is distinct from progression per se. The progression element subsumes a broad collection of processes underlying phenotypic progression. The genetics elements represents heritable changes which potentially affect tumor character and behavior. Models, conceptual and mathematical, can be built for different tumor situations by drawing upon the interaction of these three distinct driving elements. These models can be used as tools to explore a diversity of hypotheses concerning dynamic changes in cellular populations during tumor progression, including the generation of intratumor heterogeneity. Such models can also serve to guide experimentation and to gain insight into dynamic aspects of complex tumor behavior.

Toward the development of intrafraction tumor deformation tracking using a dynamic multi-leaf collimator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ge, Yuanyuan; O’Brien, Ricky T.; Shieh, Chun-Chien; Keall, Paul J., E-mail: paul.keall@sydney.edu.au [Radiation Physics Laboratory, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Booth, Jeremy T. [Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2065 (Australia)

2014-06-15

Purpose: Intrafraction deformation limits targeting accuracy in radiotherapy. Studies show tumor deformation of over 10 mm for both single tumor deformation and system deformation (due to differential motion between primary tumors and involved lymph nodes). Such deformation cannot be adapted to with current radiotherapy methods. The objective of this study was to develop and experimentally investigate the ability of a dynamic multi-leaf collimator (DMLC) tracking system to account for tumor deformation. Methods: To compensate for tumor deformation, the DMLC tracking strategy is to warp the planned beam aperture directly to conform to the new tumor shape based on real time tumor deformation input. Two deformable phantoms that correspond to a single tumor and a tumor system were developed. The planar deformations derived from the phantom images in beam's eye view were used to guide the aperture warping. An in-house deformable image registration software was developed to automatically trigger the registration once new target image was acquired and send the computed deformation to the DMLC tracking software. Because the registration speed is not fast enough to implement the experiment in real-time manner, the phantom deformation only proceeded to the next position until registration of the current deformation position was completed. The deformation tracking accuracy was evaluated by a geometric target coverage metric defined as the sum of the area incorrectly outside and inside the ideal aperture. The individual contributions from the deformable registration algorithm and the finite leaf width to the tracking uncertainty were analyzed. Clinical proof-of-principle experiment of deformation tracking using previously acquired MR images of a lung cancer patient was implemented to represent the MRI-Linac environment. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment delivered with enabled deformation tracking was simulated and demonstrated. Results: The first

Evaluation of Tumor Angiogenesis Using Dynamic Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Comparison of Plasma Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Hemodynamic, and Pharmacokinetic Parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, O.; Nishimura, R.; Miyayama, H.; Yasunaga, T.; Ozaki, Y.; Tuji, A.; Yamashita, Y.

2004-01-01

Purpose: To assess whether tumor angiogenesis of breast cancers can be predicted on the basis of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Material and Methods: Seventy-one patients with 71 breast cancers underwent Gd-DTPA enhanced dynamic MRI. Two regions of interest measurements were obtained in the periphery and in the center of the breast cancers. Hemodynamic parameters obtained by dynamic MRI included peak time, contrast enhancement ratio (CE ratio), and washout ratio. The triexponential concentration curve of Gd-DTPA was fitted to a theoretical model based on compartmental analysis. The transfer constant (or permeability surface product per unit volume of compartment 'k') was obtained using this method. Tumor angiogenesis was assessed by plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (P-VEGF). Results: The P-VEGF was positive in 28 of 71 tumors (39%). The CE ratio, washout ratio, and k in the periphery in P-VEGF positive breast cancers (mean 178%, 18%, and 1.5x10 -2 (s-1)) were significantly greater (P -2 (s-1)). The peak time in the periphery in P-VEGF positive breast cancers was more marked than for P-VEGF negative breast cancers, but this difference was not significant. Conclusion: The hemodynamic and pharmacokinetic analysis of MRI provides valuable information about angiogenesis of breast cancers

Characterization of tumor heterogeneity using dynamic contrast enhanced CT and FDG-PET in non-small cell lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elmpt, Wouter van; Das, Marco; Hüllner, Martin; Sharifi, Hoda; Zegers, Catharina M.L.; Reymen, Bart; Lambin, Philippe; Wildberger, Joachim E.; Troost, Esther G.C.; Veit-Haibach, Patrick; De Ruysscher, Dirk

2013-01-01

Purpose: Dynamic contrast-enhanced CT (DCE-CT) quantifies vasculature properties of tumors, whereas static FDG-PET/CT defines metabolic activity. Both imaging modalities are capable of showing intra-tumor heterogeneity. We investigated differences in vasculature properties within primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors measured by DCE-CT and metabolic activity from FDG-PET/CT. Methods: Thirty three NSCLC patients were analyzed prior to treatment. FDG-PET/CT and DCE-CT were co-registered. The tumor was delineated and metabolic activity was segmented on the FDG-PET/CT in two regions: low (<50% maximum SUV) and high (⩾50% maximum SUV) metabolic uptake. Blood flow, blood volume and permeability were calculated using a maximum slope, deconvolution algorithm and a Patlak model. Correlations were assessed between perfusion parameters for the regions of interest. Results: DCE-CT provided additional information on vasculature and tumor heterogeneity that was not correlated to metabolic tumor activity. There was no significant difference between low and high metabolic active regions for any of the DCE-CT parameters. Furthermore, only moderate correlations between maximum SUV and DCE-CT parameters were observed. Conclusions: No direct correlation was observed between FDG-uptake and parameters extracted from DCE-CT. DCE-CT may provide complementary information to the characterization of primary NSCLC tumors over FDG-PET/CT imaging

Breakthrough of toluene vapours in granular activated carbon filled packed bed reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohan, N.; Kannan, G.K.; Upendra, S.; Subha, R.; Kumar, N.S.

2009-01-01

The objective of this research was to determine the toluene removal efficiency and breakthrough time using commercially available coconut shell-based granular activated carbon in packed bed reactor. To study the effect of toluene removal and break point time of the granular activated carbon (GAC), the parameters studied were bed lengths (2, 3, and 4 cm), concentrations (5, 10, and 15 mg l -1 ) and flow rates (20, 40, and 60 ml/min). The maximum percentage removal of 90% was achieved and the maximum carbon capacity for 5 mg l -1 of toluene, 60 ml/min flow rate and 3 cm bed length shows 607.14 mg/g. The results of dynamic adsorption in a packed bed were consistent with those of equilibrium adsorption by gravimetric method. The breakthrough time and quantity shows that GAC with appropriate surface area can be utilized for air cleaning filters. The result shows that the physisorption plays main role in toluene removal.

Effect of bed particles to combustion of gases in fluidized bed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raiko, R.; Wallen, V.; Etelaeaho, R.; Correia, S. [Tampere Univ. of Technology (Finland). Energy and Process Engineering

1997-10-01

The objective of this project was to obtain experimental data on effects of sand particles to the combustion of gases. The effect of the surface area of the particles was tested using different sized particles. The fluidized bed reactor used in these experiments was a stainless-steel tube with an internal diameter of 42 mm surrounded by an electric heater. The test rig was built in the Laboratory of Energy and Process Engineering at Tampere University of Technology. In order to elucidate the possible changes of particle surface, microscopic and porosimetric studies were conducted with both fresh bed particles and used bed particles. These measurements indicate that carbon monoxide significantly reacts with oxygen in the particulate or emulsion phase of a fluidized bed, if the residence time is long enough. The reaction rate depends mainly on temperature, air coefficient, residence time and particle size of the solids. It seems that the combustion enhances if the average particle size increases. Whether this is caused by increased free path length or reduced specific surface area of the bed is yet unknown. The first might be more probable cause because the majority of reactions often took place in the freeboard right above the bed. It was clear that the bed hindered proper combustion in several cases. (orig.)

Bed retained products in swept fixed bed (SFB) coal hydropyrolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mastral, A.M.; Perez-Surio, M.J. [CSIC, Zaragosa (Spain). Inst. de Carboquimica

1997-12-31

The hydropyrolysis of a low rank coal in a swept fixed bed (SFB) reactor is carried out by fixing the hydrogen pressure (40 kg/cm{sup 2}), the hydrogen flow (2 l/min) and the residence time (10 min) at increasing temperatures (400 C, 500 C and 600 C) and coal bed heights (h, 1.5h, 2h, 2.5h and 3h). It is shown that the percentages of tars and char directly depend on the coal bed height and that there is not only a quantitative dependence, but also the height of the coal bed is very important and plays a relevant role on the nature of the conversion products. (orig.)

In-bed accountability of tritium in production scale metal hydride storage beds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, J.E.

1995-01-01

An ''in-bed accountability'' (IBA) flowing gas calorimetric measurement method has been developed and implemented to eliminate the need to remove tritium from production scale metal hydride storage beds for inventory measurement purposes. Six-point tritium IBA calibration curves have been completed for two, 390 gram tritium metal hydride storage beds. The calibration curves for the two tritium beds are similar to those obtained from the ''cold'' test program. Tritium inventory errors at the 95 percent confidence level ranged from ± 7.3 to 8.6 grams for the cold test results compared to ± 4.2 to 7.5 grams obtained for the two tritium calibrated beds

Inhibition of tumor growth in a glioma model treated with boron neutron capture therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodman, J.H.; McGregor, J.M.; Clendenon, N.R.; Gahbauer, R.A.; Barth, R.F.; Soloway, A.H.; Fairchild, R.G.

1990-01-01

This investigation attempts to determine whether increased survival time seen when the F98 glioma model is treated with boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a result of inhibition of tumor growth caused by radiation-induced alterations in endothelial cells and normal tissue components. This indirect effect of radiation has been called the tumor bed effect. A series of tumor-bearing rats was studied, using a standardized investigational BNCT protocol consisting of 50 mg/kg of Na2B12H11SH injected intravenously 14 to 17 hours before neutron irradiation at 4 x 10(12) n/cm2. Ten rats, serving as controls, received no treatment either before or after tumor implantation. A second group of 10 rats was treated with BNCT 4 days before tumor implantation; these animals received no further treatment. The remaining group of 10 rats received no pretreatment but was treated with BNCT 10 days after implantation. Histological and ultrastructural analyses were performed in 2 animals from each group 17 days after implantation. Survival times of the untreated control animals (mean, 25.8 days) did not differ statistically from the survival times of the rats in the pretreated group (mean, 25.5 days). The rats treated with BNCT after implantation survived significantly longer (P less than 0.02; mean, 33.2 days) than the controls and the preirradiated animals. Tumor size indices calculated from measurements taken at the time of death were similar in all groups. These results indicate that, with this tumor model, BNCT does not cause a tumor bed effect in cerebral tissue. The therapeutic gains observed with BNCT result from direct effects on tumor cells or on the peritumoral neovascularity

On equivalent roughness of mobile bed at high shear stress

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Matoušek, Václav; Krupička, Jan

2009-01-01

Roč. 57, č. 3 (2009), s. 191-199 ISSN 0042-790X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA103/06/0428 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20600510 Keywords : bed shear * experiment * hydraulic transport * sediment transport Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 1.000, year: 2009

Thermal Analysis of Fluidized Bed and Fixed Bed Latent Heat Thermal Storage System

Science.gov (United States)

Beemkumar, N.; Karthikeyan, A.; Shiva Keshava Reddy, Kota; Rajesh, Kona; Anderson, A.

2017-05-01

Thermal energy storage technology is essential because its stores available energy at low cost. Objective of the work is to store the thermal energy in a most efficient method. This work is deal with thermal analysis of fluidized bed and fixed bed latent heat thermal storage (LHTS) system with different encapsulation materials (aluminium, brass and copper). D-Mannitol has been used as phase change material (PCM). Encapsulation material which is in orbicular shape with 4 inch diameter and 2 mm thickness orbicular shaped product is used. Therminol-66 is used as a heat transfer fluid (HTF). Arrangement of encapsulation material is done in two ways namely fluidized bed and fixed bed thermal storage system. Comparison was made between the performance of fixed bed and fluidized bed with different encapsulation material. It is observed that from the economical point of view aluminium in fluidized bed LHTS System has highest efficiency than copper and brass. The thermal energy storage system can be analyzed with fixed bed by varying mass flow rate of oil paves a way to find effective heat energy transfer.

Dynamic-thresholding level set: a novel computer-aided volumetry method for liver tumors in hepatic CT images

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Wenli; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Harris, Gordon J.

2007-03-01

Measurement of the volume of focal liver tumors, called liver tumor volumetry, is indispensable for assessing the growth of tumors and for monitoring the response of tumors to oncology treatments. Traditional edge models, such as the maximum gradient and zero-crossing methods, often fail to detect the accurate boundary of a fuzzy object such as a liver tumor. As a result, the computerized volumetry based on these edge models tends to differ from manual segmentation results performed by physicians. In this study, we developed a novel computerized volumetry method for fuzzy objects, called dynamic-thresholding level set (DT level set). An optimal threshold value computed from a histogram tends to shift, relative to the theoretical threshold value obtained from a normal distribution model, toward a smaller region in the histogram. We thus designed a mobile shell structure, called a propagating shell, which is a thick region encompassing the level set front. The optimal threshold calculated from the histogram of the shell drives the level set front toward the boundary of a liver tumor. When the volume ratio between the object and the background in the shell approaches one, the optimal threshold value best fits the theoretical threshold value and the shell stops propagating. Application of the DT level set to 26 hepatic CT cases with 63 biopsy-confirmed hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and metastases showed that the computer measured volumes were highly correlated with those of tumors measured manually by physicians. Our preliminary results showed that DT level set was effective and accurate in estimating the volumes of liver tumors detected in hepatic CT images.

Coupling fine particle and bedload transport in gravel-bedded streams

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jungsu; Hunt, James R.

2017-09-01

Fine particles in the silt- and clay-size range are important determinants of surface water quality. Since fine particle loading rates are not unique functions of stream discharge this limits the utility of the available models for water quality assessment. Data from 38 minimally developed watersheds within the United States Geological Survey stream gauging network in California, USA reveal three lines of evidence that fine particle release is coupled with bedload transport. First, there is a transition in fine particle loading rate as a function of discharge for gravel-bedded sediments that does not appear when the sediment bed is composed of sand, cobbles, boulders, or bedrock. Second, the discharge at the transition in the loading rate is correlated with the initiation of gravel mobilization. Third, high frequency particle concentration and discharge data are dominated by clockwise hysteresis where rising limb discharges generally have higher concentrations than falling limb discharges. These three observations across multiple watersheds lead to a conceptual model that fine particles accumulate within the sediment bed at discharges less than the transition and then the gravel bed fluidizes with fine particle release at discharges above the transition discharge. While these observations were individually recognized in the literature, this analysis provides a consistent conceptual model based on the coupling of fine particle dynamics with filtration at low discharges and gravel bed fluidization at higher discharges.

[Development of a Computer-aided Diagnosis System to Distinguish between Benign and Malignant Mammary Tumors in Dynamic Magnetic Resonance Images: Automatic Detection of the Position with the Strongest Washout Effect in the Tumor].

Science.gov (United States)

Miyazaki, Yoshiaki; Tabata, Nobuyuki; Taroura, Tomomi; Shinozaki, Kenji; Kubo, Yuichiro; Tokunaga, Eriko; Taguchi, Kenichi

We propose a computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) system that uses time-intensity curves to distinguish between benign and malignant mammary tumors. Many malignant tumors show a washout pattern in time-intensity curves. Therefore, we designed a program that automatically detects the position with the strongest washout effect using the technique, such as the subtraction technique, which extracts only the washout area in the tumor, and by scanning data in 2×2 pixel region of interest (ROI). Operation of this independently developed program was verified using a phantom system that simulated tumors. In three cases of malignant tumors, the washout pattern detection rate in images with manually set ROI was ≤6%, whereas the detection rate with our novel method was 100%. In one case of a benign tumor, when the same method was used, we checked that there was no washout effect and detected the persistent pattern. Thus, the distinction between benign and malignant tumors using our method was completely consistent with the pathological diagnoses made. Our novel method is therefore effective for differentiating between benign and malignant mammary tumors in dynamic magnetic resonance images.

Coupling scales for modelling heavy metal vaporization from municipal solid waste incineration in a fluid bed by CFD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soria, José, E-mail: jose.soria@probien.gob.ar [Institute for Research and Development in Process Engineering, Biotechnology and Alternative Energies (PROBIEN, CONICET – UNCo), 1400 Buenos Aires St., 8300 Neuquén (Argentina); Gauthier, Daniel; Flamant, Gilles [Processes, Materials and Solar Energy Laboratory (PROMES-CNRS, UPR 8521), 7 Four Solaire Street, Odeillo, 66120 Font-Romeu (France); Rodriguez, Rosa [Chemical Engineering Institute, National University of San Juan, 1109 Libertador (O) Avenue, 5400 San Juan (Argentina); Mazza, Germán [Institute for Research and Development in Process Engineering, Biotechnology and Alternative Energies (PROBIEN, CONICET – UNCo), 1400 Buenos Aires St., 8300 Neuquén (Argentina)

2015-09-15

Highlights: • A CFD two-scale model is formulated to simulate heavy metal vaporization from waste incineration in fluidized beds. • MSW particle is modelled with the macroscopic particle model. • Influence of bed dynamics on HM vaporization is included. • CFD predicted results agree well with experimental data reported in literature. • This approach may be helpful for fluidized bed reactor modelling purposes. - Abstract: Municipal Solid Waste Incineration (MSWI) in fluidized bed is a very interesting technology mainly due to high combustion efficiency, great flexibility for treating several types of waste fuels and reduction in pollutants emitted with the flue gas. However, there is a great concern with respect to the fate of heavy metals (HM) contained in MSW and their environmental impact. In this study, a coupled two-scale CFD model was developed for MSWI in a bubbling fluidized bed. It presents an original scheme that combines a single particle model and a global fluidized bed model in order to represent the HM vaporization during MSW combustion. Two of the most representative HM (Cd and Pb) with bed temperatures ranging between 923 and 1073 K have been considered. This new approach uses ANSYS FLUENT 14.0 as the modelling platform for the simulations along with a complete set of self-developed user-defined functions (UDFs). The simulation results are compared to the experimental data obtained previously by the research group in a lab-scale fluid bed incinerator. The comparison indicates that the proposed CFD model predicts well the evolution of the HM release for the bed temperatures analyzed. It shows that both bed temperature and bed dynamics have influence on the HM vaporization rate. It can be concluded that CFD is a rigorous tool that provides valuable information about HM vaporization and that the original two-scale simulation scheme adopted allows to better represent the actual particle behavior in a fluid bed incinerator.

Coupling scales for modelling heavy metal vaporization from municipal solid waste incineration in a fluid bed by CFD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soria, José; Gauthier, Daniel; Flamant, Gilles; Rodriguez, Rosa; Mazza, Germán

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A CFD two-scale model is formulated to simulate heavy metal vaporization from waste incineration in fluidized beds. • MSW particle is modelled with the macroscopic particle model. • Influence of bed dynamics on HM vaporization is included. • CFD predicted results agree well with experimental data reported in literature. • This approach may be helpful for fluidized bed reactor modelling purposes. - Abstract: Municipal Solid Waste Incineration (MSWI) in fluidized bed is a very interesting technology mainly due to high combustion efficiency, great flexibility for treating several types of waste fuels and reduction in pollutants emitted with the flue gas. However, there is a great concern with respect to the fate of heavy metals (HM) contained in MSW and their environmental impact. In this study, a coupled two-scale CFD model was developed for MSWI in a bubbling fluidized bed. It presents an original scheme that combines a single particle model and a global fluidized bed model in order to represent the HM vaporization during MSW combustion. Two of the most representative HM (Cd and Pb) with bed temperatures ranging between 923 and 1073 K have been considered. This new approach uses ANSYS FLUENT 14.0 as the modelling platform for the simulations along with a complete set of self-developed user-defined functions (UDFs). The simulation results are compared to the experimental data obtained previously by the research group in a lab-scale fluid bed incinerator. The comparison indicates that the proposed CFD model predicts well the evolution of the HM release for the bed temperatures analyzed. It shows that both bed temperature and bed dynamics have influence on the HM vaporization rate. It can be concluded that CFD is a rigorous tool that provides valuable information about HM vaporization and that the original two-scale simulation scheme adopted allows to better represent the actual particle behavior in a fluid bed incinerator

Bed care for patients in palliative settings: considering risks to caregivers and bed surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Fragala, Guy

2015-02-01

Ensuring patients are comfortable in bed is key to effective palliative care, but when moving and positioning patients in bed, health professionals face an occupational risk of injury. The turning and positioning (TAP) system is a new method of moving patients in bed, that evidence has shown to reduce the risk of injury to caregivers. Providing the correct bed surface is another aspect of bed care essential to the comfort of the palliative patient, and to aid wound prevention and treatment. It is important to take a patient-centred approach when considering the most appropriate bed surface patients. This article provides an overview and discussion of these two aspects of bed care for palliative patients.

Fluid bed porosity equation for an inverse fluidized bed bioreactor with particles growing biofilm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campos-Diaz, K. E.; Limas-Ballesteros, R.

2009-01-01

Fluid Bed Bioreactor performance is strongly affected by bed void fraction or bed porosity fluctuations. Particle size enlargement due to biofilm growth is an important factor that is involved in these variations and until now there are no mathematical equations that consider biofilm growth. In this work a mathematical equation is proposed to calculate bed void fraction in an inverse fluid bed bioreactor. (Author)

Effect of sodium nitroprusside-induced hypotension on the blood flow in subcutaneous and intramuscular BT4An tumors and normal tissues in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krossnes, Baard Kronen; Mella, Olav; Tyssebotn, Ingvald

1996-01-01

Purpose: To examine the effect of infusion of the vasodilator sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on the blood flow in normal tissues and BT 4 An tumors growing subcutaneously or intramusculary in BD IX rats. Methods and Materials: Sodium nitroprusside was given as a continuous intravenous infusion to keep the mean arterial pressure stable at 60 mmHg. The cardiac output, organ blood flow, and perfusion of the BT 4 An tumors were measured by injection of radiolabelled microspheres at control conditions and after 20 min SNP infusion in each animal. Two series of experiments were performed with two anesthetics with different mechanisms of action, Inactin and the midazolam-fentanyl-fluanisone combination (MFF), to secure reliable conclusions. Results: Cardiac output, heart rate, and blood flow to the skeletal muscles, heart, and liver increased during SNP infusion in either anesthetic group. In the kidneys and particularly in the skin, decreased blood flow by SNP was observed. When located subcutaneously on the foot, the blood flow in the tumor fell to 23.4% and 21.4% of the control values in the MFF- and Inactin-anesthetized animals, respectively. This was accompanied by a similar fall in the blood flow in the foot (tumor bed) itself. In the intramuscular tumor the blood flow fell to 24.8% of the control value in the MFF group, whereas the corresponding figure was 36.2% in the Inactin group. In the surrounding muscle (tumor bed) the blood flow increased significantly, most pronounced in the MFF experiment, where it was tripled. Conclusion: The fall in the tumor perfusion by SNP may be exploited therapeutically to increase the tumor temperature during hyperthermia. Predominant heating of the tumor compared to the tumor bed can be expected if the tumor is growing in or near skeletal muscles

Numerical simulation of a full-loop circulating fluidized bed under different operating conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Yupeng [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); Musser, Jordan M. [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); Li, Tingwen [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); AECOM, Morgantown, WV (United States); Rogers, William A. [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States)

2017-10-17

Both experimental and computational studies of the fluidization of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) particles in a small-scale full-loop circulating fluidized bed are conducted. Experimental measurements of pressure drop are taken at different locations along the bed. The solids circulation rate is measured with an advanced Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique. The bed height of the quasi-static region in the standpipe is also measured. Comparative numerical simulations are performed with a Computational Fluid Dynamics solver utilizing a Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM). This paper reports a detailed and direct comparison between CFD-DEM results and experimental data for realistic gas-solid fluidization in a full-loop circulating fluidized bed system. The comparison reveals good agreement with respect to system component pressure drop and inventory height in the standpipe. In addition, the effect of different drag laws applied within the CFD simulation is examined and compared with experimental results.

Cyclic loading tests on ceramic breeder pebble bed by discrete element modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Hao [School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 (China); Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); Guo, Haibing; Shi, Tao [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); Ye, Minyou [School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 (China); Huang, Hongwen, E-mail: hhw@caep.cn [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); Li, Zhenghong, E-mail: inpcnyb@sina.com [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 (China)

2017-05-15

Highlights: • Methods of cyclic loading tests on the pebble beds were developed in DEM. • Size distribution and sphericity of the pebbles were considered for the specimen. • Mechanical responses of the pebble beds under cyclic loading tests were assessed. - Abstract: Complex mechanics and packing instability can be induced by loading operation on ceramic breeder pebble bed for its discrete nature. A numerical approach using discrete element method (DEM) is applied to study the mechanical performance of the ceramic breeder pebble bed under quasi-static and cyclic loads. A preloaded specimen can be made with servo-control mechanism, the quasi-static and dynamic stress-strain performances are studied during the tests. It is found that the normalized normal contact forces under quasi-static loads have the similar distributions, and increase with increasing loads. Furthermore, the relatively low volumetric strain can be absorbed by pebble bed after several loading and unloading cycles, but the peak normal contact force can be extremely high during the first cycle. Cyclic loading with target pressure is recommended for densely packing, irreversible volume reduction gradually increase with cycles, and the normal contact forces decrease with cycles.

Cyclic loading tests on ceramic breeder pebble bed by discrete element modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Hao; Guo, Haibing; Shi, Tao; Ye, Minyou; Huang, Hongwen; Li, Zhenghong

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Methods of cyclic loading tests on the pebble beds were developed in DEM. • Size distribution and sphericity of the pebbles were considered for the specimen. • Mechanical responses of the pebble beds under cyclic loading tests were assessed. - Abstract: Complex mechanics and packing instability can be induced by loading operation on ceramic breeder pebble bed for its discrete nature. A numerical approach using discrete element method (DEM) is applied to study the mechanical performance of the ceramic breeder pebble bed under quasi-static and cyclic loads. A preloaded specimen can be made with servo-control mechanism, the quasi-static and dynamic stress-strain performances are studied during the tests. It is found that the normalized normal contact forces under quasi-static loads have the similar distributions, and increase with increasing loads. Furthermore, the relatively low volumetric strain can be absorbed by pebble bed after several loading and unloading cycles, but the peak normal contact force can be extremely high during the first cycle. Cyclic loading with target pressure is recommended for densely packing, irreversible volume reduction gradually increase with cycles, and the normal contact forces decrease with cycles.

Parallel-Processing Test Bed For Simulation Software

Science.gov (United States)

Blech, Richard; Cole, Gary; Townsend, Scott

1996-01-01

Second-generation Hypercluster computing system is multiprocessor test bed for research on parallel algorithms for simulation in fluid dynamics, electromagnetics, chemistry, and other fields with large computational requirements but relatively low input/output requirements. Built from standard, off-shelf hardware readily upgraded as improved technology becomes available. System used for experiments with such parallel-processing concepts as message-passing algorithms, debugging software tools, and computational steering. First-generation Hypercluster system described in "Hypercluster Parallel Processor" (LEW-15283).

3D numerical model of the spherical particle saltation in a channel with a rough fixed bed

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lukerchenko, Nikolay; Piatsevich, Siarhei; Chára, Zdeněk; Vlasák, Pavel

2009-01-01

Roč. 57, č. 2 (2009), s. 100-112 ISSN 0042-790X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA103/06/1487 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20600510 Keywords : 3D Saltation Model * Bed-Load Transport * Particle-Bed Collision * Particle Rotation * Particle Lateral Dispersion Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 1.000, year: 2009

Dynamic Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI and Diffusion Weighted MR Imaging (DWI for Differentiation between Benign and Malignant Salivary Gland Tumors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Assili S

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Salivary gland tumors form nearly 3% of head and neck tumors. Due to their large histological variety and vicinity to facial nerves, pre-operative diagnosis and differentiation of benign and malignant parotid tumors are a major challenge for radiologists. Objective: The majority of these tumors are benign; however, sometimes they tend to transform into a malignant form. Functional MRI techniques, namely dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE- MRI and diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI can indicate the characteristics of tumor tissue. Methods: DCE-MRI analysis is based on the parameters of time intensity curve (TIC before and after contrast agent injection. This method has the potential to identify the angiogenesis of tumors. DWI analysis is performed according to diffusion of water molecules in a tissue for determination of the cellularity of tumors. Conclusion: According to the literature, these methods cannot be used individually to differentiate benign from malignant salivary gland tumors. An effective approach could be to combine the aforementioned methods to increase the accuracy of discrimination between different tumor types. The main objective of this study is to explore the application of DCE-MRI and DWI for assessment of salivary gland tumor types.

Dynamic Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) and Diffusion Weighted MR Imaging (DWI) for Differentiation between Benign and Malignant Salivary Gland Tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Assili, S; Fathi Kazerooni, A; Aghaghazvini, L; Saligheh Rad, H R; Pirayesh Islamian, J

2015-12-01

Salivary gland tumors form nearly 3% of head and neck tumors. Due to their large histological variety and vicinity to facial nerves, pre-operative diagnosis and differentiation of benign and malignant parotid tumors are a major challenge for radiologists. The majority of these tumors are benign; however, sometimes they tend to transform into a malignant form. Functional MRI techniques, namely dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE-) MRI and diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) can indicate the characteristics of tumor tissue. DCE-MRI analysis is based on the parameters of time intensity curve (TIC) before and after contrast agent injection. This method has the potential to identify the angiogenesis of tumors. DWI analysis is performed according to diffusion of water molecules in a tissue for determination of the cellularity of tumors. According to the literature, these methods cannot be used individually to differentiate benign from malignant salivary gland tumors. An effective approach could be to combine the aforementioned methods to increase the accuracy of discrimination between different tumor types. The main objective of this study is to explore the application of DCE-MRI and DWI for assessment of salivary gland tumor types.

Dynamic Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) and Diffusion Weighted MR Imaging (DWI) for Differentiation between Benign and Malignant Salivary Gland Tumors

Science.gov (United States)

Assili, S.; Fathi Kazerooni, A.; Aghaghazvini, L.; Saligheh Rad, H.R.; Pirayesh Islamian, J.

2015-01-01

Background Salivary gland tumors form nearly 3% of head and neck tumors. Due to their large histological variety and vicinity to facial nerves, pre-operative diagnosis and differentiation of benign and malignant parotid tumors are a major challenge for radiologists. Objective The majority of these tumors are benign; however, sometimes they tend to transform into a malignant form. Functional MRI techniques, namely dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE-) MRI and diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) can indicate the characteristics of tumor tissue. Methods DCE-MRI analysis is based on the parameters of time intensity curve (TIC) before and after contrast agent injection. This method has the potential to identify the angiogenesis of tumors. DWI analysis is performed according to diffusion of water molecules in a tissue for determination of the cellularity of tumors. Conclusion According to the literature, these methods cannot be used individually to differentiate benign from malignant salivary gland tumors. An effective approach could be to combine the aforementioned methods to increase the accuracy of discrimination between different tumor types. The main objective of this study is to explore the application of DCE-MRI and DWI for assessment of salivary gland tumor types. PMID:26688794

PENGARUH MASSA JENIS PARTIKEL DAN KETINGGIAN PARTIKEL TERHADAP FENOMENA FLUIDISASI DALAM FLUIDIZED BED DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN CFD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosyida Permatasari

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Fenomena fluidisasi pada fluidized bed yaitu kecepatan minimum dan tekanan statis partikel merupakan hal fenomena yang penting dalam desain fluidized bed. Fenomena-fenomena tersebut dipengaruhi oleh banyak faktor dalam fluidized bed diantaranya massa jenis dan tinggi partikel di dalam fluidized bed. Penelitian ini menggunakan jenis partikel yang berbeda-beda dan rasio ketinggian partikel terhadap diameter fluidized bed (H/D dengan menggunakan Computational Fluid Dynamics. Partikel yang digunakan adalah partikel dengan jenis Geldart B yaitu glass beads (ρ=2600 kg/m3, ground walnut shell (ρ=1200 kg/m3 dan ground corncob (ρ=800 kg/m3, sedangkan rasio ketinggian partikel yang digunakan yaitu 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, dan 2.5. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa massa jenis partikel berbanding lurus dengan kecepatan minimum fluidisasi dan ketinggian partikel tidak mempengaruhi kecepatan minimum fluidisasi.

Early Dynamic 68Ga-DOTA-D-Phe1-Tyr3-Octreotide PET/CT in Patients With Hepatic Metastases of Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sänger, Philipp Wilhelm; Freesmeyer, Martin

2016-06-01

Whole-body PET with Ga-DOTA-D-Phe-Tyr-octreotide (Ga-DOTATOC) and contrast-enhanced CT (ceCT) are considered a standard for the staging of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). This study sought to verify whether early dynamic (ed) Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT can reliably detect liver metastases of NETs (hypervascular, nonhypervascular; positive or negative for somatostatin receptors) and to verify if the receptor positivity has a significant impact on the detection of tumor hypervascularization. Twenty-seven patients with NET were studied by ceCT and standard whole-body PET according to established Ga-DOTATOC protocols. In addition, edPET data were obtained by continuous scanning during the first 300 seconds after bolus injections of the radiotracer. Early dynamic PET required an additional low-dose, native CT image of the liver for the purpose of attenuation correction. Time-activity and time-contrast curves were obtained, the latter being calculated by the difference between tumor and reference regions. Early dynamic PET/CT proved comparable with ceCT in readily identifying hypervascular lesions, irrespective of the receptor status, with activities rising within 16 to 40 seconds. Early dynamic PET/CT also readily identified nonhypervascular, receptor-positive lesions. Positive image contrasts were obtained for hypervascular, receptor-positive lesions, whereas early negative contrasts were obtained for nonhypervascular, receptor-negative lesions. The high image contrast of hypervascular NET metastases in early arterial phases suggests that edPET/CT can become a useful alternative in patients with contraindications to ceCT. The high density of somatostatin receptors did not seem to interfere with the detection of the lesion's hypervascularization.

Radioisotope tracer study in a pilot-scale trickle bed reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pant, H.J.; Pendharkar, A.S. [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Isotope Applications Div, Bombay (India); Prasad, J.S.; Maiti, R.N.; Chawla, R.; Lahri, R.N.; Ram Babu, D. [Engineers India Limited, Gurgaon, Haryana (India); Berne, Ph. [CEA Grenoble, DTEN/SAT, 38 (France)

2001-07-01

Trickle bed reactor (TBR) is a reactor in which a liquid and a gas phase flow concurrently downwards through a fixed bed of catalyst particles while the reaction takes place. The trickle bed reactors find a number of applications in petroleum refining, chemical. petro-chemical and bio-chemical processes due to their suitability for hydro-processing operations.The knowledge of radial distribution, mean residence time (MRT). liquid holdup and degree of axial mixing is a basic requirement to evaluate the reactor performance of a TBR, its optimal size, the physical and chemical interactions and the pumping requirements. Measurement and analysis of residence time distribution (RTD) of liquid phase facilitate the determination of these parameters. This paper describes the measurement of RTD of liquid phase in a pilot-scale trickle bed reactor operating at high pressure. Kerosene and nitrogen were used as liquid and gas phase, respectively. Porous alumina catalyst particles were used as packing. Bromine-82 as para-di-bromo benzene was used as a tracer to measure RTD of organic liquid phase. The RTD of kerosene was measured as a function of liquid and gas flow rates and pressure. The axial dispersion model with exchange between active and dead zones was proposed and used to simulate the measured RTD data and model parameters i.e mean residence time ({tau}), Peclet Number (Pe), dynamic fraction of the liquid ({phi}) and the number of transfer units (N) were obtained. The results of the simulations indicated intermediate degree of axial mixing of liquid phase. The RTD predicted by the axial dispersion model with exchange between active and dead zones fits well to the experimentally measured RTD data and thus is a suitable model to describe the dynamics of the liquid phase in TBRs filled with porous catalyst particles. (authors)

Pebble-bed reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lohnert, G.; Mueller-Frank, U.; Heil, J.

1976-01-01

A pebble-bed nuclear reactor of large power rating comprises a container having a funnel-shaped bottom forming a pebble run-out having a centrally positioned outlet. A bed of downwardly-flowing substantially spherical nuclear fuel pebbles is positioned in the container and forms a reactive nuclear core maintained by feeding unused pebbles to the bed's top surface while used or burned-out pebbles run out and discharge through the outlet. A substantially conical body with its apex pointing upwardly and its periphery spaced from the periphery of the container spreads the bottom of the bed outwardly to provide an annular flow down the funnel-shaped bottom forming the runout, to the discharge outlet. This provides a largely constant downward velocity of the spheres throughout the diameter of the bed throughout a substantial portion of the down travel, so that all spheres reach about the same burned-out condition when they leave the core, after a single pass through the core area

Fluid dynamics of air in a packed bed: velocity profiles and the continuum model assumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

NEGRINI A. L.

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Air flow through packed beds was analyzed experimentally under conditions ranging from those that reinforce the effect of the wall on the void fraction to those that minimize it. The packing was spherical particles, with a tube-to-particle diameter ratio (D/dp between 3 and 60. Air flow rates were maintained between 1.3 and 4.44 m3/min, and gas velocity was measured with a Pitot tube positioned above the bed exit. Measurements were made at various radial and angular coordinate values, allowing the distribution of air flow across the bed to be described in detail. Comparison of the experimentally observed radial profiles with those derived from published equations revealed that at high D/dp ratios the measured and calculated velocity profiles behaved similarly. At low ratios, oscillations in the velocity profiles agreed with those in the voidage profiles, signifying that treating the porous medium as a continuum medium is questionable in these cases.

The Safety of Hospital Beds

Science.gov (United States)

Gervais, Pierre; Pooler, Charlotte; Merryweather, Andrew; Doig, Alexa K.; Bloswick, Donald

2015-01-01

To explore the safety of the standard and the low hospital bed, we report on a microanalysis of 15 patients’ ability to ingress, move about the bed, and egress. The 15 participants were purposefully selected with various disabilities. Bed conditions were randomized with side rails up or down and one low bed with side rails down. We explored the patients’ use of the side rails, bed height, ability to lift their legs onto the mattress, and ability to turn, egress, and walk back to the chair. The standard bed was too high for some participants, both for ingress and egress. Side rails were used by most participants when entering, turning in bed, and exiting. We recommend that side rails be reconsidered as a means to facilitate in-bed movement, ingress, and egress. Furthermore, single deck height settings for all patients are not optimal. Low beds as a safety measure must be re-evaluated. PMID:28462302

Fluid-bed combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hunt, G.; Schoebotham, N.

1981-02-01

In Energy Equipment Company's two-stage fluidized bed system, partial combustion in a fluidized bed is followed by burn-off of the generated gases above the bed. The system can be retrofitted to existing boilers, and can burn small, high ash coal efficiently. It has advantages when used as a hot gas generator for process drying. Tests on a boiler at a Cadbury Schweppes plant are reported.

Numerical simulations on self-leveling behaviors with cylindrical debris bed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Liancheng, E-mail: Liancheng.guo@kit.edu [Institute for Nuclear and Energy Technologies (IKET), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Morita, Koji, E-mail: morita@nucl.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, 2-3-7, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan); Tobita, Yoshiharu, E-mail: tobita.yoshiharu@jaea.go.jp [Fast Reactor Safety Technology Development Department, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 4002 Narita, O-arai, Ibaraki 311-1393 (Japan)

2017-04-15

Highlights: • A 3D coupled method was developed by combining DEM with the multi-fluid model of SIMMER-IV code. • The method was validated by performing numerical simulations on a series of experiments with cylindrical particle bed. • Reasonable agreement can demonstrate the applicability of the method in reproducing the self-leveling behavior. • Sensitivity analysis on some model parameters was performed to assess their impacts. - Abstract: The postulated core disruptive accidents (CDAs) are regarded as particular difficulties in the safety analysis of liquid-metal fast reactors (LMFRs). In the CDAs, core debris may settle on the core-support structure and form conic bed mounds. Then debris bed can be levelled by the heat convection and vaporization of surrounding coolant sodium, which is named “self-leveling behavior”. The self-leveling behavior is a crucial issue in the safety analysis, due to its significant effect on the relocation of molten core and heat-removal capability of the debris bed. Considering its complicate multiphase mechanism, a comprehensive computational tool is needed to reasonably simulate transient particle behavior as well as thermal-hydraulic phenomenon of surrounding fluid phases. The SIMMER program is a successful computer code initially developed as an advanced tool for CDA analysis of LMFRs. It is a multi-velocity-field, multiphase, multicomponent, Eulerian, fluid dynamics code coupled with a fuel-pin model and a space- and energy-dependent neutron kinetics model. Until now, the code has been successfully applied in numerical simulations for reproducing key thermal-hydraulic phenomena involved in CDAs as well as performing reactor safety assessment. However, strong interactions between massive solid particles as well as particle characteristics in multiphase flows were not taken into consideration in its fluid-dynamics models. To solve this problem, a new method is developed by combining the discrete element method (DEM

Dissolved oxygen control in a coupled fluidized bed system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, R.M.; Melcer, H.

1988-01-01

The biological fluidized bed process is a modification of more conventional fixed film processes, such as the trickling filter, in which wastewater is passed upward through a bed of granular support medium, typically sand, at a sufficient velocity to expand or fluidize the medium. The granular medium provides a large surface area for the establishment of a biological film. The fluidized bed process was selected to investigate the treatment of coking plant wastewaters in view of the significant advantages offered in terms of reduced reactor volumes that result from the high biomass concentration maintained on the support medium. The technical feasibility of treating coal distillation condensates was evaluated during a 3-year study at Environment Canada's Wastewater Technology Centre (WTC). The feed to the pilot scale test system consisted of effluent from fixed and free leg ammonia stills at the by-product coke plant of Dofasco Inc. in Hamilton, Ontario. The pilot plant consisted of two fluidized bed reactors in series, coupled to provide carbon oxidation, nitrification and denitrification in the predenitrification operating mode. The anoxic denitrification reactor was 115 mm in diameter and the oxygenic nitrification reactor, 290 mm in diameter. The bed heights and reactor volumes were adjustable by relocation of the position of the sand/biomass wasting valve. The experimental objective of this research was to determine those operating conditions required to maintain stable nitrification and complete denitrification under both steady state and dynamic operating conditions. Details regarding operating, sampling and analytic procedures have been presented elsewhere. A specific operating problem existed relating to the control of the dissolved oxygen concentration in the oxygenic fluidized bed reactor, the solution of which forms the basis of the paper

Design of expanded bed supports for the recovery of plasmid DNA by anion exchange adsorption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Theodossiou, Irini; Søndergaard, M.; Thomas, Owen R. T.

2001-01-01

In this study we detail the rational design of new chromatographic adsorbents tailored for the capture of plasmid DNA. Features present on current chromatographic supports that can significantly enhance plasmid binding capacity have been identified in packed bed chromatography experiments...... and blueprints for improved expanded bed adsorbents have been put forward. The characterisation and testing of small (20-40 mum) high density (>3.7 g cm(-3)) pellicular expanded bed materials functionalised with various anion exchange structures is presented. In studies with calf thymus DNA, dynamic binding...... capacities of 1.2 and 3.4 mg ml(-1) were recorded for prototype diethylaminoethyl-and polyethylene imine-linked adsorbents which were respectively 25 and 70 fold higher than those of equivalently derivatised commercial expanded bed materials. The prototype polyethylene imine-coupled material exhibited severe...

Dynamic observation on changes of serum tumor markers levels after implantation of 125I radioactive seeds as treatment for several malignancies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Qihe; Yang Jiali; Gao Mingzhong

2005-01-01

Objective: To study the dynamic changes of serum levels of several tumor markers after implantation of 125 I seeds as treatment for breast, prostate and lung malignancies. Methods: Serum CA15-3 (in 48 cases of breast cancer), PSA (in 59 cases of prostate cancer) and CYFRA21-1 (in 59 cases of lung cancer) levels were measured with RIA both before and after implantation of 125 I seeds as treatment. Furthermore, dynamic observation on the serum markers levels was carried out every 3 months in ten patients in each category. Results: After treatment, levels of these markers dropped significantly. Dynamic observation revealed that in the 10 cases of breast cancer, the levels of CA15-3 dropped continually. However, in the 10 cases of prostatic cancer, the disease got worse and the PSA levels kept increasing. In the lung cancer group, the CYFRA21-1 levels rose markedly and all patients expired before 9 months. Conclusion: Dynamic observation on changes of serum tumor markers (CA15-3, PSA, CYFRA21-1) levels after 125 I seed implantation treatment was of definite prognostic value. (authors)

Apparatus for controlling fluidized beds

Science.gov (United States)

Rehmat, A.G.; Patel, J.G.

1987-05-12

An apparatus and process are disclosed for control and maintenance of fluidized beds under non-steady state conditions. An ash removal conduit is provided for removing solid particulates from a fluidized bed separate from an ash discharge conduit in the lower portion of the grate supporting such a bed. The apparatus and process of this invention is particularly suitable for use in ash agglomerating fluidized beds and provides control of the fluidized bed before ash agglomeration is initiated and during upset conditions resulting in stable, sinter-free fluidized bed maintenance. 2 figs.

Spatial variability of the wave bottom boundary layer over movable rippled beds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rodriguez-Abudo, S.; Foster, D.L.; Henriquez, M.

2013-01-01

Observations of the spatially dependent velocity field over movable bed forms subjected to slightly skewed and asymmetric regular wave forcing were collected. The dynamics between the ripple elements is dominated by coherent vortices, characterized by the swirling strength, and evidenced in the

Experimental study of flow field characteristics on bed configurations in the pebble bed reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia, Xinlong; Gui, Nan; Yang, Xingtuan; Tu, Jiyuan; Jia, Haijun; Jiang, Shengyao

2017-01-01

Highlights: • PTV study of flow fields of pebble bed reactor with different configurations are carried out. • Some criteria are proposed to quantify vertical velocity field and flow uniformity. • The effect of different pebble bed configurations is also compared by the proposed criteria. • The displacement thickness is used analogically to analyze flow field characteristics. • The effect of mass flow variation in the stagnated region of the funnel flow is measured. - Abstract: The flow field characteristics are of fundamental importance in the design work of the pebble bed high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR). The different effects of bed configurations on the flow characteristics of pebble bed are studied through the PTV (Particle Tracking Velocimetry) experiment. Some criteria, e.g. flow uniformity (σ) and mass flow level (α), are proposed to estimate vertical velocity field and compare the bed configurations. The distribution of the Δθ (angle difference between the individual particle velocity and the velocity vector sum of all particles) is also used to estimate the resultant motion consistency level. Moreover, for each bed configuration, the thickness of displacement is analyzed to measure the effect of the funnel flow zone based on the boundary layer theory. Detailed information shows the quantified characteristics of bed configuration effects on flow uniformity and other characteristics; and the sequence of levels of each estimation criterion is obtained for all bed configurations. In addition, a good design of the pebble bed configuration is suggested and these estimation criteria can be also applied and adopted in testing other geometry designs of pebble bed.

Correlative study of dynamic MRI and tumor angiogenesis in gastric carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Qunfeng; Shen Junkang; Feng Yizhong; Qian Minghui; Chai Yuhai

2004-01-01

Objective: To investigate the correlation between the dynamic MRI enhancement characteristics and tumor angiogenesis in gastric carcinoma. Methods: Histopathological slides of 30 patients underwent CD34 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) immunohistochemical staining. Microvessel density (MVD) and VEGF protein expression were analyzed with their relationship to pathological features. The dynamic MRI characteristics, including the maximum contrast enhancement ratio (CERmax), were correlatively studied with MVD and VEGF expression. Results: In 30 cases, MVD was 13.00 to 68.25 per vision field with an average of 42.95 ±14.79. The low expression rate of VEGF was 30% (9/30), while the high expression rate of VEGF was 70% (21/30). MVD and VEGF expression correlated with lymph node metastasis (P>0.05), but their relationships to the degree of differentiation and depth of invasion were not significant (P>0.05). MVD was related to TNM-staging of gastric carcinoma (P>0.05). The expression of VEGF between the stage I and IV had significant differences (P>0.05). MVD was higher in VEGF-high expression than in VEGF-low expression [(47.30 ± 14.16) per vision versus (32.81 ± 11.25) per vision]. CERmax was significantly correlated with MVD (r=0.556, P=0.0014). The distribution features and shape of microvessels within gastric carcinoma were related to the enhancement characteristics such as irregular enhancement and delaminated enhancement. The correlation between CERmax and expression of VEGF was not significant (t=-0.847, P=0.404). Conclusion: The manifestations on dynamic MR images can reflect the distribution features and shape of microvessels within gastric carcinoma. Dynamic MR imaging may prove to be a valuable means in estimating the MVD of gastric carcinoma noninvasively, and further predicting the biological behavior of gastric carcinoma and judging the prognosis. (authors)

Bed diameter effects and incipient slugging in gas fluidized beds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agarwal, P.K.

1986-01-01

The coalescence and growth of bubble swarms formed at the distributor of a fluidized bed gives rise to lateral as well as vertical distributions of bubble properties. However, existing models employ average bubble properties obtained largely from semi-empirical considerations. In a recent Paper, the author developed a bubble growth model based on a population balance approach. Analytical expressions were derived for the bubble characteristic distributions and averages. However, the model, developed for unconstrained growth, did not take into account the effect of the bed diameter and the possibility of slugging. In this Paper, the model is extended to take these aspects into account. A slugging criterion is also developed which is expected to be valid for the regime where incipient slugging depends on the bed height as well as the region where bed height does not significantly affect minimum slugging conditions

Understanding and modeling retention of mammalian cells in fluidized bed centrifuges.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, William; Rubin, Jonathan; Scully, Jennifer; Kamaraju, Hari; Wnukowski, Piotr; Bhatia, Ravinder

2016-11-01

Within the last decade, fully disposable centrifuge technologies, fluidized-bed centrifuges (FBC), have been introduced to the biologics industry. The FBC has found a niche in cell therapy where it is used to collect, concentrate, and then wash mammalian cell product while continuously discarding centrate. The goal of this research was to determine optimum FBC conditions for recovery of live cells, and to develop a mathematical model that can assist with process scaleup. Cell losses can occur during bed formation via flow channels within the bed. Experimental results with the kSep400 centrifuge indicate that, for a given volume processed: the bed height (a bed compactness indicator) is affected by RPM and flowrate, and dead cells are selectively removed during operation. To explain these results, two modeling approaches were used: (i) equating the centrifugal and inertial forces on the cells (i.e., a force balance model or FBM) and (ii) a two-phase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to predict liquid flow patterns and cell retention in the bowl. Both models predicted bed height vs. time reasonably well, though the CFD model proved more accurate. The flow patterns predicted by CFD indicate a Coriolis-driven flow that enhances uniformity of cells in the bed and may lead to cell losses in the outflow over time. The CFD-predicted loss of viable cells and selective removal of the dead cells generally agreed with experimental trends, but did over-predict dead cell loss by up to 3-fold for some of the conditions. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:1520-1530, 2016. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Can visual assessment of blood flow patterns by dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography distinguish between malignant and benign lung tumors?

Science.gov (United States)

Harders, Stefan Walbom; Madsen, Hans Henrik; Nellemann, Hanne Marie; Rasmussen, Torben Riis; Thygesen, Jesper; Hager, Henrik; Andersen, Niels Trolle; Rasmussen, Finn

2017-05-01

Dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (DCE-CT) is a tool, which, in theory, can quantify the blood flow and blood volume of tissues. In structured qualitative analysis, parametric color maps yield a visual impression of the blood flow and blood volume within the tissue being studied, allowing for quick identification of the areas with the highest or lowest blood flow and blood volume. To examine whether DCE-CT could be used to distinguish between malignant and benign lung tumors in patients with suspected lung cancer. Fifty-nine patients with suspected lung cancer and a lung tumor on their chest radiograph were included for DCE-CT. The tumors were categorized using structured qualitative analysis of tumor blood flow patterns. Histopathology was used as reference standard. Using structured qualitative analysis of tumor blood flow patterns, it was possible to distinguish between malignant and benign lung tumors (Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact test, P  = 0.022). The inter-reader agreement of this method of analysis was slight to moderate (kappa = 0.30; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.13-0.46). DCE-CT in suspected lung cancer using structured qualitative analysis of tumor blood flow patterns is accurate as well as somewhat reproducible. However, there are significant limitations to DCE-CT.

Large-Scale Spatial Dynamics of Intertidal Mussel (

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Folmer, E.O.; Drent, J.; Troost, K.; Büttger, H.; Dankers, N.; Jansen, J.; van Stralen, M.; Millat, G.; Herlyn, M.; Philippart, C.J.M.

2014-01-01

Intertidal blue mussel beds are important for the functioning and community composition of coastal ecosystems. Modeling spatial dynamics of intertidal mussel beds is complicated because suitable habitat is spatially heterogeneously distributed and recruitment and loss are hard to predict. To get

Paleoecology of the Late Pennsylvanian-age Calhoun coal bed and implications for long-term dynamics of wetland ecosystems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Willard, Debra A. [US Geological Survey, 926A National Center, Reston (VA 20192 USA); Phillips, Tom L. [Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana (IL 61801 USA); Lesnikowska, Alicia D. [Box 24, Rt. 2, Vineyard Haven (MA 02568 USA); DiMichele, William A. [Department of Paleobiology, NMNH, Smithsonian Institution, Washington (DC 20560 USA)

2007-01-02

Quantitative plant assemblage data from coal balls, miospores, megaspores, and compression floras from the Calhoun coal bed (Missourian) of the Illinois Basin (USA) are used to interpret spatial and temporal changes in plant communities in the paleo-peat swamp. Coal-ball and miospore floras from the Calhoun coal bed are dominated strongly by tree ferns, and pteridosperms and sigillarian lycopsids are subdominant, depending on geographic location within the coal bed. Although the overall composition of Calhoun peat-swamp assemblages is consistent both temporally and spatially, site-to-site differences and short-term shifts in species dominance indicate local topographic and hydrologic control on species composition within the broader context of the swamp. Statistical comparison of the Calhoun miospore assemblages with those from other Late Pennsylvanian coal beds suggests that the same basic species pool was represented in each peat-swamp landscape and that the relative patterns of dominance and diversity were persistent from site to site. Therefore, it appears that the relative patterns of proportional dominance stayed roughly the same from one coal bed to the next during Late Pennsylvanian glacially-driven climatic oscillations. (author)

Effect of bed configuration on pebble flow uniformity and stagnation in the pebble bed reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gui, Nan; Yang, Xingtuan; Tu, Jiyuan; Jiang, Shengyao

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Pebble flow uniformity and stagnation characteristics are very important for HTR-PM. • Arc- and brachistochrone-shaped configuration effects are studied by DEM simulation. • Best bed configurations with uniform flow and no stagnated pebbles are suggested. • Detailed quantified characteristics of bed configuration effects are shown for explanation. - Abstract: Pebble flow uniformity and stagnation characteristics are very important for the design of pebble bed high temperature gas-cooled reactor. Pebble flows inside some specifically designed contraction configurations of pebble bed are studied by discrete element method. The results show the characteristics of stagnation rates, recycling rates, radial distribution of pebble velocity and residence time. It is demonstrated clearly that the bed with a brachistochrone-shaped configuration achieves optimum levels of flow uniformity and recycling rate concentration, and almost no pebbles are stagnated in the bed. Moreover, the optimum choice among the arc-shaped bed configurations is demonstrated too. Detailed information shows the quantified characteristics of bed configuration effects on flow uniformity. In addition, a good design of the pebble bed configuration is suggested

Postoperative Stereotactic Radiosurgery Without Whole-Brain Radiation Therapy for Brain Metastases: Potential Role of Preoperative Tumor Size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartford, Alan C.; Paravati, Anthony J.; Spire, William J.; Li, Zhongze; Jarvis, Lesley A.; Fadul, Camilo E.; Rhodes, C. Harker; Erkmen, Kadir; Friedman, Jonathan; Gladstone, David J.; Hug, Eugen B.; Roberts, David W.; Simmons, Nathan E.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Radiation therapy following resection of a brain metastasis increases the probability of disease control at the surgical site. We analyzed our experience with postoperative stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) as an alternative to whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT), with an emphasis on identifying factors that might predict intracranial disease control and overall survival (OS). Methods and Materials: We retrospectively reviewed all patients through December 2008, who, after surgical resection, underwent SRS to the tumor bed, deferring WBRT. Multiple factors were analyzed for time to intracranial recurrence (ICR), whether local recurrence (LR) at the surgical bed or “distant” recurrence (DR) in the brain, for time to WBRT, and for OS. Results: A total of 49 lesions in 47 patients were treated with postoperative SRS. With median follow-up of 9.3 months (range, 1.1-61.4 months), local control rates at the resection cavity were 85.5% at 1 year and 66.9% at 2 years. OS rates at 1 and 2 years were 52.5% and 31.7%, respectively. On univariate analysis (preoperative) tumors larger than 3.0 cm exhibited a significantly shorter time to LR. At a cutoff of 2.0 cm, larger tumors resulted in significantly shorter times not only for LR but also for DR, ICR, and salvage WBRT. While multivariate Cox regressions showed preoperative size to be significant for times to DR, ICR, and WBRT, in similar multivariate analysis for OS, only the graded prognostic assessment proved to be significant. However, the number of intracranial metastases at presentation was not significantly associated with OS nor with other outcome variables. Conclusions: Larger tumor size was associated with shorter time to recurrence and with shorter time to salvage WBRT; however, larger tumors were not associated with decrements in OS, suggesting successful salvage. SRS to the tumor bed without WBRT is an effective treatment for resected brain metastases, achieving local control particularly for tumors up to

The expression of VE-cadherin in breast cancer cells modulates cell dynamics as a function of tumor differentiation and promotes tumor-endothelial cell interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Rezaei, Maryam; Cao, Jiahui; Friedrich, Katrin; Kemper, Björn; Brendel, Oliver; Grosser, Marianne; Adrian, Manuela; Baretton, Gustavo; Breier, Georg; Schnittler, Hans-Joachim

2018-01-01

The cadherin switch has profound consequences on cancer invasion and metastasis. The endothelial-specific vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) has been demonstrated in diverse cancer types including breast cancer and is supposed to modulate tumor progression and metastasis, but underlying mechanisms need to be better understood. First, we evaluated VE-cadherin expression by tissue microarray in 392 cases of breast cancer tumors and found a diverse expression and distribution of VE-cadherin. Experimental expression of fluorescence-tagged VE-cadherin (VE-EGFP) in undifferentiated, fibroblastoid and E-cadherin-negative MDA-231 (MDA-VE-EGFP) as well as in differentiated E-cadherin-positive MCF-7 human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-VE-EGFP), respectively, displayed differentiation-dependent functional differences. VE-EGFP expression reversed the fibroblastoid MDA-231 cells to an epithelial-like phenotype accompanied by increased β-catenin expression, actin and vimentin remodeling, increased cell spreading and barrier function and a reduced migration ability due to formation of VE-cadherin-mediated cell junctions. The effects were largely absent in both MDA-VE-EGFP and in control MCF-EGFP cell lines. However, MCF-7 cells displayed a VE-cadherin-independent planar cell polarity and directed cell migration that both developed in MDA-231 only after VE-EGFP expression. Furthermore, VE-cadherin expression had no effect on tumor cell proliferation in monocultures while co-culturing with endothelial cells enhanced tumor cell proliferation due to integration of the tumor cells into monolayer where they form VE-cadherin-mediated cell contacts with the endothelium. We propose an interactive VE-cadherin-based crosstalk that might activate proliferation-promoting signals. Together, our study shows a VE-cadherin-mediated cell dynamics and an endothelial-dependent proliferation in a differentiation-dependent manner.

Visualization of bed material movement in a simulated fluidized bed heat exchanger by neutron radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umekawa, Hisashi; Ozawa, Mamoru; Takenaka, Nobuyuki; Matsubayashi, Masahito

1999-01-01

The bulk movement of fluidized bed material was visualized by neutron radiography by introducing tracers into the bed materials. The simulated fluidized bed consisted of aluminum plates, and the bed material was sand of 99.7% SiO 2 (mean diameter: 0.218 mm, density: 2555 kg/m 3 ). Both materials were almost transparent to neutrons. Then the sand was colored by the contamination of the sand coated by CdSO 4 . Tracer particles of about 2 mm diameter were made by the B 4 C, bonded by the vinyl resin. The tracer was about ten times as large as the particle of fluidized bed material, but the traceability was enough to observe the bed-material bulk movement owing to the large effective viscosity of the fluidized bed. The visualized images indicated that the bubbles and/or wakes were important mechanism of the behavior of the fluidized bed movement

Method and apparatus for a combination moving bed thermal treatment reactor and moving bed filter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Badger, Phillip C.; Dunn, Jr., Kenneth J.

2015-09-01

A moving bed gasification/thermal treatment reactor includes a geometry in which moving bed reactor particles serve as both a moving bed filter and a heat carrier to provide thermal energy for thermal treatment reactions, such that the moving bed filter and the heat carrier are one and the same to remove solid particulates or droplets generated by thermal treatment processes or injected into the moving bed filter from other sources.

Fluidised bed combustion system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKenzie, E.C.

1976-01-01

Fluidized bed combustion systems that facilitates the maintenance of the depth of the bed are described. A discharge pipe projects upwardly into the bed so that bed material can flow into its upper end and escape downwardly. The end of the pipe is surrounded by an enclosure and air is discharged into the enclosure so that material will enter the pipe from within the enclosure and have been cooled in the enclosure by the air discharged into it. The walls of the enclosure may themselves be cooled

Diagnosis of renal cell cancer by dynamic MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Togami, Izumi; Kitagawa, Takahiro; Katoh, Katsuya

1992-01-01

Dynamic MRI was performed in 15 cases (16 lesions) of renal cell cancer. The enhanced pattern of the tumor was mainly evaluated and findings were compared with these of dynamic CT and renal angiography. Enhanced patterns on dynamic MRI and dynamic CT were similar, but each phase on dynamic MRI tended to be prolonged compared with dynamic CT. Many hypervascular tumors on renal angiography had prominent enhancement in an early phase on dynamic MRI, but there was no prominent enhancement in cases with tumor thrombi in the renal vein or IVC. All hypovascular tumors were enhanced to some degree without exception on dynamic MRI. Dynamic MRI is considered to be useful for the evaluation of the characterization, especially vascularity, of renal cell cancer, but we should pay attention to the differential diagnosis from other tumor in atypical cases because its enhanced patterns are various on dynamic MRI. (author)

Abrasion behavior of graphite pebble in lifting pipe of pebble-bed HTR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Ke; Su, Jiageng [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology Cooperation Innovation Center, The Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Engineering and Safety, Ministry of Education, Beijing 10084 (China); Zhou, Hongbo [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology Cooperation Innovation Center, The Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Engineering and Safety, Ministry of Education, Beijing 10084 (China); Chinergy Co., LTD., Beijing 100193 (China); Peng, Wei; Liu, Bing [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology Cooperation Innovation Center, The Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Engineering and Safety, Ministry of Education, Beijing 10084 (China); Yu, Suyun, E-mail: suyuan@tsinghua.edu.cn [Center for Combustion Energy, The Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering, Ministry of Educations, Tsinghua University, Beijing 10084 (China)

2015-11-15

Highlights: • Quantitative determination of abrasion rate of graphite pebbles in different lifting velocities. • Abrasion behavior of graphite pebble in helium, air and nitrogen. • In helium, intensive collisions caused by oscillatory motion result in more graphite dust production. - Abstract: A pebble-bed high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (pebble-bed HTR) uses a helium coolant, graphite core structure, and spherical fuel elements. The pebble-bed design enables on-line refueling, avoiding refueling shutdowns. During circulation process, the pebbles are lifted pneumatically via a stainless steel lifting pipe and reinserted into the reactor. Inevitably, the movement of the fuel elements as they recirculate in the reactor produces graphite dust. Mechanical wear is the primary source of graphite dust production. Specifically, the sources are mechanisms of pebble–pebble contact, pebble–wall (structural graphite) contact, and fuel handling (pebble–metal abrasion). The key contribution to graphite dust production is from the fuel handling system, particularly from the lifting pipe. During pneumatic lift, graphite pebbles undergo multiple collisions with the stainless steel lifting pipe, thereby causing abrasion of the graphite pebbles and producing graphite dust. The present work explored the abrasion behavior of graphite pebble in the lifting pipe by measuring the abrasion rate at different lifting velocities. The abrasion rate of the graphite pebble in helium was found much higher than those in air and nitrogen. This gas environment effect could be explained by either tribology behavior or dynamic behavior. Friction testing excluded the possibility of tribology reason. The dynamic behavior of the graphite pebble was captured by analysis of the audio waveforms during pneumatic lift. The analysis results revealed unique dynamic behavior of the graphite pebble in helium. Oscillation and consequently intensive collisions occur during pneumatic lift, causing

WTP Pretreatment Facility Potential Design Deficiencies--Sliding Bed and Sliding Bed Erosion Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansen, E. K. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2015-05-06

This assessment is based on readily available literature and discusses both Newtonian and non-Newtonian slurries with respect to sliding beds and erosion due to sliding beds. This report does not quantify the size of the sliding beds or erosion rates due to sliding beds, but only assesses if they could be present. This assessment addresses process pipelines in the Pretreatment (PT) facility and the high level waste (HLW) transfer lines leaving the PT facility to the HLW vitrification facility concentrate receipt vessel.

WTP Pretreatment Facility Potential Design Deficiencies--Sliding Bed and Sliding Bed Erosion Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, E. K.

2015-01-01

This assessment is based on readily available literature and discusses both Newtonian and non-Newtonian slurries with respect to sliding beds and erosion due to sliding beds. This report does not quantify the size of the sliding beds or erosion rates due to sliding beds, but only assesses if they could be present. This assessment addresses process pipelines in the Pretreatment (PT) facility and the high level waste (HLW) transfer lines leaving the PT facility to the HLW vitrification facility concentrate receipt vessel.

BedMachine v3: Complete Bed Topography and Ocean Bathymetry Mapping of Greenland From Multibeam Echo Sounding Combined With Mass Conservation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morlighem, M.; Williams, C. N.; Rignot, E.

2017-01-01

Greenland's bed topography is a primary control on ice flow, grounding line migration, calving dynamics, and subglacial drainage. Moreover, fjord bathymetry regulates the penetration of warm Atlantic water (AW) that rapidly melts and undercuts Greenland's marine‐terminating glaciers. Here we...... recent calving front response of numerous outlet glaciers and reveals new pathways by which AW can access glaciers with marine‐based basins, thereby highlighting sectors of Greenland that are most vulnerable to future oceanic forcing....

Bacillus cereus in free-stall bedding.

Science.gov (United States)

Magnusson, M; Svensson, B; Kolstrup, C; Christiansson, A

2007-12-01

To increase the understanding of how different factors affect the bacterial growth in deep sawdust beds for dairy cattle, the microbiological status of Bacillus cereus and coliforms in deep sawdust-bedded free stalls was investigated over two 14-d periods on one farm. High counts of B. cereus and coliforms were found in the entire beds. On average, 4.1 log(10) B. cereus spores, 5.5 log(10) B. cereus, and 6.7 log(10) coliforms per gram of bedding could be found in the upper layers of the sawdust likely to be in contact with the cows' udders. The highest counts of B. cereus spores, B. cereus, and coliforms were found in the bedding before fresh bedding was added, and the lowest immediately afterwards. Different factors of importance for the growth of B. cereus in the bedding material were explored in laboratory tests. These were found to be the type of bedding, pH, and the type and availability of nutrients. Alternative bedding material such as peat and mixtures of peat and sawdust inhibited the bacterial growth of B. cereus. The extent of growth of B. cereus in the sawdust was increased in a dose-dependent manner by the availability of feces. Urine added to different bedding material raised the pH and also led to bacterial growth of B. cereus in the peat. In sawdust, a dry matter content greater than 70% was needed to lower the water activity to 0.95, which is needed to inhibit the growth of B. cereus. In an attempt to reduce the bacterial growth of B. cereus and coliforms in deep sawdust beds on the farm, the effect of giving bedding daily or a full replacement of the beds was studied. The spore count of B. cereus in the back part of the free stalls before fresh bedding was added was 0.9 log units lower in stalls given daily bedding than in stalls given bedding twice weekly. No effect on coliform counts was found. Replacement of the entire sawdust bedding had an effect for a short period, but by 1 to 2 mo after replacement, the counts of B. cereus spores in the

SU-F-T-02: Estimation of Radiobiological Doses (BED and EQD2) of Single Fraction Electronic Brachytherapy That Equivalent to I-125 Eye Plaque: By Using Linear-Quadratic and Universal Survival Curve Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Y; Waldron, T; Pennington, E [University Of Iowa, College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To test the radiobiological impact of hypofractionated choroidal melanoma brachytherapy, we calculated single fraction equivalent doses (SFED) of the tumor that equivalent to 85 Gy of I125-BT for 20 patients. Corresponding organs-at-risks (OARs) doses were estimated. Methods: Twenty patients treated with I125-BT were retrospectively examined. The tumor SFED values were calculated from tumor BED using a conventional linear-quadratic (L-Q) model and an universal survival curve (USC). The opposite retina (α/β = 2.58), macula (2.58), optic disc (1.75), and lens (1.2) were examined. The % doses of OARs over tumor doses were assumed to be the same as for a single fraction delivery. The OAR SFED values were converted into BED and equivalent dose in 2 Gy fraction (EQD2) by using both L-Q and USC models, then compared to I125-BT. Results: The USC-based BED and EQD2 doses of the macula, optic disc, and the lens were on average 118 ± 46% (p < 0.0527), 126 ± 43% (p < 0.0354), and 112 ± 32% (p < 0.0265) higher than those of I125-BT, respectively. The BED and EQD2 doses of the opposite retina were 52 ± 9% lower than I125-BT. The tumor SFED values were 25.2 ± 3.3 Gy and 29.1 ± 2.5 Gy when using USC and LQ models which can be delivered within 1 hour. All BED and EQD2 values using L-Q model were significantly larger when compared to the USC model (p < 0.0274) due to its large single fraction size (> 14 Gy). Conclusion: The estimated single fraction doses were feasible to be delivered within 1 hour using a high dose rate source such as electronic brachytherapy (eBT). However, the estimated OAR doses using eBT were 112 ∼ 118% higher than when using the I125-BT technique. Continued exploration of alternative dose rate or fractionation schedules should be followed.

Numerical simulation and experimental verification of gas flow through packed beds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natarajan, S.; Zhang, C.; Briens, C.

2003-01-01

This work is concerned with finding out an effective way of eliminating oxygen from a packed bed of monomer particles. This process finds application in industries involved in the manufacture of Nylon12. In the manufacture of the polymer Nylon12, the polymerization reaction is hindered by the presence of oxygen. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to get rid of the oxygen by injecting nitrogen to displace the oxygen from the voids in-between the monomer particles before they are introduced into the polymerization reactor. This work involves the numerical simulation and experimental verification of the flow in a packed bed. In addition, a parametric study is carried out for the parameters such as the number of injectors, the radial position of injectors, and the position of the injectors along the circumference of the packed bed to find out the best possible combination for effective elimination of the oxygen. Nitrogen does not interact with the monomer particles and hence there is no chemical reaction involved in this process. The nitrogen is introduced into the packed bed at a flow rate which will keep the superficial velocity well below the minimum fluidization velocity of the monomer particles. The packed bed will be modeled using a porous medium approach available in the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software FLUENT. The fluid flow inside the packed bed will be a multicomponent gas flow through a porous medium. The simulation results are validated by comparing with the experimental results. (author)

Improved combustion performance of waste-fired FB-boilers -The influence of the dynamics of the bed on the air-/fuel interaction; Foerbaettrad foerbraenningsprestanda vid avfallsfoerbraenning i FB-pannor -Baeddynamikens inverkan paa luft-/braensleomblandningen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olsson, Johanna (Hoegskolan i Boraas (Sweden)); Pallares, David; Thunman, Henrik; Johnsson, Filip (Chalmers (Sweden)); Andersson, Bengt-Aake (E.on/Hoegskolan i Boraas (Sweden)); Victoren, Anders (Metso Power AB (Sweden)); Johansson, Andreas (SP, Boraas (Sweden))

2010-07-01

One of the key benefits of fluidized bed combustion is that the bed - through mixing of fuel and air and accumulated heat - facilitates combustion at low stoichiometry and with low emissions. Even so, it is not unusual that waste-fired FB-boilers are operated at 6-8% oxygen that corresponds to 30-40% higher flows of gas than theoretically needed. In addition to that and in comparison to grate furnaces, FB-boiler can cause high pressure drop losses because of the fluidization of the bottom bed, which in turn are associated with high costs for power (fans). This work aims therefore at increasing the knowledge for how the dynamics of the bed affects the air and fuel mixture. Methods to explain and characterize the phenomenon have been derived within this work showing: - Distribution of air in a bed for various cases and the influence of pressure drop, bed height and fluidization velocity - A semi-empiric method to calculate an even bubble distribution - The relation between fluidization and fuel distribution for various fluidization flows and fuels - Dispersion rates for various fuels - Volatilization rates for waste in relation to biomass The result can be useful when optimizing units, for instance through finding as low pressure drops as possible with an even bubble distribution, low risk for sintering and unwanted emissions. The work has thereby reached its ultimate goal of increasing the generic knowledge about waste combustion in FB-boiler

Characterization of fluidization regime in circulating fluidized bed reactor with high solid particle concentration using computational fluid dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chalermsinsuwan, Benjapon; Thummakul, Theeranan; Piumsomboon, Pornpote [Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok (Thailand); Gidaspow, Dimitri [Armour College of Engineering, Chicago (United States)

2014-02-15

The hydrodynamics inside a high solid particle concentration circulating fluidized bed reactor was investigated using computational fluid dynamics simulation. Compared to a low solid particle reactor, all the conventional fluidization regimes were observed. In addition, two unconventional fluidization regimes, circulating-turbulent and dense suspension bypassing regimes, were found with only primary gas injection. The circulating-turbulent fluidization regime showed uniformly dense solid particle distribution in all the system directions, while the dense suspension bypassing fluidization regime exhibited the flow of solid particles at only one side system wall. Then, comprehensive fluidization regime clarification and mapping were evaluated using in-depth system parameters. In the circulating-turbulent fluidization regime, the total granular temperature was low compared to the adjacent fluidization regimes. In the dense suspension bypassing fluidization regime, the highest total granular temperature was obtained. The circulating-turbulent and dense suspension bypassing fluidization regimes are suitable for sorption and transportation applications, respectively.

Clinical outcome of hypofractionated breath-hold image-guided SABR of primary lung tumors and lung metastases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boda-Heggemann, Judit; Wenz, Frederik; Lohr, Frank; Frauenfeld, Anian; Weiss, Christel; Simeonova, Anna; Neumaier, Christian; Siebenlist, Kerstin; Attenberger, Ulrike; Heußel, Claus Peter; Schneider, Frank

2014-01-01

Stereotactic Ablative RadioTherapy (SABR) of lung tumors/metastases has been shown to be an effective treatment modality with low toxicity. Outcome and toxicity were retrospectively evaluated in a unique single-institution cohort treated with intensity-modulated image-guided breath-hold SABR (igSABR) without external immobilization. The dose–response relationship is analyzed based on Biologically Equivalent Dose (BED). 50 lesions in 43 patients with primary NSCLC (n = 27) or lung-metastases of various primaries (n = 16) were consecutively treated with igSABR with Active-Breathing-Coordinator (ABC®) and repeat-breath-hold cone-beam-CT. After an initial dose-finding/-escalation period, 5x12 Gy for peripheral lesions and single doses of 5 Gy to varying dose levels for central lesions were applied. Overall-survival (OS), progression-free-survival (PFS), progression pattern, local control (LC) and toxicity were analyzed. The median BED2 was 83 Gy. 12 lesions were treated with a BED2 of <80 Gy, and 38 lesions with a BED2 of >80 Gy. Median follow-up was 15 months. Actuarial 1- and 2-year OS were 67% and 43%; respectively. Cause of death was non-disease-related in 27%. Actuarial 1- and 2-year PFS was 42% and 28%. Progression site was predominantly distant. Actuarial 1- and 2 year LC was 90% and 85%. LC showed a trend for a correlation to BED2 (p = 0.1167). Pneumonitis requiring conservative treatment occurred in 23%. Intensity-modulated breath-hold igSABR results in high LC-rates and low toxicity in this unfavorable patient cohort with inoperable lung tumors or metastases. A BED2 of <80 Gy was associated with reduced local control

High contrast enhancement aspect of dynamic computed tomography with arterial infusion - DCT-AI. Its clinical applications on hepatic tumors and basic experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kato, Seishi; Iwasaki, Naoya; Matsumura, Yoshimitsu; Kuramae, Shigeru; Mishiro, Tadashi

1983-06-01

Dynamic computed tomography was performed on 112 cases possibly having hepatic tumors with intraarterial infusion of undiluted contrast into a selectively placed catheter following angiographies. Our dynamic program could evaluate not only early phase of enhancement but also late phase up to 120 sec. Reconstructed views from early scans and magnified views were very useful to evaluate minute sequential changes. Hepatic masses less than 5 cm in size were found in thirty-one cases. Patterns of tumor enhancement and time-density curves have been analysed to correlate them with histology. Four types of tumor enhancement were noted: (1) homogeneous (2) patchy (3) mottled (4) ringed. Characteristic changes were observed in hepatocellular carcinoma - HCC - (mostly mottled) and haemangioma (mostly patchy). The former was divided in two groups reflecting the cellular maturity. The metastatic tumor could be enhanced in a ringed form with dendritic pattern of supplying vascularities in some cases. To support the use of undiluted contrast and to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of high contrast enhancement, experiments were performed by taking transaxial views of an acrylic phantom immersed in different concentrations of contrast. Analysis of CT images taken at different HU values ranging from 0 to 450 demonstrated that the higher the concentration of contrast, the better the spatial resolution was. Also larger magnification could be expected by using higher concentration of contrast. Although our Dynamic Computed Tomography with Arterial Infusion of Contrast still has drawbacks and limited indications, we advocate it as a better way of enhancement to detect and evaluate the hepatic masses, which sometimes elude the examiner's grasp with conventional way of enhancement. (author).

Spatio-temporal distribution patterns of the invasive macroalga Sargassum muticum within a Danish Sargassum-bed

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, M. S.; Wernberg, T.; Stæhr, P. A.

2006-01-01

Sargassum muticum was first observed in Scandinavia in Limfjorden (Denmark) in 1984, where it is now the most abundant and conspicuous macroalga. Despite the ecological importance of Sargassum, few studies have described seasonal patterns within Scandinavian Sargassum beds. We quantified the dyna...... and sediment stress limits Sargasum in shallow waters, and the presence of stable boulder substratum facilitate Sargassum. Competition for space from other macroalgae and herbivory are probably of minor importance.......Sargassum muticum was first observed in Scandinavia in Limfjorden (Denmark) in 1984, where it is now the most abundant and conspicuous macroalga. Despite the ecological importance of Sargassum, few studies have described seasonal patterns within Scandinavian Sargassum beds. We quantified...... the dynamics of macroalgae among years and seasons along a depth transect through a typical Sargassum bed in Limfjorden. The annual investigations (summer transects 1989-1999) showed a gradual increase in the dominance of Sargassum, especially at the 2-4-m depth interval. Significant seasonal dynamics...

Metabolic 19F MRI an dynamic 18F PET for chemotherapy monitoring in experimental tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brix, G.; Haberkorn, U.; Bellemann, M.E.

1999-01-01

The efficient clinical use of chemotherapeutic agents requires the assessment of the uptake and metabolism of the drugs in the tumor as well as in the various organs of the body by using noninvasive imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). In this overview, we present different metabolic 19 F MRI and dynamic 18 F PET techniques for noninvasive monitoring of fluorine-containing anticancer drugs and evaluate their potentials and limitations within the framework of experimental animal studies. (orig.) [de

Using a modified Lane’s relation in local bed scouring studies in aluvial bed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Kiraga

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Numerous approaches to the local scour studies have been developed. The research aim was to verify modified Lane’s relation in scope of local scouring phenomenon basing on laboratory studies results. Original Lane’s relation [1955] is applicable in dynamic balance conditions in alluvial rivers context. Original form is not an equation, but a qualitative expression which cannot be directly used to estimate the influence of a change in one parameter on the magnitude of others. Modified version allows transforming it into equation for dynamic equilibrium conditions in steady flow assumption and gives a new opportunity to this principle application. Two physical models of laboratory channel with rectangular cross-sections and glass panels have been constructed, with totally or partially sandy bottom. Model I assumed non-continual sediment transport, because of model construction, i.e. the solid bottom transforms into sandy bottom in the intake part. Model II assumed water structure (the weir with four slots introducing into laboratory channel with solid bottom in its region, whereas the rest of channel was filled with sand above and below structure, i.e. continuity of sediment transport was assured. Results of research confirmed modified Lane’s relation usability in scope of local scouring phenomenon description in dynamic equilibrium conditions of alluvial sandy bed.

Application of CaO-Based Bed Material for Dual Fluidized Bed Steam Biomass Gasification

Science.gov (United States)

Koppatz, S.; Pfeifer, C.; Kreuzeder, A.; Soukup, G.; Hofbauer, H.

Gasification of biomass is a suitable option for decentralized energy supply based on renewable sources in the range of up to 50 MW fuel input. The paper presents the dual fluidized bed (DFB) steam gasification process, which is applied to generate high quality and nitrogen-free product gas. Essential part of the DFB process is the bed material used in the fluidized reactors, which has significant impact on the product gas quality. By the use of catalytically active bed materials the performance of the overall process is increased, since the bed material favors reactions of the steam gasification. In particular, tar reforming reactions are favored. Within the paper, the pilot plant based on the DFB process with 100kW fuel input at Vienna University of Technology, Austria is presented. Actual investigations with focus on CaO-based bed materials (limestone) as well as with natural olivine as bed material were carried out at the pilot plant. The application of CaO-based bed material shows mainly decreased tar content in the product gas in contrast to experiments with olivine as bed material. The paper presents the results of steam gasification experiments with limestone and olivine, whereby the product gas composition as well as the tar content and the tar composition are outlined.

Biodegradation of phenolic waste liquors in stirred-tank, packed-bed, and fluidized-bed bioreactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holladay, D W; Hancher, G W; Chilcote, D D; Scott, C D

1978-11-01

The biological degradation of phenolic scrub liquors similar to those that arise in coal conversion processes was studied for symbiotic bacterial populations contained in a continuously stirred tank bioreactor, a three-phase packed-bed bioreactor, and a three-phase, fluidized-bed bioreactor. The conversions of phenol compounds were comparable in the three-phase, packed-bed bioreactor and the continuously stirred tank bioreactor; however, the packed-bed bioreactor degradation rates were as much as twice those in the continuously stirred tank bioreactor, and packed-bed bioreactor retention times were as low as one- tenth those of the continuously stirred tank bioreactors (minimum time was 12 hours).

Differential oxygen dynamics in two diverse Dunning prostate R3327 rat tumor sublines (MAT-Lu and HI) with respect to growth and respiratory challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Dawen; Constantinescu, Anca; Hahn, Eric W.; Mason, Ralph P.

2002-01-01

Purpose: Since hypoxia may influence tumor response to therapy and prognosis, we have compared oxygenation of tumors known to exhibit differential growth rate and tissue differentiation. Methods and Materials: Regional tumor oxygen tension was measured using 19 F nuclear magnetic resonance echo planar imaging relaxometry of hexafluorobenzene, which provided dynamic maps with respect to respiratory intervention. Investigations used two Dunning prostate R3327 rat tumor sublines: the fast growing, highly metastatic MAT-Lu and the moderately well-differentiated, slower growing HI. Results: Both sublines showed significantly higher oxygen tension in smaller tumors ( 3 ) than in larger tumors (>3.5 cm 3 ). Pooled data showed that MAT-Lu tumors exhibited greater hypoxia compared with the size-matched HI tumors (p 2 for tumors of both sublines (p 2 , while those in the MAT-Lu tumors showed little response to respiratory intervention. Conclusions: These results concur with hypotheses that hypoxia is related to tumor growth rate and degree of differentiation. Under baseline conditions, the differences were subtle. However, response to respiratory intervention revealed highly significant differences, which, if held valid in the clinic, could have prognostic value

Application of computational fluid dynamics for the simulation of cryogenic molecular sieve bed absorber of hydrogen isotopes recovery system for Indian LLCB-TBM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gayathri Devi, V.; Sircar, A.; Sarkar, B. [Institute of Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar, Gujarar (India)

2015-03-15

One of the most challenging tasks in the design of the fuel cycle system lies in the effective design of Tritium Extraction System (TES) which involves proper extraction and purification of tritium in the fuel cycle of the fusion reactor. Indian Lead Lithium cooled Ceramic Breeder Test Blanket Module (LLCB-TBM) would extract hydrogen isotopes through Cryogenic Molecular Sieve Bed (CMSB) adsorber system. A prototype Hydrogen Isotopes Recovery System (HIRS) is being developed to validate the concepts for tritium extraction by adsorption mass transfer mechanism. In this study, a design model has been developed and analyzed to simulate the adsorption mass transfer kinetics in a fixed bed adsorption column. The simulation leads primarily to effective design of HIRS, which is a state-of-the-art technology. The paper describes the process simulation approach and the results of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis. The effects of different operating conditions are studied to investigate their influence on the hydrogen isotopes adsorption capacity. The results of the present simulation study would be used to understand the best optimized transport phenomenon before realizing the TES as a system for LLCB-TBM. (authors)

Bed and bed-site reuse by western lowland gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwata, Yuji; Ando, Chieko

2007-01-01

In this paper we describe bed (nest) and bed-site reuse by western lowland gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, south-eastern Gabon. During an eight-month study 44 bed sites and 506 beds were found. Among these, 38.6% of bed sites and 4.1% of beds were reused. We analyzed the monthly frequency of bed-site reuse in relation to rainfall, fruit abundance, and fruit consumption by the gorillas. The different frequency of bed-site reuse in the rainy and dry seasons was not significant. More bed-site reuse was observed during the fruiting season than during the non-fruiting season. Results from fecal analysis suggested that gorillas ate more fruit in the fruiting season than in the non-fruiting season. The frugivorous diet of western gorillas may possibly cause gorillas to stay in some areas and, consequently, reuse their bed sites. Reuse of bed sites by gorillas suggests their frequent return to an area where preferred fruit is readily available. A higher percentage of arboreal beds may also affect bed-site reuse, because of the shortage of bed material.

Numerical investigation of solid mixing in a fluidized bed coating process

Science.gov (United States)

Kenche, Venkatakrishna; Feng, Yuqing; Ying, Danyang; Solnordal, Chris; Lim, Seng; Witt, Peter J.

2013-06-01

Fluidized beds are widely used in many process industries including the food and pharmaceutical sectors. Despite being an intensive research area, there are no design rules or correlations that can be used to quantitatively predict the solid mixing in a specific system for a given set of operating conditions. This paper presents a numerical study of the gas and solid dynamics in a laboratory scale fluidized bed coating process used for food and pharmaceutical industries. An Eulerian-Eulerian model (EEM) with kinetic theory of granular flow is selected as the modeling technique, with the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software package ANSYS/Fluent being the numerical platform. The flow structure is investigated in terms of the spatial distribution of gas and solid flow. The solid mixing has been evaluated under different operating conditions. It was found that the solid mixing rate in the horizontal direction is similar to that in the vertical direction under the current design and operating conditions. It takes about 5 s to achieve good mixing.

Matching the reaction-diffusion simulation to dynamic [18F]FMISO PET measurements in tumors: extension to a flow-limited oxygen-dependent model.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Kuangyu; Bayer, Christine; Gaertner, Florian C; Astner, Sabrina T; Wilkens, Jan J; Nüsslin, Fridtjof; Vaupel, Peter; Ziegler, Sibylle I

2017-02-01

Positron-emission tomography (PET) with hypoxia specific tracers provides a noninvasive method to assess the tumor oxygenation status. Reaction-diffusion models have advantages in revealing the quantitative relation between in vivo imaging and the tumor microenvironment. However, there is no quantitative comparison of the simulation results with the real PET measurements yet. The lack of experimental support hampers further applications of computational simulation models. This study aims to compare the simulation results with a preclinical [ 18 F]FMISO PET study and to optimize the reaction-diffusion model accordingly. Nude mice with xenografted human squamous cell carcinomas (CAL33) were investigated with a 2 h dynamic [ 18 F]FMISO PET followed by immunofluorescence staining using the hypoxia marker pimonidazole and the endothelium marker CD 31. A large data pool of tumor time-activity curves (TAC) was simulated for each mouse by feeding the arterial input function (AIF) extracted from experiments into the model with different configurations of the tumor microenvironment. A measured TAC was considered to match a simulated TAC when the difference metric was below a certain, noise-dependent threshold. As an extension to the well-established Kelly model, a flow-limited oxygen-dependent (FLOD) model was developed to improve the matching between measurements and simulations. The matching rate between the simulated TACs of the Kelly model and the mouse PET data ranged from 0 to 28.1% (on average 9.8%). By modifying the Kelly model to an FLOD model, the matching rate between the simulation and the PET measurements could be improved to 41.2-84.8% (on average 64.4%). Using a simulation data pool and a matching strategy, we were able to compare the simulated temporal course of dynamic PET with in vivo measurements. By modifying the Kelly model to a FLOD model, the computational simulation was able to approach the dynamic [ 18 F]FMISO measurements in the investigated

Metabolic and microbial community dynamics during the hydrolytic and acidogenic fermentation in a leach-bed process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Straeuber, Heike; Kleinsteuber, Sabine [UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig (Germany). Dept. of Bioenergy; UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig (Germany). Dept. of Environmental Microbiology; Schroeder, Martina [UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig (Germany). Dept. of Bioenergy

2012-12-15

Biogas production from lignocellulosic feedstock not competing with food production can contribute to a sustainable bioenergy system. The hydrolysis is the rate-limiting step in the anaerobic digestion of solid substrates such as straw. Hence, a detailed understanding of the metabolic processes during the steps of hydrolysis and acidogenesis is required to improve process control strategies. The fermentation products formed during the acidogenic fermentation of maize silage as a model substrate in a leach-bed process were determined by gas and liquid chromatography. The bacterial community dynamics was monitored by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The community profiles were correlated with the process data using multivariate statistics. The batch process comprised three metabolic phases characterized by different fermentation products. The bacterial community dynamics correlated with the production of the respective metabolites. In phase 1, lactic and acetic acid fermentations dominated. Accordingly, bacteria of the genera Lactobacillus and Acetobacter were detected. In phase 2, the metabolic pathways shifted to butyric acid fermentation, accompanied by the production of hydrogen and carbon dioxide and a dominance of the genus Clostridium. In phase 3, phylotypes affiliated with Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae prevailed, accompanied by the formation of caproic and acetic acids, and a high gas production rate. A clostridial butyric type of fermentation was predominant in the acidogenic fermentation of maize silage, whereas propionic-type fermentation was marginal. As the metabolite composition resulting from acidogenesis affects the subsequent methanogenic performance, process control should focus on hydrolysis/acidogenesis when solid substrates are digested. (orig.)

Experimental and numerical validation of a two-region-designed pebble bed reactor with dynamic core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, S.Y.; Yang, X.T.; Tang, Z.W.; Wang, W.J.; Tu, J.Y.; Liu, Z.Y.; Li, J.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The experimental installation has been built to investigate the pebble flow. ► The feasibility of two-region pebble bed reactor has been verified. ► The pebble flow is more uniform in a taller vessel than that in a lower vessel. ► Larger base cone angle will decrease the scale of the stagnant zone. - Abstract: The pebble flow is the principal issue for the design of the pebble bed reactor. In order to verify the feasibility of a two-region-designed pebble bed reactor, the experimental installation with a taller vessel has been built, which is proportional to the real pebble bed reactor. With the aid of the experimental installation, the stable establishment and maintenance of the two-region arrangement has been verified, at the same time, the applicability of the DEM program has been also validated. Research results show: (1) The pebble's bouncing on the free surface is an important factor for the mixing of the different colored pebbles. (2) Through the guide plates installed in the top of the pebble packing, the size of the mixing zone can be reduced from 6–7 times to 3–4 times the pebble diameter. (3) The relationship between the width of the central region and the ratio of loading pebbles is approximately linear in the taller vessel. (4) The heighten part of the pebble packing can improve the uniformity of the flowing in the lower. (5) To increase the base cone angle can decrease the scale of the stagnant zone. All of these conclusions are meaningful to the design of the real pebble reactor.

Tumor Heterogeneity and Drug Resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kucerova, L.; Skolekova, S.; Kozovska, Z.

2015-01-01

New generation of sequencing methodologies revealed unexpected complexity and genomic alterations linked with the tumor subtypes. This diversity exists across the tumor types, histologic tumor subtypes and subsets of the tumor cells within the same tumor. This phenomenon is termed tumor heterogeneity. Regardless of its origin and mechanisms of development it has a major impact in the clinical setting. Genetic, phenotypic and expression pattern diversity of tumors plays critical role in the selection of suitable treatment and also in the prognosis prediction. Intratumoral heterogeneity plays a key role in the intrinsic and acquired chemoresistance to cytotoxic and targeted therapies. In this review we focus on the mechanisms of intratumoral and inter tumoral heterogeneity and their relationship to the drug resistance. Understanding of the mechanisms and spatiotemporal dynamics of tumor heterogeneity development before and during the therapy is important for the ability to design individual treatment protocols suitable in the given molecular context. (author)

The effect of vibration on bed voidage behaviors in fluidized beds with large particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Jin

2007-09-01

Full Text Available The effects of vibration parameters, operating conditions and material properties on bed voidage were investigated using an optical fiber probe approach in a vibrating fluidized bed with a diameter of 148 mm. Variables studied included frequency (0-282 s-1, amplitude (0 mm-1 mm, bed height (0.1 m-0.4 m as well as four kinds of particles (belonging to Geldart's B and D groups. The axial and radial voidage distribution with vibration is compared with that without vibration, which shows vibration can aid in the fluidization behaviors of particles. For a larger vibration amplitude, the vibration seriously affects bed voidage. The vibration energy can damp out for particle layers with increasing the bed height. According to analysis of experimental data, an empirical correlation for predicting bed voidage, giving good agreement with the experimental data and a deviation within ±15%, was proposed.

Stochastic Predictions of Cell Kill During Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy: Do Hypoxia and Reoxygenation Really Matter?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harriss-Phillips, Wendy M., E-mail: wharrphil@gmail.com [Department of Medical Physics, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia (Australia); School of Chemistry and Physics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia (Australia); Bezak, Eva [School of Chemistry and Physics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia (Australia); International Centre for Allied Health Evidence, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia (Australia); Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia (Australia); Potter, Andrew [Department of Radiation Oncology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia (Australia); Adelaide Radiotherapy Centre, Genesis CancerCare, Adelaide, South Australia (Australia)

2016-07-15

Purpose: To simulate stereotactic ablative radiation therapy on hypoxic and well-oxygenated in silico tumors, incorporating probabilistic parameter distributions and linear-quadratic versus linear-quadratic-cubic methodology and the evaluation of optimal fractionation schemes using biological effective dose (BED{sub α/β=10} {sub or} {sub 3}) comparisons. Methods and Materials: A temporal tumor growth and radiation therapy algorithm simulated high-dose external beam radiation therapy using stochastic methods. Realistic biological proliferative cellular hierarchy and pO{sub 2} histograms were incorporated into the 10{sup 8}-cell tumor model, with randomized radiation therapy applied during continual cell proliferation and volume-based gradual tumor reoxygenation. Dose fractions ranged from 6-35 Gy, with predictive outcomes presented in terms of the total doses (converted to BED) required to eliminate all cells that could potentially regenerate the tumor. Results: Well-oxygenated tumor control BED{sub 10} outcomes were not significantly different for high-dose versus conventional radiation therapy (BED{sub 10}: 79-84 Gy; Equivalent Dose in 2 Gy fractions with α/β of 10: 66-70 Gy); however, total treatment times decreased from 7 down to 1-3 weeks. For hypoxic tumors, an additional 28 Gy (51 Gy BED{sub 10}) was required, with BED{sub 10} increasing with dose per fraction due to wasted dose in the final fraction. Fractions of 9 Gy compromised well for total treatment time and BED, with BED{sub 10}:BED{sub 3} of 84:176 Gy for oxic and 132:278 Gy for non-reoxygenating hypoxic tumors. Initial doses of 12 Gy followed by 6 Gy further increased the therapeutic ratio. When delivering ≥9 Gy per fraction, applying reoxygenation and/or linear-quadratic-cubic cell survival both affected tumor control doses by a significant 1-2 fractions. Conclusions: The complex temporal dynamics of tumor oxygenation combined with probabilistic cell kinetics in the modeling of

Dynamic MRI of pancreatic neoplasms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furukawa, Nobuyoshi; Takayasu, Ken-ichi; Muramatu, Yukio

1995-01-01

The usefulness of dynamic MRI study using contrast media is studied on pancreatic tumors. This method was useful in detecting small lesion of pancreatic tumor, however, T1-weighted SE method was more useful in detecting swelling lesions or diagnosing degree of tumors. Although endocrine tumors are depicted by contrast media, careful attention is needed since there are some hypovascular cases. T2-weighted image is commonly performed to detect the morphology of cystic content and the correlation between the pancreas and bile duct in cystic tumors, however, dynamic study was more useful in proving vascularity of serous cystadenoma and differentiating malignant or benign mucous cystic tumors by depicting intracystic torous components. In performing MR imaging on pancreatic diseases, it is necessary to select appropriate imaging procedure, and dynamic study should be included and used in a rational manner. (S.Y.)

Characteristics of convective heat transport in a packed pebble-bed reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdulmohsin, Rahman S., E-mail: rsar62@mst.edu [Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, 400 West 11th Street/231 Schrenk Hall, Rolla, MO 65409-1230 (United States); Al-Dahhan, Muthanna H., E-mail: aldahhanm@mst.edu [Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, 400 West 11th Street/231 Schrenk Hall, Rolla, MO 65409-1230 (United States); Department of Nuclear Engineering, 301 W. 14th St./222 Fulton Hall (United States)

2015-04-01

Highlights: • A fast-response heat transfer probe has been developed and used in this work. • Heat transport has been quantified in terms of local heat transfer coefficients. • The method of the electrically heated single sphere in packing has been applied. • The heat transfer coefficient increases from the center to the wall of packed bed. • This work advancing the knowledge of heat transport in the studied packed bed. - Abstract: Obtaining more precise results and a better understanding of the heat transport mechanism in the dynamic core of packed pebble-bed reactors is needed because this mechanism poses extreme challenges to the reliable design and efficient operation of these reactors. This mechanism can be quantified in terms of a solid-to-gas convective heat transfer coefficient. Therefore, in this work, the local convective heat transfer coefficients and their radial profiles were measured experimentally in a separate effect pilot-plant scale and cold-flow experimental setup of 0.3 m in diameter, using a sophisticated noninvasive heat transfer probe of spherical type. The effect of gas velocity on the heat transfer coefficient was investigated over a wide range of Reynolds numbers of practical importance. The experimental investigations of this work include various radial locations along the height of the bed. It was found that an increase in coolant gas flow velocity causes an increase in the heat transfer coefficient and that effect of the gas flow rate varies from laminar to turbulent flow regimes at all radial positions of the studied packed pebble-bed reactor. The results show that the local heat transfer coefficient increases from the bed center to the wall due to the change in the bed structure, and hence, in the flow pattern of the coolant gas. The findings clearly indicate that one value of an overall heat transfer coefficient cannot represent the local heat transfer coefficients within the bed; therefore, correlations are needed to

Rat Tumor Response to the Vascular-Disrupting Agent 5,6-Dimethylxanthenone-4-Acetic Acid as Measured by Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Plasma 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid Levels, and Tumor Necrosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lesley D. McPhail

2006-03-01

Full Text Available The dose-dependent effects of 5,6-dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid (DMXAA on rat GH3 prolactinomas were investigated in vivo. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI was used to assess tumor blood flow/permeability pretreatment and 24 hours posttreatment with 0, 100, 200, or 350 mg/kg DMXAA. DCE-MRI data were analyzed using Ktrans and the integrated area under the gadolinium time curve (IAUGC as response biomarkers. Highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC was used to determine the plasma concentration of the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA following treatment to provide an index of increased vessel permeability and vascular damage. Finally, tumor necrosis was assessed by grading hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections cut from the same tumors investigated by MRI. Both tumor Ktrans and IAUGC were significantly reduced 24 hours posttreatment with 350 mg/kg DMXAA only, with no evidence of dose response. HPLC demonstrated a significant increase in plasma 5-HIAA 24 hours posttreatment with 200 and 350 mg/kg DMXAA. Histologic analysis revealed some evidence of tumor necrosis following treatment with 100 or 200 mg/kg DMXAA, reaching significance with 350 mg/kg DMXAA. The absence of any reduction in Ktrans or IAUGC following treatment with 200 mg/kg, despite a significant increase in 5-HIAA, raises concerns about the utility of established DCE-MRI biomarkers to assess tumor response to DMXAA.

DEM-CFD simulation of purge gas flow in a solid breeder pebble bed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Hao [School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 (China); Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); Li, Zhenghong [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 (China); Guo, Haibing [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); Ye, Minyou [School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 (China); Huang, Hongwen, E-mail: inpclane@sina.com [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China)

2016-12-15

Solid tritium breeding blanket applying pebble bed concept is promising for fusion reactors. Tritium bred in the pebble bed is purged out by inert gas. The flow characteristics of the purge gas are important for the tritium transport from the solid breeder materials. In this study, a randomly packed pebble bed was generated by Discrete Element Method (DEM) and verified by radial porosity distribution. The flow parameters of the purge gas in channels were solved by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method. The results show that the normalized velocity magnitudes have the same damped oscillating patterns with radial porosity distribution. Besides, the bypass flow near the wall cannot be ignored in this model, and it has a slight increase with inlet velocity. Furthermore, higher purging efficiency becomes with higher inlet velocity and especially higher in near wall region.

Characterizing spatiotemporal information loss in sparse-sampling-based dynamic MRI for monitoring respiration-induced tumor motion in radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arai, Tatsuya J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390 (United States); Nofiele, Joris; Yuan, Qing [Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390 (United States); Madhuranthakam, Ananth J.; Pedrosa, Ivan; Chopra, Rajiv [Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390 (United States); Advanced Imaging Research Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390 (United States); Sawant, Amit, E-mail: amit.sawant@utsouthwestern.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390 (United States); Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21201 (United States)

2016-06-15

.4 mm, which was smaller than the reconstructed pixel resolution of 0.67 mm. In the patient study, the dynamic 2D MRI enabled the monitoring of cycle-to-cycle respiratory variability present in the tumor position. It was seen that the range of centroid motion as well as the area covered due to target motion during each individual respiratory cycle was underestimated compared to the entire motion range observed over multiple breathing cycles. Conclusions: The authors’ initial results demonstrate that sparse-sampling- and reconstruction-based dynamic MRI can be used to achieve adequate image acquisition speeds without significant information loss for the task of radiotherapy guidance. Such monitoring can yield spatial and temporal information superior to conventional offline and online motion capture methods used in thoracic and abdominal radiotherapy.

Vestibular and Somatosensory Covergence in Postural Equilibrium Control: Insights from Spaceflight and Bed Rest Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Mulavara, A. P.; Batson, C. D.; Buxton, R. E.; Feiveson, A. H.; Kofman, I. S.; Lee, S. M. C.; Miller, C. A.; Peters, B. T.; Phillips, T.; Platts, S. H.;

Loading and Unloading Weaned Pigs: Effects of Bedding Types, Ramp Angle, and Bedding Moisture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arlene Garcia

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The use of non-slip surfaces during loading and unloading of weaned pigs plays an important role in animal welfare and economics of the pork industry. Currently, the guidelines available only suggest the use of ramps below 20° to load and unload pigs. Three ramp angles (0°, 10° or 20°, five bedding materials (nothing, sand, feed, wood shavings or wheat straw hay, two moistures (dry or wet bedding; >50% moisture over two seasons (>23.9 °C summer, <23.9 °C winter were assessed for slips/falls/vocalizations (n = 6,000 pig observations. “Score” was calculated by the sum of slips, falls, and vocalizations. With the exception of using feed as a bedding, all beddings provided some protection against elevated slips, falls, and vocalizations (P < 0.01. Providing bedding reduced (P < 0.05 scores regardless of whether the bedding was dry or wet. Scores increased as the slope increased (P < 0.01. Provision of bedding, other than feed, at slopes greater than zero, decreased slips, falls and vocalizations. The total time it took to load and unload pigs was

Experimental studies on the coolability of packed beds. Flooding of hot dry packed beds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leininger, S.; Kulenovic, R.; Laurien, E.

2013-01-01

In case of a severe accident in a nuclear power plant meltdown of the reactor core can occur and form a packed bed in the lower plenum of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) after solidification due to contact with water. The removal of after-heat and the long-term coolability is of essential interest. The efficient injection of cooling water into the packed bed has to be assured without endangering the structural integrity of the reactor pressure vessel. The experiments performed aimed to study the dry-out and the quenching (flooding) of hot dry packed beds. Two different inflow variants, bottom- and top-flooding including the variation of the starting temperature of the packed bed and the injection rate were studied. In case of bottom flooding the quenching time increases with increasing packed bed temperature and decreasing injection rate. In case of top flooding the flow pattern is more complex, in a first phase the water flows preferentially toward the RPV wall, the flow paths conduct the water downwards. The flow resistance of the packed bed increases with increasing bed temperatures. The quenching temperatures increase significantly above average.

Environmental protection stability of river bed and banks using convex, concave, and linear bed sills.

Science.gov (United States)

Keshavarzi, Alireza; Noori, Lila Khaje

2010-12-01

River bed scourings are a major environmental problem for fish and aquatic habitat resources. In this study, to prevent river bed and banks from scouring, different types of bed sills including convex, concave and linear patterns were installed in a movable channel bed in a laboratory flume. The bed sills were tested with nine different arrangements and under different flow conditions. To find the most effective bed sill pattern, the scouring depth was measured downstream of the bed sill for a long experimental duration. The scour depth was measured at the middle and at the end of each experimental test for different ratios of the arch radius to the channel width [r/w]. The experimental results indicated that the convex pattern with r/w=0.35 produced minimum bed scouring depth at the center line whereas the concave pattern with r/w=0.23 produced the minimum scour depth at the wall banks. Therefore, the convex pattern was the most effective configuration for prevention of scouring at the center line of the river while the concave pattern was very effective to prevent scouring at the river banks. These findings can be suggested to be used in practical applications.

The effect of interstitial pressure on tumor growth: coupling with the blood and lymphatic vascular systems

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Min; Frieboes, Hermann B.; McDougall, Steven R.; Chaplain, Mark A.J.; Cristini, Vittorio; Lowengrub, John

2013-01-01

The flow of interstitial fluid and the associated interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) in solid tumors and surrounding host tissues have been identified as critical elements in cancer growth and vascularization. Both experimental and theoretical studies have shown that tumors may present elevated IFP, which can be a formidable physical barrier for delivery of cell nutrients and small molecules into the tumor. Elevated IFP may also exacerbate gradients of biochemical signals such as angiogenic factors released by tumors into the surrounding tissues. These studies have helped to understand both biochemical signaling and treatment prognosis. Building upon previous work, here we develop a vascular tumor growth model by coupling a continuous growth model with a discrete angiogenesis model. We include fluid/oxygen extravasation as well as a continuous lymphatic field, and study the micro-environmental fluid dynamics and their effect on tumor growth by accounting for blood flow, transcapillary fluid flux, interstitial fluid flow, and lymphatic drainage. We thus elucidate further the non-trivial relationship between the key elements contributing to the effects of interstitial pressure in solid tumors. In particular, we study the effect of IFP on oxygen extravasation and show that small blood/lymphatic vessel resistance and collapse may contribute to lower transcapillary fluid/oxygen flux, thus decreasing the rate of tumor growth. We also investigate the effect of tumor vascular pathologies, including elevated vascular and interstitial hydraulic conductivities inside the tumor as well as diminished osmotic pressure differences, on the fluid flow across the tumor capillary bed, the lymphatic drainage, and the IFP. Our results reveal that elevated interstitial hydraulic conductivity together with poor lymphatic function is the root cause of the development of plateau profiles of the IFP in the tumor, which have been observed in experiments, and contributes to a more uniform

Investigation of the change in marker geometry during respiration motion: a preliminary study for dynamic-multi-leaf real-time tumor tracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamazaki, Rie; Nishioka, Seiko; Date, Hiroyuki; Shirato, Hiroki; Koike, Takao; Nishioka, Takeshi

2012-01-01

The use of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is rapidly increasing. Presently, the most accurate method uses fiducial markers implanted near the tumor. A shortcoming of this method is that the beams turn off during the majority of the respiratory cycle, resulting in a prolonged treatment time. Recent advances in collimation technology have enabled continuous irradiation to a moving tumor. However, the lung is a dynamic organ characterized by inhalation exhalation cycles, during which marker/tumor geometry may change (i.e., misalignment), resulting in under-dosing to the tumor. Eight patients with lung cancer who were candidates for stereotactic radiotherapy were examined with 4D high-resolution CT. As a marker surrogate, virtual bronchoscopy using the pulmonary artery (VBPA) was conducted. To detect possible marker/tumor misalignment during the respiration cycle, the distance between the peripheral bronchus, where a marker could be implanted, and the center of gravity of a tumor were calculated for each respiratory phase. When the respiration cycle was divided into 10 phases, the median value was significantly larger for the 30%-70% respiratory phases compared to that for the 10% respiratory phase (P<0.05, Mann–Whitney U-test). These results demonstrate that physiological aspect must be considered when continuous tumor tracking is applied to a moving tumor. To minimize an “additional” internal target volume (ITV) margin, a marker should be placed approximately 2.5 cm from the tumor

Mud dynamics on the shoreface and upper shelf, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kleinhans, M.G.; Montfort, O.; Dankers, P.J.T.; Rijn, L.C. van; Bonne, W.

2005-01-01

Mud dynamics on the shoreface were studied with measured mud concentrations in the water related to hydrodynamics and measured mud concentrations in the sandy bed. In addition, mud infiltration into the bed was modelled and mud inmixing into the bed by macro-benthos was assessed. The mud

Co-current descending two-phase flows in inclined packed beds : experiments versus simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Atta, A.; Nigam, K.D.P.; Roy, S. [Inst. of Technology, New Delhi (India). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Schubert, M.; Larachi, F. [Laval Univ., Quebec City, PQ (Canada). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

2010-10-15

This paper presented a numerical simulation for an inclined packed bed configuration for two-phase co-current downward flow. A two-phase Eulerian computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was used to predict the hydrodynamic behaviour. Two different modelling strategies were compared, notably a straight tube with an artificially inclined gravity, and an inclined geometry with straight gravity. The effect of inclination angle of a packed bed on its gas-liquid flow segregation and liquid saturation spatial distribution was measured for varying inclinations and fluid velocities. The CFD model was adapted from a trickle-bed vertical configuration and based on the porous media concept. The predicted pressure drops for the inclined gravity were found to be insensitive to inclination. Therefore, simulations to study the parameters that influence the reduced liquid saturation were performed only with the inclined geometry case. Experimental data obtained using electrical capacitance tomography was used to validate the model predictions. The study showed that a trickle bed CFD model for vertically straight reactors can be effectively implemented in inclined reactor geometries. However, additional research is needed to formulate appropriate drag force closures which should be incorporated in the CFD model for improved quantitative estimation of inclined bed hydrodynamics. 22 refs., 10 figs.

Microenvironmental independence associated with tumor progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Alexander R A; Hassanein, Mohamed; Branch, Kevin M; Lu, Jenny; Lobdell, Nichole A; Maier, Julie; Basanta, David; Weidow, Brandy; Narasanna, Archana; Arteaga, Carlos L; Reynolds, Albert B; Quaranta, Vito; Estrada, Lourdes; Weaver, Alissa M

2009-11-15

Tumor-microenvironment interactions are increasingly recognized to influence tumor progression. To understand the competitive dynamics of tumor cells in diverse microenvironments, we experimentally parameterized a hybrid discrete-continuum mathematical model with phenotypic trait data from a set of related mammary cell lines with normal, transformed, or tumorigenic properties. Surprisingly, in a resource-rich microenvironment, with few limitations on proliferation or migration, transformed (but not tumorigenic) cells were most successful and outcompeted other cell types in heterogeneous tumor simulations. Conversely, constrained microenvironments with limitations on space and/or growth factors gave a selective advantage to phenotypes derived from tumorigenic cell lines. Analysis of the relative performance of each phenotype in constrained versus unconstrained microenvironments revealed that, although all cell types grew more slowly in resource-constrained microenvironments, the most aggressive cells were least affected by microenvironmental constraints. A game theory model testing the relationship between microenvironment resource availability and competitive cellular dynamics supports the concept that microenvironmental independence is an advantageous cellular trait in resource-limited microenvironments.

Utility of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for differentiating glioblastoma, primary central nervous system lymphoma and brain metastatic tumor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Shanshan, E-mail: lushan1118@163.com [Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province (China); Gao, Qianqian, E-mail: gaoqian123011@163.com [Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province (China); Yu, Jing, E-mail: yujing0303@163.com [Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province (China); Li, Yang, E-mail: yuhao040511@163.com [Department of Pathology,The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province (China); Cao, Peng, E-mail: peng.cao@ge.com [GE healthcare, Shanghai (China); Shi, Haibin, E-mail: hbshi346@163.com [Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province (China); Hong, Xunning, E-mail: hongxunning@sina.com [Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province (China)

2016-10-15

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate the use of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived permeability parameters for the differentiation of glioblastoma multiformes (GBMs), primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSLs), and brain metastatic tumors (MTs). Materials and methods: Seventy-five patients with histopathologically confirmed GBMs (n = 38), PCNSLs (n = 16) and MTs (n = 21) underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced MRIs before surgery. The volume transfer constant K{sup trans}, the flux rate constant between extravascular extracellular space and plasma K{sub ep}, the extravascular extracellular volume V{sub e} and the fractional plasma volume V{sub p} were measured within the entire contrast-enhancing tumor by extended Tofts model. A one-way analysis of variance was used to compare all of the parameters among these three tumors, followed by the post-hoc test. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the permeability parameters. Results: Mean K{sup trans} value and V{sub e} value were significantly higher in PCNSLs than in GBMs (P < 0.001 and P = 0.011) and MTs (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in all of the permeability parameters between GBMs and MTs. According to the receiver operating characteristic analyses, both K{sup trans} and V{sub e} had good diagnostic performance for discriminating between PCNSLs and GBMs (the area under the curve: 0.847 and 0.785, respectively), as well as between PCNSLs and MTs (the area under the curve: 0.851 and 0.884, respectively). Conclusions: The K{sup trans} and V{sub e} derived from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI facilitate the differentiation of PCNSLs from GBMs and MTs.

The effect of bed non-uniformities and porosity of particles on dryout in boiling particle beds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macbeth, R.V.; Mogford, D.J.; Willshire, S.J.

1988-03-01

This report relates to an on-going experimental programme concerned with the coolability of beds of reactor core debris or rubble immersed in a liquid coolant, as might occur in an accident situation. The objectives are to develop experimental techniques, improve the understanding of bed cooling mechanisms, determine dry-out limitations of various bed configurations and particle shapes and sizes and devise ways of improving bed coolability. The report concentrates on a recently discovered effect on bed coolability of particle porosity, such as exists in fragmented UO 2 fuel pellets. It is shown that porosity can lower bed dry-out powers by a factor of 4 or 5. A mechanism which explains the effect is presented. The report also gives results of bed non-uniformities obtained by mixing glass particles with the dielectrically heated 'ferrite' particles used in the experiments. (author)

MR imaging of non-functioning endocrine tumors of the pancreas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irie, Hiroyuki; Honda, Hiroshi; Kuroiwa, Toshiro

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study was to clarify the MR imaging characteristics of patients with non-functioning endocrine tumors of the pancreas. Fourteen patients with these tumors underwent MR imaging. The signal characteristics of the tumor on T 1 -, T 2 -, and contrast-enhanced T 1 -weighted images were evaluated. The enhancement pattern of the tumor on dynamic study was also examined. The degree of stromal fibrosis was evaluated on the pathologic specimen, and was then classified as mild, moderate, or marked fibrosis. On T 1 -weighted images, the tumors were hypointense in 12 of 14 cases. The signals of the tumors on T 2 -weighted images were varied. The tumors were hypointense in 1 case, isointense in 2 cases, hyperintense in 6 cases, and very hyperintense in the other 5 cases. On contrast-enhanced T 1 -weighted images, the tumors were hyperintense in 8 cases and very hyperintense in 5 cases. On T 2 - and contrast-enhanced T 1 -weighted images, 4 of 5 malignant tumors were very hyperintense. Dynamic study revealed prolonged enhancement in 10 of 11 cases. Pathologic analysis revealed moderate or marked fibrosis in 10 of 14 cases, and prolonged enhancement was considered to be related stromal fibrosis. In conclusion, MR imaging findings of non-functioning endocrine tumors of the pancreas vary in relation to pathological variety. Prolonged enhancement of the tumor on dynamic study is considered to be one of the characteristic MR imaging findings that corresponds to stromal fibrosis of the tumor. (author)

Modelling heat transfer during flow through a random packed bed of spheres

Science.gov (United States)

Burström, Per E. C.; Frishfelds, Vilnis; Ljung, Anna-Lena; Lundström, T. Staffan; Marjavaara, B. Daniel

2018-04-01

Heat transfer in a random packed bed of monosized iron ore pellets is modelled with both a discrete three-dimensional system of spheres and a continuous Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model. Results show a good agreement between the two models for average values over a cross section of the bed for an even temperature profiles at the inlet. The advantage with the discrete model is that it captures local effects such as decreased heat transfer in sections with low speed. The disadvantage is that it is computationally heavy for larger systems of pellets. If averaged values are sufficient, the CFD model is an attractive alternative that is easy to couple to the physics up- and downstream the packed bed. The good agreement between the discrete and continuous model furthermore indicates that the discrete model may be used also on non-Stokian flow in the transitional region between laminar and turbulent flow, as turbulent effects show little influence of the overall heat transfer rates in the continuous model.

The consequences of granulate heterogeneity towards breakage and attrition upon fluid-bed drying

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nieuwmeyer, Florentine; Maarschalk, Kees van der Voort; Vromans, Herman

High-shear granulated lactose granulates were dried in it fluid-bed dryer at various conditions. Granules were characterized by water content and size analysis. It is shown that the drying process is very dynamic in terms of growth and breakage phenomena. Granular size heterogeneity, composition and

Validating the MFiX-DEM Model for Flow Regime Prediction in a 3D Spouted Bed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banerjee, Subhodeep [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV (United States). Research and Innovation Center; Oak Ridge Inst. for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Guenther, Chris [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV (United States). Research and Innovation Center; Rogers, William A. [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV (United States). Research and Innovation Center

2018-02-08

The spout-fluidized bed reactor with relatively large oxygen carrier particles offers several advantages in chemical looping combustion operation using solid fuels. The large difference in size and weight between the oxygen carrier particles and the smaller coal or ash particles allows the oxygen carrier to be easily segregated for recirculation; the increased solids mixing due to dynamic flow pattern in the spout-fluidization regime prevents agglomeration. The primary objective in this work is to determine the effectiveness of the MFiX-DEM model in predicting the flow regime in a spouted bed. Successful validation of the code will allow the user to fine tune the operating conditions of a spouted bed to achieve the desired operating condition.

Adsorption of phosphate from aqueous solutions and sewage using zirconium loaded okara (ZLO): Fixed-bed column study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, T.A.H.; Ngo, H.H.; Guo, W.S.; Pham, T.Q.; Li, F.M.; Nguyen, T.V.; Bui, X.T.

2015-01-01

This study explores the potential of removing phosphorus from aqueous solutions and sewage by Zr(IV)-loaded okara (ZLO) in the fixed-bed column. Soybean residue (okara) was impregnated with 0.25 M Zr(IV) solution to prepare active binding sites for phosphate. The effect of several factors, including flow rate, bed height, initial phosphorus concentration, pH and adsorbent particle size on the performance of ZLO was examined. The maximum dynamic adsorption capacity of ZLO for phosphorus was estimated to be 16.43 mg/g. Breakthrough curve modeling indicated that Adams–Bohart model and Thomas model fitted the experimental data better than Yoon–Nelson model. After treatment with ZLO packed bed column, the effluent could meet the discharge standard for phosphorus in Australia. Successful desorption and regeneration were achieved with 0.2 NaOH and 0.1 HCl, respectively. The results prove that ZLO can be used as a promising phosphorus adsorbent in the dynamic adsorption system. - Highlights: • Dynamic adsorption of P from water and wastewater by Zr(IV)-loaded okara was tested. • Effects of column design parameters on the adsorption performance were investigated. • The dynamic adsorption capacity of Zr(IV)-loaded okara for P was reasonably high. • The spent column was effectively regenerated with 0.2 M NaOH followed by 0.1 M HCl. • Zr(IV)-loaded okara column was efficient in eliminating P from municipal sewage

Adsorption of phosphate from aqueous solutions and sewage using zirconium loaded okara (ZLO): Fixed-bed column study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, T.A.H. [Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007 (Australia); Ngo, H.H., E-mail: ngohuuhao121@gmail.com [Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007 (Australia); Guo, W.S. [Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007 (Australia); Pham, T.Q. [Faculty of Geography, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Li, F.M. [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100 (China); Nguyen, T.V. [Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007 (Australia); Bui, X.T. [Environmental Engineering and Management Research Group, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam); Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology-Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam)

2015-08-01

This study explores the potential of removing phosphorus from aqueous solutions and sewage by Zr(IV)-loaded okara (ZLO) in the fixed-bed column. Soybean residue (okara) was impregnated with 0.25 M Zr(IV) solution to prepare active binding sites for phosphate. The effect of several factors, including flow rate, bed height, initial phosphorus concentration, pH and adsorbent particle size on the performance of ZLO was examined. The maximum dynamic adsorption capacity of ZLO for phosphorus was estimated to be 16.43 mg/g. Breakthrough curve modeling indicated that Adams–Bohart model and Thomas model fitted the experimental data better than Yoon–Nelson model. After treatment with ZLO packed bed column, the effluent could meet the discharge standard for phosphorus in Australia. Successful desorption and regeneration were achieved with 0.2 NaOH and 0.1 HCl, respectively. The results prove that ZLO can be used as a promising phosphorus adsorbent in the dynamic adsorption system. - Highlights: • Dynamic adsorption of P from water and wastewater by Zr(IV)-loaded okara was tested. • Effects of column design parameters on the adsorption performance were investigated. • The dynamic adsorption capacity of Zr(IV)-loaded okara for P was reasonably high. • The spent column was effectively regenerated with 0.2 M NaOH followed by 0.1 M HCl. • Zr(IV)-loaded okara column was efficient in eliminating P from municipal sewage.

EG-07CELL CYCLE SIGNATURE AND TUMOR PHYLOGENY ARE ENCODED IN THE EVOLUTIONARY DYNAMICS OF DNA METHYLATION IN GLIOMA

Science.gov (United States)

Mazor, Tali; Pankov, Aleksandr; Johnson, Brett E.; Hong, Chibo; Bell, Robert J.A.; Smirnov, Ivan V.; Reis, Gerald F.; Phillips, Joanna J.; Barnes, Michael; Bollen, Andrew W.; Taylor, Barry S.; Molinaro, Annette M.; Olshen, Adam B.; Song, Jun S.; Berger, Mitchel S.; Chang, Susan M.; Costello, Joseph F.

2014-01-01

The clonal evolution of tumor cell populations can be reconstructed from patterns of genetic alterations. In contrast, tumor epigenetic states, including DNA methylation, are reversible and sensitive to the tumor microenvironment, presumably precluding the use of epigenetics to discover tumor phylogeny. Here we examined the spatial and temporal dynamics of DNA methylation in a clinically and genetically characterized cohort of IDH1-mutant low-grade gliomas and their patient-matched recurrences. WHO grade II gliomas are diffuse, infiltrative tumors that frequently recur and may undergo malignant progression to a higher grade with a worse prognosis. The extent to which epigenetic alterations contribute to the evolution of low-grade gliomas, including malignant progression, is unknown. While all gliomas in the cohort exhibited the hypermethylation signature associated with IDH1 mutation, low-grade gliomas that underwent malignant progression to high-grade glioblastoma (GBM) had a unique signature of DNA hypomethylation enriched for active enhancers, as well as sites of age-related hypermethylation in the brain. Genes with promoter hypomethylation and concordant transcriptional upregulation during evolution to GBM were enriched in cell cycle function, evolving in concert with genetic alterations that deregulate the G1/S cell cycle checkpoint. Despite the plasticity of tumor epigenetic states, phyloepigenetic trees robustly recapitulated phylogenetic trees derived from somatic mutations in the same patients. These findings highlight widespread co-dependency of genetic and epigenetic events throughout the clonal evolution of initial and recurrent glioma.

The effects of baffles and gas superficial velocity on a bubble fluidized bed reactor's applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghorbanpour, A.; Ghannadi Maragheh, M.; Mallah, M. H.

2008-01-01

Baffles are used for decreasing bubbles diameter in order to increase the conversion rate along the bubbling fluidized bed reactors. The appearance of this phenomenon is due to bursting of the bubbles during the pass of bubbles from baffles. In this work, a computerized modeling and simulation have been performed in order to obtain a fundamental knowledge of the influence of the baffles on the bubble diameter and the specific mass transfer area. The height of the bed is 5 meters and its diameter is 0.3 meter. Baffles are located at 1 and 2 meters from the bottom of the bed. A two phase model together with a comprehensive fluid dynamical description of bubbling fluidized is presented. The effects of baffles and gas superficial velocity on the operating behavior of fluidized bed reactors are considered. The results are compared to the previously reported documents, and the experiments which have been carried out. MATLAB software is used in this simulation

MRI findings of hepatic hemangioma with a special reference to tumor size

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)