Ceria-containing uncoated and coated hydroxyapatite-based galantamine nanocomposites for formidable treatment of Alzheimer's disease in ovariectomized albino-rat model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wahba, Sanaa M.R. [Zoology Department, Women College, Ain Shams University, 11566 Cairo (Egypt); Darwish, Atef S., E-mail: atef_mouharam@sci.asu.edu.eg [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo (Egypt); Kamal, Sara M. [Zoology Department, Women College, Ain Shams University, 11566 Cairo (Egypt)

2016-08-01

This paper upraises delivery and therapeutic actions of galantamine drug (GAL) against Alzheimer's disease (AD) in rat brain through attaching GAL to ceria-containing hydroxyapatite (GAL@Ce-HAp) as well ceria-containing carboxymethyl chitosan-coated hydroxyapatite (GAL@Ce-HAp/CMC) nanocomposites. Physicochemical features of such nanocomposites were analyzed by XRD, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, UV–vis spectrophotometer, N{sub 2}-BET, DLS, zeta-potential measurements, SEM, and HR-TEM. Limited interactions were observed in GAL@Ce-HAp with prevailed existence of dispersed negatively charged rod-like particles conjugated with ceria nanodots. On contrary, GAL@Ce-HAp/CMC was well-structured developing aggregates of uncharged tetragonal-shaped particles laden with accession of ceria quantum dots. Such nanocomposites were i.p. injected into ovariectomized AD albino-rats at galantamine dose of 2.5 mg/kg/day for one month, then brain tissues were collected for biochemical and histological tests. GAL@Ce-HAp adopted as a promising candidate for AD curativeness, whereas oxidative stress markers were successfully upregulated, degenerated neurons in hippocampal and cerebral tissues were wholly recovered and Aβ-plaques were vanished. Also, optimizable in-vitro release for GAL and nanoceria were displayed from GAL@Ce-HAp, while delayed in-vitro release for those species were developed from GAL@Ce-HAp/CMC. This proof of concept work allow futuristic omnipotency of rod-like hydroxyapatite particles for selective delivery of GAL and nanoceria to AD affected brain areas. - Highlights: • Ceria affords existence of negatively charged rod-like architecture hydroxyapatite. • Carboxymethyl chitosan-coated apatite adopts neutral tetragonal-shaped species. • Ceria-containing apatite-based galantamine composite is potent anti-Alzheimer drug. • Typical neurons act via Alzheimer curing by ceria-loading apatite-based galantamine.

Galantamine is a novel post-exposure therapeutic against lethal VX challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hilmas, Corey J.; Poole, Melissa J.; Finneran, Kathryn; Clark, Matthew G.; Williams, Patrick T.

2009-01-01

The ability of galantamine hydrobromide (GAL HBr) treatment to antagonize O-ethyl-S-(2-diisopropylaminoethyl) methylphosphonothiolate (VX)-induced lethality, impairment of muscle tension, and electroencephalographic (EEG) changes was assessed in guinea pigs. Guinea pigs were challenged with 16.8 μg/kg VX (2LD50). One min after challenge, animals were administered 0.5 mg/kg atropine sulfate (ATR) and 25 mg/kg pyridine-2-aldoxime methochloride (2-PAM). In addition, guinea pigs were given 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 or 10 mg/kg GAL as a post-exposure treatment immediately prior to ATR and 2-PAM. Animals were either monitored for 24-h survival, scheduled for electroencephalography (EEG) recording, or euthanized 60 min later for measurement of indirectly-elicited muscle tension in the hemidiaphragm. Post-exposure GAL therapy produced a dose-dependent increase in survival from lethal VX challenge. Optimal clinical benefits were observed in the presence of 10 mg/kg GAL, which led to 100% survival of VX-challenged guinea pigs. Based on muscle physiology studies, GAL post-exposure treatment protected the guinea pig diaphragm, the major effector muscle of respiration, from fatigue, tetanic fade, and muscular paralysis. Protection against the paralyzing effects of VX was dose-dependent. In EEG studies, GAL did not alter seizure onset for all doses tested. At the highest dose tested (10 mg/kg), GAL decreased seizure duration when administered as a post-exposure treatment 1 min after VX. GAL also reduced the high correlation associated between seizure activity and lethality after 2LD50 VX challenge. GAL may have additional benefits both centrally and peripherally that are unrelated to its established mechanism as a reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI).

Efficacy and safety of galantamine in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease with cerebrovascular (Mixed Dementia (GAL-DEM-402

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. F. Lumempouw

2007-06-01

Full Text Available This study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor Galantamine (Reminyl® for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD and Alzheimer’s Disease with cerebrovascular Disease (AD+CVD or mixed Dementia. A 6-month open label observational study of Galantamine has been conducted on 28 patients with AD and AD+CVD patients. Primary endpoints were cognitive performance as assessed using the Mini Mental Scale Examination (MMSE, the Restricted Reminding Test, the Neuropsychology Assessment, the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR to assess global function and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI to assess behavioral symptoms. Patients were also monitored for safety evaluation. Six month Galantamine group had a significant better outcome of cognitive performance, global function and behavioral symptoms compared with the baseline data as were assessed using the MMSE (p<0.05, the Restricted Reminding (p<0.05, the Neuropsychology Assessment (p<0.05, the CDR (p<0.05 and the NPI (p<0.05. Minimal adverse events (32% were anorexia and nausea. It is concluded that Galantamine has a significant benefit to improve cognitive, global function, behavioral symptoms and only caused minimal adverse events. (Med J Indones 2007; 16:94-100Keywords: Galantamine, alzheimer, cerebrovascular disease, dementia, AD, AD+CVD

Galantamine improves olfactory learning in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Fabio M Simoes; Busquet, Nicolas; Blatner, Megan; Maclean, Kenneth N; Restrepo, Diego

2011-01-01

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common form of congenital intellectual disability. Although DS involves multiple disturbances in various tissues, there is little doubt that in terms of quality of life cognitive impairment is the most serious facet and there is no effective treatment for this aspect of the syndrome. The Ts65Dn mouse model of DS recapitulates multiple aspects of DS including cognitive impairment. Here the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS was evaluated in an associative learning paradigm based on olfactory cues. In contrast to disomic controls, trisomic mice exhibited significant deficits in olfactory learning. Treatment of trisomic mice with the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor galantamine resulted in a significant improvement in olfactory learning. Collectively, our study indicates that olfactory learning can be a sensitive tool for evaluating deficits in associative learning in mouse models of DS and that galantamine has therapeutic potential for improving cognitive abilities.

BAYESIAN DATA AUGMENTATION DOSE FINDING WITH CONTINUAL REASSESSMENT METHOD AND DELAYED TOXICITY

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Suyu; Yin, Guosheng; Yuan, Ying

2014-01-01

A major practical impediment when implementing adaptive dose-finding designs is that the toxicity outcome used by the decision rules may not be observed shortly after the initiation of the treatment. To address this issue, we propose the data augmentation continual re-assessment method (DA-CRM) for dose finding. By naturally treating the unobserved toxicities as missing data, we show that such missing data are nonignorable in the sense that the missingness depends on the unobserved outcomes. The Bayesian data augmentation approach is used to sample both the missing data and model parameters from their posterior full conditional distributions. We evaluate the performance of the DA-CRM through extensive simulation studies, and also compare it with other existing methods. The results show that the proposed design satisfactorily resolves the issues related to late-onset toxicities and possesses desirable operating characteristics: treating patients more safely, and also selecting the maximum tolerated dose with a higher probability. The new DA-CRM is illustrated with two phase I cancer clinical trials. PMID:24707327

Ceria-containing uncoated and coated hydroxyapatite-based galantamine nanocomposites for formidable treatment of Alzheimer's disease in ovariectomized albino-rat model.

Science.gov (United States)

Wahba, Sanaa M R; Darwish, Atef S; Kamal, Sara M

2016-08-01

This paper upraises delivery and therapeutic actions of galantamine drug (GAL) against Alzheimer's disease (AD) in rat brain through attaching GAL to ceria-containing hydroxyapatite (GAL@Ce-HAp) as well ceria-containing carboxymethyl chitosan-coated hydroxyapatite (GAL@Ce-HAp/CMC) nanocomposites. Physicochemical features of such nanocomposites were analyzed by XRD, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis spectrophotometer, N2-BET, DLS, zeta-potential measurements, SEM, and HR-TEM. Limited interactions were observed in GAL@Ce-HAp with prevailed existence of dispersed negatively charged rod-like particles conjugated with ceria nanodots. On contrary, GAL@Ce-HAp/CMC was well-structured developing aggregates of uncharged tetragonal-shaped particles laden with accession of ceria quantum dots. Such nanocomposites were i.p. injected into ovariectomized AD albino-rats at galantamine dose of 2.5mg/kg/day for one month, then brain tissues were collected for biochemical and histological tests. GAL@Ce-HAp adopted as a promising candidate for AD curativeness, whereas oxidative stress markers were successfully upregulated, degenerated neurons in hippocampal and cerebral tissues were wholly recovered and Aβ-plaques were vanished. Also, optimizable in-vitro release for GAL and nanoceria were displayed from GAL@Ce-HAp, while delayed in-vitro release for those species were developed from GAL@Ce-HAp/CMC. This proof of concept work allow futuristic omnipotency of rod-like hydroxyapatite particles for selective delivery of GAL and nanoceria to AD affected brain areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dose-remission of pulsating electromagnetic fields as augmentation in therapy-resistant depression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Straasø, Birgit; Lauritzen, Lise; Lunde, Marianne

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate to what extent a twice daily dose of Transcranial Pulsating ElectroMagnetic Fields (T-PEMF) was superior to once daily in patients with treatment-resistant depression as to obtaining symptom remission after 8 weeks of augmentation therapy. METHODS: A self-treatment set...

Exploring the effects of galantamine paired with meditation and dream reliving on recalled dreams: Toward an integrated protocol for lucid dream induction and nightmare resolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Sparrow, Gregory; Hurd, Ryan; Carlson, Ralph; Molina, Ana

2018-06-27

An experimental home study examined the impact of a pre-sleep protocol for enhancing self-awareness, lucidity, and responsiveness in dreams. It included ingesting the cholinesterase inhibitor galantamine--which is widely reported to increase the frequency of lucid dreaming--prior to engaging in middle-of-the-night meditation and the imaginary reliving of a distressing dream while exercising new responses. Thirty-five participants completed an eight-night study, which included pre- and post-baseline nights and six conditions: waking for 40 min before returning to bed, called Wake-Back-to-Bed (WBTB); Wake-Back-to-Bed plus placebo (WBTB + P); Wake-Back-to-Bed plus galantamine (WBTB + G); meditation and dream reliving (MDR); meditation and dream reliving plus placebo (MDR + P); and meditation and dream reliving plus galantamine (MDR + G). The outcome measures included lucidity, reflectiveness, interactive behavior, role change, constructive action, and fear and threat, as measured by the participants' self-ratings. The results support the use of this protocol in further studies of lucid dream induction and nightmare/trauma resolution. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PVC membrane, coated-wire, and carbon-paste ion-selective electrodes for potentiometric determination of galantamine hydrobromide in physiological fluids.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdel-Haleem, Fatehy M; Saad, Mohamed; Barhoum, Ahmed; Bechelany, Mikhael; Rizk, Mahmoud S

2018-08-01

We report on highly-sensitive ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) for potentiometric determining of galantamine hydrobromide (GB) in physiological fluids. Galantamine hydrobromide (GB) was selected for this study due to its previous medical importance for treating Alzheimer's disease. Three different types of ISEs were investigated: PVC membrane electrode (PVCE), carbon-paste electrode (CPE), and coated-wire electrode (CWE). In the construction of these electrodes, galantaminium-reineckate (GR) ion-pair was used as a sensing species for GB in solutions. The modified carbon-paste electrode (MCPE) was prepared using graphene oxide (MCPE-GO) and sodium tetrakis (trifluoromethyl) phenyl borate (MCPE-STFPB) as ion-exchanger. The potentiometric modified CPEs (MCPE-GO and MCPE-STFPB) show an improved performance in term of Nernstian slope, selectivity, response time, and response stability compared to the unmodified CPE. The prepared electrodes PVCE, CWE, CPE, MCPE-GO and MCPE-STFPB show Nernstian slopes of 59.9, 59.5, 58.1, 58.3 and 57.0 mV/conc. decade, and detection limits of 5.0 × 10 -6 , 6.3 × 10 -6 , 8.0 × 10 -6 , 6.0 × 10 -6 and 8.0 × 10 -6  mol L -1 , respectively. The prepared ISEs also show high selectivity against cations (i.e. Na + , K + , NH 4 + , Ca 2+ , Al 3+ , Fe 3+ ), amino acids (i.e. glycine, L-alanine alanine), and sugars (i.e. fructose, glucose, maltose, lactose). The prepared ISEs are applicable for determining GB in spiked serums, urines, and pharmaceutical preparations, using a standard addition and a direct potentiometric method. The fast response time (<10 s), long lifetime (1-5 weeks), reversibility and stability of the measured signals facilitate the application of these sensors for routine analysis of the real samples. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pre-installation empirical testing of room shielding for high dose rate remote afterloaders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, E.E.; Grigsby, P.W.; Williamson, J.F.; Meigooni, A.S.

1993-01-01

PURPOSE: Many facilities are acquiring high dose rate remote afterloading units. It is economical that these units be placed in existing shielded teletherapy rooms. Scatter-radiation barriers marginally protect uncontrolled areas from a high dose rate source especially in a room that houses a non-dynamic Cobalt-60 unit. In addition the exact thickness and material composition of the barriers are unknown and therefore, a calculation technique may give misleading results. Also, it would be impossible to evaluate an entire wall barrier by taking isolated core samples in order to assist in the calculations. A quick and inexpensive measurement of dose equivalent using a rented high activity 192Ir source evaluates the barriers and locates shielding deficiencies. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We performed transmission calculations for primary and scattered radiation based on National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements Reports 49 and 51, respectively. We then rented a high activity 21.7 Ci (8.03 x 10(11) Bq) Ir-192 source to assess our existing teletherapy room shielding for adequacy and voids. This source was placed at the proposed location for clinical high dose rate treatment and measurements were performed. RESULTS: No deficiencies were found in controlled areas surrounding the room, but large differences were found between the calculated and measured values. Our survey located a region in the uncontrolled area above the room requiring augmented shielding which was not predicted by the calculations. A canopy shield was designed to potentially augment the shielding in the ceiling direction. CONCLUSION: Pre-installation testing by measurement is an invaluable method for locating shielding deficiencies and avoiding unnecessary enhancement of shielding particularly when there is lack of information of the inherent shielding

High-Dose versus Low-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation and Arterial Stiffness among Individuals with Prehypertension and Vitamin D Deficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda Zaleski

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with the onset and progression of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD. However, mechanisms underlying vitamin D deficiency-mediated increased risk of CVD remain unknown. We sought to examine the differential effect of high-dose versus low-dose vitamin D supplementation on markers of arterial stiffness among ~40 vitamin D deficient adults with prehypertension. Methods. Participants were randomized to high-dose (4000 IU/d versus low-dose (400 IU/d oral vitamin D3 for 6 months. 24 hr ambulatory blood pressure (BP, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and pulse wave analyses were obtained at baseline and after 6 months of vitamin D supplementation. Results. There were no changes in resting BP or pulse wave velocity over 6 mo regardless of vitamin D dose (all p>0.202. High-dose vitamin D decreased augmentation index and pressure by 12.3 ± 5.3% (p=0.047 and 4.0 ± 1.5 mmHg (p=0.02, respectively. However, these decreases in arterial stiffness were not associated with increases in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D over 6 mo (p=0.425. Conclusion. High-dose vitamin D supplementation appears to lower surrogate measures of arterial stiffness but not indices of central pulse wave velocity. Clinical Trial Registration. This trial is registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (Unique Identifier: NCT01240512.

Radiation doses in alternative commercial high-level waste management systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, K.J.; Pelto, P.J.; Lavender, J.C.; Daling, P.M.; Fecht, B.A.

1986-01-01

In the commercial high-level waste management system, potential changes are being considered that will augment the benefits of an integral monitored retrievable storage (MRS) facility. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has recognized that alternative options could be implemented in the authorized waste management system (i.e., without an integral MRS facility) to potentially achieve some of the same beneficial effects of the integral MRS system. This paper summarizes those DOE-sponsored analyses related to radiation doses resulting from changes in the waste management system. This report presents generic analyses of aggregated radiation dose impacts to the public and occupational workers, of nine postulated changes in the operation of a spent-fuel management system without an MRS facility

Shielding measurements and augmentation for high power operations of FBTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jose, M.T.; Baskar, S.; Viswanathan, S.; Balasundar, S.; Subramanian, V.; Ravi, T.; Sundaram, V.M.; Raghunath, V.M.; Varadarajan, S.; Jena, A.K.

1996-01-01

Fast breeder test reactor (FBTR) at Kalpakkam is a 40 MWt loop type fast reactor with sodium coolant. Since criticality in 1985, radiation surveys were carried out at all accessible locations at different power levels to find out the hot spots and evaluate the shielding adequacy. This paper gives the details of findings of these measurements, consequent changes in shielding, and the present status of dose profile after the augmentation of shielding. (author). 1 ref., 1 fig., 1 tab

Augmented Renal Clearance in Critical Illness: An Important Consideration in Drug Dosing

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Sherif Hanafy Mahmoud

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Augmented renal clearance (ARC is a manifestation of enhanced renal function seen in critically ill patients. The use of regular unadjusted doses of renally eliminated drugs in patients with ARC might lead to therapy failure. The purpose of this scoping review was to provide and up-to-date summary of the available evidence pertaining to the phenomenon of ARC. A literature search of databases of available evidence in humans, with no language restriction, was conducted. Databases searched were MEDLINE (1946 to April 2017, EMBASE (1974 to April 2017 and the Cochrane Library (1999 to April 2017. A total of 57 records were included in the present review: 39 observational studies (25 prospective, 14 retrospective, 6 case reports/series and 12 conference abstracts. ARC has been reported to range from 14–80%. ARC is currently defined as an increased creatinine clearance of greater than 130 mL/min/1.73 m2 best measured by 8–24 h urine collection. Patients exhibiting ARC tend to be younger (<50 years old, of male gender, had a recent history of trauma, and had lower critical illness severity scores. Numerous studies have reported antimicrobials treatment failures when using standard dosing regimens in patients with ARC. In conclusion, ARC is an important phenomenon that might have significant impact on outcome in critically ill patients. Identifying patients at risk, using higher doses of renally eliminated drugs or use of non-renally eliminated alternatives might need to be considered in ICU patients with ARC. More research is needed to solidify dosing recommendations of various drugs in patients with ARC.

The ADAS-cog and clinically meaningful change in the VISTA clinical trial of galantamine for Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Rockwood, Kenneth; Fay, Sherri; Gorman, Mary

2010-02-01

A minimum 4-point change at 6 months on the Alzheimer's disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) is deemed clinically important, but this cut-point has been little studied in relation to clinical meaningfulness. In an investigator-initiated, clinical trial of galantamine, we investigated the extent to which a 4-point change classifies goal attainment by individual patients. Secondary analysis of the video imaging synthesis of treating Alzheimer's disease (VISTA) study: a 4-month, multi-centre, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled, trial of galantamine in 130 mild-moderate Alzheimer's disease patients (4-month open-label follow-up). ADAS-cog responses at 6 months were compared with outcomes on three clinical measures: clinician's interview based impression of change-plus caregiver input (CIBIC+), patient/carer-goal attainment scaling (PGAS) and clinician-GAS (CGAS). Thirty-seven of 99 patients improved by > or = 4 points on the ADAS-cog at 6 months, and 16/99 showed > or = 4-point worsening. ADAS-cog change scores correlated notionally to modestly with changes on the CGAS (r = -0.31), the PGAS (r = -0.29) and the CIBIC+ (r = 0.31). As a group, patients with ADAS-cog improvement were significantly more likely to improve on the clinical measures; those who worsened showed non-significant clinical decline. Individually, about half were misclassified in relation to each clinical measure; often when the ADAS-Cog detected 'no change', clinically meaningful effects could be detected. Even so, no ADAS-Cog cut-point optimally classified patients' clinical responses. A 4-point ADAS-cog change at 6 months is clinically meaningful for groups. Substantial individual misclassification between the ADAS-cog and clinical measures suggests no inherent meaning to a 4-point ADAS-cog change for a given patient.

Applied Augmented Reality for High Precision Maintenance

Science.gov (United States)

Dever, Clark

Augmented Reality had a major consumer breakthrough this year with Pokemon Go. The underlying technologies that made that app a success with gamers can be applied to improve the efficiency and efficacy of workers. This session will explore some of the use cases for augmented reality in an industrial environment. In doing so, the environmental impacts and human factors that must be considered will be explored. Additionally, the sensors, algorithms, and visualization techniques used to realize augmented reality will be discussed. The benefits of augmented reality solutions in industrial environments include automated data recording, improved quality assurance, reduction in training costs and improved mean-time-to-resolution. As technology continues to follow Moore's law, more applications will become feasible as performance-per-dollar increases across all system components.

[CSE vs. augmented epidural anesthesia for cesarean section. Spinal and epidural anesthesia with bupivacaine 0.5% "isobar" require augmentation].

Science.gov (United States)

Halter, F; Niesel, H C; Gladrow, W; Kaiser, H

1998-09-01

Incomplete anaesthesia is a major clinical problem both in single spinal and in single epidural anaesthesia. The clinical efficacy of epidural anaesthesia with augmentation (aEA) and combined epidural and spinal anesthesia (CSE) for cesarean section was investigated in a prospective randomized study on 45 patients. Anaesthesia extending up to Th5 was aimed for. Depending on the patient's height, epidural anaesthesia was administered with a dose of 18-22 ml 0.5% bupivacaine and spinal anaesthesia with a dose of 11-15 mg 0.5% bupivacaine. Augmentation was carried out in all cases in epidural anaesthesia, initially with 7.5 ml 1% Lidocaine with epinephrine 1:400,000, raised by 1.5 ml per missing segment. The epidural reinjection in CSE was carried out as necessary with 9.5-15 ml 1% lidocaine with epinephrine, depending on the height and difference from the segment Th5. The extension of anaesthesia achieved in epidural anaesthesia after an initial dose of 101.8 mg bupivacaine and augmenting dose of 99 mg lidocaine reached the segment Th5. The primary spinal anaesthesia dose up to 15 mg corresponding to height led to a segmental extension to a maximum of Th3 under CSE. Augmentation was necessary in 13 patients; in 5 cases because of inadequate extent of anaesthesia and 8 cases because of pain resulting from premature reversion. The augmenting dose required was 13.9 ml. Readiness for operation was attained after 19.8 min (aEA) and after 10.5 min (CSE). No patient required analgesics before delivery. The additional analgesic requirement during operation was 63.6% (aEA) and 39.1% (CSE). Taking into account pain in the area of surgery, the requirement of analgesics was 50% (aEA) vs. 17.4% (CSE). Antiemetics were required in 18.2 (aEA) and in 65.2% (CSE). The systolic blood pressure fell by 17.7% (aEA) and in 30.3% (CSE). The minimum systolic pressure was observed after 13.4 min in aEA, and after 9.5 min in CSE. The APGAR score and the umbilical pH did not show any

The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine and memantine for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (review of Technology Appraisal No. 111): a systematic review and economic model.

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, M; Rogers, G; Peters, J; Anderson, R; Hoyle, M; Miners, A; Moxham, T; Davis, S; Thokala, P; Wailoo, A; Jeffreys, M; Hyde, C

2012-01-01

% probability of being the most cost-effective option at a WTP of £’30,000 per QALY (27% at a WTP of £’20,000 per QALY). In the deterministic results, donepezil dominates the other drugs and BSC, which, along with rivastigmine patches, are associated with greater costs and fewer QALYs. Thus, although galantamine has a slightly cheaper total cost than donepezil (£’69,592 vs £’69,624), the slightly greater QALY gains from donepezil (1.616 vs 1.617) are enough for donepezil to dominate galantamine.The probability that memantine is cost-effective in a moderate to severe cohort compared with BSC at a WTP of £’30,000 per QALY is 38% (and 28% at a WTP of £’20,000 per QALY). The deterministic ICER for memantine is £’32,100 per/QALY and the probabilistic ICER is £’36,700 per/QALY. Trials were of 6 months maximum follow-up, lacked reporting of key outcomes, provided no subgroup analyses and used insensitive measures. Searches were limited to English language, The model does not include behavioural symptoms and there is uncertainty about the model structure and parameters. The additional clinical effectiveness evidence identified continues to suggest clinical benefit from the AChEIs in alleviating AD symptoms, although there is debate about the magnitude of the effect. Although there is also new evidence on the effectiveness of memantine, it remains less supportive of this drug’s use than the evidence for AChEIs. The conclusions concerning cost-effectiveness are quite different from the previous assessment. This is because both the changes in effectiveness and costs between drug use and non-drug use underlying the ICERs are very small. This leads to highly uncertain results, which are very sensitive to change. RESEARCH PRIORITIES: RCTs to include mortality, time to institutionalisation and quality of life, powered for subgroup analysis. The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.

Augmentation index (AI) in a dose-response relationship with smoking habits in males: The Tanushimaru study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuru, Tomoko; Adachi, Hisashi; Enomoto, Mika; Fukami, Ako; Kumagai, Eita; Nakamura, Sachiko; Nohara, Yume; Kono, Shoko; Nakao, Erika; Sakaue, Akiko; Morikawa, Nagisa; Fukumoto, Yoshihiro

2016-12-01

We investigated the relationship between augmentation index (AI) and smoking habits in community-dwelling Japanese.This cross-sectional study enrolled 1926 subjects (769 males and 1157 females) aged 40 to 95 years who underwent a health check-up in a Japanese cohort of the Seven Countries Study, in Tanushimaru, a typical farming town in Kyushu Island in 2009. The subjects' medical history, alcohol intake, smoking habit, and current medications for hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes were ascertained by questionnaire. Radial arterial pressure wave analysis was used to obtain AI. We analyzed the data stratified by gender.Age-adjusted means of AI in males showed a clear dose-response relationship in 4 categories of smoking habits (P = 0.010). There was no significant relationship between AI and smoking habits in females (P = 0.127). The significant dose-response relationship (P = 0.036) in males between AI and 4 categories of smoking habits still remained even after adjustment for age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, estimated glomerular filtration rate, glucose, hypertensive medication, and alcohol intake.The present study demonstrated that AI values were significantly associated with smoking habits in a dose-dependent manner in Japanese males.

Comparison of therapy augmentation and deviation rates from the recommended once-daily dosing regimen between LDX and commonly prescribed long-acting stimulants for the treatment of ADHD in youth and adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Setyawan, Juliana; Hodgkins, Paul; Guérin, Annie; Gauthier, Geneviève; Cloutier, Martin; Wu, Eric; Erder, M Haim

2013-10-01

To compare therapy augmentation and deviation rates from the recommended once-daily dosing regimen in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patients initiated on lisdexamfetamine (LDX) vs other once-daily Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved stimulants. ADHD patients initiated on a long-acting ADHD stimulant medication (index medication) in/after 2007 were selected from a large U.S. administrative claims database. Patients were required to be persistent for ≥90 days and continuously enrolled in their healthcare plan for ≥12 months following treatment initiation date. Based on age and previous treatment status, patients were classified into treatment-naïve children and adolescents (6-17 years old), previously treated children and adolescents, treatment-naïve adults (≥18 years old), and previously treated adults. Furthermore, patients were classified into four mutually exclusive treatment groups, based on index medication: lisdexamfetamine (LDX), osmotic release methylphenidate hydrochloride long-acting (OROS MPH), other methylphenidate/dexmethylphenidate long-acting (MPH LA), and amphetamine/dextroamphetamine long-acting (AMPH LA). The average daily consumption was measured as the quantity of index medication supplied in the 12-month study period divided by the total number of days of supply. Therapy augmentation was defined as the use of another ADHD medication concomitantly with the index medication for ≥28 consecutive days. Therapy augmentation and deviation rates from the recommended once-daily dosing regimen were compared between treatment groups using multivariate logistic regression models. Compared to the other treatment groups, LDX patients were less likely to augment with another ADHD medication (range odds ratios [OR]; 1.28-3.30) and to deviate from the recommended once-daily dosing regimen (range OR; 1.73-4.55), except for previously treated adult patients, where therapy augmentation differences were not statistically

Comparison of Nitrate-augmented resting gated 99mTc-Sestamibi imaging with Low Dose Dobutamine SPECT for the detection of Myocardial Viability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parameswaran, R.V.; Dash, P.K.; Barooah, B.; Guruprasad, H.P.; Purantharan, N.

2002-01-01

Background: Dobutamine Echocardiography and Radionuclide imaging with Tl-201 and Technetium agents are two of the most established techniques available for the detection of viable myocardium. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of Low dose Dobutamine gated Myocardial SPECT in identifying additional areas of dysfunctional, but viable myocardium when compared to nitrate-augmented rest gated SPECT with SestaMIBI. Materials and Methods: 20 patients (19 males and 1 female, with an age range of 40- 65 yrs and a mean of 52.75yrs) all with history of MI or severe LV dysfunction were included in this study. Patients with LBBB, recent revascularisation, arrhythmias etc were excluded from the study. A routine stress-rest study was initially performed on them with 99mTc-SestaMIBI and both the stress as well as resting studies was gated and the resting study was augmented with 10mg of sublingual nitrate. After the resting study was over, the patient was infused with Low dose Dobutamine(5μg/kg/min), at which time the gated acquisition was started and the infusion was continued till the acquisition got completed. In the perfusion study with SestaMIBI, all infarct segments which have uptake less than 50% as compared to the maximally perfused area was deemed non-viable Results: A 17-segment Myocardial model was used for both perfusion as well as quantification of wall motion and wall thickening. 110 akinetic/dyskinetic segments were taken up for analysis. 93 of these segments were non-viable and improvement in wall motion was seen in 17 segments (15.4%) in the nitrate-augmented SPECT. Dobutamine study showed improvement in totally in 27 segments (24.5%), 10 of which were additional segments which were non-viable in Nitrate SPECT study, apart from the 17 segments which showed improvement in the Nitrate study. In Dobutamine study, there was also improvement in wall thickening in 10 (10.7%) out of 93 segments which had showed less than 50% of MIBI uptake. Conclusion

A Phase I Study of Pulse High-Dose Vorinostat (V) plus Rituximab (R), Ifosphamide, Carboplatin, and Etoposide (ICE) in Patients with Relapsed Lymphoma

Science.gov (United States)

Budde, Lihua E.; Zhang, Michelle M.; Shustov, Andrei R.; Pagel, John M.; Gooley, Ted A.; Oliveira, George R.; Chen, Tara L.; Knudsen, Nancy L.; Roden, Jennifer E.; Kammerer, Britt E.; Frayo, Shani L.; Warr, Thomas A.; Boyd, Thomas E.; Press, Oliver W.; Gopal, Ajay K.

2013-01-01

SUMMARY Given the poor outcomes of relapsed aggressive lymphomas and preclinical data suggesting that ≥2.5 μM concentrations of vorinostat synergize with both etoposide and platinums, we hypothesized that pulse high-dose vorinostat could safely augment the anti-tumour activity of (R)ICE [(rituximab), ifosphamide, carboplatin, etoposide] chemotherapy. We conducted a phase I dose escalation study using a schedule with oral vorinostat ranging from 400 mg/d to 700 mg bid for 5 days in combination with the standard (R)ICE regimen (days 3, 4 and 5). Twenty-nine patients (median age 56 years, median 2 prior therapies, 14 chemoresistant [of 27 evaluable], 2 prior transplants) were enrolled and treated. The maximally tolerated vorinostat dose was defined as 500 mg twice daily × 5 days. Common dose limiting toxicities included infection (n=2), hypokalaemia (n=2), and transaminitis (n=2). Grade 3 related gastrointestinal toxicity was seen in 9 patients. The median vorinostat concentration on day 3 was 4.5 μM (range 4.2–6.0 μM) and in vitro data confirmed the augmented antitumour and histone acetylation activity at these levels. Responses were observed in 19 of 27 evaluable patients (70%) including 8 complete response/unconfirmed complete response. High-dose vorinostat can be delivered safely with (R)ICE, achieves potentially synergistic drug levels, and warrants further study, although adequate gastrointestinal prophylaxis is warranted. PMID:23356514

Altered hippocampal plasticity by prenatal kynurenine administration, kynurenine-3-monoxygenase (KMO) deletion or galantamine.

Science.gov (United States)

Forrest, C M; McNair, K; Pisar, M; Khalil, O S; Darlington, L G; Stone, T W

2015-12-03

Glutamate receptors sensitive to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) are involved in embryonic brain development but their activity may be modulated by the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism which includes an agonist (quinolinic acid) and an antagonist (kynurenic acid) at these receptors. Our previous work has shown that prenatal inhibition of the pathway produces abnormalities of brain development. In the present study kynurenine and probenecid (both 100mg/kg, doses known to increase kynurenic acid levels in the brain) were administered to female Wistar rats on embryonic days E14, E16 and E18 of gestation and the litter was allowed to develop to post-natal day P60. Western blotting revealed no changes in hippocampal expression of several proteins previously found to be altered by inhibition of the kynurenine pathway including the NMDA receptor subunits GluN1, GluN2A and GluN2B, as well as doublecortin, Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA), sonic hedgehog and unco-ordinated (unc)-5H1 and 5H3. Mice lacking the enzyme kynurenine-3-monoxygenase (KMO) also showed no changes in hippocampal expression of several of these proteins or the 70-kDa and 100-kDa variants of Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1). Electrical excitability of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 region of hippocampal slices was unchanged, as was paired-pulse facilitation and inhibition. Long-term potentiation was decreased in the kynurenine-treated rats and in the KMO(-/-) mice, but galantamine reversed this effect in the presence of nicotinic receptor antagonists, consistent with evidence that it can potentiate glutamate at NMDA receptors. It is concluded that interference with the kynurenine pathway in utero can have lasting effects on brain function of the offspring, implying that the kynurenine pathway is involved in the regulation of early brain development. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Shielding augmentation of roll-on shield from NAPS to Kaiga-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pradhan, A.S.; Kumar, A.N.

2000-01-01

Extensive radiation field surveys were conducted in NAPS and KAPS reactor buildings as a part of commissioning checks on radiation shielding. During such surveys, dose rate higher than the expected values were noticed in fuelling machine service areas. A movable shield, separating high field area fuelling machine vault and low field area fuelling machine service area, known as roll-on shield was identified as one of the causes of high field in fuelling machine service area along with weaker end-shield. This paper discusses systematic approach adopted in bringing down the dose rates in fuelling machine service area by augmentation of roll-on shield. (author)

Augmentation therapy with alpha1-antitrypsin: patterns of use and adverse events.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoller, James K; Fallat, Robert; Schluchter, Mark D; O'Brien, Ralph G; Connor, Jason T; Gross, Nicholas; O'Neil, Kevin; Sandhaus, Robert; Crystal, Ronald G

2003-05-01

To describe patterns of prescribing augmentation therapy, and types and rates of adverse events in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Registry for Individuals with Severe Deficiency of Alpha(1)-Antitrypsin. Observational cohort study with follow-up visits every 6 to 12 months for up to 7 years. The rate and dosing frequency with which Registry participants were prescribed to receive augmentation therapy by their managing physicians, and the type and frequency of adverse events, classified in two ways: severity of self-reported symptoms, and actions taken as a consequence of the symptom. Over the course of Registry follow-up, 66% (n = 747) of the participants received augmentation therapy at some time. In keeping with recommendations made in the 1989 American Thoracic Society (ATS) statement, 75% of participants with airflow obstruction at first visit (defined as FEV(1) or = 80% predicted (14%) also received augmentation therapy. Among those with COPD for whom augmentation therapy was not prescribed, financial constraints were the reported cause in 30%. Observed patterns also varied from approved practice, in that dosing frequencies other than the US Food and Drug Administration-approved, once-weekly regimen were frequently prescribed. The overall rate of reported adverse events was 0.02 per patient-month, with 83% of participants reporting no events. This overall rate was composed of 16% considered mild events, 76% moderate events, and 9% severe events. We conclude that augmentation therapy was generally well tolerated and, consistent with ATS guidelines, physicians generally did not prescribe augmentation therapy for subjects with FEV(1) > or = 80% predicted. However, the large percentage of subjects with FEV(1) <80% predicted not receiving augmentation therapy and the frequent use of 2- to 3-week or monthly dosing reflects variation of practice from suggested treatment guidelines.

Sodium bicarbonate-augmented stress thallium myocardial scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarin, Badal; Chugh, Pradeep Kumar; Kaushal, Dinesh; Soni, Nakse Lal; Sawroop, Kishan; Mondal, Anupam; Bhatnagar, Aseem

2004-01-01

It is well known that sodium bicarbonate in pharmacological doses induces transient alkalosis, causing intracellular transport of serum potassium. The aims of this study were (a) to investigate whether, in humans, myocardial thallium-201 uptake can be augmented by pretreatment with a single bolus of sodium bicarbonate at a pharmacological dose, (b) to verify general safety aspects of the intervention and (c) to evaluate the clinical implications of augmentation of 201 Tl uptake, if any. Routine exercise myocardial scintigraphy was performed twice in eight adult volunteers (five normal and three abnormal), once without intervention and the second time (within a week) following intravenous administration of sodium bicarbonate (88 mEq in 50 ml) as a slow bolus 1 h prior to the injection of 201 Tl. Conventional myocardial thallium study was compared with sodium bicarbonate interventional myocardial scintigraphy with respect to myocardial uptake (counts per minute per mCi injected dose), washout patterns in normal and abnormal myocardial segments, and overall clinical interpretation based on planar and single-photon emission tomographic (SPET) images. All patients remained asymptomatic after the intervention. A mean increase of 53% in myocardial uptake of thallium was noted in post-exercise acquisitions after the intervention, confirming uptake of the tracer via the potassium-hydrogen pump and its augmentation by transient alkalosis. The washout pattern remained unchanged. The visual quality of planar and SPET images improved significantly after the intervention. Out of the five abnormal myocardial segments identified in three cases, four showed significant filling-in after the intervention, causing the diagnosis to be upgraded from ''partial scar'' to ''ischaemia'', or from ''ischaemia'' to ''normal''. The overall scan impression changed in two out of three such cases. Sodium bicarbonate augmentation may have significant implications for stress-thallium scintigraphy

Gamma dosimetry of high doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez C, T.; Galvan G, A.; Canizal, G.

1991-01-01

The gamma dosimetry of high doses is problematic in almost all the classic dosemeters either based on the thermoluminescence, electric, chemical properties, etc., because they are saturated to very high dose and they are no longer useful. This work carries out an investigation in the interval of high doses. The solid system of heptahydrate ferrous sulfate, can be used as solid dosemeter of routine for high doses of radiation. The proposed method is simple, cheap and it doesn't require sophisticated spectrophotometers or spectrometers but expensive and not common in some laboratories

Feature Augmentation via Nonparametrics and Selection (FANS) in High-Dimensional Classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Jianqing; Feng, Yang; Jiang, Jiancheng; Tong, Xin

We propose a high dimensional classification method that involves nonparametric feature augmentation. Knowing that marginal density ratios are the most powerful univariate classifiers, we use the ratio estimates to transform the original feature measurements. Subsequently, penalized logistic regression is invoked, taking as input the newly transformed or augmented features. This procedure trains models equipped with local complexity and global simplicity, thereby avoiding the curse of dimensionality while creating a flexible nonlinear decision boundary. The resulting method is called Feature Augmentation via Nonparametrics and Selection (FANS). We motivate FANS by generalizing the Naive Bayes model, writing the log ratio of joint densities as a linear combination of those of marginal densities. It is related to generalized additive models, but has better interpretability and computability. Risk bounds are developed for FANS. In numerical analysis, FANS is compared with competing methods, so as to provide a guideline on its best application domain. Real data analysis demonstrates that FANS performs very competitively on benchmark email spam and gene expression data sets. Moreover, FANS is implemented by an extremely fast algorithm through parallel computing.

Does Augmented Reality Affect High School Students' Learning Outcomes in Chemistry?

Science.gov (United States)

Renner, Jonathan Christopher

Some teens may prefer using a self-directed, constructivist, and technologic approach to learning rather than traditional classroom instruction. If it can be demonstrated, educators may adjust their teaching methodology. The guiding research question for this study focused on how augmented reality affects high school students' learning outcomes in chemistry, as measured by a pretest and posttest methodology when ensuring that the individual outcomes were not the result of group collaboration. This study employed a quantitative, quasi-experimental study design that used a comparison and experimental group. Inferential statistical analysis was employed. The study was conducted at a high school in southwest Colorado. Eighty-nine respondents returned completed and signed consent forms, and 78 participants completed the study. Results demonstrated that augmented reality instruction caused posttest scores to significantly increase, as compared to pretest scores, but it was not as effective as traditional classroom instruction. Scores did improve under both types of instruction; therefore, more research is needed in this area. The present study was the first quantitative experiment controlling for individual learning to validate augmented reality using mobile handheld digital devices that affected individual students' learning outcomes without group collaboration. This topic was important to the field of education as it may help educators understand how students learn and it may also change the way students are taught.

Canagliflozin prevents scopolamine-induced memory impairment in rats: Comparison with galantamine hydrobromide action.

Science.gov (United States)

Arafa, Nadia M S; Ali, Elham H A; Hassan, Mohamed Kamel

2017-11-01

Canagliflozin (CAN) is a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor indicated to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. There is a little information about its effect on the cholinergic system that proposed mechanism for memory improvement occurring by SGLT2 drugs. This study aimed to estimate the effect of CAN as compared to galantamine (GAL) treatments for two weeks on scopolamine hydrobromide (SCO)-induced memory dysfunction in experimental rats. Animals divided into six groups; control (CON), CAN, GAL, SCO, SCO + CAN and SCO + GAL. Results indicated significant decrease in body weights of the CAN groups as compared to control values. Moreover, in the SCO + CAN and SCO + GAL the number of arm entry and number of correct alternation in Y maze task increased and showed improvement in the water maze task, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities decreased significantly, while monoamines levels significantly increased compared with the SCO group values. Results also recorded acetylcholine M1 receptor (M1 mAChR) in SCO + CAN or SCO + GAL groups in comparison with the SCO group. The study suggested that canagliflozin might improve memory dysfunction induced by scopolamine hydrobromide via cholinergic and monoamines system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Augmentation of Quasi-Zenith Satellite Positioning System Using High Altitude Platforms Systems (HAPS)

Science.gov (United States)

Tsujii, Toshiaki; Harigae, Masatoshi

Recently, some feasibility studies on a regional positioning system using the quasi-zenith satellites and the geostationary satellites have been conducted in Japan. However, the geometry of this system seems to be unsatisfactory in terms of the positioning accuracy in north-south direction. In this paper, an augmented satellite positioning system by the High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) is proposed since the flexibility of the HAPS location is effective to improve the geometry of satellite positioning system. The improved positioning performance of the augmented system is also demonstrated.

Sodium bicarbonate-augmented stress thallium myocardial scintigraphy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarin, Badal; Chugh, Pradeep Kumar; Kaushal, Dinesh; Soni, Nakse Lal; Sawroop, Kishan; Mondal, Anupam; Bhatnagar, Aseem [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Brig. S. K. Mazumdar Road, 110054, Delhi (India)

2004-04-01

It is well known that sodium bicarbonate in pharmacological doses induces transient alkalosis, causing intracellular transport of serum potassium. The aims of this study were (a) to investigate whether, in humans, myocardial thallium-201 uptake can be augmented by pretreatment with a single bolus of sodium bicarbonate at a pharmacological dose, (b) to verify general safety aspects of the intervention and (c) to evaluate the clinical implications of augmentation of {sup 201}Tl uptake, if any. Routine exercise myocardial scintigraphy was performed twice in eight adult volunteers (five normal and three abnormal), once without intervention and the second time (within a week) following intravenous administration of sodium bicarbonate (88 mEq in 50 ml) as a slow bolus 1 h prior to the injection of {sup 201}Tl. Conventional myocardial thallium study was compared with sodium bicarbonate interventional myocardial scintigraphy with respect to myocardial uptake (counts per minute per mCi injected dose), washout patterns in normal and abnormal myocardial segments, and overall clinical interpretation based on planar and single-photon emission tomographic (SPET) images. All patients remained asymptomatic after the intervention. A mean increase of 53% in myocardial uptake of thallium was noted in post-exercise acquisitions after the intervention, confirming uptake of the tracer via the potassium-hydrogen pump and its augmentation by transient alkalosis. The washout pattern remained unchanged. The visual quality of planar and SPET images improved significantly after the intervention. Out of the five abnormal myocardial segments identified in three cases, four showed significant filling-in after the intervention, causing the diagnosis to be upgraded from ''partial scar'' to ''ischaemia'', or from ''ischaemia'' to ''normal''. The overall scan impression changed in two out of three such cases. Sodium

Mobile Collaborative Augmented Reality: The Augmented Stroll

OpenAIRE

Renevier , Philippe; Nigay , Laurence

2001-01-01

International audience; The paper focuses on Augmented Reality systems in which interaction with the real world is augmented by the computer, the task being performed in the real world. We first define what mobile AR systems, collaborative AR systems and finally mobile and collaborative AR systems are. We then present the augmented stroll and its software design as one example of a mobile and collaborative AR system. The augmented stroll is applied to Archaeology in the MAGIC (Mobile Augmente...

Biological dose estimation for accidental supra-high dose gamma-ray exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Y.; Yan, X.K.; Du, J.; Wang, Z.D.; Zhang, X.Q.; Zeng, F.G.; Zhou, P.K.

2011-01-01

To correctly estimate the biological dose of victims accidentally exposed to a very high dose of 60 Co gamma-ray, a new dose-effect curve of chromosomal dicentrics/multicentrics and rings in the supra-high dose range was established. Peripheral blood from two healthy men was irradiated in vitro with doses of 60 Co gamma-rays ranging from 6 to 22 Gy at a dose rate of 2.0 Gy/min. Lymphocytes were concentrated, cultured and harvested at 52 h, 68 h and 72 h. The numbers of dic + r were counted. The dose-effect curves were established and validated using comparisons with doses from the Tokai-mura accident and were then applied to two victims of supra-high dose exposure accident. The results indicated that there were no significant differences in chromosome aberration frequency among the different culture times from 52 h to 72 h. The 6-22 Gy dose-effect curve was fitted to a linear quadratic model Y = -2.269 + 0.776D - 7.868 x l0 -3 D 2 . Using this mathematic model, the dose estimates were similar to data from Tokai-mura which were estimated by PCC ring. Whole body average doses of 9.7 Gy and 18.1 Gy for two victims in the Jining accident were satisfactorily given. We established and successfully applied a new dose-effect curve of chromosomal dicentrics plus ring (dic + r) after 6-22 Gy γ-irradiation from a supra-high dose 60 Co gamma-ray accident.

Augmented reality aiding collimator exchange at the LHC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martínez, Héctor; Fabry, Thomas; Laukkanen, Seppo; Mattila, Jouni; Tabourot, Laurent

2014-01-01

Novel Augmented Reality techniques have the potential to have a large positive impact on the way remote maintenance operations are carried out in hazardous areas, e.g. areas where radiation doses that imply careful planning and optimization of maintenance operations are present. This paper describes an Augmented Reality strategy, system and implementation for aiding the remote collimator exchange in the LHC, currently the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. The proposed system relies on marker detection and multi-modal augmentation in real-time. A database system has been used to ensure flexibility. The system has been tested in a mock-up facility, showing real time performance and great potential for future use in the LHC. The technical-scientific difficulties identified during the development of the system and the proposed solutions described in this paper may help the development of future Augmented Reality systems for remote handling in scientific facilities

Augmented reality aiding collimator exchange at the LHC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martínez, Héctor, E-mail: hector.martinez@sensetrix.com [SenseTrix, PL 20 FI-00101 Helsinki (Finland); Fabry, Thomas [European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, CH-1211 Genève 23 (Switzerland); Laukkanen, Seppo [SenseTrix, PL 20 FI-00101 Helsinki (Finland); Mattila, Jouni [Tampere University of Technology, PO Box 527, FI-33101 Tampere (Finland); Tabourot, Laurent [SYMME, Université de Savoie, Polytech Annecy-Chambéry, 5 chemin de Bellevue, 74944 Annecy le Vieux (France)

2014-11-01

Novel Augmented Reality techniques have the potential to have a large positive impact on the way remote maintenance operations are carried out in hazardous areas, e.g. areas where radiation doses that imply careful planning and optimization of maintenance operations are present. This paper describes an Augmented Reality strategy, system and implementation for aiding the remote collimator exchange in the LHC, currently the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. The proposed system relies on marker detection and multi-modal augmentation in real-time. A database system has been used to ensure flexibility. The system has been tested in a mock-up facility, showing real time performance and great potential for future use in the LHC. The technical-scientific difficulties identified during the development of the system and the proposed solutions described in this paper may help the development of future Augmented Reality systems for remote handling in scientific facilities.

Five-Year Outcomes of High-Dose Single-Fraction Spinal Stereotactic Radiosurgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moussazadeh, Nelson; Lis, Eric; Katsoulakis, Evangelia; Kahn, Sweena; Svoboda, Marek; DiStefano, Natalie M.; McLaughlin, Lily; Bilsky, Mark H.; Yamada, Yoshiya; Laufer, Ilya

2015-01-01

treated levels (36.1%) in 12 patients demonstrated progressive vertebral body collapse or endplate fractures at a median of 25.7 months (range 11.6-76.0), of which 5 (14%) became symptomatic and subsequently required percutaneous cement augmentation or surgery. Conclusions: In the longest-term series to date, high-dose single-fraction spinal SRS retained an excellent safety profile among long-term survivors (>5 years)

Five-Year Outcomes of High-Dose Single-Fraction Spinal Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moussazadeh, Nelson [Division of Neurological Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York (United States); Lis, Eric [Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Katsoulakis, Evangelia [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, New York (United States); Kahn, Sweena; Svoboda, Marek; DiStefano, Natalie M.; McLaughlin, Lily [Division of Neurological Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Bilsky, Mark H. [Division of Neurological Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York (United States); Yamada, Yoshiya [Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Laufer, Ilya, E-mail: lauferi@mskcc.org [Division of Neurological Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (United States); Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York (United States)

2015-10-01

treated levels (36.1%) in 12 patients demonstrated progressive vertebral body collapse or endplate fractures at a median of 25.7 months (range 11.6-76.0), of which 5 (14%) became symptomatic and subsequently required percutaneous cement augmentation or surgery. Conclusions: In the longest-term series to date, high-dose single-fraction spinal SRS retained an excellent safety profile among long-term survivors (>5 years)

Optimized dose distribution of a high dose rate vaginal cylinder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zuofeng; Liu, Chihray; Palta, Jatinder R.

1998-01-01

Purpose: To present a comparison of optimized dose distributions for a set of high-dose-rate (HDR) vaginal cylinders calculated by a commercial treatment-planning system with benchmark calculations using Monte-Carlo-calculated dosimetry data. Methods and Materials: Optimized dose distributions using both an isotropic and an anisotropic dose calculation model were obtained for a set of HDR vaginal cylinders. Mathematical optimization techniques available in the computer treatment-planning system were used to calculate dwell times and positions. These dose distributions were compared with benchmark calculations with TG43 formalism and using Monte-Carlo-calculated data. The same dwell times and positions were used for a quantitative comparison of dose calculated with three dose models. Results: The isotropic dose calculation model can result in discrepancies as high as 50%. The anisotropic dose calculation model compared better with benchmark calculations. The differences were more significant at the apex of the vaginal cylinder, which is typically used as the prescription point. Conclusion: Dose calculation models available in a computer treatment-planning system must be evaluated carefully to ensure their correct application. It should also be noted that when optimized dose distribution at a distance from the cylinder surface is calculated using an accurate dose calculation model, the vaginal mucosa dose becomes significantly higher, and therefore should be carefully monitored

Progress in high-dose radiation dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ettinger, K.V.; Nam, J.W.; McLaughlin, W.L.; Chadwick, K.H.

1981-01-01

The last decade has witnessed a deluge of new high-dose dosimetry techniques and expanded applications of methods developed earlier. Many of the principal systems are calibrated by means of calorimetry, although production of heat is not always the final radiation effect of interest. Reference systems also include a number of chemical dose meters: ferrous sulphate, ferrous-cupric sulphate, and ceric sulphate acidic aqueous solutions. Requirements for stable and reliable transfer dose meters have led to further developments of several important high-dose systems: amino acids and saccharides analysed by ESR or lyoluminescence, thermoluminescent materials, radiochromic dyes and plastics, ceric-cerous solutions analysed by potentiometry, and ethanol-chlorobenzene solutions analysed by high-frequency oscillometry. A number of other prospective dose meters are also treated in this review. In addition, an IAEA programme of high-dose standardization and intercomparison for industrial radiation processing is described. (author)

Augmented Reality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærgaard, Hanne Wacher; Kjeldsen, Lars Peter Bech; Rahn, Annette

2015-01-01

This chapter describes the use of iPad-facilitated application of augmented reality in the teaching of highly complex anatomical and physiological subjects in the training of nurses at undergraduate level. The general aim of the project is to investigate the potentials of this application in terms...... of making the complex content and context of these subjects more approachable to the students through the visualization made possible through the use of this technology. A case study is described in this chapter. Issues and factors required for the sustainable use of the mobile-facilitated application...... of augmented reality are discussed....

Capacity of tumor necrosis factor to augment lymphocyte-mediated tumor cell lysis of malignant mesothelioma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowman, R.V.; Manning, L.S.; Davis, M.R.; Robinson, B.W.

1991-01-01

Recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (rHuTNF) was evaluated both for direct anti-tumor action against human malignant mesothelioma and for its capacity to augment the generation and lytic phases of lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity against this tumor. rHuTNF was directly toxic by MTT assay to one of two mesothelioma cell lines evaluated, but had no effect on susceptibility to subsequent lymphocyte-mediated lysis of either line. TNF alone was incapable of generating anti-mesothelioma lymphokine-activated killer cell (LAK) activity. Furthermore, it did not augment the degree or LAK activity produced by submaximal interleukin-2 (IL-2) concentrations nor did it augment lysis of mesothelioma cells by natural killer (NK) or LAK effector cells during the 4-hr 51chromium release cytolytic reaction. The studies also suggest that mesothelioma targets are less responsive to TNF plus submaximal IL-2 concentrations than the standard LAK sensitive target Daudi, raising the possibility that intermediate LAK sensitive tumors such as mesothelioma may require separate and specific evaluation in immunomodulation studies. This in vitro study indicates that use of low-dose rHuTNF and IL-2 is unlikely to be an effective substitute for high-dose IL-2 in generation and maintenance of LAK activity in adoptive immunotherapy for mesothelioma

An open pilot study of zonisamide augmentation in major depressive patients not responding to a low dose trial with duloxetine: preliminary results on tolerability and clinical effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benvenuti Marzia

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite multiple antidepressant options, major depressive disorder (MDD still faces high non-response rates, eventually requiring anticonvulsant augmentation strategies too. The aim of this study was to explore such a potential role for zonisamide. Methods A total of 40 MDD outpatients diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, fourth edition criteria entered a 24 week open trial receiving duloxetine 60 mg/day for the first 12 weeks and subsequently (weeks 12 to 24 augmentation with zonisamide 75 mg/day if they did not respond to the initial monotherapy. Efficacy and tolerability were assessed using the Hamilton Scales for Anxiety and Depression (a 12 week score ≥50% vs baseline defined 'non-response', the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale, the Patient Rated Inventory of Side Effects and the Young Mania Rating Scale. Results At week 12, 15 patients out of 39 (38.5% were responders, and 1 had dropped out; remarkably, 14 patients out of 24 (58.3% had achieved response by week 24. Poor concentration and general malaise were associated with non-response both at week 12 and 24 (P = 0.001, while loss of libido and reduced energy were prominent among final timepoint non-responders. Patients receiving zonisamide also experienced weight reduction (2.09 ± 12.14 kg; P = 0.001 independently of the outcome. Conclusions Although only a preliminary study due to strong methodological limitations, and thus requiring confirmation by further controlled investigations, the current results indicate zonisamide may be a potential augmentation option for some depressed patients receiving low doses of duloxetine.

Intracranial meningiomas after high-dose irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soffer, D.; Gomori, J.M.; Siegal, T.; Shalit, M.N.

1989-01-01

Three patients who presented with intracranial meningiomas 12, 15, and 20 years, respectively, after therapeutic high-dose irradiation of a primary brain tumor are described. Analysis of these cases and similar documented cases suggests that meningiomas after high-dose irradiation constitute a recognizable entity. Patients with such tumors received radiation therapy at a young age (mean age, 9.4 years). After a latent period of 2 to 47 years (mean, 19.8 years) they developed meningiomas at the site of irradiation, at a much younger age than patients with ''spontaneous'' meningiomas. Similar to the situation with meningiomas after low-dose irradiation, a relatively high proportion of meningiomas induced by high-dose irradiation tend to be malignant and biologically aggressive. A very young age at the time of irradiation seems to predispose to the induction of malignant meningiomas, rather than benign tumors. These unusual features provide indirect evidence that high-dose radiation may play a role in the pathogenesis of meningiomas.41 references

INFORMATION VIA AUGMENTED

OpenAIRE

Tetteh, Sampson

2015-01-01

The vast majority of mobile technology today has developed over the past dec-ades. The thirst for information and communication has brought about high data transfer speed on modern mobile handset devices. This makes it possible for Augmented Reality to be used on mobile phones. Vaasa University of Applied Science, Technobothnia science resource center and Lumivaara Museum saw the importance of information and decided to embark on a pilot project where Augmented Reality will not be only us...

Perlecan domain 1 recombinant proteoglycan augments BMP-2 activity and osteogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DeCarlo Arthur A

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many growth factors, such as bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-2, have been shown to interact with polymers of sulfated disacharrides known as heparan sulfate (HS glycosaminoglycans (GAGs, which are found on matrix and cell-surface proteoglycans throughout the body. HS GAGs, and some more highly sulfated forms of chondroitin sulfate (CS, regulate cell function by serving as co-factors, or co-receptors, in GF interactions with their receptors, and HS or CS GAGs have been shown to be necessary for inducing signaling and GF activity, even in the osteogenic lineage. Unlike recombinant proteins, however, HS and CS GAGs are quite heterogenous due, in large part, to post-translational addition, then removal, of sulfate groups to various positions along the GAG polymer. We have, therefore, investigated whether it would be feasible to deliver a DNA pro-drug to generate a soluble HS/CS proteoglycan in situ that would augment the activity of growth-factors, including BMP-2, in vivo. Results Utilizing a purified recombinant human perlecan domain 1 (rhPln.D1 expressed from HEK 293 cells with HS and CS GAGs, tight binding and dose-enhancement of rhBMP-2 activity was demonstrated in vitro. In vitro, the expressed rhPln.D1 was characterized by modification with sulfated HS and CS GAGs. Dose-enhancement of rhBMP-2 by a pln.D1 expression plasmid delivered together as a lyophilized single-phase on a particulate tricalcium phosphate scaffold for 6 or more weeks generated up to 9 fold more bone volume de novo on the maxillary ridge in a rat model than in control sites without the pln.D1 plasmid. Using a significantly lower BMP-2 dose, this combination provided more than 5 times as much maxillary ridge augmentation and greater density than rhBMP-2 delivered on a collagen sponge (InFuse™. Conclusions A recombinant HS/CS PG interacted strongly and functionally with BMP-2 in binding and cell-based assays, and, in vivo, the pln.247 expression plasmid

High-dose irradiation of food

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diehl, J.F.

1999-01-01

Studies performed on behalf of the International Project on Food Irradiation in the period from 1971 until 1980 resulted in the concluding statement that ''.the irradiation of any food commodity up to an overall average dose of 10 kGy presents no toxicological hazard; hence, toxicological testing of foods so treated is no longer required.'' Since then, licenses for food irradiation have been restricted to this maximum dose in any country applying this technology. Further testing programmes have been carried out investigating the wholesomeness or hazards of high-dose irradiation, but there has been little demand so far by the food industry for licensing of high-dose irradiation, as there is only a small range of products whose irradiation at higher doses offers advantages for given, intended use. These include eg. spices, dried herbs, meat products in flexible pouch packagings for astronauts, or patients with immune deficiencies. (orig./CB) [de

Augmented Reality for Science Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brandt, Harald; Nielsen, Birgitte Lund; Georgsen, Marianne

Augmented reality (AR) holds great promise as a learning tool. So far, however, most research has looked at the technology itself – and AR has been used primarily for commercial purposes. As a learning tool, AR supports an inquiry-based approach to science education with a high level of student...... involvement. The AR-sci-project (Augmented Reality for SCIence education) addresses the issue of applying augmented reality in developing innovative science education and enhancing the quality of science teaching and learning....

''Low dose'' and/or ''high dose'' in radiation protection: A need to setting criteria for dose classification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sohrabi, M.

1997-01-01

The ''low dose'' and/or ''high dose'' of ionizing radiation are common terms widely used in radiation applications, radiation protection and radiobiology, and natural radiation environment. Reading the title, the papers of this interesting and highly important conference and the related literature, one can simply raise the question; ''What are the levels and/or criteria for defining a low dose or a high dose of ionizing radiation?''. This is due to the fact that the criteria for these terms and for dose levels between these two extreme quantities have not yet been set, so that the terms relatively lower doses or higher doses are usually applied. Therefore, setting criteria for classification of radiation doses in the above mentioned areas seems a vital need. The author while realizing the existing problems to achieve this important task, has made efforts in this paper to justify this need and has proposed some criteria, in particular for the classification of natural radiation areas, based on a system of dose limitation. (author)

Amphetamine Paradoxically Augments Exocytotic Dopamine Release and Phasic Dopamine Signals

Science.gov (United States)

Daberkow, DP; Brown, HD; Bunner, KD; Kraniotis, SA; Doellman, MA; Ragozzino, ME; Garris, PA; Roitman, MF

2013-01-01

Drugs of abuse hijack brain reward circuitry during the addiction process by augmenting action potential-dependent phasic dopamine release events associated with learning and goal-directed behavior. One prominent exception to this notion would appear to be amphetamine (AMPH) and related analogs, which are proposed instead to disrupt normal patterns of dopamine neurotransmission by depleting vesicular stores and promoting non-exocytotic dopamine efflux via reverse transport. This mechanism of AMPH action, though, is inconsistent with its therapeutic effects and addictive properties - which are thought to be reliant on phasic dopamine signaling. Here we used fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in freely moving rats to interrogate principal neurochemical responses to AMPH in the striatum and relate these changes to behavior. First, we showed that AMPH dose-dependently enhanced evoked dopamine responses to phasic-like current pulse trains for up to two hours. Modeling the data revealed that AMPH inhibited dopamine uptake but also unexpectedly potentiated vesicular dopamine release. Second, we found that AMPH increased the amplitude, duration and frequency of spontaneous dopamine transients, the naturally occurring, non-electrically evoked, phasic increases in extracellular dopamine. Finally, using an operant sucrose reward paradigm, we showed that low-dose AMPH augmented dopamine transients elicited by sucrose-predictive cues. However, operant behavior failed at high-dose AMPH, which was due to phasic dopamine hyperactivity and the decoupling of dopamine transients from the reward predictive cue. These findings identify up-regulation of exocytotic dopamine release as a key AMPH action in behaving animals and support a unified mechanism of abused drugs to activate phasic dopamine signaling. PMID:23303926

Towards Pervasive Augmented Reality: Context-Awareness in Augmented Reality.

Science.gov (United States)

Grubert, Jens; Langlotz, Tobias; Zollmann, Stefanie; Regenbrecht, Holger

2017-06-01

Augmented Reality is a technique that enables users to interact with their physical environment through the overlay of digital information. While being researched for decades, more recently, Augmented Reality moved out of the research labs and into the field. While most of the applications are used sporadically and for one particular task only, current and future scenarios will provide a continuous and multi-purpose user experience. Therefore, in this paper, we present the concept of Pervasive Augmented Reality, aiming to provide such an experience by sensing the user's current context and adapting the AR system based on the changing requirements and constraints. We present a taxonomy for Pervasive Augmented Reality and context-aware Augmented Reality, which classifies context sources and context targets relevant for implementing such a context-aware, continuous Augmented Reality experience. We further summarize existing approaches that contribute towards Pervasive Augmented Reality. Based our taxonomy and survey, we identify challenges for future research directions in Pervasive Augmented Reality.

Dose-reduction techniques for high-dose worker groups in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, T.A.; Baum, J.W.; Dionne, B.J.

1991-03-01

This report summarizes the main findings of a study of the extent of radiation dose received by special work groups in the nuclear power industry. Work groups which chronically get large doses were investigated, using information provided by the industry. The tasks that give high doses to these work groups were examined and techniques described that were found to be particularly successful in reducing dose. Quantitative information on the extent of radiation doses to various work groups shows that significant numbers of workers in several critical groups receive doses greater than 1 and even 2 rem per year, particularly contract personnel and workers at BWR-type plants. The number of radiation workers whose lifetime dose is greater than their age is much less. Although the techniques presented would go some way in reducing dose, it is likely that a sizeable reduction to the high-dose work groups may require development of new dose-reduction techniques as well as major changes in procedures. 10 refs., 26 tabs

Performance of thermoluminescent materials for high dose dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Texeira, Maria I.; Cecatti, Sonia G.P.; Caldas, Linda V.E.

2008-01-01

Cases involving high-doses of ionizing radiation are becoming increasingly common.The objective of this work was to characterize thermoluminescent materials for the dosimetry of workers exposed to high doses. Samples of TLD-200, TLD-400 and TLD-800 pellets from Thermo Electron Corporation were studied in gamma high-doses. Dose-response curves were obtained for doses between 100 mGy and 100 Gy. The reproducibility, the lower detection limits and dose-response curves were obtained for all three materials. The different kinds of detectors show usefulness for dosimetry of workers exposed accidentally to high doses. (author)

Fiber optics in high dose radiation fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Partin, J.K.

1985-01-01

A review of the behavior of state-of-the-art optical fiber waveguides in high dose (greater than or equal to 10 5 rad), steady state radiation fields is presented. The influence on radiation-induced transmission loss due to experimental parameters such as dose rate, total dose, irradiation history, temperature, wavelength, and light intensity, for future work in high dose environments are given

Augment-type two stage accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogino, Mutsuo; Azuma, Kingo.

1995-01-01

When a flying body accelerated by a gas gun at a first stage enters into an augment rail passing through an introduction tube, an ignition capacitor for initial plasmas is turned ON to apply a voltage between the augment rails. Subsequently, the accelerating gas present behind the flying body is formed into plasmas by a laser, to flow electric current from one of the inner augment rails → plasma armature → the other of the inner augment rails, and additionally accelerate the flying body by Lorentz force formed in this case. Since the plasmas are maintained in a state of higher density than the plasmas obtained by using all of the augment rails, the ignition capacitor for initial plasmas in switched to a power source. As a result, it is possible to flow the maximum current before the plasmas expand, and a large accelerating force and a high magnetic flux density are attained, to improve acceleration performance of the flying body. (N.H.)

ARLearn: augmented reality meets augmented virtuality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ternier, Stefaan; Klemke, Roland; Kalz, Marco; Van Ulzen, Patricia; Specht, Marcus

2012-01-01

Ternier, S., Klemke, R., Kalz, M., Van Ulzen, P., & Specht, M. (2012). ARLearn: augmented reality meets augmented virtuality [Special issue]. Journal of Universal Computer Science - Technology for learning across physical and virtual spaces, 18(15), 2143-2164.

Radiophotoluminescence light scope for high-dose dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Fuminobu; Zushi, Naoki; Sakiyama, Tomoki; Kato, Yushi; Murata, Isao; Shimizu, Kikuo; Yamamoto, Takayoshi; Iida, Toshiyuki

2015-01-01

A radiophotoluminescence (RPL) light scope is a remote-sensing technique for measuring in situ the radiation dose in an RPL detector placed at a distance. The RPL light scope is mainly composed of an ultraviolet (UV) pulse laser, telescopic lenses, a photomultiplier tube, and camera modules. In a performance test, some RPL detectors were placed at distances up to 30 m and were illuminated with a pulsed UV laser beam. The photoluminescence responses of the RPL detectors were analyzed using this scope. Their radiation doses were determined from the amplitude of the given component of the photoluminescence responses. The RPL readout could be repeated without fading, and its amplitude exhibited good linearity at a dose ranging from 0.1 to 60 Gy. Furthermore, a two-dimensional distribution of radiation dose was obtained by laser scanning on an RPL detector. It was confirmed that the RPL light scope was a useful remote-sensing tool for high-dose dosimetry. - Highlights: • A radiophotoluminescence (RPL) light scope was developed for high-dose dosimetry. • The RPL light scope has high sensitivity and accuracy in high-dose dosimetry. • Two-dimensional radiation dose distribution was obtained by the RPL light scope.

High-dose dosimetry using natural silicate minerals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carmo, Lucas S. do; Mendes, Leticia; Watanabe, Shigueo; Rao, Gundu; Lucas, Natasha; Sato, Karina; Barbosa, Renata F.

2015-01-01

In the present study, certain natural silicate minerals such as aquamarine (AB), morganite (PB), goshenite (WB), white jadeite (JW), green jadeite (JG), pink tourmaline (PT) and two varieties of jadeite-like quartz, denoted here by JQ1 and JQ2, were investigated using the thermoluminescence technique to evaluate their potential for use as very-high- and high-dose dosimeters. These minerals respond to high doses of γ-rays of up to 1000 kGy and often to very high doses of up to 3000 kGy. The TL response of these minerals may be considered to be satisfactory for applications in high-dose dosimetry. Investigations of electron paramagnetic resonance and optically stimulated luminescence dosimetry are in progress. (author)

High-dose dosimetry using natural silicate minerals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carmo, Lucas S. do; Mendes, Leticia, E-mail: isatiro@usp.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Watanabe, Shigueo; Rao, Gundu; Lucas, Natasha; Sato, Karina, E-mail: lacifid@if.usp.br [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Instituto de Fisica. Departamento de Fisica Nuclear; Barbosa, Renata F., E-mail: profcelta@hotmail.com [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos, SP (Brazil). Departamento de Ciencias do Mar

2015-07-01

In the present study, certain natural silicate minerals such as aquamarine (AB), morganite (PB), goshenite (WB), white jadeite (JW), green jadeite (JG), pink tourmaline (PT) and two varieties of jadeite-like quartz, denoted here by JQ1 and JQ2, were investigated using the thermoluminescence technique to evaluate their potential for use as very-high- and high-dose dosimeters. These minerals respond to high doses of γ-rays of up to 1000 kGy and often to very high doses of up to 3000 kGy. The TL response of these minerals may be considered to be satisfactory for applications in high-dose dosimetry. Investigations of electron paramagnetic resonance and optically stimulated luminescence dosimetry are in progress. (author)

Augmented postcard

OpenAIRE

Bernik , Aleš

2012-01-01

The aim of this thesis is the examination of augmented reality technology, which allows us mixing real and virtual elements. Augmented reality is a relatively new technology which is becoming more widespread, thanks to a fairly reasonable price of smart phones. Here we presents the types of augmented reality, the necessary technology and their advantages and disadvantages, its current use in applications, and software for building augmented reality applications. The thesis is mainly focuse...

Relative safety profiles of high dose statin regimens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Escobar

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Carlos Escobar, Rocio Echarri, Vivencio BarriosDepartment of Cardiology, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, SpainAbstract: Recent clinical trials recommend achieving a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level of <100 mg/dl in high-risk and <70 mg/dl in very high risk patients. To attain these goals, however, many patients will need statins at high doses. The most frequent side effects related to the use of statins, myopathy, rhabdomyolysis, and increased levels of transaminases, are unusual. Although low and moderate doses show a favourable profile, there is concern about the tolerability of higher doses. During recent years, numerous trials to analyze the efficacy and tolerability of high doses of statins have been published. This paper updates the published data on the safety of statins at high doses.Keywords: statins, high doses, tolerability, liver, muscle

Heat transfer augmentation for high heat flux removal in rib-roughened narrow channels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Islam, M.S.; Hino, Ryutaro; Haga, Katsuhiro; Sudo, Yukio; Monde, Masanori.

1997-03-01

Heat transfer augmentation in narrow rectangular channels in a target system is a very important method to remove high heat flux up to 12 MW/m 2 generated at target plates of a high-intensity proton accelerator of 1.5 GeV and 1 mA with a proton beam power of 1.5 MW. In this report, heat transfer coefficients and friction factors in narrow rectangular channels with one-sided rib-roughened surface were evaluated for fully developed flows in the range of the Reynolds number from 6,000 to 1,00,000; the rib pitch-to-height ratios (p/k) were 10,20 and 30; the rib height-to-equivalent diameter ratios (k/De) were 0.025, 0.03 and 0.1 by means of previous existing experimental correlations. The rib-roughened surface augmented heat transfer coefficients approximately 4 times higher than the smooth surface at Re=10,000, p/k=10 and k/De=0.1; friction factors increase around 22 times higher. In this case, higher heat flux up to 12 MW/m 2 could be removed from the rib-roughened surface without flow boiling which induces flow instability; but pressure drop reaches about 1.8 MPa. Correlations obtained by air-flow experiments have showed lower heat transfer performance with the water-flow conditions. The experimental apparatus was proposed for further investigation on heat transfer augmentation in very narrow channels under water-flow conditions. This report presents the evaluation results and an outline of the test apparatus. (author)

High dose gamma-ray standard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macrin, R.; Moraru, R.

1999-01-01

The high gamma-ray doses produced in a gamma irradiator are used, mainly, for radiation processing, i.e. sterilization of medical products, processing of food, modifications of polymers, irradiation of electronic devices, a.s.o. The used absorbed doses depend on the application and cover the range 10 Gy to 100 MGy. The regulations in our country require that the response of the dosimetry systems, used for the irradiation of food and medical products, be calibrated and traceable to the national standards. In order to be sure that the products receive the desired absorbed dose, appropriate dosimetric measurements must be performed, including the calibration of the dosemeters and their traceability to the national standards. The high dose gamma-ray measurements are predominantly based on the use of reference radiochemical dosemeters. Among them the ferrous sulfate can be used as reference dosemeter for low doses (up to 400 Gy) but due to its characteristics it deserves to be considered a standard dosemeter and to be used for transferring the conventional absorbed dose to other chemical dosemeters used for absorbed doses up to 100 MGy. The study of the ferrous sulfate dosemeter consisted in preparing many batches of solution by different operators in quality assurance conditions and in determining for all batches the linearity, the relative intrinsic error, the repeatability and the reproducibility. The principal results are the following: the linear regression coefficient: 0.999, the relative intrinsic error: max.6 %, the repeatability (for P* = 95 %): max.3 %, the reproducibility (P* = 95%): max.5 %. (authors)

The effect of low-dose X-irradiation on immune system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishii, Keiichiro

1996-01-01

The hypothesis of radiation hormesis has been proposed. To elucidate the hormetic effect on the immune system, we studied the mitogen-induced proliferation of splenocytes of F344/NSlc rat and BALB/c mouse after low-dose X-irradiation. Con A, PHA or LPS-induced proliferation of rat splenocytes prepared at 4 hr after irradiation was augmented with 5 cGy. This augmentation was observed within a few hours after irradiation, being a temporary effect. In case of mice, the proliferation of splenocytes induced by Con A, PHA or LPS was augmented by irradiation with 2.5 cGy. Thus, some phenomena of hormetic effect on the immune system were observed. However, the mechanism of augmentation of immune splenocytes is uncertainty. Therefore, we examined changes in production of LTB 4 and IL-1 being inflammatory mediators. After 5 cGy irradiation the production of LTB 4 of rat splenocyte showed a significant increase. Furthermore, 2.5 cGy irradiation also enhanced, the biological activity of intracellular IL-1 of LPS-stimulated mouse splenocytes. Additionally, to elucidate the stimulative effect on the antitumor immunity by low-dose X-irradiation, we studied the changes in the incidence of thymic lymphoma using AKR mice and of spontaneous metastasis to lung using tumor bearing mice. The incidence of thymic lymphoma was significantly decreased and the life span was significantly prolonged by periodical low-dose X-irradiation in terms of breeding of AKR mice. By an irradiation with 15 cGy, numbers of lung colony in the tumor bearing mice were decreased by 57% relative to the sham-irradiated controls. Then, IL-6 and TNF-α production of tumor bearing mice splenocytes were enhanced. These findings suggest that the low-dose X-irradiation might have caused a light inflammation and might have induced an augmentation of immune splenocytes. Furthermore, these results indicate that an augmentation of the antitumor immunity was induced by low-dose X-irradiation. (author). 127 refs

The effect of low-dose X-irradiation on immune system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishii, Keiichiro [Central Research Inst. of Electric Power Industry, Komae, Tokyo (Japan). Komae Research Lab.

1996-06-01

The hypothesis of radiation hormesis has been proposed. To elucidate the hormetic effect on the immune system, we studied the mitogen-induced proliferation of splenocytes of F344/NSlc rat and BALB/c mouse after low-dose X-irradiation. Con A, PHA or LPS-induced proliferation of rat splenocytes prepared at 4 hr after irradiation was augmented with 5 cGy. This augmentation was observed within a few hours after irradiation, being a temporary effect. In case of mice, the proliferation of splenocytes induced by Con A, PHA or LPS was augmented by irradiation with 2.5 cGy. Thus, some phenomena of hormetic effect on the immune system were observed. However, the mechanism of augmentation of immune splenocytes is uncertainty. Therefore, we examined changes in production of LTB{sub 4} and IL-1 being inflammatory mediators. After 5 cGy irradiation the production of LTB{sub 4} of rat splenocyte showed a significant increase. Furthermore, 2.5 cGy irradiation also enhanced, the biological activity of intracellular IL-1 of LPS-stimulated mouse splenocytes. Additionally, to elucidate the stimulative effect on the antitumor immunity by low-dose X-irradiation, we studied the changes in the incidence of thymic lymphoma using AKR mice and of spontaneous metastasis to lung using tumor bearing mice. The incidence of thymic lymphoma was significantly decreased and the life span was significantly prolonged by periodical low-dose X-irradiation in terms of breeding of AKR mice. By an irradiation with 15 cGy, numbers of lung colony in the tumor bearing mice were decreased by 57% relative to the sham-irradiated controls. Then, IL-6 and TNF-{alpha} production of tumor bearing mice splenocytes were enhanced. These findings suggest that the low-dose X-irradiation might have caused a light inflammation and might have induced an augmentation of immune splenocytes. Furthermore, these results indicate that an augmentation of the antitumor immunity was induced by low-dose X-irradiation. 127 refs.

Augmented Reality Experience: From High-Resolution Acquisition to Real Time Augmented Contents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paolo Clini

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents results of a research project “dUcale” that experiments ICT solutions for the museum of Palazzo Ducale (Urbino. In this project, the famed painting the “Città Ideale” becomes a case to exemplify a specific approach to the digital mediation of cultural heritage. An augmented reality (AR mobile application, able to enhance the museum visit experience, is presented. The computing technologies involved in the project (websites, desktop and social applications, mobile software, and AR constitute a persuasive environment for the artwork knowledge. The overall goal of our research is to provide to cultural institutions best practices efficiently on low budgets. Therefore, we present a low cost method for high-resolution acquisition of paintings; the image is used as a base in AR approach. The proposed methodology consists of an improved SIFT extractor for real time image. The other novelty of this work is the multipoint probabilistic layer. Experimental results demonstrated the robustness of the proposed approach with extensive use of the AR application in front of the “Città Ideale” painting. To prove the usability of the application and to ensure a good user experience, we also carried out several users tests in the real scenario.

Estimation of the transit dose component in high dose rate brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia Romero, A.; Millan Cebrian, E.; Lozano Flores, F.J.; Lope Lope, R.; Canellas Anoz, M.

2001-01-01

Current high dose rate brachytherapy (HDR) treatment planning systems usually calculate dose only from source stopping positions (stationary component), but fails to account for the administered dose when the source is moving (dynamic component or transit dose). Numerical values of this transit dose depends upon the source velocity, implant geometry, source activity and prescribed dose. In some HDR treatments using particular geometry the transit dose cannot be ignored because it increases the dose at the prescriptions points and also could increase potential late tissue complications as predicted by the linear quadratic model. International protocols recommend to verify this parameter. The aim of this paper has been to establish a procedure for the transit dose calculation for the Gammamed 12i equipment at the RT Department in the Clinical University Hospital (Zaragoza-Spain). A numeric algorithm was implemented based on a dynamic point approximation for the moving HDR source and the calculated results for the entrance-exit transit dose was compared with TLD measurements made in some discrete points. (author) [es

ELDRS Characterization for a Very High Dose Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Richard D.; McClure, Steven S.; Rax, Bernard G.; Kenna, Aaron J.; Thorbourn, Dennis O.; Clark, Karla B.; Yan, Tsun-Yee

2010-01-01

Evaluation of bipolar linear parts which may have Enhanced Low Dose Rate Sensitivity (ELDRS) is problematic for missions that have very high dose radiation requirements. The accepted standards for evaluating parts that display ELDRS require testing at a very low dose rate which could be prohibitively long for very high dose missions. In this work, a methodology for ELDRS characterization of bipolar parts for mission doses up to 1 Mrad(Si) is evaluated. The procedure employs an initial dose rate of 0.01 rad(Si)/s to a total dose of 50 krad(Si) and then changes to 0.04 rad(Si)/s to a total dose of 1 Mrad(Si). This procedure appears to work well. No change in rate of degradation with dose has been observed when the dose rate is changed from 0.01 to 0.04 rad(Si)/s. This is taken as an indication that the degradation due to the higher dose rate is equivalent to that at the lower dose rate at the higher dose levels, at least for the parts studied to date. In several cases, significant parameter degradation or functional failure not observed at HDR was observed at fairly high total doses (50 to 250 krad(Si)) at LDR. This behavior calls into question the use of dose rate trend data and enhancement factors to predict LDR performance.

Augmented REality Sandtables (ARESs) Impact on Learning

Science.gov (United States)

2016-07-01

ARL-CR-0803 ● JULY 2016 US Army Research Laboratory Augmented REality Sandtable’s (ARES’s) Impact on Learning by Tarah N......The use of augmented reality (AR) to supplement training tools, specifically sand tables, can produce highly effective systems at relatively low

Safety of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB in Augment® Bone Graft

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis A Solchaga

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This article discusses nonclinical and clinical data regarding the safety of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB as a component of the Augment® Bone Graft (Augment. Augment is a bone graft substitute intended to be used as an alternative to autologous bone graft in the fusion of hindfoot and ankle joints. Nonclinical studies included assessment of the pharmacokinetic profile of intravenously administered recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB in rat and dog, effects of intravenous administration of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB in a reproductive and development toxicity study in rats, and chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity of Augment in a 12-month implantation model. These studies showed that systemic exposure was brief and clearance was rapid. No signs of toxicity, carcinogenicity, or tumor promotion were observed even with doses far exceeding the maximum clinical dose. Results of clinical trials (605 participants and commercial use of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB containing products indicate that these products are not associated with increased incidence of adverse events or cancer. The safety data presented provide evidence that recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB is a safe therapeutic when used in combination products as a single administration during surgical procedures for bone repair and fusion. There is no evidence associating use of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB in Augment with chronic toxicity, carcinogenicity, or tumor promotion.

Quality control of 192Ir high dose rate after loading brachytherapy dose veracity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Zhongsu; Xu Xiao; Liu Fen

2008-01-01

Recently, 192 Ir high dose rate (HDR) afterloading are widely used in brachytherapy. The advantage of using HDR systems over low dose rate systems are shorter treatment time and higher fraction dose. To guarantee the veracity of the delivery dose, several quality control methods are deseribed in this work. With these we can improve the position precision, time precision and dose precision of the brachytherapy. (authors)

Pharmacokinetically guided dosing of (high-dose) chemotherapeutic agents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Attema-de Jonge, M.E. (Milly Ellen)

2004-01-01

Due to variation in drug distribution, metabolism and elimination processes between patients, systemic exposure to chemotherapeutic agents may be highly variable from patient to patient after administration of similar doses. This pharmacokinetic variability may explain in part the large variability

Hybrid-augmented intelligence:collaboration and cognition

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Nan-ning ZHENG; Zi-yi LIU; Peng-ju REN; Yong-qiang MA; Shi-tao CHEN; Si-yu YU; Jian-ru XUE

2017-01-01

The long-term goal of artificial intelligence (AI) is to make machines learn and think like human beings. Due to the high levels of uncertainty and vulnerability in human life and the open-ended nature of problems that humans are facing, no matter how intelligent machines are, they are unable to completely replace humans. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce human cognitive capabilities or human-like cognitive models into AI systems to develop a new form of AI, that is, hybrid-augmented intelligence. This form of AI or machine intelligence is a feasible and important developing model. Hybrid-augmented intelligence can be divided into two basic models:one is human-in-the-loop augmented intelligence with human-computer collaboration, and the other is cognitive computing based augmented intelligence, in which a cognitive model is embedded in the machine learning system. This survey describes a basic framework for human-computer collaborative hybrid-augmented intelligence, and the basic elements of hybrid-augmented intelligence based on cognitive computing. These elements include intuitive reasoning, causal models, evolution of memory and knowledge, especially the role and basic principles of intuitive reasoning for complex problem solving, and the cognitive learning framework for visual scene understanding based on memory and reasoning. Several typical applications of hybrid-augmented intelligence in related fields are given.

Model Following and High Order Augmentation for Rotorcraft Control, Applied via Partial Authority

Science.gov (United States)

Spires, James Michael

This dissertation consists of two main studies, a few small studies, and design documentation, all aimed at improving rotorcraft control by employing multi-input multi-output (MIMO) command-modelfollowing control as a baseline, together with a selectable (and de-selectable) MIMO high order compensator that augments the baseline. Two methods of MIMO command-model-following control design are compared for rotorcraft flight control. The first, Explicit Model Following (EMF), employs SISO inverse plants with a dynamic decoupling matrix, which is a purely feed-forward approach to inverting the plant. The second is Dynamic Inversion (DI), which involves both feed-forward and feedback path elements to invert the plant. The EMF design is purely linear, while the DI design has some nonlinear elements in vertical rate control. For each of these methods, an architecture is presented that provides angular rate model-following with selectable vertical rate model-following. Implementation challenges of both EMF and DI are covered, and methods of dealing with them are presented. These two MIMO model-following approaches are evaluated regarding (1) fidelity to the command model, and (2) turbulence rejection. Both are found to provide good tracking of commands and reduction of cross coupling. Next, an architecture and design methodology for high order compensator (HOC) augmentation of a baseline controller for rotorcraft is presented. With this architecture, the HOC compensator is selectable and can easily be authority-limited, which might ease certification. Also, the plant for this augmentative MIMO compensator design is a stabilized helicopter system, so good flight test data could be safely gathered for more accurate plant identification. The design methodology is carried out twice on an example helicopter model, once with turbulence rejection as the objective, and once with the additional objective of closely following pilot commands. The turbulence rejection HOC is feedback

Physiological and immunological changes following exposure to low versus high-dose ionizing irradiation; comparative analysis with dose rate and cumulative dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heesun, Kim; Heewon, Jang; Soungyeon, Song; Shinhye, Oh; Cukcheul, Shin; Meeseon, Jeong; Chasoon, Kim; Kwnaghee, Yang; Seonyoung, Nam; Jiyoung, Kim; Youngwoo, Jin; Changyoung, Cha

2008-01-01

Full text: While high-dose of ionizing radiation is generally harmful and causes damage to living organisms some reports suggest low-dose of radiation may not be as damaging as previously thought. Despite increasing evidence regarding the protective effect of low-dose radiation, no studies have directly compared the exact dose-response pattern by high- and low-dose of radiation exposed at high-and low-dose rate. This study aims to explore the cellular and molecular changes in mice exposed to low- and high-dose of radiation exposed at low- and high-dose rate. When C57BL/6 mice (Female, 6 weeks) were exposed at high-dose rate, 0.8 Gy/min, no significant change on the level of WBC, RBC, or platelets was observed up to total dose of 0.5 Gy. However, 2 Gy of radiation caused dramatic reduction in the level of white blood cells (WBC) and platelets. This reduction was accompanied by increased DNA damage in hematopoietic environments. The reduction of WBC was mainly due to the reduction in the number of CD4+ T cells and CD19+ B cells. CD8+ T cells and NK cells appeared to be relatively resistant to high-dose of radiation. This change was also accompanied by the reduction of T- and B- progenitor cells in the bone marrow. In contrast, no significant changes of the number of CD4+ T, CD8+ T, NK, and B cells were observed in the spleen of mice exposed at low-dose-rate (0.7 m Gy/h or 3.95 mGy/h) for up to 2 Gy, suggesting that low-dose radiation does not alter cellular distribution in the spleen. Nevertheless, mice exposed to low-dose radiation exhibited elevation of VEGF, MCP-1, IL-4, Leptin, IL-3, and Tpo in the peripheral blood and slight increases in MIP-2, RANTES, and IL-2 in the spleen. This suggests that chronic γ-radiation can stimulate immune function without causing damage to the immune components of the body. Taken together, these data indicate hormesis of low-dose radiation, which could be attributed to the stimulation of immune function. Dose rate rather than total

Dose volume assessment of high dose rate 192IR endobronchial implants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, B. Saw; Korb, Leroy J.; Pawlicki, Todd; Wu, Andrew

1996-01-01

Purpose: To study the dose distributions of high dose rate (HDR) endobronchial implants using the dose nonuniformity ratio (DNR) and three volumetric irradiation indices. Methods and Materials: Multiple implants were configured by allowing a single HDR 192 Ir source to step through a length of 6 cm along an endobronchial catheter. Dwell times were computed to deliver a dose of 5 Gy to points 1 cm away from the catheter axis. Five sets of source configurations, each with different dwell position spacings from 0.5 to 3.0 cm, were evaluated. Three-dimensional (3D) dose distributions were then generated for each source configuration. Differential and cumulative dose-volume curves were generated to quantify the degree of target volume coverage, dose nonuniformity within the target volume, and irradiation of tissues outside the target volume. Evaluation of the implants were made using the DNR and three volumetric irradiation indices. Results: The observed isodose distributions were not able to satisfy all the dose constraints. The ability to optimally satisfy the dose constraints depended on the choice of dwell position spacing and the specification of the dose constraint points. The DNR and irradiation indices suggest that small dwell position spacing does not result in a more homogeneous dose distribution for the implant. This study supports the existence of a relationship between the dwell position spacing and the distance from the catheter axis to the reference dose or dose constraint points. Better dose homogeneity for an implant can be obtained if the spacing of the dwell positions are about twice the distance from the catheter axis to the reference dose or dose constraint points

Braquiterapia de alta taxa de dose no Brasil High-dose rate brachytherapy in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sérgio Carlos Barros Esteves

2004-10-01

Full Text Available A braquiterapia de alta taxa de dose foi introduzida em nosso meio em janeiro de 1991. Desde então, houve uma mudança significativa na abordagem das neoplasias malignas em relação às vantagens do novo método, e também resolução da demanda reprimida de braquiterapia para as neoplasias ginecológicas. Nos primeiros dez anos de atividade, o Brasil tratou, em 31 serviços, 26.436 pacientes com braquiterapia, sendo mais de 50% das pacientes portadoras de neoplasias do colo uterino. Este estudo mostra o número e o perfil de pacientes tratados com esse método e a sua distribuição no território nacional, deixando explícito o benefício da braquiterapia de alta taxa de dose para o Brasil.High-dose rate brachytherapy was first introduced in Brazil in January 1991. Significant changes in the management of malignant neoplasms were observed since utilization of high-dose rate brachytherapy. The high number of gynecological patients awaiting for brachytherapy also decreased during this period. In the first ten years 26,436 patients were treated with high-dose rate brachytherapy. More than 50% of these patients presented neoplasms of the uterine cervix. In this study we present the number and profile of the patients treated with high-dose rate brachytherapy as well as the distribution of these patients in the Brazilian territory, proving the benefit of the use of high-dose rate brachytherapy in Brazil.

Secondary Breast Augmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Mitchell H; Somogyi, Ron B; Aggarwal, Shagun

2016-07-01

After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Assess common clinical problems in the secondary breast augmentation patient. 2. Describe a treatment plan to correct the most common complications of breast augmentation. 3. Provide surgical and nonsurgical options for managing complications of breast augmentation. 4. Decrease the incidence of future complications through accurate assessment, preoperative planning, and precise surgical technique. Breast augmentation has been increasing steadily in popularity over the past three decades. Many of these patients present with secondary problems or complications following their primary breast augmentation. Two of the most common complications are capsular contracture and implant malposition. Familiarity and comfort with the assessment and management of these complications is necessary for all plastic surgeons. An up-to-date understanding of current devices and techniques may decrease the need to manage future complications from the current cohort of breast augmentation patients.

Study on a High-frequency Multi-GNSS Real-time Precise Clock Estimation Algorithm and Application in GNSS Augment System

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CHEN Liang

2017-05-01

Full Text Available GNSS satellite-based differential augment system is based on real-time orbit and clock augment message. The multi-GNSS real-time precise clock error estimation model is studied, and then the parameters estimated in traditional un-difference model are optimized and a high-efficient real-time clock simplified model is proposed and realized. The real-time orbit data processing based on PANDA is also analyzed. The results indicate that the real-time orbit radial accuracy of GPS, BeiDou MEO and Galileo is 1~5 cm, and the radial accuracy of the BeiDou GEO/IGSO satellite is about 10 cm. It is found that the optimized real-time clock simplified model is more efficient in one epoch than un-difference model and can be applied to high-frequency (such as 1 Hz updating of real-time clock augment message. The results show that the real-time clock error obtained by this model is absolute value and there is no constant bias. Based on the real-time orbit, the GPS real-time clock precision of the simplified model is about 0.24 ns, BeiDou GEO is about 0.50 ns, IGSO/MEO is about 0.22 ns and Galileo is about 0.32 ns. Using the multi-GNSS real-time data stream in GFZ, a multi-GNSS real-time augment prototype system is built and the real-time augment message is being broadcasted on the Internet. The real-time PPP centimeter-level service and meter-level navigation service based on pseudorange are realized based on this prototype system.

Aplikasi Web Augmented Reality Villa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gede Yudha Prema Pangestu

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Bali is one of the highly developed tourist destination in Indonesia. The arrival of tourists having holiday in Bali led to increase residential needs with complete amenities. The occupancy rate of hotel and villa in Bali is increase significantlly during the long vacation. The emergence of new villa and hotel occupancy raises the level of competition in business, so it needs a correct use good marketing communication strategy in marketing the product in order to attract the attention of consumers. Web Application Augmented Reality Villa can help visualize the residential villa in three-dimensional shapes that look more attractive and practical. The use of brochures as written information and the application of augmented reality technology on the Web Application Augmented Reality Villa aims to develop an application that can provide information about the villa to visitors. Web Application uses Augmented Reality Villa designed by FlarToolkit library. Based on the test results show the application can display 3-dimensional objects by scanning marker villa in a brochure which already contain marker.

Guidelines for user interactions in mobile augmented reality

OpenAIRE

Ortman, Erik; Swedlund, Kenneth

2012-01-01

Over the last couple of years the field of Augmented Reality has transformed from something mainly seen in academic researchinto several examples of big commercially successful products, and the widespread use of highly capable mobile devices has greatly helped accelerate this trend. The powerful sensors in modern handsets enable designers to bring Augmented Reality implementations to the hands ofthe users.This thesis examines how Augmented Reality can be implemented onmobile platforms, mainl...

Endorectal high dose rate brachytherapy quality assurance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devic, S.; Vuong, T.; Evans, M.; Podgorsak, E.

2008-01-01

We describe our quality assurance method for preoperative high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy of endorectal tumours. Reproduction of the treatment planning dose distribution on a daily basis is crucial for treatment success. Due to the cylindrical symmetry, two types of adjustments are necessary: applicator rotation and dose distribution shift along the applicator axis. (author)

Dose escalation using conformal high-dose-rate brachytherapy improves outcome in unfavorable prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, Alvaro A.; Gustafson, Gary; Gonzalez, Jose; Armour, Elwood; Mitchell, Chris; Edmundson, Gregory; Spencer, William; Stromberg, Jannifer; Huang, Raywin; Vicini, Frank

2002-01-01

Purpose: To overcome radioresistance for patients with unfavorable prostate cancer, a prospective trial of pelvic external beam irradiation (EBRT) interdigitated with dose-escalating conformal high-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy was performed. Methods and Materials: Between November 1991 and August 2000, 207 patients were treated with 46 Gy pelvic EBRT and increasing HDR brachytherapy boost doses (5.50-11.5 Gy/fraction) during 5 weeks. The eligibility criteria were pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level ≥10.0 ng/mL, Gleason score ≥7, or clinical Stage T2b or higher. Patients were divided into 2 dose levels, low-dose biologically effective dose 93 Gy (149 patients). No patient received hormones. We used the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology definition for biochemical failure. Results: The median age was 69 years. The mean follow-up for the group was 4.4 years, and for the low and high-dose levels, it was 7.0 and 3.4 years, respectively. The actuarial 5-year biochemical control rate was 74%, and the overall, cause-specific, and disease-free survival rate was 92%, 98%, and 68%, respectively. The 5-year biochemical control rate for the low-dose group was 52%; the rate for the high-dose group was 87% (p<0.001). Improvement occurred in the cause-specific survival in favor of the brachytherapy high-dose level (p=0.014). On multivariate analysis, a low-dose level, higher Gleason score, and higher nadir value were associated with increased biochemical failure. The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Grade 3 gastrointestinal/genitourinary complications ranged from 0.5% to 9%. The actuarial 5-year impotency rate was 51%. Conclusion: Pelvic EBRT interdigitated with transrectal ultrasound-guided real-time conformal HDR prostate brachytherapy boost is both a precise dose delivery system and a very effective treatment for unfavorable prostate cancer. We demonstrated an incremental beneficial effect on biochemical control and cause

Low dose radiation enhance the anti-tumor effect of high dose radiation on human glioma cell U251

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Chang; Wang Guanjun; Tan Yehui; Jiang Hongyu; Li Wei

2008-01-01

Objective: To detect the effect on the growth of human glioma cell U251 induced by low dose irradiation and low dose irradiation combined with large dose irradiation. Methods: Human glioma cell line U251 and nude mice carried with human glioma were used. The tumor cells and the mice were treated with low dose, high dose, and low dose combined high dose radiation. Cells growth curve, MTT and flow cytometry were used to detect the proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis of the cells; and the tumor inhibition rate was used to assess the growth of tumor in vivo. Results: After low dose irradiation, there was no difference between experimental group and control group in cell count, MTT and flow cytometry. Single high dose group and low dose combined high dose group both show significantly the suppressing effect on tumor cells, the apoptosis increased and there was cell cycle blocked in G 2 period, but there was no difference between two groups. In vivo apparent anti-tumor effect in high dose radiation group and the combining group was observed, and that was more significant in the combining group; the prior low dose radiation alleviated the injury of hematological system. There was no difference between single low dose radiation group and control. Conclusions: There is no significant effect on human glioma cell induced by low dose radiation, and low dose radiation could not induce adaptive response. But in vivo experience, low dose radiation could enhance the anti-tumor effect of high dose radiation and alleviated the injury of hematological system. (authors)

Augmented reality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrik Pucer

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Today we can obtain in a simple and rapid way most of the information that we need. Devices, such as personal computers and mobile phones, enable access to information in different formats (written, pictorial, audio or video whenever and wherever. Daily we use and encounter information that can be seen as virtual objects or objects that are part of the virtual world of computers. Everyone, at least once, wanted to bring these virtual objects from the virtual world of computers into real environments and thus mix virtual and real worlds. In such a mixed reality, real and virtual objects coexist in the same environment. The reality, where users watch and use the real environment upgraded with virtual objects is called augmented reality. In this article we describe the main properties of augmented reality. In addition to the basic properties that define a reality as augmented reality, we present the various building elements (possible hardware and software that provide an insight into such a reality and practical applications of augmented reality. The applications are divided into three groups depending on the information and functions that augmented reality offers, such as help, guide and simulator.

Augmented reality implementation methods in mainstream applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Procházka

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Augmented reality has became an useful tool in many areas from space exploration to military applications. Although used theoretical principles are well known for almost a decade, the augmented reality is almost exclusively used in high budget solutions with a special hardware. However, in last few years we could see rising popularity of many projects focused on deployment of the augmented reality on dif­ferent mobile devices. Our article is aimed on developers who consider development of an augmented reality application for the mainstream market. Such developers will be forced to keep the application price, therefore also the development price, at reasonable level. Usage of existing image processing software library could bring a significant cut-down of the development costs. In the theoretical part of the article is presented an overview of the augmented reality application structure. Further, an approach for selection appropriate library as well as the review of the existing software libraries focused in this area is described. The last part of the article out­lines our implementation of key parts of the augmented reality application using the OpenCV library.

NIST high-dose calibration services

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Humphreys, J.C.

1989-01-01

There is a need for the standardization of high-dose measurements used in the radiation-processing industry in order to provide assured traceability to national standards. NIST provides dosimetry calibration services to this industry. One of these services involves administration of known absorbed doses of gamma rays to customer-supplied dosimeters. The dosimeters are packaged to provide electron equilibrium conditions and are irradiated in a standard 60 Co calibration facility; this provides a calibration of that batch of dosimeters. Another service consists of supplying to a customer calibrated transfer dosimeters for irradiation with the customer's radiation source. The irradiated transfer dosimeters are then returned to NIST for analysis; the results are reported to the customer, providing a calibration of the dose rate of the customer's source. (orig.)

Bimedial faden recession versus augmented medial rectus recession in the treatment of high ac/a ratio partially accommodative esotropia with large distant near disparity

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Mohammed F Farid

2016-01-01

Faden recession achieves marginal superior control of DND and high AC/A ratio in convergence excess partially accommodative ET. Augmented recession also works well with the possible development of consecutive exotropia in cases with extremely high DND. This study recommends Augmented recession for cases with mild to moderate DND and Faden recession for cases with extremely large DND.

Rectal dose assessment in patients submitted to high-dose-rate brachytherapy for uterine cervix cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, Jetro Pereira de; Batista, Delano Valdivino Santos; Bardella, Lucia Helena; Carvalho, Arnaldo Rangel

2009-01-01

Objective: The present study was aimed at developing a thermoluminescent dosimetric system capable of assessing the doses delivered to the rectum of patients submitted to high-dose-rate brachytherapy for uterine cervix cancer. Materials and methods: LiF:Mg,Ti,Na powder was the thermoluminescent material utilized for evaluating the rectal dose. The powder was divided into small portions (34 mg) which were accommodated in a capillary tube. This tube was placed into a rectal probe that was introduced into the patient's rectum. Results: The doses delivered to the rectum of six patients submitted to high-dose-rate brachytherapy for uterine cervix cancer evaluated by means of thermoluminescent dosimeters presented a good agreement with the planned values based on two orthogonal (anteroposterior and lateral) radiographic images of the patients. Conclusion: The thermoluminescent dosimetric system developed in the present study is simple and easy to be utilized as compared to other rectal dosimetry methods. The system has shown to be effective in the evaluation of rectal doses in patients submitted to high-dose-rate brachytherapy for uterine cervix cancer. (author)

An experimental test of alternative population augmentation scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Kronenberger, John A; Gerberich, Jill C; Fitzpatrick, Sarah W; Broder, E Dale; Angeloni, Lisa M; Funk, W Chris

2018-01-19

Human land use is fragmenting habitats worldwide and inhibiting dispersal among previously connected populations of organisms, often leading to inbreeding depression and reduced evolutionary potential in the face of rapid environmental change. To combat this augmentation of isolated populations with immigrants is sometimes used to facilitate demographic and genetic rescue. Augmentation with immigrants that are genetically and adaptively similar to the target population effectively increases population fitness, but if immigrants are very genetically or adaptively divergent, augmentation can lead to outbreeding depression. Despite well-cited guidelines for the best practice selection of immigrant sources, often only highly divergent populations remain, and experimental tests of these riskier augmentation scenarios are essentially nonexistent. We conducted a mesocosm experiment with Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to test the multigenerational demographic and genetic effects of augmenting 2 target populations with 3 types of divergent immigrants. We found no evidence of demographic rescue, but we did observe genetic rescue in one population. Divergent immigrant treatments tended to maintain greater genetic diversity, abundance, and hybrid fitness than controls that received immigrants from the source used to seed the mesocosms. In the second population, divergent immigrants had a slightly negative effect in one treatment, and the benefits of augmentation were less apparent overall, likely because this population started with higher genetic diversity and a lower reproductive rate that limited genetic admixture. Our results add to a growing consensus that gene flow can increase population fitness even when immigrants are more highly divergent and may help reduce uncertainty about the use of augmentation in conservation. © 2018 Society for Conservation Biology.

Dose escalation using conformal high-dose-rate brachytherapy improves outcome in unfavorable prostate cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Alvaro A; Gustafson, Gary; Gonzalez, José; Armour, Elwood; Mitchell, Chris; Edmundson, Gregory; Spencer, William; Stromberg, Jannifer; Huang, Raywin; Vicini, Frank

2002-06-01

To overcome radioresistance for patients with unfavorable prostate cancer, a prospective trial of pelvic external beam irradiation (EBRT) interdigitated with dose-escalating conformal high-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy was performed. Between November 1991 and August 2000, 207 patients were treated with 46 Gy pelvic EBRT and increasing HDR brachytherapy boost doses (5.50-11.5 Gy/fraction) during 5 weeks. The eligibility criteria were pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level >or=10.0 ng/mL, Gleason score >or=7, or clinical Stage T2b or higher. Patients were divided into 2 dose levels, low-dose biologically effective dose 93 Gy (149 patients). No patient received hormones. We used the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology definition for biochemical failure. The median age was 69 years. The mean follow-up for the group was 4.4 years, and for the low and high-dose levels, it was 7.0 and 3.4 years, respectively. The actuarial 5-year biochemical control rate was 74%, and the overall, cause-specific, and disease-free survival rate was 92%, 98%, and 68%, respectively. The 5-year biochemical control rate for the low-dose group was 52%; the rate for the high-dose group was 87% (p failure. The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Grade 3 gastrointestinal/genitourinary complications ranged from 0.5% to 9%. The actuarial 5-year impotency rate was 51%. Pelvic EBRT interdigitated with transrectal ultrasound-guided real-time conformal HDR prostate brachytherapy boost is both a precise dose delivery system and a very effective treatment for unfavorable prostate cancer. We demonstrated an incremental beneficial effect on biochemical control and cause-specific survival with higher doses. These results, coupled with the low risk of complications, the advantage of not being radioactive after implantation, and the real-time interactive planning, define a new standard for treatment.

Investigation of polymer composite for high dose dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, E.L.M.; Batista, A.S.M.; Ribeiro, F.A.S.; Santos, A.P.; Faria, L.O.; Oliveira, A.H.

2017-01-01

Introduction: This paper presents the efficacy evaluation of PVDF and nanocomposites of the PVDF films for high gamma dosimetry. Our scope in this first part of our studies is the selection of the most promising film for future dosimetry trials, where the proportionality of response of the selected material will be investigated over a large range of doses and dose rates. Methods: Was prepared nanocomposites made by mixing Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) aiming to find dosimetric properties for applications in high dose dosimetry. The samples were irradiated with a Co-60 source at constant dose rate (16.7 kGy/h), with doses ranging from 100 to 2750 kGy. The UV-Vis and FTIR spectrophotometry have been used to monitor the appearing of C=C conjugated bonds and radio-oxidation of carbon (C=O). Results: FTIR spectrometry has that the absorbance intensities at 1715 cm -1 and 1730 cm -1 can be used for high dosimetry purposes for gamma doses ranging from 400 to 2750 kGy. In this range, it is possible to observe a linear relationship between Abs & Dose. Fading of signal was evaluated for one month and reproducibility in 2000 kGy dose. Conclusion: FTIR spectroscopic data revealed two optical absorption bands at 1715 cm -1 and 1730 cm -1 whose intensities are unambiguously related to gamma delivered dose ranging from 400 kGy to 2750 kGy. (author)

Statistical behavior of high doses in medical radiodiagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barboza, Adriana Elisa

2014-01-01

This work has as main purpose statistically estimating occupational exposure in medical diagnostic radiology in cases of high doses recorded in 2011 at national level. For statistical survey of this study, doses of 372 IOE's diagnostic radiology in different Brazilian states were evaluated. Data were extracted from the work of monograph (Research Methodology Of High Doses In Medical Radiodiagnostic) that contains the database's information Sector Management doses of IRD/CNEN-RJ, Brazil. The identification of these states allows the Sanitary Surveillance (VISA) responsible, becomes aware of events and work with programs to reduce these events. (author)

Study of teflon pads as high doses dosemeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teixeira, Maria Ines; Caldas, Linda V.E.

2013-01-01

The aim of this work is to study the Teflon, which is used as a binder in the manufacture of dosimetric tablets, for the feasibility of this material as high dose dosemeter. In this paper we used the technique of thermally stimulated luminescence (OSL) to characterize the dosimetric properties of Teflon. Teflon samples were exposed to different doses of radiation, using a source of gamma radiation ( 60 Co). It was obtained dose-response curve between 100 Gy to 50 kGy and reproducibility of OSL response. The preliminary results show that Teflon is a useful material to high dose dosimetry

Low Dose Total Body Irradiation Combined With Recombinant CD19-Ligand × Soluble TRAIL Fusion Protein is Highly Effective Against Radiation-resistant B-precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatih M. Uckun

2015-04-01

Full Text Available In high-risk remission B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BPL patients, relapse rates have remained high post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT even after the use of very intensive total body irradiation (TBI-based conditioning regimens, especially in patients with a high “minimal residual disease” (MRD burden. New agents capable of killing radiation-resistant BPL cells and selectively augmenting their radiation sensitivity are therefore urgently needed. We report preclinical proof-of-principle that the potency of radiation therapy against BPL can be augmented by combining radiation with recombinant human CD19-Ligand × soluble TRAIL (“CD19L–sTRAIL” fusion protein. CD19L–sTRAIL consistently killed radiation-resistant primary leukemia cells from BPL patients as well as BPL xenograft cells and their leukemia-initiating in vivo clonogenic fraction. Low dose total body irradiation (TBI combined with CD19L–sTRAIL was highly effective against (1 xenografted CD19+ radiochemotherapy-resistant human BPL in NOD/SCID (NS mice challenged with an otherwise invariably fatal dose of xenograft cells derived from relapsed BPL patients as well as (2 radiation-resistant advanced stage CD19+ murine BPL with lymphomatous features in CD22ΔE12xBCR-ABL double transgenic mice. We hypothesize that the incorporation of CD19L–sTRAIL into the pre-transplant TBI regimens of patients with very high-risk BPL will improve their survival outcome after HSCT.

Ionization chamber for high dose measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigues Junior, Ary de Araujo

2005-01-01

Industrial gamma irradiators facilities are designed for processing large amounts of products, which are exposed to large doses of gamma radiation. The irradiation, in industrial scale, is usually carried out in a dynamic form, where the products go through a 60 Co gamma source with activity of TBq to P Bq (k Ci to MCi). The dose is estimated as being directly proportional to the time that the products spend to go through the source. However, in some situations, mainly for research purposes or for validation of customer process following the ISO 11137 requirements, it is required to irradiate small samples in a static position with fractional deliver doses. The samples are put inside the irradiation room at a fixed distance from the source and the dose is usually determined using dosimeters. The dose is only known after the irradiation, by reading the dosimeter. Nevertheless, in the industrial irradiators, usually different kinds of products with different densities go through between the source and the static position samples. So, the dose rate varies in function of the product density. A suitable methodology would be to monitor the samples dose in real time, measuring the dose on line with a radiation detector, which would improve the dose accuracy and avoid the overdose. A cylindrical ionization chamber of 0.9 cm 3 has been developed for high-doses real-time monitoring, during the sample irradiation at a static position in a 60 Co gamma industrial plant. Nitrogen and argon gas at pressure of 10 exp 5 Pa (1 bar) was utilized to fill the ionization chamber, for which an appropriate configuration was determined to be used as a detector for high-dose measurements. To transmit the signal generated in the ionization chamber to the associated electronic and processing unit, a 20 m mineral insulated cable was welded to the ionization chamber. The signal to noise ratio produced by the detector was about 100. The dosimeter system was tested at a category I gamma

Development of computerized dose planning system and applicator for high dose rate remote afterloading irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, T. J. [Keimyung Univ., Taegu (Korea); Kim, S. W. [Fatima Hospital, Taegu (Korea); Kim, O. B.; Lee, H. J.; Won, C. H. [Keimyung Univ., Taegu (Korea); Yoon, S. M. [Dong-a Univ., Pusan (Korea)

2000-04-01

To design and fabricate of the high dose rate source and applicators which are tandem, ovoids and colpostat for OB/Gyn brachytherapy includes the computerized dose planning system. Designed the high dose rate Ir-192 source with nuclide atomic power irradiation and investigated the dose characteristics of fabricated brachysource. We performed the effect of self-absorption and determining the gamma constant and output factor and determined the apparent activity of designed source. he automated computer planning system provided the 2D distribution and 3D includes analysis programs. Created the high dose rate source Ir-192, 10 Ci(370GBq). The effective attenuation factor from the self-absorption and source wall was examined to 0.55 of the activity of bare source and this factor is useful for determination of the apparent activity and gamma constant 4.69 Rcm{sup 2}/mCi-hr. Fabricated the colpostat was investigated the dose distributions of frontal, axial and sagittal plane in intra-cavitary radiation therapy for cervical cancer. The reduce dose at bladder and rectum area was found about 20 % of original dose. The computerized brachytherapy planning system provides the 2-dimensional isodose and 3-D include the dose-volume histogram(DVH) with graphic-user-interface mode. emoted afterloading device was built for experiment of created Ir-192 source with film dosimetry within {+-}1 mm discrepancy. 34 refs., 25 figs., 11 tabs. (Author)

The Use of Geometry Learning Media Based on Augmented Reality for Junior High School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Rohendi, D.; Septian, S.; Sutarno, H.

2018-02-01

Understanding the geometry especially of three-dimensional space is still considered difficult by some students. Therefore, a learning innovation is required to overcome students’ difficulties in learning geometry. In this research, we developed geometry learning media based on augmented reality in android flatform’s then it was implemented in teaching three-dimensional objects for some junior high school students to find out: how is the students response in using this new media in geometry and is this media can solve the student’s difficulties in understanding geometry concept. The results showed that the use of geometry learning media based on augmented reality in android flatform is able to get positive responses from the students in learning geometry concepts especially three-dimensional objects and students more easy to understand concept of diagonal in geometry than before using this media.

Optimisation of high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection using an automatic peak tracking procedure based on augmented iterative target transformation factor analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Zomeren, Paul; Hoogvorst, A.; Coenegracht, P.M J; de Jong, G.J.

2004-01-01

An automated method for the optimisation of high-performance liquid chromatography is developed. First of all, the sample of interest is analysed with various eluent compositions. All obtained data are combined into one augmented data matrix. Subsequently, augmented iterative target transformation

Breast augmentation, antibiotic prophylaxis, and infection: comparative analysis of 1,628 primary augmentation mammoplasties assessing the role and efficacy of antibiotics prophylaxis duration.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Umar Daraz

2010-02-01

Infections after augmentation mammoplasty are not uncommon, and prophylactic antibiotics are routinely administered to minimize infection. However, there is paucity of information on the relationship between the length of prophylaxis cover and its benefits in primary augmentation mammoplasty. A retrospective analysis of different antibiotic cover regimens, their effectiveness in preventing infections, and the management of infection in established cases is reviewed. A retrospective chart analysis of periprosthetic infections in primary augmentation mammoplasties performed over the past 10 years was conducted. Periprosthetic infection was determined by the presence of pain, swelling, redness, and discharge. Each breast was taken as an individual unit in 1,628 patients, and data for 3,256 breasts were analyzed. The patients had their augmentation in the partial submuscular plane (214 breasts in 107 patients), the subglandular plane (1,548 breasts in 774 patients), and the muscle-splitting biplane (1,494 breasts in 747 patients). All the patients had soft round cohesive gel silicone implants. Of the 3,256 implants, 3,218 were textured, and 38 were smooth surfaced. The patients received antibiotics as a single intravenous dose of cephalosporin (474 breasts in 237 patients), a single intravenous dose plus an oral dose for 24 h (344 breasts in 172 patients), or a single intravenous dose plus an oral course for 5 days (2,438 breasts in 1,219 patients). Infection was recorded as superficial (e.g., wound breakdown, stitch extrusion, stitch abscess) or deep (periprosthetic). The patients with established periprosthetic infections, determined clinically by the presence of pain, discharge, swelling, and redness of the breasts, were managed either conservatively using antibiotics, passive wound drainage, and healing of the wound with secondary intention or by explantation and replacement after 3 to 4 months. In selected cases of periprosthetic infection, the implants were

Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacokinetics in high-dose alkylating chemotherapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ekhart, G.C. (Corine)

2008-01-01

High-dose chemotherapy in combination with peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation has been developed as a possible curative treatment modality in several solid tumours. A frequently used high-dose regimen in the Netherlands is the CTC regimen, which is a 4-day course of cyclophosphamide,

Establishment and verification of dose-response curve of chromosomal aberrations after exposure to very high dose γ-ray

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Ying; Luo Yisheng; Cao Zhenshan; Liu Xiulin

2006-01-01

To estimate accurately biological dose of the victims exposed to high dose, the dose-response curves of chromosome aberration induced by 6-22 Gy 60 Co γ-ray were established. Human peripheral blood in vitro was irradiated, then lymphocytes were concentrated, cultured 52h, 68h and 72h and harvested. The frequencies of dicentrics (multi-centrics) and rings were counted and compared between different culture times. The dose-response curves and equations were established, as well as verified with high dose exposure accidents. The experiment showed that the culture time should be prolonged properly after high dose exposure, and no significant differences were observed between 52-72h culture. The dose-response curve of 6-22 Gy fitted to linear-square model Y=-2.269 + 0.776D - 7.868 x 10 -3 D 2 and is reliable through verification of the accident dose estimations. In this study, the dose-response curve and equation of chromosome dic + r after 6-22 Gy high dose irradiation were established firstly, and exact dose estimation can be achieved according to it. (authors)

Nonlinear model of high-dose implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danilyuk, A.

2001-01-01

The models of high-dose implantation, using the distribution functions, are relatively simple. However, they must take into account the variation of the function of distribution of the implanted ions with increasing dose [1-4]. This variation takes place owing to the fact that the increase of the concentration of the implanted ions results in a change of the properties of the target. High-dose implantation is accompanied by sputtering, volume growth, diffusion, generation of defects, formation of new phases, etc. The variation of the distribution function is determined by many factors and is not known in advance. The variation within the framework of these models [1-4] is taken into account in advance by the introduction of intuitive assumptions on the basis of implicit considerations. Therefore, these attempts should be regarded as incorrect. The model prepared here makes it possible to take into account the sputtering of the target, volume growth and additional declaration on the implanted ions. Without any assumptions in relation to the variation of the distribution function with increasing dose. In our model it is assumed that the type of distribution function for small doses in a pure target substance is the same as in substances with implanted ions. A second assumption relates to the type of the distribution function valid for small doses in the given substances. These functions are determined as a result of a large number of theoretical and experimental investigations and are well-known at the present time. They include the symmetric and nonsymmetric Gauss distribution, the Pearson distribution, and others. We examine implantation with small doses of up to 10 14 - 10 15 cm -2 when the accurately known distribution is valid

High-dose gadolinium-enhanced MRI for diagnosis of meningeal metastases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kallmes, D.F.; Gray, L.; Glass, J.P.

1998-01-01

We compared high-dose (0.3 mmol/kg) and standard-dose (0.1 mmol/kg) gadolinium-enhanced MRI for diagnosis of meningeal metastases in 12 patients with suspected meningeal metastases. They were imaged with both standard-dose and high-dose gadolinium. All patients with abnormal meningeal enhancement underwent at least one lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology, while patients with normal meningeal enhancement were followed clinically. All patients with negative CSF cytology also were followed clinically. A single observer reviewed all the images, with specific attention to the enhancement pattern of the meninges. Abnormal leptomeningeal enhancement was present in three cases, and abnormal pachymeningeal enhancement in three other patients. All of these patients had abnormal CSF analyses. In two of the three cases of abnormal leptomeningeal enhancement the disease was more evident on high-dose than on standard-dose imaging; in one case the abnormal enhancement was visible only on high-dose imaging. In one of the three cases with abnormal pachymeningeal enhancement, the disease was evident prospectively only with high-dose imaging. (orig.)

Investigation of polymer composite for high dose dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pereira, E.L.M.; Batista, A.S.M., E-mail: adriananuclear@yahoo.com.br [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Ribeiro, F.A.S.; Santos, A.P.; Faria, L.O.; Oliveira, A.H. [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2017-07-01

Introduction: This paper presents the efficacy evaluation of PVDF and nanocomposites of the PVDF films for high gamma dosimetry. Our scope in this first part of our studies is the selection of the most promising film for future dosimetry trials, where the proportionality of response of the selected material will be investigated over a large range of doses and dose rates. Methods: Was prepared nanocomposites made by mixing Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), zirconium oxide (ZrO{sub 2}) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) aiming to find dosimetric properties for applications in high dose dosimetry. The samples were irradiated with a Co-60 source at constant dose rate (16.7 kGy/h), with doses ranging from 100 to 2750 kGy. The UV-Vis and FTIR spectrophotometry have been used to monitor the appearing of C=C conjugated bonds and radio-oxidation of carbon (C=O). Results: FTIR spectrometry has that the absorbance intensities at 1715 cm{sup -1} and 1730 cm{sup -1} can be used for high dosimetry purposes for gamma doses ranging from 400 to 2750 kGy. In this range, it is possible to observe a linear relationship between Abs & Dose. Fading of signal was evaluated for one month and reproducibility in 2000 kGy dose. Conclusion: FTIR spectroscopic data revealed two optical absorption bands at 1715 cm{sup -1} and 1730 cm{sup -1} whose intensities are unambiguously related to gamma delivered dose ranging from 400 kGy to 2750 kGy. (author)

Repeated vertebral augmentation for new vertebral compression fractures of postvertebral augmentation patients: a nationwide cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang CL

2015-03-01

anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs (AOR=6.14; 95% CI: 5.08–7.41 were more likely to undergo repeat vertebral augmentation.Conclusion: We conclude that the incidence of repeat vertebral augmentation is rather high. An understanding of risk factors predicting repeat vertebral augmentation provides valuable basis to improve health care for geriatric populations. Keywords: vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, comorbidity, bisphosphonate, old ageTwo Letters to the Editor have been recieved and published İlhan et alWilson et al 

Methodology of high dose research in medical radiodiagnostic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barboza, Adriana E.; Martins, Cintia P. de S.

2013-01-01

This work has as main purpose to study occupational exposure in diagnostic radiology in medical cases of high doses recorded in 2011 at the national level . These doses were recorded by monitoring individual of the occupationally exposed individuals (OEI's). This monitoring of the doses received by ionizing radiation has as main objective to ensure that the principle of dose limitation is respected. In this study it were evaluated doses of 372 OEI's radiology in different Brazilian states. Doses were extracted from the database of Sector Management Doses of the Institute for Radioprotection and Dosimetry - IRD/CNEN-RJ, Brazil. The information from the database provide reports of doses from several states, which allows to quantify statistically, showing those with the highest doses in four areas: dose greater than or equal to 20 mSv apron and chest and dose greater than or equal to 100 mSv apron and chest. The identification of these states allows the respective Sanitary Surveillance (VISA), be aware of the events and make plans to reduce them. This study clarified the required procedures when there is a record of high dose emphasizing the importance of using protective radiological equipment, dosimeter and provide a safety environment work by maintaining work equipment. Proposes the ongoing training of professionals, emphasizing the relevance of the concepts of radiation protection and the use of the questionnaire with their investigative systematic sequence, which will allow quickly and efficiently the success the investigations

High-dose preoperative radiation for cancer of the rectum: Impact of radiation dose on patterns of failure and survival

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, N.R.; Mohiuddin, M.; Marks, G.

1993-01-01

A variety of dose-time schedules are currently used for preoperative radiation therapy of rectal cancer. An analysis of patients treated with high-dose preoperative radiation therapy was undertaken to determine the influence of radiation dose on the patterns of failure, survival, and complications. Two hundred seventy-five patients with localized rectal cancer were treated with high-dose preoperative radiation therapy. One hundred fifty-six patients received 45 Gy (low-dose group). Since 1985, 119 patients with clinically unfavorable cancers were given a higher dose, 55 Gy using a shrinking field technique (high-dose group). All patients underwent curative resection. Median follow-up was 66 months in the low-dose group and 28 months in the high-dose group. Patterns of failure, survival, and complications were analyzed as a function of radiation dose. Fourteen percent of the total group developed a local recurrence; 20% in the low-dose group as compared with 6% in the high-dose group. The actuarial local recurrence rate at 5 years was 20% for the low-dose group and 8% for the high-dose group, and approached statistical significance with p = .057. For tethered/fixed tumors the actuarial local recurrence rates at 5 years were 28% and 9%, respectively, with p = .05. Similarly, for low-lying tumors (less than 6 cm from the anorectal junction) the rates were 24% and 9%, respectively, with p = .04. The actuarial rate of distant metastasis was 28% in the low-dose group and 20% in the high-dose group and was not significantly different. Overall actuarial 5-year survival for the total group of patients was 66%. No significant difference in survival was observed between the two groups, despite the higher proportion of unfavorable cancers in the high-dose group. The incidence of complications was 2%, equally distributed between the two groups. High-dose preoperative radiation therapy for rectal cancer results in excellent local control rates. 27 refs., 2 figs., 8 tabs

Acute renal failure in high dose carboplatin chemotherapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frenkel, J.; Kool, G.; de Kraker, J.

1995-01-01

Carboplatin has been reported to cause acute renal failure when administered in high doses to adult patients. We report a 4 1/2-year-old girl who was treated with high-dose carboplatin for metastatic parameningeal embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Acute renal failure developed followed by a slow partial

Dose intercomparison studies for standardization of high-dose dosimetry in Viet Nam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mai Hoang Hoa; Duong Nguyen Dinh; Kojima, T.

1999-01-01

The Irradiation Center of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Commission (IC-VAEC) is planning to establish a traceability system for high-dose dosimetry and to provide high-dose standards as a secondary standard dosimetry laboratory (SSDL) level in Vietnam. For countries which do not have a standard dosimetry laboratory, the participation in the International Dose Assurance Service (IDAS) operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the most common means to verify own dosimetry performance with a certain uncertainty. This is, however, only one-direction dose intercomparison with evaluation by IAEA including unknown parameter at participant laboratories. The SSDL level laboratory should have traceability as well as compatibility, ability to evaluate uncertainties of its own dosimetry performance by itself In the present paper, we reviewed our dosimetry performance through two-way dose intercomparison studies and self-evaluation of uncertainty in our dosimetry procedure. The performance of silver dichromate dosimeter as reference transfer dosimeter in IC-VAEC was studied through two-way blind dose intercomparison experiments between the IC-VAEC and JAERI. As another channel of dose intercomparison with IAEA, alanine dosimeters issued by IDAS were simultaneously irradiated with the IC-VAEC dichromate dosimeters at IC-VAEC and analyzed by IAEA. Dose intercomparison between IC-VAEC and JAERI results into a good agreement (better than ±2.5%), and IDAS results also show similar agreement within ±3.0%. The uncertainty was self-estimated on the basis of the JAERI alanine dosimetry, and a preliminary value of about 1.86% at a 68% confidence level is established. The results from these intercomparisons and our estimation of the uncertainty are consistent. We hope that our experience is valuable to other countries which do not have dosimetry standard laboratories and/or are planning to establish them. (author)

AUGMENTED REALITY

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skov, Kirsten; Bahn, Anne Louise

2017-01-01

Projektets grundlæggende idé er udvikling af visuel, æstetisk læring med Augmented Reality, hvor intentionen er at bidrage med konkrete undersøgelser og udforskning af begrebet Augmented Reality – herunder koblingen mellem det analoge og digitale i forhold til læring, multimodalitet og it...

High-dose contrast-enhanced MRI in multiple sclerosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koudriavtseva, T.; Pozzilli, C.; Di Biasi, C.; Iannilli, M.; Trasimeni, G.; Gasperini, C.; Argentino, C.; Gualdi, G.F.

1996-01-01

Contrast-enhanced MRI is effective for assessing disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS) and may provide an outcome measure for testing the efficacy of treatment in clinical trials. To compare the sensitivity of high-dose gadolinium-HP-DO3A with that of a standard dose of gadolinium-DTPA, we studied 16 patients with relapsing-remitting MS in the acute phase of the disease. Each underwent two MRI examinations within at most 48 h. The initial MRI study was with a standard dose of gadolinium-DTPA (0.1 mmol/kg), and the second one an experimental dose of gadolinium-HP-DO3A (0.3 mmol/kg). No adverse effects were attributed to the contrast media. The high-dose study revealed more enhancing lesions than the standard-dose study (56 vs 38). This difference was found to be more relevant for infratentorial and small lesions. Furthermore, with the higher dose, there was a marked qualitative improvement in the visibility and delineation of the lesions. (orig.). With 4 figs., 2 tabs

High-dose contrast-enhanced MRI in multiple sclerosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koudriavtseva, T. [Department of Neurosciences, University of Rome ``La Sapienza`` Rome (Italy); Pozzilli, C. [Department of Neurosciences, University of Rome ``La Sapienza`` Rome (Italy); Di Biasi, C. [MR Unit, Clinica Medica 1, University of Rome ``La Sapienza``, Rome (Italy); Iannilli, M. [MR Unit, Clinica Medica 1, University of Rome ``La Sapienza``, Rome (Italy); Trasimeni, G. [MR Unit, Clinica Medica 1, University of Rome ``La Sapienza``, Rome (Italy); Gasperini, C. [Department of Neurosciences, University of Rome ``La Sapienza`` Rome (Italy); Argentino, C. [Department of Neurosciences, University of Rome ``La Sapienza`` Rome (Italy); Gualdi, G.F. [MR Unit, Clinica Medica 1, University of Rome ``La Sapienza``, Rome (Italy)

1996-05-01

Contrast-enhanced MRI is effective for assessing disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS) and may provide an outcome measure for testing the efficacy of treatment in clinical trials. To compare the sensitivity of high-dose gadolinium-HP-DO3A with that of a standard dose of gadolinium-DTPA, we studied 16 patients with relapsing-remitting MS in the acute phase of the disease. Each underwent two MRI examinations within at most 48 h. The initial MRI study was with a standard dose of gadolinium-DTPA (0.1 mmol/kg), and the second one an experimental dose of gadolinium-HP-DO3A (0.3 mmol/kg). No adverse effects were attributed to the contrast media. The high-dose study revealed more enhancing lesions than the standard-dose study (56 vs 38). This difference was found to be more relevant for infratentorial and small lesions. Furthermore, with the higher dose, there was a marked qualitative improvement in the visibility and delineation of the lesions. (orig.). With 4 figs., 2 tabs.

Tracking for Outdoor Mobile Augmented Reality: Further development of the Zion Augmented Reality Application

OpenAIRE

Strand, Tor Egil Riegels

2008-01-01

This report deals with providing tracking to an outdoor mobile augmented reality system and the Zion Augmented Reality Application. ZionARA is meant to display a virtual recreation of a 13th century castle on the site it once stood through an augmented reality Head Mounted Display. Mobile outdoor augmented/mixed reality puts special demands on what kind of equipment is practical. After briefly evaluating the different existing tracking methods, a solution based on GPS and an augmented inertia...

Standardization of high-dose measurement of electron and gamma ray absorbed doses and dose rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaughlin, W.L.

1985-01-01

Intense electron beams and gamma radiation fields are used for sterilizing medical devices, treating municipal wastes, processing industrial goods, controlling parasites and pathogens, and extending the shelf-life of foods. Quality control of such radiation processes depends largely on maintaining measurement quality assurance through sound dosimetry procedures in the research leading to each process, in the commissioning of that process, and in the routine dose monitoring practices. This affords documentation as to whether satisfactory dose uniformity is maintained throughout the product and throughout the process. Therefore, dosimetry at high doses and dose rates must in many radiation processes be standardized carefully, so that 'dosimetry release' of a product is verified. This standardization is initiated through preliminary dosimetry intercomparison studies such as those sponsored recently by the IAEA. This is followed by establishing periodic exercises in traceability to national or international standards of absorbed dose and dose rate. Traceability is achieved by careful selection of dosimetry methods and proven reference dosimeters capable of giving sufficiently accurate and precise 'transfer' dose assessments: (1) they must be calibrated or have well-established radiation-yield indices; (2) their radiation response characteristics must be reproducible and cover the dose range of interest; (3) they must withstand the rigours of back-and-forth mailing between a central standardizing laboratory and radiation processing facilities, without excessive errors arising due to instabilities, dosimeter batch non-uniformities, and environmental and handling stresses. (author)

Update on pediatric resuscitation drugs: high dose, low dose, or no dose at all.

Science.gov (United States)

Sorrentino, Annalise

2005-04-01

Pediatric resuscitation has been a topic of discussion for years. It is difficult to keep abreast of changing recommendations, especially for busy pediatricians who do not regularly use these skills. This review will focus on the most recent guidelines for resuscitation drugs. Three specific questions will be discussed: standard dose versus high-dose epinephrine, amiodarone use, and the future of vasopressin in pediatric resuscitation. The issue of using high-dose epinephrine for cardiopulmonary resuscitation refractory to standard dose epinephrine has been a topic of debate for many years. Recently, a prospective, double-blinded study was performed to help settle the debate. These results will be reviewed and compared with previous studies. Amiodarone is a medication that was added to the pediatric resuscitation algorithms with the most recent recommendations from the American Heart Association in 2000. Its use and safety will also be discussed. Another topic that is resurfacing in resuscitation is the use of vasopressin. Its mechanism and comparisons to other agents will be highlighted, although its use in the pediatric patient has not been thoroughly studied. Pediatric resuscitation is a constantly evolving subject that is on the mind of anyone taking care of sick children. Clinicians are continually searching for the most effective methods to resuscitate children in terms of short- and long-term outcomes. It is important to be familiar with not only the agents being used but also the optimal way to use them.

Oxytocin-augmented labor and risk for autism in males.

Science.gov (United States)

Weisman, Omri; Agerbo, Esben; Carter, C Sue; Harris, James C; Uldbjerg, Niels; Henriksen, Tine B; Thygesen, Malene; Mortensen, Preben B; Leckman, James F; Dalsgaard, Søren

2015-05-01

The use of synthetic oxytocin (OT) to induce and/or augment labor and delivery is on the rise. Maternal exposure to OT during birth may have adverse effects on the infant's development, including increased risk for autism. Yet, studies that test this biologically plausible association and whether it is modified by sex are limited and show inconsistent findings. To this end, we conducted an epidemiological analysis, including all singleton live births in Denmark between 2000 and 2009 (N = 557,040), with a follow-up through 2012. A total of 2110 children in this cohort were subsequently diagnosed with autistic disorder according to the ICD-10-DCR. Augmentation of labor with OT was modestly associated with an increased risk for autism in males (HR 1.13; 95% CI, 1.00-1.26; P = 0.04), but not in females (0.99; 0.77-1.27; P=0.95). Among males exposed to OT augmentation, 560 were subsequently diagnosed with autistic disorder, and among those not exposed, 1177 met criteria for autism (incidence rate 103.2 and 81.4 per 100,000 person-years, respectively). Our findings suggest a modest association between OT-augmented labor and risk for autism in males. However, given the known benefits of using synthetic OT during labor and delivery caution is warranted when interpreting the findings. Future studies should also investigate dose-dependent effect of OT on infant's development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding augmented reality concepts and applications

CERN Document Server

Craig, Alan B

2013-01-01

Augmented reality is not a technology. Augmented reality is a medium. Likewise, a book on augmented reality that only addresses the technology that is required to support the medium of augmented reality falls far short of providing the background that is needed to produce, or critically consume augmented reality applications. One reads a book. One watches a movie. One experiences augmented reality. Understanding Augmented Reality addresses the elements that are required to create compelling augmented reality experiences. The technology that supports

Cyclophosphamide augments antitumor immunity: studies in an autochthonous prostate cancer model.

Science.gov (United States)

Wada, Satoshi; Yoshimura, Kiyoshi; Hipkiss, Edward L; Harris, Tim J; Yen, Hung-Rong; Goldberg, Monica V; Grosso, Joseph F; Getnet, Derese; Demarzo, Angelo M; Netto, George J; Anders, Robert; Pardoll, Drew M; Drake, Charles G

2009-05-15

To study the immune response to prostate cancer, we developed an autochthonous animal model based on the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) mouse in which spontaneously developing tumors express influenza hemagglutinin as a unique, tumor-associated antigen. Our prior studies in these animals showed immunologic tolerance to hemagglutinin, mirroring the clinical situation in patients with cancer who are generally nonresponsive to their disease. We used this physiologically relevant animal model to assess the immunomodulatory effects of cyclophosphamide when administered in combination with an allogeneic, cell-based granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-secreting cancer immunotherapy. Through adoptive transfer of prostate/prostate cancer-specific CD8 T cells as well as through studies of the endogenous T-cell repertoire, we found that cyclophosphamide induced a marked augmentation of the antitumor immune response. This effect was strongly dependent on both the dose and the timing of cyclophosphamide administration. Mechanistic studies showed that immune augmentation by cyclophosphamide was associated with a transient depletion of regulatory T cells in the tumor draining lymph nodes but not in the peripheral circulation. Interestingly, we also noted effects on dendritic cell phenotype; low-dose cyclophosphamide was associated with increased expression of dendritic cell maturation markers. Taken together, these data clarify the dose, timing, and mechanism of action by which immunomodulatory cyclophosphamide can be translated to a clinical setting in a combinatorial cancer treatment strategy.

Retrospective analysis of dose delivery in intra-operative high dose rate brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, M.; Avadhani, J.S.; Malhotra, H.K.; Cunningham, B.; Tripp, P.; Jaggernauth, W.; Podgorsak, M.B.

2007-01-01

Background. This study was performed to quantify the inaccuracy in clinical dose delivery due to the incomplete scatter conditions inherent in intra-operative high dose rate (IOHDR) brachytherapy. Methods. Treatment plans of 10 patients previously treated in our facility, which had irregular shapes of treated areas, were used. Treatment geometries reflecting each clinical case were simulated using a phantom assembly with no added build-up on top of the applicator. The treatment planning geometry (full scatter surrounding the applicator) was subsequently simulated for each case by adding bolus on top of the applicator. Results. For geometries representing the clinical IOHDR incomplete scatter environment, measured doses at the 5 mm and 10 mm prescription depths were lower than the corresponding prescribed doses by about 7.7% and 11.1%, respectively. Also, for the two prescription methods, an analysis of the measured dose distributions and their corresponding treatment plans showed average decreases of 1.2 mm and 2.2 mm in depth of prescription dose, respectively. Conclusions. Dosimetric calculations with the assumption of an infinite scatter environment around the applicator and target volume have shown to result in dose delivery errors that significantly decrease the prescription depth for IOHDR treatment.(author)

Fertility of Tall Girls Treated with High-Dose Estrogen, a Dose-Response Relationship

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendriks, A. E. J.; Drop, S. L. S.; Laven, J. S. E.; Boot, A. M.

Context: High-dose estrogen treatment to reduce final height of tall girls increases their risk for infertility in later life. Objective: The aim was to study the effect of estrogen dose on fertility outcome of these women. Design/Setting: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of university

Radiation effects of high and low doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Naggar, A.M.

1998-01-01

The extensive proliferation of the uses and applications of atomic and nuclear energy resulted in possible repercussions on human health. The prominent features of the health hazards that may be incurred after exposure to high and low radiation doses are discussed. The physical and biological factors involved in the sequential development of radiation health effects and the different cellular responses to radiation injury are considered. The main criteria and features of radiation effects of high and low doses are comprehensively outlined

High daily doses of benzodiazepines among Quebec seniors: prevalence and correlates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moride Yola

2001-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Use of high daily doses of benzodiazepines is generally contraindicated for seniors. While both patient and physician factors may influence the use of high daily doses, previous research on the effect of patient factors has been extremely limited. The objectives of this study were to determine the one year prevalence of use of high daily doses of benzodiazepines, and examine physician and patient correlates of such use among Quebec community-dwelling seniors. Methods Patient information for 1423 community-dwelling Quebec seniors who participated in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging was linked to provincial health insurance administrative data bases containing detailed information on prescriptions received and prescribers. Results The standardized one year period prevalence of use of high daily doses of benzodiazepines was 7.9%. Use of high daily doses was more frequent among younger seniors and those who had reported anxiety during the previous year. Patients without cognitive impairment were more likely to receive high dose prescriptions from general practitioners, while those with cognitive impairment were more likely to receive high dose prescriptions from specialists. Conclusion High dose prescribing appears to be related to both patient and physician factors.

Proximity correction of high-dosed frame with PROXECCO

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenmann, Hans; Waas, Thomas; Hartmann, Hans

1994-05-01

Usefulness of electron beam lithography is strongly related to the efficiency and quality of methods used for proximity correction. This paper addresses the above issue by proposing an extension to the new proximity correction program PROXECCO. The combination of a framing step with PROXECCO produces a pattern with a very high edge accuracy and still allows usage of the fast correction procedure. Making a frame with a higher dose imitates a fine resolution correction where the coarse part is disregarded. So after handling the high resolution effect by means of framing, an additional coarse correction is still needed. Higher doses have a higher contribution to the proximity effect. This additional proximity effect is taken into account with the help of the multi-dose input of PROXECCO. The dose of the frame is variable, depending on the deposited energy coming from backscattering of the proximity. Simulation proves the very high edge accuracy of the applied method.

High-dose buprenorphine: perioperative precautions and management strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, D M; Meyer-Witting, M

2005-02-01

Buprenorphine has been in clinical use in anaesthesia for several decades. Recently, the high-dose sublingual formulation (Subutex, Reckitt Benckiser, Slough, U.K.) has been increasingly used as maintenance therapy in opioid dependence, as an alternative to methadone and other pharmacological therapies. Buprenorphine has unique pharmacological properties making it well suited for use as a maintenance therapy in opioid dependence. However, these same properties may cause difficulty in the perioperative management of pain. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, attenuating the effects of supplemental illicit or therapeutic opioid agonists. As a result of its high receptor affinity, supplemental opioids do not readily displace buprenorphine from the opioid receptor in standard doses. High-dose buprenorphine has an extended duration of action that prolongs both of these effects. The perioperative management of patients stabilized on high-dose buprenorphine and undergoing surgery requires consideration of the likely analgesic requirements. Where possible the buprenorphine should be continued. Pain management should focus on maximizing non-opioid analgesia, local anaesthesia and non-pharmacological techniques. Where pain may not be adequately relieved by these methods, the addition of a full opioid agonist such as fentanyl or morphine at appropriate doses should be considered, accompanied by close monitoring in a high dependency unit. In situations where this regimen is unlikely to be effective, preoperative conversion to morphine or methadone may be an option. Where available, liaison with a hospital-based alcohol and drug service should always be considered.

Impact of catheter reconstruction error on dose distribution in high dose rate intracavitary brachytherapy and evaluation of OAR doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thaper, Deepak; Shukla, Arvind; Rathore, Narendra; Oinam, Arun S.

2016-01-01

In high dose rate brachytherapy (HDR-B), current catheter reconstruction protocols are relatively slow and error prone. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of catheter reconstruction error on dose distribution in CT based intracavitary brachytherapy planning and evaluation of its effect on organ at risk (OAR) like bladder, rectum and sigmoid and target volume High risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV)

Evidence that alpha-methyl-p-tyramine is implicated in behavioural augmentation to amphetamine.

Science.gov (United States)

Dougan, D F; Labrie, S L; Paull, P D; Duffield, P H; Wade, D N

1986-01-01

Behavioural studies showed that administration of alpha-methyl-p-tyramine (AMT; 10 mg/kg i.p.) to rats 24 hr before treatment with d-amphetamine (AMPHET; 4 mg/kg i.p.) resulted in augmentation of AMPHET-induced stereotype activity. Parallel experiments involving electro-chemical estimation of dopamine metabolites in the striatum showed that the decrease in the concentration of homovanillic acid (HVA) produced by AMPHET (4 mg/kg) was enhanced in AMT (10 mg/kg) pretreated animals. These findings suggest that AMT derived from previous doses of AMPHET may play a role in the phenomena of behavioural augmentation observed after chronic administration of AMPHET.

High-temperature absorbed dose measurements in the megagray range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balian, P.; Ardonceau, J.; Zuppiroli, L.

1988-01-01

Organic conductors of the tetraselenotetracene family have been tested as ''high-temperature'' absorbed dose dosimeters. They were heated up to 120 0 C and irradiated at this temperature with 1-MeV electrons in order to simulate, in a short time, a much longer γ-ray irradiation. The electric resistance increase of the crystal can be considered a good measurement of the absorbed dose in the range 10 6 Gy to a few 10 8 Gy and presumably one order of magnitude more. This dosimeter also permits on-line (in-situ) measurements of the absorbed dose without removing the sensor from the irradiation site. The respective advantages of organic and inorganic dosimeters at these temperature and dose ranges are also discussed. In this connection, we outline new, but negative, results concerning the possible use of silica as a high-temperature, high-dose dosimeter. (author)

A dual bacterial culture augments Kalanchoe spp. photosynthesis under extreme conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Burlak, Olexii; Rogutskyy, Ivan; Danilchenko, Boris; Mikheev, Olexander; Zaetz, Iryna; Lorek, Andreas; Koncz, Alexander; de Vera, Jean-Pierre; Foing, Bernard H.; Kozyrovska, Natalia

In consistence with conception of using microbial technology for plant growing/protosoil for-mation for Lunar/Martian greenhouses (Kozyrovska et al., 2004-2010), we anticipate microbes to alleviate impact of the environmental stressors on plant development. Bacteria can augment physiological processes in plants, for example, photosynthesis, by regulating a hormone level and decreasing glucose sensing in planta (Zhang et al., 2008). The study aimed to examine impact of consortium of well-defined bacteria Klebsiella oxytoca IMBG26 and Paenibacillus sp. IMBG150 on the CAM-plantlets Kalanhoe diagramontiana and Kalanhoe tubiflora pho-tosynthetic activity after acute action of gamma radiation (60Co), Near Martian ultraviolet radiation, low pressure (100 mbar), and high concentrations of CO2 (95Plantlets of K. tubi-flora were exposed to harmful doses of Near Martian UV radiation for 3 hours (26.53 J/cm2). A week before experiment kalanchoe plantlets were subjected to acute effects of ionizing radiation at doses of 30 and 70 Gy. In noninoculated plantlets after 30 Gy the photosynthetic activity fell to 71

Circadian transitions in radiation dose-dependent augmentation of mRNA levels for DNA damage-induced genes elicited by accurate real-time RT-PCR quantification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishihara, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Izumi; Yakumaru, Haruko

2010-01-01

Molecular mechanisms of intracellular response after DNA-damage by exposure to ionizing radiation have been studied. In the case of cells isolated from living body of human and experimental animals, alteration of the responsiveness by physiological oscillation such as circadian rhythm must be considered. To examine the circadian variation in the response of p53-responsible genes p21, mdm2, bax, and puma, we established a method to quantitate their mRNA levels with high reproducibility and accuracy based on real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and compared the levels of responsiveness in mouse hemocytes after diurnal irradiation to that after nocturnal irradiation. Augmentations of p21 and mdm2 mRNA levels with growth-arrest and of puma mRNA before apoptosis were confirmed by time-course experiment in RAW264.7, and dose-dependent increases in the peak levels of all the RNA were shown. Similarly, the relative RNA levels of p21, mdm2, bax, and puma per glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) also increased dose-dependently in peripheral blood and bone marrow cells isolated from whole-body-irradiated mice. Induction levels of all messages reduced by half after nighttime irradiation as compared with daytime irradiation in blood cells. In marrow cells, nighttime irradiation enhanced the p21 and mdm2 mRNA levels than daytime irradiation. No significant difference in bax or puma mRNA levels was observed between nighttime and daytime irradiation in marrow cells. This suggests that early-stage cellular responsiveness in DNA damage-induced genes is modulated between diurnal and nocturnal irradiation. (author)

High-dose MeV electron irradiation of Si-SiO2 structures implanted with high doses Si+

Science.gov (United States)

Kaschieva, S.; Angelov, Ch; Dmitriev, S. N.

2018-03-01

The influence was studied of 22-MeV electron irradiation on Si-SiO2 structures implanted with high-fluence Si+ ions. Our earlier works demonstrated that Si redistribution is observed in Si+-ion-implanted Si-SiO2 structures (after MeV electron irradiation) only in the case when ion implantation is carried out with a higher fluence (1016 cm-2). We focused our attention on the interaction of high-dose MeV electron irradiation (6.0×1016 cm-2) with n-Si-SiO2 structures implanted with Si+ ions (fluence 5.4×1016 cm-2 of the same order magnitude). The redistribution of both oxygen and silicon atoms in the implanted Si-SiO2 samples after MeV electron irradiation was studied by Rutherford back-scattering (RBS) spectroscopy in combination with a channeling technique (RBS/C). Our results demonstrated that the redistribution of oxygen and silicon atoms in the implanted samples reaches saturation after these high doses of MeV electron irradiation. The transformation of amorphous SiO2 surface into crystalline Si nanostructures (after MeV electron irradiation) was evidenced by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Silicon nanocrystals are formed on the SiO2 surface after MeV electron irradiation. The shape and number of the Si nanocrystals on the SiO2 surface depend on the MeV electron irradiation, while their size increases with the dose. The mean Si nanocrystals height is 16-20 nm after irradiation with MeV electrons at the dose of 6.0×1016 cm-2.

A novel theory of radiation damage at high doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seeger, A.; Stuttgart Univ.

1989-01-01

Deviations of radiation damage (in the case of metals usually monitored by the residual electrical resistivity) from proportionality with the irradiation dose have so far been analysed almost exclusively in terms of extensions of models originally developed for small doses. The present theory considers the opposite limit i.e. the quasi-saturated state. It is argued that at high doses the Lueck-Sizmann effect may result in a self-organization of clusters of vacancies and self-interstitials, forming a heterogeneous froth. Possible structures of this froth and its effect on the electrical resistivity of metals are discussed. The model is shown to account for the dependence of the ''saturation resistivity'' on the nature of the irradiation as well as for several other hitherto poorly explained observations. Among them are the electrical-resistivity variation induced by high-dose irradiation with heavy ions, the amorphization of certain alloys by high-dose electron irradiation, and the occurrence of ordered arrays of stacking-fault tetrahedra after in-situ irradiations in high-voltage electron microscopes. (author)

Jointly Optimize Data Augmentation and Network Training: Adversarial Data Augmentation in Human Pose Estimation

OpenAIRE

Peng, Xi; Tang, Zhiqiang; Yang, Fei; Feris, Rogerio; Metaxas, Dimitris

2018-01-01

Random data augmentation is a critical technique to avoid overfitting in training deep neural network models. However, data augmentation and network training are usually treated as two isolated processes, limiting the effectiveness of network training. Why not jointly optimize the two? We propose adversarial data augmentation to address this limitation. The main idea is to design an augmentation network (generator) that competes against a target network (discriminator) by generating `hard' au...

Confronting an augmented reality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Hedberg

2012-08-01

Full Text Available How can educators make use of augmented reality technologies and practices to enhance learning and why would we want to embrace such technologies anyway? How can an augmented reality help a learner confront, interpret and ultimately comprehend reality itself? In this article, we seek to initiate a discussion that focuses on these questions, and suggest that they be used as drivers for research into effective educational applications of augmented reality. We discuss how multi-modal, sensorial augmentation of reality links to existing theories of education and learning, focusing on ideas of cognitive dissonance and the confrontation of new realities implied by exposure to new and varied perspectives. We also discuss connections with broader debates brought on by the social and cultural changes wrought by the increased digitalisation of our lives, especially the concept of the extended mind. Rather than offer a prescription for augmentation, our intention is to throw open debate and to provoke deep thinking about what interacting with and creating an augmented reality might mean for both teacher and learner.

Radiobiological aspects of continuous low dose-rate irradiation and fractionated high dose-rate irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turesson, I.

1990-01-01

The biological effects of continuous low dose-rate irradiation and fractionated high dose-rate irradiation in interstitial and intracavitary radiotherapy and total body irradiation are discussed in terms of dose-rate fractionation sensitivity for various tissues. A scaling between dose-rate and fraction size was established for acute and late normal-tissue effects which can serve as a guideline for local treatment in the range of dose rates between 0.02 and 0.005 Gy/min and fraction sizes between 8.5 and 2.5 Gy. This is valid provided cell-cycle progression and proliferation can be ignored. Assuming that the acute and late tissue responses are characterized by α/β values of about 10 and 3 Gy and a mono-exponential repair half-time of about 3 h, the same total doses given with either of the two methods are approximately equivalent. The equivalence for acute and late non-hemopoietic normal tissue damage is 0.02 Gy/min and 8.5 Gy per fraction; 0.01 Gy/min and 5.5 Gy per fraction; and 0.005 Gy/min and 2.5Gy per fraction. A very low dose rate, below 0.005 Gy/min, is thus necessary to simulate high dose-rate radiotherapy with fraction sizes of about 2Gy. The scaling factor is, however, dependent on the repair half-time of the tissue. A review of published data on dose-rate effects for normal tissue response showed a significantly stronger dose-rate dependence for late than for acute effects below 0.02 Gy/min. There was no significant difference in dose-rate dependence between various acute non-hemopoietic effects or between various late effects. The consistent dose-rate dependence, which justifies the use of a general scaling factor between fraction size and dose rate, contrasts with the wide range of values for repair half-time calculated for various normal-tissue effects. This indicates that the model currently used for repair kinetics is not satisfactory. There are also few experimental data in the clinical dose-rate range, below 0.02 Gy/min. It is therefore

[Display technologies for augmented reality in medical applications].

Science.gov (United States)

Eck, Ulrich; Winkler, Alexander

2018-04-01

One of the main challenges for modern surgery is the effective use of the many available imaging modalities and diagnostic methods. Augmented reality systems can be used in the future to blend patient and planning information into the view of surgeons, which can improve the efficiency and safety of interventions. In this article we present five visualization methods to integrate augmented reality displays into medical procedures and the advantages and disadvantages are explained. Based on an extensive literature review the various existing approaches for integration of augmented reality displays into medical procedures are divided into five categories and the most important research results for each approach are presented. A large number of mixed and augmented reality solutions for medical interventions have been developed as research prototypes; however, only very few systems have been tested on patients. In order to integrate mixed and augmented reality displays into medical practice, highly specialized solutions need to be developed. Such systems must comply with the requirements with respect to accuracy, fidelity, ergonomics and seamless integration into the surgical workflow.

Statistical behavior of high doses in medical radiodiagnosis; Comportamento estatistico das altas doses em radiodiagnostico medico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barboza, Adriana Elisa, E-mail: adrianaebarboza@gmail.com, E-mail: elisa@bolsista.ird.gov.br [Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria, (IRD/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2014-07-01

This work has as main purpose statistically estimating occupational exposure in medical diagnostic radiology in cases of high doses recorded in 2011 at national level. For statistical survey of this study, doses of 372 IOE's diagnostic radiology in different Brazilian states were evaluated. Data were extracted from the work of monograph (Research Methodology Of High Doses In Medical Radiodiagnostic) that contains the database's information Sector Management doses of IRD/CNEN-RJ, Brazil. The identification of these states allows the Sanitary Surveillance (VISA) responsible, becomes aware of events and work with programs to reduce these events. (author)

Labia Majora Augmentation: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Jabbour, Samer; Kechichian, Elio; Hersant, Barbara; Levan, Philippe; El Hachem, Lena; Noel, Warren; Nasr, Marwan

2017-10-16

Currently, there is no standardized approach for labia majora augmentation and controversies still exist regarding this subject. This systematic review aimed to assess the evidence in the literature regarding labia majora augmentation. On November 20, 2016, we conducted an online search of published articles in the Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases. All articles describing labia majora augmentation were included in this review. Nine studies were selected for inclusion in the systematic review. Only 2 studies were prospective trials. The most commonly used technique was fat grafting with a total of 4 articles and 183 patients. The mean total injected fat volume ranged from 18 mL to 120 mL per session. Two articles described hyaluronic acid injection techniques. The total injected volume of hyaluronic acid ranged from 2 to 6 mL per session. Three articles used surgical techniques for labia majora augmentation. All included articles did not report any major or life-threatening complications. All techniques demonstrated high satisfaction rates. Labia majora augmentation appears to be a safe, efficient technique with a high satisfaction rate and no reported major complications. However, further randomized controlled trials are warranted. 4. © 2017 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Reprints and permission: journals.permissions@oup.com

Effects of low priming dose irradiation on cell cycle arrest of HepG2 cells caused by high dose irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Jingguang; Jin Xiaodong; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing; Li Wenjian; Wang Jufang; Guo Chuanling; Gao Qingxiang

2005-01-01

Human hepatoma cells hepG2 were irradiated twice by 60 Co γ-rays with a priming dose of 5 cGy and a higher dose of 3 Gy performed 4h or 8h after the low dose irradiation. Effects of the priming dose irradiation on cell cycle arrest caused by high dose were examined with flow cytometry. Cells in G 2 /M phase accumulated temporarily after the 5 cGy irradiation, and proliferation of tumor cells was promoted significantly by the low dose irradiation. After the 3 Gy irradiation, G 2 phase arrest occurred, and S phase delayed temporally. In comparison with 3 kGy irradiation only, the priming dose delivered 4h prior to the high dose irradiation facilitated accumulation of hepG2 cells in G 2 /M phase, whereas the priming dose delivered 8h prior to the high dose irradiation helped the cells to overcome G 2 arrest. It was concluded that effects of the priming dose treatment on cell cycle arrest caused by high dose irradiation were dependent on time interval between the two irradiations. (authors)

A clinical comparison of high dose and low dose of Suxamethonium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RK Yadav

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Suxamethonium having its rapid onset and short duration of action makes this drug unique amongst the neuromuscular blocking drugs described so far. However, use of suxamethonium is associated with a large number of undesirable side effects. Objective: To evaluate clinical effects of high and low dose of suxamethonium and to determine whether lower dose of suxamethonium can be used for any beneficial effects in terms of its various adverse effects e.g. cardiovascular responses, post-operative muscle pains and intraocular pressure. Methods: A total of 100 patients were included in this prospective study. All these patients on preoperative clinical evaluation were assessed to have adequate airway. All the patients were divided in two groups, low dose group (group I and High dose group (group II with 50 patients in each at random. A standard anesthetic technique was adhered to all the patients and following parameters were observed on comparative basis: a. Fasciculation and post operative myalgia. b. Cardiovascular effects, c. Intraocular pressure. Observation: The incidence of post Suxamethonium pain was significantly greater in group II. Increase in heart rate from baseline was significant in both groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the diastolic pressure but rise in systolic blood pressure was significant at all assessment times in both groups. This rise from control was statistically significant. Conclusion: Suxamethonium can be used in lower doses (0.5 mg/kg in elective cases without airway compromise. It gives benefits of reduced muscle pains, cardiovascular responses and intraocular hypertension. Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal, 2013, Vol-9, No-2, 1-8 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v9i2.9677

Cumulative high doses of inhaled formoterol have less systemic effects in asthmatic children 6-11 years-old than cumulative high doses of inhaled terbutaline

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaae, Rikke; Agertoft, Lone; Pedersen, Sören

2004-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate high dose tolerability and relative systemic dose potency between inhaled clinically equipotent dose increments of formoterol and terbutaline in children. METHODS: Twenty boys and girls (6-11 years-old) with asthma and normal ECGs were studied. Ten doses of formoterol (Oxi...

Virtual and Augmented Reality on the 5G Highway

OpenAIRE

Orlosky, Jason; Kiyokawa, Kiyoshi; Takemura, Haruo

2017-01-01

In recent years, virtual and augmented reality have begun to take advantage of the high speed capabilities of data streaming technologies and wireless networks. However, limitations like bandwidth and latency still prevent us from achieving high fidelity telepresence and collaborative virtual and augmented reality applications. Fortunately, both researchers and engineers are aware of these problems and have set out to design 5G networks to help us to move to the next generation of virtual int...

Comparison of the hydrogeology and water quality of a ground-water augmented lake with two non-augmented lakes in northwest Hillsborough County, Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Metz, Patricia A.; Sacks, Laura A.

2002-01-01

The hydrologic effects associated with augmenting a lake with ground water from the Upper Floridan aquifer were examined in northwest Hillsborough County, Florida, from June 1996 through May 1999. The hydrogeology, ground-water flow patterns, water budgets, and water-quality characteristics were compared between a lake that has been augmented for more than 30 years (Round Lake) and two nearby nonaugmented lakes (Dosson Lake and Halfmoon Lake). Compared to the other study lakes, Round Lake is in a more leakage-dominated hydrogeologic setting. The intermediate confining unit is thin or highly breached, which increases the potential for vertical ground-water flow. Round Lake has the least amount of soft, organic lake-bottom sediments and the lake bottom has been dredged deeper and more extensively than the other study lakes, which could allow more leakage from the lake bottom. The area around Round Lake has experienced more sinkhole activity than the other study lakes. During this study, three sinkholes developed around the perimeter of the lake, which may have further disrupted the intermediate confining unit.Ground-water flow patterns around Round Lake were considerably different than the nonaugmented lakes. For most of the study, groundwater augmentation artificially raised the level of Round Lake to about 2 to 3 feet higher than the adjacent water table. As a result, lake water recharged the surficial aquifer around the entire lake perimeter, except during very wet periods when ground-water inflow occurred around part of the lake perimeter. The non-augmented lakes typically had areas of ground-water inflow and areas of lake leakage around their perimeter, and during wet periods, ground-water inflow occurred around the entire lake perimeter. Therefore, the area potentially contributing ground water to the non-augmented lakes is much larger than for augmented Round Lake. Vertical head loss within the surficial aquifer was greater at Round Lake than the other study

Dosimetric systems of high dose, dose rate and dose uniformity in food and medical products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vargas, J.; Vivanco, M.; Castro, E.

2014-08-01

In the Instituto Peruano de Energia Nuclear (IPEN) we use the chemical dosimetry Astm-E-1026 Fricke as a standard dosimetric system of reference and different routine dosimetric systems of high doses, according to the applied doses to obtain the desired effects in the treated products and the doses range determined for each type of dosimeter. Fricke dosimetry is a chemical dosimeter in aqueous solution indicating the absorbed dose by means an increase in absorbance at a specific wavelength. A calibrated spectrophotometer with controlled temperature is used to measure absorbance. The adsorbed dose range should cover from 20 to 400 Gy, the Fricke solution is extremely sensitive to organic impurities, to traces of metal ions, in preparing chemical products of reactive grade must be used and the water purity is very important. Using the referential standard dosimetric system Fricke, was determined to March 5, 2013, using the referential standard dosimetric system Astm-1026 Fricke, were irradiated in triplicate Fricke dosimeters, to 5 irradiation times (20; 30; 40; 50 and 60 seconds) and by linear regression, the dose rate of 5.400648 kGy /h was determined in the central point of the irradiation chamber (irradiator Gamma cell 220 Excel), applying the decay formula, was compared with the obtained results by manufacturers by means the same dosimetric system in the year of its manufacture, being this to the date 5.44691 kGy /h, with an error rate of 0.85. After considering that the dosimetric solution responds to the results, we proceeded to the irradiation of a sample of 200 g of cereal instant food, 2 dosimeters were placed at the lateral ends of the central position to maximum dose and 2 dosimeters in upper and lower ends as minimum dose, they were applied same irradiation times; for statistical analysis, the maximum dose rate was 6.1006 kGy /h and the minimum dose rate of 5.2185 kGy /h; with a dose uniformity of 1.16. In medical material of micro pulverized bone for

Alveolar ridge and maxillary sinus augmentation using rhBMP-2: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas, Rubens Moreno de; Spin-Neto, Rubens; Marcantonio Junior, Elcio; Pereira, Luís Antônio Violin Dias; Wikesjö, Ulf M E; Susin, Cristiano

2015-01-01

The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate clinical and safety data for recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) in an absorbable collagen sponge (ACS) carrier when used for alveolar ridge/maxillary sinus augmentation in humans. Clinical studies/case series published 1980 through June 2012 using rhBMP-2/ACS were searched. Studies meeting the following criteria were considered eligible for inclusion: >10 subjects at baseline and maxillary sinus or alveolar ridge augmentation not concomitant with implant placement. Seven of 69 publications were eligible for review. rhBMP-2/ACS yielded clinically meaningful bone formation for maxillary sinus augmentation that would allow placement of regular dental implants without consistent differences between rhBMP-2 concentrations. Nevertheless, the statistical analysis showed that sinus augmentation following autogenous bone graft was significantly greater (mean bone height: 1.6 mm, 95% CI: 0.5-2.7 mm) than for rhBMP-2/ACS (rhBMP-2 at 1.5 mg/mL). In extraction sockets, rhBMP-2/ACS maintained alveolar ridge height while enhancing alveolar ridge width. Safety reports did not represent concerns for the proposed indications. rhBMP-2/ACS appears a promising alternative to autogenous bone grafts for alveolar ridge/maxillary sinus augmentation; dose and carrier optimization may expand its efficacy, use, and clinical application. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sensitivity studies in Monte Carlo treatment planning for neutron brachytherapy of cervical cancer : role of boron augmentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ralston, A.; Wallace, S.A.; Allen, B.J.

1996-01-01

Cervical cancer is the most common malignancy of women in the world and in the third world often presents in an advanced state. While photo radiation therapy is an established form of treatment, neutron brachytherapy with Cf-252 has proven to give superior local control in advanced cases without serious complications. This advantage arises from the reduction in radio-resistance, ascribed to hypoxia in bulky tumours, which occurs with high LET radiation. A further improvement is being sought by dose augmentation with boron neutron capture therapy. The Los Alamos Monte Carlo Neutron Photon radiation transport code MCNP is being used to investigate the effects of fat, muscle, bone and voids in the fast and thermal dose distributions. Whereas the fast neutron dose determines normal tissue tolerance, the boron neutron capture dose rate is determined by the thermal flux distribution. The neutron spectrum is sensitive to changes in hydrogen density, as occurs with muscle, fat and bone. The implications of this sensitivity are examined to determine whether detailed individual Monte Carlo calculations are required for patient clinical treatment plans. (author)

Augmentation of natural cytotoxicity by chronic low-dose ionizing radiation in murine natural killer cells primed by IL-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonn, Chung-Hee; Choi, Jong-Rip; Kim, Tae-Jin

2012-01-01

The possible beneficial effects of chronic low-dose irradiation (LDR) and its mechanism of action in a variety of pathophysiological processes such as cancer are a subject of intense investigation. While animal studies involving long-term exposure to LDR have yielded encouraging results, the influence of LDR at the cellular level has been less well defined. We reasoned that since natural killer (NK) cells constitute an early responder to exogenous stress, NK cells may reveal sentinel alterations in function upon exposure to LDR. When purified NK cells received LDR at 4.2 mGy/h for a total of 0.2 Gy in vitro, no significant difference in cell viability was observed. Likewise, no functional changes were detected in LDR-exposed NK cells, demonstrating that LDR alone was insufficient to generate changes at the cellular level. Nonetheless, significant augmentation of cytotoxic, but not proliferative, function was detected when NK cells were stimulated with low-dose IL-2 prior to irradiation. This enhancement of NK cytotoxicity was not due to alterations in NK-activating receptors, NK1.1, NKG2D, CD69 and 2B4, or changes in the rate of early or late apoptosis. Therefore, LDR, in the presence of suboptimal cytokine levels, can facilitate anti-tumor cytotoxicity of NK cells without influencing cellular proliferation or apoptosis. Whether these results translate to in vivo consequences remains to be seen; however, our data provide initial evidence that exposure to LDR can lead to subtle immune-enhancing effects on NK cells and may explain, in part, the functional basis underlying, diverse beneficial effects seen in the animals chronically exposed to LDR. (author)

Accelerated Irradiations for High Dose Microstructures in Fast Reactor Alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiao, Zhijie [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

2017-03-31

The objective of this project is to determine the extent to which high dose rate, self-ion irradiation can be used as an accelerated irradiation tool to understand microstructure evolution at high doses and temperatures relevant to advanced fast reactors. We will accomplish the goal by evaluating phase stability and swelling of F-M alloys relevant to SFR systems at very high dose by combining experiment and modeling in an effort to obtain a quantitative description of the processes at high and low damage rates.

Dose conversion coefficients for high-energy photons, electrons, neutrons and protons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakamoto, Yukio

2005-01-01

Dose conversion coefficients for photons, electrons and neutrons based on new ICRP recommendations were cited in the ICRP Publication 74, but the energy ranges of these data were limited and there are no data for high energy radiations produced in accelerator facilities. For the purpose of designing the high intensity proton accelerator facilities at JAERI, the dose evaluation code system of high energy radiations based on the HERMES code was developed and the dose conversion coefficients of effective dose were evaluated for photons, neutrons and protons up to 10 GeV, and electrons up to 100 GeV. The dose conversion coefficients of effective dose equivalent were also evaluated using quality factors to consider the consistency between radiation weighting factors and Q-L relationship. The effective dose conversion coefficients obtained in this work were in good agreement with those recently evaluated by using FLUKA code for photons and electrons with all energies, and neutrons and protons below 500 MeV. There were some discrepancy between two data owing to the difference of cross sections in the nuclear reaction models. The dose conversion coefficients of effective dose equivalents for high energy radiations based on Q-L relation in ICRP Publication 60 were evaluated only in this work. The previous comparison between effective dose and effective dose equivalent made it clear that the radiation weighting factors for high energy neutrons and protons were overestimated and the modification was required. (author)

Evaluation of the dose uniformity for double-plane high dose rate interstitial breast implants with the use of dose reference points and dose non-uniformity ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MAjor, T.; Polgar, C.; Somogyi, A.; Nemeth, G.

2000-01-01

This study investigated the influence of dwell time optimizations on dose uniformity characterized by dose values in dose points and dose non-uniformity ratio (DNR) and analyzed which implant parameters have influence on the DNR. Double-plane breast implants with catheters arranged in triangular pattern were used for the calculations. At a typical breast implant, dose values in dose reference points inside the target volume and volumes enclosed by given isodose surfaces were calculated and compared for non-optimized and optimized implants. The same 6-cm treatment length was used for the comparisons. Using different optimizations plots of dose non-uniformity ratio as a function of catheter separation, source step size, number of catheters, length of active sections were drawn and the minimum DNR values were determined. Optimization resulted in less variation in dose values over dose points through the whole volume and in the central plane only compared to the non-optimized case. At implant configurations consisting of seven catheters with 15-mm separation, 5-mm source step size and various active lengths adapted according to the type of optimization, the no optimization, geometrical (volume mode) and dose point (on dose points and geometry) optimization resulted in similar treatment volumes, but an increased high dose volume was observed due to the optimization. The dose non-uniformity ratio always had the minimum at average dose over dose normalization points, defined in the midpoints between the catheters through the implant volume. The minimum value of DNR depended on catheter separation, source step size, active length and number of catheters. The optimization had only a small influence on DNR. In addition to the reference points in the central plane only, dose points positioned in the whole implant volume can be used for evaluating the dose uniformity of interstitial implants. The dose optimization increases not only the dose uniformity within the implant but

Neuroprotective potential of high-dose biotin.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarty, Mark F; DiNicolantonio, James J

2017-11-01

A recent controlled trial has established that high-dose biotin supplementation - 100 mg, three times daily - has a stabilizing effect on progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). Although this effect has been attributed to an optimization of biotin's essential cofactor role in the brain, a case can be made that direct stimulation of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) by pharmacological concentrations of biotin plays a key role in this regard. The utility of high-dose biotin in MS might reflect an anti-inflammatory effect of cGMP on the cerebral microvasculature, as well on oligodendrocyte differentiation and on Schwann cell production of neurotrophic factors thought to have potential for managing MS. But biotin's ability to boost cGMP synthesis in the brain may have broader neuroprotective potential. In many types of neurons and neural cells, cGMP exerts neurotrophic-mimetic effects - entailing activation of the PI3K-Akt and Ras-ERK pathways - that promote neuron survival and plasticity. Hippocampal long term potentiation requires nitric oxide synthesis, which in turn promotes an activating phosphorylation of CREB via a pathway involving cGMP and protein kinase G (PKG). In Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyloid beta suppresses this mechanism by inhibiting sGC activity; agents which exert a countervailing effect by boosting cGMP levels tend to restore effective long-term potentiation in rodent models of AD. Moreover, NO/cGMP suppresses amyloid beta production within the brain by inhibiting expression of amyloid precursor protein and BACE1. In conjunction with cGMP's ability to oppose neuron apoptosis, these effects suggest that high-dose biotin might have potential for the prevention and management of AD. cGMP also promotes neurogenesis, and may lessen stroke risk by impeding atherogenesis and hypertrophic remodeling in the cerebral vasculature. The neuroprotective potential of high-dose biotin likely could be boosted by concurrent administration of brain

Polybutadiene and Styrene-Butadiene rubbers for high-dose dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, Lucas N. [Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia de Goias-IFG,Campus Goiania, Goiania -GO (Brazil); Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares -IPEN, Sao Paulo-SP (Brazil); Vieira, Silvio L. [Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal de Goias-UFG, Campus Samambaia, Goiania-GO (Brazil); Schimidt, Fernando [Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia de Goias-IFG,Campus Inhumas, Inhumas-GO (Brazil); Antonio, Patricia L.; Caldas, Linda V.E. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares -IPEN, Sao Paulo-SP (Brazil)

2015-07-01

Polybutadiene and Styrene-Butadiene are synthetical rubbers used widely for pneumatic tires manufacturing. In this research, the dosimeter characteristics of those rubbers were studied for application in high-dose dosimetry. The rubber samples were irradiated with doses of 10 Gy up to 10 kGy, using a {sup 60}Co Gamma Cell-220 system (dose rate of 1.089 kGy/h) and their readings were taken on a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy-FTIR system (model Frontier/Perkin Elmer). The ratios of two absorbance peaks were taken for each kind of rubber spectrum, Polybutadiene (1306/1130 cm{sup -1}) and Styrene-Butadiene (1449/1306 cm{sup -1}). The ratio calculated was used as the response to the irradiation, and is not uniform across the sample. From the results, it can be concluded for both rubbers: a) the dose-response curves may be useful for high-dose dosimetry (greater than 250 Gy); b) their response for reproducibility presented standard deviations lower than 2.5%; c) the relative sensitivity was higher for Styrene-Butadiene (1.86 kGy{sup -1}) than for Polybutadiene (1.81 kGy{sup -1}), d) for doses of 10 kGy to 200 kGy, there was no variation in the dosimetric response. Both types of rubber samples showed usefulness as high-dose dosimeters. (authors)

Assessments for high dose radionuclide therapy treatment planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, D.R.

2003-01-01

Advances in the biotechnology of cell specific targeting of cancer and the increased number of clinical trials involving treatment of cancer patients with radiolabelled antibodies, peptides, and similar delivery vehicles have led to an increase in the number of high dose radionuclide therapy procedures. Optimised radionuclide therapy for cancer treatment is based on the concept of absorbed dose to the dose limiting normal organ or tissue. The limiting normal tissue is often the red marrow, but it may sometimes be the lungs, liver, intestinal tract, or kidneys. Appropriate treatment planning requires assessment of radiation dose to several internal organs and tissues, and usually involves biodistribution studies in the patient using a tracer amount of radionuclide bound to the targeting agent and imaged at sequential timepoints using a planar gamma camera. Time-activity curves are developed from the imaging data for the major organ tissues of concern, for the whole body and sometimes for selected tumours. Patient specific factors often require that dose estimates be customised for each patient. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration regulates the experimental use of investigational new drugs and requires 'reasonable calculation of radiation absorbed dose to the whole body and to critical organs' using the methods prescribed by the Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) Committee of the Society of Nuclear Medicine. Review of high dose studies shows that some are conducted with minimal dosimetry, that the marrow dose is difficult to establish and is subject to large uncertainties. Despite the general availability of software, internal dosimetry methods often seem to be inconsistent from one clinical centre to another. (author)

Mobile Augmented Reality Applications

OpenAIRE

Prochazka, David; Stencl, Michael; Popelka, Ondrej; Stastny, Jiri

2011-01-01

Augmented reality have undergone considerable improvement in past years. Many special techniques and hardware devices were developed, but the crucial breakthrough came with the spread of intelligent mobile phones. This enabled mass spread of augmented reality applications. However mobile devices have limited hardware capabilities, which narrows down the methods usable for scene analysis. In this article we propose an augmented reality application which is using cloud computing to enable using...

Utilizing image guided surgery for user interaction in medical augmented reality

OpenAIRE

Fischer, Jan; Bartz, Dirk

2005-01-01

The graphical overlay of additional medical information over the patient during a surgical procedure has long been considered one of the most promising applications of augmented reality. While many experimental systems for augmented reality in medicine have reached an advanced state and can deliver high-quality augmented video streams, they usually depend heavily on specialized dedicated hardware. Such dedicated system components, which originally have been designed for engineering applicatio...

Augmenting Clozapine With Sertindole

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jimmi; Emborg, Charlotte; Gydesen, Susanne

2012-01-01

Clozapine augmentation with antipsychotic drugs is widely used despite sparse evidence supporting this strategy. Sertindole is a nonsedating atypical antipsychotic drug with low affinity for cholinergic receptors, which makes it potentially suitable for augmentation of clozapine. The study design...... glucose, lipids, and electrocardiogram. Clozapine augmentation with sertindole was not superior to placebo regarding total score or subscale score of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Clinical Global Impression, World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief, or Drug Attitude Inventory....... No increased adverse effects compared with placebo were found. Four patients randomized to sertindole experienced a significant worsening of psychosis, and 2 of them required psychiatric admission. Metabolic parameters were unchanged during the study, but augmentation of clozapine with sertindole...

[Augmentation technique on the proximal humerus].

Science.gov (United States)

Scola, A; Gebhard, F; Röderer, G

2015-09-01

The treatment of osteoporotic fractures is still a challenge. The advantages of augmentation with respect to primary in vitro stability and the clinical use for the proximal humerus are presented in this article. In this study six paired human humeri were randomized into an augmented and a non-augmented group. Osteosynthesis was performed with a PHILOS plate (Synthes®). In the augmented group the two screws finding purchase in the weakest cancellous bone were augmented. The specimens were tested in a 3-part fracture model in a varus bending test. The augmented PHILOS plates withstood significantly more load cycles until failure. The correlation to bone mineral density (BMD) showed that augmentation could partially compensate for low BMD. The augmentation of the screws in locked plating in a proximal humerus fracture model is effective in improving the primary stability in a cyclic varus bending test. The targeted augmentation of two particular screws in a region of low bone quality within the humeral head was almost as effective as four screws with twice the amount of bone cement. Screw augmentation combined with a knowledge of the local bone quality could be more effective in enhancing the primary stability of a proximal humerus locking plate because the effect of augmentation can be exploited more effectively limiting it to the degree required. The technique of augmentation is simple and can be applied in open and minimally invasive procedures. When the correct procedure is used, complications (cement leakage into the joint) can be avoided.

Augmented reality and ubiquitous computing : The hidden potentialities of augmented reality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liberati, Nicola

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper was to highlight the augmented reality’s potentialities, depicting its main characteristics and focusing attention on what its goal should be in order to have a new technology completely different from those that already exist. From a technological point of view, augmented

Capillary Refill using Augmented Reality

OpenAIRE

Clausen, Christoffer

2017-01-01

Master's thesis in Computer science The opportunities within augmented reality is growing. Augmented reality is a combination of the real and the virtual world in real time, and large companies like Microsoft and Google is now investing heavily in the technology. This thesis presents a solution for simulating a medical test called capillary refill, by using augmented reality. The simulation is performed with an augmented reality headset called HoloLens. The HoloLens will recognise a mark...

Neuronal NOS inhibitor 1-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-imidazole augment the effects of antidepressants acting via serotonergic system in the forced swimming test in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Ulak, Güner; Mutlu, Oguz; Akar, Füruzan Yildiz; Komsuoğlu, F Ipek; Tanyeri, Pelin; Erden, B Faruk

2008-10-01

Treatment-resistant depression has necessitated new therapeutic strategies in augmenting the therapeutic actions of currently existing antidepressant drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of synergistic interaction between 1-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-imidazole (TRIM), a novel neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) inhibitor and conventional antidepressants of different classes in the forced swimming test (FST) in rats. TRIM decreased the immobility time at 50 mg/kg doses in the FST in rats. Treatment with a behaviourally subeffective dose of TRIM (20 mg/kg) augmented the behavioural effect of tricyclic antidepressant imipramine, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram and fluoxetine or selective serotonin reuptake enhancer tianeptine but failed to augment the antidepressant effect of reboxetine, a noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor, in this test. Therefore inhibition of NOS augments the effects of antidepressants acting on serotonergic system in the FST. Neither TRIM (10-50 mg/kg) nor other drug treatments affected the locomotor activity of animals. These findings are in agreement with the view that antidepressant effects or augmentation of these effects in the FST may be explained with inhibition of NOS activity and this may be a new approach in offering greater therapeutic efficacy of antidepressants acting via serotonergic system.

Augmented Reality user interface analysis in mobile devices

OpenAIRE

Guzmán Guzmán, José Daniel

2014-01-01

[ENGLISH] The presence of high-end phones in the telephony market, has allowed consumers to have access to the computational power of mobile smart-phone devices. Powerful processors, combined with cameras and ease of development encourage an increasing number of Augmented Reality (AR) researchers to adopt mobile smart-phones as AR platform. The same way, Augmented Reality on mobile devices has become increasingly popular for many applications, including search and location, tourism, and shopp...

Safety and tolerability of high doses of glucocorticoides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rakić Branislava D.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia includes the use of high doses of glucocorticoides (prednisone and dexamethasone, which significantly increase the success of therapy due to lymphocytolitic effect. The aim: The aim of the study was to determine tolerability of high doses of prednisone and dexamethasone in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and the structure and the intensity of adverse effects, occurred after application of these medicines. Subjects and methods: In a prospective study, we analyzed adverse effects of high doses of glucocorticoides in children suffering acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated in the Institute for Child and Youth Health Care of Vojvodina, since December 2010. until October 2014, were analyzed. This study included 18 patients, aged from 2 to 15 years. Results: Hyperglycemia appeared in 89% of patients treated with prednisone and in 61% of patients treated with dexamethasone. In order to control the high blood glucose level (above 10 mmol /L, in 11% of patients insulin was used. Hypertension appeared in 28% patients treated with prednisone and dexamethasone. Antihypertensives were needed for regulation in 17% patients. Hypopotassemia and hypocalcaemia were significantly more expressed after the use of prednisone in comparison to dexamethasone. In 11% of patients, the treatment with dexamethasone caused depressive behavior, followed by agitation. Conclusion: Adverse effects of dexamethasone and prednisone, administered in high doses in children with ALL were known, expected and reversible. Adverse reactions usually disappeared spontaneously or after short-term symptomatic therapy.

Dose conversion coefficients for high-energy photons, electrons, neutrons and protons

CERN Document Server

Sakamoto, Y; Sato, O; Tanaka, S I; Tsuda, S; Yamaguchi, Y; Yoshizawa, N

2003-01-01

In the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 1990 Recommendations, radiation weighting factors were introduced in the place of quality factors, the tissue weighting factors were revised, and effective doses and equivalent doses of each tissues and organs were defined as the protection quantities. Dose conversion coefficients for photons, electrons and neutrons based on new ICRP recommendations were cited in the ICRP Publication 74, but the energy ranges of theses data were limited and there are no data for high energy radiations produced in accelerator facilities. For the purpose of designing the high intensity proton accelerator facilities at JAERI, the dose evaluation code system of high energy radiations based on the HERMES code was developed and the dose conversion coefficients of effective dose were evaluated for photons, neutrons and protons up to 10 GeV, and electrons up to 100 GeV. The dose conversion coefficients of effective dose equivalent were also evaluated using quality fact...

Augmented Mirror: Interactive Augmented Reality System Based on Kinect

OpenAIRE

Vera , Lucía; Gimeno , Jesús; Coma , Inmaculada; Fernández , Marcos

2011-01-01

Part 1: Long and Short Papers; International audience; In this paper we present a virtual character controlled by an actor in real time, who talks with an audience through an augmented mirror. The application, which integrates video images, the avatar and other virtual objects within an Augmented Reality system, has been implemented using a mixture of technologies: two kinect systems for motion capture, depth map and real images, a gyroscope to detect head movements, and control algorithms to...

Augmented Reality Learning Experiences: Survey of Prototype Design and Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Marc Ericson C.; Chen, Angie; Taketomi, Takafumi; Yamamoto, Goshiro; Miyazaki, Jun; Kato, Hirokazu

2014-01-01

Augmented reality (AR) technology is mature for creating learning experiences for K-12 (pre-school, grade school, and high school) educational settings. We reviewed the applications intended to complement traditional curriculum materials for K-12. We found 87 research articles on augmented reality learning experiences (ARLEs) in the IEEE Xplore…

High-dose secondary calibration laboratory accreditation program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Humphreys, J.C. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD (United States)

1993-12-31

There is a need for high-dose secondary calibration laboratories to serve the multi-billion dollar radiation processing industry. This need is driven by the desires of industry for less costly calibrations and faster calibration-cycle response time. Services needed include calibration irradiations of routine processing dosimeters and the supply of reference standard transfer dosimeters for irradiation in the production processing facility. In order to provide measurement quality assurance and to demonstrate consistency with national standards, the high-dose secondary laboratories would be accredited by means of an expansion of an existing National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program. A laboratory performance criteria document is under development to implement the new program.

High-dose secondary calibration laboratory accreditation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Humphreys, J.C.

1993-01-01

There is a need for high-dose secondary calibration laboratories to serve the multi-billion dollar radiation processing industry. This need is driven by the desires of industry for less costly calibrations and faster calibration-cycle response time. Services needed include calibration irradiations of routine processing dosimeters and the supply of reference standard transfer dosimeters for irradiation in the production processing facility. In order to provide measurement quality assurance and to demonstrate consistency with national standards, the high-dose secondary laboratories would be accredited by means of an expansion of an existing National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program. A laboratory performance criteria document is under development to implement the new program

Augmented reality in neurosurgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Tagaytayan, Raniel; Kelemen, Arpad; Sik-Lanyi, Cecilia

2018-04-01

Neurosurgery is a medical specialty that relies heavily on imaging. The use of computed tomography and magnetic resonance images during preoperative planning and intraoperative surgical navigation is vital to the success of the surgery and positive patient outcome. Augmented reality application in neurosurgery has the potential to revolutionize and change the way neurosurgeons plan and perform surgical procedures in the future. Augmented reality technology is currently commercially available for neurosurgery for simulation and training. However, the use of augmented reality in the clinical setting is still in its infancy. Researchers are now testing augmented reality system prototypes to determine and address the barriers and limitations of the technology before it can be widely accepted and used in the clinical setting.

Relevance of high-dose chemotherapy in solid tumours

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nieboer, P; de Vries, EGE; Mulder, NH; van der Graaf, WTA

Drug resistance is a major problem in the treatment of solid tumours. Based on a steep dose-response relationship for especially alkylating agents on tumour cell survival, high-dose chemotherapy was considered of interest for the treatment of solid tumours. Results of phase 1 and 2 studies with

High-dose erythropoietin for tissue protection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Anton; Lundby, Carsten; Olsen, Niels Vidiendal

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: The discovery of potential anti-apoptotic and cytoprotective effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) has led to clinical trials investigating the use of high-dose, short-term rHuEPO therapy for tissue protection in conditions such as stroke and myocardial infarction....... Experimental studies have been favourable, but the clinical efficacy has yet to be validated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have reviewed clinical studies regarding the use of high-dose, short-term rHuEPO therapy for tissue protection in humans with the purpose to detail the safety and efficacy of r...... no effect of rHuEPO therapy on measures of tissue protection. Five trials including 1025 patients reported safety concerns in the form of increased mortality or adverse event rates. No studies reported reduced mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence is sparse to support a tissue-protective benefit of r...

Hematopoietic tissue repair under chronic low daily dose irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seed, T.M.

1994-01-01

The capacity of the hematopoietic system to repair constantly accruing cellular damage under chronic, low daily dose gamma irradiation is essential for the maintenance of a functional hematopoietic system, and, in turn, long term survival. In certain individuals, however, such continuous cycles of damage and repair provide an essential inductive environment for selected types of hematopathologies, e.g., myeloid leukemia (ML). We have been studying temporal and causal relationships between hematopoietic capacity, associated repair functions, and propensities for hematologic disease in canines under variable levels of chronic radiation stress (0.3-26.3 cGy d -1 ). Results indicate that the maximum exposure rate tolerated by the hematopoietic system is highly individual-specific and is based largely on the degree to which repair capacity, and, in turn, hematopoietic restoration, is augmented under chronic exposure. In low-tolerance individuals (prone to aplastic anemia, subgroup (1), the failure to augment basic m-pair functions seemingly results in a progressive accumulation of genetic and cellular damage within vital progenitorial marrow compartments particularly marked within erythroid compartments. that results in loss of reproductive capacity and ultimately in collapse of the hematopoietic system. The high-tolerance individuals (radioaccomodated and either prone- or not prone to ML, subgroup 2 ampersand 3 appear to minimize the accumulating damage effect of daily exposures by extending repair functions, which preserves reproductive integrity and fosters regenerative hematopoietic responses. As the strength of the regenerative response manifests the extent of repair augmentation, the relatively strong response of high- tolerance individuals progressing to patent ML suggests an insufficiency of repair quality rather than repair quantity

AR DOC: Augmented reality documentaries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vistisen, Peter

2014-01-01

Augmented Reality Documentaries (AR DOC) er et ’lille’ Shareplay projekt (ansøgte midler augmented reality cross media løsninger, til at skabe engagerende publikumsformidling...... indenfor oplevelsesindustrien. Projektet har genereret ny viden omkring, hvordan fysisk og digital formidling kan understøttes via Augmented Reality som formidlingsformat....

Investigation of PBAT dosimetric properties for high gamma dose dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunha, Elisete L.; Schimitberger, Thiago

2017-01-01

Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) is an aliphatic-aromatic copolyester which is biodegradable. It is a non-photoluminescent copolyester that becomes photoluminescent after previous exposure to gamma doses higher than 100 kGy. After the previous high energy irradiation, the material shows the highest photo-stimulated luminescence emission when excited with a LED source at wavelengths ranging from 370 to 405 nm. In this work we investigated the enhancement of the photoluminescence (PL) and dosimetric properties of PBAT, after exposure to high doses of gamma radiation ranging from 50 to 4,000 kGy. In this investigation we demonstrate that increasing the PBAT film thickness by 100 μm enhances the PL output by 3.5 times, when irradiated with 500 kGy. Also, besides the already known color green brightness, the PL intensity can also be used for high dose dosimetry purposes for doses ranging from 50 to 750 kGy. The FTIR analysis has demonstrated that the there is a linear relationship between peak intensity and dose for doses ranging from 100 and 2,000 kGy for the absorbance peaks at 3,241 cm -1 and 3271 cm -1 , with linear correlation coefficients of 0.9981 and 0.9992, respectively. The results indicate that PBAT has great potential for applications in bio-imaging devices and high gamma dose dosimetry. (author)

Investigation of PBAT dosimetric properties for high gamma dose dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cunha, Elisete L.; Schimitberger, Thiago, E-mail: elisete.cunha@cdtn.br [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia Nuclear; Oliveira, Cristiana M.; Faria, Luiz O., E-mail: farialo@cdtn.br [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2017-07-01

Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) is an aliphatic-aromatic copolyester which is biodegradable. It is a non-photoluminescent copolyester that becomes photoluminescent after previous exposure to gamma doses higher than 100 kGy. After the previous high energy irradiation, the material shows the highest photo-stimulated luminescence emission when excited with a LED source at wavelengths ranging from 370 to 405 nm. In this work we investigated the enhancement of the photoluminescence (PL) and dosimetric properties of PBAT, after exposure to high doses of gamma radiation ranging from 50 to 4,000 kGy. In this investigation we demonstrate that increasing the PBAT film thickness by 100 μm enhances the PL output by 3.5 times, when irradiated with 500 kGy. Also, besides the already known color green brightness, the PL intensity can also be used for high dose dosimetry purposes for doses ranging from 50 to 750 kGy. The FTIR analysis has demonstrated that the there is a linear relationship between peak intensity and dose for doses ranging from 100 and 2,000 kGy for the absorbance peaks at 3,241 cm{sup -1} and 3271 cm{sup -1}, with linear correlation coefficients of 0.9981 and 0.9992, respectively. The results indicate that PBAT has great potential for applications in bio-imaging devices and high gamma dose dosimetry. (author)

Correlation of augmented startle reflex with brainstem electrophysiological responses in Tay-Sachs disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Sadao; Saito, Yoshiaki; Ishiyama, Akihiko; Sugai, Kenji; Iso, Takashi; Inagaki, Masumi; Sasaki, Masayuki

2015-01-01

To clarify the evolution of an augmented startle reflex in Tay-Sachs disease and compare the temporal relationship between this reflex and brainstem evoked potentials. Clinical and electrophysiological data from 3 patients with Tay-Sachs disease were retrospectively collected. The augmented startle reflex appeared between the age of 3 and 17 months and disappeared between the age of 4 and 6 years. Analysis of brainstem auditory evoked potentials revealed that poor segregation of peak I, but not peak III, coincided with the disappearance of the augmented startle reflex. A blink reflex with markedly high amplitude was observed in a patient with an augmented startle reflex. The correlation between the augmented startle reflex and the preservation of peak I but not peak III supports the theory that the superior olivary nucleus is dispensable for this reflex. The blink reflex with high amplitudes may represent augmented excitability of reticular formation at the pontine tegmentum in Tay-Sachs disease, where the pattern generators for the augmented startle and blink reflexes may functionally overlap. Copyright © 2014 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Augmented-pressure colostogram in imperforate anus with fistula

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gross, G.W. (Jefferson Medical Coll., Philadelphia, PA (United States). Dept. of Radiology); Wolfson, P.J. (Jefferson Medical Coll., Philadelphia, PA (United States). Dept. of Surgery); Pena, A. (Schneider Children' s Hospital, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New York, NY (United States). Dept. of Pediatric Surgery)

1991-12-01

Most newborns with imperforate anus, except for those with very low varieties, undergo a diverting colostomy performed in the postnatal period, with definitive surgical repair at a later age. Accurate demonstration of the anatomy of any associated fistula between the rectum and urogenital tract is essential for optimal surgical management. An augmented-pressure distal segment colostogram is recommended prior to definitive repair, both to confirm the level of rectal atresia and to define any associated fistulous communication. We report a case of high imperforate anus with rectourethral fistula in which the fistulous tract was not identified on the conventional contrast colostogram but was readily delineated when an augmented-pressure modification of the technique was utilized. The technical aspects of augmented-pressure colostography are presented. (orig.).

Augmented reality based real-time subcutaneous vein imaging system.

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, Danni; Yang, Jian; Fan, Jingfan; Zhao, Yitian; Song, Xianzheng; Shen, Jianbing; Shao, Ling; Wang, Yongtian

2016-07-01

A novel 3D reconstruction and fast imaging system for subcutaneous veins by augmented reality is presented. The study was performed to reduce the failure rate and time required in intravenous injection by providing augmented vein structures that back-project superimposed veins on the skin surface of the hand. Images of the subcutaneous vein are captured by two industrial cameras with extra reflective near-infrared lights. The veins are then segmented by a multiple-feature clustering method. Vein structures captured by the two cameras are matched and reconstructed based on the epipolar constraint and homographic property. The skin surface is reconstructed by active structured light with spatial encoding values and fusion displayed with the reconstructed vein. The vein and skin surface are both reconstructed in the 3D space. Results show that the structures can be precisely back-projected to the back of the hand for further augmented display and visualization. The overall system performance is evaluated in terms of vein segmentation, accuracy of vein matching, feature points distance error, duration times, accuracy of skin reconstruction, and augmented display. All experiments are validated with sets of real vein data. The imaging and augmented system produces good imaging and augmented reality results with high speed.

Methodology of high dose research in medical radiodiagnostic; Metodologia de investigacao de doses elevadas em radiodiagnostico medico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barboza, Adriana E.; Martins, Cintia P. de S., E-mail: ird@ird.gov.br [Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria (IRD/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2013-11-01

This work has as main purpose to study occupational exposure in diagnostic radiology in medical cases of high doses recorded in 2011 at the national level . These doses were recorded by monitoring individual of the occupationally exposed individuals (OEI's). This monitoring of the doses received by ionizing radiation has as main objective to ensure that the principle of dose limitation is respected. In this study it were evaluated doses of 372 OEI's radiology in different Brazilian states. Doses were extracted from the database of Sector Management Doses of the Institute for Radioprotection and Dosimetry - IRD/CNEN-RJ, Brazil. The information from the database provide reports of doses from several states, which allows to quantify statistically, showing those with the highest doses in four areas: dose greater than or equal to 20 mSv apron and chest and dose greater than or equal to 100 mSv apron and chest. The identification of these states allows the respective Sanitary Surveillance (VISA), be aware of the events and make plans to reduce them. This study clarified the required procedures when there is a record of high dose emphasizing the importance of using protective radiological equipment, dosimeter and provide a safety environment work by maintaining work equipment. Proposes the ongoing training of professionals, emphasizing the relevance of the concepts of radiation protection and the use of the questionnaire with their investigative systematic sequence, which will allow quickly and efficiently the success the investigations.

Augmentation of clozapine with amisulpride: an effective therapeutic strategy for violent treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients in a UK high-security hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Hotham, James E; Simpson, Patrick J D; Brooman-White, Rosalie S; Basu, Amlan; Ross, Callum C; Humphreys, Sharon A; Larkin, Fintan; Gupta, Nitin; Das, Mrigendra

2014-10-01

Clozapine is used in the management of treatment-resistant schizophrenia and is effective in reducing aggression; however a subgroup of patients is poorly responsive. For violent patients in this group, there is limited literature on the use of strategies to augment clozapine with other agents. Here we present a case series of 6 schizophrenia patients, within a high-security hospital, who have a history of serious violence and who were treated with clozapine augmented with amisulpride. We reviewed case notes and health records for evidence of violence/aggression and positive factors such as engagement in activities, and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scores were formulated. We also examined metabolic parameters before and after augmentation. All 6 of the patients showed clinical improvement in symptoms and a reduction in their risk of violence to others. Five patients had a reduction in number of violent/aggressive incidents, and all patients showed improvement in engagement in occupational, vocational, and/or psychological work. Metabolic parameters were largely unchanged except for 1 patient whose Body Mass Index (BMI) increased. Five patients reported side effects as unchanged or improved. These schizophrenia patients with a history of violence showed clinical improvement and reduced aggression and violence with amisulpride augmentation of clozapine. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an antiaggressive benefit of this combination in forensic psychiatric patients. Further studies are warranted to establish the efficacy and anti-aggressive effects of amisulpride augmentation of clozapine.

Crime Scenes as Augmented Reality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sandvik, Kjetil

2010-01-01

Using the concept of augmented reality, this article will investigate how places in various ways have become augmented by means of different mediatization strategies. Augmentation of reality implies an enhancement of the places' emotional character: a certain mood, atmosphere or narrative surplus......, physical damage: they are all readable and interpretable signs. As augmented reality the crime scene carries a narrative which at first is hidden and must be revealed. Due to the process of investigation and the detective's ability to reason and deduce, the crime scene as place is reconstructed as virtual...

Maximally effective dosing regimens of meropenem in patients with septic shock

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sjövall, Fredrik; Alobaid, Abdulaziz S; Wallis, Steven C

2018-01-01

was required for both empirical and targeted treatment. In patients with a CL CR of ≤ 100 mL/min, successful concentration targets could be reached with intermittent dosing of 1000 mg/8 h. Conclusions: In patients with septic shock and possible augmented renal clearance, doses should be increased and...

Application results for an augmented video tracker

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, Bill

1991-08-01

The Relay Mirror Experiment (RME) is a research program to determine the pointing accuracy and stability levels achieved when a laser beam is reflected by the RME satellite from one ground station to another. This paper reports the results of using a video tracker augmented with a quad cell signal to improve the RME ground station tracking system performance. The video tracker controls a mirror to acquire the RME satellite, and provides a robust low bandwidth tracking loop to remove line of sight (LOS) jitter. The high-passed, high-gain quad cell signal is added to the low bandwidth, low-gain video tracker signal to increase the effective tracking loop bandwidth, and significantly improves LOS disturbance rejection. The quad cell augmented video tracking system is analyzed, and the math model for the tracker is developed. A MATLAB model is then developed from this, and performance as a function of bandwidth and disturbances is given. Improvements in performance due to the addition of the video tracker and the augmentation with the quad cell are provided. Actual satellite test results are then presented and compared with the simulated results.

An evaluation of high-dose jobs for ALARA improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mun, J. H.; Kim, H. S.

1997-01-01

It is well known that about 70 percent of occupational dose have incurred from maintenance jobs at outage period. To reduce occupational dose, first, the high-dose jobs at the outage period should be identified and evaluated. For this, the database program is used, which contains the ORE data of reference plants, Kori Units 3 and 4. As a result, it is found that the jobs related to steam generator are the highest dose jobs in terms of collective ORE dose. From the analysis of the job procedures of those jobs, the ALARA improvements are also derived

Teflon pastille use in high dose dosimetry; Utilizacao de pastilhas de teflon em dosimetria de doses altas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teixeira, Maria Ines [Associacao Educacional Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Caldas, Linda V.E., E-mail: miteixeira@ipen.b, E-mail: lcaldas@ipen.b [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2011-10-26

This paper study the Teflon, which is used as aglomerant in the confection of dosimetric pastilles, for the viabilization of this material as high dose dosimeter. This paper used the OSL technique for the characterization of dosimetric properties of Teflon. The doses-response curve has been obtained for {sup 60}Co radiation between 100 Gy and 50 kGy, and the OSL answer reproducibility. The preliminary results shown that the Teflon is a material which can be used for high dose dosimetry

measurement of high dose radiation using yellow perspex dosimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thamrin, M Thoyib; Sofyan, Hasnel

1996-01-01

Measurement of high dose radiation using yellow perspex dosemeter has been carried out. Dose range used was between 0.1 to 3.0 kGy. Measurement of dose rate against Fricke dosemeter as a standard dose meter From the irradiation of Fricke dosemeter with time variation of 3,6,9,12,15 and 18 minute, it was obtained average dose rate of 955.57 Gy/hour, linear equation of dose was Y= 2.333+15.776 X with its correlation factor r = 0.9999. Measurement result using yellow perspex show that correlation between net optical density and radiation dose was not linear with its equation was ODc exp. [Bo + In(dose).Bi] Value of Bo = -0.215 and Bi=0.5020. From the experiment it was suggested that routine dosimeter (yellow perspex) should be calibrated formerly against standard dosemeters

Effective augmentation of networked systems and enhancing pinning controllability

Science.gov (United States)

Jalili, Mahdi

2018-06-01

Controlling dynamics of networked systems to a reference state, known as pinning control, has many applications in science and engineering. In this paper, we introduce a method for effective augmentation of networked systems, while also providing high levels of pinning controllability for the final augmented network. The problem is how to connect a sub-network to an already existing network such that the pinning controllability is maximised. We consider the eigenratio of the augmented Laplacian matrix as a pinning controllability metric, and use graph perturbation theory to approximate the influence of edge addition on the eigenratio. The proposed metric can be effectively used to find the inter-network links connecting the disjoint networks. Also, an efficient link rewiring approach is proposed to further optimise the pinning controllability of the augmented network. We provide numerical simulations on synthetic networks and show that the proposed method is more effective than heuristic ones.

Diagnosis of cerebral metastases by means of standard doses of Gadobutrol versus a high-dose protocol. Intraindividual evaluation of a phase-II high-dose study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vogl, T.J.; Friebe, C.E.; Balzer, T.; Mack, M.G.; Steiner, S.; Schedel, H.; Pegios, W.; Lanksch, W.; Banzer, D.; Felix, R.

1995-01-01

In a clinical phase-II study 20 patients who had been diagnosed as having brain metastases with CT or MRT were studied prospectively with Gadobutrol, a new nonionic, low osmolality contrast agent. Each patient received an initial injection of 0.1 mmol/kg body weight and an additional dose of 0.2 mmol/kg Gadobutrol 10 min later. Spinecho images were obtained before and after the two applications of Gadobutrol. Dynamic scanning (Turbo-FLASH) was performed for 3 min after each injection of the contrast agent. Both quantitative and qualitative data were intraindividually evaluated. The primary tumor was a bronchial carcinoma in 11 cases; in 9 other cases there were different primary tumors. Forty-eight hours after the use of Gadobutrol there were no adverse signs in the clinical examination, vital signs or blood and urine chemistry. Statistical analysis (Friedman test and Wilcoxon test) of the C/N ratios between tumor and white matter, percentage enhancement, and visual assessment rating revealed statistically significant superiority of high-dose Gadobutrol injection in comparison to the standard dose. The percentage enhancement increased on average from 104% after 0.1 mmol/kg to 162% after 0.3 mmol/kg Gadobutrol. Qualitative delineation and contrast of the lesions increased significantly. The use of high-dose Gadobutrol improved the detection of 36 additional lesions in 6 patients. (orig./VHE) [de

A combination of low-dose bevacizumab and imatinib enhances vascular normalisation without inducing extracellular matrix deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiffmann, L M; Brunold, M; Liwschitz, M; Goede, V; Loges, S; Wroblewski, M; Quaas, A; Alakus, H; Stippel, D; Bruns, C J; Hallek, M; Kashkar, H; Hacker, U T; Coutelle, O

2017-02-28

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeting drugs normalise the tumour vasculature and improve access for chemotherapy. However, excessive VEGF inhibition fails to improve clinical outcome, and successive treatment cycles lead to incremental extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, which limits perfusion and drug delivery. We show here, that low-dose VEGF inhibition augmented with PDGF-R inhibition leads to superior vascular normalisation without incremental ECM deposition thus maintaining access for therapy. Collagen IV expression was analysed in response to VEGF inhibition in liver metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, in syngeneic (Panc02) and xenograft tumours of human colorectal cancer cells (LS174T). The xenograft tumours were treated with low (0.5 mg kg -1 body weight) or high (5 mg kg -1 body weight) doses of the anti-VEGF antibody bevacizumab with or without the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib. Changes in tumour growth, and vascular parameters, including microvessel density, pericyte coverage, leakiness, hypoxia, perfusion, fraction of vessels with an open lumen, and type IV collagen deposition were compared. ECM deposition was increased after standard VEGF inhibition in patients and tumour models. In contrast, treatment with low-dose bevacizumab and imatinib produced similar growth inhibition without inducing detrimental collagen IV deposition, leading to superior vascular normalisation, reduced leakiness, improved oxygenation, more open vessels that permit perfusion and access for therapy. Low-dose bevacizumab augmented by imatinib selects a mature, highly normalised and well perfused tumour vasculature without inducing incremental ECM deposition that normally limits the effectiveness of VEGF targeting drugs.

High-resolution CT of the lung in asbestos-exposed subjects. Comparison of low-dose and high-dose HRCT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majurin, M.L.; Varpula, M.; Kurki, T.; Pakkala, L.

1994-01-01

The lowest possible mAs settings for high-resolution CT (HRCT) were studied on 45 individuals with suspected asbestos-related lung disease. All patients were investigated with 5 to 6 high-dose HRCT images (120 kVp/160 mA/2 s) at 3-cm intervals. At a selected level 4 additional low-dose images were obtained on each patient with lower mAs settings (100 mA/2 s, 80 mA/2 s, 60 mA/2 s, 30 mA/2 s). Thirty-seven subjects out of 45 had HRCT lesions compatible with asbestosis. HRCT images obtained with as low as 60 mA/2 s settings clearly showed pleural tractions and thickenings, parenchymal bands, honeycombing and subpleural curvilinear shadows, whereas in the evaluation of subpleural short lines and ground glass findings 80 mA/2 s were required. The lowest setting, 30 mA/2 s, was sufficient only in detecting and evaluating pleural tractions and thickenings. We conclude that 160 mAs yield good quality HRCT images, with substantial decrease of radiation dose, for the evaluation of asbestos-related lesions. (orig.)

The clinical pharmacology of alkylating agents in high-dose chemotherapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huitema, A. D.; Smits, K. D.; Mathôt, R. A.; Schellens, J. H.; Rodenhuis, S.; Beijnen, J. H.

2000-01-01

Alkylating agents are widely used in high-dose chemotherapy regimens in combination with hematological support. Knowledge about the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of these agents administered in high doses is critical for the safe and efficient use of these regimens. The aim of this review is

Radiobiological modelling of dose-gradient effects in low dose rate, high dose rate and pulsed brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armpilia, C; Dale, R G; Sandilos, P; Vlachos, L

2006-01-01

This paper presents a generalization of a previously published methodology which quantified the radiobiological consequences of dose-gradient effects in brachytherapy applications. The methodology uses the linear-quadratic (LQ) formulation to identify an equivalent biologically effective dose (BED eq ) which, if applied uniformly to a specified tissue volume, would produce the same net cell survival as that achieved by a given non-uniform brachytherapy application. Multiplying factors (MFs), which enable the equivalent BED for an enclosed volume to be estimated from the BED calculated at the dose reference surface, have been calculated and tabulated for both spherical and cylindrical geometries. The main types of brachytherapy (high dose rate (HDR), low dose rate (LDR) and pulsed (PB)) have been examined for a range of radiobiological parameters/dimensions. Equivalent BEDs are consistently higher than the BEDs calculated at the reference surface by an amount which depends on the treatment prescription (magnitude of the prescribed dose) at the reference point. MFs are closely related to the numerical BED values, irrespective of how the original BED was attained (e.g., via HDR, LDR or PB). Thus, an average MF can be used for a given prescribed BED as it will be largely independent of the assumed radiobiological parameters (radiosensitivity and α/β) and standardized look-up tables may be applicable to all types of brachytherapy treatment. This analysis opens the way to more systematic approaches for correlating physical and biological effects in several types of brachytherapy and for the improved quantitative assessment and ranking of clinical treatments which involve a brachytherapy component

Combination of nitric oxide stimulation with high-dose 18F-FDG promotes apoptosis and enhances radiation therapy of endothelial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paik, Jin-Young; Park, Jin-Won; Jung, Kyung-Ho; Lee, Eun Jeong; Lee, Kyung-Han

2012-01-01

Introduction: High-dose 18 F-FDG can provide targeted nuclear therapy of cancer. Endothelial cell injury is a key determinant of tumor response to radiotherapy. Here, we tested the hypothesis that activation of endothelial cell glycolytic metabolism with nitric oxide can enhance the therapeutic effect of high-dose 18 F-FDG. Methods: Calf pulmonary artery endothelial (CPAE) cells were treated with graded doses of 18 F-FDG. Glycolysis was stimulated by 24 h of exposure to the nitric oxide donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Cell viability was assessed by MTT and clonogenic assays. Apoptosis was evaluated by ELISA of cytosolic DNA fragments and Western blots of cleaved caspase-3. Results: SNP stimulation (0.1 and 1 mM) augmented CPAE cell 18 F-FDG uptake to 2.6- and 4.6-fold of controls without adverse effects. Treatment with 333 μCi/ml 18 F-FDG alone reduced viable cell number to 35.4% of controls by Day 3. Combining 0.1 mM SNP stimulation significantly enhanced the killing effect, reducing cell numbers to 19.2% and 39.2% of controls by 333 and 167 μCi/ml of 18 F-FDG, respectively. 18 F-FDG also suppressed clonogenic survival to 80.8% and 43.2% of controls by 83 and 167 μCi/ml, which was again intensified by SNP to 59.7% and 21.1% of controls. The cytotoxic effect of 18 F-FDG was attributed to induction of apoptosis as shown by increased cytosolic fragmented DNA and cleaved caspase-3 levels (26.4% and 30.7% increases by 167 μCi/ml). Combining SNP stimulation significantly increased both of these levels to 1.8-fold of control cells. Conclusion: High-dose 18 F-FDG combined with nitric oxide-stimulated glycolysis is an effective method to inhibit endothelial cell survival and promote apoptosis. These results suggest a potential role of this strategy for targeted radiotherapy of angiogenic vasculature.

Augmented reality: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Berryman, Donna R

2012-01-01

Augmented reality is a technology that overlays digital information on objects or places in the real world for the purpose of enhancing the user experience. It is not virtual reality, that is, the technology that creates a totally digital or computer created environment. Augmented reality, with its ability to combine reality and digital information, is being studied and implemented in medicine, marketing, museums, fashion, and numerous other areas. This article presents an overview of augmented reality, discussing what it is, how it works, its current implementations, and its potential impact on libraries.

Calcium carbonate as a possible dosimeter for high irradiation doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Negron M, A.; Ramos B, S.; Camargo R, C.; Uribe, R. M.; Gomez V, V.; Kobayashi, K.

2014-08-01

The aim of this work is to analyze the interactions of 5 MeV electron beam radiation and a 290 MeV/u Carbon beam with calcium carbonate (powder) at 298 K and at different irradiation doses, for the potential use of calcium carbonate as a high-dose dosimeter. The irradiation doses with the electron beam were from 0.015 to 9 MGy, and with Carbon beam from 1.5 kGy to 8 kGy. High-energy radiation induces the formation of free radicals in solid calcium carbonate that can be detected and measured by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). An increase of the EPR response for some of the free radicals produced in the sample was observed as a function of the irradiation dose. The response of one of the radicals decreased with the dose. These measurements are reproducible; the preparation of the sample is simple and inexpensive; and the signal is stable for several months. The response curves show that the dosimeter tends to saturate at 10 MGy. Based on these properties, we propose this chemical compound as a high-dose dosimeter, mainly for electron irradiation. (author)

Calcium carbonate as a possible dosimeter for high irradiation doses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Negron M, A.; Ramos B, S.; Camargo R, C. [UNAM, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico D. F. (Mexico); Uribe, R. M. [Kent State University, College of Technology, Kent OH (United States); Gomez V, V. [UNAM, Instituto de Quimica, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico D. F. (Mexico); Kobayashi, K., E-mail: negron@nucleares.unam.mx [Yokohama National University (Japan)

2014-08-15

The aim of this work is to analyze the interactions of 5 MeV electron beam radiation and a 290 MeV/u Carbon beam with calcium carbonate (powder) at 298 K and at different irradiation doses, for the potential use of calcium carbonate as a high-dose dosimeter. The irradiation doses with the electron beam were from 0.015 to 9 MGy, and with Carbon beam from 1.5 kGy to 8 kGy. High-energy radiation induces the formation of free radicals in solid calcium carbonate that can be detected and measured by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). An increase of the EPR response for some of the free radicals produced in the sample was observed as a function of the irradiation dose. The response of one of the radicals decreased with the dose. These measurements are reproducible; the preparation of the sample is simple and inexpensive; and the signal is stable for several months. The response curves show that the dosimeter tends to saturate at 10 MGy. Based on these properties, we propose this chemical compound as a high-dose dosimeter, mainly for electron irradiation. (author)

Calibration of high-dose radiation facilities (Handbook)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, B.L.; Bhat, R.M.

1986-01-01

In India at present several high intensity radiation sources are used. There are 135 teletheraphy machines and 65 high intensity cobalt-60 sources in the form of gamma chambers (2.5 Ci) and PANBIT (50 Ci). Several food irradiation facilities and a medical sterilization plant ISOMED are also in operation. The application of these high intensity sources involve a wide variation of dose from 10 Gy to 100 kGy. Accurate and reproducible radiation dosimetry is essential in the use of these sources. This handbook is especially compiled for calibration of high-dose radiation facilities. The first few chapters discuss such topics as interaction of radiation with matter, radiation chemistry, radiation processing, commonly used high intensity radiation sources and their special features, radiation units and dosimetry principles. In the chapters which follow, chemical dosimeters are discussed in detail. This discussion covers Fricke dosimeter, FBX dosimeter, ceric sulphate dosimeter, free radical dosimetry, coloured indicators for irrdiation verification. A final chapter is devoted to practical hints to be followed in calibration work. (author)

Soft tissue augmentation 2006: filler fantasy.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Arnold William

2006-01-01

As an increasing number of patients seek esthetic improvement through minimally invasive procedures, interest in soft tissue augmentation and filling agents is at an all-time high. One reason for this interest is the availability of botulinum toxin type A, which works superbly in the upper face. The rejuvenation of the upper face has created much interest in injectable filling agents and implant techniques that work equally well in the restoration of the lower face. One of the central tenets of soft tissue augmentation is the concept of the three-dimensional face. The youthful face has a soft, full appearance, as opposed to the flat, pulled, two-dimensional look often achieved by more traditional surgical approaches. Injectable filling agents can augment and even at times, replace pulling. Additionally, with the lip as the focal center of the lower face, subtle lip enhancement is here to stay, and is in fact, the number one indication for injectable fillers. Moreover, minimally invasive soft tissue augmentation offers cosmetic enhancement without the cost and recovery time associated with more invasive procedures. As more and more physicians take interest in minimally invasive surgery, courses in cosmetic surgery techniques are becoming increasingly popular at the medical meetings of many specialties. Today, physicians have a much larger armamentarium of techniques and materials with which to improve facial contours, ameliorate wrinkles, and provide esthetic rejuvenation to the face. For a substance or device to be amenable for soft tissue augmentation in the medical community, it must meet certain criteria. It must have both a high "use" potential, producing cosmetically pleasing results with a minimum undesirable reactions, and have a low abuse potential in that widespread or incorrect or indiscriminate use would not result in significant morbidity. It must be nonteratogenic, noncarcinogenic, and nonmigratory. In addition, the agent must provide predictable

Plasma Doping - Enabling Technology for High Dose Logic and Memory Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, T.; Godet, L.; Papasouliotis, G. D.; Singh, V.

2008-01-01

As logic and memory device dimensions shrink with each generation, there are more high dose implants at lower energies. Examples include dual poly gate (also referred to as counter-doped poly), elevated source drain and contact plug implants. Plasma Doping technology throughput and dopant profile benefits at these ultra high dose and lower energy conditions have been well established [1,2,3]. For the first time a production-worthy plasma doping implanter, the VIISta PLAD tool, has been developed with unique architecture suited for precise and repeatable dopant placement. Critical elements of the architecture include pulsed DC wafer bias, closed-loop dosimetry and a uniform low energy, high density plasma source. In this paper key performance metrics such as dose uniformity, dose repeatability and dopant profile control will be presented that demonstrate the production-worthiness of the VIISta PLAD tool for several high dose applications.

Spectroscopic gamma camera for use in high dose environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ueno, Yuichiro, E-mail: yuichiro.ueno.bv@hitachi.com [Research and Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki-ken 319-1221 (Japan); Takahashi, Isao; Ishitsu, Takafumi; Tadokoro, Takahiro; Okada, Koichi; Nagumo, Yasushi [Research and Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki-ken 319-1221 (Japan); Fujishima, Yasutake; Kometani, Yutaka [Hitachi Works, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd., Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki-ken (Japan); Suzuki, Yasuhiko [Measuring Systems Engineering Dept., Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd., Ome-shi, Tokyo (Japan); Umegaki, Kikuo [Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido (Japan)

2016-06-21

We developed a pinhole gamma camera to measure distributions of radioactive material contaminants and to identify radionuclides in extraordinarily high dose regions (1000 mSv/h). The developed gamma camera is characterized by: (1) tolerance for high dose rate environments; (2) high spatial and spectral resolution for identifying unknown contaminating sources; and (3) good usability for being carried on a robot and remotely controlled. These are achieved by using a compact pixelated detector module with CdTe semiconductors, efficient shielding, and a fine resolution pinhole collimator. The gamma camera weighs less than 100 kg, and its field of view is an 8 m square in the case of a distance of 10 m and its image is divided into 256 (16×16) pixels. From the laboratory test, we found the energy resolution at the 662 keV photopeak was 2.3% FWHM, which is enough to identify the radionuclides. We found that the count rate per background dose rate was 220 cps h/mSv and the maximum count rate was 300 kcps, so the maximum dose rate of the environment where the gamma camera can be operated was calculated as 1400 mSv/h. We investigated the reactor building of Unit 1 at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant using the gamma camera and could identify the unknown contaminating source in the dose rate environment that was as high as 659 mSv/h.

Calibration procedure for thermoluminescent dosemeters in water absorbed doses for Iridium-192 high dose rate sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reyes Cac, Franky Eduardo

2004-10-01

Thermoluminescent dosimeters are used in brachytherapy services quality assurance programs, with the aim of guaranteeing the correct radiation dose supplied to cancer patients, as well as with the purpose of evaluating new clinical procedures. This work describes a methodology for thermoluminescent dosimeters calibration in terms of absorbed dose to water for 192 Ir high dose rate sources. The reference dose used is measured with an ionization chamber previously calibrated for 192 Ir energy quality, applying the methodology proposed by Toelli. This methodology aims to standardizing the procedure, in a similar form to that used for external radiotherapy. The work evolves the adaptation of the TRS-277 Code of the International Atomic Energy Agency, for small and big cavities, through the introduction for non-uniform experimental factor, for the absorbed dose in the neighborhood of small brachytherapy sources. In order to simulate a water medium around the source during the experimental work, an acrylic phantom was used. It guarantees the reproducibility of the ionization chamber and the thermoluminescent dosimeter's location in relation to the radiation source. The values obtained with the ionization chamber and the thermoluminescent dosimeters, exposed to a 192 Ir high dose rate source, were compared and correction factors for different source-detector distances were determined for the thermoluminescent dosimeters. A numeric function was generated relating the correction factors and the source-detector distance. These correction factors are in fact the thermoluminescent dosimeter calibration factors for the 192 Ir source considered. As a possible application of this calibration methodology for thermoluminescent dosimeters, a practical range of source-detector distances is proposed for quality control of 192 Ir high dose rate sources. (author)

Effect of high-dose ginsenoside complex (UG0712 supplementation on physical performance of healthy adults during a 12-week supervised exercise program: A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eon Sook Lee

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Ginseng has been used as an ergogenic agent, although evidence for its effectiveness is weak. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of a ginsenoside complex (UG0712 on changes in exercise performance. Methods: Sedentary individuals (n=117 were randomly assigned into one of three groups: low-dose ginsenoside supplementation (100 mg/d, n=39, high-dose ginsenoside supplementation (500 mg/d, n=39, or a placebo group (500 mg/d, n=39. All participants underwent a supervised 12-wk aerobic and resistance exercise training course. To assess the effects of supplementation on physical performance, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max, anaerobic threshold (AT, lactic acid, and muscle strength of the dominant knee were measured at baseline, every visit, and after the training program. Results: Both ginsenoside groups showed significant increases in VO2max and muscular strength during exercise training. There were no definite changes in AT and lactic acid levels over time. After exercise training, there were definite differences in the VO2max (28.64.9 to 33.7±4.9 ml/kg/min in high-dose group vs. 30.4±6.7 to 32.8±6.6 ml/kg/min in placebo, p=0.029 and AT (19.3±4.2 to 20.9±3.5 ml/kg/min in high-dose group vs. 20.0±5.1 to 20.0±4.9 ml/kg/min in placebo, p=0.038 between the high-dose ginsenoside and placebo groups. However, there was no difference in VO2max between the low-dose ginsenoside and placebo groups (p=0.254. There were no differences in muscular strength during exercise training among the three groups. Conclusion: High-dose ginsenoside supplementation (UG0712 augmented the improvement of aerobic capacity by exercise training. Keywords: cardiopulmonary exercise test, ginsenoside, Panax ginseng, randomized controlled trial

Biological dose estimation and comet analysis of the victims in a high dose 60Co radiation accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Ying; Liu Xiulin; Luo Yisheng; Li You; Yao Bo

2007-01-01

Objective: To explore the methods of chromosome preparation in human peripheral blood and bone marrow after very high dose exposure and fit the dose-response curve of dicentrics and tings in the range of high doses over 6 Gy for estimating biological dose and detecting DNA damage in the victims of '10.21' accident. Methods: The samples of peripheral blood and bone marrow in 2 victims were collected to prepare chromosome mataphases and dicentrics (multicentrics) + rings were counted. The dose-response curve and equation of human blood irradiated between 6-22 Gy in vitro were established and applied to assess biological dose of 2 victims. In addition, their DNA damages were tested by alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis. Results: The dicentric + ring numbers of 4.47 per cell in victims B's peripheral blood lymphocytes and 9.15 per cell in victim A's bone marrow who had no mitosis in peripheral blood cell. The whole body average doses of victims B and A estimated by 6-22 Gy equation arrived at 9.4 Gy and 19.5 Gy, respectively. The serious DNA damages were expressed by small head and large tail comet figures. Conclusions: The biological doses of 2 victims estimated by 6-22 Gy dose-response curve have reached the levels of extreme grave bone marrow and intestinal ARS, respectively. (authors)

A population-based study of dosing and persistence with anti-dementia medications.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Brewer, Linda

2013-02-27

PURPOSE: Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine are the mainstay of pharmacological intervention for the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer\\'s disease (AD). This study assessed the adequacy of dosing and persistence with AD medications and the predictors of these variables in the \\'real world\\' (outside the clinical trial setting). METHODS: The Health Service Executive-Primary Care Reimbursement Services prescription claims database in the Republic of Ireland contains prescription information for 1.6 million people. Patients aged >70 years who received at least two prescriptions for donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine and memantine between January 2006 and December 2010 were included in the study. Rates of dose-maximisation were recorded by examining the initiation dose of each AD drug commenced during the study period and any subsequent dose titrations. Non-persistence was defined by a gap in prescribing of more than 63 consecutive days. Predictors of dose-maximisation and non-persistence were also analysed. RESULTS: Between January 2006 and December 2010, 20,729 patients aged >70 years received a prescription for an AD medication. Despite most patients on donepezil and memantine receiving a prescription for the maximum drug dose, this dose was maintained for 2 consecutive months in only two-thirds of patients. Patients were significantly more likely to have their doses of donepezil and memantine maximised if prescribed in more recent years (2010 vs. 2007). Rates of non-persistence were 30.1 % at 6 months and 43.8 % at 12 months. Older age [75+ vs. <75 years; hazards ratio (HR) 1.16, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.27] and drug type (rivastigmine vs. donepezil; HR 1.15, 95 % CI 1.03-1.27) increased the risk of non-persistence. Non-persistence was lower for those commencing therapy in more recent years (2010 vs. 2007; HR 0.81, 95 % CI 0.73-0.89, p < 0.001) and for those on multiple anti-dementia medications (HR 0.59, 95 % CI 0

Use of Augmented Reality in Education

OpenAIRE

Jeřábek, Tomáš

2014-01-01

This thesis deals with phenomena of augmented reality in context of didactics. The thesis aims to define augmented reality in conceptual and content area and focuses on augmented reality in the structure of educational tools and identification of its functions and use from the didactical standpoint. The thesis characterizes augmented reality as a specific technological-perceptual concept and establishes a system of perceptual, technological and resulting aspects that reflect important paramet...

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors rapidly activate Trk neurotrophin receptors in the mouse hippocampus

Science.gov (United States)

Autio, Henri; Mätlik, Kert; Rantamäki, Tomi; Lindemann, Lothar; Hoener, Marius C; Chao, Moses; Arumäe, Urmas; Castrén, Eero

2014-01-01

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are first-line therapies for Alzheimer's disease. These drugs increase cholinergic tone in the target areas of the cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain. Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons are dependent upon trophic support by nerve growth factor (NGF) through its neurotrophin receptor, TrkA. In the present study, we investigated whether the acetylcholinesterase inhibitors donepezil and galantamine could influence neurotrophin receptor signaling in the brain. Acute administration of donepezil (3 mg/kg, i.p.) led to the rapid autophosphorylation of TrkA and TrkB neurotrophin receptors in the adult mouse hippocampus. Similarly, galantamine dose-dependently (3, 9 mg/kg, i.p.) increased TrkA and TrkB phosphorylation in the mouse hippocampus. Both treatments also increased the phosphorylation of transcription factor CREB and tended to increase the phosphorylation of AKT kinase but did not alter the activity of MAPK42/44. Chronic treatment with galantamine (3 mg/kg, i.p., 14 days), did not induce changes in hippocampal NGF and BDNF synthesis or protein levels. Our findings show that acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are capable of rapidly activating hippocampal neurotrophin signaling and thus suggest that therapies targeting Trk signaling may already be in clinical use in the treatment of AD. PMID:21820453

Preservation of Minced Meats by Using Medium and High-doses Irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammad, A.A.I.; Swailam, H.M.H.; Taha, S.M.A.

2003-01-01

The effect of medium (2.5-10 kGy) dose irradiation and high(20-70 kGy) dose irradiation on the microbiological, chemical and organoleptic properties of minced meat samples was studied. It was found that irradiation dose of only 5 kGy greatly reduced all microbial counts and completely eliminated all non-spore forming pathogenic bacteria contaminated minced meat samples. Consequently this irradiation dose extended the refrigerated (3 degree ±1) storage life of these products for more than 8 weeks. This irradiation dose almost did not affect the chemical composition, particularly the main amino acids and main fatty acids of minced meat samples. Panelists could not differentiate between irradiated minced meat samples at this dose and unirradiated samples. High doses irradiation, i.e.40 and 70 kGy were sufficient and efficient in sterilization of minced meat samples and in obtaining long-stable minced meat products (Two years) at ambient temperature. These irradiation doses slightly reduced (not more than 7%) aspartic acid, glutamic acid, methionine and lysine of minced meat. It also decreased the relative percentage of total unsaturated fatty acids by not more than 17 % . These high irradiation doses caused loss of C 18:3 and C 20:1

Efficacy and tolerability of high-dose phenobarbital in children with focal seizures.

Science.gov (United States)

Okumura, Akihisa; Nakahara, Eri; Ikeno, Mitsuru; Abe, Shinpei; Igarashi, Ayuko; Nakazawa, Mika; Takasu, Michihiko; Shimizu, Toshiaki

2016-04-01

We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of children with focal epilepsy treated with oral high-dose phenobarbital. We reviewed data on children (agedphenobarbital (>5 mg/kg/day to maintain a target serum level >40 μg/mL) for at least 6 months. Seizure frequency was evaluated after phenobarbital titration, and 1 and 2 years after high-dose phenobarbital treatment commenced. Treatment was judged effective when seizure frequencies fell by ⩾75%. Seven boys and eight girls were treated. The median age at commencement of high-dose phenobarbital therapy was 30 months. The maximal serum phenobarbital level ranged from 36.5 to 62.9 μg/mL. High-dose PB was effective in seven. In two patients, treatment was transiently effective, but seizure frequency later returned to the baseline. High-dose PB was ineffective in six. No significant association between effectiveness and any clinical variable was evident. Drowsiness was recorded in nine patients, but no patient developed a behavioral problem or hypersensitivity. Oral high-dose phenobarbital was effective in 7 of 15 patients with focal epilepsy and well tolerated. High-dose PB may be useful when surgical treatment is difficult. Copyright © 2015 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Novel high dose rate lip brachytherapy technique to improve dose homogeneity and reduce toxicity by customized mold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feldman, Jon; Appelbaum, Limor; Sela, Mordechay; Voskoboinik, Ninel; Kadouri, Sarit; Weinberger, Jeffrey; Orion, Itzhak; Meirovitz, Amichay

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe a novel brachytherapy technique for lip Squamous Cell Carcinoma, utilizing a customized mold with embedded brachytherapy sleeves, which separates the lip from the mandible, and improves dose homogeneity. Seven patients with T2 lip cancer treated with a “sandwich” technique of High Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy to the lip, consisting of interstitial catheters and a customized mold with embedded catheters, were reviewed for dosimetry and outcome using 3D planning. Dosimetric comparison was made between the “sandwich” technique to “classic” – interstitial catheters only plan. We compared dose volume histograms for Clinical Tumor Volume (CTV), normal tissue “hot spots” and mandible dose. We are reporting according to the ICRU 58 and calculated the Conformal Index (COIN) to show the advantage of our technique. The seven patients (ages 36–81 years, male) had median follow-up of 47 months. Four patients received Brachytherapy and External Beam Radiation Therapy, 3 patients received brachytherapy alone. All achieved local control, with excellent esthetic and functional results. All patients are disease free. The Customized Mold Sandwich technique (CMS) reduced the high dose region receiving 150% (V150) by an average of 20% (range 1–47%), The low dose region (les then 90% of the prescribed dose) improved by 73% in average by using the CMS technique. The COIN value for the CMS was in average 0.92 as opposed to 0.88 for the interstitial catheter only. All differences (excluding the low dose region) were statistically significant. The CMS technique significantly reduces the high dose volume and increases treatment homogeneity. This may reduce the potential toxicity to the lip and adjacent mandible, and results in excellent tumor control, cosmetic and functionality

Labor Augmentation with Oxytocin Decreases Glutathione Level

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naomi Schneid-Kofman

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To compare oxidative stress following spontaneous vaginal delivery with that induced by Oxytocin augmented delivery. Methods. 98 women recruited prior to labor. 57 delivered spontaneously, while 41 received Oxytocin for augmentation of labor. Complicated deliveries and high-risk pregnancies were excluded. Informed consent was documented. Arterial cord blood gases, levels of Hematocrit, Hemoglobin, and Bilirubin were studied. Glutathione (GSH concentration was measured by a spectroscopic method. Plasma and red blood cell (RBC levels of Malondialdehyde indicated lipid peroxidation. RBC uptake of phenol red denoted cell penetrability. SPSS data analysis was used. Results. Cord blood GSH was significantly lower in the Oxytocin group (2.3±0.55 mM versus 2.55±0.55 mM, =.01. No differences were found in plasma or RBC levels of MDA or in uptake of Phenol red between the groups. Conclusion. Lower GSH levels following Oxytocin augmentation indicate an oxidative stress, though selected measures of oxidative stress demonstrate no cell damage.

Bayesian Alternation During Tactile Augmentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caspar Mathias Goeke

2016-10-01

Full Text Available A large number of studies suggest that the integration of multisensory signals by humans is well described by Bayesian principles. However, there are very few reports about cue combination between a native and an augmented sense. In particular, we asked the question whether adult participants are able to integrate an augmented sensory cue with existing native sensory information. Hence for the purpose of this study we build a tactile augmentation device. Consequently, we compared different hypotheses of how untrained adult participants combine information from a native and an augmented sense. In a two-interval forced choice (2 IFC task, while subjects were blindfolded and seated on a rotating platform, our sensory augmentation device translated information on whole body yaw rotation to tactile stimulation. Three conditions were realized: tactile stimulation only (augmented condition, rotation only (native condition, and both augmented and native information (bimodal condition. Participants had to choose one out of two consecutive rotations with higher angular rotation. For the analysis, we fitted the participants’ responses with a probit model and calculated the just notable difference (JND. Then we compared several models for predicting bimodal from unimodal responses. An objective Bayesian alternation model yielded a better prediction (χred2 = 1.67 than the Bayesian integration model (χred2= 4.34. Slightly higher accuracy showed a non-Bayesian winner takes all model (χred2= 1.64, which either used only native or only augmented values per subject for prediction. However the performance of the Bayesian alternation model could be substantially improved (χred2= 1.09 utilizing subjective weights obtained by a questionnaire. As a result, the subjective Bayesian alternation model predicted bimodal performance most accurately among all tested models. These results suggest that information from augmented and existing sensory modalities in

Evaluation of Low- Versus High-dose Valganciclovir for Prevention of Cytomegalovirus Disease in High-risk Renal Transplant Recipients.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabardi, Steven; Asipenko, Natalya; Fleming, James; Lor, Kevin; McDevitt-Potter, Lisa; Mohammed, Anisa; Rogers, Christin; Tichy, Eric M; Weng, Renee; Lee, Ruth-Ann

2015-07-01

Despite proven efficacy of prolonged cytomegalovirus (CMV) prophylaxis using valganciclovir 900 mg/day, some centers use 450 mg/day due to reported success and cost savings. This multicenter, retrospective study compared the efficacy and safety of 6 months of low-dose versus high-dose valganciclovir prophylaxis in high-risk, donor-positive/recipient-negative, renal transplant recipients (RTR). Two hundred thirty-seven high-risk RTR (low-dose group = valganciclovir 450 mg/day [n = 130]; high-dose group = valganciclovir 900 mg/day [n = s7]) were evaluated for 1-year CMV disease prevalence. Breakthrough CMV, resistant CMV, biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR), graft loss, opportunistic infections (OI), new-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT), premature valganciclovir discontinuation, renal function and myelosuppression were also assessed. Patient demographics and transplant characteristics were comparable. Induction and maintenance immunosuppression were similar, except for more early steroid withdrawal in the high-dose group. Similar proportions of patients developed CMV disease (14.6% vs 24.3%; P = 0.068); however, controlling CMV risk factor differences through multivariate logistic regression revealed significantly lower CMV disease in the low-dose group (P = 0.02; odds ratio, 0.432, 95% confidence interval, 0.211-0.887). Breakthrough and resistant CMV occurred at similar frequencies. There was no difference in renal function or rates of biopsy-proven acute rejection, graft loss, opportunistic infections, or new-onset diabetes after transplantation. The high-dose group had significantly lower mean white blood cell counts at months 5 and 6; however, premature valganciclovir discontinuation rates were similar. Low-dose and high-dose valganciclovir regimens provide similar efficacy in preventing CMV disease in high-risk RTR, with a reduced incidence of leukopenia associated with the low-dose regimen and no difference in resistant CMV. Low-dose valganciclovir

Affordances in Mobile Augmented Reality Applications

OpenAIRE

Gjøsæter, Tor

2014-01-01

This paper explores the affordances of augmented reality content in a mobile augmented reality application. A user study was conducted by performing a multi-camera video recording of seven think aloud sessions. The think aloud sessions consisted of individual users performing tasks, exploring and experiencing a mobile augmented reality (MAR) application we developed for the iOS platform named ARad. We discuss the instrumental affordances we observed when users interacted with augmented realit...

Dynamic augmentation restores anterior tibial translation in ACL suture repair: a biomechanical comparison of non-, static and dynamic augmentation techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoogeslag, Roy A G; Brouwer, Reinoud W; Huis In 't Veld, Rianne; Stephen, Joanna M; Amis, Andrew A

2018-02-03

There is a lack of objective evidence investigating how previous non-augmented ACL suture repair techniques and contemporary augmentation techniques in ACL suture repair restrain anterior tibial translation (ATT) across the arc of flexion, and after cyclic loading of the knee. The purpose of this work was to test the null hypotheses that there would be no statistically significant difference in ATT after non-, static- and dynamic-augmented ACL suture repair, and they will not restore ATT to normal values across the arc of flexion of the knee after cyclic loading. Eleven human cadaveric knees were mounted in a test rig, and knee kinematics from 0° to 90° of flexion were recorded by use of an optical tracking system. Measurements were recorded without load and with 89-N tibial anterior force. The knees were tested in the following states: ACL-intact, ACL-deficient, non-augmented suture repair, static tape augmentation and dynamic augmentation after 10 and 300 loading cycles. Only static tape augmentation and dynamic augmentation restored ATT to values similar to the ACL-intact state directly postoperation, and maintained this after cyclic loading. However, contrary to dynamic augmentation, the ATT after static tape augmentation failed to remain statistically less than for the ACL-deficient state after cyclic loading. Moreover, after cyclic loading, ATT was significantly less with dynamic augmentation when compared to static tape augmentation. In contrast to non-augmented ACL suture repair and static tape augmentation, only dynamic augmentation resulted in restoration of ATT values similar to the ACL-intact knee and decreased ATT values when compared to the ACL-deficient knee immediately post-operation and also after cyclic loading, across the arc of flexion, thus allowing the null hypotheses to be rejected. This may assist healing of the ruptured ACL. Therefore, this study would support further clinical evaluation of dynamic augmentation of ACL repair.

Chromosomal Aberrations in Normal and AT Cells Exposed to High Dose of Low Dose Rate Irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Kawata, T.; Shigematsu, N.; Kawaguchi, O.; Liu, C.; Furusawa, Y.; Hirayama, R.; George, K.; Cucinotta, F.

2011-01-01

Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a human autosomally recessive syndrome characterized by cerebellar ataxia, telangiectases, immune dysfunction, and genomic instability, and high rate of cancer incidence. A-T cell lines are abnormally sensitive to agents that induce DNA double strand breaks, including ionizing radiation. The diverse clinical features in individuals affected by A-T and the complex cellular phenotypes are all linked to the functional inactivation of a single gene (AT mutated). It is well known that cells deficient in ATM show increased yields of both simple and complex chromosomal aberrations after high-dose-rate irradiation, but, less is known on how cells respond to low-dose-rate irradiation. It has been shown that AT cells contain a large number of unrejoined breaks after both low-dose-rate irradiation and high-dose-rate irradiation, however sensitivity for chromosomal aberrations at low-dose-rate are less often studied. To study how AT cells respond to low-dose-rate irradiation, we exposed confluent normal and AT fibroblast cells to up to 3 Gy of gamma-irradiation at a dose rate of 0.5 Gy/day and analyzed chromosomal aberrations in G0 using fusion PCC (Premature Chromosomal Condensation) technique. Giemsa staining showed that 1 Gy induces around 0.36 unrejoined fragments per cell in normal cells and around 1.35 fragments in AT cells, whereas 3Gy induces around 0.65 fragments in normal cells and around 3.3 fragments in AT cells. This result indicates that AT cells can rejoin breaks less effectively in G0 phase of the cell cycle? compared to normal cells. We also analyzed chromosomal exchanges in normal and AT cells after exposure to 3 Gy of low-dose-rate rays using a combination of G0 PCC and FISH techniques. Misrejoining was detected in the AT cells only? When cells irradiated with 3 Gy were subcultured and G2 chromosomal aberrations were analyzed using calyculin-A induced PCC technique, the yield of unrejoined breaks decreased in both normal and AT

Dose finding study of granisetron in patients receiving high-dose cisplatin chemotherapy. The Granisetron Study Group.

Science.gov (United States)

Riviere, A.

1994-01-01

The efficacy and safety of three different doses of granisetron (2 micrograms kg-1, group A; 10 micrograms kg-1, group B; 40 micrograms kg-1, group C) were compared in a randomised, double-blind study of 157 patients due to receive high-dose cisplatin therapy (mean dose > 97 mg m-2). In each group, up to two 3 mg rescue doses of granisetron were allowed if more than mild nausea or vomiting occurred. In group A 30.8%, in group B 61.5% and in group C 67.9% of patients were complete responders (i.e. no vomiting or nothing worse than mild nausea) during the first 24 h. These differences are significant between groups A and B, and A and C. There were no statistically significant differences in any efficacy variable between the 10 micrograms kg-1 and 40 micrograms kg-1 groups, although in each case the trend favoured the higher dose. Additional rescue doses resulted in resolved or improved symptoms in 95.3% for the first rescue dose and 93.3% for the second. Over the 7 days of the study, 82.7%, 82.7% and 86.8% of patients in groups A, B and C respectively were treated with granisetron alone. Headache was the most common side-effect, reported by 9.6% of patients; the majority of headaches were mild. There was no difference between the treatment groups regarding the adverse event rate. We concluded that prophylactic doses of 10 or 40 micrograms kg-1 lead to a safe and satisfactory degree of control of nausea and vomiting induced by high-dose cisplatin. PMID:8180032

Does High-Dose Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Prevent the Evolution of Resistance?

Science.gov (United States)

Day, Troy; Read, Andrew F.

2016-01-01

High-dose chemotherapy has long been advocated as a means of controlling drug resistance in infectious diseases but recent empirical studies have begun to challenge this view. We develop a very general framework for modeling and understanding resistance emergence based on principles from evolutionary biology. We use this framework to show how high-dose chemotherapy engenders opposing evolutionary processes involving the mutational input of resistant strains and their release from ecological competition. Whether such therapy provides the best approach for controlling resistance therefore depends on the relative strengths of these processes. These opposing processes typically lead to a unimodal relationship between drug pressure and resistance emergence. As a result, the optimal drug dose lies at either end of the therapeutic window of clinically acceptable concentrations. We illustrate our findings with a simple model that shows how a seemingly minor change in parameter values can alter the outcome from one where high-dose chemotherapy is optimal to one where using the smallest clinically effective dose is best. A review of the available empirical evidence provides broad support for these general conclusions. Our analysis opens up treatment options not currently considered as resistance management strategies, and it also simplifies the experiments required to determine the drug doses which best retard resistance emergence in patients. PMID:26820986

High-dose zolpidem dependence - Psychostimulant effects? A case report and literature review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abhijna Chandan Chattopadhyay

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Zolpidem, an imidazoline nonbenzodiazepine sedative drug, is used widely. Initial reports showed minimal abuse potential. However, multiple reports have appeared of dose escalation and abuse. Subjective effects of high-dose zolpidem are not known. In light of accumulating evidence of abuse potential, we hereby report a case of high-dose dependence and a review of relevant literature. A 33-year-old male presented with 5 years of daily use of 600–1700 mg of zolpidem tartrate. He reported subjective effects of euphoria, intense craving, and inability to stop use. Loss of receptor specificity, pharmacokinetic factors, and different receptor distributions can explain paradoxical stimulatory effects of high-dose zolpidem. Further studies are required to characterize subjective effects of high-dose zolpidem.

Concomitant chemoradiotherapy with high dose rate brachytherapy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Concomitant chemoradiotherapy with high dose rate brachytherapy as a definitive treatment modality for locally advanced cervical cancer. T Refaat, A Elsaid, N Lotfy, K Kiel, W Small Jr, P Nickers, E Lartigau ...

The Effect of an Augmented Reality Enhanced Mathematics Lesson on Student Achievement and Motivation

Science.gov (United States)

Estapa, Anne; Nadolny, Larysa

2015-01-01

The purpose of the study was to assess student achievement and motivation during a high school augmented reality mathematics activity focused on dimensional analysis. Included in this article is a review of the literature on the use of augmented reality in mathematics and the combination of print with augmented reality, also known as interactive…

Automated high-dose rate brachytherapy treatment planning for a single-channel vaginal cylinder applicator

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yuhong; Klages, Peter; Tan, Jun; Chi, Yujie; Stojadinovic, Strahinja; Yang, Ming; Hrycushko, Brian; Medin, Paul; Pompos, Arnold; Jiang, Steve; Albuquerque, Kevin; Jia, Xun

2017-06-01

High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment planning is conventionally performed manually and/or with aids of preplanned templates. In general, the standard of care would be elevated by conducting an automated process to improve treatment planning efficiency, eliminate human error, and reduce plan quality variations. Thus, our group is developing AutoBrachy, an automated HDR brachytherapy planning suite of modules used to augment a clinical treatment planning system. This paper describes our proof-of-concept module for vaginal cylinder HDR planning that has been fully developed. After a patient CT scan is acquired, the cylinder applicator is automatically segmented using image-processing techniques. The target CTV is generated based on physician-specified treatment depth and length. Locations of the dose calculation point, apex point and vaginal surface point, as well as the central applicator channel coordinates, and the corresponding dwell positions are determined according to their geometric relationship with the applicator and written to a structure file. Dwell times are computed through iterative quadratic optimization techniques. The planning information is then transferred to the treatment planning system through a DICOM-RT interface. The entire process was tested for nine patients. The AutoBrachy cylindrical applicator module was able to generate treatment plans for these cases with clinical grade quality. Computation times varied between 1 and 3 min on an Intel Xeon CPU E3-1226 v3 processor. All geometric components in the automated treatment plans were generated accurately. The applicator channel tip positions agreed with the manually identified positions with submillimeter deviations and the channel orientations between the plans agreed within less than 1 degree. The automatically generated plans obtained clinically acceptable quality.

2-Dimensional changes of the soft tissue profile of augmented and non-augmented human extraction sockets: a randomized pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Flügge, Tabea; Nelson, Katja; Nack, Claudia; Stricker, Andres; Nahles, Susanne

2015-04-01

This study identified the soft tissue changes of the alveolar ridge at different time points within 12 weeks after tooth extraction with and without socket augmentation. In 38 patients with single tooth extractions, 40 sockets were augmented and 39 extraction sockets were not augmented. At 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks impressions were taken and casts digitized with a laser scanner. The horizontal and vertical changes were compared between augmented and non-augmented sites. A p-value sockets were between 0.4 mm (2 weeks) and 0.8 mm (12 weeks). In non-augmented sockets changes of 0.7 mm (2 weeks) and of 1.0 mm (12 weeks) were demonstrated. The mean values differed significantly between the buccal and oral region (p sockets showed less resorption within 4 weeks after extraction compared to non-augmented sockets. Non-augmented sockets showed a continuous dimensional loss with a great variation over 12 weeks whereas augmented sockets had the highest degree of resorption between 4 and 6 weeks. At 12 weeks a comparable resorption in augmented and non-augmented sockets was observed. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Augmented assessment as a means to augmented reality.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergeron, Bryan

2006-01-01

Rigorous scientific assessment of educational technologies typically lags behind the availability of the technologies by years because of the lack of validated instruments and benchmarks. Even when the appropriate assessment instruments are available, they may not be applied because of time and monetary constraints. Work in augmented reality, instrumented mannequins, serious gaming, and similar promising educational technologies that haven't undergone timely, rigorous evaluation, highlights the need for assessment methodologies that address the limitations of traditional approaches. The most promising augmented assessment solutions incorporate elements of rapid prototyping used in the software industry, simulation-based assessment techniques modeled after methods used in bioinformatics, and object-oriented analysis methods borrowed from object oriented programming.

Radiation exposure for 'caregivers' during high-dose outpatient radioiodine therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marriott, C. J.; Webber, C. E.; Gulenchyn, K. Y.

2007-01-01

On 27 occasions, radiation doses were measured for a family member designated as the 'caregiver' for a patient receiving high-dose radioiodine outpatient therapy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma. For 25 of the administrations, patients received 3.7 GBq of 131 I. Radiation doses for the designated caregivers were monitored on an hourly basis for 1 week using electronic personal dosemeters. The average penetrating dose was 98±64 μSv. The maximum penetrating dose was 283 μSv. Measured dose rate profiles showed that, on average, one-third of the caregiver dose was received during the journey home from hospital. The mean dose rate profile showed rapid clearance of 131 I with three distinct phases. The corresponding clearance half-times were 131 I contaminating the home. (authors)

High dose calibrations at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, J.C.; Fox, R.A.

1988-10-01

The need is increasing for both high radiation exposures and calibration measurements that provide traceability of such exposures to national standards. The applications of high exposures include: electronic component damage studies, sterilization of medical products and food irradiation. Accurate high exposure measurements are difficult to obtain and cannot, in general, be carried out with a single dose measurement system or technique because of the wide range of doses and the variety of materials involved. This paper describes the dosimetric measurement and calibration techniques used at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) that make use of radiochromic dye films, thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs), ionization chambers, and calorimetric dosimeters. The methods used to demonstrate the consistency of PNL calibrations with national standards will also be discussed. 4 refs

SU-F-P-19: Fetal Dose Estimate for a High-Dose Fluoroscopy Guided Intervention Using Modern Data Tools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moirano, J [University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: An accurate dose estimate is necessary for effective patient management after a fetal exposure. In the case of a high-dose exposure, it is critical to use all resources available in order to make the most accurate assessment of the fetal dose. This work will demonstrate a methodology for accurate fetal dose estimation using tools that have recently become available in many clinics, and show examples of best practices for collecting data and performing the fetal dose calculation. Methods: A fetal dose estimate calculation was performed using modern data collection tools to determine parameters for the calculation. The reference point air kerma as displayed by the fluoroscopic system was checked for accuracy. A cumulative dose incidence map and DICOM header mining were used to determine the displayed reference point air kerma. Corrections for attenuation caused by the patient table and pad were measured and applied in order to determine the peak skin dose. The position and depth of the fetus was determined by ultrasound imaging and consultation with a radiologist. The data collected was used to determine a normalized uterus dose from Monte Carlo simulation data. Fetal dose values from this process were compared to other accepted calculation methods. Results: An accurate high-dose fetal dose estimate was made. Comparison to accepted legacy methods were were within 35% of estimated values. Conclusion: Modern data collection and reporting methods ease the process for estimation of fetal dose from interventional fluoroscopy exposures. Many aspects of the calculation can now be quantified rather than estimated, which should allow for a more accurate estimation of fetal dose.

Perancangan Buku Pengenalan Hardware Komputer Dengan Augmented Reality

OpenAIRE

Kurniawan, Anang Weby; Sofyan, Amir Fatah

2012-01-01

Augmented reality is technology which combined virtual 2D and 3D object into real environment and projecting 3D virtual object in a real time. Augmented reality or AR is now happening and tend to be high progressed in a daily life. It also has a lot of innovation on the promotion media and advertisement in a business sector.One of the big points in this case is about promoting the product to the consumer in 3D catalog based on AR. As the promotion implemented in general furniture catalog whic...

Comparative study of SOI/Si hybrid substrates fabricated using high-dose and low-dose oxygen implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Yemin; Chen Meng; Chen Jing; Wang Xiang; Wang Xi

2004-01-01

Hybrid substrates comprising both silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and bulk Si regions have been fabricated using the technique of patterned separation by implantation of oxygen (SIMOX) with high-dose (1.5 x 10 18 cm -2 ) and low-dose ((1.5-3.5) x 10 17 cm -2 ) oxygen ions, respectively. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) was employed to examine the microstructures of the resulting materials. Experimental results indicate that the SOI/Si hybrid substrate fabricated using high-dose SIMOX is of inferior quality with very large surface height step and heavily damaged transitions between the SOI and bulk regions. However, the quality of the SOI/Si hybrid substrate is enhanced dramatically by reducing the implant dose. The defect density in transitions is reduced considerably. Moreover, the expected surface height difference does not exist and the surface is exceptionally flat. The possible mechanisms responsible for the improvements in quality are discussed

Functional Reflective Polarizer for Augmented Reality and Color Vision Deficiency

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-03

augment reality system is relatively high as compared to a polarizing beam splitter or a conventional reflective polarizer. Such a functional reflective...brightness of the display [7]. A key component for polarization management is polarizing beam splitter (PBS). Even though the PBS has exceptional...polarizer that can be incorporated into a compact augmented reality system. The design principle of the functional reflective polarizer is explained and

Augmented Reality Using JavaScript

OpenAIRE

Hailemichael, Aida

2013-01-01

The project goal was to provide a mobile application, for a venue called Kulturhuset Karelia which is located in Tammisaari Finland. In this paper, the concept of Augmented Reality technology is briefly discussed along with the mobile application for the venue. The utilisation of JavaScript for creating Augmented reality content for mobile Augmented reality browser is also demonstrated. The application was created by using Architecht API which is Jacvascript library based on the Wikitude...

Augmented Reality for Multi-disciplinary Collaboration

OpenAIRE

Wang, Xiangyu; Rui,

2010-01-01

This chapter presents a framework for multi-disciplinary collaboration. Tangible Augmented Reality has been raised as one of suitable systems for design collaboration. Furthermore, it emphasizes the advantages of Tangible Augmented Reality to illustrate the needs for integrating the Tangible User Interfaces and Augmented Reality Systems.

Effects of low dose gamma radiation on the early growth of red pepper and the resistance to subsquent high dose of radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, J. S.; Baek, M. H.; Kim, D. H.; Lee, Y. K. [KAERI, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Y. B. [Chungnam National Univ., Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

2001-05-01

Red pepper (capsicum annuum L. cv. Jokwang and cv. Johong) seeds were irradiated with the dose of 0{approx}50 Gy to investigated the effect of the low dose gamma radiation on the early growth and resistance to subsequent high dose of radiation. The effect of the low dose gamma radiation on the early growth and resistance to subsequenct high dose of radiation were enhanced in Johong cultivar but not in Jokwang cultivar. Germination rate and early growth of Johong cultivar were noticeably increased at 4 Gy-, 8 Gy- and 20 Gy irradiation group. Resistance to subsequent high dose of radiation of Johong cultivar were increased at almost all of the low dose irradiation group. Especially it was highest at 4 Gy irradiation group. The carotenoid contents and enzyme activity on the resistance to subsequent high dose of radiation of Johong cultivar were increased at the 4 Gy and 8 Gy irradiation group.

Multifocal Electroretinography after High Dose Chloroquine Therapy for Malaria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aline Correa de Carvalho

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To investigate changes in multifocal electroretinography (mfERG parameters associated with high dose chloroquine therapy for treatment of malaria in the Amazonia region of Brazil. Methods: Forty-eight subjects who had received chloroquine treatment for single or multiple malaria infections with a cumulative dose ranging from 1,050 to 27,000mg were included. The control group consisted of 37 healthy aged-matched subjects. Data was collected on amplitude and implicit time of the N1, P1 and N2 waves in the central macular hexagon (R1 and in five concentric rings at different retinal eccentricities (R2-R6. Results: No significant difference was observed in any mfERG parameter between chloroquine treated patients and control subjects. A comparison with previous data obtained from patients with rheumatologic disorders in the same region of Brazil who had received larger cumulative doses of chloroquine and had displayed mfERG changes, indicated that retinal toxicity seems to be dependent on cumulative dose. Conclusion: Lack of mfERG changes in the current study suggests that intensive high dose chloroquine therapy for treatment of malaria is not associated with retinal toxicity.

Transperineal high-dose-rate interstitial radiation therapy in the management of gynecologic malignancies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Itami, Jun; Hara, Ryuseke; Kozuka, Takuyou; Yamashita, Hideomi; Nakajima, Kaori; Shibata, Kouji; Abe, Yoshihisa; Fuse, Masashi; Ito, Masashi [International Medical Center of Japan, Tokyo (Japan). Dept. of Radiation Therapy and Oncology

2003-11-01

Background: High-dose-rate interstitial radiation therapy is a newly introduced modality, and its role in the management of gynecologic malignancies remains to be studied. Clinical experience in high-dose-rate interstitial radiation therapy was retrospectively investigated. Patients and Methods: Eight patients with primary and nine with recurrent gynecologic malignancies underwent high-dose-rate interstitial radiation therapy with/without external-beam irradiation. Fractional dose of the high-dose-rate interstitial radiation therapy ranged between 4 and 6 Gy with total doses of 15-54 Gy. Interstitial irradiation was performed twice daily with an interval of > 6 h. Results: 2-year local control rate was 75% for primary treatment and 47% for treatment of recurrence (p = 0.46). Maximum tumor size had a statistically significant impact on local control (p < 0.002). Grade 2 and 4 late complications were seen in five patients, and the incidence was significantly higher in patients with a larger volume enclosed by the prescribed fractional dose of high-dose-rate interstitial radiation therapy. The incidence of grade 2 and 4 complications at 18 months was 78% and 0% with a volume > 100 cm{sup 3} and {<=} 100 cm{sup 3}, respectively (p < 0.04). Conclusion: Although high-dose-rate interstitial radiation therapy is a promising modality, it must be applied cautiously to patients with bulky tumors because of the high incidence of serious complications. (orig.)

Chest x-ray generation and data augmentation for cardiovascular abnormality classification

Science.gov (United States)

Madani, Ali; Moradi, Mehdi; Karargyris, Alexandros; Syeda-Mahmood, Tanveer

2018-03-01

Medical imaging datasets are limited in size due to privacy issues and the high cost of obtaining annotations. Augmentation is a widely used practice in deep learning to enrich the data in data-limited scenarios and to avoid overfitting. However, standard augmentation methods that produce new examples of data by varying lighting, field of view, and spatial rigid transformations do not capture the biological variance of medical imaging data and could result in unrealistic images. Generative adversarial networks (GANs) provide an avenue to understand the underlying structure of image data which can then be utilized to generate new realistic samples. In this work, we investigate the use of GANs for producing chest X-ray images to augment a dataset. This dataset is then used to train a convolutional neural network to classify images for cardiovascular abnormalities. We compare our augmentation strategy with traditional data augmentation and show higher accuracy for normal vs abnormal classification in chest X-rays.

Stock selection of high-dose-irradiation-resistant materials for filter press under high-dose irradiation operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishiyama, Shintaro; Minami, Mamoru; Hara, Kouji; Yamashita, Manabu

2015-01-01

In a volume reduction process for the decontamination of contained soil, the performance degradation of a filter press is expected owing to material deterioration under high-dose irradiation. Eleven-stock selection of candidate materials including polymers, fibers and rubbers for the filter press was conducted to achieve a high performance of volume reduction of contaminated soil and the following results were derived. Crude rubber and nylon were selected as prime candidates for packing, diaphragm and filter plate materials. Polyethylene was also selected as a prime candidate for the filter cloth material. (author)

The Role of High Dose Interleukin-2 in the Era of Targeted Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Gills, Jessie; Parker, William P; Pate, Scott; Niu, Sida; Van Veldhuizen, Peter; Mirza, Moben; Holzbeierlein, Jeffery M; Lee, Eugene K

2017-09-01

We assessed survival outcomes following high dose interleukin-2 in a contemporary cohort of patients during the era of targeted agents. We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with high dose interleukin-2 between July 2007 and September 2014. Clinicopathological data were abstracted and patient response to therapy was based on RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors), version 1.1 criteria. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate progression-free and overall survival in the entire cohort, the response to high dose interleukin-2 in regard to previous targeted agent therapy and the response to the targeted agent in relation to the response to high dose interleukin-2. We identified 92 patients, of whom 87 had documentation of a response to high dose interleukin-2. Median overall survival was 34.4 months from the initiation of high dose interleukin-2 therapy in the entire cohort. Patients who received targeted therapy before high dose interleukin-2 had overall survival (median 34.4 and 30.0 months, p = 0.88) and progression-free survival (median 1.5 and 1.7 months, p = 0.8) similar to those in patients who received no prior therapy, respectively. Additionally, patients with a complete or partial response to high dose interleukin-2 had similar outcomes for subsequent targeted agents compared to patients whose best response was stable or progressive disease (median overall survival 30.1 vs 25.4 months, p = 0.4). Our data demonstrate that patient responses to high dose interleukin-2 and to targeted agents before and after receiving high dose interleukin-2 are independent. As such, carefully selected patients should be offered high dose interleukin-2 for the possibility of a complete and durable response without the fear of limiting the treatment benefit of targeted agents. Copyright © 2017 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Performance of a self-augmented railgun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burton, R.L.; Witherspoon, F.D.; Goldstein, S.A.

1991-01-01

The accelerating force of a railgun 1/2L'I 2 a can be increased by augmenting the self-induced magnetic field created by the armature current. Augmentation fields can be produced by external current coils or, as is done here, by shorting the railgun muzzle, and using the gun rails as the augmentation coil. Experimental results are presented for a 3.6-m railgun operated in this self-augmented mode, and effective inductance gradients are achieved which are as much as 9.3 times that of the unaugmented gun. A circuit model is presented which explains features of the measured shunt current and voltage. It is concluded that self-augmentation is an effective way to reduce ohmic heating in the armature of a railgun

Effective dose calculation in CT using high sensitivity TLDs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brady, Z.; Johnston, P.N.

2010-01-01

Full text: To determine the effective dose for common paediatric CT examinations using thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD) mea surements. High sensitivity TLD chips (LiF:Mg,Cu,P, TLD-IOOH, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA) were calibrated on a linac at an energy of 6 MY. A calibration was also performed on a superricial X-ray unit at a kilovoltage energy to validate the megavoltage cali bration for the purpose of measuring doses in the diagnostic energy range. The dose variation across large organs was assessed and a methodology for TLD placement in a 10 year old anthropomorphic phantom developed. Effective dose was calculated from the TLD measured absorbed doses for typical CT examinations after correcting for the TLD energy response and taking into account differences in the mass energy absorption coefficients for different tissues and organs. Results Using new tissue weighting factors recommended in ICRP Publication 103, the effective dose for a CT brain examination on a 10 year old was 1.6 millisieverts (mSv), 4.9 mSv for a CT chest exa ination and 4.7 mSv for a CT abdomen/pelvis examination. These values are lower for the CT brain examination, higher for the CT chest examination and approximately the same for the CT abdomen/ pelvis examination when compared with effective doses calculated using ICRP Publication 60 tissue weighting factors. Conclusions High sensitivity TLDs calibrated with a radiotherapy linac are useful for measuring dose in the diagnostic energy range and overcome limitations of output reproducibility and uniformity asso ciated with traditional TLD calibration on CT scanners or beam quality matched diagnostic X-ray units.

High-technology augmentative communication for adults with post-stroke aphasia: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, Maria Julieta; Prodan, Valeria; Meda, Natalia Nerina; Carcavallo, Lucila; Muracioli, Anibal; Sabe, Liliana; Bonamico, Lucas; Allegri, Ricardo Francisco; Olmos, Lisandro

2017-05-01

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems were introduced into clinical practice by therapists to help compensate for persistent language deficits in people with aphasia. Although, there is currently a push towards an increased focus on compensatory approaches in an attempt to maximize communication function for social interaction, available studies including AAC systems, especially technologically advanced communication tools and systems, known as 'high-technology AAC', show key issues and obstacles for these tools to become utilized in mainstream clinical practice. Areas covered: The current review synthesizes communication intervention studies that involved the use of high-technology communication devices to enhance linguistic communication skills for adults with post-stroke aphasia. The review focuses on compensatory approaches that emphasized functional communication. It also summarizes recommendations for the report of studies evaluating high-technology devices that may be potentially relevant for other researchers working with adults with post-stroke aphasia. Expert commentary: Taken together with positive results in heterogeneous studies, high-technology devices represent a compensatory strategy to enhance communicative skills in individuals with post-stroke aphasia. Improvements in the design of studies and reporting of results may lead to better interpretation of the already existing scientific results from aphasia management.

INTEGRATIVE AUGMENTATION OF STANDARDIZED MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

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Stanislav Karapetrovic

2008-03-01

Full Text Available The development, features and integrating abilities of different international standards related to management systems are discussed. A group of such standards that augment the performance of quality management systems in organizations is specifically focused on. The concept, characteristics and an illustrative example of one augmenting standard, namely ISO 10001, are addressed. Integration of standardized augmenting systems, both by themselves and within the overall management system, is examined. It is argued that, in research and practice alike, integrative augmentation represents the future of standardized quality and other management systems.

HIGH-DOSE RATE BRACHYTHERAPY IN CARCINOMA CERVIX STAGE IIIB

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Sathya Maruthavanan

2016-07-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION Radiotherapy is the standard treatment in locally advanced (IIB-IVA and early inoperable cases. The current standard of practice with curable intent is concurrent chemoradiation in which intracavitary brachytherapy is an integral component of radiotherapy. This study aims at assessing the efficacy of HDR ICBT (High-dose rate intracavitary brachytherapy in terms local response, normal tissue reactions, and feasibility. METHODS AND MATERIALS A total of 20 patients of stage IIIB cancer of the uterine cervix were enrolled in the study and were planned to receive concurrent chemotherapy weekly along with EBRT (external beam radiotherapy to a dose of 50 Gy/25 Fr. Suitability for ICBT was assessed at 40 Gy/20 Fr. 6/20 patients were suitable at 40 Gy and received HDR ICBT with a dose of 5.5 Gy to point A in 4 sessions (5.5 Gy/4 Fr. The remaining 14/20 patients completed 50 Gy and received HDR ICBT with a dose of 6 Gy to point A in 3 sessions (6 Gy/3 Fr. RESULTS A total of 66 intracavitary applications were done and only one application required dose modification due to high bladder dose, the pelvic control rate was 85% (17/20. 10% (2/20 had stable disease and 5% (1/20 had progressive disease at one year of follow up. When toxicity was considered only 15% developed grade I and grade II rectal complications. Patient compliance and acceptability was 100%. Patients were very comfortable with the short treatment time as compared with patients on LDR ICBT (low-dose rate intracavitary brachytherapy treatment interviewed during the same period. CONCLUSION This study proves that HDR brachytherapy is efficacious and feasible in carcinoma of cervix stage IIIB. It also proves that good dose distribution can be achieved with HDR intracavitary facility by the use of dose optimization. The short treatment time in HDR ICBT makes it possible to maintain this optimised dose distribution throughout the treatment providing a gain in the therapeutic ratio and

High dose per fraction dosimetry of small fields with Gafchromic EBT2 film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardcastle, Nicholas; Basavatia, Amar; Bayliss, Adam; Tome, Wolfgang A.

2011-01-01

Purpose: Small field dosimetry is prone to uncertainties due to the lack of electronic equilibrium and the use of the correct detector size relative to the field size measured. It also exhibits higher sensitivity to setup errors as well as large variation in output with field size and shape. Radiochromic film is an attractive method for reference dosimetry in small fields due to its ability to provide 2D dose measurements while having minimal impact on the dose distribution. Gafchromic EBT2 has a dose range of up to 40 Gy; therefore, it could potentially be useful for high dose reference dosimetry with high spatial resolution. This is a requirement in stereotactic radiosurgery deliveries, which deliver high doses per fraction to small targets. Methods: Targets of 4 mm and 12 mm diameters were treated to a minimum peripheral dose of 21 Gy prescribed to 80% of the maximum dose in one fraction. Target doses were measured with EBT2 film (both targets) and an ion chamber (12 mm target only). Measured doses were compared with planned dose distributions using profiles through the target and minimum peripheral dose coverage. Results: The measured target doses and isodose coverage agreed with the planned dose within ±1 standard deviation of three measurements, which were 2.13% and 2.5% for the 4 mm and 12 mm targets, respectively. Conclusions: EBT2 film is a feasible dosimeter for high dose per fraction reference 2D dosimetry.

AUGMENTATION-RELATED BRAIN PLASTICITY

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Giovanni eDi Pino

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Today, the anthropomorphism of the tools and the development of neural interfaces require reconsidering the concept of human-tools interaction in the framework of human augmentation. This review analyzes the plastic process that the brain undergoes when it comes into contact with augmenting artificial sensors and effectors and, on the other hand, the changes that the use of external augmenting devices produces in the brain.Hitherto, few studies investigated the neural correlates of augmentation, but clues on it can be borrowed from logically-related paradigms: sensorimotor training, cognitive enhancement, cross-modal plasticity, sensorimotor functional substitution, use and embodiment of tools.Augmentation modifies function and structure of a number of areas, i.e. primary sensory cortices shape their receptive fields to become sensitive to novel inputs. Motor areas adapt the neuroprosthesis representation firing-rate to refine kinematics. As for normal motor outputs, the learning process recruits motor and premotor cortices and the acquisition of proficiency decreases attentional recruitment, focuses the activity on sensorimotor areas and increases the basal ganglia drive on the cortex. Augmentation deeply relies on the frontoparietal network. In particular, premotor cortex is involved in learning the control of an external effector and owns the tool motor representation, while the intraparietal sulcus extracts its visual features. In these areas, multisensory integration neurons enlarge their receptive fields to embody supernumerary limbs. For operating an anthropomorphic neuroprosthesis, the mirror system is required to understand the meaning of the action, the cerebellum for the formation of its internal model and the insula for its interoception. In conclusion, anthropomorphic sensorized devices can provide the critical sensory afferences to evolve the exploitation of tools through their embodiment, reshaping the body representation and the

Confronting an Augmented Reality

Science.gov (United States)

Munnerley, Danny; Bacon, Matt; Wilson, Anna; Steele, James; Hedberg, John; Fitzgerald, Robert

2012-01-01

How can educators make use of augmented reality technologies and practices to enhance learning and why would we want to embrace such technologies anyway? How can an augmented reality help a learner confront, interpret and ultimately comprehend reality itself ? In this article, we seek to initiate a discussion that focuses on these questions, and…

Advanced Intellect-Augmentation Techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Engelbart, D. C.

This progress report covers a two-year project which is part of a program that is exploring the value of computer aids in augmenting human intellectual capability. The background and nature of the program, its resources, and the activities it has undertaken are outlined. User experience in applying augmentation tools and techniques to various…

Novel Augmentation Strategies in Major Depression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martiny, Klaus

2017-01-01

Hypothesis The hypotheses of all the four included studies share the common idea that it is possible to augment the effect of antidepressant drug treatment by applying different interventions and with each intervention attain a clinically meaningful better effect compared to a control condition...... and randomised to augmentation with either active or placebo matching pindolol tablets. In the PEMF study patients were continued on ongoing medication and randomised to augmentation with active or inactive (sham) 30 minutes daily PEMF treatment on weekdays. In the Chronos study all patients were treated...... The results from the Pindolol study showed that pindolol did not augment the effect of venlafaxine for the whole sample. However, for those patients classified as slow metabolizers, based on their O-desmethylvenlafaxine/venlafaxine ratio (ODV/V), pindolol did augment the antidepressant effect. For patients...

Acinetobacter Prosthetic Joint Infection Treated with Debridement and High-Dose Tigecycline.

Science.gov (United States)

Vila, Andrea; Pagella, Hugo; Amadio, Claudio; Leiva, Alejandro

2016-12-01

Prosthesis retention is not recommended for multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter prosthetic joint infection due to its high failure rate. Nevertheless, replacing the prosthesis implies high morbidity and prolonged hospitalization. Although tigecycline is not approved for the treatment of prosthetic joint infection due to multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, its appropriate use may preclude prosthesis exchange. Since the area under the curve divided by the minimum inhibitory concentration is the best pharmacodynamic predictor of its efficacy, we used tigecycline at high dose, in order to optimize its efficacy and achieve implant retention in 3 patients who refused prosthesis exchange. All patients with prosthetic joint infections treated at our Institution are prospectively registered in a database. Three patients with early prosthetic joint infection of total hip arthroplasty due to multidrug resistant A. baumannii were treated with debridement, antibiotics and implant retention, using a high maintenance dose of tigecycline (100 mg every 12 hours). The cases were retrospectively reviewed. All patients signed informed consent for receiving off-label use of tigecycline. Tigecycline was well tolerated, allowing its administration at high maintenance dose for a median of 40 days (range 30-60). Two patients were then switched to minocycline at standard doses for a median of 3.3 months in order to complete treatment. Currently, none of the patients showed relapse. Increasing the dose of tigecycline could be considered as a means to better attain pharmacodynamic targets in patients with severe or difficult-to-treat infections. Tigecycline at high maintenance dose might be useful when retention of the implant is attempted for treatment for prosthetic joint infections due to multidrug resistant Acinetobacter. Although this approach might be promising, off-label use of tigecycline should be interpreted cautiously until prospective data are available. Tigecycline is

Brachial Artery Flow-mediated Dilation Following Exercise with Augmented Oscillatory and Retrograde Shear Rate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnson Blair D

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Acute doses of elevated retrograde shear rate (SR appear to be detrimental to endothelial function in resting humans. However, retrograde shear increases during moderate intensity exercise which also enhances post-exercise endothelial function. Since SR patterns differ with the modality of exercise, it is important to determine if augmented retrograde SR during exercise influences post-exercise endothelial function. This study tested the hypothesis that (1 increased doses of retrograde SR in the brachial artery during lower body supine cycle ergometer exercise would attenuate post-exercise flow-mediated dilation (FMD in a dose-dependent manner, and (2 antioxidant vitamin C supplementation would prevent the attenuated post-exercise FMD response. Methods Twelve men participated in four randomized exercise sessions (90 W for 20 minutes on separate days. During three of the sessions, one arm was subjected to increased oscillatory and retrograde SR using three different forearm cuff pressures (20, 40, 60 mmHg (contralateral arm served as the control and subjects ingested placebo capsules prior to exercise. A fourth session with 60 mmHg cuff pressure was performed with 1 g of vitamin C ingested prior to the session. Results Post-exercise FMD following the placebo conditions were lower in the cuffed arm versus the control arm (arm main effect: P P > 0.05. Following vitamin C treatment, post-exercise FMD in the cuffed and control arm increased from baseline (P P > 0.05. Conclusions These results indicate that augmented oscillatory and retrograde SR in non-working limbs during lower body exercise attenuates post-exercise FMD without an evident dose–response in the range of cuff pressures evaluated. Vitamin C supplementation prevented the attenuation of FMD following exercise with augmented oscillatory and retrograde SR suggesting that oxidative stress contributes to the adverse effects of oscillatory and

The Comparison of Two Types of Treatment (High Dose and Low Dose IVIG in Children with GBS in Mofid Hospital

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Parvaneh Karim-Zadeh

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: Acute inflammatory demyelinating peripheral neuropathy (Guillain-Barre-Syndrome is by far the most common cause of immune–mediated peripheral nerve disease in children and with the near disappearance of poliomyelitis, is responsible for the great majority of cases of acute flaccid paralysis. Several controlled studies have done with corticosteroids, plasma pheresis and IVIG in pediatric patients. IVIG treatment can be done in two types of treatment: 1- High dose that means 1gr/kg/day for 2 days. 2- Low dose that means 400mg/kg/day for 5 days. Several studies in other countries have shown faster rate of recovery in patients who received total dose of IVIG in 2 days as opposed to 5 days. Materials & Methods: Because we have not any study about this two types of treatment in IRAN we decided to comparison this two types of IVIG treatment. So the patients that referred to Mofid children hospital for weakness and we diagnosed GBS (with history, physical examination, laboratories and EMG-NCV are divided in two groups: 1- High dose IVIG treatment (experimental group. 2- Low dose IVIG treatment (control group Then the results evaluated. Results: Our findings included that in high dose IVIG therapy we have faster rate of recovery and the Hospital stay is shorter than low dose IVIG-therapy. Also in this type of treatment “because the patients cure faster” , so complications are decreased in them. In the group of high dose IVIG therapy, lower and upper extremities weakness decreased in time. Conclusion: We did not receive any relationship between side effects of drugs and the type of treatment. The relationship between high dose IVIG therapy and drug side effects was not significant.

Proinflammatory Stimulation of Toll-Like Receptor 9 with High Dose CpG ODN 1826 Impairs Endothelial Regeneration and Promotes Atherosclerosis in Mice.

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Alexander O Krogmann

Full Text Available Toll-like receptors (TLR of the innate immune system have been closely linked with the development of atherosclerotic lesions. TLR9 is activated by unmethylated CpG motifs within ssDNA, but also by CpG motifs in nucleic acids released during vascular apoptosis and necrosis. The role of TLR9 in vascular disease remains controversial and we sought to investigate the effects of a proinflammatory TLR9 stimulation in mice.TLR9-stimulation with high dose CpG ODN at concentrations between 6.25 nM to 30 nM induced a significant proinflammatory cytokine response in mice. This was associated with impaired reendothelialization upon acute denudation of the carotid and increased numbers of circulating endothelial microparticles, as a marker for amplified endothelial damage. Chronic TLR9 agonism in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/- mice fed a cholesterol-rich diet increased aortic production of reactive oxygen species, the number of circulating endothelial microparticles, circulating sca-1/flk-1 positive cells, and most importantly augmented atherosclerotic plaque formation when compared to vehicle treated animals. Importantly, high concentrations of CpG ODN are required for these proatherogenic effects.Systemic stimulation of TLR9 with high dose CpG ODN impaired reendothelialization upon acute vascular injury and increased atherosclerotic plaque development in ApoE-/- mice. Further studies are necessary to fully decipher the contradictory finding of TLR9 agonism in vascular biology.

High-dose Sulbactam Treatment for Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Caused by Carbapenem-Resistant

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In Beom Jeong

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Background Several antibiotics can be used to treat ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB-VAP including high-dose sulbactam. However, the effectiveness of high-dose sulbactam therapy is not well known. We report our experience with high-dose sulbactam for treatment of CRAB-VAP. Methods Medical records of patients with CRAB-VAP who were given high-dose sulbactam between May 2013 and June 2015 were reviewed. Results Fifty-eight patients with CRAB-VAP were treated with high-dose sulbactam. The mean age was 72.0 ± 15.2 years, and the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II score was 15.1 ± 5.10 at the time of CRAB-VAP diagnosis. Early clinical improvement was observed in 65.5% of patients, and 30-day mortality was 29.3%. Early clinical failure (odds ratio [OR]: 8.720, confidence interval [CI]: 1.346-56.484; p = 0.023 and APACHE II score ≥ 14 at CRAB-VAP diagnosis (OR: 10.934, CI: 1.047-114.148; p = 0.046 were associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusions High-dose sulbactam therapy may be effective for the treatment of CRAB-VAP. However, early clinical failure was observed in 35% of patients and was associated with poor outcome.

Augmented Reality on Android

OpenAIRE

Chunghan Li; Chang-Shyh Peng; Daisy F. Sang

2013-01-01

Augmented Reality is an application which combines a live view of real-world environment and computer-generated images. This paper studies and demonstrates an efficient Augmented Reality development in the mobile Android environment with the native Java language and Android SDK. Major components include Barcode Reader, File Loader, Marker Detector, Transform Matrix Generator, and a cloud database.

Mutational influences of low-dose and high let ionizing radiation in drosophila melanogaster

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Huang; Fanjun, Kong; Sun, Yeqing

For cosmic environment consists of a varying kinds of radiation particles including high Z and energy ions which was charactered with low-dose and high RBE, it is important to determine the possible biofuctions of high LET radiation on human beings. To analyse the possible effectes of mutational influences of low-dose and high-LET ionizing radiation, wild fruit flies drosophila melanogaster were irradiated by 12C6+ ions in two LET levels (63.3 and 30 keV/µum) with different low doses from 2mGy to 2000mGy (2, 20, 200, 2000mGy) in HIRFL (Heavy ion radiation facility laboratory, lanzhou, China).In the same LET value group, the average polymorphic frequency was elevated along with adding doses of irradation, the frequency in 2000 mGy dose samples was significantly higher than other samples (p<0.01).These results suggest that genomic DNA sequence could be effected by low-dose and high-LET ionizing radiation, the irradiation dose is an important element in genomic mutation frequency origination.

Augmenting Locomotion in an Anthropomorphic System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Derek Wight

2005-02-01

Full Text Available A powered orthosis has applications ranging from assisting the elderly to augmenting astronauts. An assistive control scheme is developed that uses the force from a slave actuator to augment the force of a master actuator. This can be used to augment a closed-loop control scheme applied to the master actuator. Initially, actuator augmentation is explored both theoretically and experimentally using a simple mechanical system. The control scheme is then applied to a scale model of human lower limbs on a stationary bicycle to investigate the feasibility of a powered orthosis using pneumatic muscle actuators.

The role of imaging in pediatric bladder augmentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Breen, Micheal; Chow, Jeanne S. [Boston Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Phelps, Andrew [UCSF Benioff Children' s Hospital San Francisco, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, San Francisco, CA (United States); Estrada, Carlos [Boston Children' s Hospital, Department of Urology, Boston, MA (United States)

2015-09-15

Bladder augmentation (also called augmentation cystoplasty) refers to a number of surgical methods that increase the capacity and compliance of the urinary bladder. Imaging has an important role in the postoperative evaluation of bladder augmentation. The most common augmentation procedures utilize enteric segments to augment the bladder. The various types of bladder augmentation have characteristic appearances on different imaging modalities. Spontaneous bladder perforation is a complication that is seen in both early and late post-operative periods and it is one of the most important complications for radiologists to be aware of as it is life-threatening. We review the indications for bladder augmentation in children, the surgical techniques employed, the normal postoperative appearances on imaging studies and the role of imaging complications of bladder augmentation including delayed spontaneous bladder rupture, which is life-threatening. (orig.)

ARSC: Augmented Reality Student Card--An Augmented Reality Solution for the Education Field

Science.gov (United States)

El Sayed, Neven A. M.; Zayed, Hala H.; Sharawy, Mohamed I.

2011-01-01

Augmented Reality (AR) is the technology of adding virtual objects to real scenes through enabling the addition of missing information in real life. As the lack of resources is a problem that can be solved through AR, this paper presents and explains the usage of AR technology we introduce Augmented Reality Student Card (ARSC) as an application of…

Mersiline mesh in premaxillary augmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Foda, Hossam M T

2005-01-01

Premaxillary retrusion may distort the aesthetic appearance of the columella, lip, and nasal tip. This defect is characteristically seen in, but not limited to, patients with cleft lip nasal deformity. This study investigated 60 patients presenting with premaxillary deficiencies in which Mersiline mesh was used to augment the premaxilla. All the cases had surgery using the external rhinoplasty technique. Two methods of augmentation with Mersiline mesh were used: the Mersiline roll technique, for the cases with central symmetric deficiencies, and the Mersiline packing technique, for the cases with asymmetric deficiencies. Premaxillary augmentation with Mersiline mesh proved to be simple technically, easy to perform, and not associated with any complications. Periodic follow-up evaluation for a mean period of 32 months (range, 12-98 months) showed that an adequate degree of premaxillary augmentation was maintained with no clinically detectable resorption of the mesh implant.

Global dose to man from proposed NNTRP high altitude nuclear tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, K.R.

1975-05-01

Radionuclide measurements from past high altitude nuclear testing have enabled development of a model to estimate surface deposition and doses from 400 kt of fission products injected in winter within the Pacific Test Area at altitudes in excess of 50 km. The largest 30-year average dose to man is about 10 millirem and occurs at 30 0 to 50 0 N latitude. The principal contributor to this dose is external gamma radiation from gross fission products. Individual doses from 90 Sr via the forage-cow-milk pathway and 137 Cs via the pasture-meat pathway are about 1/5 the gross fission product doses. The global 30-year population dose is 3 x 10 7 person-rem, which compares with a 30-year natural background population dose of 1 X 10 10 person-rem. Due in large part to the global distribution of population, over 98 percent of the global person-rem from the proposed high altitude tests is received in the Northern Hemisphere, while about 75 percent of the total population dose occurs within the 30 0 --50 0 N latitude belt. Detonations in summer would decrease the global dose by about a factor of three. (U.S.)

Nonsurgical Medical Penile Girth Augmentation: Experience-Based Recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Oates, Jayson; Sharp, Gemma

2017-10-01

Penile augmentation is increasingly sought by men who are dissatisfied with the size and/or appearance of their penis. However, augmentation procedures are still considered to be highly controversial with no standardized recommendations reported in the medical literature and limited outcome data. Nevertheless, these procedures continue to be performed in increasing numbers in private settings. Therefore, there is a need for safe, effective, and minimally invasive procedures to be developed, evaluated, and reported in the research literature. In this article, we focus particularly on girth enhancement procedures rather than lengthening procedures as penile girth appears to be particularly important for sexual satisfaction. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the common techniques to date, with a focus on the minimally invasive injectable girth augmentation techniques. Based on considerable operative experience, we offer our own suggestions for patient screening, technique selection, and perioperative care. © 2017 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Reprints and permission: journals.permissions@oup.com.

High dose-per-pulse electron beam dosimetry: Usability and dose-rate independence of EBT3 Gafchromic films.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaccard, Maud; Petersson, Kristoffer; Buchillier, Thierry; Germond, Jean-François; Durán, Maria Teresa; Vozenin, Marie-Catherine; Bourhis, Jean; Bochud, François O; Bailat, Claude

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of Gafchromic EBT3 films for reference dose measurements in the beam of a prototype high dose-per-pulse linear accelerator (linac), capable of delivering electron beams with a mean dose-rate (Ḋ m ) ranging from 0.07 to 3000 Gy/s and a dose-rate in pulse (Ḋ p ) of up to 8 × 10 6 Gy/s. To do this, we evaluated the overall uncertainties in EBT3 film dosimetry as well as the energy and dose-rate dependence of their response. Our dosimetric system was composed of EBT3 Gafchromic films in combination with a flatbed scanner and was calibrated against an ionization chamber traceable to primary standard. All sources of uncertainties in EBT3 dosimetry were carefully analyzed using irradiations at a clinical radiotherapy linac. Energy dependence was investigated with the same machine by acquiring and comparing calibration curves for three different beam energies (4, 8 and 12 MeV), for doses between 0.25 and 30 Gy. Ḋ m dependence was studied at the clinical linac by changing the pulse repetition frequency (f) of the beam in order to vary Ḋ m between 0.55 and 4.40 Gy/min, while Ḋ p dependence was probed at the prototype machine for Ḋ p ranging from 7 × 10 3 to 8 × 10 6 Gy/s. Ḋ p dependence was first determined by studying the correlation between the dose measured by films and the charge of electrons measured at the exit of the machine by an induction torus. Furthermore, we compared doses from the films to independently calibrated thermo-luminescent dosimeters (TLD) that have been reported as being dose-rate independent up to such high dose-rates. We report that uncertainty below 4% (k = 2) can be achieved in the dose range between 3 and 17 Gy. Results also demonstrated that EBT3 films did not display any detectable energy dependence for electron beam energies between 4 and 12 MeV. No Ḋ m dependence was found either. In addition, we obtained excellent consistency between films and TLDs over the entire Ḋ p

Augmented Reality-Guided Lumbar Facet Joint Injections.

Science.gov (United States)

Agten, Christoph A; Dennler, Cyrill; Rosskopf, Andrea B; Jaberg, Laurenz; Pfirrmann, Christian W A; Farshad, Mazda

2018-05-08

The aim of this study was to assess feasibility and accuracy of augmented reality-guided lumbar facet joint injections. A spine phantom completely embedded in hardened opaque agar with 3 ring markers was built. A 3-dimensional model of the phantom was uploaded to an augmented reality headset (Microsoft HoloLens). Two radiologists independently performed 20 augmented reality-guided and 20 computed tomography (CT)-guided facet joint injections each: for each augmented reality-guided injection, the hologram was manually aligned with the phantom container using the ring markers. The radiologists targeted the virtual facet joint and tried to place the needle tip in the holographic joint space. Computed tomography was performed after each needle placement to document final needle tip position. Time needed from grabbing the needle to final needle placement was measured for each simulated injection. An independent radiologist rated images of all needle placements in a randomized order blinded to modality (augmented reality vs CT) and performer as perfect, acceptable, incorrect, or unsafe. Accuracy and time to place needles were compared between augmented reality-guided and CT-guided facet joint injections. In total, 39/40 (97.5%) of augmented reality-guided needle placements were either perfect or acceptable compared with 40/40 (100%) CT-guided needle placements (P = 0.5). One augmented reality-guided injection missed the facet joint space by 2 mm. No unsafe needle placements occurred. Time to final needle placement was substantially faster with augmented reality guidance (mean 14 ± 6 seconds vs 39 ± 15 seconds, P Augmented reality-guided facet joint injections are feasible and accurate without potentially harmful needle placement in an experimental setting.

Oval pulsed high-dose dexamethasone for myositis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoogendijk, JE; Wokke, JHJ; de Visser, M

To study the short-term effect of oral pulsed high-dose dexamethasone for myositis we treated eight newly diagnosed patients with three 28-day cycles of oral dexamethasone. Primary outcome measures were muscle strength, pain, and serum creatine kinase activity. Sis patients responded. Side effects

Oral pulsed high-dose dexamethasone for myositis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Meulen, M. F.; Hoogendijk, J. E.; Wokke, J. H.; de Visser, M.

2000-01-01

To study the short-term effect of oral pulsed high-dose dexamethasone for myositis we treated eight newly diagnosed patients with three 28-day cycles of oral dexamethasone. Primary outcome measures were muscle strength, pain, and serum creatine kinase activity. Six patients responded. Side effects

High-dose acetylcysteine in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Demedts, Maurits; Behr, Juergen; Buhl, Roland; Costabel, Ulrich; Dekhuijzen, Richard; Jansen, Henk M.; MacNee, William; Thomeer, Michiel; Wallaert, Benoit; Laurent, François; Nicholson, Andrew G.; Verbeken, Eric K.; Verschakelen, Johny; Flower, Christopher D. R.; Capron, Frédérique; Petruzzelli, Stefano; de Vuyst, Paul; van den Bosch, Jules M. M.; Rodriguez-Becerra, Eulogio; Corvasce, Giuseppina; Lankhorst, Ida; Sardina, Marco; Montanari, Mauro

2005-01-01

BACKGROUND Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic progressive disorder with a poor prognosis. METHODS We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter study that assessed the effectiveness over one year of a high oral dose of acetylcysteine (600 mg three times daily) added

Regular self-microstructuring on CR39 using high UV laser dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parvin, P.; Refahizadeh, M.; Mortazavi, S.Z.; Silakhori, K.; Mahdiloo, A.; Aghaii, P.

2014-01-01

The UV laser induced replicas in the form of self-lining microstructures are created by high dose (with high fluence) ArF laser irradiation on CR39. Microstructures as the self-induced contours, in the form of concentric circles, appear when the laser fluence is well above the ablation threshold. It leads to the regular periodic parallel lines, i.e. circles with large radii having spatial separation 100–200 nm and line width 300–600 nm, where the number of shots increases to achieve higher UV doses. The surface wettability is also investigated after laser texturing to exhibit that a notable hydrophilicity takes place at high doses.

High-dose myeloablative versus conventional low-dose radioimmunotherapy (RIT) of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) with the chimeric anti-CD20 antibody C2B8

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behr, T.M.; Gotthardt, M.; Schipperm, M.L.; Gratz, S.; Behe, M.P.; Brittinger, G.; Woermann, B.; Becker, W.

2002-01-01

CD20 has been used as target molecule for low-dose as well as high-dose, myeloablative RIT of B-cell NHL. MCL is an especially aggressive, prognostically unfavorable form of B-cell NHL. The aim of this study was to investigate whether high-dose, myeloablative RIT with the 131 I-labeled chimeric anti-CD20 antibody C2B8 (rituxan, Mabthera, Roche) may be therapeutically more effective than conventional low-dose therapy in MCL. A total of twelve patients with chemorefractory or relapsed mantle cell lymphoma were studied so far (all of them having relapsed after high-dose chemotherapy, seven of them combined with 12 Gy TBI). A diagnostic-dosimetric study was performed with 10 mCi of 131 I-C2B8 at a protein dose of 2.5 mg/kg. In case of splenic pooling, the protein dose was increased until a more 'favorable' biodistribution was obtained. Therapy was performed with conventional (30-75 mCi; n=4) or myeloablative activities (261-515 mCi; n=8) of 131 I-C2B8 at the previously optimized protein dose, aiming at whole-body doses of ≤ 0.8 Gy (for low-dose RIT) or lung doses of ≤ 27 Gy (for high-dose RIT). Clinical follow-up was obtained for up to 42 months. Overall, in 11 patients the 2.5 mg/kg protein dose was used, whereas in one patient with marked splenomegaly, 10 mg/kg were necessary to overcome the splenic antigenic sink. In the high-dose patients, non-hematologic toxicity was restricted to mild to moderate nausea, fever, transient bilirubin or liver enzyme elevations. Despite thyroid blocking, 6/8 high-dose (in contrast to 0/4 low-dose) patients developed hypothyroidism, requiring thyroxine substitution at 6-18 months after RIT. The response rate in the low-dose arm was only 1(PR)/4, whereas 7/8 high-dose patients experienced complete and the remainder a partial remission. 6 high-dose patients are still in CR (one of them relapsed locally at 3 months, one systemically at 26 months after RIT), and 7 are still alive for up to 42+ months. In contrast to low-dose therapy

The augmenting action of banana tree juice on skeletal muscle contraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Y N; Dryden, W F

1990-01-01

An extract obtained from juice expressed from the stem of the plantain banana tree (Musa sapientum L., var. paradisiaca) induces twitch augmentation in skeletal muscles. The mechanism of this action was investigated in the mouse hemi-diaphragm preparation. Directly evoked twitches and potassium induced (K+) contractures were both augmented by the extract. Twitch augmentation was partly dependent on extracellular Ca2+. The action on K(+)-contractures was unaffected by tetrodotoxin, but the rate of relaxation was enhanced in the absence of extracellular calcium (0[Ca2+]o). Muscle contracture induced by high concentrations of extract was also augmented in 0[Ca2+]o and in the presence of the Ca2(+)-channel blocking agent, nifedipine. The time course of the contracture was shortened in 0[Ca2+]o, but not by nifedipine. Nifedipine enhanced the augmenting effect of the extract on twitches but shortened the time-course of this action. In addition, a muscle contracture was superimposed on the twitching muscle at higher concentrations of nifedipine. Manganese, on the other hand, reduced or abolished the augmenting action of the extract. The results are consistent with an action of banana tree juice on the molecule responsible for excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle, resulting in a labilization of intracellular Ca2+.

Regulatory Forum Opinion Piece*: Retrospective Evaluation of Doses in the 26-week Tg.rasH2 Mice Carcinogenicity Studies: Recommendation to Eliminate High Doses at Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) in Future Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Paranjpe, Madhav G; Denton, Melissa D; Vidmar, Tom J; Elbekai, Reem H

2015-07-01

High doses in Tg.rasH2 carcinogenicity studies are usually set at the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), although this dose selection strategy has not been critically evaluated. We analyzed the body weight gains (BWGs), mortality, and tumor response in control and treated groups of 29 Tg.rasH2 studies conducted at BioReliance. Based on our analysis, it is evident that the MTD was exceeded at the high and/or mid-doses in several studies. The incidence of tumors in high doses was lower when compared to the low and mid-doses of both sexes. Thus, we recommend that the high dose in male mice should not exceed one-half of the estimated MTD (EMTD), as it is currently chosen, and the next dose should be one-fourth of the EMTD. Because females were less sensitive to decrements in BWG, the high dose in female mice should not exceed two-third of EMTD and the next dose group should be one-third of EMTD. If needed, a third dose group should be set at one-eighth EMTD in males and one-sixth EMTD in females. In addition, for compounds that do not show toxicity in the range finding studies, a limit dose should be applied for the 26-week carcinogenicity studies. © 2014 by The Author(s).

Augmented marked graphs

CERN Document Server

Cheung, King Sing

2014-01-01

Petri nets are a formal and theoretically rich model for the modelling and analysis of systems. A subclass of Petri nets, augmented marked graphs possess a structure that is especially desirable for the modelling and analysis of systems with concurrent processes and shared resources.This monograph consists of three parts: Part I provides the conceptual background for readers who have no prior knowledge on Petri nets; Part II elaborates the theory of augmented marked graphs; finally, Part III discusses the application to system integration. The book is suitable as a first self-contained volume

Radiation Parameters of High Dose Rate Iridium -192 Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Podgorsak, Matthew B.

A lack of physical data for high dose rate (HDR) Ir-192 sources has necessitated the use of basic radiation parameters measured with low dose rate (LDR) Ir-192 seeds and ribbons in HDR dosimetry calculations. A rigorous examination of the radiation parameters of several HDR Ir-192 sources has shown that this extension of physical data from LDR to HDR Ir-192 may be inaccurate. Uncertainty in any of the basic radiation parameters used in dosimetry calculations compromises the accuracy of the calculated dose distribution and the subsequent dose delivery. Dose errors of up to 0.3%, 6%, and 2% can result from the use of currently accepted values for the half-life, exposure rate constant, and dose buildup effect, respectively. Since an accuracy of 5% in the delivered dose is essential to prevent severe complications or tumor regrowth, the use of basic physical constants with uncertainties approaching 6% is unacceptable. A systematic evaluation of the pertinent radiation parameters contributes to a reduction in the overall uncertainty in HDR Ir-192 dose delivery. Moreover, the results of the studies described in this thesis contribute significantly to the establishment of standardized numerical values to be used in HDR Ir-192 dosimetry calculations.

The Educational Possibilities of Augmented Reality

Science.gov (United States)

Cabero, Julio; Barroso, Julio

2016-01-01

A large number of emergent technologies have been acquiring a strong impulse in recent years. One of these emergent technologies is Augmented Reality (RA), which will surely have a high level of penetration into all our educational centers, including universities, in the next 3 to 5 years, as a number of different reports have already highlighted.…

Fiia: A Model-Based Approach to Engineering Collaborative Augmented Reality

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, Christopher; Smith, J. David; Phillips, W. Greg; Graham, T. C. Nicholas

Augmented reality systems often involve collaboration among groups of people. While there are numerous toolkits that aid the development of such augmented reality groupware systems (e.g., ARToolkit and Groupkit), there remains an enormous gap between the specification of an AR groupware application and its implementation. In this chapter, we present Fiia, a toolkit which simplifies the development of collaborative AR applications. Developers specify the structure of their applications using the Fiia modeling language, which abstracts details of networking and provides high-level support for specifying adapters between the physical and virtual world. The Fiia.Net runtime system then maps this conceptual model to a runtime implementation. We illustrate Fiia via Raptor, an augmented reality application used to help small groups collaboratively prototype video games.

Fault Diagnosis of Nonlinear Systems Using Structured Augmented State Models

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jochen Aβfalg; Frank Allg(o)wer

2007-01-01

This paper presents an internal model approach for modeling and diagnostic functionality design for nonlinear systems operating subject to single- and multiple-faults. We therefore provide the framework of structured augmented state models. Fault characteristics are considered to be generated by dynamical exosystems that are switched via equality constraints to overcome the augmented state observability limiting the number of diagnosable faults. Based on the proposed model, the fault diagnosis problem is specified as an optimal hybrid augmented state estimation problem. Sub-optimal solutions are motivated and exemplified for the fault diagnosis of the well-known three-tank benchmark. As the considered class of fault diagnosis problems is large, the suggested approach is not only of theoretical interest but also of high practical relevance.

TL response of citrine samples for high-dose dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teixeira, Maria Ines; Caldas, Linda V.E.

2011-01-01

The possibility of using samples of Brazilian stones as quartz, amethyst, topaz, etc. for high-dose dosimetry has been studied in recent years at IPEN, using the thermoluminescence technique (TL). In this work, the TL properties of citrine samples were studied. They were exposed to different doses of gamma radiation ( 60 Co). The natural citrine stone was extracted from a mine in Minas Gerais state, Brazil; it is a tectosilicate ranked as one of three-dimensional structure, showing clear yellow to golden brown color. The natural citrine stone is classified as quartz (SiO 2 ), and it has a lower symmetry and more compact reticulum. The citrine stone samples were powdered, and the selected grains were mixed with Teflon in the proportion 2 (Teflon):1 (Citrine). The mixture was pressed and sintered for production of Citrine -Teflon pellets of 50 mg. The TL emission curve showed two peaks at 160 deg C and 220 deg C. To remove the TL peak (160 deg C) of the sintered citrine pellet glow curves, different thermal treatments were tested during several time intervals. The TL dose-response curve between 50 Gy and 100 kGy, the reproducibility of TL response and the lower detection dose were obtained. The preliminary results show that citrine may be useful for high-dose dosimetry. (author)

Moderate- vs high-dose methadone in the treatment of opioid dependence: a randomized trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Strain, E C; Bigelow, G E; Liebson, I A; Stitzer, M L

1999-03-17

Methadone hydrochloride treatment is the most common pharmacological intervention for opioid dependence, and recent interest has focused on expanding methadone treatment availability beyond traditional specially licensed clinics. However, despite recommendations regarding effective dosing of methadone, controlled clinical trials of higher-dose methadone have not been conducted. To compare the relative clinical efficacy of moderate- vs high-dose methadone in the treatment of opioid dependence. A 40-week randomized, double-blind clinical trial starting in June 1992 and ending in October 1995. Outpatient substance abuse treatment research clinic at the Johns Hopkins University Bayview Campus, Baltimore, Md. One hundred ninety-two eligible clinic patients. Daily oral methadone hydrochloride in the dose range of 40 to 50 mg (n = 97) or 80 to 100 mg (n = 95), with concurrent substance abuse counseling. Opioid-positive urinalysis results and retention in treatment. By intent-to-treat analysis through week 30 patients in the high-dose group had significantly lower rates of opioid-positive urine samples compared with patients in the moderate-dose group (53.0% [95% confidence interval [CI], 46.9%-59.2%] vs 61.9% [95% CI, 55.9%-68.0%]; P = .047. These differences persisted during withdrawal from methadone. Through day 210 no significant difference was evident between dose groups in treatment retention (high-dose group mean retention, 159 days; moderate-dose group mean retention, 157 days). Nineteen (33%) of 57 patients in the high-dose group and 11 (20%) of 54 patients in the moderate-dose group completed detoxification. Both moderate- and high-dose methadone treatment resulted in decreased illicit opioid use during methadone maintenance and detoxification. The high-dose group had significantly greater decreases in illicit opioid use.

High dose vitamin D may improve lower urinary tract symptoms in postmenopausal women.

Science.gov (United States)

Oberg, Johanna; Verelst, Margareta; Jorde, Rolf; Cashman, Kevin; Grimnes, Guri

2017-10-01

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in postmenopausal women, and have been reported inversely associated with vitamin D intake and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels. The aim of this study was to investigate if high dose vitamin D supplementation would affect LUTS in comparison to standard dose. In a randomized controlled study including 297 postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density, the participants were allocated to receive capsules of 20 000IU of vitamin D 3 twice a week (high dose group) or similar looking placebo (standard dose group). In addition, all the participants received 1g of calcium and 800IU of vitamin D daily. A validated questionnaire regarding LUTS was filled in at baseline and after 12 months. At baseline, 76 women in the high dose group and 82 in the standard dose group reported any LUTS. Levels of serum 25(OH)D increased significantly more in the high dose group (from 64.7 to 164.1nmol/l compared to from 64.1 to 81.8nmol/l, p<0.01). No differences between the groups were seen regarding change in LUTS except for a statistically significant reduction in the reported severity of urine incontinence in the high dose group as compared to the standard dose group after one year (p<0.05). The results need confirmation in a study specifically designed for this purpose. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth/differentiation factor-5: pre-clinical and clinical evaluations of periodontal regeneration and alveolar augmentation--review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jaebum; Wikesjö, Ulf M E

2014-08-01

Growth/differentiation factor-5 (GDF-5) plays critical roles in mesenchymal cell differentiation and stimulates human periodontal ligament cell proliferation. Potentially, GDF-5 may also play roles in wound healing including periodontal regeneration and alveolar augmentation. The objective of this review was to provide up-to-date information from pre-clinical/clinical studies evaluating GDF-5 for these indications. A comprehensive search using PubMed and Google search engines was conducted to identify reports on GDF-5 applied to periodontal and alveolar indications. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts from a total of 479 reports. Full-length articles of 17 pre-clinical and four clinical studies were selected and reviewed. Canine-, porcine- and non-human primate-based models as well as human clinical trials were used in the evaluation of GDF-5 in support of periodontal regeneration and alveolar augmentation. An absorbable collagen sponge (ACS), β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and a poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) were evaluated as candidate carriers for GDF-5 using various dose and healing intervals demonstrating significantly enhanced periodontal regeneration/alveolar augmentation including cementum, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone with limited, if any, adverse effects. Growth/differentiation factor-5 supports periodontal regeneration/alveolar augmentation without aberrant healing events documented in qualified pre-clinical models and clinical pilot studies. In perspective, GDF-5 appears a promising technology for periodontal regeneration/alveolar augmentation. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Cement augmentation on the spine : Biomechanical considerations].

Science.gov (United States)

Kolb, J P; Weiser, L; Kueny, R A; Huber, G; Rueger, J M; Lehmann, W

2015-09-01

Vertebral compression fractures are the most common osteoporotic fractures. Since the introduction of vertebroplasty and screw augmentation, the management of osteoporotic fractures has changed significantly. The biomechanical characteristics of the risk of adjacent fractures and novel treatment modalities for osteoporotic vertebral fractures, including pure cement augmentation by vertebroplasty, and cement augmentation of screws for posterior instrumentation, are explored. Eighteen human osteoporotic lumbar spines (L1-5) adjacent to vertebral bodies after vertebroplasty were tested in a servo-hydraulic machine. As augmentation compounds we used standard cement and a modified low-strength cement. Different anchoring pedicle screws were tested with and without cement augmentation in another cohort of human specimens with a simple pull-out test and a fatigue test that better reflects physiological conditions. Cement augmentation in the osteoporotic spine leads to greater biomechanical stability. However, change in vertebral stiffness resulted in alterations with the risk of adjacent fractures. By using a less firm cement compound, the risk of adjacent fractures is significantly reduced. Both screw augmentation techniques resulted in a significant increase in the withdrawal force compared with the group without cement. Augmentation using perforated screws showed the highest stability in the fatigue test. The augmentation of cement leads to a significant change in the biomechanical properties. Differences in the stability of adjacent vertebral bodies increase the risk of adjacent fractures, which could be mitigated by a modified cement compound with reduced strength. Screws that were specifically designed for cement application displayed greatest stability in the fatigue test.

Radiation processing and high-dose dosimetry at ANSTO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gant, G.J.; Saunders, M.; Banos, C.; Mo, L.; Davies, J.; Evans, O.

2001-01-01

The Radiation Technology group at ANSTO is part of the Physics Division and provides services and advice in the areas of gamma irradiation and high-dose dosimetry. ANSTO's irradiation facilities are designed for maximum dose uniformity and provide a precision irradiation service unique in Australia. Radiation Technology makes and sells reference and transfer standard dosimeters which are purchased by users and suppliers of commercial irradiation services in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. A calibration service is also provided for dosimeters purchased from other suppliers

Safety of high-dose daptomycin in patients with severe renal impairment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tai CH

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Chih-Hsun Tai,1 Chi-Hao Shao,2 Chen-You Chen,2 Shu-Wen Lin,1–3 Chien-Chih Wu1,2 1Department of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 2School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Graduate Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Background: Treatment options are limited for infections due to multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens. Daptomycin is a lipopeptide antibiotic with concentration-dependent killing characteristic and dose-dependent post-antibiotic effect. To achieve optimized pharmacodynamic effect, some experts advocated using a high dose of daptomycin (≥9 mg/kg for severe infections. However, the safety of high-dose therapy in patients with renal impairment remains unknown. This study was aimed to evaluate the safety of daptomycin in patients with severe renal impairment. Methods: This was a retrospective study performed by reviewing electronic medical records. Patients with severe renal impairment who were treated with daptomycin in a tertiary teaching hospital between January 1, 2013, and June 30, 2016, were included for evaluation. The incidence rates of creatine kinase (CK elevation between high-dose (≥9 mg/kg and standard-dose (<9 mg/kg groups were compared. Results: Overall, 164 patients met the inclusion criteria, and 114 (69.5% of them were on renal replacement therapy. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci were the most common pathogens (61.3% of the patients with documented pathogens. The treatment success rate was 51.6% in the 91 patients with bacteremia. The average dose of daptomycin was 8.0±2.3 mg/kg, and 37 (22.6% patients received ≥9 mg/kg. CK levels were followed in 108 (65.9% patients. Significantly higher incidence of CK elevation was found in the high-dose group compared with that in the standard-dose group (10.8% vs 1.6%, P<0.05. Moreover

Unusual complication and successful high-dose chemotherapy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... treated with high-dose chemotherapy in our institution, complicated by unusual bilateral renal vein tumour thrombi and tumour lysis syndrome. We believe this unique case highlights the need for early recognition of current and potential complications on staging computed tomography imaging, as well as successful use of ...

Precision, high dose radiotherapy: helium ion treatment of uveal melanoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saunders, W.M.; Char, D.H.; Quivey, J.M.; Castro, J.R.; Chen, G.T.Y.; Collier, J.M.; Cartigny, A.; Blakely, E.A.; Lyman, J.T.; Zink, S.R.

1985-02-01

The authors report on 75 patients with uveal melanoma who were treated by placing the Bragg peak of a helium ion beam over the tumor volume. The technique localizes the high dose region very tightly around the tumor volume. This allows critical structures, such as the optic disc and the macula, to be excluded from the high dose region as long as they are 3 to 4 mm away from the edge of the tumor. Careful attention to tumor localization, treatment planning, patient immobilization and treatment verification is required. With a mean follow-up of 22 months (3 to 60 months) the authors have had only five patients with a local recurrence, all of whom were salvaged with another treatment. Pretreatment visual acuity has generally been preserved as long as the tumor edge is at least 4 mm away from the macula and optic disc. The only serious complication to date has been an 18% incidence of neovascular glaucoma in the patients treated at our highest dose level. Clinical results and details of the technique are presented to illustrate potential clinical precision in administering high dose radiotherapy with charged particles such as helium ions or protons.

Precision, high dose radiotherapy: helium ion treatment of uveal melanoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saunders, W.M.; Char, D.H.; Quivey, J.M.

1985-01-01

The authors report on 75 patients with uveal melanoma who were treated by placing the Bragg peak of a helium ion beam over the tumor volume. The technique localizes the high dose region very tightly around the tumor volume. This allows critical structures, such as the optic disc and the macula, to be excluded from the high dose region as long as they are 3 to 4 mm away from the edge of the tumor. Careful attention to tumor localization, treatment planning, patient immobilization and treatment verification is required. With a mean follow-up of 22 months (3 to 60 months) the authors have had only five patients with a local recurrence, all of whom were salvaged with another treatment. Pretreatment visual acuity has generally been preserved as long as the tumor edge is at least 4 mm away from the macula and optic disc. The only serious complication to date has been an 18% incidence of neovascular glaucoma in the patients treated at our highest dose level. Clinical results and details of the technique are presented to illustrate potential clinical precision in administering high dose radiotherapy with charged particles such as helium ions or protons

Low dose rate and high dose rate intracavitary treatment for cervical cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hareyama, Masato; Oouchi, Atsushi; Shidou, Mitsuo

1997-01-01

From 1984 through 1993, 144 previous untreated patients with carcinoma of uterine cervix were treated with either low dose rate 137 Cs therapy (LDR) or high dose rate 60 Co therapy (HDR). The local failure rates for more than 2-years for the primary lesions were 11.8% (8 of 63 patients) for LDR and 18.0% (11 of 61 patients). Rectal complication rates were significantly lower for HDR versus LDR (14.3% VS. 32.8%. p<0.01). Also, bladder complication rates were significantly lower for HDR versus LDR (0% VS. 10.4%, p<0.005). Treatment results in term of local control were equivalent for HDR and LDR treatment. However, the incidence of complications was higher for the LDR group than for the HDR group. (author)

Dimethyl sulfoxyde diethyl fumarate solution for high dose dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Kassiri, H.; Kattan, M.; Daher, Y.

2007-06-01

Dosimetric characterization of diethyl fumarate DEF in dimethyl sulfoxyde DMSO solution has been studied spectrophotometrically for possible application at high dose radiation dosimetry in the range (0-225 kGy). The absorption spectra of irradiated solution showed broad absorption bands between (325-400 nm) with a shoulder at 332 nm. The absorption increases as the dose is increased. Absorbance at 332 nm were measured and plotted against absorbed dose. Linear relationship and good response were found between absorbed dose and absorbance of 20% DEF concentration in the range (0-225 kGy) at the wave length, and linearity up to 250 kGy of absorbance at 332 nm .Good dose rate independence was observed in the range (14-33 kGy/h). The effect of post irradiation storage in darkness and indirect daylight conditions were not found to influence the absorption up to 700 h after irradiation. The effect of irradiation temperature within the range (0 to 60 centigrade degree) on the dosimetry performance was discussed.(author)

Long-term psychological sequelae of augmentation mammoplasty ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A request for elective surgery for augmentation mammoplasty (AM) is often associated with underlying psychopathology and high expectations of a positive psychological outcome. This study was designed to ascertain the long-term psychological sequelae of AM in a group of patients who were reassessed 3 years or more ...

Chin augmentation

Science.gov (United States)

... or bigger compared to the nose. The best candidates for chin augmentation are people with weak or ... www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. ...

Biological effective doses in the intracavitary high dose rate brachytherapy of cervical cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Sobita Devi

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the decrease of biological equivalent dose and its correlation withlocal/loco-regional control of tumour in the treatment of cervical cancer when the strength of the Ir-192 high dose rate(HDR brachytherapy (BT source is reduced to single, double and triple half life in relation to original strength of10 Ci (~ 4.081 cGy x m2 x h–1. Material and methods: A retrospective study was carried out on 52 cervical cancer patients with stage II and IIItreated with fractionated HDR-BT following external beam radiation therapy (EBRT. International Commission onRadiation Units and Measurement (ICRU points were defined according to ICRU Report 38, using two orthogonal radiographimages taken by Simulator (Simulix HQ. Biologically effective dose (BED was calculated at point A for diffe -rent Ir-192 source strength and its possible correlation with local/loco-regional tumour control was discussed. Result: The increase of treatment time per fraction of dose due to the fall of dose rate especially in HDR-BT of cervicalcancer results in reduction in BED of 2.59%, 7.02% and 13.68% with single, double and triple half life reduction ofsource strength, respectively. The probabilities of disease recurrence (local/loco-regional within 26 months are expectedas 0.12, 0.12, 0.16, 0.39 and 0.80 for source strength of 4.081, 2.041, 1.020, 0.510 and 0.347 cGy x m2 x h–1, respectively.The percentages of dose increase required to maintain the same BED with respect to initial BED were estimated as1.71, 5.00, 11.00 and 15.86 for the dose rate of 24.7, 12.4, 6.2 and 4.2 Gy/hr at point A, respectively. Conclusions: This retrospective study of cervical cancer patients treated with HDR-BT at different Ir-192 sourcestrength shows reduction in disease free survival according to the increase in treatment time duration per fraction.The probable result could be associated with the decrease of biological equivalent dose to point A. Clinical

Improvements in dose calculation accuracy for small off-axis targets in high dose per fraction tomotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hardcastle, Nicholas; Bayliss, Adam; Wong, Jeannie Hsiu Ding; Rosenfeld, Anatoly B.; Tome, Wolfgang A. [Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, 53792 (United States); Department of Physical Sciences, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3002 (Australia) and Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522 (Australia); Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53792 (United States); Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522 (Australia) and Department of Biomedical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522 (Australia); Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53792 (United States); Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53792 (United States); Einstein Institute of Oncophysics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York 10461 (United States) and Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522 (Australia)

2012-08-15

Purpose: A recent field safety notice from TomoTherapy detailed the underdosing of small, off-axis targets when receiving high doses per fraction. This is due to angular undersampling in the dose calculation gantry angles. This study evaluates a correction method to reduce the underdosing, to be implemented in the current version (v4.1) of the TomoTherapy treatment planning software. Methods: The correction method, termed 'Super Sampling' involved the tripling of the number of gantry angles from which the dose is calculated during optimization and dose calculation. Radiochromic film was used to measure the dose to small targets at various off-axis distances receiving a minimum of 21 Gy in one fraction. Measurements were also performed for single small targets at the center of the Lucy phantom, using radiochromic film and the dose magnifying glass (DMG). Results: Without super sampling, the peak dose deficit increased from 0% to 18% for a 10 mm target and 0% to 30% for a 5 mm target as off-axis target distances increased from 0 to 16.5 cm. When super sampling was turned on, the dose deficit trend was removed and all peak doses were within 5% of the planned dose. For measurements in the Lucy phantom at 9.7 cm off-axis, the positional and dose magnitude accuracy using super sampling was verified using radiochromic film and the DMG. Conclusions: A correction method implemented in the TomoTherapy treatment planning system which triples the angular sampling of the gantry angles used during optimization and dose calculation removes the underdosing for targets as small as 5 mm diameter, up to 16.5 cm off-axis receiving up to 21 Gy.

Improvements in dose calculation accuracy for small off-axis targets in high dose per fraction tomotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardcastle, Nicholas; Bayliss, Adam; Wong, Jeannie Hsiu Ding; Rosenfeld, Anatoly B.; Tomé, Wolfgang A.

2012-01-01

Purpose: A recent field safety notice from TomoTherapy detailed the underdosing of small, off-axis targets when receiving high doses per fraction. This is due to angular undersampling in the dose calculation gantry angles. This study evaluates a correction method to reduce the underdosing, to be implemented in the current version (v4.1) of the TomoTherapy treatment planning software. Methods: The correction method, termed “Super Sampling” involved the tripling of the number of gantry angles from which the dose is calculated during optimization and dose calculation. Radiochromic film was used to measure the dose to small targets at various off-axis distances receiving a minimum of 21 Gy in one fraction. Measurements were also performed for single small targets at the center of the Lucy phantom, using radiochromic film and the dose magnifying glass (DMG). Results: Without super sampling, the peak dose deficit increased from 0% to 18% for a 10 mm target and 0% to 30% for a 5 mm target as off-axis target distances increased from 0 to 16.5 cm. When super sampling was turned on, the dose deficit trend was removed and all peak doses were within 5% of the planned dose. For measurements in the Lucy phantom at 9.7 cm off-axis, the positional and dose magnitude accuracy using super sampling was verified using radiochromic film and the DMG. Conclusions: A correction method implemented in the TomoTherapy treatment planning system which triples the angular sampling of the gantry angles used during optimization and dose calculation removes the underdosing for targets as small as 5 mm diameter, up to 16.5 cm off-axis receiving up to 21 Gy.

The influence of high doses of radiation in citrine stones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teixeira, M. I.; Caldas, L. V. E.

2014-08-01

The possibility of using samples of Brazilian stones as quartz, amethyst, topaz, jasper, etc. for high-dose dosimetry has been studied in recent years at IPEN, using the techniques of optical absorption (Oa), thermoluminescent (Tl), optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and resonance paramagnetic electron (EPR). In this work, the Tl properties of citrine samples were studied. They were exposed to different doses of gamma radiation ( 60 Co). The natural citrine stone was extracted from a mine in Minas Gerais state, Brazil; it is a tecto silicate ranked as one of three-dimensional structure, showing clear yellow to golden brown color. The natural citrine stone is classified as quartz (SiO 2 ), and it has a lower symmetry and more compact reticulum. The Tl emission curve showed two peaks at 160 grades C and 220 grades C. To remove the Tl peak (160 grades C) of the sintered citrine pellet glow curves, different thermal treatments were tested during several time intervals. The Tl dose-response curve between 50 Gy and 100 kGy, the reproducibility of Tl response and the lower detection dose were obtained. The results show that citrine may be useful as high-dose detectors. (Author)

The influence of high doses of radiation in citrine stones

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teixeira, M. I. [Universidade Nove de Julho - UNINOVE, Rua Vergueiro 235/249, 01504-001 Sao Paulo (Brazil); Caldas, L. V. E., E-mail: miteixeira@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares / CNEN, Av. Lineu Prestes 2242, Cidade Universitaria, 05508-000 Sao Paulo (Brazil)

2014-08-15

The possibility of using samples of Brazilian stones as quartz, amethyst, topaz, jasper, etc. for high-dose dosimetry has been studied in recent years at IPEN, using the techniques of optical absorption (Oa), thermoluminescent (Tl), optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and resonance paramagnetic electron (EPR). In this work, the Tl properties of citrine samples were studied. They were exposed to different doses of gamma radiation ({sup 60}Co). The natural citrine stone was extracted from a mine in Minas Gerais state, Brazil; it is a tecto silicate ranked as one of three-dimensional structure, showing clear yellow to golden brown color. The natural citrine stone is classified as quartz (SiO{sub 2}), and it has a lower symmetry and more compact reticulum. The Tl emission curve showed two peaks at 160 grades C and 220 grades C. To remove the Tl peak (160 grades C) of the sintered citrine pellet glow curves, different thermal treatments were tested during several time intervals. The Tl dose-response curve between 50 Gy and 100 kGy, the reproducibility of Tl response and the lower detection dose were obtained. The results show that citrine may be useful as high-dose detectors. (Author)

Review of high-dose intravenous vitamin C as an anticancer agent.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Michelle K; Baguley, Bruce C; Wall, Clare; Jameson, Michael B; Findlay, Michael P

2014-03-01

In the 1970s, Pauling and Cameron reported increased survival of patients with advanced cancer treated with high-dose intravenous (IV) vitamin C (L-ascorbate, ascorbic acid). These studies were criticized for their retrospective nature and lack of standardization of key prognostic factors including performance status. Subsequently, several well-designed randomized controlled trials failed to demonstrate a significant survival benefit, although these trials used high-dose oral vitamin C. Marked differences are now recognized in the pharmacokinetics of vitamin C with oral and IV administration, opening the issue of therapeutic efficacy to question. In vitro evidence suggests that vitamin C functions at low concentrations as an antioxidant but may have pro-oxidant activity at high concentrations. The mechanism of its pro-oxidant action is not fully understood, and both intra- and extracellular mechanisms that generate hydrogen peroxide have been proposed. It remains to be proven whether vitamin C-induced reactive oxygen species occur in vivo and, if so, whether this will translate to a clinical benefit. Current clinical evidence for a therapeutic effect of high-dose IV vitamin C is ambiguous, being based on case series. The interpretation and validation of these studies is hindered by limited correlation of plasma vitamin C concentrations with response. The methodology exists to determine if there is a role for high-dose IV vitamin C in the treatment of cancer, but the limited understanding of its pharmacodynamic properties makes this challenging. Currently, the use of high-dose IV vitamin C cannot be recommended outside of a clinical trial. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Conventional-Dose versus High-Dose Chemotherapy for Relapsed Germ Cell Tumors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deaglan J. McHugh

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The majority of metastatic germ cell tumors (GCTs are cured with cisplatin-based chemotherapy, but 20–30% of patients will relapse after first-line chemotherapy and require additional salvage strategies. The two major salvage approaches in this scenario are high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT with autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT or conventional-dose chemotherapy (CDCT. Both CDCT and HDCT have curative potential in the management of relapsed/refractory GCT. However, due to a lack of conclusive randomized trials, it remains unknown whether sequential HDCT or CDCT represents the optimal initial salvage approach, with practice varying between tertiary institutions. This represents the most pressing question remaining for defining GCT treatment standards and optimizing outcomes. The authors review prognostic factors in the initial salvage setting as well as the major studies assessing the efficacy of CDCT, HDCT, or both, describing the strengths and weaknesses that formed the rationale behind the ongoing international phase III “TIGER” trial.

Prototyping Augmented Reality

CERN Document Server

Mullen, Tony

2011-01-01

Learn to create augmented reality apps using Processing open-source programming language Augmented reality (AR) is used all over, and you may not even realize it. Smartphones overlay data onto live camera views to show homes for sale, restaurants, or historical sites. American football broadcasts use AR to show the invisible first-down line on the field to TV viewers. Nike and Budweiser, among others, have used AR in ads. Now, you can learn to create AR prototypes using 3D data, Processing open-source programming language, and other languages. This unique book is an easy-to-follow guide on how

AMI: Augmented Michelson Interferometer

Science.gov (United States)

Furió, David; Hachet, Martin; Guillet, Jean-Paul; Bousquet, Bruno; Fleck, Stéphanie; Reuter, Patrick; Canioni, Lionel

2015-10-01

Experiments in optics are essential for learning and understanding physical phenomena. The problem with these experiments is that they are generally time consuming for both their construction and their maintenance, potentially dangerous through the use of laser sources, and often expensive due to high technology optical components. We propose to simulate such experiments by way of hybrid systems that exploit both spatial augmented reality and tangible interaction. In particular, we focus on one of the most popular optical experiments: the Michelson interferometer. In our approach, we target a highly interactive system where students are able to interact in real time with the Augmented Michelson Interferometer (AMI) to observe, test hypotheses and then to enhance their comprehension. Compared to a fully digital simulation, we are investigating an approach that benefits from both physical and virtual elements, and where the students experiment by manipulating 3D-printed physical replicas of optical components (e.g. lenses and mirrors). Our objective is twofold. First, we want to ensure that the students will learn with our simulator the same concepts and skills that they learn with traditional methods. Second, we hypothesis that such a system opens new opportunities to teach optics in a way that was not possible before, by manipulating concepts beyond the limits of observable physical phenomena. To reach this goal, we have built a complementary team composed of experts in the field of optics, human-computer interaction, computer graphics, sensors and actuators, and education science.

A Benzothiadiazole Primes Parsley Cells for Augmented Elicitation of Defense Responses

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Vera A.; Thulke, Oliver U.; Conrath, Uwe

1998-01-01

Systemic acquired resistance is an important component of the disease-resistance arsenal of plants, and is associated with an enhanced potency for activating local defense responses upon pathogen attack. Here we demonstrate that pretreatment with benzothiadiazole (BTH), a synthetic activator of acquired resistance in plants, augmented the sensitivity for low-dose elicitation of coumarin phytoalexin secretion by cultured parsley (Petroselinum crispum L.) cells. Enhanced coumarin secretion was associated with potentiated activation of genes encoding Phe ammonia-lyase (PAL). The augmentation of PAL gene induction was proportional to the length of pretreatment with BTH, indicating time-dependent priming of the cells. In contrast to the PAL genes, those for anionic peroxidase were directly induced by BTH in the absence of elicitor, thus confirming a dual role for BTH in the activation of plant defenses. Strikingly, the ability of various chemicals to enhance plant disease resistance correlated with their capability to potentiate parsley PAL gene elicitation, emphasizing an important role for defense response potentiation in acquired plant disease resistance. PMID:9701589

Augmented reality som wearable technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rahn, Annette

“How Augmented reality can facilitate learning in visualizing human anatomy “ At this station I demonstrate how Augmented reality can be used to visualize the human lungs in situ and as a wearable technology which establish connection between body, image and technology in education. I will show...

Low- and high-dose laser irradiation effects on cell migration and destruction

Science.gov (United States)

Layton, Elivia; Gallagher, Kyra A.; Zukerman, Sara; Stevens, Brianna; Zhou, Feifan; Liu, Hong; Chen, Wei R.

2018-02-01

Metastases are the cause of more than 90 percent of cancer-related deaths. Current treatment methods, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, fail to target the metastases effectively. One potential treatment for metastatic cancer is laser immunotherapy (LIT). LIT combines the use of a photothermal laser with an immunoadjuvant, Glycated Chitosan (GC). GC combined with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) has proven to be a viable alternative to traditional cancer treatment methods, when under irradiation of laser with appropriate wavelength. In this study, the effects of low dose and high dose laser irradiation on metastatic pancreatic cancer cell migration were observed. It was found that low dose irradiation increased the migration rate, but the high dose irradiation significantly decreased the migration rate of the cancer cells. When using LIT, the goal is to kill tumor cells and to prompt the correct immune response. If the tumor were irradiated with a low dose, it would promote metastasis. If the dose of irradiation were too high, it would destroy the entire tumor and the immune response would not recognize the tumor. Therefore, the laser dose plays an important role in LIT, particularly when using SWNT as light absorbing agent. Our results from this study will delineate the optimal laser irradiation dose for destroying tumor cells and at the same time preserve and release tumor antigens as a precursor of antitumor immune response.

High-dose radioiodine therapy of Graves disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solodky, V.; Fomin, D.; Pestritskaya, E.

2015-01-01

Full text of publication follows. Objectives: to estimate the effectiveness and safety of the disease treatment under different modes of applying RIT. Materials and methods: 67 patients with the thyrotoxicosis condition associated with Graves disease were researched. The patients were divided into 2 groups: a control group with 25 people (18 women and 7 men), who underwent a low-dose therapy of 150-500 MBq; and a main group of 42 people (32 women and 10 men), who underwent a high-dose therapy of 550 and 800 MBq. The volume of thyroid prior to the treatment made up 23.8 ± 20 ml in the main group and 30.2 ± 23 ml in the control one. The average age in the high-dose group was 44.6 ±23 years old and in the low-dose -47.2 ± 24 years old. In terms of the hormone level before the RIT, 52% of the main group patients experienced euthyroidism, while 48% - thyrotoxicosis. The corresponding indices in the control group were 42% and 58% respectively. The cessation of the thyreostatic therapy came on 5. to 21. day prior to the treatment, with the average of 14 ±7 days in both groups. The diagnosis of the disease was based on ultrasonography, planar scintigraphy, the hormone level and antibody titer. The performance was assessed through the attainment of hypo-thyrosis and the transition to a substitutive hormonal therapy with L-thyroxine in 6 months or more. The attainment of euthyroidism was seen as a partial effect due to a possibility of relapse. Results: in 6 months a positive result in the form of hypo-thyrosis was achieved for 39 patients in the main group, which accounted for 93%, and 3 patients (7%) experienced euthyroidism. No symptomatic thyrotoxicosis relapses were revealed. In the control group, hypo-thyrosis was achieved by 18 patients, which accounted for 72%; euthyroidism came up to 12%; 4 patients needed a refresher course of RIT, which made up 16% of the group. 93% of the main group patients tolerated the treatment favourably. 3 patients complained of the

Interactive Assembly Guide using Augmented Reality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Martin; Andersen, Rasmus Skovgaard; Larsen, Christian Lindequist

2009-01-01

This paper presents an Augmented Reality system for aiding a pump assembling process at Grundfos, one of the leading pump producers. Stable pose estimation of the pump is required in order to augment the graphics correctly. This is achieved by matching image edges with synthesized edges from CAD...... norm. A dynamic visualization of the augmented graphics provides the user with guidance. Usability tests show that the accuracy of the system is sufficient for assembling the pump....

Highly porous hydroxyapatite with and without local harvested bone in sinus floor augmentation: a histometric study in pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Möller, Björn; Acil, Yahya; Birkenfeld, Falk; Behrens, Eleonore; Terheyden, Hendrik; Wiltfang, Jörg

2014-07-01

Sinus floor augmentation with autologous bone is an accepted treatment option in dental implantology. In this study, an entirely synthetic, nano-structured, hydroxyapatite-based bone substitute material (SBSM, NanoBone(®); Artoss, Rostock, Germany) was supplemented with a mixture of locally harvested bone to enhance osteogenesis. Bilateral sinus augmentation procedures were performed in eight domestic pigs using the lateral window technique. On the right side (control), 2.6 ml of SBSM was used, and on the left side (test), 2.6 ml of SBSM with additional 15% (390 μl) autologous bone was used. At the time of augmentation, a titanium implant (ITI(®)) was inserted from a laterocaudal direction. After 3 months, the sites of augmentation were removed and examined in non-decalcified sections by microradiography and fluorescence microscopy of sequentially labelled specimens and histometry. On both sides, a significant amount of newly formed bone was observed. However, a statistically significant difference in the bone-implant contact was observed in the control group (median, 28.9%) compared with the test side with the additional autologous bone (median, 40.6%) (P = 0.01). Different bone density was achieved from the coronal to apical surfaces (medians, 54.6%, 9.6%, and 27.5%) compared with the test side (medians, 55.2%, 40.6%, and 44.2%). The median of augmentation height was 8.6 mm on the control side and 11.5 mm on the test side (P = 0.01). Bone apposition was observed in both groups after 15 days. The SBSM shows acceptable results in sinus floor augmentation. The additional use of locally harvested autologous bone enhances bone density and osseointegration of the implants. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Establishment of a dosimetric system for high doses using glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Correa Quezada, Valeria de la Asuncion

1997-01-01

A routine dosimetric system was developed using commercial glass samples. The dosimetric characteristics of national and imported samples were studied: batch uniformity, response repeatability, reutilization, absorbed dose response, detection range, response stability as a function of absorbed dose, storage temperature and thermal treatments pre- and post-irradiation, using the optical absorption technique. As an application, the dosimetric system was tested in a flower irradiation process at IPEN. All the obtained results show the usefulness of the proposed system for high dose dosimetry. (author)

Implementation of high-dose chemical dosimetry for industrial facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conceicao, Cirilo Cezar Sant'Anna da

2006-01-01

The purpose of this work is the implementation of methodology for high dose measurements using chemical dosimeters in liquid phase, traceable to the international metrology system, and make available in the country, the standard of high-dose to industrial irradiation facilities and research irradiators, trough the quality program with comparative measurements and direct use of the standard dosimeters in routine. The use of these low cost dosimetry systems in industrial irradiation facilities, assists to the certification requirements and it can reduce the costs with dosimetry for approximately 20% of the total dosimetry costs, using these systems in routine measurements and validation process, largely substituting the imported PMMA dosimeters, among others. (author)

Augmented reality for breast imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Rancati, Alberto; Angrigiani, Claudio; Nava, Maurizio B; Catanuto, Giuseppe; Rocco, Nicola; Ventrice, Fernando; Dorr, Julio

2018-02-21

Augmented reality (AR) enables the superimposition of virtual reality reconstructions onto clinical images of a real patient, in real time. This allows visualization of internal structures through overlying tissues, thereby providing a virtual transparency vision of surgical anatomy. AR has been applied to neurosurgery, which utilizes a relatively fixed space, frames, and bony references; the application of AR facilitates the relationship between virtual and real data. Augmented Breast imaging (ABI) is described. Breast MRI studies for breast implant patients with seroma were performed using a Siemens 3T system with a body coil and a four-channel bilateral phased-array breast coil as the transmitter and receiver, respectively. The contrast agent used was (CA) gadolinium (Gd) injection (0.1 mmol/kg at 2 ml/s) by a programmable power injector. Dicom formated images data from 10 MRI cases of breast implant seroma and 10 MRI cases with T1-2 N0 M0 breast cancer, were imported and transformed into Augmented reality images. Augmented breast imaging (ABI) demonstrated stereoscopic depth perception, focal point convergence, 3D cursor use, and joystick fly-through. Augmented breast imaging (ABI) to the breast can improve clinical outcomes, giving an enhanced view of the structures to work on. It should be further studied to determine its utility in clinical practice.

Applichation of the sulphate ceric dosimetric in the high doses range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prieto Miranda, F.

1991-01-01

The ceric-cerous dosimetric system is one of the system more employed in the high dose dosimetry. The spectrophotometric procedure to measure the ceric-concentration is an usual analityc method to determine the absorbed dose. On the other hand, due at increase employ of the irradiation process control. In this paper is realized the ceric-cerous dosimetric calibration in the dose range of 0,6 - 5 kGy and the application in the irradiation process control to differents absorbed dose values

Aspects of User Experience in Augmented Reality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Jacob Boesen

in human factors related to Augmented Reality. This is investigated partly as how Augmented Reality applications are used in unsupervised settings, and partly in specific evaluations related to user performance in supervised settings. The thesis starts by introducing Augmented Reality to the reader......, followed by a presentation of the technical areas related to the field, and different human factor areas. As a contribution to the research area, this thesis presents five separate, but sequential, papers within the area of Augmented Reality.......In Augmented Reality applications, the real environment is annotated or enhanced with computer-generated graphics. This is a topic that has been researched in the recent decades, but for many people this is a brand new and never heard of topic. The main focus of this thesis is investigations...

Absolute and relative dose measurements with Gafchromic trade mark sign EBT film for high energy electron beams with different doses per pulse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiandra, Christian; Ragona, Riccardo; Ricardi, Umberto; Anglesio, Silvia; Giglioli, Francesca Romana

2008-01-01

The authors have evaluated the accuracy, in absolute and relative dose measurements, of the Gafchromic trade mark sign EBT film in pulsed high-energy electron beams. Typically, the electron beams used in radiotherapy have a dose-per-pulse value of less than 0.1 mGy/pulse. However, very high dose-per-pulse electron beams are employed in certain linear accelerators dedicated to intraoperatory radiation therapy (IORT). In this study, the absorbed dose measurements with Gafchromic trade mark sign EBT in both low (less than 0.3 mGy per pulse) and high (30 and 70 mGy per pulse) dose-per-pulse electron beams were compared with ferrous sulfate chemical Fricke dosimetry (operated by the Italian Primary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory), a method independent of the dose per pulse. A summary of Gafchromic trade mark sign EBT in relative and absolute beam output determination is reported. This study demonstrates the independence of Gafchromic trade mark sign EBT absorption as a function of dose per pulse at different dose levels. A good agreement (within 3%) was found with Fricke dosimeters for plane-base IORT applicators. Comparison with a diode detector is presented for relative dose measurements, showing acceptable agreement both in the steep dose falloff zone and in the homogeneous dose region. This work also provides experimental values for recombination correction factor (K sat ) of a Roos (plane parallel) ionization chamber calculated on the basis of theoretical models for charge recombination.

High-speed radiation dose calculations for severe accidents using INDOS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davidson, G.R.; Godin-Jacqmin, L.J.; Raines, J.C.

1992-01-01

The computer code INDOS (in-plant dose) has been developed for the high-speed calculation of in-plant radiation dose rates and doses during and/or due to a severe accident at a nuclear power plant. This paper describes the current capabilities of the code and presents the results of calculations for several severe-accident scenarios. The INDOS code can be run either as a module of MAAP, a code widely used in the nuclear industry for simulating the response of a light water reactor system during severe accidents, or as a stand-alone code using output from an alternative companion code. INDOS calculates gamma dose rates and doses in major plant compartments caused by airborne and deposited fission products released during an accident. The fission product concentrations are determined by the companion code

A comparison of outcomes involving highly cohesive, form-stable breast implants from two manufacturers in patients undergoing primary breast augmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jewell, Mark L; Jewell, James L

2010-01-01

Although there have been reports of single-surgeon outcomes with highly cohesive, form-stable silicone gel implants in women undergoing primary breast augmentation, there has been only one study published that compares the outcomes between the Allergan 410 and the Mentor CPG devices. The goal of the study is to compare outcomes in each cohort and to determine if quality systems and processes would have an impact on lowering the surgical revision rate, as compared to published reports for round gel implants and form-stable implants. Patients selected for the study were required to meet predefined inclusion criteria and general indications for breast augmentation. All subjects were treated uniformly with extensive informed consent prior to surgery. The entire process of breast augmentation (patient assessment, informed consent, the surgical procedure itself and postoperative instructions) was identical between the two groups. Patients were not randomized, as the studies did not start at the same time. The process for management of each patient was based on adaptation of the Toyota Production System and Lean Manufacturing, with emphasis on achieving operational excellence in the use of planning templates for surgery, including accurate management of patient expectations regarding size outcome. Outcomes data included physical breast measurements, quality of life metrics, and patient/surgeon satisfaction assessment. Adverse events were compared against published data for breast implants. Follow-up ranged between 20-77 months (Allergan 410) and 16-77 months (Mentor CPG). The outcome data indicate that these devices produce natural-appearing breasts with extremely low aggregate reoperation rate (4.2%). Only 0.8% of the reoperations were attributable to surgeon-related factors. There were no reoperations to correct mismanaged size expectations during the course of each study. There were 13 pregnancies and no difficulties with lactation were reported. Rippling (lateral

The HART I augmented electric gun facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fikse, D.A.; Ciesar, J.A.; Wehrli, H.A.; Rimersma, H.; Docherty, E.F.; Pipich, C.W.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on an augmented electric gun system that has been commissioned. This system, called HART I (Hypervelocity Augmented Railgun Test), is built around a double augmented rail arrangement with a 1.27-cm square bore. It is powered by the SUVAC II 5.6-MJ distributed capacitor power supply. This arrangement allows operation in a simple, series augmented, or transaugmented gun system configuration. The objective of this facility is to perform materials research augmentation studies, and armature development in the 10-km/s regime. Armature masses of 2 to 4 g will be accelerated in a 4-m long barrel. Baseline bore materials will begin with conventional G9/GlidCop systems and then move into pyrolytic boron nitride/refractory materials. Hybrids, plasma, and ablation stabilized armature systems are planned. The gun system is instrumented with plasma and rail B probes for inbore velocity measurements. In addition, breech and muzzle voltages, currents, and external velocities are measured. The HART I system is currently performing hypervelocity experiments to verify the augmentation models

Augmented “Ouch!”. : How to create intersubjective augmented objects into which we can bump

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liberati, Nicola

2015-01-01

The aim of this work is to provide the elements to design an intersubjective augmented reality in order to make the augmented objects part of our everyday world. This work will analyse intersubjectivity from a phenomenological point of view using the works by Husserl and Schutz. Thanks to these two

A comparison of high-dose and low-dose tranexamic acid antifibrinolytic protocols for primary coronary artery bypass surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen M McHugh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Aims: Tranexamic acid (TA is used for prophylactic antifibrinolysis in coronary artery bypass surgeries to reduce bleeding. We evaluated the efficacy of two different doses of TA for prophylactic antifibrinolysis in patients undergoing primary coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG surgery in this retrospective cohort study at a tertiary care referral centre. Methods: One-hundred eighty-four patients who underwent primary CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB via sternotomy between January 2009 and June 2011 were evaluated. Pre-operative patient characteristics, intraoperative data, post-operative bleeding, transfusions, organ dysfunction and 30-day mortality were compared between high-dose TA (30 mg/kg loading dose followed by infusion of 15 mg/kg/h until the end of surgery along with 2 mg/kg priming dose in the bypass circuit and low-dose TA (15 mg/kg loading dose followed by infusion of 6 mg/kg/h until the end of surgery along with 1 mg/kg priming dose in the bypass circuit groups. Univariate comparative analysis of all categorical and continuous variables was performed between the two groups by appropriate statistical tests. Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to control for the effect of confounding on the outcome variables. Results: Chest tube output, perioperative transfusion of blood products and incidence of re-exploration for bleeding did not differ significantly (P> 0.05 between groups. Post-operative complications and 30-day mortality were comparable between the groups. The presence of cardiogenic shock and increased pre-operative creatinine were found to be associated with increased chest tube output on the post-operative day 2 by multivariable linear regression model. Conclusions: Low-dose TA protocol is as effective as high-dose protocol for antifibrinolysis in patients undergoing primary CABG with CPB.

Breast Augmentation

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1974-04-13

Apr 13, 1974 ... Complications encountered after breast augmentation are dealt with in .... in Phisohex or other suitable preparation for a few days before surgery ... In all cases, the prosthesis causes a fibrous tissue capsule to form around it.

Marketing and Augmented Reality

OpenAIRE

Zelený, Martin

2010-01-01

The main goal of this diploma thesis is to identify the usage of augmented reality in contemporary marketing practice and the expectations of marketers for the future use. This will be achieved by conducting a quantitative and qualitative research among existing creative and advertising companies. Secondary goal is introducing the concept of augmented reality from the theoretical point of view and also description of potential utilization based on known examples. The tools for the practical p...

Augmented reality and its practical application

OpenAIRE

ZÍTKOVÁ, Helena

2011-01-01

This thesis combines topic of augmented reality with tourism. For analyzing the state of the use of augmented reality was composed case studies. It was created product, which is called Guide to mobile phone.

Augmented Fotonovelas: A Visual Methodology for Community Engaged Research

OpenAIRE

Hidalgo, LeighAnna Grace

2014-01-01

Augmented Fotonovelas draw upon the aesthetic of traditional fotonovelas, but incorporate new technologies--such as video interviews, interactive mapping, smart phone technology, and Augmented Reality (AR). Augmented Fotonovelas also make the most of the classic form, utilizing photographs, text, and bubble captions. Through this methodology, new and old come together to produce Augmented Scholarship. I define Augmented Scholarship as knowledge production bridging the gap between communities ...

Salvage high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy for locally recurrent rectal cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pellizzon, Antonio Cassio Assis, E-mail: acapellizzon@hcancer.org.br [A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Departamento de Radioterapia

2016-05-15

For tumors of the lower third of the rectum, the only safe surgical procedure is abdominal-perineal resection. High-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy is a promising treatment for local recurrence of previously irradiated lower rectal cancer, due to the extremely high concentrated dose delivered to the tumor and the sparing of normal tissue, when compared with a course of external beam radiation therapy. (author)

Augmenting the Web through Open Hypermedia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bouvin, N.O.

2003-01-01

Based on an overview of Web augmentation and detailing the three basic approaches to extend the hypermedia functionality of the Web, the author presents a general open hypermedia framework (the Arakne framework) to augment the Web. The aim is to provide users with the ability to link, annotate, a......, and otherwise structure Web pages, as they see fit. The paper further discusses the possibilities of the concept through the description of various experiments performed with an implementation of the framework, the Arakne Environment......Based on an overview of Web augmentation and detailing the three basic approaches to extend the hypermedia functionality of the Web, the author presents a general open hypermedia framework (the Arakne framework) to augment the Web. The aim is to provide users with the ability to link, annotate...

Muzzle shunt augmentation of conventional railguns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parker, J.V.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on augmentation which is a technique for reducing the armature current and hence the armature power dissipation in a plasma armature railgun. In spite of the advantages, no large augmented railguns have been built, primarily due to the mechanical and electrical complexity introduced by the extra conductors required. it is possible to achieve some of the benefits of augmentation in a conventional railgun by diverting a fraction φ of the input current through a shunt path at the muzzle of the railgun. In particular, the relation between force and armature current is the same as that obtained in an n-turn, series-connected augmented railgun with n = 1/(1 - φ). The price of this simplification is a reduction in electrical efficiency and some additional complexity in the external electrical system

Effect of High-Dose vs Standard-Dose Wintertime Vitamin D Supplementation on Viral Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Young Healthy Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Aglipay, Mary; Birken, Catherine S; Parkin, Patricia C; Loeb, Mark B; Thorpe, Kevin; Chen, Yang; Laupacis, Andreas; Mamdani, Muhammad; Macarthur, Colin; Hoch, Jeffrey S; Mazzulli, Tony; Maguire, Jonathon L

2017-07-18

Epidemiological studies support a link between low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and a higher risk of viral upper respiratory tract infections. However, whether winter supplementation of vitamin D reduces the risk among children is unknown. To determine whether high-dose vs standard-dose vitamin D supplementation reduces the incidence of wintertime upper respiratory tract infections in young children. A randomized clinical trial was conducted during the winter months between September 13, 2011, and June 30, 2015, among children aged 1 through 5 years enrolled in TARGet Kids!, a multisite primary care practice-based research network in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Three hundred forty-nine participants were randomized to receive 2000 IU/d of vitamin D oral supplementation (high-dose group) vs 354 participants who were randomized to receive 400 IU/d (standard-dose group) for a minimum of 4 months between September and May. The primary outcome was the number of laboratory-confirmed viral upper respiratory tract infections based on parent-collected nasal swabs over the winter months. Secondary outcomes included the number of influenza infections, noninfluenza infections, parent-reported upper respiratory tract illnesses, time to first upper respiratory tract infection, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels at study termination. Among 703 participants who were randomized (mean age, 2.7 years, 57.7% boys), 699 (99.4%) completed the trial. The mean number of laboratory-confirmed upper respiratory tract infections per child was 1.05 (95% CI, 0.91-1.19) for the high-dose group and 1.03 (95% CI, 0.90-1.16) for the standard-dose group, for a between-group difference of 0.02 (95% CI, -0.17 to 0.21) per child. There was no statistically significant difference in number of laboratory-confirmed infections between groups (incidence rate ratio [RR], 0.97; 95% CI, 0.80-1.16). There was also no significant difference in the median time to the first laboratory-confirmed infection: 3.95 months

Detection of lung nodules with low-dose spiral CT: comparison with conventional dose CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Tianzhao; Tang Guangjian; Jiang Xuexiang

2004-01-01

Objective: To investigate the effect of reducing scan dose on the lung nodules detection rate by scanning a lung nodule model at low dose and conventional dose. Methods: The lung and the thoracic cage were simulated by using a cyst filled with water surrounded by a roll bandage. Flour, butter, and paraffin wax were mixed together by a certain ratio to simulate lung nodules of 10 mm and 5 mm in diameter with the CT values ranging from -10 to 50 HU. Conventional-dose scan (240 mA, 140 kV) and low-dose scan of three different levels (43 mA, 140 kV; 50 mA, 120 kV; 75 mA, 80 kV) together with three different pitches (1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) were performed. The images of the simulated nodules were combined with the CT images of a normal adult's upper, middle, and inferior lung. Three radiologists read the images and the number of the nodules they detected including both the real ones and the false-positive ones was calculated to investigate weather there was any difference among different doses, pitch groups, and different locations. Results: The detection rate of the 10 mm and 5 mm nodules was 100% and 89.6% respectively by the low-dose scan. There was no difference between low-dose and conventional-dose CT (χ 2 =0.6907, P>0.70). The detection rate of 5 mm nodules declined when large pitch was used. Conclusion: The detection rates of 10 mm and 5 mm nodules had no difference between low-dose CT and conventional-dose CT. As the pitch augmented, the detection rate for the nodules declined

Advances in Gingival Augmentation Techniques - A Literature Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiral Shah

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: In the current practice of periodontics, clinicians are faced with the challenge of not only addressing biological and functional problems present in the periodontium but also providing therapy that results in acceptable aesthetics. The presence of mucogingival problems and gingival recession around anterior, highly visible teeth exemplifies a situation in which a treatment modality that addresses both biological and aesthetic demands is required from the therapist. A variety of soft tissue augmentation procedures directed at root coverage have been documented in the literature utilizing autogenous or allogenic soft tissue grafting or guided tissue regeneration (GTR. The purpose of this review was to assess the effectiveness of newer materials in gingival augmentation procedures.

High dose rate brachytherapy for oral cancer.

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Yamazaki, Hideya; Yoshida, Ken; Yoshioka, Yasuo; Shimizutani, Kimishige; Furukawa, Souhei; Koizumi, Masahiko; Ogawa, Kazuhiko

2013-01-01

Brachytherapy results in better dose distribution compared with other treatments because of steep dose reduction in the surrounding normal tissues. Excellent local control rates and acceptable side effects have been demonstrated with brachytherapy as a sole treatment modality, a postoperative method, and a method of reirradiation. Low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy has been employed worldwide for its superior outcome. With the advent of technology, high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy has enabled health care providers to avoid radiation exposure. This therapy has been used for treating many types of cancer such as gynecological cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. However, LDR and pulsed-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapies have been mainstays for head and neck cancer. HDR brachytherapy has not become widely used in the radiotherapy community for treating head and neck cancer because of lack of experience and biological concerns. On the other hand, because HDR brachytherapy is less time-consuming, treatment can occasionally be administered on an outpatient basis. For the convenience and safety of patients and medical staff, HDR brachytherapy should be explored. To enhance the role of this therapy in treatment of head and neck lesions, we have reviewed its outcomes with oral cancer, including Phase I/II to Phase III studies, evaluating this technique in terms of safety and efficacy. In particular, our studies have shown that superficial tumors can be treated using a non-invasive mold technique on an outpatient basis without adverse reactions. The next generation of image-guided brachytherapy using HDR has been discussed. In conclusion, although concrete evidence is yet to be produced with a sophisticated study in a reproducible manner, HDR brachytherapy remains an important option for treatment of oral cancer.

Low dose versus high dose anti-snake venom therapy in the treatment of haematotoxic snake bite in South India.

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Joseph, Imanto M; Kuriakose, Cijoy K; Dev, Anand Vimal; Philip, George A

2017-10-01

Most of the studies on the appropriate dose of anti-snake venom (ASV) are from tertiary hospitals and the guidelines are unclear. Our observational study compared the outcomes of two prevalent treatment regimes for haematotoxic snake bite in a secondary care hospital in South India. The time to normalisation of whole blood clotting time, mortality and complications were not different between the groups. The average dose of ASV required in the low and high dose groups were 106 mL and 246 mL, respectively. Consequently, patients who received low dose ASV incurred approximately 50% less expense. Urticarial rashes were also significantly fewer in the low dose group.

Characterization of Radiation Hardened Bipolar Linear Devices for High Total Dose Missions

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McClure, Steven S.; Harris, Richard D.; Rax, Bernard G.; Thorbourn, Dennis O.

2012-01-01

Radiation hardened linear devices are characterized for performance in combined total dose and displacement damage environments for a mission scenario with a high radiation level. Performance at low and high dose rate for both biased and unbiased conditions is compared and the impact to hardness assurance methodology is discussed.

Brachytherapy for early oral tongue cancer. Low dose rate to high dose rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamazaki, Hideya; Inoue, Takehiro; Yoshida, Ken; Yoshioka, Yasuo; Shimizutani, Kimishige; Inoue, Toshihiko; Furukawa, Souhei; Kakimoto, Naoya

2003-01-01

To examine the compatibility of low dose rate (LDR) with high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, we reviewed 399 patients with early oral tongue cancer (T1-2N0M0) treated solely by brachytherapy at Osaka University Hospital between 1967 and 1999. For patients in the LDR group (n=341), the treatment sources consisted of Ir-192 pin for 227 patients (1973-1996; irradiated dose, 61-85 Gy; median, 70 Gy), Ra-226 needle for 113 patients (1967-1986; 55-93 Gy; median, 70 Gy). Ra-226 and Ir-192 were combined for one patient. Ir-192 HDR (microSelectron-HDR) was used for 58 patients in the HDR group (1991-present; 48-60 Gy; median, 60 Gy). LDR implantations were performed via oral and HDR via a submental/submandibular approach. The dose rates at the reference point for the LDR group were 0.30 to 0.8 Gy/h, and for the HDR group 1.0 to 3.4 Gy/min. The patients in the HDR group received a total dose of 48-60 Gy (8-10 fractions) during one week. Two fractions were administered per day (at least a 6-h interval). The 3- and 5-year local control rates for patients in the LDR group were 85% and 80%, respectively, and those in the HDR group were both 84%. HDR brachytherapy showed the same lymph-node control rate as did LDR brachytherapy (67% at 5 years). HDR brachytherapy achieved the same locoregional result as did LDR brachytherapy. A converting factor of 0.86 is applicable for HDR in the treatment of early oral tongue cancer. (author)

Radiation shielding and dose rate distribution for the building of the high dose rate accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuda, Koji; Takagaki, Torao; Nakase, Yoshiaki; Nakai, Yohta.

1984-03-01

A high dose rate electron accelerator was established at Osaka Laboratory for Radiation Chemistry, Takasaki Establishment, JAERI in the fiscal year of 1975. This report shows the fundamental concept for the radiation shielding of the accelerator building and the results of their calculations which were evaluated through the model experiments. After the construction of the building, the leak radiation was measured in order to evaluate the calculating method of radiation shielding. Dose rate distribution of X-rays was also measured in the whole area of the irradiation room as a data base. (author)

Can we avoid high levels of dose escalation for high-risk prostate cancer in the setting of androgen deprivation?

Science.gov (United States)

Shakespeare, Thomas P; Wilcox, Shea W; Aherne, Noel J

2016-01-01

Both dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy (DE-EBRT) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) improve outcomes in patients with high-risk prostate cancer. However, there is little evidence specifically evaluating DE-EBRT for patients with high-risk prostate cancer receiving ADT, particularly for EBRT doses >74 Gy. We aimed to determine whether DE-EBRT >74 Gy improves outcomes for patients with high-risk prostate cancer receiving long-term ADT. Patients with high-risk prostate cancer were treated on an institutional protocol prescribing 3-6 months neoadjuvant ADT and DE-EBRT, followed by 2 years of adjuvant ADT. Between 2006 and 2012, EBRT doses were escalated from 74 Gy to 76 Gy and then to 78 Gy. We interrogated our electronic medical record to identify these patients and analyzed our results by comparing dose levels. In all, 479 patients were treated with a 68-month median follow-up. The 5-year biochemical disease-free survivals for the 74 Gy, 76 Gy, and 78 Gy groups were 87.8%, 86.9%, and 91.6%, respectively. The metastasis-free survivals were 95.5%, 94.5%, and 93.9%, respectively, and the prostate cancer-specific survivals were 100%, 94.4%, and 98.1%, respectively. Dose escalation had no impact on any outcome in either univariate or multivariate analysis. There was no benefit of DE-EBRT >74 Gy in our cohort of high-risk prostate patients treated with long-term ADT. As dose escalation has higher risks of radiotherapy-induced toxicity, it may be feasible to omit dose escalation beyond 74 Gy in this group of patients. Randomized studies evaluating dose escalation for high-risk patients receiving ADT should be considered.

Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 in augmentation procedures: case reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Luiz, Jaques; Padovan, Luis Eduardo Marques; Claudino, Marcela

2014-01-01

To successfully rehabilitate edentulous patients using endosseous implants, there must be enough available bone. Several techniques have been proposed for augmentation of sites with insufficient bone volume. Although autogenous bone has long been considered the gold standard for such procedures, the limited availability of graft material and a high morbidity rate are potential disadvantages of this type of graft. An alternative is to use recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2), which is able to support bone regeneration in the oral environment. These cases demonstrate the applicability of rhBMP-2 in maxillary sinus elevation and augmentation procedures in the maxilla to enable dental implant placement. The use of rhBMP-2 in alveolar augmentation procedures had several clinical benefits for these patients.

Augmented Reality Comes to Physics

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Buesing, Mark; Cook, Michael

2013-01-01

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology used on computing devices where processor-generated graphics are rendered over real objects to enhance the sensory experience in real time. In other words, what you are really seeing is augmented by the computer. Many AR games already exist for systems such as Kinect and Nintendo 3DS and mobile apps, such as…

Interaction of 2-Gy Equivalent Dose and Margin Status in Perioperative High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez-Monge, Rafael; Cambeiro, Mauricio; Moreno, Marta; Gaztanaga, Miren; San Julian, Mikel; Alcalde, Juan; Jurado, Matias

2011-01-01

Purpose: To determine patient, tumor, and treatment factors predictive of local control (LC) in a series of patients treated with either perioperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy (PHDRB) alone (Group 1) or with PHDRB combined with external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) (Group 2). Patient and Methods: Patients (n = 312) enrolled in several PHDRB prospective Phase I-II studies conducted at the Clinica Universidad de Navarra were analyzed. Treatment with PHDRB alone, mainly because of prior irradiation, was used in 126 patients to total doses of 32 Gy/8 b.i.d. or 40 Gy/10 b.i.d. treatments after R0 or R1 resections. Treatment with PHDRB plus EBRT was used in 186 patients to total doses of 16 Gy/4 b.i.d. or 24 Gy/6 b.i.d. treatments after R0 or R1 resections along with 45 Gy of EBRT with or without concomitant chemotherapy. Results: No dose-margin interaction was observed in Group 1 patients. In Group 2 patients there was a significant interaction between margin status and 2-Gy equivalent (Eq2Gy) dose (p = 0.002): (1) patients with negative margins had 9-year LC of 95.7% at Eq2Gy = 62.9Gy; (2) patients with close margins of >1 mm had 9-year LC of 92.4% at Eq2Gy = 72.2Gy, and (3) patients with positive/close <1-mm margins had 9-year LC of 68.0% at Eq2Gy = 72.2Gy. Conclusions: Two-gray equivalent doses ≥70 Gy may compensate the effect of close margins ≥1 mm but do not counterbalance the detrimental effect of unfavorable (positive/close <1 mm) resection margins. No dose-margin interaction is observed in patients treated at lower Eq2Gy doses ≤50 Gy with PHDRB alone.

Efficacy and Tolerability of High-Dose Escitalopram in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Wei; Gevonden, Martin; Shalev, Arieh

2017-02-01

Open-label trials suggest that escitalopram (up to 20 mg/d) is an effective treatment for some, but not all posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients. Higher doses of escitalopram effectively reduced major depression symptoms in patients who had not responded to regular doses. The current study examines the efficacy, tolerability, and adherence to high-dose escitalopram in PTSD. Forty-five PTSD patients received 12 weeks of gradually increasing doses of escitalopram reaching 40 mg daily at 4 weeks. Among those, 12 participants received regular doses of antidepressants at study onset including escitalopram (n = 7). The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) evaluated PTSD symptoms severity before treatment, at 3 months (upon treatment termination), and at 6 months (maintenance effect). A 20% reduction in CAPS scores was deemed clinically significant. Adverse events and medication adherence were monitored at each clinical session. Linear mixed-models analysis showed a significant reduction of mean CAPS scores (11.5 ± 18.1 points) at 3 months and maintenance of gains by 6 months (F2,34.56 = 8.15, P = 0.001). Eleven participants (34.3%) showed clinically significant improvement at 3 months. Only 9 participants (20%) left the study. There were no serious adverse events and few mild ones with only 2 adverse events (diarrhea, 11.1%; drowsiness, 11.1%) reported by more than 10% of participants. High doses of escitalopram are tolerable and well adhered to in PTSD. Their beneficial effect at a group level is due to a particularly good response in a subset of patients.Variability in prior pharmacological treatment precludes a definite attribution of the results to high doses of escitalopram.

The usefulness of metal markers for CTV-based dose prescription in high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Ken; Mitomo, Masanori; Nose, Takayuki; Koizumi, Masahiko; Nishiyama, Kinji; Yoshida, Mineo

2002-01-01

We employ a clinical target volume (CTV)-based dose prescription for high-dose-rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy. However, it is not easy to define CTV and organs at risk (OAR) from X-ray film or CT scanning. To solve this problem, we have utilized metal markers since October 1999. Moreover, metal markers can help modify dose prescription. By regulating the doses to the metal markers, refining the dose prescription can easily be achieved. In this research, we investigated the usefulness of the metal markers. Between October 1999 and May 2001, 51 patients were implanted with metal markers at Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases (OMCC), Osaka National Hospital (ONH) and Sanda City Hospital (SCH). Forty-nine patients (head and neck: 32; pelvis: 11; soft tissue: 3; breast: 3) using metal markers were analyzed. During operation, we implanted 179 metal markers (49 patients) to CTV and 151 markers (26 patients) to OAR. At treatment planning, CTV was reconstructed judging from the metal markers, applicator position and operation records. Generally, we prescribed the tumoricidal dose to an isodose surface that covers CTV. We also planned to limit the doses to OAR lower than certain levels. The maximum normal tissue doses were decided 80%, 150%, 100%, 50% and 200% of the prescribed doses for the rectum, the urethra, the mandible, the skin and the large vessel, respectively. The doses to the metal markers using CTV-based dose prescription were generated. These were compared with the doses theoretically calculated with the Paris system. Treatment results were also investigated. The doses to the 158 metal markers (42 patients) for CTV were higher than ''tumoricidal dose''. In 7 patients, as a result of compromised dose prescription, 9 markers were lower than the tumoricidal dose. The other 12 markers (7%) were excluded from dose evaluation because they were judged as miss-implanted. The doses to the 142 metal markers (24 patients) for OAR were lower

Neutron dose to patients treated with high-energy medical accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGinley, P.H.

2001-01-01

The neutron dose equivalent received by patients treated with high energy x-ray beams was measured in this research. A total of 13 different medical accelerators were evaluated in terms of the neutron dose equivalent in the patient plane and at the beam center. The neutron dose equivalent at the beam center was found to ranged from 0.02 to 9.4 mSv per Sv of x-ray dose and values from 0.029 to 2.58 mSv per Sv of x-ray were measured in the patient plane. It was concluded that the neutron levels meet the International Electrotechnical Commission standard for the patient plane. It was also concluded that when intensity modulated radiation treatment is conducted the neutron dose equivalent received by the patient will increase by a factor of 2 to 10. (author)

Study of a new glass matrix by thermoluminescent technique for high-dose dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferreira, Pamela Z.; Carvalho, Gabriel S. Marchiori de; Cunha, Diego M. da; Dantas, Noelio O.; Silva, Anielle C.A.; Neves, Lucio P.; Perini, Ana P., E-mail: anapaula.perini@ufu.br [Universidade Federal de Uberlandia (UFU), MG (Brazil). Instituto de Fisica; Linda, V.E. Caldas [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Carrera, Betzabel N.S.; Watanabe, Shigueo [Universidade de Sao Paulo (IF/USP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Instituto de Fisica

2016-07-01

The thermoluminescence technique is widely used for both personal and for high-dose dosimetry. In this work, the thermoluminescence technique was utilized to study a new glass matrix, with nominal composition of 20Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3}.10Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}.30BaO.40B{sub 2}O{sub 3} (mol%), irradiated with different doses in a {sup 60}Co source. The glow curves and the dose-response curve were obtained for radiation doses of 10, 50, 100, 200 e 700 Gy. The results showed that this new glass matrix has potential use in high-dose dosimetry. (author)

Erythemal and therapeutic response of psoriasis to PUVA using high-dose UVA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Speight, E.L.; Farr, P.M.

1994-01-01

In PUVA treatment of psoriasis, clinical observation suggests that uninvolved skin is more susceptible to PUVA erythema than lesions of psoriasis. If this is the case, then the efficacy of PUVA treatment might be increased by using localized high-dose UVA restricted to lesional skin. We have therefore studied the erythemal and therapeutic response of psoriasis to PUVA using high-dose UVA and, for comparison, the erythemal response to UVB. This study demonstrates that psoriasis may clear rapidly, without burning, using high-dose UVA. Availability of a suitable irradiation apparatus would allow rapid and effective PUVA treatment to be used for localized, resistant disease. (author)

Treatment of carcinoma of uterine cervix with high-dose-rate intracavitary irradiation using Ralstron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, C.O.; Kim, G.E.; Loh, J.J.K.

1988-01-01

From May 1979 through December 1981, a total of 530 patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix were treated with radiation therapy with curative intent. Of the 530 patients, 365 were treated with a high-dose-rate remote-controlled afterloading system (RALS) using a cobalt source, and 165 patients received a low dose rate using a radium source. External pelvic irradiation with a total of 40-50 Gy to the whole pelvis followed by intracavitary radiation (ICR) with a total dose of 30-39 Gy in ten to 13 fractions to point A was the treatment protocol. ICR was given three times a week with a dose of 3 Gy per fraction. Five-year actuarial survival rate with high-dose-rate ICR by stage was as follows: stage I:82.7% (N = 19) stage II:69.6% (N = 184), and stage III:52.2% (N = 156). The above results were comparable with those with conventional low-dose-rate ICR treatment, and late complications were far less. The application of high-dose-rate ICR was technically simple and easily performed on an outpatient basis without anesthesia, and the patients tolerated it very well. Radiation exposure to personnel was virtually none as compared with that of low-dose-rate ICR. Within a given period of time, more patients can be treated with high-dose-rate ICR because of the short treatment time. The authors therefore conclude that high-dose-rate ICR is suitable for a cancer center where a large number of patients are to be treated

Ion exchange resins as high-dose radiation dosimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alian, A.; Dessouki, A.; El-Assay, N.B.

1984-01-01

This paper reports on the possibility of using various types of ion exchange resins as high-dose radiation dosimeters, by analysis of the decrease in exchange capacity with absorbed dose. The resins studied are Sojuzchim-export-Moscow Cation Exchanger KU-2 and Anion Exchanger AV-17 and Merck Cation Exchanger I, and Merck Anion Exchangers II and III. Over the dose range 1 to 100 kGy, the systems show linearity between log absorbed dose and decrease in resin ion exchange capacity. The slope of this response function differs for the different resins, depending on their ionic form and degree of cross-linking. The radiation sensitivity increases in the order KU-2; Exchanger I; AV-17; Exchanger II; Exchanger III. Merck resins with moisture content of 21% showed considerably higher radiation sensitivity than those with 2 to 3% moisture content. The mechanism of radiation-induced denaturing of the ion exchanger resins involves cleavage and decomposition of functional substituents, with crosslinking playing a stabilizing role, with water and its radiolytic products serving to inhibit radical recombination and interfering with the protection cage effect of crosslinking. (author)

Can we avoid high levels of dose escalation for high-risk prostate cancer in the setting of androgen deprivation?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shakespeare TP

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Thomas P Shakespeare,1,2 Shea W Wilcox,1 Noel J Aherne1,2 1Department of Radiation Oncology, North Coast Cancer Institute, 2Rural Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia Aim: Both dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy (DE-EBRT and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT improve outcomes in patients with high-risk prostate cancer. However, there is little evidence specifically evaluating DE-EBRT for patients with high-risk prostate cancer receiving ADT, particularly for EBRT doses >74 Gy. We aimed to determine whether DE-EBRT >74 Gy improves outcomes for patients with high-risk prostate cancer receiving long-term ADT. Patients and methods: Patients with high-risk prostate cancer were treated on an institutional protocol prescribing 3–6 months neoadjuvant ADT and DE-EBRT, followed by 2 years of adjuvant ADT. Between 2006 and 2012, EBRT doses were escalated from 74 Gy to 76 Gy and then to 78 Gy. We interrogated our electronic medical record to identify these patients and analyzed our results by comparing dose levels. Results: In all, 479 patients were treated with a 68-month median follow-up. The 5-year biochemical disease-free survivals for the 74 Gy, 76 Gy, and 78 Gy groups were 87.8%, 86.9%, and 91.6%, respectively. The metastasis-free survivals were 95.5%, 94.5%, and 93.9%, respectively, and the prostate cancer-specific survivals were 100%, 94.4%, and 98.1%, respectively. Dose escalation had no impact on any outcome in either univariate or multivariate analysis. Conclusion: There was no benefit of DE-EBRT >74 Gy in our cohort of high-risk prostate patients treated with long-term ADT. As dose escalation has higher risks of radiotherapy-induced toxicity, it may be feasible to omit dose escalation beyond 74 Gy in this group of patients. Randomized studies evaluating dose escalation for high-risk patients receiving ADT should be considered. Keywords: radiotherapy, IMRT, dose

High-Dose Versus Low-Dose Pitavastatin in Japanese Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease (REAL-CAD): A Randomized Superiority Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Taguchi, Isao; Iimuro, Satoshi; Iwata, Hiroshi; Takashima, Hiroaki; Abe, Mitsuru; Amiya, Eisuke; Ogawa, Takanori; Ozaki, Yukio; Sakuma, Ichiro; Nakagawa, Yoshihisa; Hibi, Kiyoshi; Hiro, Takafumi; Fukumoto, Yoshihiro; Hokimoto, Seiji; Miyauchi, Katsumi; Yamazaki, Tsutomu; Ito, Hiroshi; Otsuji, Yutaka; Kimura, Kazuo; Takahashi, Jun; Hirayama, Atsushi; Yokoi, Hiroyoshi; Kitagawa, Kazuo; Urabe, Takao; Okada, Yasushi; Terayama, Yasuo; Toyoda, Kazunori; Nagao, Takehiko; Matsumoto, Masayasu; Ohashi, Yasuo; Kaneko, Tetsuji; Fujita, Retsu; Ohtsu, Hiroshi; Ogawa, Hisao; Daida, Hiroyuki; Shimokawa, Hiroaki; Saito, Yasushi; Kimura, Takeshi; Inoue, Teruo; Matsuzaki, Masunori; Nagai, Ryozo

2018-05-08

Current guidelines call for high-intensity statin therapy in patients with cardiovascular disease on the basis of several previous "more versus less statins" trials. However, no clear evidence for more versus less statins has been established in an Asian population. In this prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label, blinded end point study, 13 054 Japanese patients with stable coronary artery disease who achieved low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) fashion to high-dose (pitavastatin 4 mg/d; n=6526) or low-dose (pitavastatin 1 mg/d; n=6528) statin therapy. The primary end point was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal ischemic stroke, or unstable angina requiring emergency hospitalization. The secondary composite end point was a composite of the primary end point and clinically indicated coronary revascularization excluding target-lesion revascularization at sites of prior percutaneous coronary intervention. The mean age of the study population was 68 years, and 83% were male. The mean LDL-C level before enrollment was 93 mg/dL with 91% of patients taking statins. The baseline LDL-C level after the run-in period on pitavastatin 1 mg/d was 87.7 and 88.1 mg/dL in the high-dose and low-dose groups, respectively. During the entire course of follow-up, LDL-C in the high-dose group was lower by 14.7 mg/dL than in the low-dose group ( P Japanese patients with stable coronary artery disease. URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01042730. © 2018 The Authors.

Acute cognitive effects of high doses of dextromethorphan relative to triazolam in humans

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Lawrence P.; Reissig, Chad J.; Johnson, Matthew W.; Klinedinst, Margaret A.; Griffiths, Roland R.

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND Although concerns surrounding high-dose dextromethorphan (DXM) abuse have recently increased, few studies have examined the acute cognitive effects of high doses of DXM. The aim of this study was to compare the cognitive effects of DXM with those of triazolam and placebo. METHODS Single, acute, oral doses of DXM (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800 mg/70 kg), triazolam (0.25, 0.5 mg /70 kg), and placebo were administered p.o. to twelve healthy volunteers with histories of hallucinogen use, under double-blind conditions, using an ascending dose run-up design. Effects on cognitive performance were examined at baseline and after drug administration for up to 6 hours. RESULTS Both triazolam and DXM produced acute impairments in attention, working memory, episodic memory, and metacognition. Impairments observed following doses of 100-300 mg/70 kg DXM were generally smaller in magnitude than those observed after 0.5 mg/70 kg triazolam. Doses of DXM that impaired performance to the same extent as triazolam were in excess of 10-30 times the therapeutic dose of DXM. CONCLUSION The magnitude of the doses required for these effects and the absence of effects on some tasks within the 100-300 mg/70 kg dose range of DXM, speak to the relatively broad therapeutic window of over-the-counter DXM preparations when used appropriately. However, the administration of supratherapeutic doses of DXM resulted in acute cognitive impairments on all tasks that were examined. These findings are likely relevant to cases of high-dose DXM abuse. PMID:22989498

Dose specification for 192Ir high dose rate brachytherapy in terms of dose-to-water-in-medium and dose-to-medium-in-medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonseca, Gabriel Paiva; Yoriyaz, Hélio; Tedgren, Åsa Carlsson; Nilsson, Josef; Persson, Maria; Reniers, Brigitte; Verhaegen, Frank

2015-01-01

Dose calculation in high dose rate brachytherapy with 192 Ir is usually based on the TG-43U1 protocol where all media are considered to be water. Several dose calculation algorithms have been developed that are capable of handling heterogeneities with two possibilities to report dose: dose-to-medium-in-medium (D m,m ) and dose-to-water-in-medium (D w,m ). The relation between D m,m and D w,m for 192 Ir is the main goal of this study, in particular the dependence of D w,m on the dose calculation approach using either large cavity theory (LCT) or small cavity theory (SCT). A head and neck case was selected due to the presence of media with a large range of atomic numbers relevant to tissues and mass densities such as air, soft tissues and bone interfaces. This case was simulated using a Monte Carlo (MC) code to score: D m,m, D w,m (LCT), mean photon energy and photon fluence. D w,m (SCT) was derived from MC simulations using the ratio between the unrestricted collisional stopping power of the actual medium and water. Differences between D m,m and D w,m (SCT or LCT) can be negligible (<1%) for some tissues e.g. muscle and significant for other tissues with differences of up to 14% for bone. Using SCT or LCT approaches leads to differences between D w,m (SCT) and D w,m (LCT) up to 29% for bone and 36% for teeth. The mean photon energy distribution ranges from 222 keV up to 356 keV. However, results obtained using mean photon energies are not equivalent to the ones obtained using the full, local photon spectrum. This work concludes that it is essential that brachytherapy studies clearly report the dose quantity. It further shows that while differences between D m,m and D w,m (SCT) mainly depend on tissue type, differences between D m,m and D w,m (LCT) are, in addition, significantly dependent on the local photon energy fluence spectrum which varies with distance to implanted sources. (paper)

Rectal dose assessment in patients submitted to high-dose-rate brachytherapy for uterine cervix cancer; Avaliacao da dose no reto em pacientes submetidas a braquiterapia de alta taxa de dose para o tratamento do cancer do colo uterino

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, Jetro Pereira de [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Faculdade de Medicina; Rosa, Luiz Antonio Ribeiro da [Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria (IRD/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)], e-mail: lrosa@ird.gov.br; Batista, Delano Valdivino Santos; Bardella, Lucia Helena [Instituto Nacional de Cancer (INCA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Unit of Medical Physics; Carvalho, Arnaldo Rangel [Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria (IRD/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Lab. of Thermoluminescent Dosimetry

2009-03-15

Objective: The present study was aimed at developing a thermoluminescent dosimetric system capable of assessing the doses delivered to the rectum of patients submitted to high-dose-rate brachytherapy for uterine cervix cancer. Materials and methods: LiF:Mg,Ti,Na powder was the thermoluminescent material utilized for evaluating the rectal dose. The powder was divided into small portions (34 mg) which were accommodated in a capillary tube. This tube was placed into a rectal probe that was introduced into the patient's rectum. Results: The doses delivered to the rectum of six patients submitted to high-dose-rate brachytherapy for uterine cervix cancer evaluated by means of thermoluminescent dosimeters presented a good agreement with the planned values based on two orthogonal (anteroposterior and lateral) radiographic images of the patients. Conclusion: The thermoluminescent dosimetric system developed in the present study is simple and easy to be utilized as compared to other rectal dosimetry methods. The system has shown to be effective in the evaluation of rectal doses in patients submitted to high-dose-rate brachytherapy for uterine cervix cancer. (author)

High dose therapy with autologous stem cell support in malignant disorders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holte, H.; Kvaloey, S.O.; Engan, T.

1996-01-01

New biomedical knowledge may improve the diagnostic procedures and treatment provided by the Health Services, but at additional cost. In a social democratic health care system, the hospital budgets have no room for expensive, new procedures or treatments, unless these are funded through extra allocation from the central authorities. High dose therapy with autologous stem cell support in malignant disorders is an example of a new and promising, but rather expensive treatment, but its role in cancer therapy has yet to be established. The indications for testing high dose therapy with autologous stem cell support in various malignancies are discussed, with emphasis on the principles for deciding which categories of disease should have priority. The authors suggest some malignant disorder for which high dose therapy with stem cell support should be explored versus conventional treatment in randomized prospective trials. 8 refs., 1 tab

High dose rate brachytherapy for oral cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamazaki, Hideya; Yoshida, Ken; Yoshioka, Yasuo; Shimizutani, Kimishige; Koizumi, Masahiko; Ogawa, Kazuhiko; Furukawa, Souhei

2013-01-01

Brachytherapy results in better dose distribution compared with other treatments because of steep dose reduction in the surrounding normal tissues. Excellent local control rates and acceptable side effects have been demonstrated with brachytherapy as a sole treatment modality, a postoperative method, and a method of reirradiation. Low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy has been employed worldwide for its superior outcome. With the advent of technology, high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy has enabled health care providers to avoid radiation exposure. This therapy has been used for treating many types of cancer such as gynecological cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. However, LDR and pulsed-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapies have been mainstays for head and neck cancer. HDR brachytherapy has not become widely used in the radiotherapy community for treating head and neck cancer because of lack of experience and biological concerns. On the other hand, because HDR brachytherapy is less time-consuming, treatment can occasionally be administered on an outpatient basis. For the convenience and safety of patients and medical staff, HDR brachytherapy should be explored. To enhance the role of this therapy in treatment of head and neck lesions, we have reviewed its outcomes with oral cancer, including Phase I/II to Phase III studies, evaluating this technique in terms of safety and efficacy. In particular, our studies have shown that superficial tumors can be treated using a non-invasive mold technique on an outpatient basis without adverse reactions. The next generation of image-guided brachytherapy using HDR has been discussed. In conclusion, although concrete evidence is yet to be produced with a sophisticated study in a reproducible manner, HDR brachytherapy remains an important option for treatment of oral cancer. (author)

Optimizing the Use of Aripiprazole Augmentation in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: From Clinical Trials to Clinical Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Changsu; Wang, Sheng-Min; Lee, Soo-Jung; Jun, Tae-Youn

2015-01-01

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a recurrent, chronic, and devastating disorder leading to serious impairment in functional capacity as well as increasing public health care costs. In the previous decade, switching therapy and dose adjustment of ongoing antidepressants was the most frequently chosen subsequent treatment option for MDD. However, such recommendations were not based on firmly proven efficacy data from well-designed, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) but on practical grounds and clinical reasoning. Aripiprazole augmentation has been dramatically increasing in clinical practice owing to its unique action mechanisms as well as proven efficacy and safety from adequately powered and well-controlled RCTs. Despite the increased use of aripiprazole in depression, limited clinical information and knowledge interfere with proper and efficient use of aripiprazole augmentation for MDD. The objective of the present review was to enhance clinicians' current understanding of aripiprazole augmentation and how to optimize the use of this therapy in the treatment of MDD. PMID:26306301

Augmented reality som wearable

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buhl, Mie; Rahn, Annette

2015-01-01

Artiklen omhandler design og implementering af Augmented Reality (AR) i form af en wearable i sygeplejerskeuddannelsens anatomiundervisning, mere specifikt undervisning i lungeanatomi og respiration, med fokus på potentialer for visuel læring. Projektet undersøger, hvordan en udviklet AR-applikat......Artiklen omhandler design og implementering af Augmented Reality (AR) i form af en wearable i sygeplejerskeuddannelsens anatomiundervisning, mere specifikt undervisning i lungeanatomi og respiration, med fokus på potentialer for visuel læring. Projektet undersøger, hvordan en udviklet AR...

Prevention of incipient diabetic nephropathy by high-dose thiamine and benfotiamine.

Science.gov (United States)

Babaei-Jadidi, Roya; Karachalias, Nikolaos; Ahmed, Naila; Battah, Sinan; Thornalley, Paul J

2003-08-01

Accumulation of triosephosphates arising from high cytosolic glucose concentrations in hyperglycemia is the trigger for biochemical dysfunction leading to the development of diabetic nephropathy-a common complication of diabetes associated with a high risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Here we report that stimulation of the reductive pentosephosphate pathway by high-dose therapy with thiamine and the thiamine monophosphate derivative benfotiamine countered the accumulation of triosephosphates in experimental diabetes and inhibited the development of incipient nephropathy. High-dose thiamine and benfotiamine therapy increased transketolase expression in renal glomeruli, increased the conversion of triosephosphates to ribose-5-phosphate, and strongly inhibited the development of microalbuminuria. This was associated with decreased activation of protein kinase C and decreased protein glycation and oxidative stress-three major pathways of biochemical dysfunction in hyperglycemia. Benfotiamine also inhibited diabetes-induced hyperfiltration. This was achieved without change in elevated plasma glucose concentration and glycated hemoglobin in the diabetic state. High-dose thiamine and benfotiamine therapy is a potential novel strategy for the prevention of clinical diabetic nephropathy.

Dose characteristics of high-energy electrons, muons and photons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Britvich, G.I.; Krupnyj, G.I.; Peleshko, V.N.; Rastsvetalov, Ya.N.

1980-01-01

Differential distribution of energy release at different depth of tissue-equivalent phantoms (plexiglas, polystyrene, polyethylene) at the energy of incident electrons, muons of 0.2-40 GeV and photons with the mean energy of 3.6 GeV are measured. The error of experimental results does not exceed 7%. On the basis of the data obtained dose characteristics of electrons, muons and photons for standard geometry are estimated. For all types of irradiation the maximum value of specific equivalent dose, nremxcm 2 /part. is presented. It is shown that published values of specific equivalent dose of electron radiation are higher in all the investigated energy range from 0.2 to 40 GeV, and for muon radiation a good agreement with the present experiment is observed. The highly precise results obtained which cover the wide dynamic range according to the energy of incident particles can serve as the basis for reconsidering the existing recommendations for dose characteristics of electron radiation [ru

Comparison of fixed low dose versus high dose radioactive iodine for the treatment of hyperthyroidism: retrospective multifactorial analysis impacting the outcome of therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suresh Kumar, A.C.; Malhotra, G.; Basu, S.; Asopa, R.V.

2010-01-01

Full text: Radioactive iodine ( 131 I) as a fixed dose protocol is widely used for treatment of hyperthyroidism. However, there is no consensus on the best optimum dose for an individual patient. The objectives of this study were to observe the outcome of 131 I therapy in patients of primary hyperthyroidism in relation to fixed low dose versus high dose regimen, impact of antithyroid drugs and influence of thyroid gland size on therapy outcome. Materials and Methods: Study design: Retrospective analysis. Study group included 287 diagnosed patients of primary hyperthyroidism who had undergone 131 I therapy for the first time (68 M, 219 F; Mean age ± S.D.: 43.84 ± 12.53). All patients with low RAIU, thyrocardiac disease were excluded. Details of antithyroid (ATD) drug treatment were recorded. Analysis was done from 2002 till patients became euthyroid/hypothyroid or until January 2010. Each patient's response was evaluated initially at 6 weeks and thereafter every three months. Appropriate statistical tests were applied to compare treatment response between the groups. A P value<0.05 was considered significant. Results: Of 287 patients, 209 patients had been administered low dose (Mean ± S.D.: 4.68 ± 0.62 mCi) while 78 patients had received high dose (Mean ± S.D.: 9.15 ± 1.05 mCi) of radioiodine. 57.9% (121/ 209) patients in the low dose group responded as compared to 75.6% (59/78) in high dose group after a follow up of more than 36 months. Similarly, among patients with and without antithyroid drug treatment, grade II and above goiters the response rates were significantly higher for high dose group as compared to low dose group. Conclusion: We suggest that high dose radioiodine treatment with 8 to 10 mCi is effective in treating hyperthyroidism in patients with a better success rate than the low dose treatment with 3 to 5 mCi. This is also likely to be helpful in patients who have not received antithyroid drugs. It appears that clinically relevant

High-dose preoperative chemoradiotherapy in esophageal cancer patients does not increase postoperative pulmonary complications: Correlation with dose-volume histogram parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurmuzlu, Meysan; Ovrebo, Kjell; Wentzel-Larsen, Tore; Muren, Ludvig Paul; Viste, Asgaut; Smaaland, Rune

2010-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the association of high-dose preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters of lungs with incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications and to identify predictive clinical factors of pulmonary complications. Methods: Data of 65 patients were collected retrospectively. Thirty-five patients underwent transthoracic esophagectomy (TTE) alone and 30 received cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil, concomitant with radiotherapy, median dose 66 Gy, and followed by TTE. From the DVH for each lung alone and for both lungs together as one organ we generated total lung volume, mean radiotherapy dose, relative and absolute volumes receiving more than a threshold dose, and relative and absolute volumes receiving less than a threshold dose. Postoperative pulmonary complications were defined as pneumonia or respiratory failure. Results: Sixty percent of the patients in the TTE alone group had postoperative pulmonary complications versus 63% in the CRT + TTE group. Postoperative mortality was 8.6% and 16.7% in the respective patient groups (p = NS). None of the DVH parameters was associated with postoperative pulmonary complications. Squamous cell carcinoma was an adverse factor related to increased postoperative pulmonary complications. Conclusion: High-dose preoperative CRT was not associated with increased postoperative pulmonary complications in this cohort of esophageal cancer patients.

AUGMENTED REALITY - STATE OF KNOWLEDGE, USE AND EXPERIMENTATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihaela Filofteia TUTUNEA

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Technologies for augmenting reality have been consolidated during the last decades, extending their applicability to more and more socio-economic areas. The rapid evolution of mobile technologies and virtualization of the digital environment have created auspicious conditions for massive extension and implementation of solutions for augmenting reality at global level. Experience has already shown that augmented reality, alongside virtual reality can offer very important support solutions in modeling the real world with the aim of extending the human capabilities of perception, allowing the opening of a new phase in the world’s socio-economic development. Starting from the evident tendencies that have manifested at global level in the development and implementation of augmented reality technologies, the paper begins with the presentation of the most important aspects related to augmented reality technologies, highlighting their main areas of application, and presents the study realized for identifying the level of knowledge, use and effective experimentation of augmented reality applications by mobile device users. The results of this study could be very useful to the socio-economic environment, starting with the field of research, continuing with developers and providers of augmented reality solutions, manufacturers and providers of hardware infrastructure support for augmented reality solutions and systems, final users of these solutions, both individuals and businesses, and experimenting digital communities.

Multiparametric MR imaging of the breast after augmentation and oncoplastic surgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, V.; Kirova, G.

2015-01-01

Full text: Evaluation of breast lesions in patients after augmentation and oncoplastic surgery are difficult and uncertain with ultrasound and mammography. These two methods give us information of the lesions nature, but this information has low specificity. Morphologic MRI sequences enable to an exact assessment the nature of the lesions high sensitivity, but with low specificity. To enhance security in the evaluation of the lesions new series as DCE MRI, DWI and MRI proton spectroscopy have to be added. Teaching points: to learn how and when to use multiparametric MRI for evaluation of breast lesion after augmentation and oncoplastic surgery; to present the multiparametric MRI protocol for evaluation of malignant breast lesion after augmentation and oncoplastic surgery; to discuss the main signs differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions based on the features on multiparametric MR Inconclusive data from mammography, ultrasound and standard morphological MR series (T1,T2, FAT SAT) in the estimation of changes after augmentation and oncoplastic surgery require the use of multiparametric MRI analysis as a supplementary method for increasing sensitivity and specificity of breast MRI

Acceleration of Alveolar Ridge Augmentation Using a Low Dose of Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Loaded on a Resorbable Bioactive Ceramic.

Science.gov (United States)

Fahmy, Rania A; Mahmoud, Naguiba; Soliman, Samia; Nouh, Samir R; Cunningham, Larry; El-Ghannam, Ahmed

2015-12-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a porous silica-calcium phosphate composite (SCPC50) loaded with and without recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) on alveolar ridge augmentation in saddle-type defects. Micro-granules of SCPC50 resorbable bioactive ceramic were coated with rhBMP-2 10 mg and then implanted into a saddle-type defect (12 × 7 mm) in a dog mandible and covered with a collagen membrane. Control groups included defects grafted with SCPC50 granules without rhBMP-2 and un-grafted defects. Bone healing was evaluated at 8 and 16 weeks using histologic and histomorphometric techniques. The increase in bone height and total defect fill were assessed for each specimen using the ImageJ 1.46 program. The release kinetics of rhBMP-2 was determined in vitro. The height of the bone in the grafted defects and the total defect fill were statistically analyzed. SCPC50 enhanced alveolar ridge augmentation as indicated by the increased vertical bone height, bone surface area, and bone volume after 16 weeks. SCPC50-rhBMP-2 provided a sustained release profile of a low effective dose (BMP-2 4.6 ± 1.34 pg/mL per hour) during the 1- to 21-day period. The slow rate of release of rhBMP-2 from SCPC50 accelerated synchronized complete bone regeneration and graft material resorption in 8 weeks. Successful rapid reconstruction of the alveolar ridge by SCPC50 and SCPC50-rhBMP-2 occurred without any adverse excessive bone formation, inflammation, or fluid-filled voids. Results of this study suggest that SCPC50 is an effective graft material to preserve the alveolar ridge after tooth extraction. Coating SCPC50-rhBMP-2 further accelerated bone regeneration and a considerable increase in vertical bone height. These findings make SCPC50 the primary choice as a carrier for rhBMP-2. SCPC50-rhBMP-2 can serve as an alternative to autologous bone grafting. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Empirical evaluation of augmented prototyping effectiveness

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Tomáš Koubek

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Augmented reality is a scientific field well known for more than twenty years. Although there is a huge number of projects that present promising results, the real usage of augmented reality applications for fulfilling common tasks is almost negligible. We believe that one of the principal reasons is insufficient usability of these applications. The situation is analogous to the desktop, mobile or cloud application development or even to the web pages design. The first phase of a technology adoption is the exploration of its potential. As soon as the technical problems are overcome and the technology is widely accepted, the usability is a principal issue. The usability is utmost important also from the business point of view. The cost of augmented reality implementation into the production process is substantial, therefore, the usability that is directly responsible for the implemented solution effectiveness must be appropriately tested. Consequently, the benefit of the implemented solution can be measured.This article briefly outlines common techniques used for usability evaluation. Discussed techniques were designed especially for evaluation of desktop applications, mobile solutions and web pages. In spite of this drawback, their application on augmented reality products is usually possible. Further, a review of existing augmented reality project evaluations is presented.Based on this review, a usability evaluation method for our augmented prototyping application is proposed. This method must overcome the fact that the design is a creative process. Therefore, it is not possible to take into account common criteria such as time consumption.

Aripiprazole augmentation in poor insight obsessive-compulsive disorder: a case report

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Vinciguerra Valentina

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Obsessive-compulsive disorder is associated with a relevant impairment in social and interpersonal functioning and severe disability. This seems to be particularly true for the poor insight subtype, characterised by a lack of consciousness of illness and, consequently, compliance with treatment. Poor responsiveness to serotonergic drugs in poor insight obsessive-compulsive patients may also require an augmentation therapy with atypical antipsychotics. Methods We reviewed a case in which a patient with a long history of poor insight obsessive-compulsive disorder was treated with a high dosage of serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Results The treatment resulted in a poor outcome. This patient was therefore augmentated with aripiprazole. Conclusion Doctors should consider aripiprazole as a possible augmentation strategy for serotonergic poor responder obsessive-compulsive patients, but further research on these subjects is needed.

High-dose metoclopramide + lorazepam versus low-dose metoclopramide + lorazepam + dehydrobenzperidol in the treatment of cisplatin-induced nausea and vomiting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herrstedt, Jørn; Hannibal, J; Hallas, Jesper

1991-01-01

In a randomized double-blind, cross-over trial of 34 patients receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy (20-100 mg/m2), the antiemetic effect of high-dose metoclopramide (HDM) (10 mg/kg iv. loading dose + 7 hours continuous infusion) + lorazepam (L) (2.5 mg x 4 po) was compared with low......-dose metoclopramide (LDM) (70 mg) + L (2.5 mg x 2 po) + dehydrobenzperidol (5 mg x 2 im). Among the 29 patients who completed the cross-over, HDM significantly reduced the number of vomiting episodes (p = 0.002) and the degree of nausea (p = 0.004). Seventeen patients preferred the HDM and 4 the LDM regimen (p = 0.......01). Sedation was seen in all but 1 patient, and was graded as severe in 6 patients receiving the HDM and in 2 patients receiving the LDM regimen. No extrapyramidal adverse reactions were seen. We conclude that high-dose metoclopramide + lorazepam is a safe antiemetic regimen and significantly superior to low...

Augmented reality in dentistry: a current perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Ho-Beom; Park, Young-Seok; Han, Jung-Suk

2018-02-21

Augmentation reality technology offers virtual information in addition to that of the real environment and thus opens new possibilities in various fields. The medical applications of augmentation reality are generally concentrated on surgery types, including neurosurgery, laparoscopic surgery and plastic surgery. Augmentation reality technology is also widely used in medical education and training. In dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery is the primary area of use, where dental implant placement and orthognathic surgery are the most frequent applications. Recent technological advancements are enabling new applications of restorative dentistry, orthodontics and endodontics. This review briefly summarizes the history, definitions, features, and components of augmented reality technology and discusses its applications and future perspectives in dentistry.

BH3105 type neutron dose equivalent meter of high sensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji Changsong; Zhang Enshan; Yang Jianfeng; Zhang Hong; Huang Jiling

1995-10-01

It is noted that to design a neutron dose meter of high sensitivity is almost impossible in the frame of traditional designing principle--'absorption net principle'. Based on a newly proposed principle of obtaining neutron dose equi-biological effect adjustment--' absorption stick principle', a brand-new neutron dose-equivalent meter with high neutron sensitivity BH3105 has been developed. Its sensitivity reaches 10 cps/(μSv·h -1 ), which is 18∼40 times higher than one of foreign products of the same kind and is 10 4 times higher than that of domestic FJ342 neutron rem-meter. BH3105 has a measurement range from 0.1μSv/h to 1 Sv/h which is 1 or 2 orders wider than that of the other's. It has the advanced properties of gamma-resistance, energy response, orientation, etc. (6 tabs., 5 figs.)

Augmented Reality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Birgitte Lund; Brandt, Harald; Radmer, Ole

2017-01-01

Artiklen præsenterer resultater fra pilotafprøvning i 7.-klasses fysik/kemi og biologi af to Augmented Reality (AR)-apps til naturfagsundervisning. Muligheder og udfordringer ved lærerens stilladsering af elevernes undersøgende samtale og modelleringskompetence er undersøgt med interview...

Radiotherapy after high-dose chemotherapy and peripheral blood stem cell support in high-risk breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoeller, Ulrike; Heide, Juergen; Kroeger, Nicolaus; Krueger, William; Jaenicke, Fritz; Alberti, Winfried

2002-01-01

Purpose: To assess the toxicity and efficacy of radiotherapy with respect to locoregional control after adjuvant high-dose chemotherapy for patients with breast cancer. At first, radiotherapy was withheld because of toxicity concerns, but it was introduced in 1995 because of reported high locoregional relapse rates. Methods and Materials: Between 1992 and 1998, 40 patients with Stage II-III high-risk breast cancer received adjuvant high-dose chemotherapy consisting of thiotepa, mitoxantrone, and cyclophosphamide and peripheral blood stem cell support after four cycles of induction chemotherapy. The chest wall or breast, as well as the supraclavicular nodes, were irradiated with electrons and photons to a median dose of 50.4 Gy in 20 patients. Six additional patients received only supraclavicular irradiation to a median dose of 50.4 Gy. Acute toxicity was scored clinically. Pulmonary function tests were performed in 14 irradiated patients before high-dose chemotherapy and 1.1-4.4 years (median 1.6) after irradiation. The median follow-up time of living patients was 33 vs. 67 months in irradiated (n=26) and nonirradiated (n=14) patients, respectively. Results: G2 and G3 hematologic toxicity occurred in 1 patient each. No clinical pneumonitis or clinical impairment of lung function was observed. After 1-2 years, the lung function tests showed only minor changes in 4 patients. The 3-year locoregional control rate was 92% in the irradiated patients vs. 58% in the nonirradiated patients (p=0.049, actuarial analysis). Conclusion: In this series, adjuvant radiotherapy after adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer appeared well tolerated, with improved local regional control and without significant side effects. Longer follow-up and more patient accrual, as well as Phase III trials, are necessary for confirmation

Comparison of results of medial rectus muscle recession using augmentation, Faden procedure, and slanted recession in the treatment of high accommodative convergence/accommodation ratio esotropia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gharabaghi, Davoud; Zanjani, Leila Kazemi

2006-01-01

According to the literature, accommodative esotropia has an unpredictable course when nonsurgical treatment is considered, especially in cases with a high accommodative convergence/accommodation ratio (AC/A). The aim of this study was to compare the results of augmented recession, slanted recession, and recession with posterior fixation suture of the medial rectus muscles in the treatment of high AC/A esotropia. Twenty-eight children (4 to 14 years old) with high AC/A esotropia with a near-distance disparity greater than 10 PD were included in a prospective, randomized, blinded clinical trial. Nine children underwent recession of both medial rectus muscles and posterior fixation suture (Faden procedure), 9 children underwent augmented recession of the medial rectus muscles, and 10 children underwent slanted recession of both medial rectus muscles. The amount of esodeviation was measured before strabismus surgery and at least 6 months postoperatively. In the augmented recession group, the mean near-distance disparity was reduced from 16.33 +/- 2.17 PD preoperatively to 7.55 +/- 3.87 PD postoperatively (54.21%; P = .056). In the Faden procedure group, it was reduced from 15.22 +/- 4.08 PD to 2.55 +/- 4.03 PD (80.7%; P = .056). In the slanted recession group, it was reduced from 15.50 +/- 4.30 PD to 4.10 +/- 4.80 PD (67.55%; P = .056). The Faden procedure had the best outcome, but slanted recession also was successful. Because of our good results and an easy, non-invasive approach without any additional complications, we recommend slanted recession to treat high AC/A esotropia.

Augmented Reality Tower Technology Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Reisman, Ronald J.; Brown, David M.

2009-01-01

Augmented Reality technology may help improve Air Traffic Control Tower efficiency and safety during low-visibility conditions. This paper presents the assessments of five off-duty controllers who shadow-controlled' with an augmented reality prototype in their own facility. Initial studies indicated unanimous agreement that this technology is potentially beneficial, though the prototype used in the study was not adequate for operational use. Some controllers agreed that augmented reality technology improved situational awareness, had potential to benefit clearance, control, and coordination tasks and duties and could be very useful for acquiring aircraft and weather information, particularly aircraft location, heading, and identification. The strongest objections to the prototype used in this study were directed at aircraft registration errors, unacceptable optical transparency, insufficient display performance in sunlight, inadequate representation of the static environment and insufficient symbology.

Therapeutic options for lip augmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Segall, Lorne; Ellis, David A F

2007-11-01

Aesthetic ideals vary with emerging fashion trends and within different cultures. However, over the past few decades, fuller lips have been considered a desirable trait. Many younger patients are presenting for lip augmentation to achieve the sought-after look commonly seen in many fashion magazines. In addition, as individuals age, they lose lip volume, with a thinning of the red lip, some effacement of the vermillion border, and elongation and flattening of the white portion of the lip. Rejuvenation of the lips plays a key role in restoring a more youthful appearance. As a result, lip augmentation appeals to a wide spectrum of patients who present with various different aesthetic goals and expectations. Numerous therapeutic options exist for aesthetic lip augmentation, ranging from temporary and permanent injectable fillers to implants and other surgical techniques.

Esophageal Toxicity From High-Dose, Single-Fraction Paraspinal Stereotactic Radiosurgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cox, Brett W.; Jackson, Andrew; Hunt, Margie; Bilsky, Mark; Yamada, Yoshiya

2012-01-01

Purpose: To report the esophageal toxicity from single-fraction paraspinal stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and identify dosimetric and clinical risk factors for toxicity. Methods and Materials: A total of 204 spinal metastases abutting the esophagus (182 patients) were treated with high-dose single-fraction SRS during 2003-2010. Toxicity was scored using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. Dose-volume histograms were combined to generate a comprehensive atlas of complication incidence that identifies risk factors for toxicity. Correlation of dose-volume factors with esophageal toxicity was assessed using Fisher’s exact test and logistic regression. Clinical factors were correlated with toxicity. Results: The median dose to the planning treatment volume was 24 Gy. Median follow-up was 12 months (range, 3-81). There were 31 (15%) acute and 24 (12%) late esophageal toxicities. The rate of grade ≥3 acute or late toxicity was 6.8% (14 patients). Fisher’s exact test resulted in significant median splits for grade ≥3 toxicity at V12 = 3.78 cm 3 (relative risk [RR] 3.7, P=.05), V15 = 1.87 cm 3 (RR 13, P=.0013), V20 = 0.11 cm 3 (RR 6, P=0.01), and V22 = 0.0 cm 3 (RR 13, P=.0013). The median split for D2.5 cm 3 (14.02 Gy) was also a significant predictor of toxicity (RR 6; P=.01). A highly significant logistic regression model was generated on the basis of D2.5 cm 3 . One hundred percent (n = 7) of grade ≥4 toxicities were associated with radiation recall reactions after doxorubicin or gemcitabine chemotherapy or iatrogenic manipulation of the irradiated esophagus. Conclusions: High-dose, single-fraction paraspinal SRS has a low rate of grade ≥3 esophageal toxicity. Severe esophageal toxicity is minimized with careful attention to esophageal doses during treatment planning. Iatrogenic manipulation of the irradiated esophagus and systemic agents classically associated with radiation recall reactions are

Augmented Reality Interfaces for Additive Manufacturing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eiríksson, Eyþór Rúnar; Pedersen, David Bue; Frisvad, Jeppe Revall

2017-01-01

This paper explores potential use cases for using augmented reality (AR) as a tool to operate industrial machines. As a baseline we use an additive manufacturing system, more commonly known as a 3D printer. We implement novel augmented interfaces and controls using readily available open source...

Affordances in Mobile Augmented Reality Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tor Gjøsæter

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the affordances of augmented reality content in a mobile augmented reality application. A user study was conducted by performing a multi-camera video recording of seven think aloud sessions. The think aloud sessions consisted of individual users performing tasks, exploring and experiencing a mobile augmented reality (MAR application we developed for the iOS platform named ARad. We discuss the instrumental affordances we observed when users interacted with augmented reality content, as well as more complex affordances rising from conventions from media content, AR and the traditional WIMP paradigm. We find that remediation of traditional newspaper content through the MAR medium can provide engaging, pleasing and exciting user experiences. However, the some of the content still suffers from being shoveled onto the MAR platform without adapting it properly. Finally, we discuss what content was most successfully mediated to the user and how the content impacts the user experience.

Simulation-based computation of dose to humans in radiological environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breazeal, N.L.; Davis, K.R.; Watson, R.A.; Vickers, D.S.; Ford, M.S.

1996-03-01

The Radiological Environment Modeling System (REMS) quantifies dose to humans working in radiological environments using the IGRIP (Interactive Graphical Robot Instruction Program) and Deneb/ERGO simulation software. These commercially available products are augmented with custom C code to provide radiation exposure information to, and collect radiation dose information from, workcell simulations. Through the use of any radiation transport code or measured data, a radiation exposure input database may be formulated. User-specified IGRIP simulations utilize these databases to compute and accumulate dose to programmable human models operating around radiation sources. Timing, distances, shielding, and human activity may be modeled accurately in the simulations. The accumulated dose is recorded in output files, and the user is able to process and view this output. The entire REMS capability can be operated from a single graphical user interface

Simulation-based computation of dose to humans in radiological environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Breazeal, N.L. [Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States); Davis, K.R.; Watson, R.A. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Vickers, D.S. [Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Ford, M.S. [Battelle Pantex, Amarillo, TX (United States). Dept. of Radiation Safety

1996-03-01

The Radiological Environment Modeling System (REMS) quantifies dose to humans working in radiological environments using the IGRIP (Interactive Graphical Robot Instruction Program) and Deneb/ERGO simulation software. These commercially available products are augmented with custom C code to provide radiation exposure information to, and collect radiation dose information from, workcell simulations. Through the use of any radiation transport code or measured data, a radiation exposure input database may be formulated. User-specified IGRIP simulations utilize these databases to compute and accumulate dose to programmable human models operating around radiation sources. Timing, distances, shielding, and human activity may be modeled accurately in the simulations. The accumulated dose is recorded in output files, and the user is able to process and view this output. The entire REMS capability can be operated from a single graphical user interface.

Immune reactivity after high-dose irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gassmann, W.; Wottge, H.U.; von Kolzynski, M.; Mueller-Ruchholtz, W.

1986-01-01

Immune reactivity after total-body irradiation was investigated in rats using skin graft rejection as the indicator system. After sublethal irradiation with 10.5 Gy (approximately 50% lethality/6 weeks) the rejection of major histocompatibility complex allogeneic skin grafts was delayed significantly compared with nonirradiated control animals (28 versus 6.5 days). In contrast, skin grafts were rejected after 7.5 days in sublethally irradiated animals and 7 days in lethally irradiated animals if additional skin donor type alloantigens--namely, irradiated bone marrow cells--were given i.v. either simultaneously or with a delay of not more than 24 hr after the above conditioning regimen. These reactions were alloantigen-specific. They were observed in six different strain combinations with varying donors and recipients. Starting on day 2 after irradiation, i.v. injection of bone marrow gradually lost its effectivity and skin grafts were no longer rejected with uniform rapidity; skin donor marrow given on days 4 or 8 did not accelerate skin graft rejection at all. These data show that for approximately 1-2 days after high-dose total-body irradiation rats are still capable of starting a vigorous immune reaction against i.v.-injected alloantigens. The phenomenon of impaired rejection of skin grafted immediately after high-dose irradiation appears to result from the poor accessibility of skin graft alloantigens during the early postirradiation phase when vascularization of the grafted skin is insufficient

High-dose vitamin C and cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Unlu, M.D.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, ascorbate is a basic compound that is of great importance with its role in various enzymatic reactions including the synthesis of collagen, as well as with its redox functions. Vitamin C has become the center of interest in cancer studies, in consequence of the facts that connective tissue changes and vitamin C deficiency were first alleged to be associated with cancer in the 1950s; and that high doses of vitamin C was asserted to be cytotoxic for cancer cells, later on. The results of the first study carried out in the 1970s were promising; but afterwards, the studies were ascertained to be faulty. Despite the positive results achieved from some laboratory and animal experiments, randomized clinical trials did not verify those findings, and no clear benefit of vitamin C for cancer treatment could be demonstrated. As for studies, where its use in combination with other cancer treatment regimens was assessed, conflicting results were obtained. Although intake of high doses of vitamin C is alleged to be harmless, based on that it is in the group of water soluble vitamins and is not stored in the body, there are many side effects and drug interactions reported in the literature. For now, it is better to abstain from this treatment, until the benefit of the treatment (if any is clearly demonstrated, considering the potential side effects and interactions.

High-dose ascorbic acid decreases cholesterolemic factors of an atherogenic diet in guinea pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Filis, Konstantinos; Anastassopoulou, Aikaterini; Sigala, Fragiska; Theodorou, Dimitrios; Manouras, Andreas; Leandros, Emanouel; Sigalas, Panagiotis; Hepp, Wolfgang; Bramis, John

2007-03-01

The study evaluates the effect of a high supplemental dose of ascorbic acid (AA) on plasma concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), total lipids (TL), and lipoprotein fractions high-density, very-low-density-, and low-density lipoprotein (HDL, VLDL, LDL) in guinea pigs fed with atherogenic diet. Group I consisted of 5 normally fed guinea pigs plus a low dose of AA (1 mg/100 g/day), group II consisted of 7 guinea pigs fed with food enriched with 2% cholesterol plus a low dose of AA (1 mg/100 g/day), and group III consisted of 7 guinea pigs fed with food enriched with 2% cholesterol plus a high dose of AA (30 mg/100 g/day). Cholesterolemic factors concentrations were determined after nine weeks. Concentrations of TC, TG, TL, LDL, and VLDL were increased in group II compared to group I (p < 0.01 for all differences). Supplementation with a high dose of AA resulted in decreased concentrations of TC (p < 0.01), TG (p < 0.01), TL (p < 0.01), and LDL (p < 0.01) in group III compared to group II. Additionally, concentration of HDL was increased in group III compared to group II (p < 0.01). High-dose AA supplementation to an atherogenic diet decreases concentrations of TC, TG, TL, and LDL and increases concentration of HDL compared to low-dose AA.

Split high-dose oral levothyroxine treatment as a successful therapy option in myxedema coma.

Science.gov (United States)

Charoensri, Suranut; Sriphrapradang, Chutintorn; Nimitphong, Hataikarn

2017-10-01

High-dose intravenous thyroxine (T4) is the preferable treatment for myxedema coma. We describe the clinical course of a 69-year-old man who presented with myxedema coma and received oral levothyroxine (LT4) therapy (1 mg) in a split dose. This suggests split high-dose oral LT4 as a therapeutic option in myxedema coma.

Results of Attempts to Prevent Departure and/or Pilot-Induced Oscillations (PIO) Due to Actuator Rate Limiting in Highly-Augmented Fighter Flight Control Systems (HAVE FILTER)

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Chapa, Michael

1999-01-01

The objective of this effort was to evaluate the effects of software rate limiting the pilot command with and without a software pre-filter on a highly-augmented fighter aircraft flight control system...

Dose-Dependent Cortical Thinning After Partial Brain Irradiation in High-Grade Glioma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karunamuni, Roshan [Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Bartsch, Hauke; White, Nathan S. [Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Moiseenko, Vitali; Carmona, Ruben; Marshall, Deborah C.; Seibert, Tyler M. [Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); McDonald, Carrie R. [Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Farid, Nikdokht; Krishnan, Anithapriya; Kuperman, Joshua [Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Mell, Loren [Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Brewer, James B.; Dale, Anders M. [Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States); Hattangadi-Gluth, Jona A., E-mail: jhattangadi@ucsd.edu [Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California (United States)

2016-02-01

Purpose: Radiation-induced cognitive deficits may be mediated by tissue damage to cortical regions. Volumetric changes in cortex can be reliably measured using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We used these methods to study the association between radiation therapy (RT) dose and change in cortical thickness in high-grade glioma (HGG) patients. Methods and Materials: We performed a voxel-wise analysis of MRI from 15 HGG patients who underwent fractionated partial brain RT. Three-dimensional MRI was acquired pre- and 1 year post RT. Cortex was parceled with well-validated segmentation software. Surgical cavities were censored. Each cortical voxel was assigned a change in cortical thickness between time points, RT dose value, and neuroanatomic label by lobe. Effects of dose, neuroanatomic location, age, and chemotherapy on cortical thickness were tested using linear mixed effects (LME) modeling. Results: Cortical atrophy was seen after 1 year post RT with greater effects at higher doses. Estimates from LME modeling showed that cortical thickness decreased by −0.0033 mm (P<.001) for every 1-Gy increase in RT dose. Temporal and limbic cortex exhibited the largest changes in cortical thickness per Gy compared to that in other regions (P<.001). Age and chemotherapy were not significantly associated with change in cortical thickness. Conclusions: We found dose-dependent thinning of the cerebral cortex, with varying neuroanatomical regional sensitivity, 1 year after fractionated partial brain RT. The magnitude of thinning parallels 1-year atrophy rates seen in neurodegenerative diseases and may contribute to cognitive decline following high-dose RT.

Augmented reality in surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Shuhaiber, Jeffrey H

2004-02-01

To evaluate the history and current knowledge of computer-augmented reality in the field of surgery and its potential goals in education, surgeon training, and patient treatment. National Library of Medicine's database and additional library searches. Only articles suited to surgical sciences with a well-defined aim of study, methodology, and precise description of outcome were included. Augmented reality is an effective tool in executing surgical procedures requiring low-performance surgical dexterity; it remains a science determined mainly by stereotactic registration and ergonomics. Strong evidence was found that it is an effective teaching tool for training residents. Weaker evidence was found to suggest a significant influence on surgical outcome, both morbidity and mortality. No evidence of cost-effectiveness was found. Augmented reality is a new approach in executing detailed surgical operations. Although its application is in a preliminary stage, further research is needed to evaluate its long-term clinical impact on patients, surgeons, and hospital administrators. Its widespread use and the universal transfer of such technology remains limited until there is a better understanding of registration and ergonomics.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors augment doxorubicin-induced DNA damage in cardiomyocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ververis, Katherine; Rodd, Annabelle L; Tang, Michelle M; El-Osta, Assam; Karagiannis, Tom C

2011-12-01

Histone deacetylase inhibitors have emerged as a new class of anticancer therapeutics with suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (Vorinostat) and depsipeptide (Romidepsin) already being approved for clinical use. Numerous studies have identified that histone deacetylase inhibitors will be most effective in the clinic when used in combination with conventional cancer therapies such as ionizing radiation and chemotherapeutic agents. One promising combination, particularly for hematologic malignancies, involves the use of histone deacetylase inhibitors with the anthracycline, doxorubicin. However, we previously identified that trichostatin A can potentiate doxorubicin-induced hypertrophy, the dose-limiting side-effect of the anthracycline, in cardiac myocytes. Here we have the extended the earlier studies and evaluated the effects of combinations of the histone deacetylase inhibitors, trichostatin A, valproic acid and sodium butyrate on doxorubicin-induced DNA double-strand breaks in cardiomyocytes. Using γH2AX as a molecular marker for the DNA lesions, we identified that all of the broad-spectrum histone deacetylase inhibitors tested augment doxorubicin-induced DNA damage. Furthermore, it is evident from the fluorescence photomicrographs of stained nuclei that the histone deacetylase inhibitors also augment doxorubicin-induced hypertrophy. These observations highlight the importance of investigating potential side-effects, in relevant model systems, which may be associated with emerging combination therapies for cancer.

Markerless client-server augmented reality system with natural features

Science.gov (United States)

Ning, Shuangning; Sang, Xinzhu; Chen, Duo

2017-10-01

A markerless client-server augmented reality system is presented. In this research, the more extensive and mature virtual reality head-mounted display is adopted to assist the implementation of augmented reality. The viewer is provided an image in front of their eyes with the head-mounted display. The front-facing camera is used to capture video signals into the workstation. The generated virtual scene is merged with the outside world information received from the camera. The integrated video is sent to the helmet display system. The distinguishing feature and novelty is to realize the augmented reality with natural features instead of marker, which address the limitations of the marker, such as only black and white, the inapplicability of different environment conditions, and particularly cannot work when the marker is partially blocked. Further, 3D stereoscopic perception of virtual animation model is achieved. The high-speed and stable socket native communication method is adopted for transmission of the key video stream data, which can reduce the calculation burden of the system.

COMBINING INDEPENDENT VISUALIZATION AND TRACKING SYSTEMS FOR AUGMENTED REALITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Hübner

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The basic requirement for the successful deployment of a mobile augmented reality application is a reliable tracking system with high accuracy. Recently, a helmet-based inside-out tracking system which meets this demand has been proposed for self-localization in buildings. To realize an augmented reality application based on this tracking system, a display has to be added for visualization purposes. Therefore, the relative pose of this visualization platform with respect to the helmet has to be tracked. In the case of hand-held visualization platforms like smartphones or tablets, this can be achieved by means of image-based tracking methods like marker-based or model-based tracking. In this paper, we present two marker-based methods for tracking the relative pose between the helmet-based tracking system and a tablet-based visualization system. Both methods were implemented and comparatively evaluated in terms of tracking accuracy. Our results show that mobile inside-out tracking systems without integrated displays can easily be supplemented with a hand-held tablet as visualization device for augmented reality purposes.

Second malignancies in high-dose areas of previous tumor radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Welte, Birgitta; Suhr, Peter; Bottke, Dirk; Bartkowiak, Detlef; Wiegel, Thomas [Dept. of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Univ. of Ulm (Germany); Doerr, Wolfgang [Dept. of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Radiobiology Lab., Univ. of Technology Dresden (Germany); Trott, Klaus Ruediger [UCL Cancer Centre, Univ. Coll. London (United Kingdom)

2010-03-15

Purpose: To characterize second tumors that developed in or near the high-dose areas of a previous radiotherapy, regarding their frequency, entities, latency, and dose dependence. Patients and Methods: 9,995/15,449 tumor patients of the Radiation Oncology Department in Ulm, Germany, treated between 1981 and 2003, survived at least 1 year after radiotherapy. By long-term follow-up and review of treatment documentation, 100 of them were identified who developed an independent second cancer in or near the irradiated first tumor site. Results: Major primary malignancies were breast cancer (27%), lymphoma (24%), and pelvic gynecologic tumors (17%). Main second tumors were carcinomas of the upper (18%) and lower (12%) gastrointestinal tract, head and neck tumors (10%), lymphoma (10%), breast cancer (9%), sarcoma (9%), and lung cancer (8%). Overall median second tumor latency was 7.4 years (1-42 years). For colorectal cancer it was 3.5 and for leukemia 4.3 years, but for sarcoma 11.7 and for breast cancer 17.1 years. The relatively frequent second tumors of the upper gastrointestinal tract were associated with median radiation doses of 24 Gy. By contrast, second colorectal cancer and sarcoma developed after median doses of 50 Gy. Conclusion: The 5- and 15-year probability to develop a histopathologically independent second tumor in or near the irradiated first tumor site, i.e., after intermediate or high radiation doses, was 0.5% and 2.2%, respectively. To identify potentially radiogenic second malignancies, a follow-up far beyond 5 years is mandatory. The incidence and potential dose-response relationship intermediate will be analyzed by a case-case and a case-control study of the Ulm data. (orig.)

Enhancing tourism with augmented and virtual reality

OpenAIRE

Jenny, Sandra

2017-01-01

Augmented and virtual reality are on the advance. In the last twelve months, several interesting devices have entered the market. Since tourism is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world and has become one of the major players in international commerce, the aim of this thesis was to examine how tourism could be enhanced with augmented and virtual reality. The differences and functional principles of augmented and virtual reality were investigated, general uses were described ...

Surgical strategies to improve fixation in the osteoporotic spine: the effects of tapping, cement augmentation, and screw trajectory.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuhns, Craig A; Reiter, Michael; Pfeiffer, Ferris; Choma, Theodore J

2014-02-01

Study Design Biomechanical study of pedicle screw fixation in osteoporotic bone. Objective To investigate whether it is better to tap or not tap osteoporotic bone prior to placing a cement-augmented pedicle screw. Methods Initially, we evaluated load to failure of screws placed in cancellous bone blocks with or without prior tapping as well as after varying the depths of tapping prior to screw insertion. Then we evaluated load to failure of screws placed in bone block models with a straight-ahead screw trajectory as well as with screws having a 23-degree cephalad trajectory (toward the end plate). These techniques were tested with nonaugmented (NA) screws as well as with bioactive cement (BioC) augmentation prior to screw insertion. Results In the NA group, pretapping decreased fixation strength in a dose-dependent fashion. In the BioC group, the tapped screws had significantly greater loads to failure (p tapping prior to cement augmentation will substantially improve fixation when compared with not tapping. Angulating screws more cephalad also seems to enhance aging spine fixation.

Fast, three-dimensional, MR Imaging for polymer gel dosimetric applications involving high dose and steep dose gradients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandilos, Panagiotis; Baras, Panagiotis; Georgiou, Evangelos; Dardoufas, Konstantinos; Karaiskos, Pantelis; Papagiannis, Panagiotis; Paschalis, Theodoros; Tatsis, Elias; Torrens, Michael; Vlahos, Lampros

2006-01-01

Polymer gels constitute water equivalent integrating detectors, which, combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), can provide accurate three dimensional (3D) dose distributions in contemporary radiotherapy applications where the small field dimensions and steep dose gradients induce limitations to conventional dosimeters. One of the main obstacles for adapting the method for routine use in the clinical setting is the cost effectiveness of the MRI readout method. Currently, optimized Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) multiple spin echo imaging pulse sequences are commonly used which however result in long imaging times. This work evaluates the efficiency of 3D, dual-echo, k-space segmented turbo spin echo (TSE) scanning sequences for accurate dosimetry with sub-millimetre spatial resolution in strenuous radiation therapy applications. PABIG polymer gel dosimeters were irradiated with an 192 Ir High Dose Rate brachytherapy source, the 4 mm and 8 mm collimator helmets of a gamma knife unit and a custom made x-knife collimator of 1 cm diameter. Profile and dose distribution measurements using TSE are benchmarked against corresponding findings obtained by the commonly used, but time consuming, CPMG sequence as well as treatment planning calculations, Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and film measurements. The implementation of a high Turbo factor was found to provide comparable accuracy, allowing a 64-fold MRI scan acceleration compared to conventional multi-echo sequences. The availability of TSE sequences in typical MRI installations greatly facilitates the introduction of polymer gel dosimetry in the clinical environment as a practicable tool for the determination of full 3D dose distributions in contemporary radiotherapy applications

Fast, three-dimensional, MR Imaging for polymer gel dosimetric applications involving high dose and steep dose gradients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandilos, Panagiotis [Department of Radiology, Medical School, University of Athens, Areteion Hospital, 76 Vas. Sofias Ave., 115 28 Athens (Greece); Baras, Panagiotis [Philips Hellas Medical Systems, 44 Kifissias Ave., Maroussi 151 25, Athens (Greece); Georgiou, Evangelos [Medical Physics Department, University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias, 115 27 Athens (Greece); Dardoufas, Konstantinos [Department of Radiology, Medical School, University of Athens, Areteion Hospital, 76 Vas. Sofias Ave., 115 28 Athens (Greece): Hygeia Hospital, Kiffisias Avenue and 4 Erythrou Stavrou, Marousi, 151 23 Athens (Greece); Karaiskos, Pantelis [Medical Physics Department, University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias, 115 27 Athens (Greece): Hygeia Hospital, Kiffisias Avenue and 4 Erythrou Stavrou, Marousi, 151 23 Athens (Greece)]. E-mail: p.karaiskos@hygeia.gr; Papagiannis, Panagiotis [Physics Department, Nuclear and Particle Physics Section, University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, Ilisia, 157 71 Athens (Greece); Paschalis, Theodoros [Department of Radiology, Medical School, University of Athens, Areteion Hospital, 76 Vas. Sofias Ave., 115 28 Athens (Greece); Tatsis, Elias [Department of Radiology, Medical School, University of Athens, Areteion Hospital, 76 Vas. Sofias Ave., 115 28 Athens (Greece); Torrens, Michael [Hygeia Hospital, Kiffisias Avenue and 4 Erythrou Stavrou, Marousi, 151 23 Athens (Greece); Vlahos, Lampros [Department of Radiology, Medical School, University of Athens, Areteion Hospital, 76 Vas. Sofias Ave., 115 28 Athens (Greece)

2006-12-20

Polymer gels constitute water equivalent integrating detectors, which, combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), can provide accurate three dimensional (3D) dose distributions in contemporary radiotherapy applications where the small field dimensions and steep dose gradients induce limitations to conventional dosimeters. One of the main obstacles for adapting the method for routine use in the clinical setting is the cost effectiveness of the MRI readout method. Currently, optimized Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) multiple spin echo imaging pulse sequences are commonly used which however result in long imaging times. This work evaluates the efficiency of 3D, dual-echo, k-space segmented turbo spin echo (TSE) scanning sequences for accurate dosimetry with sub-millimetre spatial resolution in strenuous radiation therapy applications. PABIG polymer gel dosimeters were irradiated with an {sup 192}Ir High Dose Rate brachytherapy source, the 4 mm and 8 mm collimator helmets of a gamma knife unit and a custom made x-knife collimator of 1 cm diameter. Profile and dose distribution measurements using TSE are benchmarked against corresponding findings obtained by the commonly used, but time consuming, CPMG sequence as well as treatment planning calculations, Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and film measurements. The implementation of a high Turbo factor was found to provide comparable accuracy, allowing a 64-fold MRI scan acceleration compared to conventional multi-echo sequences. The availability of TSE sequences in typical MRI installations greatly facilitates the introduction of polymer gel dosimetry in the clinical environment as a practicable tool for the determination of full 3D dose distributions in contemporary radiotherapy applications.

A Study on Tracking and Augmentation in Mobile AR for e-Leisure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seong-Wook Jang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, a mobile augmented reality (AR system with AR technology that requires high performance has become popular due to the improved performance of smartphones. In particular, mobile AR that directly interacts with outdoor environments has been in development because of increasing interest in e-leisure due to improvements in living standards. Therefore, this paper aims to study tracking and augmentation in mobile AR for e-leisure. We analyzed the performance of human body tracking application implemented in a mobile system (smartphone using three methods (marker-based, markerless, and sensor-based for the feasibility examination of human body tracking in mobile AR. Furthermore, game information augmentation was examined through the implementation of mobile AR using two methods (marker- and sensor-based.

Can high-dose fotemustine reverse MGMT resistance in glioblastoma multiforme?

Science.gov (United States)

Gallo, Chiara; Buonerba, Carlo; Di Lorenzo, Giuseppe; Romeo, Valeria; De Placido, Sabino; Marinelli, Alfredo

2010-11-01

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the highest grade malignant glioma, is associated with a grim prognosis-median overall survival is in the range 12-15 months, despite optimum treatment. Surgery to the maximum possible extent, external beam radiotherapy, and systemic temozolomide chemotherapy are current standard treatments for newly diagnosed GBM, with intracerebral delivery of carmustine wafers (Gliadel). Unfortunately, the effectiveness of chemotherapy can be hampered by the DNA repair enzyme O6-methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT), which confers resistance both to temozolomide and nitrosoureas, for example fotemustine and carmustine. MGMT activity can be measured by PCR and immunohistochemistry, with the former being the current validated technique. High-dose chemotherapy can deplete MGMT levels in GBM cells and has proved feasible in various trials on temozolomide, in both newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM. We here report the unique case of a GBM patient, with high MGMT expression by immunohistochemistry, who underwent an experimental, high-dose fotemustine schedule after surgery and radiotherapy. Although treatment caused two episodes of grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia, a complete response and survival of more than three years were achieved, with a 30% increase in dose intensity compared with the standard fotemustine schedule.

Augmented Reality: Daily Prayers for Preschooler Student

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hendra Pradibta

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Education is one of the aspects that many synthesized with technology. Yet, this is contrary to the fact that where most of the learning materials are still based on text. This research aims to develop an alternative learning media by implementing Augmented Reality Technology for Preschooler students. Augmented Reality (AR is an application that can combine the virtual object as text, pictures and animation into the real world. Development of Augmented Reality application uses Web Aurasma Based Studio, with learning materials of daily prayer for preschool student. The development of the characters and the animations were using Adobe Illustrator and Adobe After Effects. The results of the study showed that technology Augmented Reality can be used as an alternative learning media especially in the learning process in Preschool Al Furqon. This is because the content Augmented Reality in the form of animation can gives more understanding and attention for preschool student to follow the learning process

Bladder–Rectum Spacer Balloon in High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy in Cervix Carcinoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rai, Bhavana [Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Regional Cancer Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh (India); Patel, Firuza D., E-mail: firuzapatel@gmail.com [Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Regional Cancer Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh (India); Chakraborty, Santam; Sharma, Suresh C.; Kapoor, Rakesh [Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Regional Cancer Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh (India); Aprem, Abi Santhosh [Corporate R and D Division, HLL Lifecare Limited, Karamana, Trivandrum (India)

2013-04-01

Purpose: To compare bladder and rectum doses with the use of a bladder–rectum spacer balloon (BRSB) versus standard gauze packing in the same patient receiving 2 high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy fractions. Methods and Materials: This was a randomized study to compare the reduction in bladder and rectum doses with the use of a BRSB compared with standard gauze packing in patients with carcinoma of the cervix being treated with high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy. The patients were randomized between 2 arms. In arm A, vaginal packing was done with standard gauze packing in the first application, and BRSB was used in the second application. Arm B was the reverse of arm A. The International Commission for Radiation Units and Measurement (ICRU) point doses and doses to 0.1-cm{sup 3}, 1-cm{sup 3}, 2-cm{sup 3}, 5-cm{sup 3}, and 10-cm{sup 3} volumes of bladder and rectum were compared. The patients were also subjectively assessed for the ease of application and the time taken for application. Statistical analysis was done using the paired t test. Results: A total of 43 patients were enrolled; however, 3 patients had to be excluded because the BRSB could not be inserted owing to unfavorable local anatomy. Thus 40 patients (80 plans) were evaluated. The application was difficult in 3 patients with BRSB, and in 2 patients with BRSB the application time was prolonged. There was no significant difference in bladder doses to 0.1 cm{sup 3}, 1 cm{sup 3}, 2 cm{sup 3}, 5 cm{sup 3}, and 10 cm{sup 3} and ICRU bladder point. Statistically significant dose reductions to 0.1-cm{sup 3}, 1-cm{sup 3}, and 2-cm{sup 3} volumes for rectum were observed with the BRSB. No significant differences in 5-cm{sup 3} and 10-cm{sup 3} volumes and ICRU rectum point were observed. Conclusion: A statistically significant dose reduction was observed for small high-dose volumes in rectum with the BRSB. The doses to bladder were comparable for BRSB and gauze packing. Transparent balloons of

Maxillary sinus augmentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A B Tarun Kumar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Placing dental implants in the maxillary posterior region can be both challenging and un-nerving for a regular implant dentist who is not well versed with advanced surgical procedures. It is vital for a general dentist to understand the fundamentals of bone grafting the maxillary sinus if he/she is really committed to providing the best health care for their patients. The dental practice is seeing an increasing group of patients who are living longer, and this group of older baby boomers often has an edentulous posterior maxilla either unilateral or bilateral. When edentulous, the posterior maxilla more likely has diminished bone height, which does not allow for the placement of dental implants without creating additional bone. Through grafting the maxillary sinus, bone of ideal quality can be created (allowing for placement of dental implants, which offer many advantages over other tooth replacement modalities. The sinus graft offers the dental patient a predictable procedure of regenerating lost osseous structure in the posterior maxilla. This offers the patient many advantages for long-term success. If dentists understand these concepts, they can better educate their patients and guide them to have the procedure performed. This article outlines bone grafting of the maxillary sinus for the purpose of placing dental implants. This review will help the readers to understand the intricacies of sinus augmentation. They can relate their patient's condition with the available literature and chalk out the best treatment plan for the patient, especially by using indirect sinus augmentation procedures which are less invasive and highly successful if done using prescribed technique.

Prehospital high-dose sublingual nitroglycerin rarely causes hypotension.

Science.gov (United States)

Clemency, Brian M; Thompson, Jeffrey J; Tundo, Gina N; Lindstrom, Heather A

2013-10-01

High-dose intravenous nitroglycerin is a common in-hospital treatment for respiratory distress due to congestive heart failure (CHF) with hypertension. Intravenous (IV) nitroglycerin administration is impractical in the prehospital setting. In 2011, a new regional Emergency Medical Services (EMS) protocol was introduced allowing advanced providers to treat CHF with high-dose oral nitroglycerin. The protocol calls for patients to be treated with two sublingual tabs (0.8 mg) when systolic blood pressure (SBP) was >160 mm Hg, or three sublingual tabs (1.2 mg) when SBP was >200 mm Hg, every five minutes as needed. Hypothesis/Problem To assess the protocol's safety, the incidence of hypotension following prehospital administration of multiple simultaneous nitroglycerin (MSN) tabs by EMS providers was studied. This study was a retrospective cohort study of patients from a single commercial EMS agency over a 6-month period. Records from patients with at least one administration of MSN were reviewed. For each administration, the first documented vital signs pre- and post-administration were compared. Administrations were excluded if pre- or post-administration vital signs were missing. One hundred case-patients had at least one MSN administration by an advanced provider during the study period. Twenty-five case-patients were excluded due to incomplete vital signs. Seventy-five case-patients with 95 individual MSN administrations were included for analysis. There were 65 administrations of two tabs, 29 administrations of three tabs, and one administration of four tabs. The mean change in SBP following MSN was -14.7 mm Hg (SD = 30.7; range, +59 to -132). Three administrations had documented systolic hypotension in the post-administration vital signs (97/71, 78/50 and 66/47). All three patients were over 65 years old, were administered two tabs, had documented improved respiratory status, and had repeat SBP of at least 100. The incidence of hypotension following MSN

Characterization of Thymol blue Radiochromic dosimeters for high dose applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feras M. Aldweri

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Thymol blue (TB solutions and Thymol blue Polyvinyl Alcohol (TB-PVA films have been introduced as Radiochromic dosimeter for high dose applications. The dosimeters were irradiated with gamma ray (60Co source from 5 to 30 kGy for film, and from 0.150 kGy to 4 kGy for solution. The optical density of unirradiated and irradiated TB solution as well as TB-PVA film dosimeters were studied in terms of absorbance at 434 nm using UV/VIS spectrophotometer. The effects of scan temperature, light pre-gamma irradiation, dose rate, relative humidity and stability of the absorbance of solutions and films after irradiation were investigated. We found the dose sensitivity of TB solution and TB-PVA film dosimeters increases significantly with increases of the absorbed dose as well as with the increases of TB dye concentrations. The useful dose range of developed TB solutions and TB-PVA films dosimeters is in the range 0.125–1 kGy and of 5–20 kGy, respectively. Keywords: Dose sensitivity, Radio-chromic dosimeter, Thymol blue, Absorbance, Concentrations

A positive dose-response effect of vitamin D supplementation on site-specific bone mineral augmentation in adolescent girls: A double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled 1-year intervention

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Viljakainen, H.T.; Natri, A.M.; Karkkainen, M.

2006-01-01

The effect of vitamin D supplementation on bone mineral augmentation in 212 adolescent girls with adequate calcium intake was studied in a randomized placebo-controlled setting. Bone mineral augmentation determined by DXA increased with supplementation both in the femur and the lumbar vertebrae i...

High-dose anti-histamine use and risk factors in children with urticaria.

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Uysal, Pınar; Avcil, Sibelnur; Erge, Duygu

2016-12-01

The drugs of choice in the treatment of urticaria in children are H1-antihistamines. The aim of the study was to evaluate children with urticaria and define risk factors for requirement of high-dose H1-antihistamines in children with urticaria. The medical data of children who were diagnosed as having urticaria admitted to our outpatient clinic between January 2014 and January 2016 were searched. The medical histories, concomitant atopic diseases, parental atopy histories, medications, treatment responses, blood eosinophil and basophil counts, and serum total IgE levels were recorded. In addition, the urticaria activity score for seven days, autoimmune antibody tests, and skin prick test results were evaluated in children with chronic urticaria. The numbers of the children with acute and chronic urticaria were 138 and 92, respectively. The age of the children with chronic urticaria was higher than that of those with acute urticaria (p0.05). There was a negative correlation between blood eosinophil count and the UAS7 score in children with chronic urticaria (r=-0.276, p=0.011). Chronic urticaria and requirement of high dose H1-antihistamines were significant in children aged ≥10 years (p<0.001, p=0.015). High UAS7 score (OR: 1.09; CI 95%: [1.03-1.15]) and basopenia (OR: 6.77; CI 95%: [2.01-22.75]) were associated with the requirement of high-dose H1-AH in children with chronic urticaria. The requirement of high-dose H1-antihistamines was higher with children's increasing age. Disease severity and basopenia were risk factors for the requirement of high-dose H1-antihistamines.

Surface applicators for high dose rate brachytherapy in AIDS-related kaposi's sarcoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, Michael D.C.; Yassa, Mariam; Podgorsak, Ervin B.; Roman, Ted N.; Schreiner, L. John; Souhami, Luis

1997-01-01

Purpose: The development of commercially available surface applicators using high dose rate remote afterloading devices has enabled radiotherapy centers to treat selected superficial lesions using a remote afterloading brachytherapy unit. The dosimetric parameters of these applicators, the clinical implementation of this technique, and a review of the initial patient treatment regimes are presented. Methods and Materials: A set of six fixed-diameter (1, 2, and 3 cm), tungsten/steel surface applicators is available for use with a single stepping-source (Ir-192, 370 GBq) high dose rate afterloader. The source can be positioned either in a parallel or perpendicular orientation to the treatment plane at the center of a conical aperture that sits at an SSD of approximately 15 mm and is used with a 1-mm thick removable plastic cap. The surface dose rates, percent depth dose, and off-axis ratios were measured. A custom-built, ceiling-mounted immobilization device secures the applicator on the surface of the patient's lesion during treatment. Results: Between November 1994, and September 1996, 16 AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma patients having a total of 120 lesions have been treated with palliative intent. Treatment sites were distributed between the head and neck, extremity, and torso. Doses ranged from 8 to 20 Gy, with a median dose of 10 Gy delivered in a single fraction. Treatments were well tolerated with minimal skin reaction, except for patients with lesions treated to 20 Gy who developed moderate/severe desquamation. Conclusion: Radiotherapy centers equipped with a high dose rate remote afterloading unit may treat small selected surface lesions with commercially available surface applicators. These surface applicators must be used with a protective cap to eliminate electron contamination. The optimal surface dose appears to be either 10 or 15 Gy depending upon the height of the lesion

From Augmentation Media to Meme Media.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Yuzuru

Computers as meta media are now evolving from augmentation media vehicles to meme media vehicles. While an augmentation media system provides a seamlessly integrated environment of various tools and documents, meme media system provides further functions to edit and distribute tools and documents. Documents and tools on meme media can easily…

Effects of moderate-dose versus high-dose trimethoprim on serum creatinine and creatinine clearance and adverse reactions.

OpenAIRE

Naderer, O; Nafziger, A N; Bertino, J S

1997-01-01

The effects of a 10-day course of moderate-dose (10 mg/kg/day) or high-dose (20 mg/kg/day) trimethoprim therapy on serum creatinine, measured creatinine clearance, urinary creatinine excretion, and serum folate were studied in 20 healthy volunteers. Serum creatinine concentrations increased significantly during trimethoprim therapy, began to decrease near day 10, and returned to baseline during the washout phase at both dosage levels. At the same time, measured creatinine clearance and urine ...

Influence of high doses of manganese, copper, zinc and boron on some legumes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vogel, G

1973-01-01

Macroscopic and microscopic examinations showed the following symptoms of an excess in trace elements: (1) High doses of manganese (50-150 ppm) cause dark patches (chloroplast accumulation) in young leaves, and necrosis of the leaf margin (MnO/sub 2/ accumulation) in older leaves. The roots become brown and die off. Roots newly formed in compensation are strikingly light-colored. (2) High doses of copper (5-40 ppm) cause iron deficiency chlorosis. A large number of side roots develop in quick succession as a result of damage to the root apex, so that a thick tangle of roots is formed. (3) High doses of zinc (50-150 ppm) bring about dark green, very brittle young leaves with very high ZnO content. The older leaves become red and then yellow. The roots remain stunted because of inhibited growth in length. (4) High doses of boron (30-90 ppm) cause a leaf necrosis which proceeds in the sequence tip, margin, lamina. The roots are not affected in any characteristic way. They become brown and die off.

Potential costs of breast augmentation mammaplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitt, William P; Eichhorn, Mitchell G; Ford, Ronald D

2016-01-01

Augmentation mammaplasty is one of the most common surgical procedures performed by plastic surgeons. The aim of this study was to estimate the cost of the initial procedure and its subsequent complications, as well as project the cost of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-recommended surveillance imaging. The potential costs to the individual patient and society were calculated. Local plastic surgeons provided billing data for the initial primary silicone augmentation and reoperative procedures. Complication rates used for the cost analysis were obtained from the Allergen Core study on silicone implants. Imaging surveillance costs were considered in the estimations. The average baseline initial cost of silicone augmentation mammaplasty was calculated at $6335. The average total cost of primary breast augmentation over the first decade for an individual patient, including complications requiring reoperation and other ancillary costs, was calculated at $8226. Each decade thereafter cost an additional $1891. Costs may exceed $15,000 over an averaged lifetime, and the recommended implant surveillance could cost an additional $33,750. The potential cost of a breast augmentation, which includes the costs of complications and imaging, is significantly higher than the initial cost of the procedure. Level III, economic and decision analysis study. Copyright © 2015 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radiation dose in the high background radiation area in Kerala, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Christa, E P; Jojo, P J; Vaidyan, V K; Anilkumar, S; Eappen, K P

2012-03-01

A systematic radiological survey has been carried out in the region of high-background radiation area in Kollam district of Kerala to define the natural gamma-radiation levels. One hundred and forty seven soil samples from high-background radiation areas and five samples from normal background region were collected as per standard sampling procedures and were analysed for (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K by gamma-ray spectroscopy. External gamma dose rates at all sampling locations were also measured using a survey meter. The activities of (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K was found to vary from 17 to 3081 Bq kg(-1), 54 to 11976 Bq kg(-1) and BDL (67.4 Bq kg(-1)) to 216 Bq kg(-1), respectively, in the study area. Such heterogeneous distribution of radionuclides in the region may be attributed to the deposition phenomenon of beach sand soil in the region. Radium equivalent activities were found high in several locations. External gamma dose rates estimated from the levels of radionuclides in soil had a range from 49 to 9244 nGy h(-1). The result of gamma dose rate measured at the sampling sites using survey meter showed an excellent correlation with dose rates computed from the natural radionuclides estimated from the soil samples.

The Augmented REality Sandtable (ARES)

Science.gov (United States)

2015-10-01