WorldWideScience

Sample records for ramsey type setup

  1. Autobalanced Ramsey Spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanner, Christian; Huntemann, Nils; Lange, Richard; Tamm, Christian; Peik, Ekkehard

    2018-01-01

    We devise a perturbation-immune version of Ramsey's method of separated oscillatory fields. Spectroscopy of an atomic clock transition without compromising the clock's accuracy is accomplished by actively balancing the spectroscopic responses from phase-congruent Ramsey probe cycles of unequal durations. Our simple and universal approach eliminates a wide variety of interrogation-induced line shifts often encountered in high precision spectroscopy, among them, in particular, light shifts, phase chirps, and transient Zeeman shifts. We experimentally demonstrate autobalanced Ramsey spectroscopy on the light shift prone Yb+ 171 electric octupole optical clock transition and show that interrogation defects are not turned into clock errors. This opens up frequency accuracy perspectives below the 10-18 level for the Yb+ system and for other types of optical clocks.

  2. Ramsey theory on the integers

    CERN Document Server

    Landman, Bruce M

    2014-01-01

    Ramsey theory is the study of the structure of mathematical objects that is preserved under partitions. In its full generality, Ramsey theory is quite powerful, but can quickly become complicated. By limiting the focus of this book to Ramsey theory applied to the set of integers, the authors have produced a gentle, but meaningful, introduction to an important and enticing branch of modern mathematics. Ramsey Theory on the Integers offers students a glimpse into the world of mathematical research and the opportunity for them to begin pondering unsolved problems. For this new edition, several sections have been added and others have been significantly updated. Among the newly introduced topics are: rainbow Ramsey theory, an "inequality" version of Schur's theorem, monochromatic solutions of recurrence relations, Ramsey results involving both sums and products, monochromatic sets avoiding certain differences, Ramsey properties for polynomial progressions, generalizations of the Erdős-Ginzberg-Ziv theorem, and t...

  3. Ramsey theory on the integers

    CERN Document Server

    Landman, Bruce M

    2003-01-01

    Ramsey theory is the study of the structure of mathematical objects that is preserved under partitions. In its full generality, Ramsey theory is quite powerful, but can quickly become complicated. By limiting the focus of this book to Ramsey theory applied to the set of integers, the authors have produced a gentle, but meaningful, introduction to an important and enticing branch of modern mathematics. Ramsey Theory on the Integers offers students something quite rare for a book at this level: a glimpse into the world of mathematical research and the opportunity to begin pondering unsolved problems themselves. In addition to being the first truly accessible book on Ramsey theory, this innovative book also provides the first cohesive study of Ramsey theory on the integers. It contains perhaps the most substantial account of solved and unsolved problems in this blossoming subarea of Ramsey theory. The result is a breakthrough book that will engage students, teachers, and researchers alike.

  4. Ramsey theory for product spaces

    CERN Document Server

    Dodos, Pandelis

    2016-01-01

    Ramsey theory is a dynamic area of combinatorics that has various applications in analysis, ergodic theory, logic, number theory, probability theory, theoretical computer science, and topological dynamics. This book is devoted to one of the most important areas of Ramsey theory-the Ramsey theory of product spaces. It is a culmination of a series of recent breakthroughs by the two authors and their students who were able to lift this theory to the infinite-dimensional case. The book presents many major results and methods in the area, such as Szemerédi's regularity method, the hypergraph removal lemma, and the density Hales-Jewett theorem. This book addresses researchers in combinatorics but also working mathematicians and advanced graduate students who are interested in Ramsey theory. The prerequisites for reading this book are rather minimal: it only requires familiarity, at the graduate level, with probability theory and real analysis. Some familiarity with the basics of Ramsey theory would be beneficial, ...

  5. Ramsey numbers and adiabatic quantum computing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaitan, Frank; Clark, Lane

    2012-01-06

    The graph-theoretic Ramsey numbers are notoriously difficult to calculate. In fact, for the two-color Ramsey numbers R(m,n) with m, n≥3, only nine are currently known. We present a quantum algorithm for the computation of the Ramsey numbers R(m,n). We show how the computation of R(m,n) can be mapped to a combinatorial optimization problem whose solution can be found using adiabatic quantum evolution. We numerically simulate this adiabatic quantum algorithm and show that it correctly determines the Ramsey numbers R(3,3) and R(2,s) for 5≤s≤7. We then discuss the algorithm's experimental implementation, and close by showing that Ramsey number computation belongs to the quantum complexity class quantum Merlin Arthur.

  6. Experimental determination of Ramsey numbers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bian, Zhengbing; Chudak, Fabian; Macready, William G; Clark, Lane; Gaitan, Frank

    2013-09-27

    Ramsey theory is a highly active research area in mathematics that studies the emergence of order in large disordered structures. Ramsey numbers mark the threshold at which order first appears and are extremely difficult to calculate due to their explosive rate of growth. Recently, an algorithm that can be implemented using adiabatic quantum evolution has been proposed that calculates the two-color Ramsey numbers R(m,n). Here we present results of an experimental implementation of this algorithm and show that it correctly determines the Ramsey numbers R(3,3) and R(m,2) for 4≤m≤8. The R(8,2) computation used 84 qubits of which 28 were computational qubits. This computation is the largest experimental implementation of a scientifically meaningful adiabatic evolution algorithm that has been done to date.

  7. Path-fan Ramsey numbers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Salman, M.; Broersma, Haitze J.

    2003-01-01

    For two given graphs $G$ and $H$, the Ramsey number $R(G,H)$ is the smallest positive integer $p$ such that for every graph $F$ on $p$ vertices the following holds: either $F$ contains $G$ as a subgraph or the complement of $F$ contains $H$ as a subgraph. In this paper, we study the Ramsey numbers

  8. Path-fan Ramsey numbers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Salman, M.; Broersma, Haitze J.

    For two given graphs $F$ and $H$, the Ramsey number $R(F,H)$ is the smallest positive integer $p$ such that for every graph $G$ on $p$ vertices the following holds: either $G$ contains $F$ as a subgraph or the complement of $G$ contains $H$ as a subgraph. In this paper, we study the Ramsey numbers

  9. Path-kipas Ramsey numbers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Salman, M.; Broersma, Haitze J.

    2007-01-01

    For two given graphs $F$ and $H$, the Ramsey number $R(F,H)$ is the smallest positive integer $p$ such that for every graph $G$ on $p$ vertices the following holds: either $G$ contains $F$ as a subgraph or the complement of $G$ contains $H$ as a subgraph. In this paper, we study the Ramsey numbers

  10. On star-critical and upper size Ramsey numbers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhang, Yanbo; Broersma, Haitze J.; Chen, Yaojun

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we study the upper size Ramsey number u(G1,G2)u(G1,G2), defined by Erdős and Faudree, as well as the star-critical Ramsey number r∗(G1,G2)r∗(G1,G2), defined by Hook and Isaak. We define Ramsey-full graphs and size Ramsey good graphs, and perform a detailed study on these graphs. We

  11. Role of associativity in Ramsey algebras

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Andrew Rajah

    2017-11-02

    Nov 2, 2017 ... Z2 → Z is defined by −(x, y) = y − x, is not a Ramsey algebra .... A function μ : V → G will be known as an assignment on V to abstract the idea of μ ... The concept of a reduction is central to the notion of a Ramsey algebra.

  12. Observation of pulsed neutron Ramsey resonance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Masuda, Y. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan)]. E-mail: yasuhiro.masuda@kek.jp; Skoy, V. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Reasearch, 141980 Dubna, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Ino, T. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Jeong, S.C. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Watanabe, Y. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan)

    2007-07-15

    A Ramsey resonance for pulsed neutrons was observed. The separated oscillatory fields for nuclear magnetic resonance were synchronized with a neutron pulse, and then the Ramsey resonance was observed as a function of the neutron velocity. The phase of one of the oscillatory fields was modulated as a function of the neutron time of flight for a neutron velocity measurement.

  13. DID RAMSEY EVER ENDORSE A REDUNDANCY THEORY OF TRUTH?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María J. Frápolli

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper deals with Ramsey´s theory of truth and its aim is twofold: on the one hand, it will explain what position about truth Ramsey actually defended, and, on the other hand, we will pursue Ramsey’s insight in the XXth century. When the name of Frank Ramsey is mentioned, one of the things that comes to mind is the theory of truth as redundancy. In the following pages we will argue that Ramsey never supported such a theory, but rather an analysis of truth noticeably similar to the prosentential account. In fact, the very word “pro-sentence” appears for the first time in the XXth Century in Ramsey´s unfinished work “The nature of truth”, written around 1929. Besides, we will show that the prosentential account of truth is a neglected trend throughout the history of analytic philosophy, even though relevant analytic philosophers, such as Prior, Strawson, Williams, Grover and Brandom, have endorsed it.

  14. A hierarchy of Ramsey-like cardinals

    OpenAIRE

    Holy, Peter; Schlicht, Philipp

    2017-01-01

    We introduce a hierarchy of large cardinals between weakly compact and measurable cardinals, that is closely related to the Ramsey-like cardinals introduced by Victoria Gitman, and is based on certain infinite filter games, however also has a range of equivalent characterizations in terms of elementary embeddings. The aim of this paper is to locate the Ramsey-like cardinals studied by Gitman, and other well-known large cardinal notions, in this hierarchy.

  15. Monopoly, Pareto and Ramsey mark-ups

    OpenAIRE

    Ten Raa, T.

    2009-01-01

    Monopoly prices are too high. It is a price level problem, in the sense that the relative mark-ups have Ramsey optimal proportions, at least for independent constant elasticity demands. I show that this feature of monopoly prices breaks down the moment one demand is replaced by the textbook linear demand or, even within the constant elasticity framework, dependence is introduced. The analysis provides a single Generalized Inverse Elasticity Rule for the problems of monopoly, Pareto and Ramsey.

  16. The Ramsey Numbers of Paths Versus Fans

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Salman, M.; Broersma, Haitze J.; Faigle, U.; Hurink, Johann L.; Pickl, Stefan; Woeginger, Gerhard

    2003-01-01

    For two given graphs G and H, the Ramsey number R(G,H) is the smallest positive integer p such that for every graph F on p vertices the following holds: either F contains G as a subgraph or the complement of F contains H as a subgraph. In this paper, we study the Ramsey numbers R(Pn,Fm), where Pn is

  17. Initial atomic coherences and Ramsey frequency pulling in fountain clocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerginov, Vladislav; Nemitz, Nils; Weyers, Stefan

    2014-09-01

    In the uncertainty budget of primary atomic cesium fountain clocks, evaluations of frequency-pulling shifts of the hyperfine clock transition caused by unintentional excitation of its nearby transitions (Rabi and Ramsey pulling) have been based so far on an approach developed for cesium beam clocks. We re-evaluate this type of frequency pulling in fountain clocks and pay particular attention to the effect of initial coherent atomic states. We find significantly enhanced frequency shifts caused by Ramsey pulling due to sublevel population imbalance and corresponding coherences within the state-selected hyperfine component of the initial atom ground state. Such shifts are experimentally investigated in an atomic fountain clock and quantitative agreement with the predictions of the model is demonstrated.

  18. Computing Hypergraph Ramsey Numbers by Using Quantum Circuit

    OpenAIRE

    Qu, Ri; Li, Zong-shang; Wang, Juan; Bao, Yan-ru; Cao, Xiao-chun

    2012-01-01

    Gaitan and Clark [Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 010501 (2012)] have recently shown a quantum algorithm for the computation of the Ramsey numbers using adiabatic quantum evolution. We present a quantum algorithm to compute the two-color Ramsey numbers for r-uniform hypergraphs by using the quantum counting circuit.

  19. Scalar Aharonov–Bohm Phase in Ramsey Atom Interferometry under Time-Varying Potential

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atsuo Morinaga

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available In a Ramsey atom interferometer excited by two electromagnetic fields, if atoms are under a time-varying scalar potential during the interrogation time, the phase of the Ramsey fringes shifts owing to the scalar Aharonov–Bohm effect. The phase shift was precisely examined using a Ramsey atom interferometer with a two-photon Raman transition under the second-order Zeeman potential, and a formula for the phase shift was derived. Using the derived formula, the frequency shift due to the scalar Aharonov–Bohm effect in the frequency standards utilizing the Ramsey atom interferometer was discussed.

  20. The Ramsey numbers of large cycles versus small wheels

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Surahmat,; Baskoro, E.T.; Broersma, H.J.

    2004-01-01

    For two given graphs G and H, the Ramsey number R(G;H) is the smallest positive integer N such that for every graph F of order N the following holds: either F contains G as a subgraph or the complement of F contains H as a subgraph. In this paper, we determine the Ramsey number R(Cn;Wm) for m = 4

  1. A note on Ramsey and Corlett-Hague rules

    OpenAIRE

    Ley, Eduardo

    1992-01-01

    Ramsey-type results dictate that an optimal pattern of taxes must tax more heavily those goods which have a more inelastic(compensated)demand. Corlett and Hague (1953) investigated the optimal revenue-neutral movements from an initial uniform tax. They obtained that the goods (relatively) more complementary to the untaxed good (leisure)should see their taxes increased-which in a revenue-neutral seeting implies that the other goods see their taxes disminished. In a three-good economy (with on...

  2. Connected size Ramsey number for matchings vs. small stars or ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2017-11-20

    Nov 20, 2017 ... determine the connected size Ramsey number ˆrc(nK2, K1,3)forn ≥ 2 ... concerning the size Ramsey number for many pairs of graphs can be seen in [3]. ... Then, color all edges incident to x by red and the other edges of F by.

  3. BATAS ATAS BILANGAN RAMSEY UNTUK GRAF BINTANG DAN GRAF BIPARTIT LENGKAP

    OpenAIRE

    Rosyida, Isnaini

    2008-01-01

    Misal G dan H dua buah graf sebarang, bilangan Ramsey R(G,H) adalah bilangan asli terkecil n sehingga untuk setiap graf F dengan n titik akan memuat G atau komplemen dari F memuat H. Makalah ini akan membahas batas atas dari bilangan Ramsey untuk graf bintang Sn dan graf bipartit lengkap Kp,q. Khususnya, kita akan menunjukkan batas atas dari R(Sn, K2,q) serta batas atas dari R(Sn, Kp,q) untuk n ≥ 5, 3 ≤ p ≤ n-1 dan q ≤ 2.Kata Kunci : Bilangan Ramsey, Graf Bintang dan Bipartit

  4. A pulsed neutron Ramsey's method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Masuda, Y. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan)]. E-mail: yasuhiro.masuda@kek.jp; Ino, T. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Jeong, S.C. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Muto, S. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Skoy, V. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Reasearch, 141980 Dubna (Russian Federation); Watanabe, Y. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan)

    2005-02-15

    A Ramsey's method with pulsed neutrons is proposed. A Ramsey signal, which is a neutron spin rotation about a static magnetic field for a time interval between two separated oscillatory fields, is observed as a function of a neutron time of flight (TOF) in this method. The neutron spin rotation or the RF oscillation is used as a clock of the neutron velocity measurement which ranges from cold to epithermal neutron energies. This method together with the TOF measurement can be used for neutron inelastic scattering experiments. In addition, this method can be applied to the measurement of magnetic and pseudomagnetic fields in matter, and also to neutron spin manipulation for spin dependent scattering.

  5. Hyper-Ramsey spectroscopy with probe-laser-intensity fluctuations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beloy, K.

    2018-03-01

    We examine the influence of probe-laser-intensity fluctuations on hyper-Ramsey spectroscopy. We assume, as is appropriate for relevant cases of interest, that the probe-laser intensity I determines both the Rabi frequency (∝√{I } ) and the frequency shift to the atomic transition (∝I ) during probe-laser interactions with the atom. The spectroscopic signal depends on these two quantities that covary with fluctuations in the probe-laser intensity. Introducing a simple model for the fluctuations, we find that the signature robustness of the hyper-Ramsey method can be compromised. Taking the Yb+ electric octupole clock transition as an example, we quantify the clock error under different levels of probe-laser-intensity fluctuations.

  6. Norman Ramsey. Nobel Prize Winner in Physics (1989); Norman Ramsey. Premio Nobel de fisica (1989)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2003-07-01

    Norman Ramsey (Washington 1915) received the Nobel Prize in Physics (shared with con H. G. Dehmelt and W. Paul) for the development of study techniques for Atomic Physics. This tireless researcher participated in the discovery of the Magnetic Resonance Method for Molecular Emission. He invented the hydrogen maser and the hydrogen atomic clock, in addition to being a profile author. (Author)

  7. Some Remarks on Stochastic Versions of the Ramsey Growth Model

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Sladký, Karel

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 19, č. 29 (2012), s. 139-152 ISSN 1212-074X R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP402/10/1610; GA ČR GAP402/10/0956; GA ČR GAP402/11/0150 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : Economic dynamics * Ramsey growth model with disturbance * stochastic dynamic programming * multistage stochastic programs Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2013/E/sladky-some remarks on stochastic versions of the ramsey growth model.pdf

  8. Monopoly, Pareto and Ramsey mark-ups

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ten Raa, T.

    2009-01-01

    Monopoly prices are too high. It is a price level problem, in the sense that the relative mark-ups have Ramsey optimal proportions, at least for independent constant elasticity demands. I show that this feature of monopoly prices breaks down the moment one demand is replaced by the textbook linear

  9. Ramsey, redundancia y correspondencia

    OpenAIRE

    Horenstein, Silvia

    2000-01-01

    En Fats and Propositions (1990) Ramsey formula y defiende la teoría redundandista de la verdad: 'p es verdadero' y 'p' son, sino idénticos, por lo menos, equivalentes. Su compromiso con la teoría de la redundancia se mantiene en On Truth (manuscrito publicado en 1991), aunque parece advertirse en el nuevo planteo - de temas tratados con anterioridad - una evolución en su pensamiento que lo lleva a asignar mayor peso a la compatibilidad entre redundancia y correspondencia. Da ahí que interese ...

  10. How Christian ethics became medical ethics: the case of Paul Ramsey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hauerwas, Stanley

    1995-03-01

    Over the last century Christian ethics has moved from an attempt to Christianize the social order to a quandary over whether being Christian unduly biases how medical ethics is done. This movement can be viewed as the internal development of protestant liberalism to its logical conclusion, and Paul Ramsey can be taken as one of the last great representatives of that tradition. By reducing the Christian message to the 'ethical upshot' of neighbour love, Ramsey did not have the resources to show how Christian practice might make a difference for understanding or forming the practice of medicine. Instead, medicine became the practice that exemplified the moral commitments of Christian civilization, and the goal of the ethicist was to identify the values that were constitutive of medicine. Ramsey thus prepared the way for the Christian ethicist to become a medical ethicist with a difference, and the difference simply involved vague theological presumptions that do no serious intellectual work other than explaining, perhaps, the motivations of the ethicist.

  11. On-line Ramsey Numbers for Paths and Stars

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaroslaw Grytczuk

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available We study on-line version of size-Ramsey numbers of graphs defined via a game played between Builder and Painter: in one round Builder joins two vertices by an edge and Painter paints it red or blue. The goal of Builder is to force Painter to create a monochromatic copy of a fixed graph H in as few rounds as possible. The minimum number of rounds (assuming both players play perfectly is the on-line Ramsey number r(H of the graph H. We determine exact values of r(H for a few short paths and obtain a general upper bound r(Pn ≤ 4n-7. We also study asymmetric version of this parameter when one of the target graphs is a star Sn with n edges. We prove that r(Sn,H≤n ·e(H when H is any tree, cycle or clique.

  12. A Precise Threshold for Quasi-Ramsey Numbers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kang, R.J.; Pach, J.; Patel, V.; Regts, G.

    2015-01-01

    We consider the variation of Ramsey numbers introduced by Erdös and Pach [J. Graph Theory, 7 (1983), pp. 137--147], where instead of seeking complete or independent sets we only seek a $t$-homogeneous set, a vertex subset that induces a subgraph of minimum degree at least $t$ or the complement of

  13. Ramsey interferometry of Rydberg ensembles inside microwave cavities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sommer, Christian; Genes, Claudiu

    2018-06-01

    We study ensembles of Rydberg atoms in a confined electromagnetic environment such as is provided by a microwave cavity. The competition between standard free space Ising type and cavity-mediated interactions leads to the emergence of different regimes where the particle‑particle couplings range from the typical van der Waals r ‑6 behavior to r ‑3 and to r-independence. We apply a Ramsey spectroscopic technique to map the two-body interactions into a characteristic signal such as intensity and contrast decay curves. As opposed to previous treatments requiring high-densities for considerable contrast and phase decay (Takei et al 2016 Nat. Comms. 7 13449; Sommer et al 2016 Phys. Rev. A 94 053607), the cavity scenario can exhibit similar behavior at much lower densities.

  14. A note on Ramsey numbers for fans

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhang, Yanbo; Broersma, Haitze J.; Chen, Yaojun

    For two given graphs G1 and G2, the Ramsey number R(G1,G2) is the smallest integer N such that, for any graph G of order N, either G contains G1 as a subgraph or the complement of G contains G2 as a subgraph. A fan Fl is l triangles sharing exactly one vertex. In this note, it is shown that R(Fn,

  15. Ramsey prices in the Italian electricity market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bigerna, Simona; Bollino, Carlo Andrea

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we derive optimal zonal prices in the Italian day-ahead electricity market using estimation of a complete system of hourly demand in 2010–2011. In Italy, the hourly equilibrium price for all buyers is computed as a uniform average of supply zonal prices, resulting from market splitting due to line congestion. We model ex-ante individual bids expressed by heterogeneous consumers, which are distinguished by geographical zones. Using empirical estimations, we compute demand elasticity values and new zonal prices, according to a Ramsey optimal scheme. This is a new approach in the wholesale electricity market literature, as previous studies have discussed the relative merit of zonal prices, considering only the issue of line congestion. Our results show that the optimal pricing scheme can improve welfare in the day-ahead Italian electricity market, with respect to both the existing uniform price scheme and the proposal to charge the existing supply zonal prices to the demand side. - Highlights: • We model and estimate the demand of heterogeneous buyers in the electricity market. • Transmission line congestion creates welfare distortions in the market. • We derive optimal Ramsey prices in the Italian day-ahead electricity market. • We compare optimal prices with historical ones showing how to improve welfare.

  16. Cryogenic setup for trapped ion quantum computing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandl, M F; van Mourik, M W; Postler, L; Nolf, A; Lakhmanskiy, K; Paiva, R R; Möller, S; Daniilidis, N; Häffner, H; Kaushal, V; Ruster, T; Warschburger, C; Kaufmann, H; Poschinger, U G; Schmidt-Kaler, F; Schindler, P; Monz, T; Blatt, R

    2016-11-01

    We report on the design of a cryogenic setup for trapped ion quantum computing containing a segmented surface electrode trap. The heat shield of our cryostat is designed to attenuate alternating magnetic field noise, resulting in 120 dB reduction of 50 Hz noise along the magnetic field axis. We combine this efficient magnetic shielding with high optical access required for single ion addressing as well as for efficient state detection by placing two lenses each with numerical aperture 0.23 inside the inner heat shield. The cryostat design incorporates vibration isolation to avoid decoherence of optical qubits due to the motion of the cryostat. We measure vibrations of the cryostat of less than ±20 nm over 2 s. In addition to the cryogenic apparatus, we describe the setup required for an operation with 40 Ca + and 88 Sr + ions. The instability of the laser manipulating the optical qubits in 40 Ca + is characterized by yielding a minimum of its Allan deviation of 2.4 ⋅ 10 -15 at 0.33 s. To evaluate the performance of the apparatus, we trapped 40 Ca + ions, obtaining a heating rate of 2.14(16) phonons/s and a Gaussian decay of the Ramsey contrast with a 1/e-time of 18.2(8) ms.

  17. Norman Ramsey. Nobel Prize Winner in Physics (1989)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-01-01

    Norman Ramsey (Washington 1915) received the Nobel Prize in Physics (shared with con H. G. Dehmelt and W. Paul) for the development of study techniques for Atomic Physics. This tireless researcher participated in the discovery of the Magnetic Resonance Method for Molecular Emission. He invented the hydrogen maser and the hydrogen atomic clock, in addition to being a profile author. (Author)

  18. Creation of polarized ultracold neutrons and observation of Ramsey resonance for electric dipole moment measurement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsuta, K., E-mail: matsuta@vg.phys.sci.osaka-u.ac.jp [Osaka University, Department of Physics (Japan); Masuda, Y. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) (Japan); Hatanaka, K. [Osaka University, RCNP (Japan); Jeong, S. C.; Kawasaki, S. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) (Japan); Matsumiya, R. [Osaka University, RCNP (Japan); Mihara, M. [Osaka University, Department of Physics (Japan); Watanabe, Y. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) (Japan); Nishimura, D. [Tokyo University of Science, Department of Physics (Japan); Morita, Y. [Osaka University, Department of Physics (Japan); Asahi, K. [Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan); Adachi, T. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) (Japan); Martin, J. [University of Winnipeg, Department of Physics (Canada); Konaka, A.; Miller, A. [TRIUMF (Canada); Bidinosti, C.; Dawson, T. [University of Winnipeg, Department of Physics (Canada); Lee, L.; Davis, C.; Ramsay, D. [TRIUMF (Canada); and others

    2013-05-15

    Polarized UCNs have been created by selecting only one spin state passing through a magnetized Fe foil. Typical degree of polarization was about 90 %. The polarization relaxation time in the prototype Ramsey cell was T{sub 1} =1100{sup +800}{sub -400} s. Clear Ramsey resonance spectra have been observed for two precession time settings, t{sub c} = 100 ms and 30 s. The transverse relaxation time T{sub 2} was about 50 s.

  19. Crab spiders (Araeneae: Philodromidae, Thomisidae) of Ramsey County, Minnesota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniel. T. Jennings; Bruce Cutler

    1996-01-01

    Crab spiders of 2 families, 10 genera, and 35 species were collected over a 31-year period in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Rarely collected species included Philodromus keyserlingi, Xysticus pellax, X. chippewa, X. banksi and X. alboniger. Identification source(s), season and collection frequency, and biology are summarized for each species.

  20. Local and global dynamics of Ramsey model: From continuous to discrete time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guzowska, Malgorzata; Michetti, Elisabetta

    2018-05-01

    The choice of time as a discrete or continuous variable may radically affect equilibrium stability in an endogenous growth model with durable consumption. In the continuous-time Ramsey model [F. P. Ramsey, Econ. J. 38(152), 543-559 (1928)], the steady state is locally saddle-path stable with monotonic convergence. However, in the discrete-time version, the steady state may be unstable or saddle-path stable with monotonic or oscillatory convergence or periodic solutions [see R.-A. Dana et al., Handbook on Optimal Growth 1 (Springer, 2006) and G. Sorger, Working Paper No. 1505 (2015)]. When this occurs, the discrete-time counterpart of the continuous-time model is not consistent with the initial framework. In order to obtain a discrete-time Ramsey model preserving the main properties of the continuous-time counterpart, we use a general backward and forward discretisation as initially proposed by Bosi and Ragot [Theor. Econ. Lett. 2(1), 10-15 (2012)]. The main result of the study here presented is that, with this hybrid discretisation method, fixed points and local dynamics do not change. For what it concerns global dynamics, i.e., long-run behavior for initial conditions taken on the state space, we mainly perform numerical analysis with the main scope of comparing both qualitative and quantitative evolution of the two systems, also varying some parameters of interest.

  1. 76 FR 20034 - Calvin Ramsey, M.D.; Revocation of Registration

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Drug Enforcement Administration [Docket No. 10-25] Calvin Ramsey, M.D.; Revocation of Registration On December 18, 2009, the Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Diversion... constitutional right to appointed counsel in a proceeding under 21 U.S.C. 824(a). See Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U.S...

  2. Optical Ramsey spectroscopy in a rotating frame: Sagnac effect in a matter-wave interferometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riehle, F.; Kisters, T.; Witte, A.; Helmcke, J.; Borde, C.J.

    1991-01-01

    A calcium atomic beam excited in an optical Ramsey geometry was rotated about an axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the laser beams and the atomic beam. A frequency shift of the Ramsey fringes of several kHz has been measured which is proportional to the rotation frequency of the apparatus and to the distance between the laser beams. The results can be interpreted in three equivalent ways as the Sagnac effect in a calcium-atomic-beam interferometer: in the rotating frame of the laser beams either along straight paths or along the curved trajectories of the atoms, or in the inertial atomic frame

  3. The complexity of proving that a graph is Ramsey

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Lauria, M.; Pudlák, Pavel; Rödl, V.; Thapen, Neil

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 37, č. 2 (2017), s. 253-268 ISSN 0209-9683 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100190902; GA ČR GBP202/12/G061 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : complexity * c-Ramsey graphs Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics OBOR OECD: Pure mathematics Impact factor: 1.048, year: 2016 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00493-015-3193-9

  4. Ramsey interferometry with a two-level generalized Tonks-Girardeau gas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mousavi, S. V.; Campo, A. del; Lizuain, I.; Muga, J. G.

    2007-01-01

    We propose a solvable generalization of the Tonks-Girardeau model that describes a coherent one-dimensional (1D) gas of cold two-level bosons which interact with two external fields in a Ramsey interferometer. They also interact among themselves by idealized, infinitely strong contact potentials, with interchange of momentum and internal state. We study the corresponding Ramsey fringes and the quantum projection noise which, essentially unaffected by the interactions, remains that for ideal bosons. The dual system of this gas, an ideal gas of two-level fermions coupled by the interaction with the separated fields, produces the same fringes and noise fluctuations. The cases of time-separated and spatially separated fields are studied. For spatially separated fields the fringes may be broadened slightly by increasing the number of particles, but only for large particle numbers far from present experiments with Tonks-Girardeau gases. The uncertainty in the determination of the atomic transition frequency diminishes, essentially with the inverse root of the particle number. The difficulties to implement the model experimentally and possible shortcomings of strongly interacting 1D gases for frequency standards and atomic clocks are discussed

  5. Dynamics of infinite-dimensional groups the Ramsey-Dvoretzky-Milman phenomenon

    CERN Document Server

    Pestov, Vladimir

    2006-01-01

    The "infinite-dimensional groups" in the title refer to unitary groups of Hilbert spaces, the infinite symmetric group, groups of homeomorphisms of manifolds, groups of transformations of measure spaces, etc. The book presents an approach to the study of such groups based on ideas from geometric functional analysis and from exploring the interplay between dynamical properties of those groups, combinatorial Ramsey-type theorems, and the phenomenon of concentration of measure. The dynamics of infinite-dimensional groups is very much unlike that of locally compact groups. For instance, every locally compact group acts freely on a suitable compact space (Veech). By contrast, a 1983 result by Gromov and Milman states that whenever the unitary group of a separable Hilbert space continuously acts on a compact space, it has a common fixed point. In the book, this new fast-growing theory is built strictly from well-understood examples up. The book has no close counterpart and is based on recent research articles. At t...

  6. The Ramsey method in high-precision mass spectrometry with Penning traps Experimental results

    CERN Document Server

    George, S; Herfurth, F; Herlert, A; Kretzschmar, M; Nagy, S; Schwarz, S; Schweikhard, L; Yazidjian, C

    2007-01-01

    The highest precision in direct mass measurements is obtained with Penning trap mass spectrometry. Most experiments use the interconversion of the magnetron and cyclotron motional modes of the stored ion due to excitation by external radiofrequency-quadrupole fields. In this work a new excitation scheme, Ramsey's method of time-separated oscillatory fields, has been successfully tested. It has been shown to reduce significantly the uncertainty in the determination of the cyclotron frequency and thus of the ion mass of interest. The theoretical description of the ion motion excited with Ramsey's method in a Penning trap and subsequently the calculation of the resonance line shapes for different excitation times, pulse structures, and detunings of the quadrupole field has been carried out in a quantum mechanical framework and is discussed in detail in the preceding article in this journal by M. Kretzschmar. Here, the new excitation technique has been applied with the ISOLTRAP mass spectrometer at ISOLDE/CERN fo...

  7. First Ramsey-type mass measurements with ISOLTRAP and design studies of the new PENTATRAP project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    George, Sebastian

    2009-01-01

    The application of Penning traps for mass spectrometry has led to a major step in the mass precision. Consequently, atomic masses became more and more important as input parameters in different research fields. This exploitation is still ongoing in line with a steady development of Penning trap mass spectrometers to even higher accuracies. Penning trap mass spectrometry is based on the determination of the free cyclotron frequency ν c =qB/(2πm) of an ion confined in a homogeneous magnetic field B. In principle two different measurement techniques are available: By applying the destructive time-of-flight detection method (TOF-ICR) the trap content is lost after the measurement. Since it is a fast measurement method it is usually used for mass determinations of short-lived radionuclides, whereas a relative mass uncertainty δm/m of a few parts in 10 -9 is routinely reached even for nuclides with half-lives well below 500 ms. This has been achieved by the implementation of the Ramsey method in Penning trap mass spectrometry within this work. By contrast the non-destructive Fourier Transform-Ion Cyclotron Resonance detection method (FT-ICR) determines the frequency of the image current introduced in the trap electrodes by the ion motion. Thus, the ion remains in the trap and can be used for further measurement cycles. This method is often applied for measurements of stable nuclides reaching a relative mass uncertainty of less than δm/m=10 -11 . One part of this thesis was the application of time-separated oscillatory fields, called Ramsey method, for resonant ion motion excitation in order to improve the time-of-flight detection method. It was used to measure the nuclides 26,27 Al and 38,39 Ca with the Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP. The mass values have been included in the ''Atomic Mass Evaluation'' (AME). Furthermore, the nuclides 26 Al and 38 Ca serve as input parameters for stringent tests of the Standard Model. Additionally, damping effects in a

  8. Ramsey spectroscopy by direct use of resonant light on isotope atoms for single-photon detuning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Hoon; Choi, Mi Hyun; Moon, Ye Lin; Kim, Seung Jin; Kim, Jung Bog [Korea National University of Education, Cheongwon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-03-15

    We demonstrate Ramsey spectroscopy with cold {sup 87}Rb atoms via a two-photon Raman process. One laser beam has a cross-over resonant frequency on the {sup 85}Rb transition and the other beam has a 6.8 GHz shifted frequency. These two laser beams fulfill the two-photon Raman resonance condition, which involves a single-photon detuning of -2.6 GHz. By implementing these two lasers on cold {sup 87}Rb atoms, we demonstrate Ramsey spectroscopy with an interrogation time of the intermediate state by using π/2 Raman pulses. In our laser system, we can change the single-photon detuning to 1.2, 4.2 or -5.6 GHz by changing the {sup 85}Rb transition line used as a locking signal and an injected sideband. The laser system that directly uses resonant light on isotope atoms will be described in this paper.

  9. First Ramsey-type mass measurements with ISOLTRAP and design studies of the new PENTATRAP project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    George, Sebastian

    2009-07-09

    The application of Penning traps for mass spectrometry has led to a major step in the mass precision. Consequently, atomic masses became more and more important as input parameters in different research fields. This exploitation is still ongoing in line with a steady development of Penning trap mass spectrometers to even higher accuracies. Penning trap mass spectrometry is based on the determination of the free cyclotron frequency {nu}{sub c}=qB/(2{pi}m) of an ion confined in a homogeneous magnetic field B. In principle two different measurement techniques are available: By applying the destructive time-of-flight detection method (TOF-ICR) the trap content is lost after the measurement. Since it is a fast measurement method it is usually used for mass determinations of short-lived radionuclides, whereas a relative mass uncertainty {delta}m/m of a few parts in 10{sup -9} is routinely reached even for nuclides with half-lives well below 500 ms. This has been achieved by the implementation of the Ramsey method in Penning trap mass spectrometry within this work. By contrast the non-destructive Fourier Transform-Ion Cyclotron Resonance detection method (FT-ICR) determines the frequency of the image current introduced in the trap electrodes by the ion motion. Thus, the ion remains in the trap and can be used for further measurement cycles. This method is often applied for measurements of stable nuclides reaching a relative mass uncertainty of less than {delta}m/m=10{sup -11}. One part of this thesis was the application of time-separated oscillatory fields, called Ramsey method, for resonant ion motion excitation in order to improve the time-of-flight detection method. It was used to measure the nuclides {sup 26,27}Al and {sup 38,39}Ca with the Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP. The mass values have been included in the ''Atomic Mass Evaluation'' (AME). Furthermore, the nuclides {sup 26}Al and {sup 38}Ca serve as input parameters for stringent

  10. Method and apparatus for checking the stability of a setup for making reflection type holograms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lackner, H. G. (Inventor)

    1974-01-01

    A method and apparatus are described for checking the stability of a setup for recording reflection-type (white light) holograms. Two sets of interference fringes are simultaneously obtained, one giving information about coherence and stability of the setup alone and the other demonstrating coherence of the entire system, including the holographic recording plate. Special emphasis is given to the stability of the plate, due to the fact that any minute vibration might severely degrade or completely destroy the recording.

  11. Historical overview of Ramsey spectroscopy and its relevance on Time and Frequency Metrology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amaral, M M; Tarelho, L V G; De Souza, M A; Baratto, A C; Garcia, G A; Muller, S T; De Martin, J Jr; Rodriguez, A S; Bebeachibuli, A; Magalhães, D V

    2016-01-01

    A brief overview of the historical evolution of the method of successive oscillatory fields developed by Norman Ramsey, and some different implementations of the decurrent methodology are presented. We use time and frequency standards, from Cs atomic beams to optical standards, as examples. The scientific progress and the technological implementation achieved through a partnership between USP-SC and INMETRO are shown on the characterization of each time and frequency standard. (paper)

  12. Multiphoton- and simultaneous conjugate Ramsey-Borde atom interferometers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller, Holger; Chiow, Sheng-wey; Herrmann, Sven; Chu, Steven

    2008-01-01

    We report on our experiment to measure h/M, the ratio of the Planck constant to the mass of Cs atoms, and thereby the fine-structure constant. The target accuracy is 1 part per billion or better. We focus on two recent milestones: (i) The first realization of atom interferometers based on light-pulse beam splitters that transfer the momentum of up to 12 photon pairs, which increases the useful signal (matter wave phase shift) by a factor of 144 compared to the beam splitters used in the best present atom interferometers. Moreover, they lead to a cancellation of important systematic effects. (ii) The first realization of a simultaneous pair of conjugate Ramsey-Borde interferometers. In these, the relative sign of the inertial term is reversed so that it can be cancelled. Simultaneous operation means that this holds for a time-dependent inertial term (vibrations) too, which promises a substantial improvement in the signal to noise ratio

  13. Ramsey-CPT spectrum with the Faraday effect and its application to atomic clocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian Yuan; Gu Si-Hong; Tan Bo-Zhong; Yang Jing; Zhang Yi

    2015-01-01

    A method that obtains the Ramsey-coherent population trapping (CPT) spectrum with the Faraday effect is investigated. An experiment is implemented to detect the light polarization components generated from the Faraday effect. The experimental results agree with the theoretical calculations based on the Liouville equation. By comparing with the method without using the Faraday effect, the potential of this method for a CPT-based atomic clock is assessed. The results indicate that this method should improve the short-term frequency stability by several times. (paper)

  14. Noncombatant Imnmunity and Military Necessity: Ethical Conflict in the Just War Ethics of William V. O'Brien and Paul Ramsey

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Gibbs, Jonathan

    1997-01-01

    William V. O'Brien and Paul Ramsey are two modern just war theorists who have opposite views on the relationship between the jus in bello principle of discrimination and the international law principle of military necessity...

  15. The Ramsey numbers of fans versus a complete graph of order five

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanbo Zhang

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available For two given graphs $F$ and $H$, the Ramsey number $R(F,H$ is the smallest integer $N$ such that for any graph $G$ of order $N$, either $G$ contains $F$ or the complement of $G$ contains $H$. Let $F_l$ denote a fan of order $2l+1$, which is $l$ triangles sharing exactly one vertex, and $K_n$ a complete graph of order $n$. Surahmat et al. conjectured that $R(F_l,K_n=2l(n-1+1$ for $l\\geq n\\geq 5$. In this paper, we show that the conjecture is true for n=5.

  16. The value of urban tree cover: A hedonic property price model in Ramsey and Dakota Counties, Minnesota, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heather Sander; Stephen Polasky; Robert. Haight

    2010-01-01

    Urban tree cover benefits communities. These benefits' economic values, however, are poorly recognized and often ignored by landowners and planners. We use hedonic property price modeling to estimate urban tree cover's value in Dakota and Ramsey Counties, MN, USA, predicting housing value as a function of structural, neighborhood, and environmental variables...

  17. Minimization of number of setups for mounting machines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kolman, Pavel; Nchor, Dennis; Hampel, David [Department of Statistics and Operation Analysis, Faculty of Business and Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 603 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Žák, Jaroslav [Institute of Technology and Business, Okružní 517/10, 370 01 České Budejovice (Czech Republic)

    2015-03-10

    The article deals with the problem of minimizing the number of setups for mounting SMT machines. SMT is a device used to assemble components on printed circuit boards (PCB) during the manufacturing of electronics. Each type of PCB has a different set of components, which are obligatory. Components are placed in the SMT tray. The problem consists in the fact that the total number of components used for all products is greater than the size of the tray. Therefore, every change of manufactured product requires a complete change of components in the tray (i.e., a setup change). Currently, the number of setups corresponds to the number of printed circuit board type. Any production change affects the change of setup and stops production on one shift. Many components occur in more products therefore the question arose as to how to deploy the products into groups so as to minimize the number of setups. This would result in a huge increase in efficiency of production.

  18. Investigations in quantum games using EPR-type set-ups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iqbal, Azhar

    2006-04-01

    Research in quantum games has flourished during recent years. However, it seems that opinion remains divided about their true quantum character and content. For example, one argument says that quantum games are nothing but 'disguised' classical games and that to quantize a game is equivalent to replacing the original game by a different classical game. The present thesis contributes towards the ongoing debate about quantum nature of quantum games by developing two approaches addressing the related issues. Both approaches take Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR)-type experiments as the underlying physical set-ups to play two-player quantum games. In the first approach, the players' strategies are unit vectors in their respective planes, with the knowledge of coordinate axes being shared between them. Players perform measurements in an EPR-type setting and their payoffs are defined as functions of the correlations, i.e. without reference to classical or quantum mechanics. Classical bimatrix games are reproduced if the input states are classical and perfectly anti-correlated, as for a classical correlation game. However, for a quantum correlation game, with an entangled singlet state as input, qualitatively different solutions are obtained. The second approach uses the result that when the predictions of a Local Hidden Variable (LHV) model are made to violate the Bell inequalities the result is that some probability measures assume negative values. With the requirement that classical games result when the predictions of a LHV model do not violate the Bell inequalities, our analysis looks at the impact which the emergence of negative probabilities has on the solutions of two-player games which are physically implemented using the EPR-type experiments.

  19. Lockheed Solar Observatory and the Discovery of Moreton-Ramsey Waves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarbell, Theodore D.

    2014-06-01

    Moreton Waves are high-speed disturbances seen traveling away from large solar flares in H-alpha movies of the solar chromosphere. They were discovered by the observer Harry Ramsey in the late 1950s, and then published and publicized by the director Gail Moreton, both of the Lockheed Solar Observatory in the Hollywood Hills of Southern California. These efforts established the scientific reputation and secured continuing funding of the observatory, whose present-day successor is the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Lab in Palo Alto. Moreton waves are rare, and there was limited interest in them until the EIT instrument on SOHO began seeing large numbers of similar waves in the corona in the late 1990s. The exact relation between the two observations is still a research topic today. This talk will describe some of the history of the observatory and the discovery and early interpretation of the waves.

  20. Un método algoritmo para el cálculo del número baricéntrico de ramsey para el grafo estrella

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felicia Villarroel

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Let G be an abelian finite group and H be a graph. A sequence in G, with length al least two, is barycentric if it contains an ”average” element of its terms. Within the context of these sequences, one defines the barycentric Ramsey number, denoted by BR(H, G, as the smallest positive integer t such that any coloration of the edges of the complete graph Kt with elements of G produces a barycentric copy of the graph H. In this work we present a method based on the combinatorial theory and on the definition of barycentric Ramsey for calculating exact values of the above metioned constant, for some small graphs where the order is less than or equal to 8. We will exemplify the case where H is the star graph K1,k, and where G is the cyclical group Zn, with 3 ≤ n ≤ 11 and 3 ≤ k ≤ n.

  1. Toward a High-Stability Coherent Population Trapping Cs Vapor-Cell Atomic Clock Using Autobalanced Ramsey Spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdel Hafiz, Moustafa; Coget, Grégoire; Petersen, Michael; Rocher, Cyrus; Guérandel, Stéphane; Zanon-Willette, Thomas; de Clercq, Emeric; Boudot, Rodolphe

    2018-06-01

    Vapor-cell atomic clocks are widely appreciated for their excellent short-term fractional frequency stability and their compactness. However, they are known to suffer on medium and long time scales from significant frequency instabilities, generally attributed to light-induced frequency-shift effects. In order to tackle this limitation, we investigate the application of the recently proposed autobalanced Ramsey (ABR) interrogation protocol onto a pulsed hot-vapor Cs vapor-cell clock based on coherent population trapping (CPT). We demonstrate that the ABR protocol, developed initially to probe the one-photon resonance of quantum optical clocks, can be successfully applied to a two-photon CPT resonance. The applied method, based on the alternation of two successive Ramsey-CPT sequences with unequal free-evolution times and the subsequent management of two interconnected phase and frequency servo loops, is found to allow a relevant reduction of the clock-frequency sensitivity to laser-power variations. This original ABR-CPT approach, combined with the implementation of advanced electronics laser-power stabilization systems, yields the demonstration of a CPT-based Cs vapor-cell clock with a short-term fractional frequency stability at the level of 3.1×10 -13τ-1 /2 , averaging down to the level of 6 ×10-15 at 2000-s integration time. These encouraging performances demonstrate that the use of the ABR interrogation protocol is a promising option towards the development of high-stability CPT-based frequency standards. Such clocks could be attractive candidates in numerous applications including next-generation satellite-based navigation systems, secure communications, instrumentation, or defense systems.

  2. Theological reflections on donation after circulatory death: the wisdom of Paul Ramsey and Moshe Feinstein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jotkowitz, A

    2008-10-01

    Due to the worldwide shortage of organs for transplantation, there has been an increased use of organs obtained after circulatory death alone. A protocol for this procedure has recently been approved by a major transplant consortium. This development raises serious moral and ethical concerns. Two renowned theologians of the previous generation, Paul Ramsey and Moshe Feinstein, wrote extensively on the ethical issues relating to transplantation, and their work has much relevance to current moral dilemmas. Their writings relating to definition of death, organ transplantation and the care of the terminally ill are briefly presented, and their potential application to the moral problem of organ donation after circulatory death is discussed.

  3. Setup planning for machining

    CERN Document Server

    Hazarika, Manjuri

    2015-01-01

    Professionals as well as researchers can benefit from this comprehensive introduction into the topic of setup planning, which reflects the latest state of research and gives hands-on examples. Starting with a brief but thorough introduction, this book explains the significance of setup planning in process planning and includes a reflection on its external constraints. Step-by-step the different phases of setup planning are outlined and traditional as well as modern approaches, such as fuzzy logic based setup planning, on the solution of setup planning problems are presented. Three detailed examples of applications provide a clear and accessible insight into the up-to-date techniques and various approaches in setup planning.

  4. Leadership set-up

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thude, Bettina Ravnborg; Stenager, Egon; von Plessen, Christian

    2018-01-01

    . Findings: The study found that the leadership set-up did not have any clear influence on interdisciplinary cooperation, as all wards had a high degree of interdisciplinary cooperation independent of which leadership set-up they had. Instead, the authors found a relation between leadership set-up and leader...... could influence legitimacy. Originality/value: The study shows that leadership set-up is not the predominant factor that creates interdisciplinary cooperation; but rather, leader legitimacy also should be considered. Additionally, the study shows that leader legitimacy can be difficult to establish...... and that it cannot be taken for granted. This is something chief executive officers should bear in mind when they plan and implement new leadership structures. Therefore, it would also be useful to look more closely at how to achieve legitimacy in cases where the leader is from a different profession to the staff....

  5. An edge over diagnostic setup

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sridhar Kannan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Diagnostic setup proposed by H.D. Kingsley serves as a practical aid in treatment planning and diagnosis. These setups have some inherent shortcomings. A simple technique of duplication of the setups in dental stone can solve problems encountered before as well as provide many other advantages over the conventional procedure. The diagnostic setup is prepared by the conventional method [Figure 1]. An alginate impression is then taken of the setups and poured in dental stone to obtain the derived treatment model [Figure 2]. The same setup can now be further modified for alternate lines of treatment. Subsequently models could then be obtained as required [Figure 3].

  6. Production Planning of a Failure-Prone Manufacturing System under Different Setup Scenarios

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guy-Richard Kibouka

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a control problem for the optimization of the production and setup activities of an industrial system operating in an uncertain environment. This system is subject to random disturbances (breakdowns and repairs. These disturbances can engender stock shortages. The considered industrial system represents a well-known production context in industry and consists of a machine producing two types of products. In order to switch production from one product type to another, a time factor and a reconfiguration cost for the machine are associated with the setup activities. The parts production rates and the setup strategies are the decision variables which influence the inventory and the capacity of the system. The objective of the study is to find the production and setup policies which minimize the setup and inventory costs, as well as those associated with shortages. A modeling approach based on stochastic optimal control theory and a numerical algorithm used to solve the obtained optimality conditions are presented. The contribution of the paper, for industrial systems not studied in the literature, is illustrated through a numerical example and a comparative study.

  7. A novel approach to measure the electric dipole moment of the isotope 129-Xe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuchler F.

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Permanent electric dipole moments (EDM of fundamental systems are promising systems to find new CP violation beyond the Standard Model. Our EDM experiment is based on hyper-polarized liquid xenon droplets of sub-millimeter size on a micro-fabricated structure, placed in a low-field NMR setup. Implementation of rotating electric fields enables a conceptually new EDM measurement technique, allowing thorough investigation of systematic effects. Still, a Ramsey-type spin precession experiment with static electric field can be realized at similar sensitivity within the same setup. Employing superconducting pick-up coils and highly sensitive LTc-SQUIDs, a large array of independent measurements can be performed simultaneously. With our approach we aim to finally increase the sensitivity on the EDM of 129Xe by more than three orders of magnitude.

  8. Digital instrumentation and management of dead time: first results on a NaI well-type detector setup.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Censier, B; Bobin, C; Bouchard, J; Aubineau-Lanièce, I

    2010-01-01

    The LNE-LNHB is engaged in a development program on digital instrumentation, the first step being the instrumentation of a NaI well-type detector set-up. The prototype acquisition card and its technical specifications are presented together with the first comparison with the classical NIM-based acquisition chain, for counting rates up to 100 kcps. The digital instrumentation is shown to be counting-loss free in this range. This validates the main option adopted in this project, namely the implementation of an extending dead time with live-time measurement already successfully used in the MTR2 NIM module developed at LNE-LNHB. Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. Estimating setup of driven piles into Louisiana clayey soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-15

    Two types of mathematical models for pile setup prediction, the Skov-Denver model and the newly developed rate-based model, have been established from all the dynamic and static testing data, including restrikes of the production piles, restrikes, st...

  10. Improved mortar setup technique

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    De Villiers, D

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available bearing sensor. This concept focuses directly on one of the most cumbersome aspects of a mortar set-up, namely the use of aiming posts. The prismatic mirror and bearing dials is described as well as the required setup procedures. The measurement...

  11. The virtual slice setup.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lytton, William W; Neymotin, Samuel A; Hines, Michael L

    2008-06-30

    In an effort to design a simulation environment that is more similar to that of neurophysiology, we introduce a virtual slice setup in the NEURON simulator. The virtual slice setup runs continuously and permits parameter changes, including changes to synaptic weights and time course and to intrinsic cell properties. The virtual slice setup permits shocks to be applied at chosen locations and activity to be sampled intra- or extracellularly from chosen locations. By default, a summed population display is shown during a run to indicate the level of activity and no states are saved. Simulations can run for hours of model time, therefore it is not practical to save all of the state variables. These, in any case, are primarily of interest at discrete times when experiments are being run: the simulation can be stopped momentarily at such times to save activity patterns. The virtual slice setup maintains an automated notebook showing shocks and parameter changes as well as user comments. We demonstrate how interaction with a continuously running simulation encourages experimental prototyping and can suggest additional dynamical features such as ligand wash-in and wash-out-alternatives to typical instantaneous parameter change. The virtual slice setup currently uses event-driven cells and runs at approximately 2 min/h on a laptop.

  12. Setup uncertainties in linear accelerator based stereotactic radiosurgery and a derivation of the corresponding setup margin for treatment planning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Mutian; Zhang, Qinghui; Gan, Hua; Li, Sicong; Zhou, Su-min

    2016-02-01

    In the present study, clinical stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) setup uncertainties from image-guidance data are analyzed, and the corresponding setup margin is estimated for treatment planning purposes. Patients undergoing single-fraction SRS at our institution were localized using invasive head ring or non-invasive thermoplastic masks. Setup discrepancies were obtained from an in-room x-ray patient position monitoring system. Post treatment re-planning using the measured setup errors was performed in order to estimate the individual target margins sufficient to compensate for the actual setup errors. The formula of setup margin for a general SRS patient population was derived by proposing a correlation between the three-dimensional setup error and the required minimal margin. Setup errors of 104 brain lesions were analyzed, in which 81 lesions were treated using an invasive head ring, and 23 were treated using non-invasive masks. In the mask cases with image guidance, the translational setup uncertainties achieved the same level as those in the head ring cases. Re-planning results showed that the margins for individual patients could be smaller than the clinical three-dimensional setup errors. The derivation of setup margin adequate to address the patient setup errors was demonstrated by using the arbitrary planning goal of treating 95% of the lesions with sufficient doses. With image guidance, the patient setup accuracy of mask cases can be comparable to that of invasive head rings. The SRS setup margin can be derived for a patient population with the proposed margin formula to compensate for the institution-specific setup errors. Copyright © 2016 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Setup Analysis: Combining SMED with Other Tools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stadnicka Dorota

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to propose the methodology for the setup analysis, which can be implemented mainly in small and medium enterprises which are not convinced to implement the setups development. The methodology was developed after the research which determined the problem. Companies still have difficulties with a long setup time. Many of them do nothing to decrease this time. A long setup is not a sufficient reason for companies to undertake any actions towards the setup time reduction. To encourage companies to implement SMED it is essential to make some analyses of changeovers in order to discover problems. The methodology proposed can really encourage the management to take a decision about the SMED implementation, and that was verified in a production company. The setup analysis methodology is made up of seven steps. Four of them concern a setups analysis in a chosen area of a company, such as a work stand which is a bottleneck with many setups. The goal is to convince the management to begin actions concerning the setups improvement. The last three steps are related to a certain setup and, there, the goal is to reduce a setup time and the risk of problems which can appear during the setup. In this paper, the tools such as SMED, Pareto analysis, statistical analysis, FMEA and other were used.

  14. Set-up for differential manometers testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ratushnyj, M.I.; Galkin, Yu.V.; Nechaj, A.G.

    1985-01-01

    Set-up characteristic for controlling and testing metrological characteristics of TPP and NPP differential manometers with extreme pressure drop upto 250 kPa is briefly described. The set-up provides with automatic and manual assignment of values of gauge air pressure with errors of 0.1 and 0.25% correspondingly. The set-up is supplied with standard equipment to measure output signals. Set-up supply is carried out by a one-phase alternating current circuit with 220 V. Air supply is carried out by O.4-0.6 MPa. pressure of a pneumatic system. Application of the set-up increases operating efficiency 5 times while checking and turning differential manometers

  15. Impact of the frequency of online verifications on the patient set-up accuracy and set-up margins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rudat, Volker; Hammoud, Mohamed; Pillay, Yogin; Alaradi, Abdul Aziz; Mohamed, Adel; Altuwaijri, Saleh

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to evaluate the patient set-up error of different anatomical sites, to estimate the effect of different frequencies of online verifications on the patient set-up accuracy, and to calculate margins to accommodate for the patient set-up error (ICRU set-up margin, SM). Alignment data of 148 patients treated with inversed planned intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) or three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) of the head and neck (n = 31), chest (n = 72), abdomen (n = 15), and pelvis (n = 30) were evaluated. The patient set-up accuracy was assessed using orthogonal megavoltage electronic portal images of 2328 fractions of 173 planning target volumes (PTV). In 25 patients, two PTVs were analyzed where the PTVs were located in different anatomical sites and treated in two different radiotherapy courses. The patient set-up error and the corresponding SM were retrospectively determined assuming no online verification, online verification once a week and online verification every other day. The SM could be effectively reduced with increasing frequency of online verifications. However, a significant frequency of relevant set-up errors remained even after online verification every other day. For example, residual set-up errors larger than 5 mm were observed on average in 18% to 27% of all fractions of patients treated in the chest, abdomen and pelvis, and in 10% of fractions of patients treated in the head and neck after online verification every other day. In patients where high set-up accuracy is desired, daily online verification is highly recommended

  16. Three-dimensional micro-XRF investigations of paint layers with a tabletop setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanngiesser, Birgit; Malzer, Wolfgang; Rodriguez, Alexis Fuentes; Reiche, Ina

    2005-01-01

    The non-destructive investigation of art and archaeological objects with depth sensitivity is now possible using 3D micro-XRF spectroscopy. More detailed answers for questions on painting techniques, on the pigment palette, on the production processes and indirectly on dating or provenancing of objects are accessible now. This was already illustrated by the investigation of Mughal miniatures with a confocal setup at the synchrotron source BESSY. In this paper we demonstrate the feasibility of 3D micro-XRF spectroscopy with a tabletop setup and discuss its sensitivity in comparison to the synchrotron-based setup. Investigated objects are glass standards and also prepared paint layers. Perspectives for other types of studies are proposed

  17. Impact of the frequency of online verifications on the patient set-up accuracy and set-up margins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Adel

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Purpose The purpose of the study was to evaluate the patient set-up error of different anatomical sites, to estimate the effect of different frequencies of online verifications on the patient set-up accuracy, and to calculate margins to accommodate for the patient set-up error (ICRU set-up margin, SM. Methods and materials Alignment data of 148 patients treated with inversed planned intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT or three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT of the head and neck (n = 31, chest (n = 72, abdomen (n = 15, and pelvis (n = 30 were evaluated. The patient set-up accuracy was assessed using orthogonal megavoltage electronic portal images of 2328 fractions of 173 planning target volumes (PTV. In 25 patients, two PTVs were analyzed where the PTVs were located in different anatomical sites and treated in two different radiotherapy courses. The patient set-up error and the corresponding SM were retrospectively determined assuming no online verification, online verification once a week and online verification every other day. Results The SM could be effectively reduced with increasing frequency of online verifications. However, a significant frequency of relevant set-up errors remained even after online verification every other day. For example, residual set-up errors larger than 5 mm were observed on average in 18% to 27% of all fractions of patients treated in the chest, abdomen and pelvis, and in 10% of fractions of patients treated in the head and neck after online verification every other day. Conclusion In patients where high set-up accuracy is desired, daily online verification is highly recommended.

  18. High Contrast Coherent Population Trapping Resonances in Cs Vapour Cells with a Simple-Architecture Laser System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Xiaochi

    2013-01-01

    This thesis reports the development of a simple-architecture laser system resonant at 895 nm used for the detection of high-contrast coherent population trapping (CPT) resonances in Cs vapor cells. The laser system combines a distributed feedback-diode (DFB) laser, a pigtailed Mach-Zehnder intensity electro-optic modulator (EOM) driven at 4.596 GHz for the generation of optical sidebands frequency-split by 9.192 GHz and a Michelson delay-line system to produce a bi-chromatic optical field that alternates between right and left circular polarization. This polarization pumping scheme, first proposed by Happer's group in Princeton on K atoms, allows to optically pump a maximum number of Cs atoms into the 0-0 magnetic field insensitive clock transition. Advanced noise reduction techniques were implemented in order to stabilize the laser power, the optical carrier suppression at the output of the EOM and the DFB laser frequency. Using this system, we demonstrated the detection of CPT resonances with a contrast of 80% in cm-scale Cs vapor cells. This contrast was measured to be increased until a saturation effect with the laser power at the expense of the CPT line broadening. To circumvent this issue, we proposed with a simple setup Ramsey spectroscopy of CPT resonances in vapor cells to combine high-contrast and narrow line width of the CPT resonances. In this setup, the EOM is used both for optical sidebands generation and light switch to produce Ramsey interaction. Ramsey fringes of 166 Hz line width with a contrast better than 30% were detected with this setup. This laser system will be in a near future devoted to be used for the development of a high-performance CPT-based atomic clock. (author)

  19. ASD FieldSpec Calibration Setup and Techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olive, Dan

    2001-01-01

    This paper describes the Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) Fieldspec Calibration Setup and Techniques. The topics include: 1) ASD Fieldspec FR Spectroradiometer; 2) Components of Calibration; 3) Equipment list; 4) Spectral Setup; 5) Spectral Calibration; 6) Radiometric and Linearity Setup; 7) Radiometric setup; 8) Datadets Required; 9) Data files; and 10) Field of View Measurement. This paper is in viewgraph form.

  20. Evaluation of setup accuracy for NSCLC patients; studying the impact of different types of cone-beam CT matches based on whole thorax, columna vertebralis, and GTV

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ottosson, W.; Baker, M.; Hedman, Mattias

    2010-01-01

    Purpose. The aim of this study is to evaluate the patient setup accuracy by investigating the impact of different types of CBCT matches, performed with 3 (translations only) or 6 (including rotations) degrees-of-freedom (DOF). The purpose is also to calculate and compare CTV to PTV margins based...

  1. Automated setup for spray assisted layer-by-layer deposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mundra, Paul; Otto, Tobias; Gaponik, Nikolai; Eychmüller, Alexander

    2013-07-01

    The design for a setup allowing the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of thin films consisting of various colloidal materials is presented. The proposed system utilizes the spray-assisted LbL approach and is capable of autonomously producing films. It provides advantages to existing LbL procedures in terms of process speed and applicability. The setup offers several features that are advantageous for routine operation like an actuated sample holder, stainless steel spraying nozzles, or an optical liquid detection system. The applicability is demonstrated by the preparation of films containing semiconductor nanoparticles, namely, CdSe∕CdS quantum dots and a polyelectolyte. The films of this type are of potential interest for applications in optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes or solar cells.

  2. A new instrumental set-up for polarized neutron scattering experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmidt, Wolfgang; Ohl, Michael

    2005-01-01

    Neutron scattering with polarization analysis is a powerful tool to determine magnetic structures and excitations. A common setup is to mount the sample at the center of a Helmholtz-type coil which can provide a magnetic field of any direction at the sample position and also a guide field along the neutron flight paths around the sample. Recent experiments showed quite a high demand for measurements at low momentum transfers. For the corresponding low scattering angles air scattering gives rise to a very large background. For this reason we have extended the standard setup to a combination of a large vacuum tank surrounded by electrical coils. The vacuum tank eliminates the air scattering and we can use the polarization analysis down to the lowest accessible momentum transfers. The coils themselves also show some new features: In contrary to the classic (symmetric) coil distribution we use an asymmetric setup which gives the advantage of a larger scattering window. Due to a more sophisticated current distribution this modified coil arrangement needs not to be rotated for different scattering conditions. The whole set-up will soon be available at IN12, a cold neutrons three-axis spectrometer operated by FZ Juelich in collaboration with CEA Grenoble as a CRG-B instrument at the Institut Laue Langevin in Grenoble

  3. “Costruiscimi una casa difficile, dolente”. Ramsey Nasr, poeta laureato d’Olanda (2009-2013

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Prandoni

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available In this article I analyse the evolution of Ramsey Nasr (Rotterdam 1974 from neo-romantic to committed “political” poet. I particularly focus on the way he positioned himself, poetically and mediatically, during the years 2009-2013 – a period of economic crisis and social and political unrest – in his capacity of Poet Laureate of The Netherlands, a highly symbolic function. Supposed to represent the “nation”, in public lectures/performances he fully engaged in the polarised debate around the boundaries of historical and contemporary Dutchness. Being self half-allochtonous (Dutch-Palestinian with a transcultural background, in his poetry he performed a multiple, plural, instable personal and collective identity, questioning any essentialistic and seemingly stable definition of the Dutch cultural identity, as of any other identity construction: the Christian, the Calvinist, the European etc. Nasr did not hesitate to provoke the political establishment, by topicalizing and investigating traumas in Dutch history and in contemporary society (Holocaust, multiculturalism and integration of Muslim migrants, Israeli-Palestinian conflict etc. Instead of erasing these traumas from collective memory, or turning them into museum-pieces, he stated the necessity for everyone to meditate on them in new, daring, hybridized forms.

  4. Comparison of setup deviations for two thermoplastic immobilization masks in glottis cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jung, Jae Hong [Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, The Catholic University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-03-15

    The purpose of this study was compare to the patient setup deviation of two different type thermoplastic immobilization masks for glottis cancer in the intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). A total of 16 glottis cancer cases were divided into two groups based on applied mask type: standard or alternative group. The mean error (M), three-dimensional setup displacement error (3D-error), systematic error (Σ), random error (σ) were calculated for each group, and also analyzed setup margin (mm). The 3D-errors were 5.2 ± 1.3 mm and 5.9 ± 0.7 mm for the standard and alternative groups, respectively; the alternative group was 13.6% higher than the standard group. The systematic errors in the roll angle and the x, y, z directions were 0.8°, 1.7 mm, 1.0 mm, and 1.5 mm in the alternative group and 0.8°, 1.1 mm, 1.8 mm, and 2.0 mm in the alternative group. The random errors in the x, y, z directions were 10.9%, 1.7%, and 23.1% lower in the alternative group than in the standard group. However, absolute rotational angle (i.e., roll) in the alternative group was 12.4% higher than in the standard group. For calculated setup margin, the alternative group in x direction was 31.8% lower than in standard group. In contrast, the y and z direction were 52.6% and 21.6% higher than in the standard group. Although using a modified thermoplastic immobilization mask could be affect patient setup deviation in terms of numerical results, various point of view for an immobilization masks has need to research in terms of clinic issue.

  5. Radiotherapy for breast cancer: respiratory and set-up uncertainties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saliou, M.G.; Giraud, P.; Simon, L.; Fournier-Bidoz, N.; Fourquet, A.; Dendale, R.; Rosenwald, J.C.; Cosset, J.M.

    2005-01-01

    Adjuvant Radiotherapy has been shown to significantly reduce locoregional recurrence but this advantage is associated with increased cardiovascular and pulmonary morbidities. All uncertainties inherent to conformal radiation therapy must be identified in order to increase the precision of treatment; misestimation of these uncertainties increases the potential risk of geometrical misses with, as a consequence, under-dosage of the tumor and/or overdosage of healthy tissues. Geometric uncertainties due to respiratory movements or set-up errors are well known. Two strategies have been proposed to limit their effect: quantification of these uncertainties, which are then taken into account in the final calculation of safety margins and/or reduction of respiratory and set-up uncertainties by an efficient immobilization or gating systems. Measured on portal films with two tangential fields. CLD (central lung distance), defined as the distance between the deep field edge and the interior chest wall at the central axis, seems to be the best predictor of set-up uncertainties. Using CLD, estimated mean set-up errors from the literature are 3.8 and 3.2 mm for the systematic and random errors respectively. These depend partly on the type of immobilization device and could be reduced by the use of portal imaging systems. Furthermore, breast is mobile during respiration with motion amplitude as high as 0.8 to 10 mm in the anteroposterior direction. Respiratory gating techniques, currently on evaluation, have the potential to reduce effect of these movements. Each radiotherapy department should perform its own assessments and determine the geometric uncertainties with respect of the equipment used and its particular treatment practices. This paper is a review of the main geometric uncertainties in breast treatment, due to respiration and set-up, and solutions proposed to limit their impact. (author)

  6. Server farms with setup costs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gandhi, A.; Harchol-Balter, M.; Adan, I.J.B.F.

    2010-01-01

    In this paper we consider server farms with a setup cost. This model is common in manufacturing systems and data centers, where there is a cost to turn servers on. Setup costs always take the form of a time delay, and sometimes there is additionally a power penalty, as in the case of data centers.

  7. High-temperature metallography setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blumenfeld, M.; Shmarjahu, D.; Elfassy, S.

    1979-06-01

    A high-temperature metallography setup is presented. In this setup the observation of processes such as that of copper recrystallization was made possible, and the structure of metals such as uranium could be revealed. A brief historical review of part of the research works that have been done with the help of high temperature metallographical observation technique since the beginning of this century is included. Detailed description of metallographical specimen preparation technique and theoretical criteria based on the rate of evaporation of materials present on the polished surface of the specimens are given

  8. Accuracy in tangential breast treatment set-up

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tienhoven, G. van; Lanson, J.H.; Crabeels, D.; Heukelom, S.; Mijnheer, B.J.

    1991-01-01

    To test accuracy and reproducibility of tangential breast treatment set-up used in The Netherlands Cancer Institute, a portal imaging study was performed in 12 patients treated for early stage breast cancer. With an on-line electronic portal imaging device (EPID) images were obtained of each patient in several fractions and compared with simulator films and with each other. In 5 patients multiple images (on the average 7) per fraction were obtained to evaluate set-up variations due to respiratory movement. The central lung distance (CLD) and other set-up parameters varied within 1 fraction about 1mm (1SD). The average variation of these parameters between various fractions was about 2 mm (1SD). The differences between simulator and treatment set-up over all patients and all fractions was on the average 2-3mm for the central beam edge to skin distance and CLD. It can be concluded that the tangential breast treatment set-up is very stable and reproducible and that respiration does not have a significant influence on treatment volume. EPID appears to be an adequate tool for studies of treatment set-up accuracy like this. (author). 35 refs.; 2 figs.; 3 tabs

  9. A setup for active fault diagnosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Niemann, Hans Henrik

    2006-01-01

    A setup for active fault diagnosis (AFD) of parametric faults in dynamic systems is formulated in this paper. It is shown that it is possible to use the same setup for both open loop systems, closed loop systems based on a nominal feedback controller as well as for closed loop systems based...... on a reconfigured feedback controller. This will make the proposed AFD approach very useful in connection with fault tolerant control (FTC). The setup will make it possible to let the fault diagnosis part of the fault tolerant controller remain unchanged after a change in the feedback controller. The setup for AFD...... is based on the YJBK (after Youla, Jabr, Bongiorno and Kucera) parameterization of all stabilizing feedback controllers and the dual YJBK parameterization. It is shown that the AFD is based directly on the dual YJBK transfer function matrix. This matrix will be named the fault signature matrix when...

  10. High precision neutron interferometer setup S18b

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasegawa, Y.; Lemmel, H.

    2011-01-01

    The present setup at S18 is a multi purpose instrument. It is used for both interferometry and a Bonse-Hart camera for USANS (Ultra Small Angle Neutron Scattering) spectroscopy with wide range tunability of wavelength. Some recent measurements demand higher stability of the instrument, which made us to propose a new setup dedicated particularly for neutron interferometer experiments requiring high phase stability. To keep both options available, we suggest building the new setup in addition to the old one. By extending the space of the present setup by 1.5 m to the upstream, both setups can be accommodated side by side. (authors)

  11. Digital setup for Doppler broadening spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cizek, J; Vlcek, M; Prochazka, I

    2011-01-01

    New digital spectrometer for measurement of the Doppler shift of annihilation photons was developed and tested in this work. Digital spectrometer uses a fast 12-bit digitizer for direct sampling of signals from HPGe detectors. Analysis of sampled waveforms is performed off-line in software. Performance of the new digital setup was compared with its traditional analogue counterpart. Superior energy resolution was achieved in the digital setup. Moreover, the digital setup allows for a better control of the shape of detector signals. This enables to eliminate undesired signals damaged by pile-up effects or by ballistic deficit.

  12. Influence of random setup error on dose distribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhai Zhenyu

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the influence of random setup error on dose distribution in radiotherapy and determine the margin from ITV to PTV. Methods: A random sample approach was used to simulate the fields position in target coordinate system. Cumulative effect of random setup error was the sum of dose distributions of all individual treatment fractions. Study of 100 cumulative effects might get shift sizes of 90% dose point position. Margins from ITV to PTV caused by random setup error were chosen by 95% probability. Spearman's correlation was used to analyze the influence of each factor. Results: The average shift sizes of 90% dose point position was 0.62, 1.84, 3.13, 4.78, 6.34 and 8.03 mm if random setup error was 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 mm,respectively. Univariate analysis showed the size of margin was associated only by the size of random setup error. Conclusions: Margin of ITV to PTV is 1.2 times random setup error for head-and-neck cancer and 1.5 times for thoracic and abdominal cancer. Field size, energy and target depth, unlike random setup error, have no relation with the size of the margin. (authors)

  13. Inventory control with multiple setup costs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Alp, O.; Huh, W.T.; Tan, T.

    2014-01-01

    We consider an infinite-horizon, periodic-review, single-item production/inventory system with random demand and backordering, where multiple setups are allowed in any period and a separate fixed cost is associated for each setup. Contrary to the majority of the literature on this topic, we do not

  14. Is a home based video teleconcltation setup cost effective for lowering HBA1C for patients with type-2 diabetes over a six-month period?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sall Jensen, Morten; Rasmussen, Ole Winther

    OBJECTIVES: A RCT assessed the effectiveness and costs of a home based video teleconsultation (HVT) setup to lower HbA1c in patients with type-2 diabetes against usual out-patient treatment on the hospital. The HVT equipment was delivered to the patients by the hospital. This analysis shows...... the potential incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of using a HVT setup on six-months health care effects and costs. METHODS: The study effectiveness outcome was HbA1c level in mmol/l. The economic analysis was performed with a spreadsheet decision tree model with a Danish hospital payer’s direct cost...... perspective. Cost data were based on study measured time consumption pr. HVT, consultations at out-patient clinic, HVT-equipment, -subscription, -support costs, and hospital operating cost. Medicine costs weren’t included in the model. Model output included the cost of a 1 mmol/l point reduction of HbA1c...

  15. Split scheduling with uniform setup times.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    F. Schalekamp; R.A. Sitters (René); S.L. van der Ster; L. Stougie (Leen); V. Verdugo; A. van Zuylen

    2015-01-01

    htmlabstractWe study a scheduling problem in which jobs may be split into parts, where the parts of a split job may be processed simultaneously on more than one machine. Each part of a job requires a setup time, however, on the machine where the job part is processed. During setup, a

  16. A photovoltaic module diagnostic setup for lock-in-thermography and lock-in electroluminescence imaging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Parikh, Harsh; Spataru, Sergiu; Sera, Dezso

    2018-01-01

    Electroluminescence (EL) imaging and infrared (IRT) thermography techniques have become indispensable tools in recent years for health diagnostic of PV modules in solar industry application. Complementary to these imaging methods, lock-in techniques can effectively remove noise by periodically...... modulating the input signal and averaging it over a desired number of periods. We propose a combined lock-in EL and lock-in IRT diagnostic setup for accurate analysis of different types of faults occurring in a solar module. The setup is built around a Goldeye CL-033 high-speed SWIR camera, which can acquire...... experimental work on a (36/72) cell solar module using combined (EL) or (IRT) lock-in-thermography. The setup allows one to investigate the different technological problems that can occur when performing PV diagnostics in drone-based inspections....

  17. Split Scheduling with Uniform Setup Times

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schalekamp, F.; Sitters, R.A.; van der Ster, S.L.; Stougie, L.; Verdugo, V.; van Zuylen, A.

    2015-01-01

    We study a scheduling problem in which jobs may be split into parts, where the parts of a split job may be processed simultaneously on more than one machine. Each part of a job requires a setup time, however, on the machine where the job part is processed. During setup, a machine cannot process or

  18. A simple experimental setup for magneto-dielectric measurements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manimuthu, P.; Shanker, N. Praveen; Kumar, K. Saravana; Venkateswaran, C., E-mail: cvunom@hotmail.com

    2014-09-01

    The increasing demand for the multiferroic materials calls for the need of an experimental setup that will facilitate magneto-dielectric coupling measurements. A connector setup designed makes it possible to measure and analyze the dielectric properties of the material under the influence of a magnetic field. The salient feature of this setup is in its incorporation with the already existing experimental facilities.

  19. A simple experimental setup for magneto-dielectric measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manimuthu, P.; Shanker, N. Praveen; Kumar, K. Saravana; Venkateswaran, C.

    2014-01-01

    The increasing demand for the multiferroic materials calls for the need of an experimental setup that will facilitate magneto-dielectric coupling measurements. A connector setup designed makes it possible to measure and analyze the dielectric properties of the material under the influence of a magnetic field. The salient feature of this setup is in its incorporation with the already existing experimental facilities

  20. Set-up for pulse radiolysis of agressive substances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kozlowska-Milner, E.; Broszkiewicz, R.; Stanikowski, J.

    1975-01-01

    A set-up for the pulse radiolysis of aggressive substances with a relatively low consumption of the liquid, tested for anhydrous HNO 3 , has been described. The samples have been irradiated with single pulses of 10 MeV electrons at the linear accelerator type LAE 13-9. The absorption spectra of the irradiated samples (within a range of 300-800 nm) were provided by a xenon lamp. The variations of the voltage from the photomultiplier, coupled with an oscilloscope, were registered with the aid of a Polaroid camera. (T.G.)

  1. Setup uncertainties: consequences for multi-isocentre stereotactic radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ebert, M.A.; Harper, C.S.

    2000-01-01

    Full text: Beam data for use in dose calculations by planning systems is generally measured under static and controlled conditions. Yet, patient motion and setup uncertainties will effectively blur the resulting dose distributions leading to a discrepancy between planned and delivered dose distributions. This is particularly so for stereotactic radiotherapy where small well-defined fields are used. When multiple isocentres are used (possibly for larger irregular lesions), relative motion of isocentres due to setup variations may have deleterious effects on the intended radiation delivery. The influence of setup uncertainties was examined by performing a three-dimensional convolution of measured off-axis ratio (OAR) data with a Maxwellian distribution, with standard deviations representing several feasible levels of inaccuracy in patient setup. A sample of patient plans (predominantly multi-isocentre plans) were then considered using original (measured) OAR data, and then modified data in order to observe the resulting effect. The effect of systematic localisation error was also considered by examining resulting DVHs as isocentres were shifted by fixed amounts. In all cases considered, the maximum dose varied quite minimally with increase in setup error with the variation decreasing with increasing high-dose volume. The minimum dose however varied more significantly, and this has serious consequences for dose prescription as the minimum dose can be the controlling factor in treatment efficacy. For multi-isocentre plans, the degree of non-uniformity generated by setup error was not as significant as originally expected. This is in part due to the non-uniformity already present in such plans to begin with. Through incorporation of the effect of setup error into planning data, the influence of setup variations on dose distributions for multi-isocentre treatments has been determined. This influence should be considered when creating plans based on the level of spatial

  2. Field Observation of Setup

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Yemm, Sean

    2004-01-01

    Setup is defined as the superelevation of mean water surface within the surfzone and is caused by the reduction in wave momentum shoreward of the breaking point and compensating positive pressure gradient...

  3. SU-E-J-24: Can Fiducial Marker-Based Setup Using ExacTrac Be An Alternative to Soft Tissue-Based Setup Using Cone-Beam CT for Prostate IMRT?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanabe, S [Department of Radiation Oncology, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital (Japan); Utsunomiya, S; Abe, E; Aoyama, H [Department of Radiology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences (Japan); Satou, H [Department of Radiation Oncology, Niigata Cancer Center Hospital (Japan); Sakai, H; Yamada, T [Section of Radiology, Department of Clinical Support, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital (Japan)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: To assess an accuracy of fiducial maker-based setup using ExacTrac (ExT-based setup) as compared with soft tissue-based setup using Cone-beam CT (CBCT-based setup) for patients with prostate cancer receiving intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for the purpose of investigating whether ExT-based setup can be an alternative to CBCT-based setup. Methods: The setup accuracy was analyzed prospectively for 7 prostate cancer patients with implanted three fiducial markers received IMRT. All patients were treated after CBCT-based setup was performed and corresponding shifts were recorded. ExacTrac images were obtained before and after CBCT-based setup. The fiducial marker-based shifts were calculated based on those two images and recorded on the assumption that the setup correction was carried out by fiducial marker-based auto correction. Mean and standard deviation of absolute differences and the correlation between CBCT and ExT shifts were estimated. Results: A total of 178 image dataset were analyzed. On the differences between CBCT and ExT shifts, 133 (75%) of 178 image dataset resulted in smaller differences than 3 mm in all dimensions. Mean differences in the anterior-posterior (AP), superior-inferior (SI), and left-right (LR) dimensions were 1.8 ± 1.9 mm, 0.7 ± 1.9 mm, and 0.6 ± 0.8 mm, respectively. The percentages of shift agreements within ±3 mm were 76% for AP, 90% for SI, and 100% for LR. The Pearson coefficient of correlation for CBCT and ExT shifts were 0.80 for AP, 0.80 for SI, and 0.65 for LR. Conclusion: This work showed that the accuracy of ExT-based setup was correlated with that of CBCT-based setup, implying that ExT-based setup has a potential ability to be an alternative to CBCT-based setup. The further work is to specify the conditions that ExT-based setup can provide the accuracy comparable to CBCT-based setup.

  4. Collider shot setup for Run 2 observations and suggestions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Annala, J.; Joshel, B.

    1996-01-01

    This note is intended to provoke discussion on Collider Run II shot setup. We hope this is a start of activities that will converge on a functional description of what is needed for shot setups in Collider Run II. We will draw on observations of the present shot setup to raise questions and make suggestions for the next Collider run. It is assumed that the reader has some familiarity with the Collider operational issues. Shot setup is defined to be the time between the end of a store and the time the Main Control Room declares colliding beams. This is the time between Tevatron clock events SCE and SCB. This definition does not consider the time experiments use to turn on their detectors. This analysis was suggested by David Finley. The operational scenarios for Run II will require higher levels of reliability and speed for shot setup. See Appendix I and II. For example, we estimate that a loss of 3 pb -1 /week (with 8 hour stores) will occur if shot setups take 90 minutes instead of 30 minutes. In other words: If you do 12 shots for one week and accept an added delay of one minute in each shot, you will loose more than 60 nb -1 for that week alone (based on a normal shot setup of 30 minutes). These demands should lead us to be much more pedantic about all the factors that affect shot setups. Shot setup will be viewed as a distinct process that is composed of several inter- dependent 'components': procedures, hardware, controls, and sociology. These components don't directly align with the different Accelerator Division departments, but are topical groupings of the needed accelerator functions. Defining these components, and categorizing our suggestions within them, are part of the goal of this document. Of course, some suggestions span several of these components

  5. A new experimental setup established for low-energy nuclear astrophysics studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, S.Z.; Xu, S.W.; He, J.J.; Hu, J.; Rolfs, C.E.; Zhang, N.T.; Ma, S.B.; Zhang, L.Y.; Hou, S.Q.; Yu, X.Q.; Ma, X.W.

    2014-01-01

    An experimental setup for low-energy nuclear astrophysics studies has been recently established at the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP), Lanzhou, China. The driver machine is a 320 kV high voltage platform, which can provide intense currents of proton, alpha and many heavy ion beams. The energy of a proton beam was calibrated against the nominal platform high voltage by using a well-known resonant reaction of 11 B(p,γ) 12 C and a non-resonant reaction 12 C(p,γ) 13 N. The accuracy was achieved to be better than ±0.5 keV. The detection system consists of a Clover-type high-purity germanium detector, a silicon detector and a plastic scintillator. The performance of the detectors was tested by several experiments. The astrophysical S-factors of the 7 Li(p,γ) 8 Be and 7 Li(p,α) 3 He reactions were measured with this new setup, and our data agree with the values found in the literature. In addition, the upgrade of our driver machine and experimental setup has been discussed. As a future goal, a fascinating National Deep Underground Laboratory in China, the deepest underground laboratory all over the world, is prospected

  6. The compact and inexpensive arrowhead setup for holographic interferometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ladera, Celso L; Donoso, Guillermo, E-mail: clladera@usb.v [Departamento de Fisica, Universidad Simon BolIvar, Apdo. 89000, Caracas 1086 (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of)

    2011-07-15

    Hologram recording and holographic interferometry are intrinsically sensitive to phase changes, and therefore both are easily perturbed by minuscule optical path perturbations. It is therefore very convenient to bank on holographic setups with a reduced number of optical components. Here we present a compact off-axis holographic setup that requires neither a collimator nor a beam-splitter, and whose layout is reminiscent of an arrowhead. We show that this inexpensive setup is a good alternative for the study and applications of scientific holography by measuring small displacements and deformations of a body. The arrowhead setup will be found particularly useful for holography and holographic interferometry experiments and projects in teaching laboratories.

  7. Evaluation of overall setup accuracy and adequate setup margins in pelvic image-guided radiotherapy: Comparison of the male and female patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laaksomaa, Marko; Kapanen, Mika; Tulijoki, Tapio; Peltola, Seppo; Hyödynmaa, Simo; Kellokumpu-Lehtinen, Pirkko-Liisa

    2014-01-01

    We evaluated adequate setup margins for the radiotherapy (RT) of pelvic tumors based on overall position errors of bony landmarks. We also estimated the difference in setup accuracy between the male and female patients. Finally, we compared the patient rotation for 2 immobilization devices. The study cohort included consecutive 64 male and 64 female patients. Altogether, 1794 orthogonal setup images were analyzed. Observer-related deviation in image matching and the effect of patient rotation were explicitly determined. Overall systematic and random errors were calculated in 3 orthogonal directions. Anisotropic setup margins were evaluated based on residual errors after weekly image guidance. The van Herk formula was used to calculate the margins. Overall, 100 patients were immobilized with a house-made device. The patient rotation was compared against 28 patients immobilized with CIVCO's Kneefix and Feetfix. We found that the usually applied isotropic setup margin of 8 mm covered all the uncertainties related to patient setup for most RT treatments of the pelvis. However, margins of even 10.3 mm were needed for the female patients with very large pelvic target volumes centered either in the symphysis or in the sacrum containing both of these structures. This was because the effect of rotation (p ≤ 0.02) and the observer variation in image matching (p ≤ 0.04) were significantly larger for the female patients than for the male patients. Even with daily image guidance, the required margins remained larger for the women. Patient rotations were largest about the lateral axes. The difference between the required margins was only 1 mm for the 2 immobilization devices. The largest component of overall systematic position error came from patient rotation. This emphasizes the need for rotation correction. Overall, larger position errors and setup margins were observed for the female patients with pelvic cancer than for the male patients

  8. An experimental set-up to test heatmoisture exchangers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    N. Ünal (N.); J.C. Pompe (Jan); W.P. Holland (Wim); I. Gultuna; P.E.M. Huygen; K. Jabaaij (K.); C. Ince (Can); B. Saygin (B.); H.A. Bruining (Hajo)

    1995-01-01

    textabstractObjectives: The purpose of this study was to build an experimental set-up to assess continuously the humidification, heating and resistance properties of heat-moisture exchangers (HMEs) under clinical conditions. Design: The experimental set-up consists of a patient model, measurement

  9. A new setup for the underground study of capture reactions

    CERN Document Server

    Casella, C; Lemut, A; Limata, B; Bemmerer, D; Bonetti, R; Broggini, C; Campajola, L; Cocconi, P; Corvisiero, P; Cruz, J; D'Onofrio, A; Formicola, A; Fülöp, Z; Gervino, G; Gialanella, L; Guglielmetti, A; Gustavino, C; Gyürky, G; Loiano, A; Imbriani, G; Jesus, A P; Junker, M; Musico, P; Ordine, A; Parodi, F; Parolin, M; Pinto, J V; Prati, P; Ribeiro, J P; Roca, V; Rogalla, D; Rolfs, C; Romano, M; Rossi-Alvarez, C; Rottura, A; Schuemann, F; Somorjai, E; Strieder, F; Terrasi, F; Trautvetter, H P; Vomiero, A; Zavatarelli, S

    2002-01-01

    For the study of astrophysically relevant capture reactions in the underground laboratory LUNA a new setup of high sensitivity has been implemented. The setup includes a windowless gas target, a 4 pi BGO summing crystal, and beam calorimeters. The setup has been recently used to measure the d(p,gamma) sup 3 He cross-section for the first time within its solar Gamow peak, i.e. down to 2.5 keV c.m. energy. The features of the optimized setup are described.

  10. Simple optical setup implementation for digital Fourier transform holography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Oliveira, G N [Pos-graduacao em Engenharia Mecanica, TEM/PGMEC, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rua Passo da Patria, 156, Niteroi, R.J., Cep.: 24.210-240 (Brazil); Rodrigues, D M C; Dos Santos, P A M, E-mail: pams@if.uff.br [Instituto de Fisica, Laboratorio de Optica Nao-linear e Aplicada, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Av. Gal. Nilton Tavares de Souza, s/n, Gragoata, Niteroi, R.J., Cep.:24.210-346 (Brazil)

    2011-01-01

    In the present work a simple implementation of Digital Fourier Transform Holography (DFTH) setup is discussed. This is obtained making a very simple modification in the classical setup arquiteture of the Fourier Transform holography. It is also demonstrated the easy and practical viability of the setup in an interferometric application for mechanical parameters determination. The work is also proposed as an interesting advanced introductory training for graduated students in digital holography.

  11. Manipulation of Zeeman coherence in solids at room temperature: Ramsey interference in the coherent-population-trapping spectrum of ruby

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kolesov, Roman; Scully, Marlan O.; Kocharovskaya, Olga

    2006-01-01

    Coherent population trapping (CPT) in a three-level atomic medium pumped by two subsequent short optical pulses is considered under the condition of negligible population decay from the excited optical state. It is shown that the amount of atomic population transferred to the excited state by the combined action of the pulses strongly depends on the phase of the ground-state coherence excited by the first pulse at the arrival time of the second pulse. Oscillatory behavior of optical excitation efficiency on the time delay between the pulses is predicted. It is also shown that saturating optical pulses can produce population inversion in a resonantly pumped quasi-two-level system. A class of solid materials in which the predicted phenomena can be observed at room temperature is found. It includes some rare-earth and transition-metal doped dielectric crystals where Orbach relaxation between ground-state Zeeman states is suppressed: ruby, alexandrite, and several others. On the basis of the theoretical predictions, experimental observation of Ramsey fringes in CPT spectrum of ruby is reported

  12. Analysis of patient setup accuracy using electronic portal imaging device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onogi, Yuzo; Aoki, Yukimasa; Nakagawa, Keiichi

    1996-01-01

    Radiation therapy is performed in many fractions, and accurate patient setup is very important. This is more significant nowadays because treatment planning and radiation therapy are more precisely performed. Electronic portal imaging devices and automatic image comparison algorithms let us analyze setup deviations quantitatively. With such in mind we developed a simple image comparison algorithm. Using 2459 electronic verification images (335 ports, 123 treatment sites) generated during the past three years at our institute, we evaluated the results of the algorithm, and analyzed setup deviations according to the area irradiated, use of a fixing device (shell), and arm position. Calculated setup deviation was verified visually and their fitness was classified into good, fair, bad, and incomplete. The result was 40%, 14%, 22%, 24% respectively. Using calculated deviations classified as good (994 images), we analyzed setup deviations. Overall setup deviations described in 1 SD along axes x, y, z, was 1.9 mm, 2.5 mm, 1.7 mm respectively. We classified these deviations into systematic and random components, and found that random error was predominant in our institute. The setup deviations along axis y (cranio-caudal direction) showed larger distribution when treatment was performed with the shell. Deviations along y (cranio-caudal) and z (anterior-posterior) had larger distribution when treatment occurred with the patient's arm elevated. There was a significant time-trend error, whose deviations become greater with time. Within all evaluated ports, 30% showed a time-trend error. Using an electronic portal imaging device and automatic image comparison algorithm, we are able to analyze setup deviations more precisely and improve setup method based on objective criteria. (author)

  13. The COMPASS Setup for Physics with Hadron Beams

    CERN Document Server

    Abbon, Ph.; Akhunzyanov, R.; Alexandrov, Yu.; Alexeev, M.G.; Alexeev, G.D.; Amoroso, A.; Andrieux, V.; Anosov, V.; Austregesilo, A.; Badelek, B.; Balestra, F.; Barth, J.; Baum, G.; Beck, R.; Bedfer, Y.; Berlin, A.; Bernhard, J.; Bicker, K.; Bielert, E.R.; Bieling, J.; Birsa, R.; Bisplinghoff, J.; Bodlak, M.; Boer, M.; Bordalo, P.; Bradamante, F.; Braun, C.; Bressan, A.; Buchele, M.; Burtin, E.; Capozza, L.; Ciliberti, P.; Chiosso, M.; Chung, S.U.; Cicuttin, A.; Colantoni, M.; Cotte, D.; Crespo, M.L.; Curiel, Q.; Dafni, T.; Dalla Torre, S.; Dasgupta, S.S.; Dasgupta, S.; Denisov, O.Yu.; Desforge, D.; Dinkelbach, A.M.; Donskov, S.V.; Doshita, N.; Duic, V.; Dunnweber, W.; Durand, D.; Dziewiecki, M.; Efremov, A.; Elia, C.; Eversheim, P.D.; Eyrich, W.; Faessler, M.; Ferrero, A.; Finger, M.; M. Finger jr; Fischer, H.; Franco, C.; von Hohenesche, N. du Fresne; Friedrich, J.M.; Frolov, V.; Gatignon, L.; Gautheron, F.; Gavrichtchouk, O.P.; Gerassimov, S.; Geyer, R.; Giganon, A.; Gnesi, I.; Gobbo, B.; Goertz, S.; Gorzellik, M.; Grabmuller, S.; Grasso, A.; Gregori, M.; Grube, B.; Grussenmeyer, T.; Guskov, A.; Haas, F.; von Harrach, D.; Hahne, D.; Hashimoto, R.; Heinsius, F.H.; Herrmann, F.; Hinterberger, F.; Hoppner, Ch.; Horikawa, N.; d'Hose, N.; Huber, S.; Ishimoto, S.; Ivanov, A.; Ivanshin, Yu.; Iwata, T.; Jahn, R.; Jary, V.; Jasinski, P.; Jorg, P.; Joosten, R.; Kabuss, E.; Ketzer, B.; Khaustov, G.V.; Khokhlov, Yu. A.; Kisselev, Yu.; Klein, F.; Klimaszewski, K.; Koivuniemi, J.H.; Kolosov, V.N.; Kondo, K.; Konigsmann, K.; Konorov, I.; Konstantinov, V.F.; Kotzinian, A.M.; Kouznetsov, O.; Kramer, M.; Kroumchtein, Z.V.; Kuchinski, N.; Kuhn, R.; Kunne, F.; Kurek, K.; Kurjata, R.P.; Lednev, A.A.; Lehmann, A.; Levillain, M.; Levorato, S.; Lichtenstadt, J.; Maggiora, A.; Magnon, A.; Makke, N.; Mallot, G.K.; Marchand, C.; Marroncle, J.; Martin, A.; Marzec, J.; Matousek, J.; Matsuda, H.; Matsuda, T.; Menon, G.; Meshcheryakov, G.; Meyer, W.; Michigami, T.; Mikhailov, Yu. V.; Miyachi, Y.; Moinester, M.A.; Nagaytsev, A.; Nagel, T.; Nerling, F.; Neubert, S.; Neyret, D.; Nikolaenko, V.I.; Novy, J.; Nowak, W.D.; Nunes, Ana Sofia; Olshevsky, A.G.; Orlov, I.; Ostrick, M.; Panknin, R.; Panzieri, D.; Parsamyan, B.; Paul, S.; Pesaro, G.; Pesaro, V.; Peshekhonov, D.V.; Pires, C.; Platchkov, S.; Pochodzalla, J.; Polyakov, V.A.; Pretz, J.; Quaresma, M.; Quintans, C.; Ramos, S.; Regali, C.; Reicherz, G.; Reymond, J-M.; Rocco, E.; Rossiyskaya, N.S.; Rousse, J.Y.; Ryabchikov, D.I.; Rychter, A.; Samartsev, A.; Samoylenko, V.D.; Sandacz, A.; Sarkar, S.; Savin, I.A.; Sbrizzai, G.; Schiavon, P.; Schill, C.; Schluter, T.; Schmidt, K.; Schmieden, H.; Schonning, K.; Schopferer, S.; Schott, M.; Shevchenko, O.Yu.; Silva, L.; Sinha, L.; Sirtl, S.; Slunecka, M.; Sosio, S.; Sozzi, F.; Srnka, A.; Steiger, L.; Stolarski, M.; Sulc, M.; Sulej, R.; Suzuki, H.; Szabelski, A.; Szameitat, T.; Sznajder, P.; Takekawa, S.; Wolbeek, J. ter; Tessaro, S.; Tessarotto, F.; Thibaud, F.; Tskhay, V.; Uhl, S.; Uman, I.; Virius, M.; Wang, L.; Weisrock, T.; Weitzel, Q.; Wilfert, M.; Windmolders, R.; Wollny, H.; Zaremba, K.; Zavertyaev, M.; Zemlyanichkina, E.; Ziembicki, M.; Zink, A.

    2015-01-01

    The main characteristics of the COMPASS experimental setup for physics with hadron beams are described. This setup was designed to perform exclusive measurements of processes with several charged and/or neutral particles in the final state. Making use of a large part of the apparatus that was previously built for spin structure studies with a muon beam, it also features a new target system as well as new or upgraded detectors. The hadron setup is able to operate at the high incident hadron flux available at CERN. It is characterised by large angular and momentum coverages, large and nearly flat acceptances, and good two and three-particle mass resolutions. In 2008 and 2009 it was successfully used with positive and negative hadron beams and with liquid hydrogen and solid nuclear targets. This article describes the new and upgraded detectors and auxiliary equipment, outlines the reconstruction procedures used, and summarises the general performance of the setup.

  14. Single ion hit detection set-up for the Zagreb ion microprobe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, R. W.; Karlušić, M.; Jakšić, M.

    2012-04-01

    Irradiation of materials by heavy ions accelerated in MV tandem accelerators may lead to the production of latent ion tracks in many insulators and semiconductors. If irradiation is performed in a high resolution microprobe facility, ion tracks can be ordered by submicrometer positioning precision. However, full control of the ion track positioning can only be achieved by a reliable ion hit detection system that should provide a trigger signal irrespectively of the type and thickness of the material being irradiated. The most useful process that can be utilised for this purpose is emission of secondary electrons from the sample surface that follows the ion impact. The status report of the set-up presented here is based on the use of a channel electron multiplier (CEM) detector mounted on an interchangable sample holder that is inserted into the chamber in a close geometry along with the sample to be irradiated. The set-up has been tested at the Zagreb ion microprobe for different ions and energies, as well as different geometrical arrangements. For energies of heavy ions below 1 MeV/amu, results show that efficient (100%) control of ion impact can be achieved only for ions heavier than silicon. The successful use of the set-up is demonstrated by production of ordered single ion tracks in a polycarbonate film and by monitoring fluence during ion microbeam patterning of Foturan glass.

  15. A fast-response production-inventory model for deteriorating seasonal products with learning in set-ups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ibraheem Abdul

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available The classical production-inventory model assumes that both demand and set-up costs are constant. However, in real manufacturing environment, managers usually embark on continuous improvement programmes that often lead to more effective use of tools and machineries and consequently reduction in set-up costs. In fact, constant emphasis on reduction of set-up costs is usually cited as one of the factors responsible for the efficiency of Japanese manufacturing methods. On the other hand, the demand for seasonal product is often characterized by a mixture of time-dependent patterns over the entire season. This paper investigates the effect of learning-based reduction in set-up costs on the optimal schedules and costs of a production-inventory system for deteriorating seasonal products. The demand pattern is a general three-phase ramp-type demand function that represents the various phases of demand commonly observed in many seasonal products in the market. A two-parameter Weibull-distribution function is used for the deterioration of items in order to make the model more generalized and realistic. The study further presents two different multi-period production strategies that can ensure a fast-response to customers’ demand and compare them with the usual single period strategy. The Numerical example and sensitivity analysis shows that learning-based reduction in set-up costs leads to higher production frequency and shorter production runs which are vital aspects of the just-in-time (JIT philosophy.

  16. Optimized linear motor and digital PID controller setup used in Mössbauer spectrometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohout, Pavel; Kouřil, Lukáš; Navařík, Jakub; Novák, Petr; Pechoušek, Jiří

    2014-10-01

    Optimization of a linear motor and digital PID controller setup used in a Mössbauer spectrometer is presented. Velocity driving system with a digital PID feedback subsystem was developed in the LabVIEW graphical environment and deployed on the sbRIO real-time hardware device (National Instruments). The most important data acquisition processes are performed as real-time deterministic tasks on an FPGA chip. Velocity transducer of a double loudspeaker type with a power amplifier circuit is driven by the system. Series of calibration measurements were proceeded to find the optimal setup of the P, I, D parameters together with velocity error signal analysis. The shape and given signal characteristics of the velocity error signal are analyzed in details. Remote applications for controlling and monitoring the PID system from computer or smart phone, respectively, were also developed. The best setup and P, I, D parameters were set and calibration spectrum of α-Fe sample with an average nonlinearity of the velocity scale below 0.08% was collected. Furthermore, the width of the spectral line below 0.30 mm/s was observed. Powerful and complex velocity driving system was designed.

  17. Set-Up and Punchline as Figure and Ground

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Keisalo, Marianna Päivikki

    the two that cannot be resolved by appeal to either set-up or punchline, but traps thought between them in an ‘epistemological problem’ as comedian Louis CK put it. For comedians, set-ups and punchlines are basic tools, practical and concrete ways to create and organize material. They are also familiar...

  18. Application of video imaging for improvement of patient set-up

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ploeger, Lennert S.; Frenay, Michel; Betgen, Anja; Bois, Josien A. de; Gilhuijs, Kenneth G.A.; Herk, Marcel van

    2003-01-01

    Background and purpose: For radiotherapy of prostate cancer, the patient is usually positioned in the left-right (LR) direction by aligning a single marker on the skin with the projection of a room laser. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of a room-mounted video camera in combination with previously acquired CT data to improve patient set-up along the LR axis. Material and methods: The camera was mounted in the treatment room at the caudal side of the patient. For 22 patients with prostate cancer 127 video and portal images were acquired. The set-up error determined by video imaging was found by matching video images with rendered CT images using various techniques. This set-up error was retrospectively compared with the set-up error derived from portal images. It was investigated whether the number of corrections based on portal imaging would decrease if the information obtained from the video images had been used prior to irradiation. Movement of the skin with respect to bone was quantified using an analysis of variance method. Results: The measurement of the set-up error was most accurate for a technique where outlines and groins on the left and right side of the patient were delineated and aligned individually to the corresponding features extracted from the rendered CT image. The standard deviations (SD) of the systematic and random components of the set-up errors derived from the portal images in the LR direction were 1.5 and 2.1 mm, respectively. When the set-up of the patients was retrospectively adjusted based on the video images, the SD of the systematic and random errors decreased to 1.1 and 1.3 mm, respectively. From retrospective analysis, a reduction of the number of set-up corrections (from nine to six corrections) is expected when the set-up would have been adjusted using the video images. The SD of the magnitude of motion of the skin of the patient with respect to the bony anatomy was estimated to be 1.1 mm. Conclusion: Video

  19. Experimental Setups for Single Event Effect Studies

    OpenAIRE

    N. H. Medina; V. A. P. Aguiar; N. Added; F. Aguirre; E. L. A. Macchione; S. G. Alberton; M. A. G. Silveira; J. Benfica; F. Vargas; B. Porcher

    2016-01-01

    Experimental setups are being prepared to test and to qualify electronic devices regarding their tolerance to Single Event Effect (SEE). A multiple test setup and a new beam line developed especially for SEE studies at the São Paulo 8 UD Pelletron accelerator were prepared. This accelerator produces proton beams and heavy ion beams up to 107Ag. A Super conducting Linear accelerator, which is under construction, may fulfill all of the European Space Agency requirements to qualify electronic...

  20. Focus stacking: Comparing commercial top-end set-ups with a semi-automatic low budget approach. A possible solution for mass digitization of type specimens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brecko, Jonathan; Mathys, Aurore; Dekoninck, Wouter; Leponce, Maurice; VandenSpiegel, Didier; Semal, Patrick

    2014-01-01

    In this manuscript we present a focus stacking system, composed of commercial photographic equipment. The system is inexpensive compared to high-end commercial focus stacking solutions. We tested this system and compared the results with several different software packages (CombineZP, Auto-Montage, Helicon Focus and Zerene Stacker). We tested our final stacked picture with a picture obtained from two high-end focus stacking solutions: a Leica MZ16A with DFC500 and a Leica Z6APO with DFC290. Zerene Stacker and Helicon Focus both provided satisfactory results. However, Zerene Stacker gives the user more possibilities in terms of control of the software, batch processing and retouching. The outcome of the test on high-end solutions demonstrates that our approach performs better in several ways. The resolution of the tested extended focus pictures is much higher than those from the Leica systems. The flash lighting inside the Ikea closet creates an evenly illuminated picture, without struggling with filters, diffusers, etc. The largest benefit is the price of the set-up which is approximately € 3,000, which is 8 and 10 times less than the LeicaZ6APO and LeicaMZ16A set-up respectively. Overall, this enables institutions to purchase multiple solutions or to start digitising the type collection on a large scale even with a small budget.

  1. Focus stacking: Comparing commercial top-end set-ups with a semi-automatic low budget approach. A possible solution for mass digitization of type specimens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan Brecko

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available In this manuscript we present a focus stacking system, composed of commercial photographic equipment. The system is inexpensive compared to high-end commercial focus stacking solutions. We tested this system and compared the results with several different software packages (CombineZP, Auto-Montage, Helicon Focus and Zerene Stacker. We tested our final stacked picture with a picture obtained from two high-end focus stacking solutions: a Leica MZ16A with DFC500 and a Leica Z6APO with DFC290. Zerene Stacker and Helicon Focus both provided satisfactory results. However, Zerene Stacker gives the user more possibilities in terms of control of the software, batch processing and retouching. The outcome of the test on high-end solutions demonstrates that our approach performs better in several ways. The resolution of the tested extended focus pictures is much higher than those from the Leica systems. The flash lighting inside the Ikea closet creates an evenly illuminated picture, without struggling with filters, diffusers, etc. The largest benefit is the price of the set-up which is approximately € 3,000, which is 8 and 10 times less than the LeicaZ6APO and LeicaMZ16A set-up respectively. Overall, this enables institutions to purchase multiple solutions or to start digitising the type collection on a large scale even with a small budget.

  2. Evaluation of rotational set-up errors in patients with thoracic neoplasms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yanyang; Fu Xiaolong; Xia Bing; Fan Min; Yang Huanjun; Ren Jun; Xu Zhiyong; Jiang Guoliang

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To assess the rotational set-up errors in patients with thoracic neoplasms. Methods: 224 kilovoltage cone-beam computed tomography (KVCBCT) scans from 20 thoracic tumor patients were evaluated retrospectively. All these patients were involved in the research of 'Evaluation of the residual set-up error for online kilovoltage cone-beam CT guided thoracic tumor radiation'. Rotational set-up errors, including pitch, roll and yaw, were calculated by 'aligning the KVCBCT with the planning CT, using the semi-automatic alignment method. Results: The average rotational set-up errors were -0.28 degree ±1.52 degree, 0.21 degree ± 0.91 degree and 0.27 degree ± 0.78 degree in the left-fight, superior-inferior and anterior-posterior axis, respectively. The maximal rotational errors of pitch, roll and yaw were 3.5 degree, 2.7 degree and 2.2 degree, respectively. After correction for translational set-up errors, no statistically significant changes in rotational error were observed. Conclusions: The rotational set-up errors in patients with thoracic neoplasms were all small in magnitude. Rotational errors may not change after the correction for translational set-up errors alone, which should be evaluated in a larger sample future. (authors)

  3. Single Machine Multi-product Capacitated Lotsizing with Sequence-dependent Setups

    OpenAIRE

    Almada-Lobo , Bernardo; Klabjan , Diego; Carravilla , Maria Antónia; Oliveira , Jose Fernando

    2007-01-01

    Abstract In production planning in the glass container industry, machine dependent setup times and costs are incurred for switchovers from one product to another. The resulting multi-item capacitated lot sizing problem has sequence-dependent setup times and costs. We present two novel linear mixed integer programming formulations for this problem, incorporating all the necessary features of setup carryovers. The compact formulation has polynomially many constraints, while, on the o...

  4. The current status of the MASHA setup

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vedeneev, V. Yu.; Rodin, A. M.; Krupa, L.; Belozerov, A. V.; Chernysheva, E. V.; Dmitriev, S. N.; Gulyaev, A. V.; Gulyaeva, A. V.; Kamas, D.; Kliman, J.; Komarov, A. B.; Motycak, S.; Novoselov, A. S.; Salamatin, V. S.; Stepantsov, S. V.; Podshibyakin, A. V.; Yukhimchuk, S. A.; Granja, C.; Pospisil, S.

    2017-11-01

    The MASHA setup designed as the mass-separator with the resolving power of about 1700, which allows mass identification of superheavy nuclides is described. The setup uses solid ISOL (Isotope Separation On-Line) method. In the present article the upgrade of some parts of MASHA are described: target box (rotating target + hot catcher), ion source based on electron cyclotron resonance, data acquisition, beam diagnostics and control systems. The upgrade is undertaken in order to increase the total separation efficiency, reduce the separation time, of the installation and working stability and make possible continuous measurements at high beam currents. Ion source efficiency was measured in autonomous regime with using calibrated gas leaks of Kr and Xe injected directly to ion source. Some results of the first experiments for production of radon isotopes using the multi-nucleon transfer reaction 48Ca+242Pu are described in the present article. The using of TIMEPIX detector with MASHA setup for neutron-rich Rn isotopes identification is also described.

  5. The current status of the MASHA setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vedeneev, V. Yu.; Rodin, A. M.; Krupa, L.; Belozerov, A. V.; Chernysheva, E. V.; Dmitriev, S. N.; Gulyaev, A. V.; Gulyaeva, A. V.; Kamas, D.; Kliman, J.; Komarov, A. B.; Motycak, S.; Novoselov, A. S.; Salamatin, V. S.; Stepantsov, S. V.; Podshibyakin, A. V.; Yukhimchuk, S. A.; Granja, C.; Pospisil, S.

    2017-01-01

    The MASHA setup designed as the mass-separator with the resolving power of about 1700, which allows mass identification of superheavy nuclides is described. The setup uses solid ISOL (Isotope Separation On-Line) method. In the present article the upgrade of some parts of MASHA are described: target box (rotating target + hot catcher), ion source based on electron cyclotron resonance, data acquisition, beam diagnostics and control systems. The upgrade is undertaken in order to increase the total separation efficiency, reduce the separation time, of the installation and working stability and make possible continuous measurements at high beam currents. Ion source efficiency was measured in autonomous regime with using calibrated gas leaks of Kr and Xe injected directly to ion source. Some results of the first experiments for production of radon isotopes using the multi-nucleon transfer reaction "4"8Ca+"2"4"2Pu are described in the present article. The using of TIMEPIX detector with MASHA setup for neutron-rich Rn isotopes identification is also described.

  6. The current status of the MASHA setup

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vedeneev, V. Yu., E-mail: vvedeneyev@gmail.com; Rodin, A. M.; Krupa, L.; Belozerov, A. V.; Chernysheva, E. V.; Dmitriev, S. N.; Gulyaev, A. V.; Gulyaeva, A. V.; Kamas, D. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (Russian Federation); Kliman, J. [Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics (Slovakia); Komarov, A. B.; Motycak, S.; Novoselov, A. S.; Salamatin, V. S.; Stepantsov, S. V.; Podshibyakin, A. V.; Yukhimchuk, S. A. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (Russian Federation); Granja, C.; Pospisil, S. [Czech Technical University in Prague, Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics (Czech Republic)

    2017-11-15

    The MASHA setup designed as the mass-separator with the resolving power of about 1700, which allows mass identification of superheavy nuclides is described. The setup uses solid ISOL (Isotope Separation On-Line) method. In the present article the upgrade of some parts of MASHA are described: target box (rotating target + hot catcher), ion source based on electron cyclotron resonance, data acquisition, beam diagnostics and control systems. The upgrade is undertaken in order to increase the total separation efficiency, reduce the separation time, of the installation and working stability and make possible continuous measurements at high beam currents. Ion source efficiency was measured in autonomous regime with using calibrated gas leaks of Kr and Xe injected directly to ion source. Some results of the first experiments for production of radon isotopes using the multi-nucleon transfer reaction {sup 48}Ca+{sup 242}Pu are described in the present article. The using of TIMEPIX detector with MASHA setup for neutron-rich Rn isotopes identification is also described.

  7. Setup of Mössbauer spectrometers at RCPTM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pechoušek, J.; Jančík, D.; Frydrych, J.; Navařík, J.; Novák, P.

    2012-10-01

    Setup of Mössbauer spectrometers (MS) for structural, phase, and magnetic characterization of iron-or tin-containing samples is presented. This comprehensive line of 57Fe and 119Sn Mössbauer spectrometers covers transmission spectrometers (TMS) for roomtemperature (RT) measurements, temperature dependent measurements and measurements in an external magnetic field. An RT Conversion Electron/Conversion X-ray Mössbauer technique (CEMS/CXMS) is also available. The main concept of the RT MS is a table-top spectrometric bench with a control unit based on special-purpose hardware or standard PC platform. The first way offers a compact design and PC independent spectra collection system. The second setup, a PC-based system, which uses commercial devices and LabVIEW software, offers easy customization and enables advancement in spectrometer construction. The both types of control systems are able to operate special parts (velocity transducers, gamma-ray detectors) of unusual spectrometric benches. The standard velocity axis range is up to ±20 mm/s with a maximum nonlinearity of 0.1%. Applicable measuring conditions of presented TMSs cover a cryogenic temperature range from 1.5 up to 300 K and high temperature range from RT up to 1000 °C. With in-field low-temperature MS, we are able to analyze samples normally in the external magnetic fields up to 8 T (in temperature interval from 1.5 up to 300 K). In addition, special modes of measurements can be applied including backscattering gamma-ray geometry or measurement in an inert or controlled-humidity atmosphere. Technical details and construction aspects of spectrometers are presented.

  8. RCT: Module 2.10, Access Control and Work Area Setup, Course 8776

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hillmer, Kurt T. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2017-08-11

    This course presents information on radiological work permits (RWPs), various types of postings used in radiological areas, radiological area setups, access controls, and releases of material from radiological areas. All of these are fundamental duties of RCTs. This course will prepare the student with the skills necessary for radiological control technician (RCT) qualification by passing quizzes, tests, and the RCT Comprehensive Phase 1, Unit 2 Examination (TEST 27566) and providing in-thefield skills.

  9. New attacks on Wi-Fi Protected Setup

    OpenAIRE

    Hamed Mohtadi; Alireza Rahimi

    2015-01-01

    Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) is a network security standard that is used to secure networks in home and office, introduced in 2006 by the Wi-Fi Alliance. It provides easier configuration setup and is used in almost all recent Wi-Fi devices. In this paper we propose two attacks on this standard. The first attack is an offline brute force attack that uses imbalance on registration protocol. This attack needs user action, but it is more efficient than previous attacks. The second attack uses weak...

  10. An experimental set-up to test heat-moisture exchangers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Unal, N.; Pompe, J. C.; Holland, W. P.; Gültuna, I.; Huygen, P. E.; Jabaaij, K.; Ince, C.; Saygin, B.; Bruining, H. A.

    1995-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to build an experimental set-up to assess continuously the humidification, heating and resistance properties of heat-moisture exchangers (HMEs) under clinical conditions. The experimental set-up consists of a patient model, measurement systems and a ventilator. Surgical

  11. Chip-Scale Combinatorial Atomic Navigator (C-SCAN) Low Drift Nuclear Spin Gyroscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-01-01

    suggestions for reducing this burden, to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704...spin-exchange relaxation in a finite magnetic field. We operated the gyroscope using a Ramsey-type interrogation sequence with nuclear spin precession...shift by a factor of 105. Here we use the approach of a Ramsey clock interrogation scheme, where the optical pumping, free evolution, and measurement

  12. The spectral imaging facility: Setup characterization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Angelis, Simone, E-mail: simone.deangelis@iaps.inaf.it; De Sanctis, Maria Cristina; Manzari, Paola Olga [Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology, INAF-IAPS, Via Fosso del Cavaliere, 100, 00133 Rome (Italy); Ammannito, Eleonora [Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology, INAF-IAPS, Via Fosso del Cavaliere, 100, 00133 Rome (Italy); Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1567 (United States); Di Iorio, Tatiana [ENEA, UTMEA-TER, Rome (Italy); Liberati, Fabrizio [Opto Service SrL, Campagnano di Roma (RM) (Italy); Tarchi, Fabio; Dami, Michele; Olivieri, Monica; Pompei, Carlo [Selex ES, Campi Bisenzio (Italy); Mugnuolo, Raffaele [Italian Space Agency, ASI, Spatial Geodesy Center, Matera (Italy)

    2015-09-15

    The SPectral IMager (SPIM) facility is a laboratory visible infrared spectrometer developed to support space borne observations of rocky bodies of the solar system. Currently, this laboratory setup is used to support the DAWN mission, which is in its journey towards the asteroid 1-Ceres, and to support the 2018 Exo-Mars mission in the spectral investigation of the Martian subsurface. The main part of this setup is an imaging spectrometer that is a spare of the DAWN visible infrared spectrometer. The spectrometer has been assembled and calibrated at Selex ES and then installed in the facility developed at the INAF-IAPS laboratory in Rome. The goal of SPIM is to collect data to build spectral libraries for the interpretation of the space borne and in situ hyperspectral measurements of planetary materials. Given its very high spatial resolution combined with the imaging capability, this instrument can also help in the detailed study of minerals and rocks. In this paper, the instrument setup is first described, and then a series of test measurements, aimed to the characterization of the main subsystems, are reported. In particular, laboratory tests have been performed concerning (i) the radiation sources, (ii) the reference targets, and (iii) linearity of detector response; the instrumental imaging artifacts have also been investigated.

  13. A novel approach to measure the electric dipole moment of 129Xenon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuchler, Florian; Feldmeier, Wolfhardt; Fierlinger, Peter; Taubenheim, Bernd [Excellence Cluster Universe, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Garching (Germany)

    2012-07-01

    Permanent electric dipole moments (EDM) are promising systems to find new CP violation. The properties of the diamagnetic atom 129-Xe make it a particularly interesting candidate for an EDM search, as it enables new experimental strategies. Although the current experimental limit of d{sub Xe} < 4.0.10{sup -27} ecm is many orders of magnitude higher than the Standard Model (SM) prediction, theories beyond the SM usually require larger EDMs. Our experiment is based on microscopic hyper-polarized liquid xenon droplets, placed in a low-field NMR setup. Implementation of rotating electric fields enables a conceptually new EDM measurement technique, allowing thorough investigation of systematic effects. Still, a Ramsey-type spin precession experiment with static electric field can be realized at similar sensitivity within the same setup. Employing superconducting pick-up coils and highly sensitive LTc-SQUIDs, a large array of independent measurements can be performed simultaneously with different field configurations. With our novel approach we aim to be sensitive to an EDM of 129-Xe on the order of 10{sup -30} ecm. The talk gives an update on the current status of the xenon EDM experiment.

  14. Impact of different setup approaches in image-guided radiotherapy as primary treatment for prostate cancer. A study of 2940 setup deviations in 980 MVCTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schiller, Kilian; Specht, Hanno; Kampfer, Severin; Duma, Marciana Nona; Petrucci, Alessia; Geinitz, Hans; Schuster, Tibor

    2014-01-01

    The goal of this study was to assess the impact of different setup approaches in image-guided radiotherapy (IMRT) of the prostatic gland. In all, 28 patients with prostate cancer were enrolled in this study. After the placement of an endorectal balloon, the planning target volume (PTV) was treated to a dose of 70 Gy in 35 fractions. A simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) of 76 Gy (2.17 Gy per fraction and per day) was delivered to a smaller target volume. All patients underwent daily prostate-aligned IGRT by megavoltage CT (MVCT). Retrospectively, three different setup approaches were evaluated by comparison to the prostate alignment: setup by skin alignment, endorectal balloon alignment, and automatic registration by bones. A total of 2,940 setup deviations were analyzed in 980 fractions. Compared to prostate alignment, skin mark alignment was associated with substantial displacements, which were ≥ 8 mm in 13 %, 5 %, and 44 % of all fractions in the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical directions, respectively. Endorectal balloon alignment yielded displacements ≥ 8 mm in 3 %, 19 %, and 1 % of all setups; and ≥ 3 mm in 27 %, 58 %, and 18 % of all fractions, respectively. For bone matching, the values were 1 %, 1 %, and 2 % and 3 %, 11 %, and 34 %, respectively. For prostate radiotherapy, setup by skin marks alone is inappropriate for patient positioning due to the fact that, during almost half of the fractions, parts of the prostate would not be targeted successfully with an 8-mm safety margin. Bone matching performs better but not sufficiently for safety margins ≤ 3 mm. Endorectal balloon matching can be combined with bone alignment to increase accuracy in the vertical direction when prostate-based setup is not available. Daily prostate alignment remains the gold standard for high-precision radiotherapy with small safety margins. (orig.) [de

  15. Integration of molecular biology tools for identifying promoters and genes abundantly expressed in flowers of Oncidium Gower Ramsey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tung Shu-Yun

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Orchids comprise one of the largest families of flowering plants and generate commercially important flowers. However, model plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana do not contain all plant genes, and agronomic and horticulturally important genera and species must be individually studied. Results Several molecular biology tools were used to isolate flower-specific gene promoters from Oncidium 'Gower Ramsey' (Onc. GR. A cDNA library of reproductive tissues was used to construct a microarray in order to compare gene expression in flowers and leaves. Five genes were highly expressed in flower tissues, and the subcellular locations of the corresponding proteins were identified using lip transient transformation with fluorescent protein-fusion constructs. BAC clones of the 5 genes, together with 7 previously published flower- and reproductive growth-specific genes in Onc. GR, were identified for cloning of their promoter regions. Interestingly, 3 of the 5 novel flower-abundant genes were putative trypsin inhibitor (TI genes (OnTI1, OnTI2 and OnTI3, which were tandemly duplicated in the same BAC clone. Their promoters were identified using transient GUS reporter gene transformation and stable A. thaliana transformation analyses. Conclusions By combining cDNA microarray, BAC library, and bombardment assay techniques, we successfully identified flower-directed orchid genes and promoters.

  16. Comparison of different statistical methods for estimation of extreme sea levels with wave set-up contribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kergadallan, Xavier; Bernardara, Pietro; Benoit, Michel; Andreewsky, Marc; Weiss, Jérôme

    2013-04-01

    Estimating the probability of occurrence of extreme sea levels is a central issue for the protection of the coast. Return periods of sea level with wave set-up contribution are estimated here in one site : Cherbourg in France in the English Channel. The methodology follows two steps : the first one is computation of joint probability of simultaneous wave height and still sea level, the second one is interpretation of that joint probabilities to assess a sea level for a given return period. Two different approaches were evaluated to compute joint probability of simultaneous wave height and still sea level : the first one is multivariate extreme values distributions of logistic type in which all components of the variables become large simultaneously, the second one is conditional approach for multivariate extreme values in which only one component of the variables have to be large. Two different methods were applied to estimate sea level with wave set-up contribution for a given return period : Monte-Carlo simulation in which estimation is more accurate but needs higher calculation time and classical ocean engineering design contours of type inverse-FORM in which the method is simpler and allows more complex estimation of wave setup part (wave propagation to the coast for example). We compare results from the two different approaches with the two different methods. To be able to use both Monte-Carlo simulation and design contours methods, wave setup is estimated with an simple empirical formula. We show advantages of the conditional approach compared to the multivariate extreme values approach when extreme sea-level occurs when either surge or wave height is large. We discuss the validity of the ocean engineering design contours method which is an alternative when computation of sea levels is too complex to use Monte-Carlo simulation method.

  17. A new setup for the investigation of swift heavy ion induced particle emission and surface modifications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meinerzhagen, F.; Breuer, L.; Bukowska, H.; Herder, M.; Schleberger, M.; Wucher, A. [Fakultät für Physik, Universität Duisburg-Essen and Cenide, 47057 Duisburg (Germany); Bender, M.; Severin, D. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany); Lebius, H. [CIMAP (CEA-CNRS-ENSICAEN-UCN), 14070 Caen Cedex 5 (France)

    2016-01-15

    The irradiation with fast ions with kinetic energies of >10 MeV leads to the deposition of a high amount of energy along their trajectory (up to several ten keV/nm). The energy is mainly transferred to the electronic subsystem and induces different secondary processes of excitations, which result in significant material modifications. A new setup to study these ion induced effects on surfaces will be described in this paper. The setup combines a variable irradiation chamber with different techniques of surface characterizations like scanning probe microscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion, and neutral mass spectrometry, as well as low energy electron diffraction under ultra high vacuum conditions, and is mounted at a beamline of the universal linear accelerator (UNILAC) of the GSI facility in Darmstadt, Germany. Here, samples can be irradiated with high-energy ions with a total kinetic energy up to several GeVs under different angles of incidence. Our setup enables the preparation and in situ analysis of different types of sample systems ranging from metals to insulators. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry enables us to study the chemical composition of the surface, while scanning probe microscopy allows a detailed view into the local electrical and morphological conditions of the sample surface down to atomic scales. With the new setup, particle emission during irradiation as well as persistent modifications of the surface after irradiation can thus be studied. We present first data obtained with the new setup, including a novel measuring protocol for time-of-flight mass spectrometry with the GSI UNILAC accelerator.

  18. Benchmark test cases for evaluation of computer-based methods for detection of setup errors: realistic digitally reconstructed electronic portal images with known setup errors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fritsch, Daniel S.; Raghavan, Suraj; Boxwala, Aziz; Earnhart, Jon; Tracton, Gregg; Cullip, Timothy; Chaney, Edward L.

    1997-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to develop methods and software for computing realistic digitally reconstructed electronic portal images with known setup errors for use as benchmark test cases for evaluation and intercomparison of computer-based methods for image matching and detecting setup errors in electronic portal images. Methods and Materials: An existing software tool for computing digitally reconstructed radiographs was modified to compute simulated megavoltage images. An interface was added to allow the user to specify which setup parameter(s) will contain computer-induced random and systematic errors in a reference beam created during virtual simulation. Other software features include options for adding random and structured noise, Gaussian blurring to simulate geometric unsharpness, histogram matching with a 'typical' electronic portal image, specifying individual preferences for the appearance of the 'gold standard' image, and specifying the number of images generated. The visible male computed tomography data set from the National Library of Medicine was used as the planning image. Results: Digitally reconstructed electronic portal images with known setup errors have been generated and used to evaluate our methods for automatic image matching and error detection. Any number of different sets of test cases can be generated to investigate setup errors involving selected setup parameters and anatomic volumes. This approach has proved to be invaluable for determination of error detection sensitivity under ideal (rigid body) conditions and for guiding further development of image matching and error detection methods. Example images have been successfully exported for similar use at other sites. Conclusions: Because absolute truth is known, digitally reconstructed electronic portal images with known setup errors are well suited for evaluation of computer-aided image matching and error detection methods. High-quality planning images, such as

  19. A simple Lissajous curves experimental setup

    Science.gov (United States)

    Şahin Kızılcık, Hasan; Damlı, Volkan

    2018-05-01

    The aim of this study is to develop an experimental setup to produce Lissajous curves. The setup was made using a smartphone, a powered speaker (computer speaker), a balloon, a laser pointer and a piece of mirror. Lissajous curves are formed as follows: a piece of mirror is attached to a balloon. The balloon is vibrated with the sound signal provided by the speaker that is connected to a smartphone. The laser beam is reflected off the mirror and the reflection is shaped as a Lissajous curve. Because of the intersection of two frequencies (frequency of the sound signal and natural vibration frequency of the balloon), these curves are formed. They can be used to measure the ratio of frequencies.

  20. Setup Time Reduction On Solder Paste Printing Machine – A Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajesh Dhake

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Lean manufacturing envisages the reduction of the seven deadly wastes referred to as MUDA. Setup time forms a major component of the equipment downtime. It leads to lower machine utilization and restricts the output and product variety. This necessitates the requirement for quick setups. Single Minute Exchange of Die philosophy (a lean manufacturing tool here after referred as “SMED” is one of the important tool which aims at quick setups driving smaller lot sizes, lower production costs, improve productivity in terms of increased output, increased utilization of machine and labor hours, make additional capacity available (often at bottleneck resources, reduce scrap and rework, and increase flexibility[3]. This paper focuses on the application of Single Minute Exchange of Die[1] and Quick Changeover Philosophy[2] for reducing setup time on Solder Past Printing Machine (bottleneck machine in a electronic speedo-cluster manufacturing company. The four step SMED philosophy was adopted to effect reduction in setup time. The initial step was gathering information about the present setup times and its proportion to the total productive time. A detailed video based time study of setup activities was done to classify them into external and internal setup activities in terms of their need (i.e. preparation, replacement or adjustment, time taken and the way these could be reduced, simplified or eliminated. The improvements effected were of three categories viz., mechanical, procedural and organizational. The paper concludes by comparing the present and proposed (implemented methods of setup procedures.

  1. GPU-accelerated automatic identification of robust beam setups for proton and carbon-ion radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ammazzalorso, F; Jelen, U; Bednarz, T

    2014-01-01

    We demonstrate acceleration on graphic processing units (GPU) of automatic identification of robust particle therapy beam setups, minimizing negative dosimetric effects of Bragg peak displacement caused by treatment-time patient positioning errors. Our particle therapy research toolkit, RobuR, was extended with OpenCL support and used to implement calculation on GPU of the Port Homogeneity Index, a metric scoring irradiation port robustness through analysis of tissue density patterns prior to dose optimization and computation. Results were benchmarked against an independent native CPU implementation. Numerical results were in agreement between the GPU implementation and native CPU implementation. For 10 skull base cases, the GPU-accelerated implementation was employed to select beam setups for proton and carbon ion treatment plans, which proved to be dosimetrically robust, when recomputed in presence of various simulated positioning errors. From the point of view of performance, average running time on the GPU decreased by at least one order of magnitude compared to the CPU, rendering the GPU-accelerated analysis a feasible step in a clinical treatment planning interactive session. In conclusion, selection of robust particle therapy beam setups can be effectively accelerated on a GPU and become an unintrusive part of the particle therapy treatment planning workflow. Additionally, the speed gain opens new usage scenarios, like interactive analysis manipulation (e.g. constraining of some setup) and re-execution. Finally, through OpenCL portable parallelism, the new implementation is suitable also for CPU-only use, taking advantage of multiple cores, and can potentially exploit types of accelerators other than GPUs.

  2. GPU-accelerated automatic identification of robust beam setups for proton and carbon-ion radiotherapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ammazzalorso, F.; Bednarz, T.; Jelen, U.

    2014-03-01

    We demonstrate acceleration on graphic processing units (GPU) of automatic identification of robust particle therapy beam setups, minimizing negative dosimetric effects of Bragg peak displacement caused by treatment-time patient positioning errors. Our particle therapy research toolkit, RobuR, was extended with OpenCL support and used to implement calculation on GPU of the Port Homogeneity Index, a metric scoring irradiation port robustness through analysis of tissue density patterns prior to dose optimization and computation. Results were benchmarked against an independent native CPU implementation. Numerical results were in agreement between the GPU implementation and native CPU implementation. For 10 skull base cases, the GPU-accelerated implementation was employed to select beam setups for proton and carbon ion treatment plans, which proved to be dosimetrically robust, when recomputed in presence of various simulated positioning errors. From the point of view of performance, average running time on the GPU decreased by at least one order of magnitude compared to the CPU, rendering the GPU-accelerated analysis a feasible step in a clinical treatment planning interactive session. In conclusion, selection of robust particle therapy beam setups can be effectively accelerated on a GPU and become an unintrusive part of the particle therapy treatment planning workflow. Additionally, the speed gain opens new usage scenarios, like interactive analysis manipulation (e.g. constraining of some setup) and re-execution. Finally, through OpenCL portable parallelism, the new implementation is suitable also for CPU-only use, taking advantage of multiple cores, and can potentially exploit types of accelerators other than GPUs.

  3. Couch height–based patient setup for abdominal radiation therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ohira, Shingo [Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Osaka (Japan); Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita (Japan); Ueda, Yoshihiro [Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Osaka (Japan); Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita (Japan); Nishiyama, Kinji [Department of Radiation Oncology, Yao Municipal Hospital, Yao (Japan); Miyazaki, Masayoshi; Isono, Masaru; Tsujii, Katsutomo [Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Osaka (Japan); Takashina, Masaaki; Koizumi, Masahiko [Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita (Japan); Kawanabe, Kiyoto [Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Osaka (Japan); Teshima, Teruki, E-mail: teshima-te@mc.pref.osaka.jp [Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Osaka (Japan)

    2016-04-01

    There are 2 methods commonly used for patient positioning in the anterior-posterior (A-P) direction: one is the skin mark patient setup method (SMPS) and the other is the couch height–based patient setup method (CHPS). This study compared the setup accuracy of these 2 methods for abdominal radiation therapy. The enrollment for this study comprised 23 patients with pancreatic cancer. For treatments (539 sessions), patients were set up by using isocenter skin marks and thereafter treatment couch was shifted so that the distance between the isocenter and the upper side of the treatment couch was equal to that indicated on the computed tomographic (CT) image. Setup deviation in the A-P direction for CHPS was measured by matching the spine of the digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) of a lateral beam at simulation with that of the corresponding time-integrated electronic portal image. For SMPS with no correction (SMPS/NC), setup deviation was calculated based on the couch-level difference between SMPS and CHPS. SMPS/NC was corrected using 2 off-line correction protocols: no action level (SMPS/NAL) and extended NAL (SMPS/eNAL) protocols. Margins to compensate for deviations were calculated using the Stroom formula. A-P deviation > 5 mm was observed in 17% of SMPS/NC, 4% of SMPS/NAL, and 4% of SMPS/eNAL sessions but only in one CHPS session. For SMPS/NC, 7 patients (30%) showed deviations at an increasing rate of > 0.1 mm/fraction, but for CHPS, no such trend was observed. The standard deviations (SDs) of systematic error (Σ) were 2.6, 1.4, 0.6, and 0.8 mm and the root mean squares of random error (σ) were 2.1, 2.6, 2.7, and 0.9 mm for SMPS/NC, SMPS/NAL, SMPS/eNAL, and CHPS, respectively. Margins to compensate for the deviations were wide for SMPS/NC (6.7 mm), smaller for SMPS/NAL (4.6 mm) and SMPS/eNAL (3.1 mm), and smallest for CHPS (2.2 mm). Achieving better setup with smaller margins, CHPS appears to be a reproducible method for abdominal patient setup.

  4. Measurement and analysis of the thoracic patient setup deviations in routine radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia Mingxuan; Zou Huawei; Wu Rong; Sun Jian; Dong Xiaoqi

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To determine the magnitude of the setup deviations of the thoracic patients in routine radiotherapy. Methods: Altogether 408 films for 21 thoracic patients were recorded using the electronic portal imaging device (EPID), and comparison with reference CT simulator digitally-reconstructed radiograph (DRR) for anterior-posterior fields was performed. The deviation of setup for 21 patients in the left-right (RL), superior-inferior (SI) directions and rotation about the anterior-posterior (AP) axis were measured and analyzed. Results: Without immobilization device, the mean translational and rotational setup deviations were (0.7±3.1) mm and (1.5±4.1) mm in the RL and SI directions, respectively, and (0.3±2.4) degree about AP axis. With immobilization device, the mean translational and rotational setup deviations were (0.5±2.4) mm and (0.8±2.7) mm in the RL and SI directions respectively, and (0.2±1.6) degree about AP axis. Conclusion: The setup deviations in thoracic patients irradiation may be reduced with the use of the immobilization device. The setup deviation in the SI direction is greater than that in the RL direction. The setup deviations are mainly random errors

  5. Optimization of angular setup with proposed β–η chart for solar energy apparatus through Helios orbital analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ou, Chung-Jen

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Analysis procedure for the angular setup of the SPVS based on Helios orbital analysis is shown. • Average of 61.87% efficiency for the whole year with this fixed-type SPVS is obtained. • Graphical interpretation on proposed β–η chart for estimating SPVS efficiency is presented. - Abstract: Many reports and patents address tracking-type systems to complete and optimized the acquisition of solar energy. However, fixed-type systems contribute the most of the market to the solar photovoltaic system (SPVS) for the existing buildings. Based on this fact, it is important to discuss and understand the feasible setup parameters to achieve the optimum radiation-collection-efficiency of a fixed-type system. The purpose of the present report is to provide the methodology and to investigate the optimum angles of the system facilities through minimum mathematics. The calculations show that for the demonstrated locations, the maximum efficiency for the whole year of a fixed-type system can reach more than 61% efficiency, compared to a total tracking system at the same location and time intervals. Based on these calculations, the appropriate optical system can be designed to improve system performance for the majority buildings requirements in any location

  6. Research on mechanical and sensoric set-up for high strain rate testing of high performance fibers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unger, R.; Schegner, P.; Nocke, A.; Cherif, C.

    2017-10-01

    Within this research project, the tensile behavior of high performance fibers, such as carbon fibers, is investigated under high velocity loads. This contribution (paper) focuses on the clamp set-up of two testing machines. Based on a kinematic model, weight optimized clamps are designed and evaluated. By analyzing the complex dynamic behavior of conventional high velocity testing machines, it has been shown that the impact typically exhibits an elastic characteristic. This leads to barely predictable breaking speeds and will not work at higher speeds when acceleration force exceeds material specifications. Therefore, a plastic impact behavior has to be achieved, even at lower testing speeds. This type of impact behavior at lower speeds can be realized by means of some minor test set-up adaptions.

  7. Set-up for steam generator tube bundle washing after explosion expanding the tubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osipov, S.I.; Kal'nin, A.Ya.; Mazanenko, M.F.

    1985-01-01

    Set-up for steam generator tube bundle washing after the explosion expanding of tubes is described. Washing is accomplished by distillate. Steam is added to distillate for heating, and compersed air for preventing hydraulic shock. The set-up is equiped by control equipment. Set-up performances are presented. Time for one steam generator washing constitutes 8-12 h. High economic efficiency is realized due to the set-up introduction

  8. Water level effects on breaking wave setup for Pacific Island fringing reefs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, J. M.; Merrifield, M. A.; Ford, M.

    2014-02-01

    The effects of water level variations on breaking wave setup over fringing reefs are assessed using field measurements obtained at three study sites in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Mariana Islands in the western tropical Pacific Ocean. At each site, reef flat setup varies over the tidal range with weaker setup at high tide and stronger setup at low tide for a given incident wave height. The observed water level dependence is interpreted in the context of radiation stress gradients specified by an idealized point break model generalized for nonnormally incident waves. The tidally varying setup is due in part to depth-limited wave heights on the reef flat, as anticipated from previous reef studies, but also to tidally dependent breaking on the reef face. The tidal dependence of the breaking is interpreted in the context of the point break model in terms of a tidally varying wave height to water depth ratio at breaking. Implications for predictions of wave-driven setup at reef-fringed island shorelines are discussed.

  9. VITEX 2016 : Evaluation of learning objectives and exercise set-up

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rijk, R. van; Stubbé-Alberts, H.E.

    2016-01-01

    To strengthen awareness of the need for cooperation, between public and private partners, and between countries, a new exercise set-up was developed. The VITEX exercise set-up is a table top exercise that aims to bring relevant networks together, and supports cooperation and collaboration between

  10. Why IV Setup for Stream Ciphers is Difficult

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zenner, Erik

    2007-01-01

    In recent years, the initialization vector (IV) setup has proven to be the most vulnerable point when designing secure stream ciphers. In this paper, we take a look at possible reasons why this is the case, identifying numerous open research problems in cryptography.......In recent years, the initialization vector (IV) setup has proven to be the most vulnerable point when designing secure stream ciphers. In this paper, we take a look at possible reasons why this is the case, identifying numerous open research problems in cryptography....

  11. On SIP Session setup delay for VoIP services over correlated fading channels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fathi, Hanane; Chakraborty, Shyam S.; Prasad, Ramjee

    2006-01-01

    In this paper, the session setup delay of the session initiation protocol (SIP) is studied. The transmissions on both the forward and reverse channel are assumed to experience Markovian errors. The session setup delay is evaluated for different transport protocols, and with the use of the radio...... link protocol (RLP). An adaptive retransmission timer is used to optimize SIP performances. Using numerical results, we find that SIP over user datagram protocol (UDP) instead of transport control protocol (TCP) can make the session setup up to 30% shorter. Also, RLP drastically reduces the session...... setup delay down to 4 to 5 s, even in environments with high frame error rates (10%) and significant correlation in the fading process (fDT=0.02). SIP is compared with its competitor H.323. SIP session setup delay with compressed messages outperforms H.323 session setup delay....

  12. Automated extraction of DNA and PCR setup using a Tecan Freedom EVO® liquid handler

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frøslev, Tobias Guldberg; Hansen, Anders Johannes; Stangegaard, Michael

    2009-01-01

    We have implemented and validated automated protocols for DNA extraction and PCR setup using a Tecan Freedom EVO® liquid handler mounted with the TeMagS magnetic separation device. The methods were validated for accredited, forensic genetic work according to ISO 17025 using the Qiagen Mag...... genetic DNA typing can be implemented on a simple robot leading to the reduction of manual work as well as increased quality and throughput....

  13. A new tribological experimental setup to study confined and sheared monolayers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, L; Favier, D; Charitat, T; Gauthier, C; Rubin, A

    2016-03-01

    We have developed an original experimental setup, coupling tribology, and velocimetry experiments together with a direct visualization of the contact. The significant interest of the setup is to measure simultaneously the apparent friction coefficient and the velocity of confined layers down to molecular scale. The major challenge of this experimental coupling is to catch information on a nanometer-thick sheared zone confined between a rigid spherical indenter of millimetric radius sliding on a flat surface at constant speed. In order to demonstrate the accuracy of this setup to investigate nanometer-scale sliding layers, we studied a model lipid monolayer deposited on glass slides. It shows that our experimental setup will, therefore, help to highlight the hydrodynamic of such sheared confined layers in lubrication, biolubrication, or friction on solid polymer.

  14. Infrared-Guided Patient Setup for Lung Cancer Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lyatskaya, Yulia; James, Steven; Killoran, Joseph H.; Soto, Ricardo; Mamon, Harvey J.; Chin, Lee; Allen, Aaron M.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the utility of an infrared-guided patient setup (iGPS) system to reduce the uncertainties in the setup of lung cancer patients. Methods and Materials: A total of 15 patients were setup for lung irradiation using skin tattoos and lateral leveling marks. Daily electronic portal device images and iGPS marker locations were acquired and retrospectively reviewed. The iGPS-based shifts were compared with the daily electronic portal device image shifts using both the central axis iGPS marker and all five iGPS markers. For shift calculation using the five markers, rotational misalignment was included. The level of agreement between the iGPS and portal imaging to evaluate the setup was evaluated as the frequency of the shift difference in the range of 0-5 mm, 5-10 mm, and >10 mm. Results: Data were obtained for 450 treatment sessions for 15 patients. The difference in the isocenter shifts between the weekly vs. daily images was 0-5 mm in 42%, 5-10 mm in 30%, and >10 mm in 10% of the images. The shifts seen using the iGPS data were 0-5 mm in 81%, 5-10 mm in 14%, and >10 mm in 5%. Using only the central axis iGPS marker, the difference between the iGPS and portal images was 10 mm in 7% in the left-right direction and 73%, 18%, and 9% in the superoinferior direction, respectively. When all five iGPS markers were used, the disagreements between the iGPS and portal image shifts >10 mm were reduced from 7% to 2% in the left-right direction and 9% to 3% in the superoinferior direction. Larger reductions were also seen (e.g., a reduction from 50% to 0% in 1 patient). Conclusion: The daily iGPS-based shifts correlated well with the daily electronic portal device-based shifts. When patient movement has nonlinear rotational components, a combination of surface markers and portal images might be particularly beneficial to improve the setup for lung cancer patients

  15. Influence of Daily Set-Up Errors on Dose Distribution During Pelvis Radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasabasic, M.; Ivkovic, A.; Faj, D.; Rajevac, V.; Sobat, H.; Jurkovic, S.

    2011-01-01

    An external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) using megavoltage beam of linear accelerator is usually the treatment of choice for the cancer patients. The goal of EBRT is to deliver the prescribed dose to the target volume, with as low as possible dose to the surrounding healthy tissue. A large number of procedures and different professions involved in radiotherapy process, uncertainty of equipment and daily patient set-up errors can cause a difference between the planned and delivered dose. We investigated a part of this difference caused by daily patient set-up errors. Daily set-up errors for 35 patients were measured. These set-up errors were simulated on 5 patients, using 3D treatment planning software XiO (CMS Inc., St. Louis, MO). The differences in dose distributions between the planned and shifted ''geometry'' were investigated. Additionally, an influence of the error on treatment plan selection was checked by analyzing the change in dose volume histograms, planning target volume conformity index (CI P TV) and homogeneity index (HI). Simulations showed that patient daily set-up errors can cause significant differences between the planned and actual dose distributions. Moreover, for some patients those errors could influence the choice of treatment plan since CI P TV fell under 97 %. Surprisingly, HI was not as sensitive as CI P TV on set-up errors. The results showed the need for minimizing daily set-up errors by quality assurance programme. (author)

  16. Recreating Riser Slugging Flow Based on an Economic Lab-sized Setup

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Lasse; Pedersen, Simon; Yang, Zhenyu

    2013-01-01

    As a kind of periodic phenomenon, the slugging flow in the offshore oil & gas production addresses a lot of attentions, due to its limitation of production rate, periodic overload processing facilities, and even direct cause of emergent shutdown. This work studies the emulation of the riser...... slugging flow in the offshore oil & gas production, by constructing an economical lab-sized setup in the university campus. Firstly, the construction and used components for the lab setup are illustrated; then, the constructed setup is validated by checking the consistency with some existing typical riser...

  17. The ATLAS Level-1 Trigger Timing Setup

    CERN Document Server

    Spiwoks, R; Ellis, Nick; Farthouat, P; Gällnö, P; Haller, J; Krasznahorkay, A; Maeno, T; Pauly, T; Pessoa-Lima, H; Resurreccion-Arcas, I; Schuler, G; De Seixas, J M; Torga-Teixeira, R; Wengler, T

    2005-01-01

    The ATLAS detector at CERN's LHC will be exposed to proton-proton collisions at a bunch-crossing rate of 40 MHz. In order to reduce the data rate, a three-level trigger system selects potentially interesting physics. The first trigger level is implemented in electronics and firmware. It aims at reducing the output rate to less than 100 kHz. The Central Trigger Processor combines information from the calorimeter and muon trigger processors and makes the final Level-1-Accept decision. It is a central element in the timing setup of the experiment. Three aspects are considered in this article: the timing setup with respect to the Level-1 trigger, with respect to the expriment, and with respect to the world.

  18. Physical, Digital, and Hybrid Setups Supporting Card-Based Collaborative Design Ideation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lundqvist, Caroline Emilie; Klinkhammer, Daniel; Dalsgaard, Peter

    2018-01-01

    to supporting collaborative ideation? To answer this question, we present a study and analysis of three different implementations of a well-established collaborative ideation technique called Inspiration Card Workshop, with physical, digital, and hybrid setups. Each setup is evaluated in a controlled experiment...

  19. Slaw extracted proton beam formation and monitoring for the ''QUARTZ'' setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bushnin, Yu.B.; Gres', V.N.; Davydenko, Yu.P.

    1982-01-01

    The version of optical mode of the beam channel providing with simultaneous operating the experimental setups FODS and ''QUARTZ'' at consecutive usage of the slow extracted proton beam is reported. The ''QUARTZ'' setup beam diagnostics system comprises two subsystems: for measuring beam profile beam timing structure and beam intensity and operates in the beam extraction duration from 20 ns to few seconds at beam intensity from 10 10 to 5x10 12 protons/pulse. The ''QUARTZ'' setup represents a focusing crystal-diffraction spectrometer with 5-meter focal distance and Ge(Li) special construction detector. High efficiency target is applied in the setup. The ''QUARTZ'' setup is designed for studying exotic atoms produced by negative charged heavy particles (π, K, μ, P tilde) and atomic nuclei. Precise energy measurement of X ray transitions in such atoms is performed. For measuring beam geometric parameters 32-channel secondary emission chambers are used. As detector of beam intensity and timing structure of slow extracted beam the secondary emission chamber is employed. The principle circuit of current integrator is given. As data transmission line a 50-pair telephone cable is used. Information conversion into digital form and its subsequent processing is performed in the CAMAC system and the SM-3 computer. The proton beam full intensity measuring system provides with accuracy not worse than +-4.5% in the 10 10 -10 12 proton/sec range. The implemented optical mode of the beam channel and proton beam monitoring system permitted to begin fulfillment of the experimental program on the ''QUARTZ'' setup

  20. Measurement setup at light source operational: Milestone M4.3

    CERN Document Server

    Perez, Francis

    2016-01-01

    The design of the experimental setup for the measurements of the FCC-hh beam screen prototype to be installed at the ANKA lightsource has been completed and the alignment strategy and procedure has been validated by the CERN and KIT teams. In this report, a complete description of the setup and the program of measurements under different operation conditions is presented.

  1. Pragmatic setup for bioparticle responses by dielectrophoresis for resource limited environment application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Mohd Anuar Md; Yeop Majlis, Burhanuddin; Kayani, Aminuddin Ahmad

    2017-12-01

    Various dielectrophoretic responses of bioparticles, including cell-chain, spinning, rotation and clustering, are of high interest in the field due to their benefit into application for biomedical and clinical implementation potential. Numerous attempts using sophisticated equipment setup have been studied to perform those dielectrophoretic responses, however, for development into resource limited environment application, such as portable, sustainable and environmental friendly diagnostic tools, establishment of pragmatic setup using standard, non-sophisticated and low-cost equipment is of important task. Here we show the advantages in the judicious design optimization of tip microelectrode, also with selection of suspending medium and optimization of electric signal configuration in establishing setup that can promote the aforementioned dielectrophoretic responses within standard equipments, i.e. pragmatic setup.

  2. Experiment Setup for Focused Learning of Advanced Servo Control of DC-motors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dag A. H. Samuelsen

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Remote laboratories are normally developed for giving students and others remote access to physical laboratory facilities. In contradiction to this, the main objective of the setup presented in this paper is to create a controlled environment where unwanted side activities like hardware setup, driver problems, troubleshooting faulty components, and struggles with special software for configuring DSP systems, are removed as much as possible, in order for the students to have their full focus on the tasks that is considered relevant for the module: modeling of non-linear systems, synthetisation of controllers, and stability and performance analysis. A secondary objective is to significantly reduce the setup and maintenance cost associated with complex laboratory setups involving DSPs and expensive hardware.

  3. Evaluating the influence of setup uncertainties on treatment planning for focal liver tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balter, J.M.; Brock, K.K.; Lam, K.L.; Dawson, L.A.; McShan, D.L.; Ten Haken, R.K.

    2001-01-01

    Purpose: A mechanism has been developed to evaluate the influence of systematic and random setup variations on dose during treatment planning. The information available for studying these factors shifts from population-based models towards patient-specific data as treatment progresses and setup measurements for an individual patient become available. This study evaluates the influence of population as well as patient-specific setup distributions on treatment plans for focal liver tumors. Materials and Methods: 8 patients with focal liver tumors were treated on a protocol that involved online setup measurement and adjustment, as well as ventilatory immobilization. Summary statistics from these treatments yielded individual and population distributions of position at initial setup for each fraction as well as after setup adjustment. A convolution model for evaluation of the influence of random setup variation on calculated dose distributions has been previously described and investigated for application to focal liver radiotherapy by our department. Individual patient doses based on initial setup positions were calculated by applying the measured systematic offset to the initial treatment plan, and then convolving the calculated dose distribution with an anisotropic probability distribution function representing the individual patient's random variations. A separate calculation with no offset and convolution using population averaged random variations was performed. Individual beam apertures were then adjusted to provide plans that ensured proper dose to the clinical target volume (CTV) following convolution with population distributions prior to and following setup adjustment. Results: Input distributions comprised 262 position measurements. Individual patient setup distributions for the course of treatment had systematic offsets ranging from (σ) 1.1 to 4.1 mm (LR), -2.0 to 1.4 mm (AP), and 5.6 to 1.7 mm (IS). Individual random setup variations ranged from 2.5 to 5

  4. An optimised set-up for total reflection particle induced X-ray emission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kan, J.A. van; Vis, R.D.

    1997-01-01

    MeV proton beams at small angles of incidence (0-35 mrad) are used to analyse trace elements on flat surfaces such as Si wafers or quartz substrates. In these experiments, the particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) signal is used in a new optimized set-up. This set-up is constructed in such a way that the X-ray detector can reach very large solid angles, larger than 1 sr. Use of these large detector solid angles, combined with the reduction of bremsstrahlung background, affords limits of detection (LOD) of the order of 10 10 at cm -2 using total reflection particle induced X-ray emission (TPIXE). The LODs from earlier TPIXE measurements in a non-optimized set-up are used to estimate LODs in the new TPIXE set-up. Si wafers with low surface concentrations of V, Ni, Cu and Ag are used as standards to calibrate the LODs found with this set-up. The metal concentrations are determined by total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF). The TPIXE measurements are compared with TXRF measurements on the same wafers. (Author)

  5. Eye-in-Hand Manipulation for Remote Handling: Experimental Setup

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niu, Longchuan; Suominen, Olli; Aref, Mohammad M.; Mattila, Jouni; Ruiz, Emilio; Esque, Salvador

    2018-03-01

    A prototype for eye-in-hand manipulation in the context of remote handling in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)1 is presented in this paper. The setup consists of an industrial robot manipulator with a modified open control architecture and equipped with a pair of stereoscopic cameras, a force/torque sensor, and pneumatic tools. It is controlled through a haptic device in a mock-up environment. The industrial robot controller has been replaced by a single industrial PC running Xenomai that has a real-time connection to both the robot controller and another Linux PC running as the controller for the haptic device. The new remote handling control environment enables further development of advanced control schemes for autonomous and semi-autonomous manipulation tasks. This setup benefits from a stereovision system for accurate tracking of the target objects with irregular shapes. The overall environmental setup successfully demonstrates the required robustness and precision that remote handling tasks need.

  6. Validity test of design calculations of a PGNAA setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naqvi, A.A.; Garwan, M.A.

    2004-01-01

    A rectangular moderator has been designed for the prompt gamma ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) setup at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) to analyze Portland cement samples. The design of the moderator assembly was obtained using Monte Carlo calculations. The design calculations of the new rectangular moderator of the KFUPM PGNAA setup have been verified experimentally through prompt gamma ray yield measurement as a function of the front moderator thickness. In this study the yield of the 3.54 and 4.94 MeV prompt gamma rays from silicon in a soil sample was measured as a function of thickness of the front moderator of the rectangular moderator. The experimental results were compared with the results of the Monte Carlo simulations. A good agreement has been achieved between the experimental results and the results of the calculations. The experimental results have provided useful information about the PGNAA setup performance, neutron moderation, and gamma ray attenuation in the PGNAA sample

  7. Analysis of Prostate Patient Setup and Tracking Data: Potential Intervention Strategies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su Zhong; Zhang Lisha; Murphy, Martin; Williamson, Jeffrey

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the setup, interfraction, and intrafraction organ motion error distributions and simulate intrafraction intervention strategies for prostate radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: A total of 17 patients underwent treatment setup and were monitored using the Calypso system during radiotherapy. On average, the prostate tracking measurements were performed for 8 min/fraction for 28 fractions for each patient. For both patient couch shift data and intrafraction organ motion data, the systematic and random errors were obtained from the patient population. The planning target volume margins were calculated using the van Herk formula. Two intervention strategies were simulated using the tracking data: the deviation threshold and period. The related planning target volume margins, time costs, and prostate position 'fluctuation' were presented. Results: The required treatment margin for the left-right, superoinferior, and anteroposterior axes was 8.4, 10.8, and 14.7 mm for skin mark-only setup and 1.3, 2.3, and 2.8 mm using the on-line setup correction, respectively. Prostate motion significantly correlated among the superoinferior and anteroposterior directions. Of the 17 patients, 14 had prostate motion within 5 mm of the initial setup position for ≥91.6% of the total tracking time. The treatment margin decreased to 1.1, 1.8, and 2.3 mm with a 3-mm threshold correction and to 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mm with an every-2-min correction in the left-right, superoinferior, and anteroposterior directions, respectively. The periodic corrections significantly increase the treatment time and increased the number of instances when the setup correction was made during transient excursions. Conclusions: The residual systematic and random error due to intrafraction prostate motion is small after on-line setup correction. Threshold-based and time-based intervention strategies both reduced the planning target volume margins. The time-based strategies increased the

  8. Setup verification in stereotactic radiotherapy using digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, Byung Chul; Oh, Do Hoon; Bae, Hoon Sik

    1999-01-01

    To develop a method for verifying a treatment setup in stereotactic radiotherapy by matching portal images to DRRs. Four pairs of orthogonal portal images of one patient immobilized by a thermoplastic mast frame for fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy were compared with DRRs. Portal images are obtained in AP (anterior/posterior) and lateral directions with a target localizer box containing fiducial markers attached to a stereotactic frame. DRRs superimposed over a planned isocenter and fiducial markers are printed out on transparent films. And then, they were overlaid over orthogonal portal images by matching anatomical structures. From three different kind of objects (isocenter, fiducial markers, anatomical structure) on DRRs and portal images, the displacement error between anatomical structure and isocenters (overall setup error), and the displacement error between fiducial markers and isocenters (localization error)were measured. Localization errors were 1.5±0.3 mm (lateral), and immobilization errors were 1.9±0.5 mm (AP), 1.9±0.4 mm (lateral). In addition, overall setup errors were 1.6±0.9 mm (AP), 1.3±0.4 mm(lateral). From these orthogonal displacement errors, maximum 3D displacement errors(√(ΔAP) 2 +(ΔLat) 2 ) were found to be 1.7±0.4 mm for localization, 2.6±0.6 mm for immobilization, and 2.3±0.7 mm for overall treatment setup. By comparing orthogonal portal images with DRRs, we find out that it is possible to verify treatment setup directly in stereotactic radiotherapy

  9. Measurements of operator performance - an experimental setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Netland, K.

    1980-01-01

    The human has to be considered as an important element in a process control system, even if the degree of automation is extremely high. Other elements, e.g. computer, displays, etc., can to a large extent be described and quantified. The human (operator), is difficult to describe in a precise way, and it is just as difficult to predict his thinking and acting in a control room environment. Many factors influence his performance, such as: experience, motivation, level of knowledge, training, control environment, job organization, etc. These factors have to a certain degree to be described before guidelines for design of the man-process interfaces and the control room layout can be developed. For decades, the psychological science has obtained knowledge of the human mind and behaviour. This knowledge should have the potential of a positive input on our effort to describe the factors influencing the operator performance. Even if the human is complex, a better understanding of his thinking and acting, and a more precise description of the factors influencing his performance can be obtained. At OECD Halden Reactor Project an experimental set-up for such studies has been developed and implemented in the computer laboratory. The present set-up includes elements as a computer- and display-based control room, a simulator representing a nuclear power plant, training programme for the subjects, and methods for the experiments. Set-up modules allow reconfiguration of experiments. (orig./HP)

  10. A Modernized UDM-600 Dynamometer-Based Setup for the Cutting Force Measurement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ya. I. Shuliak

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The article considers development of a modernized UDM-600 dynamometer-based setup for measuring the cutting force components. Modernization of existing equipment to improve the method of recording the cutting force components in the automated mode is of relevance. The measuring setup allows recording the cutting force components in turning and milling, as well as the axial force and the torque in the drilling and milling operations.The article presents a block diagram and a schematic diagram of the setup to measure the cutting force components, and describes a basic principle of measuring units within the modernized setup. The developed setup uses a half-bridge strain gauge measuring circuit to record the cutting forces. To enhance the measuring circuit output voltage is used a 16-channel amplifier of LA-UN16 model with a discretely adjustable gain. To record and process electrical signals is used a data acquisition device of NI USB-6009 model, which enables transmitting the received data to a PC via USB-interface. The data acquisition device has a built-in stabilized DC power supply that is used to power the strain gauge bridges. A developed schematic diagram of the measuring setup allows us to realize this measuring device and implement its modernization.Final processing of recorded data is provided through the software developed in visual programming environment LabVIEW 9.0. The program allows us to show the real-time measuring values of the cutting force components graphically and to record the taken data to a text file.The measuring setup modernization enabled increasing measurement accuracy and reducing time for processing and analysis of experimental data obtained when measuring the cutting force components. The MT2 Department of BMSTU uses it in education and research activities and in experimental efforts and laboratory classes.

  11. Controlled ultrafast transfer and stability degree of generalized coherent states of a kicked two-level ion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hao; Kong, Chao; Hai, Wenhua

    2018-06-01

    We investigate quantum dynamics of a two-level ion trapped in the Lamb-Dicke regime of a δ -kicked optical lattice, based on the exact generalized coherent states rotated by a π / 2 pulse of Ramsey type experiment. The spatiotemporal evolutions of the spin-motion entangled states in different parameter regions are illustrated, and the parameter regions of different degrees of quantum stability described by the quantum fidelity are found. Time evolutions of the probability for the ion being in different pseudospin states reveal that the ultrafast entanglement generation and population transfers of the system can be analytically controlled by managing the laser pulses. The probability in an initially disentangled state shows periodic collapses (entanglement) and revivals (de-entanglement). Reduction of the stability degree results in enlarging the period of de-entanglement, while the instability and potential chaos will cause the sustained entanglement. The results could be justified experimentally in the existing setups and may be useful in engineering quantum dynamics for quantum information processing.

  12. Scintillation forward spectrometer of the SPHERE setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anisimov, Yu.S.; Afanas'ev, S.V.; Bondarev, V.K.

    1991-01-01

    The construction of the forward spectrometer for the 4π SPHERE setup to study multiple production of particles in nucleus-nucleus interactions is described. The measured parameters of the spectrometer detectors are presented. 7 refs.; 14 figs.; 1 tab

  13. Characterization of a neutron imaging setup at the INES facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Durisi, E.A., E-mail: elisabettaalessandra.durisi@unito.it [Università di Torino, Dipartimento di Fisica, Via Pietro Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare—Sezione di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Visca, L. [Università di Torino, Dipartimento di Fisica, Via Pietro Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare—Sezione di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Albertin, F.; Brancaccio, R. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare—Sezione di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Corsi, J. [Università di Torino, Dipartimento di Fisica, Via Pietro Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare—Sezione di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Dughera, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare—Sezione di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Ferrarese, W. [Università di Torino, Dipartimento di Fisica, Via Pietro Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare—Sezione di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Giovagnoli, A.; Grassi, N. [Fondazione Centro per la Conservazione ed il Restauro dei Beni Culturali “La Venaria Reale”, Piazza della Repubblica, 10078 Venaria Reale, Torino (Italy); Grazzi, F. [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze (Italy); Lo Giudice, A.; Mila, G. [Università di Torino, Dipartimento di Fisica, Via Pietro Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare—Sezione di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy); and others

    2013-10-21

    The Italian Neutron Experimental Station (INES) located at the ISIS pulsed neutron source (Didcot, United Kingdom) provides a thermal neutron beam mainly used for diffraction analysis. A neutron transmission imaging system was also developed for beam monitoring and for aligning the sample under investigation. Although the time-of-flight neutron diffraction is a consolidated technique, the neutron imaging setup is not yet completely characterized and optimized. In this paper the performance for neutron radiography and tomography at INES of two scintillator screens read out by two different commercial CCD cameras is compared in terms of linearity, signal-to-noise ratio, effective dynamic range and spatial resolution. In addition, the results of neutron radiographies and a tomography of metal alloy test structures are presented to better characterize the INES imaging capabilities of metal artifacts in the cultural heritage field. -- Highlights: A full characterization of the present INES imaging set-up was carried out. Two CCD cameras and two scintillators (ZnS/{sup 6}LiF) of different thicknesses were tested. Linearity, effective dynamic range and spatial resolution were determined. Radiographies of steep wedges were performed using the highest dynamic range setup. Tomography of a bronze cube was performed using the best spatial resolution setup.

  14. Characterization of a neutron imaging setup at the INES facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Durisi, E.A.; Visca, L.; Albertin, F.; Brancaccio, R.; Corsi, J.; Dughera, G.; Ferrarese, W.; Giovagnoli, A.; Grassi, N.; Grazzi, F.; Lo Giudice, A.; Mila, G.

    2013-01-01

    The Italian Neutron Experimental Station (INES) located at the ISIS pulsed neutron source (Didcot, United Kingdom) provides a thermal neutron beam mainly used for diffraction analysis. A neutron transmission imaging system was also developed for beam monitoring and for aligning the sample under investigation. Although the time-of-flight neutron diffraction is a consolidated technique, the neutron imaging setup is not yet completely characterized and optimized. In this paper the performance for neutron radiography and tomography at INES of two scintillator screens read out by two different commercial CCD cameras is compared in terms of linearity, signal-to-noise ratio, effective dynamic range and spatial resolution. In addition, the results of neutron radiographies and a tomography of metal alloy test structures are presented to better characterize the INES imaging capabilities of metal artifacts in the cultural heritage field. -- Highlights: A full characterization of the present INES imaging set-up was carried out. Two CCD cameras and two scintillators (ZnS/ 6 LiF) of different thicknesses were tested. Linearity, effective dynamic range and spatial resolution were determined. Radiographies of steep wedges were performed using the highest dynamic range setup. Tomography of a bronze cube was performed using the best spatial resolution setup

  15. New education system for construction of optical holography setup – Tangible learning with Augmented Reality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamaguchi, Takeshi; Yoshikawa, Hiroshi

    2013-01-01

    In case of teaching optical system construction, it is difficult to prepare the optical components for the attendance student. However the tangible learning is very important to master the optical system construction. It helps learners understand easily to use an inexpensive learning system that provides optical experiments experiences. Therefore, we propose the new education system for construction of optical setup with the augmented reality. To use the augmented reality, the proposed system can simulate the optical system construction by the direct hand control. Also, this system only requires an inexpensive web camera, printed makers and a personal computer. Since this system does not require the darkroom and the expensive optical equipments, the learners can study anytime, anywhere when they want to do. In this paper, we developed the system that can teach the optical system construction of the Denisyuk hologram and 2-step transmission type hologram. For the tangible learning and the easy understanding, the proposed system displays the CG objects of the optical components on the markers which are controlled by the learner's hands. The proposed system does not only display the CG object, but also display the light beam which is controlled by the optical components. To display the light beam that is hard to be seen directly, the learners can confirm about what is happening by the own manipulation. For the construction of optical holography setup, we arrange a laser, mirrors, a PBS (polarizing beam splitter), lenses, a polarizer, half-wave plates, spatial filters, an optical power meter and a recording plate. After the construction, proposed system can check optical setup correctly. In comparison with the learners who only read a book, the learners who use the system can construct the optical holography setup more quickly and correctly.

  16. Fast and thermal neutron intensity measurements at the KFUPM PGNAA setup

    CERN Document Server

    Al-Jarallah, M I; Fazal-Ur-Rehman; Abu-Jarad, F A

    2002-01-01

    Fast and thermal neutron intensity distributions have been measured at an accelerator based prompt gamma ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) setup. The setup is built at the 350 keV accelerator laboratory of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). The setup is mainly designed to carry out PGNAA elemental analysis via thermal neutron capture. In this study relative intensity of fast and thermal neutrons was measured as a function of the PGNAA moderator assembly parameters using nuclear track detectors (NTDs). The relative intensity of the neutrons was measured inside the sample region as a function of front moderator thickness as well as sample length. Measurements were carried out at the KFUPM 350 keV accelerator using 2.8 MeV pulsed neutron beam from D(d,n) reaction. The pulsed deuteron beam with 5 ns pulse width and 30 kHz frequency was used to produce neutrons. Experimental results were compared with results of Monte Carlo design calculations of the PGNAA setup. A good agreement has bee...

  17. Fast and thermal neutron intensity measurements at the KFUPM PGNAA setup

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Al-Jarallah, M.I.; Naqvi, A.A. E-mail: aanaqvi@kfupm.edu.sa; Fazal-ur-Rehman; Abu-jarad, F

    2002-10-01

    Fast and thermal neutron intensity distributions have been measured at an accelerator based prompt gamma ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) setup. The setup is built at the 350 keV accelerator laboratory of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). The setup is mainly designed to carry out PGNAA elemental analysis via thermal neutron capture. In this study relative intensity of fast and thermal neutrons was measured as a function of the PGNAA moderator assembly parameters using nuclear track detectors (NTDs). The relative intensity of the neutrons was measured inside the sample region as a function of front moderator thickness as well as sample length. Measurements were carried out at the KFUPM 350 keV accelerator using 2.8 MeV pulsed neutron beam from D(d,n) reaction. The pulsed deuteron beam with 5 ns pulse width and 30 kHz frequency was used to produce neutrons. Experimental results were compared with results of Monte Carlo design calculations of the PGNAA setup. A good agreement has been found between the experimental results and the calculations.

  18. Lower limb immobilization device induced small setup errors in the radiotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Yuting; Ni, Xinye; Yu, Jingping; Ni, Xinchu; Sun, Zhiqiang; Wang, Jianlin; Sun, Suping; Wang, Jian

    2018-04-01

    The aim of this study was to design a lower limb immobilization device and investigate its clinical application in the radiotherapy of the lower limbs.Around 38 patients who underwent lower limb radiotherapy using the designed immobilization device were included in this study. The setup errors were calculated by comparison of the portal images and the simulator films or digital reconstructed radiographs (DRRs).From all 38 patients accomplished the radiotherapy using this device, 178 anteroposterior portal images and 178 lateral portal images were used for the analysis of the positional accuracy. Significant differences were observed in the setup error of the head-foot direction compared with the left-right direction (t = 3.404, P = .002) and the anterior-posterior directions (t = 3.188, P = .003). No statistical differences were identified in the setup error in the left-right direction and anterior-posterior direction (t = 0.497, P = .622).The use of the in-house designed lower limb immobilization device allowed for relatively small setup errors. Furthermore, it showed satisfactory accuracy and repeatability.

  19. The use of adaptive radiation therapy to reduce setup error: a prospective clinical study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan Di; Wong, John; Vicini, Frank; Robertson, John; Horwitz, Eric; Brabbins, Donald; Cook, Carla; Gustafson, Gary; Stromberg, Jannifer; Martinez, Alvaro

    1996-01-01

    Purpose: Adaptive Radiation Therapy (ART) is a closed-loop feedback process where each patients treatment is adaptively optimized according to the individual variation information measured during the course of treatment. The process aims to maximize the benefits of treatment for the individual patient. A prospective study is currently being conducted to test the feasibility and effectiveness of ART for clinical use. The present study is limited to compensating the effects of systematic setup error. Methods and Materials: The study includes 20 patients treated on a linear accelerator equipped with a computer controlled multileaf collimator (MLC) and a electronic portal imaging device (EPID). Alpha cradles are used to immobilize those patients treated for disease in the thoracic and abdominal regions, and thermal plastic masks for the head and neck. Portal images are acquired daily. Setup error of each treatment field is quantified off-line every day. As determined from an earlier retrospective study of different clinical sites, the measured setup variation from the first 4 to 9 days, are used to estimate systematic setup error and the standard deviation of random setup error for each field. Setup adjustment is made if estimated systematic setup error of the treatment field was larger than or equal to 2 mm. Instead of the conventional approach of repositioning the patient, setup correction is implemented by reshaping MLC to compensate for the estimated systematic error. The entire process from analysis of portal images to the implementation of the modified MLC field is performed via computer network. Systematic and random setup errors of the treatment after adjustment are compared with those prior to adjustment. Finally, the frequency distributions of block overlap cumulated throughout the treatment course are evaluated. Results: Sixty-seven percent of all treatment fields were reshaped to compensate for the estimated systematic errors. At the time of this writing

  20. Quick setup of test unit for accelerator control system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, W.; D'Ottavio, T.; Gassner, D.; Nemesure, S.; Morris, J.

    2011-01-01

    Testing a single hardware unit of an accelerator control system often requires the setup of a program with graphical user interface. Developing a dedicated application for a specific hardware unit test could be time consuming and the application may become obsolete after the unit tests. This paper documents a methodology for quick design and setup of an interface focused on performing unit tests of accelerator equipment with minimum programming work. The method has three components. The first is a generic accelerator device object (ADO) manager which can be used to setup, store, and log testing controls parameters for any unit testing system. The second involves the design of a TAPE (Tool for Automated Procedure Execution) sequence file that specifies and implements all te testing and control logic. The sting third is the design of a PET (parameter editing tool) page that provides the unit tester with all the necessary control parameters required for testing. This approach has been used for testing the horizontal plane of the Stochastic Cooling Motion Control System at RHIC.

  1. High-resolution continuous-flow analysis setup for water isotopic measurement from ice cores using laser spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emanuelsson, B. D.; Baisden, W. T.; Bertler, N. A. N.; Keller, E. D.; Gkinis, V.

    2015-07-01

    Here we present an experimental setup for water stable isotope (δ18O and δD) continuous-flow measurements and provide metrics defining the performance of the setup during a major ice core measurement campaign (Roosevelt Island Climate Evolution; RICE). We also use the metrics to compare alternate systems. Our setup is the first continuous-flow laser spectroscopy system that is using off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS; analyzer manufactured by Los Gatos Research, LGR) in combination with an evaporation unit to continuously analyze water samples from an ice core. A Water Vapor Isotope Standard Source (WVISS) calibration unit, manufactured by LGR, was modified to (1) enable measurements on several water standards, (2) increase the temporal resolution by reducing the response time and (3) reduce the influence from memory effects. While this setup was designed for the continuous-flow analysis (CFA) of ice cores, it can also continuously analyze other liquid or vapor sources. The custom setups provide a shorter response time (~ 54 and 18 s for 2013 and 2014 setup, respectively) compared to the original WVISS unit (~ 62 s), which is an improvement in measurement resolution. Another improvement compared to the original WVISS is that the custom setups have a reduced memory effect. Stability tests comparing the custom and WVISS setups were performed and Allan deviations (σAllan) were calculated to determine precision at different averaging times. For the custom 2013 setup the precision after integration times of 103 s is 0.060 and 0.070 ‰ for δ18O and δD, respectively. The corresponding σAllan values for the custom 2014 setup are 0.030, 0.060 and 0.043 ‰ for δ18O, δD and δ17O, respectively. For the WVISS setup the precision is 0.035, 0.070 and 0.042 ‰ after 103 s for δ18O, δD and δ17O, respectively. Both the custom setups and WVISS setup are influenced by instrumental drift with δ18O being more drift sensitive than δD. The

  2. The high-efficiency γ-ray spectroscopy setup γ{sup 3} at HIγS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Löher, B., E-mail: b.loeher@gsi.de [ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI and Research Division, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany); Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies FIAS, Ruth-Moufang-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Derya, V. [Institut für Kernphysik, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 77, D-50937 Köln (Germany); Aumann, T. [Institut für Kernphysik, TU Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr. 9, 64289 Darmstadt (Germany); GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany); Beller, J. [Institut für Kernphysik, TU Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr. 9, 64289 Darmstadt (Germany); Cooper, N. [WNSL, Yale University, P.O. Box 208120, New Haven, CT 06520-8120 (United States); Duchêne, M. [Institut für Kernphysik, TU Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr. 9, 64289 Darmstadt (Germany); Endres, J. [Institut für Kernphysik, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 77, D-50937 Köln (Germany); Fiori, E.; Isaak, J. [ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI and Research Division, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany); Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies FIAS, Ruth-Moufang-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany); and others

    2013-09-21

    The existing Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence (NRF) setup at the HIγS facility at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory at Duke University has been extended in order to perform γ–γ coincidence experiments. The new setup combines large volume LaBr{sub 3}:Ce detectors and high resolution HPGe detectors in a very close geometry to offer high efficiency, high energy resolution as well as high count rate capabilities at the same time. The combination of a highly efficient γ-ray spectroscopy setup with the mono-energetic high-intensity photon beam of HIγS provides a worldwide unique experimental facility to investigate the γ-decay pattern of dipole excitations in atomic nuclei. The performance of the new setup has been assessed by studying the nucleus {sup 32}S at 8.125 MeV beam energy. The relative γ-decay branching ratio from the 1{sup +} level at 8125.4 keV to the first excited 2{sup +} state was determined to 15.7(3)%. -- Author-Highlights: • We have extended the existing NRF setup at HIγS at TUNL to combine large LaBr and HPGe detectors. • NRF experiments with the mono-energetic beam in combination with Gamma coincidences are possible. • We describe the changes to the experimental setup and data acquisition as well as data analysis. • The performance of the new setup was assessed by investigating the nucleus 32S. • We present a more precisely measured value for the branching ratio for the 1+→2+ transition.

  3. An evaluation of different setups for simulating lighting characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salters, Bart; Murdoch, Michael; Sekulovksi, Dragan; Chen, Shih-Han; Seuntiens, Pieter

    2012-03-01

    The advance of technology continuously enables new luminaire designs and concepts. Evaluating such designs has traditionally been done using actual prototypes, in a real environment. The iterations needed to build, verify, and improve luminaire designs incur substantial costs and slow down the design process. A more attractive way is to evaluate designs using simulations, as they can be made cheaper and quicker for a wider variety of prototypes. However, the value of such simulations is determined by how closely they predict the outcome of actual perception experiments. In this paper, we discuss an actual perception experiment including several lighting settings in a normal office environment. The same office environment also has been modeled using different software tools, and photo-realistic renderings have been created of these models. These renderings were subsequently processed using various tonemapping operators in preparation for display. The total imaging chain can be considered a simulation setup, and we have executed several perception experiments on different setups. Our real interest is in finding which imaging chain gives us the best result, or in other words, which of them yields the closest match between virtual and real experiment. To answer this question, first of all an answer has to be found to the question, "which simulation setup matches the real world best?" As there is no unique, widely accepted measure to describe the performance of a certain setup, we consider a number of options and discuss the reasoning behind them along with their advantages and disadvantages.

  4. Preliminary Results on Setup Precision of Prone-Lateral Patient Positioning for Whole Breast Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veldeman, Liv; Speleers, Bruno; Bakker, Marlies; Jacobs, Filip; Coghe, Marc; De Gersem, Werner; Impens, Aline; Nechelput, Sarah; De Wagter, Carlos

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop a rapid and reproducible technique for prone positioning and to compare dose-volume indices in prone and supine positions. Methods and Materials: Eighteen patients underwent computed tomography imaging for radiotherapy planning in prone and supine position. Experience was gained in the first eight patients, which lead to modifications of the Horizon prone breast board (Civco Medical Solutions, Orange City, Iowa, USA) and the patient setup technique. A unilateral breast holder (U-BH) was developed (Van de Velde, Schellebelle, Belgium) to retract the contralateral breast away from the treated breast. The technique was then applied to an additional 10 patients. The setup precision was evaluated using daily cone-beam CT. Results: Modifications to the breast board were made to secure a prone-lateral rather then a pure prone position. We evolved from a classical setup using laser marks on the patients' body to a direct breast setup using marks on the breast only. The setup precision of the direct positioning procedure with the modified breast board and the U-BH is comparable to supine setup data in the literature. Dose-volume indices for heart and lung show significantly better results for prone than for supine position, and dose homogeneity within the treated breast did not differ according to the treatment position. Conclusions: The setup precision of our prone-lateral positioning technique is comparable to supine data in literature. Our data show the advantage of prone radiotherapy to spare the lung and heart. Further research is necessary to reduce the duration of prone setup.

  5. Performance tests of external moderators of a PGNAA setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naqvi, A.A.; Fazal-ur-Rehman,; Al-Jarallah, M.I.; Abu-Jarad, F.; Maslehuddin, M.

    2003-01-01

    Performance tests of external cylindrical moderators of an accelerator-based prompt gamma ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) setup have been carried out through thermal neutrons and prompt γ-ray yield measurements. The PGNAA setup is to be used for analysis of cement samples. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of geometry of cylindrical moderator on yield of thermal neutrons and prompt γ-rays for two different types of moderator assemblies. One of the moderators was to be used with a small sample and the other to be used with a large sample. Fast and thermal neutron yield was measured inside the sample volume as a function of the front moderator thickness as well as sample length. Neutron yield measurement was carried out at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals 350 keV pulsed beam accelerator using nuclear track detectors. The pulsed 200 keV deuteron beam with 5 ns pulse width and 31.25 kHz frequency was used to produce 2.8 MeV neutrons via D(d,n) reaction. Neutron yield measurements showed that the large sample moderator has a smaller yield of thermal neutrons as compared to the small sample moderator, which is in complete agreement with the results of Monte Carlo yield calculations of the thermal and fast neutrons from both the moderators. Finally, the prompt γ-ray yield from a Portland cement sample was measured using the two moderators and was compared with each other. As predicted by Monte Carlo simulations, in spite of a smaller yield of thermal neutrons, the large sample moderator has a higher yield of prompt γ-rays

  6. Performance tests of external moderators of a PGNAA setup

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naqvi, A.A. E-mail: aanaqvi@kfupm.edu.sa; Fazal-ur-Rehman,; Al-Jarallah, M.I.; Abu-Jarad, F.; Maslehuddin, M

    2003-01-01

    Performance tests of external cylindrical moderators of an accelerator-based prompt gamma ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) setup have been carried out through thermal neutrons and prompt {gamma}-ray yield measurements. The PGNAA setup is to be used for analysis of cement samples. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of geometry of cylindrical moderator on yield of thermal neutrons and prompt {gamma}-rays for two different types of moderator assemblies. One of the moderators was to be used with a small sample and the other to be used with a large sample. Fast and thermal neutron yield was measured inside the sample volume as a function of the front moderator thickness as well as sample length. Neutron yield measurement was carried out at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals 350 keV pulsed beam accelerator using nuclear track detectors. The pulsed 200 keV deuteron beam with 5 ns pulse width and 31.25 kHz frequency was used to produce 2.8 MeV neutrons via D(d,n) reaction. Neutron yield measurements showed that the large sample moderator has a smaller yield of thermal neutrons as compared to the small sample moderator, which is in complete agreement with the results of Monte Carlo yield calculations of the thermal and fast neutrons from both the moderators. Finally, the prompt {gamma}-ray yield from a Portland cement sample was measured using the two moderators and was compared with each other. As predicted by Monte Carlo simulations, in spite of a smaller yield of thermal neutrons, the large sample moderator has a higher yield of prompt {gamma}-rays.

  7. A Test Setup for Quality Assurance of Front End Hybrids

    CERN Document Server

    Axer, Markus; Camps, Clemens; Commichau, Volker; Flügge, Günter; Franke, Torsten; Hangarter, Klaus; Ilgin, Can; Mnich, Joachim; Niehusmann, Jan; Poettgens, Michael; Schorn, Peter; Schulte, Reiner; Struczinski, Wolfgang

    2001-01-01

    The APV Readout Control (ARC) Test Setup is a compact, cost efficient test and diagnostic tool which is suited for full operation and characterisation of FE hybrids and Si-Detector modules. This note gives an overview of the construction and the features of the test facility. Based on the ARC setup and the experience gained with one prototype FE hybrid, possible quality assurance scenarios for short and long term tests of FE hybrids are also presented.

  8. Characterization of textile electrodes and conductors using standardized measurement setups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beckmann, L; Neuhaus, C; Medrano, G; Walter, M; Leonhardt, S; Jungbecker, N; Gries, T

    2010-01-01

    Textile electrodes and conductors are being developed and used in different monitoring scenarios, such as ECG or bioimpedance spectroscopy measurements. Compared to standard materials, conductive textile materials offer improved wearing comfort and enable long-term measurements. Unfortunately, the development and investigation of such materials often suffers from the non-reproducibility of the test scenarios. For example, the materials are generally tested on human skin which is difficult since the properties of human skin differ for each person and can change within hours. This study presents two test setups which offer reproducible measurement procedures for the systematic analysis of textile electrodes and conductors. The electrode test setup was designed with a special skin dummy which allows investigation of not only the electrical properties of textile electrodes but also the contact behavior between electrode and skin. Using both test setups, eight textile electrodes and five textile conductors were analyzed and compared

  9. Estimation of functional preparedness of young handballers in setup time

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Favoritоv V.N.

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available The dynamics of level of functional preparedness of young handballers in setup time is shown. It was foreseen to make alteration in educational-training process with the purpose of optimization of their functional preparedness. 11 youths were plugged in research, calendar age 14 - 15 years. For determination of level of their functional preparedness the computer program "SVSM" was applied. It is set that at the beginning of setup time of 18,18% of all respondent functional preparedness is characterized by a "middle" level, 27,27% - below the "average", 54,54% - "above" the average. At the end of setup time among sportsmen representatives prevailed with the level of functional preparedness "above" average - 63,63%, with level "high" - 27,27%, sportsmen with level below the average were not observed. Efficiency of the offered system of trainings employments for optimization of functional preparedness of young handballers is well-proven.

  10. Electric field stimulation setup for photoemission electron microscopes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buzzi, M; Vaz, C A F; Raabe, J; Nolting, F

    2015-08-01

    Manipulating magnetisation by the application of an electric field in magnetoelectric multiferroics represents a timely issue due to the potential applications in low power electronics and the novel physics involved. Thanks to its element sensitivity and high spatial resolution, X-ray photoemission electron microscopy is a uniquely suited technique for the investigation of magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroic materials. In this work, we present a setup that allows for the application of in situ electric and magnetic fields while the sample is analysed in the microscope. As an example of the performances of the setup, we present measurements on Ni/Pb(Mg(0.66)Nb(0.33))O3-PbTiO3 and La(0.7)Sr(0.3)MnO3/PMN-PT artificial multiferroic nanostructures.

  11. Automotive RF immunity test set-up analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Coenen, M.J.; Pues, H.; Bousquet, T.; Gillon, R.; Gielen, G.; Baric, A.

    2011-01-01

    Though the automotive RF emission and RF immunity requirements are highly justifiable, the application of those requirements in an non-intended manner leads to false conclusions and unnecessary redesigns for the electronics involved. When the test results become too dependent upon the test set-up

  12. View of the WA10 set-up

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN PhotoLab

    1977-01-01

    The WA10 experiment by the Geneva-Lausanne Collaboration was set-up in the H5 beam (unseparated, up to 50 GeV/c) to study K+-p --> K0pi+-p and other reactions of similar topology, and the energy dependence of resonance production.

  13. Advanced Laboratory Setup for Testing Offshore Foundations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Søren Dam; Ibsen, Lars Bo; Nielsen, Benjaminn Nordahl

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes a test setup for testing small-scale offshore foundations under realistic conditions of high pore-water pressure and high impact loads. The actuator, used for loading has enough capacity to apply sufficient force and displacement to achieve both drained and undrained failure ...

  14. Interfractional Variations in Patient Setup and Anatomic Change Assessed by Daily Computed Tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, X. Allen; Qi, X. Sharon; Pitterle, Marissa; Kalakota, Kapila; Mueller, Kevin; Erickson, Beth A.; Wang Dian; Schultz, Christopher J.; Firat, Selim Y.; Wilson, J. Frank

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To analyze the interfractional variations in patient setup and anatomic changes at seven anatomic sites observed in image-guided radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: A total of 152 patients treated at seven anatomic sites using a Hi-Art helical tomotherapy system were analyzed. Daily tomotherapy megavoltage computed tomography images acquired before each treatment were fused to the planning kilovoltage computed tomography images to determine the daily setup errors and organ motions and deformations. The setup errors were corrected before treatment and were used, along with the organ motions, to determine the clinical target volume/planning target volume margins. The organ motions and deformations for 3 representative patient cases (pancreas, uterus, and soft-tissue sarcoma) and for 14 kidneys of 7 patients are presented. Results: Interfractional setup errors in the skull, brain, and head and neck are significantly smaller than those in the chest, abdomen, pelvis, and extremities. These site-specific relationships are statistically significant. The margins required to account for these setup errors range from 3 to 8 mm for the seven sites. The margin to account for both setup errors and organ motions for kidney is 16 mm. Substantial interfractional anatomic changes were observed. For example, the pancreas moved up to ±20 mm and volumes of the uterus and sarcoma varied ≤30% and 100%, respectively. Conclusion: The interfractional variations in patient setup and in shapes, sizes, and positions of both targets and normal structures are site specific and may be used to determine the site-specific margins. The data presented in this work dealing with seven anatomic sites may be useful in developing adaptive radiotherapy

  15. Diffuse back-illumination setup for high temporally resolved extinction imaging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Westlye, Fredrik Ree; Penney, Keith; Ivarsson, Anders

    2017-01-01

    -steering suppression. Methods for complete characterization of the optical system are detailed. Measurements of the liquid-vapor boundary and the soot volume fraction in an automotive spray are presented to demonstrate the resulting improved contrast and reduced uncertainty. The current optical setup reduces......This work presents the development of an optical setup for quantitative, high-temporal resolution line-of-sight extinction imaging in harsh optical environments. The application specifically targets measurements of automotive fuel sprays at high ambient temperature and pressure conditions where...

  16. Setup Variations in Radiotherapy of Esophageal Cancer: Evaluation by Daily Megavoltage Computed Tomographic Localization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Y.-J.; Han Chunhui; Liu An; Schultheiss, Timothy E.; Kernstine, Kemp H.; Shibata, Stephen; Vora, Nayana L.; Pezner, Richard D.; Wong, Jeffrey Y.C.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To use pretreatment megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) scans to evaluate setup variations in anterior-posterior (AP), lateral, and superior-inferior (SI) directions and rotational variations, including pitch, roll, and yaw, for esophageal cancer patients treated with helical tomotherapy. Methods and Materials: Ten patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer treated by combined chemoradiation using helical tomotherapy were selected. After patients were positioned using their skin tattoos/marks, MVCT scans were performed before every treatment and automatically registered to planning kilovoltage CT scans according to bony landmarks. Image registration data were used to adjust patient setups before treatment. A total of 250 MVCT scans were analyzed. Correlations between setup variations and body habitus, including height, weight, relative weight change, body surface area, and patient age, were evaluated. Results: The standard deviations for systematic setup corrections in AP, lateral, and SI directions and pitch, roll, and yaw rotations were 1.5, 3.7, and 4.8 mm and 0.5 deg., 1.2 deg., and 0.8 deg., respectively. The appropriate averages of random setup variations in AP, lateral, and SI directions and pitch, roll, and yaw rotations were 2.9, 5.2, and 4.4 mm, and 1.0 deg., 1.2 deg., and 1.1 deg., respectively. Setup variations were stable throughout the entire course of radiotherapy in all three translational and three rotational displacements, with little change in magnitude. No significant correlations were found between setup variations and body habitus variables. Conclusions: Daily MVCT scans before each treatment can effectively detect setup errors and thereby reduce planning target volume (PTV) margins. This will reduce radiation dose to critical organs and may translate into lower treatment-related toxicities

  17. Technical Note: Introduction of variance component analysis to setup error analysis in radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsuo, Yukinori, E-mail: ymatsuo@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Nakamura, Mitsuhiro; Mizowaki, Takashi; Hiraoka, Masahiro [Department of Radiation Oncology and Image-applied Therapy, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan)

    2016-09-15

    Purpose: The purpose of this technical note is to introduce variance component analysis to the estimation of systematic and random components in setup error of radiotherapy. Methods: Balanced data according to the one-factor random effect model were assumed. Results: Analysis-of-variance (ANOVA)-based computation was applied to estimate the values and their confidence intervals (CIs) for systematic and random errors and the population mean of setup errors. The conventional method overestimates systematic error, especially in hypofractionated settings. The CI for systematic error becomes much wider than that for random error. The ANOVA-based estimation can be extended to a multifactor model considering multiple causes of setup errors (e.g., interpatient, interfraction, and intrafraction). Conclusions: Variance component analysis may lead to novel applications to setup error analysis in radiotherapy.

  18. Technical Note: Introduction of variance component analysis to setup error analysis in radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuo, Yukinori; Nakamura, Mitsuhiro; Mizowaki, Takashi; Hiraoka, Masahiro

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this technical note is to introduce variance component analysis to the estimation of systematic and random components in setup error of radiotherapy. Methods: Balanced data according to the one-factor random effect model were assumed. Results: Analysis-of-variance (ANOVA)-based computation was applied to estimate the values and their confidence intervals (CIs) for systematic and random errors and the population mean of setup errors. The conventional method overestimates systematic error, especially in hypofractionated settings. The CI for systematic error becomes much wider than that for random error. The ANOVA-based estimation can be extended to a multifactor model considering multiple causes of setup errors (e.g., interpatient, interfraction, and intrafraction). Conclusions: Variance component analysis may lead to novel applications to setup error analysis in radiotherapy.

  19. Off-line software for large experimental setups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruyant, F.

    1983-07-01

    The purpose of this report is to emphasize the importance of Off-line software for large experimental setups in High Energy Physics. Simple notions of program structuring, data structuring and software organization are discussed in the context of the software developped for the European Hybrid Spectrometer. (author)

  20. Integrated trimodal SSEP experimental setup for visual, auditory and tactile stimulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuś, Rafał; Spustek, Tomasz; Zieleniewska, Magdalena; Duszyk, Anna; Rogowski, Piotr; Suffczyński, Piotr

    2017-12-01

    Objective. Steady-state evoked potentials (SSEPs), the brain responses to repetitive stimulation, are commonly used in both clinical practice and scientific research. Particular brain mechanisms underlying SSEPs in different modalities (i.e. visual, auditory and tactile) are very complex and still not completely understood. Each response has distinct resonant frequencies and exhibits a particular brain topography. Moreover, the topography can be frequency-dependent, as in case of auditory potentials. However, to study each modality separately and also to investigate multisensory interactions through multimodal experiments, a proper experimental setup appears to be of critical importance. The aim of this study was to design and evaluate a novel SSEP experimental setup providing a repetitive stimulation in three different modalities (visual, tactile and auditory) with a precise control of stimuli parameters. Results from a pilot study with a stimulation in a particular modality and in two modalities simultaneously prove the feasibility of the device to study SSEP phenomenon. Approach. We developed a setup of three separate stimulators that allows for a precise generation of repetitive stimuli. Besides sequential stimulation in a particular modality, parallel stimulation in up to three different modalities can be delivered. Stimulus in each modality is characterized by a stimulation frequency and a waveform (sine or square wave). We also present a novel methodology for the analysis of SSEPs. Main results. Apart from constructing the experimental setup, we conducted a pilot study with both sequential and simultaneous stimulation paradigms. EEG signals recorded during this study were analyzed with advanced methodology based on spatial filtering and adaptive approximation, followed by statistical evaluation. Significance. We developed a novel experimental setup for performing SSEP experiments. In this sense our study continues the ongoing research in this field. On the

  1. Multiparametric Experiments and Multiparametric Setups for Metering Explosive Eruptions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taddeucci, J.; Scarlato, P.; Del Bello, E.

    2016-12-01

    Explosive eruptions are multifaceted processes best studied by integrating a variety of observational perspectives. This need marries well with the continuous stream of new means that technological progress provides to volcanologists to parameterize these eruptions. Since decades, new technologies have been tested and integrated approaches have been attempted during so-called multiparametric experiments, i.e., short field campaigns with many, different instruments (and scientists) targeting natural laboratory volcanoes. Recently, portable multiparametric setups have been developed, including a few, highly complementary instruments to be rapidly deployed at any erupting volcano. Multiparametric experiments and setups share most of their challenges, like technical issues, site logistics, and data processing and interpretation. Our FAMoUS (FAst MUltiparametric Setup) setup pivots around coupled, high-speed imaging (visible and thermal) and acoustic (infrasonic to audible) recording, plus occasional seismic recording and sample collection. FAMoUS provided new insights on pyroclasts ejection and settling and jet noise dynamics at volcanoes worldwide. In the last years we conducted a series of BAcIO (Broadband ACquisition and Imaging Operation) experiments at Stromboli (Italy). These hosted state-of-the-art and prototypal eruption-metering technologies, including: multiple high-speed high-definition cameras for 3-D imaging; combined visible-infrared-ultraviolet imaging; in-situ and remote gas measurements; UAV aerial surveys; Doppler radar, and microphone arrays. This combined approach provides new understandings of the fundamental controls of Strombolian-style activity, and allows for crucial cross-validation of instruments and techniques. Several documentary expeditions participated in the BAcIO, attesting its tremendous potential for public outreach. Finally, sharing field work promotes interdisciplinary discussions and cooperation like nothing in the world.

  2. Electronic portal image assisted reduction of systematic set-up errors in head and neck irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boer, Hans C.J. de; Soernsen de Koste, John R. van; Creutzberg, Carien L.; Visser, Andries G.; Levendag, Peter C.; Heijmen, Ben J.M.

    2001-01-01

    Purpose: To quantify systematic and random patient set-up errors in head and neck irradiation and to investigate the impact of an off-line correction protocol on the systematic errors. Material and methods: Electronic portal images were obtained for 31 patients treated for primary supra-glottic larynx carcinoma who were immobilised using a polyvinyl chloride cast. The observed patient set-up errors were input to the shrinking action level (SAL) off-line decision protocol and appropriate set-up corrections were applied. To assess the impact of the protocol, the positioning accuracy without application of set-up corrections was reconstructed. Results: The set-up errors obtained without set-up corrections (1 standard deviation (SD)=1.5-2 mm for random and systematic errors) were comparable to those reported in other studies on similar fixation devices. On an average, six fractions per patient were imaged and the set-up of half the patients was changed due to the decision protocol. Most changes were detected during weekly check measurements, not during the first days of treatment. The application of the SAL protocol reduced the width of the distribution of systematic errors to 1 mm (1 SD), as expected from simulations. A retrospective analysis showed that this accuracy should be attainable with only two measurements per patient using a different off-line correction protocol, which does not apply action levels. Conclusions: Off-line verification protocols can be particularly effective in head and neck patients due to the smallness of the random set-up errors. The excellent set-up reproducibility that can be achieved with such protocols enables accurate dose delivery in conformal treatments

  3. Analysis of dispatching rules in a stochastic dynamic job shop manufacturing system with sequence-dependent setup times

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Pankaj; Jain, Ajai

    2014-12-01

    Stochastic dynamic job shop scheduling problem with consideration of sequence-dependent setup times are among the most difficult classes of scheduling problems. This paper assesses the performance of nine dispatching rules in such shop from makespan, mean flow time, maximum flow time, mean tardiness, maximum tardiness, number of tardy jobs, total setups and mean setup time performance measures viewpoint. A discrete event simulation model of a stochastic dynamic job shop manufacturing system is developed for investigation purpose. Nine dispatching rules identified from literature are incorporated in the simulation model. The simulation experiments are conducted under due date tightness factor of 3, shop utilization percentage of 90% and setup times less than processing times. Results indicate that shortest setup time (SIMSET) rule provides the best performance for mean flow time and number of tardy jobs measures. The job with similar setup and modified earliest due date (JMEDD) rule provides the best performance for makespan, maximum flow time, mean tardiness, maximum tardiness, total setups and mean setup time measures.

  4. Maximizing the probability of satisfying the clinical goals in radiation therapy treatment planning under setup uncertainty

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fredriksson, Albin; Hårdemark, Björn; Forsgren, Anders

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: This paper introduces a method that maximizes the probability of satisfying the clinical goals in intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatments subject to setup uncertainty. Methods: The authors perform robust optimization in which the clinical goals are constrained to be satisfied whenever the setup error falls within an uncertainty set. The shape of the uncertainty set is included as a variable in the optimization. The goal of the optimization is to modify the shape of the uncertainty set in order to maximize the probability that the setup error will fall within the modified set. Because the constraints enforce the clinical goals to be satisfied under all setup errors within the uncertainty set, this is equivalent to maximizing the probability of satisfying the clinical goals. This type of robust optimization is studied with respect to photon and proton therapy applied to a prostate case and compared to robust optimization using an a priori defined uncertainty set. Results: Slight reductions of the uncertainty sets resulted in plans that satisfied a larger number of clinical goals than optimization with respect to a priori defined uncertainty sets, both within the reduced uncertainty sets and within the a priori, nonreduced, uncertainty sets. For the prostate case, the plans taking reduced uncertainty sets into account satisfied 1.4 (photons) and 1.5 (protons) times as many clinical goals over the scenarios as the method taking a priori uncertainty sets into account. Conclusions: Reducing the uncertainty sets enabled the optimization to find better solutions with respect to the errors within the reduced as well as the nonreduced uncertainty sets and thereby achieve higher probability of satisfying the clinical goals. This shows that asking for a little less in the optimization sometimes leads to better overall plan quality

  5. Inter-treatment compensation of treatment setup variation to enhance the radiotherapeutic ratio

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di, Yan; John, Wong; Michalski, Jeff; Pan, Cheng; Frazier, Arthur; Bosch, Walter; Martinez, Alvaro

    1995-01-01

    Purpose: In radiotherapy, treatment setup error has been one of the major causes of dose variation in the treated volume. With the data acquired from on-line electronic portal imaging, it is now possible not only to adjust the patient setup, but also to modify the treatment plan during the course of clinical treatment based on the setup error measured for each individual patient. In this work, daily clinical portal images were retrospectively analyzed to study (1) the number of initial daily portal images required to give adequate prediction of the systematic and random deviations of treatment setup, and (2) the potential therapeutic gain when the inter-treatment planning modification was established using the setup error of each individual patient. Methods and Materials: Only those patients whose treatment positions had not been adjusted during the course of treatment were selected for the retrospective study. Daily portal images of 27 lung, 25 pelvis, and 12 head and neck (h and n) cancer patients were obtained from two independent clinics with similar setup procedures. The anterior-to-posterior field was analyzed for the pelvis and lung treatments, and the right lateral field for the h and n treatments. Between 13 to 30 daily portal images were acquired for each patient and were analyzed using a 2D alignment tool. Systematic and random deviations of the treatment setup were calculated for each individual patient. The statistical confidence on the convergence of both systematic and random deviations with time were tested to determine the number of initial daily portal images needed to predict these deviations. In addition, a mean deviation for each site was also calculated using the setup errors from all patients. Two treatment planning schemes were simulated to evaluate margin design and prescription dose adjustment. Therapeutic scores were quantified in terms of tumor control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). In the first

  6. FESetup: Automating Setup for Alchemical Free Energy Simulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loeffler, Hannes H; Michel, Julien; Woods, Christopher

    2015-12-28

    FESetup is a new pipeline tool which can be used flexibly within larger workflows. The tool aims to support fast and easy setup of alchemical free energy simulations for molecular simulation packages such as AMBER, GROMACS, Sire, or NAMD. Post-processing methods like MM-PBSA and LIE can be set up as well. Ligands are automatically parametrized with AM1-BCC, and atom mappings for a single topology description are computed with a maximum common substructure search (MCSS) algorithm. An abstract molecular dynamics (MD) engine can be used for equilibration prior to free energy setup or standalone. Currently, all modern AMBER force fields are supported. Ease of use, robustness of the code, and automation where it is feasible are the main development goals. The project follows an open development model, and we welcome contributions.

  7. Experimental set-up for electrical resistivity measurements at low temperature in amorphous and crystalline metallic samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriquez Fernandez, J.M.; Lopez Sanchez, R.J.; Gomez-Sal, J.C.

    1986-01-01

    The experimental set-up to measure the thermal variation of the electrical resistivity between 10.5 K and 300 K, has been developed. A four probe A.C. method with a synchronous-detection (lock'in) technique were the idoneous for our proposes. We have designed a new type of pressure sample-holder adopted to the CS-202 type cryostat. The measurements performed on samples already known have allowed us to determine the sensitivity of our experiments, which is Δ ρ/ρ=2x10 -4 . The measurements performed in the new Y 3 Rh 2 Si 2 compound which at 10 K has no magnetic ordering, are also presented. (author)

  8. Building and commissioning of a setup to study ageing phenomena in gaseous detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abuhoza, A.; Schmidt, H.R.; Biswas, S.; Frankenfeld, U.; Hehner, J.; Schmidt, C.J.

    2016-01-01

    In high-rate heavy-ion experiments, gaseous detectors encounter big challenges in terms of degradation of their performance due to a phenomenon called ageing. A setup for high precision ageing studies has been constructed and commissioned at the GSI detector laboratory. The setup as well as the gas system have been carefully optimized to reach a high sensitivity for ageing effects. Two different materials have been examined for their influence on gaseous detectors: RTV-3145 and Gerband 705. The details of the construction of the ageing test setup and the test results will be presented.

  9. Building and commissioning of a setup to study ageing phenomena in gaseous detectors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abuhoza, A., E-mail: aabuhoza@kacst.edu.sa [GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt 64291 (Germany); King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia); Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt (Germany); Schmidt, H.R. [Eberhard-Karls-Universität, Tübingen (Germany); Biswas, S. [School of Physical Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Jatni 752050 (India); Frankenfeld, U.; Hehner, J.; Schmidt, C.J. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt 64291 (Germany)

    2016-07-11

    In high-rate heavy-ion experiments, gaseous detectors encounter big challenges in terms of degradation of their performance due to a phenomenon called ageing. A setup for high precision ageing studies has been constructed and commissioned at the GSI detector laboratory. The setup as well as the gas system have been carefully optimized to reach a high sensitivity for ageing effects. Two different materials have been examined for their influence on gaseous detectors: RTV-3145 and Gerband 705. The details of the construction of the ageing test setup and the test results will be presented.

  10. Setup error in radiotherapy: on-line correction using electronic kilovoltage and megavoltage radiographs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pisani, Laura; Lockman, David; Jaffray, David; Yan Di; Martinez, Alvaro; Wong, John

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: We hypothesize that the difference in image quality between the traditional kilovoltage (kV) prescription radiographs and megavoltage (MV) treatment radiographs is a major factor hindering our ability to accurately measure, thus correct, setup error in radiation therapy. The objective of this work is to study the accuracy of on-line correction of setup errors achievable using either kV- or MV-localization (i.e., open-field) radiographs. Methods and Materials: Using a gantry mounted kV and MV dual-beam imaging system, the accuracy of on-line measurement and correction of setup error using electronic kV- and MV-localization images was examined based on anthropomorphic phantom and patient imaging studies. For the phantom study, the user's ability to accurately detect known translational shifts was analyzed. The clinical study included 14 patients with disease in the head and neck, thoracic, and pelvic regions. For each patient, 4 orthogonal kV radiographs acquired during treatment simulation from the right lateral, anterior-to-posterior, left lateral, and posterior-to-anterior directions were employed as reference prescription images. Two-dimensional (2D) anatomic templates were defined on each of the 4 reference images. On each treatment day, after positioning the patient for treatment, 4 orthogonal electronic localization images were acquired with both kV and 6-MV photon beams. On alternate weeks, setup errors were determined from either the kV- or MV-localization images but not both. Setup error was determined by aligning each 2D template with the anatomic information on the corresponding localization image, ignoring rotational and nonrigid variations. For each set of 4 orthogonal images, the results from template alignments were averaged. Based on the results from the phantom study and a parallel study of the inter- and intraobserver template alignment variability, a threshold for minimum correction was set at 2 mm in any direction. Setup correction was

  11. Poster - 33: Dosimetry Comparison of Prone Breast Forward and Inverse Treatment planning considering daily setup variations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, Runqing; Zhan, Lixin; Osei, Ernest [Grand River Regional Cancer Centre (Canada)

    2016-08-15

    Introduction: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of daily setup variations on prone breast forward field-in-field (FinF) and inverse IMRT treatment planning. Methods: Rando Phantom (Left breast) and Pixy phantom (Right breast) were built and CT scanned in prone position. The treatment planning (TP) is performed in Eclipse TP system. Forward FinF plan and inverse IMRT plan were created to satisfy the CTV coverage and OARs criteria. The daily setup variations were assumed to be 5 mm at left-right, superior-inferior, and anterior-posterior directions. The DVHs of CTV coverage and OARs were compared for both forward FinF plan and inverse IMRT plans due to 5mm setup variation. Results and Discussions: DVHs of CTV coverage had fewer variations for 5m setup variation for forward FinF and inverse IMRT plan for both phantoms. However, for the setup variations in the left-right direction, the DVH of CTV coverage of IMRT plan showed the worst variation due to lateral setup variation for both phantoms. For anterior-posterior variation, the CTV could not get full coverage when the breast chest wall is shallow; however, with the guidance of MV imaging, breast chest wall will be checked during the MV imaging setup. So the setup variations have more effects on inverse IMRT plan, compared to forward FinF plan, especially in the left-right direction. Conclusions: The Forward FinF plan was recommended clinically considering daily setup variation.

  12. Effectiveness of couch height-based patient set-up and an off-line correction protocol in prostate cancer radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, Emile N.J.Th. van; Nijenhuis, Edwin; Huizenga, Henk; Vight, Lisette van der; Visser, Andries

    2001-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate set-up improvement caused by applying a couch height-based patient set-up method in combination with a technologist-driven off-line correction protocol in nonimmobilized radiotherapy of prostate patients. Methods and Materials: A three-dimensional shrinking action level correction protocol is applied in two consecutive patient cohorts with different set-up methods: the traditional 'laser set-up' group (n=43) and the 'couch height set-up' group (n=112). For all directions, left-right, ventro-dorsal, and cranio-caudal, random and systematic set-up deviations were measured. Results: The couch height set-up method improves the patient positioning compared to the laser set-up method. Without application of the correction protocol, both systematic and random errors reduced to 2.2-2.4 mm (1 SD) and 1.7-2.2 mm (1 SD), respectively. By using the correction protocol, systematic errors reduced further to 1.3-1.6 mm (1 SD). One-dimensional deviations were within 5 mm for >90% of the measured fractions. The required number of corrections per patient in the off-line correction protocol was reduced significantly during the course of treatment from 1.1 to 0.6 by the couch height set-up method. The treatment time was not prolonged by application of the correction protocol. Conclusions: The couch height set-up method improves the set-up significantly, especially in the ventro-dorsal direction. Combination of this set-up method with an off-line correction strategy, executed by technologists, reduces the number of set-up corrections required

  13. Impact of setup variability on incidental lung irradiation during tangential breast treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carter, Dennis L.; Marks, Lawrence B.; Bentel, Gunilla C.

    1997-01-01

    Purpose: This study aimed to determine the variability in treatment setup during a 5-week course of tangential breast treatment for patients immobilized in a customized hemibody cradle, to assess the relationship between the height of the lung shadow on the tangential port film and the percentage of lung volume irradiated, and to estimate the impact of setup variabilities on irradiated lung volume. Methods: One hundred seventy-two port films were reviewed from 20 patients who received tangential beam treatment for breast cancer. The height of the lung shadow at the central axis (CLD) on each port film was compared to the corresponding simulator film as an assessment of setup variability. A three-dimensional dose calculation was performed, and the percentage of total lung volume within the field was correlated with the CLD. The three-dimensional dose calculation was repeated for selected patients with the location of the treatment beams modified to reflect typical setup variations. Results: The CLD measured on the port films was within 3 mm of that prescribed on the simulator film in 43% (74 of 172) of the port films. The variation was 3-5 mm in 26%, 5-10 mm in 25%, and >10 mm in 6%. The height of the lung shadow correlated with the percentage of lung volume included in the radiation field (r 2 = 0.6). Typical variations in treatment setup resulted in ≤5% fluctuation in the absolute volume of ipsilateral lung irradiated. Conclusion: The current immobilization system used in our clinic provides a clinically acceptable reproducibility of patient setup. The height of the lung shadow is reasonably well correlated with the percentage of irradiated lung volume. During a typical 5-week course of radiotherapy, the ipsilateral irradiated lung volume fluctuates <5%

  14. Calculation errors of Set-up in patients with tumor location of prostate. Exploratory study; Calculo de errores de Set-up en pacientes con localizacion tumoral de prostata. Estudio exploratorio

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Donis Gil, S.; Robayna Duque, B. E.; Jimenez Sosa, A.; Hernandez Armas, O.; Gonzalez Martin, A. E.; Hernandez Armas, J.

    2013-07-01

    The calculation of SM is done from errors in positioning (set-up). These errors are calculated from movements in 3D of the patient. This paper is an exploratory study of 20 patients with tumor location of prostate in which errors of set-up for two protocols of work are evaluated. (Author)

  15. Exposure setups for laboratory animals and volunteer studies using body-mounted antennas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bahr, A.; Adami, C.; Bolz, T.; Rennings, A.; Dorn, H.; Ruettiger, L.

    2007-01-01

    For two different in vivo exposure setups body-mounted antenna systems have been designed. The first setup is designed for investigation of volunteers during simulated mobile phone usage. The setup consists of a dual-band antenna for GSM/WCDMA with enhanced carrying properties, which enables exposure for at least 8 h a day. The 10 g averaged localised SAR - normalised to an antenna input power of 1 W - measured in the flat phantom area of the SAM phantom amounts to 7.82 mW g -1 (900 MHz) and 10.98 mW g -1 (1966 MHz). The second exposure setup is used for a laboratory behavioural study on rats. The design goal was a localised, well-defined SAR distribution inside the animals' heads at 900 MHz. To fulfil the biological requirements, a loop antenna was developed. For tissues around the ears, a localised SAR value of 50.12 W kg -1 averaged over a mass of 2.2 g for an antenna input power of 1 W is obtained. (authors)

  16. Delft Dashboard: a quick setup tool for coastal and estuarine models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nederhoff, C., III; Van Dongeren, A.; Van Ormondt, M.; Veeramony, J.

    2016-02-01

    We developed easy-to-use Delft DashBoard (DDB) software for the rapid set-up of coastal and estuarine hydrodynamic and basic morphological numerical models. In the "Model Maker" toolbox, users have the capability to set-up Delft3D models, in a minimal amount of time (in the order of a hour), for any location in the world. DDB draws upon public internet data sources of bathymetry and tidesto construct the model. With additional toolboxes, these models can be forced with parameterized hurricane wind fields, uplift of the sea surface due to tsunamis nested in publically available ocean models and forced with meteo data (wind speed, pressure, temperature) In this presentation we will show the skill of a model which is setup with Delft Dashboard and compare it to well-calibrated benchmark models. These latter models have been set-up using detailed input data and boundary conditions. We have tested the functionality of Delft DashBoard and evaluate the performance and robustness of the DDB model system on a variety of cases, ranging from a coastal to basin models. Furthermore, we have performed a sensitivity study to investigate the most critical physical and numerical processes. The software can benefit operational modellers, as well as scientists and consultants.

  17. A Geant4 simulation package for the TASISpec experimental detector setup

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sarmiento, L.G., E-mail: lgsarmientop@unal.edu.co [Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota D.C. 111321 (Colombia); Lund University, S-22100 Lund (Sweden); Andersson, L.-L. [University of Liverpool, Oliver Lodge Laboratory, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom); Rudolph, D. [Lund University, S-22100 Lund (Sweden)

    2012-03-01

    The experimental detector setup TASISpec (TA SCA in Small Image mode Spectroscopy) comprises composite Ge- and highly segmented Si-detectors. The setup is constructed to provide multi-coincidence spectroscopic data between {gamma}-rays, X-rays, conversion electrons, fission fragments, and {alpha}-particles for heavy and superheavy elements (Z{>=}100). The full array has been virtually constructed using the Geant4 simulation toolkit. The simulations will not only be used to explore the possibilities of the detector setup itself. More important, however, they will also shed light on the nuclear structure of the heaviest elements. This can be done by comparing the simulated detector response of complex decay modes with the experimental data. Such an iterative or 'self-consistent' way to understand experimental observables will provide more reliability when disentangling the data and deducing experimental decay schemes.

  18. Patients setup verification tool for RT (PSVTs): DRR, simulation, portal and digital images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Suk; Seong, Jin Sil; Chu, Sung Sil; Lee, Chang Geol; Suh, Chang Ok; Kwon, Soo Il

    2003-01-01

    To develop a patients' setup verification tool (PSVT) to verify the alignment of the machine and the target isocenters, and the reproducibility of patients' setup for three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) and intensity modulated radiotherapy (MRT). The utilization of this system is evaluated through phantom and patient case studies. We developed and clinically tested a new method for patients' setup verification, using digitally reconstructed radiography (DRR), simulation, portal and digital images. The PSVT system was networked to a Pentium PC for the transmission of the acquired images to the PC for analysis. To verify the alignment of the machine and target isocenters, orthogonal pairs of simulation images were used as verification images. Errors in the isocenter alignment were measured by comparing the verification images with DRR of CT images. Orthogonal films were taken of all the patients once a week. These verification films were compared with the DRR were used for the treatment setup. By performing this procedure every treatment, using humanoid phantom and patient cases, the errors of localization can be analyzed, with adjustments made from the translation. The reproducibility of the patients' setup was verified using portal and digital images. The PSVT system was developed to verify the alignment of the machine and the target isocenters, and the reproducibility of the patients' setup for 3DCRT and IMRT The results show that the localization errors are 0.8±0.2 mm (AP) and 1.0±0.3 mm (Lateral) in the cases relating to the brain and 1.1± 0.5 mm (AP) and 1.0±0.6 mm (Lateral) in the cases relating to the pelvis. The reproducibility of the patients' setup was verified by visualization, using real-time image acquisition, leading to the practical utilization of our software. A PSVT system was developed for the verification of the alignment between machine and the target isocenters, and the reproducibility of the patients' setup in 3DCRT and IMRT

  19. High-resolution continuous flow analysis setup for water isotopic measurement from ice cores using laser spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emanuelsson, B. D.; Baisden, W. T.; Bertler, N. A. N.; Keller, E. D.; Gkinis, V.

    2014-12-01

    Here we present an experimental setup for water stable isotopes (δ18O and δD) continuous flow measurements. It is the first continuous flow laser spectroscopy system that is using Off-Axis Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy (OA-ICOS; analyzer manufactured by Los Gatos Research - LGR) in combination with an evaporation unit to continuously analyze sample from an ice core. A Water Vapor Isotopic Standard Source (WVISS) calibration unit, manufactured by LGR, was modified to: (1) increase the temporal resolution by reducing the response time (2) enable measurements on several water standards, and (3) to reduce the influence from memory effects. While this setup was designed for the Continuous Flow Analysis (CFA) of ice cores, it can also continuously analyze other liquid or vapor sources. The modified setup provides a shorter response time (~54 and 18 s for 2013 and 2014 setup, respectively) compared to the original WVISS unit (~62 s), which is an improvement in measurement resolution. Another improvement compared to the original WVISS is that the modified setup has a reduced memory effect. Stability tests comparing the modified WVISS and WVISS setups were performed and Allan deviations (σAllan) were calculated to determine precision at different averaging times. For the 2013 modified setup the precision after integration times of 103 s are 0.060 and 0.070‰ for δ18O and δD, respectively. For the WVISS setup the corresponding σAllan values are 0.030, 0.060 and 0.043‰ for δ18O, δD and δ17O, respectively. For the WVISS setup the precision is 0.035, 0.070 and 0.042‰ after 103 s for δ18O, δD and δ17O, respectively. Both the modified setups and WVISS setup are influenced by instrumental drift with δ18O being more drift sensitive than δD. The σAllan values for δ18O of 0.30 and 0.18‰ for the modified (2013) and WVISS setup, respectively after averaging times of 104 s (2.78 h). The Isotopic Water Analyzer (IWA)-modified WVISS setup used during the

  20. A two-shift optimisation of the 'no action level' setup correction protocol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fox, C.; Fisher, R.

    2004-01-01

    Full text: As electronic portal imaging equipment becomes more common, many radiotherapy centres now have the ability to collect patient treatment position deviation values. One commonly used off-line set-up correction protocol for calculating patient setup corrections is the 'no action level' (NAL) protocol. This paper proposes a two-shift approach and calculates the number of images required for minimum systematic error. Patient data is used in a simulation to confirm this approach. Patient treatment position deviations were available for all treatment sessions for a large group of patients undergoing radiation therapy for prostate. Thirty of these patients were selected. The patient position at treatment and all isocentre shifts made were recorded in the treatment notes. These were used to simulate the effect of the NAL protocol using a range of image numbers as the basis of the set-up correction. As Bortfeld et al noted, there is an error minimum that can be observed beyond which the mean radial systematic set-up error increases slowly with an increase in the number of images used. An enhancement to the NAL was proposed in which the patient's position is corrected on two occasions; once early in the treatment schedule, and again after more images have been collected. The expectation value of the set-up error for this two-shift NAL was found and minimised. The optimum staging for the two-shift NAL for the prostate patients was to image for a total of 9 sessions and to shift the patient after 3 sessions and 9 sessions. The thirty patients showed an uncorrected mean radial setup error of 0.65cm. In this simulation this was corrected to 0.26cm by application of the NAL using 5 images and to 0.17 cm using the two shift NAL with shifts after three and nine images. In situations where staff can manage the workload of collecting and analysing portal images for nine sessions for each patient, the two-shift NAL will result in a high level of set-up accuracy. Copyright

  1. PC based manual and safety logic card test setup for 235 MWe PHWRs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chandgadkar, G.M.; Kohli, A.K.; Agarwal, R.G.; Chandra, Rajesh

    1992-01-01

    Fuel handling controls for 235 MWe PHWR make use of Manual and Logic cards (MLCs) for providing safety interlocks. These cards consist of various type of logic blocks. By connecting these logic blocks all the safety interlocks required for fuel handling controls have been provided. Previously trouble shooting of these cards was done by means of logic probe. Since the method was manual, it was laborious and time consuming. PC based test setup has overcome this drawback and detects the fault at the component level within few seconds. It also gives printout of status of faulty MLC cards. Here motherboard has been designed having slots for insertion of MLC cards. The input/output connection of these cards are coming to two 50 pin FRC connectors. PC communicates through 144 line digital input/output card with MLC card under test. Software is user friendly and outputs suitable input patterns to the card under test and checks for output pattern. It compares this output pattern with compare pattern and detects the fault and displays the symptoms. This system is currently in use at test facility for fuelling machine for 235 MWe PHWR reactor at Refuelling Technology Division, Hall-7. This test setup has been proposed for use at NAPP and future reactors. (author). 4 figs., 1 annexure

  2. Evaluation of Setup Error Correction for Patients Using On Board Imager in Image Guided Radiation Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Soo Man

    2008-01-01

    To reduce side effects in image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) and to improve the quality of life of patients, also to meet accurate SETUP condition for patients, the various SETUP correction conditions were compared and evaluated by using on board imager (OBI) during the SETUP. Each 30 cases of the head, the neck, the chest, the belly, and the pelvis in 150 cases of IGRT patients was corrected after confirmation by using OBI at every 2-3 day. Also, the difference of the SETUP through the skin-marker and the anatomic SETUP through the OBI was evaluated. General SETUP errors (Transverse, Coronal, Sagittal) through the OBI at original SETUP position were Head and Neck: 1.3 mm, Brain: 2 mm, Chest: 3 mm, Abdoman: 3.7 mm, Pelvis: 4 mm. The patients with more that 3 mm in the error range were observed in the correction devices and the patient motions by confirming in treatment room. Moreover, in the case of female patients, the result came from the position of hairs during the Head and Neck, Brain tumor. Therefore, after another SETUP in each cases of over 3 mm in the error range, the treatment was carried out. Mean error values of each parts estimated after the correction were 1 mm for the head, 1.2 mm for the neck, 2.5 mm for the chest, 2.5 mm for the belly, and 2.6 mm for the pelvis. The result showed the correction of SETUP for each treatment through OBI is extremely difficult because of the importance of SETUP in radiation treatment. However, by establishing the average standard of the patients from this research result, the better patient satisfaction and treatment results could be obtained.

  3. Evaluation of Setup Error Correction for Patients Using On Board Imager in Image Guided Radiation Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kang, Soo Man [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Kosin University Gospel Hospital, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

    2008-09-15

    To reduce side effects in image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) and to improve the quality of life of patients, also to meet accurate SETUP condition for patients, the various SETUP correction conditions were compared and evaluated by using on board imager (OBI) during the SETUP. Each 30 cases of the head, the neck, the chest, the belly, and the pelvis in 150 cases of IGRT patients was corrected after confirmation by using OBI at every 2-3 day. Also, the difference of the SETUP through the skin-marker and the anatomic SETUP through the OBI was evaluated. General SETUP errors (Transverse, Coronal, Sagittal) through the OBI at original SETUP position were Head and Neck: 1.3 mm, Brain: 2 mm, Chest: 3 mm, Abdoman: 3.7 mm, Pelvis: 4 mm. The patients with more that 3 mm in the error range were observed in the correction devices and the patient motions by confirming in treatment room. Moreover, in the case of female patients, the result came from the position of hairs during the Head and Neck, Brain tumor. Therefore, after another SETUP in each cases of over 3 mm in the error range, the treatment was carried out. Mean error values of each parts estimated after the correction were 1 mm for the head, 1.2 mm for the neck, 2.5 mm for the chest, 2.5 mm for the belly, and 2.6 mm for the pelvis. The result showed the correction of SETUP for each treatment through OBI is extremely difficult because of the importance of SETUP in radiation treatment. However, by establishing the average standard of the patients from this research result, the better patient satisfaction and treatment results could be obtained.

  4. Qualified measurement setup of polarization extinction ratio for Panda PMF with LC/UPC connector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thongdaeng, Rutsuda; Worasucheep, Duang-rudee; Ngiwprom, Adisak

    2018-03-01

    Polarization Extinction Ratio (PER) is one of the key parameters for Polarization Maintaining Fiber (PMF) connector. Based on our previous studies, the bending radius of fiber greater than 1.5 cm will not affect the insertion loss of PMF [1]. Moreover, the measured PER of Panda PMF with LC/UPC connectors is more stable when that PMF is coiled around a hot rod with a minimum of 3-cm in diameter at 75°C temperature [2]. Hence, the hot rod with less constrained 6-cm in diameter at constant 75°C was selected for this PER measurement. Two PER setups were verified and compared for measuring LC/UPC PMF connectors. The Polarized Laser Source (PLS) at 1550 nm wavelength and PER meter from OZ Optics were used in both setups, in which the measured connector was connected to PLS at 0° angle while the other end was connected to PER meter. In order to qualify our setups, the percentage of Repeatability and Reproducibility (%R&R) were tested and calculated. In each setup, the PER measurement was repeated 3 trials by 3 appraisers using 10 LC/UPC PMF connectors (5 LC/UPC PMF patchcords with 3.5+/-0.5 meters in length) in random order. The 1st setup, PMF was coiled at a larger 20-cm diameter for 3 to 5 loops and left in room temperature during the test. The 2nd setup, PMF was coiled around a hot rod at constant 75°C with 6-cm diameter for 8 to 10 loops for at least 5 minutes before testing. There are 3 ranges of %R&R acceptation guide line: <10% is acceptable, between 10% - 30% is marginal, and <30% is unacceptable. According to our results, the %R&R of the 1st PER test setup was 16.2% as marginality, and the 2nd PER test setup was 8.9% as acceptance. Thus, providing the better repeatability and reproducibility, this 2nd PER test setup having PMF coiled around a hot rod at constant 75°C with 6-cm diameter was selected for our next study of the impact of hot temperature on PER in LC/UPC PMF connector.

  5. Feasibility of geometrical verification of patient set-up using body contours and computed tomography data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ploeger, Lennert S.; Betgen, Anja; Gilhuijs, Kenneth G.A.; Herk, Marcel van

    2003-01-01

    Background and purpose: Body contours can potentially be used for patient set-up verification in external-beam radiotherapy and might enable more accurate set-up of patients prior to irradiation. The aim of this study is to test the feasibility of patient set-up verification using a body contour scanner. Material and methods: Body contour scans of 33 lung cancer and 21 head-and-neck cancer patients were acquired on a simulator. We assume that this dataset is representative for the patient set-up on an accelerator. Shortly before acquisition of the body contour scan, a pair of orthogonal simulator images was taken as a reference. Both the body contour scan and the simulator images were matched in 3D to the planning computed tomography scan. Movement of skin with respect to bone was quantified based on an analysis of variance method. Results: Set-up errors determined with body-contours agreed reasonably well with those determined with simulator images. For the lung cancer patients, the average set-up errors (mm)±1 standard deviation (SD) for the left-right, cranio-caudal and anterior-posterior directions were 1.2±2.9, -0.8±5.0 and -2.3±3.1 using body contours, compared to -0.8±3.2, -1.0±4.1 and -1.2±2.4 using simulator images. For the head-and-neck cancer patients, the set-up errors were 0.5±1.8, 0.5±2.7 and -2.2±1.8 using body contours compared to -0.4±1.2, 0.1±2.1, -0.1±1.8 using simulator images. The SD of the set-up errors obtained from analysis of the body contours were not significantly different from those obtained from analysis of the simulator images. Movement of the skin with respect to bone (1 SD) was estimated at 2.3 mm for lung cancer patients and 1.7 mm for head-and-neck cancer patients. Conclusion: Measurement of patient set-up using a body-contouring device is possible. The accuracy, however, is limited by the movement of the skin with respect to the bone. In situations where the error in the patient set-up is relatively large, it is

  6. Virtual instrument automation of ion channeling setup for 1.7 MV tandetron accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suresh, K.; Sundaravel, B.; Panigrahi, B.K.; Nair, K.G.M.; Viswanathan, B.

    2004-01-01

    A virtual instrument based automated ion channeling experimental setup has been developed and implemented in a 1.7 MV tandetron accelerator. Automation of the PC based setup is done using a windows based virtual instrument software allowing the setup to be easily ported between different computer operating systems. The virtual instrument software has been chosen to achieve quick and easy development of versatile, multi-purpose user friendly graphical interface for carrying out channeling experiments. The software has been modular designed to provide independent control of the stepper motors for fixing the sample at any user defined orientation, running and on-line display of azimuthal and tilt angular scans, auto storage of the angular scan data. Using this automated setup, the crystallographic axis of the sample can be aligned with the incident ion beam rapidly minimizing the beam damages to the sample. A standard single crystalline GaAs(100) has been characterized with this set up using 2 MeV He ++ ion beam. The crystalline quality (χ min ) and channeling half angle (ψ 1sol2 ) are measured to be 3.7% and 0.48 deg., respectively, which are close to the theoretical values. Salient features, working principles and design details of the automated setup are discussed in this paper

  7. Model-based setup assistant for progressive tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Springer, Robert; Gräler, Manuel; Homberg, Werner; Henke, Christian; Trächtler, Ansgar

    2018-05-01

    In the field of production systems, globalization and technological progress lead to increasing requirements regarding part quality, delivery time and costs. Hence, today's production is challenged much more than a few years ago: it has to be very flexible and produce economically small batch sizes to satisfy consumer's demands and avoid unnecessary stock. Furthermore, a trend towards increasing functional integration continues to lead to an ongoing miniaturization of sheet metal components. In the industry of electric connectivity for example, the miniaturized connectors are manufactured by progressive tools, which are usually used for very large batches. These tools are installed in mechanical presses and then set up by a technician, who has to manually adjust a wide range of punch-bending operations. Disturbances like material thickness, temperatures, lubrication or tool wear complicate the setup procedure. In prospect of the increasing demand of production flexibility, this time-consuming process has to be handled more and more often. In this paper, a new approach for a model-based setup assistant is proposed as a solution, which is exemplarily applied in combination with a progressive tool. First, progressive tools, more specifically, their setup process is described and based on that, the challenges are pointed out. As a result, a systematic process to set up the machines is introduced. Following, the process is investigated with an FE-Analysis regarding the effects of the disturbances. In the next step, design of experiments is used to systematically develop a regression model of the system's behaviour. This model is integrated within an optimization in order to calculate optimal machine parameters and the following necessary adjustment of the progressive tool due to the disturbances. Finally, the assistant is tested in a production environment and the results are discussed.

  8. Effect of patient setup errors on simultaneously integrated boost head and neck IMRT treatment plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siebers, Jeffrey V.; Keall, Paul J.; Wu Qiuwen; Williamson, Jeffrey F.; Schmidt-Ullrich, Rupert K.

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine dose delivery errors that could result from random and systematic setup errors for head-and-neck patients treated using the simultaneous integrated boost (SIB)-intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) technique. Methods and Materials: Twenty-four patients who participated in an intramural Phase I/II parotid-sparing IMRT dose-escalation protocol using the SIB treatment technique had their dose distributions reevaluated to assess the impact of random and systematic setup errors. The dosimetric effect of random setup error was simulated by convolving the two-dimensional fluence distribution of each beam with the random setup error probability density distribution. Random setup errors of σ = 1, 3, and 5 mm were simulated. Systematic setup errors were simulated by randomly shifting the patient isocenter along each of the three Cartesian axes, with each shift selected from a normal distribution. Systematic setup error distributions with Σ = 1.5 and 3.0 mm along each axis were simulated. Combined systematic and random setup errors were simulated for σ = Σ = 1.5 and 3.0 mm along each axis. For each dose calculation, the gross tumor volume (GTV) received by 98% of the volume (D 98 ), clinical target volume (CTV) D 90 , nodes D 90 , cord D 2 , and parotid D 50 and parotid mean dose were evaluated with respect to the plan used for treatment for the structure dose and for an effective planning target volume (PTV) with a 3-mm margin. Results: Simultaneous integrated boost-IMRT head-and-neck treatment plans were found to be less sensitive to random setup errors than to systematic setup errors. For random-only errors, errors exceeded 3% only when the random setup error σ exceeded 3 mm. Simulated systematic setup errors with Σ = 1.5 mm resulted in approximately 10% of plan having more than a 3% dose error, whereas a Σ = 3.0 mm resulted in half of the plans having more than a 3% dose error and 28% with a 5% dose error

  9. Beta-spectroscopy of long lived nuclides with a PIPS detector-setup

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Domula Alexander R.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Several applications in modern nuclear physics, research and engineering are limited by a lack of precise knowledge in spectral shape data for beta-decays. Specifically the interest aims to study spectral data for forbidden decays with respectively long half-lives, which is one of the central activities of our group. For the investigation of those rare beta-decays the group operates a setup of six PIPS detectors in a vacuum chamber built out of low-radioactivity materials. In the long term the setup will be used as low-background-detector for the investigation of rare beta-decays. In order to reduce the measuring-background a muon veto was installed. The characterization of the setup in the energy-range from 20..1000 keV using conversion-electrons is described. A set of useful calibration-nuclides was established to determine energy calibration and efficiencies.

  10. Comparison of prostate set-up accuracy and margins with off-line bony anatomy corrections and online implanted fiducial-based corrections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greer, P B; Dahl, K; Ebert, M A; Wratten, C; White, M; Denham, J W

    2008-10-01

    The aim of the study was to determine prostate set-up accuracy and set-up margins with off-line bony anatomy-based imaging protocols, compared with online implanted fiducial marker-based imaging with daily corrections. Eleven patients were treated with implanted prostate fiducial markers and online set-up corrections. Pretreatment orthogonal electronic portal images were acquired to determine couch shifts and verification images were acquired during treatment to measure residual set-up error. The prostate set-up errors that would result from skin marker set-up, off-line bony anatomy-based protocols and online fiducial marker-based corrections were determined. Set-up margins were calculated for each set-up technique using the percentage of encompassed isocentres and a margin recipe. The prostate systematic set-up errors in the medial-lateral, superior-inferior and anterior-posterior directions for skin marker set-up were 2.2, 3.6 and 4.5 mm (1 standard deviation). For our bony anatomy-based off-line protocol the prostate systematic set-up errors were 1.6, 2.5 and 4.4 mm. For the online fiducial based set-up the results were 0.5, 1.4 and 1.4 mm. A prostate systematic error of 10.2 mm was uncorrected by the off-line bone protocol in one patient. Set-up margins calculated to encompass 98% of prostate set-up shifts were 11-14 mm with bone off-line set-up and 4-7 mm with online fiducial markers. Margins from the van Herk margin recipe were generally 1-2 mm smaller. Bony anatomy-based set-up protocols improve the group prostate set-up error compared with skin marks; however, large prostate systematic errors can remain undetected or systematic errors increased for individual patients. The margin required for set-up errors was found to be 10-15 mm unless implanted fiducial markers are available for treatment guidance.

  11. A new approach for solving capacitated lot sizing and scheduling problem with sequence and period-dependent setup costs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imen Chaieb Memmi

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: We aim to examine the capacitated multi-item lot sizing problem which is a typical example of a large bucket model, where many different items can be produced on the same machine in one time period. We propose a new approach to determine the production sequence and lot sizes that minimize the sum of start up and setup costs, inventory and production costs over all periods.Design/methodology/approach: The approach is composed of three steps. First, we compute a lower bound on total cost. Then we propose a three sub-steps iteration procedure. We solve optimally the lot sizing problem without considering products sequencing and their cost. Then, we determine products quantities to produce each period while minimizing the storage and variable production costs. Given the products to manufacture each period, we determine its correspondent optimal products sequencing, by using a Branch and Bound algorithm. Given the sequences of products within each period, we evaluate the total start up and setup cost. We compare then the total cost obtained to the lower bound of the total cost. If this value riches a prefixed value, we stop. Otherwise, we modify the results of lot sizing problem.Findings and Originality/value: We show using an illustrative example, that the difference between the total cost and its lower bound is only 10%. This gap depends on the significance of the inventory and production costs and the machine’s capacity. Comparing the approach we develop with a traditional one, we show that we manage to reduce the total cost by 30%.Research limitations/implications: Our model fits better to real-world situations where production systems run continuously. This model is applied for limited number of part types and periods.Practical implications: Our approach determines the products to manufacture each time period, their economic amounts, and their scheduling within each period. This outcome should help decision makers bearing expensive

  12. Search for hybrid baryons with CLAS12 experimental setup

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lanza, Lucille [Univ. degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata (Italy); Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States)

    2017-03-01

    It is crucial to study the meson electroproduction in the kinematic region dominated by the formation of resonances. CLAS12 setup in Hall B at Jefferson Lab is particularly suitable for this task, since it is able to detect scattered electrons at low polar angles thanks to the Forward Tagger (FT) component. The process that we propose to study is ep → e'K+Λ, where the electron beam will be provided by the CEBAF accelerator with energies of 6.6, 8.8, and 11 GeV. This thesis work describes the setup and calibration of the FT calorimeter and the studies related to the search of hybrid baryons through the measurement of the K+ Λ electroproduction cross section.

  13. A simple setup for neutron tomography at the Portuguese nuclear research reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pereira, M.A. Stanojev; Marques, J.G.; Pugliesi, R.

    2012-01-01

    A simple setup for neutron radiography and tomography was recently installed at the Portuguese Research Reactor. The objective of this work was to determine the operational characteristics of the installed setup, namely the irradiation time to obtain the best dynamic range for individual images and the spatial resolution. The performance of the equipment was demonstrated by imaging a fragment of a seventeenth-century decorative tile. (author)

  14. 350 keV accelerator-based neutron transmission setup at KFUPM for hydrogen detection

    CERN Document Server

    Naqvi, A; Maslehuddin, M; Kidwai, S; Nassar, R

    2002-01-01

    An experimental setup has been developed to determine hydrogen contents of bulk samples using fast neutron transmission technique. Neutrons with 3 MeV energy were produced via D(d, n) reaction. The neutrons transmitted through the sample were detected by a NE213 scintillation detector. Preliminary tests of the setup were carried out using soil samples with different moisture contents. In addition to experimental study, Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to generate calibration curve of the experimental setup. Finally, experimental tests results were compared with the results of Monte Carlo simulations. A good agreement has been obtained between the simulation results and experimental results.

  15. Intrafractional Target Motions and Uncertainties of Treatment Setup Reference Systems in Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yue, Ning J.; Goyal, Sharad; Zhou Jinghao; Khan, Atif J.; Haffty, Bruce G.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: This study investigated the magnitude of intrafractional motion and level of accuracy of various setup strategies in accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) using three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: At lumpectomy, gold fiducial markers were strategically sutured to the surrounding walls of the cavity. Weekly fluoroscopy imaging was conducted at treatment to investigate the respiration-induced target motions. Daily pre- and post-RT kV imaging was performed, and images were matched to digitally reconstructed radiographs based on bony anatomy and fiducial markers, respectively, to determine the intrafractional motion magnitudes over the course of treatment. The positioning differences of the laser tattoo- and the bony anatomy-based setups compared with those of the marker-based setup (benchmark) were also determined. The study included 21 patients. Results: Although lung exhibited significant motion, the average marker motion amplitude on the fluoroscopic image was about 1 mm. Over a typical treatment time period, average intrafractional motion magnitude was 4.2 mm and 2.6 mm based on the marker and bony anatomy matching, respectively. The bony anatomy- and laser tattoo-based interfractional setup errors, with respect to the fiducial marker-based setup, were 7.1 and 9.0 mm, respectively. Conclusions: Respiration has limited effects on the target motion during APBI. Bony anatomy-based treatment setup improves the accuracy relative to that of the laser tattoo-based setup approach. Since fiducial markers are sutured directly to the surgical cavity, the marker-based approach can further improve the interfractional setup accuracy. On average, a seroma cavity exhibits intrafractional motion of more than 4 mm, a magnitude that is larger than that which is otherwise derived based on bony anatomy matching. A seroma-specific marker-based approach has the potential to improve treatment accuracy by taking the true inter

  16. LS1 Report: A brand new set-up for ASACUSA-CUSP

    CERN Multimedia

    Antonella Del Rosso

    2014-01-01

    ASACUSA is running for the first time with a totally new set-up. Three new vital instruments have been designed, produced and installed during LS1 in addition to several other major modifications. The collaboration is now ready to perform the first high-precision measurement of the hyperfine structure of antihydrogen – a study that aims at comparing the inner properties of matter and antimatter.   The ASACUSA set-up. The ASACUSA-CUSP collaboration comprises about 30 scientists from various institutes in Europe and Japan. Because of the Japanese contribution, the experiment is often known by its Japanese pronunciation, the experiment’s logo is in Japanese, and the logbook uses Japanese time! This year, for the first time, the experiment is running with a completely new set-up, which now includes a new superconducting double cusp magnet, a new tracking detector and a new final antihydrogen detector. “The magnet is the heart of the ASACUSA experiment,” expl...

  17. Comparison of prostate set-up accuracy and margins with off-line bony anatomy corrections and online implanted fiducial-based corrections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greer, P. B.; Dahl, K.; Ebert, M. A.; Wratten, C.; White, M.; Denham, K. W.

    2008-01-01

    Full text: The aim of the study was to determine prostate set-up accuracy and set-up margins with off-line bony anatomy-based imaging protocols, compared with online implanted fiducial marker-based imaging with daily corrections. Eleven patients were treated with implanted prostate fiducial markers and online set-up corrections. Pretreatment orthogonal electronic portal images were acquired to determine couch shifts and verification images were acquired during treatment to measure residual set-up error. The prostate set-up errors that would result from skin marker set-up, off-line bony anatomy-based protocols and online fiducial marker-based corrections were determined. Set-up margins were calculated for each set-up technique using the percentage of encompassed isocentres land a margin recipe. The prostate systematic set-up errors in the medial-lateral, superior-inferior and anterior-I posterior directions for skin marker set-up were 2.2, 3.6 and 4.5 mm (1 standard deviation). For our bony anatomy-I based off-line protocol the prostate systematic set-up errors were 1.6, 2.5 and 4.4 mm. For the online fiducial based set-up the results were 0.5, 1.4 and 1.4 mm. A prostate systematic error of 10.2 mm was uncorrected by the off-line bone protocol in one patient. Set-up margins calculated to encompass 98% of prostate set-up shifts were 111-14 mm with bone off-line set-up and 4-7 mm with online fiducial markers. Margins from the van Herk margin I recipe were generally 1-2 mm smaller. Bony anatomy-based set-up protocols improve the group prostate set-up error compared with skin marks; however, large prostate systematic errors can remain undetected or systematic (errors increased for individual patients. The margin required for set-up errors was found to be 10-15 mm unless I implanted fiducial markers are available for treatment guidance.

  18. Efficient on-line setup correction strategies using plan-intent functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keller, Harry; Jaffray, David A.; Rosewall, Tara; White, Elizabeth

    2006-01-01

    With the introduction of image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) delivery systems on-line set-up correction strategies have gained in popularity. Usually, the correction workload of these strategies is high compared to off-line strategies as daily setup corrections have to be performed based on a predefined action level. In this work, it is proposed that on-line strategies must not only be judged in terms of workload but also in terms of efficacy. While workload can be easily predicted for such strategies, the efficacy must ultimately reflect the efficiency with which the original treatment plan intent is met. The purpose of this work is to investigate the tradeoff between workload and efficacy of three different on-line set-up correction strategies: The common fixed action level strategy and two novel on-line setup correction strategies, i.e., a dose-volume histogram (DVH) constraint and an equivalent uniform dose (EUD) score strategy that aim directly for better compliance with original treatment plan intent. All strategies were reformulated in terms of a score function that reflected treatment plan intent. A retrospective study was conducted on 5 prostate patients (7-field conformal, 79.8 Gy, 42 fractions). PTV margins were 10 mm except in the posterior direction (7 mm). The original treatment plan intent for these patients was defined using a set of DVH constraints. The results show that the on-line setup correction strategy based on a fixed action level of 3 mm resulted in a considerable correction workload. For larger action levels, a dose benefit (in terms of EUD) in the rectum and bladder was observed for all patients which is clinically ''fortuitous'' but difficult to take advantage of. In contrast, the application of the two novel strategies generally resulted in a controlled decrease of the dose to the rectum and the bladder with a smaller workload. It is concluded that using information about target anatomy and the planned dose distribution allows the

  19. An economic production model for time dependent demand with rework and multiple production setups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.R. Singh

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we present a model for time dependent demand with multiple productions and rework setups. Production is demand dependent and greater than the demand rate. Production facility produces items in m production setups and one rework setup (m, 1 policy. The major reason of reverse logistic and green supply chain is rework, so it reduces the cost of production and other ecological problems. Most of the researchers developed a rework model without deteriorating items. A numerical example and sensitivity analysis is shown to describe the model.

  20. Over-relaxation phenomena during the set-up of RFP plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nordlund, P.; Mazur, S.

    1995-03-01

    Experiments on the Extrap T1 reversed field pinch have shown that the formation of the RFP configuration is quite sensitive to the relative programming of the toroidal field and ohmic heating circuits. In this paper, new measurements of the evolution of the current density profile and of the spectral structure of the fluctuations during the set-up phase of RFP plasmas in the T1 experiment are presented. These measurements improve the understanding of the role of different spectral components in the dynamics of RFP formation. Under unfavourable (slow) set-up conditions, comparatively high energy is accumulated in m = 1 internal kinks prior to reversal of the edge toroidal fields. At reversal, nonlinearly driven m = 0 modes trigger a rapid broadening of the m = 1 spectrum. This behaviour is associated with a violent suppression of the current density in the core leading to an over-relaxation of the discharge involving a hollowing of the parallel current density profile. The over-relaxation phenomenon increases the volt-second consumption and plasma/wall interaction during RFP set-up, and degrades the flat-top discharge performance. 15 refs, 5 figs, 1 tab

  1. Over-relaxation phenomena during the set-up of RFP plasmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nordlund, P.; Mazur, S.

    1995-03-01

    Experiments on the Extrap T1 reversed field pinch have shown that the formation of the RFP configuration is quite sensitive to the relative programming of the toroidal field and ohmic heating circuits. In this paper, new measurements of the evolution of the current density profile and of the spectral structure of the fluctuations during the set-up phase of RFP plasmas in the T1 experiment are presented. These measurements improve the understanding of the role of different spectral components in the dynamics of RFP formation. Under unfavourable (slow) set-up conditions, comparatively high energy is accumulated in m = 1 internal kinks prior to reversal of the edge toroidal fields. At reversal, nonlinearly driven m = 0 modes trigger a rapid broadening of the m = 1 spectrum. This behaviour is associated with a violent suppression of the current density in the core leading to an over-relaxation of the discharge involving a hollowing of the parallel current density profile. The over-relaxation phenomenon increases the volt-second consumption and plasma/wall interaction during RFP set-up, and degrades the flat-top discharge performance. 15 refs, 5 figs, 1 tab.

  2. PENURUNAN WAKTU SET-UP UNTUK PENINGKATAN EFEKTIFITAS PADA PT. X

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hendri Hendri

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available PT. X bergerak dalam industri manufuktur yang memproduksi komponen otomotif yang  salah satu prosesnya adalah pembuatan bearing. Saat ini, persaingan dalam dunia bisnis semakin ketat. Situasi ini membuat organisasi untuk memperbaiki diri dengan penurunan waktu set-up supaya dapat menghilangkan pemborosan sehingga peningkatan efektifitas dapat dicapai. Untuk melakukan penurunan waktu set-up dalam penelitian ini menggunakan metode Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED. SMED adalah salah satu metoda improvement dari Lean Manufacturing yang digunakan untuk mempercepat waktu yang dibutuhkan untuk melakukan setup pergantian dari memproduksi satu jenis produk ke model produk lainnya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui waktu Set up, serta mengetahui cara memperbaiki dan menurunkan waktu set up. Setelah dilakukan penelitian diketahui total waktu set up atau change over serta dilakukan perbaikan pada tiga titik yakni memindakan enam aktivitas internal menjadi aktivitas eksernal yang aktivitasnya dipersingkat, mengganti cara kerja setting/pengencangan baut dari cara manual ke alat bantu pengencangan dengan bantuan tekanan udara (pneumatic, dan mengganti cara kerja setting/penyetelan manual menjadi penyetelan dengan mengunakan block gauge. Secara keseluruhan terjadi penurunan waktu set up yang signifikan. Dengan demikian terjadi peningkatan efektifitas dengan menghilangkan pemborosan waktu set up sehinga terjadi peningkatan jumlah produksi per jam.

  3. Experimental Setup for Reflood Quench of Accident Tolerant Fuel Claddings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Chan; Lee, Kwan Geun; In, Wang Kee [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    The concept of accident tolerant fuel (ATF) is a solution to suppress the hydrogen generation in loss of coolant accident (LOCA) situation without safety injection, which was the critical incident in the severe accident in the Fukushima. The changes in fuel and cladding materials may cause a significant difference in reactor performance in long term operation. Properties in terms of material science and engineering have been tested and showed promising results. However, numerous tests are still required to ensure the design performance and safety. Thermal hydraulic tests including boiling and quenching are partly confirmed, but not yet complete. We have been establishing the experimental setup to confirm the properties in the terms of thermal hydraulics. Design considerations and preliminary tests are introduced in this paper. An experimental setup to test thermal hydraulic characteristics of new ATF claddings are established and tested. The W heater set inside the cladding is working properly, exceeding 690 W/m linear power with thermocouples and insulating ceramic sheaths inside. The coolant injection control was also working in good conditions. The setup is about to complete and going to simulate quenching behavior of the ATF in the LOCA situation.

  4. Wall heat transfer coefficient in a molten salt bubble column: testing the experimental setup

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Skosana, PJ

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available reactors that are highly exothermic or endothermic. This paper presents the design and operation of experimental setup used for measurement of the heat transfer coefficient in molten salt media. The experimental setup was operated with tap water, heat...

  5. SU-F-P-23: Setup Uncertainties for the Lung Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Q; Vigneri, P; Madu, C; Potters, L [Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, NY (United States); Cao, Y; Jamshidi, A [Northwell Health, Lake Success, NY (United States); Klein, E [Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Lake Success, NY (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: The Exactrack X-ray system with six degree-of-freedom (6DoF) adjustment ability can be used for setup of lung stereotactic body radiation therapy. The setup uncertainties from ExacTrack 6D system were analyzed. Methods: The Exactrack X-ray 6D image guided radiotherapy system is used in our clinic. The system is an integration of 2 subsystems: (1): an infrared based optical position system and (2) a radiography kV x-ray imaging system. The infrared system monitors reflective body markers on the patient’s skin to assistant in the initial setup. The radiographic kV devices were used for patient positions verification and adjustment. The position verification was made by fusing the radiographs with the digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) images generated by simulation CT images using 6DoF fusion algorithms. Those results were recorded in our system. Gaussian functions were used to fit the data. Results: For 37 lung SBRT patients, the image registration results for the initial setup by using surface markers and for the verifications, were measured. The results were analyzed for 143 treatments. The mean values for the lateral, longitudinal, vertical directions were 0.1, 0.3 and 0.3mm, respectively. The standard deviations for the lateral, longitudinal and vertical directions were 0.62, 0.78 and 0.75mm respectively. The mean values for the rotations around lateral, longitudinal and vertical directions were 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 degrees respectively, with standard deviations of 0.36, 0.34, and 0.42 degrees. Conclusion: The setup uncertainties for the lung SBRT cases by using Exactrack 6D system were analyzed. The standard deviations of the setup errors were within 1mm for all three directions, and the standard deviations for rotations were within 0.5 degree.

  6. SU-F-P-23: Setup Uncertainties for the Lung Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Q; Vigneri, P; Madu, C; Potters, L; Cao, Y; Jamshidi, A; Klein, E

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The Exactrack X-ray system with six degree-of-freedom (6DoF) adjustment ability can be used for setup of lung stereotactic body radiation therapy. The setup uncertainties from ExacTrack 6D system were analyzed. Methods: The Exactrack X-ray 6D image guided radiotherapy system is used in our clinic. The system is an integration of 2 subsystems: (1): an infrared based optical position system and (2) a radiography kV x-ray imaging system. The infrared system monitors reflective body markers on the patient’s skin to assistant in the initial setup. The radiographic kV devices were used for patient positions verification and adjustment. The position verification was made by fusing the radiographs with the digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) images generated by simulation CT images using 6DoF fusion algorithms. Those results were recorded in our system. Gaussian functions were used to fit the data. Results: For 37 lung SBRT patients, the image registration results for the initial setup by using surface markers and for the verifications, were measured. The results were analyzed for 143 treatments. The mean values for the lateral, longitudinal, vertical directions were 0.1, 0.3 and 0.3mm, respectively. The standard deviations for the lateral, longitudinal and vertical directions were 0.62, 0.78 and 0.75mm respectively. The mean values for the rotations around lateral, longitudinal and vertical directions were 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 degrees respectively, with standard deviations of 0.36, 0.34, and 0.42 degrees. Conclusion: The setup uncertainties for the lung SBRT cases by using Exactrack 6D system were analyzed. The standard deviations of the setup errors were within 1mm for all three directions, and the standard deviations for rotations were within 0.5 degree.

  7. An evaluation of setup uncertainties for patients treated to pelvic sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hunt, Margie A.; Schultheiss, Timothy E.; Desobry, Gregory E.; Hakki, Morgan; Hanks, Gerald E.

    1995-01-01

    Purpose: Successful delivery of conformal fields requires stringent immobilization and treatment verification, as well as knowledge of the setup reproducibility. The purpose of this study was to compare the three-dimensional distribution of setup variations for patients treated to pelvic sites with electronic portal imaging devices (EPID) and portal film. Methods and Materials: Nine patients with genitourinary and gynecological cancers immobilized with custom casts and treated with a four-field whole-pelvis technique were imaged daily using an EPID and filmed once every five to seven treatments. The three-dimensional translational and rotational setup errors were determined using a technique that relies on anatomical landmarks identified on simulation and treatment images. The distributions of the translational and rotational variations in each dimension as well as the total displacement of the treatment isocenter from the simulation isocenter were determined. Results: Grouped analysis of all patients revealed average unidirectional translational deviations of less than 2 mm and a standard deviation of 5.3 mm. The average total undirected distance between the treatment and simulated isocenters was 8.3 mm with a standard deviation of 5 mm. Individual patient analysis revealed eight of nine patients had statistically significant nonzero mean translational variations (p < 0.05). Translational variations measured with film were an average of 1.4 mm less than those measured with EPID, but this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Translational variations measured in this study are in general agreement with previous studies. The use of the EPID in this study was less intrusive and may have resulted in less additional attention being given each imaging setup. This may explain the slightly larger average translational variations observed with EPID vs. film, and suggests that the use of EPIDs is a superior method for assessing the true extent of setup

  8. Blanket Cooling Plates Mock-ups Manufactured in different Diffusion Weld Setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Von Der Weth, A.; Aktaa, J.

    2007-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: The breeding blanket box is considered as one of the most important components of a future fusion power plant. It will be assembled by so called cooling plates (CP) with a system of internal cooling channels. Such a CP is produced by two symmetric half pieces with half milled-in channels. Both pieces will be joined by a diffusion weld (DW) process. Within recent years a two step DW process for different EUROFER batches has been developed. It has been first applied to small laboratory scaled samples with dimensions of 25 mm x 30 mm x 40 mm. Then the DW process had then been successfully transferred to so called compact mock ups which are small CPs with dimensions of 67 mm x 70 mm x 50 mm. As third step this process has been used to manufacture a CP (465 mm x 205 mm x 50 mm) of a breeder unit in an industrial uniaxial diffusion weld setup. This paper treats the manufacturing sequence of a cooling plate and a first wall mock up in an industrial hot isostatic pressing (HIP) setup. The firstly laboratory specimens scaled diffusion weld process has been adjusted to different cooling channel dimensions and a different DW setup. The weld quality is investigated by tensile and Charpy impact testing. This allows comparison of the weld quality of mock ups welded in different DW setups. (authors)

  9. The experimental setup for studying the molecular composition of nanoscale films and coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turiev A M; Butkhuzi T G; Ramonova A G; Magkoev T T; Tsidaeva N I

    2011-01-01

    It is offered the method of measurement and design of the experimental setup, allowing to control the flow of particles from the surface of organic films during annealing by pulsed laser radiation. The method is based on the TOF(Time Of Flight) principle of detecting particles, desorbed from the surface by laser pulses, used for annealing. The principle of registration and the structure (block- scheme) of the experimental setup and its constituent parts are detailed in the work The setup consists of the analytical part, the system of laser irradiation and computer measurement system. The basis of the analytical part of the installation is a TOF(Time Of Flight) mass spectrometer of original construction.

  10. Using MASHA+TIMEPIX Setup for Registration Beta Decay Isotopes Produced in Heavy Ion Induced Reactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodin, A. M.; Belozerov, A. V.; Chernysheva, E. V.; Dmitriev, S. N.; Gulyaev, A. V.; Gulyaeva, A. V.; Itkis, M. G.; Novoselov, A. S.; Oganessian, Yu. Ts.; Salamatin, V. S.; Stepantsov, S. V.; Vedeneev, V. Yu.; Yukhimchuk, S. A.; Krupa, L.; Granja, C.; Pospisil, S.; Kliman, J.; Motycak, S.; Sivacek, I.

    2015-06-01

    Radon and mercury isotopes were produced in multi nucleon transfer (48Ca + 232Th) and complete fusion (48Ca + naturalNd) reactions, respectively. The isotopes with given masses were detected using two detectors: a multi-strip detector of the well-type (made in CANBERRA) and a position-sensitive quantum counting hybrid pixel detector of the TIMEPIX type. The isotopes implanted into the detectors then emit alpha- and betaparticles until reaching the long lived isotopes. The position of the isotopes, the tracks, the time and energy of beta-particles were measured and analyzed. A new software for the particle recognition and data analysis of experimental results was developed and used. It was shown that MASHA+ TIMEPIX setup is a powerful instrument for investigation of neutron-rich isotopes far from stability limits.

  11. Design of experimental setup for supercritical CO2 jet under high ambient pressure conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Huaizhong; Li, Gensheng; He, Zhenguo; Wang, Haizhu; Zhang, Shikun

    2016-12-01

    With the commercial extraction of hydrocarbons in shale and tight reservoirs, efficient methods are needed to accelerate developing process. Supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) jet has been considered as a potential way due to its unique fluid properties. In this article, a new setup is designed for laboratory experiment to research the SC-CO2 jet's characteristics in different jet temperatures, pressures, standoff distances, ambient pressures, etc. The setup is composed of five modules, including SC-CO2 generation system, pure SC-CO2 jet system, abrasive SC-CO2 jet system, CO2 recovery system, and data acquisition system. Now, a series of rock perforating (or case cutting) experiments have been successfully conducted using the setup about pure and abrasive SC-CO2 jet, and the results have proven the great perforating efficiency of SC-CO2 jet and the applications of this setup.

  12. Cone beam CT-based set-up strategies with and without rotational correction for stereotactic body radiation therapy in the liver.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertholet, Jenny; Worm, Esben; Høyer, Morten; Poulsen, Per

    2017-06-01

    Accurate patient positioning is crucial in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) due to a high dose regimen. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is often used for patient positioning based on radio-opaque markers. We compared six CBCT-based set-up strategies with or without rotational correction. Twenty-nine patients with three implanted markers received 3-6 fraction liver SBRT. The markers were delineated on the mid-ventilation phase of a 4D-planning-CT. One pretreatment CBCT was acquired per fraction. Set-up strategy 1 used only translational correction based on manual marker match between the CBCT and planning CT. Set-up strategy 2 used automatic 6 degrees-of-freedom registration of the vertebrae closest to the target. The 3D marker trajectories were also extracted from the projections and the mean position of each marker was calculated and used for set-up strategies 3-6. Translational correction only was used for strategy 3. Translational and rotational corrections were used for strategies 4-6 with the rotation being either vertebrae based (strategy 4), or marker based and constrained to ±3° (strategy 5) or unconstrained (strategy 6). The resulting set-up error was calculated as the 3D root-mean-square set-up error of the three markers. The set-up error of the spinal cord was calculated for all strategies. The bony anatomy set-up (2) had the largest set-up error (5.8 mm). The marker-based set-up with unconstrained rotations (6) had the smallest set-up error (0.8 mm) but the largest spinal cord set-up error (12.1 mm). The marker-based set-up with translational correction only (3) or with bony anatomy rotational correction (4) had equivalent set-up error (1.3 mm) but rotational correction reduced the spinal cord set-up error from 4.1 mm to 3.5 mm. Marker-based set-up was substantially better than bony-anatomy set-up. Rotational correction may improve the set-up, but further investigations are required to determine the optimal correction

  13. Proceedings – Mathematical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    It is known that semigroups are Ramsey algebras. This paper is an attempt to understand the role associativity plays in a binary system being a Ramsey algebra. Specifically,we show that the nonassociative Moufang loop of octonions is not a Ramsey algebra.

  14. Thermal neutron dose calculations in a brain phantom from 7Li(p,n) reaction based BNCT setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elshahat, B.A.; Naqvi, A.A.; Maalej, N.; Abdallah, Khalid

    2006-01-01

    Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to calculate neutron dose in a brain phantom from a 7 Li(p,n) reaction based setup utilizing a high density polyethylene moderator with graphite reflector. The dimensions of the moderator and the reflector were optimized through optimization of epithermal /(fast +thermal) neutron intensity ratio as a function of geometric parameters of the setup. Results of our calculation showed the capability of our setup to treat the tumor within 4 cm of the head surface. The calculated Peak Therapeutic Ratio for the setup was found to be 2.15. With further improvement in the moderator design and brain phantom irradiation arrangement, the setup capabilities can be improved to reach further deep-seated tumor. (author)

  15. A compact multi-chamber setup for degradation and lifetime studies of organic solar cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gevorgyan, Suren; Jørgensen, Mikkel; Krebs, Frederik C

    2011-01-01

    A controlled atmosphere setup designed for long-term degradation studies of organic solar cells under illumination is presented. The setup was designed with ease-of-use and compactness in mind and allows for multiple solar cells distributed on four glass substrates to be studied in four different...

  16. MIMO OTA Testing in Small Multi-Probe Anechoic Chamber Setups

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Llorente, Ines Carton; Fan, Wei; Pedersen, Gert F.

    2016-01-01

    OTA testing of MIMO capable terminals is often performed in large anechoic chambers, where planar waves impinging the test area are assumed. Furthermore, reflections from the chamber, and probe coupling are often considered negligible due to the large dimensions of the chamber. This paper...... investigates the feasibility of reducing the physical dimension of 2D multi-probe anechoic chamber setups for MIMO OTA testing, with the purpose of reducing the cost and space of the setup. In the paper, a channel emulation algorithm and chamber compensation technique are proposed for MIMO OTA testing in small...... anechoic chambers. The performance deterioration in a small anechoic chamber, i.e., with a ring radius of 0.5 m, is demonstrated via simulations....

  17. Cryogenic actuator testing for the SAFARI ground calibration setup

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Jonge, C.; Eggens, M.; Nieuwenhuizen, A. C. T.; Detrain, A.; Smit, H.; Dieleman, P.

    2012-09-01

    For the on-ground calibration setup of the SAFARI instrument cryogenic mechanisms are being developed at SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, including a filter wheel, XYZ-scanner and a flipmirror mechanism. Due to the extremely low background radiation requirement of the SAFARI instrument, all of these mechanisms will have to perform their work at 4.5 Kelvin and low-dissipative cryogenic actuators are required to drive these mechanisms. In this paper, the performance of stepper motors, piezoelectric actuators and brushless DC-motors as cryogenic actuators are compared. We tested stepper motor mechanical performance and electrical dissipation at 4K. The actuator requirements, test setup and test results are presented. Furthermore, design considerations and early performance tests of the flipmirror mechanism are discussed. This flipmirror features a 102 x 72 mm aluminum mirror that can be rotated 45°. A Phytron stepper motor with reduction gearbox has been chosen to drive the flipmirror. Testing showed that this motor has a dissipation of 49mW at 4K with a torque of 60Nmm at 100rpm. Thermal modeling of the flipmirror mechanism predicts that with proper thermal strapping the peak temperature of the flipmirror after a single action will be within the background level requirements of the SAFARI instrument. Early tests confirm this result. For low-duty cycle operations commercial stepper motors appear suitable as actuators for test equipment in the SAFARI on ground calibration setup.

  18. Evaluating the performance of constructive heuristics for the blocking flow shop scheduling problem with setup times

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauricio Iwama Takano

    2019-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper addresses the minimization of makespan for the permutation flow shop scheduling problem with blocking and sequence and machine dependent setup times, a problem not yet studied in previous studies. The 14 best known heuristics for the permutation flow shop problem with blocking and no setup times are pre-sented and then adapted to the problem in two different ways; resulting in 28 different heuristics. The heuristics are then compared using the Taillard database. As there is no other work that addresses the problem with blocking and sequence and ma-chine dependent setup times, a database for the setup times was created. The setup time value was uniformly distributed between 1% and 10%, 50%, 100% and 125% of the processing time value. Computational tests are then presented for each of the 28 heuristics, comparing the mean relative deviation of the makespan, the computational time and the percentage of successes of each method. Results show that the heuristics were capable of providing interesting results.

  19. Formula student suspension setup and laptime simulation tool

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Heuvel, E.; Besselink, I.J.M.; Nijmeijer, H.

    2013-01-01

    In motorsports time is usually limited. With use of dedicated tools for measuring wheel alignment, camber, ride heights etc. setting up the car can be done fast and consistent. With the setup sequence and tools described in this report, progress has been made in the time it takes to set up the car.

  20. Cone Beam Computed Tomography Guidance for Setup of Patients Receiving Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, Elizabeth A.; Cho, John; Vallis, Katherine A.; Sharpe, Michael B.; Lee, Grace B.Sc.; Blackburn, Helen; Nageeti, Tahani; McGibney, Carol; Jaffray, David A.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the role of cone-beam CT (CBCT) guidance for setup error reduction and soft tissue visualization in accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI). Methods and Materials: Twenty patients were recruited for the delivery of radiotherapy to the postoperative cavity (3850 cGy in 10 fractions over 5 days) using an APBI technique. Cone-beam CT data sets were acquired after an initial skin-mark setup and before treatment delivery. These were registered online using the ipsilateral lung and external contours. Corrections were executed for translations exceeding 3 mm. The random and systematic errors associated with setup using skin-marks and setup using CBCT guidance were calculated and compared. Results: A total of 315 CBCT data sets were analyzed. The systematic errors for the skin-mark setup were 2.7, 1.7, and 2.4 mm in the right-left, anterior-posterior, and superior-inferior directions, respectively. These were reduced to 0.8, 0.7, and 0.8 mm when CBCT guidance was used. The random errors were reduced from 2.4, 2.2, and 2.9 mm for skin-marks to 1.5, 1.5, and 1.6 mm for CBCT guidance in the right-left, anterior-posterior, and superior-inferior directions, respectively. Conclusion: A skin-mark setup for APBI patients is sufficient for current planning target volume margins for the population of patients studied here. Online CBCT guidance minimizes the occurrence of large random deviations, which may have a greater impact for the accelerated fractionation schedule used in APBI. It is also likely to permit a reduction in planning target volume margins and provide skin-line visualization and dosimetric evaluation of cardiac and lung volumes

  1. A method for patient set-up guidance in radiotherapy using augmented reality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Talbot, J.; Meyer, J.; Watts, R.; Grasset, R.

    2009-01-01

    Full text: A system for patient set-up in external beam radiotherapy was developed using Augmented Reality (AR). Live images of the linac treatment couch and patient were obtained with video cameras and displayed on a nearby monitor. A 3D model of the patient's external contour was obtained from planning CT data, and AR tracking software was used to superimpose the model onto the video images in the correct position for treatment. Throughout set-up and treatment, the user can view the monitor and visually confirm that the patient is positioned correctly. To ensure that the virtual contour was displayed in the correct position, a process was devised to register the coordinates of the linac with the camera images. A cube with AR tracking markers attached to its faces was constructed for alignment with the isocentre using room lasers or cone-beam CT. The performance of the system was investigated in a clinical environment by using it to position an anthropomorphic phantom without the aid of additional set-up methods. The positioning errors were determined by means of CBCT and image registration. The translational set-up errors were found to be less than 2.4 mm and the rotational errors less than 0.3 0 . This proof-of-principle study has demonstrated the feasibility of using AR for patient position and pose guidance.

  2. GRAPhEME: a setup to measure (n, xn γ) reaction cross sections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Henning, Greg; Bacquias, A.; Capdevielle, O.; Dessagne, P.; Kerveno, M.; Rudolf, G. [Universite de Strasbourg, IPHC, 23 rue du Loess 67037 Strasbourg (France); CNRS, UMR7178, 67037 Strasbourg (France); Borcea, C.; Negret, A.; Olacel, A. [Nat. Inst. Of Phys. And Nucl. Eng., Bucharest (Romania); Drohe, J.C.; Plompen, A.J.M.; Nyman, M. [EU/ JRC-IRMM, Geel (Belgium)

    2015-07-01

    Most of nuclear reactor developments are using evaluated data base for numerical simulations. However, the considered databases present still large uncertainties and disagreements. To improve their level of precision, new measurements are needed, in particular for (n, xn) reactions, which are of great importance as they modify the neutron spectrum, the neutron population, and produce radioactive species. The IPHC group started an experimental program to measure (n, xn gamma) reaction cross sections using prompt gamma spectroscopy and neutron energy determination by time of flight. Measurements of (n, xn gamma) cross section have been performed for {sup 235,238}U, {sup 232}Th, {sup nat,182,183,184,186}W, {sup nat}Zr. The experimental setup is installed at the neutron beam at GELINA (Geel, Belgium). The setup has recently been upgraded with the addition of a highly segmented 36 pixels planar HPGe detector. Significant efforts have been made to reduce radiation background and electromagnetic perturbations. The setup is equipped with a high rate digital acquisition system. The analysis of the segmented detector data requires a specific procedure to account for cross signals between pixels. An overall attention is paid to the precision of the measurement. The setup characteristic and the analysis procedure will be presented along with the acquisition and analysis challenges. Examples of results and their impact on models will be discussed. (authors)

  3. A Simulation Study on Patient Setup Errors in External Beam Radiotherapy Using an Anthropomorphic 4D Phantom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Payam Samadi Miandoab

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Patient set-up optimization is required in radiotherapy to fill the accuracy gap between personalized treatment planning and uncertainties in the irradiation set-up. In this study, we aimed to develop a new method based on neural network to estimate patient geometrical setup using 4-dimensional (4D XCAT anthropomorphic phantom. Materials and Methods To access 4D modeling of motion of dynamic organs, a phantom employs non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS-based Cardiac-Torso method with spline-based model to generate 4D computed tomography (CT images. First, to generate all the possible roto-translation positions, the 4D CT images were imported to Medical Image Data Examiner (AMIDE. Then, for automatic, real time verification of geometrical setup, an artificial neural network (ANN was proposed to estimate patient displacement, using training sets. Moreover, three external motion markers were synchronized with a patient couch position as reference points. In addition, the technique was validated through simulated activities by using reference 4D CT data acquired from five patients. Results The results indicated that patient geometrical set-up is highly depended on the comprehensiveness of training set. By using ANN model, the average patient setup error in XCAT phantom was reduced from 17.26 mm to 0.50 mm. In addition, in the five real patients, these average errors were decreased from 18.26 mm to 1.48 mm various breathing phases ranging from inhalation to exhalation were taken into account for patient setup. Uncertainty error assessment and different setup errors were obtained from each respiration phase. Conclusion This study proposed a new method for alignment of patient setup error using ANN model. Additionally, our correlation model (ANN could estimate true patient position with less error.

  4. Mathematical model of the electronuclear set-up on the beam of the JINR synchrotron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barashenkov, V.S.; Kumawat, H.; Lobanova, V.A.; Kumar, V.

    2003-01-01

    On the base of the Monte Carlo code CASCADE, developed at JINR, a mathematical model of the deep-subcritical set-up with uranium blanket used in experiments underway at JINR using a 0.6-4 GeV proton beam, is created. The neutron spectra, yields and energies of generated particles are calculated and compared for several modifications of the set-up. The influence of paraffin and graphite moderators on the characteristics of particles escaping lead target is studied. The modelled set-up can be considered as a first step to experiments with the designed at JINR U-Pu ADS SAD with heat power of several tens of kW

  5. Mathematical Model of the Electronuclear Set-Up on the Beam of the JINR Synchrotron

    CERN Document Server

    Barashenkov, V S; Kumawat, H; Lobanova, V A

    2004-01-01

    On the base of the Monte Carlo code CASCADE, developed at JINR, a mathematical model of the deep-subcritical set-up with uranium blanket used in experiments underway at JINR using a 0.6-4 GeV proton beam, is created. The neutron spectra, yields and energies of generated particles are calculated and compared for several modifications of the set-up. The influence of paraffin and graphite moderators on the characteristics of particles escaping lead target is studied. The modelled set-up can be considered as a first step to experiments with the designed at JINR U-Pu ADS SAD with heat power of several tens of kW.

  6. Tools and setups for experiments with AC and rotating magnetic fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ponikvar, D

    2010-01-01

    A rotating magnetic field is the basis for the transformation of electrical energy to mechanical energy. School experiments on the rotating magnetic field are rare since they require the use of specially prepared mechanical setups and/or relatively large, three-phase power supplies to achieve strong magnetic fields. This paper proposes several experiments and describes setups and tools which are easy to obtain and work with. Free software is offered to generate the required signals by a personal computer. The experiments can be implemented in introductory physics courses on electromagnetism for undergraduates or specialized courses at high schools.

  7. Outflanking the vicious circle | Mc Mynne | South African Journal of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Sir Michael Dummett unfairly criticises Frank Ramsey for advocating full-fledged realism as a way to escape the problem of vicious circularity. Instead Ramsey uses a more moderate approach that only requires a thin commitment to theoretical terms. In 'Theories', Ramsey details a method to substitute observational terms ...

  8. Development of a Simple Positron Age-Momentum Setup

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheffield, Thomas; Quarles, C. A.

    2009-04-01

    A positron age-momentum setup that uses NIM Bin electronic modules and a conventional multichannel analyzer (MCA) is described. The essential idea is to accumulate a Doppler broadened spectrum (sensitive to the annihilation electron momentum) using a high purity Germanium detector in coincidence with a BaF2 scintillation counter, which also serves as the stop signal in a conventional positron lifetime setup. The MCA that collects the Doppler spectrum is gated by a selected region of the lifetime spectrum. Thus we can obtain Doppler broadening spectra as a function of positron lifetime: an age-momentum spectrum. The apparatus has been used so far to investigate a ZnO sample where the size of different vacancy trapping sites may affect the positron lifetime and the Doppler broadening spectrum. We are also looking at polymer and rubber carbon-black composite samples where differences in the Doppler spectrum may arise from positron trapping or positronium formation in the samples. Correction for background and contribution from the positron source itself to the Doppler spectrum will be discussed.

  9. Automatic Generation of Setup for CNC Spring Coiler Based on Case-based Reasoning

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    KU Xiangchen; WANG Runxiao; LI Jishun; WANG Dongbo

    2006-01-01

    When producing special-shape spring in CNC spring coiler, the setup of the coiler is often a manual work using a trial-and-error method. As a result, the setup of coiler consumes so much time and becomes the bottleneck of the spring production process. In order to cope with this situation, this paper proposes an automatic generation system of setup for CNC spring coiler using case-based reasoning (CBR). The core of the study contains: (1) integrated reasoning model of CBR system;(2) spatial shape describe of special-shape spring based on feature;(3) coiling case representation using shape feature matrix; and (4) case similarity measure algorithm. The automatic generation system has implemented with C++ Builder 6.0 and is helpful in improving the automaticity and efficiency of spring coiler.

  10. Patient set-up verification by infrared optical localization and body surface sensing in breast radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spadea, Maria Francesca; Baroni, Guido; Riboldi, Marco; Orecchia, Roberto; Pedotti, Antonio; Tagaste, Barbara; Garibaldi, Cristina

    2006-01-01

    Background and purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical application of a technique for patient set-up verification in breast cancer radiotherapy, based on the 3D localization of a hybrid configuration of surface control points. Materials and methods: An infrared optical tracker provided the 3D position of two passive markers and 10 laser spots placed around and within the irradiation field on nine patients. A fast iterative constrained minimization procedure was applied to detect and compensate patient set-up errors, through the control points registration with reference data coming from treatment plan (markers reference position, CT-based surface model). Results: The application of the corrective spatial transformation estimated by the registration procedure led to significant improvement of patient set-up. Median value of 3D errors affecting three additional verification markers within the irradiation field decreased from 5.7 to 3.5 mm. Errors variability (25-75%) decreased from 3.2 to 2.1 mm. Laser spots registration on the reference surface model was documented to contribute substantially to set-up errors compensation. Conclusions: Patient set-up verification through a hybrid set of control points and constrained surface minimization algorithm was confirmed to be feasible in clinical practice and to provide valuable information for the improvement of the quality of patient set-up, with minimal requirement of operator-dependant procedures. The technique combines conveniently the advantages of passive markers based methods and surface registration techniques, by featuring immediate and robust estimation of the set-up accuracy from a redundant dataset

  11. JANUS - A setup for low-energy Coulomb excitation at ReA3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lunderberg, E.; Belarge, J.; Bender, P. C.; Bucher, B.; Cline, D.; Elman, B.; Gade, A.; Liddick, S. N.; Longfellow, B.; Prokop, C.; Weisshaar, D.; Wu, C. Y.

    2018-03-01

    A new experimental setup for low-energy Coulomb excitation experiments was constructed in a collaboration between the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and the University of Rochester and was commissioned at the general purpose beam line of NSCL's ReA3 reaccelerator facility. The so-called JANUS setup combines γ-ray detection with the Segmented Ge Array (SeGA) and scattered particle detection using a pair of segmented double-sided Si detectors (Bambino 2). The low-energy Coulomb excitation program that JANUS enables will complement intermediate-energy Coulomb excitation studies that have long been performed at NSCL by providing access to observables that quantify collectivity beyond the first excited state, including the sign and magnitude of excited-state quadrupole moments. In this work, the setup and its performance will be described based on the commissioning run that used stable 78Kr impinging onto a 1.09 mg/cm2208Pb target at a beam energy of 3.9 MeV/u.

  12. Pros and cons of characterising an optical translocation setup

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Maphanga, Charles

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available an optical translocation setup Charles Maphanga 1, 2 , Rudzani Malabi 1, 2 , Saturnin Ombinda-Lemboumba 1 , Malik Maaza 2 , Patience Mthunzi-Kufa 1, 2* 1 Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, National Laser Centre, P O BOX 395, Pretoria...

  13. Development of a grinding-specific performance test set-up

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, C. G.; Larsen, B. H.; Andresen, E. L.

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to develop a performance test set-up for America's Cup grinders. The test set-up had to mimic the on-boat grinding activity and be capable of collecting data for analysis and evaluation of grinding performance. This study included a literature-based analysis of grinding...... demands and a test protocol developed to accommodate the necessary physiological loads. This study resulted in a test protocol consisting of 10 intervals of 20 revolutions each interspersed with active resting periods of 50 s. The 20 revolutions are a combination of both forward and backward grinding...... and an exponentially rising resistance. A custom-made grinding ergometer was developed with computer-controlled resistance and capable of collecting data during the test. The data collected can be used to find measures of grinding performance such as peak power, time to complete and the decline in repeated grinding...

  14. Development of a grinding-specific performance test set-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olesen, C G; Larsen, B H; Andresen, E L; de Zee, M

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to develop a performance test set-up for America's Cup grinders. The test set-up had to mimic the on-boat grinding activity and be capable of collecting data for analysis and evaluation of grinding performance. This study included a literature-based analysis of grinding demands and a test protocol developed to accommodate the necessary physiological loads. This study resulted in a test protocol consisting of 10 intervals of 20 revolutions each interspersed with active resting periods of 50 s. The 20 revolutions are a combination of both forward and backward grinding and an exponentially rising resistance. A custom-made grinding ergometer was developed with computer-controlled resistance and capable of collecting data during the test. The data collected can be used to find measures of grinding performance such as peak power, time to complete and the decline in repeated grinding performance.

  15. Impact of different setup approaches in image-guided radiotherapy as primary treatment for prostate cancer. A study of 2940 setup deviations in 980 MVCTs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schiller, Kilian; Specht, Hanno; Kampfer, Severin; Duma, Marciana Nona [Technische Universitaet Muenchen Klinikum rechts der Isar, Department of Radiation Oncology, Muenchen (Germany); Petrucci, Alessia [University of Florence, Department of Radiation Oncology, Florence (Italy); Geinitz, Hans [Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Schwestern Linz, Department of Radiation Oncology, Linz (Austria); Schuster, Tibor [Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Institute for Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Muenchen (Germany)

    2014-08-15

    The goal of this study was to assess the impact of different setup approaches in image-guided radiotherapy (IMRT) of the prostatic gland. In all, 28 patients with prostate cancer were enrolled in this study. After the placement of an endorectal balloon, the planning target volume (PTV) was treated to a dose of 70 Gy in 35 fractions. A simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) of 76 Gy (2.17 Gy per fraction and per day) was delivered to a smaller target volume. All patients underwent daily prostate-aligned IGRT by megavoltage CT (MVCT). Retrospectively, three different setup approaches were evaluated by comparison to the prostate alignment: setup by skin alignment, endorectal balloon alignment, and automatic registration by bones. A total of 2,940 setup deviations were analyzed in 980 fractions. Compared to prostate alignment, skin mark alignment was associated with substantial displacements, which were ≥ 8 mm in 13 %, 5 %, and 44 % of all fractions in the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical directions, respectively. Endorectal balloon alignment yielded displacements ≥ 8 mm in 3 %, 19 %, and 1 % of all setups; and ≥ 3 mm in 27 %, 58 %, and 18 % of all fractions, respectively. For bone matching, the values were 1 %, 1 %, and 2 % and 3 %, 11 %, and 34 %, respectively. For prostate radiotherapy, setup by skin marks alone is inappropriate for patient positioning due to the fact that, during almost half of the fractions, parts of the prostate would not be targeted successfully with an 8-mm safety margin. Bone matching performs better but not sufficiently for safety margins ≤ 3 mm. Endorectal balloon matching can be combined with bone alignment to increase accuracy in the vertical direction when prostate-based setup is not available. Daily prostate alignment remains the gold standard for high-precision radiotherapy with small safety margins. (orig.) [German] Das Ziel dieser Studie bestand darin, den Einfluss verschiedener Herangehensweisen bei der Einstellung einer

  16. Test Setup for Axially Loaded Piles in Sand

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomassen, Kristina

    The test setup for testing axially static and cyclic loaded piles in sand is described in the following. The purpose for the tests is to examine the tensile capacity of axially loaded piles in dense fully saturated sand. The pile dimensions are chosen to resemble full scale dimension of piles used...... in offshore pile foundations today....

  17. Implementation of random set-up errors in Monte Carlo calculated dynamic IMRT treatment plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stapleton, S; Zavgorodni, S; Popescu, I A; Beckham, W A

    2005-01-01

    The fluence-convolution method for incorporating random set-up errors (RSE) into the Monte Carlo treatment planning dose calculations was previously proposed by Beckham et al, and it was validated for open field radiotherapy treatments. This study confirms the applicability of the fluence-convolution method for dynamic intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) dose calculations and evaluates the impact of set-up uncertainties on a clinical IMRT dose distribution. BEAMnrc and DOSXYZnrc codes were used for Monte Carlo calculations. A sliding window IMRT delivery was simulated using a dynamic multi-leaf collimator (DMLC) transport model developed by Keall et al. The dose distributions were benchmarked for dynamic IMRT fields using extended dose range (EDR) film, accumulating the dose from 16 subsequent fractions shifted randomly. Agreement of calculated and measured relative dose values was well within statistical uncertainty. A clinical seven field sliding window IMRT head and neck treatment was then simulated and the effects of random set-up errors (standard deviation of 2 mm) were evaluated. The dose-volume histograms calculated in the PTV with and without corrections for RSE showed only small differences indicating a reduction of the volume of high dose region due to set-up errors. As well, it showed that adequate coverage of the PTV was maintained when RSE was incorporated. Slice-by-slice comparison of the dose distributions revealed differences of up to 5.6%. The incorporation of set-up errors altered the position of the hot spot in the plan. This work demonstrated validity of implementation of the fluence-convolution method to dynamic IMRT Monte Carlo dose calculations. It also showed that accounting for the set-up errors could be essential for correct identification of the value and position of the hot spot

  18. Implementation of random set-up errors in Monte Carlo calculated dynamic IMRT treatment plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stapleton, S.; Zavgorodni, S.; Popescu, I. A.; Beckham, W. A.

    2005-02-01

    The fluence-convolution method for incorporating random set-up errors (RSE) into the Monte Carlo treatment planning dose calculations was previously proposed by Beckham et al, and it was validated for open field radiotherapy treatments. This study confirms the applicability of the fluence-convolution method for dynamic intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) dose calculations and evaluates the impact of set-up uncertainties on a clinical IMRT dose distribution. BEAMnrc and DOSXYZnrc codes were used for Monte Carlo calculations. A sliding window IMRT delivery was simulated using a dynamic multi-leaf collimator (DMLC) transport model developed by Keall et al. The dose distributions were benchmarked for dynamic IMRT fields using extended dose range (EDR) film, accumulating the dose from 16 subsequent fractions shifted randomly. Agreement of calculated and measured relative dose values was well within statistical uncertainty. A clinical seven field sliding window IMRT head and neck treatment was then simulated and the effects of random set-up errors (standard deviation of 2 mm) were evaluated. The dose-volume histograms calculated in the PTV with and without corrections for RSE showed only small differences indicating a reduction of the volume of high dose region due to set-up errors. As well, it showed that adequate coverage of the PTV was maintained when RSE was incorporated. Slice-by-slice comparison of the dose distributions revealed differences of up to 5.6%. The incorporation of set-up errors altered the position of the hot spot in the plan. This work demonstrated validity of implementation of the fluence-convolution method to dynamic IMRT Monte Carlo dose calculations. It also showed that accounting for the set-up errors could be essential for correct identification of the value and position of the hot spot.

  19. Radiotherapy for breast cancer: respiratory and set-up uncertainties; Irradiation du cancer du sein: incertitudes liees aux mouvements respiratoires et au repositionnement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saliou, M.G.; Giraud, P.; Simon, L.; Fournier-Bidoz, N.; Fourquet, A.; Dendale, R.; Rosenwald, J.C.; Cosset, J.M. [Institut Curie, Dept. d' Oncologie-Radiotherapie, 75 - Paris (France)

    2005-11-15

    Adjuvant Radiotherapy has been shown to significantly reduce locoregional recurrence but this advantage is associated with increased cardiovascular and pulmonary morbidities. All uncertainties inherent to conformal radiation therapy must be identified in order to increase the precision of treatment; misestimation of these uncertainties increases the potential risk of geometrical misses with, as a consequence, under-dosage of the tumor and/or overdosage of healthy tissues. Geometric uncertainties due to respiratory movements or set-up errors are well known. Two strategies have been proposed to limit their effect: quantification of these uncertainties, which are then taken into account in the final calculation of safety margins and/or reduction of respiratory and set-up uncertainties by an efficient immobilization or gating systems. Measured on portal films with two tangential fields. CLD (central lung distance), defined as the distance between the deep field edge and the interior chest wall at the central axis, seems to be the best predictor of set-up uncertainties. Using CLD, estimated mean set-up errors from the literature are 3.8 and 3.2 mm for the systematic and random errors respectively. These depend partly on the type of immobilization device and could be reduced by the use of portal imaging systems. Furthermore, breast is mobile during respiration with motion amplitude as high as 0.8 to 10 mm in the anteroposterior direction. Respiratory gating techniques, currently on evaluation, have the potential to reduce effect of these movements. Each radiotherapy department should perform its own assessments and determine the geometric uncertainties with respect of the equipment used and its particular treatment practices. This paper is a review of the main geometric uncertainties in breast treatment, due to respiration and set-up, and solutions proposed to limit their impact. (author)

  20. Numerical study of a confocal ultrasonic setup for creation of cavitation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lafond, Maxime, E-mail: maxime.lafond@inserm.fr; Chavrier, Françoise; Prieur, Fabrice [Inserm, U1032, LabTau, Lyon, F-69003 (France); Université de Lyon, Lyon, F-69003 (France); Université Lyon 1, Lyon, F-69003 (France); Mestas, Jean-Louis; Lafon, Cyril [Inserm, U1032, LabTau, Lyon, F-69003 (France); Université de Lyon, Lyon, F-69003 (France); Université Lyon 1, Lyon, F-69003 (France); Caviskills SAS, Vaulx-En-Velin, F-69120 (France)

    2015-10-28

    Acoustic cavitation is used for various therapeutic applications such as local enhancement of drug delivery, histotripsy or hyperthermia. One of the utmost important parameter for cavitation creation is the rarefaction pressure. The typical magnitude of the rarefaction pressure required to initiate cavitation from gas dissolved in tissue is beyond the range of the megapascal. Because nonlinear effects need to be taken into account, a numerical simulator based on the Westervelt equation was used to study the pressure waveform and the acoustic field generated by a setup for creation of cavitation consisting of two high intensity focused ultrasound transducers mounted confocally. At constant acoustic power, simulations with only one and both transducers from the confocal setup showed that the distortion of the pressure waveform due to the combined effects of nonlinearity and diffraction is less pronounced when both confocal transducers are used. Consequently, the confocal setup generates a greater peak negative pressure at focus which is more favorable for cavitation initiation. Comparison between the confocal setup and a single transducer with the same total emitting surface puts in evidence the role of the spatial separation of the two beams. Furthermore, it has been previously shown that the location of the peak negative pressure created by a single transducer shifts from focus towards the transducers in the presence of nonlinear effects. The simulator was used to study a configuration where the acoustical axes of transducers intersect on the peak negative pressure instead of the geometrical focus. For a representative confocal setup, namely moderate nonlinear effects, a 2% increase of the peak negative pressure and 8% decrease of the peak positive pressure resulted from this configuration. These differences tend to increase by increasing nonlinear effects. Although the optimal position of the transducers varies with the nonlinear regimen, the intersection point

  1. SU-F-T-519: Is Geometry Based Setup Sufficient for All of the Head and Neck Treatment Cases?: A Feasibility Study Towards the Dose Based Setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, S; Chen, S; Zhang, B; Xu, H; Prado, K; D’Souza, W; Yi, B

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: This study compares the geometric-based setup (GBS) which is currently used in the clinic to a novel concept of dose-based setup (DBS) of head and neck (H&N) patients using cone beam CT (CBCT) of the day; and evaluates the clinical advantages. Methods: Ten H&N patients who underwent re-simulation and re-plan due to noticeable anatomic changes during the course of the treatments were retrospectively reviewed on dosimetric changes in the assumption of no plan modification was performed. RayStation planning system (RaySearch Laboratories AB, Sweden) was used to match (ROI fusion module) between prescribed isodoseline (IDL) in the CBCT imported along with ROIs from re-planned CT and the IDL of original plan (Dose-based setup: DBS). Then, the CBCT plan based on daily setup using the GBS (previously used for a patient) and the DBS CBCT plan recalculated in RayStation compared against the original CT-sim plan. Results: Most of patients’ tumor coverage and OAR doses got generally worsen when the CBCT plans were compared with original CT-sim plan with GBS. However, when DBS intervened, the OAR dose and tumor coverage was better than the GBS. For example, one of patients’ daily average doses of right parotid and oral cavity increased to 26% and 36%, respectively from the original plan to the GBS planning. However, it only increased by 13% and 24%, respectively with DBS. GTV D95 coverage also decreased by 16% with GBS, but only 2% decreased with DBS. Conclusion: DBS method is superior to GBS to prevent any abrupt dose changes to OARs as well as PTV/CTV or GTV at least for some H&N cases. Since it is not known when the DBS is beneficial to the GBS, a system which enables the on-line DBS may be helpful for better treatment of H&N.

  2. SU-F-T-519: Is Geometry Based Setup Sufficient for All of the Head and Neck Treatment Cases?: A Feasibility Study Towards the Dose Based Setup

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, S; Chen, S; Zhang, B; Xu, H; Prado, K; D’Souza, W; Yi, B [University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: This study compares the geometric-based setup (GBS) which is currently used in the clinic to a novel concept of dose-based setup (DBS) of head and neck (H&N) patients using cone beam CT (CBCT) of the day; and evaluates the clinical advantages. Methods: Ten H&N patients who underwent re-simulation and re-plan due to noticeable anatomic changes during the course of the treatments were retrospectively reviewed on dosimetric changes in the assumption of no plan modification was performed. RayStation planning system (RaySearch Laboratories AB, Sweden) was used to match (ROI fusion module) between prescribed isodoseline (IDL) in the CBCT imported along with ROIs from re-planned CT and the IDL of original plan (Dose-based setup: DBS). Then, the CBCT plan based on daily setup using the GBS (previously used for a patient) and the DBS CBCT plan recalculated in RayStation compared against the original CT-sim plan. Results: Most of patients’ tumor coverage and OAR doses got generally worsen when the CBCT plans were compared with original CT-sim plan with GBS. However, when DBS intervened, the OAR dose and tumor coverage was better than the GBS. For example, one of patients’ daily average doses of right parotid and oral cavity increased to 26% and 36%, respectively from the original plan to the GBS planning. However, it only increased by 13% and 24%, respectively with DBS. GTV D95 coverage also decreased by 16% with GBS, but only 2% decreased with DBS. Conclusion: DBS method is superior to GBS to prevent any abrupt dose changes to OARs as well as PTV/CTV or GTV at least for some H&N cases. Since it is not known when the DBS is beneficial to the GBS, a system which enables the on-line DBS may be helpful for better treatment of H&N.

  3. Four point bending setup for characterization of semiconductor piezoresistance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Richter, Jacob; Arnoldus, Morten Berg; Hansen, Ole

    2008-01-01

    bending fixture is manufactured in polyetheretherketon and a dedicated silicon chip with embedded piezoresistors fits in the fixture. The fixture is actuated by a microstepper actuator and a high sensitivity force sensor measures the applied force on the fixture and chip. The setup includes heaters...

  4. Automated extraction of DNA from blood and PCR setup using a Tecan Freedom EVO liquid handler for forensic genetic STR typing of reference samples

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stangegaard, Michael; Frøslev, Tobias G; Frank-Hansen, Rune

    2011-01-01

    We have implemented and validated automated protocols for DNA extraction and PCR setup using a Tecan Freedom EVO liquid handler mounted with the Te-MagS magnetic separation device (Tecan, Männedorf, Switzerland). The protocols were validated for accredited forensic genetic work according to ISO...... handler leading to the reduction of manual work, and increased quality and throughput....

  5. Design of a compact high-energy setup for x-ray phase-contrast imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schüttler, Markus; Yaroshenko, Andre; Bech, Martin; Potdevin, Guillaume; Malecki, Andreas; Chabior, Michael; Wolf, Johannes; Tapfer, Arne; Meiser, Jan; Kunka, Danays; Amberger, Maximilian; Mohr, Jürgen; Pfeiffer, Franz

    2014-03-01

    The main shortcoming of conventional biomedical x-ray imaging is the weak soft-tissue contrast caused by the small differences in the absorption coefficients between different materials. This issue can be addressed by x-ray phasesensitive imaging approaches, e.g. x-ray Talbot-Lau grating interferometry. The advantage of the three-grating Talbot-Lau approach is that it allows to acquire x-ray phase-contrast and dark-field images with a conventional lab source. However, through the introduction of the grating interferometer some constraints are imposed on the setup geometry. In general, the grating pitch and the mean x-ray energy determine the setup dimensions. The minimal length of the setup increases linearly with energy and is proportional to p2, where p is the grating pitch. Thus, a high-energy (100 keV) compact grating-based setup for x-ray imaging can be realized only if gratings with aspect-ratio of approximately 300 and a pitch of 1-2 μm were available. However, production challenges limit the availability of such gratings. In this study we consider the use of non-binary phase-gratings as means of designing a more compact grating interferometer for phase-contrast imaging. We present simulation and experimental data for both monochromatic and polychromatic case. The results reveal that phase-gratings with triangular-shaped structures yield visibilities that can be used for imaging purposes at significantly shorter distances than binary gratings. This opens the possibility to design a high-energy compact setup for x-ray phase-contrast imaging. Furthermore, we discuss different techniques to achieve triangular-shaped phase-shifting structures.

  6. An experimental set-up to measure Light Yield of Scintillating Fibres

    CERN Document Server

    Alfieri, C; Joram, C; Kenzie, M W

    2015-01-01

    In the context of the LHCb SciFi Tracker project, an experimental set up was designed and built to provide reliable and reproducible measurements of the light yield of scintillating fibres. This document describes the principle and technical realisation of the set-up. A few examples illustrate the operation and data analysis. In the first implementation of the set-up a photomultiplier tube with bialkali photocathode was used for the reading of the light from the fibres under test. In order to measure also green emitting fibres, the photomultiplier was replaced in January 2016 by a SiPM with higher sensitivity and larger spectral coverage1.

  7. Phase measuring deflectometry. An improved setup for measuring CTA mirror facets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Specovius, Andreas; Eldik, Christopher van; Woernlein, Andre; Ziegler, Alexander [Erlangen Centre for Astroparticle Physics (ECAP) (Germany)

    2016-07-01

    The future Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) will consist of up to 100 single telescopes with a total reflecting surface of ∝10.000 m{sup 2} made of numerous mirror facets. Characterizing the surface properties of these facets is quite challenging concerning time and logistics. An efficient way to reliably reconstruct the surface of specular free-forms is Phase Measuring Deflectometry (PMD). PMD is routinely used to characterize the focal distance and point spread function of spherical CTA prototype mirrors. To address the possibility to measure the surface properties of aspherical mirrors, a new PMD setup has recently been built. First experience with this setup is reported.

  8. Laser and beta source setup characterization of 3D-DDTC detectors fabricated at FBK-irst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zoboli, A. [INFN, Sezione di Padova (Gruppo Collegato di Trento), and Dipartimento di Ingegneria e Scienza dell' Informazione, Universita di Trento, Via Sommarive, 14, I-38050 Povo (Trento) (Italy)], E-mail: zoboli@disi.unitn.it; Dalla Betta, G.-F. [INFN, Sezione di Padova (Gruppo Collegato di Trento), and Dipartimento di Ingegneria e Scienza dell' Informazione, Universita di Trento, Via Sommarive, 14, I-38050 Povo (Trento) (Italy); Boscardin, M. [Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Centro per i Materiali e i Microsistemi, Via Sommarive, 18, I-38050 Povo (Trento) (Italy); Bosisio, L. [Dip. di Fisica e INFN, Universita di Trieste, I-34127, Trieste (Italy); Eckert, S.; Kuehn, S.; Parzefall, U. [Institute of Physics, University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 3, 79104 Freiburg (Germany); Piemonte, C.; Ronchin, S.; Zorzi, N. [Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Centro per i Materiali e i Microsistemi, Via Sommarive, 18, I-38050 Povo (Trento) (Italy)

    2009-06-01

    We report on the functional characterization of the first batch of 3D Double-Sided Double Type Column (3D-DDTC) detectors fabricated at FBK, Trento. This detector concept represents the evolution of the previous 3D-STC detectors towards full 3D detectors, and is expected to achieve a performance which is comparable to standard 3D detectors, but with a simpler fabrication process. Measurements were performed on detectors in the microstrip configuration coupled to the ATLAS ABCD3T binary readout. This paper reports spatially resolved signal efficiency tests made with a pulsed infrared laser setup and charge collection efficiency tests made with a Beta source.

  9. Laser and beta source setup characterization of 3D-DDTC detectors fabricated at FBK-irst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zoboli, A.; Dalla Betta, G.-F.; Boscardin, M.; Bosisio, L.; Eckert, S.; Kuehn, S.; Parzefall, U.; Piemonte, C.; Ronchin, S.; Zorzi, N.

    2009-01-01

    We report on the functional characterization of the first batch of 3D Double-Sided Double Type Column (3D-DDTC) detectors fabricated at FBK, Trento. This detector concept represents the evolution of the previous 3D-STC detectors towards full 3D detectors, and is expected to achieve a performance which is comparable to standard 3D detectors, but with a simpler fabrication process. Measurements were performed on detectors in the microstrip configuration coupled to the ATLAS ABCD3T binary readout. This paper reports spatially resolved signal efficiency tests made with a pulsed infrared laser setup and charge collection efficiency tests made with a Beta source.

  10. IBM PC based automatic drive system for Bulat setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luchaninov, A.A.; Tolok, V.T.

    1999-01-01

    Non-expensive computer drive system for Bulat setup is described. System's hardware consists of IBM PC and conjunction block, providing 12 output channels, Software includes the main program, utilities and technology processes database. System may be used at surface modification processes, especially multilayer multicomponent coatings deposition

  11. Impacts of wave-induced circulation in the surf zone on wave setup

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guérin, Thomas; Bertin, Xavier; Coulombier, Thibault; de Bakker, Anouk

    2018-03-01

    Wave setup corresponds to the increase in mean water level along the coast associated with the breaking of short-waves and is of key importance for coastal dynamics, as it contributes to storm surges and the generation of undertows. Although overall well explained by the divergence of the momentum flux associated with short waves in the surf zone, several studies reported substantial underestimations along the coastline. This paper investigates the impacts of the wave-induced circulation that takes place in the surf zone on wave setup, based on the analysis of 3D modelling results. A 3D phase-averaged modelling system using a vortex force formalism is applied to hindcast an unpublished field experiment, carried out at a dissipative beach under moderate to very energetic wave conditions (Hm 0 = 6m at breaking and Tp = 22s). When using an adaptive wave breaking parameterisation based on the beach slope, model predictions for water levels, short waves and undertows improved by about 30%, with errors reducing to 0.10 m, 0.10 m and 0.09 m/s, respectively. The analysis of model results suggests a very limited impact of the vertical circulation on wave setup at this dissipative beach. When extending this analysis to idealized simulations for different beach slopes ranging from 0.01 to 0.05, it shows that the contribution of the vertical circulation (horizontal and vertical advection and vertical viscosity terms) becomes more and more relevant as the beach slope increases. In contrast, for a given beach slope, the wave height at the breaking point has a limited impact on the relative contribution of the vertical circulation on the wave setup. For a slope of 0.05, the contribution of the terms associated with the vertical circulation accounts for up to 17% (i.e. a 20% increase) of the total setup at the shoreline, which provides a new explanation for the underestimations reported in previously published studies.

  12. Experimental Setup For Study of Drop Deformation In Air Flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Basalaev Sergey

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Experimental study for study of deformation of drops in air flow is considered. Experimental setup includes a module for obtaining the drops, an air flow system and measuring system. Module for formation of drops is in the form of vertically arranged dropper with capillary with the possibility of formation of fixed drops. Air flow supply system comprises an air pump coupled conduit through a regulating valve with a cylindrical pipe, installed coaxially with dropper. The measuring system includes the video camera located with possibility of visualization of drop and the Pitot gage for measurement of flow rate of air located in the output section of branch pipe. This experimental setup allows to provide reliable and informative results of the investigation of deformation of drops in the air flow.

  13. HECTOR: A 240kV micro-CT setup optimized for research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masschaele, Bert; Dierick, Manuel; Van Loo, Denis; Boone, Matthieu N.; Brabant, Loes; Pauwels, Elin; Cnudde, Veerle; Van Hoorebeke, Luc

    2013-10-01

    X-ray micro-CT has become a very powerful and common tool for non-destructive three-dimensional (3D) visualization and analysis of objects. Many systems are commercially available, but they are typically limited in terms of operational freedom both from a mechanical point of view as well as for acquisition routines. HECTOR is the latest system developed by the Ghent University Centre for X-ray Tomography (http://www.ugct.ugent.be) in collaboration with X-Ray Engineering (XRE bvba, Ghent, Belgium). It consists of a mechanical setup with nine motorized axes and a modular acquisition software package and combines a microfocus directional target X-ray source up to 240 kV with a large flat-panel detector. Provisions are made to install a line-detector for a maximal operational range. The system can accommodate samples up to 80 kg, 1 m long and 80 cm in diameter while it is also suited for high resolution (down to 4 μm) tomography. The bi-directional detector tiling is suited for large samples while the variable source-detector distance optimizes the signal to noise ratio (SNR) for every type of sample, even with peripheral equipment such as compression stages or climate chambers. The large vertical travel of 1 m can be used for helical scanning and a vertical detector rotation axis allows laminography experiments. The setup is installed in a large concrete bunker to allow accommodation of peripheral equipment such as pumps, chillers, etc., which can be integrated in the modular acquisition software to obtain a maximal correlation between the environmental control and the CT data taken. The acquisition software does not only allow good coupling with the peripheral equipment but its scripting feature is also particularly interesting for testing new and exotic acquisition routines.

  14. SU-E-T-463: Quantification of Rotational Variation in Mouse Setup for IGRT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McCarroll, R; Rubinstein, A; Kingsley, C; Yang, J; Yang, P; Court, L [UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)

    2014-06-01

    Purpose: New small-animal irradiators include extremely precise IGRT capabilities. However, mouse immobilization and localization remains a challenge. In particular, unlike week-to-week translational displacements, rotational changes in positioning are not easily corrected for in subject setup. Using two methods of setup, we aim to quantify week-to-week rotational variation in mice for the purpose of IGRT planning in small animal studies. Methods: Ten mice were imaged weekly using breath-hold CBCT (X-RAD 225 Cx), with the mouse positioned in a half-pipe support, providing 40 scans. A second group of two mice were positioned in a 3D printed immobilization device, which was created using a CT from a similarly shaped mouse, providing 10 scans. For each mouse, the first image was taken to be the reference image. Subsequent CT images were then rigidly registered, based on bony anatomy. Rotations in the axial (roll), sagittal (pitch), and coronal (yaw) planes were recorded and used to quantify variation in angular setup. Results: For the mice imaged in the half pipe, average magnitude of roll was found to be 5.4±4.6° (range: −12.9:18.86°), of pitch 1.6±1.3° (range: −1.4:4.7°), and of yaw 1.9±1.5° (range −5.4:1.1°). For the mice imaged in the printed setup; average magnitude of roll was found to be 0.64±0.6° (range: −2.1:1.0°), of pitch 0.6±0.4° (range: 0.0:1.3°), and of yaw 0.2±0.1° (range: 0.0:0.4°). The printed setup provided reduction in roll, pitch, and yaw by 88, 62, and 90 percent, respectively. Conclusion: For the typical setup routine, roll in mouse position is the dominant source of rotational variation. However, when a printed device was used, drastic improvements in mouse immobilization were seen. This work provides a promising foundation for mouse immobilization, required for full scale small animal IGRT. Currently, we are making improvements to allo±w the use of a similar system for MR, PET, and bioluminescence.

  15. The dose distribution and DVH change analysis wing to effect of the patient setup error

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Kyung Tae; Ju, Sang Gyu; Ahn, Jae Hong; Park, Young Hwan

    2004-01-01

    The setup error due to the patient and the staff from radiation treatment as the reason which is important the treatment record could be decided is a possibility of effect. The SET-UP ERROR of the patient analyzes the effect of dose distribution and DVH from radiation treatment of the patient. This test uses human phantom and when C-T scan doing, It rotated the Left direction of the human phantom and it made SET-UP ERROR, Standard plan and 3 mm, 5 mm, 7 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm with to distinguish, it made the C-T scan error. With the result, The SET-UP ERROR got each C-T image Using RTP equipment It used the plan which is used generally from clinical - Box plan, 3 Dimension plan( identical angle 5beam plan) Also, ( CTV+1cm margin, CTV+0.5cm margin, CTV+0.3,cm margin = PTV) it distinguished the standard plan and each set-up error plan and the plan used a dose distribution and the DVH and it analyzed. The Box 4 the plan and 3 Dimension plan which it bites it got similar an dose distribution and DVH in 3 mm, 5 mm From rotation error and Rectilinear movement (0%-2%). Rotation error and rectilinear error 7 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm appeared effect it will go mad to a enough change in treatment (2%-11%) The diminishes the effect of the SET-UP ERROR must reduce move with tension of the patient Also, we are important accessory development and the supply that it reducing of reproducibility and the move.

  16. Setup error in three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for thoracic esophageal carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong Jinsheng; Zhang Weijian; Chen Jinmei; Cai Chuanshu; Ke Chunlin; Chen Xiuying; Wu Bing; Guo Feibao

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To study the setup errors in three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) for thoracic esophageal carcinoma using electronic portal imaging device(EPID) and calculate the margins from CTV to PTV. Methods: Forty-one patients with thoracic esophageal carcinoma who received 3DCRT were continuously enrolled into this study. The anterior and lateral electronic portal images (EPI) were aquired by EPID once a week. The setup errors were obtained through comparing the difference between EPI and digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRR). Then the setup margins from CTV to PTV were calculated. By using self paired design, 22 patients received definitive radiotherapy with different margins. Group A: the margins were 10 mm in all the three axes; Group B: the margins were aquired in this study. The difference were compared by Paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The margins from CTV to PTV in x, y and z axes were 8.72 mm, 10.50 mm and 5.62 mm, respectively. Between the group A and group B, the difference of the maximum dose of the spinal cord was significant(4638.7 cGy ± 1449.6 cGy vs. 4310.2 cGy ± 1528.7 cGy; t=5.48, P=0.000), and the difference of NTCP for the spinal cord was also significant (4.82% ± 5.99% vs. 3.64% ± 4.70%; Z=-2.70, P=0.007). Conclusions: For patients with thoracic esophageal carcinoma who receive 3DCRT in author's department, the margins from CTV to PTV in x, y and z axes were 8.72 mm, 10.50 mm and 5.62 mm, respectively. The spinal cord could be better protected by using these setup margins than using 10 mm in each axis. (authors)

  17. Trace element analysis in an optimized set-up for total reflection PIXE (TPIXE)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Kan, J.A.; Vis, R.D.

    1996-01-01

    A newly constructed chamber for measuring with MeV proton beams at small incidence angles (0 to 35 mrad) is used to analyse trace elements on flat surfaces such as Si wafers, quartz substrates and perspex. This set-up is constructed in such a way that the X-ray detector can reach very large solid angles, larger than 1 sr. Using these large solid angles in combination with the reduction of bremsstrahlungs background, lower limits of detection (LOD) using TPIXE can be obtained as compared with PIXE in the conventional geometry. Standard solutions are used to determine the LODs obtainable with TPIXE in the optimized set-up. These solutions contain traces of As and Sr with concentrations down to 20 ppb in an insulin solution. The limits of detection found are compared with earlier ones obtained with TPIXE in a non optimized set-up and with TXRF results. (author)

  18. Analyzing three-player quantum games in an EPR type setup.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James M Chappell

    Full Text Available We use the formalism of Clifford Geometric Algebra (GA to develop an analysis of quantum versions of three-player non-cooperative games. The quantum games we explore are played in an Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR type setting. In this setting, the players' strategy sets remain identical to the ones in the mixed-strategy version of the classical game that is obtained as a proper subset of the corresponding quantum game. Using GA we investigate the outcome of a realization of the game by players sharing GHZ state, W state, and a mixture of GHZ and W states. As a specific example, we study the game of three-player Prisoners' Dilemma.

  19. A Full-size High Temperature Superconducting Coil Employed in a Wind Turbine Generator Set-up

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Song, Xiaowei (Andy); Mijatovic, Nenad; Kellers, Jürgen

    2016-01-01

    A full-size stationary experimental set-up, which is a pole pair segment of a 2 MW high temperature superconducting (HTS) wind turbine generator, has been built and tested under the HTS-GEN project in Denmark. The performance of the HTS coil is crucial to the set-up, and further to the development...... is tested in LN2 first, and then tested in the set-up so that the magnetic environment in a real generator is reflected. The experimental results are reported, followed by a finite element simulation and a discussion on the deviation of the results. The tested and estimated Ic in LN2 are 148 A and 143 A...

  20. STABILITY OF MOTION OF MOBILE MODULE OF EXPERIMENTAL SETUP IN THE STUDY OF ACTIVE ROTARY WORKING OF MACHINES FOR SOIL TREATMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir F. Kupryashkin

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. The paper is devoted to the theoretical study of stability of movement of the movable unit of the experimental setup intended for the exploration of the active rotational working organs of the car for soil treatment. This takes into account the design features of the mobile unit and features active rotary force interaction of working bodies with the soil. From the analysis of previously conducted both theoretical and experimental studies of this type of working bodies noted the possibility of breaking the stability of the mobile stroke unit, which in turn will have a negative impact on the enforcement of a given method of the experiment program. From the analysis of previous studies shows that the assumptions under which they were made, not allow you to fully take into account the nature of the effect occurring dynamic processes of interaction of active rotary working bodies with the soil on the experimental setup truck driving stability. Materials and Methods. To address the shortcomings in the research, based on a synthesis of the main provisions and laws of mechanics and the experimental data of active rotary force interaction of working bodies with the soil, carried out theoretical studies of stability of movement of the movable unit of the experimental setup in view of its design features and conditions of the experiment. Results. A theoretical study was composed of loading trolley design scheme of the experimental setup with regard to its design features and power factors acting on its working elements, namely, the wheel bearing and studied active rotary working bodies. Processing results of the study allowed the weary twist zone of stable and unstable movement of the movable unit Expo tal installation. The presence of unstable movement zone carts at-leads to a breach of the conditions set by the plan of experimental-governmental research and a negative impact on their quality and purity. Discussion and Conclusions. All of

  1. A dual centre study of setup accuracy for thoracic patients based on Cone-Beam CT data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Tine B; Hansen, Vibeke N; Westberg, Jonas

    2011-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To compare setup uncertainties at two different institutions by using identical imaging and analysis techniques for thoracic patients with different fixation equipments. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patient registration results from Cone-Beam CT (CBCT) scans of 174 patients were...... increase of the systematic setup uncertainties in between imaging fractions. A margin reduction of ⩾0.2cm can be achieved for patients with peak-to-peak respiration amplitudes of ⩾1.2cm when changing from 4D-CT to Active Breathing Coordinator™ (ABC). CONCLUSIONS: The setup uncertainties at the two...

  2. Setup errors and effectiveness of Optical Laser 3D Surface imaging system (Sentinel) in postoperative radiotherapy of breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Xiaobo; Liu, Mengjiao; Ding, Yun; Li, Qilin; Cheng, Changhai; Zong, Xian; Yin, Wenming; Chen, Jie; Gu, Wendong

    2018-05-08

    Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) plus postoperative radiotherapy has become the standard treatment for early-stage breast cancer. The aim of this study was to compare the setup accuracy of optical surface imaging by the Sentinel system with cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) imaging currently used in our clinic for patients received BCS. Two optical surface scans were acquired before and immediately after couch movement correction. The correlation between the setup errors as determined by the initial optical surface scan and CBCT was analyzed. The deviation of the second optical surface scan from the reference planning CT was considered an estimate for the residual errors for the new method for patient setup correction. The consequences in terms for necessary planning target volume (PTV) margins for treatment sessions without setup correction applied. We analyzed 145 scans in 27 patients treated for early stage breast cancer. The setup errors of skin marker based patient alignment by optical surface scan and CBCT were correlated, and the residual setup errors as determined by the optical surface scan after couch movement correction were reduced. Optical surface imaging provides a convenient method for improving the setup accuracy for breast cancer patient without unnecessary imaging dose.

  3. Test setup for accelerated test of high power IGBT modules with online monitoring of Vce and Vf voltage during converter operation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Vega, Angel Ruiz; Ghimire, Pramod; Pedersen, Kristian Bonderup

    2014-01-01

    Several accelerated test methods exist in order to study the failures mechanisms of the high power IGBT modules like temperature cycling test or power cycles based on DC current pulses. The main drawback is that the test conditions do not represent the real performance and stress conditions...... of the device in real application. The hypothesis is that ageing of power modules closer to real environment including cooling system, full dc-link voltage and continuous PWM operation could lead to more accurate study of failure mechanism. A new type of test setup is proposed, which can create different real...... load conditions like in the field. Furthermore, collector-emitter voltage (Vce) has been used as indicator of the wear-out of the high power IGBT module. The innovative monitoring system implemented in the test setup is capable of measure the Vce and forward voltage of the antiparallel diode (Vf...

  4. Automated PCR setup for forensic casework samples using the Normalization Wizard and PCR Setup robotic methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenspoon, S A; Sykes, K L V; Ban, J D; Pollard, A; Baisden, M; Farr, M; Graham, N; Collins, B L; Green, M M; Christenson, C C

    2006-12-20

    Human genome, pharmaceutical and research laboratories have long enjoyed the application of robotics to performing repetitive laboratory tasks. However, the utilization of robotics in forensic laboratories for processing casework samples is relatively new and poses particular challenges. Since the quantity and quality (a mixture versus a single source sample, the level of degradation, the presence of PCR inhibitors) of the DNA contained within a casework sample is unknown, particular attention must be paid to procedural susceptibility to contamination, as well as DNA yield, especially as it pertains to samples with little biological material. The Virginia Department of Forensic Science (VDFS) has successfully automated forensic casework DNA extraction utilizing the DNA IQ(trade mark) System in conjunction with the Biomek 2000 Automation Workstation. Human DNA quantitation is also performed in a near complete automated fashion utilizing the AluQuant Human DNA Quantitation System and the Biomek 2000 Automation Workstation. Recently, the PCR setup for casework samples has been automated, employing the Biomek 2000 Automation Workstation and Normalization Wizard, Genetic Identity version, which utilizes the quantitation data, imported into the software, to create a customized automated method for DNA dilution, unique to that plate of DNA samples. The PCR Setup software method, used in conjunction with the Normalization Wizard method and written for the Biomek 2000, functions to mix the diluted DNA samples, transfer the PCR master mix, and transfer the diluted DNA samples to PCR amplification tubes. Once the process is complete, the DNA extracts, still on the deck of the robot in PCR amplification strip tubes, are transferred to pre-labeled 1.5 mL tubes for long-term storage using an automated method. The automation of these steps in the process of forensic DNA casework analysis has been accomplished by performing extensive optimization, validation and testing of the

  5. Design of excitation signals for active system monitoring in a performance assessment setup

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Green, Torben; Izadi-Zamanabadi, Roozbeh; Niemann, Hans Henrik

    2011-01-01

    This paper investigates how the excitation signal should be chosen for a active performance setup. The signal is used in a setup where the main purpose is to detect whether a parameter change of the controller has changed the global performance significantly. The signal has to be able to excite...... the dynamics of the subsystem under investigation both before and after the parameter change. The controller is well know, but there exists no detailed knowledge about the dynamics of the subsystem....

  6. Impact of setup variability on incidental lung irradiation during tangential breast treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carter, D.C.; Marks, L.B.; Bentel, G.B.

    1995-01-01

    Purpose: 1) To determine the variability in treatment setup during a 5 week course of tangential breast treatment. 2) To assess the relationship between the height of the lung shadow at the central axis (Central Lung Distance: CLD) on the tangential port film and the percent of total lung volume included within the tangential fields (to verify the previously reported result from Bornstein, et al, IJROBP 18:181, 90). 3) To determine the impact of the variabilities in treatment setup on the volume of lung that is incidentally included within the radiation fields. Methods: 1) 172 port films of tangential breast/chest wall fields were reviewed from 20 patients who received tangential beam treatment for breast cancer. All patients were immobilized in customized hemibody foam cradles during simulation and treatment. The CLD (height of the lung shadow at the central axis) seen on each of the port films was compared to the corresponding simulator film (correcting for differences in magnification) as an assessment of setup variability. Both inter and intrapatient differences were considered. 2) A three-dimensional dose calculation (reflecting lung density) was performed, and the percent of total lung volume within the field was compared to the CLD. 3) The three-dimensional dose calculation was repeated for selected patients with the location of the treatment beams modified to reflect typical setup variations, in order to assess the impact of this variability on the volume of lung irradiated. Results: 1) The CLD measured on the port films was within 3 mm of that prescribed on the simulator film in 43% ((74(172))) of the port films. The variation was 3-5 mm in 26 %, 5-10 mm in 25 % and > 10 mm in 6 %. The data are shown in Figure 1. 2) There was an excellent correlation found between the height of the lung shadow and the percent of total lung volume seen within the radiation field, (Figure 2), thus verifying the concept previously reported by Bornstein. 3) A 1 cm setup

  7. MATLAB simulation for an experimental setup of digital feedback control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Lifang; Liu Songqiang

    2005-01-01

    This paper describes the digital feedback simulation using MATLAB for an experimental accelerator control setup. By analyzing the plant characteristic in time-domain and frequency-domain, a guideline for design of digital filter and PID controller is derived. (authors)

  8. Sample to moderator volume ratio effects in neutron yield from a PGNAA setup

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naqvi, A.A. [Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, KFUPM Box 1815, Dhahran-31261 (Saudi Arabia)]. E-mail: aanaqvi@kfupm.edu.sa; Fazal-ur-Rehman [Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, KFUPM Box 1815, Dhahran-31261 (Saudi Arabia); Nagadi, M.M. [Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, KFUPM Box 1815, Dhahran-31261 (Saudi Arabia); Khateeb-ur-Rehman [Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, KFUPM Box 1815, Dhahran-31261 (Saudi Arabia)

    2007-02-15

    Performance of a prompt gamma ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) setup depends upon thermal neutron yield at the PGNAA sample location. For a moderator, which encloses a sample, thermal neutron intensity depends upon the effective moderator volume excluding the void volume due to sample volume. A rectangular moderator assembly has been designed for the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) PGNAA setup. The thermal and fast neutron yield has been measured inside the sample cavity as a function of its front moderator thickness using alpha particle tracks density and recoil proton track density inside the CR-39 nuclear track detectors (NTDs). The thermal/fast neutron yield ratio, obtained from the alpha particle tracks density to proton tracks density ratio in the NTDs, shows an inverse correlation with sample to moderator volume ratio. Comparison of the present results with the previously published results of smaller moderators of the KFUPM PGNAA setup confirms the observation.

  9. Using a Robust Design Approach to Optimize Chair Set-up in Wheelchair Sport

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David S. Haydon

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Optimisation of wheelchairs for court sports is currently a difficult and time-consuming process due to the broad range of impairments across athletes, difficulties in monitoring on-court performance, and the trade-off set-up that parameters have on key performance variables. A robust design approach to this problem can potentially reduce the amount of testing required, and therefore allow for individual on-court assessments. This study used orthogonal design with four set-up factors (seat height, depth, and angle, as well as tyre pressure at three levels (current, decreased, and increased for three elite wheelchair rugby players. Each player performed two maximal effort sprints from a stationary position in nine different set-ups, with this allowing for detailed analysis of each factor and level. Whilst statistical significance is difficult to obtain due to the small sample size, meaningful difference results aligning with previous research findings were identified and provide support for the use of this approach.

  10. Medium Voltage Microgrid Test Setup and Procedures Implemented on a Real Pilot Project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruno Alberto Pacheco

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents various concepts related to the application of a microgrid pilot project in a residential condominium at Fortaleza / CE – Brazil, such as battery energy system, renewable and distributed generation, islanding recloser and all different units using interface based on power electronics. This papers main objective is to create information about microgrid operation and the interaction between its main equipment, such as power converters, utility energy distribution system and control units responsible for algorithms and changes in microgrids operation mode. This information is important for understanding the need for a test setup construction. To perform the test procedures, a temporary setup in a controlled environment within the microgrid is proposed. During the test periods, intentional power outages are required to evaluate the operating mode switching on each unit. The test setup described in this paper aims to mitigate the tests effects on other residential units inside the condominium.

  11. A merged-beam setup at SOLEIL dedicated to photoelectron–photoion coincidence studies on ionic species

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bizau, J.M., E-mail: jean-marc.bizau@u-psud.fr [Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay (ISMO), CNRS, Univ. Paris Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay (France); Synchrotron SOLEIL, L’Orme des Merisiers, Saint-Aubin, BP 48, F-91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Cubaynes, D. [Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay (ISMO), CNRS, Univ. Paris Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay (France); Synchrotron SOLEIL, L’Orme des Merisiers, Saint-Aubin, BP 48, F-91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Guilbaud, S.; El Eassan, N.; Al Shorman, M.M.; Bouisset, E.; Guigand, J.; Moustier, O.; Marié, A.; Nadal, E. [Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay (ISMO), CNRS, Univ. Paris Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay (France); Robert, E.; Nicolas, C. [Synchrotron SOLEIL, L’Orme des Merisiers, Saint-Aubin, BP 48, F-91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Miron, C. [Synchrotron SOLEIL, L’Orme des Merisiers, Saint-Aubin, BP 48, F-91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Extreme Light Infrastructure—Nuclear Physics, “Horia Hulubei” National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului Street, RO-077125 Măgurele, Jud. Ilfov (Romania)

    2016-07-15

    Highlights: • Description of a merged-beam setup at SOLEIL synchrotron radiation facility. • Unique setup of this kind allowing photoelectron spectroscopy on ionic species. • Use of electron-ion coincidence to reduce the background. • Examples on the photoionization of Xe{sup 5+} multiply-charged ion. - Abstract: We describe the merged-beam setup permanently installed on a dedicated optical branch of the PLEIADES beamline at SOLEIL, the French synchrotron radiation facility in St-Aubin, delivering photons in the 10–1000 eV photon energy range. The setup is designed both for photoion and photoelectron spectroscopy experiments on atomic and molecular ions. Ion spectrometry is dedicated to the determination of absolute single and multiple photoionization cross sections. Electron spectroscopy brings additional information on the non-radiative decay of inner-vacancies produced in the photoionization processes and allows for the determination of partial cross sections. Efficient reduction of the background in the electron spectra is achieved by the use of the electron-ion coincidence technique. Examples of photoion and photoelectron spectra are given for the Xe{sup 5+} ion.

  12. An experimental set-up for carbon isotopic analysis of atmospheric ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    We present here, an experimental set-up developed for the first time in India for the ... The internal reproducibility (precision) for the δ13C ... interaction of CO2 and water, and reproduce iso- ..... enhanced emission of anthropogenic CO2, varia-.

  13. Novel Experimental Setups for In Situ Neutron Diffraction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahlburg, Jakob; H. Gjørup, Frederik; Mørch, Mathias

    Modern synchrotron and neutron sources provide the intensities needed for performing never-before-seen experiments. With the imminent launch of the scattering facilities MAX IV & ESS, it is interesting to explore novel setups that enable new experiments at these sites. X-ray and neutron technique...... also provide information on the magnetic structure and can probe large bulk samples, allowing the study of compacted powders for use in permanent magnets....

  14. DEAR Monte Carlo simulation versus experimental data in measurements with the DEAR NTP setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bragadireanu, A.M.; Iliescu, M.; Petrascu, C.; Ponta, T.

    1999-01-01

    The DEAR NTP setup was installed in DAΦNE and is taking background data since February 1999. The goal of this work is to compare the measurements, in terms of charged particle hits (clusters), with the DEAR Monte Carlo simulation, taking into account the main effects due to which the particles are lost from circulating beams: Touschek effect and beam-gas interaction. To be mentioned that, during this period, no collisions between electrons and positrons have been achieved in the DEAR Interaction Point (IP) and consequently we don't have any experimental data concerning the hadronic background coming from φ-decays directly, or as secondary products of hadronic interactions. The NTP setup was shielded using lead and copper which gives a shielding factor of about 4. In parallel with the NTP setup, the signals from two scintillator slabs (150 x 80 x 2 mm) collected by 4 PMTs, positioned bellow the NTP setup and facing the IP, were digitized and counted using a National Instruments Timer/Counter Card. To compare experimental data with results of the Monte Carlo simulation we selected periods with only one circulating beam (electrons or positrons), in order to have a clean data set and we selected data files with CCD occupancy lower than 5%. As concerning the X-rays, the statistics was too poor to perform any quantitative comparison. The comparison between Monte Carlo, CCD data and kaon monitor data, for two beams are shown. It can be seen the agreement is fairly good and promising along the way of checking our routines which describes the experimental setup and the physical processes occurring in the accelerator environment. (authors)

  15. A review of setup error in supine breast radiotherapy using cone-beam computed tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Batumalai, Vikneswary, E-mail: Vikneswary.batumalai@sswahs.nsw.gov.au [South Western Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia); Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, New South Wales (Australia); Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia); Holloway, Lois [South Western Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia); Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, New South Wales (Australia); Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia); Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales (Australia); Institute of Medical Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia); Delaney, Geoff P. [South Western Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia); Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, New South Wales (Australia); Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales (Australia)

    2016-10-01

    Setup error in breast radiotherapy (RT) measured with 3-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is becoming more common. The purpose of this study is to review the literature relating to the magnitude of setup error in breast RT measured with CBCT. The different methods of image registration between CBCT and planning computed tomography (CT) scan were also explored. A literature search, not limited by date, was conducted using Medline and Google Scholar with the following key words: breast cancer, RT, setup error, and CBCT. This review includes studies that reported on systematic and random errors, and the methods used when registering CBCT scans with planning CT scan. A total of 11 relevant studies were identified for inclusion in this review. The average magnitude of error is generally less than 5 mm across a number of studies reviewed. The common registration methods used when registering CBCT scans with planning CT scan are based on bony anatomy, soft tissue, and surgical clips. No clear relationships between the setup errors detected and methods of registration were observed from this review. Further studies are needed to assess the benefit of CBCT over electronic portal image, as CBCT remains unproven to be of wide benefit in breast RT.

  16. Assessment of Set-up Accuracy in Tangential Breast Treatment Using Electronic Portal Imaging Device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Byung Koo; Kang, Soo Man

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the setup accuracy for tangential breast treatment patients using electronic portal image and 2-D reconstruction image Twenty two patients undergoing tangential breast treatment. To explore the setup accuracy, distances between chosen landmarks were taken as reference parameters. The difference between measured reference parameters on simulation films and electronic portal images (EPIs) was calculated as the setup error. A total of 22 simulation films and 110 EPIs were evaluated. In the tangential fields, the calculated reference parameters were the central lung distance (CLD), central soft-tissue distance (CSTD), and above lung distance (ALD), below lung distance (BLD). In the medial tangential field, the average difference values for these parameters were 1.0, -6.4, -2.1 and 2.0, respectively; and the values were 1.5, 2.3, 4.1 and 1.1, respectively. In the lateral tangential field, the average difference values for these parameters were -1.5, -4.3, -2.7 and -1.3, respectively; and the values were 3.3, 2.1, 2.9 and 2.5, respectively. CLD, CSTD, ALD and BLD in the tangential fields are easily identifiable and are helpful for detecting setup errors using EPIs in patients undergoing tangential breast radiotherapy treatment.

  17. Assessment of Set-up Accuracy in Tangential Breast Treatment Using Electronic Portal Imaging Device

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Byung Koo [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Soo Man [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Korea University Gospel Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-09-15

    The aim of this study was to investigate the setup accuracy for tangential breast treatment patients using electronic portal image and 2-D reconstruction image Twenty two patients undergoing tangential breast treatment. To explore the setup accuracy, distances between chosen landmarks were taken as reference parameters. The difference between measured reference parameters on simulation films and electronic portal images (EPIs) was calculated as the setup error. A total of 22 simulation films and 110 EPIs were evaluated. In the tangential fields, the calculated reference parameters were the central lung distance (CLD), central soft-tissue distance (CSTD), and above lung distance (ALD), below lung distance (BLD). In the medial tangential field, the average difference values for these parameters were 1.0, -6.4, -2.1 and 2.0, respectively; and the values were 1.5, 2.3, 4.1 and 1.1, respectively. In the lateral tangential field, the average difference values for these parameters were -1.5, -4.3, -2.7 and -1.3, respectively; and the values were 3.3, 2.1, 2.9 and 2.5, respectively. CLD, CSTD, ALD and BLD in the tangential fields are easily identifiable and are helpful for detecting setup errors using EPIs in patients undergoing tangential breast radiotherapy treatment.

  18. A review of setup error in supine breast radiotherapy using cone-beam computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Batumalai, Vikneswary; Holloway, Lois; Delaney, Geoff P.

    2016-01-01

    Setup error in breast radiotherapy (RT) measured with 3-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is becoming more common. The purpose of this study is to review the literature relating to the magnitude of setup error in breast RT measured with CBCT. The different methods of image registration between CBCT and planning computed tomography (CT) scan were also explored. A literature search, not limited by date, was conducted using Medline and Google Scholar with the following key words: breast cancer, RT, setup error, and CBCT. This review includes studies that reported on systematic and random errors, and the methods used when registering CBCT scans with planning CT scan. A total of 11 relevant studies were identified for inclusion in this review. The average magnitude of error is generally less than 5 mm across a number of studies reviewed. The common registration methods used when registering CBCT scans with planning CT scan are based on bony anatomy, soft tissue, and surgical clips. No clear relationships between the setup errors detected and methods of registration were observed from this review. Further studies are needed to assess the benefit of CBCT over electronic portal image, as CBCT remains unproven to be of wide benefit in breast RT.

  19. Three-dimensional patient setup errors at different treatment sites measured by the Tomotherapy megavoltage CT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hui, S.K.; Lusczek, E.; Dusenbery, K. [Univ. of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN (United States). Dept. of Therapeutic Radiology - Radiation Oncology; DeFor, T. [Univ. of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN (United States). Biostatistics and Informatics Core; Levitt, S. [Univ. of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN (United States). Dept. of Therapeutic Radiology - Radiation Oncology; Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm (Sweden). Dept. of Onkol-Patol

    2012-04-15

    Reduction of interfraction setup uncertainty is vital for assuring the accuracy of conformal radiotherapy. We report a systematic study of setup error to assess patients' three-dimensional (3D) localization at various treatment sites. Tomotherapy megavoltage CT (MVCT) images were scanned daily in 259 patients from 2005-2008. We analyzed 6,465 MVCT images to measure setup error for head and neck (H and N), chest/thorax, abdomen, prostate, legs, and total marrow irradiation (TMI). Statistical comparisons of the absolute displacements across sites and time were performed in rotation (R), lateral (x), craniocaudal (y), and vertical (z) directions. The global systematic errors were measured to be less than 3 mm in each direction with increasing order of errors for different sites: H and N, prostate, chest, pelvis, spine, legs, and TMI. The differences in displacements in the x, y, and z directions, and 3D average displacement between treatment sites were significant (p < 0.01). Overall improvement in patient localization with time (after 3-4 treatment fractions) was observed. Large displacement (> 5 mm) was observed in the 75{sup th} percentile of the patient groups for chest, pelvis, legs, and spine in the x and y direction in the second week of the treatment. MVCT imaging is essential for determining 3D setup error and to reduce uncertainty in localization at all anatomical locations. Setup error evaluation should be performed daily for all treatment regions, preferably for all treatment fractions. (orig.)

  20. A HPMT based set-up to characterize scintillating crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D'Ambrosio, C.; Ercoli, C.; Jaaskelainen, S.; Lecoeur, G.; Leutz, H.; Loos, R.; Piedigrossi, D.; Puertolas, D.; Rosso, E.; Schomaker, R.

    1999-01-01

    We have developed a fully automatic measurement set-up, capable of measuring light yields arising from scintillating crystals in a linear range of about four orders of magnitude. The photodetector is a hybrid photomultiplier tube specially developed to optimize linear range and photon detection. Crystal and photodetector are temperature controlled by a closed water circuit, as this is essential when measuring low light yield scintillating crystals with a marked temperature dependence of their light yield. Gamma sources can be placed either on top or on the side of the crystal. In this latter case, the source can be automatically moved by a computer-controlled step motor to provide a uniformity profile of the light yield along the crystal. Tagged and not-tagged operation modes are possible. The whole set-up is computer-controlled in an effort to provide fast and reliable measurements, to characterize many crystals per day. This is important for the quality control of the lead tungstate crystals that will be applied in the electromagnetic calorimeter of the CMS-detector at the LHC at CERN. (author)

  1. A HPMT based set-up to characterize scintillating crystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    D' Ambrosio, C.; Ercoli, C.; Jaaskelainen, S.; Lecoeur, G.; Leutz, H.; Loos, R.; Piedigrossi, D.; Puertolas, D.; Rosso, E.; Schomaker, R

    1999-09-21

    We have developed a fully automatic measurement set-up, capable of measuring light yields arising from scintillating crystals in a linear range of about four orders of magnitude. The photodetector is a hybrid photomultiplier tube specially developed to optimize linear range and photon detection. Crystal and photodetector are temperature controlled by a closed water circuit, as this is essential when measuring low light yield scintillating crystals with a marked temperature dependence of their light yield. Gamma sources can be placed either on top or on the side of the crystal. In this latter case, the source can be automatically moved by a computer-controlled step motor to provide a uniformity profile of the light yield along the crystal. Tagged and not-tagged operation modes are possible. The whole set-up is computer-controlled in an effort to provide fast and reliable measurements, to characterize many crystals per day. This is important for the quality control of the lead tungstate crystals that will be applied in the electromagnetic calorimeter of the CMS-detector at the LHC at CERN. (author)

  2. Setup of Design Concept for the Secondary System of the Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor and Development of Computational Code for the heat balance setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, E. K.; Seong, S. H.; Kim, S. O.; Eoh, J. H.; Han, J. W.; Cha, J. E.

    2010-12-01

    KAERI developed KALIMER-600 on it own way and now is designing the 600MWe actual sized plant for SFR. Nowadays, it is emphasizing the necessity of the evaluation for NSSS design as a part of the verification for SFR design validity. In other words, it means that should be precede the setup of the heat balance and preliminary design for SFR BOP. Turbine composition was configurated to refer SAMCHEON-PO fossil plant which have similar steam condition. The heat balance of SFR BOP was deduced to based on the NSSS boundary condition of the 600MWe actual sized plant. The algorithm of the heat balance calculation program was developed to refer preliminary heat balance data. and then, the setup of the heat balance for SFR BOP was evaluated. In the performance analysis for the preliminary heat balance of the SFR BOP, it was demonstrated that turbine characteristics are similar to reference plant, such as the SAMCHEON-PO fossil plant and the PFBR of the India

  3. A dedicated AMS setup for medium mass isotopes at the Cologne FN tandem accelerator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schiffer, M.; Altenkirch, R.; Feuerstein, C.; Müller-Gatermann, C.; Hackenberg, G.; Herb, S.; Bhandari, P.; Heinze, S.; Stolz, A.; Dewald, A.

    2017-09-01

    AMS measurements of medium mass isotopes, e.g. of 53Mn and 60Fe, are gaining interest in various fields of operation, especially geoscience. Therefore a dedicated AMS setup has been built at the Cologne 10 MV FN tandem accelerator. This setup is designed to obtain a sufficient suppression of the stable isobars at energies around 100 MeV. In this contribution we report on the actual status of the new setup and the first in-beam tests of its individual components. The isobar suppression is done with (dE/dx) techniques using combinations of energy degrader foils with an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) and a time of flight (ToF) system, as well as a (dE/dx),E gas ionization detector. Furthermore, the upgraded ion source and its negative ion yield measurement for MnO- are presented.

  4. Setup of a drift tube muon tracker and calibration of muon tracking in Borexino

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bick, Daniel

    2011-04-01

    In this work the setup and commissioning of a drift tube based 3D muon tracking detector are described and its use for the solar neutrino experiment Borexino is presented. After a brief introduction to neutrino physics, the general layout of the detector is presented. It is followed by the description of the reconstruction and calibration algorithms. The performance of the muon tracker is presented and results from the commissioning in Hamburg are shown. The detector is currently operated in the LNGS underground laboratory in Italy at the Borexino experiment. After an introduction to Borexino, the modifications of the muon tracker for its setup at LNGS are described. The setup is used as a reference system to determine the resolution of the Borexino muon tracking which is essential for the tagging of cosmogenic induced 11 C background. Finally, first results are presented. (orig.)

  5. Minimizing SIP Session Re-Setup Delay over Wireless Link in 3G Handover Scenarios

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moon Bongkyo

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The delay in transmitting SIP messages over the wireless link for session resetup at handover is still major bottleneck for interactive multimedia service. In this paper, a proxy agent-based scheme is proposed to minimize the SIP session setup delay over a wireless link in 3G inter-subnet handover scenarios. This scheme is based on the two characteristics. One is that the major factor of SIP session re-setup delay is generally caused by the retransmissions in the unreliable wireless links, and the other is that most of the fields in request messages as well as response messages are duplicated when a set of SIP messages are exchanged during session re-setup procedure. In this scheme, no change is required in the SIP message processing except for the proxy agents in both BS and MH.

  6. Laboratory Test Setup for Cyclic Axially Loaded Piles in Sand

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomassen, Kristina; Ibsen, Lars Bo; Andersen, Lars Vabbersgaard

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a comprehensive description and the considerations regarding the design of a new laboratory test setup for testing cyclic axially loaded piles in sand. The test setup aims at analysing the effect of axial one-way cyclic loading on pile capacity and accumulated displacements....... Another aim was to test a large diameter pile segment with dimensions resembling full-scale piles to model the interface properties between pile and sand correctly. The pile segment was an open-ended steel pipe pile with a diameter of 0.5 m and a length of 1 m. The sand conditions resembled the dense sand...... determined from the API RP 2GEO standard and from the test results indicated over consolidation of the sand. Two initial one-way cyclic loading tests provided results of effects on pile capacity and accumulated displacements in agreement with other researchers’ test results....

  7. A setup for measurement of beam stability and position using position sensitive detector for Indus-1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nathwani, R.K.; Joshi, D.K.; Tyagi, Y.; Soni, R.S.; Puntambekar, T.A.; Pithawa, C.K.

    2009-01-01

    The 450 MeV electron synchrotron radiation source Indus-1 is operational at RRCAT. A set-up has been developed to measure the relative transverse positional stability of the electron beam and its position with microns resolution using position sensitive photodiodes. The set-up has been installed at the diagnostics beam line of Indus-1. Synchrotron light from photo physics beamline was reflected out by inserting a Ni coated mirror and was focused onto a duo-lateral position sensitive photodiode by using two mirrors of 1.25 meter focal length to obtain unity magnification. The set-up consists of a duo-lateral position sensitive detector (PSD), precision processing electronics and a PC based data acquisition system. A computer program captures the processed signals on to a PC using GPIB interface and displays vertical position of the beam in real time. The paper describes the salient features of the setup developed for measurement of beam stability. (author)

  8. Special set-up and treatment techniques for the radiotherapy of pediatric malignancies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinez, A.; Donaldson, S.S.; Bagshaw, M.A.

    1977-01-01

    The prevention of serious and long term complications of treatment have become as important a consideration in the therapy of children with malignant disease as the goal of tumor control. This balance requires meticulous treatment planning and attention to the treatment preparation and immobilization techniques when radiotherapy is administered to children. Accurate localization of tumor volume and daily reproducibility is essential for delivering precise irradiation. Four special set-up and treatment techniques which have a specific usefulness in radiotherapy for pediatric malignancies are defined and illustrated with the aid of clinical cases. They include the three point set-up, the split beam technique, the isocentric technique, and the strinking field technique

  9. Surgical robot setup simulation with consistent kinematics and haptics for abdominal surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashibe, Mitsuhiro; Suzuki, Naoki; Hattori, Asaki; Suzuki, Shigeyuki; Konishi, Kozo; Kakeji, Yoshihiro; Hashizume, Makoto

    2005-01-01

    Preoperative simulation and planning of surgical robot setup should accompany advanced robotic surgery if their advantages are to be further pursued. Feedback from the planning system will plays an essential role in computer-aided robotic surgery in addition to preoperative detailed geometric information from patient CT/MRI images. Surgical robot setup simulation systems for appropriate trocar site placement have been developed especially for abdominal surgery. The motion of the surgical robot can be simulated and rehearsed with kinematic constraints at the trocar site, and the inverse-kinematics of the robot. Results from simulation using clinical patient data verify the effectiveness of the proposed system.

  10. A Magnetic Set-Up to Help Teach Newton's Laws

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panijpan, Bhinyo; Sujarittham, Thanida; Arayathanitkul, Kwan; Tanamatayarat, Jintawat; Nopparatjamjomras, Suchai

    2009-01-01

    A set-up comprising a magnetic disc, a solenoid and a mechanical balance was used to teach first-year physics students Newton's third law with the help of a free body diagram. The image of a floating magnet immobilized by the solenoid's repulsive force should help dispel a common misconception of students as regards the first law: that stationary…

  11. ESTERR-PRO: A Setup Verification Software System Using Electronic Portal Imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pantelis A. Asvestas

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the paper is to present and evaluate the performance of a new software-based registration system for patient setup verification, during radiotherapy, using electronic portal images. The estimation of setup errors, using the proposed system, can be accomplished by means of two alternate registration methods. (a The portal image of the current fraction of the treatment is registered directly with the reference image (digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR or simulator image using a modified manual technique. (b The portal image of the current fraction of the treatment is registered with the portal image of the first fraction of the treatment (reference portal image by applying a nearly automated technique based on self-organizing maps, whereas the reference portal has already been registered with a DRR or a simulator image. The proposed system was tested on phantom data and on data from six patients. The root mean square error (RMSE of the setup estimates was 0.8±0.3 (mean value ± standard deviation for the phantom data and 0.3±0.3 for the patient data, respectively, by applying the two methodologies. Furthermore, statistical analysis by means of the Wilcoxon nonparametric signed test showed that the results that were obtained by the two methods did not differ significantly (P value >0.05.

  12. Dose variations caused by setup errors in intracranial stereotactic radiotherapy: A PRESAGE study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teng, Kieyin; Gagliardi, Frank; Alqathami, Mamdooh; Ackerly, Trevor; Geso, Moshi

    2014-01-01

    Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) requires tight margins around the tumor, thus producing a steep dose gradient between the tumor and the surrounding healthy tissue. Any setup errors might become clinically significant. To date, no study has been performed to evaluate the dosimetric variations caused by setup errors with a 3-dimensional dosimeter, the PRESAGE. This research aimed to evaluate the potential effect that setup errors have on the dose distribution of intracranial SRT. Computed tomography (CT) simulation of a CIRS radiosurgery head phantom was performed with 1.25-mm slice thickness. An ideal treatment plan was generated using Brainlab iPlan. A PRESAGE was made for every treatment with and without errors. A prescan using the optical CT scanner was carried out. Before treatment, the phantom was imaged using Brainlab ExacTrac. Actual radiotherapy treatments with and without errors were carried out with the Novalis treatment machine. Postscan was performed with an optical CT scanner to analyze the dose irradiation. The dose variation between treatments with and without errors was determined using a 3-dimensional gamma analysis. Errors are clinically insignificant when the passing ratio of the gamma analysis is 95% and above. Errors were clinically significant when the setup errors exceeded a 0.7-mm translation and a 0.5° rotation. The results showed that a 3-mm translation shift in the superior-inferior (SI), right-left (RL), and anterior-posterior (AP) directions and 2° couch rotation produced a passing ratio of 53.1%. Translational and rotational errors of 1.5 mm and 1°, respectively, generated a passing ratio of 62.2%. Translation shift of 0.7 mm in the directions of SI, RL, and AP and a 0.5° couch rotation produced a passing ratio of 96.2%. Preventing the occurrences of setup errors in intracranial SRT treatment is extremely important as errors greater than 0.7 mm and 0.5° alter the dose distribution. The geometrical displacements affect dose delivery

  13. Friction degradation and set-up effects in hard clays offshore Congo and Angola

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colliat, J.L.; Vergobbi, P.; Puech, A.

    1993-01-01

    Piles driven into stiff to hard clays encountered offshore Congo and Angola clearly show both clay-type effects which are (1) friction degradation, with very low driving resistances during continuous driving, and (2) set-up after driving interruptions. Both phenomena were studied by back-analysis of driving records, including results of pile driving monitoring. It allowed one to deduce the friction distribution along the piles during driving; show how the shaft friction at any depth reduces as the pile is driven further into the ground; and show that the shaft friction after driving delays can be close to the estimated static friction capacity of the piles. The SRD calculation method proposed by the authors takes the friction degradation effect into account, leading to improved pile drivability predictions. Four case histories are presented to illustrate the results obtained

  14. Quantifying Appropriate PTV Setup Margins: Analysis of Patient Setup Fidelity and Intrafraction Motion Using Post-Treatment Megavoltage Computed Tomography Scans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drabik, Donata M.; MacKenzie, Marc A.; Fallone, Gino B.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To present a technique that can be implemented in-house to evaluate the efficacy of immobilization and image-guided setup of patients with different treatment sites on helical tomotherapy. This technique uses an analysis of alignment shifts between kilovoltage computed tomography and post-treatment megavoltage computed tomography images. The determination of the shifts calculated by the helical tomotherapy software for a given site can then be used to define appropriate planning target volume internal margins. Methods and Materials: Twelve patients underwent post-treatment megavoltage computed tomography scans on a helical tomotherapy machine to assess patient setup fidelity and net intrafraction motion. Shifts were studied for the prostate, head and neck, and glioblastoma multiforme. Analysis of these data was performed using automatic and manual registration of the kilovoltage computed tomography and post-megavoltage computed tomography images. Results: The shifts were largest for the prostate, followed by the head and neck, with glioblastoma multiforme having the smallest shifts in general. It appears that it might be more appropriate to use asymmetric planning target volume margins. Each margin value reported is equal to two standard deviations of the average shift in the given direction. Conclusion: This method could be applied using individual patient post-image scanning and combined with adaptive planning to reduce or increase the margins as appropriate

  15. Experimental investigation of combustion instabilities in lean swirl-stabilized partially-premixed flames in single- and multiple-burner setup

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Kraus

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In the present work, combustion instabilities of a modular combustor are investigated. The combustor operates with partially premixed, swirl-stabilized flames and can be operated in single- and different multiple-burner setups. The design parameters of the combustor prevent large-scale flame–flame interactions in the multiple-burner arrangements. The objective is to investigate how the interaction of the swirl jets affects the thermoacoustic stability of the combustor. Results of measurements of pressure oscillations and high-speed OH*-chemiluminescence imaging for the single-burner setup and two multiple-burner setups are discussed. Additionally, results of investigations with different flame characteristics are presented. These are achieved by varying the ratio of the mass flow rates through the swirlers of the double-concentric swirl nozzle. Several unstable modes with high pressure amplitudes are observed in the single-burner setup as well as in the multiple-burner setups. Numerical studies of the acoustic behavior of the combustor setups were performed that indicate that the different geometries show similar acoustic behaviors. The results lead to the conclusion that the interaction of the swirl jets in the multiple-burner setups affects the thermoacoustic response spectrum of the flame even in the absence of large-scale flame–flame interactions. Based on the findings in earlier studies, it is concluded that the differences in the flame response characteristics are induced by the reduction of the swirl intensity in the multiple-burner arrangements, which is caused by the exchange of momentum between the adjacent swirl jets.

  16. The TwinEBIS setup: Machine description

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Breitenfeldt, M. [CERN, Geneva 23 CH-1211 (Switzerland); Mertzig, R. [CERN, Geneva 23 CH-1211 (Switzerland); Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden (Germany); Pitters, J. [CERN, Geneva 23 CH-1211 (Switzerland); Technische Universität Wien, 1040 Vienna (Austria); Shornikov, A. [CERN, Geneva 23 CH-1211 (Switzerland); GANIL, Bd. Becquerel, BP 55027, 14076 Caen Cedex 05 (France); Wenander, F., E-mail: fredrik.wenander@cern.ch [CERN, Geneva 23 CH-1211 (Switzerland)

    2017-06-01

    TwinEBIS is an Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS) recently made operational at CERN. The device is similar in construction to the REXEBIS charge breeder operating at the ISOLDE facility. After relocation of the solenoid from the Manne Siegbahn Laboratory (MSL) Stockholm, TwinEBIS was commissioned at CERN and serves as a test bench dedicated to manipulation of low-energy highly charged ions. In this paper we give an overview of the setup and present advanced numerical simulations of the electron optics. In addition, the alignment procedure of the solenoid magnetic field is described and measurement results are presented. Results from cathode investigations, electron beam tests and ion extraction modulation are presented in a follow-up paper.

  17. Setup of a drift tube muon tracker and calibration of muon tracking in Borexino

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bick, Daniel

    2011-04-15

    In this work the setup and commissioning of a drift tube based 3D muon tracking detector are described and its use for the solar neutrino experiment Borexino is presented. After a brief introduction to neutrino physics, the general layout of the detector is presented. It is followed by the description of the reconstruction and calibration algorithms. The performance of the muon tracker is presented and results from the commissioning in Hamburg are shown. The detector is currently operated in the LNGS underground laboratory in Italy at the Borexino experiment. After an introduction to Borexino, the modifications of the muon tracker for its setup at LNGS are described. The setup is used as a reference system to determine the resolution of the Borexino muon tracking which is essential for the tagging of cosmogenic induced {sup 11}C background. Finally, first results are presented. (orig.)

  18. Wastewater treatment in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands using different media (setup stage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdel Razik A. Zidan

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Wastewater treatment through horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF constructed wetlands (CWs using three different treatment media (gravel, pieces of plastic pipes, and shredded tire rubber chips were investigated in Samaha village, Dakahliya, Egypt. The study focused on the wetland setup stage during the first months of its operation (setup stage. In this stage media porosity, bacterial biofilm, and plant roots growth were in progress and it was prior to the operational steady state stage. Objectives of this paper are to study the change in media porosity of HSSF wetland cells in order to estimate duration of wetland setup stage, and to evaluate the use of different bed media on biological oxygen demand (BOD, chemical oxygen demand (COD and total suspended solids (TSS treatment. The results showed that after 180 days of operation, the wetland cells had reached steady porosity and had started stable treatment. Also performance of plastic media bed in pollutants reduction was better than gravel and rubber beds and gravel media was in advanced than rubber media.

  19. The setup of a mobile mobility panel for the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geurs, Karst Teunis; Veenstra, Sander; Thomas, Tom

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes the setup of the Dutch Mobile Mobility Panel project, in which GPS-enabled mobile phones (smartphones) are used as a passive multiple-week and multiple-year travel behaviour data collection tool. The data collection methodology used in the Dutch Mobile Mobility Panel comprised

  20. Setup of a testing environment for mission planning in mining

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groenen, J.P.J.; Steinbuch, M.

    2013-01-01

    Mission planning algorithms for surface mining applications are difficult to test as a result of the large scale tasks. To validate these algorithms, a scaled setup is created where the mining excavator is mimicked by an industrial robot. This report discusses the development of a software

  1. A cryostatic setup for the low-temperature measurement of thermal diffusivity with the photothermal method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertolotti, M.; Liakhou, G.; Li Voti, R.; Paoloni, S.; Sibilia, C.; Sparvieri, N.

    1995-01-01

    A cryostatic setup is described to perform photothermal deflection measurements from room temperature to 77 K. The setup uses gaseous nitrogen as a medium where the photodeflection is produced. The ability of the system to work is demonstrated presenting some measurements of thermal diffusivity of high-temperature superconductor samples and of yttrium-iron garnets with variable aluminum content. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

  2. A Simple Experimental Setup for Teaching Additive Colors with Arduino

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvalho, Paulo Simeão; Hahn, Marcelo

    2016-04-01

    The result of additive colors is always fascinating to young students. When we teach this topic to 14- to 16-year-old students, they do not usually notice we use maximum light quantities of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) to obtain yellow, magenta, and cyan colors in order to build the well-known additive color diagram of Fig. 1. But how about using different light intensities for R, G, and B? What colors do we get? This problem of color mixing has been intensively discussed for decades by several authors, as pointed out by Ruiz's "Color Addition and Subtraction Apps" work and the references included therein. An early LED demonstrator for additive color mixing dates back to 1985, and apps to illustrate color mixing are available online. In this work, we describe an experimental setup making use of a microcontroller device: the Arduino Uno. This setup is designed as a game in order to improve students' understanding of color mixing.

  3. A fully automated temperature-dependent resistance measurement setup using van der Pauw method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, Shivendra Kumar; Manivannan, Anbarasu

    2018-03-01

    The van der Pauw (VDP) method is widely used to identify the resistance of planar homogeneous samples with four contacts placed on its periphery. We have developed a fully automated thin film resistance measurement setup using the VDP method with the capability of precisely measuring a wide range of thin film resistances from few mΩ up to 10 GΩ under controlled temperatures from room-temperature up to 600 °C. The setup utilizes a robust, custom-designed switching network board (SNB) for measuring current-voltage characteristics automatically at four different source-measure configurations based on the VDP method. Moreover, SNB is connected with low noise shielded coaxial cables that reduce the effect of leakage current as well as the capacitance in the circuit thereby enhancing the accuracy of measurement. In order to enable precise and accurate resistance measurement of the sample, wide range of sourcing currents/voltages are pre-determined with the capability of auto-tuning for ˜12 orders of variation in the resistances. Furthermore, the setup has been calibrated with standard samples and also employed to investigate temperature dependent resistance (few Ω-10 GΩ) measurements for various chalcogenide based phase change thin films (Ge2Sb2Te5, Ag5In5Sb60Te30, and In3SbTe2). This setup would be highly helpful for measurement of temperature-dependent resistance of wide range of materials, i.e., metals, semiconductors, and insulators illuminating information about structural change upon temperature as reflected by change in resistances, which are useful for numerous applications.

  4. Vortex-Concept for Radioactivity Release Prevention at NPP: Development of Computational Model of Lab-Scale Experimental Setup

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ullah, Sana; Sung, Yim Man; Park, Jin Soo; Sung Hyung Jin [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-05-15

    The experimental validation of the vortex-like air curtain concept and use of an appropriate CFD modelling approach for analyzing the problem becomes crucial. A lab-scale experimental setup is designed to validate the proposed concept and CFD modeling approach as a part of validation process. In this study, a computational model of this lab-scale experiment setup is developed using open source CFD code OpenFOAM. The computational results will be compared with experimental data for validation purposes in future, when experimental data is available. 1) A computation model of a lab-scale experimental setup, designed to validate the concept of artificial vortex-like airflow generation for application to radioactivity dispersion prevention in the event of severe accident, was developed. 2) The mesh sensitivity study was performed and a mesh of about 2 million cells was found to be sufficient for this setup.

  5. Controlling Mechatronic Set-up Using Real-time Linux and CTC ++

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Broenink, Johannes F.; Jovanovic, D.S.; Hilderink, G.H.; van Amerongen, J.; Jonker, B.; Regtien, P.; Stramigioli, S.

    2002-01-01

    The development of control software for mechatronic systems is presented by means of a case study: a 2 DOF mechanical rotational set-up usable as a camera-positioning device. The control software is generated using the code generation facility of 20-SIM, thus guaranteeing the generated code being

  6. Detection of patient setup errors with a portal image - DRR registration software application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutherland, Kenneth; Ishikawa, Masayori; Bengua, Gerard; Ito, Yoichi M; Miyamoto, Yoshiko; Shirato, Hiroki

    2011-02-18

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate a custom portal image - digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) registration software application. The software works by transforming the portal image into the coordinate space of the DRR image using three control points placed on each image by the user, and displaying the fused image. In order to test statistically that the software actually improves setup error estimation, an intra- and interobserver phantom study was performed. Portal images of anthropomorphic thoracic and pelvis phantoms with virtually placed irradiation fields at known setup errors were prepared. A group of five doctors was first asked to estimate the setup errors by examining the portal and DRR image side-by-side, not using the software. A second group of four technicians then estimated the same set of images using the registration software. These two groups of human subjects were then compared with an auto-registration feature of the software, which is based on the mutual information between the portal and DRR images. For the thoracic case, the average distance between the actual setup error and the estimated error was 4.3 ± 3.0 mm for doctors using the side-by-side method, 2.1 ± 2.4 mm for technicians using the registration method, and 0.8 ± 0.4mm for the automatic algorithm. For the pelvis case, the average distance between the actual setup error and estimated error was 2.0 ± 0.5 mm for the doctors using the side-by-side method, 2.5 ± 0.4 mm for technicians using the registration method, and 2.0 ± 1.0 mm for the automatic algorithm. The ability of humans to estimate offset values improved statistically using our software for the chest phantom that we tested. Setup error estimation was further improved using our automatic error estimation algorithm. Estimations were not statistically different for the pelvis case. Consistency improved using the software for both the chest and pelvis phantoms. We also tested the automatic algorithm with a

  7. The Influence of Natural Frequency of the Experimental Set-up on the Friction Coefficient of Stainless Steel-304

    OpenAIRE

    M. A. Chowdhury; Md. M. Helali

    2010-01-01

    The present paper investigates experimentally the effect of natural frequency of the experimental set-up on friction property of stainless steel-304. To do so, a pin-on-disc apparatus having facility of vibrating the test samples at different directions, amplitudes and frequencies was designed and fabricated. The natural frequency of the set-up was varied by adding dead loads of the setup from 0 kg to 50 kg. At each added load the friction coefficient has been measured. Results show that both...

  8. Laboratory setup for temperature and humidity measurements

    CERN Document Server

    Eimre, Kristjan

    2015-01-01

    In active particle detectors, the temperature and humidity conditions must be under constant monitoring and control, as even small deviations from the norm cause changes to detector characteristics and result in a loss of precision. To monitor the temperature and humidity, different kinds of sensors are used, which must be calibrated beforehand to ensure their accuracy. To calibrate the large number of sensors that are needed for the particle detectors and other laboratory work, a calibration system is needed. The purpose of the current work was to develop a laboratory setup for temperature and humidity sensor measurements and calibration.

  9. Iterated greedy algorithms to minimize the total family flow time for job-shop scheduling with job families and sequence-dependent set-ups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ji-Su; Park, Jung-Hyeon; Lee, Dong-Ho

    2017-10-01

    This study addresses a variant of job-shop scheduling in which jobs are grouped into job families, but they are processed individually. The problem can be found in various industrial systems, especially in reprocessing shops of remanufacturing systems. If the reprocessing shop is a job-shop type and has the component-matching requirements, it can be regarded as a job shop with job families since the components of a product constitute a job family. In particular, sequence-dependent set-ups in which set-up time depends on the job just completed and the next job to be processed are also considered. The objective is to minimize the total family flow time, i.e. the maximum among the completion times of the jobs within a job family. A mixed-integer programming model is developed and two iterated greedy algorithms with different local search methods are proposed. Computational experiments were conducted on modified benchmark instances and the results are reported.

  10. Response of a PGNAA setup for pozzolan-based cement concrete specimens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naqvi, A.A.; Garwan, M.A.; Maslehuddin, M.; Nagadi, M.M.; Al-Amoudi, O.S.B.; Raashid, M.

    2010-01-01

    Pozzolanic materials are added to Portland cement concrete to increase its durability, particularly corrosion-resistance. In this study the elemental composition of a pozzolanic cement concrete was measured non-destructively utilizing an accelerator-based Prompt Gamma Ray Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) setup. The optimum size of the pozzolanic cement concrete specimen was obtained through Monte Carlo simulations. The simulation results were experimentally verified through the γ-ray yield measurement from the pozzolanic cement concrete specimens as a function of their radii. The concentration of the pozzolanic material in the cement concrete specimens was evaluated by measuring γ-ray yield for calcium and iron from pozzolanic cement concrete specimens containing 5-80 wt% pozzolan. A good agreement was noted between the experimental values and the Monte Carlo simulation results, indicating an excellent response of the KFUPM accelerator-based PGNAA setup for pozzolan based concrete.

  11. Response of a PGNAA setup for pozzolan-based cement concrete specimens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naqvi, A.A. [Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia)], E-mail: aanaqvi@kfupm.edu.sa; Garwan, M.A. [Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia); Maslehuddin, M. [Center for Engineering Research, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia); Nagadi, M.M. [Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia); Al-Amoudi, O.S.B. [Department of Civil Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia); Raashid, M. [Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia)

    2010-04-15

    Pozzolanic materials are added to Portland cement concrete to increase its durability, particularly corrosion-resistance. In this study the elemental composition of a pozzolanic cement concrete was measured non-destructively utilizing an accelerator-based Prompt Gamma Ray Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) setup. The optimum size of the pozzolanic cement concrete specimen was obtained through Monte Carlo simulations. The simulation results were experimentally verified through the {gamma}-ray yield measurement from the pozzolanic cement concrete specimens as a function of their radii. The concentration of the pozzolanic material in the cement concrete specimens was evaluated by measuring {gamma}-ray yield for calcium and iron from pozzolanic cement concrete specimens containing 5-80 wt% pozzolan. A good agreement was noted between the experimental values and the Monte Carlo simulation results, indicating an excellent response of the KFUPM accelerator-based PGNAA setup for pozzolan based concrete.

  12. Autocorrelation in queuing network-type production systems - revisited

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Erland Hejn

    2007-01-01

    , either production managers are missing important aspects in production planning, or the 'realistic' autocorrelation patterns inherent in actual production setups are not like those considered in the literature. In this paper, relevant and 'realistic' types of autocorrelation schemes are characterised...

  13. High-precision prostate cancer irradiation by clinical application of an offline patient setup verification procedure, using portal imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bel, Arjan; Vos, Pieter H.; Rodrigus, Patrick T. R.; Creutzberg, Carien L.; Visser, Andries G.; Stroom, Joep C.; Lebesque, Joos V.

    1996-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate in three institutions, The Netherlands Cancer Institute (Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Huis [AvL]), Dr. Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center (DDHC), and Dr, Bernard Verbeeten Institute (BVI), how much the patient setup accuracy for irradiation of prostate cancer can be improved by an offline setup verification and correction procedure, using portal imaging. Methods and Materials: The verification procedure consisted of two stages. During the first stage, setup deviations were measured during a number (N max ) of consecutive initial treatment sessions. The length of the average three dimensional (3D) setup deviation vector was compared with an action level for corrections, which shrunk with the number of setup measurements. After a correction was applied, N max measurements had to be performed again. Each institution chose different values for the initial action level (6, 9, and 10 mm) and N max (2 and 4). The choice of these parameters was based on a simulation of the procedure, using as input preestimated values of random and systematic deviations in each institution. During the second stage of the procedure, with weekly setup measurements, the AvL used a different criterion ('outlier detection') for corrective actions than the DDHC and the BVI ('sliding average'). After each correction the first stage of the procedure was restarted. The procedure was tested for 151 patients (62 in AvL, 47 in DDHC, and 42 in BVI) treated for prostate carcinoma. Treatment techniques and portal image acquisition and analysis were different in each institution. Results: The actual distributions of random and systematic deviations without corrections were estimated by eliminating the effect of the corrections. The percentage of mean (systematic) 3D deviations larger than 5 mm was 26% for the AvL and the DDHC, and 36% for the BVI. The setup accuracy after application of the procedure was considerably improved (percentage of mean 3D deviations larger than 5 mm was 1.6% in the

  14. Features investigation of corrosion-electrochemical behaviour of Al-alloys for engineering an effective protection of the water-distillings setups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fokin, M.N.; Lomakina, S.V.; Tselykh, O.G.; Shatova, T.S.; Trubetskaya, L.F.

    1993-01-01

    The problem of aluminium alloy application in distilling setups is studied. Investigation into the features of corrosion and electrochemical behaviour of aluminium alloys under sea water distillation allows one to reveal the main control factors and to propose optimal alloy compositions capable of providing the safe setup operation on their base. Preliminary treatment in tungsten and molybdenum isopolycompound solutions is proposed which reduces sedimentation which in its turn is very important for distilling setups

  15. Refinement of Treatment Setup and Target Localization Accuracy Using Three-Dimensional Cone-Beam Computed Tomography for Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Zhiheng; Nelson, John W.; Yoo, Sua; Wu, Q. Jackie; Kirkpatrick, John P.; Marks, Lawrence B.; Yin Fangfang

    2009-01-01

    Purposes: To quantitatively compare two-dimensional (2D) orthogonal kV with three-dimensional (3D) cone-beam CT (CBCT) for target localization; and to assess intrafraction motion with kV images in patients undergoing stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Methods and Materials: A total of 50 patients with 58 lesions received 178 fractions of SBRT. After clinical setup using in-room lasers and skin/cradle marks placed at simulation, patients were imaged and repositioned according to orthogonal kV/MV registration of bony landmarks to digitally reconstructed radiographs from the planning CT. A subsequent CBCT was registered to the planning CT using soft tissue information, and the resultant 'residual error' was measured and corrected before treatment. Posttreatment 2D kV and/or 3D CBCT images were compared with pretreatment images to determine any intrafractional position changes. Absolute averages, statistical means, standard deviations, and root mean square (RMS) values of observed setup error were calculated. Results: After initial setup to external marks with laser guidance, 2D kV images revealed vector mean setup deviations of 0.67 cm (RMS). Cone-beam CT detected residual setup deviations of 0.41 cm (RMS). Posttreatment imaging demonstrated intrafractional variations of 0.15 cm (RMS). The individual shifts in three standard orthogonal planes showed no obvious directional biases. Conclusions: After localization based on superficial markings in patients undergoing SBRT, orthogonal kV imaging detects setup variations of approximately 3 to 4 mm in each direction. Cone-beam CT detects residual setup variations of approximately 2 to 3 mm

  16. The Influence of Natural Frequency of the Experimental Set-up on the Friction Coefficient of Stainless Steel-304

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. A. Chowdhury

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available The present paper investigates experimentally the effect of natural frequency of the experimental set-up on friction property of stainless steel-304. To do so, a pin-on-disc apparatus having facility of vibrating the test samples at different directions, amplitudes and frequencies was designed and fabricated. The natural frequency of the set-up was varied by adding dead loads of the setup from 0 kg to 50 kg. At each added load the friction coefficient has been measured. Results show that both the natural frequency and friction coefficient decrease with the increase of added loads. It has been also observed that the coefficient of friction increases with the increase of natural frequency of the experimental setup. The experimental results are also compared with those available in literature and simple physical explanations are provided.

  17. Set-up and calibration of an indoor nozzle-type rainfall simulator for soil erosion studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lassu, T.; Seeger, M.

    2012-04-01

    Rainfall simulation is one of the most prevalent methods used in soil erosion studies on agricultural land. In-situ simulators have been used to relate soil surface characteristics and management to runoff generation, infiltration and erosion, eg. the influence of different cultivation systems, and to parameterise erosion models. Laboratory rainfall simulators have been used to determine the impact of the soil surface characteristics such as micro-topography, surface roughness, and soil chemistry on infiltration and erosion rates, and to elucidate the processes involved. The purpose of the following study is to demonstrate the set-up and the calibration of a large indoor, nozzle-type rainfall simulator (RS) for soil erosion, surface runoff and rill development studies. This RS is part of the Kraijenhoff van de Leur Laboratory for Water and Sediment Dynamics in Wageningen University. The rainfall simulator consists from a 6 m long and 2,5 m wide plot, with metal lateral frame and one open side. Infiltration can be collected in different segments. The plot can be inclined up to 15.5° slope. From 3,85 m height above the plot 2 Lechler nozzles 460.788 are sprinkling the water onto the surface with constant intensity. A Zehnder HMP 450 pump provides the constant water supply. An automatic pressure switch on the pump keeps the pressure constant during the experiments. The flow rate is controlled for each nozzle by independent valves. Additionally, solenoid valves are mounted at each nozzle to interrupt water flow. The flow is monitored for each nozzle with flow meters and can be recorded within the computer network. For calibration of the RS we measured the rainfall distribution with 60 gauges equally distributed over the plot during 15 minutes for each nozzle independently and for a combination of 2 identical nozzles. The rainfall energy was recorded on the same grid by measuring drop size distribution and fall velocity with a laser disdrometer. We applied 2 different

  18. Broadband short pulse measurement by autocorrelation with a sum-frequency generation set-up

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glotin, F.; Jaroszynski, D.; Marcouille, O.

    1995-01-01

    Previous spectral and laser pulse length measurements carried out on the CLIO FEL at wavelength λ=8.5 μm suggested that very short light pulses could be generated, about 500 fs wide (FWHM). For these measurements a Michelson interferometer with a Te crystal, as a non-linear detector, was used as a second order autocorrelation device. More recent measurements in similar conditions have confirmed that the laser pulses observed are indeed single: they are not followed by other pulses distant by the slippage length Nλ. As the single micropulse length is likely to depend on the slippage, more measurements at different wavelengths would be useful. This is not directly possible with our actual interferometer set-up, based on a phase-matched non-linear crystal. However, we can use the broadband non-linear medium provided by one of our users' experiments: Sum-Frequency Generation over surfaces. With such autocorrelation set-up, interference fringes are no more visible, but this is largely compensated by the frequency range provided. First tests at 8 μm have already been performed to validate the technic, leading to results similar to those obtained with our previous Michelson set-up

  19. Setup for fission and evaporation cross-section measurements in reactions induced by secondary beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassan, A.A.; Luk'yanov, S.M.; Kalpakchieva, R.; Skobelev, N.K.; Penionzhkevich, Yu.Eh.; Dlouhy, Z.; Radnev, S.; Poroshin, N.V.

    2002-01-01

    A setup for studying reactions induced by secondary radioactive beams has been constructed. It allows simultaneous measurement of α-particle and fission fragment energy spectra. By measuring the α-particles, identification of evaporation residues is achieved. A set of three targets can be used so as to ensure sufficient statistics. Two silicon detectors, located at 90 degrees to the secondary beam direction, face each target, thus covering 30% of the solid angle. This experimental setup is to be used to obtain excitation functions of fusion-fission reactions and of reactions leading to evaporation residue production

  20. Design and building of a new experimental setup for testing hydrogen storage materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andreasen, Anders

    2005-09-01

    For hydrogen to become the future energy carrier a suitable way of storing hydrogen is needed, especially if hydrogen is to be used in mobile applications such as cars. To test potential hydrogen storage materials with respect to capacity, kinetics and thermodynamics the Materials Research Department has a high pressure balance. However, the drawback of this equipment is, that in order to load samples, exposure towards air is inevitable. This has prompted the design and building of a new experimental setup with a detachable reactor allowing samples to be loaded under protective atmosphere. The purpose of this report is to serve as documentation of the new setup. (au)

  1. Patient setup aid with wireless CCTV system in radiation therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Yang Kyun; Cho, Woong; Park, Jong Min [Seoul National University Graduate School, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Ha, Sung Whan; Ye, Sung Joon [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Suk Won [Chung-Ang University Cellege of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Huh, Soon Nyung [Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2006-12-15

    To develop a wireless CCTV system in semi-beam's eye view (BEV) to monitor daily patient setup in radiation therapy. In order to get patient images in semi-BEV, CCTV cameras are installed in a custom-made acrylic applicator below the treatment head of a linear accelerator. The images from the cameras are transmitted via radio frequency signal ( {approx} 2.4 GHz and 10 mW RF output). An expected problem with this system is radio frequency interference, which is solved utilizing RF shielding with Cu foils and median filtering software. The images are analyzed by our custom-made software. In the software, three anatomical landmarks in the patient surface are indicated by a user, then automatically the 3 dimensional structures are obtained and registered by utilizing a localization procedure consisting mainly of stereo matching algorithm and Gauss-Newton optimization. This algorithm is applied to phantom images in investigate the setup accuracy. Respiratory gating system is also researched with real-time image processing. A line-laser marker projected on a patient's surface is extracted by binary image processing and the breath pattern is calculated and displayed in real-time. More than 80% of the camera noises from the linear accelerator are eliminated by wrapping the camera with copper foils. The accuracy of the localization procedure is found to be on the order of 1.5 {+-} 0.7 mm with a point phantom and sub-millimeters and degrees with a custom-made head/neck phantom. With line-laser marker, real-time respiratory monitoring is possible in the delay time of {approx} 0.7 sec. The wireless CCTV camera system is the novel tool which can monitor daily patient setups. The feasibility of respiratory gating system with the wireless CCTV is hopeful.

  2. Patient setup aid with wireless CCTV system in radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Yang Kyun; Cho, Woong; Park, Jong Min; Ha, Sung Whan; Ye, Sung Joon; Park, Suk Won; Huh, Soon Nyung

    2006-01-01

    To develop a wireless CCTV system in semi-beam's eye view (BEV) to monitor daily patient setup in radiation therapy. In order to get patient images in semi-BEV, CCTV cameras are installed in a custom-made acrylic applicator below the treatment head of a linear accelerator. The images from the cameras are transmitted via radio frequency signal ( ∼ 2.4 GHz and 10 mW RF output). An expected problem with this system is radio frequency interference, which is solved utilizing RF shielding with Cu foils and median filtering software. The images are analyzed by our custom-made software. In the software, three anatomical landmarks in the patient surface are indicated by a user, then automatically the 3 dimensional structures are obtained and registered by utilizing a localization procedure consisting mainly of stereo matching algorithm and Gauss-Newton optimization. This algorithm is applied to phantom images in investigate the setup accuracy. Respiratory gating system is also researched with real-time image processing. A line-laser marker projected on a patient's surface is extracted by binary image processing and the breath pattern is calculated and displayed in real-time. More than 80% of the camera noises from the linear accelerator are eliminated by wrapping the camera with copper foils. The accuracy of the localization procedure is found to be on the order of 1.5 ± 0.7 mm with a point phantom and sub-millimeters and degrees with a custom-made head/neck phantom. With line-laser marker, real-time respiratory monitoring is possible in the delay time of ∼ 0.7 sec. The wireless CCTV camera system is the novel tool which can monitor daily patient setups. The feasibility of respiratory gating system with the wireless CCTV is hopeful

  3. Technologies for the Fast Set-Up of Automated Assembly Processes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krüger, Norbert; Ude, Ales; Petersen, Henrik Gordon

    2014-01-01

    of so called few-of-a-kind production. Therefore, most production of this kind is done manually and thus often performed in low-wage countries. In the IntellAct project, we have developed a set of methods which facilitate the set-up of a complex automatic assembly process, and here we present our work...

  4. Fast evaluation of patient set-up during radiotherapy by aligning features in portal and simulator images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bijhold, J.; Herk, M. van; Vijlbrief, R.; Lebesque, J.V.

    1991-01-01

    A new fast method is presented for the quantification of patient set-up errors during radiotherapy with external photon beams. The set-up errors are described as deviations in relative position and orientation of specified anatomical structures relative to specified field shaping devices. These deviations are determined from parameters of the image transformations that make their features in a portal image align with the corresponding features in a simulator image. Knowledge of some set-up parameters during treatment simulation is required. The method does not require accurate knowledge about the position of the portal imaging device as long as the positions of some of the field shaping devices are verified independently during treatment. By applying this method, deviations in a pelvic phantom set-up can be measured with a precision of 2 mm within 1 minute. Theoretical considerations and experiments have shown that the method is not applicable when there are out-of-plane rotations larger than 2 degrees or translations larger than 1 cm. Inter-observer variability proved to be a source of large systematic errors, which could be reduced by offering a precise protocol for the feature alignment. (author)

  5. Automation of a high-speed imaging setup for differential viscosity measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hurth, C.; Duane, B.; Whitfield, D.; Smith, S.; Nordquist, A.; Zenhausern, F.

    2013-12-01

    We present the automation of a setup previously used to assess the viscosity of pleural effusion samples and discriminate between transudates and exudates, an important first step in clinical diagnostics. The presented automation includes the design, testing, and characterization of a vacuum-actuated loading station that handles the 2 mm glass spheres used as sensors, as well as the engineering of electronic Printed Circuit Board (PCB) incorporating a microcontroller and their synchronization with a commercial high-speed camera operating at 10 000 fps. The hereby work therefore focuses on the instrumentation-related automation efforts as the general method and clinical application have been reported earlier [Hurth et al., J. Appl. Phys. 110, 034701 (2011)]. In addition, we validate the performance of the automated setup with the calibration for viscosity measurements using water/glycerol standard solutions and the determination of the viscosity of an "unknown" solution of hydroxyethyl cellulose.

  6. Automation of a high-speed imaging setup for differential viscosity measurements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hurth, C.; Duane, B.; Whitfield, D.; Smith, S.; Nordquist, A.; Zenhausern, F. [Center for Applied Nanobioscience and Medicine, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, 425 N 5th Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85004 (United States)

    2013-12-28

    We present the automation of a setup previously used to assess the viscosity of pleural effusion samples and discriminate between transudates and exudates, an important first step in clinical diagnostics. The presented automation includes the design, testing, and characterization of a vacuum-actuated loading station that handles the 2 mm glass spheres used as sensors, as well as the engineering of electronic Printed Circuit Board (PCB) incorporating a microcontroller and their synchronization with a commercial high-speed camera operating at 10 000 fps. The hereby work therefore focuses on the instrumentation-related automation efforts as the general method and clinical application have been reported earlier [Hurth et al., J. Appl. Phys. 110, 034701 (2011)]. In addition, we validate the performance of the automated setup with the calibration for viscosity measurements using water/glycerol standard solutions and the determination of the viscosity of an “unknown” solution of hydroxyethyl cellulose.

  7. The setup to investigate rare processes with neutron producing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bystritskij, V.M.; Zhuravlev, N.I.; Merzlyakov, S.I.; Sidorov, V.T.; Stolupin, V.A.; Strelkov, A.V.; Shvetsov, V.N.

    1995-01-01

    An experimental setup has been created to study rare processes with neutron production. The detecting system comprises a scintillation detector in the form of a cup around which thermal neutron detectors (BF3 counters) set in paraffin are placed parallel to the common axis in two concentric circles. The detecting system and registering electronics make it possible to obtain time and amplitude information for each registered event. 8 refs., 5 figs

  8. Development of novel whole-body exposure setups for rats providing high efficiency, National Toxicology Program (NTP) compatibility and well-characterized exposure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kainz, Wolfgang [Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), 12725 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20852 (United States); Nikoloski, Neviana [IT' IS Foundation-The Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich (Switzerland); Oesch, Walter [IT' IS Foundation-The Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich (Switzerland); Berdinas-Torres, Veronica [IT' IS Foundation-The Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich (Switzerland); Froehlich, Juerg [IT' IS Foundation-The Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich (Switzerland); Neubauer, Georg [ARC Seibersdorf research GmbH, Kramergasse 1, A-1010 Vienna (Austria); Kuster, Niels [IT' IS Foundation-The Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich (Switzerland)

    2006-10-21

    This paper presents the design, optimization, realization and verification of novel whole-body exposure setups for rats. The setups operating at 902 MHz and 1747 MHz provide highly efficient, National Toxicology Program (NTP) compatible and well-characterized exposures. They are compared to existing concepts of exposure setups with respect to efficiency, induced field uniformity, good laboratory practice (GLP) compatibility and cost. The novel exposure setup consists of a circular cascade of 17 sectorial waveguides excited by a novel loop antenna placed in the centre. The 70% overall efficiency of the exposure setup surpasses comparable values of existing setups. A field uniformity inside the phantom of more than 86% for the 1g cubical averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) within {+-}5 dB of the whole-body SAR (WB-SAR) was attained. The uniformity of the exposure inside the setup, defined as the variation of the WB-SAR between animals, was better than {+-}24%. Using only stainless steel, gold and polycarbonate in the vicinity of the animals ensured full GLP compatibility. The entire exposure system features fully automated computer controlled exposure and data monitoring, data storing and failure handling. Therefore, the proposed exposure system can be used to run blinded large scale, long-term exposure studies.

  9. Laser characterisation of a 3D single-type column p-type prototype module read out with ATLAS SCT electronics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ehrich, T.; Kuehn, S.; Boscardin, M.; Dalla Betta, G.-F.; Eckert, S.; Jakobs, K.; Maassen, M.; Parzefall, U.; Piemonte, C.; Pozza, A.; Ronchin, S.; Zorzi, N.

    2007-01-01

    In this paper measurements of a 3D single-type column (3D-stc) microstrip silicon device are shown. The 3D-stc sensor has n-type columns in p-type substrate. It has been connected to an ATLAS SCT ABCD3T chip and is readout with ATLAS SCT electronics at 40 MHz. Spatial measurements were done with a laser setup to investigate the expected low field region in 3D devices. An influence of the p-stops on the collected charge has been observed

  10. Laser characterisation of a 3D single-type column p-type prototype module read out with ATLAS SCT electronics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ehrich, T. [Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet Freiburg, Hermann-Herder Str. 3, 79104 Freiburg (Germany); Kuehn, S. [Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet Freiburg, Hermann-Herder Str. 3, 79104 Freiburg (Germany)], E-mail: susanne.kuehn@physik.uni-freiburg.de; Boscardin, M.; Dalla Betta, G.-F. [ITC-irst Trento, Microsystems Division, via Sommarive, 18 38050 Povo di Trento (Italy); Eckert, S.; Jakobs, K.; Maassen, M.; Parzefall, U. [Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet Freiburg, Hermann-Herder Str. 3, 79104 Freiburg (Germany); Piemonte, C.; Pozza, A.; Ronchin, S.; Zorzi, N. [ITC-irst Trento, Microsystems Division, via Sommarive, 18 38050 Povo di Trento (Italy)

    2007-12-11

    In this paper measurements of a 3D single-type column (3D-stc) microstrip silicon device are shown. The 3D-stc sensor has n-type columns in p-type substrate. It has been connected to an ATLAS SCT ABCD3T chip and is readout with ATLAS SCT electronics at 40 MHz. Spatial measurements were done with a laser setup to investigate the expected low field region in 3D devices. An influence of the p-stops on the collected charge has been observed.

  11. Production and Resource Scheduling in Mass Customization with Dependent Setup Consideration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Izabela Ewa; Bocewicz, G.; Do, Ngoc Anh Dung

    2014-01-01

    will contribute to the success of mass customization. This paper addresses the problem of production and resource scheduling for a production system with dependent setup and internal transportation such as AGVs in a mass customization environment. A constraint-programming-based methodology is developed to satisfy...

  12. Development of group setup strategies for makespan minimization in PCB assembly

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yilmaz, I.O.; Grunow, M.; Günther, H.-O.

    2007-01-01

    of the component magazine into account. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in an extensive numerical investigation of a single-gantry collect-and-place machine equipped with a rotary placement head and an interchangeable feeder trolley. Compared to conventional methodologies, the proposed group setup...

  13. Experimental setup for x-ray absorption spectroscopy at the DESY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rabe, P.; Tolkiehn, G.; Werner, A.

    1979-10-01

    In this paper we describe an apparatus used at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) for the measurement of x-ray absorption spectra, specially designed for the investigation of the extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). Performance of the setup is discussed and compared with an apparatus using the bremsstrahlung of a conventional x-ray source. (orig.)

  14. Developing and implementing a high precision setup system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Lee-Cheng

    The demand for high-precision radiotherapy (HPRT) was first implemented in stereotactic radiosurgery using a rigid, invasive stereotactic head frame. Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) with a frameless device was developed along a growing interest in sophisticated treatment with a tight margin and high-dose gradient. This dissertation establishes the complete management for HPRT in the process of frameless SRT, including image-guided localization, immobilization, and dose evaluation. The most ideal and precise positioning system can allow for ease of relocation, real-time patient movement assessment, high accuracy, and no additional dose in daily use. A new image-guided stereotactic positioning system (IGSPS), the Align RT3C 3D surface camera system (ART, VisionRT), which combines 3D surface images and uses a real-time tracking technique, was developed to ensure accurate positioning at the first place. The uncertainties of current optical tracking system, which causes patient discomfort due to additional bite plates using the dental impression technique and external markers, are found. The accuracy and feasibility of ART is validated by comparisons with the optical tracking and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) systems. Additionally, an effective daily quality assurance (QA) program for the linear accelerator and multiple IGSPSs is the most important factor to ensure system performance in daily use. Currently, systematic errors from the phantom variety and long measurement time caused by switching phantoms were discovered. We investigated the use of a commercially available daily QA device to improve the efficiency and thoroughness. Reasonable action level has been established by considering dosimetric relevance and clinic flow. As for intricate treatments, the effect of dose deviation caused by setup errors remains uncertain on tumor coverage and toxicity on OARs. The lack of adequate dosimetric simulations based on the true treatment coordinates from

  15. Voice Quality Measuring Setup with Automatic Voice over IP Call Generator and Lawful Interception Packet Analyzer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    PLEVA Matus

    Full Text Available This paper describes the packet measuring laboratory setup, which could be used also for lawful interception applications, using professional packet analyzer, Voice over IP call generator, free call server (Asterisk linux setup and appropriate software and hardware described below. This setup was used for measuring the quality of the automatically generated VoIP calls under stressed network conditions, when the call manager server was flooded with high bandwidth traffic, near the bandwidth limit of the connected switch. The call generator realizes 30 calls simultaneously and the packet capturer & analyzercould decode the VoIP traffic, extract RTP session data, automatically analyze the voice quality using standardized MOS (Mean Opinion Score values and describe also the source of the voice degradation (jitter, packet loss, codec, delay, etc..

  16. A new beam diagnostic system for the MASHA setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Motycak, S.; Kamas, D.; Rodin, A.M.; Novoselov, A.S.; Podshibyakin, A.V.; Belozerov, A.V.; Vedeneyev, V.Yu.; Gulyaev, A.V.; Gulyaeva, A.V.; Salamatin, V.S.; Stepantsov, S.V.; Chernysheva, E.V.; Yukhimchuk, S.A.; Komarov, A.B.; Krupa, L.; Kliman, J.

    2016-01-01

    A new beam diagnostic system based on the PXI standard was developed, tested, and used in the MASHA setup experiment. The beam energy and beam current measurements were carried out using several methods. The online time-of-flight energy measurements were carried out using three pick-up detectors. We used two electronic systems to measure the time between the pick-ups. The first system was based on fast Agilent digitizers (2-channel, 4-GHz sampling rate), and the second one was based on a constant fraction discriminator (CFD) connected to a time-to-digital converter (TDC, 5-ps resolution). A new graphical interface to monitor the electronic devices and to perform the online calculations of energy was developed using MFC C ++. The second system based on microchannel plate (time-of-flight) and silicon detectors for the determination of beam energy and the type of accelerated particles was also used. The beam current measurements were carried out with two different sensors. The first sensor is a rotating Faraday cup placed in front of the target, and the second one is an emission detector installed at the rear of the target. This system is now used in experiments for the synthesis of superheavy elements at the U400M cyclotron of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (FLNR).

  17. A new beam diagnostic system for the MASHA setup

    Science.gov (United States)

    Motycak, S.; Rodin, A. M.; Novoselov, A. S.; Podshibyakin, A. V.; Krupa, L.; Belozerov, A. V.; Vedeneyev, V. Yu.; Gulyaev, A. V.; Gulyaeva, A. V.; Kliman, J.; Salamatin, V. S.; Stepantsov, S. V.; Chernysheva, E. V.; Yuchimchuk, S. A.; Komarov, A. B.; Kamas, D.

    2016-09-01

    A new beam diagnostic system based on the PXI standard was developed, tested, and used in the MASHA setup experiment. The beam energy and beam current measurements were carried out using several methods. The online time-of-flight energy measurements were carried out using three pick-up detectors. We used two electronic systems to measure the time between the pick-ups. The first system was based on fast Agilent digitizers (2-channel, 4-GHz sampling rate), and the second one was based on a constant fraction discriminator (CFD) connected to a time-to-digital converter (TDC, 5-ps resolution). A new graphical interface to monitor the electronic devices and to perform the online calculations of energy was developed using MFC C++. The second system based on microchannel plate (time-of-flight) and silicon detectors for the determination of beam energy and the type of accelerated particles was also used. The beam current measurements were carried out with two different sensors. The first sensor is a rotating Faraday cup placed in front of the target, and the second one is an emission detector installed at the rear of the target. This system is now used in experiments for the synthesis of superheavy elements at the U400M cyclotron of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (FLNR).

  18. Verification of design calculations of a PGNAA setup using nuclear track ejectors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naqvi, A.A. E-mail: aanaqvi@kfupm.edu.sa; Fazal-ur-Rehman,; Nagadi, .M.; Maslehuddin, M.; Khateeb-ur-Rehman; Kidwai, S

    2004-02-01

    A rectangular moderator assembly has been designed for the PGNAA setup at ing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). The design calculations of the rectangular moderator, which were obtained through Monte Carlo simulation, have been verified experimentally through thermal neutron field measurement using CR-39 nuclear track detectors (NTDs). These measurements were carried out at the KFUPM 350 keV accelerator using 2.8 MeV pulsed neutron beam from D(d,n) reaction. The thermal neutron yield was measured inside the sample volume of the rectangular moderator by two NTDs fixed at back and front end of the sample cavity. The good agreement between he experimental results and the results of the calculations shows useful application of NTDs in verification of design calculations of a PGNAA setup.

  19. Extracranial stereotactic radiation therapy: set-up accuracy of patients treated for liver metastases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herfarth, K.K.; Debus, J.; Lohr, F.; Bahner, M.L.; Fritz, P.; Hoess, A.; Schlegel, W. Ph.D.; Wannenmacher, M.F.

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: Patients with liver metastases might benefit from high-dose conformal radiation therapy. A high accuracy of repositioning and a reduction of target movement are necessary for such an approach. The set-up accuracy of patients with liver metastases treated with stereotactic single dose radiation was evaluated. Methods and Materials: Twenty-four patients with liver metastases were treated with single dose radiation therapy on 26 occasions using a self-developed stereotactic frame. Liver movement was reduced by abdominal pressure. The effectiveness was evaluated under fluoroscopy. CT scans were performed on the planning day and directly before treatment. Representative reference marks were chosen and the coordinates were calculated. In addition, the target displacement was quantitatively evaluated after treatment. Results: Diaphragmal movement was reduced to median 7 mm (range: 3-13 mm). The final set-up accuracy of the body was limited to all of median 1.8 mm in latero-lateral direction (range: 0.3-5.0 mm) and 2.0 mm in anterior-posterior direction (0.8-3.8 mm). Deviations of the body in cranio-caudal direction were always less than the thickness of one CT slice (<5 mm). However, a repositioning was necessary in 16 occasions. The final target shift was median 1.6 mm (0.2-7.0 mm) in latero-lateral and 2.3 mm in anterior-posterior direction (0.0-6.3 mm). The median shift in cranio-caudal direction was 4.4 mm (0.0-10.0 mm). Conclusions: In patients with liver metastases, a high set-up accuracy of the body and the target can be achieved. This allows a high-dose focal radiotherapy of these lesions. However, a control CT scan should be performed directly before therapy to confirm set-up accuracy and possibly prompt necessary corrections

  20. Residual setup errors caused by rotation and non-rigid motion in prone-treated cervical cancer patients after online CBCT image-guidance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, Rozilawati; Hoogeman, Mischa S.; Quint, Sandra; Mens, Jan Willem; Osorio, Eliana M. Vásquez; Heijmen, Ben J.M.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To quantify the impact of uncorrected or partially corrected pelvis rotation and spine bending on region-specific residual setup errors in prone-treated cervical cancer patients. Methods and materials: Fifteen patients received an in-room CBCT scan twice a week. CBCT scans were registered to the planning CT-scan using a pelvic clip box and considering both translations and rotations. For daily correction of the detected translational pelvis setup errors by couch shifts, residual setup errors were determined for L5, L4 and seven other points of interest (POIs). The same was done for a procedure with translational corrections and limited rotational correction (±3°) by a 6D positioning device. Results: With translational correction only, residual setup errors were large especially for L5/L4 in AP direction (Σ = 5.1/5.5 mm). For the 7 POIs the residual setup errors ranged from 1.8 to 5.6 mm (AP). Using the 6D positioning device, the errors were substantially smaller (for L5/L4 in AP direction Σ = 2.7/2.2 mm). Using this device, the percentage of fractions with a residual AP displacement for L4 > 5 mm reduced from 47% to 9%. Conclusions: Setup variations caused by pelvis rotations are large and cannot be ignored in prone treatment of cervical cancer patients. Corrections with a 6D positioning device may considerably reduce resulting setup errors, but the residual setup errors should still be accounted for by appropriate CTV-to-PTV margins.

  1. Setup reproducibility in radiation therapy for lung cancer: a comparison between T-bar and expanded foam immobilization devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halperin, Ross; Roa, Wilson; Field, Melissa; Hanson, John; Murray, Brad

    1999-01-01

    Purpose: Physiologic and non-physiologic tumor motion complicates the use of tight margins in three-dimensional (3D) conformal radiotherapy. Setup reproducibility is an important non-physiologic cause of tumor motion. The objective of this study is to evaluate and compare patient setup reproducibility using the reusable T-bar and the disposable expanded foam immobilization device (EFID) in radiation therapy for lung cancer. Methods and Materials: Two hundred forty-four portal films were taken from 16 prospectively accrued patients treated for lung cancer. Patients were treated with either a pair of anterior and posterior parallel opposing fields (POF), or a combination of POF and a three-field isocentric technique. Each patient was treated in a supine position using either the T-bar setup or EFID. Six patients were treated in both devices over their treatment courses. Field placement analysis was used to evaluate 3D setup reproducibility, by comparing positions of bony landmarks relative to the radiation field edges in digitized simulator and portal images. Anterior-posterior, lateral, and longitudinal displacements, as well as field rotations along coronal and sagittal planes were measured. Statistical analyses of variance were applied to the deviations among portal films of all patients and the subgroup treated with both immobilization methods. Results: For the T-bar immobilization device, standard deviations of the setup reproducibility were 5.1, 3.7, and 5.1 mm in the anterior-posterior, lateral, and longitudinal dimensions, respectively. Rotations in the coronal plane and the sagittal plane were 0.9 deg. and 1.0 deg. , respectively. For the EFID, corresponding standard deviations of set up reproducibility were 3.6 mm, 5.3 mm, 5.4 mm, 0.7 deg. and 1.4 deg. , respectively. There was no statistically significant difference (p = 0.22) in the 3D setup reproducibility between T-bar and EFID. Subgroup analysis for the patients who were treated with both

  2. Using smartphones and tablet PCs for β--spectroscopy in an educational experimental setup

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gröber, Sebastian; Molz, Alexander; Kuhn, Jochen

    2014-11-01

    A magnetic spectrometer is used to gather the β--spectrum of 90 Sr /Y with a focus on two aspects. (1) The intensity of β--radiation is measured by the camera sensor module of a tablet PC together with the RadioactivityCounter app and by a Geiger-Müller tube. We evaluate the quality of mobile devices as radioactive radiation detectors by using polyenergetic β--radiation as an example and by comparing the spectra measured with the two detector types. (2) For educational purposes we implement a simple experimental setup, which consists of separate devices for measuring the electron’s kinetic energy and intensity, which are available in laboratories in educational settings. Comparison of the measured β--spectra published in the literature should encourage students to think about the energy resolution power of the β--spectrometer. Theoretical considerations show the low, yet sufficient energy resolution power of this spectrometer, especially for low energy levels.

  3. Investigation on Superior Performance by Fractional Controller for Cart-Servo Laboratory Set-Up

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ameya Anil Kesarkar

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, an investigation is made on the superiority of fractional PID controller (PI^alpha D^beta over conventional PID for the cart-servo laboratory set-up. The designed controllers are optimum in the sense of Integral Absolute Error (IAE and Integral Square Error (ISE. The paper contributes in three aspects: 1 Acquiring nonlinear mathematical model for the cart-servo laboratory set-up, 2 Designing fractional and integer order PID for minimizing IAE, ISE, 3 Analyzing the performance of designed controllers for simulated plant model as well as real plant. The results show a significantly superior performance by PI^alpha D^beta as compared to the conventional PID controller.

  4. Development of a TOF SIMS setup at the Zagreb heavy ion microbeam facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tadić, Tonči; Bogdanović Radović, Iva; Siketić, Zdravko; Cosic, Donny Domagoj; Skukan, Natko; Jakšić, Milko; Matsuo, Jiro

    2014-08-01

    We describe a new Time-of-flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF SIMS) setup for MeV SIMS application, which is constructed and installed at the heavy ion microbeam facility at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb. The TOF-SIMS setup is developed for high sensitivity molecular imaging using a heavy ion microbeam that focuses ion beams (from C to I) with sub-micron resolution. Dedicated pulse processing electronics for MeV SIMS application have been developed, enabling microbeam-scanning control, incoming ion microbeam pulsing and molecular mapping. The first results showing measured MeV SIMS spectra as well as molecular maps for samples of interest are presented and discussed.

  5. Development of a TOF SIMS setup at the Zagreb heavy ion microbeam facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tadić, Tonči; Bogdanović Radović, Iva; Siketić, Zdravko; Cosic, Donny Domagoj; Skukan, Natko; Jakšić, Milko; Matsuo, Jiro

    2014-01-01

    We describe a new Time-of-flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF SIMS) setup for MeV SIMS application, which is constructed and installed at the heavy ion microbeam facility at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb. The TOF-SIMS setup is developed for high sensitivity molecular imaging using a heavy ion microbeam that focuses ion beams (from C to I) with sub-micron resolution. Dedicated pulse processing electronics for MeV SIMS application have been developed, enabling microbeam-scanning control, incoming ion microbeam pulsing and molecular mapping. The first results showing measured MeV SIMS spectra as well as molecular maps for samples of interest are presented and discussed

  6. Beam patterns in an optical parametric oscillator set-up employing walk-off compensating beta barium borate crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaucikas, M.; Warren, M.; Michailovas, A.; Antanavicius, R.; van Thor, J. J.

    2013-02-01

    This paper describes the investigation of an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) set-up based on two beta barium borate (BBO) crystals, where the interplay between the crystal orientations, cut angles and air dispersion substantially influenced the OPO performance, and especially the angular spectrum of the output beam. Theory suggests that if two BBO crystals are used in this type of design, they should be of different cuts. This paper aims to provide an experimental manifestation of this fact. Furthermore, it has been shown that air dispersion produces similar effects and should be taken into account. An x-ray crystallographic indexing of the crystals was performed as an independent test of the above conclusions.

  7. Beam patterns in an optical parametric oscillator set-up employing walk-off compensating beta barium borate crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaucikas, M; Warren, M; Van Thor, J J; Michailovas, A; Antanavicius, R

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes the investigation of an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) set-up based on two beta barium borate (BBO) crystals, where the interplay between the crystal orientations, cut angles and air dispersion substantially influenced the OPO performance, and especially the angular spectrum of the output beam. Theory suggests that if two BBO crystals are used in this type of design, they should be of different cuts. This paper aims to provide an experimental manifestation of this fact. Furthermore, it has been shown that air dispersion produces similar effects and should be taken into account. An x-ray crystallographic indexing of the crystals was performed as an independent test of the above conclusions. (paper)

  8. Studies of η' (ω) mesons with the crystal ball/TAPS setup at MAMI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adlarson, Patrik [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet, Mainz (Germany); Collaboration: A2-Collaboration

    2015-07-01

    Precision studies of light meson decays are used to investigate a wide range of topics related to fundamental aspects of hadron physics. In particular, η' decays allow for tests of such diverse topics as ππ scattering lengths, the SU(3) singlet-octet mixing angle, quark mass differences and light-by-light contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. Recently, a large statistics sample of η'(ω) mesons have been produced and collected with the Crystal Ball/TAPS setup at MAMI. An overview of the physics motivation, the experimental setup and preliminary results from the ongoing analyses are presented.

  9. Speed and amplitude of lung tumor motion precisely detected in four-dimensional setup and in real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirato, Hiroki; Suzuki, Keishiro; Sharp, Gregory C.; Fujita, Katsuhisa R.T.; Onimaru, Rikiya; Fujino, Masaharu; Kato, Norio; Osaka, Yasuhiro; Kinoshita, Rumiko; Taguchi, Hiroshi; Onodera, Shunsuke; Miyasaka, Kazuo

    2006-01-01

    Background: To reduce the uncertainty of registration for lung tumors, we have developed a four-dimensional (4D) setup system using a real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system. Methods and Materials: During treatment planning and daily setup in the treatment room, the trajectory of the internal fiducial marker was recorded for 1 to 2 min at the rate of 30 times per second by the real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system. To maximize gating efficiency, the patient's position on the treatment couch was adjusted using the 4D setup system with fine on-line remote control of the treatment couch. Results: The trajectory of the marker detected in the 4D setup system was well visualized and used for daily setup. Various degrees of interfractional and intrafractional changes in the absolute amplitude and speed of the internal marker were detected. Readjustments were necessary during each treatment session, prompted by baseline shifting of the tumor position. Conclusion: The 4D setup system was shown to be useful for reducing the uncertainty of tumor motion and for increasing the efficiency of gated irradiation. Considering the interfractional and intrafractional changes in speed and amplitude detected in this study, intercepting radiotherapy is the safe and cost-effective method for 4D radiotherapy using real-time tracking technology

  10. A novel method to correct for pitch and yaw patient setup errors in helical tomotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boswell, Sarah A.; Jeraj, Robert; Ruchala, Kenneth J.; Olivera, Gustavo H.; Jaradat, Hazim A.; James, Joshua A.; Gutierrez, Alonso; Pearson, Dave; Frank, Gary; Mackie, T. Rock

    2005-01-01

    An accurate means of determining and correcting for daily patient setup errors is important to the cancer outcome in radiotherapy. While many tools have been developed to detect setup errors, difficulty may arise in accurately adjusting the patient to account for the rotational error components. A novel, automated method to correct for rotational patient setup errors in helical tomotherapy is proposed for a treatment couch that is restricted to motion along translational axes. In tomotherapy, only a narrow superior/inferior section of the target receives a dose at any instant, thus rotations in the sagittal and coronal planes may be approximately corrected for by very slow continuous couch motion in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction. Results from proof-of-principle tests indicate that the method improves the accuracy of treatment delivery, especially for long and narrow targets. Rotational corrections about an axis perpendicular to the transverse plane continue to be implemented easily in tomotherapy by adjustment of the initial gantry angle

  11. Six dimensional X-ray Tensor Tomography with a compact laboratory setup

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Y.; Wieczorek, M.; Schaff, F.; Seyyedi, S.; Prade, F.; Pfeiffer, F.; Lasser, T.

    2016-09-01

    Attenuation based X-ray micro computed tomography (XCT) provides three-dimensional images with micrometer resolution. However, there is a trade-off between the smallest size of the structures that can be resolved and the measurable sample size. In this letter, we present an imaging method using a compact laboratory setup that reveals information about micrometer-sized structures within samples that are several orders of magnitudes larger. We combine the anisotropic dark-field signal obtained in a grating interferometer and advanced tomographic reconstruction methods to reconstruct a six dimensional scattering tensor at every spatial location in three dimensions. The scattering tensor, thus obtained, encodes information about the orientation of micron-sized structures such as fibres in composite materials or dentinal tubules in human teeth. The sparse acquisition schemes presented in this letter enable the measurement of the full scattering tensor at every spatial location and can be easily incorporated in a practical, commercially feasible laboratory setup using conventional X-ray tubes, thus allowing for widespread industrial applications.

  12. Performance of velocity vector estimation using an improved dynamic beamforming setup

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munk, Peter; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

    2001-01-01

    control of the acoustic field, based on the Pulsed Plane Wave Decomposition (PPWD), is presented. The PPWD gives an unambigious relation between a given acoustic field and the time functions needed on an array transducer for transmission. Applying this method for the receive beamformation results in a set...... and experimental data. The simulation setup is an attempt to approximate the situation present when performing a scanning of the carotid artery with a linear array. Measurement of the flow perpendicular to the emission direction is possible using the approach of transverse spatial modulation. This is most often...... the case in a scanning of the carotid artery, where the situation is handled by an angled Doppler setup in the present ultrasound scanners. The modulation period of 2 mm is controlled for a range of 20-40 mm which covers the typical range of the carotid artery. A 6 MHz array on a 128-channel system...

  13. A containerless levitation setup for liquid processing in a superconducting magnet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Hui-Meng; Yin, Da-Chuan; Li, Hai-Sheng; Geng, Li-Qiang; Zhang, Chen-Yan; Lu, Qin-Qin; Guo, Yun-Zhu; Guo, Wei-Hong; Shang, Peng; Wakayama, Nobuko I

    2008-09-01

    Containerless processing of materials is considered beneficial for obtaining high quality products due to the elimination of the detrimental effects coming from the contact with container walls. Many containerless processing methods are realized by levitation techniques. This paper describes a containerless levitation setup that utilized the magnetization force generated in a gradient magnetic field. It comprises a levitation unit, a temperature control unit, and a real-time observation unit. Known volume of liquid diamagnetic samples can be levitated in the levitation chamber, the temperature of which is controlled using the temperature control unit. The evolution of the levitated sample is observed in real time using the observation unit. With this setup, containerless processing of liquid such as crystal growth from solution can be realized in a well-controlled manner. Since the levitation is achieved using a superconducting magnet, experiments requiring long duration time such as protein crystallization and simulation of space environment for living system can be easily succeeded.

  14. Experimental setup for evaluating an adaptive user interface for teleoperation control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wijayasinghe, Indika B.; Peetha, Srikanth; Abubakar, Shamsudeen; Saadatzi, Mohammad Nasser; Cremer, Sven; Popa, Dan O.

    2017-05-01

    A vital part of human interactions with a machine is the control interface, which single-handedly could define the user satisfaction and the efficiency of performing a task. This paper elaborates the implementation of an experimental setup to study an adaptive algorithm that can help the user better tele-operate the robot. The formulation of the adaptive interface and associate learning algorithms are general enough to apply when the mapping between the user controls and the robot actuators is complex and/or ambiguous. The method uses a genetic algorithm to find the optimal parameters that produce the input-output mapping for teleoperation control. In this paper, we describe the experimental setup and associated results that was used to validate the adaptive interface to a differential drive robot from two different input devices; a joystick, and a Myo gesture control armband. Results show that after the learning phase, the interface converges to an intuitive mapping that can help even inexperienced users drive the system to a goal location.

  15. A laboratory experimental setup for photo-absorption studies using synchrotron radiation

    CERN Document Server

    Shastri, A; Saraswati, P; Sunanda, K

    2002-01-01

    The photophysics beamline, which is being installed at the 450 MeV Synchrotron Radiation Source (SRS), Indus-l, is a medium resolution beamline useful for a variety of experiments in the VUV region viz. 500-2000 A. One of the major applications of this beamline is gas-phase photo-absorption studies. An experimental set up to be used for these experiments was designed, developed and tested in our laboratory. The setup consists of a high vacuum absorption cell, 1/4 m monochromator and detection system. For the purpose of testing, xenon and tungsten continuum sources were used and absorption spectra were recorded in the UV region. This setup was used to record the absorption spectrum of a few molecules like acetone, ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in order to evaluate the performance of the experimental system which will subsequently be used with the photophysics beamline. Details of the design, fabrication and testing of the absorption cell and experimental procedures are presented in this repor...

  16. Precision assessment of model-based RSA for a total knee prosthesis in a biplanar set-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trozzi, C; Kaptein, B L; Garling, E H; Shelyakova, T; Russo, A; Bragonzoni, L; Martelli, S

    2008-10-01

    Model-based Roentgen Stereophotogrammetric Analysis (RSA) was recently developed for the measurement of prosthesis micromotion. Its main advantage is that markers do not need to be attached to the implants as traditional marker-based RSA requires. Model-based RSA has only been tested in uniplanar radiographic set-ups. A biplanar set-up would theoretically facilitate the pose estimation algorithm, since radiographic projections would show more different shape features of the implants than in uniplanar images. We tested the precision of model-based RSA and compared it with that of the traditional marker-based method in a biplanar set-up. Micromotions of both tibial and femoral components were measured with both the techniques from double examinations of patients participating in a clinical study. The results showed that in the biplanar set-up model-based RSA presents a homogeneous distribution of precision for all the translation directions, but an inhomogeneous error for rotations, especially internal-external rotation presented higher errors than rotations about the transverse and sagittal axes. Model-based RSA was less precise than the marker-based method, although the differences were not significant for the translations and rotations of the tibial component, with the exception of the internal-external rotations. For both prosthesis components the precisions of model-based RSA were below 0.2 mm for all the translations, and below 0.3 degrees for rotations about transverse and sagittal axes. These values are still acceptable for clinical studies aimed at evaluating total knee prosthesis micromotion. In a biplanar set-up model-based RSA is a valid alternative to traditional marker-based RSA where marking of the prosthesis is an enormous disadvantage.

  17. Validation of a fully automated robotic setup for preparation of whole blood samples for LC-MS toxicology analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, David Wederkinck; Rasmussen, Brian; Linnet, Kristian

    2012-01-01

    A fully automated setup was developed for preparing whole blood samples using a Tecan Evo workstation. By integrating several add-ons to the robotic platform, the flexible setup was able to prepare samples from sample tubes to a 96-well sample plate ready for injection on liquid chromatography...

  18. Experimental Evaluation of MIMO Terminals with User Influence in OTA Setups

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fan, Wei; Kyösti, Pekka; Hentilä, Lassi

    2017-01-01

    channel models in a practical 3D multi-probe anechoic chamber (MPAC) setup. A terminal mock-up, operating at 2.55 GHz, together with a realistic user phantom was used, and channel models with different spatial and polarization profiles, DUT with different operation modes and orientation angles were tested....

  19. Laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition setup for fast synthesis of graphene patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Chentao; Zhang, Jianhuan; Lin, Kun; Huang, Yuanqing

    2017-05-01

    An automatic setup based on the laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition method has been developed for the rapid synthesis of graphene patterns. The key components of this setup include a laser beam control and focusing unit, a laser spot monitoring unit, and a vacuum and flow control unit. A laser beam with precision control of laser power is focused on the surface of a nickel foil substrate by the laser beam control and focusing unit for localized heating. A rapid heating and cooling process at the localized region is induced by the relative movement between the focalized laser spot and the nickel foil substrate, which causes the decomposing of gaseous hydrocarbon and the out-diffusing of excess carbon atoms to form graphene patterns on the laser scanning path. All the fabrication parameters that affect the quality and number of graphene layers, such as laser power, laser spot size, laser scanning speed, pressure of vacuum chamber, and flow rates of gases, can be precisely controlled and monitored during the preparation of graphene patterns. A simulation of temperature distribution was carried out via the finite element method, providing a scientific guidance for the regulation of temperature distribution during experiments. A multi-layer graphene ribbon with few defects was synthesized to verify its performance of the rapid growth of high-quality graphene patterns. Furthermore, this setup has potential applications in other laser-based graphene synthesis and processing.

  20. Study of additive manufactured microwave cavities for pulsed optically pumped atomic clock applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Affolderbach, C.; Moreno, W.; Ivanov, A. E.; Debogovic, T.; Pellaton, M.; Skrivervik, A. K.; de Rijk, E.; Mileti, G.

    2018-03-01

    Additive manufacturing (AM) of passive microwave components is of high interest for the cost-effective and rapid prototyping or manufacture of devices with complex geometries. Here, we present an experimental study on the properties of recently demonstrated microwave resonator cavities manufactured by AM, in view of their applications to high-performance compact atomic clocks. The microwave cavities employ a loop-gap geometry using six electrodes. The critical electrode structures were manufactured monolithically using two different approaches: Stereolithography (SLA) of a polymer followed by metal coating and Selective Laser Melting (SLM) of aluminum. The tested microwave cavities show the desired TE011-like resonant mode at the Rb clock frequency of ≈6.835 GHz, with a microwave magnetic field highly parallel to the quantization axis across the vapor cell. When operated in an atomic clock setup, the measured atomic Rabi oscillations are comparable to those observed for conventionally manufactured cavities and indicate a good uniformity of the field amplitude across the vapor cell. Employing a time-domain Ramsey scheme on one of the SLA cavities, high-contrast (34%) Ramsey fringes are observed for the Rb clock transition, along with a narrow (166 Hz linewidth) central fringe. The measured clock stability of 2.2 × 10-13 τ-1/2 up to the integration time of 30 s is comparable to the current state-of-the-art stabilities of compact vapor-cell clocks based on conventional microwave cavities and thus demonstrates the feasibility of the approach.

  1. A simple and convenient set-up for high-temperature Brillouin light scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guerette, Michael; Huang Liping

    2012-01-01

    An emulated platelet geometry (or reflection-induced platelet geometry) is employed to collect photons scattered from both longitudinal and transverse acoustic waves travelling within a bulk transparent sample sitting on a reflective Pt plate. Temperature of the sample was controlled with a Linkam TS1500 optical furnace (maximum temperature of 1500 °C). This simple and convenient set-up allows a full determination of elastic constants of transparent materials in situ as a function of temperature from Brillouin light scattering. Structural information can be gained at the same time by guiding the scattered light into a Raman spectrometer using a flipping mirror or a beam splitter. We will demonstrate the applications of this set-up in transparent inorganic glasses, but it can be easily extended to any other transparent materials, either crystalline or amorphous in nature. (paper)

  2. Cost Effective Cloud Environment Setup to Secure Corporate Data

    OpenAIRE

    Mrs.Ashwini Prakash Sawant; Prof. Sandeep Vanjale; Mrs. Mousami Vanjale

    2013-01-01

    In recent years ad-hoc parallel processing has emerged to be one among the killer applications for Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) clouds. Major Cloud computing firms have began to integrate frameworks for parallel processing in their product portfolio, creating it simple for purchasers to access these services and to deploy their programs. However, the process frameworks that area unit presently used are designed for static, consistent cluster setups and disrespect the actual nature of a ...

  3. Development of an experiment for ultrahigh-precision g-factor measurements in a Penning-trap setup

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alonso Otamendi, J.

    2007-07-13

    This thesis is concerned with the design and construction of an experimental setup aiming to perform ultrahigh-precision g-factor measurements on a bound electron in highly-charged ions. The g-factor of a particle is a dimensionless constant which determines the strength of its interaction with a magnetic field. In the case of an electron bound to a highly-charged ion, it serves as one of the most stringent tests of bound-state quantum electrodynamics (BS-QED). The measurement is based on a triple-Penning-trap system and the continuous Stern-Gerlach effect. The first part of the thesis is devoted to the current knowledge on magnetic moments and motivates the techniques and experimental setup used during the work described. As a major challenge to overcome, the charge breeding of the ions is dealt with in detail, along with the solution found, based on a field-emission-point array. The tools included allow for the measurement of ionization cross-sections by electron impact. The last part of the thesis is dedicated to the design and operation of the triple-Penning-trap setup and the detection schemes implemented. At present, all the experimental setup for the production of highly-charged ions and the corresponding g-factor measurement is completely finalized, including the control system needed for the first measurement stages, so the ion-creation and charge-breeding processes will be the next steps to be taken. (orig.)

  4. Development of an experiment for ultrahigh-precision g-factor measurements in a Penning-trap setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alonso Otamendi, J.

    2007-01-01

    This thesis is concerned with the design and construction of an experimental setup aiming to perform ultrahigh-precision g-factor measurements on a bound electron in highly-charged ions. The g-factor of a particle is a dimensionless constant which determines the strength of its interaction with a magnetic field. In the case of an electron bound to a highly-charged ion, it serves as one of the most stringent tests of bound-state quantum electrodynamics (BS-QED). The measurement is based on a triple-Penning-trap system and the continuous Stern-Gerlach effect. The first part of the thesis is devoted to the current knowledge on magnetic moments and motivates the techniques and experimental setup used during the work described. As a major challenge to overcome, the charge breeding of the ions is dealt with in detail, along with the solution found, based on a field-emission-point array. The tools included allow for the measurement of ionization cross-sections by electron impact. The last part of the thesis is dedicated to the design and operation of the triple-Penning-trap setup and the detection schemes implemented. At present, all the experimental setup for the production of highly-charged ions and the corresponding g-factor measurement is completely finalized, including the control system needed for the first measurement stages, so the ion-creation and charge-breeding processes will be the next steps to be taken. (orig.)

  5. The role of a prone setup in breast radiation therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huppert, Nelly; Jozsef, Gabor; Dewyngaert, Keith; Formenti, Silvia Chiara

    2011-01-01

    Most patients undergoing breast conservation therapy receive radiotherapy in the supine position. Historically, prone breast irradiation has been advocated for women with large pendulous breasts in order to decrease acute and late toxicities. With the advent of CT planning, the prone technique has become both feasible and reproducible. It was shown to be advantageous not only for women with larger breasts but in most patients since it consistently reduces, if not eliminates, the inclusion of heart and lung within the field. The prone setup has been accepted as the best localizing position for both MRI and stereotactic biopsy, but its adoption has been delayed in radiotherapy. New technological advances including image-modulated radiation therapy and image-guided radiation therapy have made possible the exploration of accelerated fractionation schemes with a concomitant boost to the tumor bed in the prone position, along with better imaging and verification of reproducibility of patient setup. This review describes some of the available techniques for prone breast radiotherapy and the available experience in their application. The NYU prone breast radiotherapy approach is discussed, including a summary of the results from several prospective trials.

  6. The role of a prone setup in breast radiation therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelly eHuppert

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Most patients undergoing breast conservation therapy (BCT receive radiotherapy in the supine position. Historically, prone breast irradiation has been advocated for women with large pendulous breasts in order to decrease acute and late toxicities. With the advent of CT planning, the prone technique has become both feasible and reproducible. It was shown to be advantageous not only for women with larger breasts but in most patients since it consistently reduces, if not eliminates, the inclusion of heart and lung within the field. The prone setup has been accepted as the best localizing position for both MRI and stereotactic biopsy, but its adoption has been delayed in radiotherapy. New technological advances including image-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT have made possible the exploration of accelerated fractionation schemes with a concomitant boost to the tumor bed in the prone position, along with better imaging and verification of reproducibility of patient setup. This review describes some of the available techniques for prone breast radiotherapy and the available experience in their application. The NYU prone breast radiotherapy approach is discussed, including a summary of the results from several prospective trials.

  7. The Role of a Prone Setup in Breast Radiation Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huppert, Nelly; Jozsef, Gabor; DeWyngaert, Keith; Formenti, Silvia Chiara, E-mail: silvia.formenti@nyumc.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY (United States)

    2011-10-11

    Most patients undergoing breast conservation therapy receive radiotherapy in the supine position. Historically, prone breast irradiation has been advocated for women with large pendulous breasts in order to decrease acute and late toxicities. With the advent of CT planning, the prone technique has become both feasible and reproducible. It was shown to be advantageous not only for women with larger breasts but in most patients since it consistently reduces, if not eliminates, the inclusion of heart and lung within the field. The prone setup has been accepted as the best localizing position for both MRI and stereotactic biopsy, but its adoption has been delayed in radiotherapy. New technological advances including image-modulated radiation therapy and image-guided radiation therapy have made possible the exploration of accelerated fractionation schemes with a concomitant boost to the tumor bed in the prone position, along with better imaging and verification of reproducibility of patient setup. This review describes some of the available techniques for prone breast radiotherapy and the available experience in their application. The NYU prone breast radiotherapy approach is discussed, including a summary of the results from several prospective trials.

  8. Comparison of different Bremsstrahlung converters and collimators for Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence setup at IFUSP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez, P.N; Corrales, Y.; Manso Guevara, M.V; Martins, M.N.

    2007-01-01

    Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence (NRF) setup will install in the new electron accelerator, which is in final stage of installation at the Physics Institute of Sao Paulo University (IFUSP). The Bremsstrahlung facility and the setup for photon scattering should be designed such that the background radiation caused by scattering photons and the production of neutrons is minimized. In this order the Monte Carlo simulation studies show the best options for the different elements of the NRF setup, and how to link these elements to the particularities of the irradiation room. In the present stage the simulations has been included the studies of different Bremsstrahlung converters and collimators. Several materials (Ta, W, Au, Nb, Cu) for Bremsstrahlung converters were studied. Detailed analyses of intensity as well as the opening angles of Bremsstrahlung radiation were carried out, for different converter thickness. For the collimator two materials (Cu and Pb) were studied in the simulations. Several opening angles and thickness (40 - 100 cm) were studied. The Bremsstrahlung beam collimation for different energy bins, and the photon scattering from the collimator ,were used as quality parameters of the collimators. (Author)

  9. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) set-up with a low power X-ray tube

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gupta, Sheenu; Deep, Kanan; Jain, Lalita; Ansari, M.A.; Mittal, Vijay Kumar; Mittal, Raj

    2010-01-01

    The X-ray fluorescence set-up with a 100 W X-ray tube comprises a computer controlled system developed for remote operation and monitoring of tube and an adjustable stable 3D arrangement to procure variable excitation energies with low scattered background. The system was tested at different filament currents/anode voltages. The MDL of the set-up at 0.05-1.00 mA/4-12 kV is found ∼(1-100) ppm for K and L excitations and ∼(200-700) ppm for M excitations of elements and improves with filament current and anode voltage. Moreover, L measurements for Sm and Eu at five K X-ray energies of elements(Z=29-40) and analytical determination in some synthetic samples were undertaken.

  10. Integrating sphere-based setup as an accurate system for optical properties measurements

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Abdalmonem, S

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Determination of the optical properties of solid and liquid samples has great importance. Since the integrating sphere-based setup is used to measure the amount of reflected and transmitted light by the examined samples, optical properties could...

  11. Measurement setup for the magnetic penetration depth and superfluid stiffness in thin superconducting films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fuchs, Lorenz; Brunner, Markus Christopher Paul; Schneider, Ina; Kronfeldner, Klaus; Strunk, Christoph [Institute for exp. and appl. Physics, University of Regensburg (Germany); Bousquet, Jessica; Bustarret, Etienne [Institut NEEL, Grenoble (France)

    2015-07-01

    A mutual inductance measurement setup has been established in order to determine the magnetic penetration depths of thin film superconductors. By measuring the variation of the mutual inductance M, the temperature dependent penetration depth can be evaluated. The setup has been characterized using thin aluminum and niobium films as a reference. Temperature dependence of λ of B-doped diamond films is determined down to 0.3 K and compared with theoretical expectations. The impact of the doping ratio B/C and film thickness on λ and T{sub c} is investigated. Correlation between the film impedance σ = σ{sub 1} - i σ{sub 2} and λ is examined.

  12. Evaluation of initial setup errors of two immobilization devices for lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ueda, Yoshihiro; Teshima, Teruki; Cárdenes, Higinia; Das, Indra J

    2017-07-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy and efficacy of two commonly used commercial immobilization systems for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in lung cancer. This retrospective study assessed the efficacy and setup accuracy of two immobilization systems: the Elekta Body Frame (EBF) and the Civco Body Pro-Lok (CBP) in 80 patients evenly divided for each system. A cone beam CT (CBCT) was used before each treatment fraction for setup correction in both devices. Analyzed shifts were applied for setup correction and CBCT was repeated. If a large shift (>5 mm) occurred in any direction, an additional CBCT was employed for verification after localization. The efficacy of patient setup was analyzed for 105 sessions (48 with the EBF, 57 with the CBP). Result indicates that the CBCT was repeated at the 1 st treatment session in 22.5% and 47.5% of the EBF and CBP cases, respectively. The systematic errors {left-right (LR), anterior-posterior (AP), cranio-caudal (CC), and 3D vector shift: (LR 2 + AP 2 + CC 2 ) 1/2 (mm)}, were {0.5 ± 3.7, 2.3 ± 2.5, 0.7 ± 3.5, 7.1 ± 3.1} mm and {0.4 ± 3.6, 0.7 ± 4.0, 0.0 ± 5.5, 9.2 ± 4.2} mm, and the random setup errors were {5.1, 3.0, 3.5, 3.9} mm and {4.6, 4.8, 5.4, 5.3} mm for the EBF and the CBP, respectively. The 3D vector shift was significantly larger for the CBP (P patient comfort could dictate the use of CBP system with slightly reduced accuracy. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  13. Diffusing-wave spectroscopy in a standard dynamic light scattering setup

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fahimi, Zahra; Aangenendt, Frank J.; Voudouris, Panayiotis; Mattsson, Johan; Wyss, Hans M.

    2017-12-01

    Diffusing-wave spectroscopy (DWS) extends dynamic light scattering measurements to samples with strong multiple scattering. DWS treats the transport of photons through turbid samples as a diffusion process, thereby making it possible to extract the dynamics of scatterers from measured correlation functions. The analysis of DWS data requires knowledge of the path length distribution of photons traveling through the sample. While for flat sample cells this path length distribution can be readily calculated and expressed in analytical form; no such expression is available for cylindrical sample cells. DWS measurements have therefore typically relied on dedicated setups that use flat sample cells. Here we show how DWS measurements, in particular DWS-based microrheology measurements, can be performed in standard dynamic light scattering setups that use cylindrical sample cells. To do so we perform simple random-walk simulations that yield numerical predictions of the path length distribution as a function of both the transport mean free path and the detection angle. This information is used in experiments to extract the mean-square displacement of tracer particles in the material, as well as the corresponding frequency-dependent viscoelastic response. An important advantage of our approach is that by performing measurements at different detection angles, the average path length through the sample can be varied. For measurements performed on a single sample cell, this gives access to a wider range of length and time scales than obtained in a conventional DWS setup. Such angle-dependent measurements also offer an important consistency check, as for all detection angles the DWS analysis should yield the same tracer dynamics, even though the respective path length distributions are very different. We validate our approach by performing measurements both on aqueous suspensions of tracer particles and on solidlike gelatin samples, for which we find our DWS-based microrheology

  14. Analysis of Daily Setup Variation With Tomotherapy Megavoltage Computed Tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Jining; Uhl, Barry; Dewit, Kelly; Young, Mark; Taylor, Brian; Fei Dingyu; Lo, Y-C

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate different setup uncertainties for various anatomic sites with TomoTherapy (registered) pretreatment megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) and to provide optimal margin guidelines for these anatomic sites. Ninety-two patients with tumors in head and neck (HN), brain, lung, abdominal, or prostate regions were included in the study. MVCT was used to verify patient position and tumor target localization before each treatment. With the anatomy registration tool, MVCT provided real-time tumor shift coordinates relative to the positions where the simulation CT was performed. Thermoplastic facemasks were used for HN and brain treatments. Vac-Lok TM cushions were used to immobilize the lower extremities up to the thighs for prostate patients. No respiration suppression was administered for lung and abdomen patients. The interfractional setup variations were recorded and corrected before treatment. The mean interfractional setup error was the smallest for HN among the 5 sites analyzed. The average 3D displacement in lateral, longitudinal, and vertical directions for the 5 sites ranged from 2.2-7.7 mm for HN and lung, respectively. The largest movement in the lung was 2.0 cm in the longitudinal direction, with a mean error of 6.0 mm and standard deviation of 4.8 mm. The mean interfractional rotation variation was small and ranged from 0.2-0.5 deg., with the standard deviation ranging from 0.7-0.9 deg. Internal organ displacement was also investigated with a posttreatment MVCT scan for HN, lung, abdomen, and prostate patients. The maximum 3D intrafractional displacement across all sites was less than 4.5 mm. The interfractional systematic errors and random errors were analyzed and the suggested margins for HN, brain, prostate, abdomen, and lung in the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical directions were between 4.2 and 8.2 mm, 5.0 mm and 12.0 mm, and 1.5 mm and 6.8 mm, respectively. We suggest that TomoTherapy (registered) pretreatment

  15. Analysis of daily setup variation with tomotherapy megavoltage computed tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Jining; Uhl, Barry; Dewit, Kelly; Young, Mark; Taylor, Brian; Fei, Ding-Yu; Lo, Yeh-Chi

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate different setup uncertainties for various anatomic sites with TomoTherapy pretreatment megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) and to provide optimal margin guidelines for these anatomic sites. Ninety-two patients with tumors in head and neck (HN), brain, lung, abdominal, or prostate regions were included in the study. MVCT was used to verify patient position and tumor target localization before each treatment. With the anatomy registration tool, MVCT provided real-time tumor shift coordinates relative to the positions where the simulation CT was performed. Thermoplastic facemasks were used for HN and brain treatments. Vac-Lok cushions were used to immobilize the lower extremities up to the thighs for prostate patients. No respiration suppression was administered for lung and abdomen patients. The interfractional setup variations were recorded and corrected before treatment. The mean interfractional setup error was the smallest for HN among the 5 sites analyzed. The average 3D displacement in lateral, longitudinal, and vertical directions for the 5 sites ranged from 2.2-7.7 mm for HN and lung, respectively. The largest movement in the lung was 2.0 cm in the longitudinal direction, with a mean error of 6.0 mm and standard deviation of 4.8 mm. The mean interfractional rotation variation was small and ranged from 0.2-0.5 degrees, with the standard deviation ranging from 0.7-0.9 degrees. Internal organ displacement was also investigated with a posttreatment MVCT scan for HN, lung, abdomen, and prostate patients. The maximum 3D intrafractional displacement across all sites was less than 4.5 mm. The interfractional systematic errors and random errors were analyzed and the suggested margins for HN, brain, prostate, abdomen, and lung in the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical directions were between 4.2 and 8.2 mm, 5.0 mm and 12.0 mm, and 1.5 mm and 6.8 mm, respectively. We suggest that TomoTherapy pretreatment MVCT can be used to

  16. A user-friendly technical set-up for infrared photography of forensic findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rost, Thomas; Kalberer, Nicole; Scheurer, Eva

    2017-09-01

    Infrared photography is interesting for a use in forensic science and forensic medicine since it reveals findings that normally are almost invisible to the human eye. Originally, infrared photography has been made possible by the placement of an infrared light transmission filter screwed in front of the camera objective lens. However, this set-up is associated with many drawbacks such as the loss of the autofocus function, the need of an external infrared source, and long exposure times which make the use of a tripod necessary. These limitations prevented up to now the routine application of infrared photography in forensics. In this study the use of a professional modification inside the digital camera body was evaluated regarding camera handling and image quality. This permanent modification consisted of the replacement of the in-built infrared blocking filter by an infrared transmission filter of 700nm and 830nm, respectively. The application of this camera set-up for the photo-documentation of forensically relevant post-mortem findings was investigated in examples of trace evidence such as gunshot residues on the skin, in external findings, e.g. hematomas, as well as in an exemplary internal finding, i.e., Wischnewski spots in a putrefied stomach. The application of scattered light created by indirect flashlight yielded a more uniform illumination of the object, and the use of the 700nm filter resulted in better pictures than the 830nm filter. Compared to pictures taken under visible light, infrared photographs generally yielded better contrast. This allowed for discerning more details and revealed findings which were not visible otherwise, such as imprints on a fabric and tattoos in mummified skin. The permanent modification of a digital camera by building in a 700nm infrared transmission filter resulted in a user-friendly and efficient set-up which qualified for the use in daily forensic routine. Main advantages were a clear picture in the viewfinder, an auto

  17. Doubly tagged delayed-choice tunable quantum eraser: coherence, information and measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imran, Muhammad; Tariq, Hinna; Rameez-ul-Islam; Ikram, Manzoor

    2018-01-01

    We present an idea for the doubly tagged delayed-choice tunable quantum eraser in a cavity QED setup, based on fully controlled resonant as well as dispersive atom-field interactions. Two cavity fields, bound initially in the Bell state, are coupled to a three-level atom. Such an atom is initially prepared in the coherent superposition of the lower two levels and is quite capable of exhibiting Ramsey fringes if taken independently. It is shown that the coherence lost due to tagging can not only be retrieved but that the fringe visibility/path distinguishability can also be conditionally tuned in a delayed manner through local manipulation of the entangled cavity fields. The stringent condition here is the retainment of the system’s coherence during successive manipulations of the individual cavity fields. Such a quantum eraser, therefore, prominently highlights the links among all the counterintuitive features of quantum theory including the conception of time, measurement, state vector reduction, coherence and information in an unambiguous manner. The schematics can be straightforwardly extended to a multipartite scenario and employed to explore multi-player quantum games with the payoff being strangely decided through delayed choice setups.

  18. Development of a low-level setup for gamma spectroscopy: Application for nuclear astrophysics using reverse kinematics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Genard, G.; Nuttens, V.E.; Bouchat, V.; Terwagne, G.

    2010-01-01

    It is more and more necessary to improve the sensitivity of gamma-ray spectroscopy systems, especially in nuclear astrophysics. In the case of radiative proton capture reactions, one means is to avoid the reactions on the target impurities by using reverse kinematics. This technique is possible with the LARN accelerator and can provide very clean cross-section measurements. For that purpose, a hydrogen standard has been carried out by means of ion implantation in silicon. In addition, a low-level setup has been put in place on a new beam line of the accelerator. A high efficiency and high resolution germanium detector is used conjointly with a double shielding. A passive lead castle shielding system is used to reduce the natural radioactivity and an active shielding consisting of an anti-cosmic veto is provided by an anticoincidence between the plastic scintillator and the gamma-ray detector. The setup allows a reduction of 70% of the background interference and provides an approximately 200 fold sensitivity gain of between 600 and 3000 keV. Some other developments have also been carried out to optimize the setup. The entire setup and the reverse kinematics have been validated by measuring the cross-section of the 13 C(p,γ) 14 N and 15 N(p,γ) 16 O reactions that present some astrophysical interest.

  19. Alternated Prone and Supine Whole-Breast Irradiation Using IMRT: Setup Precision, Respiratory Movement and Treatment Time

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veldeman, Liv; De Gersem, Werner; Speleers, Bruno; Truyens, Bart; Van Greveling, Annick; Van den Broecke, Rudy; De Neve, Wilfried

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare setup precision, respiration-related breast movement and treatment time between prone and supine positions for whole-breast irradiation. Methods and Materials: Ten patients with early-stage breast carcinoma after breast-conserving surgery were treated with prone and supine whole breast-irradiation in a daily alternating schedule. Setup precision was monitored using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging. Respiration-related breast movement in the vertical direction was assessed by magnetic sensors. The time needed for patient setup and for the CBCT procedure, the beam time, and the length of the whole treatment slot were also recorded. Results: Random and systematic errors were not significantly different between positions in individual patients for each of the three axes (left-right, longitudinal, and vertical). Respiration-related movement was smaller in prone position, but about 80% of observations showed amplitudes <1 mm in both positions. Treatment slots were longer in prone position (21.2 ± 2.5 min) than in supine position (19.4 ± 0.8 min; p = 0.044). Conclusion: Comparison of setup precision between prone and supine position in the same patient showed no significant differences in random and systematic errors. Respiratory movement was smaller in prone position. The longer treatment slots in prone position can probably be attributed to the higher repositioning need.

  20. Combination of thermal and electric properties' measurement techniques in a single setup suitable for radioactive materials in controlled environments and based on the 3ω approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shrestha, K.; Gofryk, K.

    2018-04-01

    We have designed and developed a new experimental setup, based on the 3ω method, to measure thermal conductivity, heat capacity, and electrical resistivity of a variety of samples in a broad temperature range (2-550 K) and under magnetic fields up to 9 T. The validity of this method is tested by measuring various types of metallic (copper, platinum, and constantan) and insulating (SiO2) materials, which have a wide range of thermal conductivity values (1-400 W m-1 K-1). We have successfully employed this technique for measuring the thermal conductivity of two actinide single crystals: uranium dioxide and uranium nitride. This new experimental approach for studying nuclear materials will help us to advance reactor fuel development and understanding. We have also shown that this experimental setup can be adapted to the Physical Property Measurement System (Quantum Design) environment and/or other cryocooler systems.

  1. SU-F-T-642: Sub Millimeter Accurate Setup of More Than Three Vertebrae in Spinal SBRT with 6D Couch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, X; Zhao, Z; Yang, J; Yang, J; McAleer, M; Brown, P; Li, J; Ghia, A

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To assess the initial setup accuracy in treating more than 3 vertebral body levels in spinal SBRT using a 6D couch. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed last 20 spinal SBRT patients (4 cervical, 9 thoracic, 7 lumbar/sacrum) treated in our clinic. These patients in customized immobilization device were treated in 1 or 3 fractions. Initial setup used ExacTrac and Brainlab 6D couch to align target within 1 mm and 1 degree, following by a cone beam CT (CBCT) for verification. Our current standard practice allows treating a maximum of three continuous vertebrae. Here we assess the possibility to achieve sub millimeter setup accuracy for more than three vertebrae by examining the residual error in every slice of CBCT. The CBCT had a range of 17.5 cm, which covered 5 to 9 continuous vertebrae depending on the patient and target location. In the study, CBCT from the 1st fraction treatment was rigidly registered with the planning CT in Pinnacle. The residual setup error of a vertebra was determined by expanding the vertebra contour on the planning CT to be large enough to enclose the corresponding vertebra on CBCT. The margin of the expansion was considered as setup error. Results: Out of the 20 patients analyzed, initial setup accuracy can be achieved within 1 mm for a span of 5 or more vertebrae starting from T2 vertebra to inferior vertebra levels. 2 cervical and 2 upper thoracic patients showed the cervical spine was difficult to achieve sub millimeter accuracy for multi levels without a customized immobilization headrest. Conclusion: If the curvature of spinal columns can be reproduced in customized immobilization device during treatment as simulation, multiple continuous vertebrae can be setup within 1 mm with the use of a 6D couch.

  2. SU-F-T-642: Sub Millimeter Accurate Setup of More Than Three Vertebrae in Spinal SBRT with 6D Couch

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, X; Zhao, Z; Yang, J; Yang, J; McAleer, M; Brown, P; Li, J; Ghia, A [MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To assess the initial setup accuracy in treating more than 3 vertebral body levels in spinal SBRT using a 6D couch. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed last 20 spinal SBRT patients (4 cervical, 9 thoracic, 7 lumbar/sacrum) treated in our clinic. These patients in customized immobilization device were treated in 1 or 3 fractions. Initial setup used ExacTrac and Brainlab 6D couch to align target within 1 mm and 1 degree, following by a cone beam CT (CBCT) for verification. Our current standard practice allows treating a maximum of three continuous vertebrae. Here we assess the possibility to achieve sub millimeter setup accuracy for more than three vertebrae by examining the residual error in every slice of CBCT. The CBCT had a range of 17.5 cm, which covered 5 to 9 continuous vertebrae depending on the patient and target location. In the study, CBCT from the 1st fraction treatment was rigidly registered with the planning CT in Pinnacle. The residual setup error of a vertebra was determined by expanding the vertebra contour on the planning CT to be large enough to enclose the corresponding vertebra on CBCT. The margin of the expansion was considered as setup error. Results: Out of the 20 patients analyzed, initial setup accuracy can be achieved within 1 mm for a span of 5 or more vertebrae starting from T2 vertebra to inferior vertebra levels. 2 cervical and 2 upper thoracic patients showed the cervical spine was difficult to achieve sub millimeter accuracy for multi levels without a customized immobilization headrest. Conclusion: If the curvature of spinal columns can be reproduced in customized immobilization device during treatment as simulation, multiple continuous vertebrae can be setup within 1 mm with the use of a 6D couch.

  3. Evaluating Speed Enforcement Field Set-Ups Used by Regional Police in Belgium: An Analysis of Speed Outcome Indicators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brenda Wilmots

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the results from a field experiment (conducted in 2012 are presented, in which 3 regional police units in the Flemish region of Belgium each tested a particular combination of a speed control (with mobile radar in an anonymous car with communicative signage. The goal of this paper was to scientifically evaluate frequently used field set-ups. The following set-ups were tested in one week: (1 police unit 1: speed control with and without a static feedback sign placed after the control; (2 police unit 2: speed control with and without a digital feedback sign placed after the control; (3 police unit 3: speed display followed by a second speed display further along the road section. During certain time frames, speed control took place in between both signs. All tested field set-ups generated significant reductions in the speed level. Studying the effect of the different variations for each set-up reveals that the effect of the speed control is generally larger in combination with the signage alongside the road. After the period during which the police activities took place, speed levels again reached their initial level. Based on the before–after analysis, only in police area 2 was a small ‘time halo-effect’ found. To generalize results from this pilot study, repetition of tested set-ups in the field is recommended as well as testing on a larger scale.

  4. Surface imaging, portal imaging, and skin marker set-up vs. CBCT for radiotherapy of the thorax and pelvis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pallotta, Stefania; Bucciolini, Marta; Vanzi, Eleonora; Marrazzo, Livia; Simontacchi, Gabriele; Paiar, Fabiola; Ceroti, Marco; Livi, Lorenzo

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to compare surface imaging, portal imaging, and skin marker set-up in radiotherapy of thoracic and pelvic regions, using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) data as the gold standard. Twenty patients were included in this study. CBCT, surface acquisition (SA), and two orthogonal portal images (PI) were acquired during the first four treatment sessions. Patient set-up corrections, obtained by registering the planning CT with CBCT, were used as the gold standard. Registration results of the PI and SA were evaluated and compared with those obtained with CBCT. The advantage derived from using SA or PI verification systems over a skin marker set-up was also quantified. A statistically significant difference between PI and SA (in favour of PI) was observed in seven patients undergoing treatment of the pelvic region and in two patients undergoing treatment of the thoracic region. The use of SA or PI, compared with a skin marker set-up, improved patient positioning in 50% and 57 % of the thoracic fractions, respectively. For pelvic fractions, the use of PI was beneficial in 73 % of the cases, while the use of SA was beneficial in only 45 %. Patient positioning worsened with SA, particularly along longitudinal and vertical directions. PI yielded more accurate registration results than SA for both pelvic and thoracic fractions. Compared with the skin marker set-up, PI performances were superior to SA for pelvic fractions while comparable results were obtained for thoracic fractions. (orig.) [de

  5. Simultaneous demonstration of UV-type and ionizing radiation-type DNA repair by the nucleoid sedimentation technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aldenhoff, P.; Sperling, K.

    1984-01-01

    The nucleoid sedimentation technique is one of the most sensitive methods for measuring DNA excision repair. With this technique, it is shown that both UV- and ionizing radiation-type repair (the latter induced by bleomycin) can be discriminated in HeLa and normal diploid cells using 1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine. The latter compound inhibits UV-type repair synthesis, and thus causes DNA breaks due to enzymic incision to persist, but has no effect on rejoining DNA after ionizing radiation-type damage. It was then possible to prove that 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide induces both types of lesions which are repaired simultaneously. This effect could be demonstrated in HeLa and normal human diploid cells in a single experimental set-up. (Auth.)

  6. X-band EPR setup with THz light excitation of Novosibirsk Free Electron Laser: Goals, means, useful extras

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veber, Sergey L.; Tumanov, Sergey V.; Fursova, Elena Yu.; Shevchenko, Oleg A.; Getmanov, Yaroslav V.; Scheglov, Mikhail A.; Kubarev, Vitaly V.; Shevchenko, Daria A.; Gorbachev, Iaroslav I.; Salikova, Tatiana V.; Kulipanov, Gennady N.; Ovcharenko, Victor I.; Fedin, Matvey V.

    2018-03-01

    Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) station at the Novosibirsk Free Electron Laser (NovoFEL) user facility is described. It is based on X-band (∼9 GHz) EPR spectrometer and operates in both Continuous Wave (CW) and Time-Resolved (TR) modes, each allowing detection of either direct or indirect influence of high-power NovoFEL light (THz and mid-IR) on the spin system under study. The optics components including two parabolic mirrors, shutters, optical chopper and multimodal waveguide allow the light of NovoFEL to be directly fed into the EPR resonator. Characteristics of the NovoFEL radiation, the transmission and polarization-retaining properties of the waveguide used in EPR experiments are presented. The types of proposed experiments accessible using this setup are sketched. In most practical cases the high-power radiation applied to the sample induces its rapid temperature increase (T-jump), which is best visible in TR mode. Although such influence is a by-product of THz radiation, this thermal effect is controllable and can deliberately be used to induce and measure transient signals of arbitrary samples. The advantage of tunable THz radiation is the absence of photo-induced processes in the sample and its high penetration ability, allowing fast heating of a large portion of virtually any sample and inducing intense transients. Such T-jump TR EPR spectroscopy with THz pulses has been previewed for the two test samples, being a useful supplement for the main goals of the created setup.

  7. Experimental Study of Drag Resistance using a Laboratory Scale Rotary Set-Up

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Erik Weinell, Claus; Olsen, Kenneth N.; Christoffersen, Martin W.

    2003-01-01

    This work covers an experimental study of the drag resistance of different painted surfaces and simulated large-scale irregularities, viz. dry spraying, weld seams, barnacle fouling and paint remains. A laboratory scale rotary set-up was used to determine the drag resistance, and the surface...

  8. Multi-Objective Optimization of the Setup of a Surfactant-Enhanced DNAPL Remediation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schaerlaekens, J.; Carmeliet, J.; Feyen, J.

    2005-01-01

    Surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation (SEAR) is widely considered a promising technique to remediate dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contaminations in-situ. The costs of a SEAR remediation are important and depend mostly on the setup of the remediation. Costs can be associated with the

  9. Application of Negative Curvature Hollow-Core Fiber in an Optical Fiber Sensor Setup for Multiphoton Spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popenda, Maciej Andrzej; Stawska, Hanna Izabela; Mazur, Leszek Mateusz; Jakubowski, Konrad; Kosolapov, Alexey; Kolyadin, Anton; Bereś-Pawlik, Elżbieta

    2017-10-06

    In this paper, an application of negative curvature hollow core fiber (NCHCF) in an all-fiber, multiphoton fluorescence sensor setup is presented. The dispersion parameter (D) of this fiber does not exceed the value of 5 ps/nm × km across the optical spectrum of (680-750) nm, making it well suited for the purpose of multiphoton excitation of biological fluorophores. Employing 1.5 m of this fiber in a simple, all-fiber sensor setup allows us to perform multiphoton experiments without any dispersion compensation methods. Multiphoton excitation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) with this fiber shows a 6- and 9-fold increase, respectively, in the total fluorescence signal collected when compared with the commercial solution in the form of a hollow-core photonic band gap fiber (HCPBF). To the author's best knowledge, this is the first time an NCHCF was used in an optical-fiber sensor setup for multiphoton fluorescence experiments.

  10. A setup to perform X-ray irradiation tests on scintillating fibres for the SciFi project

    CERN Document Server

    Gavardi, Laura; Joram, Christian; Kristic, Robert

    2017-01-01

    An X-ray setup has been installed at CERN. The setup will serve for quality assurance purposes related to the acceptance of $11'000~ \\text{km}$ of scintillating plastic fibres for the SciFi detector of LHCb. The X-ray tube has a tungsten target and can be powered up to 60kV, 30mA. The setup is intended to monitor the relative radiation response of the different fibre batches. The dose rate absorbed by the fibre under test can be tuned, adjusting the settings of the X-ray tube and adding aluminium filters of different thicknesses. When operating the X-ray tube without filters at a high voltage of $40\\rm \\,kV$ and an anode current of $30\\rm \\,mA$, the dose rate is about $23\\rm \\,Gy/min$. The maximum dose of about $35\\rm \\,kGy$ expected in the SciFi Tracker can be thus reached in about $1\\rm \\,day$.

  11. Relative performance of priority rules for hybrid flow shop scheduling with setup times

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helio Yochihiro Fuchigami

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper focuses the hybrid flow shop scheduling problem with explicit and sequence-independent setup times. This production environment is a multistage system with unidirectional flow of jobs, wherein each stage may contain multiple machines available for processing. The optimized measure was the total time to complete the schedule (makespan. The aim was to propose new priority rules to support the schedule and to evaluate their relative performance at the production system considered by the percentage of success, relative deviation, standard deviation of relative deviation, and average CPU time. Computational experiments have indicated that the rules using ascending order of the sum of processing and setup times of the first stage (SPT1 and SPT1_ERD performed better, reaching together more than 56% of success.

  12. Design of a setup for {sup 252}Cf neutron source for storage and analysis purpose

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hei, Daqian [Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 211106 (China); Zhuang, Haocheng [Xi’an Middle School of Shanxi Province, Xi’an 710000 (China); Jia, Wenbao, E-mail: jiawenbao@163.com [Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 211106 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou 215000 (China); Cheng, Can; Jiang, Zhou; Wang, Hongtao [Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 211106 (China); Chen, Da [Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 211106 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Suzhou 215000 (China)

    2016-11-01

    {sup 252}Cf is a reliable isotopic neutron source and widely used in the prompt gamma ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) technique. A cylindrical barrel made by polymethyl methacrylate contained with the boric acid solution was designed for storage and application of a 5 μg {sup 252}Cf neutron source. The size of the setup was optimized with Monte Carlo code. The experiments were performed and the results showed the doses were reduced with the setup and less than the allowable limit. The intensity and collimating radius of the neutron beam could also be adjusted through different collimator.

  13. The Impact of use of Double Set-up on Infection Rates in Revision Total Knee Replacement and Limb Salvage Procedures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Waterman

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available A retrospective analysis was performed to determine the impact of utilizing a double set-up procedure on reducing infection rates revision total knee and limb salvage procedures in patients with known joint infection.  Eighteen cases fit selection criteria.  The recurrence rate of infection was 5.5% which is less than reported recent literature review.   This suggests the use of a double set-up in combination with other infection reducing protocols may help further reduce recurrent infection.  Keywords: double set-up, infection, revision total knee arthroplasty, limb-salvage

  14. Using smartphones and tablet PCs for β−-spectroscopy in an educational experimental setup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gröber, Sebastian; Molz, Alexander; Kuhn, Jochen

    2014-01-01

    A magnetic spectrometer is used to gather the β − -spectrum of 90 Sr /Y with a focus on two aspects. (1) The intensity of β − -radiation is measured by the camera sensor module of a tablet PC together with the RadioactivityCounter app and by a Geiger–Müller tube. We evaluate the quality of mobile devices as radioactive radiation detectors by using polyenergetic β − -radiation as an example and by comparing the spectra measured with the two detector types. (2) For educational purposes we implement a simple experimental setup, which consists of separate devices for measuring the electron’s kinetic energy and intensity, which are available in laboratories in educational settings. Comparison of the measured β − -spectra published in the literature should encourage students to think about the energy resolution power of the β − -spectrometer. Theoretical considerations show the low, yet sufficient energy resolution power of this spectrometer, especially for low energy levels. (paper)

  15. Diagnostic Setup for Characterization of Near-Anode Processes in Hall Thrusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dorf, L.; Raitses, Y.; Fisch, N.J.

    2003-01-01

    A diagnostic setup for characterization of near-anode processes in Hall-current plasma thrusters consisting of biased and emissive electrostatic probes, high-precision positioning system and low-noise electronic circuitry was developed and tested. Experimental results show that radial probe insertion does not cause perturbations to the discharge and therefore can be used for accurate near-anode measurements

  16. Improvement of the polarized neutron interferometer setup demonstrating violation of a Bell-like inequality

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geppert, H., E-mail: hgeppert@ati.ac.at [Atominstitut, Vienna University of Technology, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna (Austria); Denkmayr, T.; Sponar, S. [Atominstitut, Vienna University of Technology, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna (Austria); Lemmel, H. [Atominstitut, Vienna University of Technology, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna (Austria); Institut Laue Langevin, 38000 Grenoble (France); Hasegawa, Y. [Atominstitut, Vienna University of Technology, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna (Austria)

    2014-11-01

    For precise measurements with polarised neutrons high efficient spin-manipulation is required. We developed several neutron optical elements suitable for a new sophisticated setup, i.e., DC spin-turners and Larmor-accelerators which diminish thermal disturbances and depolarisation considerably. The gain in performance is exploited demonstrating violation of a Bell-like inequality for a spin-path entangled single-neutron state. The obtained value of S=2.365(13), which is much higher than previous measurements by neutron interferometry, is 28σ above the limit of S=2 predicted by contextual hidden variable theories. The new setup is more flexible referring to state preparation and analysis, therefore new, more precise measurements can be carried out.

  17. Improvement of the polarized neutron interferometer setup demonstrating violation of a Bell-like inequality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geppert, H; Denkmayr, T; Sponar, S; Lemmel, H; Hasegawa, Y

    2014-11-01

    For precise measurements with polarised neutrons high efficient spin-manipulation is required. We developed several neutron optical elements suitable for a new sophisticated setup, i.e., DC spin-turners and Larmor-accelerators which diminish thermal disturbances and depolarisation considerably. The gain in performance is exploited demonstrating violation of a Bell-like inequality for a spin-path entangled single-neutron state. The obtained value of [Formula: see text], which is much higher than previous measurements by neutron interferometry, is [Formula: see text] above the limit of S =2 predicted by contextual hidden variable theories. The new setup is more flexible referring to state preparation and analysis, therefore new, more precise measurements can be carried out.

  18. A differential dielectric spectroscopy setup to measure the electric dipole moment and net charge of colloidal quantum dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kortschot, R J; Bakelaar, I A; Erné, B H; Kuipers, B W M

    2014-03-01

    A sensitive dielectric spectroscopy setup is built to measure the response of nanoparticles dispersed in a liquid to an alternating electric field over a frequency range from 10(-2) to 10(7) Hz. The measured complex permittivity spectrum records both the rotational dynamics due to a permanent electric dipole moment and the translational dynamics due to net charges. The setup consists of a half-transparent capacitor connected in a bridge circuit, which is balanced on pure solvent only, using a software-controlled compensating voltage. In this way, the measured signal is dominated by the contributions of the nanoparticles rather than by the solvent. We demonstrate the performance of the setup with measurements on a dispersion of colloidal CdSe quantum dots in the apolar liquid decalin.

  19. A low-cost AFM setup with an interferometer for undergraduates and secondary-school students

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergmann, Antje; Feigl, Daniela; Kuhn, David; Schaupp, Manuel; Quast, Günter; Busch, Kurt; Eichner, Ludwig; Schumacher, Jens

    2013-01-01

    Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is an important tool in nanotechnology. This method makes it possible to observe nanoscopic surfaces beyond the resolution of light microscopy. In order to provide undergraduate and secondary-school students with insights into this world, we have developed a very robust low-cost AFM setup with a Fabry–Perot interferometer as a detecting device. This setup is designed to be operated almost completely manually and its simplicity gives access to a profound understanding of the working principle. Our AFM is operated in a constant height mode, i.e. the topography of the sample surface is represented directly by the deflection of the cantilever. Thus, the measuring procedure can be understood even by secondary-school students; furthermore, it is the method with the lowest cost, totalling not more than 10–15 k Euros. Nevertheless, we are able to examine a large variety of sample topographies such as CD and DVD surfaces, IC structures, blood cells, butterfly wings or moth eyes. Furthermore, force–distance curves can be recorded and the tensile moduli of some materials can be evaluated. We present our setup in detail and describe its working principles. In addition, we show various experiments which have already been performed by students. (paper)

  20. A proposal simulated annealing algorithm for proportional parallel flow shops with separated setup times

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helio Yochihiro Fuchigami

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available This article addresses the problem of minimizing makespan on two parallel flow shops with proportional processing and setup times. The setup times are separated and sequence-independent. The parallel flow shop scheduling problem is a specific case of well-known hybrid flow shop, characterized by a multistage production system with more than one machine working in parallel at each stage. This situation is very common in various kinds of companies like chemical, electronics, automotive, pharmaceutical and food industries. This work aimed to propose six Simulated Annealing algorithms, their perturbation schemes and an algorithm for initial sequence generation. This study can be classified as “applied research” regarding the nature, “exploratory” about the objectives and “experimental” as to procedures, besides the “quantitative” approach. The proposed algorithms were effective regarding the solution and computationally efficient. Results of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA revealed no significant difference between the schemes in terms of makespan. It’s suggested the use of PS4 scheme, which moves a subsequence of jobs, for providing the best percentage of success. It was also found that there is a significant difference between the results of the algorithms for each value of the proportionality factor of the processing and setup times of flow shops.

  1. Single-machine scheduling with release dates, due dates and family setup times

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schutten, Johannes M.J.; van de Velde, S.L.; van de Velde, S.L.; Zijm, Willem H.M.

    1996-01-01

    We address the NP-hard problem of scheduling n independent jobs with release dates, due dates, and family setup times on a single machine to minimize the maximum lateness. This problem arises from the constant tug-of-war going on in manufacturing between efficient production and delivery

  2. High current table-top setup for femtosecond gas electron diffraction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omid Zandi

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available We have constructed an experimental setup for gas phase electron diffraction with femtosecond resolution and a high average beam current. While gas electron diffraction has been successful at determining molecular structures, it has been a challenge to reach femtosecond resolution while maintaining sufficient beam current to retrieve structures with high spatial resolution. The main challenges are the Coulomb force that leads to broadening of the electron pulses and the temporal blurring that results from the velocity mismatch between the laser and electron pulses as they traverse the sample. We present here a device that uses pulse compression to overcome the Coulomb broadening and deliver femtosecond electron pulses on a gas target. The velocity mismatch can be compensated using laser pulses with a tilted intensity front to excite the sample. The temporal resolution of the setup was determined with a streak camera to be better than 400 fs for pulses with up to half a million electrons and a kinetic energy of 90 keV. The high charge per pulse, combined with a repetition rate of 5 kHz, results in an average beam current that is between one and two orders of magnitude higher than previously demonstrated.

  3. Implementation and Setup of a System Dedicated Logbook based on ELisA

    CERN Document Server

    Van Tonder, Raynette

    2016-01-01

    ELisA is a web tool used by the ATLAS community as a daily logbook facility in order to record and share information concerning the experiment's operation and deployment. A few subsystems, notably the FTK subsystem, of the ATLAS experiment would like to setup a logbook based on the ELisA logbook for their own private usage. This new logbook would be completely separated from the main ATLAS logbook and will only be accessed from the general public network. In this project the implementation and setup of the ELisA based logbook will be discussed as well as various modifications that were made to the new logbook. These modifications were specified by the FTK users in order to make the logbook relevant to the FTK subsystem. Once the logbook was functioning as expected and the users were satisfied with the modifications, the FTK logbook was installed on a FTK dedicated machine where it is currently being used by members of the FTK group.

  4. Basic setup for breast conductivity imaging using magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Byung Il; Oh, Suk Hoon; Kim, Tae-Seong; Woo, Eung Je; Lee, Soo Yeol; Kwon, Ohin; Seo, Jin Keun

    2006-01-01

    We present a new medical imaging technique for breast imaging, breast MREIT, in which magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) is utilized to get high-resolution conductivity and current density images of the breast. In this work, we introduce the basic imaging setup of the breast MREIT technique with an investigation of four different imaging configurations of current-injection electrode positions and pathways through computer simulation studies. Utilizing the preliminary findings of a best breast MREIT configuration, additional numerical simulation studies have been carried out to validate breast MREIT at different levels of SNR. Finally, we have performed an experimental validation with a breast phantom on a 3.0 T MREIT system. The presented results strongly suggest that breast MREIT with careful imaging setups could be a potential imaging technique for human breast which may lead to early detection of breast cancer via improved differentiation of cancerous tissues in high-resolution conductivity images

  5. Setup accuracy for prone and supine whole breast irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mulliez, Thomas; Vercauteren, Tom; Greveling, Annick van; Speleers, Bruno; Neve, Wilfried de; Veldeman, Liv [University Hospital Ghent, Department of Radiotherapy, Ghent (Belgium); Gulyban, Akos [University Hospital Ghent, Department of Radiotherapy, Ghent (Belgium); University Hospital Liege, Department of Radiotherapy, Liege (Belgium)

    2016-04-15

    To evaluate cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) based setup accuracy and margins for prone and supine whole breast irradiation (WBI). Setup accuracy was evaluated on 3559 CBCT scans of 242 patients treated with WBI and uncertainty margins were calculated using the van Herk formula. Uni- and multivariate analysis on individual margins was performed for age, body mass index (BMI) and cup size. The population-based margin in vertical (VE), lateral (LA) and longitudinal (LO) directions was 10.4/9.4/9.4 mm for the 103 supine and 10.5/22.4/13.7 mm for the 139 prone treated patients, being significantly (p < 0.01) different for the LA and LO directions. Multivariate analysis identified a significant (p < 0.05) correlation between BMI and the LO margin in supine position and the VE/LA margin in prone position. In this series, setup accuracy is significantly worse in prone compared to supine position for the LA and LO directions. However, without proper image-guidance, uncertainty margins of about 1 cm are also necessary for supine WBI. For patients with a higher BMI, larger margins are required. (orig.) [German] Ziel der Arbeit war es, die interfraktionelle Repositionierungsgenauigkeit in Bauchlage (BL) versus Rueckenlage (RL) bei Ganzbrustbestrahlung (GBB) mittels Cone-Beam-CT (CBCT) zu bestimmen, um die notwendigen PTV-Sicherheitsabstaende zu definieren. Die Repositionierungsgenauigkeit wurde basierend an 3559 CBCT-Scans von 242 mit GBB behandelten Patienten ausgewertet. Die PTV-Sicherheitsabstaende wurden unter Verwendung der ''van-Herk''-Formel berechnet. Uni- und multivariable Analysen wurden fuer Sicherheitsabstaende in jede Richtung auf Basis von Alter, Body-Mass-Index (BMI) und Koerbchengroesse durchgefuehrt. Die basierend auf den taeglichen CBCT-Verschiebungen berechneten PTV-Sicherheitsabstaende betrugen in anteroposteriorer (AP), lateraler (LT oder links-rechts) und kraniokaudaler (CC) Richtung 10,4/9,4/9,4 mm fuer die RL (103 Patienten) und

  6. The new dedicated PIXE set-up at the National Environmental Research Institute, Denmark

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kemp, Ka ring re; Waahlin, Peter

    1999-01-01

    The Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen was in the beginning of the 70'es one of the early places for PIXE. Contributions were made to the theoretical interpretation of the PIXE spectra as well as the practical application. The home-made 4 MV van de Graaff accelerator at the Niels Bohr Institute was an excellent tool for PIXE. The accelerator, which was used for many years, has now found its place on a museum after more than 40 years of active service. A dedicated PIXE set-up has now been established at the National Environmental Research Institute using a new 1.7 MV Tandem Pelletron (5SDH) from NEC. The main application is elemental analysis of outdoor aerosols. The main work is unsophisticated macro analyses, which do not push the equipment to its limits. This enables automated analysis of about 10,000 samples per year using very limited manpower resources. The research focuses on the contribution from various source types to the atmosphere over Europe, the North Atlantic and Greenland. Source compositions and their temporal variations are studied

  7. Limited Impact of Setup and Range Uncertainties, Breathing Motion, and Interplay Effects in Robustly Optimized Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy for Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Inoue, Tatsuya [Department of Radiology, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, Chiba (Japan); Widder, Joachim; Dijk, Lisanne V. van [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); Takegawa, Hideki [Department of Radiation Oncology, Kansai Medical University Hirakata Hospital, Osaka (Japan); Koizumi, Masahiko; Takashina, Masaaki [Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka (Japan); Usui, Keisuke; Kurokawa, Chie; Sugimoto, Satoru [Department of Radiation Oncology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo (Japan); Saito, Anneyuko I. [Department of Radiology, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, Chiba (Japan); Department of Radiation Oncology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo (Japan); Sasai, Keisuke [Department of Radiation Oncology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo (Japan); Veld, Aart A. van' t; Langendijk, Johannes A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); Korevaar, Erik W., E-mail: e.w.korevaar@umcg.nl [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands)

    2016-11-01

    Purpose: To investigate the impact of setup and range uncertainties, breathing motion, and interplay effects using scanning pencil beams in robustly optimized intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) for stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials: Three-field IMPT plans were created using a minimax robust optimization technique for 10 NSCLC patients. The plans accounted for 5- or 7-mm setup errors with ±3% range uncertainties. The robustness of the IMPT nominal plans was evaluated considering (1) isotropic 5-mm setup errors with ±3% range uncertainties; (2) breathing motion; (3) interplay effects; and (4) a combination of items 1 and 2. The plans were calculated using 4-dimensional and average intensity projection computed tomography images. The target coverage (TC, volume receiving 95% of prescribed dose) and homogeneity index (D{sub 2} − D{sub 98}, where D{sub 2} and D{sub 98} are the least doses received by 2% and 98% of the volume) for the internal clinical target volume, and dose indexes for lung, esophagus, heart and spinal cord were compared with that of clinical volumetric modulated arc therapy plans. Results: The TC and homogeneity index for all plans were within clinical limits when considering the breathing motion and interplay effects independently. The setup and range uncertainties had a larger effect when considering their combined effect. The TC decreased to <98% (clinical threshold) in 3 of 10 patients for robust 5-mm evaluations. However, the TC remained >98% for robust 7-mm evaluations for all patients. The organ at risk dose parameters did not significantly vary between the respective robust 5-mm and robust 7-mm evaluations for the 4 error types. Compared with the volumetric modulated arc therapy plans, the IMPT plans showed better target homogeneity and mean lung and heart dose parameters reduced by about 40% and 60%, respectively. Conclusions: In robustly optimized IMPT for stage III NSCLC, the setup and range

  8. Limited Impact of Setup and Range Uncertainties, Breathing Motion, and Interplay Effects in Robustly Optimized Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy for Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inoue, Tatsuya; Widder, Joachim; Dijk, Lisanne V. van; Takegawa, Hideki; Koizumi, Masahiko; Takashina, Masaaki; Usui, Keisuke; Kurokawa, Chie; Sugimoto, Satoru; Saito, Anneyuko I.; Sasai, Keisuke; Veld, Aart A. van't; Langendijk, Johannes A.; Korevaar, Erik W.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the impact of setup and range uncertainties, breathing motion, and interplay effects using scanning pencil beams in robustly optimized intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) for stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials: Three-field IMPT plans were created using a minimax robust optimization technique for 10 NSCLC patients. The plans accounted for 5- or 7-mm setup errors with ±3% range uncertainties. The robustness of the IMPT nominal plans was evaluated considering (1) isotropic 5-mm setup errors with ±3% range uncertainties; (2) breathing motion; (3) interplay effects; and (4) a combination of items 1 and 2. The plans were calculated using 4-dimensional and average intensity projection computed tomography images. The target coverage (TC, volume receiving 95% of prescribed dose) and homogeneity index (D_2 − D_9_8, where D_2 and D_9_8 are the least doses received by 2% and 98% of the volume) for the internal clinical target volume, and dose indexes for lung, esophagus, heart and spinal cord were compared with that of clinical volumetric modulated arc therapy plans. Results: The TC and homogeneity index for all plans were within clinical limits when considering the breathing motion and interplay effects independently. The setup and range uncertainties had a larger effect when considering their combined effect. The TC decreased to 98% for robust 7-mm evaluations for all patients. The organ at risk dose parameters did not significantly vary between the respective robust 5-mm and robust 7-mm evaluations for the 4 error types. Compared with the volumetric modulated arc therapy plans, the IMPT plans showed better target homogeneity and mean lung and heart dose parameters reduced by about 40% and 60%, respectively. Conclusions: In robustly optimized IMPT for stage III NSCLC, the setup and range uncertainties, breathing motion, and interplay effects have limited impact on target coverage, dose homogeneity, and

  9. Single-machine scheduling with release dates, due dates, and family setup times

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J.M.J. Schutten (Marco); S.L. van de Velde (Steef); W.H.M. Zijm

    1996-01-01

    textabstractWe address the NP-hard problem of scheduling n independent jobs with release dates, due dates, and family setup times on a single machine to minimize the maximum lateness. This problem arises from the constant tug-of-war going on in manufacturing between efficient production and delivery

  10. A two-queue model with alternating limited service and state-dependent setups

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Winands, E.M.M.; Adan, I.J.B.F.; Houtum, van G.J.J.A.N.; Papadopoulos, C.T.

    2005-01-01

    We consider a two-queue model with state-dependent setups, in which a single server alternately serves the two queues. The high-priority queue is served exhaustively, whereas the low-priority queue is served according to the k-limited strategy. We obtain the transforms of the queue length and

  11. Broadband Fan Noise Prediction System for Turbofan Engines. Volume 1; Setup_BFaNS User's Manual and Developer's Guide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morin, Bruce L.

    2010-01-01

    Pratt & Whitney has developed a Broadband Fan Noise Prediction System (BFaNS) for turbofan engines. This system computes the noise generated by turbulence impinging on the leading edges of the fan and fan exit guide vane, and noise generated by boundary-layer turbulence passing over the fan trailing edge. BFaNS has been validated on three fan rigs that were tested during the NASA Advanced Subsonic Technology Program (AST). The predicted noise spectra agreed well with measured data. The predicted effects of fan speed, vane count, and vane sweep also agreed well with measurements. The noise prediction system consists of two computer programs: Setup_BFaNS and BFaNS. Setup_BFaNS converts user-specified geometry and flow-field information into a BFaNS input file. From this input file, BFaNS computes the inlet and aft broadband sound power spectra generated by the fan and FEGV. The output file from BFaNS contains the inlet, aft and total sound power spectra from each noise source. This report is the first volume of a three-volume set documenting the Broadband Fan Noise Prediction System: Volume 1: Setup_BFaNS User s Manual and Developer s Guide; Volume 2: BFaNS User's Manual and Developer s Guide; and Volume 3: Validation and Test Cases. The present volume begins with an overview of the Broadband Fan Noise Prediction System, followed by step-by-step instructions for installing and running Setup_BFaNS. It concludes with technical documentation of the Setup_BFaNS computer program.

  12. Problems with ink skin markings for radiation field setups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Endoh, Masaru; Saeki, Mituaki; Ishida, Yusei

    1982-01-01

    Ink skin markings are used in radiation therapy to aid in reproduction of treatment field setups or to indelibly outline field markings or tumors. We reported two cases of indelible ink skin for radiation field septa with minimal discomfort and dermatitis have been experienced for 6 months and above since end of radiotherapy. These indelible ink skin markings look like tattoo that will be big problems in the case of young female. We improved these problems by using of 10 percent silver nitrate instead of habitual skin ink. (author)

  13. An analysis of anatomic landmark mobility and setup errors in radiotherapy for lung cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samson, M.J.; Soernsen de Koste, J.R. van; Boer, J.C.J. de; Tankink, J.J.; Verstraate, M.B.J.; Essers, M.; Visser, A.G.; Senan, S.

    1997-01-01

    Purpose: To identify visible structures in the thorax which exhibit little internal motion during irradiation and, to determine random and systematic setup deviations in lung cancer patients with the use of these structures. Methods: Ten patients with lung cancer were set up in the supine position, and aligned using lasers. No immobilization devices were used. With an electronic portal imaging device (Siemens Beam View PLUS ), 12 sequential images (exposure 0.54 sec.; processing time 1.5 sec.) were obtained during a single fraction of radiotherapy. These 'movie loops' were generated for the A-P fields during each of 3-5 fractions. In order to determine the mobility of internal structures during each fraction, visible structures such as the trachea, carina, the upper chest wall, aortic arch, clavicle and paraspinal line were contoured manually in each image and matched with the first image of the corresponding movie loop by means of a cross-correlation algorithm. Translations in the cranial and lateral directions and in-plane rotations were determined for each structure separately. As the reference image represents a random position, relative movements were determined by comparing the translations and rotation for every image to the calculated means per movie-loop. Standard deviations of the relative movements were determined for each structure and each patient. Patient setup was evaluated for 15 patients with lung cancer. Setup was not corrected at any time during the treatment. The electronic portal images of each fraction were matched with the digitized simulator films by using a combination of the structures which had been determined to be relatively stable in the infra-fractional analysis. Results: In the infra-fractional analysis 120 to 380 matches were made per structure (a total of 1400). The standard deviation (SD) of translations in the lateral direction was small (≤1 mm) for the trachea, thoracic wall, paraspinal line and aortic arch. This was also the

  14. Impact of cradle immobilization on setup reproducibility during external beam radiation therapy for lung cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bentel, Gunilla C.; Marks, Lawrence B.; Krishnamurthy, Rupa

    1997-01-01

    Purpose: To compare the setup accuracy during fractionated radiation therapy for two patient groups with lung cancer treated with and without an immobilization cradle. Methods: Three hundred ninety-seven port films from 30 patients immobilized in the Alpha Cradle TM1 were compared with 329 port films from 30 patients who were not immobilized with the cradle. All patients were treated with curative intent for nonmetastatic lung cancer. The frequency of physician-requested isocenter shifts were compared in the two groups using a two-tailed chi-square test. Initial port films taken on the first day of treatment, routine films taken usually weekly during radiation therapy, and requested films taken after a requested shift were considered separately. The immobilization device consisted of a custom-made foam cradle that extended from above the head to the knees. Patients were generally treated with their arms above their heads, and treatment setup marks in the immobilized patients were placed on both the patients' skin and the immobilization cradle. For the noncradle patients, setup marks were placed only on the patients' skin. Results: For the routine films, the frequency of physician-requested isocenter shifts was lower in immobilized patients than in the nonimmobilized group (p = 0.139). Most of this reduction was seen on oblique fields (p = 0.038). No benefits were seen among initial or requested films. The two groups were well balanced with regard to stage, age, field size, and total dose. Conclusions: The use of aggressive immobilization improves the setup reproducibility in patients receiving external beam radiation therapy for lung cancer, especially during treatment with oblique fields. This improvement in treatment accuracy might improve the therapeutic ratio

  15. 350 keV accelerator based PGNAA setup to detect nitrogen in bulk samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naqvi, A.A., E-mail: aanaqvi@kfupm.edu.sa [Department of Physics and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia); Al-Matouq, Faris A.; Khiari, F.Z.; Gondal, M.A.; Rehman, Khateeb-ur [Department of Physics and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia); Isab, A.A. [Department of Chemistry, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia); Raashid, M.; Dastageer, M.A. [Department of Physics and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia)

    2013-11-21

    Nitrogen concentration was measured in explosive and narcotics proxy material, e.g. anthranilic acid, caffeine, melamine, and urea samples, bulk samples through thermal neutron capture reaction using 350 keV accelerator based prompt gamma ray neutron activation (PGNAA) setup. Intensity of 2.52, 3.53–3.68, 4.51, 5.27–5.30 and 10.38 MeV prompt gamma rays of nitrogen from the bulk samples was measured using a cylindrical 100 mm×100 mm (diameter×height ) BGO detector. Inspite of interference of nitrogen gamma rays from bulk samples with capture prompt gamma rays from BGO detector material, an excellent agreement between the experimental and calculated yields of nitrogen gamma rays has been obtained. This is an indication of the excellent performance of the PGNAA setup for detection of nitrogen in bulk samples.

  16. 350 keV accelerator based PGNAA setup to detect nitrogen in bulk samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naqvi, A.A.; Al-Matouq, Faris A.; Khiari, F.Z.; Gondal, M.A.; Rehman, Khateeb-ur; Isab, A.A.; Raashid, M.; Dastageer, M.A.

    2013-01-01

    Nitrogen concentration was measured in explosive and narcotics proxy material, e.g. anthranilic acid, caffeine, melamine, and urea samples, bulk samples through thermal neutron capture reaction using 350 keV accelerator based prompt gamma ray neutron activation (PGNAA) setup. Intensity of 2.52, 3.53–3.68, 4.51, 5.27–5.30 and 10.38 MeV prompt gamma rays of nitrogen from the bulk samples was measured using a cylindrical 100 mm×100 mm (diameter×height ) BGO detector. Inspite of interference of nitrogen gamma rays from bulk samples with capture prompt gamma rays from BGO detector material, an excellent agreement between the experimental and calculated yields of nitrogen gamma rays has been obtained. This is an indication of the excellent performance of the PGNAA setup for detection of nitrogen in bulk samples

  17. 350 keV accelerator based PGNAA setup to detect nitrogen in bulk samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naqvi, A. A.; Al-Matouq, Faris A.; Khiari, F. Z.; Gondal, M. A.; Rehman, Khateeb-ur; Isab, A. A.; Raashid, M.; Dastageer, M. A.

    2013-11-01

    Nitrogen concentration was measured in explosive and narcotics proxy material, e.g. anthranilic acid, caffeine, melamine, and urea samples, bulk samples through thermal neutron capture reaction using 350 keV accelerator based prompt gamma ray neutron activation (PGNAA) setup. Intensity of 2.52, 3.53-3.68, 4.51, 5.27-5.30 and 10.38 MeV prompt gamma rays of nitrogen from the bulk samples was measured using a cylindrical 100 mm×100 mm (diameter×height ) BGO detector. Inspite of interference of nitrogen gamma rays from bulk samples with capture prompt gamma rays from BGO detector material, an excellent agreement between the experimental and calculated yields of nitrogen gamma rays has been obtained. This is an indication of the excellent performance of the PGNAA setup for detection of nitrogen in bulk samples.

  18. Experimental Setup to Characterize Bentonite Hydration Processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bru, A.; Casero, D.; Pastor, J. M.

    2001-01-01

    We present an experimental setup to follow-up the hydration process of a bentonite. Clay samples, of 2 cm x 12 cm x 12 cm, were made and introduced in a Hele-Shaw cell with two PMM windows and two steel frames. In hydration experiments, a fluid enters by an orifice in the frame, located both at the top and the bottom of the cell, to perform hydration in both senses. To get a uniform hydration we place a diffuser near the orifice. Volume influxes in hydration cells are registered in time. The evolution of the developed interface was recorded on a videotape. The video cameras was fixed to a holder so that the vertical direction in the monitor was the same as the direction of the larger extension of the cell. (Author) 6 refs

  19. Estimation of Setup Uncertainty Using Planar and MVCT Imaging for Gynecologic Malignancies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santanam, Lakshmi; Esthappan, Jacqueline; Mutic, Sasa; Klein, Eric E.; Goddu, S. Murty; Chaudhari, Summer; Wahab, Sasha; El Naqa, Issam M.; Low, Daniel A.; Grigsby, Perry W.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: This prospective study investigates gynecologic malignancy online treatment setup error corrections using planar kilovoltage/megavoltage (KV/MV) imaging and helical MV computed tomography (MVCT) imaging. Methods and Materials: Twenty patients were divided into two groups. The first group (10 patients) was imaged and treated using a conventional linear accelerator (LINAC) with image-guidance capabilities, whereas the second group (10 patients) was treated using tomotherapy with MVCT capabilities. Patients treated on the LINAC underwent planar KV and portal MV imaging and a two-dimensional image registration algorithm was used to match these images to digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs). Patients that were treated using tomotherapy underwent MVCT imaging, and a three-dimensional image registration algorithm was used to match planning CT to MVCT images. Subsequent repositioning shifts were applied before each treatment and recorded for further analysis. To assess intrafraction motion, 5 of the 10 patients treated on the LINAC underwent posttreatment planar imaging and DRR matching. Based on these data, patient position uncertainties along with estimated margins based on well-known recipes were determined. Results: The errors associated with patient positioning ranged from 0.13 cm to 0.38 cm, for patients imaged on LINAC and 0.13 cm to 0.48 cm for patients imaged on tomotherapy. Our institutional clinical target volume-PTV margin value of 0.7 cm lies inside the confidence interval of the margins established using both planar and MVCT imaging. Conclusion: Use of high-quality daily planar imaging, volumetric MVCT imaging, and setup corrections yields excellent setup accuracy and can help reduce margins for the external beam treatment of gynecologic malignancies

  20. Measuring the Earth’s magnetic field dip angle using a smartphone-aided setup: a simple experiment for introductory physics laboratories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arabasi, Sameer; Al-Taani, Hussein

    2017-01-01

    Measurement of the Earth’s magnetic field dip angle is a widely used experiment in most introductory physics laboratories. In this paper we propose a smartphone-aided setup that takes advantage of the smartphone’s magnetometer sensor to measure the Earth’s magnetic field dip angle. This set-up will help students visualize the vector nature of the Earth’s magnetic field, especially high school and first year college students who are not quite experienced with vectors. This set-up is affordable and easy to use and could be easily produced by any high school or college physics instructor. (paper)

  1. Measuring the Earth’s magnetic field dip angle using a smartphone-aided setup: a simple experiment for introductory physics laboratories

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arabasi, Sameer; Al-Taani, Hussein

    2017-03-01

    Measurement of the Earth’s magnetic field dip angle is a widely used experiment in most introductory physics laboratories. In this paper we propose a smartphone-aided setup that takes advantage of the smartphone’s magnetometer sensor to measure the Earth’s magnetic field dip angle. This set-up will help students visualize the vector nature of the Earth’s magnetic field, especially high school and first year college students who are not quite experienced with vectors. This set-up is affordable and easy to use and could be easily produced by any high school or college physics instructor.

  2. Assessment of three-dimensional set-up errors in conventional head and neck radiotherapy using electronic portal imaging device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gupta, Tejpal; Chopra, Supriya; Kadam, Avinash; Agarwal, Jai Prakash; Devi, P Reena; Ghosh-Laskar, Sarbani; Dinshaw, Ketayun Ardeshir

    2007-01-01

    Set-up errors are an inherent part of radiation treatment process. Coverage of target volume is a direct function of set-up margins, which should be optimized to prevent inadvertent irradiation of adjacent normal tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate three-dimensional (3D) set-up errors and propose optimum margins for target volume coverage in head and neck radiotherapy. The dataset consisted of 93 pairs of orthogonal simulator and corresponding portal images on which 558 point positions were measured to calculate translational displacement in 25 patients undergoing conventional head and neck radiotherapy with antero-lateral wedge pair technique. Mean displacements, population systematic (Σ) and random (σ) errors and 3D vector of displacement was calculated. Set-up margins were calculated using published margin recipes. The mean displacement in antero-posterior (AP), medio-lateral (ML) and supero-inferior (SI) direction was -0.25 mm (-6.50 to +7.70 mm), -0.48 mm (-5.50 to +7.80 mm) and +0.45 mm (-7.30 to +7.40 mm) respectively. Ninety three percent of the displacements were within 5 mm in all three cardinal directions. Population systematic (Σ) and random errors (σ) were 0.96, 0.98 and 1.20 mm and 1.94, 1.97 and 2.48 mm in AP, ML and SI direction respectively. The mean 3D vector of displacement was 3.84 cm. Using van Herk's formula, the clinical target volume to planning target volume margins were 3.76, 3.83 and 4.74 mm in AP, ML and SI direction respectively. The present study report compares well with published set-up error data relevant to head and neck radiotherapy practice. The set-up margins were <5 mm in all directions. Caution is warranted against adopting generic margin recipes as different margin generating recipes lead to a different probability of target volume coverage

  3. Intensity modulated radiation therapy for oropharyngeal cancer: the sensitivity of plan objectives and constraints to set-up uncertainty

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ploquin, Nicolas; Song, William; Lau, Harold; Dunscombe, Peter

    2005-01-01

    The goal of this study was to assess the impact of set-up uncertainty on compliance with the objectives and constraints of an intensity modulated radiation therapy protocol for early stage cancer of the oropharynx. As the convolution approach to the quantitative study of set-up uncertainties cannot accommodate either surface contours or internal inhomogeneities, both of which are highly relevant to sites in the head and neck, we have employed the more resource intensive direct simulation method. The impact of both systematic (variable from 0 to 6 mm) and random (fixed at 2 mm) set-up uncertainties on compliance with the criteria of the RTOG H-0022 protocol has been examined for eight geometrically complex structures: CTV66 (gross tumour volume and palpable lymph nodes suspicious for metastases), CTV54 (lymph node groups or surgical neck levels at risk of subclinical metastases), glottic larynx, spinal cord, brainstem, mandible and left and right parotids. In a probability-based approach, both dose-volume histograms and equivalent uniform doses were used to describe the dose distributions achieved by plans for two patients, in the presence of set-up uncertainty. The equivalent uniform dose is defined to be that dose which, when delivered uniformly to the organ of interest, will lead to the same response as the non-uniform dose under consideration. For systematic set-up uncertainties greater than 2 mm and 5 mm respectively, coverage of the CTV66 and CTV54 could be significantly compromised. Directional sensitivity was observed in both cases. Most organs at risk (except the glottic larynx which did not comply under static conditions) continued to meet the dose constraints up to 4 mm systematic uncertainty for both plans. The exception was the contra lateral parotid gland, which this protocol is specifically designed to protect. Sensitivity to systematic set-up uncertainty of 2 mm was observed for this organ at risk in both clinical plans

  4. Comparison of computer workstation with film for detecting setup errors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fritsch, D.S.; Boxwala, A.A.; Raghavan, S.; Coffee, C.; Major, S.A.; Muller, K.E.; Chaney, E.L.

    1997-01-01

    Purpose/Objective: Workstations designed for portal image interpretation by radiation oncologists provide image displays and image processing and analysis tools that differ significantly compared with the standard clinical practice of inspecting portal films on a light box. An implied but unproved assumption associated with the clinical implementation of workstation technology is that patient care is improved, or at least not adversely affected. The purpose of this investigation was to conduct observer studies to test the hypothesis that radiation oncologists can detect setup errors using a workstation at least as accurately as when following standard clinical practice. Materials and Methods: A workstation, PortFolio, was designed for radiation oncologists to display and inspect digital portal images for setup errors. PortFolio includes tools to enhance images; align cross-hairs, field edges, and anatomic structures on reference and acquired images; measure distances and angles; and view registered images superimposed on one another. In a well designed and carefully controlled observer study, nine radiation oncologists, including attendings and residents, used PortFolio to detect setup errors in realistic digitally reconstructed portal (DRPR) images computed from the NLM visible human data using a previously described approach † . Compared with actual portal images where absolute truth is ill defined or unknown, the DRPRs contained known translation or rotation errors in the placement of the fields over target regions in the pelvis and head. Twenty DRPRs with randomly induced errors were computed for each site. The induced errors were constrained to a plane at the isocenter of the target volume and perpendicular to the central axis of the treatment beam. Images used in the study were also printed on film. Observers interpreted the film-based images using standard clinical practice. The images were reviewed in eight sessions. During each session five images were

  5. A differential dielectric spectroscopy setup to measure the electric dipole moment and net charge of colloidal quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kortschot, R. J.; Bakelaar, I. A.; Erné, B. H.; Kuipers, B. W. M., E-mail: B.W.M.Kuipers@uu.nl [Van ' t Hoff Laboratory for Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht (Netherlands)

    2014-03-15

    A sensitive dielectric spectroscopy setup is built to measure the response of nanoparticles dispersed in a liquid to an alternating electric field over a frequency range from 10{sup −2} to 10{sup 7} Hz. The measured complex permittivity spectrum records both the rotational dynamics due to a permanent electric dipole moment and the translational dynamics due to net charges. The setup consists of a half-transparent capacitor connected in a bridge circuit, which is balanced on pure solvent only, using a software-controlled compensating voltage. In this way, the measured signal is dominated by the contributions of the nanoparticles rather than by the solvent. We demonstrate the performance of the setup with measurements on a dispersion of colloidal CdSe quantum dots in the apolar liquid decalin.

  6. Comparison of setup accuracy between exactrac X-ray 6 dimensions and cone-beam computed tomography for intracranial and pelvic image-guided radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kudo, Tsuyoshi; Ono, Kaoru; Furukawa, Kengo; Fujimoto, Sachie; Akagi, Yukio; Koyama, Tadashi; Hirokawa, Yutaka

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the setup difference measured with ExacTrac X-ray 6D (ETX6D) and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for non-invasive fractionated radiotherapy. Setup data were collected on a Novalis Tx treatment unit for both a head phantom and patients with intracranial tumors and a pelvic phantom and patients with prostate cancer. Initially, setup was done for a phantom using ETX6D. Secondly, a treatment couch was shifted or rotated by each already known value. Thirdly, ETX6D and CBCT scans were obtained. Finally, setup difference was determined: the registrations of ETX6D images with the corresponding digitally reconstructed radiographs using ETX6D fusion, and registrations of CBCT images with the planning CT using online 6D fusion. The setup difference between ETX6D and CBCT was compared. The impact of shifts and rotations on the difference was evaluated. Patients' setup data was similarly analyzed. In phantom experiments, the root mean square (RMS) of difference of the shift and rotation was less than 0.45 mm for translations, and 0.17 degrees for rotations. In intracranial patients' data, the RMS of that was 0.55 mm and 0.44 degree, respectively. In prostate cancer patients' data, the RMS of that was 0.77 mm and 0.79 degree, respectively. In this study, we observed modest setup differences between ETX6D and CBCT. These differences were generally less than 1.00 mm for translations, and 1.00 degrees for rotations, respectively. (author)

  7. Comparing signal intensity and refraction sensitivity of double and single mask edge illumination lab-based x-ray phase contrast imaging set-ups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kallon, G K; Diemoz, P C; Vittoria, F A; Basta, D; Endrizzi, M; Olivo, A

    2017-01-01

    Double mask edge illumination (DM-EI) set-ups can detect differential phase and attenuation information from a sample. However, analytical separation of the two signals often requires acquiring two frames with inverted differential phase contrast signals. Typically, between these two acquisitions, the first mask is moved to create a different illumination condition. This can lead to potential errors which adversely affect the data collected. In this paper, we implement a single mask EI laboratory set-up that allows for a single shot retrieval of the differential phase and attenuation images, without the need for a high resolution detector or high magnification. As well as simplifying mask alignment, the advantages of the proposed set-up can be exploited in one of two ways: either the total acquisition time can be halved with respect to the DM-EI set-up or, for the same acquisition time, twice the statistics can be collected. In this latter configuration, the signal-to-noise ratio and contrast in the mixed intensity images, and the angular sensitivity of the two set-ups were compared. We also show that the angular sensitivity of the single mask set-up can be well approximated from its illumination curve, which has been modelled as a convolution between the source spatial distribution at the detector plane, the pre-sample mask and the detector point spread function (PSF). A polychromatic wave optics simulation was developed on these bases and benchmarked against experimental data. It can also be used to predict the angular sensitivity and contrast of any set-up as a function of detector PSF. (paper)

  8. Wind and Wave Setup Contributions to Extreme Sea Levels at a Tropical High Island: A Stochastic Cyclone Simulation Study for Apia, Samoa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ron Karl Hoeke

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Wind-wave contributions to tropical cyclone (TC-induced extreme sea levels are known to be significant in areas with narrow littoral zones, particularly at oceanic islands. Despite this, little information exists in many of these locations to assess the likelihood of inundation, the relative contribution of wind and wave setup to this inundation, and how it may change with sea level rise (SLR, particularly at scales relevant to coastal infrastructure. In this study, we explore TC-induced extreme sea levels at spatial scales on the order of tens of meters at Apia, the capitol of Samoa, a nation in the tropical South Pacific with typical high-island fringing reef morphology. Ensembles of stochastically generated TCs (based on historical information are combined with numerical simulations of wind waves, storm-surge, and wave setup to develop high-resolution statistical information on extreme sea levels and local contributions of wind setup and wave setup. The results indicate that storm track and local morphological details lead to local differences in extreme sea levels on the order of 1 m at spatial scales of less than 1 km. Wave setup is the overall largest contributor at most locations; however, wind setup may exceed wave setup in some sheltered bays. When an arbitrary SLR scenario (+1 m is introduced, overall extreme sea levels are found to modestly decrease relative to SLR, but wave energy near the shoreline greatly increases, consistent with a number of other recent studies. These differences have implications for coastal adaptation strategies.

  9. Reducing the sensitivity of IMPT treatment plans to setup errors and range uncertainties via probabilistic treatment planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Unkelbach, Jan; Bortfeld, Thomas; Martin, Benjamin C.; Soukup, Martin

    2009-01-01

    Treatment plans optimized for intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) may be very sensitive to setup errors and range uncertainties. If these errors are not accounted for during treatment planning, the dose distribution realized in the patient may by strongly degraded compared to the planned dose distribution. The authors implemented the probabilistic approach to incorporate uncertainties directly into the optimization of an intensity modulated treatment plan. Following this approach, the dose distribution depends on a set of random variables which parameterize the uncertainty, as does the objective function used to optimize the treatment plan. The authors optimize the expected value of the objective function. They investigate IMPT treatment planning regarding range uncertainties and setup errors. They demonstrate that incorporating these uncertainties into the optimization yields qualitatively different treatment plans compared to conventional plans which do not account for uncertainty. The sensitivity of an IMPT plan depends on the dose contributions of individual beam directions. Roughly speaking, steep dose gradients in beam direction make treatment plans sensitive to range errors. Steep lateral dose gradients make plans sensitive to setup errors. More robust treatment plans are obtained by redistributing dose among different beam directions. This can be achieved by the probabilistic approach. In contrast, the safety margin approach as widely applied in photon therapy fails in IMPT and is neither suitable for handling range variations nor setup errors.

  10. Comparison of Fiber Optic and Conduit Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Setup for In-Line Fermentation Monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koch, Cosima; Posch, Andreas E; Herwig, Christoph; Lendl, Bernhard

    2016-12-01

    The performance of a fiber optic and an optical conduit in-line attenuated total reflection mid-infrared (IR) probe during in situ monitoring of Penicillium chrysogenum fermentation were compared. The fiber optic probe was connected to a sealed, portable, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) process spectrometer via a plug-and-play interface. The optical conduit, on the other hand, was connected to a FT-IR process spectrometer via a knuckled probe with mirrors that had to be adjusted prior to each fermentation, which were purged with dry air. Penicillin V (PenV) and its precursor phenoxyacetic acid (POX) concentrations were determined by online high-performance liquid chromatography and the obtained concentrations were used as reference to build partial least squares regression models. Cross-validated root-mean-square errors of prediction were found to be 0.2 g L -1 (POX) and 0.19 g L -1 (PenV) for the fiber optic setup and 0.17 g L -1 (both POX and PenV) for the conduit setup. Higher noise-levels and spectrum-to-spectrum variations of the fiber optic setup lead to higher noise of estimated (i.e., unknown) POX and PenV concentrations than was found for the conduit setup. It seems that trade-off has to be made between ease of handling (fiber optic setup) and measurement accuracy (optical conduit setup) when choosing one of these systems for bioprocess monitoring. © The Author(s) 2016.

  11. Alternated prone and supine whole-breast irradiation using IMRT: setup precision, respiratory movement and treatment time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veldeman, Liv; De Gersem, Werner; Speleers, Bruno; Truyens, Bart; Van Greveling, Annick; Van den Broecke, Rudy; De Neve, Wilfried

    2012-04-01

    The objective of this study was to compare setup precision, respiration-related breast movement and treatment time between prone and supine positions for whole-breast irradiation. Ten patients with early-stage breast carcinoma after breast-conserving surgery were treated with prone and supine whole breast-irradiation in a daily alternating schedule. Setup precision was monitored using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging. Respiration-related breast movement in the vertical direction was assessed by magnetic sensors. The time needed for patient setup and for the CBCT procedure, the beam time, and the length of the whole treatment slot were also recorded. Random and systematic errors were not significantly different between positions in individual patients for each of the three axes (left-right, longitudinal, and vertical). Respiration-related movement was smaller in prone position, but about 80% of observations showed amplitudes movement was smaller in prone position. The longer treatment slots in prone position can probably be attributed to the higher repositioning need. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Experimental set-up for advanced aeroelastic tests on sectional models

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Král, Radomil; Pospíšil, Stanislav; Náprstek, Jiří

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 40, č. 1 (2016), s. 3-13 ISSN 0732-8818 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA103/09/0094; GA AV ČR IAA200710902; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0060 Institutional support: RVO:68378297 Keywords : bridge aeroelasticity * wind tunnel * experimental set-up * non- linear response Subject RIV: JM - Building Engineering Impact factor: 0.932, year: 2016 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40799-015-0004-6

  13. Competencies Setup for Nuclear Regulatory Staff in Thailand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pingish, Panupong; Siripirom, Lopchai; Nakkaew, Pongpan; Manuwong, Theerapatt; Wongsamarn, Vichian

    2010-01-01

    Competencies setup for regulatory bodies oversee a research reactor and nuclear power reactors in Thailand, concentrating on staff development in areas of review and assessment, inspection and enforcement, authorization, and development of regulations and guides. The regulatory body in Thailand is the Bureau of Nuclear Safety Regulation (BNSR) which belongs to the Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP). The BNSR is divided into 4 groups according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). These groups are the nuclear safety administration group, nuclear safety technical support group, nuclear safety assessment and licensing group, and the nuclear installations inspection group. Each group is divided into senior and junior positions. The competencies model was used for implementation of staff qualification, career planning and professional progression by BNSR. Competencies are related to knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSAs) needed to perform their job. A key issue is obtaining competencies for the regulatory bodies. The systematic approach to training (SAT) has been used in several countries for improvement regulator performance. The SAT contains 5 steps, including analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation, to achieve competencies. The SAT provides a logical progression from the identification of competencies required to perform a job to the design, development and implementation of training using the competencies model. In the first step, BNSR performs an operating analysis of training needs assessment (TNA) by using gap analysis technique, as suggested by IAEA. Individual regulatory bodies address the gap using appropriate training program, after comparing the actual and desired competency profiles to determine the gap. This paper examines competencies setup for regulatory staff of BNSR as a result of gaps analysis to establish a scheme for design characteristics of regulatory staff and training courses, thereby enhancing the regulatory

  14. Multiple regions-of-interest analysis of setup uncertainties for head-and-neck cancer radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Lifei; Garden, Adam S.; Lo, Justin; Ang, K. Kian; Ahamad, Anesa; Morrison, William H.; Rosenthal, David I.; Chambers, Mark S.; Zhu, X. Ronald; Mohan, Radhe; Dong Lei

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: To analyze three-dimensional setup uncertainties for multiple regions of interest (ROIs) in head-and-neck region. Methods and Materials: In-room computed tomography (CT) scans were acquired using a CT-on-rails system for 14 patients. Three separate bony ROIs were defined: C2 and C6 vertebral bodies and the palatine process of the maxilla. Translational shifts of 3 ROIs were calculated relative to the marked isocenter on the immobilization mask. Results: The shifts for all 3 ROIs were highly correlated. However, noticeable differences on the order of 2-6 mm existed between any 2 ROIs, indicating the flexibility and/or rotational effect in the head-and-neck region. The palatine process of the maxilla had the smallest right-left shifts because of the tight lateral fit in the face mask, but the largest superior-inferior movement because of in-plane rotation and variations in jaw positions. The neck region (C6) had the largest right-left shifts. The positioning mouthpiece was found effective in reducing variations in the superior-inferior direction. There was no statistically significant improvement for using the S-board (8 out of 14 patients) vs. the short face mask. Conclusions: We found variability in setup corrections for different regions of head-and-neck anatomy. These relative positional variations should be considered when making setup corrections or designing treatment margins

  15. Automated evaluation of setup errors in carbon ion therapy using PET: Feasibility study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuess, Peter; Hopfgartner, Johannes; Georg, Dietmar; Helmbrecht, Stephan; Fiedler, Fine; Birkfellner, Wolfgang; Enghardt, Wolfgang

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the possibility of detecting patient mispositioning in carbon-ion therapy with particle therapy positron emission tomography (PET) in an automated image registration based manner. Methods: Tumors in the head and neck (H and N), pelvic, lung, and brain region were investigated. Biologically optimized carbon ion treatment plans were created with TRiP98. From these treatment plans, the reference β + -activity distributions were calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation. Setup errors were simulated by shifting or rotating the computed tomography (CT). The expected β + activity was calculated for each plan with shifts. Finally, the reference particle therapy PET images were compared to the “shifted” β + -activity distribution simulations using the Pearson's correlation coefficient (PCC). To account for different PET monitoring options the inbeam PET was compared to three different inroom scenarios. Additionally, the dosimetric effects of the CT misalignments were investigated. Results: The automated PCC detection of patient mispositioning was possible in the investigated indications for cranio-caudal shifts of 4 mm and more, except for prostate tumors. In the rather homogeneous pelvic region, the generated β + -activity distribution of the reference and compared PET image were too much alike. Thus, setup errors in this region could not be detected. Regarding lung lesions the detection strongly depended on the exact tumor location: in the center of the lung tumor misalignments could be detected down to 2 mm shifts while resolving shifts of tumors close to the thoracic wall was more challenging. Rotational shifts in the H and N and lung region of +6° and more could be detected using inroom PET and partly using inbeam PET. Comparing inroom PET to inbeam PET no obvious trend was found. However, among the inroom scenarios a longer measurement time was found to be advantageous. Conclusions: This study scopes the use of various particle therapy

  16. X-band EPR setup with THz light excitation of Novosibirsk Free Electron Laser: Goals, means, useful extras.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veber, Sergey L; Tumanov, Sergey V; Fursova, Elena Yu; Shevchenko, Oleg A; Getmanov, Yaroslav V; Scheglov, Mikhail A; Kubarev, Vitaly V; Shevchenko, Daria A; Gorbachev, Iaroslav I; Salikova, Tatiana V; Kulipanov, Gennady N; Ovcharenko, Victor I; Fedin, Matvey V

    2018-03-01

    Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) station at the Novosibirsk Free Electron Laser (NovoFEL) user facility is described. It is based on X-band (∼9 GHz) EPR spectrometer and operates in both Continuous Wave (CW) and Time-Resolved (TR) modes, each allowing detection of either direct or indirect influence of high-power NovoFEL light (THz and mid-IR) on the spin system under study. The optics components including two parabolic mirrors, shutters, optical chopper and multimodal waveguide allow the light of NovoFEL to be directly fed into the EPR resonator. Characteristics of the NovoFEL radiation, the transmission and polarization-retaining properties of the waveguide used in EPR experiments are presented. The types of proposed experiments accessible using this setup are sketched. In most practical cases the high-power radiation applied to the sample induces its rapid temperature increase (T-jump), which is best visible in TR mode. Although such influence is a by-product of THz radiation, this thermal effect is controllable and can deliberately be used to induce and measure transient signals of arbitrary samples. The advantage of tunable THz radiation is the absence of photo-induced processes in the sample and its high penetration ability, allowing fast heating of a large portion of virtually any sample and inducing intense transients. Such T-jump TR EPR spectroscopy with THz pulses has been previewed for the two test samples, being a useful supplement for the main goals of the created setup. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Thresholds for human detection of patient setup errors in digitally reconstructed portal images of prostate fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Phillips, Brooke L.; Jiroutek, Michael R.; Tracton, Gregg; Elfervig, Michelle; Muller, Keith E.; Chaney, Edward L.

    2002-01-01

    Purpose: Computer-assisted methods to analyze electronic portal images for the presence of treatment setup errors should be studied in controlled experiments before use in the clinical setting. Validation experiments using images that contain known errors usually report the smallest errors that can be detected by the image analysis algorithm. This paper offers human error-detection thresholds as one benchmark for evaluating the smallest errors detected by algorithms. Unfortunately, reliable data are lacking describing human performance. The most rigorous benchmarks for human performance are obtained under conditions that favor error detection. To establish such benchmarks, controlled observer studies were carried out to determine the thresholds of detectability for in-plane and out-of-plane translation and rotation setup errors introduced into digitally reconstructed portal radiographs (DRPRs) of prostate fields. Methods and Materials: Seventeen observers comprising radiation oncologists, radiation oncology residents, physicists, and therapy students participated in a two-alternative forced choice experiment involving 378 DRPRs computed using the National Library of Medicine Visible Human data sets. An observer viewed three images at a time displayed on adjacent computer monitors. Each image triplet included a reference digitally reconstructed radiograph displayed on the central monitor and two DRPRs displayed on the flanking monitors. One DRPR was error free. The other DRPR contained a known in-plane or out-of-plane error in the placement of the treatment field over a target region in the pelvis. The range for each type of error was determined from pilot observer studies based on a Probit model for error detection. The smallest errors approached the limit of human visual capability. The observer was told what kind of error was introduced, and was asked to choose the DRPR that contained the error. Observer decisions were recorded and analyzed using repeated

  18. An improved, simple, inexpensive and highly flexible hydroponic setup for root mitochondria isolation from arabidopsis and nicotiana pants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hameed, M. W.; Udddin, A.

    2015-01-01

    Hydroponic setups are frequently developed and improved as they are convenient platforms for studying whole plant physiology. Mostly, the available systems produce small amounts of plant material and are therefore, unsuitable for studies requiring large quantities of plant material like isolation of mitochondria. To address this issue, we have modified a hydroponic setup that can sustain hundreds of Arabidopsis and tobacco plants until adult plants are established. The setup is very flexible and easy to construct. It is based on the use of recyclable and sterilizable plastic-net-pots and media containers, which are easily available from the local suppliers. The modified seed-pots and styrofoam sheets facilitate the transfer and harvesting of seedlings. We have used the Percoll based two-step density gradient centrifugation method for the isolation of root mitochondria from the hydroponically grown plants. (author)

  19. Design of an experimental four-camera setup for enhanced 3D surface reconstruction in microsurgery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marzi Christian

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Future fully digital surgical visualization systems enable a wide range of new options. Caused by optomechanical limitations a main disadvantage of today’s surgical microscopes is their incapability of providing arbitrary perspectives to more than two observers. In a fully digital microscopic system, multiple arbitrary views can be generated from a 3D reconstruction. Modern surgical microscopes allow replacing the eyepieces by cameras in order to record stereoscopic videos. A reconstruction from these videos can only contain the amount of detail the recording camera system gathers from the scene. Therefore, covered surfaces can result in a faulty reconstruction for deviating stereoscopic perspectives. By adding cameras recording the object from different angles, additional information of the scene is acquired, allowing to improve the reconstruction. Our approach is to use a fixed four-camera setup as a front-end system to capture enhanced 3D topography of a pseudo-surgical scene. This experimental setup would provide images for the reconstruction algorithms and generation of multiple observing stereo perspectives. The concept of the designed setup is based on the common main objective (CMO principle of current surgical microscopes. These systems are well established and optically mature. Furthermore, the CMO principle allows a more compact design and a lowered effort in calibration than cameras with separate optics. Behind the CMO four pupils separate the four channels which are recorded by one camera each. The designed system captures an area of approximately 28mm × 28mm with four cameras. Thus, allowing to process images of 6 different stereo perspectives. In order to verify the setup, it is modelled in silico. It can be used in further studies to test algorithms for 3D reconstruction from up to four perspectives and provide information about the impact of additionally recorded perspectives on the enhancement of a reconstruction.

  20. Development of a TSC-Setup for the Characterization of Electron and Hole Traps in Irradiated Silicon Sensors

    CERN Document Server

    Stricker, Miriam

    2015-01-01

    For the characterization of radiation damage in silicon detectors a low-noise TSC-Setup was built to analyze charge trapping in the temperature range between 15 K and 250 K. The setup offers the possibility to perform Thermally Stimulated Current (TSC) and IV measurements and also to anneal samples at temperatures up to 180 ◦C. A first annealing study on a proton irradiated silicon pad sensor was performed. This study focuses mainly on the variation of the trap concentration and the results are compared to literature.

  1. Comparison of orthogonal kilovolt X-ray images and cone-beam CT matching results in setup error assessment and correction for EB-PBI during free breathing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Wei; Li Jianbin; Hu Hongguang; Ma Zhifang; Xu Min; Fan Tingyong; Shao Qian; Ding Yun

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To compare the differences in setup error (SE) assessment and correction between the orthogonal kilovolt X-ray images and CBCT in EB-PBI patients during free breathing. Methods: Nineteen patients after breast conserving surgery EB-PBI were recruited. Interfraction SE was acquired using orthogonal kilovolt X-ray setup images and CBCT, after on-line setup correction,calculate the residual error and compare the SE, residual error and setup margin (SM) quantified for orthogonal kilovolt X-ray images and CBCT. Wilcoxon sign-rank test was used to evaluate the differences. Results: The CBCT based SE (systematic error, ∑) was smaller than the orthogonal kilovolt X-ray images based ∑ in AP direction (-1.2 mm vs 2.00 mm; P=0.005), and there was no statistically significant differences for three dimensional directions in random error (σ) (P=0.948, 0.376, 0.314). After on-line setup correction,CBCT decreases setup residual error than the orthogonal kilovolt X-ray images in AP direction (Σ: -0.20 mm vs 0.50 mm, P=0.008; σ: 0.45 mm vs 1.34 mm, P=0.002). And also the CBCT based SM was smaller than orthogonal kilovolt X-ray images based SM in AP direction (Σ: -1.39 mm vs 5.57 mm, P=0.003; σ: 0.00 mm vs 3.2 mm, P=0.003). Conclusions: Compared with kilovolt X-ray images, CBCT underestimate the setup error in the AP direction, but decreases setup residual error significantly.An image-guided radiotherapy and setup error assessment using kilovolt X-ray images for EB-PBI plans was feasible. (authors)

  2. Experimental setup for Single Event Effects at the São Paulo 8UD Pelletron Accelerator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguiar, V. A. P.; Added, N.; Medina, N. H.; Macchione, E. L. A.; Tabacniks, M. H.; Aguirre, F. R.; Silveira, M. A. G.; Santos, R. B. B.; Seixas, L. E.

    2014-08-01

    In this work we present an experimental setup mounted in one of the beam lines at the São Paulo 8UD Pelletron Accelerator in order to study Single Event Effects in electronic devices. The basic idea is to use elastic scattering collisions to achieve a low-flux with a high-uniformity ion beam to irradiate several devices. 12C, 16O, 28Si, 35Cl and 63Cu beams were used to test the experimental setup. In this system it is possible to use efficiently LET values of 17 MeV/mg/cm2 for an external beam arrangement and up to 32 MeV/mg/cm2 for in-vacuum irradiation.

  3. Development of a Low Cost MQL Setup for Turning Operations

    OpenAIRE

    Islam Sumaiya; Khandoker Noman; Izham Mohamad; Azizi Tengku; Debnath Sujan

    2017-01-01

    In this study, the effect of MQL application on the tool wear, surface roughness and chip formation in turning Aluminum alloy 6061 is investigated. Experiments were carried out by plain turning of an Aluminum bar with varying depth of cut, cutting speeds (spindle speed) and cutting environments (Dry, Wet and MQL). A newly designed, cost efficient and portable MQL setup was developed for this study. For each experimental trial, five passes were carried out in order to promote the formation of ...

  4. Setup for demonstrating interactive binaural synthesis for telepresence applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Esben; Olesen, Søren Krarup; Markovic, Milos

    2011-01-01

    position Totem with a single loudspeaker. The Position and movements of participants, particularly the head, are tracked and from this sound is rendered to include binaural cues so the Visitor is able to move around in a limited space while perceiving Destination sound as "stationary". This setup includes......, latency and transmission reliablity must be adjusted to obtain the best compromise. Bandwidth use and reliablity can be improved at the cost of latency. Finally the binaural synthesis for each source is processed at the listener's site (here Visitor) to have a minimum latency on responding to movement...

  5. A feasibility study of mutual information based setup error estimation for radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jeongtae; Fessler, Jeffrey A.; Lam, Kwok L.; Balter, James M.; Haken, Randall K. ten

    2001-01-01

    We have investigated a fully automatic setup error estimation method that aligns DRRs (digitally reconstructed radiographs) from a three-dimensional planning computed tomography image onto two-dimensional radiographs that are acquired in a treatment room. We have chosen a MI (mutual information)-based image registration method, hoping for robustness to intensity differences between the DRRs and the radiographs. The MI-based estimator is fully automatic since it is based on the image intensity values without segmentation. Using 10 repeated scans of an anthropomorphic chest phantom in one position and two single scans in two different positions, we evaluated the performance of the proposed method and a correlation-based method against the setup error determined by fiducial marker-based method. The mean differences between the proposed method and the fiducial marker-based method were smaller than 1 mm for translational parameters and 0.8 degree for rotational parameters. The standard deviations of estimates from the proposed method due to detector noise were smaller than 0.3 mm and 0.07 degree for the translational parameters and rotational parameters, respectively

  6. Automotive RF immunity test set-up analysis : why test results can't compare

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Coenen, Mart; Pues, H.; Bousquet, T.

    2011-01-01

    Though the automotive RF emission and RF immunity requirements are highly justifiable, the application of those requirements in an non-intended manner leads to false conclusions and unnecessary redesigns for the electronics involved. When the test results become too dependent upon the test set-up

  7. Educational x-ray experiments and XRF measurements with a portable setup adapted for the characterization of cultural heritage objects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sianoudis, I [Department of Physics Chemistry and Material Technology, Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Athens, Ag. Spyridonos 12210 Egaleo (Greece); Drakaki, E [Department of Physics, NTUA, Athens 15780 (Greece); Hein, A [Institute of Materials Science, N.C.S.R. Demokritos, 15 310 Aghia Paraskevi (Greece)], E-mail: jansian@teiath.gr, E-mail: edrakaki@gmail.com, E-mail: hein@ims.demokritos.gr

    2010-05-15

    It is common to modify valuable, sophisticated equipment, originally acquired for other purposes, to adapt it for the needs of educational experiments, with great didactic effectiveness. The present project concerns a setup developed from components of a portable system for energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (EDXRF). Two educational modules have been developed on the basis of this setup. Module 1 comprises a series of x-ray laboratory exercises investigating basic principles, such as the verification of Moseley's law, Compton's law and the Lambert-Beer law. Module 2 concerns the calibration of the XRF with reference materials, aiming to get quantitative measurements of the elemental composition of objects of cultural interest. The application of the calibrated experimental setup is demonstrated with indicative measurements of metal objects and pigments of wall paintings, in order to discuss their spectra, and their qualitative and quantitative analyses. The setup and the applied experiments are designed as an educational package of laboratory exercises on the one hand for students in natural sciences, and on the other for the education of students who will work in the field of cultural heritage, such as conservation science or archaeological science.

  8. Educational x-ray experiments and XRF measurements with a portable setup adapted for the characterization of cultural heritage objects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sianoudis, I; Drakaki, E; Hein, A

    2010-01-01

    It is common to modify valuable, sophisticated equipment, originally acquired for other purposes, to adapt it for the needs of educational experiments, with great didactic effectiveness. The present project concerns a setup developed from components of a portable system for energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (EDXRF). Two educational modules have been developed on the basis of this setup. Module 1 comprises a series of x-ray laboratory exercises investigating basic principles, such as the verification of Moseley's law, Compton's law and the Lambert-Beer law. Module 2 concerns the calibration of the XRF with reference materials, aiming to get quantitative measurements of the elemental composition of objects of cultural interest. The application of the calibrated experimental setup is demonstrated with indicative measurements of metal objects and pigments of wall paintings, in order to discuss their spectra, and their qualitative and quantitative analyses. The setup and the applied experiments are designed as an educational package of laboratory exercises on the one hand for students in natural sciences, and on the other for the education of students who will work in the field of cultural heritage, such as conservation science or archaeological science.

  9. Influence of daily setup measurements and corrections on the estimated delivered dose during IMRT treatment of prostate cancer patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haaren, Paul M.A. van; Bel, Arjan; Hofman, Pieter; Vulpen, Marco van; Kotte, Alexis N.T.J.; Heide, Uulke A. van der

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the impact of marker-based position verification, using daily imaging and an off-line correction protocol, by calculating the delivered dose to prostate, rectum and bladder. Methods: Prostate cancer patients (n = 217) were treated with IMRT, receiving 35 daily fractions. Plans with five beams were optimized taking target coverage (CTV, boost) and organs-at-risk (rectum and bladder) into account. PTV margins were 8 mm. Prostate position was verified daily using implanted fiducial gold markers by imaging the first segment of all the five beams on an EPID. Setup deviations were corrected off-line using an adapted shrinking-action-level protocol. The estimated delivered dose, including daily organ movements, was calculated using a version of PLATO's dose engine, enabling batch processing of large numbers of patients. The dose was calculated ± inclusion of setup corrections, and was evaluated relative to the original static plan. The marker-based measurements were considered representative for all organs. Results: Daily organ movements would result in an underdosage of 2-3 Gy to CTV and boost volume relative to the original plan, which was prevented by daily setup corrections. The dose to rectum and bladder was on average unchanged, but a large spread was introduced by organ movements, which was reduced by including setup corrections. Conclusions: Without position verification and setup corrections, margins of 8mm would be insufficient to account for position uncertainties during IMRT of prostate cancer. With the daily off-line correction protocol, the remaining variations are accommodated adequately

  10. Automated Patient Identification and Localization Error Detection Using 2-Dimensional to 3-Dimensional Registration of Kilovoltage X-Ray Setup Images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lamb, James M.; Agazaryan, Nzhde; Low, Daniel A.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: To determine whether kilovoltage x-ray projection radiation therapy setup images could be used to perform patient identification and detect gross errors in patient setup using a computer algorithm. Methods and Materials: Three patient cohorts treated using a commercially available image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) system that uses 2-dimensional to 3-dimensional (2D-3D) image registration were retrospectively analyzed: a group of 100 cranial radiation therapy patients, a group of 100 prostate cancer patients, and a group of 83 patients treated for spinal lesions. The setup images were acquired using fixed in-room kilovoltage imaging systems. In the prostate and cranial patient groups, localizations using image registration were performed between computed tomography (CT) simulation images from radiation therapy planning and setup x-ray images corresponding both to the same patient and to different patients. For the spinal patients, localizations were performed to the correct vertebral body, and to an adjacent vertebral body, using planning CTs and setup x-ray images from the same patient. An image similarity measure used by the IGRT system image registration algorithm was extracted from the IGRT system log files and evaluated as a discriminant for error detection. Results: A threshold value of the similarity measure could be chosen to separate correct and incorrect patient matches and correct and incorrect vertebral body localizations with excellent accuracy for these patient cohorts. A 10-fold cross-validation using linear discriminant analysis yielded misclassification probabilities of 0.000, 0.0045, and 0.014 for the cranial, prostate, and spinal cases, respectively. Conclusions: An automated measure of the image similarity between x-ray setup images and corresponding planning CT images could be used to perform automated patient identification and detection of localization errors in radiation therapy treatments

  11. Automated Patient Identification and Localization Error Detection Using 2-Dimensional to 3-Dimensional Registration of Kilovoltage X-Ray Setup Images

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lamb, James M., E-mail: jlamb@mednet.ucla.edu; Agazaryan, Nzhde; Low, Daniel A.

    2013-10-01

    Purpose: To determine whether kilovoltage x-ray projection radiation therapy setup images could be used to perform patient identification and detect gross errors in patient setup using a computer algorithm. Methods and Materials: Three patient cohorts treated using a commercially available image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) system that uses 2-dimensional to 3-dimensional (2D-3D) image registration were retrospectively analyzed: a group of 100 cranial radiation therapy patients, a group of 100 prostate cancer patients, and a group of 83 patients treated for spinal lesions. The setup images were acquired using fixed in-room kilovoltage imaging systems. In the prostate and cranial patient groups, localizations using image registration were performed between computed tomography (CT) simulation images from radiation therapy planning and setup x-ray images corresponding both to the same patient and to different patients. For the spinal patients, localizations were performed to the correct vertebral body, and to an adjacent vertebral body, using planning CTs and setup x-ray images from the same patient. An image similarity measure used by the IGRT system image registration algorithm was extracted from the IGRT system log files and evaluated as a discriminant for error detection. Results: A threshold value of the similarity measure could be chosen to separate correct and incorrect patient matches and correct and incorrect vertebral body localizations with excellent accuracy for these patient cohorts. A 10-fold cross-validation using linear discriminant analysis yielded misclassification probabilities of 0.000, 0.0045, and 0.014 for the cranial, prostate, and spinal cases, respectively. Conclusions: An automated measure of the image similarity between x-ray setup images and corresponding planning CT images could be used to perform automated patient identification and detection of localization errors in radiation therapy treatments.

  12. Automated patient identification and localization error detection using 2-dimensional to 3-dimensional registration of kilovoltage x-ray setup images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamb, James M; Agazaryan, Nzhde; Low, Daniel A

    2013-10-01

    To determine whether kilovoltage x-ray projection radiation therapy setup images could be used to perform patient identification and detect gross errors in patient setup using a computer algorithm. Three patient cohorts treated using a commercially available image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) system that uses 2-dimensional to 3-dimensional (2D-3D) image registration were retrospectively analyzed: a group of 100 cranial radiation therapy patients, a group of 100 prostate cancer patients, and a group of 83 patients treated for spinal lesions. The setup images were acquired using fixed in-room kilovoltage imaging systems. In the prostate and cranial patient groups, localizations using image registration were performed between computed tomography (CT) simulation images from radiation therapy planning and setup x-ray images corresponding both to the same patient and to different patients. For the spinal patients, localizations were performed to the correct vertebral body, and to an adjacent vertebral body, using planning CTs and setup x-ray images from the same patient. An image similarity measure used by the IGRT system image registration algorithm was extracted from the IGRT system log files and evaluated as a discriminant for error detection. A threshold value of the similarity measure could be chosen to separate correct and incorrect patient matches and correct and incorrect vertebral body localizations with excellent accuracy for these patient cohorts. A 10-fold cross-validation using linear discriminant analysis yielded misclassification probabilities of 0.000, 0.0045, and 0.014 for the cranial, prostate, and spinal cases, respectively. An automated measure of the image similarity between x-ray setup images and corresponding planning CT images could be used to perform automated patient identification and detection of localization errors in radiation therapy treatments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. A Demonstration Setup to Simulate Detection of Planets outside the Solar System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choopan, W.; Ketpichainarong, W.; Laosinchai, P.; Panijpan, B.

    2011-01-01

    We constructed a simple demonstration setup to simulate an extrasolar planet and its star revolving around the system's centre of mass. Periodic dimming of light from the star by the transiting planet and the star's orbital revolution simulate the two major ways of deducing the presence of an exoplanet near a distant star. Apart from being a…

  14. On-Line Use of Three-Dimensional Marker Trajectory Estimation From Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Projections for Precise Setup in Radiotherapy for Targets With Respiratory Motion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Worm, Esben S.; Høyer, Morten; Fledelius, Walther; Nielsen, Jens E.; Larsen, Lars P.; Poulsen, Per R.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To develop and evaluate accurate and objective on-line patient setup based on a novel semiautomatic technique in which three-dimensional marker trajectories were estimated from two-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) projections. Methods and Materials: Seven treatment courses of stereotactic body radiotherapy for liver tumors were delivered in 21 fractions in total to 6 patients by a linear accelerator. Each patient had two to three gold markers implanted close to the tumors. Before treatment, a CBCT scan with approximately 675 two-dimensional projections was acquired during a full gantry rotation. The marker positions were segmented in each projection. From this, the three-dimensional marker trajectories were estimated using a probability based method. The required couch shifts for patient setup were calculated from the mean marker positions along the trajectories. A motion phantom moving with known tumor trajectories was used to examine the accuracy of the method. Trajectory-based setup was retrospectively used off-line for the first five treatment courses (15 fractions) and on-line for the last two treatment courses (6 fractions). Automatic marker segmentation was compared with manual segmentation. The trajectory-based setup was compared with setup based on conventional CBCT guidance on the markers (first 15 fractions). Results: Phantom measurements showed that trajectory-based estimation of the mean marker position was accurate within 0.3 mm. The on-line trajectory-based patient setup was performed within approximately 5 minutes. The automatic marker segmentation agreed with manual segmentation within 0.36 ± 0.50 pixels (mean ± SD; pixel size, 0.26 mm in isocenter). The accuracy of conventional volumetric CBCT guidance was compromised by motion smearing (≤21 mm) that induced an absolute three-dimensional setup error of 1.6 ± 0.9 mm (maximum, 3.2) relative to trajectory-based setup. Conclusions: The first on-line clinical use of

  15. Objected constrained registration and manifold learning: A new patient setup approach in image guided radiation therapy of thoracic cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen Ting; Jabbour, Salma K.; Haffty, Bruce G.; Yue, Ning [Radiation Oncology Department, Cancer Institute of New Jersey, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 (United States); Qin Songbing [Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China)

    2013-04-15

    Purpose: The management of thoracic malignancies with radiation therapy is complicated by continuous target motion. In this study, a real time motion analysis approach is proposed to improve the accuracy of patient setup. Methods: For 11 lung cancer patients a long training fluoroscopy was acquired before the first treatment, and multiple short testing fluoroscopies were acquired weekly at the pretreatment patient setup of image guided radiotherapy (IGRT). The data analysis consisted of three steps: first a 4D target motion model was constructed from 4DCT and projected to the training fluoroscopy through deformable registration. Then the manifold learning method was used to construct a 2D subspace based on the target motion (kinetic) and location (static) information in the training fluoroscopy. Thereafter the respiratory phase in the testing fluoroscopy was determined by finding its location in the subspace. Finally, the phase determined testing fluoroscopy was registered to the corresponding 4DCT to derive the pretreatment patient position adjustment for the IGRT. The method was tested on clinical image sets and numerical phantoms. Results: The registration successfully reconstructed the 4D motion model with over 98% volume similarity in 4DCT, and over 95% area similarity in the training fluoroscopy. The machine learning method derived the phase values in over 98% and 93% test images of the phantom and patient images, respectively, with less than 3% phase error. The setup approach achieved an average accumulated setup error less than 1.7 mm in the cranial-caudal direction and less than 1 mm in the transverse plane. All results were validated against the ground truth of manual delineations by an experienced radiation oncologist. The expected total time for the pretreatment setup analysis was less than 10 s. Conclusions: By combining the registration and machine learning, the proposed approach has the potential to improve the accuracy of pretreatment setup for

  16. Objected constrained registration and manifold learning: A new patient setup approach in image guided radiation therapy of thoracic cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Ting; Jabbour, Salma K.; Haffty, Bruce G.; Yue, Ning; Qin Songbing

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: The management of thoracic malignancies with radiation therapy is complicated by continuous target motion. In this study, a real time motion analysis approach is proposed to improve the accuracy of patient setup. Methods: For 11 lung cancer patients a long training fluoroscopy was acquired before the first treatment, and multiple short testing fluoroscopies were acquired weekly at the pretreatment patient setup of image guided radiotherapy (IGRT). The data analysis consisted of three steps: first a 4D target motion model was constructed from 4DCT and projected to the training fluoroscopy through deformable registration. Then the manifold learning method was used to construct a 2D subspace based on the target motion (kinetic) and location (static) information in the training fluoroscopy. Thereafter the respiratory phase in the testing fluoroscopy was determined by finding its location in the subspace. Finally, the phase determined testing fluoroscopy was registered to the corresponding 4DCT to derive the pretreatment patient position adjustment for the IGRT. The method was tested on clinical image sets and numerical phantoms. Results: The registration successfully reconstructed the 4D motion model with over 98% volume similarity in 4DCT, and over 95% area similarity in the training fluoroscopy. The machine learning method derived the phase values in over 98% and 93% test images of the phantom and patient images, respectively, with less than 3% phase error. The setup approach achieved an average accumulated setup error less than 1.7 mm in the cranial-caudal direction and less than 1 mm in the transverse plane. All results were validated against the ground truth of manual delineations by an experienced radiation oncologist. The expected total time for the pretreatment setup analysis was less than 10 s. Conclusions: By combining the registration and machine learning, the proposed approach has the potential to improve the accuracy of pretreatment setup for

  17. Single Machine Scheduling and Due Date Assignment with Past-Sequence-Dependent Setup Time and Position-Dependent Processing Time

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chuan-Li Zhao

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper considers single machine scheduling and due date assignment with setup time. The setup time is proportional to the length of the already processed jobs; that is, the setup time is past-sequence-dependent (p-s-d. It is assumed that a job's processing time depends on its position in a sequence. The objective functions include total earliness, the weighted number of tardy jobs, and the cost of due date assignment. We analyze these problems with two different due date assignment methods. We first consider the model with job-dependent position effects. For each case, by converting the problem to a series of assignment problems, we proved that the problems can be solved in On4 time. For the model with job-independent position effects, we proved that the problems can be solved in On3 time by providing a dynamic programming algorithm.

  18. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production in an integrated electromicrobial setup: Investigation under stress-inducing conditions

    KAUST Repository

    Al Rowaihi, Israa Salem; Paillier, Alexis; Rasul, Shahid; Karan, Ram; Grö tzinger, Stefan Wolfgang; Takanabe, Kazuhiro; Eppinger, Jö rg

    2018-01-01

    extorquens AM1 and Cupriavidus necator H16. This setup allows to investigate the influence of different stress conditions, such as coexisting electrolysis, relatively high salinity, nutrient limitation, and starvation, on the production of PHB. The overall

  19. The value of setup portal films as an estimate of a patient's position throughout fractionated tangential breast irradiation: an on-line study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McGee, Kiaran P.; Fein, Douglas A.; Hanlon, Alex L.; Schultheiss, Timothy E.; Fowble, Barbara L.

    1997-01-01

    Purpose: To determine if portal setup films are an accurate representation of a patient's position throughout the course of fractionated tangential breast irradiation. Methods and Materials: Thirteen patients undergoing external beam irradiation for T1-T2 infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast following excisional biopsy and axillary dissection were imaged using an on-line portal imaging device attached to a 6 MV linear accelerator. Medial and lateral tangential fields were imaged and a total of 139 fractions, 225 portal fields, and 4450 images were obtained. Interfractional and intrafractional variations for anatomical parameters including the central lung distance (CLD), central flash distance (CFD), and inferior central margin (ICM) were calculated from these images. A pooled estimate of the random error associated with a given treatment was determined by adding the interfractional and intrafractional standard deviations in quadrature. A 95% confidence level assigned a value of two standard deviations of the random error estimate. Central lung distance, CFD, and ICM distances were then measured for all portal setup films. Significant differences were defined as occurring when the simulation-setup difference was greater than the 95% confidence value. Results: Differences between setup portal and simulation films were less than their 95% confidence values in 70 instances indicating that in 90% of the time these differences are a result of random differences in daily treatment positioning. Conclusions: In 90% of cases tested, initial portal setup films are an accurate representation of a patients daily treatment setup

  20. Characterization of n-heptane as a single component Diesel surrogate fuel. EHPC test set-up implementation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meijer, M.

    2010-06-15

    The availability of accurately measured fuel properties, during an injection event under engine relevant conditions is critical within the surrogate fuel approach. There is a need to perform in-house measurements in order to validate developed and new models. A well defined and accurately measured data-set will facilitate on-going work for sophisticated engine related in-cylinder combustion modeling. In this work pure n-heptane fuel is used as a single component surrogate fuel and is studied in a high-pressure constant volume optical test set-up. N-heptane is often used as a single component surrogate diesel fuel since it has a comparable Cetane number as European diesel. Detailed chemical-kinetic mechanisms for low-, intermediate-, and high-temperature n-heptane oxidation are available and several models exist that have sufficiently reduced dimensionality (number of species and reactions) to enable their use in CFD (Computational Fluid Mechanics) simulations. This report discusses the route and implementation to perform such an accurate and relevant n-heptane measurement series. The aim is to combine the efforts of earlier presented EHPC (Eindhoven High Pressure Cell) related work and new approaches, into the proposed surrogate fuel measurement series. The following aspects, related to the applied constant volume combustion chamber set-up, are studied and implemented: Extending the operating ranges towards relevant engine conditions; Study the accuracy and sensitivities of the different measurement steps; Implementing different optical diagnostic principles; and Implement a standardized and robust post processing routine. The different optical diagnostic principles used in this work are: high-speed Schlieren, Mie scattering and beginnings are made to implement a simultaneous LII LIF (Laser Induced Incandescence - Laser Induced Fluorescence) set-up using a new ICCD (Intensified Charge Coupled Device) camera with dual imaging feature. Combining the different